the memoirs of cardinal de retz-第14部分

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gth　imagining　the　Parliament　would　do　it；　thought　fit　to　suppress　the　tariff　themselves　by　a　declaration；　in　order　to　save　the　King's　credit。　　Nevertheless；　a　few　days　after；　they　presented　five　edicts　even　more　oppressive　than　the　tariff；　not　with　any　hopes　of　having　them　received；　but　to　force　the　Parliament　to　restore　the　tariff。　　Rather　than　admit　the　new　ones；　the　Parliament　consented　to　restore　the　old　one；　but　with　so　many　qualifications　that　the　Court；　despairing　to　find　their　account　in　it；　published　a　decree　of　the　Supreme　Council　annulling　that　of　the　Parliament　with　all　its　modifications。　　But　the　Chamber　of　Vacations　answered　it　by　another；　enjoining　the　decree　of　Parliament　to　be　put　in　execution。　　The　Council；　seeing　they　could　get　no　money　by　this　method；　acquainted　the　Parliament　that；　since　they　would　receive　no　new　edicts；　they　could　do　no　less　than　encourage　the　execution　of　such　edicts　as　they　had　formerly　ratified；　and　thereupon　they　trumped　up　a　declaration　which　had　been　registered　two　years　before　for　the　establishment　of　the　Chamber　of　Domain；　which　was　a　terrible　charge　upon　the　people；　had　very　pernicious　consequences；　and　which　the　Parliament　had　passed；　either　through　a　surprise　or　want　of　better　judgment。　　The　people　mutinied；　went　in　crowds　to　the　Palace；　and　used　very　abusive　language　to　the　President　de　Thore；　Emeri's　son。　　The　Parliament　was　obliged　to　pass　a　decree　against　the　mutineers。

The　Court；　overjoyed　to　see　the　Parliament　and　the　people　together　by　the　ears；　supported　the　decree　by　a　regiment　of　French　and　Swiss　Guards。　　The　Parisians　were　alarmed；　and　got　into　the　belfries　of　three　churches　in　the　street　of　Saint　Denis；　where　the　guards　were　posted。　　The　Provost　ran　to　acquaint　the　Court　that　the　city　was　just　taking　arms。　　Upon　which　they　ordered　the　troops　to　retire；　and　pretended　they　were　posted　there　for　no　other　end　than　to　attend　the　King　as　he　went　to　the　Church　of　Notre　Dame；　and　the　better　to　cover　their　design；　the　King　went　next　day　in　great　pomp　to　the　said　church；　and　the　day　after　he　went　to　Parliament；　without　giving　notice　of　his　coming　till　very　late　the　night　before；　and　carried　with　him　five　or　six　edicts　more　destructive　than　the　former。　　The　First　President　spoke　very　boldly　against　bringing　the　King　into　the　House　after　this　manner；　to　surprise　the　members　and　infringe　upon　their　liberty　of　voting。　　Next　day　the　Masters　of　Requests；　to　whom　one　of　these　edicts；　confirmed　in　the　King's　presence；　had　added　twelve　colleagues；　met　and　took　a　firm　resolution　not　to　admit　of　this　new　creation。　　The　Queen　sent　for　them；　told　them　they　were　very　pretty　gentlemen　to　oppose　the　King's　will；　and　forbade　them　to　come　to　Council。　Instead　of　being　frightened；　they　were　the　more　provoked；　and；　going　into　the　Great　Hall；　demanded　that　they　might　have　leave　to　enter　their　protest　against　the　edict　for　creating　new　members；　which　was　granted。

The　Chambers　being　assembled　the　same　day　to　examine　the　edicts　which　the　King　had　caused　to　be　ratified　in　his　presence；　the　Queen　commanded　them　to　attend　her　by　their　deputies　in　the　Palais　Royal；　and　told　them　she　was　surprised　that　they　pretended　to　meddle　with　what　had　been　consecrated　by　the　presence　of　the　King。　　These　were　the　very　words　of　the　Chancellor。　　The　First　President　answered　that　it　was　the　custom　of　Parliament；　and　showed　the　necessity　of　it　for　preserving　the　liberty　of　voting。　　The　Queen　seemed　to　be　satisfied；　but；　finding　some　days　after　that　the　Parliament　was　consulting　as　to　qualifying　those　edicts；　and　so　render　them　of　little　or　no　use；　she　ordered　the　King's　Council　to　forbid　the　Parliament　meddling　with　the　King's　edicts　till　they　had　declared　formally　whether　they　intended　to　limit　the　King's　authority。　　Those　members　that　were　in　the　Court　interest　artfully　took　advantage　of　the　dilemma　the　Parliament　was　in　to　answer　the　question；　and；　in　order　to　mollify　them；　tacked　a　clause　to　the　decrees　which　specified　the　restrictions；　namely；　that　all　should　be　executed　according　to　the　good　pleasure　of　the　King。　　This　clause　pleased　the　Queen　for　a　while；　but　when　she　perceived　that　it　did　not　prevent　the　rejecting　of　almost　any　other　edict　by　the　common　suffrage　of　the　Parliament；　she　flew　into　a　passion；　and　told　them　plainly　that　she　would　have　all　the　edicts；　without　exception；　fully　executed；　without　any　modifications　whatsoever。

Not　long　after　this；　the　Court　of　Aids；　the　Chamber　of　Accounts；　the　Grand　Council；　and　the　Parliament　formed　a　union　which　was　pretended　to　be　for　the　reformation　of　the　State；　but　was　more　probably　calculated　for　the　private　interest　of　the　officers；　whose　salaries　were　lessened　by　one　of　the　said　edicts。　　And　the　Court；　being　alarmed　and　utterly　perplexed　by　the　decree　for　the　said　union；　endeavoured；　as　much　as　in　them　lay；　to　give　it　this　turn；　to　make　the　people　have　a　mean　opinion　of　it。　　The　Queen　acquainted　the　Parliament　by　some　of　the　King's　Council　that；　seeing　this　union　was　entered　into　for　the　particular　interest　of　the　companies；　and　not　for　the　reformation　of　the　State；　as　they　endeavoured　to　persuade　her；　she　had　nothing　to　say　to　it；　as　everybody　is　at　liberty　to　represent　his　case　to　the　King；　but　never　to　intermeddle　with　the　government　of　the　State。

The　Parliament　did　not　relish　this　ensnaring　discourse；　and　because　they　were　exasperated　by　the　Court's　apprehending　some　of　the　members　of　the　Grand　Council；　they　thought　of　nothing　but　justifying　and　supporting　their　decree　of　union　by　finding　out　precedents；　which　they　accordingly　met　with　in　the　registers；　and　were　going　to　consider　how　to　put　it　in　execution　when　one　of　the　Secretaries　of　State　came　to　the　bar　of　the　house；　and　put　into　the　hands　of　the　King's　Council　a　decree　of　the　Supreme　Council　which；　in　very　truculent　terms；　annulled　that　of　the　union。　　Upon　this　the　Parliament　desired　a　meeting　with　the　deputies　of　the　other　three　bodies；　at　which　the　Court　was　enraged；　and　had　recourse　to　the　mean　expedient　of　getting　the　very　original　decree　of　union　out　of　the　hands　of　the　chief　registrar；　for　that　end　they　sent　the　Secretary　of　State　and　a　lieutenant　of　the　Guards；　who　put　him　into　a　coach　to　drive　him　to　the　office；　but　the　people　perceiving　it；　were　up　in　arms　immediately；　and　both　the　secretary　and　lieutenant　were　glad　to　get　off。

After　this　there　was　a　great　division　in　the　Council；　and　some　said　the　Queen　was　disposed　to　arrest　the　Parliament；　but　none　but　herself　was　of　that　opinion；　which；　indeed；　was　not　likely　to　be　acted　upon；　considering　how　the　people　then　stood　affected。　　Therefore　a　more　moderate　course　was　taken。　　The　Chancellor　reprimanded　the　Parliament　in　the　presence　of　the　King　and　Court；　and　ordered　a　second　decree　of　Council　to　be　read　and　registered　instead　of　the　union　decree；　forbidding　them　to　assemble　under　pain　of　being　treated　as　rebels。　　They　met；　nevertheless；　in　defiance　of　the　said　decree；　and　had　several　days'　consultation；　upon　which　the　Duc　d'Orleans；　who　was　very　sensible　they　would　never　comply；　proposed　an　accommodation。　　Accordingly　Cardinal　Mazarin　and　the　Chancellor　made　some　proposals；　which　were　rejected　with　indignation。　　The　Parliament　affected　to　be　altogether　concerned　for　the　good　of　the　public；　and　issued　a　decree　obliging　themselves　to　continue　their　session　and　to　make　humble　remonstrances　to　the　King　for　annulling　the　decrees　of　the　Council。

The　King's　Council　having　obtained　audience　of　the　Queen　for　the　Parliament；　the　First　President　strenuously　urged　the　great　necessity　of　inviolably　preferring　that　golden　mean　between　the　King　and　the　subject；　proved　that　the　Parliament　had　been　for　many　ages　in　possession　of　full　authority　to　unite　and　assemble；　complained　against　the　annulling　of　their　decree　of　union；　and　concluded　with　a　very　earnest　motion　for　suppressing　decrees　of　the　Supreme　Council　made　in　opposition　to　theirs。　The　Court；　being　moved　more　by　the　disposition　of　the　people　than　by　the　remonstrances　of　the　Parliament；　complied　immediately；　and　ordered　the　King's　Council　to　acquaint　the　Parliament　that　the　King　would　permit　the　act　of　union　to　be　executed；　and　that　they　might　assemble　and　act　in　concert　with　the　other　bodies　for　the　good　of　the　State。

You　may　judge　how　the　Cabinet　was　mortified；　but　the　vulgar　were　much　mistaken　in　thinking　that　the　weakness　of　Mazarin　upon　this　occasion　gave　the　least　blow　to　the　royal　authority。　　In　that　conjuncture　it　was　impossible　for　him　to　act　otherwise；　for　if　he　had　continued　inflexible　on　this　occasion　he　would　certainly　have　been　reckoned　a　madman　and　surrounded　with　barricades。　　He　only　yielded　to　the　torrent；　and　yet　most　people　accused　him　of　weakness。　　It　is　certain　this　affair　brought　him　into　great　contempt；　and　though　he　endeavoured　to　appease　the　people　by　the　banishment　of　Emeri；　yet　the　Parliament；　perceiving　what　ascendancy　they　had　over　the　Court；　left　no　stone　unturned　to　demolish　the　power　of　this　overgrown　favourite。

The　Cardinal；　made　desperate　by　the　failure　of　his　stratagems　to　create　jealousy　among　the　four　bodies；　and　alarmed　at　a　proposition　which　they　were　going　to　make　for　cancelling　all　the　loans　made　to　the　King　upon　excessive　interest；the　Cardinal；　I　say；　being　quite　mad　with　rage　and　grief　at　these　disappointments；　and　set　on　by　courtiers　who　had　most　of　their　stocks　in　these　loans；　made　the　King　go　on　horseback　to　the　Parliament　House　in　great　pomp；　and　carry　a　wheedling　declaration　with　him；　which　contained　some　articles　very　advantageous　to　the　public；　and　a　great　many　others　very　ambiguous。　　But　the　people　were　so　jealous　of　the　Court　that　he　went　without　the　usual　acclamations。　　The　declaration　was　soon　after　censured　by　the　Parliament　and　the　other　bodies；　though　the　Duc　d'Orleans　exhorted　and　prayed　that　they　would　not　meddle　with　it；　and　threatened　them　if　they　did。

The　Parliament　also　passed　a　decree　declaring　that　no　money　should　be　raised　without　verified　declarations；　which　so　provoked　the　Court　that　they　resolved　to　proceed　to　extremities；　and　to　make　use　of　the　signal　victory　which　was　obtained　at　Lens　on　the　24th　of　August；　1648；　to　dazzle　the　eyes　of　the　people　and　gain　their　consent　to　oppressing　the　Parliament。

All　the　humours　of　the　St