Cinq Mars -- Volume 5

lieu was the hub of the monarchy, he reigned only in the name of Louis, though enveloped with the splendor of the name which he had assumed. Absolute as he was

all minds. The people in vain looked throughout the kingdom for those pillars of the nobility, at the feet of whom they had been wont to find shelter in political storms. They now only saw their recent tombs. Parliament was dumb; and men felt that nothing could be opposed to the monstro

. The melancholy of Louis, and his mysterious sorrow interested all France; still living, they already regretted him, as if each man desired to be the deposita

of his health, and ordered the court to prepare for a grand hunting party to be given

he alone had the key. He sometimes delighted in being served by a single domestic, and thus so to forget himself by the absence of his suite as to live for many days together like a poor man or an exiled citizen, loving to figure to himself misery or persecution, in order the better to enjoy royalty afterward. Another time he would be in

vored to read passed brilliant processions, victorious armies, or nations transported with love. He saw himself powerful, combating, triumphant, adored; and if a ray of the sun through the large windows fell upon him, suddenly rising from the foot of the altar,

ard reproaches for removing himself too much from the affairs of the State. The object of his momentary affection then seemed to him a despotic being, whose power drew him from his duties; but, unfortunately for his favorites, he had not the strength of mind outwardly to manifest toward

t for his love, he would have burst his golden chains with greater joy than a galley-slave feels when he sees the last ring that for two long years he has been filing with a steel spring concealed in his mouth, fall to the earth. This impatience to meet the fate he saw so near hastened the explosion of that patiently prepared mi

d to him that he was waiting for him on the Escalier du Lys. It may no

veller suddenly comes upon a royal, nay, a magic castle. It might be said that, compelled by some wonderful lamp, a genie of the East had carried it off during one of th

, and the pallid and melancholy hue of the sky, denote a rainy climate. It was indeed a genius who raised this building; but he came from Italy, and his name was Primaticcio. It was indeed a handsome prince whose amours were concealed in it; but he was a king, and he bore the name of Francois I. His salamander still spouts fire everywhere about it. It sparkles in a thousand places on

interwoven spirals from the most remote foundations of the edifice up to the highest points, and ends in a lantern or small lattice-work cabi

docile stone had given itself to the finger of the architect; it seems, so to speak, kneaded according to the slightest caprice of his imagination. One can hardly conceive how the plans were

ar, or thinking of what he was about to do, when the sound of a guitar struck his ear. He recognized the beloved instrument of Louis and his sad, feeble, and trembling voice faintly reechoing from the vaulted ceiling. Louis seemed trying one of

shrugged his should

ome, let me again attempt to read that chi

the narro

rds of his guitar; he ceased this when he saw the grand ecuyer enter, and, raising his large eyes to him with an air of

me by forgetting all my counsels! You have formed a guilty intrigue; was it fro

discovered, and could not help a momentary anxiety; but, p

declare it to you, for I am acc

speak so calmly of your disorder! Go! you deserve to be condemned to the galley, like Rondin; it is a crime of high treason you have committed in your want of faith toward me. I had

put the best face he could upon the matt

be judged and put to death;

ry well that you have not incurred the penalty of death in the eyes of m

ve ruined me in attaching me to your person. If you have caused me to conceive lofty hopes, which you afterward overthrew, is that my fault? Wherefore have you made me grand ecuyer, if I was not to rise higher? In a word, am I your friend or not? and, if I am, why may I not be duke, peer, or even constable, as well as Monsieur de Luynes, whom you loved so much because he trained falcons for you?

ot as he spoke, and turned his back to the King, like a sul

lution, and who was always terrifie

so hasty must be sincere; and even his fiery rage did not anger him. It did not apply to the real subject of his reproaches, and he could well pardon him for hating the Cardinal. The very idea of his favorite's jealousy of the minister pleased him, because it indicated attachment; and all he

ing yourself to the pious exercises to which I have accustomed you, when I fancy you are at your Salut or your Angelus-you are off from Saint Germain, and go to pass a portion of the night-with whom? Dare I speak of it without s

King, but still leaning agains

assemble there. Nothing is more harmless than these meetings. Readings are given there which, it is true, sometimes extend far into the night, but which commonly tend to exalt t

eel no need of it? It is the first condition of a perfect fri

e, looking at him over his shoulder, assumed an air less ang

trust myself to you? Are they not fops and gallants whom you

e with one of my friends-a gentlema

he has a good reputation for piety, but he is connected with Desbarreaux, who is a free-thinker. I am sure that you must mix with

at the ceiling; "sometimes I do not even ask them. There was, in the f

a pension. I liked him well enough; but the Ca

e is a young man just come from Italy, and is r

t all; but I'm sure he'

nchmen, who

e Cinna, and who has be

as angry that Du Royer o

lled Cor

with an air of triumph and reproach, "I ask you who are thes

ervation, which hurt his self-pride,

Bouillon, Monsieur d'Aubijoux, the Comte de Brion, the Cardinal de la Vallette, Messieurs de Montresor, Fontrailles; men illustrious in the sciences, as Mairet

but gain from their society. Theirs are settled reputations; they're men of weight. Come, let us make up; shake ha

r scribbled over with very fine writing. Upon one was written, Baradas, upon another, D'Hautef

ts of which I have myself kept a register during the two years I have

to write during the course of two years. He yawned many times during the reading, as no doubt we should all do, were it needful to re

a Chasse Royale, a work of King Charles IX, that after the hunter has accustomed his dog to follow a beast, he must consider him as of himself desirous of returning to the wood, and the dog must not be rebuked or struc

and me if they knew how we occupy ourselves.' And on the eighth-wait, yes, on the eighth-while we were singing vespers together in my chambers, you threw your book angrily into the f

, Si

ing you told me the Cardinal had burned a

grace, and who renders you unhappy. I myself saw all, heard, all, at Loudun. Urbain Grandier was assassinated, rather than tried

indicated, and going b

the whole narrative wit

rrors! My reign will be stained by them. What! he prevented the letters of all the nobility and notables of the district from reaching me!

concluded, threw asi

with sincere admiration. "Would that all France were here with me! She

ance, then, doe

you. And I myself, with the rest of the world, a

luctuating life. I have given my sceptre to be borne by a man I hate, because I believed his hand to be stronger than my own. I have endured the ill he has done to myself, thinking that he did good to my people. I have hidden my own tears to dry

our usurped power. France will do for your love what she would

d, my dear friend. I am no longer cap

r own; and hence forth those enemies whom vice has so much difficulty in suppressing will fall before a word uttered from your heart. No one has as yet calculated all that the good faith of a king of France may do for his people-that people who

f too high an order, which the timidity of his soul forbade him to venture upon; and repeatedly putting his hand to his chest, knitting his brows as if suffering violent pain, he endeavored to relieve himself by the apparent attack of il

f a minister who for eighteen years pas

if you but make a sign of your head. The ancient league of the princes of peace still exists, Sire, a

ain them; they surely do not accuse me of being a Cardinalist. If my brother wil

e will to-day speak to y

the Royalist

ion more emphasis than usual-"knowest thou that he is descended in direct line from Saint Louis, by Charlotte de Bourbon, daughter of the Duc de Montpensier? Knowest thou that seven princes of the blood r

ed, who are the men that may be put in the place of his creatures, who the field-marshals and the colonels who may be

done from the moment that your Majesty is not opposed to it. It has been proposed to get

can not consent to it. He is a priest and a cardinal. We shall be

thy friends; and I on my si

e already struck. Cinq-Mars was vexed to see this, for he feared that his anger thus vented might not be of lon

cruelly mocked me before my whole court by asking for her recall when he knew she was dead-ever since that d

s thought he heard a so

red

re for the hunt! Thou wilt ride next to

nq-Mars toward the entra

but his master's anxi

me out. But he had scarcely raised the tapestry which veiled the entrance to the guardroom than he was surrounded by a crowd of courtiers who had been awaiting him, and was fain to proceed to the work of issuing the orders connected with his post, or to receive respects, communications, solicitations, presentations, recommendations, embraces-to observe that infinitude of relations which surround a favorite, and which re

isted him into a kind of small and very low carriage, called a brouette, and the horses of which, very docile and quiet ones, the King himself drove. The

s ways, followed the many roads of the park, while the King slowly followed an isolated pat

en, uniformly dressed in black, and obliged to await the result of a chase which they did not witness. The distant hounds gave tongue, and the horn was sometimes faintly heard like a sigh. A cold, cutting wind compelled every man to don cloaks, and some of the women, putting over their faces a veil or mask of black velvet to keep themselves from the air which the curtains of their carriages did

ed in their cloaks. Appearing little intent upon the stag, they rode step for step

moment. See how he smiles upon him! See! Monsieur le Grand dismounts and g

id you not see how the

a sign to you, Mon

I have only those of faith, and yours. Well, what are they doing now? I

c de Bouillon, who is speaking to him; he speaks again! h

inister!" sai

ster!" echoed th

t of it!" sa

a regiment, and I'll m

aigues, with b

d, looking up at the sky, beg

neaux ont

ton, ton ta

on is no nearer being Prime-Minister, though the King do embrace him, than I. He has good qualities, but he will not do; his qualities are n

entive to every gesture of the Prin

rand takes the rein

plied with

onduisez m

pas, beau

ton, ton ta

mad!" said Fontrailles. "You've got

vents which shall go to

nd

Monsieur to carry his confounded treaty to Madrid, and I am not sorry for it; it is a somewhat touch

" cried

!" said

? ah, ah!" asked Gondi. "What have

gentlemen, we're rid of the Cardinal! The old boar is hunted down.

him," said Olivier;

ared to discharge a page, shall we?" Then, curbing his horse, and letting Olivier and Montresor p

with it. 'Tis in itself a finer one than I have ever read of in history. There is stuff enough in it to upset three kingdoms, if necessary, and the blockheads will spoil all. It is really a pity. I should

een; she was alone at the back, clothed in black and veiled. On the box was the Marechale d'Effiat; and at the feet of the Queen was the Princesse Marie. Seated on one side on a stool, her robe and her feet hung out of the carriage, and were supp

ne of Posnania was very handsome, and wore, in common with the people of his suite, a long, thick beard. His head, shaved like that of a Turk, was covered with a furred cap. He had a short vest, enriched with diamonds and rubies; his horse was painted red, and amply plumed. He was attended by a company of Polish guards in red and yellow uniforms, wearing large cl

ore her, he thought himself called upon to address a compliment to her in broken French, awkwardly made up of a few words about hope and roy

tlemen have an odor about th

r nerves and accustom yourself to it,"

d hurt her feelings,

rs I am rather fastidious. Monsieur Mazarin told me, the other day, that my punishm

ng no interest in what was passing around her, she yielded to the motion of the carriage. Marie, still occupied with the King, talked in a

you; Monsieur le Grand

so highly distingu

ime, and the carriage rolled mou

; the King is so good!"

sighed

ing her head, saw nothing but the brown, damp earth scattered by the wheels. A melancholy revery occupied her mind; and although she had before her the s

her; he was pale as a corpse, and his eyes were hidden under his knitted brows and the shadows of his lowered hat. She followed him with t

s until the carriage had passed; then he seemed to give the man a roll of papers, and disappeared. The mist which was f

shadows. This icy vapor turned to a penetrating rain and at the same time a cloud of fetid odor. The Queen made the beautiful Princess sit beside her; and they turned toward Chambord quickly and in silence. They soon heard the horns recalling the scattered hounds; the huntsmen passed rapidly by

ieur le Grand," was rep

Grand Ecuyer

ear, said, "He has

into her apartments, wherein she hastened to shut herself. She soon heard the noise of the entry of the King and of Monsieur, then, in the forest, some

similarity of the trees and paths; they were about to stop near a pond, when eight or nine men, springing from the thickets, rushed upon them, and before they had

inalists? Cry, 'Vive le Gr

rying to open the holsters of his pistols, "

enor!" cried

and ran into the wood; a burst of savage laug

e me? 'Tis but a joke of Ja

, and said in a low vo

fellow; I would advise you to emp

have done me some good offices; and lately again, you have been useful to me, as you always are, without knowing it, for I have some

asked Cinq-Mar

rning while you descended the King's staircase

nexplicable change! Can it be? A king of France! a

thing? You know I have an old acc

e hung down his head, abso

and I will rid you of him before thirty-six hours from this time, though

use no poniards,

e to him. It were undoubtedly more suitable for great lords to take charge of the Cardinal; and that he who despatches his Eminence should be in a fair way to be

rs," said the

Capuchin!" said Capta

ade a marechal. You see men extremely well at court who have killed their enemies with their own hands in the streets of Paris, a

before reason came. I would not have killed even a monk; but let me speak to him." Then, turning towa

he p

are out with God, and

; it's no worse when one is damned, t

her a thousand or one be kill

railles, half- laughing, "I see you will be a good travell

ind, like a knight in the midst of a game of chess. Once more Monsieur," he continued with an air of pious earnestness, "if you have any religion in you, refuse no longer; recollect the words of our theological fathers, Hurtado de Mendoza and S

a voice thick with rage; "I h

railles; "this might be a great wei

the heart of a king we

a

d the gentleman; "we can

ject betrays them. Well, war! war! civil war, foreign war, let your fires be kindled! since I hold the match, I will apply it to the mine

ntrailles a fe

ture for Perpignan. I feared Narbonne; I now see that he is going there to deliver himself up a prisoner to the Cardinal. Go at once. I add to the letters I have given you the treaty here; it is in fictitious names, but here is the counterpart, signed by Monsieur, by the Duc

d the adventurer, who

d me, I charge you with escorting this gentlem

ting his mous

er. She loves the smell of powder and brave men; but I would not serve her, because she is a Huguenot, and I have fixed principles, from which I never swerve. 'Par exemple', I swear to you by Saint Jacques to guide Monsieur through the passes of the Pyrenees to Oleron as surely as through these woods, and

le Monsieur," sai

es, he sighed and disappeared in the wood,