the memoirs of cardinal de retz-第4节

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st　there　was　a　sort　of　an　understanding　between　us；　which　was　often　ill…managed；　yet　our　interests　were　inseparable。　　At　this　time　Madame　de　La　Meilleraye；　with　whom；　though　she　was　silly；　I　had　fallen　in　love；　pleased　the　Cardinal　to　that　degree　that　the　Marshal　perceived　it　before　he　set　out　for　the　army；　and　rallied　his　wife　in　such　a　manner　that　she　immediately　found　he　was　even　more　jealous　than　ambitious。　　She　was　terribly　afraid　of　him；　and　did　not　love　the　Cardinal；　who；　by　marrying　her　to　his　cousin；　had　lessened　his　own　family；　of　which　he　was　extremely　fond。　　Besides；　the　Cardinal's　infirmities　made　him　look　a　great　deal　older　than　he　was。　　And　though　all　his　other　actions　had　no　tincture　of　pedantry；　yet　in　his　amorous　intrigues　he　had　the　most　of　it　in　the　world。　　I　had　a　detail　of　all　the　steps　he　had　made　therein；　which　were　extremely　ridiculous。　　But　continuing　his　solicitation；　and　carrying　her　to　his　country　seat　at　Ruel；＇The　Cardinal　de　Richelieu's　seat；　three　leagues　from　Paris。＇　where　he　kept　her　a　considerable　time；　I　guessed　that　the　lady　had　not　brains　enough　to　resist　the　splendour　of　Court　favour；　and　that　her　husband's　jealousy　would　soon　give　way　to　his　interest；　but；　above　all；　to　his　blind　side；　which　was　an　attachment　to　the　Court　not　to　be　equalled。　　When　I　was　in　the　hottest　pursuit　of　this　passion　I　proposed　to　myself　the　most　exquisite　pleasures　in　triumphing　over　the　Cardinal　de　Richelieu　in　this　fair　field　of　battle；　but　on　a　sudden　I　had　the　mortification　to　hear　the　whole　family　was　changed。　　The　husband　allowed　his　wife　to　go　to　Ruel　as　often　as　she　pleased；　and　her　behaviour　towards　me　I　suspected　to　be　false　and　treacherous。　　In　short；　Madame　de　Guemenee's　anger；　for　a　reason　I　hinted　before；　my　jealousy　of　Madame　de　La　Meilleraye；　and　an　aversion　to　my　own　profession；　all　joined　together　in　a　fatal　moment　and　were　near　producing　one　of　the　greatest　and　most　famous　events　of　our　age。

La　Rochepot；　my　first　cousin　and　dear　friend；　was　a　domestic　of　the　late　Duc　d'Orleans；＇Gaston　Jean　Baptists　de　France；　born　1608；　and　died　at　Blois；　1660。＇　and　his　great　confidant。　　He　mortally　hated　the　Cardinal　de　Richelieu；　who　had　persecuted　his　mother；　and　had　her　hung　up　in　effigy；　and　kept　his　father　still　a　prisoner　in　the　Bastille；　and　now　refused　the　son　a　regiment；　though　Marechal　de　La　Meilleraye；　who　very　highly　esteemed　him　for　his　courage；　interceded　for　the　favour。　　You　may　imagine　that　when　we　came　together　we　did　not　forget　the　Cardinal。

I　being　crossed　in　my　designs；　as　I　told　you；　and　as　full　of　resentment　as　La　Rochepot　was　for　the　affronts　put　upon　his　person　and　family；　we　chimed　in　our　thoughts　and　resolutions；　which　were；　dexterously　to　manage　the　weakness　of　the　Duc　d'Orleans　and　to　put　that　in　execution　which　the　boldness　of　his　domestics　had　almost　effected　at　Corbie。

The　Duc　d'Orleans　was　appointed　General；　and　the　Comte　de　Soissons　Lieutenant…General　of　the　King's　forces　in　Picardy；　but　neither　of　them　stood　well　with　the　Cardinal；　who　gave　them　those　posts　only　because　the　situation　of　affairs　was　such　that　he　could　not　help　it。　　L'Epinai；　Montresor；　and　La　Rochepot　made　use　of　all　the　arguments　they　could　think　of　to　raise　jealousies　and　fears　in　the　Duc　d'Orleans；　and　to　inspire　him　with　resolution　and　courage　to　rid　himself　of　the　Cardinal。　　Others　laboured　to　persuade　the　Comte　de　Soissons　to　relish　the　same　proposal；　but　though　resolved　upon；　it　was　never　put　into　execution。　　For　they　had　the　Cardinal　in　their　power　at　Amiens；　but　did　him　no　harm。　　For　this　every　one　blamed　the　Count's　companion；　but　I　could　never　yet　learn　the　true　cause；　only　this　is　certain；　that　they　were　no　sooner　come　to　Paris　than　they　were　all　seized　with　a　panic；　and　retired；　some　one　way；　some　another。

The　Comte　de　Guiche；　　since　Marechal　de　Grammont；　and　M。　de　Chavigni；　Secretary　of　State　and　the　Cardinal's　most　intimate　favourite；　were　sent　by　the　King　to　Blois。　　Here　they　frightened　the　Duc　d'Orleans　and　made　him　return　to　Paris；　where　he　was　more　afraid　than　ever；　for　such　of　his　domestics　as　were　not　gained　by　the　Court　made　use　of　his　pusillanimous　temper；　and　represented　to　him　the　necessity　he　was　under　to　provide　for　his　own；　or　rather　their；　security。　　La　Rochepot　and　myself　endeavoured　to　heighten　his　fears　as　much　as　possible；　in　order　to　precipitate　him　into　our　measures。　　The　term　sounds　odd；　but　it　is　the　most　expressive　I　could　find　of　a　character　like　the　Duke's。　　He　weighed　everything；　but　fixed　on　nothing；　and　if　by　chance　he　was　inclined　to　do　one　thing　more　than　another；　he　would　never　execute　it　without　being　pushed　or　forced　into　it。

La　Rochepot　did　all　he　could　to　fix　him；　but　finding　that　the　Duke　was　always　for　delays；　and　for　perplexing　all　expedients　with　groundless　fears　of　invincible　difficulties；　he　fell　upon　an　expedient　very　dangerous　to　all　appearance；　but；　as　it　usually　happens　in　extraordinary　cases；　much　less　so　than　at　first　view。

Cardinal　de　Richelieu　having　to　stand　godfather　at　the　baptism　of　Mademoiselle；　La　Rochepot's　proposal　was　to　continue　to　show　the　Duke　the　necessity　he　lay　under　still　to　get　rid　of　the　Cardinal；　without　saying　much　of　the　particulars；　for　fear　of　hazarding　the　secret；　but　only　to　entertain　him　with　the　general　proposal　of　that　affair；　thereby　to　make　him　the　better　in　love　with　the　measures　when　proposed；　and　that　they　might；　at　a　proper　time　and　place；　tell　him　they　had　concealed　the　detail　to　the　execution　from　his　Highness　upon　no　other　account　but　that　they　had　experienced　on　several　occasions　that　there　was　no　other　way　of　serving　his　Highness；　as　he　himself　had　told　La　Rochepot　several　times；　that　nothing；　therefore；　remained　but　to　get　some　brave　fellows　fit　for　such　a　resolute　enterprise；　and　to　hold　post…horses　ready　upon　the　road　of　Sedan　under　some　other　pretext；　and　to　so　execute　the　design　in　the　presence　and　in　the　name　of　his　Royal　Highness　upon　the　day　of　the　intended　solemnity；　that　his　Highness　should　cheerfully　own　it　when　it　was　done；　and　that　then　we　would　carry　him　off　by　those　horses　to　Sedan。　Meanwhile　the　distraction　of　the　inferior　ministers　and　the　joy　of　the　King　to　see　himself　delivered　from　a　tyrant　would　dispose　the　Court　rather　to　invite　than　to　pursue　him。　　This　was　La　Rochepot's　scheme；　and　it　seemed　exceedingly　plausible。

La　Rochepot　and　I　had；　it　may　be；　blamed　the　inactivity　of　the　Duc　d'Orleans　and　the　Comte　de　Soissons　in　the　affair　of　Amiens　a　hundred　times；　yet；　no　sooner　was　the　scheme　sufficiently　matured　for　execution；　the　idea　of　which　I　had　raised　in　the　memory　of　La　Rochepot；　than　my　mind　was　seized　with　I　know　not　what　fear；　I　took　it　then　for　a　scruple　of　conscience；I　cannot　tell　whether　it　was　in　truth　so　or　not；　but；　in　short；　the　thought　of　killing　a　priest　and　a　cardinal　deeply　affected　my　mind。　　La　Rochepot　laughed　at　my　scruples；　and　bantered　me　thus：　〃When　you　are　in　the　field　of　battle　I　warrant　you　will　not　beat　up　the　enemy's　quarters　for　fear　of　assassinating　men　in　their　sleep。〃　　I　was　ashamed　of　my　scruples；　and　again　hugged　the　crime；　which　I　looked　upon　as　sanctified　by　the　examples　of　great　men；　and　justified　and　honoured　by　the　mighty　danger　that　attended　its　execution。　　We　renewed　our　consultations；　engaged　some　accomplices；　took　all　the　necessary　precautions；　and　resolved　upon　the　execution。　　The　danger　was　indeed　very　great；　but　we　might　reasonably　hope　to　come　off　well　enough；　for　the　Duke's　guard；　which　was　within；　would　not　have　failed　to　come　to　our　assistance　against　that　of　the　Cardinal's；　which　was　without。　　But　his　fortune；　and　not　his　guards；　delivered　him　from　the　snare；　for　either　Mademoiselle　or　himself；　I　forget　which；　fell　suddenly　ill；　and　the　ceremony　was　put　off　to　another　time；　so　that　we　lost　our　opportunity。　The　Duke　returned　to　Blois；　and　the　Marquis　de　Boissi　protested　he　would　never　betray　us；　but　that　he　would　be　no　longer　concerned；　because　he　had　just　received　some　favour　or　other　from　the　Cardinal's　own　hands。

I　confess　that　this　enterprise；　which；　had　it　succeeded；　would　have　crowned　us　with　glory；　never　fully　pleased　me。　　I　was　not　so　scrupulous　in　the　committing　of　two　other　transgressions　against　the　rules　of　morality；　as　you　may　have　before　observed；　but　I　wish；　with　all　my　heart；　I　had　never　been　concerned　in　this。　　Ancient　Rome；　indeed；　would　have　counted　it　honourable；　but　it　is　not　in　this　respect　that　I　honour　the　memory　of　old　Rome。

There　is　commonly　a　great　deal　of　folly　in　conspiracies；　but　afterwards　there　is　nothing　tends　so；　much　to　make　men　wise；　at　least　for　some　time。　For；　as　the　danger　in　things　of　this　nature　continues；　even　after　the　opportunities　for　doing　them　are　over；　men　are　from　that　instant　more　prudent　and　circumspect。

Having　thus　missed　our　blow；　the　Comte　de　La　Rochepot　and　the　rest　of　them　retired　to　their　several　seats　in　the　country；　but　my　engagements　detained　me　at　Paris；　where　I　was　so　retired　that　I　spent　all　my　time　in　my　study；　and　if　ever　I　was　seen　abroad；　it　was　with　all　the　reserve　of　a　pious　ecclesiastic；　we　were　all　so　true　to　one　another　in　keeping　this　adventure　secret；　that　it　never　got　the　least　wind　while　the　Cardinal　lived；　who　was　a　minister　that　had　the　best　int