the memoirs of cardinal de retz-第3部分

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ius。〃　　This　was　told　my　father　that　very　night　by　M。　de　Senneterre；　and　I　took　it　as　spoken　to　myself。

The　success　that　I　had　in　the　acts　of　the　Sorbonne　made　me　fond　of　that　sort　of　reputation；　which　I　had　a　mind　to　push　further；　and　thought　I　might　succeed　in　sermons。　　Instead　of　preaching　first；　as　I　was　advised；　in　the　little　convents；　I　preached　on　Ascension；　Corpus　Christi　Day；　etc。；　before　the　Queen　and　the　whole　Court；　which　assurance　gained　me　a　good　character　from　the　Cardinal；　for；　when　he　was　told　how　well　I　had　performed；　he　said；　〃There　is　no　judging　of　things　by　the　event；　the　man　is　a　coxcomb。〃　　Thus　you　see　I　had　enough　to　do　for　one　of　two…and…twenty　years　of　age。

M。　le　Comte；＇Louis　de　Bourbon；　Comte　de　soissons；　killed　in　the　battle　of　Marfee；　near　Sedan；　in　1641。＇　who　had　a　tender　love　for　me；　and　to　whose　service　and　person　I　was　entirely　devoted；　left　Paris　in　the　night；　in　order　to　get　into　Sedan；　for　fear　of　an　arrest；　and；　in　the　meantime；　entrusted　me　with　the　care　of　Vanbrock；　the　greatest　confidant　he　had　in　the　world。　　I　took　care；　as　I　was　ordered；　that　he　should　never　stir　out　but　at　night；　for　in　the　daytime　I　concealed　him　in　a　private　place；　between　the　ceiling　and　the　penthouse；　where　I　thought　it　impossible　for　anything　but　a　cat　or　the　devil　to　find　him。　　But　he　was　not　careful　enough　of　himself；　for　one　morning　my　door　was　burst　open；　and　armed　men　rushed　into　my　chamber；　with　the　provost　at　their　head；　who　cried；　with　a　great　oath；　〃Where　is　Vanbrock？〃　I　replied；　〃At　Sedan；　monsieur；　I　believe。〃　　He　swore　again　most　confoundedly；　and　searched　the　mattresses　of　all　the　beds　in　the　house；　threatening　to　put　my　domestics　to　the　rack　if　they　did　not　make　a　disclosure；　but　there　was　only　one　that　knew　anything　of　the　matter；　and　so　they　went　away　in　a　rage。　　You　may　easily　imagine　that　when　this　was　reported　the　Court　would　highly　resent　it。　And　so　it　happened；　for　the　license　of　the　Sorbonne　being　expired；　and　the　competitors　striving　for　the　best　places；　I　had　the　ambition　to　put　in　for　the　first　place；　and　did　not　think　myself　obliged　to　yield　to　the　Abbe　de　La　Mothe…Houdancourt；　now　Archbishop　of　Auch；　over　whom　I　had　certainly　some　advantage　in　the　disputations。　　I　carried　myself　in　this　affair　more　wisely　than　might　have　been　expected　from　my　youth；　for　as　soon　as　I　heard　that　my　rival　was　supported　by　the　Cardinal；　who　did　him　the　honour　to　own　him　for　his　kinsman；　I　sent　the　Cardinal　word；　by　M。　de　Raconis；　Bishop　of　Lavaur；　that　I　desisted　from　my　pretension；　out　of　the　respect　I　owed　his　Eminence；　as　soon　as　I　heard　that　he　concerned　himself　in　the　affair。　　The　Bishop　of　Lavaur　told　me　the　Cardinal　pretended　that　the　Abby　de　La　Mothe　would　not　be　obliged　for　the　first　place　to　my　cession；　but　to　his　own　merit。　　This　answer　exasperated　me。　　I　gave　a　smile　and　a　low　bow；　pursued　my　point；　and　gained　the　first　place　by　eighty…four　voices。　　The　Cardinal；　who　was　for　domineering　in　all　places　and　in　all　affairs；　fell　into　a　passion　much　below　his　character；　either　as　a　minister　or　a　man；　threatened　the　deputies　of　the　Sorbonne　to　raze　the　new　buildings　he　had　begun　there；　and　assailed　my　character　again　with　incredible　bitterness。

All　my　friends　were　alarmed　at　this；　and　were　for　sending　me　in　all　haste　to　Italy。　　Accordingly；　I　went　to　Venice；　stayed　there　till　the　middle　of　August；　and　was　very　near　being　assassinated；　for　I　amused　myself　by　making　an　intrigue　with　Signora　Vendranina；　a　noble　Venetian　lady；　and　one　of　the　most　handsome　I　ever　saw。　　M。　de　Maille；　the　King's　ambassador；　aware　of　the　dangerous　consequences　of　such　adventures　in　this　country；　ordered　me　to　depart　from　Venice；　upon　which　I　went　through　Lombardy；　and　towards　the　end　of　September　arrived　at　Rome；　where　the　Marechal　d'Estrees；　who　resided　there　as　ambassador；　gave　me　such　instructions　for　my　behaviour　as　I　followed　to　a　tittle。　　Though　I　had　no　design　to　be　an　ecclesiastic；　yet　since　I　wore　a　cassock　I　was　resolved　to　acquire　some　reputation　at　the　Pope's　Court。　　I　compassed　my　design　very　happily；　avoiding　any　appearance　of　gallantry　and　lewdness；　and　my　dress　being　grave　to　the　last　degree；　but　for　all　this　I　was　at　a　vast　expense；　having　fine　liveries；　a　very　splendid　equipage；　and　a　train　of　seven　or　eight　gentlemen；　whereof　four　were　Knights　of　Malta。　　I　disputed　in　the　Colleges　of　Sapienza　（not　to　be　compared　for　learning　with　those　of　the　Sorbonne）；　and　fortune　continued　still　to　raise　me。　　For　the　Prince　de　Schomberg；　the　Emperor's　ambassador；　sent　me　word　one　day；　while　I　was　playing　at　'balon'　at　the　baths　of　Antoninus；　to　leave　the　place　clear　for　him。　　I　answered　that　I　could　have　refused　his　Excellency　nothing　asked　in　a　civil　manner；　but　since　it　was　commanded；　I　would　have　him　to　know　that　I　would　obey　the　orders　of　no　ambassador　whatever；　but　that　of　the　King；　my　master。　　Being　urged　a　second　time　by　one　of　his　attendants　to　leave　the　place；　I　stood　upon　my　own　defence；　and　the　Germans；　more；　in　my　opinion；　out　of　contempt　of　the　few　people　I　had　with　me　than　out　of　any　other　consideration；　let　the　affair　drop。　　This　bold　carriage　of　so　modest　an　abbe；　to　an　ambassador　who　never　went　abroad　without　one　hundred　musketeers　on　horseback　to　attend　him；　made　a　great　noise　in　Rome；　and　was　much　taken　notice　of　by　Cardinal　Mazarin。

The　Cardinal　de　Richelieu's　health　declining；　the　archbishopric　of　Paris　was　now　almost　within　my　ken；　which；　together　with　other　prospects　of　good　benefices；　made　me　resolve　not　to　fling　off　the　cassock　but　upon　honourable　terms　and　valuable　considerations；　but　having　nothing　yet　within　my　view　that　I　could　be　sure　of；　I　resolved　to　distinguish　myself　in　my　own　profession　by　all　the　methods　I　could。　　I　retired　from　the　world；　studied　very　hard；　saw　but　very　few　men；　and　had　no　more　correspondence　with　any　of　the　female　sex；　except　Madame　de　…。

The　devil　had　appeared　to　the　Princesse　de　Guemenee　just　a　fortnight　before　this　adventure　happened；　and　was　often　raised　by　the　conjurations　of　M。　d'Andilly；　to　frighten　his　votary；　I　believe；　into　piety；　for　he　was　even　more　in　love　with　her　person　than　I　myself；　but　he　loved　her　in　the　Lord；　purely　and　spiritually。　　I　raised；　in　my　turn；　a　demon　that　appeared　to　her　in　a　more　kind　and　agreeable　form。　　In　six　weeks　I　got　her　away　from　Port　Royal；　I　was　very　diligent　in　paying　her　my　respects；　and　the　satisfaction　I　had　in　her　company；　with　some　other　agreeable　diversions；　qualified　in　a　great　measure　the　chagrin　which　attended　my　profession；　to　which　I　was　not　yet　heartily　reconciled。　　This　enchantment　had　like　to　have　raised　such　a　storm　as　would　have　given　a　new　face　to　the　affairs　of　Europe　if　fortune　had　been　ever　so　little　on　my　side。

M。　the　Cardinal　de　Richelieu　loved　rallying　other　people；　but　could　not　bear　a　jest　himself；　and　all　men　of　this　humour　are　always　very　crabbed　and　churlish；　of　which　the　Cardinal　gave　an　instance；　in　a　public　assembly　of　ladies；　to　Madame　de　Guemenee；　when　he　threw　out　a　severe　jest；　which　everybody　observed　was　pointed　at　me。　　She　was　sensibly　affronted；　but　I　was　enraged。　　For　at　last　there　was　a　sort　of　an　understanding　between　us；　which　was　often　ill…managed；　yet　our　interests　were　inseparable。　　At　this　time　Madame　de　La　Meilleraye；　with　whom；　though　she　was　silly；　I　had　fallen　in　love；　pleased　the　Cardinal　to　that　degree　that　the　Marshal　perceived　it　before　he　set　out　for　the　army；　and　rallied　his　wife　in　such　a　manner　that　she　immediately　found　he　was　even　more　jealous　than　ambitious。　　She　was　terribly　afraid　of　him；　and　did　not　love　the　Cardinal；　who；　by　marrying　her　to　his　cousin；　had　lessened　his　own　family；　of　which　he　was　extremely　fond。　　Besides；　the　Cardinal's　infirmities　made　him　look　a　great　deal　older　than　he　was。　　And　though　all　his　other　actions　had　no　tincture　of　pedantry；　yet　in　his　amorous　intrigues　he　had　the　most　of　it　in　the　world。　　I　had　a　detail　of　all　the　steps　he　had　made　therein；　which　were　extremely　ridiculous。　　But　continuing　his　solicitation；　and　carrying　her　to　his　country　seat　at　Ruel；＇The　Cardinal　de　Richelieu's　seat；　three　leagues　from　Paris。＇　where　he　kept　her　a　considerable　time；　I　guessed　that　the　lady　had　not　brains　enough　to　resist　the　splendour　of　Court　favour；　and　that　her　husband's　jealousy　would　soon　give　way　to　his　interest；　but；　above　all；　to　his　blind　side；　which　was　an　attachment　to　the　Court　not　to　be　equalled。　　When　I　was　in　the　hottest　pursuit　of　this　passion　I　proposed　to　myself　the　most　exquisite　pleasures　in　triumphing　over　the　Cardinal　de　Richelieu　in　this　fair　field　of　battle；　but　on　a　sudden　I　had　the　mortification　to　hear　the　whole　family　was　changed。　　The　husband　allowed　his　wife　to　go　to　Ruel　as　often　as　she　pleased；　and　her　behaviour　towards　me　I　suspected　to　be　false　and　treacherous。　　In　short；　Madame　de　Guemenee's　anger；　for　a　reason　I　hinted　before；　my　jealousy　of　Madame　de　La　Meilleraye；　and　an　aversion　to　my　own　profession；　all　joined　together　in　a　fatal　moment　and　were　near　producing　one　of　the　greatest　and　most　famous　events　of　our　age。

La　Rochepot；　my　first　cousin　and　dear　friend；　was　a　domestic　of　the　late　Duc　d'Orleans；＇Gaston　Jean　Baptists　de　France；　born　1608；　and　died　at　Blois；　1660。＇　and　his　great　confidant。　　He　mortally　hated　the　Cardinal　de　Richelieu；　who　had　persecuted　his　mother；　and　had　her　hung　up　in　effigy；　and　kept　his　father　still　a　prisoner　in　the　Bastille；　and　now　refused　the　son　a　regiment；　though　Marechal　de　La　Meilleraye；　who　very　highly　esteemed　him　for　his　courage；　interceded　for　the　favour。　　You　may　imagine　that　when　we　came　together　we　did　not　forget　the　Cardinal。

I　being　crossed　in　my　designs；　as　I　told　you；　and　as　full　of　resentment　as　La　Rochepot　was　for　the　affronts　put　upon　his　person　and　family；　we　chimed　in　our　thoughts　and　resolutions；　which　were；　dexterously　to　manage　the　weakness　of　the　Duc　d'Orleans　and　to　put　that　in　execution　which　the　boldness　of　his　domestics　had　almost　effected　at　Corbie。

The　Duc　d'Orleans　was　appointed　General；　and　the　Comte　de　Soissons　Lieutenant…General　of　the　King's　forces　in　Picardy；　but　neither　of　them　stood　well　with　the　Cardinal；　who　gave　them　those　posts　only　because　the　situation　of　affairs　was　such　that　he　could　not　help　it。　　L'Epinai；　Montresor；　and