been his Son For all my Duties upon the Guard and the occasions upon which I was commanded excepted I was continually by his Bed side lying with my hand in the stateliest Union that can possibly be imagin'd which also was much augmented upon a new accident which I think my self oblig'd to relate X. The Enemy having made another furious Sally came and set fire to our Powder lam'd the Carriages of two pieces of Cannon to which they set fire also and were endeavouring to nail the rest when I was commanded out with a body of threescore men to repel them where I once more thought I should have been scorch'd to death by a Barrel of Powder they gave fire to in their retreat After having beaten them from this Battery I retir'd with the rest of our Regiment which with great vigour beat the Enemy back even into their own Fort though it could not be done without great loss on our part Amongst the Officers that were kill'd in this action there was one very brave man call'd Captain Robert of whose death the King being inform'd he presently thought of the Officer of Champagne to confer the command upon for besides other occasions wherein I had been particularly taken notice of by his Majesty he had heard of the service I had done Monsieur Zamet and the other Prisoners in rescuing them out of the Enemies hands Calling therefore for Monsieur de Puisyeux he told him that he gave me the Company of Captain Robert commanding him to dispatch my Commission and to send it to me before I knew any thing of it Monsieur de Puisyeux who thought himself highly obligâ—d to me for having without speaking to him or his having entreated me preserv'd a Country House of his that was near the Army from being plundred by the Souldiers by putting into it a Gurrd of six Musqueteers was exceeding glad of this opportunity of serving me to the King and therefore taking the liberty to tell him his opinion concerning the choice his Majesty had made he spoke of me to him the most advantageously that he possibly could so much as unknown to me to acknowledge the little service I had endeavoured to do him The Commission therefore was dispatch'd that night and being deliver'd to me in the morning without my having had the least intimation of it I confess I more valued the King's remembring me of his own accord than I did my preferment to the Command tho I did pretty much covet that too not believing that the Lieutenancy of Monsieur Zamet could be conferr'd upon me so soon I went forth with to carry my Commission to Monsieur Zamet who look'd a little coldly upon it and ask'd me if I had rather have the Company than to be his Lieutenant adding withal that he very well knew that in order and pay a Company was worth more but that he believâ—d it was much more advantageous to me to be Lieutenant to a person who was so absolutely my own as he was who assur'd me no less than his goods and fortâ—ne and therefore entreated me to think onâ—t before I accepted the Command To this I made answer that he very well knew that I had already assur'd him that I was entirely his and that accordingly he should be the absolute Master in this affair that as I had hitherto no hand at all in it being meerly oblig'd to the King's bounty who had thought of me of himself and to the kind remembrance of Monsieur de Puisyeux who had dispatch'd the Commission before I had heard a syllable of it I could not better let him see how much I was at his disposal than by bringing him the Commission to do with it as he himself thought fit He then told me that he had a great mind to inform the King of the particulars that past in that Sally of the Enemy I have mention'd before where I restor'd him his liberty and that being there was no one who had had so great a share in it as my self I was able to give a better account than any one of that action and therefore he should be glad I would go wait upon his Majesty in the afternoon and present him a Letter that he would write I did so where after I had presented Monsieur Zamet's Letter and given an account of his health which his Majesty enquir'd after he immediately fell to speaking of the occasion wherein I had rescu'd him out of the Enemies hands commanding me to tell him the whole story which I accordingly did as well as I could I then took my opportunity to return my most humble thanks for the honour his Majesty had done me in remembring me after a manner so much to my advantage and of which I should retain a profound acknowledgment all the days of my life But the King seeing I took no notice of Monsieur Zamet's design said to me But you have not told me all this while that Zamet would have you for his Lieutenant to which I made answer That I was in the first place bound to let his Majesty know my sence of this very particular favour he had been pleas'd to shew me when I least thought of any such thing and as to the other which Monsieur Zamet sollicited in my behalf it was not for me to mention it to his Majesty and that I should seem not to value the favour he had conferr'd upon me as I ought should I at the same time I came to return my thanks for the one make suit for another But since your Majesty said I obliges me to answer to that affair I can assure you that I am ready with great chearfulness to do whatever your Majesty shall please to command whether in accepting or surrendring the Company in the Regiment of Champagne for the Lieutenancy of Monsieur Zamet which I confess to be to me much more considerable and desireable than many Companies by reason of the tender Friendship I am happy in from a person of his merit which is to your Majesty sufficiently known Being then Sir to receive the one or the other from your Majesties hand I with all my heart resign the Commission your Majesty did me the honour to send me with an humble request that your Majesty would be graciously pleas'd to make for me a choice that I protest I know not how to make for my self At the same time I presented my Commission to the King who very much surpriz'd at my complement and the free manner wherewith I had referr'd my self into his hands for the choice of one of these two Commands left me on a sudden to go to the other end of the room where the Constable de Luines was to whom he told all that I had said to him and shewâ—d him the Commission I had return'd into his hands The Constable had not been very well satisfied with me in the beginning of the War by reason of a little occasion wherein I had not manifested
so great a complacency as is expected by great men but notwithstanding he had alter'd his opinion of me upon further knowledge so that what the King had then told him having given him yet a better character of my conduct he answer'd his Majesty that it was not just to leave so generous an act without recompence to which he added Your Majesty expresses an intention to grant Monsieur Zamet the favour he desires of you in giving him Monsieur de Pontis for his Lieutenant but this Command being less advantageous both in respect of pay and of the honour of Captain which you have already conferr'd upon him your Majesty may find a way if you please to recompence both the one and the other in ordering him Captains pay and in adding to the Command of Lieutenant to the Camp-master of the Regiment of Picardy which is the first Regiment of France the new Title of Honour of eldest Lieutenant in your Majesty's Army Nothing could have been more obliging than what the Constable spoke to the King in my favour and he needed to say no more to prevail with him to consent to all things for immediately Monsieur de Puisyeux had order to deliver me the dispatches which accordingly were brought me the same day After having return'd my most humble thanks to the King and the Constable I went back to Monsieur Zamet to whom I deliver'd a Letter from the King wherein he left it to the bearer to give him an account how he had order'd his affairs adding only that he gave him to understand before hand that the Officer of Champagne was now that of Picardy as he had so much wish'd to be and that he had been easily perswaded to make him so having found in him a perfect submission and all possible esteem and friendship for him Monsieur Zamet having read this Letter embrac'd me with all his soul telling me that it was only to manifest to me the strict union he was resolv'd henceforward to have with me after which with a particular tenderness he repeated to me what he had already protested namely that he desired I should now begin to share with him both estate and fortune as his Brother I reply'd with the best expressions I could give him of my perfect acknowledgment and of the passion I had to let him see by my future actions that I was not altogether unworthy of the choice he had made of me XI The next day having sent for all the Captains of the Regiment he told them that he would acquaint them with a piece of news that he knew would please them very well which was that the King had given him for his Lieutenant a man to whom he had before granted a Company in the Regiment of Champagne and who had been so generous and had so great an esteem for the Regiment of Picardy as to surrender it into his Majesty's hands that he might be his Lieutenant that they all knew him particularly well having often been with him in action and that they could not choose but remember him when they saw their Collonel wounded and abed seeing that without the assistance of the person of whom he was speaking he had not now been with them but in the hands of the Enemy that therefore he assur'd himself they would receive me into their body with great joy which had the rather mov'd him to ask me of the King that he conjurâ—d them to unite in the acknowledgment of the honour I did the Regiment in preferring a Lieutenancy there before a Company in that of Champagne my ordinary Regiment To which all the Officers gave a very obliging answer in my favour I presently after came into the Chamber not having been by when he had thus spoken to them where after having receiv'd extraordinary civility on their parts I told them that I thought my self very happy that the King had receiv'd my resignation of the Company he had given me to honour me with that of the Lieutenancy of their Regiment That though men did not usually love to change a Company for the place of a Lieutenant yet a man might do it with reason when it was to enter into a body wherein were so many brave Officer that I entreated them all to consider me as a person absolutely devoted to them seeing that for the honour of serving in their Regiment I quitted another with all its advantages Monsieur Zamet had the satisfaction of seeing that the jealousy which ordinarily mixes in such occasions had nothing to do here for the Captains made me a thousand kind expressions in his presence with several protestations of the joy they were in to see me united to their body And the next day the Regiment being drawn up I took possession of my Command of Captain Lieutenant to the Collonelâ—s Company Nevertheless two days after there hapned an occasion of honour which had like to have set me at odds with the whole Regiment XII One of the Lieutenants disposing himself to command in turn I told him that as Lieutenant to the Collonel I ought to pass for youngest Captain that in this quality I had right to choose occasions of honour at my own pleasure and that I made choice of this This Lieutenant took what I had said to him very ill and told all the other Lieutenants of the Regiment who all together came to me telling me that I had but my turn no more than they and that I should not be Master of theirs To this replying a little roughly that I very well understood my Command that it gave me the same right it did the Collonel Lieutenants of all the old Bodies and that I could not endure it should be diminisht in my hands they answer'd me very briskly that they were not afraid of my words by reason there were a great many brave men in the Body had I not believ'd so Gentlemen said I I had not enter'd into it and t is that it may not be said there are any Cowards that I will maintain my right seeing I should be look'd upon as such a one should I fail therein This smart reply no less civil than resolute made these Gentlemen at last to seek out some way of accommodation which made them propose to me this condition that since I would have the choice of all occasions of honour they askt that they might rely upon me when they could not go to some Guards where the fatigue was too great The easiness with which I consented to their demand saying aloud that I promis'd it them with all my heart by reason of the experience I had that there is often more honour to be acquir'd in these perillous occasions put them into a new confusion but they could not go back having engag'd themselves into it of their own accord XIII To return to what concerns the Siege of Montaubon the Artillery being admirably well serv'd by the care of the Grand Maistre who also was
stopt The man came up and told me The King had sent for me to him I askt what people said of me at which he fell a laughing and answer'd merrily Why they say that you have taken a fright and have led me a fine course But what are you afraid of The King would only speak with you I have had this day the satisfaction of seeing Monsieur Pontis run away from me Then I presently resolv'd to go wait upon the King tho the trouble and agitation both of my mind and my body had been so excessive that I had sweat to that degree that it appear'd on the outside of my Doublet I had no great need of consideration what I should say to the King My retirement had given me but too much leisure for revolving in my mind every thing that might serve to prove my innocency And having always hoped that at one time or other the King would give me liberty to justifie my self before him I had meditated and prepared an exact narration wherein following only common sense I had put together all that a Souldier who had liv'd thirty years about Court and had no other Eloquence than what Nature gave him could say that was plausible to render such an action less odious and to cloath it with all those circumstances that could make the Justice of his Cause appear XVI So soon as I came into the Court of the Kings Lodgings the Duke of St. Simon who was looking out at window made a sign to me to come up the stairs by the Wardrobe and when I was there he told me the King had sent for me to learn the truth of the whole matter from my own mouth The King was laid down by reason of some little physick he had taken Being come to the Bed-side I fell upon my knees and in my countenance plainly discover'd the remorse I had for having offended my Prince who had ever been so gracious to me His Majesty then told me he would have me declare the whole truth without any disguise and that he had sent for me purely for the same purpose There was all that time no body present in the room but the King the Duke of St. Simon and my self so that having an opportunity of speaking freely to him I did it after this manner Sir I can never sufficiently thank your Majesty for the grace and honour you are pleased to do me in permitting me to render you an account of my actions for I have ever hoped from your Majesty's goodness that would you vouchsafe to hear me you would judge me rather unfortunate than faulty I dare boldly say that if my Conscience could reproach me with having failed in my duty or ever disobeying your Majesty's orders I should never have had the boldness to present my self before you and that I should voluntarily have banish'd my self both from your Court and Army and have sought death out of your Kingdom for in it I could not have liv'd after I had lost my Honour So that tho those in the Council of War who are either friends to Monsieur Canaples or have not been rightly informed of the truth of the matter have declared against me yet I hope your Majesty being so equitable as all the world knows you to be will judge things as they are and as I shall lay them before you That it was Monsieur Canaples only who acted contrary to your Majesty's orders to the Rules of War and his own Honour and that whereas he complains of my having done him an injury 't is â—e on the contrary who hath injured me Your Majesty knows I have always told you the truth but I protest afresh that upon this occasion I will not utter one syâ—able not only that is not true but nothing except what your whole Regiment of Guards know to be so as well as I and what Monsieur Canaples himself cannot but acknowledge for such Your Majesty may please to call to mind that having brought you the news of the English Fleet 's arrival you commanded me to go give notice to the Officers to go and receive your Majesty's Orders and afterwards to make choice of a sit place to draw up the Army in Battaâ—lle Thereupon I went immediately to carry this Order to the Officers and acquainted Mansieur Canaples with it among the rest He entreated me to go draw up our Regiment my self because our Major was sick I told him I would first execute your Majesty's Orders and when that was done I would not fail to obey his But it being my turn to command the Forlorn-hope that day having never yet done it since I had the honour to be received into the Regiment I entreated him to remember it telling him the passionate desire I had by some considerable piece of service to acknowledge the singular favour your Majesty had done me in commanding me to be near your person and in preferring me of your own accord to be a Lieutenant in your Guards He promis'd me he would and upon that assurance I left him When I had obeyed your Majesty's Orders first and then his I return'd to give him an account of the whole and at the same time to beg the effect of his promise asking him if he had remembred me But he at first made as if he did not understand what I meant and after I had explained my self to him he shew'd me as plainly that he had forgotten me I beseech your Majesty to consider whether it was possible for a man of honour as Monsieur Canaples is to forget in so short a time the promise he had made me but just before and whether this was not plainly to tell me he had forgot me only because he would forget me I confess Sir I was sensible toucht with this injury and found my self netâ—led to see that Monsieur Canaples had not only used me like a pittiful fellow and a Foot-man in breaking his word with me but besides that he usurp'd a power which no way belong'd to him to take from me the rank your Majesty had given me and meerly out of a design to affront me to change the general and establish'd order of your Army I thought Sir that Monsieur Canaples was not allowed to set himself above your Majesty nor by his own private authority to take from me that right which my Command and my Rank made mine and which I have endeavour'd to deserve This aâ—â—ront Sir wounded me more than all the injurious words he could give me in the heat of passion and I humbly beg your Majesty's pardon if I told him that he toucht me in the tenderest part and made me mad For I saw very well that he used me so in cold blood and that the affront he put upon me was a premeditated one I do also Sir confess for I dare conceal nothing from your Majesty who command me to speak freely that in the heat of my passion I could not forbear giving him
Sea which to me seemed to foretell some great raging storm And thus we quickly found it For as I and my Servant were upon the Road we heard of a sudden a loud clap of Thunder attended with mighty Lightnings and immediately upon it fell a fearful shower which continued for four hours with such violence as if Heaven and Earth would come together I had a Bridge to pass over a small Brook and rid full speed to get over before the Waters rose but they were so high in a very little time and there ran so strong a stream over the Bridge just at my going over that it took my Horse up to the Belly and had like to have carry'd him away My Servant who came after was in more danger than I. We had like to have been drowned a hundred times our Horses being forced to swim in many places and the Roads being all like Rivers The King who was then upon the Road too towards Narbonne had much ado to recover the Town all the Court lost their Baggage more than three hundred men drowned several Coaches and some of the Queens were left behind and her Maids had much ado to save their lives A Light-Horse took up two of them and set one before and another behind him I for my own part after a world of hardship getting to my Company saw all sorts of Birds and Beasts nay even the very Rabbets run into Houses and Barns before mens faces I do not at all magnifie the matter for one would have thought a second flood had been coming the Rain continuing as I said for four hours together without any abatement and four and twenty hours in all I never was more put to it in all my life For being much concern'd to observe my order exactly which was to be at Narbonne next day with my Company I resolved not to fail I got them thither at last but fatigued them beyond what you can imagine insomuch that the King chid me and told me I play'd the fool in bringing my Company cross the Country such weather as that was His Majesty went forward to Tholouse and Monsieur Montmorency was brought thither by his order Where he arrived the 7th of October in the year 1632 about noon They carry'd him to the Town-house and put him under the Custody of Monsieur de Launey Lieutenant of the Guards du Corps The streets and publick places from the Gate where he came in up to the Common Hall were lin'd with Souldiers and Swisses and several Guards were set in other places about the Town so very loth was the Cardinal that he man whom he lookt upon as his Prisoner should get out of his hands XIII Some three hours after the Duke's arrival two Commissioners came to the Town-Hall to examine him The Commission given the Parliament to proceed upon his Tryal was first read to him Whereupon he said with a great deal of temper that tho his Peerage made him accountable to the Parliament of Paris and no other Court yet he must cofess his offence was such that if the King was not favourable any Judges had right enough to condemn him that he was very well satisfied therefore to be try'd by the Parliament of Tholouse whom he had ever had a respect for and lookt upon them to be very honest Gentlemen The Commissioners sat at the end of the Table and seated him on their left hand They brought seven Witnesses in against him that is four Officers of the Regiment of Guards two Serjeaâ—â—s and the Clerk of the States of Languedoc He owned all that the Officers of the Guards evidenc'd against him concerning the action of Castelnau-d ' Arry And one of them being questioned whether he knew Monsieur Montmorency in the battle answered with tears that seeing him covered with fire and blood and smoak he had much ado to know him at first but when he saw him break six of their ranks and kill several Souldiers in the seventh he concluded this could be no body but Monsieur de Montmorency and that he knew him perfectly well afterwards when his Horse fell dead under him and he lay there without being able to get off The Commissioners askt him if he had sign'd the debate of the States of Languedoc of the 22d. of July in which they entreated Monsieur to give them the honour of his protection and promis'd to supply him with whatever Money he should want for the support of his Party and that they would never desert his Interests He denied that he had subscribed it and the Clerk being produced against him and affirming that he had he fell into a great passion calling him a forging Knave and charged him with counterfeiting his hand All this while the whole Court was employed in importuning his Majesty for Monsieur de Montmorency's Pardon and every body pray'd to God in his behalf For besides that he was a person extremely to be valu'd his great alliances with the Royal Family having the honour to be Brother-in-law to the first Prince of the Blood and Unkle to two Princes besides and one Princess which is my Lady Dutchess of Longeville and the illustrious reputation of his own Family the eminent renown of which is as old as Religion in France was the reason that all the Kingdom interess'd themselves in his preservation The Cardinal de la Valettâ— exprest an extraordinary zeal above all the rest and when he had done all he could with the King as well as the Pope's Nuntio and all the Princes he betook himself to the Prayers of the Church which he directed to be made every where assisting in them himself and â—everal great persons at Court with him and omitting nothing that so affectionate and generous a friendship as his could inspire a man with upon such occasions The Blue Penitents also made a solemn Procession among whom walked a great many persons of Quality and they went to visit the bodies of St. Simon and Jude on their Feast-day at the Abby of St. Cernin where they sung Mass and abundance of people communicated every one professing those devotions to be perform'd upon Monsieur Montmorency's account and with an intent to beg his life of God Nay Monsieur the Duke of Orleans though a party in that revolt himself having as I said before laid down his arms and return'd to his obedience was not unmindful of the Duke of Montmorency in this extremity But sent a Gentleman who threw himself thrice at the Kings feet and entreated him in his name with all the earnestness imaginâ—ble to spare a person who had ever exprest an exceeding great zeal for his Majesty's service and who had engaged in this unhappy business as he himself had done more out of levity and inconsideration than out of any malicious principle or settled disaffection to his Majesty Among all these persons of Honour that importun'd for Monsieur Montmorency's Pardon my Captain Monsieur St. Preuil had the weakness to
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
that an occasion presented it self very advantageous for me such as was likely to make my fortune and bring me to the knowledge of the King in doing him a considerable service 'T is believ'd said he to me that you neither want Courage nor Conduct to carry on this affair and it very much concerns you to make it appear that we are not deceived in our choice How well disposed a young man as I was must be when I heard talk of the Kings service and my own fortune I leave every one to judge I return'd Monsieur de Belingan my most humble thanks assuring him that I should never forget the favour he did me in procuring me so advantageous an occasion of making my fortunes assuring him in the mean time that I would faithfully acquit my self of the commands he should please to give me He thereupon acquainted me with the Kings pleasure which was that I should at night post my self Centinel in some part oâ— the Gallery where I could not be seen and from whence I might see him who his Majesty suspected about eleven of the Clock would go into a certain Chamber of the Castle That I should dog him every where till he came back to the Chamber where he lay to the end one might be certain who he was and because he might open and shut several Doors to hinder me from following him he deliver'd me a key that would open them all adding to his Instructions That I should satisfie my self with following him without saying any thing to him but be sure never to lose sight of him till he was return'd into his own Chamber I again assur'd Monsieur de Belingan that he might wholly rely upon me for this affair and that I soon hop'd to give him the satisfaction he desired I went upon that instant to look out the post most proper for my design and having chosen it returnâ—d expecting the hour that I was to go thither which was when the King went into his Bed-chamber where I was told this Gentleman usually was I return'd then about eleven of the Clock into the Gallery and posted my self in an obscure place where I could not be perceiv'd About an hour after I heard my Gentleman come but being there was no light one could not know him I gave him not time to enter into the Chamber whither he was going because I follow'd him and he hearing me turn'd off into another Gallery into which he slipt so softly and so quick that I had very near lost him in the dark This oblig'd me to mend my pace that I might follow him closer and made him doubt that he was dogg'd so that entring into the Stagge Gallery he shut the door after him hoping there to give me a stop But he was very much astonisht to hear the door presently open again behind him and to see himself follow'd as before To disengage himself then from him by whom he was so closely pursu'd he took a hundred turns in the Courts and base Courts and at last whipt on a sudden into the Garden the door of which he clapt hard to thinking by this means to escape from me and to hide himself in some place or other from my sight His design succeeded well enough at first for having convey'd himself into a great and thick Pallisade that cast a great shade and conceald him from the light of the Moon I saw no creature when I came into the Garden I began to fall into great fears and ran up and down the Garden like mad without being able to discover any thing at all but when I was almost in despair and enrag'd at my self that I should let him escape so returning towards the Garden-door and prying into the thickest of the nearest Pallisadoes I there espied him and resolv'd that I might lose him no more to follow him close at the heels He perceiving himself to be thus discoverâ—d in a great rage came out of his corner making as though he would walk a great pace but on a sudden turn'd about saying aloud Ha! this is too much and at the same time made an offer to draw his Sword I stopt and stood my ground without speaking a word as I had been commanded And withal gave him to understand by my posture that I was resolv'd to defend my self if urg'd to it This Lord judging by my countenance that I was not of a humour to suffer my self to be ill us'd took some few turns more in the Garden after which he came into the Gallery again and from thence retir'd into his Chamber at the door of which I remain'd as if upon Duty But I was not long alone in this place for about two hours after midnight Monsieur de Belingan came to seek me out to know what discovery I had made I began to give him a relation of all that had past when the King himself appeared at the end of the Gallery in his Night-gown with a little Lanthorn in his hand We immediately advanc'd towards him when though I had never before had the honour to speak to the King I endeavour'd to give him the best account of my Commission I could and related to him without any confusion all the walks I had had and all the turns and returns that I had caus'd this Lord to make and when I represented to him in downright terms the fury with which he sally'd out from the Pallisade and had made a shew of drawing his Sword the King interrupting me askt But what wouldst thou have done Cadet if he had faln upon thee I should have defended my self Sir said I for your Majesty had commanded me not to speak 't is true but not that I should not defend my self at which his Majesty bursting out a laughing said I believe thou wouldst by what I see in thee After which he would have me more particularly act before him both the posture and action of this Lord which I also attempted to do after the most lively and pleasant manner that I possibly could and that I thought would best please him Which little Farce being ended he told me that he was perfectly satisfied with my service and promis'd me that he would bear it in mind From thenceforward Monsieur de Belingan had a particular affection for me by reason of the manner after which I had receiv'd and executed the proposition he had made to me and that he might have more room to serve me with the King he askt me if I had not had Relations that had done his Majesty some considerable service To which I nam'd to him amongst others an Unkle I had call'd d'Estoublon who had bravely signaliz'd himself in the Wars of Provence from whence he afterwards took occasion to tell the King speaking of me that this Cadet began to follow the steps of his Unkle who had done his Majesty very particular services and whose name was d'Estoublon The King said he remembred him very well adding that
inform'd of the truth his Majesty might perhaps accuse my zeal of some excess I entreated Monsieur de Poyenne that when he writ to Court as he frequently did he would put in a word in my behalf to prevent all the ill reports by which my enemies might have decry'd my conduct He did accordingly and so effectually withal that the King to assure me he was satisfied with my service gave me the Government of the Tower of Oleron a little Fortress that commanded the Town which though a little thing in it self and that no great revenue belong'd to it yet was it of consequence that this Tower should be in the hands of a faithful person to keep the Town in its duty and it was no less advantagâ—ous to me after the Act I had committed that had made a great noise in the Country that the King should publickly manifest his being satisfied with it in giving me this Government whilst Monsieur de la Force was making my process at Pau. For though it was not hard for him to cause me to be condemn'd there to have my Head cut off he did not find it so easie to execute the Sentence seeing I was of his Majesty's Party and under his protection XVI The War breaking out still more fiercely our Regiment of Champagne was commanded to the Rendezvous of the Army which oblig'd me to think of divesting my self of my Government being unwilling to be stinted to so small a preferment I thought fit therefore to resign it into the hands of Monsieur de Poyenne who had procur'd it for me who after having been very importunate with me to stay there and giving me many assurances to procure for me something morâ— considerable for the future seeing me absolutely resolv'd to leave it compell'd me however whether I would or no to name another in my stead I therefore presented him a Gentleman call'd Domvidaut who was indeed a Hâ—gonot but who had always manifested so great a zeal for the Kings service that I thought it impossible for him ever to fail in his duty And because I would tye him yet faster to Monsieur dâ— Poyenne I gave him to understand that he was oblig'd to him only for this Government He on his part thought he could not better express his acknowledgment than by entrusting me with his Son whom he entreated me to receive in the quality of Cadet into the Company of which I was Lieutenant XVII We went presently after to the Siege of Saint John d' Angely which the king in person came to besiege in the year 1620 of which Siege I shall only make report of one action wherein I with several others underwent a very great peril from which it appears we were only deliver'd by a kind of miracle Being upon the point to spring a Mine I was commanded with 40 Men to charge into the breach so soon as ever it should be open by that means to deprive the Enemy of the means to repair it We were therefore of necessity to approach very near and to have something to cover us in case we should be forc'd to retrench our selves I therefore desired Baskets instead of Sacks which were commonly made use of upon such occasions arguing that it would be much more easie to fill them that stood open and stiff of themselves than Sacks that did not so and accordingly we had forty deliver'd to us which serv'd us very much but after another manner than we propos'd to our selves We then advanc'd as near as we could to the Mine which in playing had an effect quite contrary to what was expected for instead of throwing the Earth into the Town it threw it back upon us the soil being lighter on our side and buried us under its ruines But by the greatest good fortune imaginable having made all our Souldiers by my example carry all their Baskets upon their heads that our hands might be at liberty to handle all our arms they not only broke part of the force of the Earth and Stones and preserv'd us from having our brains beaten out but moreover serv'd to give us a little breath in leaving us a little vacuity that preserv'd us from being stifled before we could be reliev'd Monsieur de Cominges who was at the end of the Trench having seen some Souldiers hurt with the Stones that the Mine had blown about and judging in what extremity we were likely to be came running to assist us and disengag'd us from under the Rubbish whilst the Enemy were busie in repairing the breach without thinking of us In the mean time that which by accident sav'd our lives on this occasion was afterwards put into practice in other Sieges and they have â—ince often made use of these Baskets as very proper to make quick lodgments and speedily to cover themselves which also made the King himself to confess that I had herein done him a very considerable service which was almost all the recompence I had for having ran so great a hazard My inclination for War and the aversion I have ever had for all remedies hindred me from causing my self to be let blood as I had been advis'd but I found my self so ill by having been so bruis'd and overwhelm'd by these ruines and by having been more led by my own inconsiderate heat than the counsel of my Friends that I had the Jaundice for a month together to that degree that I was hardly to be known But my better parts being still in their vigour and my heart always whole and good I never excus'd my self from my ordinary duty upon the Guard in one of which I receiv'd a Carabine shot in the body which entring but a little way kept me but a very short time in bed The End of the Second Book BOOK III. What past at the Siege of Montaubon The great and strict Friendship that was contracted betwixt the Sieur de Pontis and Monsieur Zamet Camp-master of the Regiment of Picardy who makes him his own Lieutenant of his Majesty's Armies The Sieur de Pontis withdraws all the Army from a very great Danger The Siege is rais'd from before Montaubon An excellent Discourse of Monsieur de Zamet upthat subject I. THE City of St. John d' Angely having surrendred it self to the King his Majesty went before Montaubon with an army of four and twenty Thousand men or thereabouts commanded by Monsieur le Connestable de Luines and invested it the 17th of August in the year 1621. The Constable had for Lieutenant Generals his Brothers Messieurs du Maine de Chevreuse and de Lesdiguieres Monsieur de Schomberg was grand Master of the Artillery and Surintendant de Finances and executed also in part the command of a Lieutenant General Of these Forces and of these Chiefs the King made three Attacks of which the first was his own wherein the Constable and his Brothers commanded the second was commanded by Monsieur du Maine and the third by Messieurs de
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
de Schomberg as much surpriz'd as overjoy'd to see me made me drink a glass of Wine by reason I was almost quite spent having taken extraordinary pains I then made my report to him which put him into a very great astonishment and when he askt me over again if I was very sure of what I had told him I made answer that I would undertake to shew it him and to assure both the King and himself by his own sight having taken notice of an eminence from whence one might discover what I had seen nearer at hand The King being very impatient to know what I had discover'd I got on Horseback and went with Monsieur de Schomberg to wait upon him at Piccis Being there and they having much ado to beleive me the King would be satisfied by his own eyes which made me guide him to the same place I had observ'd and from thence with the help of a Perspective his Majesty plainly discover'd the Retrenchment and behind it the Battalion of which I had given him account He was very much surpriz'd at it and could not forbear declaring aloud the extream peril to which his Souldiers had been expos'd without this foresight of Monsieur de Schomberg which had sav'd the lives of a great many men After which his Majesty had the goodness to tell me that I had that day done him a very great service and that he would remember it upon occasion I did not nevertheless percieve at that time that I was much remembred and was accustomed to serve without any other interest than that of honour which also sometimes cost me very dear I then returnâ—d to find out Monsieur Zamet who having believ'd me to be dead cryâ—d out so soon as he saw me I protest you shall go no more upon such designs and I will take very good order for the future that you shall receive no more Commissions of this kind For in truth the thing which nettled him the most and made him speak after that manner was that whether I was upon the Guard or no they thus us'd to make me as it were the publick Victim in all perilour occasions He ask'd me whether I was not hurt and I assur'd him I was not but only that Monsieur de Schomberg had shew'd me two shots upon my Arms. XV. The Army upon this was drawn off and they thought no more of an assault Some days after Monsieur de Roban who kept the Field with a little body of an Army for the Hugonots was resolv'd to come and relieve Montaubon In order to this design he gave fifteen hundred men to a very brave Gentleman call'd de Beaufort to try if he could put part of them into the place Upon the intelligence his Majesty had of their March he caus'd the Guards to be doubled and reinforc'd in his Camp which notwithstanding could not hinder Beaufort being come up to his Quarter from forcing the Guard and getting into the Town with eight hundred men the rest having been either kill'd or fled Upon the arrival of these succours they two days after made such furious Sallies as very much discourag'd our men and gave his Majesty occasion to consider that Winter drawing on it was better to retire and preserve his Army for the next Campaign by reason he would have lost too many men after this relief Thus at the expiration of fifteen days namely the first of November 1621 we raised the Siege order having been given throughout the Quarters that upon hearing the first Cannon shot that should be fir'd that night every one should be ready with his Arms to march where their Officers should lead them and before they went to make extraordinary Fires throughout the Camp This order thus executed made the Enemy expect some new thing and rather a general assault than the raising of the Siege Wherefore contenting themselves with causing their Posts to be well guarded they never thought of commanding out any Troops to fall upon the Rear of our Army that began to file off about the dawning of the day Monsieur Zamet who had been cur'd a few days before was order'd to make good the retreat wherein he was not a little astonish'd to see the precipitation not to say the flight wherewith our Troops march'd away I being with him he made me observe this hasty retreat that savour'd indeed of a pannick fear for they made off as if they had seen the Enemy at their heels And being so good a Christian and a man of so much judgment as he was he began to speak to me a language I had never heard before I assure you said he that reflecting upon the Order of Providence in the management of affairs here below I manifestly discern that the God of Justice is the God of Battels that he gives the Victory to whom he pleases and oftentimes to those that are against him by reason that they who defend his cause do it so very ill and so justly draw upon themselves his indignation by their own Crimes that he punishes them by casting the disadvantage on their side and filling their Armies with unreasonable terrors Thus much is plain upon the present occasion where our Forces run away without knowing any reason why 'T is visibly a stroke from the hand of our good God that contrary to all humane appearances we have not been able to take this place which according to the ordinary course of Arms must have fallen into the King's Possession His judgments are very different from those of men which stop at the outside of events without penetrating into the secret springs of them Our Enemies no doubt will be as much deceived as we for they will magnify themselves for this advantage without ever considering that the Victory that God gives them will at length but render them the more unhappy by a false assurance that it is a mark of the Justice of their Cause and he will at one time or other find means to make them sensible what loss they sustain while they flatter themselves with a thought of winning all Let us admire then and adore the Chastisements he inflicts after so different a way both upon the one and the other I confess I was marvellously surprized at this discourse having never as I said been used to hear the like and acknowledged the obligations I had to him for the insight he gave me into so great a truth And I must also say that I did not reckon this favour among the least I received from him and have since been sensible that it was one of the first God was pleased to confer upon me in order to the giving me some sense of Christianity The virtue and pious conduct that I observed in this great man did in some sort contribute to laying the first seeds in the bottom of my heart and 't is that which hath infinitely increased my acknowledgments to him and value of his memory especially since after abundance
same and therefore as far as I was able to judge durst be responsible to his Majesty that there was not any reason to suspect their fidelity which was all I had to say according to the present condition I left them in To which the King made answer that it was enough and as much as he desir'd bidding me stay without and attend him at Dinner XI I took care to be there accordingly but there was so much Company the King could not speak to me and therefore deferr'd it till Supper where there happening to be but a few I had a convenient Audience After Supper the King took me into his Closet and Marquis Grimant only being by said thus to me I have sent for you to let you see I am mindful of you and willing to acknowledge the services you have done me and therefore I give you your choice either of a Company in the old Body or a Lieutenancy in my Guards choose which you had rather have I leave you at full liberty I confess this proposal a little surpriz'd me for to speak truth I expected something more and was of opinion that the services I had done after having refused a Company in the Regiment of Champagne deserved a higher recompence than that of a Command no better than what I had formerly refused However I was forc'd to set a good face upon the matter and acknowledge it a great thing that his Majesty had done me the honour to think of me Wherefore I made answer with all imaginable humility that since his Majesty was pleased to do so much in my favour I humbly begg'd he would make it compleat by pointing out to me himself the choice I ought to make protesting at the same time that what pleas'd his Majesty would by most acceptable to me so great was the passion I had to serve him in any Post he thought fit to assign me I thought said the King how I should find you affected and had a mind to try which of the two Commands you had a greater inclination to Whereupon Monsieur Grimaâ—t who pretty well knew the King's intention took the liberty to say to him methinks Sir you had better give him a Lieutenancy in the Guards for by that means you will be sure to have him constantly near your person That is what I desire reply'd the King and do you do so too said he speaking to me I have already told your Majesty said I that I have no other choice to make than what your Majesty directs me to and I am fixt in that resolution as I ought to be But I know your Majesty's goodness is so great that you will not be displeas'd if I put you in mind that you did me the favoâ—r to promise me a Company This was modestly to ask a Company in the Guards and the King who understood my meaning well enough presently interrupted me and said True but it was in an old Body and I am now ready to do it though I give you my word that if the Company of which I now make you Lieutenant comes to be vacant either by the death of the Captain or any other accident you shall have it I am willing too to acquaint you at first that I am desirous to restore one thing in my Guards and to begin to do it by you which is that you neither practise nor give any Orders in the Company but what come first from me In extraordinary cases I mean and not in things of course and common use and that you never go off your Guard nor out of your Quarters when 't is your turn to command This I resolve to have done that I may restore discipline in the body which at present is quite lost among them and also with a design to have you always near my Person I answer'd That as he was my Master and my Prince and had done me the particular favour to command me nearer to him I hopâ—d by my conduct to let his Majesty see that my greatest desire was to obey and serve him all my life Then he ordered Monsieur Grimant to see my Commission dispatch'd presently by which I was to be made Lieutenant to Count Saligny's Company XII But though I set a good face upon the matter as I thought my self oblig'd to do yet I return'd very little satisfy'd with my fortune and thinking very seriously of the conditions propos'd to me which appear'd very burdensom and difficult I look'd upon my self from this time forward as entring into a dreadful slavery so that I confess I could have wish'd had I dar'd to deny the King that I had not been so unseasonably complemental and had made choice rather of a Company in an old Body But I was now engag'd over head and ears and had no retreat left nor any remedy but to see my mistake and make it an useful example to other people Monsieur Saligny's Company was one of the first in the Regiment and his younger Brother was Ensign of it which I knew nothing of before Custom and Order seemâ—d to require that he should succeed as Lieutenant especially in his own Brother's Company I found my self a little perplex'd so soon as I was inform'd of this But still that inconvenience must be encounter'd too and so I resolv'd to pay all imaginable civility to Monsienr Saligny and going to wait upon him I said That had I understood sooner that his Brother was Ensign in that Company I should have begg'd the Kingâ—s excuse for accepting the Lieutenancy and being plac'd between two Brothers who by Order of War as well as Birth ought not to have been separated upon this occasion But that I but just then had come to the knowledge of it and all left in my power to do having already accepted the Commission was to express my concern This complement succeeded very well and I can say that the two Brothers did me the honour to testify so particular a Friendship for me that as oft as any little coldness happened beween them I was always the Mediator and chosen for the Umpire of their differences After having been received at the head of the Regiment it being necessary to have my self admitted by the Duke of Espernon too who was Collonel of the Infantry I resolv'd to incline his favour to me by a complement that I knew would please him very well and gratify the ambition so natural to all great men The day that I was to mount the Guard I marched at the head of the Company without a Corslet directly to his House where causing my men to halt in a corner some twenty paces from it so that they kept out of sight and going by my self I desir'd to speak with him As soon as I came into his presence after the first salutes I told him that the King having honoured me with the Command of Lieutenant to Monsieur Saligny and sealed my Commission I had been the day before receiv'd at the head of
putting him into a condition to expose that life for the King's Service which he now ow'd to his Mercy The poor young man was so astonish'd to see the strange way I had taken to revenge my self upon him that he was able to say no more than this that he was extremely confounded and that now I had repaid his brutal passion with the greatest generosity I could possibly express he had nothing more to offer in return but his life which should ever be as much mine as his own that he should from thence forward look upon me as a second Father and was resolv'd absolutely to depend upon me and my conduct Whereupon we embrac'd and he went to make himself ready for his Journey into Holland His affair was shortly after debated in a Council of War where he was condemn'd but being got out of the way they lookt no farther after him VI. The King for a good while after put on some coldness to me before company tho in private he was as kind to me as ever I understood the meaning of it well enough and behav'd my self the best I could to second his Majesty's design But I was still wanting for some occasion to procure Monsieur Buisson's return and a whole year escap'd me without ever discovering any hopes of it At last I resolv'd to be bold once again and observe measures less than ever in an affair where I thought my intercession not unlikely to prevail A Lieutenant of the Regiment of Normandy was at that time very sick at Paris the moment I heard of his death I conceiv'd I ought to take this opportunity to serve the man whose being at a distance was a great affliction to me and accordingly I went forthwith to the King I told him at first without laying open my design that I was come humbly to entreat a favour of his Majesty which was the Command of such a Lieutenant just now dead The King as far as I could guess presently suspected for whom I made this suit but not willing to let me know that he penetrated into my thoughts he satisfy'd himself with telling me that he must first know what I would do with it and whom I intended it for I answer'd that it was for a friend of mine whom I would take the liberty to name as soon as his Majesty should have done me the honour to assure me of the place Is it not for Buisson reply'd the King for I know your temper and do almost read it in your heart Ah! Sir said I thus to penetrate into ones thoughts is to be truly a Prophet and doubtless I ought to be careful to have none but good ones since your Majesty hath such piercing eyes 'T is true Sir I am heartily sorry to see this young Gentleman who is capable of doing your Majesty good service so long out of a condition to shew it and I take the confidence to hope your Majesty will compleat the favour you have so generously begun in giving him who holds his life from your goodness an opportunity of employing it all in your service The King mov'd with this pressing importunity in behalf of one who had so highly disoblig'd me was most graciously pleas'd to say that it was not in his power to deny me any thing and that the generosity of this request engag'd him to grant that which regularly ought not to be granted With this promise of the King which filled me with great joy I went home and immediately dispatch'd away an express Messenger into Holland to Monsieur Buisson to bid him presently come away to me about some business of very great consequence Accordingly he was soon at Paris where having told me that he very well understood he was afresh oblig'd to me for the favour of his liberty seeing that I brought him to a place from which his ill behaviour had constrain'd him to fly I made answer that it was the King to whom he was oblig'd for all and now especially for a favour he did not expect which was a Lieutenant's place in the Regiment of Normandy for that his Majesty had conferr'd upon him and upon this account it was that I sent for him To which I added that I would carry him to kiss the King's hand that he might in person pay his acknowledgments for so very exceeding a favour which engag'd him to lay out the rest of his life upon his Majesty's service and that therefore he should be in a readiness to go along with me that Evening to the Louvre This poor Gentleman very well understanding from what hand his Lieutenancy came was so confounded that he had not one word at command to return me thanks in and therefore did it only in dumb shew I carried him at night to the Louvre and having first askt his Majesty's leave to present him I brought him in As soon as he came into his presence he threw himself at the King's feet without speaking otherwise than by his posture and profound humiliation The King then told him he was happy in having such a man as I to deal with who after such an injury had made it my business to obtain the pardon of him who wrong'd me to that degree a thing that he could not have granted to any other and that very few besides me would have dar'd to ask it That therefore he would let him know that he was oblig'd to me both for his Life and his Command which he gave him upon my account that all these things laid together oblig'd him to look upon me for the future as his Benefactor and to repair the wrong and the fault he had been guilty of against the whole body of the Army by a life and behaviour proportionable to the sense he ought to have of so extraordinary a favour Respect Joy and Grief all at once made so strong an impression upon the mind of Monsieur Buisson that he could not return one syllable of answer to the King but as he came into the room without daring to speak so he went out again without being able to do it Which also pleas'd his Majesty more than if he had made a long Complement for he judged better of the sentiments of his heart by this respectful silence than he could have done by any studied harrangue I afterwards sued out his Pardon and procured the Commission for his Command and got him admitted into the Regiment where I am able to say that he acquir'd a great deal of esteem having perfectly made good what was expected from him and passing for one of he bravest men in the Army He also very faithfully obey'd the command his Majesty laid on him always to consider me as his faithful friend For both from an effect of his natural inclination and the deep sense he had of the service I had done him he ever after lived with me as with his Father by which name also he us'd to call me And I shall take notice in the
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
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
us here your person may be in danger since part of your Army is gone to the Isle of Rhe and we are but a few left here I conjure your Majesty retire to Surgeres The King answered without any conceâ—n I wiâ—l â—ot stir from this place but will fight at the head of my Foot in person Bring me my Arms presently In earnest this generous stout answer from the King gave me a joy not to be exprest which made me fall down at his feet and in a great transport say to him Sir when we have our King at the head of us every single man will be as good as twenty and each Company as good as a Regiment no body will presume to spare himself upon such an occasion but we will all serve you with the last drop of blood in our veins The King then armed and gave out necessary orders for sustaining an Assault in case the Enemy should attack him in his Quarter But while every one was preparing to engage the Souldiers I had sent to the Trenches came and assured us that instead of making a Sally the Rochellers had been terribly frighted with a mischance that had befallen them by their Magazine of Powder taking fire which caused that great noise we heard The King received this news as he had done the other without any great concern or discovering any more joy to see himself in safety than he had done fear at the expectation of danger Then Mareschal Brezay made this reflection to me Look you said he if the King had followed the advice that was given him to retreat to Surgeres he would have had us all three tost into the Sea when once he found a false Alarm had made him run away I was of the same opinion too and whatever might have happened I could never have prevailed upon my self to have given him counsel which though it might be for his safety could never have been for the honour of so great a Prince But unexpected accidents do not always leave us the liberty of thinking and the wisest men in such cases may sometimes be mistaken I remember too while every one was in trouble about the King's person which we thought too much expos'd an Officer consulting perhaps his Majesty's safety more than his own after debate what might be the cause of this great noise let this word slip by chance I hope 't is nothing in grace of God Whereupon all that were by and little used to such language fell to rallying him as one who betraid his fear by that expression And tho I was no better than the rest yet I could not choose but be offended at those kinds of Jefts which seem'd to me so ill grounded For is it not brutish to imagine that to appear brave a man must forget that he is a Christian and doubtless if that Officer had called upon the Devil instead of God they would have thought better of him and not have reproved him So little do we know what a man of courage is when men think being impious is enough to make them thought brave In the mean while the affronts there were perpetually put upon this Officer were so severe that not enduring to be the constant jest of all the Hectors and young Bullies he was forc'd a little after to beg a dismission and withdraw from out of the Army Next morning all the General Officers came to pay the King their respects accompanied with great praises his Majesty had ordered me to be about his person and indeed I made my Court that day after a very pleasant manner For the King did me the honour to call upon me every now and then and said Ask Pontis how it was choosing rather to have it told by another than himself And accordingly I represented this action of his Majesty 's with all imaginable advantage and zeal nor was it any hard matter to succeed that way for upon this occasion a man might be a good Courtier without any flattery and there needed only a relation of what I had seen to give the King his due commendation XXIV One day going to relieve the Guard and being to pass through a little Valley that lay expos'd and commanded by a Hill where four or five pieces of the Enemy's Cannon were planted as I rode at the Head of four hundred men marching very leisurely and talking with a Corporal called de la Croix I laid my Leg upon my Horse-neck as men do sometimes to ease themselves though indeed it was no proper time to do it but rather to mend my pace Just then came a Cannon Bullet which exactly took off the Stitrup out of which I had taken my Foot and battered it to pieces The force of the blow beat down my Horse but he got up again presently and attempting to recover my Stirrup I found it was clear gone Then I acknowledged the good providence of God that had thus saved my Leg and probably my Life too fearing nothing more than to be maim'd and out of a capacity to serve the King They made a jest of it to the King and told him I had one of my Legs taken off by a Cannon ball but his Majesty hearing afterward that I had only lost my Stirrup turn'd it into mirth and laught at the oddness of the accident The English had blockt up the passes by Sea so effectually that we could put no provisions into the Isle of Rhe. But the King resolv'd to thrust in twenty light flat-bottom'd Boats and order'd me to go along with Monsieur d' Esplandes who was to conduct them that I might bring him back an account of the expedition When all things were ready and the Wind favourable we embark'd by night and in a short time came very happily ashore in the Island through all the fire and ball that was liberally bestowâ—d upon us and in spight of six great English Ships that made after us but could not come up to us for want of Water The Bullets lighting upon the Grabel of the Beach beat great heaps of Stones into our Skiffs and kill'd us a great many men and sometimes one of them would take off a Sack of Flour from a Souldiers shoulder as they were unlading Monsieur d' Esplandes and I sat down to rest our selves and a Cannon Bullet hit a Portmantua upon which I sat carried away part of the things within it without doing me any other harm than throwing me some fifteen paces off And as Monsieur d' Esplandes urged me to sit down again upon a Free Stone hard by him divining as it were that this was no safe place and better to stand up just in that nick of time which is almost incredible a shot struck this Stone and shatter'd it to pieces There was but little pleasure in being so familiar with great Guns which made me think of hastening back with my report to the King And so going aboard a small Boat with only one Waterman I got
Generals that the Army should march with all possible speed to the relief of Cazal When this resolution was taken and made publick Monsieur de Schomberg order'd me to provide Bisket-bread sufficient for the whole Army for eleven days march which accordingly I did And besides this provision I presented Monsieur de Schomberg with two thousand Aniseed Biskets Monsieur de la Force with eight hundred and Monsieur de Marillac as many and to the Mareschals de Camp Controllers and Treasurers of the Army proportionably The whole Army with all their equipage being come to the plain of Raconis was drawn into form of Battel and divided into three bodies the Van-guard Main body and Rear Thus they continued to march till we advanced within fourteen or fifteen leagues of Cazal when notice was given that the Duke of Savoy had joyn'd the Spaniard to fall upon our Flank This obliged us to alter the method of our march The Army was then ranged in three Columns the Van-guard composed the right the Battalion the middle and the Rear the left Column Between the middle and the right Column marcht all the Cannon Carriages and Ammunition between the left and the middle went the Baggage of the Generals and all the Army so that all was hemm'd in The Horse went upon the wings in front and flank by Squadrons and in form of Battel Marching in this manner through all the plains our Army was continually in a posture for fighting either for the Savoyards who were upon our Rear or the Spaniards that were in Front of us But the Spaniards would not stir out of their Trenches making themselves sure of the Fort of Cazal which they kept close blockt up When we came to the Village of Oximeane about four small leagues distant from Cazal we halted there three days in expectation of news from Monsieur de Thoiras to whom six men had been sent to give him intelligence of our approach and to assure him of relief as also to agree upon a time when our Troops should be drawn on to attack the Trenches But only one of those six that were sent came back to us again All measures being duly adjusted orders were given to lead on strait to Cazal About a league from the Town we halted to stay for the signal from the Cittadel which was to be a great smoak to give us notice that all the Garrison were ready and in Arms. As soon as ever the sign was given all the Troops advanc'd being distributed into three bodies Monsieur la Force commanded the right wing Monsieur Marillac the left and Monsieur Schomberg the main battel because this happened to be his day of commanding in chief Before we came up to the Trenches he gave us a short speech to this effect but with abundance of warmth and such a lively and warlike eloquence as becomes the mouth of a General and is most likely to inspire an Army with courage Fellow-Souldiers said he you have now an occasion of the greatest honour and highest consequence that our age hath ever seen I cannot but expect a good event of it when I observe both the courage and zeal of so many brave men whom the King hath entrusted with the honour of his arms and the confusion of our Enemies that tremble already before they engage us If you have been stout formerly to day you must be Heroes Danger and Death overtake those that fear and fly from them but the man that can look these in the face and fear nothing is half a Conqueror already We have one Army before and another behind us They that flee will be killed shamefully for Cowards and they only that take their enemies lives while they lose their own will dye like men of honour I pardon that man from this minute that falls upon me if he sees me behave my self like a Coward but I will not pardon him that runs away himself Come on then stoutly where honour and duty call and I engage my word to all them that shall signalize themselves in the service of their Prince to give his Majesty a true estimate of their bravery and to take care that their services shall be honoured and rewarded as they deserve These few words with the advantage of that vehemence with which they were uttered and the courage of those that heard them made the whole Army go on as though they were already secure of coming off Conquerors The Forlorn-hope and those appointed to support them advanc'd When they were within half Cannon shot they went to prayers as is usual and all in deep silence expected the discharge of a Cannon from the Town which was to be the signal when we should fall upon the Enemy In the moment we heard it our Troops advanc'd with incredible resolution and heat though we put our selves full upon the mouth of the Cannon that was planted along the Enemies Trenches and must needs make a horrible slaughter among us The Mareschal Marillac who by his Post was the forwardest had began the attack and we were all in the best disposition that ever Army was seen to fight for the honour of our Prince and Country when all on the sudden to the great dissatisfaction of the whole Army Monsieur Mazarin was discovered riding from the Enemies Camp holding a Sheet of white paper in his hand and waving it about for a sign of a Treaty of Peace crying aloud Halt halt Stand stand The Souldiers were so enraged to see themselves checkt in the midst of their Career that some of them were so extravagant as to discharge several Musquets at him Our Generals had much ado to stop them But at last Monsieur Mazarin having liberty to draw near and confer with the Mareschals of France declared to them that the Spanish Generals had sent him to present them that paper that they might propose what terms of peace they pleased Monsieur Schomberg reply'd that this matter was of so great consequence that it was fit the Generals on both sides should personally confer together and that as long as they treated by Messengers and Writing only there would always be some scruples remaining which would only be the seeds of fresh disturbances VIII Then Monsieur Mazarin return'd to the Enemies Camp to agree upon a place where they might meet together One between both Armies was chosen as the best and most secure All the Generals on both sides repaired thither and there formed the Articles of Treaty as was agreed between them that is That the Town of Cazal should be put into the Duke of Mantua 's hands that the French Souldiers should be commanded out and Montferrins who were the Duke of Mantua 's Subjects sent thither in their room That the Kings Army should draw off from Montferrat but yet keep the post where they then were till such time as they had embarked all the Enemies Cannon and Baggage upon the Po and that the Cittadel should be delivered to a
that token which was the signal that now he would be obeyed So they opened their Gates to the King presently All his Troops entred the Town with Pikes levell'd Ranks closed Match lighted and in a perfect posture for fighting if they had met with any treachery or opposition We possest our selves of all the Quarters and Fortifications and then gave orders that all the Garrison of Lorrain should lay down their Arms. A friend of mine one de la Serre and one of the principal Officers in the Garrison when he heard us cry Down with your Arms was in a rage and ready to hang himself and told me if he had thought they should have been us'd at this rate the King should never have come in till he had beat the Walls about their Ears I softned his indignation a little and prevailed upon him to bear his misfortune with moderation Thus the King was absolute Master of Nancy the Government of which place he bestow'd on Monsieur de Brassac The End of the Second Book BOOK III. The Sieur de Pontis is made Commissary General of the Swisses in France He is out of favour with the King for quitting this Command He goes into Holland with Mareschal Brezay The Battel of Avain where he takes Count Feria Lieutenant-General of the Spanish Army Prisoner The taking of Tillemont and the Barbarities of the Dutch Souldiers Louvain is besieg'd The Sieur de Pontis attempts the Castle of Arscot with four hundred Musqueteers The Quarrel he had with an Officer of the Army upon this occasion I. IN the Year 1634 some months after Nancy was reduc'd the King was pleas'd to do me the honour to make me Commissary General of all the Swisses in France He understood that many of the Swisses had a good opinion of and confidence in me and that having desired me very earnestly to teach them their exercises I could not decline it upon which account they came oftentimes to my Quarters where I endeavour'd to instruct them according to their desire Knowing therefore that these honest Fellows had a particular esteem for me he suppos'd that this kindness of theirs would make it an easy matter for me to manage them as I pleas'd So that asking me one day at Versailles whether the Swisses continu'd their visits to me still a they us'd to do and if they improv'd at all and I replying that they came to me constantly still and that they were a little slow but very good men to the best of their capacity he presently return'd upon me Well I must make you Commissary General over them all within my Kingdom that you may discipline them as you have already done your own Company I embrac'd this proposal with great satisfaction because it was a very honourable Post and exprest to the King my grateful acknowledgments for the favour he had done me in making choice of me for this Command But not knowing very well how to compass it for want of Money I proceeded no farther at that time being willing to try whether the King would do me any greater kindness than merely to shew his good inclinations toward me The person at present in that Office was one Ferrary whom his Majesty did not like at all And this among others was one reason why the King pitch'd upon me for it that I who was continually about his person might succeed a man for whom he had no kindness Some time after the first mention of it he took occasion to speak to me again and told me he would have me sell my Command of Lieutenant in the Guards to help towards the purchase of my Commissary's place As a particular mark of his favour he told me too that he would undertake to help me to a Chapman for my Lieutenant's place and make the best bargain he could for me I very readily agreed to all these proposals which were for my advantage as well in point of gain as of honour But I saw plainly the consequences of being engag'd in a business that I knew must cost me three times as much as my Command would bring me in But yet I let the King go on not daring to oppose his pleasure and hoping he would at some time or other recollect that he was richer than I and what was impossible for my circumstances to him would be very easy He sent Monsieur de Chenoise to me who had a mind to buy a Lieutenancy in the Guards for his Son the Baron de Boucaut and the management of my business lying in the hands of so powerful an Agent as his Majesty the bargain was soon agreed at twelve thousand Crowns which was more by one third than Lieutenants of the Guards Commands used then to go at The King then urged me to treat with Monsieur Ferrary for his Office and promis'd me a Bill upon the Treasury by which the Exchequer should stand engag'd to my Creditors for what Moneys they should advance towards this purchase if I happened to dye in the service This put me upon treating in good earnest and Monsieur Ferrary and I drove the bargain for thirty thousand Crowns II. My Friends in the mean while coming in very thick to proffer me the Money I sollicited the King that he would please to give me the Bill upon the Treasury which he had done me the favour to promise me and likewise made my interest with some other persons who might be assisting to me in the procuring it Going one day to wait on Monsieur de Bullion for this purpose and meeting Monsieur de Bellievre upon the stairs who was afterwards first President of the Parliament of Paris I was very importunate with him that he would give himself the trouble of recommending my business to the Superintendant He went up with me again at first word and did what I requested of him with that usual civility nd good grace that hath got him the respect of all mankind Though Monsieur Bullion was a perfect Creature of Cardinal Richelieu's who had no kindness for me yet he made me this civil answer That he should be very glad to serve me but if the King granted me this peculiar priviledge above the rest of his Officers he would bring them all upon him that they would expect the same â—avour which the King could neither give them without dipping his Exchequer in vast summs nor deny them without creating me as many Enemies as there were Officers in the Army But however that I might present my Petition to the Council and that they would debate the matter in his Majesty's presence I do not question but he discoursed the thing with the Cardinal and receiv'd positive orders to oppose it For notwithstanding the King was fully determined to grant me this favour notwithstanding he had acquainted the Cardinal with his intention who pretended to like it well enough notwithstanding by a particular act of condescension he had undertaken to put in my Petition himself yet for
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