the memoirs of cardinal de retz-第61节

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nd　an　inviolable　resolution　not　to　give　up　the　archbishopric　of　Paris。

Next　day　President　Bellievre　came　to　me　on　the　part　of　the　King；　with　an　offer　of　seven　abbeys；　provided　I　would　quit　my　archbishopric；　but　he　opened　his　mind　to　me　with　entire　freedom；　and　said　he　could　not　but　think　what　a　fool　the　Sicilian　was　to　send　him　on　such　an　errand。　　〃Most　of　your　friends；〃　said　Bellievre；　〃think　that　you　need　only　to　stand　out　resolutely；　and　that　the　Court　will　be　glad　to　set　you　at　liberty　and　send　you　to　Rome；　but　it　is　a　horrid　mistake；　for　the　Court　will　be　satisfied　with　nothing　but　your　resignation。　　When　I　say　the　Court；　I　mean　Mazarin；　for　the　Queen　will　not　bear　the　thought　of　giving　you　your　liberty。　　The　chief　thing　that　determines　Mazarin　to　think　of　your　liberty　is　his　fear　of　the　Nuncio；　the　chapter；　the　cures；　and　the　people。　　But　I　dare　affirm　that　the　Nuncio　will　threaten　mightily；　but　do　nothing；　the　chapter　may　perhaps　make　remonstrances；　but　to　no　purpose；　the　cures　will　preach；　and　that　is　all；　the　people　will　clamour；　but　take　up　no　arms。　　The　consequence　will　be　your　removal　to　Brest　or　Havre…de…　Grace；　and　leaving　you　in　the　hands　of　your　enemies；　who　will　use　you　as　they　please。　　I　know　that　Mazarin　is　not　bloodthirsty；　but　I　tremble　to　think　of　what　Noailles　has　told　you；　that　they　are　resolved　to　make　haste　and　take　such　methods　as　other　States　have　furnished　examples　of。　　You　may；　perhaps；　infer　from　my　remarks　that　I　would　have　you　resign。　　By　no　means。　　I　have　come　to　tell　you　that　if　you　resign　you　will　do　a　dishonourable　thing；　and　that　it　behooves　you　on　this　occasion　to　answer　the　great　expectation　the　world　is　now　in　on　your　account；　even　to　the　hazarding　of　your　life；　and　of　your　liberty；　which　I　am　persuaded　you　value　more　than　life　itself。　　Now　is　the　time　for　you　to　put　forward　more　than　ever　those　maxims　for　which　we　have　so　much　combated　you：　'I　dread　no　poison　nor　sword！　　Nothing　can　hurt　me　but　what　is　within　me！　　It　matters　not　where　one　dies！'　　Thus　you　ought　to　answer　those　who　speak　to　you　about　your　resignation。〃

I　was　carried　from　Vincennes；　under　guard；　to　Nantes；　where　I　had　numerous　visits　and　diversions；　and　was　entertained　with　a　comedy　almost　every　night；　and　the　company　of　the　ladies；　particularly　the　charming　Mademoiselle　de　La　Vergne；　who　in　good　truth　did　not　approve　of　me；　either　because　she　had　no　inclination　for　me；　or　else　because　her　friends　had　set　her　against　me　by　telling　her　of　my　inconstancy　and　different　amours。　　I　endured　her　cruelty　with　my　natural　indifference；　and　the　full　liberty　Marechal　de　La　Meilleraye　allowed　me　with　the　city　ladies　gave　me　abundance　of　comfort；　nevertheless　I　was　kept　under　a　very　strict　guard。　As　I　had　stipulated　with　Mazarin　that　I　should　have　my　liberty　on　condition　that　I　would　resign　my　archbishopric　at　Vincennes；　which　I　knew　would　not　be　valid；　I　was　surprised　to　hear　that　the　Pope　refused　to　ratify　it；　because；　though　it　would　not　have　made　my　resignation　a　jot　more　binding；　yet　it　would　have　procured　my　liberty。　　I　proposed　expedients　to　the　Holy　See　by　which　the　Court　might　do　it　with　honour；　but　the　Pope　was　inflexible。　　He　thought　it　would　damage　his　reputation　to　consent　to　a　violence　so　injurious　to　the　whole　Church；　and　said　to　my　friends；　who　begged　his　consent　with　tears　in　their　eyes；　that　he　could　never　consent　to　a　resignation　extorted　from　a　prisoner　by　force。

After　several　consultations　with　my　friends　how　to　make　my　escape；　I　effected　it　on　August　the　8th；　at　five　o'clock　in　the　evening。　　I　let　myself　down　to　the　bottom　of　the　bastion；　which　was　forty　feet　high；　with　a　rope；　while　my　valet　de　chambre　treated　the　guards　with　as　much　liquor　as　they　could　drink。　　Their　attention；　was；　moreover；　taken　up　with　looking　at　a　Jacobin　friar　who　happened　to　be　drowned　as　he　was　bathing。　A　sentinel；　seeing　me；　was　taking　up　his　musket　to　fire；　but　dropped　it　upon　my　threatening　to　have　him　hanged；　and　he　said；　upon　examination；　that　he　believed　Marechal　de　La　Meilleraye　was　in　concert　with　me。　　Two　pages　who　were　washing　themselves；　saw　me　also；　and　called　out；　but　were　not　heard。　　My　four　gentlemen　waited　for　me　at　the　bottom　of　the　ravelin；　on　pretence　of　watering　their　horses；　so　that　I　was　on　horseback　before　the　least　notice　was　taken；　and；　having　forty　fresh　horses　planted　on　the　road；　I　might　have　reached　Paris　very　soon　if　my　horse　had　not　fallen　and　caused　me　to　break　my　shoulder　bone；　the　pain　of　which　was　so　extreme　that　I　nearly　fainted　several　times。　　Not　being　able　to　continue　my　journey；　I　was　lodged；　with　only　one　of　my　gentlemen；　in　a　great　haystack；　while　MM。　de　Brissac　and　Joly　went　straight　to　Beaupreau；　to　assemble　the　nobility；　there；　in　order　to　rescue　me。　　I　lay　hid　there　for　over　seven　hours　in　inexpressible　misery；　for　the　pain　from　my　injury　threw　me　into　a　fever；　during　which　my　thirst　was　much　augmented　by　the　smell　of　the　new　hay；　but；　though　we　were　by　a　riverside；　we　durst　not　venture　out　for　water；　because　there　was　nobody　to　put　the　stack　in　order　again；　which　would　very　probably　have　occasioned　suspicion　and　a　search　in　consequence。　　We　heard　nothing　but　horsemen　riding　by；　who；　we　were　afterwards　informed；　were　Marechal　de　La　Meilleraye's　scouts。　　About　two　o'clock　in　the　morning　I　was　fetched　out　of　the　stack　by　a　Parisian　of　quality　sent　by　my　friend　De　Brissac；　and　carried　on　a　hand…barrow　to　a　barn；　where　I　was　again　buried　alive；　as　it　were；　in　hay　for　seven　or　eight　hours；　when　M。　de　Brisac　and　his　lady　came；　with　fifteen　or　twenty　horse；　and　carried　me　to　Beaupreau。　　From　thence　we　proceeded；　almost　in　eight　of　Nantes；　to　Machecoul；　in　the　country　of　Retz；　after　having　had　an　encounter　with　some　of　Marechal　de　La　Meilleraye's　guards；　when　we　repulsed　them　to　the　very　barrier。

Marechal　de　La　Meilleraye　was　so　amazed　at　my　escape　that　he　threatened　to　destroy　the　whole　country　with　fire　and　sword；　for　which　reason　I　was　an　unwelcome　guest　to　Madame　de　Retz　and　her　father；　who　rallied　me　very　uncharitably　on　my　disobedience　to　the　King。　　We　therefore　thought　fit　to　leave　the　country；　and　went　aboard　a　ship　for　Belle　Isle；　whence；　after　a　very　short　stay　there；　we　escaped　to　San　Sebastian。

Upon　my　arrival　there　I　sent　a　letter　to　the　King　of　Spain　requesting　leave　to　pass　through　his　dominions　to　Rome。　　The　messenger　was　received　at　Court　with　civilities　beyond　expression；　and　sent　back　next　day　with　the　present　of　a　gold　chain　worth　800　crowns。　　I　had　also　one　of　the　King's　litters　sent　me；　and　an　invitation　to　go　to　Madrid；　but　I　desired　to　be　excused；　and　though　I　also　refused　immense　offers　if　I　would　but　go　to　Flanders　and　treat　with　the　Prince　de　Conde；　etc。；　for　the　service　of　Spain；　yet　I　had　a　velvet　coffer　sent　me　with　40；000　crowns　in　it；　which　I　likewise　thought　fit　to　refuse。　　As　I　had　neither　linen　nor　apparel；　either　for　myself　or　servants；　and　as　the　400　crowns　which　we　got　by　the　sale　of　pilchards　on　board　the　barque　in　which　we　came　from　Belle　Isle　were　almost　all　spent；　I　borrowed　400　crowns　of　the　Baron　de　Vateville；　who　commanded　for　the　King　of　Spain　in　Guipuzcoa；　and　faithfully　repaid　him。

From　San　Sebastian　I　travelled　incognito　to　Tudela；　where　I　was　met　by　the　King's　mule　drivers　and　waited　on　by　the　alcade；　who　left　his　wand　at　my　chamber　door　and　at　his；　entrance　knelt　and　kissed　the　hem　of　my　garment。　　From　thence　I　was　conducted　to　Comes　by　fifty　musketeers　riding　upon　asses；　who　were　sent　me　by　the　Governor　of　Navarre。　　At　Saragossa　I　was　taken　for　the　King　of　England；　and　a　large　number　of　ladies；　in　over　two　hundred　carriages；　came　to　pay　me　their　respects。　　Thence　I　proceeded　to　Vivaros；　where　I　had　rich　presents　from　the　Governor　of　Valencia。　　And　thence　I　sailed　to　Majorca；　whose　Governor　met　me　with　above　one　hundred　coaches　of　the　Spanish　nobility；　and　carried　me　to　mass　at　the　Cathedral；　where　I　saw　thirty　or　forty　ladies　of　quality　of　more　than　common　charms；　and；　to　speak　the　truth；　the　women　there　in　general　are　of　rare　beauty；　having　a　graceful　tincture　both　of　the　lily　and　the　rose；　and　wear　a　head…dress　which　is　exceedingly　pretty。　　The　Governor；　after　having　treated　me　with　a　magnificent　dinner　under　a　tent　of　gold　brocade　near　the　seaside；　carried　me　to　a　concert　of　music　in　a　convent；　where　I　found　the　nuns　not　inferior　in　beauty　to　the　ladies　of　the　town。　　The　Governor　carried　me　to　see　his　lady；　who　was　as　ugly　as　a　witch；　and　was　seated　under　a　great　canopy　sparkling　with　precious　stones；　which　gave　a　wonderful　lustre　to　about　sixty　ladies　with　her；　who　were　the　handsomest　in　the　whole　town。　　I　was　reconducted　on　board　my　galley　with　music　and　a　discharge　of　the　artillery；　and　sailed　to　Port　Mahon；　and　thence　through　the　Gulf　of　Lyons　to　the　canal　between　Corsica　and　Sardinia；　where　our　ship　was　very　nearly　cast　away　upon　a　sandbank；　but　with　great　difficulty　we　got　her　off　and　reached　Porto　Longone。　　There　we　quitted　the　galley；　and　went　by　land　to　Piombino。




BOOB　V。

I　travelled　from　Piombino　to　Florence；　where　I　had　great　honours　and　vast　offers　from　the　Grand　Duke；　though　Mazarin　had　threatened　him；　in　the　King's　name；　with　a　rupture　if　he　granted　me　passage　through　his　dominions；　but　the　Grand　Duke　sent　to　desir