the　chapter。　　This　point　gained；　she　laid　her　plans　for　carrying　out
  another；　and　a　higher　one；　nothing　less　than　that　of　making　her　son
  Archbishop　of　Strasbourg。
  But　there　was　an　obstacle；　in　the　way。　　This　obstacle　was　the　Abbe
  d'Auvergne　（nephew　of　Cardinal　de　Bouillon）；　who　had　the　highest　position
  in　the　chapter；　that　of　Grand　Prevot；　had　been　there　much　longer　than　the
  Abbe　de　Soubise；　was　older；　and　of　more　consequence。　　His　reputation；
  however；　was　against　him；　his　habits　were　publicly　known　to　be　those　of
  the　Greeks；　whilst　his　intellect　resembled　theirs　in　no　way。　　By　his
  stupidity　he　published　his　bad　conduct；　his　perfect　ignorance；　his
  dissipation；　his　ambition；　and　to　sustain　himself　he　had　only　a　low；
  stinking；　continual　vanity；　which　drew　upon　him　as　much　disdain　as　did
  his　habits；　alienated　him　from　all　the　world；　and　constantly　subjected
  him　to　ridicule。
  The　Abbe　de　Soubise　had；　on　the　contrary；　everything　smiling　in　his
  favour；　even　his　exterior；　which　showed　that　he　was　born　of　the　tenderest
  amours。　　Upon　the　farms　of　the　Sorbonne　he　had　much　distinguished
  himself。　　He　had　been　made　Prior　of　Sorbonne；　and　had　shone　conspicuously
  in　that　position；　gaining　eulogies　of　the　most　flattering　kind　from
  everybody；　and　highly　pleasing　the　King。　　After　this；　he　entered　the
  seminary　of　Saint　Magloire；　then　much　in　vogue；　and　gained　the　good
  graces　of　the　Archbishop　of　Paris；　by　whom　that　seminary　was　favoured。
  On　every　side　the　Abbe　de　Soubise　was　regarded；　either　as　a　marvel　of
  learning；　or　a　miracle　of　piety　and　purity　of　manners。　　He　had　made
  himself　loved　everywhere；　and　his　gentleness；　his　politeness；　his
  intelligence；　his　graces；　and　his　talent　for　securing　friends；　confirmed
  more　and　more　the　reputation　he　had　established。
  The　Abbe　d'Auvergne　had　a　relative；　the　Cardinal　de　Furstenberg；　who　also
  had　two　nephews；　canons　of　Strasbourg；　and　in　a　position　to　become
  claimants　to　the　bishopric。　　Madame　de　Soubise　rightly　thought　that　her
  first　step　must　be　to　gain　over　the　Cardinal　to　her　side。　　There　was　a
  channel　through　which　this　could　be　done　which　at　once　suggested　itself
  to　her　mind。　　Cardinal　Furstenberg；　it　was　said；　had　been　much　enamoured
  of　the　Comtesse　de　La　Marck；　and　had　married　her　to　one　of　his　nephews；
  in　order　that　he　might　thus　see　her　more　easily。　　It　was　also　said　that
  he　had　been　well　treated；　and　it　is　certain　that　nothing　was　so　striking
  as　the　resemblance；　feature　for　feature；　of　the　Comte　de　La　Marck　to
  Cardinal　de　Furstenberg。　　If　the　Count　was　not　the　son　of　the　Cardinal　he
  was　nothing　to　him。　　The　attachment　of　Cardinal　Furstenberg　for　the
  Comtesse　de　La　Marck　did　not　abate　when　she　became　by　her　marriage
  Comtesse　de　Furstenberg；　indeed　he　could　not　exist　without　her；　she　lived
  and　reigned　in　his　house。　　Her　son；　the　Comte　de　La　Marck；　lived　there
  also；　and　her　dominion　over　the　Cardinal　was　so　public；　that　whoever　had
  affairs　with　him　spoke　to　the　Countess；　if　he　wished　to　succeed。　　She　had
  been　very　beautiful；　and　at　fifty…two　years　of　age；　still　showed　it；
  although　tall；　stout；　and　coarse　featured　as　a　Swiss　guard　in　woman's
  clothes。　　She　was；　moreover；　bold；　audacious；　talking　loudly　and　always
  with　authority；　was　polished；　however；　and　of　good　manners　when　she
  pleased。　　Being　the　most　imperious　woman　in　the　world；　the　Cardinal　was
  fairly　tied　to　her　apron…strings；　and　scarcely　dared　to　breathe　in　her
  presence。　　In　dress　and　finery　she　spent　like　a　prodigal；　played　every
  night；　and　lost　large　sums；　oftentimes　staking　her　jewels　and　her　various
  ornaments。　　She　was　a　woman　who　loved　herself　alone；　who　wished　for
  everything；　and　who　refused　herself　nothing；　not　even；　it　was　said；
  certain　gallantries　which　the　poor　Cardinal　was　obliged　to　pay　for；　as
  for　everything　else。　　Her　extravagance　was　such；　that　she　was　obliged　to
  pass　six　or　seven　months　of　the　year　in　the　country；　in　order　to　have
  enough　to　spend　in　Paris　during　the　remainder　of　the　year。
  It　was　to　the　Comtesse　de　Furstenberg；　therefore；　that　Madame　de　Soubise
  addressed　herself　in　order　to　gain　over　the　support　of　Cardinal　de
  Furstenberg；　in　behalf　of　her　son。　　Rumour　said；　and　it　was　never
  contradicted；　that　Madame　de　Soubise　paid　much　money　to　the　Cardinal
  through　the　Countess；　in　order　to　carry　this　point。　　It　is　certain　that
  in　addition　to　the　prodigious　pensions　the　Cardinal　drew　from　the　King；
  he　touched　at　this　time　a　gratification　of　forty　thousand　crowns；　that　it
  was　pretended　had　been　long　promised　him。
  Madame　de　Soubise　having　thus　assured　herself　of　the　Countess　and　the
  Cardinal　（and　they　having　been　privately　thanked　by　the　King）；　she　caused
  an　order　to　be　sent　to　Cardinal　de　Bouillon；　who　was　then　at　Rome；
  requesting　him　to　ask　the　Pope　in　the　name　of　the　King；　for　a　bull
  summoning　the　Chapter　of　Strasbourg　to　meet　and　elect　a　coadjutor　and　a
  declaration　of　the　eligibility　of　the　Abbe　de　Soubise。
  But　here　a　new　obstacle　arose　in　the　path　of　Madame　de　Soubise。　　Cardinal
  de　Bouillon；　a　man　of　excessive　pride　and　pretension；　who　upon　reaching
  Rome　claimed　to　be　addressed　as　〃Most　Eminent　Highness；〃　and　obtaining
  this　title　from　nobody　except　his　servants；　set　himself　at　loggerheads
  with　all　the　cityCardinal　de　Bouillon；　I　say；　was　himself　canon　of
  Strasbourg；　and　uncle　of　the　Abbe　d'Auvergne。　　So　anxious　was　the
  Cardinal　to　secure　the　advancement　of　the　Abbe　d'Auvergne；　that　he　had
  already　made　a　daring　and　fraudulent　attempt　to　procure　for　him　a
  cardinalship。　　But　the　false　representations　which　he　made　in　order　to
  carry　his　point；　having　been　seen　through；　his　attempt　came　to　nothing；
  and　he　himself　lost　all　favour　with　the　King　for　his　deceit。　　He；
  however；　hoped　to　make　the　Abbe　d'Auvergne　bishop　of　Strasbourg；　and　was
  overpowered；　therefore；　when　he　saw　this　magnificent　prey　about　to　escape
  him。　　The　news　came　upon　him　like　a　thunderbolt。　　It　was　bad　enough　to
  see　his　hopes　trampled　under　foot；　it　was　insupportable　to　be　obliged　to
  aid　in　crushing　them。　　Vexation　so　transported　and　blinded　him；　that　he
  forgot　the　relative　positions　of　himself　and　of　Madame　de　Soubise；　and
  imagined　that　he　should　be　able　to　make　the　King　break　a　resolution　he
  had　taken；　and　an　engagement　he　had　entered　into。　　He　sent　therefore；　as
  though　he　had　been　a　great　man；　a　letter　to　the　King；　telling　him　that　he
  had　not　thought　sufficiently　upon　this　matter；　and　raising　scruples
  against　it。　　At　the　same　time　he　despatched　a　letter　to　the　canons　of
  Strasbourg；　full　of　gall　and　compliments；　trying　to　persuade　them　that
  the　Abbe　de　Soubise　was　too　young　for　the　honour　intended　him；　and
  plainly　intimating　that　the　Cardinal　de　Furstenberg　had　been　gained　over
  by　a　heavy　bribe　paid　to　the　Comtesse　de　Furstenberg。　　These　letters。
  made　a　terrible　uproar。
  I　was　at　the　palace　on　Tuesday；　March　30th；　and　after　supper　I　saw　Madame
  de　Soubise　arrive；　leading　the　Comtesse　de　Furstenberg；　both　of　whom
  posted　themselves　at　the　door　of　the　King's　cabinet。　　It　was　not　that
  Madame　de　Soubise　had　not　the　privilege　of　entering　if　she　pleased；　but
  she　preferred　making　her　complaint　as　public　as　the　charges　made　against
  her　by　Cardinal　de　Bouillon　had　become。　　I　approached　in　order　to　witness
  the　scene。　　Madame　de　Soubise　appeared　scarcely　able　to　contain　herself；
  and　the　Countess　seemed　furious。　　As　the　King　passed；　they　stopped　him。
  Madame　de　Soubise　said　two　words　in　a　low　tone。　　The　Countess　in　a　louder
  strain　demanded　justice　against　the　Cardinal　de　Bouillon；　who；　she　said；
  not　content　in　his　pride　and　ambition　with　disregarding　the　orders　of　the
  King；　had　calumniated　her　and　Cardinal　de　Furstenberg　in　the　most
  atrocious　manner；　and　had　not　even　spared　Madame　de　Soubise　herself。　　The
  King　replied　to　her　with　much　politeness；　assured　her　she　should　be
  contented；　and　passed　on。
  Madame　de　Soubise　was　so　much　the　more　piqued　because　Cardinal　de
  Bouillon　had　acquainted　the　King　with　the　simony　she　had　committed；
  and　assuredly　if　he　had　not　been　ignorant　of　this　he　would　never　have
  supported　her　in　the　affair。　　She　hastened　therefore　to　secure　the
  success　of　her　son；　and　was　so　well　served　by　the　whispered　authority　of
  the　King；　and　the　money　she　had　spent；　that　the　Abbe　de　Soubise　was
  elected　by　unanimity　Coadjutor　of　Strasbourg。
  As　for　the　Cardinal　de　Bouillon；　foiled　in　all　his　attempts　to　prevent
  the　election；　he　wrote　a　second　letter　to　the　King；　more　foolish　than　the
  first。　　This　filled　the　cup　to　overflowing。　　For　reply；　he　received
  orders；　by　a　courier；　to　quit　Rome　immediately　and　to　retire　to　Cluni　or
  to　Tournus；　at　his　choice；　until　further　orders。　　This　order　appeared　so
  cruel　to　him　that　he　could　not　make　up　his　mind　to　obey。　　He　was
  underdoyen　of　the　sacred　college。　　Cibo；　the　doyen；　was　no　longer　able　to
  leave　his　bed。　　To　become　doyen；　it　was　necessary　to　be　in　Rome　when　the
  appointment　became　vacant。　　Cardinal　de　Bouillon　wrote　therefore　to　the
  King；　begging　to　be　allowed　to　stay　a　short　time；　in　order　to　pray　the
  Pope　to　set　aside　this　rule；　and　give　him　permission　to　succeed　to　the
  doyenship；　even　although　absent　from　Rome　when　it　became　vacant。　　He　knew
  he　should　not　obtain　this　permission；　but　he　asked　for