Exchange The Paymaster was my friend and I resolv'd to let him know assoon as possible what was doing I found him so perplext that I could easily discern he was guilty but seeing him so cast down I told him there was a remedy for all things and therefore he should not be so much concern'd and since it was so if he would be rul'd by me I would tell him what he should do Hearing me talk thus he told me in the greatest passion imaginable he should owe his Life to me confessing ingenuously that the desire of saving somewhat by it had put him upon doing it I found him so troubled that I was afraid if I did not tell him what I had to say quickly he would dye with the fright So I askt him how much the last Remittance was which he had receiv'd and if he had since that paid any other Money than that base Coin he told me no for he had receiv'd it from Strasbourg instead of the Louis d' Ors which he had from the Treasury that the last Remittance was of 200000 Francs but as he had told me he had turn'd it all into this bad sort of Money When he had told me this I bid him go and draw out a particular of all the Money as well what was paid as what he had in Cash but to disguise his hand so that no body might know it to be his writing that when Monsieur de Turenne should send to search as he would not fail to do he should stand in it that he had receiv'd no other but such Money and offer to produce the account to make it out but in the mean time to appease the Officers he should pass his word to them that if they had any of that Money left at the end of the Campaign he would give them other Money or good Bills for it and to make them easy to desire Mr. de Turenne to make an Order by which all the Suttlers were commanded to take it upon the penalty of ten Crowns a man he found my advice very much for his advantage for Mr. de Turenne sending immediately after and seeing the account I mention'd he told the Officers the Paymaster had paid them no Money but what he had receiv'd that they ought therefore to be satisfy'd with his Offer and making at the same time an Order to the Suttlers there never was any more said of it By this means the Treasurer not only escap'd the Punishment he fear'd but also made a very great Advantage to himself for the Suttlers bringing back the Money to him to change he got three or four Sous a Crown out of them too He was so oblig'd to me that he offer'd to lend me any Money I wanted but I having no occasion thankt him and refus'd it Monsieur de Turenne not contenting himself to have past the Rhiâ—e as I said before and after that the Neckar oblig'd the Marquis of Brandenburgh to retire beyond the Mein which he also past after him I cannot imagin why he avoided the â—ight so having more men than we by one third unless it was that if he should hazard a Battel and have the worst he knew he should leave his own Country too much expos'd however it was tho he was Agressor in this War yet he was the first that desir'd a Treaty of Accommodation and we promis'd to retire out of his Country provided for the future he should meddle with no body's affairs but his own The business of Brandenburgh being thus at an end Mr. de Turenne return'd to the Rhine but the Troops were so fatigu'd with those Marches that 't was even pity to see them and yet they were so far from allowing them time to refresh them that they were immediately forc'd to begin a new Campaign the King being then just going to undertake the Siege of Maestricht He durst not attack it the year before and tho he had always an Army about it yet the Garrison fail'd not to brave them in their Camp and the Officers were so bold that they would come pickeering and challenge ours to exchange a Pistol with them and 't was none of their fault if we did not try our force with them among the rest there was none who expos'd himself more than Somerdike who not only came out as the rest did but in particular was continually insulting the whole Army and no body could shoot him which made people believe he had fortify'd himself with some Charm and a Trooper telling me so very seriously and that he had known several persons that had done so I laught at him upon which he told me I needed not go far to be convinc'd for that he himself had one and if I doubted it I should fire a Pistol at him and stand but three paces off and that he had try'd several He set me in a great fit of laughter at these words and he finding me still of the same mind prest me to try him with my Pistol whether he said true or no which I refusing he was so mad that he told me if I would not make the experiment my self I should see him make it before my face Upon which he immediately goes from me till he came within Pistol shot of the Counterscarp of the Town I not imagining his design perceiv'd that he endeavour'd to fetch off a Cow of which there was a Herd grazing as big as a good Flock of Sheep there was above 200 shot made at him before he came at them and certainly 't was a very pleasant sight to see a man run staring after a Cow having separated one from the Herd in the midst of the Musquet shot which in an infinite number were fir'd at him from the Town At last after having thus diverted the whole Army and me in particular who knew the occasion he brings the Cow to me and askt me if I believ'd him now I protest I could not tell what to say to it but I put it off with telling him that this was all by good fortune which words were unhappily the cause of his attempting the same the next day when he was kill'd for his pains During the time that all things were preparing for the Siege of Maestricht I went to into Alsace and Lorrain by Orders from the Mareschal de Turenne Going to Beffort I saw the Governor there who was but a young Soldier to command in a place of such consequence which I could not forbear taking notice of to the General to which he very wisely gave no answer at all but the Count de Florensac younger Son of the Duke D'Vses who had not so much command of himself askt me what Country I came out of and if I did not know that the Women rul'd all now adays that that Gentleman I spoke of was the Brother of Madam de Maintenon the faithful Confident of Madam de Montâ—span and he might be allow'd a place or two provided he made his Court
Chevreuse who seem'd to desire the ruin of the Cardinal was always well with that Count and endeavour'd to hinder these Troops entring into the Kingdom to make a more advantageous Treaty for herself our Journey had disturb'd the Court so that she was oblig'd to meet them half way to make up the the Peace and as the Arch-Duke was too slow in his Marches and the Parliament beginning now to repent of having call'd in Foreign Aid the thing was immediately concluded Every one was for making his advantage in this Accommodation some agreed for Money and others for Places whilst poor I was the only person that got nothing though the chief of the Party had all along promis'd to take care of my Fortune I was then sensible how little confidence was to be reposed in the assurances of Great Men who promise largely when we can be serviceable to them but fail not to forget us when we cease to be so any longer In short I had been reduc'd to very mean Circumstances but for my yearly Income at Lyons which was all I had now to trust to after I had maintain'd my Brothers all this time at my own Charge 'T was not for me then to set up for Quality yet was it sufficient to maintain me with good Husbandry which at last I practised having never another Cardinal Richlieu to whom I could have recourse for what I wanted and so reduc'd my attendance to a Valet de Chambre and a Foot-boy whereas in the Cardinal's days I never kept less than six or seven Servants in Family This seem'd something odd to me because I had ever liv'd great but I knew not yet what it was to be necessitous though it was not long before I did to some purpose Mazarin who hated me mortally as well for making my Escape out of Prison as for siding against him in the late disturbances caus'd my Revenue at Lyons to be stopt and several Attachments to be made on it under borrow'd Names though I never heard of it till I went to receive the Money and then I was surpriz'd indeed to find my self indebted to People I never knew but making light of it at first I went to my Attorney who told me the same story and that I must sign a grant of Possession to them till the Cause should be decided In the mean time he ask'd me for the Attachments but I was not so prudent to take them up and so was forc'd to go back to the person that us'd to pay me and who put me off till the next day the next Morning I went to his House but they told me there that he was gone to a Sister 's of his who lay a Dying about ten Leagues from Paris 'T was with this Excuse they held me in suspence for a Fortnight at least yet in all this time I never dreamt of this Fellow 's holding Correspondence with Mazarin at last one told me he had seen him in the street whereupon with abundance of Joy for his Return I went to enquire for him but when I saw they us'd the same Pretence as before I concluded then there was some trick in it I told them roundly that I was inform'd of his being in Town by several People who had seen him and vow'd I would not stir till I had spoke with him He was not very far off it seems for hearing what I said he cried out at a distance that all was well enough and they should let me in He made me then a thousand Excuses for going out of Town without giving me the things I required telling me that being but just come to Town as I saw he must have one Night to look amongst his Papers and the next day I should certainly have them at my own Hour I was such a Fool as to believe him again and came next Morning by break of Day when feigning himself Sick he told me in the condition that he was he could not possibly be as good as his word and endeavour'd to put me off another day But my Patience was quite worn out with waiting so I directed my Attorney to draw me up an Order to make him deliver the things He no sooner heard what I had done but never talking any more of the Attachments he return'd answer that I must make application to those at Lyons his Commission being at an end and to prove what he said he shew'd me the Sham Copy of an Order to recal it This was a reference with a Vengeance however being oblig'd to write to Lyons I sent my Contract by the Post to the end that the Person whom I writ to about this Affair might as soon as he receiv'd it proceed with all Expedition I expected two or three Posts to hear from him but all in vain for my Contract was lost it seems and another Man to whom I had got one of my Friends to write sends me this Account I lost a great deal of Time in this manner but 't was longer yet before I could procure a rough draught of my Contract at last they sent me word from Lyons that the Pay-master who was formerly there was restor'd to that Office and that I must address my self to him Accordingly I sent another Summons to which he answer'd That he had the Attachments in his Hands 't was true but I could not oblige him to deliver them till they were copy'd I order'd him then to send me the Copies which he was content to do so he gave me in the Names of seven of my Creditors whom as I said I never had so much as heard of in my Life I desired them to appoint what Court they would proceed in and after they had appear'd by their Attorney there was three of them who declin'd the Jurisdiction of Chatelet One of them was for removing the Tryal to the Requests du Palais another to the de L' Hotel and the third to the Grand Council where all his Business was done as he pretended At last after our Cause had depended above three Months and when it was just going to be decided they brought it into the Privy-Council for the sake of that Judge's Regulation 'T was my ill luck to have a Sollicitor who naturally hated to take Pains so that I thought our Tryal was delay'd more out of his Laziness than Malice but I was mistaken for having gain'd one of his Servants with a little Money the Fellow told me as a Secret that in short 't was to no purpose for me to wait for any conclusion to my Affair for his Master was expresly order'd to the contrary I ask'd him how he came to know that and he told me there was a certain Man who came often to his Master from the Cardinal on this Errand and by the Description he gave me of him I knew it could be no other than Bellinzani the worthy Servant to such a Master 'T is impossible to express the Rage I was in when I heard
oblige him and he would certainly reimburse me when he came there I believ'd all he said and did more for him than I should have been perswaded to do for one of my own Countrymen at least unless I had known him very well I told him he should not be disturb'd I would let him have what he had occasion for When we came to Mets he told me the Man who he was directed to was gone out of Town so that instead of paying me what he had promis'd me he must beg me to continue my assistance to him and supply him till he came to Strasburg that there he had abundance of Acquaintance and that assoon as ever he came there he would punctually repay me all I had laid out for him I did not mistrust him yet but supply'd him with whatever he wanted but from that day to this I could never see one penny of my Money and 't is the least that I can do to give this caution to such as read these Memoirs to take heed who they trust in that manner I have been since told he is become a Capuchin but he might have paid his Debts first for I do not understand they have any more priviledge than other people to rob their Neighbours In short Monsieur de Turenne soon after being come to the Army he had about as much cause to be pleas'd with the Inhabitants of Strasburg as I had with Monsieur Cueillette they promis'd him a thousand things which they never perform'd but he might have known them for they had us'd him just in the same manner the year before this oblig'd him to pass the Rhine to prevent their giving up their Bridge to the Enemy but all the Country being ruin'd it is impossible to tell you what difficulties we were put to for want of Forrage and for fifteen days together our Horses eat nothing but Weeds we pickt up and down near the Camp The Quarter Master General of the Horse gave Monsieur de Turenne an account of this every night when he went for Orders telling him the Cavalry could not subsist any longer if they were not permitted to Forrage for it had been a long time since he would suffer them to go out for that supply but Monsieur de Turenne answer'd him that they would never dye with hunger as long as there was Leaves upon the Trees and if they wanted they might go and gather them if they pleas'd The Enemies far'd no better than we did and we did nothing on neither side but watch to see which would break up first so as the other might make some advantage of it for if we had a great Captain at the head of our Army the Germans had no fool with them being Commanded by no less a Man than Montecuculli who had shown us a piece of his skill at the beginning of the War in the first Campaign when feigning to march way he countermarcht immediately and went directly the contrary and on a sudden surrounded Bon in such a manner as we could by no means relieve it Thus the two Armies lay and both suffer'd great inconveniences till at last they came so near as 't was thought they could not part without coming to a Battle and every one was overjoy'd at the hopes of being deliver'd at once from all these miseries but just at the very moment when Monsieur de Turenne thought the hour of Victory was come he was kill'd with a Cannon Bullet by the fault in part of Monsieur de St. Hillaire Lieutenant General of the Artillery I say by his fault because Monsieur de Turenne having spoke to him to go along with him to view where he might place a Battery he must needs stay to put on a Red Cloak by which they were known to be Officers and that made the Enemy fire at them and the same Ball that kill'd the one shot off the Arm of the other as he was pointing at something they were taking notice of together If another was to tell this story you might expect some account of the strange consternation which seiz'd the whole Army upon this unhappy accident but I can give no distinct relation for the confusion I was in my self was so great that I minded no body else nor took no observations of other matters this I know that every body gave themselves over for lost and the more because the Marquis de Vaubrun and the Count de Lorges without considering that the condition we were in requir'd a common unity for our general safety fell to making Factions and Parties and to draw the great Officers to their sides about the principal Command This had certainly been the ruine of the whole Army if it had continued but two days but some of the graver heads remonstrating to them that this was not a time for them to dispute Punctilio's of Honour and point of Command but to consider the Honour of the King and that they would be call'd to an account for it if things miscarry'd upon this score At last they perswaded them to refer their pretensions to some of the principal Officers chosen by the rest to decide it between them and so the differences being compos'd we began to retreat towards the Rhine where we had a Bridge of Boats But we had taken several advanc'd Posts very near the Enemy and 't was necessary to draw our Men out of them before we decampt which we did without any loss setting fire to our works and principally at Willessat where all the Mills were burnt The Enemy assoon as ever they had notice of the Death of our General imagining we would resolve to retreat as we did indeed prepar'd to fall upon us and decamping the very moment that we began to retire they attackt us at a Pass of a little River the Fight was very obstinate on both sides ours being enrag'd at the loss of their General and the other in hopes to make their advantage of our Confusion knowing we had lost our principal dependance but neither Party had their ends for the Germans being oblig'd to repass the River with the loss of a great many men we had the honour of the Action yet however we were forc'd to proceed on our Retreat and that with all the caution imaginable and the Enemy having waited upon us to the Rhine we past that River in sight of their Army My Commission being void by the Death of Monsieur de Turenne I resolv'd to leave the War and there being a great many more in the same circumstances we form'd our selves into a little Troop that we might be able to defend our selves if we should be attackt for besides that the Country was full of Schepepans a sort of people as dangerous as the Enemy the Germans also had past the Rhine after us and fill'd the Country with their Parties and we met with one of them presently with whom we engag'd and had the good fortune utterly to defeat them by plain
de la Tour who had the greatest concern finding things went thus thought he ought not any longer to suffer this Wretch however before he did any thing he thought 't would be best to theaten him to see if he could make him run away of his own accord the design succeeded for Monsieur Theodore seeing that all the world was bent against him marcht off with his Money without so much as taking leave of his Dutchess and if we may give any heed to the Scandalous Chronicle she laid it so to heart that it was the cause of her death This is true tho that she liv'd not long after his departure and it had been better for Mr. de la Tour that he had gone 4 or 5 years before â—â—e had not then squandred away the best part of her Estate nor lost her Reputation which before was so great that no Lady could have a better But to return to the Blockade of Luxemburgh it continu'd all this while invested and tho the arrival of the Count de Walsastine gave new courage to the Garrison yet the relief he brought could not last always and that being wasted they were reduc'd to the same condition they were in before this made the Governor very thoughtful but at last he committed one error for which if he had been a Subject of France he would at least have lost his Government if not his Head When our Forces first approach'd he brings a noise of Musick to the Ramparts as much as to say he was very glad to see us and that we had oblig'd him in giving him an opportunity to show his Courage and upon that made several Balls and Rejoycings in the Town but he never consider'd that he had to do with Enemies who knew how to dance to other sorts of Instruments and whose Courage had been too well shown in the late War to be suspected and if I may be allowed to make a little digreâ—sion I would say if they had been attackt by plain force it might for ought I know have fared with them as it did with the Prince of Conde at the Siege of Lerida He being flusht with a multitude of Victories which he had gain'd in Flanders and imagining that fortune was bound to follow him into Catalonia or where he pleas'd not at all concern'd at the misfortune that had befallen the Count d' Harcourt the year before he brings his Violins to play in the Trenches and not content with this he sends to tell the Governour that he would give him every day such Serenades to which the Governour answer'd he would endeavour to return his civilities but begg'd his pardon till the next day his Violins being out of order but he would take care they should be in a readiness by that time his Violins were a peal from his Cannon which he caus'd to fire without any intermission and in the heat of it he sally'd out and fell upon the Trenches with a desperate fury The Prince of Conde stood him gallantly and there â—as no Courage wanting in him to beat him back into the Town but being not so well seconded as he ought he was forc'd to give ground leaving at least seven or eight hundred of his men upon the spot Now if I might be suffer'd to give my opinion of so great a Captain I think he was very much to blame for where is the jest of these sort of Bravado's are not there a thousand other ways for a man to signalize himself and if one comes to be baulk't as it happen'd here to the Prince how foolish does it look but I won't run too much on this subject To go on with the business of Luxemburgh the Governour was a man of great bravery and he must have degenerated from his family if he had been otherwise for it has been a house which has produc'd a great many Gentlemen of extraordinary worth and the action which I am blaming him for proceeded indeed rather from an excess than a want of Courage however he ought to consider that even too much Courage is an inexcusable fault in a General or Governour of a Town tho it may be allow'd in a Souldier however there was less reflection made on him for this affair than for another of a different nature which happen'd soon after and 't was this I meant when I said he had been very severely punisht for it had he been in our service being one Night at a Ball within the Town he happen'd to have some words with a Collonel of the Garrison call'd Cantelmo who thinking himself affronted whisper'd him in the Ear that if it would oblige him he would give him satisfaction immediately The Governour took him at his word and without so much as considering that he had an Enemy under his Walls he withdrew from the Ball without any noise and was immediately at the place appointed in a by Street of the Town the Governours Second was the Count de Walsastine and Cantelmo's an under Officer of his Regiment their Footmen had Flambeaus to light them and tho the business held but a little while yet there was some blood shed the Governour gave Cantelmo a thrust in the side which glanc'd along upon his Ribs and whether it was that the Collonel thought himself wounded worse than he was or that his feet slipt it was not known but he fell down and the Governour coming up to him he askt his life and was going to deliver his Sword when the Officer who was his Second seeing the danger his Coll. was in flew to his rescue with such fury that he had run the Governour thro and thro if the Footmen had not stept in and kept him off with their Flambeaus which they run just in his face and so the battel ended for they knockt him down just by his Coll. and the Count de Walsastine being come up to the Governour they easily master'd the other two who were down before If the Mareschal de Crequi who lay before the Town had had orders to have attackt it no doubt he might have made but short work of it while the Governour that commanded it had so little discretion but tho we had forces enough yet we durst not attempt it as otherwise we would have done for we had measures to keep with the King of England who was the more troublesome to us the more he was himself disturb'd by his own people that hated us upon which account he concerted all matters with us Let not the English think the better of themselves for what I have mention'd I dont say we were so afraid of them as that we were bound to do every thing they order'd if they had declar'd against us it had not been much the worse for ouâ— affairs but 't was not prudence for us to create our selves new Enemies when there was so many jealousies already of the progress of our Arms. I allow they are a brave people but I dont doubt
condition to the Woman I once lov'd above the world Yet would she not accept of them tho they were of the value of 2 or 300 Pistoles but sent them back again with orders to leave them with Monsieur and Madam if I should persist to refuse them Thus ended this affair which I should have repented a thousand times that I mist if I had an Estate to have made that Woman happy But Reason coming to the assistance of my Jealousy which my passion might perhaps have conquer'd in time I began to reflect seriously on the consequences of such a Marriage and the miserable condition I must have left a Wife and Children in after my death Upon all which I concluded that it was infinitely the best as it was and that she had escap'd a misfortune which it had been a pity a person of her merit should have ever prov'd I had no design to live all my days at Monsieurs and Madam so that now I thought it was high time to take my leave But they who still continuâ—d their civility would keep me tho it was by meer force I made all the pretences possible and told them that I had business of moment at Paris which I must necessarily attend but all in vain for they took them all for Excuses and caus'd the Saddles of my Horses to be laid out of the way that when I insisted upon leaving 'em and was just a going the Saddles were no where to be found I perceiv'd the consequence and that it would be in vain to resist their kindness I told 'em then I would consent to stay if they would fix the time how long and after that would not stop me They nam'd eight days in which time as if they had known what should happen or had resolv'd I should be at a Wedding tho not my own fell out the Marriage of their Daughter who after all that I have mention'd of her was yet so fortunate as to meet with a Husband of a very plentiful fortune and one who not only loves but dotes on her and admires her My time was just expiring when the very day before I was to go about 3 or 4 a Clock in the afternoon Monsieur and Madam had word brought them that there was a strange Gentleman without who desir'd to speak with them The Servants had order to pray him to walk in and immediately there enters the Room a man of a very good Mien but whom I guest the first minute to be a Foreigner by his Dress I was not mistaken it seems for he was a Swiss and that we all knew well enough assoon as he began to speak He told Monsieur and Madam in a language half French and half gibberish that he was their most humble Servant before ever he saw them and that upon the account of their good character but now since he had the honour to kiss their hands he design'd himself a far greater honour if they pleas'd to permit him to render them his most humble Services This Compliment was a little strain'd I fancy'd but yet he deliver'd it with something of that air as made me have a better opinion of him than I had of those Countrymen of his who took Biroche's Puppets for young Devils and for his sake I might have been induc'd to believe that there were some men of Wit amongst the Swiss as amongst other Nations if it had not been for what happenâ—d afterwards which chang'd my mind or at least made me conclude that if they had wit 't was afâ—er their own fashion and was not attended with very much honour For after the Compliment I told you of he desir'd to discourse Monsieur and Madam in private where he told them that having seen Madamoiselle their Daughter he was fallen desperately in love with her and that if they would give consent to his marrying of her he should be extreamly oblig'd to them that he might perhaps have done this without asking them leave but he knew his duty better than that came to tho he was a Foreigner and particularly the respect which was due to persons of their rank and merit That he did not ask what they would give with their Daughter because he chose rather out of a prinâ—iâ—le of honour to marry without Portion and make tâ—â— Fortune of a Woman he lov'd That he had 〈…〉 Land but he had a Company of Foot which was as good to him as an Estate and 50000 Livres besides he had in ready Money That tho 't was true he met with her in a place from whence others might make some scruple of taking a Wife yet he was not apt to believe ill of any and so it could never enter into his head that some reports he had heard of her were any thing but calumnies That if there should be something true in them he was sensible a poor young Girl was naturally weak and a failure in one of them was not minded in his Country tho a marry'd Woman who transgrest the Rules of Honour was infinitely blam'd because she had a Husband to supply all her necessities and a Gallant upon that account was intolerable In fine that there were some censorious people in the world whom he could not approve who because a Woman had committed a fault once and afterwards had been seen to use a little gaiety more than ordinary in mens company concluded presently that she was lewd and abandon'd and Lewdness indeed was never to be forgiven He added a great deal more of this nature to prove that what ever a woman did before Marriage signify'd nothing and urg'd it from the practice of several very honest Gentlemen whom he would have nam'd if they had not been too many to enumerate however he would instance he said in two or three who perhaps they might know as the Count du Bours a Collonel of Horse St. Quintin and Mountfabes The first marry'd a Woman that had a Child by his Father the second marry'd a Cast Mistress of the Duke of Espernon and the third one of so notorious a Character that she had a Tryal before the Parliament Yet there was none that could deny but the two first were men of Honour and if the other was not esteemed such it 't was his own fault and not his Wives that these were French but for his own Countrymen he scarce knew one that had not done the same that Monsieur Stoup took his Wife from a place where he had been himself witness of her Vertue and yet he liv'd in great esteem here and in his own Country and was in favour with the King who had conferr'd several Honours upon him that tho at first Madam Stoup's reputation was a little call'd in question yet now she was no less respected than if she had never kept company with any but Dutchesses and Ladies of the first quality That Madam Renold Wife to a Captain in the Swiss Guards was one of the same Character which she tok
was serv'd up This which I saw at my Fathers was but the very same which I afterwards found to be the practice at Court Assoon as I was arriv'd there and it was known that I was the Cadet of Locates every one made their Compliments to me and I was strangely surpriz'd to see those People whom I should have thought it honour enough to have spoken to once a week wait upon me to beg my friendship The Captain of the Guard to his Eminence to whom I had addrest my self having told him that I was in the Antichamber I was order'd to be call'd in Who seeing that I was but a Beardless Boy and very short too of my age he turn'd to four or five great Lords that were with him and said smiling St. Aunais surely has put a trick upon us Why This is but a Child My Lord said I making a profound Reverence I know not what Mr. de St. Aunais may have inform'd your Eminence but if it was only that I took the King's Lieutenant of Salses and his Mistriss I can assure you 't is nothing but the Truth Ay but he has told us more than that reply'd the Cardinal We have a long Story here how you prevented the Souldier that wou'd have kist the Girl and how you attackt him and he fir'd his Pistol at you notwithstanding which you drove him away and brought off your Prisoners 'T is all very true my Lord said I but these are but small matters I hope if I may be so happy as to find an opportunity I shall perform much greater for the Service of the King and of your Eminence He is a bold Lad said the Cardinal to the Lords again but he is but a Boy still and 't is pitty to expose him so young and as it were to force nature This discourse put me in great fear he would do nothing for me wherefore I return'd presently I am more capable my Lord than you may think me and your Eminence may find me so if you please to command me any thing for your Service He made me no answer but speaking softly to the Captain of his Guards bad him entertain me with the Gentlemen and to inform himself who I was and so retir'd into his Closet This both surpriz'd and afflicted me for I expected that I should no sooner have appear'd before him but I should have had some great matter The Captain of the Guard not failing to do as he was directed and having given the Cardinal an account that I was a Gentleman after Dinner I was call'd into the Closet where his Eminence told me he had as a mark of his favour resolv'd to entertain me in his Service that I should be wise and faithful and I should have no cause to repent me I made him a low Reverence in token of my acknowledgment still expecting some very considerable Business or Office to be bestow'd upon me but I was surpriz'd to find all my preferment sum'd up in a Livery and that at last I should have come so far to be the Cardinals Footboy I was not so much Master of my passion but that he perceiv'd it in my countenance Let not this trouble you said he with a sweetness that reconcil'd all things 'T is because I would have you always near me time may be I shall be perhaps but too kind to you The obliging way with which he spoke this scatter'd all the discontent that as I said appear'd in my face and having made him again a most profound reverence I expected presently to go and change my figure or at least that some body should be order'd to take measure of me for my Cloaths But the Governour of the Pages told me I must write to my Father to send me four hundred Crowns for my Livery and Trimming and Presents that I must make and that nothing would be done before I was in a great confusion at this I knew well enough to how little purpose 't would be for me to write to my Father I was content to sell my Horses but that would not raise my Stock above fifty Pistoles which was not half the Sum he talkt of To ask my Relations I thought very improper since they all thought my fortune was made and expected great things from me I slept not a wink that night for thinking what method I should take to get over this affair I resolv'd at last to try Monsieur de Marillac which was all the hopes I had left but having been disorder'd all night 't was too late e're I got up to go to him till after dinner And in the mean time to show my self assiduous I went to wait on the Cardinal who no sooner saw me but he askt me why I had not my Livery on My Lord said I 't is truly for want of Money and our Governour tells me I must bring him four hundred Crowns first and that then it shall be dispâ—â—cht What an exacting Rogue is this said he to those that were about him shrinking up his shoulders and turning to me Go says he and tell him from me if he offers to take one Farthing of you I shall turn him out of doors immediately and further that if it be not done by to morrow morning without fail he should please to seek out a new Master You may easily imagin I was very well pleas'd with this errand and knowing I was well backt I did not leave out a word of the message but told it with all the advantage I could for his mortification however he observ'd the order punctually and I laid out only ten or twelve Pistoles to buy some little necessaries which he gave me not and this the Cardinal not only paid me but made them give me three times that sum for my reimbursement Tho I was to be but a Page yet I fail'd not to be the Favourite for his Eminence had none so agreeable to him as my self he would have me do every thing and I to show my sense of his favour was constantly at his Elbow ready to receive his Command at Table 't was I still that serv'd him the Wine not for want of others readiness for they envy'd me for it but he would call me by my name as if there had been no body else there to prevent their diligence When he went to Madam D' Eguillon 't was the same thing there was no body but I went with him where he plac'd me in the Antichamber into which no body came but if he wanted to speak with any body I was sent to them and brought them in and let them out by a private Stair-case that 't was impossible for any body to discover them I know 't was reported he was in Love with that Lady who was his Niece I do not say it was not so she was handsome enough to tempt as great a man as he but this I am sure of that for my part I should have been transported to have had but
the esteem of so fine a creature tho I had been a Cardinal my self And this I think my self oblig'd to say to undeceive posterity that he went to see her many times upon other business than his diversion where he lockt himself up with persons that he could see in no other place without suspicion especially Strangers sometimes disguis'd like Monks sometimes like other Ecclesiastics and sometimes like Merchants It fell out once that after one of these conferences he order'd me to take a Bag I know not what was in it but 't was very heavy and to go along the road to Pontoise telling me at the entrance into a Village called Sanois I should find a Capuchin asleep with his Coul or Hood hanging down behind him that I should say ne're a word to him but put the Bag into the Coul and come away I found every thing just as he had told me and executed his orders punctually But before he employ'd me in such secret things as these he made tryal of me by a passage that was very particular He had a Man call'd Sauvé whom he us'd to employ about such matters and had sent him two or three times into Spain to discover some intrigues that were carrying on there against his interest This man had a very handsome Wife and being order'd by the Cardinal to try my fidelity he sets his Wife to work with whom he suffer'd me to use such liberty that one might swear for him he was not jealous His Wife was at first sight very free with me and the design being to entrap me by the most infallible snare in the world especially to a young man she began to be pleasanter than ordinary But having by I know not what means oblig'd her she told me down-right the whole cheat and caution'd me to have a care after this she gave an account to her Husband just as I directed her and the Cardinal being inform'd from him who to gain his favour told him ingeniously he had sacrific'd his Wife and would not stick to sacrifice himself for his service he had from that time such confidence in me that I was always employ'd in affairs of the the greatest consequence A few days after this he order'd me to put off my Livery and go into the Horse Market to a certain house which he directed me to that I should go up four pair of stairs and if I found a Cross made with Chalk on a Chamber Door I should come down and stay below till Sauvé came to me I found just as he had said and having plac'd my self at the Street Door with my Cloak thrown over my face Sauvé came to me and askt me how it was I told him I had found that which his Eminence desir'd then he askt me if I had not seen two men go out one habited like a Priest and the other with a short Cloak like an Abbot I told him No he bid me look out sharp and if they should appear I should walk along before them till I came to the Hospital de la Pitâ—é and if not I should stand Centinel there till he came again It was an hour and half before he came again but 't was in good company when he did come for he brought a Squadron of the Guards with him of whom a Party beset the house and the rest went up stairs where they found in the Chamber the two men describ'd to me who they took and carry'd to the Bastile But there was but one of them committed the other was let go and I carry'd him the next day ten thousand Crowns in Gold which was the recompence they had promis'd him for betraying and selling his Companion Finding my self employ'd in such secret affairs I heartily wisht my self a year or two older for I fancy'd the Cardinal would find me other business when I was a little too old for a Page and I long'd to be in the Wars to which I had a particular inclination In the mean time my Father and my Mother-in-law having inform'd themselves that all my hopes were ended in a Livery were sorry for those little civilities they had done me but this hindred me not from thinking if I could possible to do something for my younger Brothers who had need enough and to give them assurance of my good will I wrote to them all to give me notice if any Benefice should present in their Country but they sent me word that I needed not to show my self so vain for they knew well enough what interest I had and were content I should make use of it for whom I pleas'd I should have taken this as a great affront from any body else and so I did from them too and the Cardinal being pleas'd a little after that to enquire of me about my Family I told him not only this passage but what usage I had receiv'd when I was but a Child he was extreamly taken with all my freedom and finding he delighted to hear me relate the little adventures of my life I took occasion to tell him of the kindness I had receiv'd from the Curate magnifying the obligation I thought my self under to him as much as I could He told me he was glad to see me so grateful but at the same time as I happen'd to speak of the Messieurs de Marillac he askt me if they knew I was with him and if I had seen any of them lately I told him No but I intended to wait on them with the first conveniency to which he answer'd that I must not do so if I thought of continuing in his favour I durst not reply to so positive a command â— and he perceiving that I was not only surpriz'd but astonisht At least said he if you should meet with any of them never open your Lips of what I have said to you and be assur'd if you ever should you have nothing more to hope for from me I told him 't was enough for me to know his Pleasure and that I should know neither Friend nor Relation when his Eminence's Service was the question He was very well satisfy'd with my answer and continu'd to employ me as freely as before among the rest he sent me one time with a great Bag full of Gold and order'd me to lay it under a broad Freestone which I should find upon a heap of other Stones a little beyond Montfaucon on the Road to St. Denis and withal I was not to come back the same way that I might not see I suppose who should come to fetch it Another time I carried such a like Cargo to Nostre Dame to a Man whom he told me I should find leaning against a Tree with his head on one hand and the other hand behind him just for all the world in such a posture as Moliere acts the covetous Physician I was to put the Money into that hand which he held behind him but not to see his face at all
him my Cloak for 't was no time of night to cry Wafers and order'd me at the same time to go with him two Streets on his way Two days after he call'd me to him again and bid me go to Monsieur de Bullion Superintendant of the Finances to order him from him to deliver me that parcel which he had made up and then to carry it into the Rue de â—a Huchette to the same person I have been mentioning whom I should find at his Lodgings at the Sign of the Sow and Pigs at the further end of the Court up one pair of stairs I found the parcel ready but it was so heavy that it had more need of a Cart to carry it which Mr. de Bullion knowing before had provided one and having put it into the Cart he gave me a Note that contain'd the particulars of what was in it telling me I must take that and give it to the person I was to go to Being come to the Sow and Pigs I found my Gentleman walking up and down the Chamber and having given him the Note and told him the Goods were at the door he lookt upon the Bill and gave it me again telling me I was mistaken that I was to go to some other person for it did not belong to him I told him that I was not mistaken for he was sensible that I knew him and that my order was for him but he throwing away with a sort of discontent walks about the Chamber again and at last said to me Sir It is not for me and you have no more to do but to return with it After I had taken a great deal of pains to perswade him to receive it but found 't was all to no purpose I e'en took his counsel and carry'd it back to M. de Bullion and so went to give an account to the Cardinal he askt me if I had the Note about me I told him I had which he looking upon it put him into a violent passion at Bullion saying he would teach him another time to observe his orders and sending for him at the same time askt him the reason why he sent but five hundred thousand Franks when his order was for six hundred thousand Bullion reply'd that he understood his Emineâ—ce had told him but two days ago that they should manage that affair to get it as cheap as they could that he did not question but the other would have been content with what he sent him but seeing he was not he would go and send him the rest By what I could understand of this for I was present at their discourse it seem'd to me that Mr. de Bullion had a mind to put a hundred thousand Franks in his own Pocket tho he pretended only good husbandry for the public in the mean time while the other hundred thousand Franks was telling his Eminence sent me to find out the man again to tell him he should have content and that 't was only the fault of the Superintendant and order'd me to acquaint him that I had seen him reprove de Bullion for it I found him making up his Baggage as if he was to be gone and seeming surpriz'd to see me he stept up to me and askt me if I had any thing to say to him I told him my business at which seeming indifferent There is no Faith in man said he with a surly sort of tone and I cannot understand it that after having so positive a promise it should be forgotten in two days I went back immediately to Mr. de Bullion and fetching the six hundred thousand Franks I brought them all to him and return'd to the Cardinal who was very uneasie till he knew what was done in it Tho this sort of employment was not my element and I had much rather have been in the Army yet having so much the favour of my Master it was the pleasanter to me Having one time ask'd me if I had yet seen Mr. de Marillac whose Brother was now in great favour for he was not only made a Mareschal of France but had marry'd a Relation of the Queen Mothers I answer'd that I remembred better than so what his Eminence had commanded me and that I had already told him I should know no Relations when his Service was the question and that my greatest grief was that I could give him no better proof of it yet He told me with a voice that seem'd as if he were pleas'd that it was well enough and indeed if he had not been very confident of my fidelity he would certainly never have trusted me in a thing of such a nature as he did about a month after In which to discover what temper he was of 't will be necessary to look back a little to the beginning of the story The King was of a very mild and easy disposition came to the Crown very young and left the government of all things to the Queen Mother a Princess of a vast ambition but not belov'd by the French not only from a natural aversion as she was an Italian but also because she made a Favourite of one of that Nation whose Merit was as mean as his Birth As Governments are supported by fear sometimes as well as by other methods so this man had made himself a terror even to the Princes of the Blood and his Wife which was more intollerable than t'other was come to that degree of Insolence presuming on the Queens Favour whom she entirely manag'd that she trampled all the world as it were under her feet It being however necessary for her to make some Creatures of her own to resist so many Enemies the Queen Mother had gain'd some already and among them the two Brothers de Marillac of whom one was a Statesman the other a Souldier and both very honest Gentlemen and worthy of the great Places they enjoy'd but notwithstanding all her forecast the number of the contrary party was so great that she could not save her Favourite from their hands De Luines whose ambition could not bear the insolence of this Italian insinuated to the King that his Mother rendred him contemptible to the people leaving the Government to be manag'd by Strangers It is not certainly known whether he accus'd her of Incontinence or not and of making away the King his Father but however it was he knew well enough how to work upon the King into whose favour he had wrought himself by gratifying him in his little delights and diverting him in such manner as he found most suitable to his inclination he got a private order to find out some body to kill this Favourite which was accordingly executed by Vitri Captain of the Guards du Corps From hence forward de Luines endeavour'd to improve all the advantages of his Authority with the King to the prejudice of the Queen Mother but as his shoulders were too weak for such a burthen and on the other hand the Queens
Party being jealous of his Ministry and united against him he was forc'd to yield to the strongest side Those who were in her interests and had absconded for fear they should fall in the same disgrace with her Favourite were immediately recall'd to Court and as the Messieurs de Marillac were the chief of these so they had the greatest marks of her respect he of the long Robe aim'd at no less than the Ministry and seem'd so well qualify'd for it that all people thought he deserv'd it but the Queen Mother having taken into her service the Bishop of Luçon afterwards Cardinal de Richelieu this Genius did so in all things excel Monsieur de Marillac and shone with such lustre that the other was quite obscur'd The greater Marillac's ambition was the more impatience he shew'd at the advancement of Richelieu whose designs were at least as great as his and ambition being as subject to jealousy as love this produc'd a hatred so inveterate that they could not endure one another and the death of Luines making way for a more unlimited Ministry very much encreast it But Richelieu soon got above not him only but even the Queen Mother her self This Princess resented it extremely and muster'd up all her Friends to joyn with her in pulling down this New Minister before he was settled too fast Monsieur de Marillac and his Brother having more reason than any body to desire his fall entirely embarkt in the design with the Queen they laid an infinite number of plots against him and any thing but such a Genius as his must have sunk under the power of so many Enemies but as he never willingly forgave an injury so as soon as he had settled himself in his new Authority he set himself to suppress every one whom he had the least reason to fear and not content to have forc'd the Queen Mother who had been his Benefactress to fly the Kingdom he resolv'd the destruction of the two Marillac's This was the reason of his asking me so often if I had seen them but to make an effectual proof of my fidelity and withal to take off the odium from himself of apprehending the Mareschal who was a man generally belov'd he said to me one day You have often assur'd me that you would know no Relations nor Friends when my Service requir'd it I shall now put you to the tryal Here is an Order said he giving me a Pacquet to apprehend the Mareschal de Marillac You see I am very willing you should know what it is go and carry it as directed and remember my Confidence in you merits very well your Fidelity to me This I 'll assure you extreamly perplext me and taking it My Lord said I if your Eminence would be content with this proof of my fidelity that I know how to keep your secrets I should have been very much oblig'd to you I do not refuse to obey you in this but I beg you to consider that if you should employ another in such a Message as this against one of my nearest Relations I should not be less oblig'd to your Eminence Go I tell you return'd the Cardinal and take heed I don't do as you desire me I had nothing left me but to obey after so severe a command tho I never got to Horseback with so much regret and was often tempted to go and acquaint Monsieur de Marillac who was at Paris of the misfortune that was coming upon the Mareschal his Brother I fancy'd sometimes the Cardinal who was always so very secret in his affairs had put this into my hands on purpose to make me run away but at last my duty carry'd it against all the obligations I had to others and I made such haste to show my zeal for my Master that I deliver'd my Packet six hours before they imagin'd I could be there The Imprisonment of this great man made noise enough every one accus'd the Cardinal of cruelty and injustice so that daring not yet to bring things to the last extremity he stoâ—t the course of Justice for a time which was dispos'd to do any thing he desir'd And I after I had thus punctually obey'd him thought he would have been generous enough to permit me to interceed for him and the more too because what I should ask of him would but show him that I had a principle of honour more than in hopes to effect any thing where there was so powerful an Accuser but I had no sooner discover'd my intention but I plainly saw that great men are not without their failings He told me all in a passion that he was glad with all his heart that one of his own Domesticks was against him and withal cast such a look at me as made me tremble from head to foot and I may say I was as much afraid as if I had been in the Trenches or in a set Battle I durst not come near him any more that day but attending next morning at his Levee he made as if he did not see me and so took no notice of me at all As I had enemies enough in the house my disgrace was presently publisht especially because one or other of them heard my Compliment and the Cardinals answer The Count de Soissons who was an enemy to the Cardinal and had a mind to serve him a trick made this an opportunity of offering to entertain me in his service but tho he was a Prince of the Blood and propos'd to me great advantages I return'd answer That I was too much oblig'd to the Cardinal to think of changing my Master Another perhaps would have acquainted his Eminence of this proposal indeed he could not endure to have any thing hid from him especially where his service was concern'd but considering the terms I stood in with him he might think I fancy'd that I did it to ingratiate my self again so I never troubled his head with it La Ferté the Father of him whom we have since seen Mareschal of France belong'd to this Count but was a very treacherous Servant to his Master for he was a perfect Spy upon him for the Cardinal and having discover'd I know not how that I had been spoken to the Cardinal heard of it from him and from that time reckon'd me a Traytor and looking on me still with an evil eye he askt me one day if I had nothing to acquaint him of and I answer'd him No that he had lockt up my mouth by the answer he had given me Have not I lockt up your heart too reply'd he since that and have you not had a mind to be reveng'd of me Of you my Lord said I surpriz'd with his words for I saw by his air and discourse that he had something extraordinary that mov'd him How is it possible for such a thought to enter into my head You who have been such a Master and who has made me what I am I know all that well enough
St. Maur upon a false Alarm with a Troop of Attendants little inferior to the Kings This Prince who had done Cardinal Mazarin so much Service as I have mention'd was in requital confin'd to a severe imprisonment out of which being escap'd by meer good fortune he continu'd so apprehensive of the like usage that he never rested from the thoughts and contrivances of War being instigated by a great many People that hated Mazarin If I had been in the Equipage I cou'd have wisht my self 't wou'd not have been long before I wou'd have waited on him and offer'd him my humble Service but being now in a condition so fâ—r different from what I had appear'd in I was forc'd to content my self only with making Prayers and Wishes for the success of his Designs In the mean time the Parliament began again to make Decrees against Mazarin so that he was forc'â— to fly the Kingdom to avoid the fury of the common People who all cry'd out to have him remov'd Observing therefore so favourable an opportunity I presented my Petition to the Court of Judicature in which I declar'd the state of my Case and what injustice I had suffer'd for a long while and I had this relief by it that notwithstanding the Cause was depending in the Council my Adversaries were order'd to be heard before this Court. Upon this no body appear'd and I obtain'd a Judgment against the Pay-master General who was oblig'd to disburst me the Money which he had before taken for his own with giving him a full discharge for it He durst do no otherwise for fear I should have set an ill name upon him and have made him pass for another Mazarin which was a Character at that time sufficient to have a mans brains knockt out especially at Paris where the Populace hated the very Name of him I receiv'd then all at once a good Sum which I had no sooner done but I sent twenty Pistoles of it to our Curate ten for the Principal and as many more for the Interest The removal of the Cardinal was all this while nothing but a sham to amuse the People for he had still as much authority in the Council as if he had been present there Every one was disturb'd at this but especially the Prince de Conde who had a strong Party in the Parliament and was favour'd by the People For his Reputation that was founded on so many Glorious Victories which he had obtain'd gain'd him those who had only heard of them as well as those who had been witnesses of such great Actions He pretended as I said fear of the like usage which he had met with but the real motive was to advance his own Greatness as was evident by his Conduct For at the same time that he appear'd irreconcileable to Mazarin he treated with him under hand and if he cou'd have brought him to his Demands he wou'd not only have suffer'd the Cardinal to return but wou'd have been ready to offer him his Friendship 'T is not known certainly what broke off the Treaty unless 't was that the Ambition of that Prince tormenting him continually he made new Demands every day still as the other granted the old ones But this I am inform'd from good hands that the Cardinal sent often to tell him that he shou'd have whatever he requir'd and that the Troubles which happen'd presently afterwards were purely owing to the Prince de Conde If I were dispos'd to give a particular account of all the Actions of the War I cou'd do it as well as another but that being the business of an Historian more than of one that writes Memoirs I shall content my self with telling you only this that after a great many Messages backwards and forwards to no effect they both had recourse to Arms. The Prince de Conde who had several places of strength in his hands sent some of his Creatures to all of them to provide all things necessary in case of a Seige and especially to Montrond which was in the Heart of France and at that time held to be impregnable My resentment wou'd not let me stand Neuter in this War so I joyn'd my self to the Duke de Beaufort who was now reconcil'd to the Prince de Conde thro the Interposition of the Duke of Orleans after so violent an Enmity that nothing would serve their turns but the immediate death of one or the other Now you must know that the Duke of Orleans was wholly rul'd by the Cardinal de Retz the Duke de Rohan and Monsieur Chavigny and these three persons having their several Interests to recommend they had often hinder'd the Peace from being concluded when the Duke himself might have done it as he pleas'd since the Prince de Conde who had declar'd for him durst not have oppos'd him Cardinal Mazarin who was come to Court again seeing himself on the brink of so many Troubles was resolv'd to make his last effort to prevent them to give the Duke of Orleans and the Prince de Conde all the satisfaction they cou'd desire provided they did not insist too much on the Terms of their Adherents He desir'd the Prince de Conde to send him one of his Friends whom he had a confidence in but that he shou'd be one who was never known to have been employ'd in any of their former Negotiations that their Treaty might not be suspected by them whose Interest it was that they should not agree The Prince de Conde chose out one of his own Gentlemen to send on this Errand to whom he deliver'd his Demands in writing with order to tell the Cardinal that it wou'd be to no purpose to consider a longer time on them for he wou'd never be brought to any lower conditions This was a hard Chapter for the Cardinal who had nothing now to choose but Peace or War but one seeming much more eligible than the other he sign'd the Treaty telling the Gentleman that there being several things in it which requir'd some time before they cou'd be perform'd he begg'd the Prince de Conde to desire the Duke of Orleans whose Interest was not forgotten to conceal them from his Lady because the Cardinal de Retis the Duke de Rohan and Chavigny who had so great an influence over her wou'd certainly hear of it and never rest till they had broke the Treaty If the Prince de Conde had follow'd this advice he had without doubt prevented abundance of mischief but fancying the Cardinal started this scruple only to appear more mysterious in his Conduct he comes publickly with an excess of Joy and Gaity crying aloud at a good distance to the Duke of Orleans We have trapp'd the old Fox at last and have got him fast in a Noose Here my Lord says he delivering him the Treaty is your Demands and for what concerns me in it I am very well content The Duke shewing it to his Lady she immediately communicates it to the
brave now they fought for him for they deserted him before St. Denis and if he had not had those who stood by him he had been bafflâ—d before a little paltry Town The Prince of Conde was come back to Paris but in a few days return'd to his Army perceiving the Kings had taken the Field on purpose to dislodge his which by the means of the Bridge of St. Cloud was often cover'd by the river of Scine so as to avoid coming to a Battle He found the Enemy had made a Bridge of Boats ready on the side of St. Denis to pass over part of their Army while the other marcht on this side of the River Being therefore afraid to be inclos'd he decamp'd and intended to retire between Charenton and Ville neuve St. Georges where he hop'd the rivers of Marne and Scine would serve him for a good Reâ—renchment The Viscount de Turenne whom he had to deal with peâ—etrating into his design fell upon him from the rising grounds of the Fauxbourg St. Martin and furiously charg'd his Rear The Prince seeing himself so hotly prest and despairing of gaining the Bridge of Charenton which he could not pass neither without defiling resolv'd to fight since he was forc'd to it and commanded his Van-guard to halt They were come up as far as the Entrance of the Fauxbourg St. Antoine where he found several Retrenchments the Parisians had cast up to cover themselves from the Spoil of the Duke of Lorrain who had ravag'd the Countries all thereabouts The Prince as he had the greatest knowledge in Military Affairs of any man in his Age immediately concluded that nothing could have happen'd more advantageous than what Fortune herself here offer'd him so he drew his Troops into these Retrenchments and lodg'd them as fast as they came up The Kings Army was stronger by half than the Princes but the Mareschal de la Ferte who commanded a part of 'em being still on the other side of the Seine their Forces were pretty equal The King who did not imagine that the Prince of Conde could escape him posted himself on the rising grounds about Menilmontunt from whence being out of danger he might see all that past He propos'd two advantages to himself in doing this one was by his presence to animate the Souldiers and the other that it would hinder the City of Paris from giving the Prince a retreat And indeed it had this effect that they did refuse to let his Baggage come in which was forâ—'t to be left upon the Bulwark The Mareschal de la Ferte hearing the Viscount de Turenne was going to engage the Prince made all the haste â—e could to repass the Seine but that was a thing not to be done in a moment so the Battel begun without him The Viscount de Turenne advancing to the entrance of the Fauxbourg made a vigorous attack upon it while at the same time he sent some of his Troops to my to enter some other part of the City I had always till now a good opinion of the Courage of the Duke de Beaufort and thought the Reflections made on him by the Duke de Nemours proceeded rather from the hatred that was between them than from any just occasion but I saw now that he did all he could to get into the Town upon pretence of declaring for the Prince of Conde but indeed as I thought I had good reason to believe to avoid fighting For the rest having told you the zeal of the common people in assisting some enterprises of his I ought also to tell you how it came to pass that they had now an other Opinion of him you must know that he not only grew weary of the War but complain'd his Troops were expos'd to all the Hardships of an Enemy which the Prince of Conde could not help having not Money to pay them that so they might have been kept in Discipline however the fight being begun as I have just now said was maintain'd on both sides with such Resolution that 't was not known for a good while who would have the better of it but the Viscount de Turenne knowing that the Mareschal de la Ferte was marching with all speed possibly to join him made such efforts that he disappointed his hopes of sharing with him in the Victory The Barricadoes were forc'd in two places and tho the Prince of Conde disputed their passage with an incredible obstinacy he was in great danger of having all his men cut off If Madamoiselle de Montpensier who was always his Friend had not done him a great piece of Service She seiz'd upon the Bastile a Foâ—â—ress at the Gate de St. Antoine and letting fly the Cannon among the Kings Troops not regarding that he was 〈◊〉 himself oblig'd him to make a precipitate Retreat and also to order Turenne to do the like I had not been in very many actions so I could not say this was hotter than usual but I heard several old Officers say 't was and I know very well some Squadrons charg'd five times and tho they had been often broke to pieces yet they rally'd again as often here was abundance of men kill'd and wounded and the Duke de la Rochefaucaut was among the latter he receiv'd a hurt under his Eye by which he lost his sight for the present but he has recover'd it again since they carry'd him into Paris which Madamoiselle oblig'd at last to declare it self and thro which the Prince de Conde marcht his Army The Duke de la Rouchefaucaut thinking his Wound had been mortal sent for a Priest to be confest who told him 't was to no purpose unless he would count this for one crime his taking up Arms against his King and would promise never to continue in it 'T would have been very well if all the Confessors would have acquitted themselves as this fellow did the disorders would soon have been ended but they were not all so honest And the Cardinal de Râ—tz who ought to have been an example to others as a Cardinal and Archbishop of Paris was so far from that that he was one of the first in the Revolt It pleas'd God to preserve me in this action tho I fought in a Troâ—p of which above half were kill'd upon the place but seeing the Duke de Beaufort behave himself as I have noted it very much lessen'd my esteem for him and I resolv'd to leave him which I did three days before he fought the Duel with the Duke de Nemours in which the latter was kill'd If the Prince of Conde had thought it worth his while he might have prevented this misfortune but he was not sorry that he was thus rid of this Prince who was his Rival in the Dutchess de Chatillon and as he thought better receiv'd there than himself so that when they told him he was kill'd he hardly behav'd himself decently for shutting himself up with his Favourites he gave
never promis'd her any thing nor I don't see that I am oblig'd to perform any thing The Prince reply'd that he knew that best himself indeed and that what he spoke was upon the common report that spread it about so to which the other having again answer'd the same thing he left him to dye in quiet All this while the War continu'd with great fury not only on the Frontiers with the Spaniards but also in the heart of the Kingdom and the weakness of the Chief Minister encourag'd such as were dispos'd to diminish if not to overthrow the regal Authority and the present form of Government in the Kingdom I don't pretend to reflect in saying this upon what the Parliament did but upon the Impudence of some particular persons who thouâ—â—t themselves at liberty in these times of publick â—â—â—straction to establish the peâ—ty Tyrannies they exercis'd in their own limits Indeed they had in every Province two or three of these little Princes for such they were in effect for the Kings orders were but laught at among them if they were not agreeable to their designs This was a great trouble to the Cardinal but more to the King who had a thousand times more courage and who was more nearly toucht in these practices than others but 't was his time to wink at all this and as young as he was he was extraordinary politick and chose rather not to reform an abuse tho he knew it to be so than to let it appear that it was too great for him to attempt in such an uncertain condition as things then stood In the mean time never was there such a prank play'd as was done now by a certain Coxcomb that had married one of my Relations and in whose case I had like to have been involv'd This Man call'd himself the Marquiss de Pransac he was a huge hulky fellow of himself but his pride swell'd him beyond all dimensions if he had any Nobility in his blood 't was only that he was Grandson to a President of Bourdeaux but since I am fallen upon his Genealogy I must give you a short history of his Great Grand-father He kept a Brandy-shop at Bourdeaux and made a figure so mean that no body reckon'd him to be worth above two thousand Franks In short he not only dwelt in a little nasty house but bought and sold privately in other Peoples names He had but one only Son who he had bred up well enough and above what 't was thought he could afford for not intending to make him a Brandy Merchant he sent him to the University This young fellow was a meer Thomas Diaforus that is just such another Blockhead as Moelier calls by that name in his Comedy or as we may say a very Bartholomew Cokes However he happens to see one day at Church one of the Presidents Daughters and falls desperately in love with her insomuch that but one sight of her brought him into the yellow Jaundice His Father who as I said had no more Children and knew himself to be richer than anybody thought was almost distracted to see him in such a condition And after a deal of pother to know what ail'd him at last with much ado got the Secret out of him Pshaw says the old man is that all Ne're trouble thy self I 'll warrant you I 'll get her for you and with that away he goes to her Father and demands her of him for his Son The President thought the little old fellow was mad and askt him who he was that he should come with such a compliment to him and guessing at the man by the figure he made which was very indifferent he was going to bid his Footmen kick him down Stairs The little man not at all daunted at the scornful treatment of the President and to come to the point askt him how much he could give his Daughter for let it be as much as it would he would give his Son three times as much in ready Money besides the refusal of such a place as his was which he had secur'd for him when he should be capable to manage it The President hearing him talk at this rate could not tell what to make of it and seeing nothing in him that lookt as if he were crazâ—d began not only to treat him civilly but to ask him as civilly if he was able to make good what he talk'd of The old man told him he was not very likely to be deceiv'd unless his Money would not go for 't was all in specie and taking him home with him he show'd him a great Iron Chest and in it above eight hundred thousand Franks all in Gold The Match was soon made up after such a sight as this and from this Conjunction sprung the Father of our Coxcomb I leave any one to judge whether I have done him wrong in giving him such a Title when they have heard his Story First tho he knew his own Original well enough yet his Coach would not please him unless it was adorn'd with a great many Coats of Arms so without any regard to the Coat that his Grand-father had taken up and which serv'd his Father well enough he picks out such Coats as he lik'd best and orders the Herald to quarter them with his own and to divide them into sixteen quarters the least of which belong'd to some Prince or other and withal gives a most glorious Livery that made all the Town stare at him The City of Paris like other great Cities never wants Sharpers who live by their wits at the price of other peoples follies One of these observing our Gallant and finding him ruuning stark mad after the vanity of Grandeur presents him with a very formal Genealogy by which he made it out as clear as the Sun that he was descended in a direct male-line from the Family De Dreux a younger branch of the Blood Royal and that as such he had a right to bear in his first and fourth quarter the arms of France and in the second and third those of Dreux He was overjoy'd with his discovery and I happening to be then at his House he askt me what I thought of it I found he was too well pleas'd with it for me to contradict it for I had no mind to disoblige him So I having given my opinion in his own sence I made him so compleat a Fool as that he immediately sends for his Coach-makerâ— bespeaks a new rich Coach giving him the Arms that he would have set upon it he chang'd also his Plate and made the same Coat of Arms be engraven upon that and to omit nothing that might add to the Lustre of his Family in some Writings he had making he caus'd himself to be stil'd The most Serene Prince L. ... de Dreux adding however the Surname of Rhedon which was his true name but which he intended to drop in process of time or to attribute it to
not serve her in one affair which was immediately to convey into her Chamber a Suit of Mens Cloaths but that I should be sure not to be discover'd for she had a great many Eyes upon her I askt her what the occasion was and if she was so much concern'd in the disgrace of Monsieur Fouquet as to oblige her to fly for it No says she 't is nothing of that I never was intimate enough with him to be so very much concern'd for his misfortune but this I 'll confess to you they will have it that Love has caus'd me to commit some faults foolish enough to be punish'd for That impertinent old Jade de Beauvais has been buzzing in the Ears of the Queen Mother that I have seen her Son in Law and her Majesty who suffers her self to be govern'd by that Wretch resents it so highly that she has order'd one of my Relations to dispose of me into a Cloyster I mean the Countess de Maulevrier the same whose Husband you had formerly a quarrel with therefore for Gods sake deliver me out of her hands and do as I have desir'd you and then be so kind as to get me a Horse and place him at the Kings Wine Presses on t' other side the Ferry de Velvins that I may be gone If I had been in Love as the World would have me be thought I leave any one to judge how this Compliment would have pleas'd me but having really never pretended any thing of that nature to her I was very ready to assist her without any concern at the occasion so I sent one of my Horses to the place she had directed and went my self to her Chamber with a Suit of my own Cloths but there being no body there to take it I put it under the Bed as she had order'd me and the Chambers or Lodgings of the Maids of Honour being always open to the Gallery I went and fell into a chat with the good old Lady Madam du Tilleul under Governante of the Ladies who was one of my old acquaintance and walking up and down with her I saw lying upon the Toilet several Combs and a Powder Box and all the necessary Impliments of the Dressing Box and amongst the rest there stood a little Pot of Pomatum so I must needs take a little to rub upon my hands because they were a little rough I found it quite of another colour than the ordinary sort which made me fancy it might be good for the Lips too and so without any consideration apply'd some to mine they being a little chopt but I soon paid for my curiosity for immediately my Lips were all on fire my Mouth was contracted my Gums shrivl'd up and when I went about to speak I made Madam du Tilleul laugh at that rate that I might easily see I had very finely expos'd my self and which was worst of all I was not able to bring out one word distinctly and running directly to the Looking-glass to take a view of my self I was so damnably asham'd of the figure I made that I run away to hide my self but just as I waâ— going out I met the Duke de Roquelaire who was coming to make his Court to one of the Ladies and being scar'd to see me in that condition he askt me what the Devil ail'd me I told him very simply my misfortune but instead of pittying he feâ—l a laughing at me and told me I was but rightly serv'd that at my Age I ought to know that there are several sorts of Pomatum that the sort I had meddl'd with was not either for the Hands or for the Hair but was design'd for another sort of use after he had had his fill of this rallying he left me and went to the Apartments of the Queen Mother where he made his Court at the expence of my misfortune Immediately all the Town came to see me and finding that I had really furnish'd them with sufficient matter for their mirth I would have been one of the first to have laught at the Jest if I could but have open'd my Mouth This adventure was the entertainment of the whole Court for at least a Week they were so taken with it that they sent an account of it to Nants where the King was who as serious as he was could not forbear smiling at it for my part I had as much inclination to laugh as any body when I thought of this accident but though I wash'd my Mouth often with fresh Water and sometimes with warm Wine yet nothing but time would bring me to rights again This little disgrace however hindred me from showing my self for some days so that till I came abroad again I could not hear any tidings of Madamoiselle De la Motthe but then I was presently inform'd that the Countess de Maulevriere had put her into a Cloister at Câ—aliot and that this confinement which was a true Prison to her was accompanied with a very severe reprimand made her by the Queen Mother I was inform'd also that this Lady who was blindly in love with the Marquis de Richlieu had given her self a great deal of liberty in reflecting upon la Beauvais notwithstanding the respect which she ought to have had for the Queen and reproacht her among other things that she took occasion to wait upon the King when he was but very young and to make him this civil request that his Majesty would be pleas'd to lye with her I could not easily believe Madam la Motthe could be guilty of so great a folly but the thing being confirm'd to me by every one I askt them if what she reproacht the little old Lady with one Eye for was true and if his Majesty had been so charitable as to oblige her They told me that was not a thing to be question'd and askt me where I had liv'd that I should be the only man in France that was so ignorant Tho this was the true History of Madamoiselle de la Motthe yet Monsieur Colbert had maliciously nam'd her amongst those whom as he said Monsieur Fouquet had been intriguing withal but this was a small matter compar'd to the other methods he us'd for his ruine He pickt out such Members of the several Parliaments as he thought were the most needy and who watcht for an occasion to oblige the Court to be his Judges These he fed with hopes and made them large promises of Preferment if they would give their voices as he directed and upon this account was so confident of his destruction that he gave order to have a Scaffold made privately ready for the occasion In the mean time he had so firmly possest the King that Monsieur Fouquet could not possibly clear himself that his Majesty had ordred his Horse Guards to attend him to Chartres a journey which he had contriv'd not for any Devotion as was pretended but to be out of the way of any Applications which he foresaw would
judg'd by you you are a Soldier and you shall say whether this should be so or no This Gentleman who is quarter'd at my House after having eat and drank what he pleas'd will needs have me let him lye with the Cook now what would he have me to do Or what does he take me for Don't you know me to be a Man of Honour I profess to you tho I came down stairs mighty seriously this story made me laugh and seeing the man had got a great Rabble about the House already I desir'd him to quiet them and I would go and accommodate every thing for him I had much ado to perswade him he telling me I had to do with a Devil that would but laugh at me but bidding him not fear I made him go into his House where we found the Count who had lockt himself in with one of the Kitchen Wenches and would force her to lye with him I call'd to him to open the door and told him my Name but 't was to no purpose at last I was forc'd to tell him that I came by Orders from Mr. de Turenne which he would know better when he saw me I took all this care that he might not suspect me to deceive him and when he heard that he durst not make any farther resistance I told him Monsieur de Turenne knew nothing of what had happen'd yet but he would soon if the uproar continu'd and I would leave it to him to imagine how he would resent such a disorder he who we knew was a sworn enemy to all such irregularities that they said he would needs have a Cook Wench why he might have twenty by to morrow if he was put to such hard shift but to force a Man of Honour to furnish him for his Debauch was a thing no man would take and the best construction the World could put on such an action must be to say he was drunk and that it was an ill extremity to be forc'd to excuse one folly by another I desir'd him to reflect on these things now while he had time for it lest when 't was too late he should come to repent it The Count d' Isle hearing me discourse at this rate grew a little mild however it being the humour of those people that tho they are in an error will never acknowledge it he told me that for my sake he would relinquish his right but that I knew well enough it was his due This discourse was so ridiculous it had like to have renew'd the quarrel if I had not stopt his Host who was just rising up again and having pray'd them both to be peaceable and live quietly since it was but for so short a time I made them shake hands and promise to drink a Glass together the next day His Host who was an honest man told us with all his Heart and he would give us a Breakfast and the Count d' Isle who pretended to stand upon his honour again told us he would consent provided he might treat us again at Night These civilities between them left me no room to question but they were both thoroughly reconcil'd so I e'en went to Bed again and there had never been a word made of it if some body had not foolishly told the story among the Souldiers which made the poor Count be most horribly banter'd in the Army and when he went by they would say There goes our Friend that would have kist the Cookmaid Would it not have madded any body to have been so disappointed And for me they told me that truly I had done very ill to spoil sport in that manner and to prevent me for the future they would have a Law made that I should mind my own affairs and not meddle with them The Count d' Isle saw himself so rally'd with this sort of talk that there being Troops to be detach'd to Catalonia he procur'd an Order from Monsieur de Louvois to be sent thither out of the way The Spaniard was by this time come into the Confederacy and to prevent the ruine of Holland attempted to give us some diversion and in order to that had form'd a design upon Charleroy in which they were assisted by all the Dutch Forces but they fail'd in the attempt which might have led them to consider how unfit a match they were for so powerful an Enemy The Count d' Isle thought by this means to have avoided the raillery of the story we have told but instead of that he carry'd into his own Country a character which perhaps would not have reacht so far had he continu'd where he was In the mean time we were preparing for the War in Germany the Emperor having now effectually declar'd upon us and as Alsatia was like to be the Scene on which the first appearances were to be acted Mr. de Turenne gave orders for the fortifying Saverne and Hagenaw besides Brisac where several new works were made to strengthen the place The Souldiers rejoyc'd at these great preparations and they were in the right of it for they were safe now from being disbanded which otherwise would certainly have follow'd if the Peace had been made with Holland for me I was too old to expect making my fortune by the War and therefore was far enough from pleasing my self at the news but on the contrary was really grievâ—d for the People who had been deliver'd from the calamity of a ruinous Campaign if they had pleas'd to have us'd the Hollanders a little gentler upon the Propositions of Peace but they carry'd it so high with them that contrary to the Genius of that Nation they joyn'd with the Inclination of the Prince of Orange who prest them to the War and was resolv'd to prosecute it whatsoever it cost him having built all his hopes upon the success of it The King who knew very well he had no General so fit to command in Germany as the Viscount de Turenne continu'd him there tho he wanted him elsewhere having great affairs upon his hands For the English who at the beginning of the War was on our side had left us in the lurch the King of England having deserted us and pretended he could not help it on some reasons of State which had oblig'd him to it In the mean time our Coasts were expos'd to the Descents of the Hollanders and we who being all along assisted by the whole Naval Force of England and durst do nothing to them at Sea were not such Fools to stand in their way now In this extremity the King was forc'd to summon the Ban and Arriereban of the Kingdom of whom he sent a Party into Lorrain lest the Duke who the King had long ago devested of his Principality should take this opportunity to recover the Possession Seeing such a bloody War at hand I was sorry I was no younger and whatever obligation I had to the Memory of the Cardinal de Richlieu I reflected a little on
him for taking me from a Profession that as old as I was I lov'd so entirely however I would not be thought so old as I was nor I would not keep company with people of equal years lest they should make me seem older than I was indeed but affecting not only the Company and Manner of the younger Men but a certain ridiculous Air of Gaiety I must needs put on a flaxen Perriwig when my Beard and my Hair was as grey as a Goose Mr. de Turenne had a certain Gentleman call'd Roisguiot a Man that fancy'd mightily to wear a long grey Beard and to look always like an old man this fellow was my scourge and as if he had a mind to plague me he would be always telling me of Locates and of my being sent for by the Cardinal Richlieu This was certainly the most glorious action of all my life and yet I could not bear his telling me of it because he would be always saying too that he was but a Child at that time and that his Uncle us'd to cure him with that story telling him that Vertue never went without a Recompence For by this story people begun to look upon me and wonder'd at me that being so old I would appear so young telling me that I could not be much less than fourscore I was made at this discourse and blusht oftner for anger than shame yet others that were but lately come into the Army told me that I lookt very well in which they did not know how they pleas'd me yet this did not stop the other discourse but every day one Blockhead or another would be raising of it again insomuch that nothing was more welcome to me than when some Order came to get on Horseback and there I was as young as any of them I have often been asham'd of my self in my own thoughts that I should be such a Fool and that I should be the first that should condemn it in another how hard a matter is it for us not to be opinionate of our selves for after having experienc'd this in my self I never reflected upon other persons for the like 'T was a very fine sight to see the Nobility when they entred Lorrain if one had not known they had been Gentlemen one should rather have taken them for Hog Drivers and tho most of them were arm'd with Plumes of Feathers it became them just as well as it did me to make my self a young man However this was only the appearance for they did their duty only that they could not pretend to keep them in order especially with such people as commanded them who knew no better than themselves and made greater mistakes than the Soldiers and yet as ignorant as they were they thought they knew so much they needed no teaching They endeavour'd indeed to find out some old Soldiers among them to make Captains but either they had forgot the Service or indeed never understood 〈◊〉 and so were all one with raw and undisciplin'd Mâ—â— The Duke of Lorrain an old experienc'd Commander falling in upon these people made no gâ—â—at difficulty of routing them and knowing that the Marquis de Sable who commanded the Nobility of Aâ—joâ— lovâ—d a soft Lodging after the French Mode and took no manner of care he beat up his Quarters pillâ—g'd them and took him Prisoner If this Sable had been â— Man of any Spirit this disgrace would have enrag'd him but he was so very debaucht that if he did come into the Army 't was purely by force he had no stomach to it nor had never made a Campaign but once at Lisle and that was because the Duke de Sulli his Brother-in-law committed his Troop of Horse to him being as much such another Soldier as himself I may say this without reflection for all the World knows what happenâ—d to that Duke in Hungary that at the Battel of St. Godâ—art he had got so much Wine in his Head that he â—â—uld not get a Horseback but laid himself down 〈◊〉 a Couch in his Tent whilst his Men were 〈◊〉 engag'd with the Turks which being knâ—wn at Court was so resented by the King that he immediately order'd a Party of Soldiers to be quarter'd upon his Estate For my part I was willing to believe with the rest of his friends that this was only a misfortune which happenâ—d to him and that he was really brave enough But to have convinc'd all the World of this he ought to have done as the Duke de Villeroy did who in the Campaign of Lisle having quitted his Post in the Trenches and perceiving that people laught at him for it brav'd Death it self the next Winter in the Franche Comte where he expos'd himself more than the meanest Soldier in the Army But to return to the Marquis de Sable he was carry'd to Strasburgh where the Duke of Lorrain retiâ—â—d having his ordinary residence in that City with his new Dutchess who was of the Family of Aspremont who tho she was a very fine Woman having not had the Small Pox which has since ruin'd her Beauty yet this old Duke marry'd her more for his Interest than for her Person There had been a Suit at Law between him and her Father a long time in which the Duke was cast and to avoid paying the Debt he made up the business by marrying his Daughter The Marquis de Sable who was a very compleat Gentleman beliâ—ving that this circumstance together with the great disproportion of Age between the Duke and the Dutchess might be a sufficient ground to form an Aversion between them was resolv'd to make a tryal and having more inclination to an Amour than to the War thought 't would make him some amends for his Imprisonment if he could gain so delicate a person to be favorable to his Addresses 'T is hard to say whether he succeeded in his design or not but if I should be as forward to censure as the people that liv'd in the place I should make no question of it but take it for granted as they do But as I am not apt to judge so lightly and especially in cases of such moment where the Honour of a Person of such Quality is concern'd I should rather choose to say that tho 't was probable it might be so yet 't is not safe judging by probabilities however it was the old Duke was not altogether without suspicion and to be sure of him he hasten'd him away and sent him back into France Any Man but Sable would have been more sensible of the Glory of an Intrigue with such a Princess than of his Liberty but he who took his own way was glad to be gone and so return'd to Paris where he soon comforted himself for the loss of his Mistress As for the Duke of Lorrain having nothing to disturb him he spent his time when he was not in the Field in some Employments which were very particular to himself He would go and visit the
places there fell a world of Men and a Peace seem'd equally needful to both parties but one thing rendred it impossible to be effected The Marquis de Grana had been too cunning for Prince William of Furstemberg now Bishop of Strasbourg and had surpriz'd him in the City of Cologne and taken him Prisoner and this had quite broken off all the Treaties then on foot for the Peace of Christendom He was carry'd to Neustadt under a strong Guard and the Emperor who knew he was deep in the interests of his Enemies and afraid too of his capacity resolv'd to detain him tho the action was condemn'd by all the world as against the Laws of Nations the Prince being at the Assembly at Cologne on the part of the Elector of that name and the violence offer'd him there was enough without any further design upon him and people were the more concern'd at this too because of all things the Emperor himself was a Prince far from any such ill designs but some of his States-men perswading him that he could not be safe without it and that this Prince William had as much credit in the Empire as himself he made his Judgment stoop to his Interest and so his ruine was concluded on and if the Emperor had been less religious he had not liv'd long In short they assembled the next day more indeed to make a formal Judgment than to examine much into his Affair but the Emperor would have but three of his Ministers there of whom the Prince de Lokowits was one They condemn'd him to lose his Head and the Execution was appointed to be in private and not to be known till it was over But the Prince de Lokowits who sign'd the said Sentence much against his Will whither it was that he was a Pensioner to France as his Enemies gave out or that he thought that manner of proceeding would reflect upon the honour of the Emperor his Master sent word to the Popes Nuncio and desir'd him to go to the Emperor and to threaten him with the Censure of the Church if he suffer'd this Sentence to be executed The Nuncio who had already Orders from the Pope to interceed for the Princes Liberty was very ready to forward the matter and sent immediately to demand Audience of the Emperor who being surpriz'd when he understood he was acquainted with an affair which he had committed to so few persons the Emperor did all he could to find out how he came by the information but the Nuncio told him his Majesty knew well enough what he told him was true and begg'd his Majesty to consider what might be the effect of such a proceeding The Emperor who is a mighty religious Prince and whose Conscience would not permit him to contradict the Pope suffer'd himself to be bluster'd out of his intentions by the high words of this Church-man and so chang'd the Sentence from that of Death to close Imprisonment It was also a great step to his Deliverance that he had taken up the Habit of an Ecclesiastick for that was the Nuncio's great Argument to the Emperor that he had nothing to do to put to death a Man who was consecrated to the Church and that if he was guilty of any crime the Pope ought to take cognizance of it But if the Prince de Lokowits found means thus to save the Prince of Furstemberg he ruin'd himself by it for the Emperor presently suspecting that this Intelligence must come from him caus'd him to be arrested and seized upon his Secretary at the same time who they put to the torture It is hardly to be imagin'd the barbarous usage they both receiv'd for besides this affair for which they were resolv'd to plague him the Empress that then was ow'd him a spleen for opposing her Marriage which she could never forgive him he had indeed pusht on the Match with the present Empress and had the other dy'd sooner perhaps he might have made shift to have got off clear but the Empress hating him every one made their Court to her by pushing at him till at last he was sent to one of his own Castles where they found means to poison him and so sent him out of the way These things had rais'd such a ferment on both sides that instead of Peace or the hopes of it the Flame of War was kindled more violent than ever All the preparations imaginable were made on every side but after all fortune still declar'd for us and every year before the Enemy could be got together the King had taken two or three of their best places by this means the Low Countries grew weaker and weaker tho indeed 't was chiefly by the negligence of the Court of Spain for instead of committing the Government of those Countries to an experienc'd Soldier that understood things the Duke de Villa Hermosa was then Governor who had never serv'd in any degree above a Captain of Horse and was no way a match for the old politick Commanders in the King's Army The Spaniard had another failing too which was that they wanted Money to make Magazines for their Forces whereas the King could take the Field in the middle of Winter and his Men had no necessities to encounter but the severity of the season all these things ought to have inclin'd them to a Peace and most people thought it would have done so but the Ministers of State seeing with other Eyes they resolv'd upon the continuance of the War to the great regret of all Europe who was quite weary of such a long and bloody contention I had still my old post and being of so ill an age for action I sought for no other and finding that Monsieur de Turenne was almost ready to go into the Field I got away before with my little Equipage As I went by Courtenai I found a Spanish Officer of the Regiment of Grana call'd Cueillette who had been taken Prisoner at the Battel of Seneff and was returning into Germany with some private Soldiers who had run the same fate with himself they had an Order for Quarters paying for what they took but the Sheriffs were forc'd to put them all into a Barn with Straw for their Lodging the Officer was lodg'd in an Inn and I becoming acquainted with him there we lodg'd together for three or four times I found him a very civil Gentleman he told me he was a Lorrainer and that he had been Page to the Prince Charles now Duke of Lorrain His company was very agreeable to me especially since I travell'd no faster than he only it cost me a little dearer for when we came to Bar Sur Scine he told me his Money was all gone and that Monsieur Louvois having made him attend several days for his Passports he had spent his Money and knew not how to get more till he should reach to Mets that if I would defray his Charges so far and his Men I should extreamly
force We took the Officer that commanded them Prisoner and they that took him having searcht him they found a Passport in his Pocket which they brought to me for they had made choice of me to command them till we should be past danger This Passport seem'd something particular to me for among us there was no body took Passports but such as belong'd to some Garrisons but they told me they did not belong to the Body of the Army but to certain Troops which the Enemy had posted in several places in Alsace While he was talking with me I perceiv'd some Blood to run down his Coat upon which I told him I doubted he was wounded he told us he was not for he knew nothing of it but when he saw his Blood he chang'd colour immediately and which was very strange in a moment more he dropt down dead whether 't was really from the greatness of the Wound or the surprize of it that seiz'd him which I am more apt to believe for certainly Fear is capable of producing more extraordinary effects than that And the Marquis d' Vxelles Collonel of the Dauphin's Regiment told me a story a few days ago that at the Battel of Cassel one of the Soldiers fell down dead in the Ranks before one shot was fir'd just as they were going to charge 'T was a great good fortune to us however that this Man dy'd thus without which I and all my Troop had been taken Prisoners for we were hardly got a League farther before we met with another Party of the Enemies Horse who were at least three hundred strong I was a little surpriz'd for our Scouts had not had time to come to ask them who they were for But some of their body came up to me and askt me who we were It came strangely into my Head at the very moment to make use of the Passport I told you of and with a greater presence of mind than was usual to me in such cases I told them we belong'd to such a Garrison naming the place the dead Officer had belong'd to and to confirm it I show'd them my Passport which they taking for granted let us all go 'T was a great happiness to me that I was pretty well Master of the German language so that they never imagin'd me to be a Frenchman for that indeed was what deluded them most Being thus happily got out of their Clutches we pursued our Journey and arriv'd safely in France where they had given over all for lost upon the Death of Mr. de Turenne The King himself indeed expected some disaster to fall out and therefore had sent an Express to the Prince of Conde who was then in Flanders to put himself at the Head of the Army in Germany with all the Expedition imaginable The Germans were set down before Hâ—genau but the Prince of Conde advancing with a resolution to fight them they rais'd the Siege They had also appear'd before Saâ—erne and rais'd some Batteries and for three days together had fir'd upon the Town and thrown in a great many Bombs but this only serv'd to encourage us again seeing they made no better use of the advantage they had I was just arriv'd at Paris when the news of these things came thither but nothing surprizâ—d me like the story they told of some Jews in those Towns who had got a way to put out the Fuse of the Bombs just as they were going to break They threw themselves desperately upon them with the Hide of an Ox just kill'd in their hands and stopping the Mouth of the Fuse so that no Air could get in they put the Fuse quite out It had been a brave contrivance for the Genoeses to have had some of these people with them upon the late recounter we had with them which if they had their City which was the most magnificent in the world had not been reduc'd to that condition we are told it now lyes in The death of Monsieur de Turenne was daily in my thoughts and if I had had the least inclination to a solitude I believe this alone would have caus'd me to have retir'd to a Cloister but that sort of life having been always my aversion I made no advantage of the example that great man left me who had resolv'd to retire himself among the Fathers of the Oratory if ever he had out-liv'd the War I speak this to my own shame that an old Fellow as I was of above threescore and ten should be so fond of the World at that Age that I could not be perswaded to forsake it To speak the truth I did not seem so old as I was as I have said before for tho I might have been trusted safely enough with Women yet my Age it seems did not appear so much but that I was capable of making some people jealous Indeed I was the occasion that a Gentleman of Picardy whose name I shall conceal made a pretty sort of an essay upon his Wife which might have been a fine History if it had been publick for being become extraordinary jealous of his Wife he gets him a Fryers habit one of the same sort he knew his Wife went to Confession to and having brib'd her Page to be true to him he order'd it so that when she sent the boy for her Confessor he should bring her word that he was not well but that he had sent one of his Fellows of the Order In the mean time her Husband drest himself in the habit and went to her Chamber which being a dark Room he did not fear being discover'd being there he began to make strange work with her for he instead of acting the Confessor examin'd her particularly if she had not entertain'd me and she could not imagine why after all she could say to him still he repeated the same question to her over and over which he did also to inform himself of some other suspicion which he had in his head if I might believe what she told me the next day he got nothing from her but what she did not care if all the World knew But the truth was she knew him by his voice which made her be cautious and she had Wit enough not to let him perceive it but both made a jest of their Religion one to satisfy his jealousy and to find out if it had been possible the Intrigues of his Wife and the t'other to cure his Jealousy if she could which only made him ill natur'd While I spent my time thus the Kings Army had enough to do to repulse the Germans and hardly cou'd keep them from pressing into France it self for the death of Monsieur de Turenne was not the only misfortune that befel us for there happen'd a worse at Treves were the Mareschal de Crequi was so intirely beaten that we have very rarely heard of such a defeat most people especially those that did not know how things were carry'd thought the accident
left it to the keeping of the Inhabitants who had always been their own Masters and therefore he would stand by the Letter of the Treaty In short there was no remedy but to decide the matter by the Sword or to refer it to the King of Great Britain who had been Mediatâ—r of the Treaty and was Guarantee of the Peace But the Spaniards suspecting that Prince not to be so much their friend as that requir'd chose rather to name Commissioners to accommodate the matter the King did the like and they appointed the Town of Courtrai for their meeting which having produc'd nothing but arguments Pro and Con and no conclusion appearing likely to be made the King order'd Luxemburg to be invested Every body thought this would kindle the fire again and that the War would break out hotter than ever The neighbouring Princes were so alarm'd that they dispatcht Orders to their Envoys at both Courts to try if 't were possible to soften the matter and prevent the miseries that threatned upon a rupture But it was impossible to adjust it the King would have Luxemburg or Alost and the Spaniards saw 't was equally inconvenient to them to part with either if they gave up Luxemburg they shut out their Succors from Germany from whence they must come if they granted Alost it was to give away one of the best Revenues in all Flanders the income from that Bailliage bringing in a Revenue of 1600000 Livres a year and besides the jurisdiction of it extended even to the Gates of Brussels on one side and Ghent on the other so that it would be to block up both those Cities And to say all in a word in the necessity they had brought themselves to the King taught them which to choose for his Majesty having more mind to Luxemburg than to Alost sent them word that was better for his turn than the t'other But he had not the gift of perswasion neither if they could have helpt it but Luxemburg in the mean time continu'd blockt up which if it had not he must have made use of some force to have open'd his passage on that side the Country The King of Spain who saw himself in no condition to resist such powerful forces by himself had sent orders to avoid the quarrel if possible so that the Souldiers were wholly unprovided when they should have come to fight These things will hardly be believ'd in times to come but since there is no other History I believe will mention them I hope the most incredulous will take my Testimony of them and if I have given an account of these things 't was not that I was really present there or that I am troubled with that itch of scribbling to write of those things which has already employ'd the Pens of so many worthy men I should have said less of this affair had I not been oblig'd to mention it upon the account of my Nephew whom I shall speak of presently and of an accident which happen'd to him which had certainly been his utter ruine if he had not found very good friends to appear for him He had quitted the Kings Regiment where as I said before I had plac'd him and had put himself into the Cavalry where his inclinations led him to serve and was made a Captain meerly on the account of merit for a very gallant action which he had perform'd and tho it be not proper for an Unkle to praise one of his near Relations yet I must not omit that he had a very good reputation in the Regiment but so it hapned that in one day he lost all that esteem he had obtain'd which nevertheless was not so much his fault as that by his action Luxemburg was prevented falling into our hands at that time We had been already a good while before the Town and the Garrison began to feel the want of many things and above all of Money for want of which the Governor could not subsist his Men wherefore he resolv'd to send some body to Brussels to get some in if possible He fixt upon three persons for this enterprize the Count de Walsastine and two other Officers and he order'd Capt. Gregorie an old Soldier for their guard who knew all the by-ways round the Town for twenty miles together Gregorie found means to get them clear well enough but we having some people in the Town who gave us an account of every thing that past we had advice not only of their going out but of their errand to Brussels and could have trac'd them thither if it had been needful but we contented our selves to watch them so exactly as to be sure of them as they came back Our Spies look'd out so well that we had certain advice when Gregorie and his Companions were come within a days journey of the Town whereupon several Parties were sent out one of which was commanded by my Nephew it happen'd that Gregorie fell into his Ambuscade in particular and they being but about seventeen Horse and my Nephew above sixty they thought it their best course to retreat and so made off towards Treves My Nephew persuing him kept so close to him that he was forced to take into the Town and appear'd at the Gates almost assoon as he but the Germans not favouring our party deny'd him entrance on pretence that they must first go and ask leave of the Governour my Nephew told them in short the King would have a severe satisfaction for this falseness but 't was all one they made them stay a full hour at the Ports in which time Captain Gregorie and the Count de Walsastine consulted together what to do whether they should stay in the Town or go out another way but at last they reselv'd to stay in the Town so they took up in an Inn which had a private back door against which they threw a gâ—eat heap of Horse-dung The Governor of Treves supposing by this time they had secur'd themselves orders the Troop to be let in and my Nephew being inâ—â—rm'd that the Spaniards were in that Inn he quarter'd his people all thereabouts and having visited all the Avenues he plac'd Centinels at every place which he thought proper but seeing the Dunghil which I mention'd he never imagin'd there should be a door theâ—â— In the mean time Gregorie to amuse him and that he might not imagin he would be stirring that night made a strange revelling in the Inn and such a noise as if they had been all drunk and appear'd at the Windows with Glasses of Wine in their hands and this they got some Germans to continue all night The Centinels made no question but 't was the Spaniards all the night while in the mean time they open'd the false door I told you of and threw aside the Dung and went about their business My Nephew knew nothing of their going till t was quite day when finding how 't was and understanding they were gone towards
him in the Tax but had rated him as he did the two other Treasurers General Extraordinary of the War at five hundred thousand Livres that nothing was so unjust as that Tax which was laid on them on pretence that they had shared with some of the Under-Treasurers in their Cheats that he would not answer for other folks but for himself he could safely swear he had nothing to do with them that all his losses amounted to fourteen hundred thousand Francs which had all befallen him in a year or two that however he had this to comfort him that no body needed to lose a farthing by him He could not say this to us without some tears reflecting on his past fortune which indeed compar'd to his present condition was enough to move compassion who but a few days ago liv'd in splendor equal to a Prince and was now in a moment reduc'd to such a condition as not to have a Bed to lye on His Wife who was a Colbert and marry'd him but for his Estate deserted him now she found he was like to be miserable and his friends at least such as call'd themselves so before his disaster serv'd him in the same manner and to compleat his misery his Brother-in-law one Brebier who had marry'd his Sister put him in Prison for a Bill of Exchange he had paid for him In short every one run upon him and did him all the mischief they could and no body but I regarded the inconstancy of fortune but I thought myself oblig'd rather to help him than to crush him in this condition I had rather that he should say this than I because it is of my self however tho I was in no condition to make large gifts yet I frankly gave him my two thousand Crowns and if all his Creditors had been of my mind he would ne'r have perisht in Prison as now he is in great danger to do Perhaps God sent him this affliction to punish him for being a little too sure of his prosperity for there was nothing rich enough or fine enough neither for him or his Wife They would not give themselves the trouble of going to the Play but the Actors must come and play at their own house Their Diet was extravagantly nice and every thing else answerable tho at the same time they thought that they had a fortune proportionable He had a place which in time of War never brought him in less than a Million a year in his turn and was at other times worth an hundred thousand Crowns a year and there were but three of them who had every one a year in their turn a rare example of the vicissitude of humane affairs from whence one may learn that there is nothing so mortifying in a poor condition as to reflect upon our former prosperity A little after this happen'd my Nephew came to Paris and as he went out after dinner from one of his acquaintances houses he was set upon by four Ruffians who after having stab'd him in three several places with their Swords made off supposing they had kill'd him The Citizens are commanded when any such accident happens or when two draw their Swords to fight in the streets to disarm them and secure their persons but this is an Ordonance which is but very little regarded and 't is with justice enough that the Parisians are accus'd of Cowardize the Tradesmen being always very little fond of parting a Fray in the street by which means these fellows got away And tho I made great search after them I could never hear a word of them My Nephews wounds were very bad but yet not so dangerous as I was afraid they were and so were cur'd in less time than I expected which I was very glad of but however we were satisfied from this that he had some Enemies underhand and such as were the more dangerous because they were not to be known tho we did our utmost to discover them I enquir'd of him who he had given any occasion to and on what affair he could affront any body to deserve such usage and after having study'd a little on the matter he told me he could not tell who to suspect except it was one Bletterie who was in his Winter-quarters in the Country near the Loire he had been acquainted with his Wife who had carry'd it so very obligingly to him that he had a very great esteem for her that her Husband who was always by was so far from shewing any dislike at it that he was always the forwardest to invite him to his house However since men are not always of the same mind so he would not say 't was not on his account That this man having been oblig'd to go to Paris about the latter end of January he had left some Money with his Wife with order to give it to one that was concern'd with him in the Farms but that he happening at the same time very unfortunately to lose all his Money she let him have two thousand Crowns without any respect to the order her Husband had left with her that thereupon great disturbance follow'd and the Farmer General seiz'd his Goods for want of payment that he had wrote several Letters to his Wife but receiving no answer he was forc'd to come himself where she finding herself unable to satisfy him was fain to pretend she had been rob'd but that upon enquiry the man was inform'd that there was something else lost besides his Money My Nephew having made this ingenuous confession I troubled my self no more at what had happen'd but on the other hand told him he had but his due for a man that could not be content to kiss his friends Wife but must bilk her of his Money too deserv'd no fair play but ought to expect to dye in the street as he had like to have done However this did not hinder my making all the enquiries I could possible to find out whether this happen'd to him on that account or no. I made one of my Servants I had tutor'd hire himself to le Bletteire who was to say he came from the same Town where my Nephew liv'd and had been injur'd by him which was to draw something from him by which he might guess how he stood affected to my Nephew but he came away with a parcel of silly stories without making any considerable discovery Another would have been discourag'd after so many fruitless attempts especially too after having spent more Money about it than can be imagin'd for 't is a custom at Paris when they fancy you are eager to revenge your self to have a number of sharping fellows come about you all pretending some this way and some that way to give you information and if you hearken to them a little they soon find the depth of your Pocket I was the Cully to these sort of people for two or three months at last one that had serv'd me like the rest came and told
not make so much noise was that of one of the Queens Maids of Honour whose name was Madamoiselle de Guerchi to whom fell out this very unhappy adventure I should have told you that being with Child by the Duke de Viâ—ry he ruin'd her so unfortunately by endeavouring to hide her disgrace with the Death of the Infant and there happen'd on this occasion so false a step taken by her self that she deserv'd to have Stones thrown at her more than Madam d' Aiguillon The Queen lov'd her above all the rest and this happen'd to her at a time when the Queen being busy about some certain private affairs had plac'd her at the Closet door with order to let no body come in but such as she had nam'd It happen'd as she stood here Monsieur de Vic came up to the door and making an offer to go in and she not knowing his face he being newly come from the Army she ask'd him his Name which he told her immediately Now there being but little difference in the French between his Name and a certain thing which it is not very decent to mention she stept back in a paâ—sion and flung the Door against him The Queen who by accident had her Eyes that way observing the disorder she was in askt her what was the matter But she being surpriz'd only told her that 't was an insolent fellow and that she durst not tell her Majesty what it was he said The Queen wondring what should so much disturb her and make her colour so red call'd her to her and absolutely commanded her to tell her what it was that if it was a thing not fit to be spoken in plains terms she might disguise it but so as to let her know the meaning of it which would not be difficult to do by one that had so much wit as she had Madamoiselle de Guerchi seeing the Queen had given her an Expedient resolv'd to tell her but did it with so ill a grace that if she had nam'd the thing at length it could not have been worse She said then that having askt the Gentleman his name he had told her the name of a thing with which they say they get Children Mr. de Guiâ—auâ— Captain of the Queens Guards who stood by fell out a laughing as if he would have burst and when he had a little recover'd himself Madam said he to the Queen I 'm confident 't was Monsieur de Vic who frighted this Lady for he came from Flanders but last night but the best of the jest was that the Lady affirmed still she was not mistaken but that it was he that chang'd one letter of the name tho she was not so to be deceiv'd The Gentleman who I went to visit at Melun was call'd the Count de la Chapelle Gantier a person of a great deal of honour and whose Father was my particular Friend he was a sworn Enemy to another Gentleman that liv'd hard by call'd the Viscount de Melun or rather L' Arbatjete for he did not belong to the honourable Family of Melun of whom the late Constable de Melun and the present Princes d' Espinois are descended he was far enough from such a Noble Original having more Men of the Gown than of the Sword in his Family and yet if you would believe him Messieurs de Chatillon are not of a better Descent than he The Enmity between these Gentleman began upon this ground that the Father of one had kill'd the Father of the other a quarrel so reasonable that no body ever attempted to reconcile them My Friend was the Party offended it being his Father who had the misfortune to be kill'd by the other since which if he had but heard his name mention'd he would have turn'd pale and shook from head to foot A Person of Quality to whom I am very much oblig'd desir'd me when I went from Paris to attempt the mitiagating of this Hatred by making a Proposal of Marriage to my Friend with Melun's Sister but I desir'd to be excus'd for that this was to do a great injury to the Count de la Chapelle who I knew to be more of a Gentleman than to marry the Daughter of his Father's Murtherer and that in short I would never undertake such an Errand for I knew if I should it would be to no purpose The Count de Melun also was a Man of so much ill nature that instead of endeavouring by his carriage to make my Friend forget the Grudge that was between the Families as he ought to have done he took all occasions to increase it He was very often drunk and when he had a Glass or two of Wine in his head he was so abusive to my Friend that if the Laws against Quarrels and Duels had not been so severe he had been every day in danger of having his Throat cut This was a crime in any man but much more inexcusable in the Son of a man who had already imbru'd his hands in the blood of my Friendâ—s Father besides the King had done as much as was possible to prevent his being us'd in this manner for he pardon'd his Father but upon this condition that neither he nor any of his after him should come into the Company or place where any of the deceased's Children should â—e and that if at any time any of those should come into Company where he was or any of his Children they should be oblig'd immediately to quit the place which command of the Kings every one allow'd to be very just But the Viscount de Melun instead of conforming himself to this Order as his Father had done us'd him as I have been telling you Insomuch that the first thing my Friend told me of at my coming to see him was that he could endure it no longer at the same time he told me at large the grounds of his disgust which I could not deny but to be very reasonable However I endeavour'd to put the best face on them I could because I would not enflame him who I perceiv'd was already disturb'd enough and at the same time I told him he could not have the least quarrel with him without endangering himself extreamly for the same Order of the Kings which commanded Melun to keep out of his sight commanded him also to bear his Adversary no malice I told him that he being the party aggriev'd every body would conclude him to have been the Agressor that in his circumstances he ought to use more caution a thousand times than another having a good Estate to lose and therefore ought to consider very well before he did any thing of that nature that I did not deny but 't was a very hard case for any Gentleman to be forc'd to bear so much every day but that the least evil is always to be chosen that there was Melun and his Gang desir'd nothing more than to have us take some wrong step which they might
Aubenas but some of the Relations of the person that was executed took it down in the Night upon which he publisht an Order the next day that they who had taken down the Head should without delay carry it back to the same place in 24 hours time which was obeyâ—d and the Head carryâ—d back accordingly I don't know whether all people may be of my mind but I think it is very seldom a Governor has influence enough to make himself obey'd in such a case But if it be ever so it is by some unusual Severity rather than from the Love of the People Yet this I must say of him that if he was fear'd he was also lov'd especially by all those who lov'd dispatch in their business for never had man a greater Vivacity of Spirit which made that Province so much concern'd at his removal and the more since Mr. d' Aguesseaâ— who succeeded him was just in the other extreme I have seen him dictate to three Secretaries at once and yet entertain me at the same time without any interruption It was not for such a man to be long unpreferr'd After he was call'd to Court the King trusted him in affairs of the greatest Intricacy And the Chancellor as great a man as he was did not at all think it below him to take measures from his advice He had indeed the greatest Reputation of all the Councellors of State so that 't was no strange thing that Mr. de St Heran should be so willing to oblige him he being already in a condition to return favours to any man tho his Fortune was nothing yet to what he hop'd it would be and it was for what he expected perhaps rather than any gratitude for what was past that he appear'd so ready to serve the Chancellor or any of his Family for he consider'd that the King having such confidence in them as he really had the only way to advance himself was to gain their Recommendation And yet he was deceiv'd in this point for tho Mr. the Chancellor and the Marquis de Louvois his Son gave him great Testimony of their friendship in some cases they fail'd him in one where he most desir'd it At Monsieur Colbert's death his Ambition prompted him to no less than to succeed him in that place and no question but he was capable enough to have dischargâ—d it but that favour being deny'd him and bestow'd upon another the grief of it broke his heart and kill'd him The Quarrel that happen'd at the Count de la Chapelle's having detain'd me longer there than I intended I had opportunity to be acquainted with all the Country for there was hardly a Gentleman that knew of the affair but came to visit him and offer him their service and amongst them some of all sorts rich and poor and among the latter the Count de Kermeno who was not of that Country as his Name will inform you but who happen'd to be thereabouts drawn not by the Charms of a certain Lady for I should belye her to say she had any but she had been an old acquaintance which to him was in lieu of all other Charms I knew him well enough the Count de la Chapelle had no need to tell me who he was for I had seen him both at the Court and in the Army and he was not one jot more esteem'd at the one than in the other not but that he was a very good Gentleman born but he made the meanest figure that ever was seen He had taken up the Trade of a Soldier which did not become him at all His Brother the Marquis du Garrot had done the like and both had found the means to be very fairly casheer'd after they had run out an Estate of about a Million of Livres Having known all these things before it was the reason I took no great notice of him which the Count de la Chapelle observing askt me when he was gone what that man was since he had never seen him till he came into those parts I told him what I knew in which I can say I neither added nor diminisht any thing from the truth I acquainted him also of the adventure of his Brother of which something was so odd that the like was hardly ever heard The Marquis du Garrot after having spent all his Estate and not knowing what course to take bethought himself of an Expedient by which he pretended to raise at least twelve or fifteen thousand Livres a year for the laying down of about a thousand Crowns in ready Money The Project he had for doing this was to go and publish among the Herb Women and such People in the Market that he would lend them Money at the rate of a penny a day for every Crown which was the usual Interest among those people and desir'd them to acquaint their friends of it for that all the Money he had in the Bank should be at their service and that his Office should be open at such and such constant hours and a true Register should be kept as well of Payment as Receipt Such news as this soon spread about and brought multitudes to his Office and he gave his Money so strangely to every body that came for it that people thought he was be divell'd The Commissary of that quarter hearing of it goes to the place but could not come near for the Crowd till having made way thro the people he comes in and there found the Marquis du Garrot himself who endeavour'd to disguise himself that he might not be known but coming up to him he demands of him what he was a doing the Marquis askt him what he had to do to ask that question adding that if he had a mind to give his Money away to whom he pleas'd he hop'd he might have the liberty to do it without his intruding himself to disturb him The Commissary not us'd to such rough Answers and seeing what a sorry figure he made was a going to carry him to Prison and he not being very willing to go told him who he was hoping his Name would make some amends for his ill Mein but finding he had to do with a fellow that valu'd no body's quality he was oblig'd to muster up all his Titles and tell him he had marry'd Mr. de Courcelle's Daughter Councellor of the Grand Chamber at which the Commissary who stood more in fear of a Councellor than of a Marquis begun to use him more civilly and told him that in respect to his Father-in-law he would not put that affront upon him but that he must lay down his new Trade for it had made too much noise already to be continu'd and admitting no reply made him shut up his Coffer and his Register The Marquis seeing the Commissary in earnest askt him what he must do for all his Money he had given out to which he gave him this answer that having so freely given about his Money to he
I was not likely to have many Children and the few I might have would be no great charge to me since I should never live to see 'em grown up If they had known all they had not needed to have us'd these arguments with me for I had before hand resolv'd to gratify my inclinations at any rate and tho I was sensible that marrying a Woman with my small fortune was a certain way to bring her to misery yet all these considerations were not powerful enough to reduce me to reason The only thing then that seem'd to stick with me was my Age which I objected but they told me I ought not to insist upon that since I did not look to be above Forty and so in short if I were dispos'd to it they would serve me in bringing this Match about I made 'em no answer but two or three days after going to visit the Lady again I proposâ—d it to her my self assuring her at the same time that I would deal ingenuously with her I told her I must confess it was my own fault I was not richer since I had been a very bad Husband and had chose to make other peoples fortune rather than my own that I had a Mother-in-law who had ruin'd me by reviving the old Debts of the Family and laying her claim to them by which means it happen'd that I could make an Offer of no great matter when I offer'd her my self That what I had now was an Annuity for Life out of the Bank of Lyons which had been formerly a thousand Crowns a year but was now reduc'd to half of it This Income I told her with about 14 or 15 thousand Livres which I had put into the hands of some particular friends was my whole Estate and it was for her to consider whither she would accept of a Man who if he had 20 thousand a year lov'd her well enough to lay it all at her feet but whose misfortune it was to have a great deal less For all the sincerity I pretended to you may see I told her I had more than what really I had since I reckon'd into the account the Money I gave Messieurs de Saillant and la Joncheâ—e which was gone to all intents and purposes Yet I did not question but to have â—â—me off handsomely with her and at last to have satisfy'd her when she should have known all the circumstances of this misfortune Thus had Love got the ascendant over my Reason and made me act as if I had not been my self However the young Lady lik'd my Proposals which compliance of hers so perfectly charm'd me that I thought I could never do enough for her She had dependance upon none but a Mother with whom she could do what she pleas'd so that our Marriage was soon concluded on and the report of it spreading round the Country we were complimented by all the People of Quality thereabouts She who now began to look upon me as her Husband made no scruple to allow me those Liberties that she might do with honour enough but which inflam'd and transported me so that some things happen'd to me which good manners oblige me to conceal This effect tho I may say they had as to convince her that I was not so old as she took me to be for such Raptures I was in that no Young man with all his vigour and inclination could have exprest more force of nature or warmth of imagination than I did upon some occasions I mention this to let you see that Women do not always declare what they think for tho she had often perceiv'd the same thing she never took the least notice of it till one day she happen'd to discover it to the good fortune of us both We had been at Vespers together but her Devotion not satisfy'd with that she would oblige me to stay the other service that follows presently after I was content and when they came to sing that Hymn in which there is this passage Ne polluantur corpora she jogg'd me and at the repeating of those words bid me that I should take care I was not guilty of that frailty any more I was strangely surpriz'd to find her so knowing and askt her who it was that had so well inform'd her at which she only blusht and was in an extreme confusion The more I observ'd her confusion the more I suspected some mystery in it and not caring to have a young Woman too knowing in those matters especially one I design'd to make my Wife I told her plainly and in some passion too that I would be satisfy'd how she came so well instructed She told me then with the greatest ingenuity possible that being once at a Gentlemans one that marry'd a Relation of hers and whom she nam'd he came up one morning and caught her in Bed where he behav'd himself with that Indecency that she could not but take notice of some things to which before she had been a perfect stranger This was enough to possess me that he lov'd her He was a man of a very good Estate and one to whom she show'd a great deal of respect which still I mistook and imputed to a quite different cause than what she pretended which was she said for fear of ever having an occasion to make proof of his generosity In fine I grew jealous of him as a Rival or to speak more plainly I thought I should have nothing but his Leavings for which suspicion I must humbly ask her pardon and confess I wrong'd her whose Vertue even exceeded her own admirable Beauty The wedding day was agreed on and all things provided when under pretence of giving orders about something that was to be done abroad I took Horse and left her but not without writing her a long and passionate Letter in which appear'd the contest of my Love and Jealousy each by turns seeming to have got the better in my divided heart at last I concluded it with a thousand assurances that I should ever love and honour her tho I could not think of her for a Wife Monsieur and Madam soon perceiv'd the estrangement and knowing not from whence it should proceed would have endeavour'd to reconcile us but besides that her resentment would not suffer her to hearken to such a Proposal I was too nice to offer it I desir'd 'em therefore not to give themselves any trouble in an affair which I was sensible would never succeed If I had had to do with some Women I should not have escap'd a Process for such an abuse and without doubt should have paid for it but she carry'd herself like a true person of honour and not only disdaining such mean courses of revenge but much more to be oblig'd to me return'd all the Presents I had ever made her At first I would by no means take 'em and told the person that brought 'em that he must even carry back those trifles which were given without
a thousand thanks and I dare swear with all his heart and immediately call'd his Wife to pay me what he ow'd me but truly she told him she had nothing to do with his debt for she was by herself and all the things in the house belong'd to her I saw she was in earnest which indeed surpriz'd me considering how I had oblig'd her wherefore I bid her think on it a little for if she usâ—d me so I shou'd give her such a character that no body wou'd come near her House that she knew in her own Conscience the Money I had given her was in compassion to her family and to supply her necessities and that I had particularly told her so that she might not plead Ignorance that this was far enough from acknowledging my kindness which I did not say to reproach her but she 〈◊〉 not deserve to be usâ—d so generously as I had us'd her and I askt no more than the forty Pistoles I had lent him however say what I could I was not able to perswade her to pay me and her Husband tho he was in a violent passion could do no more good with her than I I must do him this justice that I believe he did his best for he not only storm'd at her but bang'd her too and if I had not parted them I believe it might have come to a set battle for she did not take it patiently at all but gave him as good as he brought and any body but I would have given his Money for such a sight her Husband finding I would not let him handle her as he had begun to do told me he was mightily troubled that his Wife was so base to him and so unreasonable to me but that I should lose nothing by him and that as fast as Money came in he would bring it me I was forc'd to be contented with his fair words and went my way but to promise and perform is always two things and so 't was with him for he not only took no care to perform but would always avoid me if he saw me in the street I sent to him two or three times to put him in mind that an honest man is always as good as his word but whether 't was that he took no care about it or that he was really not able he always put the Messenger off with such silly excuses that I saw 't was to no purpose to expect any thing of him but the pleasantest jest was that his Wife one day when one of my Servants had been there for Money bid him get out of doors or she would claw his eyes out that 't was long of his Master that no body came to their house and that since that damn'd business of his every body shunn'd her house as if they should have their throats cut there I did not stay long at my new Lodgings at St. Germains a friend of mine that was newly marry'd in the Country having sent for me I went down to see him where I found a great deal of good company The Gentleman I went to see was not only very rich but was one that design'd to continue so too to which end he had taken up a certain resolution which is since grown very much in fashion among persons of quality which was to treat very generously all his friends but never to entertain either Servants or Horses and that his friends might not pretend a necessity to intrude upon him and break his new custom for lack of a place of entertainment he built a good large Inn about 200 yards from his House which besides the profit of of it rid him of the company of those poorer sort of Gentry which are numerous for they having not always Money in their Pockets to defray the charge of their Equipage chose rather to live as they could themselves than to pay for their good chear at so dear a rate they grumbled and made some reflections but they were not worth taking notice of for Gentlemen of any quality lik'd the way very well and found it much for their convenience I am sure I made no scruple of it but sent my Horses and my Servants thither as other people did and went away to see my friend I never was better pleas'd in any company in my life for we had all manner of diversions and which was better than all of it I won four hundred Pistoles at play They say Fortune never sides with old age and some folks will believe no other and yet as old as I was I had no reason to sayâ— so for if I had kept account of the loss and gain I had made at play I am sure I should find I had clear'd a thousand Pistoles And now that I might put my self out of a condition to lose it back again I resolv'd to put it out to the Bankers knowing that then there was no danger to which purpose a Gentleman going to Paris I desir'd him to take me with him in the Coach resolving to come back again assoon as I had done my business and therefore took but only a Boy with me leaving my Lacquay at the Inn with my Valet de Chambre giving them order however to meet me at a certain time and place but they having a design to rob me as-it afterward appearâ—d march'd quite away so that when I came to the place appointed there was neither Horse nor Men nor no news to be had of them I could not imagin what should hinder them and never dreamt of what really was the cause I fancy'd some accident had happen'd to my Equipage or that some hunting match having been made in the Country my friend might make bold with my Horses having not enough in his Stable for all the company Thus I thought with my self tho with very little reason for I might have consider'd if my friend had had never so much occasion he would not have taken my Horses because I was to come back on them and then as to any accident befalling my Equipage they would be sure to have sent me word and send me other Horses However as we are often most ingenious in deceiving our selves I pleasâ—d my self with these imaginations till the next morning and from thence to night again but hearing nothing then I began to mistrust some mischief was in it Indeed I must say it was my own fault for I had known enough by that Valet of mine to give me cause of mistrust if I had but taken notice of it He was one of the impudentest Rogues alive and as I understood since I catcht him us'd to take his time and go upon the Pad and strip People upon the Road. Indeed the behaving himself so well in that accident which as I have told you befel me in my Chamber made me the more confident in him but I never thought he had been such a Rascal Having waited thus till my patience was quite worn out I dispatcht
but be very prodigal of my favours to them all some of them came from the very further end of Berry whom I had never seen nor heard of â—eizing me every hour with their Genealogy making it out very plainly that they were my Cousins in the third degree and therefore hop'd I would use my Interest to procure them some preferment I made short with them and told them I had as good a will to serve them as any man in the world but it was not in my power which they might easily see for that I had got nothing yet for my Brothers who being in the first degree 't was but reasonable should be first regarded and that then I had some Relations in the second Degree who pretended to some priviledge before them that when I had preferr'd them all then they might depend upon me that I should do them all the service I could They understood me well enough and so getting rid of them they left me in quiet At last the happy hour was come which I had so long wisht for when I should lay down the office of a Page with which I was never very well pleas'd the Cardinal gave me two hundred Pistoles to buy me Clothes and told me I should be one of his Gentlemen I had hopes now he would have done some great thing for me however I did not continue long idle but went over into England and into Scotland with Letters written in Cyphers and those Countries being in Arms I was seiz'd by a Party of the King of England's Army whom I was as much afraid of as of those of the Parliaments They immediately searcht me but found nothing about me for I had put my Letters into my Post-horses Saddle the Plates of which I had made on purpose at Paris being of double Iron contriv'd to hold the Letters in the inside and unless they broke them they did nothing They ransackt the very Pummels of the Saddle but to no purpose for they could not find my Packet Then they askt me whence I came whither I was going and a thousand impertinent questions and I answer'd them all as I found proper being prepar'd to meet with such like interruptions telling them I was a young Gentleman that was travelling But this gave them the more suspicion finding my Equipage did not agree with the Character I gave my self so they stopt me four or five days at which I was very uneasie for I carry'd along with me if I am not very much mistaken business of no small consequence such as if I should be discovered with I knew my fate but what comforted me was that my Letters were perfect Magick and written in such a character that the Devil could not have read them They had no regular Alphabet as is customary in such cases but the same stroke or dash would signify twenty different words that it was impossible but for them that had the key to make any thing of it as for example you must know it was agreed that one stroke should signify an entire word of a Line in St. Austin and to know which it was the figure of the Page was put under the stroke and the number of the line and the number of the word in the line and to make it the plainer the mark or stroke was to be the first letter of the word As to explain it suppose the word was Have and that this word was to be found in the 10th Page of St. Austin the 10th line the 5th word in the line the cypher would have been thus This being so contriv'd I leave any one to judge if 't was possible without conjuring to have found out my Errand and yet I trembled every joynt of me for I knew if they found out my Letters the more difficulty they had in discovering the Contents the worse I might expect to be handled by them But it being my good fortune not only to secure my Packet but also that they believ'd me too young to be capable of such sort of Negotiations they let me go and I deliver'd my dispatches and return'd safe with an answer I was very well paid for this Journey for I had an order to the Financier for two thousand Crowns and one of the Pay-masters demanding a consideration of me for prompt payment was turn'd out of his place upon my complaint to the Cardinal I know not whether the Genius of the English Subject to take up Arms on every light occasion or this Voyage of mine wrought the effects that follow'd but those three Kingdoms who as I said were disturb'd before immediately upon this broke out into confusion insomuch that the King of England who had given us no great marks of his good will in several cases found his hands so full at home that there was no great fear of his being troublesom to us And what makes me think we had a deeper hand in this affair than others is something that happen'd to me three months after my return being one morning as I seldom mist at the Cardinals Leveâ— he whisper'd me and bid me go to the Fauxbourg St. Marceau over against the Conduit to the sign of a Woman without a Head and to go up two pair of stairs where I should find a man lying on a Bed with yellow Curtains whom I should order to be at Madam D' Eguillons at Eleven a Clock at night without fail I deliver'd my message immediately and being not forbidden to see this mans face as in other cases I call'd to mind that I had seen him in Scotland and I believe he knew me too for I observ'd that he lookt earnestly at me as if he would have recollected who I was we neither of us said any thing of what we thought only that he told me he would not fail the appointment At the time aforesaid I was order'd to stay for him at the door to introduce him into the Cardinals Closet he came disguis'd like one that crys Wafers in the Streets and I hearing a man cry Wafers was far enough from imagining that 't was he but he knowing me and discovering himself I brought him to the Cardinal with whom he was shut up till four a clock the next morning all the Cardinals men had orders to go home which gave further occasion to the talk that was made of him and of his Neice Madam D. Eguillon no body imagining he had any business to keep him there all night but to lye with her besides they had taken out the Keys that they might go out when they pleas'd and this made the Ladys Servants be as forward as any in the report I don't say this to affirm that there was no privacies between them but to shew as I said that all the times he staid there were not the effects of an Amour The conference being over my Wafer-merchant comes out of the Closet at the door whereof I had waited by the Cardinals order his Eminence made me lend