第 30 节
作者:
辛苦 更新:2021-02-20 15:26 字数:9321
d not give him to understand that I had thought of it; because I knew he had the vanity to love to be esteemed the first author of things; which was the only weakness I observed in his managing State affairs。 I left him an answer in writing; in substance as follows:
〃I confess the scheme is very feasible; but attended with pernicious consequences both to the public and to private persons; for the same people whom you employ to humble the magistracy will refuse you obedience when you demand from them the same homage they paid to the magistrates。 This people adored the Parliament till the beginning of the war; they are still for continuing the war; and yet abate their friendship for the Parliament。 The Parliament imagines that this applies only to some particular members who are Mazarined; but they are deceived; for their prejudice extends to the whole company; and their hatred towards Mazarin's party supports and screens their indifference towards all the rest。 We cheer up their spirits by pasquinades and ballads and the martial sound of trumpets and kettle…drums; but; after all; do they pay their taxes as punctually as they did the first few weeks? Are there many that have done as you and I; monsieur; who sent our plate to the mint? Do you not observe that they who would be thought zealous for the common cause plead in favour of some acts committed by those men who are; in short; its enemies? If the people are so tired already; what will they be long before they come to their journey's end?
〃After we have established our own authority upon the ruin of the Parliament's; we shall certainly fall into the same inconveniences and be obliged to act just as they do now。 We shall impose taxes; raise moneys; and differ from the Parliament only in this; that the hatred and envy they have contracted by various ways from one…third part of the people; I mean the wealthy citizens;in the space of six weeks will devolve upon us; with that of the other two…thirds of the inhabitants; and will complete our ruin in one week。 May not the Court to…morrow put an end to the civil war by the expulsion of Mazarin and by raising the siege of Paris? The provinces are not yet sufficiently inflamed; and therefore we must double our application to make the most of Paris。 Besides the necessity of treating with Spain and managing the people; there is another expedient come into my head capable of rendering us as considerable in Parliament as our affairs require。
〃We have an army in Paris which will be looked upon as the people so long as it continues within its walls。 Every councillor of inquest is inclined to believe his authority among the soldiers to be equal to that of the generals。 But the leaders of the people are not believed to be very powerful until they make their power known by its execution。 Pray do but consider the conduct of the Court upon this occasion。 Was there any minister or courtier but ridiculed all that could be said of the disposition of the people in favour of the Parliament even to the day of the barricades? And yet it is as true that every man at Court saw infallible marks of the revolution beforehand。 One would have thought that the barricades should have convinced them; but have they been convinced? Have they been hindered from besieging Paris on the slight supposition that; though the caprice of the people might run them into a mutiny; yet it would not break out into a civil war? What we are now doing might undeceive them effectually; but are they yet cured of their infatuation? Is not the Queen told every day that none are for the Parliament but hired mobs; and that all the wealthy burghers are in her Majesty's interests?
〃The Parliament is now as much infatuated as the Court was then。 This present disturbance among the people carries in it all the marks of power which; in a little time; they will feel the effects of; and which; as they cannot but foresee; they ought to prevent in time; because of the murmurs of the people against them and their redoubled affection for M。 de Beaufort and me。 But far from it; the Parliament will never open its eyes until all its authority is quashed by a sudden blow。 If they see we have a design against them they will; perhaps; have so inconsiderable an opinion of it that they will take courage; and if we should but flinch; they will bear harder still upon us; till we shall be forced to crush them; but this would not turn to our account; on the contrary; it is our true interest to do them all the good we can; lest we divide our own party; and to behave in such a manner as may convince them that our interest and theirs are inseparable。 And the best way is to draw our army out of Paris; and to post it so as it may be ready to secure our convoys and be safe from the insults of the enemy; and I am for having this done at the request of the Parliament; to prevent their taking umbrage; till such time at least as we may find our account in it。 Such precautions will insensibly; as it were; necessitate the Parliament to act in concert with us; and our favour among the people; which is the only thing that can fix us in that situation; will appear to them no longer contemptible when they see it backed by an army which is no longer at their discretion。〃
M。 de Bouillon told me that M。 de Turenne was upon the point of declaring for us; and that there were but two colonels in all his army who gave him any uneasiness; but that in a week's time he would find some way or other to manage them; and that then he would march directly to our assistance。 〃What do you think of that?〃 said the Duke。 〃Are we not now masters both of the Court and Parliament?〃
I told the Duke that I had just seen a letter written by Hoquincourt to Madame de Montbazon; wherein were only these words: 〃0 fairest of all beauties; Peronne is in your power。〃 I added that I had received another letter that morning which assured me of Mazieres。 Madame de Bouillon threw herself on my neck; we were sure the day was our own; and in a quarter of an hour agreed upon all the preliminary precautions。
M。 de Bouillon; perceiving that I was so overjoyed at this news that I; as well as his lady; gave little attention to the methods he was proposing for drawing the army out of Paris without alarming the Parliament; turned to me and spoke thus; very hastily: 〃I pardon my wife; but I cannot forgive you this inadvertence。 The old Prince of Orange used to say that the moment one received good news should be employed in providing against bad。〃
The 24th of February; 1649; the Parliament's deputies waited on the Queen with an account of the audience granted to the envoy of the Archduke。 The Queen told them that they should not have given audience to the envoy; but that; seeing they had done it; it was absolutely necessary to think of a good peace; that she was entirely well disposed; and the Duc d'Orleans and the Prince de Conde promised the deputies to throw open all the passages as soon as the Parliament should name commissioners for the treaty。
Flamarin being sent at the same time into the city from the Duc d'Orleans to condole with the Queen of England on the death of her husband (King Charles I。); went; at La Riviere's solicitation; to M。 de La Rochefoucault; whom he found in his bed on account of his wounds and quite wearied with the civil war; and persuaded him to come over to the Court interest。 He told Flamarin that he had been drawn into this war much against his inclinations; and that; had he returned from Poitou two months before the siege of Paris; he would have prevented Madame de Longueville engaging in so vile a cause; but that I had taken the opportunity of his absence to engage both her and the Prince de Conti; that he found the engagements too far advanced to be possibly dissolved; that the diabolical Coadjutor would not bear of any terms of peace; and also stopped the ears of the Prince de Conti and Madame de Longueville; and that he himself could not act as he would because of his bad state of health。 I was informed of Flamarin's negotiations for the Court interest; and; as the term of his passport had expired; ordered the 'prevot des marchands' to command him to depart from the city。
On the 27th the First President reported to the Parliament what had occurred at Saint Germain。 M。 de Beaufort and I had to hinder the people from entering the Great Chamber; for they threatened to throw the deputies into the river; and said they had betrayed them and had held conferences with Mazarin。 It was as much as we could do to allay the fury of the people; though at the same time the Parliament believed the tumult was of our own raising。 This shows one inconvenience of popularity; namely; that what is committed by the rabble; in spite of all your endeavours to the contrary; will still be laid to your charge。
Meanwhile we met at the Duc de Bouillon's to consider what was best to be done at this critical juncture between a people mad for war; a Parliament for peace; and the Spaniards either for peace or war at our expense and for their own advantage。 The Prince de Conti; instructed beforehand by M。 de La Rochefoucault; spoke for carrying on the war; but acted as if he were for peace; and upon the whole I did