the memoirs of cardinal de retz-第13部分

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be　beloved　by　the　people；　but　though　he　had　civility；　a　good　aspect；　and　all　the　other　qualifications　to　gain　that　love；　yet　he　still　wanted　somethingI　know　not　what　to　call　itwhich　is　absolutely　necessary　in　this　case。　　By　his　power　and　royal　state　he　debased　and　swallowed　up　the　personal　majesty　of　the　King。　　He　distinguished　more　judiciously　than　any　man　in　the　world　between　bad　and　worse；　good　and　better；　which　is　a　great　qualification　in　a　minister。　　He　was　too　apt　to　be　impatient　at　mere　trifles　when　they　had　relation　to　things　of　moment；　but　those　blemishes；　owing　to　his　lofty　spirit；　were　always　accompanied　with　the　necessary　talent　of　knowledge　to　make　amends　for　those　imperfections。　　He　had　religion　enough　for　this　world。　　His　own　good　sense；　or　else　his　inclination；　always　led　him　to　the　practice　of　virtue　if　his　self…interest　did　not　bias　him　to　evil；　which；　whenever　he　committed　it；　he　did　so　knowingly。　　He　extended　his　concern　for　the　State　no　further　than　his　own　life；　though　no　minister　ever　did　more　than　he　to　make　the　world　believe　he　had　the　same　regard　for　the　future。　　In　a　word；　all　his　vices　were　such　that　they　received　a　lustre　from　his　great　fortune；　because　they　were　such　as　could　have　no　other　instruments　to　work　with　but　great　virtues。　　You　will　easily　conceive　that　a　man　who　possessed　such　excellent　qualities；　and　appeared　to　have　as　many　more；which　he　had　not；found　it　no　hard　task　to　preserve　that　respect　among　mankind　which　freed　him　from　contempt；　though　not　from　hatred。

Cardinal　Mazarin's　character　was　the　reverse　of　the　former；　his　birth　was　mean；　and　his　youth　scandalous。　　He　was　thrashed　by　one　Moretto；　a　goldsmith　of　Rome；　as　he　was　going　out　of　the　amphitheatre；　for　having　played　the　sharper。　　He　was　a　captain　in　a　foot　regiment；　and　Bagni；　his　general；　told　me　that　while　he　was　under　his　command；　which　was　but　three　months；　he　was　only　looked　upon　as　a　cheat。　　By　the　interest　of　Cardinal　Antonio　Barberini；　he　was　sent　as　Nuncio　Extraordinary　to　France；　which　office　was　not　obtained　in　those　days　by　fair　means。　　He　so　tickled　Chavigni　by　his　loose　Italian　stories　that　he　was　shortly　after　introduced　to　Cardinal　de　Richelieu；　who　made　him　Cardinal　with　the　same　view　which；　it　is　thought；　determined　the　Emperor　Augustus　to　leave　the　succession　of　the　Empire　to　Tiberius。　　He　was　still　Richelieu's　obsequious；　humble　servant；　notwithstanding　the　purple。　　The　Queen　making　choice　of　him；　for　want　of　another；　his　pedigree　was　immediately　derived　from　a　princely　family。　　The　rays　of　fortune　having　dazzled　him　and　everybody　about　him；　he　rose；　and　they　glorified　him　for　a　second　Richelieu；　whom　he　had　the　impudence　to　ape；　though　he　had　nothing　of　him；　for　what　his　predecessor　counted　honourable　he　esteemed　scandalous。　He　made　a　mere　jest　of　religion。　　He　promised　everything　without　scruple；　at　the　same　time　he　intended　to　perform　nothing。　　He　was　neither　good…　natured　nor　cruel；　for　he　never　remembered　either　good　offices　or　bad　ones。　　He　loved　himself　too　well；　which　is　natural　to　a　sordid　soul；　and　feared　himself　too　little；　the　true　characteristic　of　those　that　have　no　regard　for　their　reputation。　　He　foresaw　an　evil　well　enough；　because　he　was　usually　timid；　but　never　applied　a　suitable　remedy；　because　he　had　more　fear　than　wisdom。　　He　had　wit；　indeed；　together　with　a　most　insinuating　address　and　a　gay；　courtly　behaviour；　but　a　villainous　heart　appeared　constantly　through　all；　to　such　a　degree　as　betrayed　him　to　be　a　fool　in　adversity　and　a　knave　in　prosperity。　　In　short；　he　was　the　first　minister　that　could　be　called　a　complete　trickster；　for　which　reason　his　administration；　though　successful　and　absolute；　never　sat　well　upon　him；　for　contemptthe　most　dangerous　disease　of　any　Statecrept　insensibly　into　the　Ministry　and　easily　diffused　its　poison　from　the　head　to　the　members。

You　will　not　wonder；　therefore；　that　there　were　so　many　unlucky　cross　rubs　in　an　administration　which　so　soon　followed　that　of　Cardinal　de　Richelieu　and　was　so　different　from　it。　　It　is　certain　that　the　imprisonment　of　M。　de　Beaufort　impressed　the　people　with　a　respect　for　Mazarin；　which　the　lustre　of　his　purple　would　never　have　procured　from　private　men。　　Ondedei　（since　Bishop　of　Frejus）　told　me　that　the　Cardinal　jested　with　him　upon　the　levity　of　the　French　nation　on　this　point；　and　that　at　the　end　of　four　months　the　Cardinal　had　set　himself　up　in　his　own　opinion　for　a　Richelieu；　and　even　thought　he　had　greater　abilities。　　It　would　take　up　volumes　to　record　all　his　faults；　the　least　of　which　were　very　important　in　one　respect　which　deserves　a　particular　remark。　　As　he　trod　in　the　steps　of　Cardinal　de　Richelieu；　who　had　completely　abolished　all　the　ancient　maxims　of　government；　he　went　in　a　path　surrounded　with　precipices；　which　Richelieu　was　aware　of　and　took　care　to　avoid。　　But　Cardinal　Mazarin　made　no　use　of　those　props　by　which　Richelieu　kept　his　footing。　　For　instance；　though　Cardinal　de　Richelieu　affected　to　humble　whole　bodies　and　societies；　yet　he　studied　to　oblige　individuals；　which　is　sufficient　to　give　you　an　idea　of　all　the　rest。　　He　had　indeed　some　unaccountable　illusions；　which　he　pushed　to　the　utmost　extremity。　　The　most　dangerous　kind　of　illusion　in　State　affairs　is　a　sort　of　lethargy　that　never　happens　without　showing　pronounced　symptoms。　　The　abolishing　of　ancient　laws；　the　destruction　of　that　golden　medium　which　was　established　between　the　Prince　and　the　people；　and　the　setting　up　a　power　purely　and　absolutely　despotic；　were　the　original　causes　of　those　political　convulsions　which　shook　France　in　the　days　of　our　forefathers。

Cardinal　de　Richelieu　managed　the　kingdom　as　mountebanks　do　their　patients；　with　violent　remedies　which　put　strength　into　it；　but　it　was　only　a　convulsive　strength；　which　exhausted　its　vital　organs。　　Cardinal　Mazarin；　like　a　very　unskilful　physician；　did　not　observe　that　the　vital　organs　were　decayed；　nor　had　he　the　skill　to　support　them　by　the　chemical　preparations　of　his　predecessor；　his　only　remedy　was　to　let　blood；　which　he　drew　so　plentifully　that　the　patient　fell　into　a　lethargy；　and　our　medicaster　was　yet　so　stupid　as　to　mistake　this　lethargy　for　a　real　state　of　health。　　The　provinces；　abandoned　to　the　rapine　of　the　superintendents；　were　stifled；　as　it　were；　under　the　pressure　of　their　heavy　misfortunes；　and　the　efforts　they　made　to　shake　them　off　in　the　time　of　Richelieu　added　only　to　their　weight　and　bitterness。　　The　Parliaments；　which　had　so　lately　groaned　under　tyranny；　were　in　a　manner　insensible　to　present　miseries　by　a　too　fresh　and　lively　remembrance　of　their　past　troubles。　　The　grandees；　who　had　for　the　most　part　been　banished　from　the　kingdom；　were　glad　to　have　returned；　and　therefore　took　their　fill　of　ease　and　pleasure。　　If　our　quack　had　but　humoured　this　universal　indolence　with　soporifics；　the　general　drowsiness　might　have　continued　much　longer；　but　thinking　it　to　be　nothing　but　natural　sleep；　he　applied　no　remedy　at　all。　　The　disease　gained　strength；　grew　worse　and　worse；　the　patient　awakened；　Paris　became　sensible　of　her　condition；　she　groaned；　but　nobody　minded　it；　so　that　she　fell　into　a　frenzy；　whereupon　the　patient　became　raving　mad。

But　now　to　come　to　particulars。　　Emeri；　Superintendent　of　the　Finances；　and　in　my　opinion　the　most　corrupt　man　of　the　age；　multiplied　edicts　as　fast　as　he　could　find　names　to　call　them　by。　　I　cannot　give　you　a　better　idea　of　the　man　than　by　repeating　what　I　heard　him　say　in　full　Council；　that　faith　was　for　tradesmen　only；　and　that　the　Masters　of　Requests　who　urged　faith　to　be　observed　in　the　King's　affairs　deserved　to　be　punished。　This　man；　who　had　in　his　youth　been　condemned　to　be　hanged　at　Lyons；　absolutely　governed　Mazarin　in　all　the　domestic　affairs　of　the　kingdom。　I　mention　this；　among　many　other　instances　which　I　could　produce　of　the　same　nature；　to　let　you　see　that　a　nation　does　not　feel　the　extremity　of　misery　till　its　governors　have　lost　all　shame；　because　that　is　the　instant　when　the　subjects　throw　off　all　respect　and　awake　convulsively　out　of　their　lethargy。

The　Swiss　seemed；　as　it　were；　crushed　under　the　weight　of　their　chains；　when　three　of　their　powerful　cantons　revolted　and　formed　themselves　into　a　league。　　The　Dutch　thought　of　nothing　but　an　entire　subjection　to　the　tyrant　Duke　of　Alva；　when　the　Prince　of　Orange；　by　the　peculiar　destiny　of　great　geniuses；　who　see　further　into　the　future　than　all　the　world　besides；　conceived　a　plan　and　restored　their　liberty。　　The　reason　of　all　this　is　plain：　that　which　causes　a　supineness　in　suffering　States　is　the　duration　of　the　evil；　which　inclines　the　sufferers　to　believe　it　will　never　have　an　end；　as　soon　as　they　have　hopes　of　getting　out　of　it；　which　never　fails　when　the　evil　has　arrived　at　a　certain　pitch；　they　are　so　surprised；　so　glad；　and　so　transported；　that　they　run　all　of　a　sudden　into　the　other　extreme；　and　are　so　far　from　thinking　revolutions　impossible　that　they　suppose　them　easy；　and　such　a　disposition　alone　is　sometimes　able　to　bring　them　about；　witness　the　late　revolution　in　France。　　Who　could　have　imagined；　three　months　before　the　critical　period　of　our　disorders；　that　such　a　revolution　could　have　happened　in　a　kingdom　where　all　the　branches　of　the　royal　family　were　strictly　united；　where　the　Court　was　a　slave　to　the　Prime　Minister；　where　the　capital　city　and　all　the　provinces　were　in　subjection　to　him；　where　the　armies　were　victorious；　and　where　the　corporations　and　societies　seemed　to　have　no　power？　whoever；　I　say；　had　said　this　would　have　been　thought　a　madman；　not　only　in　the　judgment　of　the　vulgar；　but　in　the　opinion　of　a　D'Estrees　or　a　Senneterre。

In　August；　1647；　there　was　a　mighty　clamour　against　the　tariff　edict　imposing　a　general　tax　upon　all　provisions　that　came　into　Paris；　which　the　people　were　resolved　to　bear　no　longer。　　But　the　gentlemen　of　the　Council　being　determined　to　support　it；　the　Queen　consulted　the　members　deputed　from　Parliament；　when　Cardinal　Mazarin；　a　mere　ignoramus　in　these　affairs；　said　he　wondered　that　so　considerable　a　body　as　they　were　should　mind　such　trifles；an　expression　truly　worthy　of　Mazarin。　　However；　the　Council　at　length　imagining　the　Parliament　would　do　it；　thought　fit　to　suppress　the　tariff　themselves　by　a　declara