第 24 节
作者:
辛苦 更新:2021-02-20 15:26 字数:9321
; I took coach as if I were driving to Court; but; by good luck; met with an eminent timber…merchant; a very good friend of mine; at the end of Notre… Dame Street; who was very much out of humour; set upon my postilion; and threatened my coachman。 The people came and overturned my coach; and the women; shrieking; carried me back to my own house。
I wrote to the Queen and Prince; signifying how sorry I was that I had met with such a stoppage; but the Queen treated the messenger with scorn and contempt。 The Prince; at the same time that he pitied me; could not help showing his anger。 La Riviere attacked me with railleries and invectives; and the messenger thought they were sure of putting the rope about all our necks on the morrow。
I was not so much alarmed at their menaces as at the news I heard the same day that M。 de Longueville; returning from Rouen; had turned off to Saint Germain。 Marechal de La Mothe told me twenty times that he would do everything to the letter that M。 de Longueville would have him do for or against the Court。 M。 de Bouillon quarrelled with me for confiding in men who acted so contrary to the repeated assurances I had given him of their good behaviour。 And besides all this; Madame de Longueville protested to me that she had received no news from M。 de La Rochefoucault; who went soon after the King; with a design to fortify the Prince de Conti in his resolution and to bring him back to Paris。 Upon this I sent the Marquis de Noirmoutier to Saint Germain to learn what we had to trust to。
On the 7th of January; 1649; an order was sent from the King to the Parliament to remove to Montargis; to the Chamber of Accounts to adjourn to Orleans and to the Grand Council to retire to Mantes。 A packet was also sent to the Parliament; which they would not open; because they guessed at the contents and were resolved beforehand not to obey。 Therefore they returned it sealed up as it came; and agreed to send assurances of their obedience to the Queen; and to beg she would give them leave to clear themselves from the aspersion thrown upon them in the letter above mentioned sent to the chief magistrate of the city。 And to support the dignity of Parliament it was further resolved that her Majesty should be petitioned in a most humble manner to name the calumniators; that they might be proceeded against according to law。 At the same time Broussel; Viole; Amelot; and seven others moved that it might be demanded in form that Cardinal Mazarin should be removed; but they were not supported by anybody else; so that they were treated as enthusiasts。 Although this was a juncture in which it was more necessary than ever to act with vigour; yet I do not remember the time when I have beheld so much faintheartedness。
The Chamber of Accounts immediately set about making remonstrances; but the Grand Council would have obeyed the King's orders; only the city refused them passports。 I think this was one of the most gloomy days I had as yet seen。 I found the Parliament had almost lost all their spirit; and that I should be obliged to bow my neck under the most shameful and dangerous yoke of slavery; or be reduced to the dire necessity of setting up for tribune of the people; which is the most uncertain and meanest of all posts when it is not vested with sufficient power。
The weakness of the Prince de Conti; who was led like a child by his brother; the cowardice of M。 de Longueville; who had been to offer his service to the Queen; and the declaration of MM。 de Bouillon and de La Mothe had mightily disfigured my tribuneship。 But the folly of Mazarin raised its reputation; for he made the Queen refuse audience to the King's Council; who returned that night to Paris; fully convinced that the Court was resolved to push things to extremity。
I was informed from Saint Germain that the Prince had assured the Queen he would take Paris in a fortnight; and they hoped that the discontinuance of two markets only would starve the city into a surrender。 I carried this news to my; friends; who began to see that there was no possibility; of accommodation。
The Parliament was no sooner acquainted that the King's Council had been denied audience than with one voiceBernai excepted; who was fitter for a cook than a councillorthey passed that famous decree of January 8th; 1649; whereby Cardinal Mazarin was declared an enemy to the King and Government; a disturber of the public peace; and all the King's subjects were enjoined to attack him without mercy。
In the afternoon there was a general council of the deputies of Parliament; of the Chamber of Accounts; of the Court of Aids; the chief magistrates of Paris; and the six trading companies; wherein it was resolved that the magistrates should issue commissions for raising 4;000 horse and 10;000 foot。 The same day the Chamber of Accounts; the Court of Aids; and the city sent their deputies to the Queen; to beseech her Majesty to bring the King back to Paris; but the Court was obdurate。 The Prince de Conde flew out against the Parliament in the Queen's presence; and her Majesty told them all that neither the King nor herself would ever come again within the walls of the city till the Parliament was gone out of it。
The next day the city received a letter from the King commanding them to oblige the Parliament to remove to Montargis。 The governor; one of the sheriffs; and four councillors of the city carried the letter to Parliament; protesting at the same time that they would obey no other orders than those of the Parliament; who that very morning settled the necessary funds for raising troops。 In the afternoon there was a general council; wherein all the corporations of the city and all the colonels and captains of the several quarters entered into an association; confirmed by an oath; for their mutual defence。 In the meantime I was informed by the Marquis de Noirmoutier that the Prince de Conti and M。 de Longueville were very well disposed; and that they stayed at Court the longer to have a safer opportunity of coming away。 M。 de La Rochefoucault wrote to the same purpose to Madame de Longueville。
The same day I had a visit from the Duc d'Elbeuf;'Charles de Lorraine; the second of that name; who died 1657。' who; as they said; having missed a dinner at Court; came to Paris for a supper。 He addressed me with all the cajoling flattery of the House of Guise; and had three children with him; who were not so eloquent; but seemed to be quite as cunning as himself。 He told me that he was going to offer his service to the Hotel de Ville; but I advised him to wait upon the Parliament。 He was fixed in his first resolution; yet he came to assure me he would follow my advice in everything。 I was afraid that the Parisians; to whom the very name of a Prince of Lorraine is dear; would have given him the command of the troops。 Therefore I ordered the clergy over whom I had influence to insinuate to the people that he was too influential with the Abbe de La Riviere; and I showed the Parliament what respect he had for them by addressing himself to the Hotel de Ville in the first place; and that he had not honour enough to be trusted。 I was shown a letter which he wrote to his friend as he came into town; in which were these words: 〃I must go and do homage to the Coadjutor now; but in three days' time he shall return it to me。〃 And I knew from other instances that his affection for me was of the feeblest。
While I was reflecting what to do; news was brought to me before daylight that the Prince de Conti and M。 de Longueville were at the gate of Saint Honord and denied entrance by the people; who feared they came to betray the city。 I immediately fetched honest Broussel; and; taking some torches to light us; we posted to the said gate through a prodigious crowd of people; it was broad daylight before we could persuade the people that they might safely let them in。
The great difficulty now was how to manage so as to remove the general distrust of the Prince de Conti that existed among the people。 That which was practicable the night before was rendered impossible and even ruinous the next day; and this same Duc d'Elbeuf; whom I thought to have driven out of Paris on the 9th; was in a fair way to have compelled me to leave on the 10th if he had played his game well; so suspected was the name of Conde by the people。 As there wanted a little time to reconcile them; I thought it was our only way to keep fair with M。 d'Elbeuf and to convince him that it would be to his interest to join with the Prince de Conti and M。 de Longueville。 I accordingly sent to acquaint him that I intended him a visit; but when I arrived he was gone to the Parliament; where the First President; who was against removing to Montargis and at the same time very averse to a civil war; embraced him; and; without giving the members time to consider what was urged by Broussel; Viole; and others to the contrary; caused him to be declared General; with a design merely to divide and weaken the party。
Upon this I made haste to the Palace of Longueville to persuade the Prince de Conti and M。 de Longueville to go that very instant to the Parliament House。 The latter was never in haste; and the Prince having gone tired to bed;