the memoirs of louis xiv-02-第22节

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had　only　themselves　to　blame　for　what　had　happened。　　Soon　the　new
mistress　ruled　all　the　Court　of　Savoy；　whose　sovereign　was　at　her　feet　as
before　a　goddess。　　She　disposed　of　the　favours　of　her　lover；　and　was
feared　and　courted　by　the　ministry。　　Her　haughtiness　made　her　hated；　she
was　poisoned；　M。　de　Savoie　gave　her　a　subtle　antidote；　which　fortunately
cured　her；　and　without　injury　to　her　beauty。　　Her　reign　still　lasted。
After　a　while　she　had　the　small…pox。　　M。　de　Savoie　tended　her　during　this
illness；　as　though　he　had　been　a　nurse；　and　although　her　face　suffered　a
little　by　it；　he　loved　her　not　the　less。　　But　he　loved　her　after　his　own
fashion。　　He　kept　her　shut　up　from　view；　and　at　last　she　grew　so　tired　of
her　restraint　that　she　determined　to　fly。　　She　conferred　with　her
brother；　the　Chevalier　de　Luynes；　who　served　with　much　distinction　in　the
navy；　and　together　they　arranged　the　matter。

They　seized　an　opportunity　when　M。　de　Savoie　had　gone　on　a　tour　to
Chambery；　and　departed　furtively。　　Crossing　our　frontier；　they　arrived　m
Paris；　where　the　Comtesse　de　Verrue；　who　had　grown　very　rich；　took　a
house；　and　by　degrees　succeeded　in　getting　people　to　come　and　see　her；
though；　at　first；　owing　to　the　scandal　of　her　life；　this　was　difficult。
In　the　end；　her　opulence　gained　her　a　large　number　of　friends；　and　she
availed　herself　so　well　of　her　opportunities；　that　she　became　of　much
importance；　and　influenced　strongly　the　government。　　But　that　time　goes
beyond　my　memoirs。　　She　left　in　Turin　a　son　and　a　daughter；　both
recognised　by　M。　de　Savoie；　after　the　manner　of　our　King。　　He　loved
passionately　these；　illegitimate　children；　and　married　the　daughter　to
the　Prince　de　Carignan。

Mademoiselle　de　Conde　died　at　Paris　on　October　24th；　after　a　long
illness；　from　a　disease　in　the　chest；　which　consumed　her　less　than　the
torments　she　experienced　without　end　from　M。　le　Prince；　her　father；　whose
continual　caprices　were　the　plague　of　all　those　over　whom　he　could
exercise　them。　　Almost　all　the　children　of　M。　le　Prince　were　little
bigger　than　dwarfs；　which　caused　M。　le　Prince；　who　was　tall；　to　say　in
pleasantry；　that　if　his　race　went　on　always　thus　diminishing　it　would
come　to　nothing。　　People　attributed　the　cause　to　a　dwarf　that　Madame　la
Princesse　had　had　for　a　long　time　near　her。

At　the　funeral　of　Mademoiselle　de　Conde；　a　very　indecorous　incident
happened。　　My　mother；　who　was　invited　to　take　part　in　the　ceremony；　went
to　the　Hotel　de　Conde；　in　a　coach　and　six　horses；　to　join　Mademoiselle
d'Enghien。　　When　the　procession　was　about　to　start　the　Duchesse　de
Chatillon　tried　to　take　precedence　of　my　mother。　　But　my　mother　called
upon　Mademoiselle　d'Enghien　to　prevent　this；　or　else　to　allow　her　to
return。　　Madame　de　Chatillon　persisted　in　her　attempt；　saying　that
relationship　decided　the　question　of　precedence　on　these　occasions；　and
that　she　was　a　nearer　relative　to　the　deceased　than　my　mother。　　My
mother；　in　a　cold　but　haughty　tone；　replied　that　she　could　pardon　this
mistake　on　account　of　the　youth　and　ignorance　of　Madame　de　Chatillon；　but
that　in　all　such　cases　it　was　rank　and　not　relationship　which　decided　the
point。　　The　dispute　was　at　last　put　to　an　end　by　Madame　de　Chatillon
giving　way。　　But　when　the　procession　started　an　attempt　was　made　by　her
coachman　to　drive　before　the　coach　of　my　mother；　and　one　of　the　company
had　to　descend　and　decide　the　dispute。　　On　the　morrow　M。　le　Prince　sent
to　apologise　to　my　mother　for　the　occurrence　that　had　taken　place；　and
came　himself　shortly　afterwards　full　of　compliments　and　excuses。　　I　never
could　understand　what　induced　Madame　de　Chatillon　to　take　this　fancy　into
her　head；　but　she　was　much　ashamed　of　it　afterwards；　and　made　many
excuses　to　my　mother。

I　experienced；　shortly　after　this；　at　Fontainebleau；　one　of　the　greatest
afflictions　I　had　ever　endured。　　I　mean　the　loss　of　M。　de　La　Trappe；
These　Memoirs　are　too　profane　to　treat　slightly　of　a　life　so　sublimely
holy；　and　of　a　death　so　glorious　and　precious　before　God。　　I　will　content
myself　with　saying　here　that　praises　of　M。　de　La　Trappe　were　so　much　the
more　great　and　prolonged　because　the　King　eulogised　him　in　public；　that
he　wished　to　see　narrations　of　his　death；　and　that　he　spoke　more　than
once　of　it　to　his　grandsons　by　way　of　instruction。　　In　every　part　of
Europe　this　great　loss　was　severely　felt。　　The　Church　wept　for　him；　and
the　world　even　rendered　him　justice。　　His　death；　so　happy　for　him　and　so
sad　for　his　friends；　happened　on　the　26th　of　October；　towards　half…past
twelve；　in　the　arms　of　his　bishop；　and　in　presence　of　his　community；　at
the　age　of　nearly　seventy…seven　years；　and　after　nearly　forty　years　of
the　most　prodigious　penance。　　I　cannot　omit；　however；　the　most　touching
and　the　most　honourable　mark　of　his　friendship。　　Lying　upon　the　ground；
on　straw　and　ashes；　in　order　to　die　like　all　the　brethren　of　La　Trappe；
he　deigned；　of　his　own　accord；　to　recollect　me；　and　charged　the　Abbe　La
Trappe　to　send　word　to　me；　on　his　part；　that　as　he　was　quite　sure　of　my
affection　for　him；　he　reckoned　that　I　should　not　doubt　of　his　tenderness
for　me。　　I　check　myself　at　this　point；　everything　I　could　add　would　be
too　much　out　of　place　here。









End