登陆注册
5240200000142

第142章 CHAPTER XXXIV.(1)

The Young Nobility and the Turks.--Private Correspondence.--The Unlucky Minister and the Page of Strasburg.--The King Judged and Described in All the Documents.--The King Humiliated in His Affections.--Scandal at Court.

--Grief of Fathers at Having Given Life to Such Children.--Why Prince Eugene Was Not a Bishop.--Why He Was Not a Colonel of France.--Death of the Prince de Conti.

As France was at peace at the moment when the three hundred thousand Turks swarmed over Hungary and threatened Vienna, our young princes, and a fairly large number of nobles of about the same age, took it into their heads to go and exhibit their bravery in Germany; they asked permission of M. de Louvois to join the Imperialists. This permission was granted to some amongst them, but refused to others. Those whom it was thought fit to restrain took no notice of the words of the minister, and departed as resolutely as though the King had fallen asleep. They were arrested on the road; but his Majesty, having reflected on the matter, saw that these special prohibitions would do harm to the intentions which he had with regard to his deference for Germany, and they were all allowed to go their own way.

A little later, it was discovered that there was a regular and active correspondence between these young people in Germany and others who had remained in Paris or at the Court. The first minister had a certain page, one of the most agile, pursued; he was caught up with at Strasburg;his valise was seized. The Marquis de Louvois, desiring to give the King the pleasure of himself opening these mysterious letters, handed him the budget, the seals intact, and his Majesty thanked him for this attention.

These thanks were the last that that powerful minister was destined to receive from his master; his star waned from that hour, never again to recover its lustre; all his credit failed and crashed to the ground.

This correspondence--spied on with so much zeal, surprised and carried off with such good fortune--informed the astonished monarch that, in the Louvois family, in his house and circle, his royal character, his manners, his affections, his tastes, his person, his whole life, were derisively censured. The beloved son-in-law of the minister, speaking with an open heart to his friends, who were travelling, and absent, represented the King to them as a sort of country-gentleman, given up now to the domestic and uniform life of the manor-house, more than ever devoted to his dame bourgeoise, and making love ecstatically at the feet of this young nymph of fifty seasons.

M. de la Roche-Guyon and M. de Liancourt, sons of La Rochefoucauld, who expressed themselves with the same boldness, went so far as to say of their ruler that he was but a stage and tinsel king. The son-in-law of Louvois accused him of being most courageous in his gallery, but of turning pale on the eve, and at the moment, of an action; and D'Alincourt, son of Villeroi, carried his outrages further still.

No one knows better than myself how unjust these accusations were, and are. I was sensible of the mortification such a reading must have caused to the most sensitive, the most irritable of princes; but Irejoiced at the humiliation that the lady in waiting felt for her share in this unpardonable correspondence. The annoyance that I read for some days on her handsome face consoled me, for the time being, for her great success at my expense.

Madame la Princesse de Conti, whom the King, up to this time, had not only cherished but adored, found also, in those documents, the term of excessive favour. A letter from her to her husband said: "I have just given myself a maid of honour, wishing to spare Madame de Maintenon the trouble, or the pleasure, of giving me one herself."She was summoned to Versailles, as she may very well have expected. The King, paying no attention to her tears, said to her: "I believed in your affection; I have done everything to deserve it; it is lamentable to me to be unable to count on it longer. Your cruel letter is in Madame de Maintenon's hands. She will let you read it again before committing it to the fire, and I beg you to inform her what is the harm she has done you.""Madame," said Madame de Maintenon to her, when she saw her before her, "when your amiable mother left this Court, where the slightest prosperity attracts envy, I promised her to take some care of your childhood, and Ihave kept my word.

同类推荐
  • 明伦汇编交谊典同年部

    明伦汇编交谊典同年部

    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。
  • 西藏风俗记

    西藏风俗记

    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。
  • 十方千五百佛名经

    十方千五百佛名经

    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。
  • Another Study of Woman

    Another Study of Woman

    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。
  • The American Claimant

    The American Claimant

    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
  • 拯救上神计划

    拯救上神计划

    新书《影后你马甲又掉了》已经上传,求收求票~~~仙界曾经有三个万年钻石老光棍!丰神俊秀的云水上神一千年前弱水边走了一圈,收了个女徒弟,百年后,结为夫妇,大宴群仙!疏离冷淡的秋木上神五百年前蛮荒边走了一圈,收了个女徒弟,百年后,结为夫妇,大宴群仙!现在,就剩羲煜上神了。。。。~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~治愈系,轻松欢快小甜文,欢迎大家入坑,么么哒建了一个书友群,亲们进来玩吧群号:519271634~~~
  • 别说你懂微信营销

    别说你懂微信营销

    《别说你懂微信营销》主要收集当今社会真实的微信营销案例,以浅显易懂的语言、求真务实的态度向读者传递最真实的微信营销成功案例。所有案例都是由从事各个行业,如房产、汽车、酒店旅游、餐饮婚庆、医疗、电商、教育等领域的当事人以亲身经历的口吻叙述讲出,配以真实的图片和照片,给所有想了解、学习、从事微信营销的人以切切实实的帮 助与指导。
  • 偷心交易:盛宠小辣妈

    偷心交易:盛宠小辣妈

    免费?堂堂大总裁竟被当做ED牛郎,黑眸一眯,“我怕你包不起我!”不知天高地厚的小女人豪气万丈:“哈,开什么国际玩笑,A市还没我包不起的男人!”看着男人发黑的面庞和渐渐俯下的精壮身躯,她欲哭无泪,完蛋了,自己果然惹到了不该惹的男人……
  • 用安静改变世界:你所不知道的内向优势

    用安静改变世界:你所不知道的内向优势

    有数据调查表明,在这个世界上,性格内向与外向的人在数量上大约是一比三。由于内向性格的人要承受更多的“改变自己、迎合社会”的压力,因此必须在生活中发展额外的应对技能。本书通过分析内向性格的种种优势:智慧优势、执行优势、进取优势、竞争优势、合作优势、处世优势、行为优势,通过分析内向性格的不同特征和行为现象,教你如何判定性格类型,帮助你将内向性格的各种特质一一转化为自身的优势,发展好自身的内向力量,从而在人际关系、工作职场等方面都能自如应对。
  • 崧泽之光

    崧泽之光

    以古文化和水文化为特色的青浦,有着丰厚的历史文化底蕴。早在六千多年前,上海最早的外来移民来到了境内的崧泽、福泉山等地聚居,他们在这块土地上辛勤劳动、繁衍生息,创造了灿烂的古代文化,开创了上海历史文明的先河。如今,地处申城西大门的青浦,正从“上海之源”迈向“上海之门”,大力塑造“海纳百川、追求卓越、开明睿智、大气谦和”的新形象,文化软实力和城市竞争力进一步提高。《崧泽之光》,带你领略“上海之源”的文化魅力,感受传承历史文脉的时代价值。
  • 冠心病的保健细节和养生(现代健康丛书)

    冠心病的保健细节和养生(现代健康丛书)

    随着社会的快速以展,生活水平的不断提高,膳食结构和生活方式与过去相比,发生了翻天覆地的变化。这使得以冠心病为首的各种心脑血管疾病接踵而来,不仅影响了人们的正常生活,还对人们的身体健康造成了巨大的危害。
  • 混沌世界——魔王之路

    混沌世界——魔王之路

    奥斯提亚,一个弱肉强食的世界。阿特凡斯,一个强大的年轻人。一次意外的事件,一个偶然的契机,一个逐渐膨胀的野心,铸就出了一条充满了黑暗,且无法得到救赎的道路。………………………………………………………………本文是以“反派”主角为中心的偏群像作品,从不同角色的视角推进剧情,以近乎上帝视角的方式讲述这个架空世界下发生的故事。
  • 李嘉诚:成功没有偶然

    李嘉诚:成功没有偶然

    80载人生风云,50年商海沉浮,倾心讲述,娓娓道来。一直以来,亚洲首富的光环和“商业之王”的美誉掩盖了真实的李嘉诚,人们只见其圆融,不见其正直;只见其激进,不见其稳健;只见其商业,不见其慈善。近年来李嘉诚年事已高,深居简出,他知道再不述说或许就来不及了。《李嘉诚:成功没有偶然》从李嘉诚传奇神秘的一生入手,极尽真实、原本地讲述他的过往,囊括其人生转折的每一个关键点:如何获得第一桶金;如何从小老板变身“塑胶花大王”;如何依靠房地产使财富暴涨;如何连续多年稳居首富宝座……
  • 相公连连看

    相公连连看

    当医学院“女屠夫”遭遇古代“温良”腹黑男,一场非礼进行时火热上演……她,一手小李飞刀走遍天下无敌手,他,一张安良纯纯面具横扫遍地芳草,他,心狠手辣举世闻名,他,赫赫战功之下累累血债。后面一群美男追着跑,青芙一害羞就成百变芙蓉帝……
  • 七魂神王

    七魂神王

    魂之大陆,以魂为尊,穿越至此的少年陈其将一步步踏入神坛!身陷绝境,血海深仇,天生异魂,这是属于魂的世界,也终将成为属于陈其的世界!