the memoirs of louis xiv-02-第15部分

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her。　　She　was　very　straitened　in　means；　because　she　had　frittered　away
all　her　substance；　or　allowed　herself　to　be　pillaged　by　her　business
people。　　When　those　beautiful　mirrors　were　first　introduced　she　obtained
one；　although　they　were　then　very　dear　and　very　rare。　　〃Ah；　Countess！〃
said　her　friends；　〃where　did　you　find　that？〃

〃Oh！〃　replied　she；　〃　I　had　a　miserable　piece　of　land；　which　only　yielded
me　corn；　I　have　sold　it；　and　I　have　this　mirror　instead。　　Is　not　this
excellent？　　Who　would　hesitate　between　corn　and　this　beautiful　mirror？〃

On　another　occasion　she　harangued　with　her　son；　who　was　as　poor　as　a　rat；
for　the　purpose　of　persuading　him　to　make　a　good　match　and　thus　enrich
himself。　　Her　son；　who　had　no　desire　to　marry；　allowed　her　to　talk　on；
and　pretended　to　listen　to　her　reasons：　She　was　delightedentered　into　a
description　of　the　wife　she　destined　for　him；　painting　her　as　young；
rich；　an　only　child；　beautiful；　well…educated；　and　with　parents　who　would
be　delighted　to　agree　to　the　marriage。　　When　she　had　finished；　he　pressed
her　for　the　name　of　this　charming　and　desirable　person。　　The　Countess
said　she　was　the　daughter　of　Jacquier；　a　man　well　known　to　everybody；
and　who　had　been　a　contractor　of　provisions　to　the　armies　of　M。　de
Turenne。　　Upon　this；　her　son　burst　out　into　a　hearty　laugh；　and　she　in
anger　demanded　why　he　did　so　and　what　he　found　so　ridiculous　in　the
match。

The　truth　was；　Jacquier　had　no　children；　as　the　Countess　soon　remembered。
At　which　she　said　it　was　a　great　pity；　since　no　marriage　would　have
better　suited　all　parties。　　She　was　full　of　such　oddities；　which　she
persisted　in　for　some　time　with　anger；　but　at　which　she　was　the　first　to
laugh。　　People　said　of　her　that　she　had　never　been　more　than　eighteen
years　old。　　The　memoirs　of　Mademoiselle　paint　her　well。　　She　lived　with
Mademoiselle；　and　passed　all　her　life　in　quarrels　about　trifles。

It　was　immediately　after　leaving　Fontainebleau　that　the　marriage　between
the　Duc　and　Duchesse　de　Bourgogne　was　consummated。　　It　was　upon　this
occasion　that　the　King　named　four　gentlemen　to　wait　upon　the　Duke；
four　who　in　truth　could　not　have　been　more　badly　chosen。　　One　of　them；
Gamaches；　was　a　gossip；　who　never　knew　what　he　was　doing　or　saying
who　knew　nothing　of　the　world；　or　the　Court；　or　of　war；　although　he　had
always　been　in　the　army。　　D'O　was　another；　but　of　him　I　have　spoken。
Cheverny　was　the　third；　and　Saumery　the　fourth。　　Saumery　had　been　raised
out　of　obscurity　by　M。　de　Beauvilliers。　　Never　was　man　so　intriguing；　so
truckling；　so　mean；　so　boastful；　so　ambitious；　so　intent　upon　fortune；
and　all　this　without　disguise；　without　veil；　without　shame！　　Saumery　had
been　wounded；　and　no　man　ever　made　so　much　of　such　a　mishap。　　I　used　to
say　of　him　that　he　limped　audaciously；　and　it　was　true。　　He　would　speak
of　personages　the　most　distinguished；　whose　ante…chambers　even　he　had
scarcely　seen；　as　though　he　spoke　of　his　equals　or　of　his　particular
friends。　　He　related　what　he　had　heard；　and　was　not　ashamed　to　say　before
people　who　at　least　had　common　sense；　〃Poor　Mons。　Turenne　said　to　me；〃
M。　de　Turenne　never　having　probably　heard　of　his　existence。　　With
Monsieur　in　full　he　honoured　nobody。　　It　was　Mons。　de　Beauvilliers；　Mons。
de　Chevreuse；　and　so　on；　except　with　those　whose　names　he　clipped　off
short；　as　he　frequently　would　even　with　Princes　of　the　blood。　　I　have
heard　him　say　many　times；　〃the　Princesse　de　Conti；〃　in　speaking　of　the
daughter　of　the　King；　and　〃the　Prince　de　Conti；〃　in　speaking　of　Monsieur
her　brother…in…law！　　As　for　the　chief　nobles　of　the　Court；　it　was　rare
for　him　to　give　them　the　Monsieur　or　the　Mons。　　It　was　Marechal
d'Humieres；　and　so　on　with　the　others。　　Fatuity　and　insolence　were　united
in　him；　and　by　dint　of　mounting　a　hundred　staircases　a　day；　and　bowing
and　scraping　everywhere；　he　had　gained　the　ear　of　I　know　not　how　many
people。　　His　wife　was　a　tall　creature；　as　impertinent　as　he；　who　wore　the
breeches；　and　before　whom　he　dared　not　breathe。　　Her　effrontery　blushed
at　nothing；　and　after　many　gallantries　she　had　linked　herself　on　to　M。　de
Duras；　whom　she　governed；　and　of　whom　she　was　publicly　and　absolutely　the
mistress；　living　at　his　expense。　　Children；　friends；　servants；　all　were
at　her　mercy；　even　Madame　de　Duras　herself　when　she　came；　which　was　but
seldom；　from　the　country。

Such　were　the　people　whom　the　King　placed　near　M。　le　Duc　de　Bourgogne。

The　Duc　de　Gesvres；　a　malicious　old　man；　a　cruel　husband　and　unnatural
father；　sadly　annoyed　Marechal　de　Villeroy　towards　the　end　of　this　year；
having　previously　treated　me　very　scurvily　for　some　advice　I　gave　him
respecting　the　ceremonies　to　be　observed　at　the　reception　by　the　King　of
M。　de　Lorraine　as　Duc　de　Bar。　　M。　de　Gesvres　and　M。　de　Villeroy　had　both
had　fathers　who　made　large　fortunes　and　who　became　secretaries　of　state。
One　morning　M。　de　Gesvres　was　waiting　for　the　King；　with　a　number　of
other　courtiers；　when　M。　de　Villeroy　arrived；　with　all　that　noise　and
those　airs　he　had　long　assumed；　and　which　his　favour　and　his　appointments
rendered　more　superb。　　I　know　not　whether　this　annoyed　De　Gesvres；　more
than　usual；　but　as　soon　as　the　other　had　placed　himself；　he　said；
〃Monsieur　le　Marechal；　it　must　be　admitted　that　you　and　I　are　very
lucky。〃　　The　Marechal；　surprised　at　a　remark　which　seemed　to　be　suggested
by　nothing；　assented　with　a　modest　air；　and；　shaking　his　head　and　his
wig；　began　to　talk　to　some　one　else。　　But　M。　de　Gesvres　had　not　commenced
without　a　purpose。　　He　went　on；　addressed　M。　de　Villeroy　point…blank；
admiring　their　mutual　good　fortune；　but　when　he　came　to　speak　of　the
father　of　each；　〃Let　us　go　no　further；〃　said　he；　〃for　what　did　our
fathers　spring　from？　　From　tradesmen；　even　tradesmen　they　were
themselves。　　Yours　was　the　son　of　a　dealer　in　fresh　fish　at　the　markets；
and　mine　of　a　pedlar；　or；　perhaps；　worse。　　Gentlemen；〃　said　he；
addressing　the　company；　〃have　we　not　reason　to　think　our　fortune
prodigiousthe　Marechal　and　I？〃　　The　Marechal　would　have　liked　to
strangle　M。　de　Gesvres；　or　to　see　him　deadbut　what　can　be　done　with　a
man　who；　in　order　to　say　something　cutting　to　you；　says　it　to　himself
first？　　Everybody　was　silent；　and　all　eyes　were　lowered。　　Many；　however；
were　not　sorry　to　see　M。　de　Villeroy　so　pleasantly　humiliated。　　The　King
came　and　put　an　end　to　the　scene；　which　was　the　talk　of　the　Court　for
several　days。

Omissions　must　be　repaired　as　soon　as　they　are　perceived。　　Other　matters
have　carried　me　away。　　At　the　commencement　of　April；　Ticquet；　Counsellor
at　the　Parliament；　was　assassinated　in　his　own　house；　and　if　he　did　not
die；　it　was　not　the　fault　of　his　porter；　or　of　the　soldier　who　had
attempted　to　kill　him；　and　who　left　him　for　dead；　disturbed　by　a　noise
they　heard。　　This　councillor；　who　was　a　very　poor　man；　had　complained　to
the　King；　the　preceding　year；　of　the　conduct　of　his　wife　with
Montgeorges；　captain　in　the　Guards；　and　much　esteemed。　　The　King
prohibited　Montgeorges　from　seeing　the　wife　of　the　councillor　again。

Such　having　been　the　case；　when　the　crime　was　attempted；　suspicion　fell
upon　Montgeorges　and　the　wife　of　Ticquet；　a　beautiful；　gallant；　and　bold
woman；　who　took　a　very　high　tone　in　the　matter。　　She　was　advised　to　fly；
and　one　of　my　friends　offered　to　assist　her　to　do　so；　maintaining　that　in
all　such　cases　it　is　safer　to　be　far　off　than　close　at　hand。　　The　woman
would　listen　to　no　such　advice；　and　in　a　few　days　she　was　no　longer　able。
The　porter　and　the　soldier　were　arrested　and　tortured；　and　Madame
Ticquet；　who　was　foolish　enough　to　allow　herself　to　be　arrested；　also
underwent　the　same　examination；　and　avowed　all。　　She　was　condemned　to
lose　her　head；　and　her　accomplice　to　be　broken　on　the　wheel。　　Montgeorges
managed　so　well；　that　he　was　not　legally　criminated。　　When　Ticquet　heard
the　sentence；　he　came　with　all　his　family　to　the　King；　and　sued　for
mercy。　　But　the　King　would　not　listen　to　him；　and　the　execution　took
place　on　Wednesday；　the　17th　of　June；　after　mid…day；　at　the　Greve。　　All
the　windows　of　the　Hotel　de　Ville；　and　of　the　houses　in　the　Place　de
Greve；　in　the　streets　that　lead　to　it　from　the　Conciergerie　of　the　palace
where　Madame　Ticquet　was　confined；　were　filled　with　spectators；　men　and
women；　many　of　title　and　distinction。　　There　were　even　friends　of　both
sexes　of　this　unhappy　woman；　who　felt　no　shame　or　horror　in　going　there。
In　the　streets　the　crowd　was　so　great　that　it　could　not　be　passed
through。　　In　general；　pity　was　felt　for　the　culprit；　people　hoped　she
would　be　pardoned；　and　it　was　because　they　hoped　so；　that　they　went　to
see　her　die。　　But　such　is　the　world；　so　unreasoning；　and　so　little　in
accord　with　itself。




CHAPTER　XVI

The　year　1700　commenced　by　a　reform。　　The　King　declared　that　he　would　no
longer　bear　the　expense　of　the　changes　that　the　courtiers　introduced　into
their　apartments。　　It　had　cost　him　more　than　sixty　thousand　francs　since
the　Court　left　Fontainebleau。　　It　is　believed　that　Madame　de　Mailly　was
the　cause　of　this　determination　of　the　King；　for　during　the　last　two　or
three　years　she　had　made　changes　in　her　apartments　every　year。

A　difficulty　occurred　at　this　time　which　much　mortified　the　King。　　Little
by　little　he　had　taken　all　the　ambassadors　to　visit　Messieurs　du　Maine
and　de　Toulouse；　as　though　they　were　Princes　of　the　blood。　　The　nuncio；
Cavallerini；　visited　them　thus；　but　upon　his　return　to　Rome　was　so　taken
to　task　for　it；　that　his　successor；　Delfini；　did　not　dare　to　imitate　him。
The　cardinals　considered　that　they　had　lowered　themselves；　since
Richelieu　and　Mazarm；　by　treating　even　the　Princes　of　the　blood　on　terms
of　equality；　and　giving　them　their　hand；　which　had　not　been　customary　m
the　time　of　the　two　first　ministers　just　named。　　To　do　so　to　the
illegitimate　offspring　of　the　King；　and　on　occasions　of　ceremony；
appeared　to　them　monstrous。　　Negotiations　were　carried　on　for　a　month；
but　Delfini　would　not　bend；　and　although　in　every　other　respect　he　had
afforded　great　satisfaction　during　his　nunciature；　no　farewell　audience
was　given　to　him；　nor　even　a　secret　audience。　　He　was　deprived　of　the
gift　of　a　silver　vessel　worth　eighteen　hundred　francs；　that　it　was
custo