the memoirs of louis xiv-15-第2部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


in　embarrassment；　strongly　insisted　that　he　must　come　to　some　resolution。
Upon　this　M。　le　Duc　d'Orleans　beckoned　me　over；　and　I　said　to　him　that
hitherto　I　had　always　regarded　the　dismissal　of　the　Marechal　de　Villeroy
as　a　very　dangerous　enterprise；　for　reasons　I　had　several　times　alleged
to　his　Royal　Highness：　but　that　now　whatever　peril　there　might　be　in
undertaking　it；　the　frightful　scene　that　had　just　been　enacted　persuaded
me　that　it　would　be　much　more　dangerous　to　leave　him　near　the　King　than
to　get　rid　of　him　altogether。　　I　added　that　this　was　my　opinion；　since
his　Royal　Highness　wished　to　know　it　without　giving　me　the　time　to
reflect　upon　it　with　more　coolness；　but　as　for　the　execution；　that　must
be　well　discussed　before　being　attempted。

Whilst　I　spoke；　the　Cardinal　pricked　up　his　ears；　turned　his　eyes　upon
me；　sucked　in　all　my　words；　and　changed　colour　like　a　man　who　hears　his
doom　pronounced。　　My　opinion　relieved　him　as　much　as　the　rage　with　which
he　was　filled　permitted。　　M。　le　Duc　d'Orleans　approved　what　I　had　just
said；　and　the　Cardinal；　casting　a　glance　upon　me　as　of　thanks；　said　he
was　the　master；　and　must　choose；　but　that　he　must　choose　at　once；　because
things　could　not　remain　as　they　were。　　Finally；　it　was　agreed　that　the
rest　of　the　day　（it　was　now　about　twelve）　and　the　following　morning
should　be　given　to　reflection　upon　the　matter；　and　that　the　next　day；　at
three　o'clock　in　the　afternoon；　I　should　meet　M。　le　Duc　d'Orleans。

The　next　day　accordingly　I　went　to　M。　le　Prince；　whom　I　found　with　the
Cardinal　Dubois。　　M。　le　Duc　entered　a　moment　after；　quite　full　of　the
adventure。　　Cardinal　Dubois　did　not　fail；　though；　to　give　him　an　abridged
recital　of　it；　loaded　with　comments　and　reflections。　　He　was　more　his　own
master　than　on　the　preceding　day；　having　had　time　to　recover　himself；　we
cherishing　hopes　that　the　Marechal　would　be　sent　to　the　right　about。　　It
was　here　that　I　heard　of　the　brag　of　the　Marechal　de　Villeroy　concerning
the　struggle　he　had　had　with　Dubois；　and　of　the　challenges　and　insults　he
had　uttered　with　a　confidence　which　rendered　his　arrest　more　and　more
necessary。

After　we　had　chatted　awhile；　standing；　Dubois　went　away。　　M。　le　Duc
d'Orleans　sat　down　at　his　bureau；　and　M。　le　Duc　and　I　sat　in　front　of
him。　　There　we　deliberated　upon　what　ought　to　be　done。　　After　a　few　words
of　explanation　from　the　Regent；　he　called　upon　me　to　give　my　opinion。　　I
did　so　as　briefly　as　possible；　repeating　what　I　had　said　on　the　previous
day。　　M。　le　Duc　d'Orleans；　during　my　short　speech；　was　very　attentive；
but　with　the　countenance　of　a　man　much　embarrassed。

As　soon　as　I　had　finished；　he　asked　M。　le　Duc　what　he　thought。　　M。　le　Duc
said　his　opinion　was　mine；　and　that　if　the　Marechal　de　Villeroy　remained
in　his　office　there　was　nothing　for　it　but　to　put　the　key　outside　the
door；　that　was　his　expression。　　He　reproduced　some　of　the　principal
reasons　I　had　alleged；　supported　them；　and　concluded　by　saying　there　was
not　a　moment　to　lose。　　M。　le　Duc　d'Orleans　summed　up　a　part　of　what　had
been　said；　and　agreed　that　the　Marechal　de　Villeroy　must　be　got　rid　of。
M。　le　Duc　again　remarked　that　it　must　be　done　at　once。　　Then　we　set　about
thinking　how　we　could　do　it。

M。　le　Duc　d'Orleans　asked　me　my　advice　thereon。　　I　said　there　were　two
things　to　discuss；　the　pretext　and　the　execution。　　That　a　pretext　was
necessary；　such　as　would　convince　the　impartial；　and　be　unopposed　even　by
the　friends　of　the　Marechal　de　Villeroy；　that　above　all　things　we　had　to
take　care　to　give　no　one　ground　for　believing　that　the　disgrace　of
Villeroy　was　the　fruit　of　the　insults　he　had　heaped　upon　Cardinal　Dubois；
that　outrageous　as　those　insults　might　be；　addressed　to　a　cardinal；　to　a
minister　in　possession　of　entire　confidence；　and　at　the　head　of　affairs；
the　public；　who　envied　him　and　did　not　like　him；　well　remembering　whence
he　had　sprung；　would　consider　the　victim　too　illustrious；　that　the
chastisement　would　overbalance　the　offence；　and　would　be　complained　of；
that　violent　resolutions；　although　necessary；　should　always　have　reason
and　appearances　in　their　favour；　that　therefore　I　was　against　allowing
punishment　to　follow　too　quickly　upon　the　real　offence；　inasmuch　as　M。　le
Duc　d'Orleans　had　one　of　the　best　pretexts　in　the　world　for　disgracing
the　Marechal；　a　pretext　known　by　everybody；　and　which　would　be　admitted
by　everybody。

I　begged　the　Regent　then　to　remember　that　he　had　told　me　several　times　he
never　had　been　able　to　speak　to　the　King　in　private；　or　even　in　a　whisper
before　others；　that　when　he　had　tried；　the　Marechal　de　Villeroy　had　at
once　come　forward　poking　his　nose　between　them；　and　declaring　that　while
he　was　governor　he　would　never　suffer　any　one；　not　even　his　Royal
Highness；　to　address　his　Majesty　in　a　low　tone；　much　lest　to　speak　to　him
in　private。　　I　said　that　this　conduct　towards　the　Regent；　a　grandson　of
France；　and　the　nearest　relative　the　King　had；　was　insolence　enough　to
disgust　every　one；　and　apparent　as　such　at　half　a　glance。　　I　counselled
M。　le　Duc　d'Orleans　to　make　use　of　this　circumstance；　and　by　its　means　to
lay　a　trap　for　the　Marechal　into　which　there　was　not　the　slightest　doubt
he　would　fall。　　The　trap　was　to　be　thus　arranged。　　M。　le　Duc　d'Orleans
was　to　insist　upon　his　right　to　speak　to　the　King　in　private；　and　upon
the　refusal　of　the　Marechal　to　recognise　it；　was　to　adopt　a　new　tone　and
make　Villeroy　feel　he　was　the　master。　　I　added；　in　conclusion；　that　this
snare　must　not　be　laid　until　everything　was　ready　to　secure　its　success。

When　I　had　ceased　speaking；　〃You　have　robbed　me；〃　said　the　Regent；　〃I　was
going　to　propose　the　same　thing　if　you　had　not。　　What　do　you　think　of　it；
Monsieur？〃　regarding　M。　le　Duc。　　That　Prince　strongly　approved　the
proposition　I　had　just　made；　briefly　praised　every　part　of　it；　and　added
that　he　saw　nothing　better　to　be　done　than　to　execute　this　plan　very
punctually。

It　was　agreed　afterwards　that　no　other　plan　could　be　adopted　than　that　of
arresting　the　Marechal　and　sending　him　right　off　at　once　to　Villeroy；　and
then；　after　having　allowed　him　to　repose　there　a　day　or　two；　on　account
of　his　age；　but　well　watched；　to　see　if　he　should　be　sent　on　to　Lyons　or
elsewhere。　　The　manner　in　which　he　was　to　be　arrested　was　to　be　decided
at　Cardinal　Dubois'　apartments；　where　the　Regent　begged　me　to　go　at　once。
I　rose　accordingly；　and　went　there。

I　found　Dubois　with　one　or　two　friends；　all　of　whom　were　in　the　secret　of
this　affair；　as　he；　at　once　told　me；　to　put　me　at　my　ease。　　We　soon
therefore　entered　upon　business；　but　it　would　be　superfluous　to　relate
here　all　that　passed　in　this　little　assembly。　　What　we　resolved　on　was
very　well　executed；　as　will　be　seen。　　I　arranged　with　Le　Blanc；　who　was
one　of　the　conclave；　that　the　instant　the　arrest　had　taken　place；　he
should　send　to　Meudon；　and　simply　inquire　after　me；　nothing　more；　and
that　by　this　apparently　meaningless　compliment；　I　should　know　that　the
Marechal　had　been　packed　off。

I　returned　towards　evening　to　Meudon；　where　several　friends　of　Madame　de
Saint…Simon　and　of　myself　often　slept；　and　where　others；　following　the
fashion　established　at　Versailles　and　Paris；　came　to　dine　or　sup；　so　that
the　company　was　always　very　numerous。　　The　scene　between　Dubois　and
Villeroy　was　much　talked　about；　and　the　latter　universally　blamed。
Neither　then　nor　during　the　ten　days　which　elapsed　before　his　arrest；
did　it　enter　into　the　head　of　anybody　to　suppose　that　anything　worse
would　happen　to　him　than　general　blame　for　his　unmeasured　violence；　so
accustomed　were　people　to　his　freaks；　and　to　the　feebleness　of　M。　le　Duc
d'Orleans。　　I　was　now　delighted；　however；　to　find　such　general
confidence；　which　augmented　that　of　the　Marechal；　and　rendered　more　easy
the　execution　of　our　project　against　him；　punishment　he　more　and　more
deserved　by　the　indecency　and　affectation　of　his　discourses；　and　the
audacity　of　his　continual　challenges。

Three　or　four　days　after；　I　went　to　Versailles；　to　see　M。　le　Duc
d'Orleans。　　He　said　that；　for　want　of　a　better；　and　in　consequence　of
what　I　had　said　to　him　on　more　than　one　occasion　of　the　Duc　de　Charost；
it　was　to　him　he　intended　to　give　the　office　of　governor　of　the　King：
that　he　had　secretly　seen　him　that　Charost　had　accepted　with　willingness
the　post；　and　was　now　safely　shut　up　in　his　apartment　at　Versailles；
seeing　no　one；　and　seen　by　no　one；　ready　to　be　led　to　the　King　the　moment
the　time　should　arrive。　　The　Regent　went　over　with　me　all　the　measures　to
be　taken；　and　I　returned　to　Meudon；　resolved　not　to　budge　from　it　until
they　were　executed；　there　being　nothing　more　to　arrange。

On　Sunday；　the　12th　of　August；　1722；　M。　le　Duc　d'Orleans　went；　towards
the　end　of　the　afternoon；　to　work　with　the　King；　as　he　was　accustomed　to
do　several　times　each　week；　and　as　it　was　summer　time　now；　he　went　after
his　airing；　which　he　always　took　early。　　This　work　was　to　show　the　King
by　whom　were　to　be　filled　up　vacant　places　in　the　church；　among　the
magistrates　and　intendants；　&c。；　and　to　briefly　explain　to　him　the
reasons　which　suggested　the　selection；　and　sometimes　the　distribution　of
the　finances。　　The　Regent　informed　him；　too；　of　the　foreign　news；　which
was　within　his　comprehension；　before　it　was　made　public。　　At　the
conclusion　of　this　labour；　at　which　the　Marechal　de　Villeroy　was　always
present；　and　sometimes　M。　de　Frejus　（when　he　made　bold　to　stop）；　M。　le
Duc　d'Orleans　begged　the　King　to　step　into　a　little　back　cabinet；　where
he　would　say　a　word　to　him　alone。

The　Marechal　de　Villeroy　at　once　opposed。　　M。　le　Duc　d'Orleans；　who　had
laid　this　snare　far　him；　saw　him　fall　into　it　with　satisfaction。　　He
represented　to　the　Marechal　that　the　King　was　approaching　the　age　when　he
would　govern　by　himself；　that　it　was　time　for　him；　who　was　meanwhile　the
depository　of　all　his　authority；　to　inform　him　of　things　which　he　could
understand；　and　which　could　only　be　explained　to　him　alone；　whatever
confidence　might　merit　any　third　person。　　The　Regent　concluded　by　begging
the　Marechal　to　cease　to　place　any　obstacles　in　the　way　of　a　thing　so
necessary　and　so　important；　saying　that　he　had；　perhaps；　to　reproach
himself　for；solely　out　o