the memoirs of cardinal de retz-第9节

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im；　because　those　men　whom　you　mean　were　all　his　true　friends　before　they　became　your　enemies。〃

〃If　it　be　so；〃　replied　the　Cardinal；　〃then　I　am　very　much　misinformed。〃

The　Bishop　at　this　juncture　did　me　all　the　kind　offices　imaginable；　and　if　the　Cardinal　had　lived　he　would　undoubtedly　have　restored　me　to　his　favour；　for　his　Eminence　was　very　well　disposed；　especially　when　the　Bishop　assured　him　that；　though　I　knew　myself　ruined　at　Court　to　all　intents　and　purposes；　yet　I　would　never　come　into　the　measures　of　M。　le　Grand。＇M。　de　Cinq…Mars；　Henri　Coeffier；　otherwise　called　Ruze　d'Effial；　Master　of　the　Horse　of　France；　he　was　beheaded　September　12；　1642。＇　I　was　indeed　importuned　by　my　friend　M。　de　Thou　to　join　in　that　enterprise；　but　I　saw　the　weakness　of　their　foundation；　as　the　event　has　shown；　and　therefore　rejected　their　proposals。

The　Cardinal　de　Richelieu　died　in　1642；　before　the　good　Bishop　had　made　my　peace　with　him；　and　so　I　remained　among　those　who　had　rendered　themselves　obnoxious　to　the　Ministry。　　At　first　this　character　was　very　prejudicial　to　my　interest。　　Although　the　King　was　overjoyed　at　his　death；　yet　he　carefully　observed　all　the　appearances　of　respect　for　his　deceased　minister；　confirmed　all　his　legacies；　cared　for　his　family；　kept　all　his　creatures　in　the　Ministry；　and　affected　to　frown　upon　all　who　had　not　stood　well　with　the　Cardinal；　but　I　was　the　only　exception　to　this　general　rule。　　When　the　Archbishop　of　Paris　presented　me　to　the　King；　I　was　treated　with　such　distinguishing　marks　of　royal　favour　as　surprised　all　the　Court。　　His　Majesty　talked　of　my　studies　and　sermons；　rallied　me　with　an　obliging　freedom；　and　bade　me　come　to　Court　once　every　week。　　The　reasons　of　these　extraordinary　civilities　were　utterly　unknown　to　us　until　the　night　before　his　death；　when　he　told　them　to　the　Queen。　　I　passed　them　by　in　silence　before　as　having　no　bearing　on　my　history；　but　I　am　obliged　to　insert　them　here　because　they　have　been；　in　their　consequences；　more　fortunate　than　I　seemed　to　have　any　just　claim　to　expect。

A　short　time　after　I　left　the　college；　my　governor's　valet　de　chambre　found；　at　a　poor　pin…maker's　house；　a　niece　of　hers　but　fourteen　years　old；　who　was　surprisingly　beautiful。　　After　I　had　seen　her　he　bought　her　for　me　for　150　pistoles；　hired　a　little　house　for　her；　and　placed　her　sister　with　her；　when　I　went　to　see　her　I　found　her　in　great　heaviness　of　mind；　which　I　attributed　to　her　modesty。　　I　next　day　found　what　was　yet　more　surprising　and　extraordinary　than　her　beauty；　she　talked　wisely　and　religiously　to　me；　and　yet　without　passion。　　She　cried　only　when　she　could　not　help　it。　　She　feared　her　aunt　to　a　degree　that　made　me　pity　her。　　I　admired　her　wit　first；　and　then　her　virtue；　for　trial　of　which　I　pressed　her　as　far　as　was　necessary；　until　I　was　even　ashamed　of　myself。　I　waited　till　night　to　get　her　into　my　coach；　and　then　carried　her　to　my　aunt　De　Maignelai；　who　put　her　into　a　convent；　where　she　died　eight　or　ten　years　after；　in　great　reputation　for　piety。　　My　aunt；　to　whom　this　young　creature　confessed　that　the　menaces　of　the　pin…maker　had　terrified　her　so　much　that　she　would　have　done　whatsoever　I　wished；　was　so　affected　with　my　behaviour　that　she　went　to　tell　it　to　the　Bishop　of　Lisieux；　who　told　it　to　the　King。

This　second　adventure　was　not　of　the　same　nature；　but　it　made　as　great　an　impression　on　the　King's　mind。　　It　was　a　duel　I　had　with　Coutenau；　captain　of　a　company　of　the　King's　Light…horse；　brave；　but　wild；　who；　riding　post　from　Paris　as　I　was　going　there；　made　the　ostler　take　off　my　saddle　and　put　on　his。　　Upon　my　telling　him　I　had　hired　the　horse；　he　gave　me　a　swinging　box　on　the　ear；　which　fetched　blood。　　I　instantly　drew　my　sword；　and　so　did　he。　　While　making　our　first　thrusts　his　foot　slipped；　and　his　sword　dropped　out　of　his　hand　as　he　fell　to　the　ground。　I　retired　a　little　and　bade　him　pick　it　up；　which　he　did；　but　it　was　by　the　point；　for　he　presented　me　the　handle　and　begged　a　thousand　pardons。　He　told　this　little　story　afterwards　to　the　King；　with　whom　he　had　great　freedom。　　His　Majesty　was　pleased　with　it；　and　remembered　both　time　and　place；　as　you　will　see　hereafter。

The　good　reception　I　found　at　Court　gave　my　relatives　some　grounds　to　hope　that　I　might　have　the　coadjutorship　of　Paris。　　At　first　they　found　a　great　deal　of　difficulty　in　my　uncle's　narrowness　of　spirit；　which　is　always　attended　with　fears　and　jealousies；　but　at　length　they　prevailed　upon　him；　and　would　have　then　carried　our　point；　if　my　friends　had　not　given　it　out；　much　against　my　judgment；　that　it　was　done　by　the　consent　of　the　Archbishop　of　Paris；　and　if　they　had　not　suffered　the　Sorbonne；　the　cures；　and　chapter　to　return　him　their　thanks。　　This　affair　made　too　much　noise　in　the　world　for　my　interest。　　For　Cardinal　Mazarin；　De　Noyers；　and　De　Chavigni　thwarted　me；　and　told　his　Majesty　that　the　chapter　should　not　be　entrusted　with　the　power　of　nominating　their　own　archbishop。　　And　the　King　was　heard　to　say　that　I　was　yet　too　young。

But　we　met　with　a　worse　obstacle　than　all　from　M。　de　Noyers；　Secretary　of　State；　one　of　the　three　favourite　ministers；　who　passed　for　a　religious　man；　and　was　suspected　by　some　to　be　a　Jesuit　in　disguise。　　He　had　a　secret　longing　for　the　archbishopric　of　Paris；　which　would　shortly　be　vacant；　and　therefore　thought　it　expedient　to　remove　me　from　that　city；　where　he　saw　I　was　extremely　beloved；　and　provide　me　with　some　post　suitable　to　my　years。　　He　proposed　to　the　King　by　his　confessor　to　nominate　me　Bishop　of　Agde。　　The　King　readily　granted　the　request；　which　confounded　me　beyond　all　expression。　　I　had　no　mind　to　go　to　Languedoc；　and　yet　so　great　are　the　inconveniences　of　a　refusal　that　not　a　man　had　courage　to　advise　me　to　it。　　I　became；　therefore；　my　own　counsellor；　and　having　resolved　with　myself　what　course　to　take；　I　waited　upon　his　Majesty；　and　thanked　him　for　his　gracious　offer；　but　said　I　dreaded　the　weight　of　so　remote　a　see；　and　that　my　years　wanted　advice；　which　it　is　difficult　to　obtain　in　provinces　so　distant。　　I　added　to　this　other　arguments；　which　you　may　guess　at。　　I　was　in　this　adventure　also　more　happy　than　wise。　　The　King　continued　to　treat　me　very　kindly。　　This　circumstance；　and　the　retreat　of　M。　de　Noyers；　who　fell　into　the　snare　that　Chavigni　had　laid　for　him；　renewed　my　hopes　of　the　coadjutorship　of　Paris。　　The　King　died　about　this　time；　in　1643。　　M。　de　Beaufort；　who　had　been　always　devoted　to　the　Queen's　interest；　and　even　passed　for　her　gallant；　pretended　now　to　govern　the　kingdom；　of　which　he　was　not　so　capable　as　his　valet　de　chambre。　　The　Bishop　of　Beauvais；　the　greatest　idiot　you　ever　knew；　took　upon　himself　the　character　of　Prime　Minister；　and　on　the　first　day　of　his　administration　required　the　Dutch　to　embrace　the　Roman　Catholic　religion　if　they　desired　to　continue　in　alliance　with　France。　　The　Queen　was　ashamed　of　this　ridiculous　minister；　and　sent　for　me　to　offer　my　father　＇Philippe　Emmanuel　de　Gondi；　Comte　de　Joigni；　he　retired　to　the：　Fathers　of　the　Oratory；　and　became　priest；　died　1662；　aged　eighty…one。＇　the　place　of　Prime　Minister；　but　he　refusing　peremptorily　to　leave　his　cell　and　the　Fathers　of　the　Oratory；　the　place　was　conferred　upon　Cardinal　Mazarin。

You　may　now　imagine　that　it　was　no　great　task　for　me　to　obtain　what　I　desired　at　a　time　that　nothing　was　refused；　which　made　Feuillade　say　that　the　only　words　in　the　French　tongue　were　〃La　Reine　est　si　bonne。〃

Madame　de　Maignelai　and　the　Bishop　of　Lisieux　desired　the　Queen　to　grant　me　the　coadjutorship　of　Paris；　but　they　were　repulsed；　the　Queen　assuring　them　that　none　should　have　it　but　my　father；　who　kept　from　Court；　and　would　never　be　seen　at　the　Louvre；　except　once；　when　the　Queen　told　him　publicly　that　the　King；　the　very　night　before　he　died；　had　ordered　her　expressly　to　have　it　solicited　for　me；　and　that　he　said　in　the　presence　of　the　Bishop　of　Lisieux　that　he　had　me　always　in　his　thoughts　since　the　adventures　of　the　pinmaker　and　Captain　Coutenau。　　What　relation　had　these　trifling　stories　to　the　archbishopric　of　Paris？　　Thus　we　see　that　affairs　of　the　greatest　moment　often　owe　their　rise　and　success　to　insignificant　trifles　and　accidents。　　All　the　companies　went　to　thank　the　Queen。　　I　sent　16；000　crowns　to　Rome　for　my　bull；　with　orders　not　to　desire　any　favour；　lest　it　should　delay　the　despatch　and　give　the　ministers　time　to　oppose　it。　　I　received　my　bull　accordingly；　and　now　you　will　see　me　ascending　the　theatre　of　action；　where　you　will　find　scenes　not　indeed　worthy　of　yourself；　but　not　altogether　unworthy　of　your　attention。










HISTORIC　COURT　MEMOIRS。

MEMOIRS　OF　JEAN　FRANCOIS　PAUL　de　GONDI；　CARDINAL　DE　RETZ；　V2　Written　by　Himself

Being　Historic　Court　Memoirs　of　the　Great　Events　during　the　Minority　of　Louis　XIV。　and　the　Administration　of　Cardinal　Mazarin。



BOOK　II。


MADAME：I　lay　it　down　as　a　maxim；　that　men　who　enter　the　service　of　the　State　should　make　it　their　chief　study　to　set　out　in　the　world　with　some　notable　act　which　may　strike　the　imagination　of　the　people；　and　cause　themselves　to　be　discussed。　　Thus　I　preached　first　upon　All　Saints'　Day；　before　an　audience　which　could　not　but　be　numerous　in　a　populous　city；　where　it　is　a　wonder　to　se