the memoirs of cardinal de retz-第36节

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rmidable　one　day；　should　be　every　whit　as　odious　the　next。　I　concluded　with　offering　to　sacrifice　my　coadjutorship　of　Paris　to　the　anger　of　the　Queen　and　the　hatred　of　the　Cardinal；　and　that　very　cheerfully；　if　they　would　but　come　into　my　measures。

M。　de　Bouillon；　after　having　opposed　my　reasons；　concluded　thus：　〃I　know　that　my　brother's　declaration　and　my　urging　the　necessity　of　his　advancing　with　the　army　before　we　come　to　a　positive　resolution　may　give　ground　to　a　belief　that　I　have　great　views　for　our　family。　　I　do　not　deny　but　that　I　hope　for　some　advantages；　and　am　persuaded　it　is　lawful　for　me　to　do　so；　but　I　will　be　content　to　forfeit　my　reputation　if　I　ever　agree　with　the　Court　till　you　all　say　you　are　satisfied；　and　if　I　do　not　keep　my　word　I　desire　the　Coadjutor　to　disgrace　me。〃

After　all　I　thought　it　best　to　submit　to　the　Prince　de　Conti　and　the　voice　of　the　majority；　who　resolved　very　wisely　not　to　explain　themselves　in　detail　next　morning　in　Parliament；　but　that　the　Prince　de　Conti　should　only　say；　in　general；　that　it　being　the　common　report　that　the　peace　was　signed　at　Ruel；　he　was　resolved　to　send　deputies　thither　to　take　care　of　his　and　the　other　generals'　interests。

The　Prince　agreed　at　once　with　our　decision。　　Meantime　the　people　rose　at　the　report　I　had　spread　concerning　Mazarin's　signing　the　treaty；　which；　though　we　all　considered　it　a　necessary　stratagem；　I　now　repented　of。　This　shows　that　a　civil　war　is　one　of　those　complicated　diseases　wherein　the　remedy　you　prescribe　for　obviating　one　dangerous　symptom　sometimes　inflames　three　or　four　others。

On　the　13th　the　deputies　of　Ruel　entering　the　Parliament　House；　which　was　in　great　tumult；　M。　d'Elbeuf；　contrary　to　the　resolution　taken　at　M。　de　Bouillon's；　asked　the　deputies　whether　they　had　taken　care　of　the　interest　of　the　generals　in　the　treaty。

The　First　President　was　going　to　make　his　report；　but　was　almost　stunned　with　the　clamour　of　the　whole　company；　crying；　〃There　is　no　peace！　there　is　no　peace！〃　that　the　deputies　had　scandalously　deserted　the　generals　and　all　others　whom　the　Parliament　had　joined　by　the　decree　of　union；　and；　besides；　that　they　had　concluded　a　peace　after　the　revocation　of　the　powers　given　them　to　treat。　　The　Prince　de　Conti　said　very　calmly　that　he　wondered　they　had　concluded　a　treaty　without　the　generals；　to　which　the　First　President　answered　that　the　generals　had　always　protested　that　they　had　no　separate　interests　from　those　of　the　Parliament；　and　it　was　their　own　fault　that　they　had　not　sent　their　deputies。　　M。　de　Bouillon　said　that；　since　Cardinal　Mazarin　was　to　continue　Prime　Minister；　he　desired　that　Parliament　should　obtain　a　passport　for　him　to　retire　out　of　the　kingdom。　　The　First　President　replied　that　his　interest　had　been　taken　care　of；　and　that　he　would　have　satisfaction　for　Sedan。　　But　M。　de　Bouillon　told　him　that　he　might　as　well　have　said　nothing；　and　that　he　would　never　separate　from　the　other　generals。　　The　clamour　redoubled　with　such　fury　that　President　de　Mesmes　trembled　like　an　aspen　leaf。　　M。　de　Beaufort；　laying　his　hand　upon　his　sword；　said；　〃Gentlemen；　this　shall　never　be　drawn　for　Mazarin。〃

The　Presidents　de　Coigneux　and　de　Bellievre　proposed　that　the　deputies　might　be　sent　back　to　treat　about　the　interests　of　the　generals　and　to　reform　the　articles　which　the　Parliament　did　not　like；　but　they　were　soon　silenced　by　a　sudden　noise　in　the　Great　Hall；　and　the　usher　came　in　trembling　and　said　that　the　people　called　for　M。　de　Beaufort。　　He　went　out　immediately；　and　quieted　them　for　the　time；　but　no　sooner　had　he　got　inside　the　House　than　the　disturbance　began　afresh；　and　an　infinite　number　of　people；　armed　with　daggers；　called　out　for　the　original　treaty；　that　they　might　have　Mazarin's　sign…manual　burnt　by　the　hangman；　adding　that　if　the　deputies　had　signed　the　peace　of　their　own　accord　they　ought　to　be　hanged；　and　if　against　their　will　they　ought　to　be　disowned。　　They　were　told　that　the　sign…manual　of　the　Cardinal　could　not　be　burnt　without　burning　at　the　same　time　that　of　the　Duc　d'Orleans；　but　that　the　deputies　were　to　be　sent　back　again　to　get　the　articles　amended。　　The　people　still　cried　out；　〃No　peace！　no　Mazarin！　　You　must　go！　　We　will　have　our　good　King　fetched　from　Saint　Germain；　and　all　Mazarins　thrown　into　the　river！〃

The　people　were　ready　to　break　open　the　great　door　of　the　House；　yet　the　First　President　was　so　far　from　being　terrified　that；　when　he　was　advised　to　pass　through　the　registry　into　his　own　house　that　he　might　not　be　seen；　he　replied；　〃If　I　was　sure　to　perish　I　would　never　be　guilty　of　such　cowardice；　which　would　only　serve　to　make　the　mob　more　insolent；　who　would　be　ready　to　come　to　my　house　if　they　thought　I　was　afraid　of　them　here。〃　　And　when　I　begged　him　not　to　expose　himself　till　I　had　pacified　the　people　he　passed　it　off　with　a　joke；　by　which　I　found　he　took　me　for　the　author　of　the　disturbance；　though　very　unjustly。　　However；　I　did　not　resent　it；　but　went　into　the　Great　Hall；　and；　mounting　the　solicitors'　bench；　waved　my　hands　to　the　people；　who　thereupon　cried；　〃Silence！〃　I　said　all　I　could　think　of　to　make　them　easy。　　They　asked　if　I　would　promise　that　the　Peace　of　Ruel　should　not　be　kept。　　I　answered；　〃Yes；　provided　the　people　will　be　quiet；　for　otherwise　their　best　friends　will　be　obliged　to　take　other　methods　to　prevent　such　disturbances。〃　　I　acted　in　a　quarter　of　an　hour　above　thirty　different　parts。　　I　threatened；　I　commanded；　I　entreated　them；　and；　finding　I　was　sure　of　a　calm；　at　least　for　a　moment；　I　returned　to　the　House；　and；　embracing　the　First　President；　placed　him　before　me；　M。　de　Beaufort　did　the　same　with　President　de　Mesmes；　and　thus　we　went　out　with　the　Parliament；　all　in　a　body；　the　officers　of　the　House　marching　in　front。　　The　people　made　a　great　noise；　and　we　heard　some　crying；　〃A　republic！〃　　but　no　injury　was　offered　to　us；　only　M。　de　Bouillon　received　a　blow　in　his　face　from　a　ragamuffin；　who　took　him　for　Cardinal　Mazarin。

On　the　16th　the　deputies　were　sent　again　to　Ruel　by　the　Parliament　to　amend　some　of　the　articles；　particularly　those　for　adjourning　the　Parliament　to　Saint　Germain　and　prohibiting　their　future　assemblies；　with　an　order　to　take　care　of　the　interest　of　the　generals　and　of　the　companies；　joined　together　by　the　decree　of　union。

The　late　disturbances　obliged　the　Parliament　to　post　the　city　trained…　bands　at　their　gates；　who　were　even　more　enraged　against　the　〃Mazarin　peace；〃　as　they　called　it；　than　the　mob；　and　who　were　far　less　dreaded；　because　they　consisted　of　citizens　who　were　not　for　plunder；　yet　this　select　militia　was　ten　times　on　the　point　of　insulting　the　Parliament；　and　did　actually　insult　the　members　of　the　Council　and　Presidents；　threatening　to　throw　the　President　de　Thore　into　the　river；　and　when　the　First　President　and　his　friends　saw　that　they　were　afraid　of　putting　their　threats　into　execution；　they　took　an　advantage　of　us；　and　had　the　boldness　even　to　reproach　the　generals；　as　if　the　troops　had　not　done　their　duty；　though　if　the　generals　had　but　spoken　loud　enough　to　be　heard　by　the　people；　they　would　not　have　been　able　to　hinder　them　from　tearing　the　members　to　pieces。

The　Duc　de　Bouillon　came　to　the　Hotel　de　Ville　and　made　a　speech　there　to　Prince　de　Conti　and　the　other　generals；　in　substance　as　follows：

〃I　could　never　have　believed　what　I　now　see　of　this　Parliament。　　On　the　13th　they　would　not　hear　the　Peace　of　Ruel　mentioned；　but　on　the　15th　they　approved　of　it；　some　few　articles　excepted；　on　the　16th　they　despatched　the　same　deputies　who　had　concluded　a　peace　against　their　orders　with　full　and　unlimited　powers；　and；　not　content　with　all　this；　they　load　us　with　reproaches　because　we　complain　that　they　have　treated　for　a　peace　without　us；　and　have　abandoned　M。　de　Longueville　and　M。　de　Turenne；　and　yet　it　is　owing　only　to　us　that　the　people　do　not　massacre　them。　　We　must　save　their　lives　at　the　hazard　of　our　own；　and　I　own　that　it　is　wisdom　so　to　do；　but　we　shall　all　of　us　certainly　perish　with　the　Parliament　if　we　let　them　go　on　at　this　rate。〃　　Then；　addressing　himself　to　the　Prince　de　Conti；　he　said；　〃I　am　for　closing　with　the　Coadjutor's　late　advice　at　my　house；　and　if　your　Highness　does　not　put　it　into　execution　before　two　days　are　at　an　end；　we　shall　have　a　peace　less　secure　and　more　scandalous　than　the　former。〃

The　company　became　unanimously　of　his　opinion；　and　resolved　to　meet　next　day　at　M。　de　Bouillon's　to　consider　how　to　bring　the　affair　into　Parliament。　　In　the　meantime；　Don　Gabriel　de　Toledo　arrived　with　the　Archduke's　ratification　of　the　treaty　signed　by　the　generals；　and　with　a　present　from　his　master　of　10；000　pistoles；　but　I　was　resolved　to　let　the　Spaniards　see　that　I　had　not　the　intention　of　taking　their　money；　though　at　his　request　Madame　de　Bouillon　did　all　she　could　to　persuade　me。　Accordingly；　I　declined　it　with　all　possible　respect；　nevertheless；　this　denial　cost　me　dear　afterwards；　because　I　contracted　a　habit　of　refusing　presents　at　other　times　when　it　would　have　been　good　policy　to　have　accepted　them；　even　if　I　had　thrown　them　into　the　river。　　It　is　sometimes　very　dangerous　to　refuse　presents　from　one's　superiors。

While　we　were　in　conference　at　M。　de　Bouillon's　the　sad　news　wa