the memoirs of cardinal de retz-第40节

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tive　of　greater　effects　than　activity；　but　nobody　comprehended　the　truth　of　what　I　said。

An　unlucky　expression；　dropped　on　this　occasion　by　the　Princesse　de　Guemenee；　had　an　incredible　influence　upon　the　people。　　She　called　to　mind　a　ballad　formerly　made　upon　the　regiment　of　Brulon；　which　was　said　to　consist　of　only　two　dragoons　and　four　drummers；　and；　inasmuch　as　she　hated　the　Fronde；　she　told　me　very　pleasantly　that　our　party；　being　reduced　to　fourteen；　might　be　justly　compared　to　that　regiment　of　Brulon。　Noirmoutier　and　Laigues　were　offended　at　this　expression　to　that　degree　that　they　continually　murmured　because　I　neither　settled　affairs　nor　pushed　them　to　the　last　extremity。　　Upon　which　I　observed　that　heads　of　factions　are　no　longer　their　masters　when　they　are　unable　either　to　prevent　or　allay　the　murmurs　of　the　people。

The　revenues　of　the　Hotel　de　Ville；　which　are；　as　it　were；　the　patrimony　of　the　bourgeois；　and　which；　if　well　managed；　might　be　of　special　service　to　the　King　in　securing　to　his　interest　an　infinite　number　of　those　people　who　are　always　the　most　formidable　in　revolutionsthis　sacred　fund；　I　say；　suffered　much　by　the　licentiousness　of　the　times；　the　ignorance　of　Mazarin；　and　the　prevarication　of　the　officers　of　the　Hotel　de　Ville；　who　were　his　dependents；　so　that　the　poor　annuitants　met　in　great　numbers　at　the　Hotel　de　Ville；　but　as　such　assemblies　without　the　Prince's　authority　are　reckoned　illegal；　the　Parliament　passed　a　decree　to　suppress　them。　　They　were　privately　countenanced　by　M。　de　Beaufort　and　me；　to　whom　they　sent　a　solemn　deputation；　and　they　made　choice　of　twelve　syndics　to　be　a　check　upon　the　'prevot　des　marchands'。

On　the　11th　of　December　a　pistol；　as　had　been　concerted　beforehand；　was　fired　into　the　coach　of　Joly；　one　of　the　syndics；　which　President　Charton；　another　of　the　syndics；　thinking　was　aimed　at　himself；　the　Marquis　de　la　Boulaie　ran　as　if　possessed　with　a　devil；　while　the　Parliament　was　sitting；　into　the　middle　of　the　Great　Hall；　with　fifteen　or　twenty　worthless　fellows　crying　out　〃To　Arms！〃　　He　did　the　like　in　the　streets；　but　in　vain；　and　came　to　Broussel　and　me；　but　the　former　reprimanded　him　after　his　way；　and　I　threatened　to　throw　him　out　at　the　window；　for　I　had　reason　to　believe　that　he　acted　in　concert　with　the　Cardinal；　though　he　pretended　to　be　a　Frondeur。

This　artifice　of　Servien　united　the　Prince　to　the　Cardinal；　because　he　found　himself　obliged　to　defend　himself　against　the　Frondeurs；　who；　as　he　believed；　sought　to　assassinate　him。　　All　those　that　were　his　own　creatures　thought　they　were　not　zealous　enough　for　his　service　if　they　did　not　exaggerate　the　imminent　danger　he　had　escaped；　and　the　Court　parasites　confounded　the　morning　adventure　with　that　at　night；　and　upon　this　coarse　canvas　they　daubed　all　that　the　basest　flattery；　blackest　imposture；　and　the　most　ridiculous　credulity　was　capable　of　imagining；　and　we　were　informed　the　next　morning　that　it　was　the　common　rumour　over　all　the　city　that　we　had　formed　a　design　of　seizing　the　King's　person　and　carrying　him　to　the　Hotel　de　Ville；　and　to　assassinate　the　Prince。

M。　de　Beaufort　and　I　agreed　to　go　out　and　show　ourselves　to　the　people；　whom　we　found　in　such　a　consternation　that　I　believed　the　Court　might　then　have　attacked　us　with　success。　　Madame　de　Montbazon　advised　us　to　take　post…horses　and　ride　off；　saying　that　there　was　nothing　more　easy　than　to　destroy　us；　because　we　had　put　ourselves　into　the　hands　of　our　sworn　enemies。　　I　said　that　we　had　better　hazard　our　lives　than　our　honour。　　To　which　she　replied；　〃It　is　not　that；　but　your　nymphs；　I　believe；　which　keep　you　here〃　（meaning　Mesdames　de　Chevreuse　and　Guemenee）。　　〃I　expect；〃　she　said；　〃to　be　befriended　for　my　own　sake；　and　don't　I　deserve　it？　　I　cannot　conceive　how　you　can　be　amused　by　a　wicked　old　hag　and　a　girl；　if　possible；　still　more　foolish。　　We　are　continually　disputing　about　that　silly　wretch　〃　（pointing　to　M。　de　Beaufort；　who　was　playing　chess）；　〃let　us　take　him　with　us　and　go　to　Peronne。〃

You　are　not　to　wonder　that　she　talked　thus　contemptibly　of　M。　de　Beaufort；　whom　she　always　taxed　with　impotency；　for　it　is　certain　that　his　love　was　purely　Platonic；　as　he　never　asked　any　favour　of　her；　and　seemed　very　uneasy　with　her　for　eating　flesh　on　Fridays。　　She　was　so　sweet　upon　me；　and　withal　such　a　charming　beauty；　that；　being　naturally　indisposed　to　let　such　opportunities　slip；　I　was　melted　into　tenderness　for　her；　notwithstanding　my　suspicions　of　her；　considering　the　then　situation　of　affairs；　and　would　have　had　her　go　with　me　into　the　cabinet；　but　she　was　determined　first　to　go　to　Peronne；　which　put　an　end　to　our　amours。

Beaufort　waited　on　the　Prince　and　was　well　received；　but　I　could　not　gain　admittance。

On　the　14th　the　Prince　de　Conde　went　to　Parliament　and　demanded　that　a　committee　might　be　appointed　to　inquire　into　the　attempt　made　on　his　life。

The　Frondeurs　were　not　asleep　in　the　meantime；　yet　most　of　our　friends　were　dispirited；　and　all　very　weak。

The　cures　of　Paris　were　my　most　hearty　friends；　they　laboured　with　incredible　zeal　among　the　people。　　And　the　cure　of　Saint　Gervais　sent　me　this　message：　〃Do　but　rally　again　and　get　off　the　assassination；　and　in　a　week　you　will　be　stronger　than　your　enemies。

I　was　informed　that　the　Queen　had　written　to　my　uncle；　the　Archbishop　of　Paris；　to　be　sure　to　go　to　the　Parliament　on　the　23d；　the　day　that　Beaufort；　Broussel；　and　I　were　to　be　impeached；　because　I　had　no　right　to　sit　in　the　House　if　he　were　present。　　I　begged　of　him　not　to　go；　but　my　uncle　being　a　man　of　little　sense；　and　that　much　out　of　order；　and　being；　moreover；　fearful　and　ridiculously　jealous　of　me；　had　promised　the　Queen　to　go；　and　all　that　we　could　get　out　of　him　was　that　he　would　defend　me　in　Parliament　better　than　I　could　defend　myself。　　It　is　to　be　observed　that　though　he　chattered　to　us　like　a　magpie　in　private；　yet　in　public　he　was　as　mute　as　a　fish。　　A　surgeon　who　was　in　the　Archbishop's　service；　going　to　visit　him；　commended　him　for　his　courage　in　resisting　the　importunities　of　his　nephew；　who；　said　he；　had　a　mind　to　bury　him　alive；　and　encouraged　him　to　rise　with　all　haste　and　go　to　the　Parliament　House；　but　he　was　no　sooner　out　of　his　bed　than　the　surgeon　asked　him　in　a　fright　how　he　felt。　　〃Very　well；〃　said　my　Lord。　　〃But　that　is　impossible；〃　said　the　surgeon；　〃you　look　like　death；〃　and　feeling　his　pulse；　he　told　him　he　was　in　a　high　fever；　upon　which　my　Lord　Archbishop　went　to　bed　again；　and　all　the　kings　and　queens　in　Christendom　could　not　get　him　out　for　a　fortnight。

We　went　to　the　Parliament；　and　found　there　the　Princes　with　nearly　a　thousand　gentlemen　and；　I　may　say；　the　whole　Court。　　I　had　few　salutes　in　the　Hall；　because　it　was　generally　thought　I　was　an　undone　man。　　When　I　had　entered　the　Great　Chamber　I　heard　a　hum　like　that　at　the　end　of　a　pleasing　period　in　a　sermon。　　When　I　had　taken　my　place　I　said　that；　hearing　we　were　taxed　with　a　seditious　conspiracy；　we　were　come　to　offer　our　heads　to　the　Parliament　if　guilty；　and　if　innocent；　to　demand　justice　upon　our　accusers；　and　that　though　I　knew　not　what　right　the　Court　had　to　call　me　to　account；　yet　I　would　renounce　all　privileges　to　make　my　innocence　apparent　to　a　body　for　whom　I　always　had　the　greatest　attachment　and　veneration。

Then　the　informations　were　read　against　what　they　called　〃the　public　conspiracy　from　which　it　had　pleased　Almighty　God　to　deliver　the　State　and　the　royal　family；〃　after　which　I　made　a　speech；　in　substance　as　follows：

〃I　do　not　believe；　gentlemen；　that　in　any　of　the　past　ages　persons　of　our　quality　had　ever　received　any　personal　summons　grounded　merely　upon　hearsay。　　Neither　can　I　think　that　posterity　will　ever　believe　that　this　hearsay　evidence　was　admitted　from　the　mouths　of　the　most　infamous　miscreants　that　ever　got　out　of　a　gaol。　　Canto　was　condemned　to　the　gallows　at　Pau；　Pichon　to　the　wheel　at　Mans；　Sociande　is　a　rogue　upon　record。　　Pray；　gentlemen；　judge　of　their　evidence　by　their　character　and　profession。　　But　this　is　not　all。　　They　have　the　distinguishing　character　of　being　informers　by　authority。　　I　am　sorely　grieved　that　the　defence　of　our　honour；　which　is　enjoined　us　by　the　laws　of　God　and　man；　should　oblige　me　to　expose　to　light；　under　the　most　innocent　of　Kings；　such　abominations　as　were　detested　in　the　most　corrupt　ages　of　antiquity　and　under　the　worst　of　tyrants。　　But　I　must　tell　you　that　Canto；　Sociande；　and　Gorgibus　are　authorised　to　inform　against　us　by　a　commission　signed　by　that　august　name　which　should　never　be　employed　but　for　the　preservation　of　the　most　sacred　laws；　and　which　Cardinal　Mazarin；　who　knows　no　law　but　that　of　revenge；　which　he　meditates　against　the　defenders　of　the　public　liberty；　has　forced　M。　Tellier；　Secretary　of　State；　to　countersign。

〃We　demand　justice；　gentlemen；　but　we　do　not　demand　it　of　you　till　we　have　first　most　humbly　implored　this　House　to　execute　the　strictest　justice　that　the　laws　have　provided　against　rebels；　if　it　appears　that　we　have　been　concerned　directly　or　indirectly　in　raising　this　last　disturbance。　　Is　it　possible；　gentlemen；　that　a　grandchild　of　Henri　the　Great；　that　a　senator　of　M。　Broussel's　age　and　probity；　and　that　the　Coadjutor　of　Paris　should　be　so　mu