the memoirs of cardinal de retz-第54节

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e　to　be　present　in　an　assembly　where　he　went　only　to　clear　himself　from　a　crime　laid　to　his　charge。　He　showed　her　the　difference　between　the　first　Prince　of　the　blood；　whose　presence　would　be　necessary　in　that　conjuncture；　and　a　Coadjutor　of　Paris；　who　never　had　a　seat　in　the　Parliament　but　by　courtesy。

The　Queen　yielded　at　last　to　these　reasons　and　to　the　entreaties　of　all　the　Court　ladies；　who　dreaded　the　noise　and　confusion　which　was　likely　to　occur　next　day　in　the　Parliament　House。

The　Parliament　met　next　day；　and　resolved　that　all　the　papers；　both　of　the　Queen；　the　Duc　d'Orleans；　and　the　Prince　de　Conde；　should　be　carried　to　the　King　and　Queen；　that　her　Majesty　should　be　humbly　entreated　to　terminate　the　affair；　and　that　the　Duc　d'Orleans　should　be　desired　to　make　overtures　towards　a　reconciliation。

As　the　Prince　was　coming　out　of　the　Parliament　House；　attended　by　a　multitude　of　his　friends；　I　met　him　in　his　coach　as　I　was　at　the　head　of　a　procession　of　thirty　or　forty　cures　of　Paris；　followed　by　a　great　number　of　people。　　Upon　my　approach；　three　or　four　of　the　mob　following　the　Prince　cried　out；　〃A　Mazarin！〃　but　the　Prince　alighted　and　silenced　them。

　　　　　＇M。　de　La　Rochefoucault；　in　his　Memoirs；　says　that　the　people　abused　　　　　　the　Coadjutor　with　scurrilous　language；　and　would　have　torn　him　in　　　　　　pieces　if　the　prince　had　not　ordered　his　men　to　appease　the　tumult。＇

He　then　fell　on　his　knees　to　receive　my　blessing；　which　I　gave　him　with　my　hat　on；　and　then　pulled　it　off　in　obeisance。

The　Queen　was　so　well　pleased　with　my　prudent　conduct　that　I　can　truly　say　I　was　a　favourite　for　some　days。　　Madame　de　Carignan　was　telling　her　one　day　that　I　was　very　homely；　to　which　the　Queen　replied；　〃He　has　a　very　fine　set　of　teeth；　and　a　man　cannot　be　called　homely　who　has　this　ornament。〃　　Madame　de　Chevreuse　remembered　that　she　had　often　heard　the　Queen　say　that　the　beauty　of　a　man　consisted　chiefly　in　his　teeth；　because　it　was　the　only　beauty　which　was　of　any　use。　　Therefore　she　advised　me　to　act　my　part　well；　and　she　should　not　despair　of　success。　〃When　you　are　with　the　Queen；〃　said　she；　〃be　serious；　look　continually　on　her　hands；　storm　against　the　Cardinal；　and　I　will　take　care　of　the　rest〃　I　asked　two　or　three　audiences　of　the　Queen　upon　very　trifling　occasions；　followed　Madame　de　Chevreuse's　plan　very　closely；　and　carried　my　resentment　and　passion　against　the　Cardinal　even　to　extravagance。　　The　Queen；　who　was　naturally　a　coquette；　understood　those　airs；　and　acquainted　Madame　de　Chevreuse　therewith；　who　pretended　to　be　surprised；　saying；　〃Indeed；　I　have　heard　the　Coadjutor　talk　of　your　Majesty　whole　days　with　delight；　but　if　the　conversation　happened　to　touch　upon　the　Cardinal；　he　was　no　longer　the　same　man；　and　even　raved　against　your　Majesty；　but　immediately　relented　towards　you；　though　never　towards　the　Cardinal。〃

Madame　de　Chevreuse；　who　was　the　Queen's　confidante　in　her　youth；　gave　me　such　a　history　of　her　early　days　as　I　cannot　omit　giving　you；　though　I　should　have　done　it　sooner。　　She　told　me　that　the　Queen　was　neither　in　body　nor　mind　truly　Spanish；　that　she　had　neither　the　temperament　nor　the　vivacity　of　her　nation；　but　only　the　coquetry　of　it；　which　she　retained　in　perfection；　that　M。　Bellegarde；　a　gallant　old　gentleman；　after　the　fashion　of　the　Court　of　Henri　III。；　pleased　her　till　he　was　going　to　the　army；　when　he　begged　for　one　favour　before　his　departure；　which　was　only　to　put　her　hand　to　the　hilt　of　his　sword；　a　compliment　so　insipid　that　her　Majesty　was　out　of　conceit　with　him　ever　after。　　She　approved　the　gallant　manner　of　M。　de　Montmorency　much　more　than　she　loved　his　person。　The　aversion　she　had　to　the　pedantic　behaviour　of　Cardinal　de　Richelieu；　who　in　his　amours　was　as　ridiculous　as　he　was　in　other　things　excellent；　made　her　irreconcilable　to　his　addresses。　　She　had　observed　from　the　beginning　of　the　Regency　a　great　inclination　in　the　Queen　for　Mazarin；　but　that　she　had　not　been　able　to　discover　how　far　that　inclination　went；　because　she　（Madame　de　Chevreuse）　had　been　banished　from　the　Court　very　soon　after；　and　that　upon　her　return　to　France；　after　the　siege　of　Paris；　the　Queen　was　so　reserved　at　first　with　her　that　it　was　impossible　for　her　to　dive　into　her　secrets。　　That　since　she　regained　her　Majesty's　favour　she　had　sometimes　observed　the　same　airs　in　her　with　regard　to　Cardinal　Mazarin　as　she　used　to　display　formerly　in　favour　of　the　Duke　of　Buckingham；　but　at　other　times　she　thought　that　there　was　no　more　between　them　than　a　league　of　friendship。　　The　chief　ground　for　her　conjecture　was　the　impolite　and　almost　rude　way　in　which　the　Cardinal　conversed　with　her　Majesty。　　〃But；　however；〃　said　Madame　de　Chevreuse；　〃when　I　reflect　on　the　Queen's　humour；　all　this　may　admit　of　another　interpretation。　Buckingham　used　to　tell　me　that　he　had　been　in　love　with　three　Queens；　and　was　obliged　to　curb　all　the　three；　therefore　I　cannot　tell　what　to　think　of　the　matter。〃

To　resume　the　history　of　more　public　affairs。　　I　did　not　so　far　please　myself　with　the　figure　I　made　against　the　Prince　（though　I　thought　it　very　much　for　my　honour）；　but　I　saw　clearly　that　I　stood　on　a　dangerous　precipice。

〃Whither　are　we　going？〃　　I　said　to　M。　Bellievre；　who　seemed　to　be　overjoyed　that　the　Prince　had　not　been　able　to　devour　me；　for　whom　do　we　labour？　　I　know　that　we　are　obliged　to　act　as　we　do；　I　know；　too；　that　we　cannot　do　better；　but　should　we　rejoice　at　the　fatal　necessity　which　pushes　us　on　to　exert　an　action　comparatively　good　and　which　will　unavoidably　end　in　a　superlative　evil？〃

〃I　understand　you；〃　said　the　President；　〃and　will　interrupt　you　for　one　moment　to　tell　you　what　I　learned　of　Cromwell〃　（whom　he　had　known　in　England）。　　〃He　told　me　one　day　that　it　is　then　we　are　mounting　highest　when　we　ourselves　do　not　know　whither　we　are　going。〃

〃You　know；　monsieur；〃　said　I　to　Bellievre；　〃that　I　abhor　Cromwell；　and　whatever　is　commonly　reported　of　his　great　parts；　if　he　is　of　this　opinion；　I　must　pronounce　him　a　fool。〃

I　mentioned　this　dialogue　for　no　other　purpose　than　to　observe　how　dangerous　it　is　to　talk　disrespectfully　of　men　in　high　positions；　for　it　was　carried　to　Cromwell；　who　remembered　it　with　a　great　deal　of　resentment　on　an　occasion　which　I　shall　mention　hereafter；　and　said　to　M。　de　Bourdeaux；　Ambassador　of　France；　then　in　England；　〃I　know　but　one　man　in　the　world　who　despises　me；　and　that　is　Cardinal　de　Retz。〃　　This　opinion　of　him　was　likely　to　have　cost　me　very　dear。　　I　return　from　this　digression。

On　the　31st；　Melayer；　valet　de　chambre　to　the　Cardinal；　arrived　with　a　despatch　to　the　Queen；　in　which　were　these　words：　〃Give　the　Prince　de　Conde　all　the　declarations　of　his　innocence　that　he　can　desire；　provided　you　can　but　amuse　him　and　hinder　him　from　giving　you　the　slip。〃

On　the　4th　the　Prince　de　Conde　insisted　in　Parliament　on　a　formal　decree　for　declaring　his　innocence；　which　was　granted；　but　deferred　to　be　published　till　the　7th　of　September　（the　day　that　the　King　came　of　age）；　on　pretence　of　rendering　it　more　authentic　and　solemn　by　the　King's　presence；　but　really　to　gain　time；　and　see　what　influence　the　splendour　of　royalty；　which　was　to　be　clothed　that　day　with　all　the　advantages　of　pomp；　would　have　upon　the　minds　of　the　people。

But　the　Prince　de　Conde；　who　had　reason　to　distrust　both　the　Fronde　and　the　Court；　did　not　appear　at　the　ceremony；　and　sent　the　Prince　de　Conti　to　the　King　to　desire　to　be　excused；　because　the　calumnies　and　treacheries　of　his　enemies　would　not　suffer　him　to　come　to　the　Palace；　adding　that　he　kept　away　out　of　pure　respect　to　his　Majesty。　　This　last　expression；　which　seemed　to　intimate　that　otherwise　he　might　have　gone　thither　without　danger；　provoked　the　Queen　to　that　degree　that　she　said；　〃The　Prince　or　I　must　perish。〃

The　Prince　de　Conde　retired　to　Bourges；further　from　Court。　　He　was　naturally　averse　to　a　civil　war；　nor　would　his　adherents　have　been　more　forward　than　himself　if　they　had　found　their　interests　in　his　reconciliation　to　the　Court；　but　this　seemed　impracticable；　and　therefore　they　agreed　upon　a　civil　war；　because　none　of　them　believed　themselves　powerful　enough　to　conclude　a　peace。　　They　know　nothing　of　the　nature　of　faction　who　imagine　the　head　of　a　party　to　be　their　master。　　His　true　interest　is　most　commonly　thwarted　by　the　imaginary　interests　even　of　his　subalterns；　and　the　worst　of　it　is　that　his　own　honour　sometimes；　and　generally　prudence；　joins　with　them　against　himself。　　The　passions　and　discontent　which　reigned　then　among　the　friends　of　the　Prince　de　Conde　ran　so　high　that　they　were　obliged　to　abandon　him　and　form　a　third　party；　under　the　authority　of　the　Prince　de　Conti；　in　case　the　Prince　accomplished　his　reconciliation　to　the　Court；　according　to　a　proposition　then　made　to　him　in　the　name　of　the　Duc　d'Orleans。　　The　subdivision　of　parties　is　generally　the　ruin　of　all；　especially　when　it　is　introduced　by　cunning　views；　directly　contrary　to　prudence；　and　this　is　what　the　Italians　call；　in　comedy；　a　〃plot　within　a　plot；〃　or　a　〃wheel　within　a　wheel。〃










HISTORIC　COURT　MEMOIRS。

MEMOIRS　OF　JEAN　FRANCOIS　PAUL　de　GONDI；　CARDINAL　DE　RETZ；　V4　Written　by　Himself

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