the memoirs of louis xiv-01-第13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！


rest。　　Without　uncle；　aunt；　cousins…German；　or　near　relatives；　I　found
myself；　I　say；　extremely　solitary。

Among　my　best　friends；　as　he　had　been　the　friend　of　my　father；　was　the
Duc　de　Beauvilliers。　　He　had　always　shown　me　much　affection；　and　I　felt　a
great　desire　to　unite　myself　to　his　family：　My　mother　approved　of　my
inclination；　and　gave　me　an　exact　account　of　my　estates　and　possessions。
I　carried　it　to　Versailles；　and　sought　a　private　interview　with　M。　de
Beauvilliers。　　At　eight　o'clock　the　same　evening　he　received　me　alone　in
the　cabinet　of　Madame　de　Beauvilliers。　　After　making　my　compliments　to
him；　I　told　him　my　wish；　showed　him　the　state　of　my　affairs；　and　said
that　all　I　demanded　of　him　was　one　of　his　daughters　in　marriage；　and　that
whatever　contract　he　thought　fit　to　draw　up　would　be　signed　by　my　mother
and　myself　without　examination。

The　Duke；　who　had　fixed　his　eyes　upon　me　all　this　time；　replied　like　a
man　penetrated　with　gratitude　by　the　offer　I　had　made。　　He　said；　that　of
his　eight　daughters　the　eldest　was　between　fourteen　and　fifteen　years
old；　the　second　much　deformed；　and　in　no　way　marriageable；　the　third
between　twelve　and　thirteen　years　of　age；　and　the　rest　were　children：　the
eldest　wished　to　enter　a　convent；　and　had　shown　herself　firm　upon　that
point。　　He　seemed　inclined　to　make　a　difficulty　of　his　want　of　fortune；
but；　reminding　him　of　the　proposition　I　had　made；　I　said　that　it　was　not
for　fortune　I　had　come　to　him；　not　even　for　his　daughter；　whom　I　had
never　seen；　that　it　was　he　and　Madame　de　Beauvilliers　who　had　charmed　me；
and　whom　I　wished　to　marry！

〃But；〃　said　he；　〃if　my　eldest　daughter　wishes　absolutely　to　enter　a
convent？〃

〃Then；〃　replied　I；　〃I　ask　the　third　of　you。〃　　To　this　he　objected；　on　the
ground　that　if　he　gave　the　dowry　of　the　first　to　the　third　daughter；　and
the　first　afterwards　changed　her　mind　and　wished　to　marry；　he　should　be
thrown　into　an　embarrassment。　　I　replied　that　I　would　take　the　third　as
though　the　first　were　to　be　married；　and　that　if　she　were　not；　the
difference　between　what　he　destined　for　her　and　what　he　destined　for　the
third；　should　be　given　to　me。　　The　Duke；　raising　his　eyes　to　heaven；
protested　that　he　had　never　been　combated　in　this　manner；　and　that　he　was
obliged　to　gather　up　all　his　forces　in　order　to　prevent　himself　yielding
to　me　that　very　instant。

On　the　next　day；　at　half…past　three；　I　had　another　interview　with　M。　de
Beauvilliers。　　With　much　tenderness　he　declined　my　proposal；　resting　his
refusal　upon　the　inclination　his　daughter　had　displayed　for　the　convent；
upon　his　little　wealth；　if；　the　marriage　of　the　third　being　made；　she
should　change　her　mindand　upon　other　reasons。　　He　spoke　to　me　with　much
regret　and　friendship；　and　I　to　him　in　the　same　manner；　and　we　separated；
unable　any　longer　to　speak　to　each　other。　　Two　days　after；　however；　I　had
another　interview　with　him　by　his　appointment。　　I　endeavoured　to　overcome
the　objections　that　he　made；　but　all　in　vain。　　He　could　not　give　me　his
third　daughter　with　the　first　unmarried；　and　he　would　not　force　her；　he
said；　to　change　her　wish　of　retiring　from　the　world。　　His　words；　pious
and　elevated；　augmented　my　respect　for　him；　and　my　desire　for　the
marriage。　　In　the　evening；　at　the　breaking　up　of　the　appointment；　I　could
not　prevent　myself　whispering　in　his　ear　that　I　should　never　live　happily
with　anybody　but　his　daughter；　and　without　waiting　for　a　reply　hastened
away。　　I　had　the　next　evening；　at　eight　o'clock；　an　interview　with　Madame
de　Beauvilliers。　　I　argued　with　her　with　such　prodigious　ardor　that　she
was　surprised；　and；　although　she　did　not　give　way；　she　said　she　would　be
inconsolable　for　the　loss　of　me；　repeating　the　same　tender　and　flattering
things　her　husband　had　said　before；　and　with　the　same　effusion　of
feeling。

I　had　yet　another　interview　with　M。　de　Beauvilliers。　　He　showed　even　more
affection　for　me　than　before；　but　I　could　not　succeed　in　putting　aside
his　scruples。　　He　unbosomed　himself　afterwards　to　one　of　our　friends；　and
in　his　bitterness　said　he　could　only　console　himself　by　hoping　that　his
children　and　mine　might　some　day　intermarry；　and　he　prayed　me　to　go　and
pass　some　days　at　Paris；　in　order　to　allow　him　to　seek　a　truce　to　his
grief　in　my　absence。　　We　both　were　in　want　of　it。　　I　have　judged　it
fitting　to　give　these　details；　for　they　afford　a　key　to　my　exceeding
intimacy　with　M。　de　Beauvilliers；　which　otherwise；　considering　the
difference　in　our　ages；　might　appear　incomprehensible。

There　was　nothing　left　for　me　but　to　look　out　for　another　marriage。　　One
soon　presented　itself；　but　as　soon　fell　to　the　ground；　and　I　went　to　La
Trappe　to　console　myself　for　the　impossibility　of　making　an　alliance　with
the　Duc　de　Beauvilliers。

La　Trappe　is　a　place　so　celebrated　and　so　well　known；　and　its　reformer　so
famous；　that　I　shall　say　but　little　about　it。　　I　will；　however；　mention
that　this　abbey　is　five　leagues　from　La　Ferme…au…Vidame；　or　Arnold；　which
is　the　real　distinctive　name　of　this　Ferme　among　so　many　other　Fetes　in
France；　which　have　preserved　the　generic　name　of　what　they　have　been；
that　is　to　say；　forts　or　fortresses　（'freitas'）。　　My　father　had　been　very
intimate　with　M。　de　la　Trappe；　and　had　taken　me　to　him。

Although　I　was　very　young　then；　M。　de　la　Trappe　charmed　me；　and　the
sanctity　of　the　place　enchanted　me。　　Every　year　I　stayed　some　days　there；
sometimes　a　week　at　a　time；　and　was　never　tired　of　admiring　this　great
and　distinguished　man。　　He　loved　me　as　a　son；　and　I　respected　him　as
though　he　were　any　father。　　This　intimacy；　singular　at　my　age；　I　kept
secret　from　everybody；　and　only　went　to　the　convent　clandestinely。




CHAPTER　V

On　my　return　from　La　Trappe；　I　became　engaged　in　an　affair　which　made　a
great　noise；　and　which　had　many　results　for　me。

M。　de　Luxembourg；　proud　of　his　successes；　and　of　the　applause　of　the
world　at　his　victories；　believed　himself　sufficiently　strong　to　claim
precedence　over　seventeen　dukes；　myself　among　the　number；　to　step；　in
fact；　from　the　eighteenth　rank；　that　he　held　amongst　the　peers；　to　the
second。　　The　following　are　the　names　and　the　order　in　precedence　of　the
dukes　he　wished　to　supersede：

The　Duc　d'Elboeuf；　the　Duc　de　Montbazon；　the　Duc　de　Ventadour；　the　Duc　de
Vendome；　the　Duc　de　la　Tremoille；　the　Duc　de　Sully；　the　Duc　de　Chevreuse；
the　son　（minor）　of　the　Duchesse　de　Lesdiguieres…Gondi；　the　Duc　de
Brissac；　Charles　d'Albert；　called　d'Ailly；　the　Duc　de　Richelieu；　the　Duc
de　Saint…Simon；　the　Duc　de　la　Rochefoucauld；　the　Duc　de　la　Force；　the　Duc
de　Valentinois；　the　Duc　de　Rohan；　the　Duc　de　Bouillon。

To　explain　this　pretension　of　M。　de　Luxembourg；　I　must　give　some　details
respecting　him　and　the　family　whose　name　he　bore。　　He　was　the　only　son　of
M。　de　Bouteville；　and　had　married　a　descendant　of　Francois　de　Luxembourg；
Duke　of　Piney；　created　Peer　of　France　in　1581。　　It　was　a　peerage　which；
in　default　of　male　successors；　went　to　the　female；　but　this　descendant
was　not　heir　to　it。　　She　was　the　child　of　a　second　marriage；　and　by　a
first　marriage　her　mother　had　given　birth　to　a　son　and　a　daughter；　who
were　the　inheritors　of　the　peerage；　both　of　whom　were　still　living。　　The
son　was；　however；　an　idiot；　had　been　declared　incapable　of　attending　to
his　affairs；　and　was　shut　up　in　Saint　Lazare；　at　Paris。　　The　daughter　had
taken　the　veil；　and　was　mistress　of　the　novices　at　the　Abbaye…aux…Bois。
The　peerage　had　thus；　it　might　almost　be　said；　become　extinct；　for　it　was
vested　in　an　idiot；　who　could　not　marry　（to　prevent　him　doing　so；　he　had
been　made　a　deacon；　and　he　was　bound　in　consequence　to　remain　single）；
and　in　a　nun；　who　was　equally　bound　by　her　vows　to　the　same　state　of
celibacy。

When　M。　de　Bouteville；　for　that　was　his　only　title　then；　married；　he　took
the　arms　and　the　name　of　Luxembourg。　　He　did　more。　　By　powerful
influencenotably　that　of　his　patron　the　Prince　de　Condehe　released
the　idiot　deacon　from　his　asylum；　and　the　nun　from　her　convent；　and
induced　them　both　to　surrender　to　him　their　possessions　and　their　titles。
This　done；　he　commenced　proceedings　at　once　in　order　to　obtain　legal
recognition　of　his　right　to　the　dignities　he　had　thus　got　possession　of。
He　claimed　to　be　acknowledged　Duc　de　Piney；　with　all　the　privileges
attached　to　that　title　as　a　creation　of　1581。　　Foremost　among　these
privileges　was　that　of　taking　precedence　of　all　dukes　whose　title　did　not
go　back　so　far　as　that　year。　　Before　any　decision　was　given　either　for　or
against　this　claim；　he　was　made　Duc　de　Piney　by　new　letters　patent；
dating　from　1662；　with　a　clause　which　left　his　pretensions　to　the　title
of　1581　by　no　means　affected　by　this　new　creation。　　M。　de　Luxembourg；
however；　seemed　satisfied　with　what　he　had　obtained；　and　was　apparently
disposed　to　pursue　his　claim　no　further。　　He　was　received　as　Duke　and
Peer　in　the　Parliament；　took　his　seat　in　the　last　rank　after　all　the
other　peers；　and　allowed　his　suit　to　drop。　　Since　then　he　had　tried
successfully　to　gain　it　by　stealth；　but　for　several　years　nothing　more
had　been　heard　of　it。　　Now；　however；　he　recommenced　it；　and　with　every
intention；　as　we　soon　found；　to　stop　at　no　intrigue　or　baseness　in　order
to　carry　his　point。

Nearly　everybody　was　in　his　favour。　　The　Court；　though　not　the　King；　was
almost　entirely　for　him；　and　the　town；　dazzled　by　the　splendour　of　his
exploits；　was　devoted　to　him。　　The　young　men　regarded　him　as　the
protector　of　their　debauches；　for；　notwithstanding　his　age；　his　conduct
was　as　free　as　theirs。　　He　had　captivated　the　troops　and　the　general
officers。

In　the　Parliament　he　had　a　staunch　supporter　in　Harlay；　the　Chief
President；　who　led　that　great　body　at　his　will；　and　whose　devotion　he　had
acquired　to　such　a　degree；　that　he　believed　that　to　undertake　and　succeed
were　only　the　same　things；　and　that　this　grand　affair　would　scarcely　cost
him　a　winter　to　carry。

Let　me　say　something　more　of　this　Harlay。

Descended　from　two　celebrated　magistrates；　Achille　d'Harlay　and
Christopher　De　Thou；　Harlay　imitated　their　gravity；　but　carried　it　to　a
cynical　extent；　affected　their　disinterestedness　and　modesty；　but
dishonoured　the　first　by　his　conduct；　and　the　second　by　a　refin