Cinq Mars -- Volume 6

of the siege had rendered the camp and the town inactive. The Spaniards troubled themselves little about the French, all communication toward

simultaneously, "boot and saddle," and "to horse." All the sentinels cried to arms; and the sergeants, with flambeaux, went from tent to tent, along pike in their hands, to waken the soldiers, range them in lines, and count them. Some files marched in gloomy silence along the streets o

transparent pyramid, we might have distinguished the shadows of two men reflected on the canvas as they walk

ression immediately showed that he blamed it, and allowed himself to be led into it and endangered by it from an extraordinary resolution which aided him to surmount the horror he had of the enter

girl, and who was condemned daily to appear before her as a stranger, to receive political disclosures of marriages they were preparing for her. The day when he received his entire confession, he had done all in his power to prevent Cinq-Mars going so far in his projects as the foreign alliance. He had evoked the gravest recollections and the best feelings, without any other result than rendering the invincib

y the noble characters of the men who directed the enterprise-all had contributed to soften down his first painful impression. Having once promised secrecy to M. de Cinq-Mars, he considered himself as in a position to accept in detail all the secondary disclosures; and since the fortuitous event which had compr

t he followed Cinq-Mars wherever he went without even, from excess of delicacy, hazarding a single expression which might resemb

aux. A heavy watch in a brass case lay near the pistol. De Thou, wrapped in a black cloak, sat motionless with folded arms. Cinq-Mars paced backward and forward, his

e," said he; "but no matte

is dark," s

; it advances. Twenty minutes more, and all will be accompli

, "is the hour to complete the sacrifice. I repent not; but oh, how bitter is the cup of sin to my lips! I had vow

f a blindly devoted heart. "I rejoice in my errors if they turn to your glory. I see but your happin

tly at him; and a tear st

But let us hope that God, who pardons those who love, will be fo

his hand, and gazed at the smoking match with a fierce air. H

ight half Europe; it may perhaps reach the wood of thrones. Burn slowly, precious flame! The winds which fan thee are violent and fearful;

! Thou art to me a sce

s ivory crucifix in his h

will triumph," he said; "it alone will triumph. God has ordained that the guilty treaty should not reach us; that which constituted the crim

hour!" exclaimed Cinq-M

of savage joy; "four

p will be crushed! We s

! Give me t

tily opened the tent,

, as a man, heated with hard riding and overcome with fatigue, threw

r," he said. Cinq-Mars turn

cesse Marie de Gonzaga, whom your affection alone turns from the throne of Poland, which has been offered to her. I have sounded her heart. She

e. I supplicate and implore you to act as a gentleman, and nobly to release the Duchesse de Mantua from

throw herself at y

N

pulse had been to turn its muzzle upon himself. However, he laid

my wife, can not be Queen of Pol

Q-M

ime for a moment's reflection, he forced

a furious tone. "If you remain an

iend, he remained an instant standing, but pale, his eyes fixed,

ou!" h

friend? I am with you. You have acte

low voice, and fell with his face t

all its purity, and that the furious waves still reflect the azure of heaven while tinged with the blood of man. It is the same with great passions. They assume strange aspects according to our characters; but how terrible are they in vigorous hearts, which have preser

ead, but .for the torrents of tears which flowed from his eyes. They were the only sign of life. Suddenly he o

alf-past eleven; the hour for the signal has passed. Give, in my name, the order to

e importance of this order; he w

alm, and endeavoring to clea

king fixedly at him, "r

not," answere

I can not speak much longer, even to you; but if y

," repeat

confederates: distribute these passports among them. Let them fly immediately; tell them all has failed, but that I thank them. For you, once agai

friend's hand without looking

ating with Joseph the interests of the State, were still seated the same men, nearly as we have described them. The minister, however, had grown

ittens, which gambolled upon his scarlet robe. Every now and then he took one of them and placed it upon the others, to

ard in the confessional. Pale even now, at the danger he had run of

o, threaten you. Assassins offer themselves to poniard you. I beheld in France the whole court against you, one half of the army, an

mes, without discontinuing h

ng to sleep, in order that the tortoise-shell one may not notice it, but fall upon its brother; and this one, how it tears the other! See how

ezed for some time

s how I shall spend the evening," he added, looking at the clock. "At nine, we will settle the affairs of Monsieur le Grand. At ten, I shall be carried round the garden to take the air by moonlight. Then I shall sleep for an hour

with a uniform enunciation, affected only by the

pped with the greatest tranquillity; and when the clock struck half

true statesman? The King, Monsieur, and the rest, have only shown their teeth against me, and without depriving me of one single man. The young Cinq-Mars is the only man among them who has any consecutiveness of ideas. All that he has done has been done surprisingly well. I must do him justic

ind that from Perpignan to Narbonne the way is short? Do you know that if your army here is powerful, y

l looked at

ome objectionable persons left, I see by my notes-four of the judges of Urbain Grandier. He was a rare genius, that Urbain Grandier," he added, with a malicious expression. Joseph bit his lips. "All the other judges have died miser

ures, and sent with the shortest possible delay to the town of Lyons, with Father Lactantius, Cap

f a head at a sign from his master. The Car

ce all traces of that affair. Providence has served me well. In removing these

he possession and sorceries of the magician.-[Collect. des Memoires xxviii.

Grand," said the Cardinal at last. "We

too far. No, no! Here are some little papers that would reassure you, did you know their contents. First, in this

lousy sparkled under the

e certainly suffered him to die, and in that respect we can not com

al, in a severe tone. "Yes, for you d

gneur. Here are their report

ing examined the

r conspirators, and then you shall do a

ed his precious denunc

trying men who are stil

. He asks for pardon. He dared not address me the first day, and

de Cha

nciliation with his Eminence, and rely for this upon the true love you bear me, and which, I believe, is greater than your anger. You know how much I require to be relieved

e took courage, and

llency the

and his artifices. For you, my cousin, I retain my whole esteem. I am truly repentant at having again been wanting in the fidelity I owe to my Lord the King, and I call God

n. But I am not so easily satisfied. I must have a free and full confession

solved of their faults in this world, I indicate to you the steps you must take to be delivered fr

their orders, while they really have only the red troops. All the rest, being Monsieur's men, will not act, and my troops will arrest them. However, I have permitted them to appear to obey. If they give the signal at half-past eleven, they will be arrested at the first step. If not, the King will give them up to me thi

to discover the route of the bearers of the treaty! I only

contemptuously, leani

st time in thy life thou ever heardst love spoken of. Dost thou like the language, Father Joseph? Te

continued in the scornfully familiar tone of a grand seigneur, which he sometimes assumed

t exists out of romances. This worthy youngster undertook these little conspiracies through love. Thou

th the stupid eye of some base animal. After long con

ociety altogether; for I do not see what use they are, unless it be to disclose secrets, like the little Duchess or Marion de Lorme, whom I can not too strongly recommend to your Eminence. She thought of everything, and herself threw

mas having raised th

xed at it. A nun of

the victory would be

it to be believed tha

pour l'histoire du C

ven. Do not let that happen again. Occupy yourself only with the people I consign to you. I traced your part before. When the master of the horse is taken, you will see him

e future as of a present over which he had the entire control, and of the present as a past which he no longer f

ntered, and nearly falling, in his heavy boots, over t

from Perpignan; and he has beheld the camp i

Richelieu, replacing his footstool. "Y

r, must we not warn

go to bed yourself;

trange event has occurr

dinary," said the minist

m these two hours. R

Prince; the folding-doors were thrown open; the guards in the Cardinal's

t advance a step to meet the King, because his legs were bandaged and enveloped. He made a sign that they should assist the King to a seat near the fire, facing himself. Louis XIII fell into an armchair furnished with pillow

n return to God. I become weaker from day to day; neither

death has already conquered my limbs; but while I have a head to t

your intention to add,

d the Cardinal, frowning, and biting

two things which have been upon my conscience these three years. I have never mentioned them to you; but I reproached you secr

k by thus making their ruler uneasy, to compensate for the harm they d

the necessity of venting all his spleen, and, to facilitate the explosion of these importan

in my thoughts, which were lately mentioned to me, and which I can justify by no reasoning. I mean the trial of Urbain Grandie

ing details of scandal. There was certainly an art employed, which can not be looked upon as guilty, in concealing, under the title of 'magic,' crimes the very names of which are rev

ce; "I can not hear more. I understand you; these explanations would disgust me. I approve your motives; 'tis well. I

ot fear to acknowledge it; it is to her I owe my elevation. She was the first who deigned to notice the Bishop of Luton, then only twenty-two years of age, to place me near her

but for me!" said

remains of your mother is not yet raised, Heaven is my witness that the works were retarded through the fear of afflicting your heart by bringing back the recollection of her death. But blessed be

g that he could go no farther that evening in persuasion, suddenly resolved to make a more powerful mov

this you consent

ndeed heard of a conspiracy, and I wished to speak to

ve your Majesty, and I am glad for your sake that men were dece

and between ourselves, that you w

etter which he has just sent to me for you. He se

ead in ast

h grieved at having o

o your Majesty. I humb

ardons, with the assur

epent

y humble

ST

cried Louis; "dare th

"yes, Sire, also; and this makes me believe, to

ment from a piece of hollowed elder, an

your Majesty. You may see the twenty articles all in due form. Everything is here

they must be seized. My brother renounces them and re

l be don

ult, in the middle o

his arrest, Sire; but is there

rs?" inquired the

ire," answered

t-I think

day. Your favorite is mounted at the head of his party; choose between him and

u do if I consent

s head and that

against Richelieu. "He is my friend as well as you; my heart bleeds at the idea of his death. Why can you not both agree? Why this division

minister kept his eyes upon him as if watching his prey, and without remorse, without giving

faithful friends should apprise me of this conspiracy; that the guilty themselves through the mercy of Providence should themselves make the avowal of their fault. One only, the most guilty, yet the least of all, still resists, and it is he who has conducted the whole; it is he who would deliver France into the power of the foreigner, who would overthrow in one

till covered his face with his hands. The stony-

etreat where, in spite of you, I could now go to live the six months which perhaps remain to me of life. It would be a curious employment for me to watch the progress of such a reign. What answer would you return, for instance, when all the inferior potentates, regaining their station, no longer kept in subjection by me, shall come in your brother's name to say to you, as they dared to say to Henri IV on his throne: 'Di

huge table, which nearly filled the room, and

audacity of this discourse. He raised his head, and seemed to hav

, "my answer is that

ce that affairs are at present somewhat complicated. This is

id Louis. "I will open the por

ll retire; and if anything causes y

and carried him and his chair into another apartment, for we have before remarked that he was unable to w

ive his Majest

ved as enigmatic to Louis, as did the letters in cipher which covered the table. Here all was confusion. An edict of banishment and expropriation of the Huguenots of La Rochelle was mingled with treaties with Gustavus Adolphus and the Huguenots of the north against the empire. Notes on General Bannier and Wallenstein, the Duc de Weimar, and Jean de Witt were mingled with extracts from letters taken from the casket of the Queen, the list of the necklaces and jewels they contained, and the double interpretation which might be put upon every phrase of her notes. Upon the margin of one of these letters was written: "For four lin

present conspiracy, to enable him to perceive its true meaning, and all that had been attempted against him, when a diminutive man, of an oli

ess your Majesty on the aff

pain?" said Louis. "Po

ai

d Desnoyers. "Here is th

e read, "Don John, by t

es, kingdoms on this s

vigation, and trade wit

di

said the King. "Who

ime by a man whom they call Pinto. Scarcely has he ascended the

volted? The King, Phil

for his Pri

tes-General of Catalonia to his Catholic Majesty, signifying that the whole country will

nza!" replied Louis. "

scarenas, to the principality of Catalonia, to seize the protection (and it may be the sovereignty) of tha

hat of that?

rd Portugal, and there is still time to deprive the King o

sist rebels

n of his Eminence," co

are nearly at open war,

er the assistance of his

uen

consider it," said

l of Catalonia are in a

rch again

a decision in a quarter of a

ajesty's commands upon the affairs of England. The Parliamentarians, commanded by the Earl of Essex, have raised the siege of Gloucester. Prince Rupert has at Newbury fought a disastrous battle, and of little profit to his Britannic

r the preceding papers, and casting his eyes over the notes of the Cardinal, he found

time and wait. The Co

pon the Scots; th

r to see Vincennes, and he has said that 'prince

but he had erased this word and sub

n inspired part. He will be a great

No, no! do nothing ha

apidly. If the courier be delayed, the Kin

vanced so far

blic with the Bible in their hands. In that of the Royal

good fortune may

wered Chavigny, respectfully, but in a ton

the King, with

ecretary sl

anging his place, he bent over, or rather threw himself upon, a geographical map of Europe. There he found all his fears concentrated. In the north, the south, the very centre of the kingdom, revolutions appeared to him like so many Eumenides. In every country he thought he saw a volcano ready to burst forth. He imagine

ed voice, while he rang a bell; "

oned in an

n as he opened his eyes, and he was once more left alone with the Cardinal. The impassible minister had had his chair placed by that of the King, as a physician would seat himself by the bed

led me. What wo

sed them again. That bony head, armed with two flaming eyes, and terminating in a pointed and grizzly be

," he said, in

ter, bending forward to read in the dull eyes of the Prince, as an avaricious hei

epeated the King, t

ontents of this are, 'This is my co

chair, suffered his hand to fall upon the fatal paper, and

litician. "I place no reliance on you; I must first have some

hall remain under arms; and when the Cardinal shall visit the King, the g

ga

s to place the two pri

ostages of the good fa

imed Louis, raising

that I should reti

g again

now?" he inquired

eserve for him. The door was suddenly opened, and Ci

?" said he, seizing the b

ng to answer Richelieu, he advanced steadily toward Louis XIII, who look

ted, for I have twenty thousand men under my command

King, sadly; "is it thou who ha

surrender me," said he, unbuckling his sword, and laying it at the feet

onged to this earth. Then, looking contemptuously at Richelieu

plices?" he demanded. Cinq-Mars looked steadfastly at Louis, and half opened his lips to spe

the apartment. He stopped in the first gallery. Fabert and all the g

ese gentlemen

other, without dar

soner; yes, gentlemen, I

that I am the

eneral; "there are two of you who surrender,

r is doubtless De Thou. Alas! I

ion?" exclaimed the latter, coming forw