the memoirs of louis xiv-12-第9部分

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Parliament　had　the　right　to　remonstrate；　showed　the　distinction　between
its　power　and　that　of　the　Crown；　the　incompetence　of　the　tribunals　in　all
matters　of　state　and　finance；　and　the　necessity　of　repressing　the
remonstrances　of　Parliament　by　passing　a　code　（that　was　the　term　used）；
which　was　to　serve　as　their　inviolable　guide。　　All　this　explained　without
lengthiness；　with　grace　and　clearness；　he　began　to　read　the　decree；　as　it
has　since　been　printed　and　circulated　everywhere；　some　trifling
alteration　excepted。

The　reading　finished；　the　Regent；　contrary　to　his　custom；　showed　his
opinion　by　the；　praises　he　gave　to　this　document：　and　then；　assuming　the
Regent's　tone　and　air　he　had　never　before　put　on；　and　which　completed　the
astonishment　of　the　company；　he　added；　〃To…day；　gentlemen；　I　shall
deviate　from　the　usual　rule　in　taking　your　votes；　and　I　think　it　will　be
well　to　do　so　during　all　this　Council。〃

Then　after　a　slight　glance　upon　both　sides　of　the　table；　during　which　you
might　have　heard　a　worm　crawl；　he　turned　towards　M。　le　Duc　and　asked　him
his　opinion。　　M。　le　Duc　declared　for　the　decree；　alleging　several　short
but　strong　reasons。　　The　Prince　de　Conti　spoke　in　the　same　sense。　　I
spoke　after；　for　the　Keeper　of　the　Seals　had　done　so　directly　his　reading
was　finished。　　My　opinion　was　given　in　more　general　terms　so　as　not　to
fall　too　heavily　upon　the　Parliament；　or　to　show　that　I　arrogated　to
myself　the　right　to　support　his　Royal　Highness　in　the　same　manner　as　a
prince　of　the　blood。　　The　Duc　de　la　Force　was　longer。　　All　spoke；　but　the
majority　said　but　little；　and　some　allowed　their　vexation　to　be　seen；　but
did　not　dare　to　oppose；　feeling　that　it　would　be　of　no　use。　　Dejection
was　painted　upon　their　faces；　it　was　evident　this　affair；　of　the
Parliament　was　not　what　they　expected　or　wished。　　Tallard　was　the　only
one　whose　face　did　not　betray　him；　but　the　suffocated　monosyllable　of　the
Marechal　d'Huxelles　tore　off　the　rest　of　the　mask。　　The　Duc　de　Noailles
could　scarcely　contain　himself；　and　spoke　more　than　he　wished；　with
anguish　worthy　of　Fresnes。　　M。　le　Duc　d'Orleans　spoke　last；　and　with
unusual　force；　then　made　a　pause；　piercing　all　the　company　with　his　eyes。

At　this　moment　the　Marechal　de　Villeroy；　full　of　his　own　thoughts；
muttered　between　his　teeth；　〃But　will　the　Parliament　come？〃　This　was
gently　taken　up。　　M。　le　Duc　d'Orleans　replied　that　he　did　not　doubt　it；
and　immediately　afterwards；　that　it　would　be　as　well　to　know　when　they
set　out。　　The　Keeper　of　the　Seals　said　he　should　be　informed。　　M。　le　Duc
d'Orleans　replied　that　the　door…keepers　must　be　told。　　Thereupon　up　jumps
M。　de　Troyes。

I　was　seized　with　such　a　sudden　fear　lest　he　should　go　and　chatter　at　the
door　with　some　one　that　I　jumped　up　also；　and　got　the　start　of　him。　　As　I
returned；　D'Antin；　who　had　turned　round　to　lay　wait　for　me；　begged　me　for
mercy's　sake　to　tell　him　what　all　this　meant。　　I　sped　on　saying　that　I
knew　nothing。　　〃Tell　that　to　others！　　Ho；　ho！〃　replied　he。　　When　he　had
resumed　his　seat；　M。　le　Duc　d'Orleans　said　something；　I　don't　know　what；
M。　de　Troyes　still　standing；　I　also。　　In　passing　La　Vrilliere；　I　asked
him　to　go　to　the　door　every　time　anything　was　wanted；　for　fear　of　the
babbling　of　M。　de　Troyes；　adding；　that　distant　as　I　was　from　the　door；
going　there　looked　too　peculiar。　　La　Vrilliere　did　as　I　begged　him　all
the　rest　of　the　sitting。

As　I　was　returning　to　my　place；　D'Antin；　still　in　ambush；　begged　me　in
the　name　of　heaven；　his　hands　joined；　to　tell　him　something。　　I　kept
firm；　however；　saying；　〃You　will　see。〃　　The　Duc　de　Guiche　pressed　me　as
resolutely；　even　saying；　it　was　evident　I　was　in　the　plot。　　I　remained
deaf。

These　little　movements　over；　M。　le　Duc　d'Orleans；　rising　a　little　in　his
seat；　said　to　the　company；　in　a　tone　more　firm；　and　more　like　that　of　a
master　than　before；　that　there　was　another　matter　now　to　attend　to；　much
more　important　than　the　one　just　heard。　　This　prelude　increased　the
general　astonishment；　and　rendered　everybody　motionless。　　After　a　moment
of　silence　the　Regent　said；　that　the　peers　had　had　for　some　time　good
grounds　of　complaint　against　certain　persons；　who　by　unaccustomed　favour；
had　been　allowed　to　assume　rank　and　dignity　to　which　their　birth　did　not
entitle　them；　that　it　was　time　this　irregularity　should　be　stopped　short；
and　that　with　this　view；　an　instrument　had　been　drawn　up；　which　the
Keeper　of　the　Seals　would　read　to　them。

A　profound　silence　followed　this　discourse；　so　unexpected；　and　which
began　to　explain　the　absence　of　the　bastards。　　Upon　many　visages　a　sombre
hue　was　painted。　　As　for　me　I　had　enough　to　do　to　compose　my；　own　visage；
upon　which　all　eyes　successively　passed；　I　had　put　upon　it　an　extra　coat
of　gravity　and　of　modesty；　I　steered　my　eyes　with　care；　and　only　looked
horizontally　at　most；　not　an　inch　higher。　　As　soon　as　the　Regent　opened
his　mouth　on　this　business；　M。　le　Duc　cast　upon　me　a　triumphant　look
which　almost　routed　my　seriousness；　and　which　warned　me　to　increase　it；
and　no　longer　expose　myself　to　meet　his　glance。　　Contained　in　this
manner；　attentive　in　devouring　the　aspect　of　all；　alive　to　everything　and
to　myself；　motionless；　glued　to　my　chair；　all　my　body　fixed；　penetrated
with　the　most　acute　and　most　sensible　pleasure　that　joy　could　impart；
with　the　most　charming　anxiety；　with　an　enjoyment；　so　perseveringly　and
so　immoderately　hoped　for；　I　sweated　with　agony　at　the　captivity　of　my
transport；　and　this　agony　was　of　a　voluptuousness　such　as　I　had　never
felt　before；　such　as　I　have　never　felt　since。　　How　inferior　are　the
pleasures　of　the　senses　to　those　of　the　mind！　and　how　true　it　is　that　the
balance…weight　of　misfortunes；　is　the　good　fortune　that　finishes　them！

A　moment　after　the　Regent　had　ceased　speaking；　he　told　the　Keeper　of　the
Seals　to　read　the　declaration。　　During　the　reading；　which　was　more　than
music　to　my　ears；　my　attention　was　again　fixed　on　the　company。　　I　saw　by
the　alteration　of　the　faces　what　an　immense　effect　this　document；　which
embodied　the　resolutions　I　have　already　explained；　produced　upon　some　of
our　friends。　　The　whole　of　the　reading　was　listened　to　with　the　utmost
attention；　and　the　utmost　emotion。

When　it　was　finished；　M。　le　Duc　d'Orleans　said　he　was　very　sorry　for　this
necessity；　but　that　justice　must　be　done　to　the　peers　as　well　as　to　the
princes　of　the　blood：　then　turning　to　the　Keeper　of　the　Seals　asked　him
for　his　opinion。

This　latter　spoke　briefly　and　well；　but　was　like　a　dog　running　over　hot
ashes。　　He　declared　for　the　declaration。　　His　Royal　Highness　then　called
upon　M。　le　Duc　for　his　opinion。　　It　was　short；　but　nervous；　and　polite　to
the　peers。　　M。　le　Prince　de　Conti　the　same。　　Then　the　Regent　asked　me　my
opinion。　　I　made；　contrary　to　my　custom；　a　profound　inclination；　but
without　rising；　and　said；　that　having　the　honour　to　find　myself　the
eldest　of　the　peers　of　the　Council；　I　offered　to　his　Royal　Highness　my
very　humble　thanks　and　those　of　all　the　peers　of　France；　for　the　justice
so　ardently　desired；　and　touching　so　closely　our　dignity　and　our　persons；
that　he　had　resolved　to　render　us；　that　I　begged　him　to　be　persuaded　of
our　gratitude；　and　to　count　upon　our　utmost　attachment　to　his　person　for
an　act　of　equity　so　longed　for；　and　so　complete；　that　in　this　sincere
expression　of　our　sentiments　consisted　all　our　opinion；　because；　being
pleaders；　we　could　not　be　judges　also。　　I　terminated　these　few　words　with
a　profound　inclination；　without　rising；　imitated　by　the　Duc　de　la　Force
at　the　same　moment；　all　the　rest　of　the　Council　briefly　gave　their
opinions；　approving　what　the　majority　of　them　evidently　did　not　approve
at　all。

I　had　tried　to　modulate　my　voice；　so　that　it　should　be　just　heard　and　no
more；　preferring　to　be　indistinct　rather　than　speak　too　loudly；　and
confined　all　my　person　to　express　as　much　as　possible；　gravity；　modesty；
and　simple　gratitude。　　M。　le　Duc　maliciously　made　signs　to　me　in　smiling；
that　I　had　spoken　well。　　But　I　kept　my　seriousness；　and　turned　round　to
examine　all　the　rest。

It　would　be　impossible　to　describe　the　aspect　of　the　company。　　Nothing
was　seen　but　people；　oppressed　with　surprise　that　overwhelmed　them；
meditative；　agitated；　some　irritated；　some　but　ill　at　ease；　like　La　Force
and　Guiche；　who　freely　admitted　so　to　me。

The　opinions　taken　almost　as　soon　as　demanded；　M。　le　Duc　d'Orleans　said；
〃Gentlemen；　it　is　finished；　then　justice　is　done；　and　the　rights　of
Messieurs　the　Peers　are　in　safety。　　I　have　now　an　act　of　grace　to　propose
to　you；　and　I　do　so　with　all　the　more　confidence；　because　I　have　taken
care　to　consult　the　parties　interested；　who　support　me；　and　because；　I
have　drawn　up　the　document　in　a　manner　to　wound　no　one。　　What　I　am　going
to　explain　to　you；　regards　the　Comte　de　Toulouse　alone。

〃Nobody　is　ignorant　how　he　has　disapproved　all　that　has　been　done　in
favour　of　him　and　his　brother；　and　that　he　has　sustained　it　since　the
regency　only　out　of　respect　for　the　wishes　of　the　late　King。　　Everybody
knows　also　his　virtue；　his　merit；　his　application；　his　probity；　his
disinterestedness。　　Nevertheless；　I　could　not　avoid　including　him　in　the
declaration　you　have　just　heard。　　Justice　furnishes　no　exception　in　his
favour；　and　the　rights　of　the　Peers　must　be　assured。　　Now　that　they　are
no　longer　attacked；　I　have　thought　fitly　to　render　to　merit　what　from
equity　I　have　taken　from　birth；　and　to　make　an　exception　of　M。　le　Comte
de　Toulouse；　which　（while　confirming　the　rule）；　will　leave　him　in　full
possession　of　all　the　honours　he　enjoys　to　the　exclusion　of　every　other。
Those　honours　are　not　to　pass　to　his　children；　should　he　marry　and　have
any；　or　their　restitution　be　considered　as　a　precedent　to　be　made　use　of
at　any　future　time。

〃I　have　the　pleasure　to　announce　that　the　Princes　of　the　Blood　consent　to
this；　and　that　such　of　the　Peers　to　whom　I　have　been　able　to　explain
myself；　share　my　sentiments。　　I　doubt　not　that　the　esteem　he　has　acquired
here　will　render　this　proposition　agreeable　to　you。〃　　And　then　turning　to
the　Keeper　of　the　Seals；　〃Monsieur；　will　you　read　the　declaration？〃

It　was　read　at　once。

I　had；　during　the　discourse　of　his　Royal　Highness；　thrown　all