my fortune and my dignity Let me then conjure you Madam to comply with my passion and make your self absolute Mistress not only of my Heart but also of every thing that I possess The Bearer hereof will bring me your answer I beseech you that you 'l no more deny me this favour than any thing else that I have requested of you without which you 'l reduce to the extremity of despair the person that preserves his life upon no other score than to love nor his Fortunes than to serve you De Chevreuse She continued for some space altogether astonished at reading this Letter and cou'd not tell whether she had best return any answer or no at last she resolved with her self not to write to him and to avoid-meeting with the Messenger she pass'd the time amongst her Female companions till he was gone After this she took a walk all alone by her self to a pretty Grove of Trees that was joyning to the House where she had not been long but she was possessed with an itching desire to review the Letter she endeavour'd with some little violence to her self to master this inclination but the curiosity which is so natural to her Sex at last carried it Immediately she imagined that it would prove a very agreeable diversion and that an hundred Letters of that nature cou'd not fail to get the ascendent over her heart Having therefore pleased her self with the perusal of it she began to discover some graces in the Style which attracted her Eyes as it were by force In fine she read it again with abundance of 〈…〉 and after she had mad◠〈◊〉 few reflections found it 〈◊〉 â—â—â—ertaining How says she a Marquit fal'n in love with me and not only so but passionately in love that offers me his Heart and his fortunes and shall I refuse him No I begin to see my fault I will love him he 'l make me a great Lady and instead of being a Servant to others as I am at present I shall then have others to wait upon me I shall by this means raise and advance the obscurity of my Birth But then says she reprehending her self You know who you are and if he love thee 't is only to ravish from thee the dearest thing thou hast â—n the World When that is gone â—e'l regard thee no more then â—hou'lt be abandon'd and without support No love him not but reserve thy reputation and honour Thus divided between two different passions she let her Letter drop without perceiving it â—he pursu'd her walk and mediâ—â—tions when an old venerable â—ervant-Maid of the house with â—hom she was intimately acâ—uainted came thither She walked so softly that Guillemette was not aware of her till she came up to the place and had taken up the Letter which she did very carefully not at all questioning but that it contain'd some important piece of secrecy She accosted her then and endeavour'd to drive her out of her pensiveness I have never found you says she to her in such a sullen reserved humour before it must certainly be some extraordinary matter that has occasion'd it Come don't conceal any of your affairs from me and if I am able to bring you any consolation you may rest satisfy'd that I shall leave nothing unattempted She spoke abundance of such things to her without being able to extort any positive answer but seeing that she did not any more importune her upon this occasion not at all questioning but she should discover something or other in the Letter In short they were no sooner arrived to their respective apartments but the old Woman shutting the door upon her self began to read it and there was fully satisfy'd with the true reason of the change which she observed in Guillemette She was extremely concern'd to know what advances the Marquis had made in her affections and what effect this Letter had produced She judged very well that Guillemette wou'd not make her any discoveries of this Secret so she resolved to attend and wait till the return of the Marquis hoping to get an account of the whole intrigue out of him and as she knew by experience that lovers are generally free and liberal so she promis'd her self no inconsiderable advantage if she cou'd but be serviceable to him in this Amorous commerce All this while the pensive Guillemette had her mind seized with a thousand several thoughts and agitations She had a desire once more to read the Letter that gave her all these inquietudes and for that purpose she searched her Pockets Nothing certainly is able to describe her astonishment and confusion when she cou'd not find it there She immediately ran to the place where she read it the Second time but did not meet with it then she did not at all question but that she was entirely ruin'd in the good opinion of her Lady a thousand mortifying reflections disturbed her Soul and she found a visible alteration in her self within a few days Her Mistress that loved her very well desired to be made acquainted with the reason but she pretended an ordinary indisposition of body and confess'd not one Syllable of the true occasion There was no body in the whole Family that knew the cause but only our old Agnes who being willing to apply a remedy to this malady came immediately to her Chamber and thus began Ah my dear Guillemette lays she to her you wou'd not tell me t'other day in the Grove what it was that possess'd you with this melancholy and I believe I had never known the reason if my good Stars had not thrown me upon your Letter which has discover'd the whole business 'T is nothing but the loss of That continues she which has caused all your pain but it has been lodged in very good hands behold here I return it you no body has read it but my self I have always had a kindness for you and shall ever preserve it but then to correspond with my friendship you must make me your confident and for the future conceal none of your Intrigues from me Guillemette took the Letter with a great deal of joy which did not a little contribute towards her recovery since her indisposition chiefly proceeded from an apprehension she had that her Lady had read the Letter In fine she gave Agnes abundance of thanks and reposed an entire confidence in her Fidelity The Old Woman contradicted her in nothing on the contrary she agreed with her exactly in all her Sentiments in order to make some advantages hereafter by this complyance which was the only thing that she propos'd to her self by it In the mean time the Marquis de Chevreuse was in despair for having received no answer to his better he resolved to write to her the Second time and if that fail'd to crown his expectation to make no more efforts of that nature but go himself in Person and endeavour a conquest Therefore he took Pen in Hand and Composed a
mortification not to be exprest But Scaron that was master of a great deal of Wit happily remembred himself that she loved verses exceedingly and took an inspeakable pleasure to her him repeat some of his Poetry Therefore he resolved to attempt her once more that way and wrote abundance of Billets to her in this fashion After she had read them over she decently laid 'em aside as she had done the rest but wou'd not condescend to return him any answer Nevertheless our indefatigable lover charged her daily with his amorous Epistles his constancy his respectful behaviour to which were added the assiduities of his Confidence fail'd not at long run to re-establish him in his Mistresses good graces But he that was very well acquainted with the inconstancy of the Age did not think it á propos to spend much time in this affair therefore he pressed her with all the arguments he could Summon on this occasion and in fine renew'd his importunities with that success that in a short time the Marriage was consummated between ' em But alass poor Gentleman he found himself mightily mistaken in his judgment and what he imagined would be the consolation of his Life proved just the contrary He found a large Breach made ready to his hands through which the Lord knows how many combatants had mounted to make the Assault He complained of this same business to her but she was so far from denying the matter that she told him in an imperious tone that it was not for such a feeble meagre two-legg'd figure as he was to have the entire possession of such a Woman as her self and that he ought to reckon himself happy enough in all conscience that she was able to suffer his nauseous embraces This unwelcome discourse which he expected no more than a Summons to the next World reduced him to the extremity of despair and forasmuch as it lay exceeding heavy upon him he was willing to discharge in into the hands of one of his Sisters not at all believing that he cou'd dispose of the Secret to a better Person or that she wou'd take pains to publish the infamy of her own Family but he found himself exceedingly mistaken to imagine that one of the frailer Sex was capable of concealing so nice and critical a secret however at last he discovered his grievances to her after he had mightily aggravated the consequence of this affair and told her how tenderly it concerned his Life and Reputation to have it kept private She failed not on her side to swear and promise every thing in the World which he would have her do out of an itching desire she had to be made acquainted with this important matter But she no sooner understood what it was but she found her self possess'd with a far greater inclination to disclose it Thus she continued for some days in this Female irresolution saying and unsaying the very same thing One day for instance she fell into the following transport There 's no body knows this secret but I. Which I've heartily sworn to conceal par ma foy And I've promis'd without any damn'd reservation Not to utter one Word to a Soul in the Nation Then must I conceal it Alass and alack I may promise as well to bear Pauls on my back But then if I tell is I ruin my Brother Why Isaith I can't help it as well he as another This telling of Secrets is part of our Charter And for my part I swear I 'le dye no body's martyr Well let me consider once more of the matter Either burn or disclose it why troth chuse the latter But then if I speak it forewell reputation And besides I may raise his severe indignation But what Woman alive can conceal fornication Not a female on Earth can Cuckoldom smother Then don't take it ill from your Sister good Brother You know what the Matron said unto her Daughter Ne're long keep a Secret nor long hold your Water After so many different agitations sheoesolved at last to put her self out of this torment and communicate the secred to a trusty She-friend of hers this trusty Female handed it to another and she likewise to her next Neighbour and so on to the end of the Chapter till at last the whole Town was acquainted with the Secret and the greatest part of the conversation in the city went to this Tune However as every thing in the World has its time so some new accident or other occasion'd even this discourse to vanish but this did not afford the least comfort to the Unfortunate Scaron but the oft ner he reflected on the cruelty of his Stars and the unhappiness of his condition he found his Melancholly humour to grow upon him In fine he was so sensibly affected with remorse of conscience for what he had done that it made him pass the remainder of his Life in a sad languishing condition and at last carried him out of the World His pious Wife according to the laudable custom of the World for some time appeared very desolate and afflicted as you know good manners and civility obliged her to do She subsisted for a while upon the small for tune that her Husband had left her for Poets are seldom guilty of leaving great Sums behind 'em but being satisfied that her poor stock would not last for ever she resolved to pursue her first design and look after a Service Never was a more favourable opportunity presented to her then now she had the luck to meet with one of her old companions of Poitou who was so happy as to be placed in a very advantageous station with Madam de Montespan This honest acquaintance promised to employ her utmost interest with her Mistress to get her fixed in some good condition and at last succeeded in her endeavours for she procured her a Governants place in the house of a Person of Quality but this was in Portugal and thither she was obliged to transport her self if she complied with the Motion She agreed to to it with all her heart and during the time that the Persons with whom she was to live were making preparations for their Voyage she went frequently to Madam de Montespan's to thank her she companion for the kindness she had done her and likewise to endeavour if it were possible to have audience of this celebrated favourite before she departed This favour she obtained by the means of her correspondent and acquitted her self so agreeably in her conversation before the above-mention'd Madam de Montespan that she desired to see her often Not to be tedious she pleas'd her so extremely with the gayety of her diseourse that this Lady imagining she might be useful to her upon several occasions was willing to entertain her in her Service and having obliged her to break off her design'd Voyage to Portugal kept her in her Family Where she insinuated her self so dexterously into her good opinion that in a-short time she became her only
ADVERTISEMENT THe Memoires of Monsieur Deageant Containing the most secret Transactions and Affairs of France from the Death of Henry IV. till the beginning of the Ministry of the Cardinal de Richelieu To which is added a Particular Relation of the Arch-Bishop of Embrun's Voyage into England and of his Negociation for the advancement of the Roman Catholick Religion here together with the Duke of Buckingham's Letters to the said Arch-Bishop about the Progress of that Affair Which happen'd the last Years of King James I. his Reign Faithfully Translated out of the French Original Printed for Richard Baldwin in the Old-Baily 1690. THE Cabinet Open'd OR THE Secret History OF THE AMOURS OF Madam de Maintenon With the French KING Translated from the French Copy London Printed for Richard Baldwin in the Old-Baily 1690. THE Author's Preface TO THE READER LOve and Fortune produce effects so fantastick and surprizing that a man that accustoms himself to make reflections on all Occurrences cannot consider 'em without astonishment One sees not only the vilest and most abject creatures rais'd by this means to the highest elevation of Glory and Grandeur but one also sees the most agreeable and haughty of all the Sex thrown down from their greatness by the Caprices of these brutal passions and the Chimerique effects of the imagination to which stupid men offer incense as to a Deity Nature never wrought half the diversities in her productions as Love and Fortune have done in their Vassals and Adorers Madam de Maintenon the person whom we shall choose to be our Heroine does abundantly confirm the truth of these evident assertions one that the following relation may make to be reputed for a happy person if you place the happiness of this World in prosperity in which 't is confess'd she abounds As for the rest I am to advertise the Reader that altho' several persons having wrote upon the like subjects have deliver'd nothing but pure Romance nevertheless what I have Wrote is an unquestionable truth for the better part of the Memoires from whence this Little History is drawn came out of the Cabinet of Madam de Maintenon and were partly written with her own Hand These we recovered of a certain Gentlewoman who lived a considerable time with her and who had not served her this trick but only to avoid a greater mischief which was designed her and she avoided by her flight Therefore what we received of her we are now going to expose to the publick and this it is which has given occasion to the Title of this Book I hope the World will receive some satisfaction by it since I have given my self the trouble to put together these Memoires and digest 'em into a method If you meet with any thing that is ridiculous you are only to accuse the Original and not the Copy Farewel THE SECRET AMOURS OF Madam de Maintenon With the French KING AMongst all those Effects that Love has produced one sees nothing that surprizes him more than when it joyns the Scepter to the Crook and by its influences makes those Conditions of Life that stand at the greatest distance from one another so united and reconciled that the two Parties forget not only what they have been but also what they owe to themselves Several Examples have acquainted us with the truth of this Assertion but we have not any Instance that has demonstrated it with that clearness or is more universally known in our Age than This which we are going to relate Madam de Maintenon owes her Nativity to America Her Father who had been formerly one of those righteous Persons that we use to transport for their Civil Behaviour after he had made Satisfaction for the Slavery to which he was Condemned took a little piece of Ground and planted it with Tobacco With the Revenue of this small Territory he made an hard shift to keep Body and Soul together when Providence to let him see that he had faln into a Terrestial Paradise furnished him with a comfortable Importance and suffered a certain Vessel that was plentifully laden with all sorts of Females to arrive at the Island de la Martinique These virtuous Ladies considering the Corruption of the Age and the Fruitfulness of the new World after having sacrificed their Bodies for some time to the Goddess of Pleasure and performed all Acts of Charity to those who begg'd it at their hands departed from their respective Habitations in Low-Poictou and out of a Spirit of Submission to which they were obliged by the Orders of Justice surrendred themselves at Rochel Here the report of their Actions gathered a vast Company of People together who ran from all parts to behold them with Admiration The respect they met with was so extremely great that the Magistrates of the place not thinking any ordinary House worthy to entertain Persons of their high Character lodged them in the most Magnificent Building of the whole City as well in regard of its Height as of its Scituation and Structure Their Quarters were assigned them in the Tower de la Lanterne where they passed some time without any manner of Diversion for want of Needles After a short stay like true multiplying Daughters of Eve they embarqued for America where they arrived as we told you before Presently after their Landing they were joyned to the Tune of for better for worse according to the laudable Custom of the Country which as we are credibly informed was taking one anothers Words without any tedious Preface or Ceremony and amongst the rest Madam de Maintenon's Father and Mother were coupled together and so by this means our Illustrious Heroine came to be begotten All those Persons who have been at America are able to inform you that whether it happens through the peculiar Nature of the Climate or the Temperature of the Country their Children don't stay so long a time before they are able to help themselves as here in Europe and Experience has made it evident that their Infants do commonly make a shift to walk when they are but one year Old which would pass for an extraordinary Miracle with us on this side the Globe To reassume our Discourse our little Heroine was employed at the Age of Three years to look after some Turkies belonging to the Illustrious Madam de ... her Godmother who out of a Principle of Charity took her from her Pious Parents and kept her with her at her own Mansion In this honourable important Occupation she passed Three years more after which time was expired her above-mentioned Godmother having some occasions to make a Voyage into Europe carried the pretty Damosel along with her with a design to cultivate and refine her Person as she advanced in Age. Their Voyage as it happened was somewhat of the longest which they poor Souls never expected by reason of the ill Weather with which they were frequently distressed Nevertheless they arrived happily at Rochel where after they had refreshed
Propos to depart but stay till next Morning that he might give no Umbrage or Suspicion in the Case and also that he might find some opportunity or other to speak with his Mistress before his Departure Guillemette having put all her things in her Trunk received Orders to appear forthwith at her Ladies Chamber This virtuous Person who had passed above Threescore years in the World had gathered a great deal of Experience and considering that a good Tree is easily spoiled if it is not cultivated when 't is young was desirous to furnish her with some useful Solid Instructions before she went away and to that end she thus began the Discourse Since it has pleased Heaven to take away my dear Husband and Children from me I have been effectually dead to all these impertinent gilded Vanities of Life and only paid my regard to those Duties that cannot but render those Persons eternally happy that follow them Now because you are going to be separated from me for at me I have some Reason to be fearful of your Conduct when I consider what Age you are of One runs a great deal of Hazard and Danger at your years but withal one acquires a vast Reputation and Glory in surmounting them Therefore I think it not amiss to give you part of that Experience which I have and to lend you some Instructions for your future Deportment And I am able to assure you that you cannot prove otherwise than Happy if you 'l permit your self to be influenced and directed by them In the first Place be devout without Affectation and have a Care you don't fall into Hypocrisie for by that one does immediately Affront and Assault the Divinity 2. Don't set your Heart upon the Pleasures of the Flesh for he that prefers the Pleasures of the Body before the Health of his Soul is Guilty of the same sottish Stupidity with him that let 's his Friend drown and runs to secure his Cloaths 3. Don't propose to your self any great Pleasure in worldly Vanity rather abhor it and let your Garb be Modest and Civil ever while you live take more care to adorn your Soul than your Body without doing which you offer incense to an Idol and abandon the Deity 4. Don't begin any thing without having consider'd seriously of it before and let your judgment be mature and well fixed for he that undertakes any business of moment without this necessary provision ought not to be surprized if it never succeeds 5. Never attempt any thing which is above your strength for all efforts of this nature use to produce effects that are infinitely below the expectation one conceived of ' em 6. Don't look with Envy at the good of your Neighbour for by that means you render your self unworthy to possess your own 7. Carefully avoid that which they call Love here in the World Above all never give any attention to the discourses of Flatterers This sort of People deify you in their warm harangues tho' at the same time they endeavour to make you the most miserable of all Creatures Therefore in imitation of the Adder shut your Ears to the Cllarms of these Enchanters and be strongly persuaded that there is nothing so prejudicial to your reputation as the vanity of hearing your self flatter'd Of all the passions that are capable of misleading and corrupting the judgment Love is the strongest and most imperceptible for he kindles his Fire only with a design to make us blind and giddy to make you entertain a horror of him he 's Painted blind not only to represent his Effronterie and immodesty but also to teach us that commonly he reduces those Persons to Nakedness and Poverty that follow him 8. If you submit your judgment to your pleasures you 'l burn your self at last with the Torch that was given you to light and conduct you 9. Avoid Gaming as much as is possible for he that loves play to excess takes a great deal of pains to die poor 10. Consider one moment at least of what you are going to speak and take two more to think of what you are going to promise fearing lest you may come to feel a great deal of sorrow for that which you promised with precipitation 11. Obey with all alacrity and reverence the person whom you Serve and employ your utmost endeavours to set your self in her good opinion Never stay for a Command to do that which you see is necessary to be done and consider that the principal cause of the liberality of Masters towards their Servants proceeds from their having acquitted themselves well in their respective duties for to apply an old but a Proverb upon this occasion A good Valet makes a good Master 12. Be content with your own condition for he that is not content with an honest condition gives himself the trouble oftentimes to render that less which he endeavour'd to encrease 13. Don't be urgent or pressing to know the Secrets of another be likewise very reserv'd in communicating your own You are no longer Mistress of 'em when you have parted with 'em to a Confident and your own example will justify the infidelity which one ought to observe in communicating his Secrets to another 14. Once more renounce and defy all cajolers and flatterers both the one and t'other design by the sound of their empty discourses to the Money out of your Pocket and to ravish you of your Honour In fine the infection of the Plague is not half so contagious and fatal for the body as the Poison of Vicious Profligate company and they that make use of Elaborate harangues for no other purpose than to enveigle us into a criminal rencoutre with 'em employ a perfum'd Poniard to pierce us in the heart Behold Guillemette this is it which I had to say to you and which I always desire you to retain in your Memory and fearing lest you might forget it one time or other I have succinctly digested it into particulars and committed it to Writing Be sure you keep it carefully and read it often Guillemette made very solemn promises to observe all this and then they composed themselves to rest till the Morning The Lady never pared with her out of her company till she saw her in the Coach so that our Lovers cou'd not take their farewel of each other but only in general terms Our Marquis having tarried some short time after her took his leave and retired to one of his houses scituated about two Leagues distance from the new Habitation of his Mistress who along with her Companion was very kindly received at her first arrival But the entertainment that followed did not answer accordingly for she lived with a Lady whom we shall call Olimpia a haughty imperious ill-natur'd Woman that treated all her Servants after a rude barbarous manner notwithstanding they used the greatest diligence imaginable in the discharge of their duties This kind of usage seem'd extreme ly unpalatable to the poor Guillemette