the memoirs of louis xiv-04-第2部分

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took　an　arm…chair；　and；　while　Novion　turned　his　head　to　speak　to　Cardinal
de　Bouillon；　placed　that　arm…chair　in　front　of　the　Chief　President　in
such　a　manner　that　he　was　as　it　were　imprisoned；　and　unable　to　stir。
M。　de　Coislin　then　sat　down。　　This　was　done　so　rapidly；　that　nobody　saw
it　until　it　was　finished。　　When　once　it　was　observed；　a　great　stir　arose。
Cardinal　de　Bouillon　tried　to　intervene。　　M。　de　Coislin　replied；　that
since　the　Chief　President　had　forgotten　his　position　he　must　be　taught
it；　and　would　not　budge。　　The　other　presidents　were　in　a　fright；　and
Novion；　enraged　by　the　offence　put　on　him；　knew　not　what　to　do。　　It　was
in　vain　that　Cardinal　de　Bouillon　on　one　side；　and　his　brother　on　the
other；　tried　to　persuade　M。　de　Coislin　to　give　way。　　He　would　not　listen
to　them。　　They　sent　a　message　to　him　to　say　that　somebody　wanted　to　see
him　at　the　door　on　most　important　business。　　But　this　had　no　effect。
〃There　is　no　business　so　important；〃　replied　M。　de　Coislin；　〃as　that　of
teaching　M。　le　Premier　President　what　he　owes　me；　and　nothing　will　make
me　go　from　this　place　unless　M。　le　President；　whom　you　see　behind　me；
goes　away　first。〃

At　last　M。　le　Prince　was　sent　for；　and　he　with　much　persuasion
endeavoured　to　induce　M。　de　Coislin　to　release　the　Chief　President　from
his　prison。　　But　for　some　time　M。　de　Coislin　would　listen　as　little　to　M。
le　Prince　as　he　had　listened　to　the　others；　and　threatened　to　keep　Novion
thus　shut　up　during　all　the　thesis。　　At　length；　he　consented　to　set　the
Chief　President　free；　but　only　on　condition　that　he　left　the　building
immediately；　that　M。　le　Prince　should　guarantee　this；　and　that　no
〃juggling　tricks　〃　（that　was　the　term　he　made　use　of）；　should　be　played
off　to　defeat　the　agreement。　　M。　le　Prince　at　once　gave　his　word　that
everything　should　be　as　he　required；　and　M。　de　Coislin　then　rose；　moved
away　his　arm…chair；　and　said　to　the　Chief　President；　〃Go　away；　sir！　go
away；　sir！　　〃Novion　did　on　the　instant　go　away；　in　the　utmost　confusion；
and　jumped　into　his　coach。　　M。　de　Coislin　thereupon　took　back　his　chair
to　its　former　position　and　composed　himself　to　listen　again。

On　every　side　M。　de　Coislin　was　praised　for　the　firmness　he　had　shown。
The　Princes　of　the　blood　called　upon　him　the　same　evening；　and
complimented　him　for　the　course　he　had　adopted；　and　so　many　other
visitors　came　during　the　evening　that　his　house　was　quite　full　until　a
late　hour。　　On　the　morrow　the　King　also　praised　him　for　his　conduct；　and
severely　blamed　the　Chief　President。　　Nay　more；　he　commanded　the　latter
to　go　to　M。　de　Coislin；　at　his　house；　and　beg　pardon　of　him。　　It　is　easy
to　comprehend　the　shame　and　despair　of　Novion　at　being　ordered　to　take　so
humiliating　a　step；　especially　after　what　had　already　happened　to　him。
He　prevailed　upon　M。　le　Coislin；　through　the　mediation　of　friends；　to
spare　him　this　pain；　and　M。　de　Coislin　had　the　generosity　to　do　so。　　He
agreed　therefore　that　when　Novion　called　upon　him　he　would　pretend　to　be
out；　and　this　was　done。　　The　King；　when　he　heard　of　it；　praised　very
highly　the　forbearance　of　the　Duke。

He　was　not　an　old　man　when　he　died；　but　was　eaten　up　with　the　gout；　which
he　sometimes　had　in　his　eyes；　in　his　nose；　and　in　his　tongue。　　When　in
this　state；　his　room　was　filled　with　the　best　company。　　He　was　very
generally　liked；　was　truth　itself　in　his　dealings　and　his　words；　and　was
one　of　my　friends；　as　he　had　been　the　friend　of　my　father　before　me。

The　President　de　Novion；　above　alluded　to；　was　a　man　given　up　to
iniquity；　whom　money　and　obscure　mistresses　alone　influenced。　　Lawyers
complained　of　his　caprices；　and　pleaders　of　his　injustice。　　At　last；　he
went　so　far　as　to　change　decisions　of　the　court　when　they　were　given　him
to　sign；　which　was　not　found　out　for　some　time；　but　which　led　to　his
disgrace。　　He　was　replaced　by　Harlay　in　1689；　and　lived　in　ignominy　for
four　years　more。

About　this　time　died　Petit；　a　great　physician；　who　had　wit；　knowledge；
experience；　and　probity；　and　yet　lived　to　the　last　without　being　ever
brought　to　admit　the　circulation　of　the　blood。

A　rather　strange　novelty　was　observed　at　Fontainebleau：　Madame　publicly
at　the　play；　in　the　second　year　of　her　mourning　for　Monsieur！　　She　made
some　objections　at　first；　but　the　King　persuaded　her；　saying　that　what
took　place　in　his　palace　ought　not　to　be　considered　as　public。

On　Saturday；　the　22nd　of　October　of　this　year　（1702）；　at　about　ten　in　the
morning；　I　had　the　misfortune　to　lose　my　father…in…law；　the　Marechal　de
Lorges；　who　died　from　the　effects　of　an　unskilful　operation　performed
upon　him　for　the　stone。　　He　had　been　brought　up　as　a　Protestant；　and　had
practised　that　religion。　　But　he　had　consulted　on　the　one　hand　with
Bossuet；　and　on　the　other　hand　with　M。　Claude；　（Protestant）　minister　of
Charenton；　without　acquainting　them　that　he　was　thus　in　communication
with　both。　　In　the　end　the　arguments　of　Bossuet　so　convinced　him　that　he
lost　from　that　time　all　his　doubts；　became　steadfastly　attached　to　the
Catholic　religion；　and　strove　hard　to　convert　to　it　all　the　Protestants
with　whom　he　spoke。　　M。　de　Turenne；　with　whom　he　was　intimately　allied；
was　in　a　similar　state　of　mind；　and；　singularly　enough；　his　doubts　were
resolved　at　the　same　time；　and　in　exactly　the　same　manner；　as　those　of　M。
de　Lorges。　　The　joy　of　the　two　friends；　who　had　both　feared　they　should
be　estranged　from　each　other　when　they　announced　their　conversion；　was
very　great。　　The　Comtesse　de　Roye；　sister　to　M。　de　Lorges；　was　sorely
affected　at　this　change；　and　she　would　not　consent　to　see　him　except　on
condition　that　he　never　spoke　of　it。

M。　de　Lorges　commanded　with　great　distinction　in　Holland　and　elsewhere；
and　at　the　death　of　M。　de　Turenne；　took　for　the　time；　and　with　great
honour；　his　place。　　He　was　made　Marshal　of　France　on　the　21st　of
February；　1676；　not　before　he　had　fairly　won　that　distinction。　　The
remainder　of　his　career　showed　his　capacity　in　many　ways；　and　acquired
for　him　the　esteem　of　all。　　His　family　were　affected　beyond　measure　at
his　loss。　　That　house　was　in　truth　terrible　to　see。　　Never　was　man　so
tenderly　or　so　universally　regretted；　or　so　worthy　of　being　so。　　Besides
my　own　grief；　I　had　to　sustain　that　of　Madame　de　Saint…Simon；　whom　many
times　I　thought　I　should　lose。　　Nothing　was　comparable　to　the　attachment
she　had　for　her　father；　or　the　tenderness　he　had　for　her；　nothing　more
perfectly　alike　than　their　hearts　and　their　dispositions。　　As　for　me；　I
loved　him　as　a　father；　and　he　loved　me　as　a　son；　with　the　most　entire　and
sweetest　confidence。

About　the　same　time　died　the　Duchesse　de　Gesvres；　separated　from　a
husband　who　had　been　the　scourge　of　his　family；　and　had　dissipated
millions　of　her　fortune。　　She　was　a　sort　of　witch；　tall　and　lean；　who
walked　like　an　ostrich。　　She　sometimes　came　to　Court；　with　the　odd　look
and　famished　expression　to　which　her　husband　had　brought　her。　　Virtue；
wit；　and　dignity　distinguished　her。　　I　remember　that　one　summer　the　King
took　to　going　very　often　in　the　evening　to　Trianon；　and　that　once　for　all
he　gave　permission　to　all　the　Court；　men　and　women；　to　follow　him。　　There
was　a　grand　collation　for　the　Princesses；　his　daughters；　who　took　their
friends　there；　and　indeed　all　the　women　went　to　it　if　they　pleased。　　One
day　the　Duchesse　de　Gesvres　took　it　into　her　head　to　go　to　Trianon　and
partake　of　this　meal；　her　age；　her　rarity　at　Court；　her　accoutrements；
and　her　face；　provoked　the　Princesses　to　make　fun　of　her　in　whispers　with
their　fair　visitors。　　She　perceived　this；　and　without　being　embarrassed；
took　them　up　so　sharply；　that　they　were　silenced；　and　looked　down。　　But
this　was　not　all：　after　the　collation　she　began　to　talk　so　freely　and　yet
so　humorously　about　them　that　they　were　frightened；　and　went　and　made
their　excuses；　and　very　frankly　asked　for　quarter。　　Madame　de　Gesvres　was
good　enough　to　grant　them　this；　but　said　it　was　only　on　condition　that
they　learned　how　to　behave。　　Never　afterwards　did　they　venture　to　look　at
her　impertinently。　　Nothing　was　ever　so　magnificent　as　these　soirees　of
Trianon。　　All　the　flowers　of　the　parterres　were　renewed　every　day；　and　I
have　seen　the　King　and　all　the　Court　obliged　to　go　away　because　of　the
tuberoses；　the　odour　of　which　perfumed　the　air；　but　so　powerfully；　on
account　of　their　quantity；　that　nobody　could　remain　in　the　garden；
although　very　vast；　and　stretching　like　a　terrace　all　along　the　canal。




CHAPTER　XXVI

The　Prince　d'Harcourt　at　last　obtained　permission　to　wait　on　the　King；
after　having　never　appeared　at　Court　for　seventeen　years。　　He　had
followed　the　King　in　all　his　conquests　in　the　Low　Countries　and　Franche…
Comte；　but　he　had　remained　little　at　the　Court　since　his　voyage　to　Spain；
whither　he　had　accompanied　the　daughter　of　Monsieur　to　the　King；　Charles
II。；　her　husband。　　The　Prince　d'Harcourt　took　service　with　Venice；　and
fought　in　the　Morea　until　the　Republic　made　peace　with　the　Turks。　　He　was
tall；　well　made；　and；　although　he　looked　like　a　nobleman　and　had　wit；
reminded　one　at　the　same　time　of　a　country　actor。　　He　was　a　great　liar；
and　a　libertine　in　body　and　mind；　a　great　spendthrift；　a　great　and
impudent　swindler；　with　a　tendency　to　low　debauchery；　that　cursed　him　all
his　life。　　Having　fluttered　about　a　long　time　after　his　return；　and　found
it　impossible　either　to　live　with　his　wifewhich　is　not　surprisingor
accommodate　himself　to　the　Court　or　to　Paris；　he　set　up　his　rest　at　Lyons
with　wine；　street…walkers；　a　society　to　match；　a　pack　of　hounds；　and　a
gaming…table　to　support　his　extravagance　and　enable　him　to　live　at　the
expense　of　the　dupes；　the　imbeciles；　and　the　sons　of　fat　tradesmen；　whom
he　could　lure　into　his　nets。　　Thus　he　spent　many　years；　and　seemed　to
forget　that　there　existed　in　the　world　another　country　besides　Lyons。
At　last　he　got　tired；　and　returned　to　Paris。　　The　King；　who　despised　him；
let　him　alone；　but　would　not　see　him；　and　it　was　only　after　two　months　of
begging　for　him　by　the　Lorraines；　that　he　received　permission　to　present
himself。　　His　wife；　the　Princesse　d'Harcourt；　was　a　favourite　of　Madame
de　Maintenon。　　The　origin　of　their　friendship　is　traced　to　the　fact　that
Brancas；　the　father