the memoirs of cardinal de retz-第47节

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s　pleasure　that　the　Parliament　should　not　meet　at　all　until　such　time　as　the　Queen　his　mother　had　recovered　her　health。

On　the　10th　the　House　resolved　to　adjourn　only　to　the　14th；　and　on　that　day　a　general　procession　was　proposed　to　the　Archbishop　by　the　Dean　of　Parliament；　to　beg　that　God　would　inspire　them　with　such　counsels　only　as　might　be　for　the　good　of　the　public。

On　the　14th　they　received　the　King's　letter；　forbidding　their　debates；　and　informing　them　that　the　Queen　would　satisfy　them　very　speedily　about　the　affair　of　the　Princes；　but　this　letter　was　disregarded。　　They　sent　a　deputation　to　invite　the　Duc　d'Orleans　to　come　to　the　House；　but；　after　consulting　with　the　Queen；　he　told　the　deputies　that　he　did　not　care　to　go；　that　the　Assembly　was　too　noisy；　that　he　could　not　divine　what　they　would　be　at；　that　the　affairs　in　debate　were　never　known　to　fall　under　their　cognisance；　and　that　they　had　nothing　else　to　do　but　to　refer　the　said　petitions　to　the　Queen。

On　the　18th　news　came　that　Marechal　du　Plessis　had　gained　a　signal　victory　over　M。　de　Turenne；　who　was　coming　to　succour　Rhetel；　but　found　it　already　surrendered　to　Marechal　du　Plessis；　and　the　Spanish　garrison；　endeavouring　to　retreat；　was　forced　to　an　engagement　on　the　plains　of　Saumepuis；　that　about　2；000　men　were　killed　upon　the　spot；　among　the　rest　a　brother　of　the　Elector　Palatine；　and　six　colonels；　and　that　there　were　nearly　4；000　prisoners；　the　most　considerable　of　whom　were　several　persons　of　note；　and　all　the　colonels；　besides　twenty　colours　and　eighty…　four　standards。　　You　may　easily　guess　at　the　consternation　of　the　Princes'　party；　my　house　was　all　night　filled　with　the　lamentations　of　despairing　mourners；　and　I　found　the　Duc　d'Orleans；　as　it　were；　struck　dumb。

On　the　19th；　as　I　went　to　the　Parliament　House；　the　people　looked　melancholy；　dejected；　and　frightened　out　of　their　wits。　　The　members　were　afraid　to　open　their　mouths；　and　nobody　would　mention　the　name　of　Mazarin　except　Menardeau　Champre；　who　spoke　of　him　with　encomiums；　by　giving　him　the　honour　of　the　victory　of　Rhetel；　and　then　he　moved　the　House　to　entreat　the　Queen　to　put　the　Princes　into　the　hands　of　that　good　and　wise　Minister；　who　would　be　as　careful　of　them　as　he　had　been　hitherto　of　the　State。　　I　wondered　most　of　all　that　this　man　was　not　hissed　in　the　House；　and　especially　as　he　passed　through　the　Great　Hall。　　This　circumstance；　together　with　what　I　saw　that　afternoon　in　every　street；　convinced　me　how　much　our　friends　were　dispirited；　and　I　therefore　resolved　next　day　to　raise　their　courage。　　I　knew　the　First　President　to　be　purblind；　and　such　men　greedily　swallow　every　new　fact　which　confirms　them　in　their　first　impression。　　I　knew　likewise　the　Cardinal　to　be　a　man　that　supposed　everybody　had　a　back　door。　　The　only　way　of　dealing　with　men　of　that　stamp　is　to　make　them　believe　that　you　design　to　deceive　those　whom　you　earnestly　endeavour　to　serve。

For　this　reason；　on　the　20th；　I　declaimed　against　the　disorders　of　the　State；　and　showed　that　it　having　pleased　Almighty　God　to　bless　his　Majesty's　arms　and　to　remove　the　public　enemy　from　our　frontiers　by　the　victory　gained　over　them　by　Marechal　du　Plessis；　we　ought　now　to　apply　ourselves　seriously　to　the　healing　of　internal　wounds　of　the　State；　which　are　the　more　dangerous　because　they　are　less　obvious。　　To　this　I　thought　fit　to　add　that　I　was　obliged　to　mention　the　general　oppression　of　the　subjects　at　a　time　when　we　had　nothing　more　to　fear　from　the　lately　routed　Spaniards；　that；　as　one　of　the　props　of　the　public　safety　was　the　preservation　of　the　royal　family；　I　could　not　without　the　utmost　concern　see　the　Princes　breathe　the　unwholesome　air　of　Havre…de…Grace；　and　that　I　was　of　opinion　that　the　House　should　humbly　entreat　the　King　to　remove　them；　at　least　to　some　place　more　healthy。　　At　this　speech　everybody　regained　their　courage　and　concluded　that　all　was　not　yet　lost。　　It　was　observed　that　the　people's　countenances　were　altered。　　Those　in　the　Great　Hall　resumed　their　former　zeal；　made　the　usual　acclamations　as　we　went　out；　and　I　had　that　day　three　hundred　carriages　of　visitors。

On　the　22d　the　debate　was　continued；　and　it　was　more　and　more　observed　that　the　Parliament　did　not　follow　the　triumphant　chariot　of　Cardinal　Mazarin；　whose　imprudence　in　hazarding　the　fate　of　the　whole　kingdom　in　the　last　battle　was　set　off　with　all　the　disadvantages　that　could　be　invented　to　tarnish　the　victory。

The　30th　crowned　the　work；　and　produced　a　decree　for　making　most　humble　remonstrances　to　the　Queen　for　the　liberty　of　the　Princes　and　for　Mademoiselle　de　Longueville　staying　in　Paris。

It　was　further　resolved　to　send　a　deputation　to　the　Duc　d'Orleans；　to　desire　his　Royal　Highness　to　use　his　interest　on　this　occasion　in　favour　of　the　said　Princes。

The　King's　Council　having　waited　on　her　Majesty　with　the　remonstrances　aforesaid；　she　pretended　to　be　under　medical　treatment；　and　put　off　the　matter　a　week　longer。　　The　Duc　d'Orleans　also　gave　an　ambiguous　answer。　The　Queen's　course　of　treatment　continued　eight　or　ten　days　longer　than　she　imagined；　or；　rather；　than　she　said；　and　consequently　the　remonstrances　of　the　Parliament　were　not　made　till　the　20th　of　January；　1651。

On　the　28th　the　First　President　made　his　report；　and　said　the　Queen　had　promised　to　return　an　answer　in　a　few　days。

It　happened　very　luckily　for　us　at　this　time　that　the　imprudence　of　the　Cardinal　was　greater　than　the　inconstancy　of　the　Duc　d'Orleans；　for　a　little　before　the　Queen　returned　an　answer　to　the　remonstrances；　he　talked　very　roughly　to　the　Duke　in　the　Queen's　presence；　charging　him　with　putting　too　much　confidence　in　me。　　The　very　day　that　the　Queen　made　the　aforesaid　answer　he　spoke　yet　more　arrogantly　to　the　Duke　in　her　Majesty's　apartment；　comparing　M。　de　Beaufort　and　myself　to　Cromwell　and　Fairfax　in　the　House　of　Commons　in　England；　and　exclaimed　furiously　in　the　King's　presence；　so　that　he　frightened　the　Duke；　who　was　glad　he　got　out　of　the　King's　Palace　with　a　whole　skin；　and　who　said　that　he　would　never　put　himself　again　in　the　power　of　that　furious　woman；　meaning　the　Queen；　because　she　had　improved　on　what　the　Cardinal　had　said　to　the　King。　　I　resolved　to　strike　the　iron　while　it　was　hot；　and　joined　with　M。　de　Beaufort　to　persuade　his　Royal　Highness　to　declare　himself　the　next　day　in　Parliament。　　We　showed　him　that；　after　what　had　lately　passed；　there　was　no　safety　for　his　person；　and　if　the　King　should　go　out　of　Paris；　as　the　Cardinal　designed；　we　should　be　engaged　in　a　civil　war；　whereof　he　alone；　with　the　city　of　Paris；　must　bear　the　heavy　load；　that　it　would　be　equally　scandalous　and　dangerous　for　his　Royal　Highness　either　to　leave　the　Princes　in　chains；　after　having　treated　with　them；　or；　by　his　dilatory　proceedings；　suffer　Mazarin　to　have　all　the　honour　of　setting　them　at　liberty；　and　that　he　ought　by　all　means　to　go　to　the　Parliament　House。

The　Duchess；　too；　seconded　us；　and　upon　his　Highness　saying　that　if　he　went　to　the　House　to　declare　against　the　Court　the　Cardinal　would　be　sure　to　take　his　Majesty　out　of　Paris；　the　Duchess　replied；　〃What；　monsieur；　are　you　not　Lieutenant…General　of　France？　　Do　not　you　command　the　army？　Are　you　not　master　of　the　people？　　I　myself　will　undertake　that　the　King　shall　not　go　out　of　Paris。〃　　The　Duke　nevertheless　remained　inflexible；　and　all　we　could　get　out　of　him　was　that　he　would　consent　to　my　telling　the　Parliament；　in　his　name；　what　we　desired　he　should　say　himself。　　In　a　word；　he　would　have　me　make　the　experiment；　the　success　of　which　he　looked　upon　to　be　very　uncertain；　because　he　thought　the　Parliament　would　have　nothing　to　say　against　the　Queen's　answer；　and　that　if　I　succeeded　he　should　reap　the　honour　of　the　proposition。　　I　readily　accepted　the　commission；　because　all　was　at　stake；　and　if　I　had　not　executed　it　the　next　morning　I　am　sure　the　Cardinal　would　have　eluded　setting　the　Princes　at　liberty　a　great　while　longer；　and　the　affair　have　ended　in　a　negotiation　with　them　against　the　Duke。

The　Duchess；　who　saw　that　I　exposed　myself　for　the　public　good；　pitied　me　very　much。　　She　did　all　she　could　to　persuade　the　Duke　to　command　me　to　mention　to　the　Parliament　what　the　Cardinal　had　told　the　King　with　relation　to　Cromwell；　Fairfax　and　the　English　Parliament；　which；　if　declared　in　the　Duke's　name；　she　thought　would　excite　the　House　the　more　against　Mazarin；　and　she　was　certainly　in　the　right。　　But　he　forbade　me　expressly。

I　ran　about　all　night　to　incite　the　members　at　their　first　meeting　to　murmur　at　the　Queen's　answer；　which　in　the　main　was　very　plausible；　importing　that；　though　this　affair　did　not　fall　within　the　cognisance　of　Parliament；　the　Queen　would；　however；　out　of　her　abundant　goodness；　have　regard　to　their　supplications　and　restore　the　Princes　to　liberty。　Besides；　it　promised　a　general　amnesty　to　all　who　had　borne　arms　in　their　favour；　on　condition　only　that　M。　de　Turenne　should　lay　down　his　arms；　that　Madame　de　Longueville　should　renounce　her　treaty　with　Spain；　and　that　Stenai　and　Murzon　should　be　evacuated。

At　first　the　Parliament　seemed　to　be　dazzled　with　it；　but　next　day；　the　1st　of　February；　the　whole　House　was　undeceived；　and　wondered　how　it　had　been　so　deluded。　　The　Court　of　Inques