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the memoirs of cardinal de retz-第76章

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〃You are able to do anything to…night and tomorrow morning; but I cannot answer how it may be in the evening。〃

M。 de Beaufort; who thought that I was going to argue for the offensive; fell in roundly with me to second me; but I stopped him short by telling him he mistook my meaning。

〃I shall never presume;〃 said I; 〃to give advice in the condition things are now in。  The Duke himself must decide; and even propose; too; and it is our business to perform his commands。〃

Then he said; 〃If I should resolve to brave it out; will you declare for me?〃

〃Yes;〃 I said; 〃it is what I ought in duty to do。  I am attached to your service; in which I shall certainly not be wanting; and you need only to command me。  But I am very much grieved that; considering the present state of affairs; an honest man cannot act the honest part; do what he may。〃

The Duke; who was by nature good; but not very tender; could not help being moved at what I said; the tears came into his eyes; he embraced me; and asked me if I thought he could secure the King's person。  I told him that nothing was more impossible。  I found at length that he was inclined to obey; but he bade us keep our friends together in readiness; and to be with him at break of day。  However; he set out for Limours an hour sooner than he had told us; and left word that he had his reasons for so doing; which we should know another day; advising us; if possible; to make our peace with the Court。

On the 22d the King held his Bed of Justice; at the Louvre; where he published the amnesty; as also an order for reestablishing the Parliament at Paris; in which there was a clause forbidding them to meddle with State affairs。  At the same time he caused a declaration to be published ordering MM。 de Beaufort; Rohan; Viole; de Thou; Broussel; Portail; Bitaud; Croissi; Machaut; Fleury; Martineau; and Perraut to depart the city。

The Court now began to offer me terms of reconciliation。  I was desirous that as many of my friends as possible should be included; but Caumartin; who was in the secret of affairs; told me there were no hopes of procuring any advantages for particular persons; that all that could be done was to save the ship for another voyage; and that this ship; which was myself; could be saved in no other way; in the condition into which our affairs were fallen by the Duc d'Orleans's want of resolution; but by launching out into the main; and steering towards Rome。  〃You stand;〃 said he; 〃as it were; on the point of a needle; and if the Court knew their strength they would rout you as they do the rest; your courage gives you an air that both deceives and disquiets them。  Make use of the present opportunity for obtaining what may be serviceable to you in your employ at Rome; for the Court will deny you nothing。〃

Montresor; hearing of it; said to me afterwards; with an oath; 〃He is a villain who says your Eminence can make your peace honourably without making terms for your friends; he who affirms the contrary does it for his own private ends。〃  Therefore I refused the offers made me by Servien; which were that the King would resign his affairs in Italy to my care; and allow me a pension of 50;000 crowns; that I should have 100;000 crowns towards paying off my debts; and 50;000 in hand towards furniture; that I should continue three years at Rome; and then return to resume my functions at Paris。

The Princess Palatine told me I ought either to accept or else treat with the Cardinal; since all the subalterns were against me。  Madame de Lesdiguieres advised me to preserve my equanimity and keep within doors; adding that the Cardinal; who was impatient to return to Paris; but durst not as long as I stayed; would make me a bridge of gold to go out and agree to whatever I demanded。  Accordingly; I sent my proposals to the Cardinal; who was then lurking in Turenne's army upon the frontiers; and desired such and such posts for my friends。  Meantime Servien and the Abbe Fouquet endeavoured to exasperate the Queen by telling her that I was continually caballing with the annuitants and officers of the militia; and because I refused to go to Parliament; in obedience to the King's orders; when he held his Court of Justice there to register the declaration of high treason against the Prince de Conde; the Queen was made to believe that I was intriguing for the Prince; and therefore resolved to ruin me; cost what it would。  One officer posted men in a house near Madame de Pommereux's; to attack me; another was employed to get intelligence at what time of night I was in the habit of visiting her; a third had an order; signed by the King; to attack me in the street and bring me off dead or alive。  An unknown person advised me not to go that day to Rambouillet; but I went with two hundred gentlemen; and found a great many officers of the Guards; who; whatever were their orders; were in no condition to attack me; and received me with reverence; but I blamed myself for it afterwards; because it only tended to incense the Court the more against me。

Upon All Saints' Day I preached at Saint Germain; which is the King's parish; where their Majesties did me the honour to be present; for which I went next day to return them thanks; but finding that the cautions sent me from all quarters multiplied very fast; I did not go to the Louvre till the 19th of December; when I was arrested in the Queen's antechamber by the captain of the Guards then in waiting; who carried me into an apartment where the officers of the kitchen brought me dinner; of which I ate heartily; to the mortification of the base courtiers; though I did not take it kindly to see my pockets turned inside out as if I had been a cutpurse。  This ceremony; which is not common; was performed by the captain; but he found nothing except a letter from the King of England; desiring me to try if the Court of Rome would assist him with money。 When this letter came to be talked of; it was maliciously reported that it came from the Protector。  I was carried in one of the King's coaches; under guard; to Vincennes。  As we passed we found at several of the gates a battalion of Swiss with their pikes presented towards the city; where everybody was quiet; though their sorrow and consternation were visible enough。  I was afterwards informed; however; that all the butchers in the veal market were going to take up arms; and that they might have made barricades there with all the ease in the world; only they were restrained for fear that I should have paid for their tumult with the loss of my life; so that the women remained in tears; and the men stood stock…still in a fright。  I was confined at Vincennes for a fortnight together; in a room as big as a church; without any firing。  My guards pilfered my; linen; apparel; shoes; etc。; so that sometimes I was forced to lie in bed for a week or ten days together for want of clothes to dress myself。  I could not but think that such treatment had been ordered by the higher powers on purpose to break my heart; but I resolved not to die that way; and though my guard said all he could to vex me; I affected to take no notice。

The influence of the clergy of Paris obliged the Court to explain itself concerning the cau
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