memoirs of the comtesse du barry-第55节

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ur　sacred　person。〃

〃Oh；〃　said　the　king；　〃I　do　not　fear　that；　I　am　but　too　well　used　to　the　offence　to　feel　astonishment　at　its　occurrence。〃

I　placed　the　paper　in　the　hand　of　Louis　XV；　whose　eye　easily　recognised　the　handwriting　of　madame　de　Grammont。　　〃Ah；　ah！〃　cried　he；　〃is　it　so？　　let　us　see　what　this　restless　lady　has　to　say　of　us　all。〃　　I　watched　the　countenance　of　the　king　as　he　read；　and　saw　the　frown　that　covered　it　grow　darker　and　darker；　nevertheless　he　continued　to　read　on　without　comment　till　he　had　reached　the　end；　then　sitting　down　and　looking　full　at　the　chancellor；　he　exclaimed；

〃Well；　M。　de　Maupeou；　and　what　do　you　think　of　this　business？〃

〃I　am　overwhelmed　with　consternation；　sire；〃　replied　he；　〃when　I　think　that　one　of　your　majesty's　ministers　should　be　able　to　conspire　thus　openly　against　you。〃

〃Stay；〃　cried　Louis　hastily；　〃that　fact　is　by　no　means　proved。　The　duchesse　de　Grammont　is　a　mad　woman；　who　involves　the　safety　of　her　brother；　if　I　only　believed　him　capable　of　such　treachery；　he　should　sleep　this　night　in　the　Bastille；　and　to…morrow　the　necessary　proceedings　should　be　commenced　against　him：　as　for　his　sister；　I　will　take　care　of　her　within　four　good　walls；　and　avenge　myself　for　her　past　misconduct；　by　putting　it　out　of　her　power　to　injure　me　further。〃

〃Sire；〃　said　I；　in　my　turn；　〃remember　she　is　a　woman；　I　beseech　you　to　pardon　her；　and　let　the　weight　of　your　just　indignation　fall　upon　her　brother。〃

〃Chancellor；〃　cried　the　king；　〃this　business　must　not　be　lightly　passed　over。〃

〃Nor　without　due　consideration；〃　replied　M。　de　Maupeou；　〃your　majesty　may　look　upon　this　letter　as　the　basis　of　a　secret　plot：　as　for　the　duchess；　I　am　of　my　cousin's　opinion；　despise　her　audacious　attempts；　but　spare　not　her　brother；　he　alone　is　the　guilty　as　well　as　dangerous　person。〃

The　king　made　no　answer；　but　rose；　and　crushing　the　letter　in　his　hand；　threw　it　from　him。

〃Would；〃　exclaimed　he　at　last；　〃that　the　fiends　had　those　who　take　such　delight　in　disgusting　me　with　my　very　existence。　　Heavens！　how　justly　may　I　say　I　despise　all　men；　nor　have　I　a　much　better　opinion　of　your　sex；　madame　la　comtesse；　I　must　warn　you。〃

〃Much　obliged；　sire；〃　cried　I；　〃　really　I　was　not　prepared　for　such　gallantry。　　It　is　rather　hard　that　you　should　quarrel　with　me　because　this　disagreeable　duchess　behaves　ill！　　Upon　my　word　it　is　very　unpleasant！〃

〃Come；　come；〃　said　Louis　XV；　kissing　my　cheek；　〃don't　you　be　a　naughty　child；　if　I　had　not　you；　where　should　I　turn　for　consolation　amidst　the　torments　by　which　I　am　surrounded？　　Shall　I　tell　you？　In　the　midst　of　all　these　perplexing　affairs；　there　are　moments　in　which　I　fear　I　may　not　be　promoting　the　happiness　of　my　people。〃

〃Your　majesty　is　greatly　mistaken；〃　replied　the　chancellor；　〃the　nation　in　general　must　esteem　themselves　most　happy　under　your　reign；　but　it　will　always　happen　that　ill…disposed　persons　seek　to　pervert　the　public　opinion；　and　to　lead　men's　minds　astray。　　The　duchess；　when　travelling；　was　the　faithful　and　active　agent　of　her　brother。　　The　duke；　to　secure　his　stay　in　the　ministry；　will　eagerly　avail　himself　of　every　adventitious　aid；　within　your　kingdom　he　seeks　the　support　of　the　parliaments　and　philosophers；　without；　he　claims　the　succour　of　Germany　and　Spain。　　Your　majesty　is　certainly　master　of　your　own　will；　and　it　would　ill　become　me　to　point　out　the　path　you　should　tread；　but　my　duty　compels　me　to　say；　that　the　duc　de　Choiseul　is　the　greatest　enemy　of　the　royal　house：　of　this　he　gave　me　a　convincing　proof　in　the　case　of　your　august　son；　and　now；　if　he　fancied　he　should　find　it　more　advantageous　to　have　the　dauphin　for　his　master〃

〃Chancellor　of　France；〃　cried　Louis；　much　agitated；　〃do　you　know　what　you　are　asserting？〃

〃The　truth；　sire；〃　I　exclaimed。　　〃The　public　voice　accuses　the　duc　de　Choiseul　of　the　death　of　your　son；　they　declare〃



〃How！　　you；　too；　madam！〃　　exclaimed　the　king　looking　at　me　fixedly。

〃And　why　not；　sire？　　I　am　merely　repeating　what　is　in　every　one's　mouth。〃

〃I　have　heard　this　horrible　charge　before；〃　added　the　king；　〃the　Jesuits　informed　me　of　it；　but　I　could　not　give　credit　to　such　a　monstrosity。〃

〃So　much　the　worse；〃　replied　I；　　〃in　the　world　in　which　we　live　we　should　always　be　on　our　guard。〃

〃Sire；〃　added　the　chancellor；　with　the　most　diabolical　address；　〃I　am　persuaded　that　M。　de　Choiseul　is　the　most　honourable　man　in　the　world；　and　that　he　would　shudder　at　the　bare　idea　of　any　attempt　upon　the　life　of　your　majesty；　but　his　relations；　friends；　and　creatures　believe；　that；　supported　by　the　dauphiness；　he　would　continue　in　office　under　your　successor。　　Who　can　answer　for　their　honour？　　Who　can　assure　you；　that　some　one　among　them　may　not　do　that　for　the　duke　which　he　would　never　venture　to　attempt　himself？

〃This　is　the　personal　danger　your　majesty　runs　so　long　as　M。　de　Choiseul　continues　in　office；　were　he　dismissed；　the　world　would　soon　abandon　the　disgraced　minister；　and　the　dauphiness　be　amongst　the　first　to　forget　him。〃

The　king　was　pale　with　agitation；　and　for　some　minutes　continued　traversing　the　apartment　with　hasty　strides；　then　he　suddenly　stopped。

〃You　are　then　convinced；　M。　de　Maupeou；〃　cried　he；　〃that　the　duke　　is　leagued　with　the　parliaments　to　weaken　my　authority？〃

〃There　are　palpable　proofs　to　that　effect；〃　replied　the　chancellor；　〃your　majesty　may　recollect　the　skilful　manner　in　which；　on　the　3d　of　last　September；　he　avoided　attending　you　to　parliament；　most　assuredly；　had　he　not　been　the　friend　of　rebels；　he　would　not　have　shrunk　from　evincing　by　his　presence　how　fully　he　shared　your　just　indignation。〃

〃That　is　but　too　true；〃　cried　Louis　XV；　〃and　I　felt　much　annoyed　at　the　time；　that　he　preferred　going　to　amuse　himself　at　the　house　of　M。　de　Laborde；　when　his　duty　summoned　him　to　my　side。〃

〃Your　majesty　cannot　fail　to　perceive　how　everything　condemns　him；　his　personal　conduct；　equally　with　that　of　his　sister；　proves　how　little　he　regards　his　royal　master's　interest；　and　should　your　clemency　resolve　upon　sparing　him　now；　you　may　find　your　mercy　produce　fatal　effects　to　yourself。〃

〃His　dismissal；〃　resumed　the　king；　〃would　disorganize　all　my　political　measures。　　Who　could　I　put　in　his　place？　　I　know　no　one　capable　of　filling　it。〃

〃Your　majesty's　wisdom　must　decide　the　point；〃　replied　the　chancellor。　　〃My　duty　is　to　lay　before　you　the　true　state　of　things；　this　I　have　done；　and　I　know　myself　well　enough　not　to　intrude　my　counsel　further。　　Nevertheless；　I　cannot　help　remarking；　that　in　your　majesty's　court　there　are　many　as　capable　as　M。　de　Choiseul　of　directing　affairsM。　d'Aiguillon；　for　example。〃

〃Ah！〃　　answered　Louis　XV；　〃this　is　not　the　moment；　when　M。　d'Aiguillon　is　smarting　from　his　severe　contest　with　the　long　robes；　to　elevate　him　over　the　head　of　my　hitherto…esteemed　minister。〃

M。　de　Maupeou　and　myself　perceived　that　we　should　best　serve　my　friend's　cause　by　refraining　from　pressing　the　matter　further；　and　we　therefore　changed　the　conversation。　　Nevertheless；　as　what　had　already　passed　had　taken　its　full　effect　upon　the　king's　mind；　he　suggested　an　idea　which　I　should　never　have　dreamed　of　recommending；　and　that　was　to　consult　the　abbe　de　la　Ville　on　the　subject。

The　abbe　de　la　Ville；　head　clerk　of　foreign　affairs；　was　a　man　who；　at　the　advanced　period　of　fourscore；　preserved　all　the　fire　and　vivacity　of　youth；　he　was　acquainted　with　ministerial　affairs　even　better　than　M。　de　Choiseul　himself。　　Having　formerly　belonged　to　the　Jesuits；　to　whom　he　was　entirely　devoted；　he　had　appeared　to　accelerate　the　period　of　their　destruction；　never　had　he　been　able　to　pardon　his　patron　the　frightful　part　he　had　compelled　him　to　enact　in　the　business。　　Years　had　not　weakened　his　ancient　rancour；　and　it　might　be　said；　that　he　had　clung　to　life　with　more　than　natural　pertinacity；　as　unwilling　to　lay　it　down　till　he　had　avenged　himself　on　de　Choiseul。　　Louis　XV　wrote　to　him；　desiring　he　would　avail　himself　of　the　first　pretext　that　occurred　to　request　an　audience。　　This　note　was　forwarded　by　a　footman；　the　good　abbe　easily　divined　that　this　mystery　concealed　some　great　design；　he　therefore　hastened　to　solicit　an　audience　as　desired。　　When　introduced　into　the　cabinet　of　the　king；　his　majesty　inquired　at　once；

〃Monsieur　l'　abbe；　can　I　depend　upon　your　discretion？〃

〃Sire；〃　replied　the　abbe；　with　a　blunt　frankness；　〃I　am　sorry　your　majesty　can　doubt　it。〃

〃Be　satisfied；　sir；〃　replied　the　king；　〃I　had　no　intention　to　offend　you；　but　I　wish　to　consult　you　upon　a　point；　the　importance　of　which　you　will　fully　appreciate；　answer　me　without　disguise。　Do　you　believe　that　the　services　of　the　duc　de　Choiseul　are　useful　to　my　kingdom；　and　that　my　interests　would　suffer　were　I　to　dismiss　him？〃

〃Sire；〃　replied　M。　de　la　Ville；　without　hesitation；　〃I　protest　to　you；　as　a　man　of　honour；　that　the　presence　of　the　duc　de　Choiseul　is　by　no　means　essential　to　the　ministry；　and　that　your　majesty's　interests　would　sustain　not　the　slightest　injury　by　his　absence。〃

After　this　the　abbe　de　la　Ville　entered　into　particulars　unnecessary　to　repeat　here；　it　is　sufficient　to　say；　that　all　he　advanced　materially　aided　our　wishes。　　He　afterwards　reaped　the　reward　of　his　friendly　serv