the memoirs of louis xiv-15-第5部分

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that　others　wished　to　administer　to　him。　　This　was　the　source　of　those
tears　shed　by　the　King　when　Villeroy　was　carried　off；　and　of　his　despair
when　Frejus　disappeared。　　He　did　not　doubt　that　both　had　been　removed　in
order　that　this　crime　might　be　more　easily　committed。

The　prompt　return　of　Frejus　dissipated　the　half；　of　his　fear；　the
continuance　of　his　good　health　delivered　him　by　degrees　from　the　other。
The　preceptor；　who　had　a　great　interest　in　preserving　the　King；　and　who
felt　much　relieved　by　the　absence　of　Villeroy；　left　nothing　undone　in
order　to　extinguish　these　gloomy　ideas；　and　consequently　to　let　blame
fall　upon　him　who　had　inspired　them。　　He　feared　the　return　of　the
Marechal　when　the　King；　who　was　approaching　his　majority；　should　be　the
master；　once　delivered　of　the　yoke　he　did　not　wish　it　to　be　reimposed
upon　him。　　He　well　knew　that　the　grand　airs；　the　ironies；　the
authoritative　fussiness　in　public　of　the　Marechal　were　insupportable　to
his　Majesty；　and　that　they　held　together　only　by　those　frightful　ideas　of
poison。　　To　destroy　them　was　to　show　the　Marechal　uncovered；　and　worse
than　that　to　show　to　the　King；　without　appearing　to　make　a　charge　against
the　Marechal；　the　criminal　interest　he　had　in　exciting　these　alarms；　and
the　falsehood　and　atrocity　of　such　a　venomous　invention。　　These
reflections；　which　the　health　of　the　King　each　day　confirmed；　sapped　all
esteem；　all　gratitude；　and　left　his　Majesty　in　full　liberty　of　conscience
to　prohibit；　when　he　should　be　the　master；　all　approach　to　his　person　on
the　part　of　so　vile　and　so　interested　an　impostor。

Frejus　made　use　of　these　means　to　shelter　himself　against　the　possibility
of　the　Marechal's　return；　and　to　attach　himself　to　the　King　without
reserve。　　The　prodigious　success　of　his　schemes　has　been　only　too　well
felt　since。

The　banishment　of　Villeroy；　flight　and　return　of　Frejus；　and　installation
of　Charost　as　governor　of　the　King；　were　followed　by　the　confirmation　of
his　Majesty　by　the　Cardinal　de　Rohan；　and　by　his　first　communion；
administered　to　him　by　this　self…same　Cardinal；　his　grand　almoner。




CHAPTER　CXV

Villeroy　being　banished；　the　last　remaining　obstacle　in　Dubois'　path　was
removed。　　There　was　nothing：　now；　to　hinder　him　from　being　proclaimed
prime　minister。　　I　had　opposed　it　as　stoutly　as　I　could；　but　my　words
were　lost　upon　M。　le　Duc　d'Orleans。　　Accordingly；　about　two　o'clock　in
the　afternoon　of　the　23rd　of　August；　1722；　Dubois　was　declared　prime
minister　by　the　Regent；　and　by　the　Regent　at　once　conducted　to　the　King
as　such。

After　this　event　I　began　insensibly　to　withdraw　from　public　affairs。
Before　the　end　of　the　year　the　King　was　consecrated　at　Rheims。　　The
disorder　at　the　ceremony　was　inexpressible。　　All　precedent　was　forgotten。
Rank　was　hustled　and　jostled；　so　to　speak；　by　the　crowd。　　The　desire　to
exclude　the　nobility　from　all　office　and　all　dignity　was　obvious；　at　half
a　glance。　　My　spirit　was　ulcerated　at　this；　I　saw　approaching　the
complete　re…establishment　of　the　bastards；　my　heart　was　cleft　in　twain；
to　see　the　Regent　at　the　heels　of　his　unworthy　minister。　　He　was　a　prey
to　the　interest；　the　avarice；　the　folly；　of　this　miserable　wretch；　and　no
remedy　possible。　　Whatever　experience　I　might　have　had　of　the　astonishing
weakness　of　M。　le　Duc　d'Orleans；　it　had　passed　all　bounds　when　I　saw　him
with　my　own　eyes　make　Dubois　prime　minister；　after　all　I　had　said　to　him
on　the　subject；after　all　he　had　said　to　me。　　The　year　1723　commenced；
and　found　me　in　this　spirit。　　It　is　at　the　end　of　this　year　I　have
determined　to　end　those　memoirs；　and　the　details　of　it　will　not　be　so
full　or　so　abundant　as　of　preceding　years。　　I　was　hopelessly　wearied　with
M。　le　Duc　d'Orleans；　I　no　longer　approached　this　poor　prince　（with　so
many　great　and　useless　talents　buried　in　him）except　with　repugnance。
I　could　not　help　feeling　for　him　what　the　poor；　Israelites　said　to
themselves　in　the　desert　about　the　manna：　〃Nauseat　anima　mea　suffer　cibum
istum　tevissimum。〃　　I　no　longer　deigned　to　speak　to　him。　　He　perceived
this：　I　felt　he　was　pained　at　it；　he　strove　to　reconcile　me　to　him；
without　daring；　however；　to　speak　of　affairs；　except　briefly；　and　with
constraint；　and　yet　he　could　not　hinder　himself　from　speaking　of　them。
I　scarcely　took　the　trouble　to　reply　to　him；　and　I　cut　his　conversation
as　short　as　possible。　　I　abridged　and　curtailed　my　audiences　with　him；
I　listened　to　his　reproaches　with　coldness。　　In　fact；　what　had　I　to
discuss　with　a　Regent　who　was　no　longer　one；　not　even　over　himself；　still
less　over　a　realm　plunged　in　disorder？

Cardinal　Dubois；　when　he　met　me；　almost　courted　me。　　He　knew　not　how　to
catch　me。　　The　bonds　which　united　me　to　M。　le　Duc　d'Orleans　had　always
been　so　strong　that　the　prime　minister；　who　knew　their　strength；　did　not
dare　to　flatter　himself　he　could　break　them。　　His　resource　was　to　try　to
disgust　me　by　inducing　his　master　to　treat　me　with　a　reserve　which　was
completely　new　to　him；　and　which　cost　him　more　than　it　cost　me；　for；　in
fact；　he　had　often　found　my　confidence　very　useful　to　him；　and　had　grown
accustomed　to　it。　　As　for　me；　I　dispensed　with　his　friendship　more　than
willingly；　vexed　at　being　no　longer　able　to　gather　any　fruit　from　it　for
the　advantage　of　the　State　or　himself；　wholly　abandoned　as　he　was　to　his
Paris　pleasures　and　to　his　minister。　　The　conviction　of　my　complete
inutility　more　and　more　kept　me　in　the　background；　without　the　slightest
suspicion　that　different　conduct　could　be　dangerous　to　me；　or　that；　weak
and　abandoned　to　Dubois　as　was　the　Regent；　the　former　could　ever　exile
me；　like　the　Duc　de　Roailles；　and　Cariillac；　or　disgust　me　into　exiling
myself。　　I　followed；　then；　my　accustomed　life。　　That　is　to　say；　never　saw
M。　le　Duc　d'Orleans　except　tete…a…tete；　and　then　very　seldom　at　intervals
that　each　time　grew　longer；　coldly；　briefly；　never　talking　to　him　of
business；　or；　if　he　did　to　me；　returning　the　conversation；　and　replying
it！　a　manner　to　make　it　drop。　　Acting　thus；　it　is　easy　to　see　that　I　was
mixed　up　in　nothing；　and　what　I　shall　have　to　relate　now　will　have　less
of　the　singularity　and　instructiveness　of　good　and　faithful　memoirs；　than
of　the　dryness　and　sterility　of　the　gazettes。

First　of　all　I　will　finish　my　account　of　Cardinal　Dubois。　　I　have　very
little　more　to　say　of　him；　for　he　had　scarcely　begun　to　enjoy　his　high
honours　when　Death　came　to　laugh　at　him　for　the　sweating　labour　he　had
taken　to　acquire　them。

On　the　11th　of　June；　1723；　the　King　went　to　reside　at　Meudon；　ostensibly
in　order　that　the　chateau　of　Versailles　might　be　clearedin　reality；
to　accommodate　Cardinal　Dubois。　　He　had　just　presided　over　the　assembly
of　the　day；　and　flattered　to　the　last　degree　at　this；　wished　to　repose
upon　the　honour。　　He　desired；　also；　to　be　present　sometimes　at　the
assembling　of　the　Company　of　the　Indies。　　Meudon　brought　him　half…way　to
Paris；　and　saved　him　a　journey。　　His　debauchery　had　so　shattered　his
health　that　the　movement　of　a　coach　gave　him　pains　which　he　very
carefully　hid。

The　King　held　at　Meudon　a　review　of　his　household；　which　in　his　pride　the
Cardinal　must　needs　attend。　　It　cost　him　dear。　　He　mounted　on　horseback
the　better；　to　enjoy　his　triumph；　he　suffered　cruelly；　and　became　so
violently　ill　that　he　was　obliged　to　have　assistance。　　The　most
celebrated　doctors　and　physicians　were　called　in；　with　great　secrecy。
They　shook　their　heads；　and　came　so　often　that　news　of　the　illness　began
to　transpire。　　Dubois　was　unable　to　go　to　Paris　again　more　than　once　or
twice；　and　then　with　much　trouble；　and　solely　to　conceal　his　malady；
which　gave　him　no　repose。

He　left　nothing　undone；　in　fact；　to　hide　it　from　the　world；　he　went　as
often　as　he　could　to　the　council；　apprised　the　ambassadors　he　would　go　to
Paris；　and　did　not　go；　kept　himself　invisible　at　home；　and　bestowed　the
most　frightful　abuse　upon　everybody　who　dared　to　intrude　upon　him。　　On
Saturday；　the　7th　of　August；　he　was　so　ill　that　the　doctors　declared　he
must　submit　to　an　operation；　which　was　very　urgent；　and　without　which　he
could　hope　to　live　but　a　few　days；　because　the　abscess　he　had　having
burst　the　day　he　mounted　on　horseback；　gangrene　had　commenced；　with　an
overflow　of　pus；　and　he　must　be　transported；　they　added；　to　Versailles；
in　order　to　undergo　this　operation。　　The　trouble　this　terrible
announcement　caused　him；　so　overthrew　him　that　he　could　not　be　moved　the
next　day；　Sunday；　the　8th；　but　on　Monday　he　was　transported　in　a　litter；
at　five　o'clock　in　the　morning。

After　having　allowed　him　to　repose　himself　a；　little；　the　doctors　and
surgeons　proposed　that　he　should　receive　the　sacrament；　and　submit　to　the
operation　immediately　after。　　This　was　not　heard　very　peacefully；　he　had
scarcely　ever　been　free　from　fury　since　the　day　of　the　review；　he　had
grown　worse　on　Saturday；　when　the　operation　was　first　announced　to　him。
Nevertheless；　some　little　time　after；　he　sent　for　a　priest　from
Versailles；　with　whom　he　remained　alone　about　a　quarter　of　an　hour。
Such　a　great　and　good　man；　so　well　prepared　for　death；　did　not　need　more：
Prime　ministers；　too；　have　privileged　confessions。　　As　his　chamber　again
filled；　it　was　proposed　that　he　should　take　the　viaticum；　he　cried　out
that　that　was　soon　said；　but　there　was　a　ceremonial　for　the　cardinals；
of　which　he　was　ignorant；　and　Cardinal　Bissy　must　be　sent　to；　at　Paris；
for　information　upon　it。　　Everybody　looked　at　his　neighbour；　and　felt
that　Dubois　merely　wished　to　gain　time；　but　as　the　operation　was　urgent；
they　proposed　it　to　him　without　further　delay。　　He　furiously　sent　them
away；　and　would　no　longer　hear　talk　of　it。

The　faculty；　who　saw　the　imminent　danger　of　the　slightest　delay；　sent　to
Meudon　for　M。　le　Duc　d'Orleans；　who　instantly　came　in　the　first
conveyance　he　could　lay　his　hands　on。　　He　exhorted　the　Cardinal　to　suffer
the　operation；　then　asked　the　faculty；　if　it　could　be　performed　in
safety。　　They　replied　that　they　could　say　nothing　for　certain；　but　that
assuredly　the　Cardinal　had　not　two　hours　to　live　if　he　did　not　instantly
agree　to　it。　　M。　le　Duc　d'Orleans　returned　to　the　sick　man；　and　begged
him　so　earnestly　to　do　so；　that　he　consented。

The　operation　was　acc