the memoirs of cardinal de retz-第49部分

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that　the　Queen　was　neither　in　body　nor　mind　truly　Spanish；　that　she　had　neither　the　temperament　nor　the　vivacity　of　her　nation；　but　only　the　coquetry　of　it；　which　she　retained　in　perfection；　that　M。　Bellegarde；　a　gallant　old　gentleman；　after　the　fashion　of　the　Court　of　Henri　III。；　pleased　her　till　he　was　going　to　the　army；　when　he　begged　for　one　favour　before　his　departure；　which　was　only　to　put　her　hand　to　the　hilt　of　his　sword；　a　compliment　so　insipid　that　her　Majesty　was　out　of　conceit　with　him　ever　after。　　She　approved　the　gallant　manner　of　M。　de　Montmorency　much　more　than　she　loved　his　person。　The　aversion　she　had　to　the　pedantic　behaviour　of　Cardinal　de　Richelieu；　who　in　his　amours　was　as　ridiculous　as　he　was　in　other　things　excellent；　made　her　irreconcilable　to　his　addresses。　　She　had　observed　from　the　beginning　of　the　Regency　a　great　inclination　in　the　Queen　for　Mazarin；　but　that　she　had　not　been　able　to　discover　how　far　that　inclination　went；　because　she　（Madame　de　Chevreuse）　had　been　banished　from　the　Court　very　soon　after；　and　that　upon　her　return　to　France；　after　the　siege　of　Paris；　the　Queen　was　so　reserved　at　first　with　her　that　it　was　impossible　for　her　to　dive　into　her　secrets。　　That　since　she　regained　her　Majesty's　favour　she　had　sometimes　observed　the　same　airs　in　her　with　regard　to　Cardinal　Mazarin　as　she　used　to　display　formerly　in　favour　of　the　Duke　of　Buckingham；　but　at　other　times　she　thought　that　there　was　no　more　between　them　than　a　league　of　friendship。　　The　chief　ground　for　her　conjecture　was　the　impolite　and　almost　rude　way　in　which　the　Cardinal　conversed　with　her　Majesty。　　〃But；　however；〃　said　Madame　de　Chevreuse；　〃when　I　reflect　on　the　Queen's　humour；　all　this　may　admit　of　another　interpretation。　Buckingham　used　to　tell　me　that　he　had　been　in　love　with　three　Queens；　and　was　obliged　to　curb　all　the　three；　therefore　I　cannot　tell　what　to　think　of　the　matter。〃

To　resume　the　history　of　more　public　affairs。　　I　did　not　so　far　please　myself　with　the　figure　I　made　against　the　Prince　（though　I　thought　it　very　much　for　my　honour）；　but　I　saw　clearly　that　I　stood　on　a　dangerous　precipice。

〃Whither　are　we　going？〃　　I　said　to　M。　Bellievre；　who　seemed　to　be　overjoyed　that　the　Prince　had　not　been　able　to　devour　me；　for　whom　do　we　labour？　　I　know　that　we　are　obliged　to　act　as　we　do；　I　know；　too；　that　we　cannot　do　better；　but　should　we　rejoice　at　the　fatal　necessity　which　pushes　us　on　to　exert　an　action　comparatively　good　and　which　will　unavoidably　end　in　a　superlative　evil？〃

〃I　understand　you；〃　said　the　President；　〃and　will　interrupt　you　for　one　moment　to　tell　you　what　I　learned　of　Cromwell〃　（whom　he　had　known　in　England）。　　〃He　told　me　one　day　that　it　is　then　we　are　mounting　highest　when　we　ourselves　do　not　know　whither　we　are　going。〃

〃You　know；　monsieur；〃　said　I　to　Bellievre；　〃that　I　abhor　Cromwell；　and　whatever　is　commonly　reported　of　his　great　parts；　if　he　is　of　this　opinion；　I　must　pronounce　him　a　fool。〃

I　mentioned　this　dialogue　for　no　other　purpose　than　to　observe　how　dangerous　it　is　to　talk　disrespectfully　of　men　in　high　positions；　for　it　was　carried　to　Cromwell；　who　remembered　it　with　a　great　deal　of　resentment　on　an　occasion　which　I　shall　mention　hereafter；　and　said　to　M。　de　Bourdeaux；　Ambassador　of　France；　then　in　England；　〃I　know　but　one　man　in　the　world　who　despises　me；　and　that　is　Cardinal　de　Retz。〃　　This　opinion　of　him　was　likely　to　have　cost　me　very　dear。　　I　return　from　this　digression。

On　the　31st；　Melayer；　valet　de　chambre　to　the　Cardinal；　arrived　with　a　despatch　to　the　Queen；　in　which　were　these　words：　〃Give　the　Prince　de　Conde　all　the　declarations　of　his　innocence　that　he　can　desire；　provided　you　can　but　amuse　him　and　hinder　him　from　giving　you　the　slip。〃

On　the　4th　the　Prince　de　Conde　insisted　in　Parliament　on　a　formal　decree　for　declaring　his　innocence；　which　was　granted；　but　deferred　to　be　published　till　the　7th　of　September　（the　day　that　the　King　came　of　age）；　on　pretence　of　rendering　it　more　authentic　and　solemn　by　the　King's　presence；　but　really　to　gain　time；　and　see　what　influence　the　splendour　of　royalty；　which　was　to　be　clothed　that　day　with　all　the　advantages　of　pomp；　would　have　upon　the　minds　of　the　people。

But　the　Prince　de　Conde；　who　had　reason　to　distrust　both　the　Fronde　and　the　Court；　did　not　appear　at　the　ceremony；　and　sent　the　Prince　de　Conti　to　the　King　to　desire　to　be　excused；　because　the　calumnies　and　treacheries　of　his　enemies　would　not　suffer　him　to　come　to　the　Palace；　adding　that　he　kept　away　out　of　pure　respect　to　his　Majesty。　　This　last　expression；　which　seemed　to　intimate　that　otherwise　he　might　have　gone　thither　without　danger；　provoked　the　Queen　to　that　degree　that　she　said；　〃The　Prince　or　I　must　perish。〃

The　Prince　de　Conde　retired　to　Bourges；further　from　Court。　　He　was　naturally　averse　to　a　civil　war；　nor　would　his　adherents　have　been　more　forward　than　himself　if　they　had　found　their　interests　in　his　reconciliation　to　the　Court；　but　this　seemed　impracticable；　and　therefore　they　agreed　upon　a　civil　war；　because　none　of　them　believed　themselves　powerful　enough　to　conclude　a　peace。　　They　know　nothing　of　the　nature　of　faction　who　imagine　the　head　of　a　party　to　be　their　master。　　His　true　interest　is　most　commonly　thwarted　by　the　imaginary　interests　even　of　his　subalterns；　and　the　worst　of　it　is　that　his　own　honour　sometimes；　and　generally　prudence；　joins　with　them　against　himself。　　The　passions　and　discontent　which　reigned　then　among　the　friends　of　the　Prince　de　Conde　ran　so　high　that　they　were　obliged　to　abandon　him　and　form　a　third　party；　under　the　authority　of　the　Prince　de　Conti；　in　case　the　Prince　accomplished　his　reconciliation　to　the　Court；　according　to　a　proposition　then　made　to　him　in　the　name　of　the　Duc　d'Orleans。　　The　subdivision　of　parties　is　generally　the　ruin　of　all；　especially　when　it　is　introduced　by　cunning　views；　directly　contrary　to　prudence；　and　this　is　what　the　Italians　call；　in　comedy；　a　〃plot　within　a　plot；〃　or　a　〃wheel　within　a　wheel。〃










HISTORIC　COURT　MEMOIRS。

MEMOIRS　OF　JEAN　FRANCOIS　PAUL　de　GONDI；　CARDINAL　DE　RETZ；　V4　Written　by　Himself

Being　Historic　Court　Memoirs　of　the　Great　Events　during　the　Minority　of　Louis　XIV。　and　the　Administration　of　Cardinal　Mazarin。




BOOK　IV。

In　December；　1651；　the　Parliament　agreed　to　the　following　resolution：　To　send　a　deputation　to　the　King　to　inform　him　of　the　rumours　of　Mazarin's　return；　and　to　beseech　him　to　confirm　the　royal　promise　which　he　had　made　to　his　people　upon　that　head；　to　forbid　all　governors　to　give　the　Cardinal　passage；　to　desire　the　King　to　acquaint　the　Pope　and　other　Princes　with　the　reasons　that　had　obliged　him　to　remove　the　Cardinal；　and　to　send　to　all　the　Parliaments　of　the　kingdom　to　make　the　like　decree。

Somebody　making　a　motion　that　a　price　might　be　set　upon　the　Cardinal's　head；　I　and　the　rest　of　the　spiritual　councillors　retired；　because　clergymen　are　forbidden　by　the　canon　law　to　give　their　vote　in　cases　of　life　and　death。

They　agreed　also　to　send　deputies　to　the　King　to　entreat　him　to　write　to　the　Elector　of　Cologne　to　send　the　Cardinal　out　of　his　country；　and　to　forbid　the　magistrates　of　all　cities　to　entertain　any　troops　sent　to　favour　his　return　or　any　of　his　kindred　or　domestics。　　A　certain　councillor　who　said；　very　judiciously；　that　the　soldiers　assembling　for　Mazarin　upon　the　frontiers　would　laugh　at　all　the　decrees　of　Parliament　unless　they　were　proclaimed　to　them　by　good　musketeers　and　pikemen；　was　run　down　as　if　he　had　talked　nonsense；　and　all　the　clamour　was　that　it　belonged　only　to　the　King　to　disband　soldiers。

The　Duc　d'Orleans　acquainted　the　House；　on　the　29th；　that　Cardinal　Mazarin　had　arrived　at　Sedan；　that　Marechals　de　Hoquincourt　and　de　la　Ferte　were　gone　to　join　him　with　their　army　to　bring　him　to　Court；　and　that　it　was　high　time　to　oppose　his　designs。　　Upon　this　it　was　immediately　resolved　that　deputies　should　be　despatched　forthwith　to　the　King；　that　the　Cardinal　and　all　his　adherents　should　be　declared　guilty　of　high　treason；　that　the　common　people　should　be　commanded　to　treat　them　as　such　wherever　they　met　them；　that　his　library　and　all　his　household　goods　should　be　sold；　and　that　150；000　livres　premium　should　be　given　to　any　man　who　should　deliver　up　the　said　Cardinal；　either　dead　or　alive。　Upon　this　expression　all　the　ecclesiastics　retired；　for　the　reason　above　mentioned。

A　new　decree　was　passed　on　the　2d　of　January；　1652；　wherein　it　was　decided　that　all　the　Parliaments　of　France　should　be　invited　to　issue　their　decrees　against　Mazarin；　conformable　to　the　last；　that　two　more　councillors　should　be　added　to　the　four　sent　to　guard　the　rivers　and　to　arm　the　common　people；　and　that　the　troops　of　the　Duc　d'Orleans　should　oppose　the　march　of　Mazarin。

On　the　24th　the　deputies　who　had　been　to　Poitiers　to　remonstrate　with　the　King　against　the　return　of　the　Cardinal；　made　their　report　in　Parliament；　to　the　effect　that　his　Majesty；　after　having　consulted　with　the　Queen　and　her　Council；　returned　for　answer；　that　without　doubt；　when　the　Parliament　issued　their　late　decrees；　they　did　not　know　that　Cardinal　Mazarin　had　made　no　levy　of　soldiers　but　by　his　Majesty's　express　orders；　that　it　was　he　who　commanded　him　to　enter　France　with　his　troops；　and　that　therefore　the　King　did　not　resent　what　the　company　had　done；　but　that；　on　the　other　hand；　he　did　not　doubt　that　when　they　had　heard　the　circumstances　he　had　just　mentioned；　and　knew；　moreover；　that　Cardinal　Mazarin　only　desired　an　opportunity　to　justify　himself；　they　would　not　fail　to　give　all　his　subjects　an　exemplary　proof　of　the　obedience　they　owed　to　him。　　The　Parliament　was　highly　provoked；　and　next　day　resolved　to　admit　no　more　dukes；　peers；　nor　marshals　of　France　till　the　Cardinal　had　left　the　kingdom。

Mazarin；　arriving　at　Court　again；　persuaded　the　King　to　go　to　Saumur；　though　others　advised　him　to　march　to　Guienne　against　the　Prince　de　Conde；　with　whom　the　Duc　d'Orleans　was　now　resolved　to　join　forces。　　The　King　went　from　Saumur　to　Tours；　where　the　Archbishop　of　Rouen　carried　complaints　to　the　King；　in　the　name　of　the　bishops　there；　against　the　decrees　of　Parliament　relating　to　the　Cardinal。

The　Duc　d'Orleans　complained　in　Parliament　against　the　inconsis