the memoirs of louis xiv-02-第9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！


persons；　and　always　regarded　as　a　special　mark　of　the　King's　bounty。

Notwithstanding　all　these　attentions；　Portland　was　as　unsuccessful　as　his
predecessor。　　The　King　had　firmly　resolved　to　continue　his　protection　to
James　II。；　and　nothing　could　shake　this　determination。　　Portland　was
warned　from　the　first；　that　if　he　attempted　to　speak　to　the　King　upon　the
point；　his　labour　would　be　thrown　away；　he　wisely　therefore　kept　silence；
and　went　home　again　without　in　any　way　having　fulfilled　the　mission　upon
which　he　had　been　sent。

We　had　another　distinguished　foreigner　arrive　in　France　about　this　time；
I　mean；　the　Prince　of　Parma；　respecting　whom　I　remember　a　pleasing
adventure。　　At　Fontainebleau　more　great　dancing…parties　are　given　than
elsewhere；　and　Cardinal　d'Estrees　wished　to　give　one　there　in　honour　of
this　Prince。　　I　and　many　others　were　invited　to　the　banquet；　but　the
Prince　himself；　for　whom　the　invitation　was　specially　provided；　was
forgotten。　　The　Cardinal　had　given　invitations　right　and　left；　but　by
some　omission　the　Prince　had　not　had　one　sent　to　him。　　On　the　morning　of
the　dinner　this　discovery　was　made。　　The　Prince　was　at　once　sent　to；　but
he　was　engaged；　and　for　several　days。　　The　dinner　therefore　took　place
without　him；　the　Cardinal　was　much　laughed　at　for　his　absence　of　mind。
He　was　often　similarly　forgetful。

The　Bishop　of　Poitiers　died　at　the　commencement　of　this　year；　and　his
bishopric　was　given　at　Easter　to　the　Abbe　de　Caudelet。　　The　Abbe　was　a
very　good　man；　but　made　himself　an　enemy；　who　circulated　the　blackest
calumnies　against　him。　　Amongst　other　impostures　it　was　said　that　the
Abbe　had　gambled　all　Good　Friday；　the　truth　being；　that　in　the　evening；
after　all　the　services　were　over；　he　went　to　see　the　Marechale　de　Crequi；
who　prevailed　upon　him　to　amuse　her　for　an　hour　by　playing　at　piquet。
But　the　calumny　had　such　effect；　that　the　bishopric　of　Poitiers　was　taken
from　him；　and　he　retired　into　Brittany；　where　he　passed　the　rest　of　his
life　in　solitude　and　piety。　　His　brother　in　the　meantime　fully　proved　to
Pere　de　la　Chaise　the　falsehood　of　this　accusation；　and　he；　who　was
upright　and　good；　did　all　he　could　to　bestow　some　other　living　upon　the
Abbe；　in　recompense　for　that　he　had　been　stripped　of。　　But　the　King　would
not　consent；　although　often　importuned；　and　even　reproached　for　his
cruelty。

It　was　known；　too；　who　was　the　author　of　the　calumny。　　It　was　the　Abbe　de
la　Chatre；　who　for　a　long　time　had　been　chaplain　to　the　King；　and　who　was
enraged　against　everyone　who　was　made　bishop　before　him。　　He　was　a　man
not　wanting　in　intelligence；　but　bitter；　disagreeable；　punctilious；　very
ignorant；　because　he　would　never　study；　and　so　destitute　of　morality；
that　I　saw　him　say　mass　in　the　chapel　on　Ash　Wednesday；　after　having
passed　a　night；　masked　at　a　ball；　where　he　said　and　did　the　most　filthy
things；　as　seen　and　heard　by　M。　de　La　Vrilliere；　before　whom　he　unmasked；
and　who　related　this　to　me：　half　an　hour　after；　I　met　the　Abbe　de　la
Chatre；　dressed　and　going　to　the　altar。　　Other　adventures　had　already
deprived　him　of　all　chance　of　being　made　bishop　by　the　King。

The　old　Villars　died　at　this　time。　　I　have　already　mentioned　him　as
having　been　made　chevalier　d'honneur　to　the　Duchesse　de　Chartres　at　her
marriage。　　I　mention　him　now；　because　I　omitted　to　say　before　the　origin
of　his　name　of　Orondat；　by　which　he　was　generally　known；　and　which　did
not　displease　him。　　This　is　the　circumstance　that　gave　rise　to　it。
Madame　de　Choisy；　a　lady　of　the　fashionable　world；　went　one　day　to　see
the　Comtesse　de　Fiesque；　and　found　there　a　large　company。　　The　Countess
had　a　young　girl　living　with　her；　whose　name　was　Mademoiselle
d'Outrelaise；　but　who　was　called　the　Divine。　　Madame　de　Choisy；　wishing
to　go　into　the　bedroom；　said　she　would　go　there；　and　see　the　Divine。
Mounting　rapidly；　she　found　in　the　chamber　a　young　and　very　pretty　girl；
Mademoiselle　Bellefonds；　and　a　man；　who　escaped　immediately　upon　seeing
her。　　The　face　of　this　man　being　perfectly　well　made；　so　struck　her；
that；　upon　coming　down　again；　she　said　it　could　only　be　that　of　Orondat。
Now　that　romances　are　happily　no　longer　read；　it　is　necessary　to　say　that
Orondat　is　a　character　in　Cyrus；　celebrated　by　his　figure　and　his　good
looks；　and　who　charmed　all　the　heroines　of　that　romance；　which　was　then
much　in　vogue。　　The　greater　part　of　the　company　knew　that　Villars　was
upstairs　to　see　Mademoiselle　de　Bellefonds；　with　whom　he　was　much　in
love；　and　whom　he　soon　afterwards　married。　　Everybody　therefore　smiled　at
this　adventure　of　Orondat；　and　the　name　clung　ever　afterwards　to　Villars。

The　Prince　de　Conti　lost；　before　this　time；　his　son；　Prince　la　Roche…sur…
Yon；　who　was　only　four　years　old。　　The　King　wore　mourning　for　him；
although　it　was　the　custom　not　to　do　so　for　children　under　seven　years　of
age。　　But　the　King　had　already　departed　from　this　custom　for　one　of　the
children　of　M。　du　Maine；　and　he　dared　not　afterwards　act　differently
towards　the　children　of　a　prince　of　the　blood。　　Just　at　the　end　of
September；　M。　du　Maine　lost　another　child；　his　only　son。　　The　King　wept
very　much；　and；　although　the　child　was　considerably　under　seven　years　of
age；　wore　mourning　for　it。　　The　marriage　of　Mademoiselle　to　M。　de
Lorraine　was　then　just　upon　the　point　of　taking　place；　and　Monsieur
（father　of　Mademoiselle）　begged　that　this　mourning　might　be　laid　aside
when　the　marriage　was　celebrated。　　The　King　agreed；　but　Madame　la
Duchesse　and　the　Princesse　de　Conti　believed　it　apparently　beneath　them
to　render　this　respect　to　Monsieur；　and　refused　to　comply。　　The　King
commanded　them　to　do　so；　but　they　pushed　the　matter　so　far　as　to　say　that
they　had　no　other　clothes。　　Upon　this；　the　King　ordered　them　to　send　and
get　some　directly。　　They　were　obliged　to　obey；　and　admit　themselves
vanquished；　but　they　did　so　not　without　great　vexation。　　M。　de　Cambrai's
affairs　still　continued　to　make　a　great　stir　among　the　prelates　and　at
the　Court。　　Madame　Guyon　was　transferred　from　the　Vincennes　to　the
Bastille；　and　it　was　believed　she　would　remain　there　all　her　life。　　The
Ducs　de　Chevreuse　and　Beauvilliers　lost　all　favour　with　M。　de　Maintenon；
and　narrowly　escaped　losing　the　favour　of　the　King。　　An　attempt　was　in
fact　made；　which　Madame　de　Maintenon　strongly　supported；　to　get　them
disgraced；　and；　but　for　the　Archbishop　of　Paris；　this　would　have　taken
place。　　But　this　prelate；　thoroughly　upright　and　conscientious；
counselled　the　King　against　such　a　step；　to　the　great　vexation　of　his
relations；　who　were　the　chief　plotters　in　the　conspiracy　to　overthrow　the
two　Dukes。　　As　for　M。　de　Cambrai's　book　'Les　Maxinies　des　Saints'；　it　was
as　little　liked　as　ever；　and　underwent　rather　a　strong　criticism　at　this
time　from　M。　de　La　Trappe；　which　did　not　do　much　to　improve　its
reputation。　　At　the　commencement　of　the　dispute　M。　de　Meaux　had　sent　a
copy　of　'Les　Maximes　des　Saints'　to　M。　de　La　Trappe；　asking　as　a　friend
for　his　opinion　of　the　work。　　M。　de　La　Trappe　read　it；　and　was　much
scandalized。　　The　more　he　studied　it；　the　more　this　sentiment　penetrated
him。　　At　last；　after　having　well　examined　the　book；　he　sent　his　opinion
to　M。　de　Meaux；　believing　it　would　be　considered　as　private；　and　not　be
shown　to　anybody。　　He　did　not　measure　his　words；　therefore；　but　wrote
openly；　that　if　M。　de　Cambrai　was　right　he　might　burn　the　Evangelists；
and　complain　of　Jesus　Christ；　who　could　have　come　into　the　world　only　to
deceive　us。　　The　frightful　force　of　this　phrase　was　so　terrifying；　that
M。　de　Meaux　thought　it　worthy　of　being　shown　to　Madame　de　Maintenon；　and
she；　seeking　only　to　crush　M。　de　Cambrai　with　all　the　authorities
possible；　would　insist　upon　this　opinion　of　M。　de　La　Trappe　being
printed。

It　may　be　imagined　what　triumphing　there　was　on　the　one　side；　and　what
piercing　cries　on　the　other。　　The　friends　of　M。　de　Cambrai　complained
most　bitterly　that　M。　de　La　Trappe　had　mixed　himself　up　in　the　matter；
and　had　passed　such　a　violent　and　cruel　sentence　upon　a　book　then　under
the　consideration　of　the　Pope。　　M。　de　La　Trappe　on　his　side　was　much
afflicted　that　his　letter　had　been　published。　　He　wrote　to　M。　de　Meaux
protesting　against　this　breach　of　confidence；　and　said　that；　although　he
had　only　expressed　what　he　really　thought；　he　should　have　been　careful　to
use　more　measured　language；　had　he　supposed　his　letter　would　have　seen
the　light。　　He　said　all　he　could　to　heal　the　wounds　his　words　had　caused；
but　M。　de　Cambrai　and　his　friends　never　forgave　him　for　having　written
them。

This　circumstance　caused　much　discussion；　and　M。　de　La　Trappe；　to　whom　I
was　passionately　attached；　was　frequently　spoken　of　in　a　manner　that
caused　me　much　annoyance。　　Riding　out　one　day　in　a　coach　with　some　of　my
friends；　the　conversation　took　this　turn。　　I　listened　in　silence　for　some
time；　and　then；　feeling　no　longer　able　to　support　the　discourse；　desired
to　be　set　down；　so　that　my　friends　might　talk　at　their　ease；　without　pain
to　me。　　They　tried　to　retain　me；　but　I　insisted　and　carried　my　point。
Another　time；　Charost；　one　of　my　friends；　spoke　so　disdainfully　of　M。　de
La　Trappe；　and　I　replied　to　him　with　such　warmth；　that　on　the　instant　he