the memoirs of louis xiv-04-第16部分

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whom　he　could　obtain　any　useful　information。　　Before　his　return；　he
visited　the　Marechal　de　Villeroy；　who　received　him　with　all　military
honours；　and　conducted　him　all　over　the　army；　pointing　out　to　him　the
enemy's　post；　for　the　two　armies　were　then　quite　close　to　each　other。
His　extreme　anxiety；　however；　to　get　information；　and　the　multitude　of
his　questions；　irritated　the　officers　who　were　ordered　to　do　the　honours
to　him；　and；　in　going　about；　they　actually；　at　their　own　risk；　exposed
him　often　to　be　shot　or　taken。　　They　did　not　know　that　his　courage　was
extreme；　and　were　quite　taken　aback　by　his　calmness；　and；　his　evident
readiness　to　push　on　even　farther　than　they　chose　to　venture。

On　returning　to　Court；　M。　de　Lauzun　was　of　course　pressed　by　everybody　to
relate　all　he　knew　of　the　position　of　the　two　armies。　　But　he　held
himself　aloof　from　all　questioners；　and　would　not　answer。　　On　the　day
after　his　arrival　he　went　to　pay　his　court　to　Monseigneur；　who　did　not
like　him；　but　who　also　was　no　friend　to　the　Marechal　de　Villeroy。
Monseigneur　put　many　questions　to　him　upon　the　situation　of　the　two
armies；　and　upon　the　reasons　which　had　prevented　them　from　engaging　each
other。　　M。　de　Lauzun　shirked　reply；　like　a　man　who　wished　to　be　pressed；
did　not　deny　that　he　had　well　inspected　the　position　of　the　two　armies；
but　instead　of　answering　Monseigneur；　dwelt　upon　the　beauty　of　our
troops；　their　gaiety　at　finding　themselves　so　near　an　enemy；　and　their
eagerness　to　fight。　　Pushed　at　last　to　the　point　at　which　he　wished　to
arrive；　〃I　will　tell　you；　Monseigneur；〃　said　he；　〃since　you　absolutely
command　me；　I　scanned　most　minutely　the　front　of　the　two　armies　to　the
right　and　to　the　left；　and　all　the　ground　between　them。　　It　is　true　there
is　no　brook；　and　that　I　saw；　neither　are　there　any　ravines；　nor　hollow
roads　ascending　or　descending；　but　it　is　true　that　there　were　other
hindrances　which　I　particularly　remarked。〃

〃But　what　hindrance　could　there　be；〃　said　Monseigneur；　〃since　there　was
nothing　between　the　two　armies？〃

M。　de　Lauzun　allowed　himself　to　be　pressed　upon　this　point；　constantly
repeating　the　list　of　hindrances　that　did　not　exist；　but　keeping　silent
upon　the　others。　　At　last；　driven　into　a　corner；　he　took　his　snuff…box
from　his　pocket。

〃You　see；〃　said　he；　to　Monseigneur；　〃there　is　one　thing　which　much
embarrasses　the　feet；　the　furze　that　grows　upon　the　ground；　where　M。　le
Marechal　de　Villeroy　is　encamped。　　The　furze；　it　is　true；　is　not　mixed
with　any　other　plant；　either　hard　or　thorny；　but　it　is　a　high　furze；　as
high；　as　high；　let　me　see；　what　shall　I　say？〃and　he　looked　all　around
to　find　some　object　of　comparison〃as　high；　I　assure　you；　as　this
snuffbox！〃

Monseigneur　burst　out　laughing　at　this　sally；　and　all　the　company
followed　his　example；　in　the　midst　of　which　M。　de　Lauzun　turned　on　his
heel　and　left　the　room。　　His　joke　soon　spread　all　over　the　Court　and　the
town；　and　in　the　evening　was　told　to　the　King。　　This　was　all　the　thanks
M。　de　Villeroy　obtained　from　M。　de　Lauzun　for　the　honours　he　had　paid
him；　and　this　was　M。　de　Lauzun's　consolation　for　his　ill…success　at　Aix…
la…Chapelle。

In　Italy　our　armies　were　not　more　successful　than　elsewhere。　　From　time
to　time；　M。　de　Vendome　attacked　some　unimportant　post；　and；　having
carried　it；　despatched　couriers　to　the　King；　magnifying　the　importance
of　the　exploit。　　But　the　fact　was；　all　these　successes　led　to　nothing。
On　one　occasion；　at　Cassano；　M。　de　Vendome　was　so　vigorously　attacked　by
Prince　Louis　of　Baden　that；　in　spite　of　his　contempt　and　his　audacity；
he　gave　himself　up　for　lost。　　When　danger　was　most　imminent；　instead　of
remaining　at　his　post；　he　retired　from　the　field　of　battle　to　a　distant
country…house；　and　began　to　consider　how　a　retreat　might　be　managed。
The　Grand　Prieur；　his　brother；　was　in　command　under　him；　and　was　ordered
to　remain　upon　the　field；　but　he　was　more　intent　upon　saving　his　skin
than　on　obeying　orders；　and　so；　at　the　very　outset　of　the　fight；　ran　away
to　a　country…house　hard　by。　　M。　de　Vendome　strangely　enough　had　sat　down
to　eat　at　the　country…house　whither　he　had　retired；　and　was　in　the　midst
of　his　meal　when　news　was　brought　him　that；　owing　to　the　prodigies
performed　by　one　of　his　officers；　Le　Guerchois；　the　fortunes　of　the　day
had　changed；　and　Prince　Louis　of　Baden　was　retiring。　　M。　Vendome　had
great　difficulty　to　believe　this；　but　ordered　his　horse；　mounted；　and；
pushing　on；　concluded　the　combat　gloriously。　　He　did　not　fail；　of　course；
to　claim　all　the　honours　of　this　victory；　which　in　reality　was　a　barren
one；　and　sent　word　of　his　triumph　to　the　King。　　He　dared　to　say　that　the
loss　of　the　enemy　was　more　than　thirteen　thousand；　and　our　loss　less　than
three　thousandwhereas；　the　loss　was　at　least　equal。　　This　exploit；
nevertheless；　resounded　at　the　Court　and　through　the　town　as　an　advantage
the　most　complete　and　the　most　decisive；　and　due　entirely　to　the
vigilance；　valour；　and　capacity　of　Vendome。　　Not　a　word　was　said　of　his
country…house；　or　the　interrupted　meal。　　These　facts　were　only　known
after　the　return　of　the　general　officers。　　As　for　the　Grand　Prieur；　his
poltroonery　had　been　so　public；　his　flight　so　disgracefulfor　he　had
taken　troops　with　him　to　protect　the　country…house　in　which　he　sought
shelterthat　he　could　not　be　pardoned。　　The　two　brothers　quarrelled　upon
these　points；　and　in　the　end　the　Grand　Prieur　was　obliged　to　give　up　his
command。　　He　retired　to　his　house　at　Clichy；　near　Paris；　but；　tiring　of
that　place；　he　went　to　Rome；　made　the　acquaintance　there　of　the　Marquise
de　Richelieu；　a　wanderer　like　himself；　and　passed　some　time　with　her　at
Genoa。　　Leaving　that　city；　he　went　to　Chalons…sur…Saone；　which　had　been
fixed　upon　as　the　place　of　his　a　exile；　and　there　gave　himself　up　to　the
debaucheries　in　which　he　usually　lived。　　From　this　time　until　the　Regency
we　shall　see　nothing　more　of　him。　　I　shall　only　add；　therefore；　that　he
never　went　sober　to　bed　during　thirty　years；　but　was　always　carried
thither　dead　drunk：　was　a　liar；　swindler；　and　thief；　a　rogue　to　the
marrow　of　his　bones；　rotted　with　vile　diseases；　the　most　contemptible　and
yet　most　dangerous　fellow　in　the　world。


One　day…I　am　speaking　of　a　time　many　years　previous　to　the　date　of　the
occurrences　just　related…one　day　there　was　a　great　hunting　party　at　Saint
Germain。　　The　chase　was　pursued　so　long；　that　the　King　gave　up；　and
returned　to　Saint　Germain。　　A　number　of　courtiers；　among　whom　was　M。　de
Lauzun；　who　related　this　story　to　me；　continued　their　sport；　and　just　as
darkness　was　coming　on；　discovered　that　they　had　lost　their　way。　　After　a
time；　they　espied　a　light；　by　which　they　guided　their　steps；　and　at
length　reached　the　door　of　a　kind　of　castle。　　They　knocked；　they　called
aloud；　they　named　themselves；　and　asked　for　hospitality。　　It　was　then
between　ten　and　eleven　at　night；　and　towards　the　end　of　autumn。　　The　door
was　opened　to　them。　　The　master　of　the　house　came　forth。　　He　made　them
take　their　boots　off；　and　warm　themselves；　he　put　their　horses　into　his
stables；　and　at　the　same　time　had　a　supper　prepared　for　his　guests；　who
stood　much　in　need　of　it。　　They　did　not　wait　long　for　the　meal；　yet　when
served　it　proved　excellent；　the　wines　served　with　it；　too；　were　of
several　kinds；　and　excellent　likewise：　as　for　the　master　of　the　house；　he
was　so　polite　and　respectful；　yet　without　being　ceremonious　or　eager；









End