the memoirs of cardinal de retz-第4部分

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　only　because　the　situation　of　affairs　was　such　that　he　could　not　help　it。　　L'Epinai；　Montresor；　and　La　Rochepot　made　use　of　all　the　arguments　they　could　think　of　to　raise　jealousies　and　fears　in　the　Duc　d'Orleans；　and　to　inspire　him　with　resolution　and　courage　to　rid　himself　of　the　Cardinal。　　Others　laboured　to　persuade　the　Comte　de　Soissons　to　relish　the　same　proposal；　but　though　resolved　upon；　it　was　never　put　into　execution。　　For　they　had　the　Cardinal　in　their　power　at　Amiens；　but　did　him　no　harm。　　For　this　every　one　blamed　the　Count's　companion；　but　I　could　never　yet　learn　the　true　cause；　only　this　is　certain；　that　they　were　no　sooner　come　to　Paris　than　they　were　all　seized　with　a　panic；　and　retired；　some　one　way；　some　another。

The　Comte　de　Guiche；　　since　Marechal　de　Grammont；　and　M。　de　Chavigni；　Secretary　of　State　and　the　Cardinal's　most　intimate　favourite；　were　sent　by　the　King　to　Blois。　　Here　they　frightened　the　Duc　d'Orleans　and　made　him　return　to　Paris；　where　he　was　more　afraid　than　ever；　for　such　of　his　domestics　as　were　not　gained　by　the　Court　made　use　of　his　pusillanimous　temper；　and　represented　to　him　the　necessity　he　was　under　to　provide　for　his　own；　or　rather　their；　security。　　La　Rochepot　and　myself　endeavoured　to　heighten　his　fears　as　much　as　possible；　in　order　to　precipitate　him　into　our　measures。　　The　term　sounds　odd；　but　it　is　the　most　expressive　I　could　find　of　a　character　like　the　Duke's。　　He　weighed　everything；　but　fixed　on　nothing；　and　if　by　chance　he　was　inclined　to　do　one　thing　more　than　another；　he　would　never　execute　it　without　being　pushed　or　forced　into　it。

La　Rochepot　did　all　he　could　to　fix　him；　but　finding　that　the　Duke　was　always　for　delays；　and　for　perplexing　all　expedients　with　groundless　fears　of　invincible　difficulties；　he　fell　upon　an　expedient　very　dangerous　to　all　appearance；　but；　as　it　usually　happens　in　extraordinary　cases；　much　less　so　than　at　first　view。

Cardinal　de　Richelieu　having　to　stand　godfather　at　the　baptism　of　Mademoiselle；　La　Rochepot's　proposal　was　to　continue　to　show　the　Duke　the　necessity　he　lay　under　still　to　get　rid　of　the　Cardinal；　without　saying　much　of　the　particulars；　for　fear　of　hazarding　the　secret；　but　only　to　entertain　him　with　the　general　proposal　of　that　affair；　thereby　to　make　him　the　better　in　love　with　the　measures　when　proposed；　and　that　they　might；　at　a　proper　time　and　place；　tell　him　they　had　concealed　the　detail　to　the　execution　from　his　Highness　upon　no　other　account　but　that　they　had　experienced　on　several　occasions　that　there　was　no　other　way　of　serving　his　Highness；　as　he　himself　had　told　La　Rochepot　several　times；　that　nothing；　therefore；　remained　but　to　get　some　brave　fellows　fit　for　such　a　resolute　enterprise；　and　to　hold　post…horses　ready　upon　the　road　of　Sedan　under　some　other　pretext；　and　to　so　execute　the　design　in　the　presence　and　in　the　name　of　his　Royal　Highness　upon　the　day　of　the　intended　solemnity；　that　his　Highness　should　cheerfully　own　it　when　it　was　done；　and　that　then　we　would　carry　him　off　by　those　horses　to　Sedan。　Meanwhile　the　distraction　of　the　inferior　ministers　and　the　joy　of　the　King　to　see　himself　delivered　from　a　tyrant　would　dispose　the　Court　rather　to　invite　than　to　pursue　him。　　This　was　La　Rochepot's　scheme；　and　it　seemed　exceedingly　plausible。

La　Rochepot　and　I　had；　it　may　be；　blamed　the　inactivity　of　the　Duc　d'Orleans　and　the　Comte　de　Soissons　in　the　affair　of　Amiens　a　hundred　times；　yet；　no　sooner　was　the　scheme　sufficiently　matured　for　execution；　the　idea　of　which　I　had　raised　in　the　memory　of　La　Rochepot；　than　my　mind　was　seized　with　I　know　not　what　fear；　I　took　it　then　for　a　scruple　of　conscience；I　cannot　tell　whether　it　was　in　truth　so　or　not；　but；　in　short；　the　thought　of　killing　a　priest　and　a　cardinal　deeply　affected　my　mind。　　La　Rochepot　laughed　at　my　scruples；　and　bantered　me　thus：　〃When　you　are　in　the　field　of　battle　I　warrant　you　will　not　beat　up　the　enemy's　quarters　for　fear　of　assassinating　men　in　their　sleep。〃　　I　was　ashamed　of　my　scruples；　and　again　hugged　the　crime；　which　I　looked　upon　as　sanctified　by　the　examples　of　great　men；　and　justified　and　honoured　by　the　mighty　danger　that　attended　its　execution。　　We　renewed　our　consultations；　engaged　some　accomplices；　took　all　the　necessary　precautions；　and　resolved　upon　the　execution。　　The　danger　was　indeed　very　great；　but　we　might　reasonably　hope　to　come　off　well　enough；　for　the　Duke's　guard；　which　was　within；　would　not　have　failed　to　come　to　our　assistance　against　that　of　the　Cardinal's；　which　was　without。　　But　his　fortune；　and　not　his　guards；　delivered　him　from　the　snare；　for　either　Mademoiselle　or　himself；　I　forget　which；　fell　suddenly　ill；　and　the　ceremony　was　put　off　to　another　time；　so　that　we　lost　our　opportunity。　The　Duke　returned　to　Blois；　and　the　Marquis　de　Boissi　protested　he　would　never　betray　us；　but　that　he　would　be　no　longer　concerned；　because　he　had　just　received　some　favour　or　other　from　the　Cardinal's　own　hands。

I　confess　that　this　enterprise；　which；　had　it　succeeded；　would　have　crowned　us　with　glory；　never　fully　pleased　me。　　I　was　not　so　scrupulous　in　the　committing　of　two　other　transgressions　against　the　rules　of　morality；　as　you　may　have　before　observed；　but　I　wish；　with　all　my　heart；　I　had　never　been　concerned　in　this。　　Ancient　Rome；　indeed；　would　have　counted　it　honourable；　but　it　is　not　in　this　respect　that　I　honour　the　memory　of　old　Rome。

There　is　commonly　a　great　deal　of　folly　in　conspiracies；　but　afterwards　there　is　nothing　tends　so；　much　to　make　men　wise；　at　least　for　some　time。　For；　as　the　danger　in　things　of　this　nature　continues；　even　after　the　opportunities　for　doing　them　are　over；　men　are　from　that　instant　more　prudent　and　circumspect。

Having　thus　missed　our　blow；　the　Comte　de　La　Rochepot　and　the　rest　of　them　retired　to　their　several　seats　in　the　country；　but　my　engagements　detained　me　at　Paris；　where　I　was　so　retired　that　I　spent　all　my　time　in　my　study；　and　if　ever　I　was　seen　abroad；　it　was　with　all　the　reserve　of　a　pious　ecclesiastic；　we　were　all　so　true　to　one　another　in　keeping　this　adventure　secret；　that　it　never　got　the　least　wind　while　the　Cardinal　lived；　who　was　a　minister　that　had　the　best　intelligence　in　the　world；　but　after　his　death　it　was　discovered　by　the　imprudence　of　Tret　and　Etourville。　　I　call　it　imprudence；　for　what　greater　weakness　can　men　be　guilty　of　than　to　declare　themselves　to　have　been　capable　of　what　is　dangerous　in　the　first　instance？

To　return　to　the　history　of　the　Comte　de　Soissons；　I　observed　before　that　he　had　retired　to　Sedan　for　safety；　which　he　could　not　expect　at　Court。　He　wrote　to　the　King；　assuring　his　Majesty　of　his　fidelity；　and　that　while　he　stayed　in　that　place　he　would　undertake　nothing　prejudicial　to　his　service。　　He　was　most　mindful　of　his　promise；　was　not　to　be　biassed　by　all　the　offers　of　Spain　or　the　Empire；　but　rejected　with　indignation　the　overtures　of　Saint…Ibal　and　of　Bardouville；　who　would　have　persuaded　him　to　take　up　arms。　　Campion；　one　of　his　domestics；　whom　he　had　left　at　Paris　to　mind　his　affairs　at　Court；　told　me　these　particulars　by　the　Count's　express　orders；　and　I　still　remember　this　passage　in　one　of　his　letters　to　Campion：　〃The　men　you　know　are　very　urgent　with　me　to　treat　with　the　enemy；　and　accuse　me　of　weakness　because　I　fear　the　examples　of　Charles　de　Bourbon　and　Robert　d'Artois。〃　　He　was　ordered　to　show　me　this　letter　and　desire　my　opinion　thereupon。　　I　took　my　pen；　and；　at　a　little　distance　from　the　answer　he　had　already　begun；　I　wrote　these　words：

〃And　I　do　accuse　them　of　folly。〃　　The　reasons　upon　which　my　opinion　was　grounded　were　these：　The　Count　was　courageous　in　the　highest　degree　of　what　is　commonly　called　valour；　and　had　a　more　than　ordinary　share　in　that　boldness　of　mind　which　we　call　resolution。　　The　first　is　common　and　to　be　frequently　met　with　among　the　vulgar；　but　the　second　is　rarer　than　can　be　imagined；　and　yet　abundantly　more　necessary　for　great　enterprises；　and　is　there　a　greater　in　the　world　than　heading　a　party？　　The　command　of　an　army　is　without　comparison　of　less　intricacy；　for　there　are　wheels　within　wheels　necessary　for　governing　the　State；　but　then　they　are　not　near　so　brittle　and　delicate。　　In　a　word；　I　am　of　opinion　there　are　greater　qualities　necessary　to　make　a　good　head　of　a　party　than　to　make　an　emperor　who　is　to　govern　the　whole　world；　and　that　resolution　ought　to　run　parallel　with　judgment；I　say；　with　heroic　judgment；　which　is　able　to　distinguish　the　extraordinary　from　what　we　call　the　impossible。

The　Count　had　not　one　grain　of　this　discerning　faculty；　which　is　but　seldom　to　be　met　with　in　the　sublimest　genius。　　His　character　was　mean　to　a　degree；　and　consequently　susceptible　of　unreasonable　jealousies　and　distrusts；　which　of　all　characters　is　the　most　opposite　to　that　of　a　good　partisan；　who　is　indispensably　obliged　in　many　cases　to　suppress；　and　in　all　to　conceal；　the　best…grounded　suspicions。

This　was　the　reason　I　could　not　be　of　the　opinion　of　those　who　were　for　engaging　the　Count　in　a　civil　war；　and　Varicarville；　who　was　the　man　of　the　best　sense　and　temper　of　all　the　persons　of　quality　he　had　about　him；　told　me　since　that　when　be　saw　what　I　wrote　in　Campion's　letter　the　day　I　set　out　for　Italy；　he　very　well　knew　by　what　motives　I　was；　against　my　inclination；　persuaded　into　this　opinion。

The　Count　held　out　all　this　year　and　the　next　against　every　solicitation　of　the　Spaniards　and　the　importunities　of　his　own　friends；　much　more　by　the　wise　counsels　of　Varicarville　than　by　the　force　of　his　own　resolution；　but　nothing　could　secure　him　from　the　teasings　of　the　Cardinal　de　Richelieu；　who　poured　into　his　ears　every　day　in　the　King's　name　his　many　dismal　discoveries　and　prognostications。　　For　fear　of　being　tedious　I　shall　only　tell　you　in　one　word　that　the　Cardinal；　contrary　to　his　own　interest；　hurried　the　Count　into　a　civil　war；　by　such　arts　of　chicanery　as　those　who　are　fortune's　favourites　never　fail　to　play　upon　the　unfortunate。

The　minds　of　people　began　now　to　be　more　embittered　than　ever。　　I　was　sent　for　by　the　Count　to　Sedan　to　tell　him　the　state　of　Paris。　　The　account　I　gave　him　could　not　but　be　very　agreeable；　for　I　told　him　the　very　truth：　that　he　was　universally　beloved；　honoured；　and　adored