the memoirs of louis xiv-15-第8部分

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cried　out；　stormed　against　his　servants；　who　ran　and　coolly　listened　to
him。　　Upon　this　he　cried　the　more；　and　complained　of　not　having　been
served。　　He　was　astonished　when　they　replied　to　him　that　he　had　eaten　his
chicken；　but　that　if　he　pleased　they　would　put　another　down　to　the　spit。

〃What！〃　said　he；　〃I　have　eaten　my　chicken！〃

The　bold　and　cool　assertion　of　his　people　persuaded　him；　and　they　laughed
at　him。

I　will　say　no　more；　because；　I　repeat　it；　volumes　might　be　filled　with
these　details。　　I　have　said　enough　to　show　what　was　this　monstrous
personage；　whose　death　was　a　relief　to　great　and　little；　to　all　Europe；
even　to　his　brother；　whom　he　treated　like　a　negro。　　He　wanted　to　dismiss
a　groom　on　one　occasion　for　having　lent　one　of　his　coaches　to　this　same
brother；　to　go　somewhere　in　Paris。

The　most　relieved　of　all　was　M。　le　Duc　d'Orleans。　　For　a　long　time　he　had
groaned　in　secret　beneath　the　weight　of　a　domination　so　harsh；　and　of
chains　he　had　forged　for　himself。　　Not　only　he　could　no　longer　dispose　or
decide　upon　anything；　but　he　could　get　the　Cardinal　to　do　nothing；　great
or　small；　he　desired　done。　　He　was　obliged；　in　everything；　to　follow　the
will　of　the　Cardinal；　who　became　furious；　reproached　him；　and　stormed
at　him　when　too　much　contradicted。　　The　poor　Prince　felt　thus　the
abandonment　into　which　he　had　cast　himself；　and；　by　this　abandonment；
the　power　of　the　Cardinal；　and　the　eclipse　of　his　own　power。　　He　feared
him；　Dubois　had　become　insupportable　to　him；　he　was　dying　with　desire；　as
was　shown　in　a　thousand　things；　to　get　rid　of　him；　but　he　dared　nothe
did　not　know　how　to　set　about　it；　and；　isolated　and　unceasingly　wretched
as　he　was；　there　was　nobody　to　whom　he　could　unbosom　himself；　and　the
Cardinal；　well　informed　of　this；　increased　his　freaks；　so　as　to　retain　by
fear　what　he　had　usurped　by　artifice；　and　what　he　no　longer　hoped　to
preserve　in　any　other　way。

As　soon　as　Dubois　was　dead；　M。　le　Duc　d'Orleans　returned　to　Meudon；　to
inform　the　King　of　the　event。　　The　King　immediately　begged　him　to　charge
himself　with　the　management　of　public　affairs；　declared　him　prime
minister；　and　received；　the　next　day；　his　oath；　the　patent　of　which　was
immediately　sent　to　the　Parliament；　and　verified。　　This　prompt
declaration　was　caused　by　the　fear　Frejus　had　to　see　a　private　person
prime　minister。　　The　King　liked　M。　le　Duc　d'Orleans；　as　we　have　already
seen　by　the　respect　he　received　from　him；　and　by　his　manner　of　working
with　him。　　The　Regent；　without　danger　of　being　taken　at　his　word；　always
left　him　master　of　all　favours；　and　of　the　choice　of　persons　he　proposed
to　him；　and；　besides；　never　bothered　him；　or　allowed　business　to
interfere　with　his　amusements。　　In　spite　of　all　the　care　and　all　the
suppleness　Dubois　had　employed　in　order　to　gain　the　spirit　of　the　King；
he　never　could　succeed；　and　people　remarked；　without　having　wonderful
eyes；　a　very　decided　repugnance　of　the　King　for　him。　　The　Cardinal　was
afflicted；　but　redoubled　his　efforts；　in　the　hope　at　last　of　success。
But；　in　addition　to　his　own　disagreeable　manners；　heightened　by　the
visible　efforts　he　made　to　please；　he　had　two　enemies　near　the　King；　very
watchful　to　keep　him　away　from　the　young　princethe　Marechal　de
Villeroy；　while　he　was　there；　and　Frejus；　who　was　much　more　dangerous；
and　who　was　resolved　to　overthrow　him。　　Death；　as　we　have　seen；　spared
him　the　trouble。

The　Court　returned　from　Meudon　to　Paris　on　the　13th　of　August。　　Soon
after　I　met　M。　le　Duc　d'Orleans　there。

As　soon　as　he　saw　me　enter　his　cabinet　he　ran　to　me；　and　eagerly　asked　me
if　I　meant　to　abandon　him。　　I　replied　that　while　his　Cardinal　lived　I
felt　I　should　be　useless　to　him；　but　that　now　this　obstacle　was　removed；
I　should　always　be　very　humbly　at　his　service。　　He　promised　to　live　with
me　on　the　same　terms　as　before；　and；　without　a　word　upon　the　Cardinal；
began　to　talk　about　home　and　foreign　affairs。　　If　I　flattered　myself　that
I　was　to　be　again　of　use　to　him　for　any　length　of　time；　events　soon　came
to　change　the　prospect。　　But　I　will　not　anticipate　my　story。




CHAPTER　CXVI

The　Duc　de　Lauzun　died　on　the　19th　of　November；　at　the　age　of　ninety
years　and　six　months。　　The　intimate　union　of　the　two　sisters　I　and　he　had
espoused；　and　our　continual　intercourse　at　the　Court　（at　Marly；　we　had　a
pavilion　especially　for　us　four）；　caused　me　to　be　constantly　with　him；
and　after　the　King's　death　we　saw　each　other　nearly　every　day　at　Paris；
and　unceasingly　frequented　each　other's　table。　　He　was　so　extraordinary　a
personage；　in　every　way　so　singular；　that　La　Bruyere；　with　much　justice；
says　of　him　in　his　〃Characters；〃　that　others　were　not　allowed　to　dream　as
he　had　lived。　　For　those　who　saw　him　in　his　old　age；　this　description
seems　even　more　just。　　That　is　what　induces　me　to　dwell　upon　him　here。
He　was　of　the　House　of　Caumont；　the　branch　of　which　represented　by　the
Ducs　de　la　Force　has　always　passed　for　the　eldest；　although　that　of
Lauzun　has　tried　to　dispute　with　it。

The　mother　of　M。　de　Lauzun　was　daughter　of　the　Duc　de　la　Force；　son　of
the　second　Marechal　Duc　de　la　Force；　and　brother　of　the　Marechale　de
Turenne；　but　by　another　marriage；　the　Marechale　was　by　a　first　marriage。
The　father　of　M。　de　Lauzun　was　the　Comte　de　Lauzun；　cousin…german　of　the
first　Marechal　Duc　de　Grammont；　and　of　the　old　Comte　de　Grammont。

M。　de　Lauzun　was　a　little　fair　man；　of　good　figure；　with　a　noble　and
expressively　commanding　face；　but　which　was　without　charm；　as　I　have
heard　people　say　who　knew　him　when　he　was　young。　　He　was　full　of
ambition；　of　caprice；　of　fancies；　jealous　of　all；　wishing　always　to　go
too　far；　never　content　with　anything；　had　no　reading；　a　mind　in　no　way
cultivated；　and　without　charm；　naturally　sorrowful；　fond　of　solitude；
uncivilised；　very　noble　in　his　dealings；　disagreeable　and　malicious　by
nature；　still　more　so　by　jealousy　and　by　ambition；　nevertheless；　a　good
friend　when　a　friend　at　all；　which　was　rare；　a　good　relative；　enemy　even
of　the　indifferent；　hard　upon　faults；　and　upon　what　was　ridiculous；
which　he　soon　discovered；　extremely　brave；　and　as　dangerously　bold。
As　a　courtier　he　was　equally　insolent　and　satirical；　and　as　cringing　as　a
valet；　full　of　foresight；　perseverance；　intrigue；　and　meanness；　in　order
to　arrive　at　his　ends；　with　this；　dangerous　to　the　ministers；　at　the
Court　feared　by　all；　and　full　of　witty　and　sharp　remarks　which　spared
nobody。

He　came　very　young　to　the　Court　without　any　fortune；　a　cadet　of　Gascony；
under　the　name　of　the　Marquis　de　Puyguilhem。　　The　Marechal　de　Grammont；
cousin…german　of　his　brother；　lodged　him：　Grammont　was　then　in　high
consideration　at　the　Court；　enjoyed　the　confidence　of　the　Queen…mother；
and　of　Cardinal　Mazarin；　and　had　the　regiment　of　the　guards　and　the
reversion　of　it　for　the　Comte　de　Guiche；　his　eldest　son；　who；　the　prince
of　brave　fellows；　was　on　his　side　in　great　favour　with　the　ladies；　and
far　advanced　in　the　good　graces　of　the　King　and　of　the　Comtesse　de
Soissons；　niece　of　the　Cardinal；　whom　the　King　never　quitted；　and　who　was
the　Queen　of　the　Court。　　This　Comte　de　Guiche　introduced　to　the　Comtesse
de　Soissons　the　Marquis　de　Puyguilhem；　who　in　a　very　little　time　became
the　King's　favourite。　　The　King；　in　fact；　gave　him　his　regiment　of
dragoons　on　forming　it；　and　soon　after　made　him　Marechal　de　Camp；　and
created　for　him　the　post　of　colonel…general　of　dragoons。

The　Duc　de　Mazarin；　who　in　1669　had　already　retired　from　the　Court；
wished　to　get　rid　of　his　post　of　grand　master　of　the　artillery；
Puyguilhem　had　scent　of　his　intention；　and　asked　the　King　for　this
office。　　The　King　promised　it　to　him；　but　on　condition　that　he　kept　the
matter　secret　some　days。　　The　day　arrived　on　which　the　King　had　agreed　to
declare　him。　　Puyguilhem；　who　had　the　entrees　of　the　first　gentleman　of
the　chamber　（which　are　also　named　the　grandes　entrees）；　went　to　wait　for
the　King　（who　was　holding　a　finance　council）；　in　a　room　that　nobody
entered　during　the　council；　between　that　in　which　all　the　Court　waited；
and　that　in　which　the　council　itself　was　held。　　He　found　there　no　one　but
Nyert；　chief　valet　de　chambre；　who　asked　him　how　he　happened　to　come
there。　　Puyguilhem；　sure　of　his　affair；　thought　he　should　make　a　friend
of　this　valet　by　confiding　to　him　what　was　about　to　take　place。　　Nyert
expressed　his　joy；　then　drawing　out　his　watch；　said　he　should　have　time
to　go　and　execute　a　pressing　commission　the　King　had　given　him。　　He
mounted　four　steps　at　a　time　the　little　staircase；　at　the　head　of　which
was　the　bureau　where　Louvois　worked　all　dayfor　at　Saint…Germain　the
lodgings　were　little　and　fewand　the　ministers　and　nearly　all　the　Court
lodged　each　at　his　own　house　in　the　town。　　Nyert　entered　the　bureau　of
Louvois；　and　informed　him　that　upon　leaving　the　council　（of　which　Louvois
was　not　a　member）；　the　King　was　going　to　declare　Puyguilhem　grand　master
of　the　artillery；　adding　that　he　had　just　learned　this　news　from
Puyguilhem　himself；　and　saying　where　he　had　left　him。

Louvois　hated　Puyguilhem；　friend　of　Colbert；　his　rival；　and　he　feared　his
influence　in　a　post　which　had　so　many　intimate　relations　with　his
department　of　the　war；　the　functions　and　authority　of　which　he　invaded
as　much　as　possible；　a　proceeding　which　he　felt　Puyguilhem　was　not　the
kind　of　man　to　suffer。　　He　embraces　Nyert；　thanking　him；　dismisses　him　as
quickly　as　possible；　takes　some　papers　to　serve　as　an　excuse；　descends；
and　finds　Puyguilhem　and　Nyert　in　the　chamber；　as　above　described。　　Nyert
pretends　to　be　surprised　to　see　Louvois　arrive；　and　says　to　him　that　the
council　has　not　broken　up。

〃No　matter；〃　replied　Louvois；　〃I　must　enter；　I　have　something　important
to　say　to　the　King；〃　and　thereupon　he　enters。　　The　King；　surprised　to　see
him；　asks　what　brings　him　there；　rises；　and　goes　to　him。　　Louvois　draws
him　into　the　embrasure　of　a　window；　and　says　he　knows　that　his　Majesty　is
going　to　declare　Puyguilhem　grand　master　of　the　artillery；　that　he　is
waiting　in　the　adjoining　room　for　the　breaking　up　of　the　council；　that
his　Majesty　is　fully　master　of　his　favours　and　of　his　choice；　but　that　he
（Louvois）　thinks　it　his　duty　to　represent　to　him　the　incompatibility
between