with us when the men sent by me met him cryed out that they offered violence to a man in his Office and the better to carry on the jest very formally made a verbal Summons upon the place This however deferred the proceedings a while which was all we propos'd to our selves by it And Richard fill'd the Country with his noise and railing at this violence and our being guilty of so great a tontempt and affront as he call'd it to the authority of the Parliament Monsieur Lesdiguieres had receiv'd a very partial and false account of our first quarrel and writ me word he was extremely surpriz'd to hear such reports of me that the violences I had committed in the Country were in every bodies mouth and all the world cry'd shame of them that he indeed could scarce believe them because he had always had a good opinion of me But if those rumours were true and I went on at that rate he should be forced to make use of that power the King had given him as Governour of the Province It is easie to conceive how much I was astonished to find so just so innocent an action warranted by all the Laws of Nature and Nations for indeed it was no more than my own necessary defence when my life was attempted so much run down by all the world as if I had done some very heinous thing But to disabuâ—e Monsieur Lesdiguieres and prevent the ill consequences thas Richard caballing and unjust sollicitations might bring upon me I wrote a very respectful but at the same time a very vehement answer in my own defence acquainting him That I perceived my Enemies had traduced me to him and instead of giving him a true relation of the matter had disguised it with lyes and possest him against me by several false insinuations That I had the confidence to hope a person of so much honour and justice as I knew him to be would be so far from condemning that he would commend me for what I had done when he was more truly informed Then I related the fact with all its circumstances at large and all that had past between us before this encounter and closed my Letter with expressions to this purpose And now my Lord I beg your leave to say that I must have behaved my self just thus upon such circumstances and such provocations to the best Nobleman in the Land and never a man in the Kingdom could have forced me to take other measures The King is my Master And it is my duty to preserve my honour and my life for his service If I had acted any otherwise than as I did upon this occasion I should deserve to be used like a Coward and a pitiful Fellow both by the King and by your self My Lord to whom I have the honour to be the most humble of all your Servants c. My Letter was as successful as I could with for it undeceived Monsieur Lesdiguieres perfectly so that he sent me a very kind and civil answer telling me he was very well pleased to know the truth of the matter and now he did so he assured me that this accident would only contribute to the increasing that regard and good opinion which he had always had of me and my conduct XVIII This I thought was my time to drive Richard to his last shifts and take him down in the midst of all his triumphs and therefore I entered my action against him and knowing he had been guilty of great ravage in the Country I brought all them in whom he had oppressed or any way wronged After all their complaints had been attested and informations publickly given in according to form of Law I had them all presented to the Parliament and the witnesses to them In the mean time Monsieur Calignon Madam Poligny and several other friends of ours employed themselves very vigorously and successfully in my behalf and brought the Cause into a readiness for being heard Then the wretch seeing no hopes of eluding the matter and that all his applications and shifts could not signify any thing in arrest of judgment but the Gallows must be the reward of his wickedness thought the wisest part he had left to play was once more to throw himself at my feet and ask forgiveness and submit to any other conditions though never so hard provided I would but spare his life At first I was extremely provoked because of his falshood and baseness in breaking his promise to me before and the insupportable insolence of his behaviour since I could not prevail with my self to hearken to any terms of accommodation whatsoever and thought that both a regard to justice and the quiet of the Country made the hanging of such a fellow absolutely necessary But at last his continued importunities and the desperate condition he was in giving me some little grounds to hope still that this would be a warning and mend him for the future I began to be softned and think of taking some milder course and shew him some mercy I told him therefore that though he had lost all his credit by the breach of those promises he made when he came to me at Paris upon this very account of saving him once before I was yet content to grant what he could have no just pretence to expect but in the first place he must resolve upon three things First That he would absolutely and for ever quit that Country Secondly That his Estate should be sold and then in the third place That all the fees and other charges of the Tryal should be paid out of the money that rose upon that sale Richard who though he was hard put to it yet thought however he had better 〈◊〉 his life at the expence of his estate than be hanged with a Purse about his neck 〈…〉 He was resolved to submit and ready to do all this upon condition his life 〈…〉 And this was the full and final conclusion of all this troublesom business His Lands were all sold the Charges of Suit were paid with part of the money He asked Madam Poligny's pardon left the Country presently and hath never been seen there since And in truth considering what a wretch I had to deal with I stood in need of a great deal of good management resolution and perseverance to bring him to and get a head over that insolence of his that nothing was able to daunt or subdue His rage his heat of temper and his despair working upon a busy and designing head made him fit for all sorts of wickedness and extravagance And it was a signal instance of the Divine Justice that this haughty this bloody-minded wretch should at last be brought to stoop and glad to submit to the pleasure of that very man whom he would have been best pleased to destroy and whom of all the world he hated most The End of the Seventh Book BOOK VIII The Sieur de Pontis comes to Paris The sudden
superintendant of the Treasury the Battery of Messieurs de Chevreuse and de Lesdiguieres which a man might also call that of Monsieur de Schomberg he being almost continually there wrought a great effect upon the Bastion of Dumontier so that the breach was thought reasonable for an assault But being they would first be very sure of the true condition of the place an Officer was appointed to go and discover He did so but with very little exactness having seen almost nothing either peradventure because he was afraid or that he did not advance so far as was necessary to make a full discovery The distrust they had of his report made them send another who at his return gave no better account than the first The King then resolv'd upon an Assault he commanded that the Army should be drawn up in Battaile and should go on to the attack when upon the Hill of Pillis which was his Majesty's Quarter they should see him wave a Handkerchief upon the end of his Cane which was to be the Signal All things werâ— ready and they only staid expecting the Sign when Monsieur de Schomberg prompted by I know not what instinct and suspecting every thing told the King that he did not know whether it would not be proper upon this occasion where his Majesty's honour and the safety of his Army were in question to send a third time to discover the Bastion by some exact person and of whose report they could have no reason to doubt at the same time naming me thinking he did me a great deal of honour in exposing me to the utmost peril The King approv'd of the motion being of opinion that in such occasions a great many people see things but by halves by reason of the extream danger and of the little time they have to look about them I was call'd for instantly and Monsieur de Schomberg having acquainted me with the anxiety the King was in and the little certainty they had of the true estate of the place told me withal that he had thought fit to name me to his Majesty and to propose that I might be sent to discover again by reason they could not think themselves sure till I had made my report Nevertheless having a particular affection for me and knowing very well that to perform this with the exactness requir'd I could not choose but expose my self to very great danger he thought fit to tell me farther that though this affair was of the last importance to the whole Army he did not nevertheless pretend to engage me in it contrary to my own liking I return'd him the same answer that any other man would have done upon the same occasion which was That he did me wrong to doubt of the joy I was full of upon such occasions to see my self honour'd with his esteem and the good opinion he had of me that I would go prepare my self and that I hop'd to return and to bring so good an account that nothing should be found in my report that was not exactly true Having then put on a Cuirass and a Cask with a Pistol hanging at my girdle I eat a bit or two and then set out in the sight of his Majesty and the whole Army who had their eyes attentively fixt upon me Being come to the foot of the breach I there kneel'd down and pray'd behind some Stones that were tumbled down and afterwards began to mount creeping as well as I could upon my belly Being got to the top I had a mind to discover the place in the same posture I had got up that is to say lying upon my belly that I might not be too open nor too much expos'd to the Musquet shot that whisk'd round about me on every side but this posture affording me but little advantage of seeing what might be beyond the Bastion I started up on a sudden and exposing my self to a danger from which God alone was able to protect me I ran to the very brink of it from whence I discover'd the bottom which was a dreadful retrenchment and in it a Battalion that seem'd to be of above two thousand men of which the first ranks were all Pikes and the rest Musqueteers At the very instant that I discover'd my self and lookt down they made so furious a discharge upon me that I have ever since lookt upon it as a Miracle that I could escape and yet of all these great number of shots I only reciev'd two upon my arms which made but slight impressions and of which I was not so much as sensible at that time Assuring my self then that I had seen all I return'd with all the haste I could make only observing an eminence near the Kings Quarter from whence I thought I might possibly shew his Majesty himself the retrenchment of the Enemy After which I let my self fall on purpose that I might rowl down to the bottom and be more out of danger of the shot which made all the Army believe I was kill'd and Monsieur de Schomberg turn'd his back that he might not see a thing which gave him a great and real affliction accusing himself of being the cause of my death But I came off at the expence of a great giddiness only out of which being presently recoverâ—d I gave God thanks upon my knees for having preserv'd me from so great a danger After which I presently callâ—d to mind what I had seen and writ it down in my Table book being secure behind the same Stones I mention'd before and presently appear'd again when every one thought I was dead There may be peradventure some Bravo's and especially young men who will look upon it as a weakness that in so perilous an occasion I should rather have recourse to God than to give my self up to a foolish confidence that makes a man run brutishly and as it were blindfold every where where death is most terrible but in my opinion in occasions of this kind where a man hardly discovers any possible means to save both his honour and his life at once though he should forget that he was a Christian to be a man only is sufficient to make him think of him who can take away not only his Life but even Courage too from the man that fancies he has the most And having been for fifty years together in as many hazardous occasions as any man perhaps of my time I can witness this that I have seen very many who have made a vanity of no Religion as if their impiety ought to pass for a mark of their Valour whom I have often found to be rather great Braggadochio's than really brave and that if the danger was on the right hand would turn to the left and that would make use of dexterity where they ought to have staked down their persons and by their actions to have made good their vaunting words XIV After having in this manner escap'd so great a danger Monsieur
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
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
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
that he might take notice of the Offenders he could never discover any one of us Yet was I for all that under some suspicion by reason that I was known to be a little eager of the Chace but having obtain'd my leave in due form they could not well conclude me absolutely guilty and so at last this affair past over without much more talk of it About three months after it fell out that I being upon Duty before the Gate of the Louvre Monsieur de Vitry passing by knew me again and immediately applying himself to me O ho Cadet said he you are my man Do you remember the Stag at Fontain-bleau In good earnest I was very much surpriz'd at his Complement especially in the post I then was which I was by no means to quit so that having no other way left me but that of entreaty and submission I said to him in the most humble and moving Accent that I could form my voice to Ah Sir would you ruine me Have compassion upon a poor Cadet as I am He answer'd me after the most obliging manner in the world 'T is enough that I know you said he and I am so far from being the cause of your ruine that I resolve to serve you Come see me I give you my word upon the faith of a Gentleman no harm shall befall you In the mean time so soon as he was gone from me I not yet having the honour to know him and the apprehension wherein I was not permitting me to repose too much confidence upon his word I made my Corporal believe that I had some inconvenience upon me that would not suffer me to continue any longer upon my Post and withal intreated he would put some other in my place which he did without suspecting any thing and I kept my self afterwards upon my guard I deferr'd three or four days going to wait upon Monsieur de Vitry fearing always and not being able after the fault I had committed to present my self before him but at last I resolv'd to go one morning and took two or three of my Comrades along with me we found him abed and being enter'd the Room I made him my Compliment with a thousand excuses for the misfortune that had befaln me assuring him that I was extreamly troubled that I had carried my self so like a Beast towards a person of his quality and one to whose generosity I stood obliged for my life He was pleased to receive me with great testimonies of affection and embracing me told me with the greatest civility in the world that he was extreamly glad to be acquainted with me and that he would make use of me upon occasions and supposing rightly that I might stand in need of Money he presented me with some Pistols and compell'd me to receive them telling me that a Souldier ought to refuse nothing III. About the same time I had a Contest of an extraordinary kind with a friend of mine and was very near bringing my self into a scurvy circumstance by insisting upon the punctilio's of gererosity and friendship in his behalf His name was Esperance and he was the natural Son of the famous Monsieur de Grillon This Gentleman having fought a Duel after a very severe Edict of the King that expressly Interdicted all Duels he was seiz'd and condemn'd to be shot to death He according to the custom conjur'd me being his intimate friend to be his Godfather as they call it and to give him his first shot but I who could not suffer my friendship to be govern'd by this cruel and false Custom plainly told him That for the very reason that I was his intimate Friend I would not be his Executioner and that absolutely I could not kill the man I lov'd He still urg'd me to do it with great earnestness and importunity and gave me several instances to induce me to give him that last testimony of friendship telling me that it was a Custom and practic'd by the most faithful friends I resolutely reply'd that I did not follow the fashion in my Friendship and that it was in vain to press me to do an act I could not think on without horrour and that I would never do it Our Lieutenant-Collonel Monsieur de Sainte Colombe and Monsieur de Brisac my Captain did both of them command me to do what my friend requir'd but I roundly answer'd them That the friendship I had for him would not suffer me to do it They then proceeded to threats telling me That if I did not obey Justice I should be executed in the Criminals stead I made answer with the same constancy That I could not obey in this particular and that I was ready to dye in my friends stead rather than set my hand to his death and thereupon was presently committed to Prison and went without regret for so good a cause But they were satisfied in the end that my refusal in this affair did not proceed from humour or obstinacy but a true foundation of friendship which will not permit a generous man to take away the life of his friend in obedience to a false and ridiculous custom so that I was soon set at liberty and tho the rules of military discipline oblig'd the Officers to reprimand me for my disobedience they made it notwithstanding appear that they had me not in less esteem upon this account but commended the resolution I had manifested in this affair IV. I had after this an opportunity to be known of the King and some of the greatest men of the Court by an accident which though very inconsiderable in it self was not however disadvantageous to such a younger Brother as I. King Henry IV. being at Fontain-bleau had some jealousie of one of the principal Lords of his Court about a Lady then in the Castle and suspected that he went privately to her But he making those visits with so much circumspection that he could never be discovered after the King had contriv'd the means by which he might be surprized he concluded at last to choose out a person that was faithful subtle and bold to execute his design and to deliver him from the disquiet he was in upon that subject He gave order therefore to Monsieur Belingan one of the principal Gentlemen of his Bed-chamber and the great Confident of all his Intrigues to find him out two such as he design'd to plant upon two Avenues where they might stand as Spies upon him of whom his Majesty had the suspicion Monsieur de Belingan having accordingly spoke to Monsieur de Sainte Colombe Lieutenant Collonel of the Regiment of Guards he immediately commanded the eldest Corporal of his own Company to choose him out two Souldiers such as were capable of executing the Kings design The lot fell upon me and the Corporal having chosen me for one that was to be presented to his Majesty he carried me to his Lieutenant Collonel who brought me to Monsieur Belingan who told me
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
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
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
levity and ingratitude and every body must conclude that after having served a King of France so ill I were very unworthy to serve the greatest Cardinal in Christendom Doubtless Father I have all the reason in the world to believe â—hrt the Cardinal intends only to try me upon this occasion and hope you will have the goodness to represent it to him and add this favour to so many others for which I am already oblig'd to you The Father then taking the opportunity I gave him of coming fairly off seem'd to be very highly satisfy'd with me and having commended me for the due sense I had of his Majesty's favours he went away appearing outwardly as well content as he was inwardly disturbed to see his complement so ill return'd IV. The Cardinal seem'd no less satisfy'd with my answer highly commending the fidelity I had exprest in it and though he could not choose but be vext that so poor an Officer durst refuse entring into his service it is not to be believ'd how many subtle contrivances the ambition of not being defeated in what he had once attempted put him upon to win me over If he spoke of any of the Officers he always preferr'd me above the rest and affected to commend me in the presence of the King and the great men at Court Insomuch that several of my Friends told me I was highly oblig'd to the Cardinal for the advantageous characters he constantly gave of my conduct These complements I receiv'd with seeming submission and acknowledgment but inwardly I had no relish for the affected speeches of a man whose pretences I so well knew One day the King having granted me a favour for one of my Kinsmen bad me go complement the Cardinal upon that account Accordingly I went and told him that since his Majesty had put all things into his disposal he had sent me to ask his consent to a gift he had done me the honour to confer upon me at which I perceiv'd he was mightily pleas'd and said with a smiling countenance that he was very glad of the King's kindness to me that he knew my merit and instead of repining at any thing his Majesty should do for me would with all his heart contribute to it whatsoever lay in his power But the kindness he was pleas'd to shew me did not continue very long for I shall shew before I have done that after having try'd promises and entreaties and all the gentle ways that a Minister so subtle as he could contrive he proceeded at last to methods of severity and violence But now I must proceed to give an account of what past during the Siege of Rochelle and relate the most troublesom business that ever I was eâ—gag'd in in my whole life which I dare affirm to have been just at the beginning however several circumstances of time and place and persons rendred it criminal to the last degree V. Before I give an account of the great difference I had with Monsieur Canaples my Maistre de Camp and the Son of Mareschal Crequi it will not be improper to set down in short the cause of a little coldness toward me formerly It happen'd that being one day at play with Count Saligny the Captain of that Company where I was Lieutenant he had the better and won of my Captain six hundred Pistoles The Count Saligny not knowing what to lay his ill fortune to would needs examine the Dice and finding them false ones he said a Cheat was put upon him and he was robbd of his Money Monsieur Canaples vindicated himself by saying that he plaid fair that he could not answer for the Dice they were what he bought for true ones and since both plaid with the same Dice whatever advantage there was both had it equally Count Saligny went presently out of the house and finding me out told me what had past and that he was resolv'd to be reveng'd not being able to be so cullied by his Maistre de Camp I return'd such an answer as the false honour of the world inspires men with upon such occasions and assur'd him of my service but letting him know withal that I had rather make them friends if that might be and so both preserve his Honour and keep my own Command The Quarrel was soon compos'd but as nothing can be a secret in this world what I had said was told Monsieur Canaples who was furiously incens'd against me yet he always dissembled his displeasure and no resentment appeared outwardly till the occasion of which I shall presently give an account VI. But still notwithstanding the accommodation there remain'd some bitterness in the heart of Count Saligny so that being no longer able to endure to be commanded by one who he thought had affronted him he resolv'd to sell his command He spoke of it to me and promis'd if I would buy it to make me a better bargain than any other man by two thousand Crowns I answer'd I desir'd it of all things in the world but I wanted Money yet that should not hinder my acknowledgment of the obligation I had to him and that I could not hope for any thing but from the Kings bounty who had promis'd to give me a Company as he had already made me a Lieutenant Monsieur Bologne whom I have often mention'd hearing what had past between us was very urgent with me to buy this Command promising to help me to Money and to stand bound for it But I who never car'd to trouble my friends except there was an absolute necessity for it told him the difficulty did not lye in procuring the Money but in paying it again that if he stood bound with me he would run a great hazard and I was not of a humour to make my own fortunes at my friends expence Monsieur St. Preuil coming to see me a little after that Count Saligny had spoke to him about selling his Command but for his part he would never think of it till he knew first whether I had not some prospect of the Commission my self I made answer as I had done to Count Saligny that I could be glad to have it but I would not buy it That is not the thing said he there are enough of your mind all that I have to say to you is that while you have any thoughts of it I will never have any I know very well what just pretensions you have to if and if you 'll buy it I have four thousand Crowns at your service of which I now make you an offer I then very seriously made answer that I was very much oblig'd to him and had much rather he should buy it than any body else because I heartily lov'd him and wisht him as well as I did my self but added withal that since my hopes of a Command were thus lost which I had some right to expect from the Kings bounty as Count Saligny himself had it given freely I begg'd at least he
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
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
and was Steward to the Duke of Lorrain who was then at Paris I try'd to get him up behind me but not being able because he was a very big fat man and not yet cur'd of his fright I thought it best to alight my self and giving one of the Foot-men my Horse to lead I walk'd with him to his Lodging where he return'd me thanks as well as he could being not yet perfectly come to himself He ask'd one of the Footmen who I was and where I liv'd and came next morning to acknowledge the service I had done him and a few days after invited me to Supper to which I took some Persons of Quality my Friends along with me who were no less surpriz'd than I at the Magnificence of this Entertainment VI. The King designing as I said to march his Army against the Duke of Savoy made them set out in the depth of Winter and he himself follow'd in February 1629. I staid a little after him at Paris to pick up some Souldiers that were left behind and went with about two hundred to overtake the King beyond Fontain-bleau according to the order his Majesty has given me As soon as I was come up I distributed every Souldier into his owu Compauy and then took my own place in the head of mine to march along with the Army to Lyons My Company that is Monsieur St. Preuil's which I almost always commanded consisted at that time of two hundred and fifty men all lusty fellows and well â—lad There were among them about fourscore young Gentlemen most of them of very good families and had very handsom equipage I having the honour to be known by all the persons of the Court and all the principal Officers in the Army for one that had always with great industry apply'd my self to my profession was very exact in my discipline and had a great care of my Souldiers this made a great many people of Quality do me the honour to entrust their Sons with me to learn what the experience and diligence of so many years had taught me And I think I may say without vanity that I was beloved feared and obeyed by my men after a very extraordinary manner But I try'd by a particular address to win upon the affection of the Cadets for I gave them the Command of the Company by turns that while they were learning to be Souldiers they might learn to be Captains and Officers too at the same time The King was much pleas'd to see this Company in so good order and exprest his satisfaction by granting it a priviledge which others had not For seeing my Company so large and full of Gentlemen of Quality I thought it my duty to acquaint his Majesty that being alone as I then was without my Captain and having so many young Gentlemen whom their Parents had committed to my care I should find my self over-burden'd with the charge unless his Majesty made me some grant in favour of all those young Cadets that they might be treated with more respect than the common sort of Souldiers for they not having been inured to hardship would soon grow discontented and complain to their Relations whom I should by that means make my Enemies and so might make most of them at last disband and quit the Army The King very graciously reply'd That I did him a kindness in giving him this notice and I am glad said he that you have askt me what I grant you most willingly Thus I had ever after double Quarters for my Company and by this means had it in my power to make some distinction betwixt the Cadets and the ordinary sort of Souldiers I was also very careful to prevent any disorders in the Quarters not being able to endure that the Souldiers should wrong poor people in the Villages To this purpose when I went out I always drew up my Company and made proclamation that if any Countryman had cause to complain he might come and do it without any fear Before I dislodg'd I saw all things restor'd and never went out of the Town till I had first got a Certificate from the Lord and the Parish Priest being resolv'd always to carry my justification in my Pocket and fearing lest I should be accus'd to the King who was more severe to me than all the rest because he made me the instrument of reforming the discipline among his Guards But I had another reason still which oblig'd me to some exactness in this point and that was that having so many Gentlemen in my Company who were like to be Commanders themselves shortly after I would not use them to pilfering lest when they came to be Officers they should suffer their Souldiers to do the same that they had been formerly allowd in themselves And those mean things were not to be indured in men of birth and quality whose minds ought to be noble and generous above the meaner sort of men VII As soon as our Army was arriv'd within some few leagues of Lyons we being to pass the River in Boats fearing some disorder might happen in the passage I told Monsieur Vientaâ—â— a Captain of the Guards that we must endeavour to pass 〈◊〉 if we would do it safely and without confusion and accordingly we embarkt our Companies and past early without any loss or tumult It afterwards appear'd that our fear had not been groundless for there was such a disorder in getting over the Army that a great deal of Baggage was lost The King staid a while at Lyons and we refresht our selves in the Country round about and I and my Company went to a Village about a league beyond Lyons but it happen'd that this Village which was assign'd for our Quarters belong'd to a Kinsman of mine a Captain of a new-rais'd Regiment who was then in Daâ—phine His Wife frigâ—ted to see so many Souldiers came and conjur'd me to use my best endeavour for exempting her Estate from Quartering This was no easy matter to obtain the Army lying so disperst all over the Country as it did and I had much ado to prevail with my self to go about it but told the orders were given and it would breed a great confusion But at last yield I did to a Woman's and a Relation's request and went back to Lyons to see if I could obtain what this Lady deâ—â—r'd As soon as I came into the King's presence I humbly besought him to remember he was now entring into my Country and that I came to beg one favour which was that he would direct our Quarters to be chang'd because the Village assign'd us belong'd to a Kinswoman of mine They press me hard Sir said I to make use of my credit with your Majesty upon this occasion or at least the credit they imagine I have The King turning to the Lords about him 'T is true said he laughing we do now approach his Country and ought to consider him a little So he gave order presently to
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
de Buquoy they saved themselves by flight After the Battel was over I had a great quarrel with the Commander of the Forlorn Hope who would needs have it that Count Feria was his Prisoner because it was the Party he led on that prest him and forc'd him to retreat and therefore he belonged to him as Commander of that Party I answer'd That I was the Person of whom Count Feria asked Quarter and into my hands he surrendred himself and farther that for the determination of the Controversy I would refer my self to the Prisoner himself He was asked then Whose Prisoner he acknowledged himself And he immediately made answer That I had given him Quarter and he surrendred himself up to me Thus our Dispute was decided by the Count 's own Declaration who immediately and as a mark of his kindness gave me his General 's Scarf He also made me a Present of a Box of Reliques which he had about him and which I have kept ever since I was in good hopes to have got Ten thousand Crowns from the King too which is a Gratuity usually given to them that take a General Prisoner in time of Action But I had just the same Success on this occasion that I usually met with in the rest of my Life where what we commonly call the Fortune of this World seemed continually to flee from before me As God would have it Count Feria after some Months made his escape and tho the King frequently promis'd me the same Sum of Ten thousand Crowns which was but my due Reward yet never any thing at all came of it XI After this famous Action of the Battel of Avain the Prince of Orange who had been declared Generalissimo of both the French and the Dutch Armies and who lay at that time above ten Leagues from us was very much displeased that our Generals had presumed to engage without him He was extremely concerned that he had no hand in so illustrious an Action and could scarce forbear looking upon this Victory as his own loss When our Troops therefore were come up and we drew pretty near his Army the Mareschals of France thought it convenient to send me with their Compliments to him and acquaint him That whenever his Excellence saw fit he should find all our Army in a readiness to receive him and to pay him all the Respect due to his Character They order'd me also that if the Prince were coming on towards them I should leave him about a League from our Army and return full speed to give them notice that all the Generals and principal Officers might go meet him Commands were sent out at the same time to all the Soldiers and Officers in the Army to put themselves in the best condition and make the gayest and most splendid Appearance they could as a mark of Honour to the Person whom they owned as their Generalissimo and then the whole Army was drawn out in form of Battel When I came to the Prince of Orange I complimented him in the Name of our Generals with all the Deference and Respect I could and told him how eager they were to submit themselves to him and to take care that the whole Army should pay him the Honours and Respects due to their Generalissimo But the Prince who was much dislatisfied at the Business of Avain was at a stand what Answer to make or what to resolve upon Observing him undetermined in himself I began to grow weary and told him I waited his Highness's Answer to our Generals Seeing me a little urgent he told me he would come to our Army and at the same time gave Order for a Thousand of his own Horse or thereabouts to attend him to the place where we lay But he presently changed his mind and by that time he had gone about half a League he told me it was something with the latest to join our Army that day and he would put it off till the next Then he began to open himself and express his concern for not being at the Battel for he said to me tho in a jesting maning manner Your Army has got itself great Renown and I doubt not triumphs much at present for the noble Conquest they have gained If they had staid and taken our Assistance they would have had no cause to repent or at least they would have tried whether the Dutch be good Soldiers or not I returned him a very respectful Answer That our Army was prest so hard by the Enemy that we could not possibly decline engaging but that he as our Generalissimo had the greatest share both in the Action and the Honour of the Day That the French did not at all question the Hollanders Courage and this War was like enough to surnish them with a great many opportunities of signalizing themselves Then I took my leave of his Excellence and came back to our Generals who were very sorry the Prince was not pleased to come that day because each single person and the whole Army in general was then the most glorious and in the best condition to receive him that ever they had been seen But the matter was put off only till the morrow and his Excellence was then entertained with all Respects that became us and all the Ceremonies usual upon such occasions XII The two Armies marched asterwards to Tillemont a Town that was made remarkable by the unfortunate manner of its being taken and the Cruelties and Sacriledges in the sacking of it such I cannot remember to this day without horror it was necesary first to possess our selves of the Suburbs and I being in the head of the Forlorn Hope had a great Ruffle with Monsieur Mottehoudenccur For he seeing me in the same Rank with himself and very warm in pushing my advantage and scaling the Walls first cryed out Sir Monsieur Pontis You do not march in Order I am Maistre de Camp and ought to go before you I answer'd him without any disorder Sir Let every one keep to the Post assigned him keep you to yours and I will endeavonr to make good mine My Answer was so far from satisfying him that it put him into a mighty Passion He could not away with that Coldness and Resolution with which I spoke and beginning to swear a little called out still louder That if I did not stop he should resent the Affront I answer'd smiling That he would remember it for no other purpose I believed than to love me the better for it when we should both get honourably into the Town and this was all the Resentment the Honour of his Friendship would allow me to expect But he did not take what I said for a Jest and as each of us were still pressing forward when I was getting up upon an advanced Work in form of a Bastion and that he saw me almost at the top and like to rob him of the Honour he pretended to of scaling first he fell to calling out
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
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
and all this in gratitude for the care I took of his Son But notwithstanding Monsieur Cumans great Civility I who could never endure to be outdone by my friends in the little emulations of generosity and kindness and was desirous to pay off my debts faithfully sold an Estate which I had in Beauce for fifty thousand Livres and paid Monsieur Cumans his Correspondent at Paris what Money I ow'd him At the same time I put two of my Nieces that were poor and had been recommended to my charity into the Habit placing one of them in a Convent of Vrsulines and the other in St. Mary's Monastery both in Provence Thus when I had most occasion for Money my self I was desirous to make some acknowledgment for the charity I had lately received from Strangers and the eminent protection of God over me At my return from Germany I found that the Relation I had trusted with my Money had made use of it for his own pleasure and was extremely enraged to see so base a disposition in him nor would I ever be reconciled till he had restored me my Jewel and engaged to give two hundred Pistoles to my Nephews When this was done I had a mind to let him see that this unworthy behaviour had not alter'd my affection for him and as a pattern of generosity for him to copy after gave him the first Company of the Queen's Regiment which had all this while been reserved for me For I had no inclination to go abroad with Monsieur Vitry the next Campagne being much offended at what I had heard that his Mother Madam de Virty had not spoken so well of me to the Queen as she might have done and finding so ill a return made me for the service I had done her Son at the hazard of my Liberty my Estate and my Life But still I continued to love and honour Monsieur Vitry and he exprest all the Sentiments of a Person of Quality and a true Friend for me I forgot to tell you that when I came back to Paris my honest Picture-Merchant came to see me and congratulate my return I was extremely glad it was in my power to entertain him and express'd by all the possible civilities how much I thought my self obliged by the charity he shew'd me when in a strange Country and unknown to him Afterwards I bought a Case of Pictures very curious ones which cost me four hundred Livres and made him a Present of them But this good Man had a generous Soul and would by no means accept of them telling me in his honest plain way Pray Sir do not oblige me to take this Come I am richer still than you are and your occasions for money are greater than mine So we contested this point of generosity some time I carried the cause at last and engaged him whether he would or no to take what he could not refuse without putting a slight upon me II. Being to receive one of my Pensions I went to Fountainbleaâ— where the Court was at that time to sollicit the Queen for payment Her Mujesty having given me assurance that she would remember me I was in continual expectation of seeing her promise made good But after two months stay at Fountainebleau and a great deal of money spent to no purpose in hopes of receiving my due I grew weary at last of sotedious a delay and thinking I had got a fair convenience of putting her Majesty decently enough in mind of her promise I presented the Ticket for my Pension and told her She was graciously pleased to say she would think of me but since I perceived a multitude of other business of greater concern in which her Majesty was involved had been the occasion of my being hitherto forgotten I was come to return the Grant which my Master the late King had done me the favour to bestow upon me that so she might gratifie some other person with it of more desert than I could pretend to The Queen was a little surprized and said to me in some heat You are very impatient wait a little longer I did so and was resolved to see what would become of this second promise But at last I grew impatient again and seeing my self so long put off in the getting so small a sum as five hundred Crowns that were due to me was resolved to apply my self a third time to the Queen and contrary to the advice of my Friends which I ought to have followed rather than my own opinion went a little too warmly to offer my Grant again She took it but in the sudden passion she was in threw me the Paper back and full of indignation to see me so importunate said Oh! the late King hath often told me indeed that you were hasty and passionate Madam said I the late King was my Master and his taking notice of me though but to reprove my failings was an honour greater than I deserved But Madam I dare assure your Majesty if he found any fault with my humour he never could find any failing in my fidelity The Queen said She did not speak so with regard to my fidelity but she blamed my passion Thus was I paid for my obstinacy and taught to my cost to take my Friend's advice another time And yet methinks there was a great deal to be said in my excuse and some allowance might be made for a Man that finds himself driven to extremities and is mad to see such a return made for his Services Upon this Reprimand I kept aloof off and Monsieur d' Etampes the Master of Requests coming into the Room some time after made up towards me and began to enter into discourse with me I said to him with a smile Have a care what you do Sir do you know that you are talking with a Man in disgrace and one that the Queen hath but just now been in a great passion against Say you so reply'd he very pleasantly Well I would discourse with you for that very reason that I may convince you my friendship for you is not the less for all that III. The Queen who was gone into her Closet came out in the evening with only one light before her and was very intent upon reading a Letter I took her for Madam Senecay because her Majesty did not use to appear so slenderly attended I could be pretty free with that Lady and came behind her as if I would look into the Letter she had in her hand and said Madam Will not you do me the favour to speak for me to the Queen Her Majesty turn'd short at this Compliment and I stood much confounded and most humbly begg'd her pardon for my insolence telling her that seeing her alone which was very unusual I took her for one of the Ladies of her Court The Queen who some way or other was grown calm in three or four hours time and perhaps displeased at her self for having spoken to me in so much
powerfully recommended to his favour yet I would never do it for I knew him to be a person of honour and integrity and a very good Judge I went to wait on him and told him the Reputation he had for justice and honesty made me very confident he would do Madam Poligny right that her Adversary was so great a Villain that he could not pretend to deserve any favour and that for my own part I had no farther concern than meerly what the justice of the cause gave me but after being entreated by that Lady to give her what assistance I could I did not decline to become the Accuser of so base and bold an invasion upon the House of a Lord in the Country and his own Feudatory Lord too Therefore Sir said I I require justice at your hands and ask it against a Villain and a Murderer that is unworthy of all mercy Just as I was pressing the matter thus warmly Richard came into the room where we were attended as he used to be with a company of fellows as bad as himself As soon as I set my eyes upon the guilty wretch I took courage afresh and raising my voice Look you Sir said I I desire you once more to do justice Here 's the very Murderer that hath the confidence to appear before you with a Sword on after having made no better use of his arms than basely and cowardly to sacrifice a man of honour to his own revenge Against this fellow I require justice who tho he be the King's Prisoner and convict of an Invasion hath the insolence to go armed still Pray Sir command him to behave himself like a Prisoner and keep that respectful distance that is due to his Majesty's Councel Tho Richard had been as I said very strongly recommended to this Master of Requests yet so bold an address from one who had no Sword on at that time himself made such impression that both Judge and Criminal stood a while confounded But at last as justice will be heard and the person to whom I spoke being an honest man he could not forbear telling Richard that I was in the right and therefore he forbad him the wearing his Sword before him any more Which made him go away very much down in the mouth and highly enraged at me for getting him to be so shamefully disarmed The Reporter then promised me justice should be done But being desirous still to make more sure of it I set my friends upon him too particularly Monsieur de Lionne who was then at Court and who after some coldness between the Master of Requests and him upon a former quarrel was reconciled to him upon this application that I engaged him in I made use of Mareschal Villeroy too who honoured me with his particular friendship and undertook this business of Madam Poligny with the greatest civility imaginable For having invited me to meet the Reporter at dinner next day at his House when we rose from table to wash the Mareschal said to Monsieur du Gue Well Sir you must needs rid me of the importunate sollicitations of this man meaning me He makes me believe I have some interest in you Does he say true And may I depend upon not being denied by you You do me honour and justice in thinking so Sir said the Master of Requests I can no more deny any thing you ask than you can ask any thing fit for me to deny Very well Sir said the Mareschal all I desire is that you would for my sake take care of Madam Poligny 's business and see that she hath Justice done her They say the fact she prosecutes for is so horrid that the Rascal is not fit to have any mercy shewn him To make my story short I will only add that this Reporter who was a very good Judge in his own disposition saw himself so warmly plyed for justice that Richard's appeal was thrown out and the cause dismist to the Parliament of Grenoble there to be re-heard and he to stand and fall by that Tryal This news confounded him so that finding he had no other evasion left and that he was lost to all intents and purposes he resolved to submit himself and come ask my pardon Accordingly he did and took all the humblest submissive ways to prevail upon me He conjured me not to cast away all pity for him but to write to Madam Poligny in his behalf assuring her from him that he was very ready to make her what satisfaction she pleased that he acknowledged his fault with great remorse and confest the Devil had put him upon committing it I asked him with some indifference whether he considered what he said and if he spoke heartily For said I if you engage me in any promises for you and do not see my word made good I shall then turn your Adversary my self and you will make but a bad business of it He protested he spoke sincerely and was resolved to be true to his promise Upon this assurance I proffer'd to write to Madam Poligny being really moved with compassion at the forlorn condition I saw him in and desiring to put a good end to a Tryal of so horrid a nature Accordingly I acquainted the Lady how I found Mr. Richard disposed and desired her rather to proceed gently and think of some accommodation and do an act of mercy to a wretch that profest a hearty repentance for his fault and a great inclination to make her any manner of satisfaction XIV Some time after this it was that the King sent to me to pass some Troops over into Gatalonia and Italy In the mean while Richard had sent my Letter to Madam Poligny who easily granting his request said They would try whether this man would behave himself any better and keep the promise he had made to me To this purpose they chose four Referees and the Duke of Lesdiguieres for Umpire over them to make an end of this difference But he thinking the summ in which they amerced him too great evaded this arbitration and found a trick to get an Inhibition and appeal without their knowledge pretending to the Kings Councel that he had since found several Papers for his justication which never had been produced in any Court before And growing insolent upon the success of this underhand dealing he dwelt boldly in his own house within three Musquet-shot of Vaubonnes and walk'd every where unconcern'd but still taking care to be attended with six or seven of his friends as fit for a halter as himself The good old Gentleman Monsieur Poligny who was still alive of a peaceable disposition and one that hated Quarrels or Law-suits was much perplexed and was for three days together blockt up as it were in his own house by this Rascal who scowred the Country and was in perpetual readiness to do mischief I was then in Provence near Marseilles taken up in executing the Orders which I was saying the King had given me
Madam Poligny seeing all Richard's fair promises come to nothing and that her self her Husband and her Son were exposed to his insolences and his outrages perpetually came to me and acquainted me how very ill a posture her affairs were in conjuring me by all the ties of the relation between us as well as those of friendship to assist her all I could in rescuing her from the violences of this Tyrant I told her She knew me too well to question the zeal with which I was ready to serve her as long as I lived and that her interest was as dear to me as my own and therefore I would do all that possibly I could for her upon this occasion but finding my self at that time engaged in the Kings business and indispensably oblig'd to conduct his Majesty's Troops and be faithful to his Orders in obedience to which I had foregone even my own Interest all I could do at present was to serve her with my friends and do that by writing which if I were at my own disposal I would have done by word of mouth I told her farther I durst depend so entirely upon my friends kindness as to promise my self that my sollicitations by way of Letter would be as successful to her and as effectual with them as if I were there to move them in person XV. But the Lady I discourst with was too well acquainted with Richard's insolence and passionate disposition and the necessity of my presence to satisfie herself with my offer of managing her business by Letter And tho she could not draw me off from the Kings Commission and saw it impossible to gain what she desired just at that present time yet she took a course shortly after to fix me to her family by closer obligations and engage me in the defence of all her interests She came to see me and said She must needs impart to me a design which I should have no great cause to dislike That she considered her Son at this age was not in a condition to resist the violence of so furious a man as Richard that she found she wanted such a one as me to put a check upon his insolence that she had thought upon a way to bring us closer together than ever we were before and that was to marry her Son to my Niece Anne de Pontis Daughter to the Nephew you heard of that both of them were much of an age and this new relation would make the concerns of their family become mine I thought the proposal very obliging and advantageous and told her my Niece did not deserve so great an honour but if I refused it for her it was only because I durst not accept it She presently understood the consent I gave and seem'd much pleased with it so that taking me at my word she urg'd the concluding of the match speedily which we did without any great matter of formality being very well satisfy'd in one anothers integrity and fair dealing I told her I hoped she would not find herself mistaken in the good opinion she had of me and I durst be bold to promise that as soon as ever I had discharg'd my duty to his Majesty's Commission I would employ my self heartily in her business and would rather dye than not bring her off with honour The Marriage being thus concluded and all the Ceremonies over young Monsieur Vaubonnes and my great Niece who had about sixty thousand Livres to her portion were marry'd with a great deal of state of solemnity And when I had performed the Kings commands in conveying over the Troops I resolv'd to see my Nephew and his new Wife put into possession of their Estate I carry'd him to Vaubonnes and took ten or twelve of my friends and all our men well armed and well mounted along with me Mr. Richard upon the news of our coming shut himself and his Bullies up in his own house and thinking that no time to appear he went away privately the night after to avoid any mischief that he apprehended might come to him upon our account But understanding shortly after that my friends were gone and I left alone at Vaubonnes he took courage and return'd to his house again Next day he had the impudence to desire he might visit me and that I would give him leave to walk abroad I told the man that brought the message that I would not advise Mr. Richard to come where I was and that if he took the confidence to do so he might chance to repent it He began to swear at this answer and rail at me lustily saying I was a very pretty fellow to forbid him stirring abroad and that when time should serve he would see which of us two was the better man This however was more boasting than true Courage and it appeared afterwards that he was brisk only then when he thought his the stronger side One Holiday he sent to tell me he supposed I would not be against his going to Church at Vaubonnes I answered it was my advice that he should go to Mass somewhere else for I would never endure that a Murderer who had cowardly assassinated a man of honour in the Castle of Vaubonnes should appear in that Church to beard the Lord of the Mannor whom he had affronted by that violence I commanded my Souldiers who were stout fellows to be upon their good behaviour and led Madam Poligny and my Niece to Church resolving to dye rather than suffer this Villain to come there When I was in the Church word was brought me that Richard was coming I answer'd the fellow that told me Go tell him I expect him and he shall find me here At the same time I dispatcht a bold fellow and my Valet de Chambre to a narrow street through which Richard was to pass and ordered them to secure that post immediately If Richard come there said I tell him I have ordered you to keep that Pass and that you desire he would go no farther If he retire let him go and do not pursue him but if he pretends to advance forward or any way abuse or affront you fall on vigorously and we will bear you out Our two Souldiers being gone to their Post Richard got intelligence of it and durst not venture forward for fear of being forc'd to make a shameful retreat He satisfy'd himself with railing after his usual way and giving me a great many hard words and I could easily bear what I did not hear Seeing himself driven to extremity he grew raging mad and that which made him worse was that some Officers of Lesdiguieres Regiment hearing what had past came to see me and offer me their service against this Brute of a fellow So he was forc'd to hide again and durst appear abroad no more XVI One day they had made an agreement to go all together and breakfast at a Village about a league off from Vaubonnes I was against it at first apprehending some