the memoirs of cardinal de retz-第6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！


f　freedom。　　Their　friends　came　to　see　them；　and　sometimes　dined　with　them。　　By　means　of　M。　du　Fargis；　who　had　married　my　aunt；　I　got　acquainted　with　the　rest；　and　by　conversing　with　them　discovered　very　remarkable　emotions　in　some　of　them；　upon　which　I　could　not　help　reflecting。　　The　Marechal　de　Vitri　was　a　gentleman　of　mean　parts；　but　bold；　even　to　rashness；　and　his　having　been　formerly　employed　to　kill　the　Marechal　d'Ancre　had　given　him　in　the　common　vogue；　though　I　think　unjustly；　the　air　of　a　man　of　business　and　expedition。　　He　appeared　to　me　enraged　against　the　Cardinal；　and　I　concluded　he　might　do　service　in　the　present　juncture；　but　did　not　address　myself　directly　to　him；　and　thought　it　the　wisest　way　first　to　sift　the　Comte　de　Cremail；　who　was　a　man　of　sound　sense；　and　could　influence　the　Marechal　de　Vitri　as　he　pleased。　He　apprehended　me　at　half　a　word；　and　immediately　asked　me　if　I　had　made　myself　known　to　any　of　the　prisoners。　　I　answered；　readily：

〃No；　monsieur；　and　I　will　tell　you　my　reasons　in　a　very　few　words。　Bassompierre　is　a　tattler；　I　expect　to　do　nothing　with　the　Marechal　de　Vitri　but　by　your　means。　　I　suspect　the　honesty　of　Du　Coudrai；　and　as　for　my　uncle；　Du　Fargis；　he　is　a　gallant　man；　but　has　no　headpiece。〃

〃Whom；　then；　do　you　confide　in　at　Paris？〃　　said　the　Comte　de　Cremail。

〃I　dare　trust　no　man　living；〃　said　I；　〃but　yourself。〃

〃It　is　very　well；〃　said　he；　briskly；　〃you　are　the　man　for　me。　　I　am　above　eighty　years　old；　and　you　but　twenty…five；　I　will　qualify　your　heat；　and　you　my　chilliness。〃

We　went　upon　business；　drew　up　our　plan；　and　at　parting　he　said　these　very　words：　〃Let　me　alone　one　week；　and　after　that　I　will　tell　you　more　of　my　mind；　for　I　hope　to　convince　the　Cardinal　that　I　am　good　for　something　more　than　writing　the　〃Jeu　de　l'Inconnu。〃

You　must　know　that　the　〃Jeu　de　l'Inconnu　〃　was　a　book；　indeed；　very　ill　written；　which　the　Comte　de　Cremail　had　formerly　published；　and　which　the　Cardinal　had　grossly　ridiculed。　　You　will　be　surprised；　without　doubt；　that　I　should　think　of　prisoners　for　an　affair　of　this　importance；　but　the　nature　of　it　was　such　that　it　could　not　be　put　into　better　hands；　as　you　will　see　by　and　by。

A　week　after；　going　to　visit　the　prisoners；　and　Cremail　and　myself　being　accidentally　left　alone；　we　took　a　walk　upon　the　terrace；　where；　after　a　thousand　thanks　for　the　confidence　I　had　put　in　him；　and　as　many　protestations　of　his　readiness　to　serve　the　Comte　de　Soissons；　he　spoke　thus：　〃There　is　nothing　but　the　thrust　of　a　sword　or　the　city　of　Paris　that　can　rid　us　of　the　Cardinal。　　Had　I　been　at　the　enterprise　of　Amiens；　I　think　I　should　not　have　missed　my　blow；　as　those　gentlemen　did。　　I　am　for　that　of　Paris；　it　cannot　miscarry；　I　have　considered　it　well。　　See　here　what　additions　I　have　made　to　our　plan。〃　　And　thereupon　he　put　into　my　hand　a　paper；　in　substance　as　follows：　that　he　had　conferred　with　the　Marechal　de　Vitri；　who　was　as　well　disposed　as　anybody　in　the　world　to　serve　the　Count；　that　they　would　both　answer　for　the　Bastille；　where　all　the　garrison　was　in　their　interest；　that　they　were　likewise　sure　of　the　arsenal；　and　that　they　would　also　declare　themselves　as　soon　as　the　Count　had　gained　a　battle；　on　condition　that　I　made　it　appear　beforehand；　as　I　had　told　him　（the　Comte　de　Cremail）；　that　they　should　be　supported　by　a　considerable　number　of　officers；　colonels　of　Paris；　etc。　　For　the　rest；　this　paper　contained　many　particular　observations　on　the　conduct　of　the　undertaking；　and　many　cautions　relating　to　the　behaviour　to　be　observed　by　the　Count。　　That　which　surprised　me　most　of　all　was　to　see　how　fully　persuaded　these　gentlemen　were　of　carrying　their　point　with　ease。

Though　it　came　into　my　head　to　propose　this　project　to　the　persons　in　the　Bastille；　yet　nothing　but　the　perfect　knowledge　I　had　of　their　disposition　and　inclination　could　have　persuaded　me　that　it　was　practicable。　　And　I　confess；　upon　perusal　of　the　plan　prepared　by　M。　de　Cremail；　a　man　of　great　experience　and　excellent　sense；　I　was　astonished　to　find　a　few　prisoners　disposing　of　the　Bastille　with　the　same　freedom　as　the　Governor；　the　greatest　authority　in　the　place。

As　all　extraordinary　circumstances　are　of　wonderful　weight　in　popular　revolutions；　I　considered　that　this　project；　which　was　even　ripe　for　execution；　would　have　an　admirable　effect　in　the　city。　　And　as　nothing　animates　and　supports　commotions　more　than　the　ridiculing　of　those　against　whom　they　are　raised；　I　knew　it　would　be　very　easy　for　us　to　expose　the　conduct　of　a　minister　who　had　tamely　suffered　prisoners　to　hamper　him；　as　one　may　say；　with　their　chains。　　I　lost　no　time；　afterwards　I　opened　myself　to　M。　d'Estampes；　President　of　the　Great　Council；　and　to　M。　l'Ecuyer；　President　of　the　Chamber　of　Accounts；　both　colonels；　and　in　great　repute　among　the　citizens；　and　I　found　them　every　way　answering　the　character　I　had　of　them　from　the　Count；　that　is；　very　zealous　for　his　interest；　and　fully　persuaded　that　the　insurrection　was　not　only　practicable；　but　very　easy。　　Pray　observe　that　these　two　gentlemen；　who　made　no　great　figure；　even　in　their　own　profession；　were；　perhaps；　two　of　the　most　peaceable　persons　in　the　kingdom。　　But　there　are　some　fires　which　burn　all　before　them。　　The　main　thing　is　to　know　and　seize　the　critical　moment。

The　Count　had　charged　me　to　disclose　myself　to　none　in　Paris　besides　these　two；　but　I　ventured　to　add　two　more：　Parmentier；　substitute　to　the　Attorney…General；　and　his　brother…in…law；　Epinai；　auditor　of　the　Chamber　of　Accounts；　who　was　the　man　of　the　greatest　credit；　though　but　a　lieutenant；　and　the　other　a　captain。　　Parmentier；　who；　both　by　his　wit　and　courage；　was　as　capable　of　a　great　action　as　any　man　I　ever　knew；　promised　me　that　he　would　answer　for　Brigalier；　councillor　in　the　Court　of　Aids；　captain　in　his　quarter；　and　very　powerful　among　the　people；　but　told　me　at　the　same　time　that　he　must　not　know　a　word　of　the　matter；　because　he　was　a　mere　rattle；　not　to　be　trusted　with　a　secret。

The　Count　made　me　a　remittance　of　12；000　crowns；　which　I　carried　to　my　aunt　De　Maignelai；　telling　her　that　it　was　a　restitution　made　by　one　of　my　dying　friends；　who　made　me　trustee　of　it　upon　condition　that　I　should　distribute　it　among　decayed　families　who　were　ashamed　to　make　their　necessities　known；　and　that　I　had　taken　an　oath　to　distribute　it　myself；　persuant　to　the　desire　of　the　testator；　but　that　I　was　at　a　loss　to　find　out　fit　objects　for　my　charity；　and　therefore　I　desired　her　to　take　the　care　of　it　upon　her。　　The　good　woman　was　perfectly　transported；　and　said　she　would　do　it　with　all　her　heart；　but　because　I　had　sworn　to　make　the　distribution　myself；　she　insisted　upon　it　that　I　must　be　present；　not　only　for　the　sake　of　my　promise；　but　to　accustom　myself　to　do　acts　of　charity。　　This　was　the　very　thing　I　aimed　at；an　opportunity　of　knowing　all　the　poor　of　Paris。　　Therefore　I　suffered　myself　to　be　carried　every　day　by　my　aunt　into　the　outskirts；　to　visit　the　poor　in　their　garrets；　and　I　met　very　often　in　her　house　people　who　were　very　well　clad；　and　many　whom　I　once　knew；　that　came　for　private　charity。　　My　good　aunt　charged　them　always　to　pray　to　God　for　her　nephew；　who　was　the　hand　that　God　had　been　pleased　to　make　use　of　for　this　good　work。　　Judge　you　of　the　influence　this　gave　me　over　the　populace；　who　are　without　comparison　the　most　considerable　in　all　public　disturbances。　　For　the　rich　never　come　into　such　measures　unless　they　are　forced；　and　beggars　do　more　harm　than　good；　because　it　is　known　that　they　aim　at　plunder；　those；　therefore；　who　are　capable　of　doing　most　service　are　such　as　are　not　reduced　to　common　beggary；　yet　so　straitened　in　their　circumstances　as　to　wish　for　nothing　more　than　a　general　change　of　affairs　in　order　to　repair　their　broken　fortunes。　　I　made　myself　acquainted　with　people　of　this　rank　for　the　course　of　four　months　with　uncommon　application；　so　that　there　was　hardly　a　child　in　the　chimney…corner　but　I　gratified　with　some　small　token。　　I　called　them　by　their　familiar　names。　　My　aunt；　who　always　made　it　her　business　to　go　from　house　to　house　to　relieve　the　poor；　was　a　cloak　for　all。　　I　also　played　the　hypocrite；　and　frequented　the　conferences　of　Saint　Lazarus。

Varicarville　and　Beauregarde；　my　correspondents　at　Sedan；　assured　me　that　the　Comte　de　Soissons　was　as　well　inclined　as　one　could　wish；　and　that　he　had　not　wavered　since　he　had　formed　his　last　resolution。　　Varicarville　said　that　we　had　formerly　done　him　horrible　injustice；　and　that　they　were　now　even　obliged　to　restrain　him；　because　he　seemed　to　be　too　fond　of　the　counsels　of　Spain　and　the　Empire。　　Please　to　observe　that　these　two　Courts；　which　had　made　incredible　solicitations　to　him　while　he　wavered；　began；　as　soon　as　his　purpose　was　fixed；　to　draw　back；a　fatality　due　to　the　phlegmatic　temper　of　the　Spaniard；　dignified　by　the　name　of　prudence；　joined　to　the　astute　politics　of　the　house　of　Austria。　　You　may　observe　at　the　same　time　that　the　Count；　who　had　continued　firm　and　unshaken　three　months　together；　changed　his　mind　as　soon　as　his　enemies　had　granted　what　he　asked；　which　exactly　comes　up　to　the　character　of　an　irresolute　man；　who　is　always　most　unsteady　the　nearer　the　work　comes　to　its　conclusion。　　I　heard　of　thi