登陆注册
5240200000102

第102章 CHAPTER VIII.

M. de Brisacier and King Casimir.--One Is Never so Well Praised as by Oneself.--He Is Sent to Get Himself Made a Duke Elsewhere.

The Abbe de Brisacier, the famous director of consciences, possessed enough friends and credit to advance young Brisacier, his nephew, to the Queen's household, to whom he had been made private secretary.

Slanderers or impostors had persuaded this young coxcomb that Casimir, the King of Poland, whilst dwelling in Paris in the quality of a simple gentleman, had shown himself most assiduous to Madame Brisacier, and that he, Brisacier of France, was born of these assiduities of the Polish prince.

When he saw the Comte Casimir raised to the elective throne of Poland, he considered himself as the issue of royal blood, and it seemed to him that his position with the Queen, Maria Theresa, was a great injustice of fortune; he thought, nevertheless, that he ought to remain some time longer in this post of inferiority, in order to use it as a ladder of ascent.

The Queen wrote quantities of letters to different countries, and especially to Spain, but never, or hardly ever, in her own hand. One day, whilst handling all this correspondence for the princess's signature, the private secretary slipped one in, addressed to Casimir, the Polish King.

In this letter, which from one end to the other sang the praises of the Seigneur Brisacier, the Queen had the extreme kindness to remind the Northern monarch of his old liaison with the respectable mother of the young man, and her Majesty begged the prince to solicit from the King of France the title and rank of duke for so excellent a subject.

King Casimir was not, as one knows, distrust and prudence personified; he walked blindfold into the trap; he wrote with his royal hand to his brother, the King of France, and asked him a brevet as duke for young Brisacier. Our King, who did not throw duchies at people's heads, read and re-read the strange missive with astonishment and suspicion. He wrote in his turn to the suppliant King, and begged him to send him the why and the wherefore of this hieroglyphic adventure. The good prince, ignorant of ruses, sent the letter of the Queen herself.

Had this princess ever given any reason to be talked about, there is no doubt that she would have been lost on this occasion; but there was nothing to excite suspicion. The King, no less, approached her with precaution, in order to observe the first results of her answers.

"Madame," he said, "are you still quite satisfied with young Brisacier, your private secretary?""More or less," replied the Infanta; "a little light, a little absent;but, on the whole, a good enough young man."

"Why have you recommended him to the King of Poland, instead of recommending him to me directly?""To the King of Poland!--I? I have not written to him since Icongratulated him on his succession."

"Then, madame, you have been deceived in this matter, since I have your last letter in my hands. Here it is; I return it to you."The princess read the letter with attention; her astonishment was immense.

"My signature has been used without authority," she said. "Brisacier alone can be guilty, being the only one interested."This new kind of ambitious man was summoned; he was easily confounded.

The King ordered him to prison, wishing to frighten him for a punishment, and at the end of some days he was commanded to quit France and go and be made duke somewhere else.

This event threw such ridicule upon pretenders to the ducal state, that Ino longer dared speak further to the King of the hopes which he had held out to me; moreover, the things which supervened left me quite convinced of the small success which would attend my efforts.

同类推荐
  • 和萧侍御监祭白帝城

    和萧侍御监祭白帝城

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 孟子注疏

    孟子注疏

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 大毗卢遮那成佛经疏

    大毗卢遮那成佛经疏

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 毛对山医话

    毛对山医话

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 尊贤

    尊贤

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 婚色盛宠:捡个总裁当老公

    婚色盛宠:捡个总裁当老公

    “对不起,江先生,我不是故意的。”他的大手一拉,她跌入他的怀中,“闭嘴,你不能给我一个合理的解释,我就娶了你!”
  • 神医三小姐:逆天魔妃

    神医三小姐:逆天魔妃

    楚云瑶,拥有着从古至今无人可及的医术却遭人暗算!谁料异世重生,借尸还魂。楚家三小姐,丑颜废柴,处处受欺凌?虐恶女,守家族亲人,却招得魔界上主不停骚扰?
  • 楼兰梦

    楼兰梦

    一场楼兰一场梦,梦醒楼兰一场空,痴心不悔……情节虚构,请勿模仿!
  • 洪都侠客

    洪都侠客

    史记至正二十三年(公元1363年)元朝统治已将崩溃,天下纷乱 ,农民起义军峰欠连天。统一天下、各路豪杰志士又动干戈。来元璋传令徐达率军进驻南昌,改南昌为洪都,接看令自己的养子都督来朱文正、欠元帅赵德胜知参攻邓愈等将领驻审洪都。在江州(令九江),陈友谅改国号为汉,欠感疆域日益狭小,于是积极赶出兵向朱元璋收复失地,修速批巨型舰船、游载兵蒋、官吏,号称六十万欠军,倾国而出,从长江进入都阳湖,深入章江(令赣江),四月间,举围攻洪都城。藤王阁比武刀认仇家 眼见陈友谅军不日到达,洪都府中,人心惶恐,甚是纷乱。
  • 清泉炖蜜果

    清泉炖蜜果

    不到一米六的身高配上一百四十斤的体重,苏果果惨绝人寰的身材让她母胎单身的二十多年。相亲遇到了一个奇葩男说她可以代替篮球,结果她就把热水浇到人家的裤子上了;扶贫遇到了一个长相清秀的男孩子,结果最后人家没有办法住到她家开启同居生活了。一个花心作男不承认优秀如自己会爱上一个胖女人,撩着撩着就反被撩了;一个渴求温暖的执着男得到了一罐辣萝卜就爱上一个胖女人,住着住着就陷进去了。这是一个探求爱情是否与身材有致命关系的故事,这也是一个关于甜甜姐弟恋的故事。
  • 江城名迹

    江城名迹

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 安珀志1:安珀九王子

    安珀志1:安珀九王子

    仿佛从永恒的混沌中苏醒。不知自己是谁,不知自己做过什么。只有一种强大的推动力,促使他排除艰辛,压倒重重阻挠。他终于找到了自己的妹妹。但是,与家人重逢并不意味着安全。相反,一连串历险开始了。
  • 最具影响力的思想先驱(上)

    最具影响力的思想先驱(上)

    在我们人类历史发展的进程中,涌现了许多可歌可泣、光芒万丈的人间精英,他们用巨擘的手、挥毫的笔、超人的智慧、卓越的才能书写着世界,改变着历史,描绘着未来,不断创造者人类历史的暂新篇章,不断推动着人类文明的飞速发展,为我们留下了许多宝贵的精神财富和物质财富。他们是人间的英杰,不朽的灵魂,是我们人类的自豪和骄傲。
  • 文明之刺客帝国

    文明之刺客帝国

    【本书已进宫】陈奕:“我想当一名刺客。”系统嘴角直抽抽:“你他喵的见过左拿加特林,右抗火箭筒,麾下个个拿着法杖砍刀,骑着狮鹫开坦克疯狂追杀各大领主的刺客迈?”【正文第53章开始。】普通书友企鹅群:979695778。
  • 中国名人传记速读大全集

    中国名人传记速读大全集

    本书精选了近百位中国历史上影响最大、传颂最广的名人,分为先贤圣哲、帝王风骚、治世名臣、传奇名将、科学巨匠、文学泰斗、艺术宗师、民族先驱、巾帼红颜九大类,以最精练的文字讲述了名人的生平事迹、思想见解、丰功伟绩等,同时配以“名人名言”栏目和精美的图片,点面结合,图文并茂,使读者朋友能够在最短的时间内准确地了解名人成长经历和成功历程,更加清楚、细致地了解名人为中华民族的进步和发展所作出的伟大贡献,进而达到了解名人、学习名人,用名人的事迹激励自己,用名人的智慧指导自己。实现成功人生的最终目的。