the memoirs of cardinal de retz-第51节

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I　said　that　I　did　not　come　to　receive　favours；　but　to　try　to　merit　them。

At　this　the　Queen's　countenance　began　to　brighten；　and　she　said；　very　softly；　〃What　is　it；　then；　that　you　will　do？〃

〃Madame；〃　said　I；　〃I　will　oblige　the　Prince；　before　a　week　is　at　an　end；　to　leave　Paris；　and　I　will　detach　the　Duke　from　his　interest　to…morrow。〃

The　Queen；　overjoyed；　held　out　her　hand　and　said；　〃Give　me　yours；　and　I　promise　you　that　you　shall　be　cardinal　the　next　day；　and　the　second　man　in　my　friendship。〃　　She　desired　also　that　Mazarin　and　I　might　be　good　friends；　but　I　answered　that　the　least　touch　upon　that　string　would　put　me　out　of　tune　and　render　me　incapable　of　doing　her　any　service；　therefore　I　conjured　her　to　let　me　still　enjoy　the　character　of　being　his　enemy。

〃Was　anything；〃　said　the　Queen；　〃ever　so　strange　and　unaccountable？　　Can　you　not　possibly　serve　me　without　being　the　enemy　of　him　in　whom　I　most　confide？〃

I　told　her　it　must　needs　be　so。　　〃Madame；〃　I　said；　〃I　humbly　beseech　your　Majesty　to　let　me　tell　you　that；　as　long　as　the　place　of　Prime　Minister　is　not　filled　up；　the　Prince　will　increase　in　power　on　pretence　that　it　is　kept　vacant　to　receive　the　Cardinal　by　a　speedy　restoration。〃

〃You　see；〃　said　her　Majesty；　〃how　the　Prince　treats　me；　he　has　insulted　me　ever　since　I　disowned　my　two　traitors；Servien　and　Lionne。〃　　I　took　the　opportunity　while　she　was　flushed　with　anger　to　make　my　court　to　her　by　saying　that　before　two　days　were　at　an　end　the　Prince　should　affront　her　no　longer。　　But　the　tenderness　she　had　for　her　beloved　Cardinal　made　her　unwilling　to　consent　that　I　should　continue　to　exclaim　against　his　Eminence　in　Parliament；　where　one　was　obliged　to　handle　him　very　roughly　almost　every　quarter　of　an　hour。　　She　bade　me　remember　that　it　was　the　Cardinal　who　had　solicited　my　nomination。　　I　answered　that　I　was　highly　obliged　to　his　Eminence　upon　that　score；　and　that　I　was　ready　to　give　him　proofs　of　my　acknowledgment　in　anything　wherein　my　honour　was　not　concerned；　but　that　I　should　be　a　double…dealer　if　I　promised　to　contribute　to　his　reestablishment。　　Then　she　said；　〃Go！　you　are　a　very　devil。　　See　Madame　Palatine；　and　let　me　hear　from　you　the　night　before　you　go　to　the　Parliament。〃

I　do　not　think　I　was　in　the　wrong　to　refuse　her　offer。　　We　must　never　jest　with　proffered　service；　for　if　it　be　real；　we　can　never　embrace　it　too　much；　but　if　false；　we　can　never　keep　at　too　great　a　distance。　I　lamented　to　the　public　the　sad　condition　of　our　affairs；　which　had　obliged　me　to　leave　my　dear　retirement；　where；　after　so　much　disturbance　and　confusion；　I　hoped　to　enjoy　comfortable　rest；　that　we　were　falling　into　a　worse　condition　than　we　were　in　before；　because　the　State　suffered　more　by　the　daily　negotiations　carried　on　with　Mazarin　than　it　had　done　by　his　administrations；　and　that　the　Queen　was　still　buoyed　up　with　hopes　of　his　reestablishment。

The　Prince　de　Conde　having　inflamed　the　Parliament；　to　make　himself　more　formidable　to　the　Queen　and　Court；　some　new　scenes　were　opened　every　day。　At　one　time　they　sent　to　the　provinces　to　inform　against　the　Cardinal；　at　another　time　they　made　search　after　his　effects　at　Paris。

I　went　one　day　with　four　hundred　men　in　my　company　to　the　Parliament　House；　where　the　Prince　de　Conde　inveighed　against　the　exportation　of　money　out　of　the　kingdom　by　the　Cardinal's　banker。　　But　afterwards　I　absented　myself　for　awhile　from　Parliament；　which　made　me　suspected　of　being　less　an　enemy　to　the　Cardinal；　and　I　was　pelted　with　a　dozen　or　fifteen　libels　in　the　space　of　a　fortnight；　by　a　fellow　whose　nose　had　been　slit　for　writing　a　lampoon　against　a　lady　of　quality。　　I　composed　a　short　but　general　answer　to　all；　entitled　〃An　Apology　for　the　Ancient　and　True　Fronde。〃　　There　was　a　strong　paper　war　between　the　old　and　new　Fronde　for　three　or　four　months；　but　afterwards　they　united　in　the　attack　on　Mazarin。　　There　were　about　sixty　volumes　of　tracts　written　during　the　civil　war；　but　I　am　sure　that　there　are　not　a　hundred　sheets　worth　reading。

I　was　sent　for　again　to　another　private　conference　with　the　Queen；　who；　dreading　an　arrangement　with　the　Prince　de　Conde；　was　for　his　being　arrested；　and　advised　me　to　consider　how　it　might　be　done。　　It　seems　that　M。　Hoquincourt　had　offered　to　kill　him　in　the　street；　as　the　shortest　way　to　be　rid　of　him；　for　she　desired　me　to　confer　about　it　with　Hoquincourt；　〃who　will；〃　said　she；　〃show　you　a　much　surer　way。〃　　The　Queen；　nevertheless；　would　not　own　she　had　ever　such　a　thought；　though　she　was　heard　to　say；　〃The　Coadjutor　is　not　a　man　of　so　much　courage　as　I　took　him　for。〃

The　next　day　I　was　informed　that　the　Queen　could　endure　the　Prince　no　longer；　and　that　she　had　advices　that　he　had　formed　a　design　to　seize　the　King；　that　he　had　despatched　orders　to　Flanders　to　treat　with　the　Spaniards；　and　that　either　he　or　she　must　be　ruined；　that　she　was　not　for　shedding　blood；　and　that　what　Hoquincourt　proposed　was　far　from　it；　because　he　promised　to　secure　the　Prince　without　striking　a　blow　if　I　would　answer　for　the　people。

The　Parliament　continued　to　prosecute　Mazarin；　who　was　convicted　of　embezzling　some　nine　millions　of　the　public　money。　　The　Prince　assembled　the　Chambers；　and　persuaded　them　to　issue　a　new　decree　against　all　those　of　the　Court　party　who　held　correspondence　with　the　said　Cardinal。

The　Prince　de　Conde；　being　uneasy　at　seeing　Mazarin's　creatures　still　at　Court；　retired　to　Saint　Maur　on　the　6th　of　July；　1651。　　On　the　7th　the　Prince　de　Conti　acquainted　the　Parliament　with　the　reasons　for　his　departure；　and　talked　in　general　of　the　warnings　he　had　received　from　different　hands　of　a　design　the　Court　had　formed　against　his　life；　adding　that　his　brother　could　not　be　safe　at　Court　as　long　as　Tellier；　Servien；　and　Lionne　were　not　removed。　　There　was　a　very　hot　debate　in　the　ensuing　session　between　the　Prince　de　Conti　and　the　First　President。　　The　latter　talked　very　warmly　against　his　retreat　to　Saint　Maur；　and　called　it　a　melancholy　prelude　to　a　civil　war。　　He　hinted　also　that　the　said　Prince　was　the　author　of　the　late　disturbances；　upon　which　the　Prince　de　Conti　threatened　that　had　he　been　in　any　other　place　he　would　have　taught　him　to　observe　the　respect　due　to　Princes　of　the　blood。　　The　First　President　said　that　he　did　not　fear　his　threats；　and　that　he　had　reason　to　complain　of　his　Royal　Highness　for　presuming　to　interrupt　him　in　a　place　where　he　represented　the　King's　person。　　Both　parties　were　now　in　hot　blood；　and　the　Duke；　who　was　very　glad　to　see　it；　did　not　interpose　till　he　could　not　avoid　it；　and　then　he　told　them　both　that　they　should　endeavour　to　keep　their　temper。

On　the　14th　of　July　a　decree　was　passed；　upon　a　motion　made　by　the　Duc　d'Orleans；　that　the　thanks　of　the　Parliament　should　be　presented　to　her　Majesty　for　her　gracious　promise　that　the　Cardinal　should　never　return；　that　she　should　be　most　humbly　entreated　to　send　a　declaration　to　Parliament；　and　likewise　to　give　the　Prince　de　Conde　all　the　necessary　securities　for　his　return；　and　that　those　persons　who　kept　up　correspondence　with　Mazarin　should　be　immediately　prosecuted。

On　the　18th　the　First　President　carried　the　remonstrances　of　the　Parliament　to　the　Queen；　and　though　he　took　care　to　keep　within　the　terms　of　the　decree；　by　not　naming　the　under　ministers；　yet　he　pointed　them　out　in　such　a　manner　that　the　Queen　complained　bitterly；　saying　that　the　First　President　was　〃an　unaccountable　man；　and　more　vexatious　than　any　of　the　malcontents。〃

When　I　took　the　liberty　to　show　her　that　the　representative　of　an　assembly　could　not；　without　prevarication；　but　deliver　the　thoughts　of　the　whole　body；　though　they　might　be　different　from　his　own；　she　replied；　very　angrily；　〃These　are　mere　republican　maxims。〃

I　will　give　you　an　account　of　the　success　of　the　remonstrances　after　I　have　related　an　adventure　to　you　which　happened　at　the　Parliament　House　during　these　debates。

The　importance　of　the　subject　drew　thither　a　large　number　of　ladies　who　were　curious　to　hear　what　passed。　　Madame　and　Mademoiselle　de　Chevreuse；　with　many　other　ladies；　were　there　the　evening　before　the　decree　was　passed；　but　they　were　singled　out　from　the　rest　by　one　Maillard；　a　brawling　fellow；　hired　by　the　Prince's　party。　　As　ladies　are　commonly　afraid　of　a　crowd；　they　stayed　till　the　Duc　d'Orleans　and　the　rest　were　gone　out；　but　when　they　came　into　the　hall　they　were　hooted　by　twenty　or　thirty　ragamuffins　of　the　same　quality　as　their　leader；　who　was　a　cobbler。　　I　knew　nothing　of　it　till　I　came　to　the　Palace　of　Chevreuse；　where　I　found　Madame　de　Chevreuse　in　a　rage　and　her　daughter　in　tears。　I　endeavoured　to　comfort　them　by　the　assurance　that　I　would　take　care　to　get　the　scoundrels　punished　in　an　exemplary　manner　that　very　day。　　But　these　were　too　inconsiderable　victims　to　atone　for　such　an　affront；　and　were　therefore　rejected　with　indignation。　　The　blood　of　Bourbon　only　could　make　amends　for　the　injury　done　to　that　of　Lorraine。　　These　were　the　very　words　of　Madame　de　Chevreuse。　　They　resolved　at　last　upon　this　expedition；to　go　again　next　morning　to　the　House；　but　so　well　accompanied　as　to　be　in　a　condition　of　making　themselves　respected；　and　of　giving　the　Prince　de　Conti　to　understand　that　it　was　to　his　int