the memoirs of cardinal de retz-第39节

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er　carry　me　to　solicit　assistance　among　his　enemies　till　I　was　forced　to　do　so　for　self…　preservation；　that　Divine　Providence　had　cast　my　lot　in　Paris；　where　God；　who　knew　the　purity　of　my　intentions；　would　enable　me　in　all　probability　to　maintain　myself　by　my　own　interest。　　But　in　case　I　wanted　protection　I　was　fully　persuaded　I　could　nowhere　find　any　so　powerful　and　glorious　as　that　of　his　Catholic　Majesty；　to　whom　I　would　always　think　it　an　honour　to　have　recourse。　　Fuensaldagne　was　satisfied　with　my　answer；　and　sent　back　Don　Antonio　Pimentel　with　a　letter　from　the　Archduke；　assuring　me　that　upon　a　line　from　my　hand　he　would　march　with　all　the　forces　of　the　King　his　master　to　my　assistance。










HISTORIC　COURT　MEMOIRS。

MEMOIRS　OF　JEAN　FRANCOIS　PAUL　de　GONDI；　CARDINAL　DE　RETZ；　V3　Written　by　Himself

Being　Historic　Court　Memoirs　of　the　Great　Events　during　the　Minority　of　Louis　XIV。　and　the　Administration　of　Cardinal　Mazarin。




BOOK　III。


MADAME：Cardinal　Mazarin　thought　of　nothing　else　now　but　how　to　rid　himself　of　the　obligations　he　lay　under　to　the　Prince　de　Conde；　who　had　actually　saved　him　from　the　gallows。　　And　his　principal　view　was　an　alliance　with　the　House　of　Vendome；　who　had　on　some　occasions　opposed　the　interest　of　the　family　of　Conde。

In　Paris　the　people　libelled　not　only　the　Cardinal；　but　the　Queen。　Indeed　it　was　not　our　interest　to　discourage　libels　and　ballads　against　the　Cardinal；　but　it　concerned　us　to　suppress　such　as　were　levelled　against　the　Queen　and　Government。　　It　is　not　to　be　imagined　what　uneasiness　the　wrath　of　the　people　gave　us　upon　that　head。　　Two　criminals；　one　of　whom　was　a　printer；　being　condemned　to　be　hanged　for　publishing　some　things　fit　to　be　burnt　and　for　libelling　the　Queen；　cried　out；　when　they　were　upon　the　scaffold；　that　they　were　to　be　put　to　death　for　publishing　verses　against　Mazarin；　upon　which　the　people　rescued　them　from　justice。

On　the　other　hand；　some　gay　young　gentlemen　of　the　Court；　who　were　in　Mazarin's　interest；　had　a　mind　to　make　his　name　familiar　to　the　Parisians；　and　for　that　end　made　a　famous　display　in　the　public　walks　of　the　Tuileries；　where　they　had　grand　suppers；　with　music；　and　drank　the　Cardinal's　health　publicly。　　We　took　little　notice　of　this；　till　they　boasted　at　Saint　Germain　that　the　Frondeurs　were　glad　to　give　them　the　wall。　　And　then　we　thought　it　high　time　to　correct　them；　lest　the　common　people　should　think　they　did　it　by　authority。　　For　this　end　M。　de　Beaufort　and　a　hundred　other　gentlemen　went　one　night　to　the　house　where　they　supped；　overturned　the　table；　and　broke　the　musicians'　violins　over　their　heads。

Being　informed　that　the　Prince　de　Conde　intended　to　oblige　the　King　to　return　to　Paris；　I　was　resolved　to　have　all　the　merit　of　an　action　which　would　be　so　acceptable　to　the　citizens。　　I　therefore　resolved　to　go　to　the　Court　at　Compiegne；　which　my　friends　very　much　opposed；　for　fear　of　the　danger　to　which　I　might　be　exposed；　but　I　told　them　that　what　is　absolutely　necessary　is　not　dangerous。

I　went　accordingly；　and　as　I　was　going　up…stairs　to　the　Queen's　apartments；　a　man；　whom　I　never　saw　before　or　since；　put　a　note　into　my　hand　with　these　words：　〃If　you　enter　the　King's　domicile；　you　are　a　dead　man。〃　　But　I　was　in　already；　and　it　was　too　late　to　go　back。　　Being　past　the　guard…chamber；　I　thought　myself　secure。　　I　told　the　Queen　that　I　was　come　to　assure　her　Majesty　of　my　most　humble　obedience；　and　of　the　disposition　of　the　Church　of　Paris　to　perform　all　the　services　it　owed　to　their　Majesties。　　The　Queen　seemed　highly　pleased；　and　was　very　kind　to　me；　but　when　we　mentioned　the　Cardinal；　though　she　urged　me　to　it；　I　excused　myself　from　going　to　see　him；　assuring　her　Majesty　that　such　a　visit　would　put　it　out　of　my　power　to　do　her　service。　　It　was　impossible　for　her　to　contain　herself　any　longer；　she　blushed；　and　it　was　with　much　restraint　that　she　forbore　using　harsh　language；　as　she　herself　confessed　afterwards。

Servien　said　one　day　that　there　was　a　design　to　assassinate　me　at　his　table　by　the　Abbe　Fouquet；　and　M。　de　Vendome；　who　had　just　come　from　his　table；　pressed　me　to　be　gone；　saying　that　there　were　wicked　designs　hatching　against　me。

I　returned　to　Paris；　having　accomplished　everything　I　wanted；　for　I　had　removed　the　suspicion　of　the　Court　that　the　Frondeurs　were　against　the　King's　return。　　I　threw　upon　the　Cardinal　all　the　odium　attending　his　Majesty's　delay。　　I　braved　Mazarin；　as　it　were；　upon　his　throne；　and　secured　to　myself　the　chief　honour　of　the　King's　return。

The　Court　was　received　at　Paris　as　kings　always　were　and　ever　will　be；　namely；　with　acclamations；　which　only　please　such　as　like　to　be　flattered。　　A　group　of　old　women　were　posted　at　the　entrance　of　the　suburbs　to　cry　out；　〃God　save　his　Eminence！〃　who　sat　in　the　King's　coach　and　thought　himself　Lord　of　Paris；　but　at　the　end　of　three　or　four　days　he　found　himself　much　mistaken。　　Ballads　and　libels　still　flew　about。　The　Frondeurs　appeared　bolder　than　ever。　　M。　de　Beaufort　and　I　rode　sometimes　alone；　with　one　lackey　only　behind　our　coach；　and　at　other　times　we　went　with　a　retinue　of　fifty　men　in　livery　and　a　hundred　gentlemen。　　We　diversified　the　scene　as　we　thought　it　would　be　most　acceptable　to　the　spectators。　　The　Court　party；　who　blamed　us　from　morning　to　night；　nevertheless　imitated　us　in　their　way。　　Everybody　took　an　advantage　of　the　Ministry　from　our　continual　pelting　of　his　Eminence。　The　Prince；　who　always　made　too　much　or　too　little　of　the　Cardinal；　continued　to　treat　him　with　contempt；　and；　being　disgusted　at　being　refused　the　post　of　Superintendent　of　the　Seas；　the　Cardinal　endeavoured　to　soothe　him　with　the　vain　hopes　of　other　advantages。

The　Prince；　being　one　day　at　Court；　and　seeing　the　Cardinal　give　himself　extraordinary　airs；　said；　as　he　was　going　out　of　the　Queen's　cabinet；　〃Adieu；　Mars。〃　　This　was　told　all　over　the　city　in　a　quarter　of　an　hour。　I　and　Noirmoutier　went　by　appointment　to　his　house　at　four　o'clock　in　the　morning；　when　he　seemed　to　be　greatly　troubled。　　He　said　that　he　could　not　determine　to　begin　a　civil　war；　which；　though　the　only　means　to　separate　the　Queen　from　the　Cardinal；　to　whom　she　was　so　strongly　attached；　yet　it　was　both　against　his　conscience　and　honour。　　He　added　that　he　should　never　forget　his　obligations　to　us；　and　that　if　he　should　come　to　any　terms　with　the　Court；　he　would；　if　we　thought　proper；　settle　our　affairs　also；　and　that　if　we　had　not　a　mind　to　be　reconciled　to　the　Court；　he　would；　in　case　it　did　attack　us；　publicly　undertake　our　protection。　　We　answered　that　we　had　no　other　design　in　our　proposals　than　the　honour　of　being　his　humble　servants；　and　that　we　should　be　very　sorry　if　he　had　retarded　his　reconciliation　with　the　Queen　upon　our　account；　praying　that　we　might　be　permitted　to　continue　in　the　same　disposition　towards　the　Cardinal　as　we　were　then；　which　we　declared　should　not　hinder　us　from　paying　all　the　respect　and　duty　which　we　professed　for　his　Highness。

I　must　not　forget　to　acquaint　you　that　Madame　de　Guemenee；　who　ran　away　from　Paris　in　a　fright　the　moment　it　was　besieged；　no　sooner　heard　that　I　had　paid　a　visit　to　Mademoiselle　de　Chevreuse　than　she　returned　to　town　in　a　rage。　　I　was　in　such　a　passion　with　her　for　having　cowardly　deserted　me　that　I　took　her　by　the　throat；　and　she　was　so　enraged　at　my　familiarity　with　Mademoiselle　de　Chevreuse　that　she　threw　a　candlestick　at　my　head；　but　in　a　quarter　of　an　hour　we　were　very　good　friends。

The　Prince　de　Conde　was　no　sooner　reconciled　with　the　Court　than　he　was　publicly　reproached　in　the　city　for　breaking　his　word　with　the　Frondeurs；　but　I　convinced　him　that　he　could　not　think　such　treatment　strange　in　a　city　so　justly　exasperated　against　Mazarin；　and　that；　nevertheless；　he　might　depend　on　my　best　services；　for　which　he　assured　me　of　his　constant　friendship。

Moissans；　now　Marechal　d'Albret；　who　was　at　the　head　of　the　King's　gendarmes；　accustomed　himself　and　others　to　threaten　the　chief　minister；　who　augmented　the　public　odium　against　himself　by　reestablishing　Emeri；　a　man　detested　by　all　the　kingdom。　　We　were　not　a　little　alarmed　at　his　reestablishment；　because　this　man；　who　knew　Paris　better　than　the　Cardinal；　distributed　money　among　the　people　to　a　very　good　purpose。　This　is　a　singular　science；　which　is　either　very　beneficial　or　hurtful　in　its　consequences；　according　to　the　wisdom　or　folly　of　the　distributor。

These　donations；　laid　out　with　discretion　and　secrecy；　obliged　us　to　yield　ourselves　more　and　more　unto　the　bulk　of　the　people；　and；　finding　a　fit　opportunity　for　this　performance；　we　took　care　not　to　let　it　slip；　which；　if　they　had　been　ruled　by　me；　we　should　not　have　done　so　soon；　for　we　were　not　yet　forced　to　make　use　of　such　expedients。　　It　is　not　safe　in　a　faction　where　you　are　only　upon　the　defensive　to　do　what　you　are　not　pressed　to　do；　but　the　uneasiness　of　the　subalterns　on　such　occasions　is　troublesome；　because　they　believe　that　as　soon　as　you　seem　to　be　inactive　all　is　lost。　　I　preached　every　day　that　the　way　was　yet　rough；　and　therefore　must　be　made　plain；　and　that　patience　in　the　present　case　was　productive　of　greater　effects　than　activity；　but　nobody　comprehended　the　truth　of　what　I　said。

An　unluc