the memoirs of cardinal de retz-第32部分

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！


In　short；　Cardinal　Mazarin　found　all　the　avenues　to　a　negotiation　either　shut　or　impassable。　　This　despair　of　success　in　the　Court　was　eventually　more　to　the　advantage　of　the　Court　than　the　most　refined　politics；　for　it　did　not　hinder　them　from　negotiating；　the　Cardinal's　natural　temper　not　permitting　him　to　do　otherwise；　but；　however；　he　could　not　trust　to　the　carrying　out　of　negotiations；　and　therefore　beguiled　our　generals　with　fair　promises；　while　he　remitted　800；000　livres　to　buy　off　the　army　of　M。　de　Turenne；　and　obliged　the　deputies　at　Ruel　to　sign　a　peace　against　the　orders　of　the　Parliament　that　sent　them。　　The　President　de　Mesmes　assured　me　several　times　since　that　this　peace　was　purely　the　result　of　a　conversation　he　had　with　the　Cardinal　on　the　8th　of　March　at　night；　when　his　Eminence　told　him　he　saw　plainly　that　M。　de　Bouillon　would　not　treat　till　he　had　the　Spaniards　and　M。　de　Turenne　at　the　gates　of　Paris；　that　is；　till　he　saw　himself　in　the　position　to　seize　one…half　of　the　kingdom。　The　President　made　him　this　answer：

〃There　is　no　hope　of　any　security　but　in　making　the　Coadjutor　a　cardinal。〃

To　which　Mazarin　answered：　〃He　is　worse　than　the　other；　who　at　least　seemed　once　inclined　to　treat；　but　he　is　still　for　a　general　peace；　or　for　none　at　all。〃

President　de　Mesmes　replied：　〃If　things　are　come　to　this　pass　we　must　be　the　victims　to　save　the　State　from　perishingwe　must　sign　the　peace。　For　after　what　the　Parliament　has　done　to…day　there　is　no　remedy；　and　perhaps　tomorrow　we　shall　be　recalled；　if　we　are　disowned　in　what　we　do　we　are　ruined；　the　gates　of　Paris　will　be　shut　against　us；　and　we　shall　be　prosecuted　and　treated　as　prevaricators　and　traitors。　　It　is　our　business　and　concern　to　procure　such　conditions　as　will　give　us　good　ground　to　justify　our　proceedings；　and　if　the　terms　are　but　reasonable；　we　know　how　to　improve　them　against　the　factions；　but　make　them　as　you　please　yourself；　I　will　sign　them　all；　and　will　go　this　moment　to　acquaint　the　First　President　that　this　is　the　only　expedient　to　save　the　State。　　If　it　takes　effect　we　have　peace；　if　we　are　disowned　by　the　Parliament　we　still　weaken　the　faction；　and　the　danger　will　fall　upon　none　but　ourselves。〃　　He　added　that　with　much　difficulty　he　had　persuaded　the　First　President。

The　peace　was　signed　by　Cardinal　Mazarin；　as　well　as　by　the　other　deputies；　on　the　part　of　the　King。　　The　substance　of　the　articles　was　that　Parliament　should　just　go　to　Saint　Germain　to　proclaim　the　peace；　and　then　return　to　Paris；　but　hold　no　assembly　that　year；　that　all　their　public　decrees　since　the　6th　of　January　should　be　made　void；　as　likewise　all　ordinances　of　Council；　declarations　and　'lettres　de　cachet'；　that　as　soon　as　the　King　had　withdrawn　his　troops　from　Paris；　all　the　forces　raised　for　the　defence　of　the　city　should　be　disbanded；　and　the　inhabitants　lay　down　their　arms　and　not　take　them　up　again　without　the　King's　order；　that　the　Archduke's　deputy　should　be　dismissed　without　an　answer；　that　there　should　be　a　general　amnesty；　and　that　the　King　should　also　give　a　general　discharge　for　all　the　public　money　made　use　of；　as　also　for　the　movables　sold　and　for　all　the　arms　and　ammunition　taken　out　of　the　arsenal　and　elsewhere。

M。　and　Madame　de　Bouillon　were　extremely　surprised　when　they　heard　that　the　peace　was　signed。　　I　did　not　expect　the　Parliament　would　make　it　so　soon；　but　I　said　frequently　that　it　would　be　a　very　shameful　one　if　we　should　let　them　alone　to　make　it。　　M。　de　Bouillon　owned　that　I　had　foretold　it　often　enough。　　〃I　confess；〃　said　he；　〃that　we　are　entirely　to　blame；〃　which　expression　made　me　respect　him　more　than　ever；　for　I　think　it　a　greater　virtue　for　a　man　to　confess　a　fault　than　not　to　commit　one。　The　Prince　de　Conti；　MM。　d'Elbeuf；　de　Beaufort；　and　de　La　Mothe　were　very　much　surprised；　too；　at　the　signing　of　the　peace；　especially　because　their　agent　at　Saint　Germain　had　assured　them　that　the　Court　was　fully　persuaded　that　the　Parliament　was　but　a　cipher；　and　that　the　generals　were　the　men　with　whom　they　must　negotiate。　　I　confess　that　Cardinal　Mazarin　acted　a　very　wily　part　in　this　juncture；　and　he　is　the　more　to　be　commended　because　he　was　obliged　to　defend　himself；　not　only　against　the　monstrous　impertinences　of　La　Riviere；　but　against　the　violent　passion　of　the　Prince　de　Conde。

We　held　a　council　at　the　Duc　de　Bouillon's；　where　I　persuaded　them　that　as　our　deputies　were　recalled　by　an　order　despatched　from　Parliament　before　the　treaty　was　signed；　it　was　therefore　void；　and　that　we　ought　to　take　no　notice　of　it；　the　rather　because　it　had　not　been　communicated　to　Parliament　in　form；　and；　finally；　that　the　deputies　should　be　charged　to　insist　on　a　general　treaty　of　peace　and　on　the　expulsion　of　Mazarin；　and；　if　they　did　not　succeed；　to　return　forthwith　to　their　seats　in　Parliament。　　But　I　added　that　if　the　deputies　should　have　time　to　return　and　make　their　report；　we　should　be　under　the　necessity　of　protesting；　which　would　so　incense　the　people　against　them　that　we　should　not　be　able　to　keep　them　from　butchering　the　First　President　and　the　President　de　Mesmes；　so　that　we　should　be　reputed　the　authors　of　the　tragedy；　and；　though　formidable　one　day；　should　be　every　whit　as　odious　the　next。　I　concluded　with　offering　to　sacrifice　my　coadjutorship　of　Paris　to　the　anger　of　the　Queen　and　the　hatred　of　the　Cardinal；　and　that　very　cheerfully；　if　they　would　but　come　into　my　measures。

M。　de　Bouillon；　after　having　opposed　my　reasons；　concluded　thus：　〃I　know　that　my　brother's　declaration　and　my　urging　the　necessity　of　his　advancing　with　the　army　before　we　come　to　a　positive　resolution　may　give　ground　to　a　belief　that　I　have　great　views　for　our　family。　　I　do　not　deny　but　that　I　hope　for　some　advantages；　and　am　persuaded　it　is　lawful　for　me　to　do　so；　but　I　will　be　content　to　forfeit　my　reputation　if　I　ever　agree　with　the　Court　till　you　all　say　you　are　satisfied；　and　if　I　do　not　keep　my　word　I　desire　the　Coadjutor　to　disgrace　me。〃

After　all　I　thought　it　best　to　submit　to　the　Prince　de　Conti　and　the　voice　of　the　majority；　who　resolved　very　wisely　not　to　explain　themselves　in　detail　next　morning　in　Parliament；　but　that　the　Prince　de　Conti　should　only　say；　in　general；　that　it　being　the　common　report　that　the　peace　was　signed　at　Ruel；　he　was　resolved　to　send　deputies　thither　to　take　care　of　his　and　the　other　generals'　interests。

The　Prince　agreed　at　once　with　our　decision。　　Meantime　the　people　rose　at　the　report　I　had　spread　concerning　Mazarin's　signing　the　treaty；　which；　though　we　all　considered　it　a　necessary　stratagem；　I　now　repented　of。　This　shows　that　a　civil　war　is　one　of　those　complicated　diseases　wherein　the　remedy　you　prescribe　for　obviating　one　dangerous　symptom　sometimes　inflames　three　or　four　others。

On　the　13th　the　deputies　of　Ruel　entering　the　Parliament　House；　which　was　in　great　tumult；　M。　d'Elbeuf；　contrary　to　the　resolution　taken　at　M。　de　Bouillon's；　asked　the　deputies　whether　they　had　taken　care　of　the　interest　of　the　generals　in　the　treaty。

The　First　President　was　going　to　make　his　report；　but　was　almost　stunned　with　the　clamour　of　the　whole　company；　crying；　〃There　is　no　peace！　there　is　no　peace！〃　that　the　deputies　had　scandalously　deserted　the　generals　and　all　others　whom　the　Parliament　had　joined　by　the　decree　of　union；　and；　besides；　that　they　had　concluded　a　peace　after　the　revocation　of　the　powers　given　them　to　treat。　　The　Prince　de　Conti　said　very　calmly　that　he　wondered　they　had　concluded　a　treaty　without　the　generals；　to　which　the　First　President　answered　that　the　generals　had　always　protested　that　they　had　no　separate　interests　from　those　of　the　Parliament；　and　it　was　their　own　fault　that　they　had　not　sent　their　deputies。　　M。　de　Bouillon　said　that；　since　Cardinal　Mazarin　was　to　continue　Prime　Minister；　he　desired　that　Parliament　should　obtain　a　passport　for　him　to　retire　out　of　the　kingdom。　　The　First　President　replied　that　his　interest　had　been　taken　care　of；　and　that　he　would　have　satisfaction　for　Sedan。　　But　M。　de　Bouillon　told　him　that　he　might　as　well　have　said　nothing；　and　that　he　would　never　separate　from　the　other　generals。　　The　clamour　redoubled　with　such　fury　that　President　de　Mesmes　trembled　like　an　aspen　leaf。　　M。　de　Beaufort；　laying　his　hand　upon　his　sword；　said；　〃Gentlemen；　this　shall　never　be　drawn　for　Mazarin。〃

The　Presidents　de　Coigneux　and　de　Bellievre　proposed　that　the　deputies　might　be　sent　back　to　treat　about　the　interests　of　the　generals　and　to　reform　the　articles　which　the　Parliament　did　not　like；　but　they　were　soon　silenced　by　a　sudden　noise　in　the　Great　Hall；　and　the　usher　came　in　trembling　and　said　that　the　people　called　for　M。　de　Beaufort。　　He　went　out　immediately；　and　quieted　them　for　the　time；　but　no　sooner　had　he　got　inside　the　House　than　the　disturbance　began　afresh；　and　an　infinite　number　of　people；　armed　with　daggers；　called　out　for　the　original　treaty；　that　they　might　have　Mazarin's　sign…manual　burnt　by　the　hangman；　adding　that　if　the　deputies　had　signed　the　peace　of　their　own　accord　they　ought　to　be　hanged；　and　if　against　their　will　they　ought　to　be　disowned。　　They　were　told　that　the　sign…manual　of　the　Cardinal　could　not　be　burnt　without　burning　at　the　same　time　that　of　the　Duc　d'Orleans；　but　that　the　deputies　were　to　be　sent　back　again　to　get　the　articles　amended。　　The　people　still　cried　out；　〃No　peace！　no　Mazarin！　　You　must　go！　　We　will　have　our　good　King　fetched　from　Saint　Germain；　and　all　Mazarins　thrown　into　the　river！〃

The　people　were　ready　to　break　open　the　great　door　of　the　House；　yet　the　First　President　was　so　far　from　being　terrified　that；　when　he　was　advised　to　pass　through　the　registry　into　his　own　house　that　he　might　not　be　seen；　he　replied；　〃If　I　was　sure　to　perish　I　would　never　be　guilty　of　such　cowardice；　which　would　only　serve　to　make　the　mob　more　insolent；　who　would　be　ready　to　come　to　my　house　if　they　thought　I　was　afraid　of　them　here。〃　　And　when　I　begged　him　not　to　expose　himself　till　I　had　pacified　the　people　he　passed　it　off　with　a　joke；　by　which　I　found　he　took　me　for　the　author　of　the　disturbance；　though　very　unjustly。　　However；　I　did　not　resent　it；　but　went　into　the　Great　Hall；　and；　mounting　the　solicitors'　bench；　waved　my　hands　to　the　people；　who　thereupon　cried；