Cinq Mars -- Volume 2

courage to be wholly

IAVE

long and beautiful route. Since we are at liberty to turn to all

to that city resembling Athens; and to find him who reigns there, follow that dark and irregular stree

ge round table occupied its entire breadth, near the great fireplace; around this table, covered with a colored cloth and scattered with papers and portfolios, were seated, bending over their pens, e

om a great armchair placed beside the fire, which was blazing, notwithstanding the heat of the season and of the country. It was one of those armchairs that you still see in old castles, and which seem made to read one's self to sleep in, so easy is every part of it. The sitter sinks into a circu

e that air of subtlety and finesse noticeable in all the portraits of the period of Louis XIII. His mouth was almost without lips, which Lavater deems an indubitable sign of an evil mind, and it was framed in a pair of slight gray moustaches a

ur manners. The younger members of high families received wages from the great lords, and were devoted to their service in all things, challenging the first comer at the wish of their patron. The pages wrote letters from the outline previously given them by the Cardinal,

te a few words, and then slipped the paper under the large sheet which, much against his inclination, he had to fill; but, seated behind the Cardinal, he hoped that the difficulty with wh

ed about sixteen. He rose at once, however, and stood before t

a comrade is struck down by a ball, so accustomed were they to this k

re you w

t your Eminen

ha

etter to Don Ju

eur; you were writi

h tears in his eyes, "it was

me se

d to lean against the chimney-piece, as he sai

ger in my service." The page withdrew. He knew that there was no reply; so, slipping his letter into his pocket,

on writing the n

or an order to retire. He had a dark complexion, and was deeply pitted with smallpox; his eyes, mild, but somewhat squinting, were almost hidden by his thick eyebrows, which met in the middle of his forehead; on his mouth played a

and the young pages holding their fingers to their noses, but not till they were behind him, for they seemed to have a secret fear of him. When they had all passed out, he entered, making a profound reverence, because the door was still open; but, as soon as it was shut, unceremoniously advancing, he sea

fever, but its intervals were long enough to enable him to forget during its absence that it must return. Giving, therefore, a little rest to his hitherto indefatigable mind, he had been awaiting, for the first time in his life perhaps, without impatience, the return of the couriers he had sent in all directions, like the rays of a sun which

of his late reveries; but he soon became more animated and vigoro

as expected to break the silenc

, of what are

sts have too much diverted me from this great thought; and I repent me of having spent some moments of my leisure in profane works, such as my t

t this opening; but he knew his master too well to betray his feeli

ce will regret that these immortal works

s the finest that the present or any past age has produced. I reproach myself for them, I swear to you, as for a mortal sin, and I now, in my hours of repose, occupy mys

as your Eminence," said the priest, who began to be annoyed w

nted to the C

know all their black villainy, and I am

lle d'Hautefort, as we removed Mademoiselle de la Fayette before

el

deas which he n

e? 'Tis well, truly," said the

favorite vacant for six whole days? It

ed Richelieu, with a kind of

her," said the Capuchin, in a low vo

ce, whence I drove her, step by step! England has not dared to receive her, exiled by me; Holland fears to be crushed by her; and my kingdom to receive her!

ded, fixing a penetrating look still f

e express this desire? T

hat one of the first duties of a Christian is to be a good so

h; he is an enemy to the State, I see it clearly. But I myself have acted with negligence for some days past; I have not sufficiently hastened the arrival of the young d'Effiat, who will doubtless succeed. He is handsome and intellectual, they say. What a blunder! I myself merit disgrace. To

erward he dared to have given to the King, who received them, respected them, and learned them by heart as the commandments of the Church.

e qualities: (1) He should have no passion but for his prince; (2

perfectly to love

er to change hi

to tell him

m free access

sovereign authori

onors and lar

no treasure more pre

ist

not put faith in what

nor listen to an

eveal to his prime mi

ough he has been bou

prefer not only the w

e minister, to al

ng in themselves than the terrible naivete which made him beque

his own hand, a deep melancholy seemed to possess him more and more at each word; and when

ng whether he were ill, when he heard issue from the d

not flee me; but they take him from me-he glides through my fingers. What things could I not have done with his hereditary rights, had I possessed them? But, employing such infinite calculation in merely keeping one's balance, what of genius remains for high enterprises? I hold Europe in my hand, yet I myself am suspended

and violent fit of coughing, which ended in a slight hemorrhage. He saw that Father Joseph, alarmed, was about to seize

e. As for my health, I know my condition perfectly; but that is not the business in hand. What have you done at Paris? I am glad to k

e at Per

him; that occupation will do as well as anothe

correspondence discovered, the questi

r forget that I have separated her from her house of Austria and fr

we have his entire confidence, here are

ey-corner as she pleases; he never got beyond his excellent intentions, forsooth! He carries nothing into effect but his withdrawal from the kingdom. He has had his third dismissal;

self in his chair, began to lau

very quietly let me talk for an hour with them about the hunt and the Fete Dieu, and neither of them dared make a sign to their cut-throats. I have since learned from Chavigny that for two long months they had been waiting that happy mome

lord, the Queen insists u

musketeer in canonicals, the devil in a cassock. Read his 'Histoire d

like yours you bring another amb

k of nothing but his ruff and his shoulder-knots; his handsome figure assures me of this. I know that he is

much reliance on people whose exterior is so calm; the hidden flame is o

ks at nothing. He has dared to dispute Madame de la Meilleraie with me. Can you conceive it? He dispute with me! A petty priestling, w

and insinuating, but which was simply ugly and awkward; he fancied that the expression of his mouth, twisted about like a monkey's, conveyed, "Ah! who can resist your Eminence?

assuredly they have nothing with which to reproach me. I simply exercise against them the law of retaliation, treating them as they would have treated me in the council of the Queen-mother. The old dotard Bassompierre shall be doomed for perpetual imprisonment, and so shall the assassin Marechal de Vitry, for that was the punishment they voted me. As for Marillac, who counselled death, I reserve death for him at the first false step he makes, and I beg thee, Jo

ffair of Loudun, which

I hope that Gr

is no longer thought of. Only Laubardemont committed a slight blunder in making the trial public. This caus

libacy of priests made me conjecture this; and in cases of doubt, remember, Joseph, it is always best to cut the tree before the fruit is gathered. These Huguenots, you see, fo

they daily cause our ho

se

subject to the new ambassador we are sending, the Marechal d'Estrees, and he will, on his arrival, doubtless obtain that which has been in train t

g the assassin whom he pays with his utter scorn; the other a

ne appeared to be a Swiss soldier, another a sutler, a third a master-mason. They had been introduced into the palace by a secret stairway and corridor, and left the cabinet by a door opposite that at which they had entered, without any opportunity of meeting one another or communicating the contents of their despatches. Each laid a rolled or folded packet of papers on the large table, spoke for a moment with the Cardinal in the embrasu

harles is defeated. Our General is in good spirits;

as retaken the towns of Lorraine; an

way mixing himself up with politics; so that some one gives him a little army to play

ommons pursue their project; there are massacres in

th! Hor

not had the courage to sign the sentence,

have no more of our money. Fall, since

each person of any importance-accounts which he always required to be added to the official despatches made by his able spies. All the despatches to the King passed through his hands, and were carefully revised so as to reach the King amended to the state in which he wished him to read them. The private notes were all carefully burned by the monk after the Cardinal had ascertained their contents. The latter, however, seemed by no means satisfied, and he was walking quickly to and fro with g

is; not until twelve

would sometimes pretend that his enemies were not wholly wrong, and would outwardly laugh at their pleasantries; but those who knew his character better detected bitter rage lurking under this apparent moderation, and knew that he was never satisfied until he had got the hostile book condemned by the parliament to be

et Impiete Sanglante du dieu Mars'. The worthy advocate Aubery, who has given us one of the most faithful histories of the most eminent Cardinal, is transported with rage at the mere title of the first of these books, and exclaims that "the great minister had good reason to glorify himself that his enemies, inspired against their will with the same enthusiasm which conferred the gift of rendering oracles upon the ass of Balaam, upon Caiaphas and others, who seemed most unworthy of the gift of prophecy, called him with good reason Cardinal de la Rochelle, since three years after their writing he reduced that town; thus Scipio was called African

l that court which besieges me, and let us go to the King,

he minister. Some, even, under the pretext of illness or business, had departed secretly, in order not to be among the last at Richelieu's reception; and the unhappy monarch found himself almost as alone

o princes alone put his hands on the elbows of his chair and slightly rose; each person, having profoundly saluted him, stood before him near the fireplace, waited till he had spoken to him, and then, at a wave of his hand, completed the circuit of the room, and went out by the same door at which he had enter

Joseph, advancing to the threshold, exchanged with the Cardinal a glance which seemed to say, on the one side, "Remember the promise you have just made me," on the other, "Set your mind at rest." At the same time, the expert Capuchin let his master see that he held upon his arm one of his victims, whom he was forming into a docile instrument; this was a young gentleman who wore a

ls me to warn against his faults him who may inherit the royal power during the minority. To give your great Prince a proof of my faith, tell him

respect to the Church, made him shudder at the idea of seeing a contemptible agent invested with the same hat which he himself wore as a crown, and

onder; it is enough that his Majesty has deigned to name him for the cardinalate. One can re

to general matt

ther toward us; what have we done that was not for

sieur le Marechal, that our habit is everywhere; and even in your armies

treat," said the Marechal, laying

ng this little outburst of professiona

c de Weimar did not more powerfully aid in the conquest of Lorraine than did this pious Cardina

ergy in a procession, had called him an insolent fellow, and given him two smart blows with his cane; whereupon the Archbishop had excommunicated him. And again, recently, despite this lesson, he had quarrelled with the Marechal de Vitry, from whom he had received "twenty blows with a cane or stick, which you please," wrote the Cardinal Duke to the Cardinal de la Vallette, "and

irony in the Cardinal's manner of referring to the warlike tale

one can say that it was u

t of that smile had created others in the hall, as well as whisperings and conjecture

u I should not fear Cardinal Albornos, or all the Borgias in the

as if addressing himself to the silent, and

excommunication of the most Christian King. How say you, my dear lord?" addressing himself to the Cardinal de la Vallette, who now approached, fortunately without having heard the late allusion to himself. "Monsieur d'Estrees, remai

ire obedience to the Cardinal, as if to expiate the obduracy of his father, the Duc d'Epernon, received in return a few vague words, to no meaning or purpose, the Cardinal all the while looking

ar Fabert? How I have longed to

m. He talked some time of the operations of the siege, and the Cardinal seemed to be paying him court now, in order to prepare him afterward for receivin

now prostrated himself before Richelieu. He solicited a command, having been only third in rank at the siege

nal broke off the compliments he was address

ou will sign yourself Schomberg, will you not, at Leucate, delivered, as we hope, by you? But

he poor young man whom you deigned to con

en 'Le Cid' and 'Les Horaces' as yet. Let him work, let him work! it is known that he is in my service, and that is disagr

t home to receive with great affability the dedication of Cinna, wherein the great Corneille

se, observing that the day was advancing, and

im with a complacent and confident smile which astonished all the people there, accustomed to the great world, seeming to say: "We have secret affairs together; you sh

st a glance at Joseph; then, turning toward thos

iminal about us t

edder than his robe, and, preceded by the crowd of personages who were to escort

ties of Narbonne viewed this r

im. This machine, covered with purple damask, was carried by eighteen men, who were relieved at intervals of a league; they were selected among his guards, and always performed this service of honor with uncovered heads, however hot or wet the weather might be. The Duc d'Angouleme, the Marecha

for his gentlemen, and twenty-four mules for his luggage. Two hundred musketeers on foot marched close behind him, and h

which it could not otherwise enter, "so that," say the authors and manuscripts of the time, full of a sincere admiration for all this luxury-"so that he seemed a conqueror entering by the breach. "We have sought in va