the memoirs of cardinal de retz-第5节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　that　it　never　got　the　least　wind　while　the　Cardinal　lived；　who　was　a　minister　that　had　the　best　intelligence　in　the　world；　but　after　his　death　it　was　discovered　by　the　imprudence　of　Tret　and　Etourville。　　I　call　it　imprudence；　for　what　greater　weakness　can　men　be　guilty　of　than　to　declare　themselves　to　have　been　capable　of　what　is　dangerous　in　the　first　instance？

To　return　to　the　history　of　the　Comte　de　Soissons；　I　observed　before　that　he　had　retired　to　Sedan　for　safety；　which　he　could　not　expect　at　Court。　He　wrote　to　the　King；　assuring　his　Majesty　of　his　fidelity；　and　that　while　he　stayed　in　that　place　he　would　undertake　nothing　prejudicial　to　his　service。　　He　was　most　mindful　of　his　promise；　was　not　to　be　biassed　by　all　the　offers　of　Spain　or　the　Empire；　but　rejected　with　indignation　the　overtures　of　Saint…Ibal　and　of　Bardouville；　who　would　have　persuaded　him　to　take　up　arms。　　Campion；　one　of　his　domestics；　whom　he　had　left　at　Paris　to　mind　his　affairs　at　Court；　told　me　these　particulars　by　the　Count's　express　orders；　and　I　still　remember　this　passage　in　one　of　his　letters　to　Campion：　〃The　men　you　know　are　very　urgent　with　me　to　treat　with　the　enemy；　and　accuse　me　of　weakness　because　I　fear　the　examples　of　Charles　de　Bourbon　and　Robert　d'Artois。〃　　He　was　ordered　to　show　me　this　letter　and　desire　my　opinion　thereupon。　　I　took　my　pen；　and；　at　a　little　distance　from　the　answer　he　had　already　begun；　I　wrote　these　words：

〃And　I　do　accuse　them　of　folly。〃　　The　reasons　upon　which　my　opinion　was　grounded　were　these：　The　Count　was　courageous　in　the　highest　degree　of　what　is　commonly　called　valour；　and　had　a　more　than　ordinary　share　in　that　boldness　of　mind　which　we　call　resolution。　　The　first　is　common　and　to　be　frequently　met　with　among　the　vulgar；　but　the　second　is　rarer　than　can　be　imagined；　and　yet　abundantly　more　necessary　for　great　enterprises；　and　is　there　a　greater　in　the　world　than　heading　a　party？　　The　command　of　an　army　is　without　comparison　of　less　intricacy；　for　there　are　wheels　within　wheels　necessary　for　governing　the　State；　but　then　they　are　not　near　so　brittle　and　delicate。　　In　a　word；　I　am　of　opinion　there　are　greater　qualities　necessary　to　make　a　good　head　of　a　party　than　to　make　an　emperor　who　is　to　govern　the　whole　world；　and　that　resolution　ought　to　run　parallel　with　judgment；I　say；　with　heroic　judgment；　which　is　able　to　distinguish　the　extraordinary　from　what　we　call　the　impossible。

The　Count　had　not　one　grain　of　this　discerning　faculty；　which　is　but　seldom　to　be　met　with　in　the　sublimest　genius。　　His　character　was　mean　to　a　degree；　and　consequently　susceptible　of　unreasonable　jealousies　and　distrusts；　which　of　all　characters　is　the　most　opposite　to　that　of　a　good　partisan；　who　is　indispensably　obliged　in　many　cases　to　suppress；　and　in　all　to　conceal；　the　best…grounded　suspicions。

This　was　the　reason　I　could　not　be　of　the　opinion　of　those　who　were　for　engaging　the　Count　in　a　civil　war；　and　Varicarville；　who　was　the　man　of　the　best　sense　and　temper　of　all　the　persons　of　quality　he　had　about　him；　told　me　since　that　when　be　saw　what　I　wrote　in　Campion's　letter　the　day　I　set　out　for　Italy；　he　very　well　knew　by　what　motives　I　was；　against　my　inclination；　persuaded　into　this　opinion。

The　Count　held　out　all　this　year　and　the　next　against　every　solicitation　of　the　Spaniards　and　the　importunities　of　his　own　friends；　much　more　by　the　wise　counsels　of　Varicarville　than　by　the　force　of　his　own　resolution；　but　nothing　could　secure　him　from　the　teasings　of　the　Cardinal　de　Richelieu；　who　poured　into　his　ears　every　day　in　the　King's　name　his　many　dismal　discoveries　and　prognostications。　　For　fear　of　being　tedious　I　shall　only　tell　you　in　one　word　that　the　Cardinal；　contrary　to　his　own　interest；　hurried　the　Count　into　a　civil　war；　by　such　arts　of　chicanery　as　those　who　are　fortune's　favourites　never　fail　to　play　upon　the　unfortunate。

The　minds　of　people　began　now　to　be　more　embittered　than　ever。　　I　was　sent　for　by　the　Count　to　Sedan　to　tell　him　the　state　of　Paris。　　The　account　I　gave　him　could　not　but　be　very　agreeable；　for　I　told　him　the　very　truth：　that　he　was　universally　beloved；　honoured；　and　adored　in　that　city；　and　his　enemy　dreaded　and　abhorred。　　The　Duc　de　Bouillon；　who　was　urgent　for　war；　be　the　consequence　what　it　would；　improved　upon　these　advantages；　and　made　them　look　more　plausible；　but　Varicarville　strongly　opposed　him。

I　thought　myself　too　young　to　declare　my　opinion；　but；　being　pressed　to　do　so　by　his　Highness；　I　took　the　liberty　to　tell　him　that　a　Prince　of　the　blood　ought　to　engage　himself　in　a　civil　war　rather　than　suffer　any　diminution　of　his　reputation　or　dignity；　yet　that　nothing　but　these　two　cases　could　justly　oblige　him　to　it；　because　he　hazards　both　by　a　commotion　whenever　the　one　or　the　other　consideration　does　not　make　it　necessary；　that　I　thought　his　Highness　far　from　being　under　any　such　necessity；　that　his　retreat　to　Sedan　secured　him　from　the　indignity　he　must　have　submitted　to；　among　others；　of　taking　the　left　hand；　even　in　the　Cardinal's　own　house；　that；　in　the　meantime；　the　popular　hatred　of　the　Cardinal　gained　his　Highness　the　greater　share　of　the　public　favour；　which　is　always　much　better　secured　by　inaction　than　action；　because　the　glory　of　action　depends　upon　success；　for　which　no　one　can　answer；　whereas　inaction　is　sure　to　be　commended　as　being　founded　upon　the　hatred　which　the　public　will　always　bear　to　the　minister。　　That；　therefore；　I　should　think　it　would　be　more　glorious　for　his　Highness；　in　the　view　of　the　world；　to　support　himself　by　his　own　weight；　that　is；　by　the　merit　of　his　virtue；　against　the　artifices　of　so　powerful　a　minister　as　the　Cardinal　de　Richelieu；I　say；　more　glorious　to　support　himself　by　a　wise　and　regular　conduct　than　to　kindle　the　fire　of　war；　the　flagrant　consequences　whereof　no　man　is　able　to　foresee；　that　it　was　true　that　the　minister　was　universally　cursed；　but　that　I　could　not　yet　see　that　the　people's　minds　were　exasperated　enough　for　any　considerable　revolution；　that　the　Cardinal　was　in　a　declining　state　of　health；　and　if　he　should　not　die　this　time；　his　Highness　would　have　the　opportunity　of　showing　the　King　and　the　public　that　though；　by　his　own　personal　authority　and　his　important　post　at　Sedan；　he　was　in　a　capacity　to　do　himself　justice；　he　sacrificed　his　own　resentments　to　the　welfare　and　quiet　of　the　State；　and　that　if　the　Cardinal　should　recover　his　health；　he　would　not　fail；　by　additional　acts　of　tyranny　and　oppression；　to　draw　upon　himself　the　redoubled　execrations　of　the　people；　which　would　ripen；　their　murmurings　and　discontents　into　a　universal　revolution。

This　is　the　substance　of　what　I　said　to　the　Count；　and　he　seemed　to　be　somewhat　affected　by　it。　　But　the　Duc　de　Bouillon　was　enraged；　and　told　me；　by　way　of　banter；　〃Your　blood　is　very　cold　for　a　gentleman　of　your　age。〃　　To　which　I　replied　in　these　very　words：　〃All　the　Count's　servants　are　so　much　obliged　to　you；　monsieur；　that　they　ought　to　bear　everything　from　you；　but　were　it　not　for　this　consideration　alone；　I　should　think　that　your　bastions　would　not　be　always　strong　enough　to　protect　you。〃　The　Duke　soon　came　to　himself；　and　treated　me　with　all　the　civilities　imaginable；　such　as　laid　a　foundation　for　our　future　friendship。　I　stayed　two　days　longer　at　Sedan；　during　which　the　Count　changed　his　mind　five　different　times；　as　I　was　told　by　M。　Saint…Ibal；　who　said　little　was　to　be　expected　from　a　man　of　his　humour。　　At　last；　however；　the　Duc　de　Bouillon　won　him　over。　　I　was　charged　to　do　all　I　could　to　convince　the　people　of　Paris；　had　an　order　to　take　up　money　and　to　lay　it　out　for　this　purpose；　and　I　returned　from　Sedan　with　letters　more　than　enough　to　have　hanged　two　hundred　men。

As　I　had　faithfully　set　the　Count's　true　interest　before　him；　and　dissuaded　him　from　undertaking　an　affair　of　which　he　was　by　no　means　capable；　I　thought　it　high　time　to　think　of　my　own　affairs。　　I　hated　my　profession　now　more　than　ever；　I　was　at　first　hurried　into　it　by　the　infatuation　of　my　kindred。　　My　destiny　had　bound　me　down　to　it　by　the　chains　both　of　duty　and　pleasure；　so　that　I　could　see　no　possibility　to　set　myself　free。　　I　was　upwards　of　twenty…five　years　of　age；　and　I　saw　it　was　now　too　late　to　begin　to　carry　a　musket；　but　that　which　tortured　me　most　of　all　was　this　fatal　reflection；　that　I　had　spent　so　much　of　my　time　in　too　eager　a　pursuit　of　pleasure；　and　thereby　riveted　my　own　chains；　so　that　it　looked　as　if　fate　was　resolved　to　fasten　me　to　the　Church；　whether　I　would　or　no。　　You　may　imagine　with　what　satisfaction　such　thoughts　as　these　were　accompanied；　for　this　confusion　of　affairs　gave　me　hopes　of　getting　loose　from　my　profession　with　uncommon　honour　and　reputation。　　I　thought　of　ways　to　distinguish　myself；　pursued　them　very　diligently；　and　you　will　allow　that　nothing　but　destiny　broke　my　measures。

The　Marechaux　de　Vitri　and　Bassompierre；　the　Comte　de　Cremail；　M。　du　Fargis；　and　M。　du　Coudrai　Montpensier　were　then　prisoners　in　the　Bastille　upon　different　counts。　　But；　as　length　of　time　makes　confinement　less　irksome；　they　were　treated　very　civilly；　and　indulged　with　a　great　share　of　freedom。　　Their　friends　came　to　see　them；　and　sometimes　dined　with　them。　　By　means　of　M。　du　Fargis