The　Memoirs　of　Cardinal　de　Retz
  by　Cardinal　de　Retz
  HISTORIC　COURT　MEMOIRS。
  THE　ENTIRE　MEMOIRS　OF　JEAN　FRANCOIS　PAUL　de　GONDI；　CARDINAL　DE　RETZ
  Written　by　Himself
  Being　Historic　Court　Memoirs　of　the　Great　Events　during　the　Minority　of
  Louis　XIV。　and　the　Administration　of　Cardinal　Mazarin。
  ORIGINAL　PREFACE。
  Our　Author；　John　Francis　Paul　de　Gondi；　Cardinal　de　Retz；　Sovereign　of　Commercy；　Prince　of　Euville；　second　Archbishop　of　Paris；　Abbot　of　Saint　Denis　in　France；　was　born　at　Montmirail；　in　Brie；　in　October；　1614。
  His　father　was　Philippe　Emanuel　de　Gondi；　Comte；　de　Joigni；　General　of　the　Galleys　of　France　and　Knight　of　the　King's　Orders；　and　his　mother　was　Frances　Marguerite；　daughter　of　the　Comte　de　Rochepot；　Knight　of　the　King's　Orders；　and　of　Marie　de　Lannoy；　sovereign　of　Commercy　and　Euville。
  Pierre　de　Gondi；　Duc　de　Retz；　was　his　brother；　whose　daughter　was　the　Duchesse　de　Lesdiguieres。
  His　grandfather　was　Albert　de　Gondi；　Duc　de　Retz；　Marquis　de　Belle　Isle；　a　Peer　of　France；　Marshal　and　General　of　the　Galleys；　Colonel　of　the　French　Horse；　First　Gentleman　of　the　Bedchamber；　and　Great　Chamberlain　to　the　Kings　Charles　IX。　and　Henri　III。
  This　history　was　first　printed　in　Paris　in　1705；　at　the　expense　of　the　Duchesse　de　Lesdiguieres；　the　last　of　this　noble　family；　whose　estate　fell　after　her　decease　to　that　of　Villeroy。
  His　preceptor　was　the　famous　Vincent　de　Paul；　Almoner　to　Queen　Anne　of　Austria。
  In　1627　he　was　made　a　Canon　of　the　Cathedral　of　Paris　by　his　uncle；　Jean　Francois　de　Gondi；　first　archbishop　of　that　city；　and　was　not　long　after　created　a　Doctor　of　the　Sorbonne。
  In　1643　he　was　appointed　Coadjutor　of　the　archbishopric　of　Paris；　with　the　title　of　Archbishop　of　Corinth；　during　which；　such　was　his　pastoral　vigilance　that　the　most　important　affairs　of　the　Church　were　committed　to　his　care。
  As　to　his　general　character；　if　we　take　it　from　his　own　Memoirs；　he　had　such　presence　of　mind；　and　so　dexterously　improved　all　opportunities　which　fortune　presented　to　him；　that　it　seemed　as　if　he　had　foreseen　or　desired　them。　　He　knew　how　to　put　a　good　gloss　upon　his　failings；　and　oftentimes　verily　believed　he　was　really　the　man　which　he　affected　to　be　only　in　appearance。　　He　was　a　man　of　bright　parts；　but　no　conduct；　being　violent　and　inconstant　in　his　intrigues　of　love　as　well　as　those　of　politics；　and　so　indiscreet　as　to　boast　of　his　successful　amours　with　certain　ladies　whom　he　ought　not　to　have　named。　　He　affected　pomp　and　splendour；　though　his　profession　demanded　simplicity　and　humility。　　He　was　continually　shifting　parties；　being　a　loyal　subject　one　day　and　the　next　a　rebel；　one　time　a　sworn　enemy　to　the　Prime　Minister；　and　by　and　by　his　zealous　friend；　always　aiming　to　make　himself　formidable　or　necessary。　　As　a　pastor　he　had　engrossed　the　love　and　confidence　of　the　people；　and　as　a　statesman　he　artfully　played　them　off　against　their　sovereign。　　He　studied　characters　thoroughly；　and　no　man　painted　them　in　truer　colours　more　to　his　own　purpose。　　Sometimes　he　confesses　his　weaknesses；　and　at　other　times　betrays　his　self…flattery。
  It　being　his　fate　to　be　imprisoned　by　Mazarin；　first　at　Vincennes　and　then　at　Nantes；　he　made　his　escape　to　Rome；　and　in　1656　retired　to　Franche　Comte；　where　Cardinal　Mazarin　gave　orders　for　his　being　arrested；　upon　which　he　posted　to　Switzerland；　and　thence　to　Constance；　Strasburg；　Ulm；　Augsburg；　Frankfort；　and　Cologne；　to　which　latter　place　Mazarin　sent　men　to　take　him　dead　or　alive；　whereupon　he　retired　to　Holland；　and　made　a　trip　from　one　town　to　another　till　1661；　when；　Cardinal　Mazarin　dying；　our　Cardinal　went　as　far　as　Valenciennes　on　his　way　to　Paris；　but　was　not　suffered　to　come　further；　for　the　King　and　Queen…mother　would　not　be　satisfied　without　his　resignation　of　the　archbishopric　of　Paris；　to　which　he　at　last　submitted　upon　advantageous　terms　for　himself　and　an　amnesty　for　all　his　adherents。　　But　still　the　Court　carried　it　so　severely　to　the　Cardinal　that　they　would　not　let　him　go　and　pay　his　last　devoirs　to　his　father　when　on　his　dying　bed。　　At　length；　however；　after　abundance　of　solicitation；　he　had　leave　to　go　and　wait　upon　the　King　and　Queen；　who；　on　the　death　of　Pope　Alexander　VII。；　sent　him　to　Rome　to　assist　at　the　election　of　his　successor。
  No　wonder　that　King　Charles　II。　of　England　promised　to　intercede　for　the　Cardinal's　reestablishment；　for　when　the　royal　family　were　starving；　as　it　were；　in　their　exile　at　Paris；　De　Retz　did　more　for　them　than　all　the　French　Court　put　together；　and；　upon　the　King's　promise　to　take　the　Roman　Catholics　of　England　under　his　protection　after　his　restoration；　he　sent　an　abbot　to　Rome　to　solicit　the　Pope　to　lend　him　money；　and　to　dispose　the　English　Catholics　in　his　favour。
  He　would　fain　have　returned　his　hat　to　the　new　Pope；　but　his　Holiness；　at　the　solicitation　of　Louis　XIV。；　ordered　him　to　keep　it。　　After　this　he　chose　a　total　retirement；　lived　with　exemplary　piety；　considerably　retrenched　his　expenses；　and　hardly　allowed　himself　common　necessaries；　in　order　to　save　money　to　pay　off　a　debt　of　three　millions；　which　he　had　the　happiness　to　discharge；　and　to　balance　all　accounts　with　the　world　before　his　death；　which　happened　at　Paris　on　the　24th　of　August；　1679；　in　the　65th　year　of　his　age。
  HISTORIC　COURT　MEMOIRS。
  CARDINAL　DE　RETZ。
  BOOK　I。
  MADAME：Though　I　have　a　natural　aversion　to　give　you　the　history　of　my　own　life；　which　has　been　chequered　with　such　a　variety　of　different　adventures；　yet　I　had　rather　sacrifice　my　reputation　to　the　commands　of　a　lady　for　whom　I　have　so　peculiar　a　regard　than　not　disclose　the　most　secret　springs　of　my　actions　and　the　inmost　recesses　of　my　soul。
  By　the　caprice　of　fortune　many　mistakes　of　mine　have　turned　to　my　credit；　and　I　very　much　doubt　whether　it　would　be　prudent　in　me　to　remove　the　veil　with　which　some　of　them　are　covered。　　But　as　I　am　resolved　to　give　you　a　naked；　impartial　account　of　even　the　most　minute　passages　of　my　life　ever　since　I　have　been　capable　of　reflection；　so　I　most　humbly　beg　you　not　to　be　surprised　at　the　little　art；　or；　rather；　great　disorder；　with　which　I　write　my　narrative；　but　to　consider　that；　though　the　diversity　of　incidents　may　sometimes　break　the　thread　of　the　history；　yet　I　will　tell　you　nothing　but　with　all　that　sincerity　which　the　regard　I　have　for　you　demands。　　And　to　convince　you　further　that　I　will　neither　add　to　nor　diminish　from　the　plain　truth；　I　shall　set　my　name　in　the　front　of　the　work。
  False　glory　and　false　modesty　are　the　two　rocks　on　which　men　who　have　written　their　own　lives　have　generally　split；　but　which　Thuanus　among　the　moderns　and　Caesar　among　the　ancients　happily　escaped。　　I　doubt　not　you　will　do　me　the　justice　to　believe　that　I　do　not　pretend　to　compare　myself　with　those　great　writers　in　any　respect　but　sincerity；a　virtue　in　which　we　are　not　only　permitted；　but　commanded；　to　rival　the　greatest　heroes。
  I　am　descended　from　a　family　illustrious　in　France　and　ancient　in　Italy；　and　born　upon　a　day　remarkable　for　the　taking　of　a　monstrous　sturgeon　in　a　small　river　that　runs　through　the　country　of　Montmirail；　in　Brie；　the　place　of　my　nativity。
  I　am　not　so　vain　as　to　be　proud　of　having　it　thought　that　I　was　ushered　into　the　world　with　a　prodigy　or　a　miracle；　and　I　should　never　have　mentioned　this　trifling　circumstance　had　it　not　been　for　some　libels　since　published　by　my　enemies；　wherein　they　affect　to　make　the　said　sturgeon　a　presage　of　the　future　commotions　in　this　kingdom；　and　me　the　chief　author　of　them。
  I　beg　leave　to　make　a　short　reflection　on　the　nature　of　the　mind　of　man。　I　believe　there　never　was　a　more　honest　soul　in　the　world　than　my　father's；　I　might　say　his　temper　was　the　very　essence　of　virtue。　　For　though　he　saw　I　was　too　much　inclined　to　duels　and　gallantry　ever　to　make　a　figure　as　an　ecclesiastic；　yet　his　great　love　for　his　eldest　sonnot　the　view　of　the　archbishopric　of　Paris；　which　was　then　in　his　family　made　him　resolve　to　devote　me　to　the　service　of　the　Church。　　For　he　was　so　conscious　of　his　reasons；　that　I　could　even　swear　he　would　have　protested　from　the　very　bottom　of　his　heart　that　he　had　no　other　motive　than　the　apprehension　of　the　dangers　to　which　a　contrary　profession　might　expose　my　soul。　　So　true　it　is　that　nothing　is　so　subject　to　delusion　as　piety：　all　sorts　of　errors　creep　in　and　hide　themselves　under　that　veil；　it　gives　a　sanction　to　all　the　turns　of　imagination；　and　the　honesty　of　the　intention　is　not　sufficient　to　guard　against　it。　　In　a　word；　after　all　I　have　told　you；　I　turned　priest；　though　it　would　have　been　long　enough　first　had　it　not　been　for　the　following　accident。
  The　Duc　de　Retz；　head　of　our　family；　broke　at　that　time；　by　the　King's　order；　the　marriage　treaty　concluded　some　years　before　between　the　Duc　de　Mercoeur　＇Louis；　Duc　de　Mercoeur；　since　Cardinal　de　Vendome；　father　of　the　Duc　de　Vendome；　and　Grand　Prior；　died　1669。＇　and　his　daughter；　and　next　day　came　to　my　father　and　agreeably　surprised　him　by　telling　him　he　was　resolved　to　give　her　to　his　cousin　to　reunite　the　family。
  As　I　knew　she　had　a　sister　worth　above　80；000　livres　a　year；　I；　th