ough　nothing　was　more　easy；　as　you　have　seen；　yet　it　looked　grand；　and　all　acts　of　this　nature　are　very　successful　because　they　are　attended　with　dignity　without　any　odium。　　That　which　generally　draws　an　unaccountable　odium　upon　even　the　most　necessary　actions　of　statesmen；　is　that；　in　order　to　compass　them；　they　are　commonly　obliged　to　struggle　with　very　great　difficulties；　which；　when　they　are　surmounted；　are　certain　to　render　them　objects　both　of　envy　and　hatred。　　When　a　considerable　occasion　offers；　where　there　is　no　victory　to　be　gained　because　there　is　no　difficulty　to　encounter；　which　is　very　rare；　it　gives　a　lustre　to　the　authority　of　ministers　which　is　pure；　innocent；　and　without　a　shadow；　and　not　only　establishes　it；　but　casts　upon　their　administration　the　merit　of　actions　which　they　have　no　hand　in；　as　well　as　those　of　which　they　have。
  When　the　world　saw　that　the　Cardinal　had　apprehended　the　man　who　had　lately　brought　the　King　back　to　Paris　with　inconceivable　pride；　men's　imaginations　were　seized　with　an　astonishing　veneration。　　People　thought　themselves　much　obliged　to　the　Minister　that　some　were　not　sent　to　the　Bastille　every　week；　and　the　sweetness　of　his　temper　was　sure　to　be　commended　whenever　he　had　not　an　opportunity　of　doing　them　harm。　　It　must　be　owned　that　he　had　the　art　of　improving　his　good　luck　to　the　best　advantage。　　He　made　use　of　all　the　outward　appearances　necessary　to　create　a　belief　that　he　had　been　forced　to　take　violent　measures；　and　that　the　counsels　of　the　Duc　d'Orleans　and　the　Prince　de　Conde　had　determined　the　Queen　to　reject　his　advice；　the　day　following　he　seemed　to　be　more　moderate；　civil；　and　frank　than　before；　he　gave　free　access　to　all；　audiences　were　easily　had；　it　was　no　more　to　dine　with　him　than　with　a　private　gentleman。　　He　had　none　of　that　grand　air　so　common　to　the　meaner　cardinals。　　In　short；　though　he　was　at　the　head　of　everybody；　yet　he　managed　as　if　he　were　only　their　companion。　　That　which　astonishes　me　most　is　that　the　princes　and　grandees　of　the　kingdom；　who；　one　might　expect；　would　be　more　quick…sighted　than　the　common　people；　were　the　most　blinded。
  The　Duc　d'Orleans　and　the　Prince　de　Condethe　latter　attached　to　the　Court　by　his　covetous　temperthought　themselves　above　being　rivalled；　the　Duke＇Henri　de　Bourbon；　Duc　d'Enghien；　born　1646；　died　1686。　　We　shall　often　speak　of　him　in　this　history。＇was　old　enough　to　take　his　repose　under　the　shadow　of　his　laurels；　M。　de　Nemours＇Charles　Amadeus　of　Savoy；　killed　in　a　duel　by　M。　de　Beaufort；　1650。＇was　but　a　child；　M。　de　Guise；　lately　returned　from　Brussels；　was　governed　by　Madame　de　Pons；　and　thought　to　govern　the　whole　Court；　M。　de　Schomberg　complied　all　his　life　long　with　the　humour　of　those　who　were　at　the　helm；　M。　de　Grammont　was　a　slave　to　them。　　The　Parliament；　being　delivered　from　the　tyranny　of　Richelieu；　imagined　the　golden　age　was　returning；　being　daily　assured　by　the　Prime　Minister　that　the　Queen　would　not　take　one　step　without　them。　　The　clergy；　who　are　always　great　examples　of　slavish　servitude　themselves；　preached　it　to　others　under　the　plausible　title　of　passive　obedience。　　Thus　both　clergy　and　laity　were；　in　an　instant；　become　the　devotees　of　Mazarin。
  Being　ordered　by　my　Lord　Archbishop　of　Paris　to　take　care　of　his　diocese　in　his　absence；　my　first　business　was；　by　the　Queen's　express　command；　to　visit　the　Nuns　of　the　Conception；　where；　knowing　that　there　were　above　fourscore　virgins；　many　of　whom　were　very　pretty　and　some　coquettes；　I　was　very　loth　to　go　for　fear；　of　exposing　my　virtue　to　temptation；　but　I　could　not　be　excused；　so　I　went；　and　preserved　my　virtue；　to　my　neighbour's　edification；　because　for　six　weeks　together　I　did　not　see　the　face　of　any　one　of　the　nuns；　nor　talked　to　any　of　them　but　when　their　veils　were　down；　which　gave　me　a　vast　reputation　for　chastity。　I　continued　to　perform　all　the　necessary　functions　in　the　diocese　as　far　as　the　jealousy　of　my　uncle　would　give　me　leave；　and；　forasmuch　as　he　was　generally　so　peevish　that　it　was　a　very　hard　matter　to　please　him；　I　at　length　chose　to　sit　still　and　do　nothing。　　Thus　I　made　the　best　use　imaginable　of　my　uncle's　ill…nature；　being　sure　to　convince　him　of　my　honest　intentions　upon　all　occasions；　whereas　had　I　been　my　own　master；　the　rules　of　good　conduct　would　have　obliged　me　to　confine　myself　to　things　in　their　own　nature　practicable。
  The　Cardinal　Mazarin　confessed　to　me；　many　years　afterwards；　that　this　conduct　of　mine　in　managing　the　affairs　of　the　diocese；　though　it　did　him　no　injury；　was　the　first　thing　that　made　him　jealous　of　my　growing　greatness　in　Paris。　　Another　thing　alarmed　him　with　as　little　reason；　and　that　was　my　undertaking　to　examine　the　capacity　of　all　the　priests　of　my　diocese；　a　thing　of　inconceivable　use　and　importance。　　For　this　end　I　erected　three　tribunals；　composed　of　canons；　curates；　and　men　of　religious　orders；　who　were　to　reduce　all　the　priests　under　three　different　classes；　whereof　the　first　was　to　consist　of　men　well　qualified；　who　were　therefore　to　be　left　in　the　exercise　of　their　functions；　the　second　was　to　comprehend　those　who　were　not　at　present；　but　might　in　time　prove　able　men；　and　the　third　of　such　men　as　were　neither　now　nor　ever　likely　to　become　so。　　The　two　last　classes；　being　separated　from　the　first；　were　not　to　exercise　their　functions；　but　were　lodged　in　separate　houses；　those　of　the　second　class　were　instructed　in　the　doctrine；　but　the　third　only　in　the　practice　of　piety。　　As　this　could　not　but　be　very　expensive；　the　good　people　opened　their　purses　and　contributed　liberally。　　The　Cardinal　was　so　disturbed　when　he　heard　of　it　that　he　got　the　Queen　to　send　for　my　uncle　upon　a　frivolous　occasion；　who；　for　reasons　as　frivolous；　ordered　me　to　desist。　　Though　I　was　very　well　informed；　by　my　good　friend　the　Almoner；　that　the　blow　came　from　Court；　I　bore　it　with　a　great　deal　more　patience　than　was　consistent　with　a　man　of　my　spirit；　for　I　did　not　seem　to　take　the　least　notice　of　it；　but　was　as　gracious　to　the　Cardinal　as　ever。　　But　I　was　not　so　wary　in　another　case　which　happened　some　time　after；　for　honest　Morangis　telling　me　I　was　too　extravagant；　which　was　but　too　true；　I　answered　him　rashly；　〃I　have　made　a　calculation　that　Caesar；　when　at　my　age；　owed　six　times　as　much。〃　　This　remark　was　carried；　unluckily；　by　a　doctor　then　present；　to　M。　Servien；　who　told　it　maliciously　to　the　Cardinal；　who　made　a　jest　of　it；　as　he　had　reason　to　do；　but　he　took　notice　of　it；　for　which　I　cannot　blame　him。
  In　1645　I　was　invited；　as　a　diocesan；　to　the　assembly　of　the　clergy；　which；　I　may　truly　say；　was　the　rock　whereon　the　little　share　of　favour　I　had　at　Court　was　cast　away。　　Cardinal　de　Richelieu　had　given　a　cruel　blow　to　the　dignity　and　liberty　of　the　clergy　in　the　assembly　of　Mantes；　and；　with　very　barbarous　circumstances；　had　banished　six　of　his　most　considerable　prelates。　　It　was　resolved　in　this　assembly　of　1645　to　make　them　some　amends　for　their　firmness　on　that　occasion　by　inviting　them　to　come　and　take　their　placesthough　they　were　not　deputedamong　their　brethren。　　When　this　was　first；　proposed　in　the　assembly；　nobody　dreamt　that　the　Court　would　take　offence　at　it；　and　it　falling　to　my　turn　to　speak　first；　I　proposed　the　said　resolution；　as　it　had　been　concerted　betwixt　us　before　in　private　conversation；　and　it　was　unanimously　approved　of　by　the　assembly。
  At　my　return　home　the　Queen's　purse…bearer　came　to　me　with　an　order　to　attend　her　Majesty　forthwith；　which　I　accordingly　obeyed。　　When　I　came　into　her　presence　she　said　she　could　not　have　believed　I　would　ever　have　been　wanting　in　my　duty　to　that　degree　as　to　wound　the　memory　of　the　late　King；　her　lord。　　I　had　such　reasons　to　offer　as　she　could　not　herself　confute；　and　therefore　referred　me　to　the　Cardinal；　but　I　found　he　understood　those　things　no　better　than　her　Majesty。　　He　spoke　to　me　with　the　haughtiest　air　in　the　world；　refused　to　hear　my　justification；　and　commanded　me　in　the　King's　name　to　retract　publicly　the　next　day　in　full　assembly。　　You　may　imagine　how　difficult　it　was　for　me　to　resolve　what　to　do。　　However；　I　did　not　break　out　beyond　the　bounds　of　modest　respect；　and；　finding　that　my　submission　made　no　impression　upon　the　Cardinal；　I　got　the　Bishop　of　Arles；　a　wise　and　moderate　gentleman；　to　go　to　him　along　with　me；　and　to　join　with　me　in　offering　our　reasons。　　But　we　found　his　Eminence　a　very　ignoramus　in　ecclesiastical　polity。　　I　only　mention　this　to　let　yon　see　that　in　my　first　misunderstanding　with　the　Court　I　was　not　to　blame；　and　that　my　respect　for　the　Cardinal　upon　the　Queen's　account　was　carried　to　an　excess　of　patience。
  Some　months　after；　his　profound　ignorance　and　envenomed　malice　furnished　me　with　a　fresh　occasion　to　exercise　patience。　　The　Bishop　of　Warmia；　one　of　the　ambassadors　that　came　to　fetch　the　Queen　of　Poland；　was　very　desirous　to　celebrate　the　marriage　in　the　Church　of　Notre…Dame。　　Though　the　archbishops　of　Paris　never　suffered　solemnities　of　this　kind　to　be　celebrated　in　their　churches　by　any　but　cardinals　of　the　royal　family；　and　though　my　uncle　had　been　highly　blamed　by　all　his　clergy　for　permitting　the　Cardinal　de　La　Rochefoucault　to　marry　the　Queen　of　England；＇Henriette　Marie　of　France；　daughter　of　Henri　IV。；　died　1669。