the memoirs of louis xiv-15-第11部分

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Mademoiselle；　who　always　received　him　very　coldly；　and　who　saw　him　take
her　arms；　with　much　vexation；　as　a　mark　of　his　gratitude；　in　reality　for
the　Sake　of　the　honour　it　brought　him；　for　the　arms　were　those　of　Gaston；
which　the　Comte　de　Toulouse　afterwards　took；　not　for　the　same　reason；　but
under　pretext　of　conformity　with　his　brother；　and　they　have　handed　them
down　to　their　children。

Lauzun；　who　had　been　led　to　expect　much　more　gentle　treatment；　remained
four　years　in　these　two　provinces；　of　which　he　grew　as　weary　as　was
Mademoiselle　at　his　absence。　　She　cried　out　in　anger　against　Madame　de
Montespan　and　her　son；　complained　loudly　that　after　having　been　so
pitilessly　fleeced；　Lauzun　was　still　kept　removed　from　her；　and　made　such
a　stir　that　at　last　she　obtained　permission　for　him　to　return　to　Paris；
with　entire　liberty；　on　condition；　however；　that　he　did　not　approach
within　two　leagues　of　any　place　where　the　King　might　be。

Lauzun　came；　therefore；　to　Paris；　and　assiduously　visited　his
benefactors。　　The　weariness　of　this　kind　of　exile；　although　so　softened；
led　him　into　high　play；　at　which　he　was　extremely　successful；　always　a
good　and　sure　player；　and　very　straightforward；　he　gained　largely。
Monsieur；　who　sometimes　made　little　visits　to　Paris；　and　who　played　very
high；　permitted　him　to　join　the　gambling　parties　of　the　Palais　Royal；
then　those　of　Saint…Cloud。　　Lauzun　passed　thus　several　years；　gaining　and
lending　much　money　very　nobly；　but　the　nearer　he　found　himself　to　the
Court；　and　to　the　great　world；　the　more　insupportable　became　to　him　the
prohibition　he　had　received。

Finally；　being　no　longer　able　to　bear　it；　he　asked　the　King　for
permission　to　go　to　England；　where　high　play　was　much　in　vogue。　　He
obtained　it；　and　took　with　him　a　good　deal　of　money；　which　secured　him　an
open…armed　reception　in　London；　where　he　was　not　less　successful　than　in
Paris。

James　II。；　then　reigning；　received　Lauzun　with　distinction。　　But　the
Revolution　was　already　brewing。　　It　burst　after　Lauzun　had　been　in
England　eight　or　ten　months。　　It　seemed　made　expressly　for　him；　by　the
success　he　derived　from　it；　as　everybody　is　aware。　　James　II。；　no　longer
knowing　what　was　to　become　of　himbetrayed　by　his　favourites　and　his
ministers；　abandoned　by　all　his　nation；　the　Prince　of　Orange　master　of
all　hearts；　the　troops；　the　navy；　and　ready　to　enter　Londonthe　unhappy
monarch　confided　to　Lauzun　what　he　held　most　dearthe　Queen　and　the
Prince　of　Wales；　whom　Lauzun　happily　conducted　to　Calais。　　The　Queen　at
once　despatched　a　courier　to　the　King；　in　the　midst　of　the　compliments　of
which　she　insinuated　that　by　the　side　of　her　joy　at　finding　herself　and
her　son　in　security　under　his　protection；　was　her　grief　at　not　daring　to
bring　with　her　him　to　whom　she　owed　her　safety。

The　reply　of　the　King；　after　much　generous　and　gallant　sentiment；　was；
that　he　shared　this　obligation　with　her；　and　that　he　hastened　to　show　it
to　her；　by　restoring　the　Comte　de　Lauzun　to　favour。

In　effect；　when　the　Queen　presented　Lauzun　to　the　King；　in　the　Palace　of
Saint…Germain　（where　the　King；　with　all　the　family　and　all　the　Court；
came　to　meet　her）；　he　treated　him　as　of　old；　gave　him　the　privilege　of
the　grandes　entrees；　and　promised　him　a　lodging　at　Versailles；　which　he
received　immediately　after。　　From　that　day　he　always　went　to　Marly；　and
to　Fontainebleau；　and；　in　fact；　never　after　quitted　the　Court。　　It　may　be
imagined　what　was　the　delight　of　such　an　ambitious　courtier；　so
completely　re…established　in　such　a　sudden　and　brilliant　manner。　　He　had
also　a　lodging　in　the　chateau　of　Saint…Germain；　chosen　as　the　residence
of　this　fugitive　Court；　at　which　King　James　soon　arrived。

Lauzun；　like　a　skilful　courtier；　made　all　possible　use　of　the　two　Courts；
and　procured　for　himself　many　interviews　with　the　King；　in　which　he
received　minor　commissions。　　Finally；　he　played　his　cards　so　well　that
the　King　permitted　him　to　receive　in　Notre　Dame；　at　Paris；　the　Order　of
the　Garter；　from　the　hands　of　the　King　of　England；　accorded　to　him　at　his
second　passage　into　Ireland　the　rank　of　lieutenant…general　of　his
auxiliary　army；　and　permitted　at　the　same　time　that　he　should　be　of　the
staff　of　the　King　of　England；　who　lost　Ireland　during　the　same　campaign
at　the　battle　of　the　Boyne。　　He　returned　into　France　with　the　Comte　de
Lauzun；　for　whom　he　obtained　letters　of　the　Duke；　which　were　verified　at
the　Parliament　in　May；　1692。　　What　a　miraculous　return　of　fortune！　　But
what　a　fortune；　in　comparison　with　that　of　marrying　Mademoiselle；　with
the　donation　of　all　her　prodigious　wealth；　and　the　title　and　dignity　of
Duke　and　Peer　of　Montpensier。　　What　a　monstrous　pedestal！　　And　with
children　by　this　marriage；　what　a　flight　might　not　Lauzun　have　taken；　and
who　can　say　where　he　might　have　arrived？




CHAPTER　CXVIII

I　have　elsewhere　related　Lauzun's　humours；　his　notable　wanton　tricks；　and
his　rare　singularity。

He　enjoyed；　during　the　rest　of　his　long　life；　intimacy　with　the　King；
distinction　at　the　Court；　great　consideration；　extreme　abundance；　kept　up
the　state　of　a　great　nobleman；　with　one　of　the　most　magnificent　houses　of
the　Court；　and　the　best　table；　morning　and　evening；　most　honourably
frequented；　and　at　Paris　the　same；　after　the　King's　death：　All　this　did
not　content　him。　　He　could　only　approach　the　King　with　outside
familiarity；　he　felt　that　the　mind　and　the　heart　of　that　monarch　were　on
their　guard　against　him；　and　in　an　estrangement　that　not　all　his　art　nor
all　his　application　could　ever　overcome。　　This　is　what　made　him　marry　my
sister…in…law；　hoping　thus　to　re…establish　himself　in　serious　intercourse
with　the　King　by　means　of　the　army　that　M。　le　Marechal　de　Lorge　commanded
in　Germany；　but　his　project　failed；　as　has　been　seen。　　This　is　what　made
him　bring　about　the　marriage　of　the　Duc　de　Lorge　with　the　daughter　of
Chamillart；　in　order　to　reinstate　himself　by　means　of　that　ministry；
but　without　success。　　This　is　what　made　him　undertake　the　journey　to　Aix…
la…Chapelle；　under　the　pretext　of　the　waters；　to　obtain　information　which
might　lead　to　private　interviews　with　the　King；　respecting　the　peace；
but　he　was　again　unsuccessful。　　All　his　projects　failed；　in　fact；　he
unceasingly　sorrowed；　and　believed　himself　in　profound　disgraceeven
saying　so。　　He　left　nothing　undone　in　order　to　pay　his　court；　at　bottom
with　meanness；　but　externally　with　dignity；　and　he　every　year　celebrated
a　sort　of　anniversary　of　his　disgrace；　by　extraordinary　acts；　of　which
ill…humour　and　solitude　were　oftentimes　absurdly　the　fruit。　　He　himself
spoke　of　it；　and　used　to　say　that　he　was　not　rational　at　the　annual
return　of　this　epoch；　which　was　stronger　than　he。　　He　thought　he　pleased
the　King　by　this　refinement　of　attention；　without　perceiving　he　was
laughed　at。

By　nature　he　was　extraordinary　in　everything；　and　took　pleasure　in
affecting　to　be　more　so；　even　at　home；　and　among　his　valets。　　He
counterfeited　the　deaf　and　the　blind；　the　better　to　see　and　hear　without
exciting　suspicion；　and　diverted　himself　by　laughing　at　fools；　even　the
most　elevated；　by　holding　with　them　a　language　which　had　no　sense。　　His
manners　were　measured；　reserved；　gentle；　even　respectful；　and　from　his
low　and　honeyed　tongue；　came　piercing　remarks；　overwhelming　by　their
justice；　their　force；　or　their　satire；　composed　of　two　or　three　words；
perhaps；　and　sometimes　uttered　with　an　air　of　naivete　or　of　distraction；
as　though　he　was　not　thinking　of　what　he　said。　　Thus　he　was　feared；
without　exception；　by　everybody；　and　with　many　acquaintances　he　had　few
or　no　friends；　although　he　merited　them　by　his　ardor　in　seeing　everybody
as　much　as　he　could；　and　by　his　readiness　in　opening　his　purse。　　He　liked
to　gather　together　foreigners　of　any　distinction；　and　perfectly　did　the
honours　of　the　Court。　　But　devouring　ambition　poisoned　his　life；　yet　he
was　a　very　good　and　useful　relative。

During　the　summer　which　followed　the　death　of　Louis　XIV。　there　was　a
review　of　the　King's　household　troops；　led　by　M。　le　Duc　d'Orleans；　in　the
plain　by　the　side　of　the　Bois　de　Boulogne。　　Passy；　where　M。　de　Lauzun　had
a　pretty　house；　is　on　the　other　side。　　Madame　de　Lauzun　was　there　with
company；　and　I　slept　there　the　evening　before　the　review。　　Madame　de
Poitiers；　a　young　widow；　and　one　of　our　relatives；　was　there　too；　and　was
dying　to　see　the　review；　like　a　young　person　who　has　seen　nothing；　but
who　dares　not　show　herself　in　public　in　the　first　months　of　her　mourning。

How　she　could　be　taken　was　discussed　in　the　company；　and　it　was　decided
that　Madame　de　Lauzun　could　conduct　her　a　little　way；　buried　in　her
carriage。　　In　the　midst　of　the　gaiety　of　this　party；　M。　de　Lauzun　arrived
from　Paris；　where　he　had　gone　in　the　morning。　　He　was　told　what　had　just
been　decided。　　As　soon　as　he　learnt　it　he　flew　into　a　fury；　was　no　longer
master　of　himself；　broke　off　the　engagement；　almost　foaming　at　the　mouth；
said　the　most　disagreeable　things　to　his　wife　in　the　strongest；　the
harshest；　the　most　insulting；　and　the　most　foolish　terms。　　She　gently
wept；　Madame　de　Poitiers　sobbed　outright；　and　all　the　company　felt　the
utmost　embarrassment。　　The　evening　appeared　an　age；　and　the　saddest
refectory　repast　a　gay　meal　by　the　side　of　our　supper。　　He　was　wild　in
the　midst　of　the　profoundest　silence；　scarcely　a　word　was　said。　　He
quitted　the　table；　as　usual；　at　the　fruit；　and　went　to　bed。　　An　attempt
was　made　to　say　something　afterwards　by　way　of　relief；　but　Madame　de
Lauzun　politely　and　wisely　stopped　the　conversation；　and　brought　out
cards　in　order　to　turn　the　subject。

The　next　morning　I　went　to　M。　de　Lauzun；　in　order　to　tell　him　in　plain
language　my　opinion　of　the　scene　of　the　previous　evening。　　I　had　not　the
time。　　As　soon　as　he　saw　me　enter　he　extended　his　arms；　and　cried　that　I
saw　a　madman；　who　did　not　deserve　my　visit；　but　an　asylum；　passed　the
strongest　eulogies　upon　his　wife　（which　assuredly　she　merited）；　said　he
was　not　worthy　of　her；　and　that　he　ought　to　kiss　the　ground　upon　which
she　walked；　overwhelmed　himself　with　blame；　then；　with　tears　in　his　eyes；
said　he　was　more　worthy　of　pity　than　of　anger；　that　he　must　admit　to　me
all　his　shame　and　misery；　that　he　was　more　t