we might stop his passage But this man who was admirably well mounted shew'd us a trick for our trick and without any manner of concern riding full drive upon us he gave us such a brush as threw my Companion and his Horse above ten paces off We never thought of pursuing him for indeed it had been to no purpose he being so much better mounted and I for my part was not sorry we had been thus broke through for the respect I bore to Collonel Ornano I went back to give the King an account of what had past who only laught heartily at the story X. But that very morning I had most afflicting news brought me For the Serjeants of my Company not having executed my commands as they ought some Cadets stopt at Moret and the Wine being got into their Heads they quarrell'd and fought three to three so desperately that two of them were kill'd upon the spot one of which was Mareschal St. Geran's Son and two more very dangerously wounded When this news came to Fontainbleau it put me almost out of my wits I went immediately to wait on the King and tell him of it first humbly beseeching him to remember the order he had given me that I should stay that night about his person Whereupon his Majesty commanded me to go and tell the Mareschal de St. Geran my self and promis'd to make my peace with him I went but very unwillingly God knows having so sad news to carry and I had scarce began to speak but he understood me at half a word and askt presently if his Son was kill'd I did my best to comfort him by considerations meerly humane thinking more of what concern'd his Honour than his Salvation and at last entreated him to do me the justice upon this occasion not to impute this misfortune to me whom a positive order from the King had put out of a capacity to prevent it He answer'd me with all the goodness I could expect and immediately lockt himself up in his Closet The King sent shortly after to let him know that he bore a part of his grief with him and when he came to return his thanks his Majesty after comforting him with all the expressions of a particular tenderness did me the honour to justifie me to him and to assure him that I was in no fault at all to which the Mareschal reply'd with all the Civility imaginable that he was very far from accusing me that he knew me too well to lay the misfortune to my charge and that he should always love me at the same rate he had ever done But the Captains of the Regiment who were all of them very angry at me for the reason I gave before thought this a favourable opportunity to do me an ill office with the King For not knowing that I stay'd behind at Fontainbleau by his express command they came all in a body and entreated leave of his Majesty to proceed against me in the ordinary methods of Justice giving him to understand that some Lieutenants thought it below them to do their duty and to attend their Companies and lov'd to be at Court and by that means were the cause of infinite disorders The King who very well knew their malice against me and the private jealousie that animated them to it would not however take any notice to them but let them go on and prefer their informations But as soon as they were perfected and they came to present them to his Majesty he took them and told him he would take care to have them examin'd But afterwards he threw them into the fire and gave the Provost order to stop all farther prosecutions This made them understand too late that they had committed an errour in attacking a person whom the King honour'd with his particular protection and in whose favour he so openly declar'd himself XI Some years after the King had given me a Lieutenancy in the Guards he sent me to Fort-Louis with a private Commission aâ—d upon an occasion that he would have no body know but me only Monsieur Arnauld Camp-master to the Regiment of Champagne and Governour of this Fort was at that time in great repute for his knowledge and experience in War and in all the arts of Military Discipline He was equally prudent and bold in his undertakings and no less successful in the execution of them The prudence of his conduct made him admir'd even by those who were above him in birth and command and there seem'd nothing wanting to restore the old Roman Discipline in France but his being made General of the King's Forces One may truly say too that France owes part of the glory of destroying Rochel that Cittadel of the Hugonots to him for he first began by Fort-Louis of which he was Governour to block up the City and cut the Inhabitants off from ravaging the Country till the King afterwards came to make himself Master of this important place This great reputation that Monsieur Arnauld had both in the Armies and at Court was the cause why the King who hath ever had a natural inclination to all the concerns of War desired to learn his methods of drawing up men and exercise and discipline Resolving therefore to employ some one of his Officers in a thing impossible for him to learn in his own person he cast his eyes on me as one proper to keep the secret and likely to inform him of what he had a mind to know He intrusted me with his design and told me that to make the matter more private I should first take a Journey into Provence and go from thence to Fort-Louis to pass some time in the quality of a Volunteer with this Governour as if more particularly to instruct my self in a trade for which all the world knew I had a great passion He gave me order to stay there till he sent for me and till I had exactly observ'd all the particulars he had a mind to learn but he expresly forbad me to tell any man alive that I went thither by his command With these instructions away I went not so far as Provence but from Lions turn'd toward Rochel and so directly to Fort-Louis to lye at a Gentleman's quarter with whom I had been acquainted when I was in the Regiment of Champagne He receiv'd me with several testimonies of friendship telling me that I must of necessity go wait upon the Governour who was very exact in his Discipline and expected an account of every one that came into the Garrison This was just as I would have it and accordingly he carried me to him two days after Being not known to Monsieur Arnauld or at least believing my self not to be so I told him his great reputation had drawn me thither and that having eveâ— from my youth been strongly inclin'd to make my self expeâ—â— in martial matters I was come with a design to be instructed under him and to serve some time in his
would have for perceiving me a little warm'd with the recital he would have the diversion of seeing me represent my action with something of that heat which was but too natural to me So that the Duke of St. Simon who had withdrawn toward the Window to leave me at greater liberty with the King comprehending what he meant gave me to understand it At which animating my self as much as the presence of the King would allow throwing my Cloak upon my left shoulder and standing upon my Guard I did that with my Hand and Arm which respect would not suffer me to do with my Sword The King who saw the sprightliness of my gesture and observ'd the fire that sparkled in my Eyes cover'd his face a little with the Sheet that he might laugh without being discover'd which made me presently conclude the Cause was won and all my own As soon as this little Farce was over the King bad me be sure to remember all the particulars I had told him and let no body living know of my having been with him And withal he commanded me to be ready at his Chamber-door when he went to Council there to throw my self at his Feet and give him an account of my whole business as if I had never spoke to him of it before Upon which I immediately withdrew and went down the Stairs by the Wardrobe as privately as ever I could XVII Then I plainly saw that Providence instead of forsaking me as I imagin'd at first had assisted me after a visible and extraordinary manner and that two ways First by inclining the King to be favourable to my Cause and then in not permitting me to find either my Horse or my Man in order to the making my escape for had I fled I had been utterly lost At eleven of the Clock I presented my self at the King's Chamber door and at his coming out with a great deal of Company that attended him and among others the Cardinals Richelieu and la Vallette I threw my self at his Majesty's Feet and began to speak and beg his audience after this manner Sir I am come to lay my self at your Majesty's Feet to implore your mercy I put my life into your Majesty's hands for I had better lose it by the Sword of your Justice if I have deserv'd to lose it than live miserable a Fugitive and under your Majesty's displeasure But I most humbly beseech you Sir that you will first do me the favour to hear me that if I shall have the good fortune to make my Innocence appear I may have the consolation of being absolv'd by your Majesty 's own Judgment and on the contrary if I cannot justify my own conduct I may be condemn'd out of my own mouth The King who seem'd very cold to me on purpose to conceal his secret intelligence betwixt us heard me with a fierce countenance his hand on his side and standing between the two Cardinals Then with a fierce look he said Rise that I may the better hear you and if you have any thing to say in your own justification speak it but be sure you speak truth All the Court was present at this extraordinary Audience and I pleaded my cause for half a quarter of an hour after same manner I had done it in private in the Kings Chamber but much more seriously as speaking now in publick before the Cardinals Princes and Lords of the Court. While I was harranguing thus the King said softly to Cardinal Richelieu as I have been since told by a Lord that overheard him You see Canaples provoked him to the last degree for my part I do not think him so much in fault and when I had done speaking he said aloud 'T is true he ought not to deprive him of the Post due to him by his Command when he did nothing but only execute my Orders Upon this they went presently into Council and Cardinal Richelieu having understood from the King that he would have the judgment upon this business put off by reason of the English Fleets lying there in expectation of a fair Wind to assault the Mole his Eminence declared it to the Council Thus the matter was deferr'd that is the King reserv'd the judgment of it to himself and at his coming from Council he very graciously told me so I humbly begg'd of his Majesty to do me the favour not to let me lye idle but to employ me some way in his service which he promis'd me to do but withal ordered me in the mean time to stay in his Quarters without going to the Regiment of Guards or executing any part of my Command XVIII The King accordingly did remember me as he had promised and a few days after made me Captain of a Galliot to go out to Sea and discover the Enemy I then began to think of reconciling my self to the King by some signal action in this new Command his Majesty had conferr'd upon me I bought a great many Ells of Taffata and made Streamers of them with the Arms of France These I plac'd round about my Vessel and made it look so fine that several Lords were eager to come aboard and would needs go with me to Sea Finding my self thus crowded in the time of my disgrace and fearing it might do me some new mischief with the King or at least that I might not be able to execute his orders faithfully if I were not absolutely Master of the Vessel and had her to my self I thought fit to acquaint him with it and did so His Majesty was well pleased to see that I rejected the favour of others and sought after his only and that I would apply my self to no body else but him as in truth I had more occasion to do now than ever Therefore forbidding the Lords and all others to go aboard me and having told them for a blind that he would have them all keep about his person except such as had Commands I was left to my self and my Ship at my own disposal Then I fell to cruising to try if I could discover the Enemies designs passionately desiring to do the King some considerable service that I might have a little merit to intercede for my peace and gain an absolute Pardon I was once at open Sea in the night when my Pilot who was a Master in Navigation came about an hour before day and told me a fresh gale was rising and both Wind and Tide stood fair for the Enemy and therefore he was afraid if they had any mind to attempt the Mole they would not lose this opportunity The Pilot was in the right and spoke like a man of wisdom and experience for a little after we heard a Cannon shot from that part where the English Fleet rid which the Pilot told me was the first signal for the â—ight and if we should hear a second we might depend upon it that it was so Having a great confidence in this man I immediately raised
a kind of Râ—mantick adventure IX The Knight some years after had a considerable Lordship in Provence for several belonging to the Order lye there and happen'd to engage himself unfortunately in the quarrel of a friend of his to whom he was Second in a Duel where though he got the better of his adversary yet he received a wound that some days after cost him his life I confess I cannot sufficiently express my abhorrence of this custom or rather of this madness that puts so many gallant men upon these fatal engagements I have been told that within the time of the late Queen Mother Ann of Austria's Regency there were reckon'd up nine hundred and thirty Gentlemen that were kill'd in Duels within the several Provinces of this Kingdom and no doubt a great many more there were whose deaths were either conceal'd or else imputed to other causes Such a number of men scattered through the parts of an Army in several Posts I fancy were enough to win a considerable Battel And really the wisdom and justice of the present King Lewis XIV is in this particular highly to be commended who by a severity becoming both a Christian and a Prince hath resolved never to pardon any Duellists and so hath found a way to make these Combats now as uncommon as they us'd to be frequent in the reigns of his Predecessors And for my own part I cannot but have an exceeding honour and value for those many Lords and Gentlemen whose Courage is out of all danger of being call'd in question that have made a publick Declaration under their hands that they could never look upon those men as persons of Valour who place their honour in playing of prizes and by a brutish stuoidity lavishly throw away those lives that were design'd for the nobler purposes of serving the Kingdom and the defence of their Prince Let us dye in Gods name at the mouth of a breach or in a fair Battel at the head of a Company or a Regiment where our Death is honourable and our Life a Sacrifice paid to God and our Princes who have a right to it But who in his senses would ever expose himself to these bloody encounters where not only our Life but our Fortune and Honour are lost with it too and in which we cannot lose our lives but we must lose Heaven and our Salvation at the same time X. Now I come to speak of the favourable circumstances which concurred to the matching first of my Nephew and afterwards of his Daughter to both their advantage and they are such as were likely enough to be thought no less Romantick than my account of the Knight of Maltha did not that sincerity and strict regard to truth which I have been known to observe all my life long secure me from any suspicion of falshood It happened then while my elder Brother's Son who was sent to me out of Provence to Paris continued under my care that a Lady of Dauphinc came thither with her Daughter about a great Suit of Law then depending concerning the Guardianship of this young Lady which was like to be taken away from her I had heard some discourse of the thing and thinking my self obliged to take their part as being my Country-women had a mind first to dive into the true reason of the Mother's carrying on the cause so zealously Making a visit one day I took the freedom to ask her if the interest of her Daughter was the only prospect she had in this Suit she answered me very frankly that she sought no advantage of her own and valued nothing comparably to her Daughter and for her sake alone it was that she gave herself all this trouble I believ'd what she said to be true and answer'd her with as much ingenuity and openness that since she proceeded upon so generous a principle I would shew as much generosity to her and serve her both by my self and my friends as heartily as if her concern were my own Accordingly I began to make my words good and set all my friends to work in behalf of this Lady Her adversaries resolv'd to trouble and tire her out both by delays and expences which are always very great at Paris especially for such as are not settled inhabitants there and used all arts to spin out the cause to as great a length as they could The whole Court removing to the Siege of Rochelle as I shewed formerly this Lady found it necessary to follow them thither that she might not seem to desert her Cause which then lay before the Council The extravagant charge of this business and at a time when she wanted Money too forc'd her one day to confess to me the great concern she was in to see her estate wasted thus to no purpose and her self reduced to want of Money to supply her present occasions for this Journey I encouraged and supported her under it the best I could assuring her I would do my utmost to bring this troublesome contest to an honourable conclusion Then I asked her what Money she wanted and upon her desire that I would lend her five hundred Crowns I furnished her presently after with two hundred Pistoles And at last I made so good interest among my friends that the Lady carried her point XI She esteemed her self extremely obliged by the service I had done her and resolved upon the most effectual return of my kindness that was possible to be made For having seen my Nephew several times who came to me from Paris to Rochelle and was then about sixteen years old she would needs marry her Daughter who was a great fortune and for whose interest I had been so sollicitous to this young Gentleman The great confidence she had in me made her open her thoughts freely and she profest her self highly pleased that she had this way of making an acknowledgment for all the trouble I had been at upon her account and her Daughters I 〈◊〉 this â—roposal was some surprize to me for it was what I never lookt for nor haâ— the â—east design in the world to hook it in by any service I had endeavoured to do 〈◊〉 I thought this civility very obliging and told her she did me a great deal of honour and that the young Lady her Daughter deserved a much better match than my Nephew who was but young yet and no body could tell what sort of man he 〈◊〉 â—ake She took my complemental answer for a refusal and told me She perceived I lookt higher and thought her Daughter a match not worthy my Nephew I presently rectified this mistake and convinced her I spoke sincerely that it was my real opinion her Daughter deserved much better and all could be said of my Nephew was that he was a Youth of good hopes and one that I durst promise my self might do very well in time But Madam said I since you have done me the favour of so generous an offer I agree to and
stopt The man came up and told me The King had sent for me to him I askt what people said of me at which he fell a laughing and answer'd merrily Why they say that you have taken a fright and have led me a fine course But what are you afraid of The King would only speak with you I have had this day the satisfaction of seeing Monsieur Pontis run away from me Then I presently resolv'd to go wait upon the King tho the trouble and agitation both of my mind and my body had been so excessive that I had sweat to that degree that it appear'd on the outside of my Doublet I had no great need of consideration what I should say to the King My retirement had given me but too much leisure for revolving in my mind every thing that might serve to prove my innocency And having always hoped that at one time or other the King would give me liberty to justifie my self before him I had meditated and prepared an exact narration wherein following only common sense I had put together all that a Souldier who had liv'd thirty years about Court and had no other Eloquence than what Nature gave him could say that was plausible to render such an action less odious and to cloath it with all those circumstances that could make the Justice of his Cause appear XVI So soon as I came into the Court of the Kings Lodgings the Duke of St. Simon who was looking out at window made a sign to me to come up the stairs by the Wardrobe and when I was there he told me the King had sent for me to learn the truth of the whole matter from my own mouth The King was laid down by reason of some little physick he had taken Being come to the Bed-side I fell upon my knees and in my countenance plainly discover'd the remorse I had for having offended my Prince who had ever been so gracious to me His Majesty then told me he would have me declare the whole truth without any disguise and that he had sent for me purely for the same purpose There was all that time no body present in the room but the King the Duke of St. Simon and my self so that having an opportunity of speaking freely to him I did it after this manner Sir I can never sufficiently thank your Majesty for the grace and honour you are pleased to do me in permitting me to render you an account of my actions for I have ever hoped from your Majesty's goodness that would you vouchsafe to hear me you would judge me rather unfortunate than faulty I dare boldly say that if my Conscience could reproach me with having failed in my duty or ever disobeying your Majesty's orders I should never have had the boldness to present my self before you and that I should voluntarily have banish'd my self both from your Court and Army and have sought death out of your Kingdom for in it I could not have liv'd after I had lost my Honour So that tho those in the Council of War who are either friends to Monsieur Canaples or have not been rightly informed of the truth of the matter have declared against me yet I hope your Majesty being so equitable as all the world knows you to be will judge things as they are and as I shall lay them before you That it was Monsieur Canaples only who acted contrary to your Majesty's orders to the Rules of War and his own Honour and that whereas he complains of my having done him an injury 't is â—e on the contrary who hath injured me Your Majesty knows I have always told you the truth but I protest afresh that upon this occasion I will not utter one syâ—able not only that is not true but nothing except what your whole Regiment of Guards know to be so as well as I and what Monsieur Canaples himself cannot but acknowledge for such Your Majesty may please to call to mind that having brought you the news of the English Fleet 's arrival you commanded me to go give notice to the Officers to go and receive your Majesty's Orders and afterwards to make choice of a sit place to draw up the Army in Battaâ—lle Thereupon I went immediately to carry this Order to the Officers and acquainted Mansieur Canaples with it among the rest He entreated me to go draw up our Regiment my self because our Major was sick I told him I would first execute your Majesty's Orders and when that was done I would not fail to obey his But it being my turn to command the Forlorn-hope that day having never yet done it since I had the honour to be received into the Regiment I entreated him to remember it telling him the passionate desire I had by some considerable piece of service to acknowledge the singular favour your Majesty had done me in commanding me to be near your person and in preferring me of your own accord to be a Lieutenant in your Guards He promis'd me he would and upon that assurance I left him When I had obeyed your Majesty's Orders first and then his I return'd to give him an account of the whole and at the same time to beg the effect of his promise asking him if he had remembred me But he at first made as if he did not understand what I meant and after I had explained my self to him he shew'd me as plainly that he had forgotten me I beseech your Majesty to consider whether it was possible for a man of honour as Monsieur Canaples is to forget in so short a time the promise he had made me but just before and whether this was not plainly to tell me he had forgot me only because he would forget me I confess Sir I was sensible toucht with this injury and found my self netâ—led to see that Monsieur Canaples had not only used me like a pittiful fellow and a Foot-man in breaking his word with me but besides that he usurp'd a power which no way belong'd to him to take from me the rank your Majesty had given me and meerly out of a design to affront me to change the general and establish'd order of your Army I thought Sir that Monsieur Canaples was not allowed to set himself above your Majesty nor by his own private authority to take from me that right which my Command and my Rank made mine and which I have endeavour'd to deserve This aâ—â—ront Sir wounded me more than all the injurious words he could give me in the heat of passion and I humbly beg your Majesty's pardon if I told him that he toucht me in the tenderest part and made me mad For I saw very well that he used me so in cold blood and that the affront he put upon me was a premeditated one I do also Sir confess for I dare conceal nothing from your Majesty who command me to speak freely that in the heat of my passion I could not forbear giving him
upon the same account nor to the Queen Mother that illustrious Princess whose banishment and death gave her yet more â—ustre than her life All these were so many Victims devoted to the humours and petts of that great Minister of State who found that the only method to secure his own high station was to ruine all that stood in his way and that were entirely fixt in the service and true interest of their King IX I proceed now to what concerns another of his Victims whose person was in deed more eminent than Monsieur Marillac and his death every whit as tragical tho the cause in which he suffer'd deserved it more The great Duke of Montmorency I mean who not being able to endure the Tyranny of that arbitrary man that had got both the soul and person of the King absolutely in his power combined with the Duke of Orieans to rescue France all the Grandees and even the King himself from the oppression under which they all groaned The design was highly commendable if the methods of compassing it had but been as innocent For knowing that he could have no sufficient ground to take up arms against his Prince he thought himself safe enough by engaging the Duke of Orleans the King 's only Brother and that backt by him he might rise not so much against the King as against the man that abus'd the King's Authority to lower all the great Lords and make Princes truckle under him In this he was not so wise as he ought to have been for reason and duty both would have told him that he should first have considered how unsafe it is to have any great dependance on the obligations of Princes who are engag'd the more easily because afterwards they can easily leave them in the lurch that engag'd them and are sure by the greatness of their quality to secure themselves from punishment at last X. Monsieur Schomberg being at that time with an Army in Languedec to oppose the designs of Monsieur and the Duke of Montmorency Monsieur St. Preuil and my self were ordered to go joyn him there with some Companies of Guards When we were come up the whole Army which was not above six or seven thousand strong marched to Castelnau-d ' Arry the Capital City of Auragais that held out for the King Monsieur's and the Duke of Montmorency's Forces consisting of thirteen thousand men came up within three leagues of us But between the two Armies there were great Waters and Bogs which were a great security to us and made us amends for the disadvantage of unequal numbers About a quarter of a league from thence there stood among some Vineyards an empty house very convenient to put a Guard into because the situation of it being high all the Enemies motions might be discovered from it For this reason Monsieur Schomberg sent a Serjeant and some Souldiers thither but yet with orders to quit it again if they should find themselves prest by the Enemy The Duke of Montmorency likewise who with five hundred men advanc'd to make his observation of the posture and condition of our Army perceiving this house thought there might possibly be some Guard there He went therefore immediately up to it and charg'd them and with great ease beat them from that Post where he placed a strong Guard of his own afterwards of a hundred and fifty men Our Army never stirr'd all this while Monsieur Schomberg resolving to stay till he was attackt in regard he was so much weaker and had the Town of Castelnau d' Arry to secure his retreat upon occasion The Duke of Montmorency return'd mighty brisk to Monsieur and said to him Oh sir The day is now come that will make you Master of your Enemies and bring the Son and the Mother together again meaning the King and the Queen Mother but says he drawing his Sword we must dye this up to the hilts in blood The Duke of Orleans fearing what the event of an engagement might be return'd him a very cold answer Ho Monsieur Montmorency you will never leave your blustering You have promis'd me mighty conquests a long time but still I see nothing but hopes I would have you know that I for my part can make my peace and retreat whenever I please and make a third man Upon this some hot words arose on both sides and the Duke of Montmorency withdrawing to a corner of the Room to the Counts of Moret and Rieux and Monsieur d' Aiguebonne one of my particular friends who related all this to me said to the two former Our young Spark meaning the Duke of Orleans is turn'd Coward he talks of securing himself and making a third man but neither you Monsieur de Moret nor you Monsieur deRieux nor I will shew him the way and we must engage him so far now that he shall be forc'd to fight to day whether he will or no. In the mean time Monsieur de Montmorency put himself in a readiness to come up to us and Monsieur Schomberg put his Army into line of Battel before Castelnau d' Arry into which place he designed to retreat if he were prest to it a Gentleman of that Country about seventy years of age came and told him that if he would trust him with five hundred Musqueteers and two or three hundred Horse he would secure the day to him and engage to make him master of the Enemies Army by laying an Ambuscade which they could not possibly avoid at a Bridge by which they must of necessity come to attack the Kings Army Monsieur Schomberg very gladly received the Gentlemans advice and seeing that he could not well decline following it since not above eight or nine hundred were hazarded for a whole Army he ordered Monsieur St. Preuil and some Officers besides and my self to go along with the Gentleman and take five hundred Musqueteers of the Guards we had brought into the Army and gave us besides three hundred Horse The place prov'd very fit for an Ambuscade for there were several bogs and hollow ways and ditches by which the Monsieur 's Army must needs come to gain the Bridge We set the Musqueteers in these hollow places where they could not be discovered and the Horse a little higher for they had orders to make the onset and to draw the Enemies into the Ambush among the Foot who were so placed that they could easily make five hundred shot in a very little time The Duke of Montmorency having prevail'd with Monsieur to come up with the Army notwithstanding the ruffle that had been betwixt them marched at the head of the Van-guard and after him the Counts Moret and Rieux Monsieur 's post was the main body and there was no Rear-guard but a party of Reserve Monsieur Montmorency commanding the Van in chief came first into the way where the Ambuscade lay and being attackt by our Horse repuls'd them very briskly and in some measure defeated them But as he was
two after they came to my lodging to propose an accommodation They told me they saw I was a man of honour and heartily devoted to the King's service and interest and therefore the best method they could think of to put a stop to all these disturbances was to make their application to me and offer me an expedient which they had found out which was That the Souldiers should be allowed to go buy Salt at St. Vallery only instead of selling it again to the Inhabitants of Abbeville they should bring it into the King's Granaries where it should be taken off their hands at the same price the Citizens used to give I quickly saw how fair a proposal this was for our men but having a mind to be little intreated upon the point I answered these Officers That they were very honest civil Gentlemen but the Garrison had not deserved so much favour and I was resolv'd to hang all that I could find had been faulty But whether they made a favourable judgment of my intention or whether from some other cause they importun'd and conjur'd me so vehemently that at last I was forc'd to grant what I wish'd a great deal more than they I proposed the matter to the Souldiers who embrac'd it most willingly and afterwards sold their Salt to the King's Stores and drove underhand bargains with the Townsmen besides so keeping both up to a good round rate Thus I got both the King's approbation and the Peoples hearts but especially the Inhabitants who thought themselves infinitely obliged to me for both exercising so good discipline that the Garrison did them no injury and allowing them so considerable an advantage by their means I had also one particular piece of respect paid me during my stay at Abbeville which was to have a voice allowed me in the Council of Monsieur le Seve then Intendant of Justice and since Provost of the Merchants aâ— Paris who as a particular favour would have my Vote in his determinations and by this confidence express the friendship he did me the honour to have for me XII In May 1637 Mareschal Brezay's Regiment which I commanded was ordered to joyn Cardinal de la Vallette's Forces who was attempting to enter the Low-Countries with a considerable Army The King would have constituted me his Lieutenant at Abbeville but I had no inclination to that Post for tho it were honourable yet it oblig'd me to a private and peaceable life and robb'd me of the only pleasure I had which was to follow the Army and fight for my Country But I was much urged to it and verily believe the City had a great hand in the importunities used to perswade me to this Office But my constant answer was that I would readily take it provided the Regiment I then commanded might always continue at Abbeville and I would never hearken to it upon any other condition The Inhabitants who seem'd so well satisfy'd with my Government seem'd as much concern'd at my leaving them and the chief of them desired however to make merry with me before I went and entertain'd me three or four days as well as they could The Gentlemen of the Gabelle I suppose were not so very loth to part with me But it is a hard task to please all the world I went to joyn our Army commanded by Cardinal de la Vallette and the Duke of Candale and was not long before I paid for the civil usage and all the good fortune I had met with for a year and a half in the Town where every thing conspir'd to ease and to divert me Our Army being come to Castle-Cambray in the Low-Countries I with two hundred men at the head of the Army was order'd to set a guard farther on and the Horse had orders to support us But this order being suddenly changed and the Horse sent off to another Post we soon found our selves hemm'd in with some Squadrons of the Enemies Horse and at first took them for our own But we were soon undeceiv'd and finding our selves thus surpriz'd threw our selves into a place full of Hedges where we made a good defence a great while Seeing at last that our Enemies grew upon us continually I thought it a madness to pretend to hold our against more than 1000 Horse that were all upon us and we without any prospect of being reliev'd So I cry'd out Quarter Gentlemen Quarter We have given you proof enough of our Valour and it is meer fool-hardiness to stand it out any longer Seeing them charge us still I cry'd again Quarter Gentlemen If you deny it us we will make work with you and you may chance to repent it for we will sell our lives dear and fight it out to the last man Then they stopt knowing what it is to deal with men when they are desperate and gave us the Quarter we askt The Officers and I were detain'd the Souldiers were sent back and they carry'd us to Cambray As soon as ever the King heard I was taken Prisoner he had the goodness to send Monsieur de la Sabloniere Groom of the Wardrobe with my Ransom and as much Money as I needed for my charges and to recruit me for the loss I had sustain'd in the fight So I continu'd under confinement not above six weeks or two months at most XIII At my return in August or September 1637 I went to joyn Mareschal de la Melleray's Army about the time when he designed to besiege La Cappelle He was then under the Kings displeasure and Cardinal Richâ—lieu who had a great kindness for him was in some perplexity upon the Kings ill opinion of him The Mareschal in the mean while desirous to make himself considerable by some extraordinary action thought himself obliged to undertake the Siege of La Cappelle The Cardinal was of another opinion he thought that if this attempt should prove unsuccessful it would quite lose him with the King and therefore he endeavoured to divert him from that design and writ him word that he should consider there was danger in the undertaking and the place strong enough to bring a disgrace upon him The Mareschal was not thus prevailed upon and answered his Eminence That tho the Garrison were a good one yet he saw well enough it might be taken for several reasons which he gave him And when he had writ this Letter he laid Siege to the place The Cardinal being exceeding fearful for a person he lov'd writ him word again That he advis'd him to let that Siege alone and gave him some reasons that intimated plain enough his Eminence did not then stand so fast himself as to secure him against the King's displeasure if he should miscarry For the great advances the Enemy had made upon us for some years past had given a shock to the interest of this great Statesman all whose wit was little enough to bear him up against the insults and complaints of a whole Kingdom and so
the King had for this General 's advice cost his Army very dear Being then sensibly wounded to see my self look'd upon as a Visionary and a Coward I entreated his Majesty with great instances not to let the all Regiment have this affront put upon them to be deprived of the honour they were wont to have of going on first upon the Enemy adding with some heat that if I had committed a fault it was not just that the whole body should be punish'd for it by the loss of so honourable a priviledge and that I alone ought to be chastiz'd and answer it with my head The King who very well discern'd my emotion made me this answer I do not pretend said he to wrong the Regiment for on the contrary I will keep it for a reserve neither have I any intention to punish you seeing that I rather ought to reward you for the service you have done me and therefore speak after another manner and entertain other sentiments of my justice I then retir'd to carry news to my Lieutenant Collonel of the Orders the King had given and the reason that had mov'd him to do after that manner insisting much that having done all in me lay to hinder it it was now his part to plead our cause anew Monsie ur de Cerillac made answer without being mov'd that if the King and his Generals would have it so we must resolve to acquiesce and peradventure they will do us a courtesy for they will doubtless save our lives by taking our places and yet I make a very great question whither they will be able to carry the place or no but they will stand in need of us and we tho the last may possibly have the honour of the fight He spoke after this manner making a virtue of necessity and conceiving that it was more discretion to keep there but added that nevertheless for decency's sake we should do well to present our selves lest we should give the world an occasion to censure and suspect us Accordingly we went but were presently told that we had not the Attack and that we should stay till we were commanded whereupon without being very importunate we return'd to our Quarters there to expect a new order Monsieur de Chevreuse who did not command the Attack having entreated me to carry him to some eminence from whence he might easily see the fight I carried him to an old kind of Battery where the Cannon had been plac'd when they first invested the place and from whence he might see all without any manner of danger The Attack was presently begun and succeeded so ill that Navarre and Piedmont who had the head with other Regiments that sustain'd them were almost all cut to pieces and it fell out according to what Monsieur de Cerillac had said that they would at last have recourse to us for we were commanded with all the Regiment to repel the Enemy who were not content to have made so brave a resistance but moreover had sallied out and thrown themselves into our Trenches and finding them tir'd with so long a fight we beat them back with ease enough and recover'd what we had lost of our Trenches and Lodgment but not our dead men which were not to be restor'd to life and thus the ill grounded conjecture of the General succeeded 'T is strange that an engagement of honour should sometimes seduce the greatest men to act contrary to their own reason and to precipitate themselves and whole Armies into inevitable danger Tho they had slighted my report as incredible yet at last satisfied with their own eyes and things being known for such as I had represented them it was to attempt an impossibility to engage in this Attack In the mean time the Orders were already given an Officer is suspected for a Coward and upon this without any other assurance they go on headlong to the Assault so true it is that mens Judgments by an effect of divine Justice sometimes fail them in the most important occasions III. This bloody experience made the Generals alter their resolution they gave over the Attack of the Half-Moon to fall upon the great Bastion and this change was of so great importance that a man may say it was the cause of taking the place for from that day forward the Enemy despair'd of being able to keep it as much as they were confident of doing it before as they themselves have since confest The new Attack being begun the Enemy made a great Sally upon our Regiment which had the Guard they immediately charg'd the flanks of the Trench and did it with so great fury that one part of it gave way and was totally routed and the other came to rally themselves to a Lieutenant call'd La ... and to me who yet kept our post The Enemy who still prest on and that thought of no less than gaining all that was left were a little astonisht when they saw us come on all in a body directly upon them and charge them so home that from Assailants as they were before they saw it concern'd them to look to their defence This alteration put them to their shifts they disunited and the one half retiring into the City left the other to be shut up in a corner from whence it was impossible for them to get away But just as they were going to call out for Quarter a Souldier came crying out all in a fright Monsieur Zamet is kill'd Monsieur Zamet is kill'd I askt him How dost thou know it Because I saw it said he at which being desperate and quite out of my wits I miserably gave my self up to the fury that transported me in the thought wherewith I was then possest that I had lost all in losing this intimate friend without making any manner of use of my Reason or other reflection and threw my self with the utmost fury upon these poor people whom I sacrific'd to my revenge in causing them to be all cut to pieces IV. After this bloody execution to which I had suffer'd my self to be carried away I ran being yet quite out of my sences to see if I could find Monsieur Zamet dead as I had been told I was a little comforted when I was told that they were gone to put him to bed but when I saw coming into the room that his Thigh was taken off with a Fauconshot that he had receiv'd in going from place to place as Mareschal de Camp I lookt upon him as a dead man I stood by his Bed-side without being able to speak one word my heart was so opprest when he himself began to speak to me after so Christian a manner that I remain'd in the greatest confusion comparing what he said to me to the condition wherein I found my self Must Christians said he to me as we are desire any thing contrary to the will of God If it be by his appointment that all things happen in the world and if
be weary of those dilatory proceedings and that he might save his money by this means was deaf to all propositions made in my behalf and absolutely refus'd any terms of accommodation One day as I and some other friends were walking in Monsieur Deffiat the Superintendant of the Treasury's Hall I saw my adversary come in and without employing any other Mediators went to discourse him my self where I told him freely thus Sir I know you do not love me but for my part I bear no ill will to you I ask you nothing but what the King has given me and is it not a shame for a rich man as you are to refuse that little you owe me and slight the Rules of Court obtain'd against you I am naturally so averse to Suits that I had rather submit peaceably to the Judgment of any Arbitrator you will name so we may but put an end to this business Since you open your heart to me reply'd he it is but fair that I deal as openly with you I have only one thing to say which is that I have at this very time seven and twenty Causes depending and I have Money enough to maintain them seven and twenty years So that you had best consider whether it will be for your purpose to engage in a Suit with me This knavish answer and ridiculous boast was what I least expected and made me really angry Give me your hand said I to him I promise you upon the faith of a Gentleman and a man of Honour that since you resolve to stand Suit I will ply you so close that the Kingdom shall be too hot for one of us From that time forward I began to sollicit my Judges with all my might and main and sparing neither pains nor money obtain'd at length another Decree against him and a Writ to seize his Body This forc'd him to leave Paris and flee to Lions I pursu'd him thither but he seeing himself prest stopt the proceedings by a fresh Injunction so that we were to begin all again Both of us return'd to Paris and about this time I found a way to humble the insolence of a Serjeant after a very pleasant manner I had some new Citation brought me every day either to command my appearance or the producing some paper or other and the Serjeants took a pride to serve these Citations because they were under protection At last growing weary of this sort of Officers who are not very acceptable Guests to men of our way in ones own house I resolv'd to make use not of force but cunning to rid my self fairly of the inconvenience I suffer'd by them To this purpose I invented a Trap at the entrance into my Chamber as wide as the door so that when the Bolt was drawn none could go in or out but they must needs fall into it Then I had a great Sack nailed to the roof of the room below wide open just under the Trap that whoever slipt into the hole might fall into the Sack and hang in the air In regard I had often company with me they thought â—â—t to choose out one of the stoutest Serjeants to serve these Citations One of which having boasted that he fear'd me not and being very jolly upon the account of some Pistoles that were promis'd as his reward came to my House and enter'd my Chamber with a Citation in his hand As bold as he pâ—etended to be he appear'd to me not much assur'd and told me that being oblig'd to bring me a Citation yet he would ask my leave and not serve it unless I were willing he should I answer'd that he very little understood how to be civil to men of honour and that he ought not to mock me by asking my consent to bring what I saw him hold in his hand He seeing me angry had recourse to submissions and excuses but at last I began to raise my voice and then fearing if he did not get out of the Room that I should reward him with a Cudgel he began to retire and shift towards the door In the mean while my man had drawn back the Bolt that staid the Trap and so my brave Serjeant that thought of nothing but making his escape vanisht in an instant being fallen through the Trap-door into the Sack which clos'd at the top with the weight of his body as did the Trap also returning in a moment to its former posture There was my Gentleman dangling between Heaven and Earth in an astonishment so great that he scarce knew whither he was dead or alive I gave him leisure to come to himself and let him hang about a quarter of an hour After I had order'd him to be drawn out he begg'd of me as the greatest favour I could do him not to divulge a thing which would disgrace him for ever which I promis'd being sufficiently satisfied that I had so innocently humbled the pride of a Serjeant But he would ever after put me in mind of the Sack and laugh heartily at the jest In the mean while I prest my Commissioner as close and vigorously as I could and made him know that if he had better knowledge in Craft and Quirks of Law yet I had the better Cause and credit enough to defend it At last seeing his business in an ill condition he resolv'd to gain the Judges by great Presents and found a way to surprize the Superintendant entreating the assistance of his credit against a Gentleman of Provence that perplex'd him with a Suit of Law Monsieur Deffiat being thus caught sent the Marquess his Son to sollicite all the Judges in his name against me without knowing all this while that I was the party concern'd My Advocate gave me notice of it and tho I had much ado to belive this of a person who had always giv'n me great testimonies of his good will yet I entreated the King to speak to him about it Next morning putting on my Corâ—let and taking three or four of the bravest Cadets of my Company along with me I went to wait on the Superintendant just as he was at Dinner I stay'd till he rose from Table and coming up to him while he was washing his mouth I told him in his Ear I am come hither Sir to present you a Request whether it be a civil one or no I can't tell but I 'm sure however it is just Am not I very unhappy Sir I who have ever had the honour to be your Servant to pass all on the sudden for a Criminal in your opinion and to draw your displeasure upon me without knowing how I have done it You must needs think me guilty of some great fault sure Sir since after having honour'd me with your favour and affection you now sollicit against me in so just a cause and where the execution of the King's pleasure is the only thing in dispute Monsieur Deffiat much surpriz'd at such a complement said interrupting me I sollicit against
you I protest I do not know what you mean pray unfold the mystery and make me understand you Here is Monsieur F. replied I who is present in the room hath commenc'd a Suit against me and maliciously trifles off the Duke of St. Simon and my self about a Donation the King hath been pleas'd to bestow upon us I have obtain'd several Decrees against him both in Parliament and Council but he is an Ecl that always slips through my hands when I think to grasp him If you undertake to defend him Sir as it appears you do by the sollicitations the Marquis your Son has lately made in his behalf against me I know too well that it is in vain for a poor Officer as I am to stand it out and think to carry his point against a Superintendent and if the case be so I had better give up my cause to my Adversay and be quiet I protest to you reply'd Monsieur Deffiat that I did not know it was you that was at Law with Monsieur F. he has surpriz'd me but I will make him know that there is nothing to be got by surprizing men of honour At the same time he call'd him and made but few words but in short took my Gentleman down you have abus'd me said he and surpriz'd me in making me ignorantly sollicit against Monsieur Pontis You owe me Five hundred thousand Livres I declare if you do not pay me within a week I will lay you by the heels He was offering to justify himself but the Gentleman commanded him to withdraw and think of what he had said to him All the Company were extremely pleas'd to see an Excise-man so humbled At the same time he order'd his Son the Marquis to go along with me and undeceive the Judges and to tell them he was sorry he had suffer'd himself to be so surpriz'd and that he had sollicited against a man he lov'd Several of them had receiv'd great Presents and some whole Cart-loads of Orange-trees which when I saw in their Gardens I could not forbear saying in jest to these Gentlemen Oh! what corruption Oh how do I suspect my Cause For God's sake Sir when my concern comes before you do not look upon these Trees for they will be very ominous to me if you do I was advis'd by my Friends to except against one of these Judges because having been my Adversary's Advocate in this very Suit against me he had since by his means obtain'd to be Master of Requests and so all on the sudden from his Council was preferr'd to be his Judge The thing appear'd odioâ—s enough of it self and a man of any equity at all would never have staid to be excepted against for such a reason But two thousand Crowns pension which he receiv'd from this Commissioner made him proceed against the ordinary Rules of Justice Before I would except against him I had a mind to try what civility would do and accordingly went to see him where I complemented him to this effect I am come Sir said I upon a business that is very just and I think you a man of more equity than not to grant it You know you have formerly pleaded for Monsâ—eur F. with whom I have a Suit now depending and I do not wonder you have sâ—â—v'd him the best you could for it is the business of an Advocate so to do Nay I have several times commended the Wit Learning and Wisdom that you have shewn upon this occasion You are since made a Master of Requests which Sir is the Reward of your Merit and we must believe that having been so good an Advocate you will prove as good a Judge but pray Sir give me leave to tell you that I conceive the first testimony of your Justice ought to be the refusing to sit as Judge in a Cause where you have been Councel For though I do not doubt your probity yet it would reflect upon your honour to judge him as a Master of Requests whom you have already so severely condemn'd as a Pleader To which he reply'd that if he should wave all the Causes he had been concern'd in he might even as well throw up his place for most of the business had gone through his hands After a long debate finding him resolute and that he would not decline sitting upon this Cause I took my leave And going immediately to the King I told his Majesty the whole story Just as I had done in came Monsieur Sequier Chancellor of France and the King taking him by the Arm said Hark you my Lord Chancellor I have a Question to ask you May an Advocate who hath pleaded against a man and afterwards bought a Judges place be Judge in a Cause of his own pleading The Chancellor look'd a little surpriz'd and answer'd that he did not believe any body would say he might that it was a thing contrary to all Law and all Reason But yet said the King it is what ... pretends to do in Pontis's case here This was enough to engage the Chancellor to promise me Justice and next day he was as good as his word in granting me a Decree forbidding Monsieur De la ... to be present at the Judgment not only of this but of any other Suit that I might hereafter have with the Commissioner aforesaid I deliver'd this Decree to an Usher of the Court to signifie it to this Master of Requests but he had notice of it and being at his wits end to see his design publickly condemn'd by King and Council he immediately apply'd to my best friends to interpose with me that this business might go no farther I gave them a true account of my behaviour in it which they approv'd and told them it was meer necessity made me proceed after that manner so that upon any other account I should be ready to serve him But this business having made a noise and Monsieur De la ... fearing that my access to the King might give me opportunity to do him ill offices as it had been no hard matter to have done indeed had I been of so mean a Spirit he came to me himself not long after and after a great deal of talk which is not necessary to be repeated here he desir'd me at last to go with him to the King and speak in his behalf I went with him in his Coach to St. Germains at the Kings rising and presenting my Judge said Sir Monsieur De la ... upon consideration that I belong to your Majesty will needs be formally reconcil'd to me tho indeed we have never been Enemies but he knowing that your Majesty is pleas'd to do me the honour to allow me about your person will out of an extraordinary generosity use my mediation to beseech your Majesty to forget what has past between us seeing I have forgot it with all my heart Had I known him for the generous person he is I should have proceeded in another way as I
with him to that effect He is out of Favour with the King upon the account of Monsieur Saligny's Command which he had a mind of and that was bought by St. Preuil The great Difference between him and Monsieur Canaples Maistre de Camp of the Regiment of Guards He is tried in a Council of War he justifies his Innocence to the King in private and afterwards before the whole Court The Mareschal de Bassompiere obtains his Pardon The Generosity of Mareschal Crequi Monsieur Canaples his Father The City of Rochelle is surrendred to the King The great Qualifications of Guiton Mayor of Rochelle I. IN the year 1627 the King resolv'd to go lay Siege to Rochelle intending by that means to deprive the Hugonots of the strongest Rampart they had in France It is not my design here to give an account of all the passages of this famous Siege the publick events whereof are recorded in History but I shall only take notice of some circumstances wherein I my self was concern'd and shew how providence was pleas'd to order my affairs whether in putting me by the present fortunes I might reasonably have aspir'd to or in preserving me from those great dangers in which according to all humane appearance I must otherwise have perish'd Having staid at Paris by the Kings order to gather some Troops that were left behind and bring them to the body of the Army after I had discharg'd that Commission I went to wait upon the King at Fontainbleau from whence after a few days he mov'd towards Rochelle Assoon as he came near he lay the first night at Surgeres about three or four leagues off from the City and afterwards came up to Etray which was but a mile from the Camp One day Monsieur Marillac who was then but Mareschal de Camp but afterwards Mareschal of France was commanded to attack a Fort that was far advanc'd by night and being he was first to discover the Ditches and all without he chose two Serjeants who were very brave Souldiers for that purpose But before he sent them he went to the Kings Quarters at Etray to give him an account of what he intended to do The King who knew the gallantest men of his Army askt the two Serjeants names which being told him after a little pause turning to Monsieur Marillac As for Cadet said he which was the name of one of them I know him to be a very brave fellow but I have not so good an opinion of the other I know a man said the King who would acquit himself well of this Commission and bring us an exact account of every thing I have made tryal of him upon many such occasions I mean Pontis the Lieutenant of my Guards tell him I desire him to go and bring me an account of what he can discover The design had been taken to attack the Fort about two hours after midnight so that I was to go by eleven of the Clock at farthest for it requir'd at least an hour to go thither and as much to get back again I went in the dark of the night accompany'd with two Serjeants whom I sent two several ways and went my self a third Instead of going directly to the Ditches where I should have had much ado to get down I fetcht a compass and put my self into Rochelle road When I came near the Draw-bridge I went all along by the sides of the Ditches as if I had come out of the City that so if any one should chance to meet me he might think I belong'd to the Town After I had gone a little way I found a great Gate that they were building to come down into the Ditches by but it was not yet finish'd I went down by this Gate as softly as I could but yet I could not do it so as to escape being heard by the Centinels who cry'd out Who goes there and made several shots at me which whiskt on every side of me I kept on my way in the Ditches and found in one corner a pair of winding stairs that led up to the top of the Ditch Up I went but when I was got almost to the top I met a man coming down the same steps I â—ixt my self instantly and without betraying any surprize made as though I was peeping through one of the Skit-gates that was upon the stairs that lookt down into the Ditch The man that was coming down finding my back toward him and taking me for one of their own side askt what I was doing to which I answer'd that having heard shooting and a great noise I was looking to see what was the matter Whereupon without having the least suspicion of me he reply'd It is nothing but these rascally Centinels that are afraid of their own shadows and having said so he went down and I went up to the top where I met a Serjeant who was come from posting and relieving the Centries He askt me whither I was going and I answer'd coldly that I was order'd to come and see what was the meaning of those shots that had been made Whereupon the Serjeant who was an honest old fellow without giving himself any further trouble to examine who I was told me it was nothing but a false alarm and askt me if I had nothing else to say to him I told him No and in truth I was a little impatient to be gone out of his company After this manner I past and escap'd so great a danger by a visible effect of the protection of Almighty God I return'd the same way I came and found Cadet who waited for me and when he heard me struck two stones one against another which was the signal agreed upon betwixt us He had a Bottle of Wine of which he made me drink two or three draughts which refresht me very much and I had great need of it having taken a great deal of pains and stumbled a long time up and down in very uneven way As soon as we were return'd to the Camp I made a report of all I could observe of this Gate I had found into the Ditches the depth and breadth of the Ditches themselves the little Winding Stairs and all the rest I had discover'd But there being some contest upon a report made by one of the two Serjeants â— which made it necessary to call a Council of War and a great deal of time being spent that way as the Troops were marching along the shore to gain that Gate day broke upon them and the Enemy discerning our men at a distance made such a furious fire upon them with their Cannon that several of our Souldiers were killed and wounded This contest which was in part the cause of our misfortune made the King after the taking of Rochellâ— declare that he would see himself whether my report were true II. I shall only take notice of one example more upon this occasion to shew of what importance it is in these enterprizes not to
would give me leave to complain and not take it ill if I laid hold on this opportunity to draw some advantage from my misfortune for I stand in need said I smiling of a little sweetness to moderate the sharpness of my Choler and soften my Melancholy Monsieur St. Preuil promis'd to assist me with all his heart in getting some Money from the King and told me I might safely impart to him any contrivance I could make use of to that purpose Necessity quickens a man's invention and I was not long in forming the expedient I stood in need of but presently told him that being he was to go to Taillebourg where the King then was he must take the pains to write me a Letter from thence and there acquaint me with his resolution to buy this Company and that I would return an answer to it full of grievous complaints of the injustice done me That afterwards he might speak to the Duke of St. Simon in my favour and shew him my Letter that he might shew it to the King and by making him understand the justice of my complaints might at least procure me a recompence for the cause that was given me to complain Monsieur St. Preuil engag'd to do so and to serve me the best he could And accordingly he writ to me from Taillebourg as we had agreed before which I answer'd by another complaining one writing him word that I should be the most unhappy man in the world if this Company went so out of the hands of one who had receiv'd it from the King 's meer bounty that I should have nothing left to hope for since it would be always sold at this rate that I was not concern'd he should be the Buyer but that it was suffer'd to be bought at all that the grief to see all my pretensions ruined was so violent and so just that I could not quickly overcome it nor lay aside the resentment I ought to have that he shut the door of his Majesty's liberality against me but that when I had suffer'd this injustice for the love I bore him I might perhaps at one time or other declare my resentment more openly Monsieur St. Preuil shew'd my Letter to the Duke of St. Simon and spoke to him in my behalf according to the agreement betwixt us The Duke shew'd it to the King and seeing his Majesty begin to be angry he told him that really there was a great deal to be said in my excuse if I did complain finding my self thus disappointed that he did beseech his Majesty to surprize me with some unexpected favour that complaints being the natural effects of grief they were allowable when the cause of that grief was just that I was one of his Majesty's most faithful Servants one that had expos'd my life in a hundred engagements that carry'd many honourable scars about me and deserv'd a Company in his Guards as well as any Gentleman in France The King a little calm'd with this discourse reply'd 'T is true he is a brave man and it is but just to consider him a little upon this occasion After which he sent an Order to Monsieur Deffiat to pay me four thousand Franks But still he was not satisfy'd with my Letter And when I came to him at Surgeres a little after he gave me to understand by his silence and coldness that he was displeased with me Not knowing then whither I ought to speak or hold my tongue fearing on one side that if I spoke I should be thought insolent and if I said nothing it might look like guilt at last however I chose the latter and resolv'd to try if by silence and submission I could overcome the good nature of the King At Supper the Count of Svissons who was upon no very good terms with his Majesty came to wait on him and after a little discourse took his leave and all the rest of the great Lords one after another went away Still I staid hoping by my perseverance to oblige the King to speak to me and knowing that he took it well to have people assiduous about his person But my patience at last was quite worn out and being inwardly vext to see the King keep on a coldness toward me so long as soon as he rose from the Table I fell at his knees and told him that my fear to displease his Majesty and the confusion which the remembrance of my fault gave me had oblig'd me till then to keep silence but I hop'd he would permit me now to ask his pardon most humbly for my passions and complaints Ho ho said the King roundly to me who then put you upon writing such a hussing Letter I reply'd that his Majesty having given me hopes of the Company he had bestow'd on Count Saligny and Monsieur St. Preuil having since bought it I knew very well that he would not do him an injury in giving me what another had bought Whereupon the King ask'd me what I complain'd of then It had been easy to tell his Majesty that this was the very reason of my complaint that having given his word to gratify me with that Command he had suffer'd it to be sold but this was no time to insist upon the justice of my cause and it was better to take a more submissive course and therefore laying all the fault at my own door I made answer I had no body to complain of but my self and I most humbly begg'd his Majesty's Pardon for having offended him The King who pretended to be more angry than he really was suffering himself to be easily overcome said to me Be more temperate another time and do not complain thus of having injustice done you I have commanded Deffiat to give you four thousand Livres VII I was well satisfy'd with this gentle reproof having great reason to apprehend very scurvy consequences of this affair But going to get my self paid this gift of the King 's I had like to have spoil'd all by a false piece of Gallantry Meeting with a Commissioner of Monsieur Deffiat who told me the Superintendent would speak with me I presently went believing it was to pay me the four thousand Livres and accordingly he told me I was much oblig'd to the King's bounty who had remembred my services and order'd him to give me four thousand Livres I answer'd that I acknowledg'd my obligations to his Majesty with all due respect but if he would give me leave to speak my thoughts though four thousand Livres might appear something considerable for me to receive yet it was but a small matter for so great a Prinee to give I thought Monsieur Deffiat would have taken my meaning right in what I said so freely and presently have offer'd me his service to perswade the King to something more and the kindness he had all along profest for me was what might justify my expecting this from him but I was much surpriz'd to find all my hopes and my policy
remember the Letter you did me the favour to write in my behalf to Monsieur Canaples wherein you blam'd him for presuming to suspend me when the King and you were present in the Army and commanded him from the King to let me alone in the free discharge of my Command When after this he went about to dishonour me against the Kings and your Lordships express Order I conceiv'd that both the King and you your self my Lord had put the Sword in my hand to repell the injury that was offer'd to the Kings authority and at the same time to defend my self from the affront they would have put upon me These reasons were of force to work upon Monsieur Espernon whose honour and authority seem'd to be engaged in my quarrel but he not being then at leisure to consider of it and possest too by what Monsieur Canaples had told him and in regard my action appear'd really very foul and odious in it self when all the circumstances were laid aside that might make it appear more excusable I plainly perceiv'd that he was very ill dispos'd toward me and that I ought to take my leave And withal thinking my self not very safe I resolv'd to withdraw to Mareschal Schomberg who hath ever done me the honour to love me and to protect me with extraordinary kindness and favour XII Then it was that I began to reflect on the inconstancy of mens fortune I sigh'd heartily to see that after serving the world so faithfully so many years I should be so ill rewarded by it that after exposing my life a thousand times in the service of my Prince I was now like to lose it ignominiously by the rigour of publick Justice or at least to pass the remainder of it in exile and oblivion I represented to my self the misery of a fugitive and a vagabond who fears every thing hath nothing to hope looks upon all Creatures as combin'd against him to render him unhappy and one that can only expect from death the end of all his miseries and misfortunes And indeed I never wisht to dye but that day for then I thought death the greatest good fortune that could have befallen me fearing above all things the hand of Justice and almost as much as that to live wretchedly out of the Court and my native Country Such were the thoughts meeâ—ly humane and the low considerations that wholly possest my mind I was not then sensible that it is a happiness for a man who hath liv'd long in Courts and Armies to be oblig'd to leave them and driven to think of something more serious to dedicate the remainder of his life at least to God when the World will have no more to do with him But God was pleased thus at a distance and by degrees to prepare me for renouncing the world by giving me a taste of its bitterness and tho I did not then apprehend it yet the various afflictions he try'd me with were so many earnests of his mercy to me While I was thus intent upon my self with regard to the outward consequences of this extremity to which I was then reduc'd God was pleased to look upon me and inspire me with a thought of begging his assistance This made me with deep sighs say Lord thou knowest my misery and I know thy mercy take upon thee my defence for I have no defender My prayer was short but my devotion was ardent and sincere But my grief and disquiet were so excessive that within a few days I was so chang'd as hardly to be known my very hair turn'd grey in that short time and I am sure none who have not experimentally known what it is for a man of Honour and Courage to see himself reduc'd to fear the hand of a common Executioner can be a competent Judge of the condition I was in XIII When I had withdrawn to Mareschal Schomberg's house they began to examine my business The usual informations were made and the Drum beat throughout all the Quarters to cite me to a personal appearance but I chusing rather to pass for a Criminal when at Liberty than to surrender my self up a Prisoner and be expos'd to all the violent designs of my Enemies was interdicted and cashiered and all Souldies and Officers of the Regiment were forbid to own me for an Officer The Proceedings when concluded were carry'd to Monsieur Espernon as Collonel of the Infantry and so the principal Judge He spoke of it to the King who not being able utterly to cast off the extraordinary goodness he had ever had for me and designing to save my Life had a mind not to oppose Justice publickly but to spin the Cause out as long as he could that so when time had qualify'd mens Spirits he might the more easily grant my Pardon without being blamed by the principal Officers of the Army whose authority seem'd to be concern'd for my punishment The King therefore answer'd the Duke of Espernon that they were to have the opinion of the Mareschals of France and the principal Officers of the Army and so the business was ended But that which made very much for my Justification was the extraordinary generosity of Mareschal Creâ—uy Monsieur Canaples his Father who as soon as ever he heard of our quarrel declar'd highly in my favour against his own Son He condemn'd Monsieur Canaples publickly as a person that broke his word and commended what I had done as an argument of my Courage and repelling an extraordinary injury by an extraordinary action This declaration from Mareschal Crequy who thus renounc'd his natural inclination for the sake of Justice was of very great weight in my Cause for it could not easily be imagin'd that a Father would pronounce against his own Son if he could have found any Justice on his side Nevertheless my business was examinâ—d in the Council In the mean while Mareschal Schomberg wrought privately with the King to have compassion upon an Officer who had serv'd him all along with so great fidelity and zeal and to incline him to order it so that all things might be composed The King as I said was pretty well inclined to this of his own accord and had often spoken of it to several people but every body answer'd cautiously fearing on one side to offend his Majesty and doubting on the other lest they should offend Monsieur Canaples who was a person of great Interest and Power There was one however that spoke his thoughts freely to the King upon this subject But this mans opinion was as base and unworthy as Mareschal Crequy's my adversary's Father was generous He had formerly been my Captain under Henry the Great when I was a young Cadet in the Regiment of Guards And the King being pleas'd one day to do him the honor to unbosom himself to him upon my concern said You have known Pontis longer than any body He seems to me to be patient tho he be a little hot and provencal doubtless
he must have been highly provok'd what think you This was plainly to declare himself for me and to engage this Officer to speak favourably of a man whose cause the King himself had taken upon him to defend but he contrary to all people's expectation had the ill nature to answer the King that though it had been his own Son that had committed such an action he would condemn it as criminal even in his Son The King who look'd for another kind of answer and that his own opinion ought to have met with more respect gave some significations of his being much surpriz'd at so rude a return and went off toward the Window without saying any thing at all This was in effect to condemn a man severely whom his Majesty had by his own question absolv'd and there 's no great doubt to be made but his Vote had been sold against me or he would never have exprest himself at that rate upon such an occasion And indeed after the matter was absolutely determin'd and my Pardon obtain'd he several times made me great excuses which servâ—d really only to aggravate his own Condemnation XIV While my affair lay before the Council Monsieur Hallier then a Captain in the Guards of the Body who hath since been made Mareschal of France and Governour of Paris under the name of de l' Hospital and Monsieur d' Estissac Maistre de Camp of a Regiment of Infantry either came or sent to me every day to give me notice of all that was said in Council or in the King 's ordinary Discourse concerning my business shewing by this good office the particular kindness they had for me even in the time of my greatest disgrace And by this means too I knew who were my true and who my false friends and who my declar'd enemies I knew there were in the Council eight and forty Judges against me Princes and Mareschals of France Dukes and Peers Collonels Mareschals de Camp and Maistres de Camp the reason of which was that these great Officers were willing by favouring Monsieur Canaples to raise the authority of their own Commands and to render themselves more formidable to the Captains Lieutenants and Ensigns Thus were they in some sort both Judges and Parties and had a mind to make me an example for fear if this boldness of drawing upon a Maistre de Camp were authoriz'd by escaping unpunished that they should hereafter find more resistance than submission among the inferior Officers and so be often engag'd to fight like private Gentlemen instead of making themselves obey'd by vertue of the King's authority And I must confess their fear had been just if the circumstances of my action had not absolutely secur'd me from this reproach and made it plain to all the world that if an inferiour Officer is never permitted to draw his Sword upon the person that commands him a Maistre de Camp is no more allowed to break his word with one that is commanded by him and without any manner Justice contrary to the King 's and the Collonel General 's Order to take from him that rank which belongs to him by his Command But at the same time that so great a number of persons declared themselves for my death I had the comfort to see a great many others take my part to the last and make my cause their own Besides those I have named Count Soissons Prince of the Blood sent to invite me to retire at his Lodgings assuring me of his protection and that as long as he had life he would preserve mine Monsieur Thooras Governour of Fort St. Martin in the Ifle of Rhe sent me a tender of his service and begg'd of me to come into that Island where he promis'd me all imaginable security But Mareschal Schomberg advis'd me not to stir out of his house by reason of the favour the King shewed in my concern So that returning my thanks to those Gentlemen with all the respect and acknowledgment due for such honourable and advantagious offers I still continued where I was At last the King being eternally importun'd by Monsieur Schomberg and put forward by his own inclination too sent me word by Monsieur Schomberg that I might retire into his Quarter which he gave me for my refuge But fearing every thing in the condition I was then in and apprehending above all lest I should fall into the hands of Justice I contented my self with staying in the King's Quarter in the day time and retir'd my self at night in the Mareschal's XV. One day as I was walking in the Basse-Court of the King's Lodgings with Monsieur Montigny and Marsillac both Captains in the Guards these two Officers told me they would not advise me to stay any longer in the Camp for a long as I past for criminal I was always in danger and if ever I came to be arrested there would be an end of me Nay Monsieur Marsillac offer'd me an hundred Pistoles and Monsieur Montigny fifty entreating me as I lov'd them to accept the offer I told them I had two hundred left and that their kindness was what I valu'd much more than the Gold they made me a tender of just then the King putting his Head out at Window perceiv'd me and becken'd me to come to him but as unhappy people see every thing by the fear that possesses them and my mind was full of the fright these Officers had put me into I took this sign from the King in the worst sense and believing it to be a manace was perfectly confounded Did you see the King threaten me said I. You told me as much I am a dead man I must flee for it You 'll never see me more At that instant without any farther deliberation I embrac'd them and out I went betook my self to my Heels and fled as if all had been lost I look'd all about for my Man and my Horse but could find neither which made me quite mad and I concluded now that I was deliver'd up into the hands of Justice I repented my self of going into the King's Quarters at all and not knowing at last whom to blame I discharg'd all my anger upon my man who was missing resolving with my self to be very liberal of my Cudgel as soon as ever I could set my eyes on him But while all things seemâ—d to conspire to trouble me more as I was thus running up and down among the Sutlers like a Mad-man to seek my Servant and could not find him I was frighted more than ever to see a man come running and calling after me It was a young fellow call'd Cadet that belong'd to the Kings Chamber whom his Majesty had sent to assure me all was well and to fetch me to him I thought he pursuâ—d me with an ill intent and therefore fell to running faster than I had done before At last however coming a little to my self and beginning to fancy I might have taken a false alarm I
all my People both Souldiers and Slaves commanding them to be ready and at the first touch of the Boatswain's Whistle fall to their Oars amain The second Cannon shot came to our Ears presently after and then I made them row toward the shore as fast as they could and saw the Enemy spreading their Sails to prepare for attacking the Mole Being landed I immediately went to the King and acquainted him that the Enemy were hoisting Sail and that the Weather Wind and Tide were so favourable that they could not lose so fair an occasion At this news the King gave his orders throughout and afterwards went with part of the Nobility to the Battery which was at the Head of the Bay commanding me to lye under the shelter of this Battery There was nothing very remarkable in this fight except the Cannon shot of which a prodigious number was fir'd on both sides There was nothing to be heard but Peals of Thunder nor to be seen but Lightning in the midst of a dark Smoke that cover'd the whole Sea It was a fine sight to see those monstrous Vessels too that resembled great floating Castles and advancing one after another in very graceful order gave Broad-sides at our Mound of fifty or threescore Cannon shot at a time But as the English attack'd briskly they were as warmly receiv'd The Battery where the King was did wonders He made several shot himself delighting extremely in every thing that related to War and never was more liberal either of Lead to the Enemies or Gold and Silver to his Souldiers and Gunners During the whole fight I kept my self close under the Cannon of his Battery according to the orders I had receiv'd venturing out only a little now and then to pursue a Vessel when it retir'd from the Charge but being forc'd to return very quickly for fear of being snapt by some other that came on There was only one Cannon Ball fell into my Galliot with which she was much damag'd and two Slaves kill'd XIX At length the Enemy seeing Heaven declare on our side and that all their attempts were vain made a retreat fatal to Rochelle and advantageous to the King and his Arms. Then I fell to cruising again and was so happy as to meet with a favourable accident which was of great advantage towards restoring me to the King's favour Seeing a very beautiful guilded Prow floating upon the water and the Arms of England in it I made up and found it was a considerable Prize and a Present worthy the King With much ado I haled it up into my Galliot and return'd a proud man toward the Beach where after I had got it ashore I went straight to the King's Quarter As I was going Monsieur Bassompiere met me and told me Monsieur Canaples had entreated him to beg my Pardon of the King in his name by reason that his Father Mareschal Creâ—ui did as I said formerly very much condemn his behaviour and besides he knew well enough how the King stood affected which made him speak first to get the merit of a thing which hop'd might turn to his honour I told him of the good luck I had met with and he gave me all the hopes imaginable advising me to make use of this advantage to ingratiate my self with the King I then declared my design which was to let the King know that the Shot which took off this Prow came from his Battery as indeed it did and so by degrees insensibly to persuade him that his Majesty himself had made the shot He approv'd of my design telling me he thought the true way to go to work for my own interests was to advance the King's honour On I went and at my entring the King's Lodgings I compos'd my countenance the best I could without discovering the least gayety but looking very modest and dejected as became a man who had reason to apprehend the consequences of so unlucky an affair as mine I told his Majesty that one of the English Vessels was much disabled and I had found a great piece of her Prow which I thought it my duty to bring away that his Majesty if he pleased might see it I would not say any thing more at first thinking he would be apt enough of his own accord to attribute the glory of this shot to himself He told me he would go view it and askt me by the way whereabouts I had found it I answered very innocently and without spurring on too fast in such a place on the right hand which was the part expos'd to his own Battery The King who passionately desir'd it might be thought his own doing but durst not yet take it to himself without some ground was pleas'd with my answer and reply'd 't was I that made that shot at such a time I saw the Vessel fall off as soon as ever I had discharg'd and did then believe she had receiv'd some damage Upon this I began to confirm his opinion by several circumstances which was matter of great Joy to this Prince who stood much upon his being a good Marks-man and did really excel in all military matters there being perhaps scarce a man in his Kingdom that could draw up the greatest Army in Battalia so soon or so advantageously as himself He took great pride in showing this Prow and telling every one that came that I could testify it fell upon a shot of his which was as much for my satisfaction as his own for thus I was made a Judge in the case and did not question but having determined favourably for him he would not fail to do as much for me Mareschal Bassompiere loth to lose so fair an opportunity when the King was in so good a humour got his Majesty to do that at his request and for his sake which he was inclin'd enough to do of himself but that he would have seem'd to proceed more upon favour than justice I humbly beseech your Majesty said he to grant me one humble request which I have to make you The King who probably guest what he would be at he seem'd a little shy telling him he could not engage his word till he knew for what Sir reply'd Monsieur Bassompiere I can assure your Majesty the cause is good and you will have no reason to repent of the favour But tell me what it is said the King if the cause be good why are you so nice in declaring it Is it something that concerns your self or some of your Relations Sir said he the favour I would obtain neither concerns my self nor any Relation of mine but another that hath more need Oh! you are too subtle for me reply'd the King I am no Diviner to know your thoughts At last Monsieur Bassompiere told him that it was my Pardon he took the boldness to beg and did it from Monsieur Canaples too who was infinitely troubled for the misfortune he had brought upon me The King seeming mightily surpriz'd stood
acceptable to him The Bishop of Manda too being willing to make my excuse his Eminence could not conceal his indignation from him but said these words which were told me again He did come indeed to return me thanks but it was after he had been with every body else I had nothing but the leavings of his Complements He allowed me only the last place in his memory and respects though I had the first in the defence of his cause and then too he did not come so much of his own accord as he was brought by Monsieur Cominges So that this fault which he took for a slight joyn'd with my refusal of his service to Father Joseph was the principal ground of that obstinate aversion he hath had to me ever since I was afterwards restor'd to my Command as formerly and all the informations preferr'd against me were torn to pieces XXI The excess of trouble and fear this unhappy business brought upon me threw me into a violent Feavor The distemper was suspended till the affair was over and then as excessive a joy succeeding Nature found herself overpowred by so sudden and so different a change so that after having escaped death by the hand of Justice I found my self in a new danger both from my Disease and my Physicians who were very near dispatching me tho without any ill intention During this illness I was somewhat disturbed with the remembrance of my past life and particularly for having upon some occasions caused a great many of the Enemy to be knockt on the head more out of passion than for the service of the State I fancy'd I saw all those men remonstrating against me and demanding justice of God for their deaths This imagination afflicted me much and I resolved to make some amends for this fault But upon my recovery I soon found that the resolutions of sick and dying men seldom are sincere for when I was well I scarce ever remembred what I promis'd when I lay sick Upon my growing better the Kings Physicians Monsiâ—ur Bouvart and Monsieur Privos having order'd me a purging potion a wretch that I forbear to name took this occasion to get rid of me and procure my Command He corrupted the Apothecary who sold him my Life and instead of the Apozem mixt me the most mortal poyson he could think of But I can never sufficiently acknowledge the good Providence that took care of me for the night before I was to have taken this deadly draught I had a very great Crisis and sweat to that degree from ten a clock to one that I found my self perfectly well The aversion I ever had to Physick made me order the Vial to be set by in my Closet and leave Nature to finish what she had so well begun The Physicians coming to visit me and see the operation of their Medicine I told them Sparkishly Look you Gentlemen here is a Miracle is not this a prodigious effect and a plain proof of the vertue of your Physick They believing it in earnest began presently to magnifie their prescription not seeming so much surpriz'd at it but to expect all this from a remedy so well chosen adding that since the first dose had succeeded so well I must needs take another to carry off what that might have left behind and so went away highly pleas'd with the success of their Physick I thought however it was not fit to conceal it from Monsieur Privos who was my particular friend and when the company was gone told him I had a great Crisis in the night and finding my self better upon sweating had forbore my Physick And to confirm what I had said bid my man bring the Potion Assoon as he saw it he cry'd out Ah Sir what did they intend to do with you They would have destroy'd you this is rank poyson God hath had a particular care of you for if you had taken this you had been a dead man Then he fell to exclaiming and swearing to vindicate his own reputation and sent away immediately for the Grand Provost They went presently to the Apothecary's but he was run away which made me conclude it was a design and no mischance or mistake I had a suspicion of the person that thus attempted upon my Life and my Command but it was enough for me that I got off so I would not bring any information upon it and was glad the Apothecary was not taken lest the Author of this Crime should have been discovered XXII And here I must not omit the generosity of Monsieur Buisson that Gentleman that was a Cadet in my Company and afterwards quarrell'd with me for whom as a testimony of my forgiveness and friendship I procur'd first a Pardon and then a Lieutenants place For he hearing tho very late of this unfortunate business of mine which was the chief cause of my sickness came purposely from Italy to the Camp before Rochelle some months after I was restored to my Command to make me a proffer of his person and all he had in his power assuring me that both himself and his fortune was absolutely at my service and disposal By this extraordinary acknowledgment he had a mind to vye friendships with me and let me see that no misfortune could cool his affection nor any distance of place stop the zeal he had for the safety of a person to whom he thought himself oblig'd for his life and preferment XXIII The King resolving to relieve the Isle of Rhe commanded by Monsieur Thoiras and invested by the English Navy gave Mareschal Schomberg orders to pass over into it with the best of our Forces His Majesty was then at Etray within a mile of the Trenches As I was one night upon the Guard I saw on a sudden a great flame and thick smoak over Rochelle and at the same time heard a great noise I dispatched two or three Souldiers to know the cause of this uproar and none of them returning back I thought the Enemy might have taken this opportunity of our Forces being separated to make some attempt upon the King 's own Quarters So I drew up our men and after acquainting Mareschal Brezay with what past with him and Monsieur de l' Isleroy I went to the King's Bedchamber The Mareschal waked him and I told his Majesty what I had seen and heard which continu'd still The King presently got up and went into a Garret to satisfy himself of the truth of it and having been an Eye-witness of my report lookt upon us and said This is no jesting matter Then he askt me if I had sent to the Trenches and order'd the Guards to stand to their Arms and when he was satisfy'd I had he commanded them to dress him and bring him his Arms. At that time a considerable Officer and otherwise a brave man but perhaps a little too rash in his zeal upon this occasion said to the King Save your Servants Sir save your people if the Eneme attack
all that I was baulkt of my expectation Insomuch that the King at his coming out from Council gave himself the trouble of speaking to me in these remarkable expressions We have been taken short we have lâ—st our cause but trouble not your self I will make you amends I will give you something that shall be better for you I confess it was some astonishment to me that a Prince should thus lose his cause in his own Council and in a business that depended entirely upon his own free bounty and that when he had an inclination to grant a favour and reward the services of one of his Officers it should not be in his power to effect it But it is no hard matter to see from what cause this want of power grew But still tho the King had made me this promise to assist and make me amends some other way I did not much care to depend upon a promise which I saw so plainly when it came to the push might possibly not be in his power to make good I should have been better pleased with ready Money and finding my self thus engaged upon the confidence the King had given me at first fearing now that my Creditors might be in danger of losing by me I had enough of my Command already before ever I got possesion of it However the King was so urgent upon the thing that I found my self constrain'd whether I would or no to get over all difficulties and enter upon my Office III. At my taking the usual Oath it was required I should appear in a Swisse habit which was a Coat of Black Velvet with a border round it I had a very rich Cap which the King had given me upon which was wrought a fine large Heron a Bird of Paradice and some other Ornamental devices I sent for a good many Officers some three or fourscore and coming at the head of them into the Hall where the King was I addrest my self to him after the Swisse fashion The King receiv'd me as he us'd to do Ambassadours standing at the side of his Couch and taking off his Hat to me he gave me his Hand to kiss and then said by way of Gallantry Come Swisse now speak I answer'd That his Majesty had not allow'd me time enough to learn the language After I had taken the customary Oath I was placed by the King and as each of the Swisse Officers advanced to pay him their respects I presented them to him intimating their qualifications and excellencies and giving a short Character of every one of them to inform the King of their several tempers which I was throughly acquainted with which was a sort of a little Farce that the King and Lords who were by thought a good pleasant entertainment For I strove in my speech and all my motions to mimick these honest fellows as naturally as I could affecting to appear a true Swisse while I was habited like one IV. The King was pleas'd to discourse me very largely about my Office and told me he intended to make it one of the most honourable Commands about the Court to me And so he really did He annexed several very considerable priviledges to it and himself gave me directions how to behave my self with regard to the other Officers in the Army telling me where I ought to give the precedence and where not There was but one Swisse Officer above me which was the Mareschal de Bassompier our Collonel and as to the Commanding part I was first both of the Regiment of Swisse Guards and all the rest of them that were in France to the number of seven or eight thousand all which was agreeable to their primitive institution It was likewise the Kings pleasure that in Mareschal Bassompier's absence I should command in chief as well in time of action as in matters of ordinary discipline And I must needs say this to me was the most desirable Office that I could possibly have thought of About a week or a fortnight after I was actually in my Office and had taken the Oaths before his Majesty I exercis'd the Regiment before a great deal of company and a great many persons of Quality I began with the Oath which the Lieutenant Collonel is oblig'd to take the Ceremony whereof is this The Commissary General representing the Kings person sits with his Hat on the Lieutenaâ—t Collonel and all the Regiment stand bare Then the Commissary General directing himself to the Lieutenant Collonel requires him to take the Oath in these words Do you swear as you hope for Salvation to be faithful to the King as long as you live and rather to dye than do any thing contrary to his Interest to discover or cause to be discovered to his Majesty whatever you shall know may turn to the prejudice of him or his Kingdom c. After the Lieutenant Collonel hath taken this Oath as I have described it the Commissary General orders him to give the whole Regiment the same and then they proceed to their Exercise V. But tho this Office which I enjoy'd with all its ancient priviledges had nothing but what was great and honourable belonging to it yet I found several reasons to be quickly weary of it The King was every day giving me fresh orders for the regulation of all the Swisse Souldiers and would have me bring them to a discipline as strict as the severest Monastery was under So that I was cruelly perplext with the trouble he laid upon me and the accounts he expected to be given him of them His Majesty talkt of nothing else but new reformations and I found my self a thousand times more a Slave than I was formerly To what purpose then said I to my self is all this honour that only enslaves and makes me wretched and why should I sell my liberty and all the enjoyment of my life for a little breath and empty vanity Besides all this I saw my friend run a great risque in the Money they had lent me for the purchase for when the King exprest never so much inclination to do me good he was not suffer'd to bring it to any effect and the favours he intended me were constantly opposed Some of my friends too laid before me the unhappy consequences of the employment I was now engag'd in very feelingly and tho my own sense and experience taught me all that better than they could yet these considerations laid all together produced in me a strong resolution to throw up this Command where I found the honour did by no means answer the burden for tho that was great yet this was not to be endured The great difficulty was which way to bring the King to consent to it and but to mention such a thing to him I saw plainly was utterly to lose his favour But yet I found my self ready to undergo the worst that could happen and waiting upon him one day I told him that I was reduced to a very sad extremity
had so easily secured the Government for himself might very well obtain the Lieutenancy for me He that knew well enough how the Cardinal stood affected to me durst not engage in such a request upon my account and so after the reduction of Arras the Lieutenancy under the King was dispos'd of to Monsieur du Plessis Bâ—lliâ—re and I staid there for some time in Garrison with my Regiment which was still that of Mareschal Brezay The End of the Fourth Book BOOK V. The Sieur de Pontis is in disgrace An account of his Conference with a ghostly Father upon occasion of a great Fault which he and the Sieur de St. Preuil designed to commit The cunning management of a Minister's Son who over-reaches Cardinal Richelieu and a great many other persons in France Monsieur St. Preuil is in disfavour and several considerable particulars related that were the cause of his Ruine Monsieur le Grand invites the Sieur de Pontis to make one in that Party that was forming against Cardinal Richelieu Vpon this Occasion the Sieur de Pontis writes a most bitter Letter which the Cardinal gets into his possession The King's Journey to Rousillon The Cardinal 's tottering Fortune and his Victory over his Enemies at last A long Conference between him and the Sieur de Pontis whom he tries once more to draw over to his Service and Interest The Cardinal's death and shortly after that the King 's I. IT was not long after the reducing of Arras before I felt the mischievous Effects of that Prelate's Malice mention'd in the former Book He set Cardinal Richelieu so violently against me that I found my self in a moment stript of all and not allow'd to see the King any more than the Cardinal that hated me Who by a piece of confidence that a Man could scarce believe did not scruple to â—â—ie so high as to make use of his Authority against one of his own Officers and one for whom he knew very well his Majesty had a particular Favour and Esteem Being one day come to Paris by the King 's express Command to make large Recruits and carry them to Arras I employ'd some time in executing this Commission and some few days before my return to Arras with my new Levies had a mind to entertain the Treasurers of the Army at Aubrieres a League out of Paris I treated them as nobly as I could sparing no cost to welcome Persons whose Favour and Friendship it was my interest to secure and little thinking God knows of the Misfortune that was then coming upon me and which made it but too necessary to have husbanded that Money more prudently This day of â—ollity and pleasure was succeeded by another very black one to me For while I was set at Table with my Friends and my thoughts wholly bent upon mirth and diversion there came a Messenger to the house to speak with me from Monsieur de Noyers I rose immediately and enquired what his business was and he deliver'd me an Order under Monsieur de Noyers his own hand the substance whereof was That the Cardinal sent to tell me in the King's Name that I need not trouble my self to carry the new Recruits I had raised to Arras and bade me take notice that I must be sure not to go out of Paris without the King 's particular leave to do so This Message struck me like a Clap of Thunder and I stood perfectly stupid and confounded at it At last when I was come to my self a little I told the Messenger I would not fail to obey the Order he had brought me and then striving to overcome my self as well as I could that I might not break good company I sat down with my Friends again without expressing any concern But in spight of all my endeavours to the contrary they perceiv'd it in my countenance and presently told me they saw plain enough by me I had heard some ill News But I put it off as well as I could and would not discover any thing of the matter to them About the same time that this Order was brought me the Cardinal had dispatched Billets to the Exchequer to forbid them paying me my common Assignments So I saw my self all at a push brought as low again as I was when I first came young to Paris and not daring to make my appearance at the Louvre was dismal melancholy to see my Fortunes utterly broken in a moment of time The King however still retain'd the same kind inclinations towards me and sought all opportunities to assure me that he did so But he stood in such awe of the Cardinal who had presum'd to shock him so boldly upon my account that he found it necessary to act a little underhand upon this occasion and durst not own his kindness for me publickly So that having a mind to speak with me he sent me a private intimation and appointed me a convenient time and place to meet him at that he might by all means conceal it from the Author of my disgrace One would very hardly believe that a King should be reduc'd to all these little Contrivances for fear of one of his Ministers But the absolute Authority this Cardinal had got over the whole Kingdom and the Pride he took to make the King himself sensible of it sometimes is well enough known to justifie the truth of what I say II. One day particularly his Majesty desir'd to speak with me and sent me Orders by Archambaut the first Groom of his Bedchamber a person whom he lov'd and had a particular confidence in to be in such a Gallery at St. Germains an hour before day I was punctual to my time and when I came near the Centinel desir'd he would have no suspition of me telling him it was by the King's command that I came thither at so unseasonable an hour The Centinel upon hearing my Name told me he had directions to let me pass but entreated me to walk at some distance because the Rules of the Guard admit no Man to come near a Centinel So I walk'd in expectation of the King 's coming out who came out suddenly and took two or three turns with me as it were by stealth and after some other discourse told me He intended to carry me with him to Versailles but that Night had alter'd his resolution and therefore bade me go to his Privy-Purse who would furnish me with some Money The condition I was in made me diligent to observe such an Order as that was and accordingly I receiv'd 500 Crowns Which I lookt upon as a plain demonstration that he did me the honour to have kind remembrances of me still and that if it was not in his power to prevent my Misfortune yet he had a very tender sense of my Sufferings And here by the way I cannot forbear mentioning a Visit I made to Monsieur Noyers who was not my Enemy at the bottom and therefore I was so free with
reply'd very readily That as for the man meaning me he had no objection against him but he had past his word already and it was no longer at his disposal So the Cardinal that had with so much artifice pretended a kindness for me and all to serve himself indeed saw at last this Plot tho so well laid fall through and was forc'd to take other methods for the suppressing his Enemy as he afterwards did and as our Histories shew where you find a long account of the tragical end that the Grand Querry and his Confident Monsieur de Thou came to at last and what occasioned the fall of those great men XVIII When the Cardinal had taken care of their Tryal he return'd to Paris and went from Lyons the very day appointed for their execution His March from Lyons to Paris was one of the most remarkable things that ever was heard He being not well contriv'd to travel without ever stirring out of his Bed which was to be carry'd as he lay Bed and all by sixteen men He went into no House where he lodg'd at the door but Monsieur Noyers one of his dearest Servants performing the office of a Harbinger went always before and took care to break down the sides of the House and make a passage by the Windows of the Room where he was to lye Then they built a Scaffold too in the Street and steps to go up to it that so by this passage his Eminence and his Bed of State might be brought into his Chamber There were Chains stretcht all along the streets of Paris to hinder the crowd and clutter of people who came from all patts to gaze at the triumphal Entry of a Cardinal and Minister of State laid at ease in his Bed and returning in pomp after the Conquest of his Enemies I was there among the rest when he went by and stood in La Verrery-street He was not so sick but he could look round about upon the crowd and seeing me among them he call'd to the Lieutenant of his Guards who went close by his Bed I saw Monsieur Pontis just now go tell him I would have him come to the Cardinals Palace at my alighting The Officer came bawling among the people and enquir'd if I were there I heard him name me and shew'd my self and then he deliver'd me the Message the Cardinal had commanded him My friends began to blame me for being so unwise to appear saying that some mischief was now coming upon me That the Cardinal must needs have a bad meaning that I was too hot and ought not to have tempted an unnecessary danger I on the contrary who had all the confidence of an innocent man and never suspected my Letter's being intercepted told them I was resolved to go and see what the Cardinal had to say to me and accordingly went straight to his Palace at the very time he came thither There I presented my self among the rest but there being abundance of company either I was not discern'd in the crowd or if I was he would not speak to me before so many people but put it off to some more seasonable time As he came in he said with a seeming satisfaction Ah God be blest there is no pleasure like being at oneâ—s own home And as the persons through the midst of whom he past prostrated themselves with a very profound respect he only said to them Your humble Servant but it was with an air very distant from that that he said it to me in when he chas'd me with this Compliment out of his Garden XIX When I â—aw he took no notice of me I desired the Lieutenant of his Guards to let his Eminence know I had been there in obedience to his command He promised he would and entreated me to come again next day for an answer I came several times before I could be admitted to speak with the Cardinal who for several days was taken up with visits from persons of quality that came to make their Court to him after so long a Journey At last as I was one day with Monsieur President Mole in the Antichamber word was brought that his Eminence asked for me so being introduced even before the President himself as soon as I came in they that were near his bed withdrew into a corner of the room all but two Pages that were in waiting at the beds feet I came near and kneeled down and kist his Robe The first question he asked me was Why I did not go with the King to Perpignan I told him that having received an order not to stir from Paris and not any other afterwards to warrant my going neither from his Majesty nor his Eminence I durst not presume to go And is that said he the true reason why you did not go I told him I had no other but my fear of disobeying the King and his Eminence But is there not said he again some private reason that prevail'd with you to stay behind For if the Kings consent was all you wanted I am sure he is too gracious to have denied you There must needs be some secret cause which you have no mind to discover Your Eminence knows very well said I that it was by no means fit for such a one as I to desire the King would give me leave to be about him when I had been forbid his presence for some reasons which it did not become me to enquire into I am sure reply'd he the King would not have taken it ill from you and you might easily have found friends who would have undertook to speak for you without applying to the King in your own person My Lord said I that 's very true but I beg leave to tell your Eminence that I have all along made it my busiâ—ess to trouble those that honour me with their friendship as little as I could and seldome to make use of them upon my own account I am sensible the King is very gracious to me and for that reason have received his corrections as well as his favours thankfully because the greater his goodness has been to me the greater I am satisfied is my fault when I have offended him I am very glad said the Cardinal to find this is your temper for no body can have too grateful a sense of the King's favours But methinks for all that a man is to blame when he does not shew a just value for the happiness of being near his Majesty and that it looks too like a slight when one is so unconcerned and it is indifferent to him whether he enjoy his presence or not And there is a great deal of difference between being troublesome to ones friends and desiring them to intercede for him upon such occasions And therefore I cannot believe but you had some other reason which you would not have me know for in short no Prince is so far provok'd but that there may be means found to soften him again
a full relation of all that had past between the Cardinal Monsieur Noyers and me at which he laught heartily to himself But when among other passages I told him what Monsieur Noyers had said concerning the Governours place of Coliovre which he assur'd me the Cardinal had begg'd of his Majesty for me the King was so full of indignation at this gross dissembling that he could not forbearing crying out Ah the Knave Then I askt him if he would give me leave to go wait upon the Cardinal as he had urg'd me to do telling him that if his Majesty pleased I would never see his Eminence's face more except in a Picture But the King answered that I had better not scruple that but go wait on him as others did to tâ— ke off all jealousie of me and keep my self at least in that degree of his kindness which he now profest for me XXIII From that time which was about the month of September 1642 matters went very well with me at Court For I was constantly about the Kings person who carry'd me with him several times to Cardinal Richelieu's when he went to visit him near his death but he did not use to take me into the Chamber where he lay The day this great Statesman dy'd some hours before his death I was in the Kings Bed-chamber Monsieur Noyers came in great joy and told him the Cardinal was upon recovery for he found himself now much better and had taken a Medicine that did wonders upon him The King who was satisfied the Cardinal's distemper was mortal when he heard this news continued just the same without any alteration in his countenance either of Joy or Grief Some time after came another and he told the King that his Eminence was dead and he saw him expire The King did not depend upon this first account but staid for a second and a third and when he heard it confirm'd on all hands he contented himself with this reflection to some that stood by him Then there is a great Politician dead Presently after Mareschal Melleray and Mareschal Brezay who had been his creatures came and threw themselves at the King's feet and begg'd his protection The King took them up and told them that he had always had an esteem for them and would always continue to love them provided they would serve him faithfully In this he shewed a great deal of goodness for he never exprest the least resentment of their having been so absolutely at the Cardinal's devotion And there is no question but there is a great deal of policy in managing ones Enemies sometimes when any extraordinary accident obliges them to change their measures and come over to our party XXIV I was not long happy in the Kings favour after the Cardinal's death This Prince scarce ever enjoy'd any health afterwards but wasted away in a kind of Consumption which at last brought him into a most lamentable condition He stood one day in the Sun that shone in at his Chamber Window to warm himself and I coming in to wait on him not observing that stood directly between him and the Window whereupon the King said Ah Pontis do not take that from me which thou canst not give me I did not understand his Majesty's meaning and being concern'd I did not continu'd still in the same place Then the Count de Tresmâ—s told me it was the Sun I took from the King and I withdrew immediately This poor Prince grew so lean and worn that he could not forbear bewailing himself and would sometimes uncover his naked bony Arms and shew them to those of his Court that came to visit him When he lay upon his Death-bed Monsieur Souvray first Gentleman of the Bed-Chamber having given the word one day that all the company should go out that the King might take a little rest and drawing to the Curtain on that side of the Bed where I stood to signifie that I was to go with the rest the King immediately drew back the Curtain and commanded me to stay for he had no inclination to sleep but had a mind to be eased of the crowd and clutter of company Then he began to talk familiarly with me and seeing from within his Bed through his Chamber at the Castle of St. Germain St. Dennis's Steeple he askt me what that was I told him St. Dennis's Church he said looking death already in the face Then there is the place where I must lye Then drawing his Arm out of his Bed he shew'd it me and said Here Pontis see this Hand and this Arm what Arms are here for the King of France I observ'd them but with unspeakable anguish of mind for he was just like a Skeleton with skin drawn over the bones and cover'd with great white spots After this he shew'd me his stomach which was so miserably lean that you might easily tell all his bones And then being no louger able to contain I burst out into a violent passion of sighs and tears and made his Majesty sensible at my leaving him that I was extremely afflicted to see him in that condition which gave me more pain if that were possible than he felt himself I say nothing here of the constructions that were put upon his distemper These are secrets not easie to be known nor of any great use if they were known This we are sure of he dy'd when God saw fit and in his disposal is the life and death of the greatest as well as the meanest men 'T is to little purpose that we trouble our selves to know the true causes of the deaths of Kings when we know that all those causes are subordinate to the will of him who is the King of Kings He was very negligently attended in his illness and scarce ever had any thing given him warm and in good order This I confess added much to my trouble to see a King with so many Officers about him worse lookt after than the meanest Shop-keeper in Paris I was not in his Chamber when he dy'd for all company was kept from him But I can say with great truth That death of his afflicted me to such a degree that for three months together I was almost senseless For I lov'd this Prince most tenderly and was always passionately fond of his service and I will presume to say I should be exceeding happy could I bring my self to be so zealously affected for the faithful service of him where no man ever loses his labour and who deserves our love infinitely more than all the Princes of the Earth God no doubt intended by this most sensible instance of the zealous and disinterested affection I bore to his Image upon Earth to teach me how much better I ought to love himself the great Original And really I have often wondred to see what a strange temper I was of toward this Prince For tho I valu'd my services so high as to think all the favour he shew'd me but
companions whom I fâ—rnished with some Money out of Prison For upon the credit of Monsieur Cumans I received eight or ten thousand Livres which I made use of to supply our present occasions and to pay some part of my Ransom that I might be still more at large being loth to lay down the whole summ because I liv'd in continual hopes of being exchang'd for some Prisoner of Quality and so was content to wait tho it were something the longer for the honour of being set free that way All this while I was much importun'd to give my Parole that so I might be at perfect liberty to go about without any Guards which I could have been very well pleased with for it was by no means agreeable to my humour to be always attended and under restraint But I could not prevail with my self to give it a great while for not being so secure of the rest as of my self and not caring to part with my Comrades neither I was afraid if any of them should afterwards make his escape for want of Money to pay his Ranfom I might be thought to have a hand in it and their fault be charged upon me XX. In this interval when I had my liberty in some degree only it was that we laid a design for causing some insurrection in the Duke of Bavaria's Territories out of our resentments against the Monks I told you of who had provoked us exceedingly by denying that relief which we had reason to expect from Catholicks and Priests and Monks For they were not satisfied with lending us nothing themselves but pretended a mighty zeal for the Duke of Bavaria's Interests in whose Dominion their power was in a manner absolute They gave out when we were taken out of the Cellars into a Chamber that the Count de Fouques had done very ill to allow us any inlargement and that no methods could be too strict to secure our persons considering we were French and might occasion disturbances in the State Of this fresh Charity of theirs our host inform'd me who had himself a great concern for our miserable condition And observing with much indignation how far their politick zeal transported them against us I resolv'd to be reveng'd on them whatever came on 't and thought I might justly make them smart for their base and barbarous behaviour towards Prisoners and Strangers of their own Religion Tho it must be confest at the same time that I had pitcht upon a violent course to bring this about But in short if I was to blame in my measures my zeal for Justice I thought would bear me out and I think I could say that I was not so much concern'd to vindicate my own private cause as that of the publick of Charity and of Religion all which these Monks by their carriage to us had made so manifest a breach upon We were allow'd to walk abroad sometimes with some Guards and one day when they happen'd to be at some distance from us I said to my fellow-prisoners I do not know what you think of it Gentlemen but for my own part I am fully resolved to be reveng'd upon these Monks of Ausburg that are a scandal to our Religion and have not shew'd us half so much Charity as the Lutherans If you will take my advice we ought all to combine together and try if we can do the King a piece of service by endeavouring to reduce a Town into his Majesty's possession where these Monks exercise so rigid and so uncontrouled a power The greatest mischief that can come upon us is but Death And Death is an honour in such a cause besides that it will be our advantage too by putting a period to so much misery Let us then choose to dye rather than endure so unjust a Tyranny Let us vindicate Religion and Piety and serve our King even in this distant Country where we are strangâ—rs and prisoners for his quarrel I had no sooner said this to them but they were all of the same mind with me and exprest the same inclination for the service of their Prince At the same time we contriv'd together to feel the pulse of some Lutherans and try to engage them on our side To this purpose went up to a German Captain who was walking at some distance from us and having at first discourst him upon indifferent things we very luckily discover'd that the man whom we had a mind to engage had the same desigu himself and would fain be sounding us upon the matter When therefore when we had gained an opportunity of talking freely with this Officer and he had open'd his breast as freely to us he assur'd us of his resolution to assist us and that nothing in his power should be wanting to that purpose Afterwards I found means to break the secret to a Master Echevin who was a man of great Gallantry and had formerly commanded in the Army For I knowing that these imperious Monks were grown intolerable and odious to all the world ventured to speak of it to him and finding him no less violently set against them I imparted our resolution which he liked of very well and promis'd to second me to the best of his ability professing himself horribly tir'd with the present Government So being secure of some friends in the Town and pretty sure besides that all the French Souldiers that might happen to be then at Ausburg would readily joyn with us it was agreed that our Town-friends should get one of the Gates into their possession that we Prisoners who were a good many should secure another and that I should first give the Prince notice of the whole design that he might move that way to our relief and countenance and farther our attempt by appearing at the time when we were to put it in execution All our measures were exceeding well taken and having communicated the design to but few persons for fear of some treachery we had great reason to hope for good success In the mean while I contrived a way to send a man privately to the Prince to acquaint him with the whole matter and desire that he would second our undertaking But his answer was both a surprize and an affliction to us for he sent us word that the King's business would not allow him to come to our assistance that his Majesties Armies were otherwise engaged and harrassed and but in an ill condition that I should consider therefore very well before I attempted any thing for fear we should hazard being all lost And thus our design fell through And tho at that time we were extremely dissatisfied that it did so yet upon cooler and more serious reflections upon it since I cannot but acknowledge there was more heat and rashness than wisdom in the attempt and all this occasioned by passionate resentments at the barbarity of a parcel of hard-hearted Monks So that the success would have been uncertain at the best and our own utter
accept it with all the gratitude in the world and only beg that in consideration how very young both of them are you would be satisfied with my Nephews continuing some time longer at Paris to perfect himself in his learning and this Madam without laying any restraint upon you so that if in the mean while any other person whom you think better of be proposed you are at full liberty to entertain him nor shall I think my self 〈◊〉 dealt with at all She protested she was fixed in her choice of my Nephew and â—â—â—â—gned her Daughter for no other man and that nothing could possibly hinder iâ— except my refusal Some time after her return home she sent me word that great applications were made for her Daughter and she was under some apprehensions of having her stolen therefore intreated for the preventing of so great a misfortune that the Marriage between her and my Nephew might be concluded This Letter came to me before the Siege of Rochelle was ended and I resolved upon sending my Nephew into Dauphine forthwith To this purpose I provided him a handsome Equipage and hastened his Journey all I could that a match so much for his advantage might not be lost All necessary preliminaries were put in good readiness before his arrival and then no time was slipt but the very next day after his coming they were contracted and some few days after that were married XII My Nephew and this Lady of Dauphine had a Daughter called Anne de Pontis who is indeed the occasion of my relating this extraordinary accident of her Father's Marriage for now I am to tell you that as my protection to a Lady in a Suit of Law brought about the Father's match during the Siege of Rochelle so the like protection of another Lady called Poligny while I was sent to guard the Mountains of 〈◊〉 and Dauphine occasioned the Marriage of the Daughter too for this Lady 〈◊〉 her Son to my Niece as a reward for my care and kindness upon that 〈◊〉 The Poligny's are a very good Family in the Province of Dauphine and possest of a 〈◊〉 Estate called Vaubonnes which is a sort of little Kingdom being a 〈◊〉 Royalty consisting of fifteen Villages all inclosed with precipices and natural trenches and no passage into them except by three several Bridges of Stone Monsieur Poligny was then some sixty five years old and had a Son to whom he gave the name of his Lordship Vaubonnes but there was in the Family besides him a Natural Son called Richard whom Monsieur Poligny made Steward or Bailiff of this Mannor and who managed his business so as in a few years to be worth above two hundred thousand Livres Monsieur de Vaubonnes being yet but very young had a Governour with him who took a great deal of care of him and educated him as was fit for his quality When he was grown up to about twelve years old they gave him a Gun and his Governour carried him abroad sometimes to teach him to shoor by practising upon Thrushes and Black-birds One day as they were out upon this sport they met Mr. Richard who took the freedom to come very boldly and shoot all over their grounds This young Gentleman provoked at his confidence asked by whose leave he came a fowling there told him he was displeased with it and bad him take care he did not hear that he did so any more Richard who was an insolent fellow and of a conversation as scandalous as his birth replyed very warmly That this was no new thing for he had always used to fowl there and wondred he should pretend to find fault with it Monsieur de Vaubonnes replyed He could not tell whether he had used to do so or no but he advised him to come there no more for if he did his Gun should be taken away from him Richard replyed insolently That he would break any man's head that should offer to take his Gun let him be who he would The Governour hearing him talk at this sawcy rate told him Sure he forgot himself and did not consider he was speaking to his Lord that he was but Bailiff of Vaubonnes and held all he had under Monsieur Poligny and owed all his fortunes to him I know well enough says Richard from whom my fortunes come and do not intend to be taught by you and you 〈◊〉 with that which does not concern you When young Master is grown up I shall speak my mind to him upon this business The Governour answered him That Monsieur Vaubonnes his concerns were his that if he did not interest himself in them he did not deserve to be about him and he advised him to behave himself as became him or it would be the worse for him Upon this they came to hot words and parted for that time with much anger on both sides XIII From that moment Richard resolved to be reveng'd upon Monsieur Vaubonnes his Governour being most enraged at him because he had heated him and besides he lookt upon the young Gentleman under his care as no better than a Child One day he came with a design to assassinate him and had the impudence to come up so far as the very Court before the house and seeing him with the young Gentleman at the door he discharg'd his Gun at him kill'd him and fled away The insolence and blackness of this attempt provok'd Madam Poligny extremely She prosecuted the fellow by all the ordinary courses of Law and at last had him sentenc'd to be hang'd by the Intendant of the Province The Murderer saw he was gone unless he could remove the Cause out of that Province and so went to Fountainebleau there to put in an Appeal before the Council pretending that Madam Poligny's interest was so great in the Parliament of Grenoble that he could not expect any fair hearing there This happened a little before the first Paris War and I was then at Fountaine-bleau But not knowing any thing of this wretch nor his crime nor having yet the honour to be related to Madam Poligny he obtain'd the Kings protection and leave to bring it before the Council and all the while took care never to stir without three or four lusty Foot-men at his heels and some friends besides as wicked and desperate as himself Shortly after Madam Poligny sent me a Letter giving an account of the baseness and wickedness of the action conjuring me to use my interest at Court against this Murderer who had been condemn'd to be hanged at home and remov'd his Cause to the Council by an Appeal The assassination was so horrid and I so affected with it that I resolv'd to vindicate this Lady to the utmost of my power Understanding that Monsieur de Gue Master of the Requests had the matter referr'd to his examination and was to be the Reporter of it to the Board tho every body advis'd me to object against him and told me Richard had been very