the memoirs of louis xiv-02-第2部分

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There　were　many　marriages　this　winter；　and　amongst　them　one　very　strange
a　marriage　of　love；　between　a　brother　of　Feuquiere's；　who　had　never
done　much；　and　the　daughter　of　the　celebrated　Mignard；　first　painter　of
his　time。　　This　daughter　was　still　so　beautiful；　that　Bloin；　chief　valet
of　the　King；　had　kept　her　for　some　time；　with　the　knowledge　of　every　one；
and　used　his　influence　to　make　the　King　sign　the　marriage…contract。

There　are　in　all　Courts　persons　who；　without　wit　and　without
distinguished　birth；　without　patrons；　or　service　rendered；　pierce　into
the　intimacy　of　the　most　brilliant；　and　succeed　at　last；　I　know　not　how；
in　forcing　the　world　to　look　upon　them　as　somebody。　　Such　a　person　was
Cavoye。　　Rising　from　nothing；　he　became　Grand　Marechal　des　Logis　in　the
royal　household：　he　arrived　at　that　office　by　a　perfect　romance。　　He　was
one　of　the　best　made　men　in　France；　and　was　much　in　favour　with　the
ladies。　　He　first　appeared　at　the　Court　at　a　time　when　much　duelling　was
taking　place；　in　spite　of　the　edicts。　　Cavoye；　brave　and　skilful；
acquired　so　much　reputation　m　this　particular；　that　the　name　of　〃Brave
Cavoye〃　has　stuck　to　him　ever　since。　　An　ugly　but　very　good　creature；
Mademoiselle　de　Coetlogon；　one　of　the　Queen's　waiting…women；　fill　in　love
with　him；　even　to　madness。　　She　made　all　the　advances；　but　Cavoye　treated
her　so　cruelly；　nay；　sometimes　so　brutally；　that　（wonderful　to　say）
everybody　pitied　her；　and　the　King　at　last　interfered；　and　commanded　him
to　be　more　humane。　　Cavoye　went　to　the　army；　the　poor　Coetlogon　was　in
tears　until　his　return。　　In　the　winter；　for　being　second　in　a　duel；　he
was　sent　to　the　Bastille。　　Then　the　grief　of　Coetlogon　knew　no　bounds：
she　threw　aside　all　ornaments；　and　clad　herself　as　meanly　as　possible；
she　begged　the　King　to　grant　Cavoye　his　liberty；　and；　upon　the　King's
refusing；　quarrelled　with　him　violently；　and　when　in　return　he　laughed　at
her；　became　so　furious；　that　she　would　have　used　her　nails；　had　he　not
been　too　wise　to　expose　himself　to　them。　　Then　she　refused　to　attend　to
her　duties；　would　not　serve　the　King；　saying；　that　he　did　not　deserve　it；
and　grew　so　yellow　and　ill；　that　at　last　she　was　allowed　to　visit　her
lover　at　the　Bastille。　　When　he　was　liberated；　her　joy　was　extreme；　she
decked　herself　out　anon；　but　it　was　with　difficulty　that　she　consented　to
be　reconciled　to　the　King。

Cavoye　had　many　times　been　promised　an　appointment；　but　had　never
received　one　such　as　he　wished。　　The　office　of　Grand　Marechal　des　Logis
had　just　become　vacant：　the　King　offered　it　to　Cavoye；　but　on　condition
that　he　should　marry　Mademoiselle　Coetlogon。　　Cavoye　sniffed　a　little
longer；　but　was　obliged　to　submit　to　this　condition　at　last。　　They　were
married；　and　she　has　still　the　same　admiration　for　him；　and　it　is
sometimes　fine　fun　to　see　the　caresses　she　gives　him　before　all　the
world；　and　the　constrained　gravity　with　which　he　receives　them。　　The
history　of　Cavoye　would　fill　a　volume；　but　this　I　have　selected　suffices
for　its　singularity；　which　assuredly　is　without　example。

About　this　time　the　King　of　England　thought　matters　were　ripe　for　an
attempt　to　reinstate　himself　upon　the　throne。　　The　Duke　of　Berwick　had
been　secretly　into　England；　where　he　narrowly　escaped　being　arrested；
and　upon　his　report　these　hopes　were　built。　　Great　preparations　were
made；　but　they　came　to　nothing；　as　was　always　the　case　with　the　projects
of　this　unhappy　prince。

Madame　de　Guise　died　at　this　time。　　Her　father　was　the　brother　of　Louis
XIII。；　and　she；　humpbacked　and　deformed　to　excess；　had　married　the　last
Duc　de　Guise；　rather　than　not　marry　at　all。　　During　all　their　lives；　she
compelled　him　to　pay　her　all　the　deference　due　to　her　rank。　　At　table　he
stood　while　she　unfolded　her　napkin　and　seated　herself；　and　did　not　sit
until　she　told　him　to　do　so；　and　then　at　the　end　of　the　table。　　This　form
was　observed　every　day　of　their　lives。　　She　was　equally　severe　in　such
matters　of　etiquette　with　all　the　rest　of　the　world。　　She　would　keep　her
diocesan；　the　Bishop　of　Seez；　standing　for　entire　hours；　while　she　was
seated　in　her　arm…chair　and　never　once　offered　him　a　seat　even　in　the
corner。　　She　was　in　other　things　an　entirely　good　and　sensible　woman。
Not　until　after　her　death　was　it　discovered　that　she　had　been　afflicted
for　a　long　time　with　a　cancer；　which　appeared　as　though　about　to　burst。
God　spared　her　this　pain。

We　lost；　in　the　month　of　March；　Madame　de　Miramion；　aged　sixty…six。　　She
was　a　bourgeoise；　married；　and　in　the　same　year　became　a　widow　very　rich；
young；　and　beautiful。　　Bussy　Rabutin；　so　known　by　his　'Histoire　Amoureuse
des　Gaules'；　and　by　the　profound　disgrace　it　drew　upon　him；　and　still
more　by　the　vanity　of　his　mind　and　the　baseness　of　his　heart；　wished
absolutely　to　marry　her；　and　actually　carried　her　off　to　a　chateau。　　Upon
arriving　at　the　place；　she　pronounced　before　everybody　assembled　there　a
vow　of　chastity；　and　then　dared　Bussy　to　do　his　worst。　　He；　strangely
discomfited　by　this　action；　at　once　set　her　at　liberty；　and　tried　to
accommodate　the　affair。　　From　that　moment　she　devoted　herself　entirely；
to　works　of　piety；　and　was　much　esteemed　by　the　King。　　She　was　the　first
woman　of　her　condition　who　wrote　above　her　door；　〃Hotel　de　Nesmond。〃
Everybody　cried　out；　and　was　scandalised；　but　the　writing　remained；　and
became　the　example　and　the　father　of　those　of　all　kinds　which　little　by
little　have　inundated　Paris。

Madame　de　Sevigne；　so　amiable　and　of　such　excellent　company；　died　some
time　after　at　Grignan；　at　the　house　of　her　daughter；　her　idol；　but　who
merited　little　to　be　so。　　I　was　very　intimate　with　the　young　Marquis　de
Grignan；　her　grandson。　　This　woman；　by　her　natural　graces；　the　sweetness
of　her　wit；　communicated　these　qualities　to　those　who　had　them　not；　she
was　besides　extremely　good；　and　knew　thoroughly　many　things　without　ever
wishing　to　appear　as　though　she　knew　anything。

Father　Seraphin　preached　during　Lent　this　year　at　the　Court。　　His
sermons；　in　which　he　often　repeated　twice　running　the　same　phrase；　were
much　in　vogue。　　It　was　from　him　that　came　the　saying；　〃Without　God　there
is　no　wit。〃　　The　King　was　much　pleased　with　him；　and　reproached　M。　de
Vendome　and　M。　de　la　Rochefoucauld　because　they　never　went　to　hear　his
sermons。　　M。　de　Vendome　replied　off…hand；　that　he　did　not　care　to　go　to
hear　a　man　who　said　whatever　he　pleased　without　allowing　anybody　to　reply
to　him；　and　made　the　King　smile　by　this　sally。　　But　M。　de　la
Rochefoucauld　treated　the　matter　in　another　manner　he　said　that　he　could
not　induce　himself　to　go　like　the　merest　hanger…on　about　the　Court；　and
beg　a　seat　of　the　officer　who　distributed　them；　and　then　betake　himself
early　to　church　in　order　to　have　a　good　one；　and　wait　about　in　order　to
put　himself　where　it　might　please　that　officer　to　place　him。　　Whereupon
the　King　immediately　gave　him　a　fourth　seat　behind　him；　by　the　side　of
the　Grand　Chamberlain；　so　that　everywhere　he　is　thus　placed。
M。　d'Orleans　had　been　in　the　habit　of　seating　himself　there　（although　his
right　place　was　on　the　prie…Dieu）；　and　little　by　little　had　accustomed
himself　to　consider　it　as　his　proper　place。　　When　he　found　himself　driven
away；　he　made　a　great　ado；　and；　not　daring　to　complain　to　the　King；
quarrelled　with　M。　de　la　Rochefoucauld；　who；　until　then；　had　been　one　of
his　particular　friends。　　The　affair　soon　made　a　great　stir；　the　friends
of　both　parties　mixed　themselves　up　in　it。　　The　King　tried　in　vain　to
make　M。　d'Orleans　listen　to　reason；　the　prelate　was　inflexible；　and　when
he　found　he　could　gain　nothing　by　clamour　and　complaint；　he　retired　in
high　dudgeon　into　his　diocese：　he　remained　there　some　time；　and　upon　his
return　resumed　his　complaints　with　more　determination　than　ever；　he　fell
at　the　feet　of　the　King；　protesting　that　he　would　rather　die　than　see　his
office　degraded。　　M。　de　la　Rochefoucauld　entreated　the　King　to　be　allowed
to　surrender　the　seat　in　favour　of　M。　d'Orleans。　　But　the　King　would　not
change　his　decision；　he　said　that　if　the　matter　were　to　be　decided
between　M。　d'Orleans　and　a　lackey；　　he　would　give　the　seat　to　the　lackey
rather　than　to　M。　d'Orleans。　　Upon　this　the　prelate　returned　to　his
diocese；　which　he　would　have　been　wiser　never　to　have　quitted　in　order　to
obtain　a　place　which　did　not　belong　to　him。

As　the　King　really　esteemed　M。　d'Orleans；　he　determined　to　appease　his
anger；　and　to　put　an　end　to　this　dispute　he　gave　therefore　the　bishopric
of　Metz　to　the　nephew　of　M。　d'Orleans；　and　by　this　means　a　reconciliation
was　established。　　M。　d'Orleans　and　M。　de　la　Rochefoucauld　joined　hands
again；　and　the　King　looked　on　delighted。

The　public　lost　soon　after　a　man　illustrious　by　his　genius；　by　his　style；
and　by　his　knowledge　of　men；　I　mean　La　Bruyere；　who　died　of　apoplexy　at
Versailles；　after　having　surpassed　Theophrastus　in　his　own　manner；　and
after　painting；　in　the　new　characters；　the　men　of　our　days　in　a　manner
inimitable。　　He　was　besides　a　very　honest　man；　of　excellent　breeding；
simple；　very　disinterested；　and　without　anything　of　the　pedant。　　I　had
sufficiently　known　him　to　regret　his　death；　and　the　works　that　might　have
been　hoped　from　him。

The　command　of　the　armies　was　distributed　in　the　same　manner　as　before；
with　the　exception　that　M。　de　Choiseul　had　the　army　of　the　Rhine　in　place
of　M。　de　Lorges。　　Every　one　set　out　to　take　the　field。　　The　Duc　de　la
Feuillade　in　passing　by　Metz；　to　join　the　army　in　Germany；　called　upon
his　uncle；　who　was　very　rich　and　in　his　second　childhood。　　La　Feuillade
thought　fit　to　make　sure　of　his　uncle's　money　beforehand；　demanded　the
key　of　the　cabinet　and　of　the　coffers；　broke　them　open　upon　being　refused
by　the　servants；　and　took　away　thirty　thousand　crowns　in　gold；　and　many
jewels；　leaving　untouched　the　silver。　　The　King；　who　for　a　long　time　had
been　much　discontented　with　La　Feuillade　for　his　debauches　and　his
negligence；　spoke　very　strongly　and　very　openly　upon　this　strange
forestalling　of　inheritance。　　It　was　only　with　great　difficulty　he　could
be　persuaded　not　to　strip　La　Feuillade　of　his　rank。

Our　campaign　was　undistinguished　by　any　striking　event。　　From　June　to
September　of　this　year　（1696）；　we　did　l