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
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
and made the lower end rest upon the frame of the Bridge I stay'd that end from slipping back and with a Rope that was fastened to the upper end of the Ladder I let it fall gently upon the other end that supported the Draw-bridge when it was let down This Ladder thus resting the two ends upon the two firm parts of the Bridge that we might walk upon it I laid over the plank I had taken out of the Bridge and having thus made a Bridge of the Ladder we all fix sally'd out with our Swords in our hands and immediately fell upon the first Corps de Guard where by making a mighty noise and crying out Kill Kill we put them into such a fright that they gave way and let us pass as if we had been a great number But all was not yet done and we were to make wonderful great haste to gain the River before the Archers of this Guard had recover'd their wits and could mount to Horse to come and fall upon us Also having recover'd Juvisy where I knew that Horses were ready for us at the Inn I would not enter into it for fear left staying to go take these Horses we should be all on a sudden surpriz'd but we ran to get into a Boat where we got over the River We immediately perceiv'd on the other side of the River that we had quitted the Archers that pursu'd us and who attempted not to pass by reason that the Forest of Senac came down to the River on our side We entred into it to repose our selves and there remain'd all day having sent a Country fellow for â—omething to eat as if we had been Hunters XII The night following we went on our Journey and came to Monsieur de Crequy to Paris who receiv'd us as persons whom it went to his Soul to have engag'd and that he saw had escap'd beyond all manner of hope But though his house was our refuge for the space of six weeks that we lay conceal'd there because they had decreed against us yet was it no great satisfaction to see our selves depriv'd of our Liberty and that he upon whose account we had lost it was not able to restore us to it I then found that I was to work for my self in an affair that so nearly concern'd me and to disengage my self from the hands of Justice after having escap'd from those of the Besiegers Which also I effected happily enough in making use of a little foresight I had had at my first entring into the Castle I had taken an Inventory of all I found there being unwilling any one should accuse me of failing in the least punctilio of my duty The chiefest member of this concern was a Chamber in which there was a great quantity of Plate I had taken care to lock the Chamber up after having brought into it whatever was most considerable from the other rooms of the Castle and had taken the Key so that not a Soul entred into it of all the time that I was there neither could any the least thing be imbezled I took occasion from this exact care of mine to preserve what appertain'd to Madam de Monravel to make my peace with her and I thought it best to address my self immediately to her without employing any Mediator hoping that out of generosity she would be just to herself in pardoning a man whose good conduct would make it appear to her that the sole command of his Collonel had forc'd him to maintain the Castle against her I ventur'd therefore to write to her with all possible civility and submission That I was extremely concern'd it had so faln out that the duty of my place had compell'd me to appear against her But I assur'd her Ladyship withal that if I had been faithful to her Brother I had also been so in her concerns in preserving with a particular care all I had found in the House of which I had taken an exact Inventory which I took the boldness to send her I humbly besought her to consider that the sole duty of obedience having made me undertake this action and not the prospect of any interest which I was infinitely far from it would redound to her own honour to pardon a fault she herself would have justified in another that had committed it on her behalf that had I had the honour to have belonged to her as I did to Monsieur de Crequy her Brother I should have serv'd her with the same zeal and by a like service should have thought to have merited her esteem which gave me reason to hope knowing her generosity that she would less consider 〈◊〉 self upon this occasion than the obligation of my Duty and in this assurance I durst make her Ladyship who was my Party my Judge and commit my Cause absolutely into her hands thence to expect the Grace which she only had the power to grant This Letter together with the truth of the fact prevail'd so far with Madam de Monravel that instead of prosecuting any further against me she spoke in my favour and having first pacified her Husband who was irritated to the last degree and after that having easily obtain'd the Abolition that I desir'd Thus she who had depriv'd me of my Liberty restor'd it to me again and that which had so cruelly incens'd her against me at first became a favourable occasion to me in the Issue of receiving from her all the testimonies of a most sincere Friendship The End of the First Book BOOK II. The Sieur de Pontis enters into a Regiment of Champaigne A great Accident that befell him in the Forrest of Beaumont He is made the King's Lieutenant in the City of Nogent during the War of the Princes He goes to force a Captain of Light Horse in a Castle and brings him as a publick Incendiary to his Trial notwithstanding the Opposition of all the Gentlemen of the Country How he made an end of all the Quarrels he had with the Gentry there He makes Head in the open Field with 200 Foot against 600 Horse commanded by the Cardinal of Guise And goes to the Seige of St. John d' Angely I. SOme months after this affair I had had with the Parliament about Monsieur d' â—requâ—'s concerns Monsieur de Boulogne that I mentioned before procured me the Ensigns place of his own Company which was to me the first step by which I began to enter into Command not reckoning the short employment I had had in Savoy for any thing at all But in the time that I serv'd in this Commission there hapned to me a rencounter which well delerves to be mention'd in this place About the Year 1611 our Regiment which was that of Champaigne finding it self very much streightned in Verdun where we lay in Garrison entreated leave of the King that they might quarter in Mont-Faâ—con too which is a very pretty Town some Leagues distant from Verdun Monsieur de Ville
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
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