the memoirs of louis xiv-01-第5部分

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been　given　rein　to　read　all　he　desired　of　it；　he　might　have　made　〃some
figure　in　the　world。〃　　At　nineteen；　like　D'Artagnan；　he　entered　the
King's　Musketeers。　　At　twenty　he　was　made　a　captain　in　the　cavalry；　and
the　same　year　he　married　the　beautiful　daughter　of　the　Marechal　de
Larges。　　This　marriage；　which　was　purely　political　in　its　inception；
finally　turned　into　a　genuine　love　matcha　pleasant　exception　to　the
majority　of　such　affairs。　　He　became　devoted　to　his　wife；　saying：　〃she
exceeded　all　that　was　promised　of　her；　and　all　that　I　myself　had　hoped。〃
Partly　because　of　this　marriage；　and　also　because　he　felt　himself
slighted　in　certain　army　appointments；　he　resigned　his　commissim　after
five　years'　service；　and　retired　for　a　time　to　private　life。

Upon　his　return　to　Court；　taking　up　apartments　which　the　royal　favour　had
reserved　for　him　at　Versailles；　Saint…Simon　secretly　entered　upon　the
self…appointed　task　for　which　he　is　now　known　to　famea　task　which　the
proud　King　of　a　vainglorious　Court　would　have　lost　no　time　in　terminating
had　it　been　discoveredthe　task　of　judge；　spy；　critic；　portraitist；　and
historian；　rolled　into　one。　　Day　by　day；　henceforth　for　many　years；　he
was　to　set　down　upon　his　private　〃Memoirs〃　the　results　of　his　personal
observations；　supplemented　by　the　gossip　brought　to　him　by　his
unsuspecting　friends；　for　neither　courtier；　statesman；　minister；　nor
friend　ever　looked　upon　those　notes　which　this　〃little　Duke　with　his
cruel；　piercing；　unsatisfied　eyes〃　was　so　busily　penning。　　Says　Vallee：
〃He　filled　a　unique　position　at　Court；　being　accepted　by　all；　even　by　the
King　himself；　as　a　cynic；　personally　liked　for　his　disposition；　enjoying
consideration　on　account　of　the　prestige　of　his　social　connections；
inspiring　fear　in　the　more　timid　by　the　severity　and　fearlessness　of　his
criticism。〃　　Yet　Louis　XIV。　never　seems　to　have　liked　him；　and　Saint…
Simon　owed　his　influence　chiefly　to　his　friendly　relations　with　the
Dauphin's　family。　　During　the　Regency；　he　tried　to　restrain　the
profligate　Duke　of　Orleans；　and　in　return　was　offered　the　position　of
governor　of　the　boy；　Louis　XV。；　which　he　refused。　　Soon　after；　he　retired
to　private　life；　and　devoted　his　remaining　years　largely　to　revising　his
beloved　〃Memoirs。〃　　The　autograph　manuscript；　still　in　existence；　reveals
the　immense　labour　which　he　put　into　it。　　The　writing　is　remarkable　for
its　legibility　and　freedom　from　erasure。　　It　comprises　no　less　than　2；300
pages　in　folio。

After　the　author's　death；　in　1755；　the　secret　of　his　lifelong　labour　was
revealed；　and　the　Duc　de　Choiseul；　fearing　the　result　of　these　frank
revelations；　confiscated　them　and　placed　them　among　the　state　archives。
For　sixty　years　they　remained　under　lock　and　key；　being　seen　by　only　a
few　privileged　persons；　among　them　Marmontel；　Duclos；　and　Voltaire。　　A
garbled　version　of　extracts　appeared　in　1789；　possibly　being　used　as　a
Revolutionary　text。　　Finally；　in　1819；　a　descendant　of　the　analyst；
bearing　the　same　name；　obtained　permission　from　Louis　XVIII。　to　set　this
〃prisoner　of　the　Bastille〃　at　liberty；　and　in　1829　an　authoritative
edition；　revised　and　arranged　by　chapters；　appeared。　　It　created　a
tremendous　stir。　　Saint…Simon　had　been　merciless；　from　King　down　to
lady's　maid；　in　depicting　the　daily　life　of　a　famous　Court。　　He　had
stripped　it　of　all　its　tinsel　and　pretension；　and　laid　the　ragged
framework　bare。　　〃He　wrote　like　the　Devil　for　posterity！〃　　exclaimed
Chateaubriand。　　But　the　work　at　once　became　universally　read　and　quoted；
both　in　France　and　England。　　Macaulay　made　frequent　use　of　it　in　his
historical　essays。　　It　was；　in　a　word；　recognised　as　the　chief　authority
upon　an　important　period　of　thirty　years　（1694…1723）。

Since　then　it　has　passed　through　many　editions；　finally　receiving　an
adequate　English　translation　at　the　hands　of　Bayle　St。　John；　who　has　been
careful　to　adhere　to　the　peculiarities　of　Saint…Simon's　style。　　It　is
this　version　which　is　now　presented　in　full；　giving　us　not　only　many
vivid　pictures　of　the　author's　time；　but　of　the　author　himself。　　〃I　do
not　pride　myself　upon　my　freedom　from　prejudiceimpartiality；〃　he
confesses〃it　would　be　useless　to　attempt　it。　　But　I　have　tried　at　all
times　to　tell　the　truth。〃





　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　VOLUME　1。

CHAPTER　I

Birth　and　Family。Early　Life。Desire　to　join　the　Army。Enter　the
Musketeers。The　Campaign　Commences。Camp　of　Gevries。Siege　of　Namur。
Dreadful　Weather。Gentlemen　Carrying　Corn。Sufferings　during　the
Siege。The　Monks　of　Marlaigne。Rival　Couriers。Naval　Battle。
Playing　with　Fire…arms。A　Prediction　Verified。


CHAPTER　II

The　King's　Natural　Children。Proposed　Marriage　of　the　Duc　de　Chartres。
Influence　of　Dubois。The　Duke　and　the　King。An　Apartment。Announcement
of　the　Marriage。Anger　of　Madame。Household　of　the　Duchess。Villars
and　Rochefort。Friend　of　King's　Mistresses。The　Marriage　Ceremony。
Toilette　of　the　Duchess。Son　of　Montbron。Marriage　of　M。　du　Maine。
Duchess　of　Hanover。Duc　de　Choiseul。La　Grande　Mademoiselle。


CHAPTER　III

Death　of　My　Father。Anecdotes　of　Louis　XIII。The　Cardinal　de
Richelieu。The　Duc　de　Bellegarde。Madame　de　Hautefort。My　Father's
Enemy。His　Services　and　Reward。A　Duel　against　Law。An　Answer　to　a
Libel。M。　de　la　Rochefoucauld。My　Father's　Gratitude　to　Louis　XIII。


CHAPTER　IV

Position　of　the　Prince　of　Orange。Strange　Conduct　of　the　King。Surprise
and　Indignation。Battle　of　Neerwinden。My　Return　to　Paris。Death　of　La
Vauguyon。Symptoms　of　Madness。Vauguyon　at　the　Bastille。Projects　of
Marriage。M。　de　Beauvilliers。A　Negotiation　for　a　Wife。My　Failure。
Visit　to　La　Trappe。


CHAPTER　V

M。　de　Luxembourg's　Claim　of　Precedence。Origin　of　the　Claim。Duc　de
Piney。Character　of　Harlay。Progress　of　the　Trial。Luxembourg　and
Richelieu。Double…dealing　of　Harlay。The　Duc　de　Gesvres。Return　to　the
Seat　of　War。Divers　Operations。Origin　of　These　Memoirs。


CHAPTER　VI

Quarrels　of　the　Princesses。Mademoiselle　Choin。A　Disgraceful　Affair。
M。　de　Noyon。Comic　Scene　at　the　Academie。Anger　and　Forgiveness　of
M。　de　Noyon。M。　de　Noailles　in　Disgrace。How　He　Gets　into　Favour　Again。
M。　de　Vendome　in　Command。Character　of　M。　de　Luxembourg。　The　Trial
for　Precedence　Again。An　Insolent　Lawyer。Extraordinary　Decree。


CHAPTER　VII

Harlay　and　the　Dutch。Death　of　the　Princess　of　Orange。Count
Koenigsmarck。A　New　Proposal　of　Marriage。My　Marriage。That　of　M。　de
Lauzun。Its　Result。La　Fontaine　and　Mignard。Illness　of　the　Marechal
de　Lorges。Operations　on　the　Rhine。Village　of　Seckenheim。An　Episode
of　War。Cowardice　of　M。　du　Maine。Despair　of　the　King；　Who　Takes　a
Knave　in　the　Act。Bon　Mot　of　M。　d'Elboeuf。


CHAPTER　VIII

The　Abbe　de　Fenelon。The　Jansenists　and　St。　Sulpice。Alliance　with
Madame　Guyon。Preceptor　of　the　Royal　Children。Acquaintance　with　Madame
de　Maintenon。Appointment　to　Cambrai。Disclosure　of　Madame　Guyon's
Doctrines。Her　Disgrace。Bossuet　and　Fenelon。Two　Rival　Books。
Disgrace　of　Fenelon。




CHAPTER　I

I　was　born　on　the　night　of　the　15th　of　January；　1675；　of　Claude　Duc　de
Saint…Simon；　Peer　of　France；　and　of　his　second　wife　Charlotte　de
l'Aubepine。　　I　was　the　only　child　of　that　marriage。　　By　his　first　wife；
Diana　de　Budos；　my　father　had　had　only　a　daughter。　　He　married　her　to　the
Duc　de　Brissac；　Peer　of　France；　only　brother　of　the　Duchesse　de　Villeroy。
She　died　in　1684；　without　children；having　been　long　before　separated
from　a　husband　who　was　unworthy　of　herleaving　me　heir　of　all　her
property。

I　bore　the　name　of　the　Vidame　de　Chartres；　and　was　educated　with　great
care　and　attention。　　My　mother；　who　was　remarkable　for　virtue；
perseverance；　and　sense；　busied　herself　continually　in　forming　my　mind
and　body。　　She　feared　for　me　the　usual　fate　of　young　men；　who　believe
their　fortunes　made；　and　who　find　themselves　their　own　masters　early　in
life。　　It　was　not　likely　that　my　father；　born　in　1606；　would　live　long
enough　to　ward　off　from　me　this　danger；　and　my　mother　repeatedly
impressed　on；　me　how　necessary　it　was　for　a　young　man；　the　son　of　the
favourite　of　a　King　long　dead；with　no　new　friends　at　Court；to　acquire
some　personal　value　of　his　own。　　She　succeeded　in　stimulating　my　courage；
and　in　exciting　in　me　the　desire　to　make　the　acquisitions　she　laid　stress
on；　but　my　aptitude　for　study　and　the　sciences　did　not　come　up　to　my
desire　to　succeed　in　them。　　However；　I　had　an　innate　inclination　for
reading；　especially　works　of　history；　and　thus　was　inspired　with　ambition
to　emulate　the　examples　presented　to　my　imagination；to　do　something　and
become　somebody；　which　partly　made　amends　for　my　coldness　for　letters。
In　fact；　I　have　always　thought　that　if　I　had　been　allowed　to　read　history
more　constantly；　instead　of　losing　my　time　in　studies　for　which　I　had　no
aptness；　I　might　have　made　some　figure　in　the　world。

What　I　read　of　my　own　accord；　of　history；　and；　above　all；　of　the　personal
memoirs　of　the　times　since　Francis　I。；　bred　in　me　the　desire　to　write
down　what　I　might　myself　see。　　The　hope　of　advancement；　and　of　becoming
familiar　with　the　affairs　of　my　time；　stirred　me。　　The　annoyances　I　might
thus　bring　upon　myself　did　not　fail　to　present　themselves　to　my　mind；　but
the　firm　resolution　I　made　to　keep　my　writings　secret　from　everybody；
appeared　to　me　to　remedy　all　evils。　　I　commenced　my　memoirs　then　in　July；
1694；　being　at　that　time　colonel　of　a　cavalry　regiment　bearing　my　name；
in　the　camp　of　Guinsheim；　upon　the　old　Rhine；　in　the　army　commanded　by
the　Marechal　Duc　de　Lorges。

In　1691　I　was　studying　my　philosophy　and　beginning　to　learn　to　ride　at　an
academy　at　Rochefort；　getting　mightily　tired　of　masters　and　books；　and
anxious　to　join　the　army。　　The　siege　of　Mons；　formed　by　the　King　in
person；　at　the　commencement　of　the　spring；　had　drawn　away　all　the　young
men　of　my　age　to　commence　their　first　campaign；　and；　what　piqued　me　most；
the　Duc　de　Chartres　was　there；　too。　　I　had　been；　as　it　were；　educated
with　him。　　I　was　younger　than　he　by　eight　months；　and　if　the　expression
be　allowed　in　speaking　of　young　people；　so　unequal　in　position；
friendship　had　united　us。　　I　made　up　my　mind；　therefore；　to　escape　from
my　leading…strings；　but　pass　lightly　over　the　artifices　I　used　in　order
to　attain　success。　　I　addressed　myself　to　my　mother。　　I　so