the memoirs of louis xiv-02-第19部分

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upon　the　subject。　　M。　de　Conti　related　to　me　that　on　one　occasion；　coming
from　Meudon；　he　was　so　solicited　by　M。　de　Luxembourg　on　this　account；
that　he　was　completely　embarrassed；　and　never　suffered　to　such　an　extent
in　all　his　life。　　He　contrived　to　put　off　M。　de　Luxembourg；　and　said
nothing；　but　was　glad　indeed　to　get　away　from　him　at　the　end　of　the
journey。

Le　Notre　died　about　this　time；　after　having　been　eighty…eight　years　in
perfect　health；　and　with　all　his　faculties　and　good　taste　to　the　very
last。　　He　was　illustrious；　as　having　been　the　first　designer　of　those
beautiful　gardens　which　adorn　France；　and　which；　indeed；　have　so
surpassed　the　gardens　of　Italy；　that　the　most　famous　masters　of　that
country　come　here　to　admire　and　learn。　　Le　Notre　had　a　probity；　an
exactitude；　and　an　uprightness　which　made　him　esteemed　and　loved　by
everybody。　　He　never　forgot　his　position；　and　was　always　perfectly
disinterested。　　He　worked　for　private　people　as　for　the　King；　and　with
the　same　applicationseeking　only　to　aid　nature；　and　to　attain　the
beautiful　by　the　shortest　road。　　He　was　of　a　charming　simplicity　and
truthfulness。　　The　Pope；　upon　one　occasion；　begged　the　King　to　lend　him
Le　Notre　for　some　months。　　On　entering　the　Pope's　chamber；　instead　of
going　down　upon　his　knees；　Le　Notre　ran　to　the　Holy　Father；　clasped　him
round　the　neck；　kissed　him　on　the　two　cheeks；　and　said〃Good　morning；
Reverend　Father；　how　well　you　look；　and　how　glad　I　am　to　see　you　in　such
good　health。〃

The　Pope；　who　was　Clement　X。；　Altieri；　burst　out　laughing　with　all　his
might。　　He　was　delighted　with　this　odd　salutation；　and　showed　his
friendship　towards　the　gardener　in　a　thousand　ways。　　Upon　Le　Notre's
return；　the　King　led　him　into　the　gardens　of　Versailles；　and　showed　him
what　had　been　done　in　his　absence。　　About　the　Colonnade　he　said　nothing。
The　King　pressed　him　to　give　his　opinion　thereupon。

〃Why；　sire；〃　said　Le　Notre；　〃what　can　I　say？　　Of　a　mason　you　have　made　a
gardener；　and　he　has　given　you　a　sample　of　his　trade。〃

The　King　kept　silence　and　everybody　laughed；　and　it　was　true　that　this
morsel　of　architecture；　which　was　anything　but　a　fountain；　and　yet　which
was　intended　to　be　one；　was　much　out　of　place　in　a　garden。　　A　month
before　Le　Notre's　death；　the　King；　who　liked　to　see　him　and　to　make　him
talk；　led　him　into　the　gardens；　and　on　account　of　his　great　age；　placed
him　in　a　wheeled　chair；　by　the　side　of　his　own。　　Upon　this　Le　Notre　said；
〃Ah；　my　poor　father；　if　you　were　living　and　could　see　a　simple　gardener
like　me；　your　son；　wheeled　along　in　a　chair　by　the　side　of　the　greatest
King　in　the　world；　nothing　would　be　wanting　to　my　joy！〃

Le　Notre　was　Overseer　of　the　Public　Buildings；　and　lodged　at　the
Tuileries；　the　garden　of　which　（his　design）；　together　with　the　Palace；
being　under　his　charge。　　All　that　he　did　is　still　much　superior　to
everything　that　has　been　done　since；　whatever　care　may　have　been　taken　to
imitate　and　follow　him　as　closely　as　possible。　　He　used　to　say　of　flower…
beds　that　they　were　only　good　for　nurses；　who；　not　being　able　to　quit　the
children；　walked　on　them　with　their　eyes；　and　admired　them　from　the
second　floor。　　He　excelled；　nevertheless；　in　flowerbeds；　as　in　everything
concerning　gardens；　but　he　made　little　account　of　them；　and　he　was　right；
for　they　are　the　spots　upon　which　people　never　walk。

The　King　of　England　（William　III。）　lost　the　Duke　of　Gloucester；　heir…
presumptive　to　the　crown。　　He　was　eleven　years　of　age；　and　was　the　only
son　of　the　Princess　of　Denmark；　sister　of　the　defunct　Queen　Mary；　wife　of
William。　　His　preceptor　was　Doctor　Burnet；　Bishop　of　Salisbury；　who　was
in　the　secret　of　the　invasion；　and　who　passed　into　England　with　the
Prince　of　Orange　at　the　Revolution；　of　which　Revolution　he　has　left　a
very　fraudulent　history；　and　many　other　works　of　as　little　truth　and　good
faith。　　The　underpreceptor　was　the　famous　Vassor；　author　of　the　〃History
of　Louis　XIII。；〃　　which　would　be　read　with　more　pleasure　if　there　were
less　spite　against　the　Catholic　religion；　and　less　passion　against　the
King。　　With　those　exceptions　it　is　excellent　and　true。　　Vassor　must　have
been　singularly　well　informed　of　the　anecdotes　that　he　relates；　and　which
escape　almost　all　historians。　　I　have　found　there；　for　instance；　the　Day
of　the　Dupes　related　precisely　as　my　father　has　related　it　to　me；　and
several　other　curious　things　not　less　exact。　　This　author　has　made　such　a
stir　that　it　is　worth　while　to　say　something　about　him。　　He　was　a　priest
of　the　Oratory；　and　in　much　estimation　as　a　man　whose　manners　were
without　reproach。　　After　a　time；　however；　he　was　found　to　have　disclosed
a　secret　that　had　been　entrusted　to　him；　and　to　have　acted　the　spy　on
behalf　of　the　Jesuits。　　The　proofs　of　his　treason　were　found　upon　his
table；　and　were　so　conclusive　that　there　was　nothing　for　him　but　to　leave
the　Oratory。　　He　did　so；　and　being　deserted　by　his　Jesuit　employers；
threw　himself　into　La　Trappe。　　But　he　did　not　enter　the　place　in　a　proper
spirit；　and　in　a　few　days　withdrew。　　After　this　he　went　to　the　Abbey　of
Perseigne；　hired　a　lodging　there；　and　remained　several　months。　　But　he
was　continually　at　loggerheads　with　the　monks。　　Their　garden　was　separate
from　his　only　by　a　thick　hedge；　their　fowls　could　jump　over　it。　　He　laid
the　blame　upon　the　monks；　and　one　day　caught　as　many　of　their　fowls　as　he
could；　cut　off　their　beaks　and　their　spurs　with　a　cleaver；　and　threw　them
back　again　over　the　hedge。　　This　was　cruelty　so　marked　that　I　could　not
refrain　from　relating　it。

Vassor　did　not　long　remain　in　this　retreat；　but　returned　to　Paris；　and
still　being　unable　to　gain　a　living；　passed　into　Holland；　from　rage　and
hunger　became　a　Protestant；　and　set　himself　to　work　to　live　by　his　pen。
His　knowledge；　talent；　and　intelligence　procured　him　many　friends；　and
his　reputation　reached　England；　into　which　country　he　passed；　hoping　to
gain　there　more　fortune　than　in　Holland。　　Burnet　received　him　with　open
arms；　and　obtained　for　him　the　post　of　under…preceptor　to　the　Duke　of
Gloucester。　　It　would　have　been　difficult　to　have　found　two　instructors
so　opposed　to　the　Catholics　and　to　France；　or　so　well　suited　to　the　King
as　teachers　of　his　successor。

Among　so　many　things　which　paved　the　way　for　the　greatest　events；　a　very
strange　one　happened；　which　from　its　singularity　merits　a　short　recital。
For　many　years　the　Comtesse　de　Verrue　lived　at　Turin；　mistress；　publicly；
of　M。　de　Savoie。　　The　Comtesse　de　Verrue　was　daughter　of　the　Duc　de
Luynes；　and　had　been　married　in　Piedmont；　when　she　was　only　fourteen
years　of　age；　to　the　Comte　de　Verrue；　young；　handsome；　rich；　and　honest；
whose　mother　was　lady　of　honour　to　Madame　de　Savoie。

M。　de　Savoie　often　met　the　Comtesse　de　Verrue；　and　soon　found　her　much　to
his　taste。　　She　saw　this；　and　said　so　to　her　husband　and　her　mother…in…
law。　　They　praised　her；　but　took　no　further　notice　of　the　matter。　　M。　de
Savoie　redoubled　his　attentions；　and；　contrary　to　his　usual　custom；　gave
fetes；　which　the　Comtesse　de　Verrue　felt　were　for　her。　　She　did　all　she
could　not　to　attend　them；　but　her　mother…in…law　quarrelled　with　her；　said
she　wished　to　play　the　important；　and　that　it　was　her　vanity　which　gave
her　these　ideas。　　Her　husband；　more　gentle；　desired　her　to　attend　these
fetes；　saying　that　even　if　M。　de　Savoie　were　really　in　love　with　her；　it
would　not　do　to　fail　in　anything　towards　him。　　Soon　after　M。　de　Savoie
spoke　to　the　Comtesse　de　Verrue。　　She　told　her　husband　and　her　mother…in…
law；　and　used　every　entreaty　in　order　to　prevail　upon　them　to　let　her　go
and　pass　some　time　in　the　country。　　They　would　not　listen　to　her；　and
seeing　no　other　course　open；　she　feigned　to　be　ill；　and　had　herself　sent
to　the　waters　of　Bourbon。　　She　wrote　to　her　father；　the　Duc　de　Luynes；　to
meet　her　there；　and　set　out　under　the　charge　of　the　Abbe　de　Verrue；　uncle
of　her　husband。　　As　soon　as　the　Duc　de　Luynes　arrived　at　Bourbon；　and
became　acquainted　with　the　danger　which　threatened　his　daughter；　he
conferred　with　the　Abbe　as　to　the　best　course　to　adopt；　and　agreed　with
him　that　the　Countess　should　remain　away　from　Turin　some　time；　in　order
that　M。　de　Savoie　might　get　cured　of　his　passion。　　M。　de　Luynes　little
thought　that　he　had　conferred　with　a　wolf　who　wished　to　carry　off　his
lamb。　　The　Abbe　de　Verrue；　it　seems；　was　himself　violently　in　love　with
the　Countess；　and　directly　her　father　had　gone　declared　the　state　of　his
heart。　　Finding　himself　only　repulsed；　the　miserable　old　man　turned　his
love　into　hate；　ill…treated　the　Countess；　and　upon　her　return　to　Turin；
lost　no　opportunity　of　injuring　her　in　the　eyes　of　her　husband　and　her
mother…in…law。

The　Comtesse　de　Verrue　suffered　this　for　some　time；　but　at　last　her
virtue　yielded　to　the　bad　treatment　she　received。　　She　listened　to　M。　de
Savoie；　and　delivered　herself　up　to　him　in　order　to　free　herself　from
persecution。　　Is　not　this　a　real　romance？　　But　it　happened　in　our　own
time；　under　the　eyes　and　to　the　knowledge　of　everybody。

When　the　truth　became　known；　the　Verrues　were　in　despair；　although　they
had　only　themselves　to　blame　for　what　had　happened。　　Soon　the　new
mistress　ruled　all　the　Court　of　Savoy；　whose　sovereign　was　at　her　feet　as
before　a　goddess。　　She　disposed　of　the　favours　of　her　lover；　and　was
feared　and　courted　by　the　ministry。　　Her　haughtiness　made　her　hated；　she
was　poisoned；　M。　de　Savoie　gave　her　a　subtle　antidote；　which　fortunately
cured　her；　and　without　injury　to　her　beauty。　　Her　reign　still　lasted。
After　a　while　she　had　the　small…pox。　　M。　de　Savoie　tended　her　during　this
illness；　as　though　he　had　been　a　nurse；　and　although　her　face　suffered　a
little　by　it；　he　loved　her　not　the　less。　　But　he　loved　her　after　his　own
fashion。　　He　kept　her　shut　up　from　view；　and　at　last　she　grew　so　tired　of
her　restraint　that　she　determined　to　fly。　　She　conferred　with　her
brother；　the　Chevalier　de　Luynes；　who　served　with　much　distinction　in　the
navy；　and　together　they　arranged　the　matter。

They　seized　an　opportunity　when　M。　de　Savoie　had　gone　on　a　tour　to
Chambery；　and　departed　furtively。　　Crossing　our　frontier；　they　arrived　m
Paris；　where　the　Comtesse　de　Verrue；　who　had　grown　very　rich；　took　a