the memoirs of louis xiv-04-第5部分

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task。　　Nature　and　art　indeed　had　combined　to　make　it　easy。

Younger　brother　of　an　excitable；　violent；　and　robust　Prince；　Philip　V；
had　been　bred　up　in　a　submission　and　dependence　that　were　necessary　for
the　repose　of　the　Royal　family。　　Until　the　testament　of　Charles　II。；　the
Duc　d'Anjou　was　necessarily　regarded　as　destined　to　be　a　subject　all　his
life；　and　therefore　could　not　be　too　much　abased　by　education；　and
trained　to　patience　and　obedience：　That　supreme　law；　the　reason　of　state；
demanded　this　preference；　for　the　safety　and　happiness　of　the　kingdom；
of　the　elder　over　the　younger　brother。　　His　mind　for　this　reason　was
purposely　narrowed　and　beaten　down；　and　his　natural　docility　and
gentleness　greatly　assisted　in　the　process；　He　was　quite　formed　to　be
led；　although　he　had　enough　judgment　left　to　choose　the　better　of　two
courses　proposed　to　him；　and　even　to　express　himself　in　good　phrase；　when
the　slowness；　not　to　say　the　laziness；　of　his　mind　did　not　prevent　him
from　speaking　at　all。　　His　great　piety　contributed　to　weaken　his　mind；
and；　being　joined　to　very　lively　passions；　made　it　disagreeable　and　even
dangerous　for　him　to　be　separated　from　his　Queen。　　It　may　easily　be
conceived；　therefore；　how　he　loved　her；　and　that　he　allowed　himself　to　be
guided　by　her　in　all　things。　　As　the　Queen　herself　was　guided　in　all
things　by　Madame　des　Ursins；　the　influence　of　this　latter　was　all…
powerful。

Soon；　indeed；　the　junta　became　a　mere　show。　　Everything　was　brought
before　the　King　in　private；　and　he　gave　no　decision　until　the　Queen　and
Madame　des　Ursins　had　passed　theirs。　　This　conduct　met　with　no　opposition
from　our　Court；　but　our　ministers　at　the　Court　of　Spain　and　the　Spanish
ministers　here　soon　began　to　complain　of　it。　　The　first　to　do　so　were
Cardinals　d'Estrees　and　Portocarrero。　　Madame　de　Maintenon　laughed　at
them；　and　Madame　des　Ursins；　of　whom　they　were　old　friends；　soon　showed
them　that　she　did　not　mean　to　abate　one　jot　of　her　power。　　She　first
endeavoured　to　bring　about　a　coldness　between　the　two；　and　this　succeeded
so　well；　that　in　consequence　of　the　quarrels　that　resulted；　the　Spanish
Cardinal；　Portocarrero　（who；　it　will　be　remembered；　had　played　an
important　part　in　bringing　Philip　to　the　Spanish　throne）　wished　to　quit
the　junta。　　But　Madame　des　Ursins；　who　thought　that　the　time　had　not　yet
arrived　for　this　step；　persuaded　him　to　remain；　and　endeavoured　to
flatter　his　vanity　by　an　expedient　altogether　ridiculous。　　She　gave　him
the　command　of　a　regiment　of　guards；　and　he；　priest；　archbishop；　primate
and　cardinal；　accepted　it；　and　was；　of　course；　well　laughed　at　by
everybody　for　his　pains。　　The　two　cardinals　soon　after　became　reconciled
to　each　other；　feeling；　perhaps；　the　necessity　of　uniting　against　the
common　enemy。　　But　they　could　come　to　no　better　understanding　with　her。
Disagreements　continued；　so　that　at　last；　feeling　her　position　perfectly
secure；　the　Princesse　des　Ursins　begged　permission　to　retire　into　Italy；
knowing　full　well　that　she　would　not　be　taken　at　her　word；　and　hoping　by
this　means　to　deliver　herself　of　these　stumbling…blocks　in　her　path。

Our　ministers；　who　felt　they　would　lose　all　control　over　Spanish　affairs
if　Madame　des　Ursins　was　allowed　to　remain　mistress；　did　all　in　their
power　to　support　the　D'Estrees。　　But　Madame　de　Maintenon　pleaded　so　well
with　the　King；　representing　the　good　policy　of　allowing　a　woman　so　much
attached　to　him；　and　to　the　Spanish　Queen；　as　was　Madame　des　Ursins；　to
remain　where　she　was；　that　he　entirely　swallowed　the　bait；　the　D'Estrees
were　left　without　support；　the　French　ambassador　at　Madrid　was　virtually
deprived　of　all　power：　the　Spanish　ministers　were　fettered　in　their　every
movement；　and　the　authority　of　Madame　des　Ursins　became　stronger　than
ever。　　All　public　affairs　passed　through　her　hands。　　The　King　decided
nothing　without　conferring　with　the　Queen　and　her。

While　excluding　almost　all　the　ministers　from　public　offices；　Madame　des
Ursins　admitted　a　few　favourites　into　her　confidence。　　Amongst　them　was
D'Harcourt；　who　stood　well　with　Madame　de　Maintenon；　and　who　cared　little
for　the　means　by　which　he　obtained　consideration；　Orry；　who　had　the
management　of　the　finances；　and　D'Aubigny；　son　of　a　Procureur　in　Paris。
The　last　was　a　tall；　handsome　fellow；　well　made；　and　active　in　mind　and
body；　who　for　many　years　had　been　with　the　Princess；　as　a　sort　of　squire；
and　on　very　intimate　terms　with　her。　　One　day；　when；　followed　by　some　of
the　ministers；　she　entered　a　room　in　which　he　was　writing；　he　burst　out
into　exclamations　against　her；　without　being　aware　that　she　was　not
alone；　swore　at　her；　asked　her　why　she　could　not　leave　him　an　hour　in
peace；　called　her　by　the　strangest　names；　and　all　this　with　so　much
impetuosity　that　she　had　no　time　to　show　him　who　were　behind　her。　　When
he　found　it　out；　he　ran　from　the　room；　leaving　Madame　des　Ursins　so
confused　that　the　ministers　looked　for　two　or　three　minutes　upon　the
walls　of　the　room　in　order　to　give　her　time　to　recover　herself。　　Soon
after　this；　D'Aubigny　had　a　splendid　suite　of　apartments；　that　had
formerly　been　occupied　by　Maria　Theresa　（afterwards　wife　of　Louis　XIV。）；
placed　at　his　disposal；　with　some　rooms　added；　in　despite　of　the　murmurs
that　arose　at　a　distinction　so　strange　accorded　to　this　favourite。

At　length；　Cardinal　d'Estrees；　continually　in　arms　against　Madame　des
Ursins；　and　continually　defeated；　could　not　bear　his　position　any　longer；
but　asked　to　be　immediately　recalled。　　All　that　the　ministry　could　do　was
to　obtain　permission　for　the　Abbe　d'Estrees　（nephew　of　the　Cardinal）　to
remain　as　Ambassador　of　France　at　Madrid。　　As　for　Portocarrero；　seeing
the　step　his　associate　had　taken；　he　resolved　to　quit　public　business
also；　and　resigned　his　place　accordingly。　　Several　others　who　stood　in
the　way　of　the　Princesse　des　Ursins　were　got　rid　of　at　the　same　time；　so
that　she　was　now　left　mistress　of　the　field。　　She　governed　absolutely　in
all　things；　the　ministers　became　instruments　in　her　hands；　the　King　and
Queen　agents　to　work　out　her　will。　　She　was　at　the　highest　pinnacle　of
power。　　Together　with　Orry　she　enjoyed　a　power　such　as　no　one　had　ever
attained　since　the　time　of　the　Duke　of　Lerma　and　of　Olivares。

In　the　mean　time　the　Archduke　was　declared　King　of　Spain　by　the　Emperor；
who　made　no　mystery　of　his　intention　of　attacking　Spain　by　way　of
Portugal。　　The　Archduke　soon　afterwards　was　recognised　by　Holland；
England；　Portugal；　Brandenburg；　Savoy；　and　Hanover；　as　King　of　Spain；
under　the　title　of　Charles　III。；　and　soon　after　by　the　other　powers　of
Europe。　　The　Duke　of　Savoy　had　been　treacherous　to　us；　had　shown　that　he
was　in　league　with　the　Emperor。　　The　King　accordingly　had　broken　off　all
relations　with　him；　and　sent　an　army　to　invade　his　territory。　　It　need　be
no　cause　of　surprise；　therefore；　that　the　Archduke　was　recognised　by
Savoy。　　While　our　armies　were　fighting　with　varied　fortune　those　of　the
Emperor　and　his　allies；　in　different　parts　of　Europe；　notably　upon　the
Rhine；　Madame　des　Ursins　was　pressing　matters　to　extremities　in　Spain。
Dazzled　by　her　success　in　expelling　the　two　cardinals　from　public
affairs；　and　all　the　ministers　who　had　assisted　in　placing　Philip　V。
upon　the　throne；　she　committed　a　blunder　of　which　she　soon　had　cause　to
repent。

I　have　said；　that　when　Cardinal　d'Estrees　quitted　Spain；　the　Abbe
d'Estrees　was　left　behind；　so　that　France　should　not　be　altogether
unrepresented　in　an　official　manner　at　the　Court　of　Madrid。　　Madame　des
Ursins　did　not　like　this　arrangement；　but　as　Madame　de　Maintenon　insisted
upon　it；　she　was　obliged　to　accept　it　with　as　good　grace　as　possible。
The　Abbe；　vain　of　his　family　and　of　his　position；　was　not　a　man　much　to
be　feared　as　it　seemed。　　Madame　des　Ursins　accordingly　laughed　at　and
despised　him。　　He　was　admitted　to　the　council；　but　was　quite　without
influence　there；　and　when　he　attempted　to　make　any　representations　to
Madame　des　Ursins　or　to　Orry；　they　listened　to　him　without　attending　in
the　least　to　what　he　said。　　The　Princess　reigned　supreme；　and　thought　of
nothing　but　getting　rid　of　all　who　attempted　to　divide　her　authority。
At　last　she　obtained　such　a　command　over　the　poor　Abbe　d'Estrees；　so
teased　and　hampered　him；　that　he　consented　to　the　hitherto　unheard…of
arrangement；　that　the　Ambassador　of　France　should　not　write　to　the　King
without　first　concerting　his　letter　with　her；　and　then　show　her　its
contents　before　he　despatched　it。　　But　such　restraint　as　this　became；　in
a　short　time；　so　fettering；　that　the　Abbe　determined　to　break　away　from
it。　　He　wrote　a　letter　to　the　King；　without　showing　it　to　Madame　des
Ursins。　　She　soon　had　scent　of　what　he　had　done；　seized　the　letter　as　it
passed　through　the　post；　opened　it；　and；　as　she　expected；　found　its
contents　were　not　of　a　kind　to　give　her　much　satisfaction。　　But　what
piqued　her　most　was；　to　find　details　exaggerating　the　authority　of
D'Aubigny；　and　a　statement　to　the　effect　that　it　was　generally　believed
she　had　married　him。　　Beside　herself　with　rage　and　vexation；　she　wrote
with　her　own　hand　upon　the　margin　of　the　letter；　'Pour　mariee　non'
（〃At　any　rate；　not　married〃）；　showed　it　in　this　state　to　the　King　and
Queen　of　Spain；　to　a　number　of　other　people；　always　with　strange
clamouring；　and　finally　crowned　her　folly　by　sending　it　to　the　King
（Louis　XIV。）；　with　furious　complaints　against　the　Abbe　for　writing　it
without　her　knowledge；　and　for　inflicting　upon　her　such　an　atrocious
injury　as　to　mention　this　pretended　marriage。　　Her　letter　and　its
enclosure　reached　the　King　at　a　very　inopportune　moment。　　Just　before；
he　had　received　a　letter；　which；　taken　in　connection　with　this　of　the
Princesse　des　Ursins；　struck　a　blow　at　her　power　of　the　most　decisive
kind。




CHAPTER　XXVIII

Some　little　time　previously　it　had　been　thought　necessary　to　send　an　army
to　the　frontiers　of　Portugal　to　oppose　the　Archduke。　　A　French　general
was　wanted　to　command　this　army。　　Madame　des　Ursins；　who　had　been　very
intimate　with　the　King　of　England　（James　II。）　and　his　Queen；　thought　she
would　please　them　if　she　gave　this　post　to　the　Duke　of　Berwick；
illegitimate　son　of　King　James。　　She　proposed　this　therefore