the memoirs of louis xiv-15-第4部分

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close　at　hand；　and　wrote　my　letter　there。　　The　letter　finished；　and　I
about　to　descend；　Peze；　who　had　left　me；　returned；　crying；　〃He　is　found！
he　is　found！　　your　letter　is　useless；　return　to　M。　le　Duc　d'Orleans。〃

He　then　related　to　me　that　just　before；　one　of　M。　le　Duc　d'Orleans'
people；　who　knew　that　Frejus　was　a　friend　of　the　Lamoignons；　had　met
Courson　in　the　grand　court；　and　had　asked　him　if　he　knew　what　had　become
of　Frejus；　that　Courson　had　replied；　〃Certainly：　he　went　last　night　to
sleep　at　Basville；　where　the　President　Lamoignon　is；〃　and　that　upon　this；
the　man　hurried　Courson　to　M。　le　Duc　d'Orleans　to　relate　this　to　him。

Peze　and　I　arrived　at　M。　le　Duc　d'Orleans'　room　just　after　Courson　left
it。　　Serenity　had　returned。　　Frejus　was　well　belaboured。　　After　a　moment
of　cheerfulness；　Cardinal　Dubois　advised　M。　le　Duc　d'Orleans　to　go　and
carry　this　good　news　to　the　King；　and　to　say　that　a　courier　should　at
once　be　despatched　to　Basville；　to　make　his　preceptor　return。　　M。　le　Duc
d'Orleans　acted　upon　the　suggestion；　saying　he　would　return　directly。　　I
remained　with　Dubois　awaiting　him。

After　having　discussed　a　little　this　mysterious　flight　of　Frejus；　Dubois
told　me　he　had　news　of　Villeroy。　　He　said　that　the　Marechal　had　not
ceased　to　cry　out　against　the　outrage　committed　upon　his　person；　the
audacity　of　the　Regent；　the　insolence　of　Dubois；　or　to　hector　Artagnan
all　the　way　for　having　lent　himself　to　such　criminal　violence；　then　he
invoked　the　Manes　of　the　deceased　King；　bragged　of　his　confidence　in　him；
the　importance　of　the　place　he　held；　and　for　which　he　had　been　preferred
above　all　others；　talked　of　the　rising　that　so　impudent　an　enterprise
would　cause　in　Paris；　throughout　the　realm；　and　in　foreign　countries；
deplored　the　fate　of　the　young　King　and　of　all　the　kingdom；　the　officers
selected　by　the　late　King　for　the　most　precious　of　charges；　driven　away；
the　Duc　du　Maine　first；　himself　afterwards；　then　he　burst　out　into
exclamations　and　invectives；　then　into　praises　of　his　services；　of　his
fidelity；　of　his　firmness；　of　his　inviolable　attachment　to　his　duty。　　In
fact；　he　was　so　astonished；　so　troubled；　so　full　of　vexation　and　of　rage；
that　he　was　thoroughly　beside　himself。　　The　Duc　de　Villeroy；　the　Marechal
de　Tallard　and　Biron　had　permission　to　go　and　see　him　at　Villeroy：
scarcely　anybody　else　asked　for　it。

M。　le　Duc　d'Orleans　having　returned　from　the　King；　saying　that　the　news
he　had　carried　had　much　appeased　his　Majesty；　we　agreed　we　must　so
arrange　matters　that　Frejus　should　return　the　next　morning；　that　M。　le
Duc　d'Orleans　should　receive　him　well；　as　though　nothing　had　happened；
and　give　him　to　understand　that　it　was　simply　to　avoid　embarrassing　him；
that　he　had　not　been　made　aware　of　the　secret　of　the　arrest　（explaining
this　to　him　with　all　the　more　liberty；　because　Frejus　hated　the　Marechal；
his　haughtiness；　his　jealousy；　his　capriciousness；　and　in　his　heart　must
be　delighted　at　his　removal；　and　at　being　able　to　have　entire　possession
of　theKing）；　then　beg　him　to　explain　to　the　King　the　necessity　of
Villeroy's　dismissal：　then　communicate　to　Frejus　the　selection　of　the　Duc
de　Charost　as　governor　of　the　King；　promise　him　all　the　concert　and　the
attention　from　this　latter　he　could　desire；　ask　him　to　counsel　and　guide
Charost；　finally；　seize　the　moment　of　the　King's　joy　at　the　return　of
Frejus　to　inform　his　Majesty　of　the　new　governor　chosen；　and　to　present
Charost　to　him。　　All　this　was　arranged　and　very　well；　executed　next　day。

When　the　Marechal　heard　of　it　at　Villeroy；　he　flew　into　a　strange　passion
against　Charost　（of　whom　he　spoke　with　the　utmost　contempt　for　having
accepted　his　place）；　but　above　all　against　Frejus；　whom　he　called　a
traitor　and　a　villain！　　His　first　moments　of　passion；　of　fury；　and　of
transport；　were　all　the　more　violent；　because　he　saw　by　the　tranquillity
reigning　everywhere　that　his　pride　had　deceived　him　in　inducing　him　to
believe　that　the　Parliament；　the　markets；　all　Paris　would　rise　if　the
Regent　dared　to　touch　a　person　so　important　and　so　well　beloved　as　he
imagined　himself　to　be。　　This　truth；　which　he　could　no　longer　hide　from
himself；　and　which　succeeded　so　rapidly　to　the　chimeras　that　had　been　his
food　and　his　life；　threw　him　into　despair；　and　turned　his　head。　　He　fell
foul　of　the　Regent；　of　his　minister；　of　those　employed　to　arrest　him；　of
those　who　had　failed　to　defend　him；　of　all　who　had　not　risen　in　revolt　to
bring　him　back　in　triumph；　of　Charost；　who　had　dared　to　succeed　him；　and
especially　of　Frejus；　who　had　deceived　him　in　such　an　unworthy　manner。
Frejus　was　the　person　against　whom　he　was　the　most　irritated。　　Reproaches
of　ingratitude　and　of　treachery　rained　unceasingly　upon　him；　all　that　the
Marechal　had　done　for　him　with　the　deceased　King　was　recollected；　how　he
had　protected；　aided；　lodged；　and　fed　him；　how　without　him　（Villeroy）　he
（Frejus）　would　never　have　been　preceptor　of　the　King；　and　all　this　was
exactly　true。

The　treachery　to　which　he　alluded　he　afterwards　explained。　　He　said　that
he　and　Frejus　had　agreed　at　the　very　commencement　of　the　regency　to　act
in　union；　and　that　if　by　troubles　or　events　impossible　to　foresee；　but
which　were　only　too　common　in　regencies；　one　of　them　should　be　dismissed
from　office；　the　other　not　being　able　to　hinder　the　dismissal；　though　not
touched　himself；　should　at　once　withdraw　and　never　return　to　his　post；
until　the　first　was　reinstated　in　his。　　And　after　these　explanations；　new
cries　broke　out　against　the　perfidy　of　this　miserable　wretch（for　the
most　odious　terms　ran　glibly　from　the　end　of　his　tongue）　who　thought
like　a　fool　to　cover　his　perfidy　with　a　veil　of　gauze；　in　slipping　off　to
Basville；　so　as　to　be　instantly　sought　and　brought　back；　in　fear　lest　he
should　lose　his　place　by　the　slightest　resistance　or　the　slightest　delay；
and　who　expected　to　acquit　himself　thus　of　his　word；　and　of　the
reciprocal　engagement　both　had　taken；　and　then　he　returned　to　fresh
insults　and　fury　against　this　serpent；　as　he　said；　whom　he　had　warmed　and
nourished　so　many　years　in　his　bosom。

The　account　of　these　transports　and　insults；　promptly　came　from　Villeroy
to　Versailles；　brought；　not　only　by　the　people　whom　the　Regent　had　placed
as　guards　over　the　Marechal；　and　to　give　an　exact　account　of　all　he　said
and　did；　day　by　day；　but　by　all　the　domestics　who　came　and　went；　and
before　whom　Villeroy　launched　out　his　speeches；　at　table；　while　passing
through　his　ante…chambers；　or　while　taking　a　turn　in　his　gardens。

All　this　weighed　heavily　upon　Frejus　by　the　rebound。　　Despite　the
apparent　tranquillity　of　his　visage；　he　appeared　confounded。　　He　replied
by　a　silence　of　respect　and　commiseration　in　which　he　enveloped　himself；
nevertheless；　he　could　not　do　so　to　the　Duc　de　Villeroy；　the　Marechal　de
Tallard；　and　a　few　others。　　He　tranquilly　said　to　them；　that　he　had　done
all　he　could　to　fulfil　an　engagement　which　he　did　not　deny；　but　that
after　having　thus　satisfied　the　call　of　honour；　he　did　not　think　he　could
refuse　to　obey　orders　so　express　from　the　King　and　the　Regent；　or　abandon
the　former　in　order　to　bring　about　the　return　of　the　Marechal　de
Villeroy；　which　was　the　object　of　their　reciprocal　engagement；　and　which
he　was　certain　he　could　not　effect　by　absence；　however　prolonged。　　But
amidst　these　very　sober　excuses　could　be　seen　the　joy　which　peeped　forth
from　him；　in　spite　of　himself；　at　being　freed　from　so　inconvenient　a
superior；　at　having　to　do　with　a　new　governor　whom　he　could　easily
manage；　at　being　able　when　he　chose　to　guide　himself　in　all　liberty
towards　the　grand　object　he　had　always　desired；　which　was　to　attach
himself　to　the　King　without　reserve；　and　to　make　out　of　this　attachment；
obtained　by　all　sorts　of　means；　the　means　of　a　greatness　which　he　did　not
yet　dare　to　figure　to　himself；　but　which　time　and　opportunity　would　teach
him　how　to　avail　himself　of　in　the　best　manner；　marching　to　it　meanwhile
in　perfect　security。

The　Marechal　was　allowed　to　refresh　himself；　and　exhale　his　anger　five　or
six　days　at　Villeroy；　and　as　he　was　not　dangerous　away　from　the　King；　he
was　sent　to　Lyons；　with　liberty　to　exercise　his　functions　of　governor　of
the　town　and　province；　measures　being　taken　to　keep　a　watch　upon　him；　and
Des　Libois　being　left　with　him　to　diminish　his　authority　by　this
manifestation　of　precaution　and　surveillance；　which　took　from　him　all
appearance　of　credit。　　He　would　receive　no　honours　on　arriving　there。
A　large　quantity　of　his　first　fire　was　extinguished；　this　wide　separation
from　Paris　and　the　Court；　where　not　even　the　slightest　movement　had　taken
place；　everybody　being　stupefied　and　in　terror　at　an　arrest　of　this
importance；　took　from　him　all　remaining　hope；　curbed　his　impetuosity；　and
finally　induced　him　to　conduct　himself　with　sagacity　in　order　to　avoid
worse　treatment。

Such　was　the　catastrophe　of　a　man；　so　incapable　of　all　the　posts　he　had
occupied；　who　displayed　chimeras　and　audacity　in　the　place　of　prudence
and　sagacity；　who　everywhere　appeared　a　trifler　and　a　comedian；　and　whose
universal　and　profound　ignorance　（except　of　the　meanest　arts　of　the
courtier）　made　plainly　visible　the　thin　covering　of　probity　and　of　virtue
with　which　he　tried　to　hide　his　ingratitude；　his　mad　ambition；　his　desire
to　overturn　all　in　order　to　make　himself　the　chief　of　all；　in　the　midst
of　his　weakness　and　his　fears；　and　to　hold　a　helm　he　was　radically
incapable　of　managing。　　I　speak　here　only　of　his　conduct　since　the
establishment　of　the　regency。　　Elsewhere；　in　more　than　one　place；　the
little　or　nothing　he　was　worth　has　been　shown；　how　his　ignorance　and　his
jealousy　lost　us　Flanders；　and　nearly　ruined　the　State；　how　his　felicity
was　pushed　to　the　extreme；　and　what　deplorable　reverses　followed　his
return。　　Sufficient　to　say　that　he　never　recovered　from　the　state　into
which　this　last　madness　threw　him；　and　that　the　rest　of　his　life　was　only
bitterness；　regret；　contempt！　　He　had　persuaded　the　King　that　it　was　he；
alone；　who　by　vigilance　and　precaution　had　preserved　his　life　from　poison
that　others　wished　to　administer　to　him。　　This　was　the　source　of　those
tears　shed　by　the　King　when　Villeroy　was　carried　off；　and　of　his　despair
wh