Preface
You will find the first 44 chapters in the first book.
This text has not been edited after machine translation. This is an introductory event.
The second book of Aramis's memoirs describes the period between the end of Alexandre Dumas's novel The Three Musketeers and the beginning of the novel Twenty Years Later.
What did d'Artagnan, Athos, Porthos and Aramis himself do these twenty years? What was happening in France? It may be very interesting for the reader, because we left our beloved friends in 1629, and we will meet them again only twenty years later, in 1649! Will we never know what happened to them in their best years, when they were no longer extremely young and naive, but were not yet too old for active action? And is it really that a trip to England for the Queen’s pendants, breakfast at the Bastion of Saint-Gervais, an unsuccessful attempt to save Constance and the execution of Milady are the only glorious deeds of our glorious musketeers? Of course this is not true! Read about everything that interests you.
Chapter 45
I still have to write some notes regarding the memoirs of Athos, entitled The Three Musketeers.
After carefully reading a little more than a third of these memoirs, I realized that they were not written by Athos. They were written by Grimaud.
This intelligent and insightful servant simply idolized Athos. But this attitude towards him in some places really sticks out. Of course, Athos had almost no secrets from Grimaud; it is also quite possible that Grimaud collected materials for this book by questioning our other servants, Planchet and Mousqueton. As for Bazin, he is so closed and devoted to me, not only in business, but also in keeping a secret about me even in front of his best friends, that I am quite sure that he will never tell anyone anything about me. That is why I sometimes look in these “Memoirs” completely different from what I really was at that time.
To make sure of my assumption, I copied several fragments onto separate sheets and, on occasion, showed them to Athos.
- My friend! - I told him. — Is it conceivable that this text was written or dictated by you?
“It’s been so long since I wrote or dictated something that, as it seems to me, this never happened in my life, except for the will,” answered Athos. —What text are you talking about?
“Read it first,” I answered evasively.
Athos took the sheets of paper and began to read aloud.
“Of all d’Artagnan’s friends, Athos was the eldest, and therefore should have been the least close to him in his tastes and inclinations.”
-What is this, Aramis? - Athos asked in bewilderment.
- Read, read on! - I answered.
“And yet d'Artagnan gave him a clear preference over the others. The noble, refined appearance of Athos, the flashes of spiritual greatness that sometimes illuminated the shadow in which he usually kept himself, the invariably even disposition of spirit that made his company the most pleasant in the world, his caustic gaiety, his courage, which could be called blind if it were not for was the result of a rare composure - all these qualities aroused in d’Artagnan more than respect, more than friendship: they aroused his admiration.”
—Where did you get this and what does it all mean? - Athos was even more surprised. “Do you think that I am capable of praising myself so much, putting myself above my friends?”
“Read, Athos, there are five more paragraphs praising you and calling you a demigod,” I grinned.
“Hardly anyone could write this seriously about me,” answered Athos. - If this is a mockery, then it’s not funny to me, by God! Throw it away or better yet, tear it up.
“This is a copy of one page from a book whose title states that its author is the Comte de La F;re,” I replied. — There is also a second page in the same spirit.
“If the name Athos hadn’t been here, I would have thought that you meant some ancestor of mine, but I didn’t have ancestors with the name Athos!” - Athos answered. “Therefore, this is a hoax ,” said Athos. - A decent person cannot extol himself like that, even if he seriously evaluates himself in this way. I in no way consider myself a demigod, and I would not even apply to myself even a tenth of the epithets that are present here.
- Who could have written this? - I asked with a sly smile.
- The devil pulled me and taught me to read and write Grimaud! - Athos exclaimed. “This scoundrel, it turns out, was only pretending to be sick, so that for the last three years he was supposedly lying down in his closet for two hours at a time!” Damn graphomaniac! Well, just wait, I’ll teach you a lesson!
“Don’t get excited, Athos,” I tried to calm him down. “Perhaps in a hundred or two hundred years there will be nothing left of you and me except these not always accurate and not very objective memories.” We ourselves will definitely no longer exist. So let this work of Grimaud remain at least the slightest reminder of what we were and what we did.
- But, judging by these two pages, there is not a word of truth here! - Athos exclaimed.
“Almost everything here is true, except that you could write something similar about yourself,” I answered. - However, I carefully read the first third and intend to read to the end, and also provide this text with my notes and even, perhaps, corrections.
“Well, this is a worthy cause,” Athos agreed. “Just for God’s sake, remove these two pages, tear them out and burn them, so that no one thinks that I could write something like that about myself.” And take my name off the cover. Let Grimaud sign these memories with his name.
- What difference does it make who signed them if they contain the truth? - I asked. - And who would read memoirs written by a servant, and not by a nobleman?
“You’re right, Aramis, but who will read memoirs signed with my name?” - asked Athos. “And do we need someone to read these memoirs?”
“Contrary to what is written in this book, I looked at the end of it, I have some descendants left,” I answered. “It is to them that I bequeath this work with my notes.”
— How did you get this book? - asked Athos.
“You know who I am now,” I replied. “Nothing that is in any way connected with me, especially with my actions in the past, can remain outside the scope of my attention. My people find these documents and deliver them to me, confiscating them from any storeroom, even the most reliable.
— Are you sure that there are no other copies of this book? - asked Athos.
“I’m absolutely sure, otherwise I would have them all,” I replied.
We parted, and I continued reading, from time to time indignant at the impudence of Grimaud, who lied without mincing small things.
Firstly, reading these memoirs, as well as mine, the reader may think that the musketeers had a lot of free time, and all they did was start duels with the cardinal’s guards, maim or kill each other in them, and get drunk , gorged themselves in taverns, and flirted with pretty women from various classes.
I assure you, this is far from the case.
I must say that our captain de Treville liked to repeat one phrase: “A musketeer who does not have a mission is a potential violator of discipline.” Therefore, he very jealously ensured that each musketeer always had some kind of assignment, which, as a rule, required courage, determination, resourcefulness, and, of course, all military skills, or at least part of them. We were soldiers every day for ten to twelve hours a day, and on days when we were on duty, even more, including night duty. But these actions were routine for us, they are familiar to every musketeer. Therefore, there is no point in describing this daily military work.
I would like to refer to the episode when all four of us went to London to buy the Queen’s pendants.
I was forced to hide from Paris for some time for completely different reasons. The cardinal's bloodhounds followed on my heels, and above all, Rochefort, who even wanted to kill me at the insistence of my lady.
Reporting this meant creating unnecessary problems for my friends, so I kept them from this information.
It’s one thing to rush to fulfill the Queen’s instructions, another thing to run away from the cardinal’s spies, and quite another thing to try to combine both.
Realizing that the option proposed by d'Artagnan is very successful for me, and also realizing that Porthos would never agree to run away, and Athos, perhaps, would prefer to come to the cardinal to clarify the question of what he might be facing. whether his friends and he were guilty, and only d'Artagnan himself would have acted in the same way, regardless of whether the cardinal's bloodhounds and the cardinal himself personally have claims against us, or whether they will persecute us solely in connection with our mission, I decided not overload your friends with information that is unnecessary for them. Besides, I didn’t know that d’Artagnan had personal reasons to hate Rochefort and seek a meeting with him. And if I had known this, I would have tried all the more to facilitate his departure from Paris.
Chapter 46
We actually stopped in Beauvais and lost two hours in the hope that Porthos would catch up. An ambush awaited us one mile from Beauvais. We decided to break through the ranks of soldiers who had previously pretended to be road workers, fortunately there were only a dozen and a half of them, that is, three for each of us, if you count our servants, who were also armed with muskets and fired back. Our shots rang out first, Athos and I did not miss, so that two of our enemies immediately appeared before the Lord. D'Artagnan, who was not yet accustomed to shooting at fellow citizens almost point-blank, wounded the enemy who was directly in front of him in the right shoulder, thereby depriving him of the opportunity to shoot. I regret that Athos and I shot to kill, because whatever you say, these were our fellow citizens, and they are not to blame for choosing to serve the cardinal as their career. But at that moment we didn't think about it. Our servants fired at the feet of our enemies, since they did not dare to kill the nobles, unmistakably recognizing the cardinal's guards in these enemies, so clumsily pretending to be road workers. It was difficult to deceive them, since none of the guards did anything that road workers usually do, and it was clear that for them a shovel, a crowbar and a pick were completely unfamiliar objects.
We were almost saved by the unanimity with which we almost simultaneously galloped towards the enemy, and Athos was the first. We were also lucky that although our ill-wishers almost kept their muskets at the ready, they were still not in a fighting position, while for us it was not difficult to grab pistols from a travel bag, since these bags were arranged extremely thoughtfully. D'Artagnan was right a thousand times, who warned us that the pistols were loaded, and that we take pistols with a flint fuse, which made it possible to use them almost instantly, which, however, created a certain risk of misfire. It seems that one of our servants misfired, but still, having brought out five attackers, we almost broke through them, but, to our greatest chagrin, we saw Bousqueton fall from his horse, apparently receiving a serious wound. A couple of seconds later I felt a burning blow on my left shoulder, after which I almost immediately felt that my shirt was becoming warm and sticking to my body. I realized that I was wounded, but tried not to show it, so as not to detain my comrades in such a dangerous place. Those who ambushed us did not give chase, since they apparently had to lead the horses away and hide them. Therefore, no matter how hard I tried to hold on, and this time seemed to me an eternity, in the end, when we were already at a fairly safe distance from our enemies, I felt that I was no longer able to stay in the saddle, and as soon as I saw by the road a suitable tavern where I could stop and ask for help, I allowed myself to tell my comrades about my wound and the impossibility of riding further.
- Aramis! - Athos exclaimed. - Why were you silent? You've lost so much blood!
“I tied the wound with a bridle as I walked and slipped a handkerchief under it,” I answered. — When I did this, the idea seemed suitable to me, but now, alas, it no longer helps.
- Damn it! - exclaimed d'Artagnan. “We lost two hours waiting for Porthos; we could afford to lose five minutes bandaging you.”
- Who knows? - I objected. “Perhaps these five minutes will not be enough for you to complete our mission.”
As it turns out, I was right. If we had lost this precious time, d'Artagnan would not have met the Comte de Wardes, who would have sailed to England before him and our whole mission would have failed. It’s not a pity to give a little blood for victory, so I still think that I did the right thing.
My friends entrusted me to the care of Bazin, who called the servants. Two servants from the tavern approached his call, and the three of them carefully took me off the horse, carried me into the tavern and placed me in a comfortable room. I paid the innkeeper for his work and for his stay for three days in advance, which allowed Bazin and me to have good accommodation in this inn. As our credit dried up, I paid the innkeeper two or three more days in advance, which delighted him, so that we did not want for anything. Wanting to thank me for such benevolent behavior, since usually the guests never paid in advance, the innkeeper became addicted to starting an obsequious conversation with me, from which I learned that he was very sympathetic to the Jesuits. I remembered that I had promised myself to try to enter the Jesuit Order, and decided to find out more about them, taking advantage of this opportunity, since I was still unable to do anything else until my wound healed, and this would take a lot of time , I believe that at least three weeks. Fortunately, the innkeeper called a fairly skilled surgeon to see me, who treated my wound with undiluted wine and applied a bandage with some ointments or powders. The wound was through, the bone was not touched, so there was no need to remove the bullet.
So, having recovered a little, I was able to allow myself to find out little by little what the Jesuits were like from the inside, since I already knew everything that could be learned from them from books.
—Are you interested in the Jesuits? - the innkeeper asked in an ominous whisper, waiting for Bazin to leave on business.
“Actually, my plans are to become one of them,” I answered simply.
- Shh! - exclaimed the innkeeper. - Although this Order exists quite legally, membership in it is not very advertised. We are supposed to show modesty.
“Well, yes, of course! - I thought. “You’ve already told almost the first guest you meet that you’re a member of this order, just because he pays you to stay three days in advance!”
Little did I know that paying it forward was one of the best financial investments I've ever made. The innkeeper himself was a small pawn in the order, but he was so imbued with sympathy for me that he agreed to invite one very influential Jesuit, the abbot of the Amiens Jesuit Monastery, Father Benedict, to talk to me. He probably had a completely different name, but he introduced himself to me under that name. Of course, Father Benedict would not have gone to meet me just at the request of a simple innkeeper, but the innkeeper, I think his name was Julien, acted subtly. First he invited a priest from Montdidier, who was also a Jesuit, to see me. I made a duly impression on this priest with my discussions on theological topics. He, in turn, invited Father Benedict to me.
I immediately realized that Father Benedict was far from being as simple as he tried to seem. He was one of the most active figures in the Order, although he did not occupy a very high position in the hierarchy, but exerted a noticeable influence due to his remarkable intellect, active position and almost fanatical devotion to the Order. I decided to do my best to make a proper impression on him, and I did not regret it. My tactic was to talk about the dissertation on a theological topic that I was supposedly going to write. Father Benedict was inspired by this idea and was eager to become my theosophical mentor, to which I gladly agreed.
Since I knew Latin perfectly even then, and was quite well-read in the subject area, I proposed the topic of whether clergy of not the highest rank should bless parishioners with one or two hands. Of course, this was only a clue, but I had already become interested in the existing disagreements on this topic in various sacred texts, so I understood that with due persistence I could easily extract a lot of material for this study and write a dissertation that would serve as a key to the front door into the highest hierarchical circles of clergy. Having defended such a dissertation and secured the necessary financial support, as well as recommendations from influential nobles, one could even count on the rank of bishop, although, of course, not immediately and not as easily as I describe here. Having put in about ten years to do this, one could have achieved success, but I was by no means going to devote myself entirely to this field, so I set myself a period two or three times longer, which was later fully justified.
So we communicated while I was healing my wound, Father Benedict visited me regularly, Bazin brought me books from the library of the Amiens Monastery, so that the first version of the dissertation was written in rough form within two weeks.
During this time, d'Artagnan managed to return from the trip, having completed his mission to return her pendants to the Queen, after which, as I remember, he discovered that Constance Bonacieux had been kidnapped, guessed that this had happened at the instigation and instigation of her husband, and realized that he could not cope with this matter without the help of his friends.
I would be pleased to think that d'Artagnan decided to repeat his journey on the road to England in order to gather friends whom he lost on this road on his first trip solely for the happiness of seeing them all and providing them with help if they needed it. But my mind is accustomed to seeing with pragmatic precision the true reasons for all the actions of people that it occurs to me to analyze. If it had been d'Artagnan even a year later, the d'Artagnan with whom we walked shoulder to shoulder through La Rochelle, through the danger of being poisoned by wine from Milady, the one with whom we found the dying Constance, and the one with whom we carried out their cruel but fair judgment on this monster, Lady Winter, I do not doubt for a second that he would have thought about finding us and even giving his life for any of us, if necessary, from the very moment circumstances separated us. But at that moment he was just an extremely ambitious young man in love with Constance, whom Athos twice allowed to think that he was the leader of our four. He was the young man who, as he believed, managed to infect with his idea of saving the Queen's honor four more experienced and older comrades, warriors already scorched by military battles and glory for successful attacks against the enemy, for a reconnaissance raid and for the storming of one of the fortresses. Calling d'Artagnan the smartest of us, Athos, of course, was joking, with the goal of cheering him up and at least somehow raising him to our level, with which we completely agreed. Indeed, we liked this young man because of the determination with which he took our side in the skirmish with the cardinal’s guards, thanks to the success of his sword. He was clumsy and looked naive, overly proud and sometimes even cocky in some of his actions, but it suited him, it was par for the course for ambitious young nobles from worthy but poor families. In those days, being a poor Gascon nobleman was very prestigious, since at first our late King Henry IV and his closest ministers, and de Treville himself, were the same, and they all reached unprecedented or at least very great heights.
So, our young Gascon went to collect his lost friends along the road where he had lost them, and, it seems, he had already found Porthos, and the next on this list was me.
We were just having conversations on theological topics that interested me only as a bridge to the Jesuit Order, but I feigned enthusiasm and complete interest in front of Father Benedict and a priest from Montdidier named Father Jacques de Porcu. This priest, to his misfortune, did not know Latin at all, which he was afraid to admit, so it gave me indescribable pleasure to insert Latin into our conversation, adding such turns of phrase as “you, of course, remember that” or “how do you, undoubtedly , you know." Once I even said: “Didn’t you just remember this wonderful saying the other day?” After that I said: “ Noli te nitidior videri quam tu videri , et timere aliis doctor videri ". After that I added: “It seems like it’s from Seneca?
Poor Jacques nodded and said that it may well be that this is exactly what he recently remembered, although he no longer remembers for what reason.
I looked at Father Benedict. He, of course, knew perfectly well that de Porcu did not speak Latin, he wanted to laugh, but seeing my serious face, as well as the stupid, obsequious smile of Father Jean, he decided that, perhaps, this poor fellow could already understand some of what was said .
He agreed with me with the most serious look and continued the discussion. It seemed to me that d'Artagnan understood what I said and began to stroke his mustache with his hand to hide his grin.
I realized that the conversation should be wound up as quickly as possible, and I tried to steer our ship of theological dreams out of the waves of theological debate as quickly as possible into some quiet haven of peaceful recognition of the erudition of all interlocutors, encouraging them with the high goal of the planned accomplishments for the glory of the Lord.
The landing from heaven to earth was carried out as softly as possible, after which I parted with my spiritual guests, without wasting energy on seeing them off due to the fact that my injury still relieved me of the duties of such hospitality.
I decided to have a little more fun at the expense of d'Artagnan and portrayed a saint in front of him, who completely decided to renounce earthly concerns and give himself to the bosom of the Catholic Church. Athos and Porthos should have seen the sour expression with which d'Artagnan listened to all this! Mentally, I was rolling with laughter at him, but this was a most useful lesson for me, since I had long ago decided that thoughts and emotions are exactly what should be carefully hidden from everyone, and that the best cover for true emotions is a mask of opposite emotions, or, at least, very far from the true ones.
I think that if it had been thirty years after this, d’Artagnan would have easily seen through me, but that young man, who then only barely knew me, succumbed to this trick, and decided that in me he could lose a friend and a musketeer, whom he would take away he has some holy monastery.
D'Artagnan played his trump card against me. He stopped by my apartment and had a letter for me from Marie de Chevreuse herself. This letter was extremely interesting to me, since Mary and I had already entered into the form of relationship in which King Henry IV and his royal wife Queen Margot had been for a long time. We, from lovers who sometimes allowed ourselves to help each other with advice, exchange information and be allies in a conspiracy, have turned, first of all, into allies in conspiracies, who know each other well enough that we have already decided to almost never cheat with each other, and in the old memories sometimes allow themselves to become lovers again for a change. Chevrette's letter interested me because of the importance of its content about the balance of power on the political front, about the intrigues being started and their background, but Maria skillfully disguised such reports as love letters, and used such subtle hints of the essence that only such an astute reader like me understood the meaning such letters, while any spy of the cardinal would not have attached any significance to this letter and would not have seen in it anything other than a love letter.
D'Artagnan solemnly handed me Maria's letter and remained in full confidence that he had just returned the musketeer to duty, keeping him from the disastrous idea of becoming an abbot.
Chapter 47
Grimaud, in his memoirs signed with the name of Athos, paints Buckingham in overly rosy colors. Not surprising, because he knew him only from the words of Athos! And Athos always speaks of people either well or not at all, that’s just the way he is.
What you will not learn from these memoirs is that the death of King James I was explained by many in England by the fact that Buckingham allegedly poisoned him, since the King had lost the affection for him that had elevated this upstart to the very pinnacle of power in the kingdom, while his son, Charles, Then only the prince was already inflamed with the same or even greater feelings for him.
Perhaps this is slander and slander. I don’t presume to say with complete certainty. But such rumors do not grow out of nowhere.
I will only say that no one could do this to the King of France. For many reasons. No matter how much affection Louis XIII felt for any of his favorites, he never transferred to any of them such enormous power that such a thing could happen. In addition, all his favorites have never been so critical of themselves and attentive to the King’s attitude towards them in order to feel in time how the ground of impunity is slipping from under their feet. None of them thought of resigning honorably in time; they all considered themselves masters of the situation until the end.
If Buckingham really managed to notice the clouds on the horizon in a timely manner, if he, sensing danger, eliminated the King and elevated his son to the empty throne, thus preserving his power, then I must admit that he acted like the most dexterous and far-sighted politician in Europe of all those known to me.
I am ready to attribute this meanness to him, perhaps unfairly, since I do not hide the fact that I do not love him even now that he is gone. I was jealous of Chevrette and did not forgive him. He had many such Chevrettes, and there could have been even more if he just wanted to. By taking her from me, he took from me almost completely the little that I had, without enriching himself one bit. However, I understand that the decision in this matter was made by Maria herself, she was the initiator of their relationship, but he might not have accepted her this female “dedication” with such readiness as he did, thereby offending even my other enemy , Earl Holland!
Away with this lyrical digression, I will only describe the events, although I cannot promise that I will not accompany them with my assessment.
What I read further in the notes written by Grimaud gave me an ambivalent feeling. At first I almost became angry, and this would have happened if I had not, through long efforts, taught myself that such feelings as anger, jealousy, envy and despondency are the greatest sins, leading directly to Hell. I learned not only not to outwardly show these feelings, but also not to actually indulge in them, not to allow the slightest bit of such feelings into myself, which probably served as one of the significant reasons that the Lord allowed me to stay in this world for quite a long time, and does not rush my arrival to the next world. The two different conditions should not be confused. Anyone who experiences one of these feelings, but does not show it, allows this feeling to corrode himself from the inside, just as sea water corrodes an iron barrel. The one who does not allow these feelings to even arise remains pure and fresh, like a barrel filled with the best olive oil.
So, I do not feel anger when reading Grimaud’s writings, only for the reason that I am me, and anger will never take away even the smallest fraction of my soul from me, even for the shortest time.
The second feeling I experienced while reading Grimaud's writings was amusement. This smart and business-like lackey, it turns out, read Moliere and other writers and poets. That's why he developed a passion for writing! Of course, he had access to the entire magnificent library of Athos, and since, as I already mentioned, Athos himself ordered Grimaud to be taught to read and write, for which he forked out for a teacher from Blois, then, in the end, Athos himself sowed the seeds of this multi-volume pamphlet on us , musketeers, so it would only be fair that the name of the Count de La F;re remain on the title page of such a farce. In any case, I will not correct this falsification, believing that, due to my position, I already have a lot of responsibilities. I hoped that reading this multi-volume work would give me pleasure and relaxation, but I never expected that I would have fun, noting the inaccuracies and inconsistencies of this book, as a small child has fun seeing for the first time in his life how a puppy is trying to catch up with its tail, or like a mouse trying to jump out of a huge bottle of olive oil, into which it fell due to thoughtlessness.
The magnificent horses d'Artagnan received from Buckingham were a gift from the enemy. It is a great success that the cardinal did not find out about them. We could not present the matter as if these were spoils of war, since no battles had yet begun. The narrow-minded Grimaud apparently believed that we lost these horses due to the fact that we were revelers, immoderate players and had a thousand other shortcomings that rumor attributed to the French musketeers and Hungarian hussars. These were not all musketeers and hussars, but only representatives of the repair platoon, in other words, the quartermaster platoon. It was they who were responsible for purchasing horses, equipment, including saddles, harnesses, blankets, saddle pads and everything else. These slackers received from their captain money for the appropriate purchases and accompanying documents, allowing them to scour the city freely in search of the best goods, which they did, but they were not looking for goods, but for adventure. Having decent amounts of money in their pockets, they spent it on ladies with a low level of social responsibility, after which they tried to make up for the shortage by playing cards or dice, hoping for luck. Of course, most often they ended up losing, after which, in order to avoid shame, they started a duel, if possible, with a large number of soldiers from competing regiments, preferring heroic death to shame. So the musketeers provided similar services to the quartermasters from among the cardinal’s guards who had stolen and lost at cards, who preferred to be sent to the next world by a blow from a musketeer’s sword rather than from the hangman’s noose. The cardinal's guards also provided similar services to the thieving quartermaster-musketeers. However, there were so few such cases that it is not worth talking about them, but the memories of them did a disservice to the popular opinion of the musketeers and guardsmen.
So, it was necessary to get rid of expensive English horses, since this English breed was known in France, because at that time almost all the nobles were the best horse experts. If an expensive saddle could be made to order, or bought, even if its English origin were obvious, the history of its acquisition could be rooted in the unknown, and this would not bother anyone. But the appearance of four magnificent English horses from three poor musketeers and one even poorer guardsman would be tantamount to admitting that we were taken into custody by the English government or some English nobleman. I can hardly admit that Buckingham was so stupid that he did not understand this, but to assume that by this act he would want to cast a shadow of suspicion on us that we had sold ourselves to England as spies is completely unthinkable, because we could, defending themselves from accusations, reveal their true origin to the cardinal's spies, in any case, without knowing us, he could have expected this! Most likely, he simply didn’t think, and the horses were already in France, so in order to give them to us, he just had to give d’Artagnan the password.
Each of us considered it indelicate to point out d'Artagnan's mistake, sparing his pride. When the young Gascon told Athos that we should have been recognized on the battlefield by these horses, Athos realized that he had acted exceptionally correctly by getting rid of two horses at once. There is absolutely no need for people who hide their true names under pseudonyms, especially Athos, to help representatives of an enemy country recognize you on the battlefield.
All of us, Athos, Porthos, and I, made the same decision: we should urgently get rid of the horses, turning them into money or into nothing at all. Nobles like us could not sell such horses without revealing themselves and their origin. When bidding, ownership must be proven, so the best option was to place them as a bet in the game. Athos did this very thing. He understood that d'Artagnan would not allow him to sell the horses, and, moreover, Athos was not the kind of person who could sell a gift received from a friend. Self-interest is not about Athos. I couldn’t claim that I had lost the knight, since an abbot shouldn’t gamble. I couldn't even bother selling it. Fortunately, the innkeeper, who is a member of the Jesuit Order, arranged everything in such a way that the reseller, who bought this horse not from me, but through the innkeeper, provided full guarantees of the secrecy of the transaction, so that not a single living soul could find out who exactly sold him this magnificent animal. Naturally, these conditions significantly reduced the price of the transaction, however, I remembered the saying that no claims are made to the donor for the value of a gifted horse.
Porthos did the same. But he did not set special conditions, so he negotiated the best price for his horse, however, this difference was immediately turned into food and wine, after which it disappeared into the magnificent throat of our good giant in order to establish complete harmony in his stomach for a while, having previously enjoyed his taste and smell. The gastronomic pleasures of Porthos at the expense of the cost of the horse, the end of which we found and shared with him, gave Athos a reason to joke that we were eating horse meat. Having eaten Porthos's horse, we did not regret it at all, and only d'Artagnan lamented his bad luck. But he was wrong. He wanted to please his friends with his gift, and he gave it to us. He wanted us to easily and confidently ride our horses to the battlefield, and we achieved this by replacing the horses, since it was much more pleasant than in the dungeons of Richelieu giving his interrogators explanations about how we got the purebred English horses that were destined to would win prizes at races in Chester and even in Newmarket. Such horses could only belong to the late King James I, and only Buckingham or Charles I could give them after his death.
D'Artagnan could not know this, but any of us could not but know this, as did the cardinal and his musketeers from among the eminent nobles. Moreover, poor fellow Grimaud could not know this. Therefore, the story of how we got rid of horses is told as far from the truth as possible. The true price of these horses was twenty or even thirty times more than indicated in Grimaud’s memoirs, but selling such horses was as difficult as, for example, selling the Palais Cardinal, or the Tower.
Chapter 48
Inconsistencies and absurdities in the presentation of the story of how d'Artagnan met Milady, got close to her at night under the guise of Comte de Wardes, got into mischief with her maid Katie, after which he was invited on a date with Milady under his own name, where he became so soft , who decided to outline all the vicissitudes of his deception, shielding de Wardes, has as much in common with reality as the images of gods made by the ancient Scythians with the true face of God. Our d'Artagnan, like any Gascon, after two and three decades, recounted this story in friendly drinking sessions, enriching it with more and more colorful details, which can be forgiven for any aging soldier who remembers his youth not with the voluptuous nostalgia that the great ones experience. formerly a ladies' man. By inventing various plot twists, containing mainly declarations of love from all kinds of beauties, as well as reciprocal declarations from the narrators of these stories, they themselves begin to believe in them. To fall in love with Constance, to chase favor and the highest signs of favor on the part of Milady and her maid Katie, it was quite in the spirit of d'Artagnan. Youthful ardor, which makes you believe that you love the woman you see in front of you more than life itself, is quite excusable, and it sometimes makes you commit extremely rash acts. But the most complete lie lies in the fact that our glorious d’Artagnan discussed such actions with Athos, receiving from him from time to time condemnation, approval, or unobtrusive advice, combined with the statement that Athos never gave advice to anyone, unless he was asked to do so (which is absolutely true), all these inconsistencies make this part of Grimaud's memoirs completely fantastic. I can guess the sources from which Grimaud drew his romantic nonsense, which he himself did not happen to know.
The truth is simpler and more boring. D'Artagnan recognized Milady as the lady with whom Rochefort was talking, having met her by chance. While keeping an eye on her, he tried to gain the confidence of her maid Katie, and did so so successfully that the maid gave him all the evidence of her affection almost immediately when he expressed this desire, without particularly hoping for success. However, the victory of a nobleman over a maid has always been quite common, so if it surprised d’Artagnan, it was only due to his youth and inexperience. If Katie had been a little smarter, she would have first found out the financial side of the issue, and, having learned that the tall, arrogant and slender Gascon had not a penny to his name, she probably would not have been so accommodating. After all, she could hardly count on marriage with a nobleman, even the poorest Gascon. Katie herself told her lover all of Milady's secrets, not suspecting that he was trying to find them out in order to find his missing lover. But d'Artagnan was not as vile as is described in Grimaud's memoirs. He did not enter Milady's bed, deliberately pretending to be Comte de Wardes. And he was also not so stupid as to, having achieved such success with a substitution, tell everything honestly to the deceived victim. Everything was much simpler. He was busy appeasing Katie, but Milady sent de Wardes a letter, which was not given to him. There was no trace of a door from Katie’s room to Milady’s bedroom, much less there was a partition so thin that any conversations could be heard. Milady herself would not allow this to happen. Of course, Katie lived in rooms nearby, but not in such close proximity that would have given her the opportunity to keep an eye on her mistress and eavesdrop on her conversations during nightly dates, which were not uncommon. Milady made appointments late at night and in complete darkness not because d'Artagnan demanded so in a forged letter on behalf of the Comte de Wardes, intending to replace him with herself. Milady herself feared that her lover would accidentally see the mark on her shoulder. This explained the complete darkness in her bedroom during any visits. That evening she was expecting de Wardes, while our young Gascon, excited in his stormy expressions of love for Katie, made so much noise that Milady, hearing a man's voice, thought that de Wardes had appeared. So she rang the bell for Katie to escort de Wardes to her bedroom. Poor Katie could not admit that there was no de Wardes. But she couldn’t say that a man’s voice came from her bedroom! Thus, she herself suggested that d'Artagnan go to Milady under the guise of de Wardes and, complaining of being unwell, limit himself to a short conversation, and then leave the bedroom.
This is exactly what d'Artagnan promised to do, and in the most honest way he intended to do exactly that. At that moment he did not feel any love for Milady, but hunted for her only in order to find Rochefort, and through him Constance Bonacieux.
The shameful truth, perhaps for d'Artagnan, is that he could not resist Milady's gentle voice and her gentle hands. However, the same would happen to any of us. I even believe that if Athos had been in his place, he would not have resisted either. Long-term hatred easily melts in a man’s heart from a gentle female voice and gentle hands and lips. He could only resist if he despised her. But Athos never despised her. He continued to love and hate her all this time. Thus, our glorious young Gascon was able to count Milady among his few victories of youth and ardor, which, as far as I understand, were very few at that time, perhaps only two - first Katie, then Milady. He had not yet had time to exchange evidence of love with Constance, which, by the way, explains his ardor and passion in relation to this generally good lady, in whom I, however, did not see anything special, and looked at her only as a means, with the help which Marie de Chevreuse and Queen Anne satisfied their whims, and Rochefort and Milady carried out their revenge. She was unlucky, she became a toy in the hands of people stronger and more determined than she could have imagined, which is mistakenly called a toy in the hands of fate.
So, d'Artagnan, under the guise of Comte de Wardes, possessed Milady, without in the least intending to do this in advance, and in no way, without planning such an outcome.
Lord Winter's younger brother, Edward Winter, at one time met Milady in London and fell in love with her so much that when she said that she would like to live in Paris, he turned his real estate into money, transferred it to French bankers in his name and in her name, arrived in Paris, where he acquired extensive estates and ensured that they were united into a marquisate called Brenvilliers. Thus, the Marquis de Brenvilliers whom I mentioned was the same Marquis who intended to kill me, believing that I was the lover of his wife, Milady. All this was started by Milady, who knew that I was an excellent swordsman and an equally outstanding shooter. I have already talked about this above. The Marquis's brother was, therefore, Lord Winter, whose death Milady wished with all her soul, in order to become the heir not only of her husband, but also of his unmarried brother. Her impatience was explained by the fact that she feared that Lord Winter would marry and acquire a male heir. Lord Winter was the eldest brother, so the bulk of the family's wealth went to him. It seems that, being in Paris on business related to the funeral of his brother, as well as putting his affairs in order, since the Marquis appointed his brother as his executor, Lord Winter, of course, did not look for a wife among the noble and beautiful French women. But since a lot of time had already passed since the death of the Marquis, the mourning was over, and Lord Winter was preparing to leave for London. Milady understood that if her brother-in-law left for London, she would no longer be able to carry out her plans, so her brother-in-law’s wealth would elude her forever. That is why she was furious when she learned that d'Artagnan did not kill Lord Winter in the duel that so opportunely broke out between them. But she had high hopes for her. If not Lord Winter, then at least d'Artagnan himself, the culprit for the failure of her mission in London on the matter of pendants, one of the two would definitely have to die. The fact that not only did they not kill each other, but also became friends, infuriated her. She would have preferred for the two to end their duel like the mythical Kilkenny cats, who, according to legend, fought fiercely and mercilessly until only their tails remained.
In connection with these cats, I now remember one episode that happened around the same time.
Cardinal Richelieu, who loved both cats and chess, once compared one of his chess games with Rochefort, also a chess lover, to such a fight between the Kilkenny cats. As a result of this game, only two kings remained on the board.
“As a chess player, Count, you achieved a draw, but as a politician you shamelessly lost ,” Richelieu said then, leaning back in his high chair.
“I don’t understand you, monsignor,” Rochefort replied.
“That’s why you will never become a diplomat,” the cardinal continued. - If you want to achieve a draw, then you could at least leave me a horse. The result would have been exactly the same, but I wouldn't have been as upset. And if you do not cause grief to a person much higher than you, or minimize it as much as possible, then, believe me, you only benefit from this.
“I thought that chess...” said the embarrassed Rochefort.
- That this is just a game? - Richelieu picked up. “My friend, there can’t be just a game with someone who holds your well-being and life itself in his hands.” Don’t even think about beating the King or at least making the game a draw.
“I have never played chess with His Majesty,” Rochefort replied.
“Of course, you will never play, because you did not pass the test,” Richelieu laughed. - Do you think that I didn’t notice that knight fork that you placed on the fifty-second move, relying on my inattention? I thought I would test how far you would go in your insolence. You failed the test, Rochefort.
- Woe to me! - exclaimed the count.
“Don’t be upset, Count,” the cardinal reassured him. “Your place is where your talents will shine best and be most useful.” Shuffling your feet in the King's waiting room and giving in to any game, not just chess, is not your thing. I have sometimes proposed to the King certain noble young men of impeccable appearance, whom I believed to be infinitely devoted to me, in order to strengthen my position and theirs. But my choice was not always successful. Regarding you, today I was once again convinced that you are not suitable for the role of a royal page or falconer, but I need you as an officer on special assignments and you cope with this role superbly.
“So I haven’t become the new de Chalet?” - asked Rochefort. - Perhaps this is for the better?
After these words, the cardinal looked very carefully and respectfully into Rochefort’s face and nodded his head thoughtfully.
Something in de Rochefort's face reminded him of a certain young man, noble, quite distinguished, slender, handsome and very courteous.
“Fran;ois de Barrada,” Richelieu remembered his name. - This is what you need. However, betting on one is very dangerous. We need to find others too.”
Fran;ois de Barrada was presented to King Louis XIII by the cardinal and took the place of royal favorite, empty after the execution of de Chalet.
So, d'Artagnan found Milady and managed to quarrel fatally with her. This lady also sought my death, but for completely different reasons. If she had known that her ex-husband, Count de La Fere, was hiding under the name of Athos, she would certainly have wanted to kill him too. So by this time the only one of us who could not fear her treacherous assassination attempt was Porthos.
Grimaud reports that d'Artagnan accidentally discovered a mark in the form of a lily on Milady's shoulder and told Athos about it, and also showed him the ring given to her, in which Athos recognized his family jewel, given to Milady on her wedding day.
This is not entirely true.
Milady really gave d'Artagnan the ring, but for completely different reasons. She knew Comte de Wardes very well, because she fell in love with him. It seemed to her that the voice of the man who entered her bedroom and called himself Comte de Wardes did not correspond to the voice of the one she loved. But she could not check her doubts by ordering the candles to be lit, because she was afraid that her guest would notice the brand on her shoulder. In relation to this revelation, she experienced simply animal fear after such an exposure had almost cost her her life. Having made it a rule to make love only in complete darkness, she was afraid to retreat from him. Therefore, she decided to give her lover a ring and make him promise to wear it always. In this way, she decided to make sure that her guest was precisely the Count de Wardes. In the darkness, she mistakenly took the wrong ring from the drawer of the bedside table. She intended to present a completely different ring, which was quite elegant, but did not bear such an ominous stamp of events that she could not remember without a shudder. She wore the ring of Athos in order to fuel her hatred for him, so that the desire to avenge herself by dealing with him would not cool down. This ring had one sharp edge with which she cut the rope on which Athos hung her, so that the ring was also a talisman symbolizing the protection that Hell provided her from the vindictiveness of earthly enemies. She would not part with him under any circumstances.
Having given d'Artagnan the ring of Athos by mistake and discovering this mistake in the morning, my lady was greatly distressed and hoped to exchange it for another at the next meeting.
It happened, however, that Athos saw this ring on d'Artagnan's hand and immediately recognized it. There could be no doubt. D'Artagnan had to explain the history of the origin of the ring, without going into the intricacies of how this meeting was organized, which, however, Athos was not interested in.
Athos asked his young friend if he had noticed his beloved’s shoulder, to which d’Artagnan stated that the meeting took place in complete darkness.
— On whose initiative was such a condition agreed upon? - asked Athos and looked carefully into d'Artagnan's face.
D'Artagnan was embarrassed. He remembered that he had taken advantage of the darkness himself, so he should not have protested against this turn of events.
“It was a mutual decision,” he answered embarrassedly.
“Now you’re lying to me,” Athos said sadly. “Just think what women turn excellent men into!”
- Sorry, Athos! - exclaimed d'Artagnan, blushing. “The initiative came from her, and I just took advantage of it.”
“In that case, my friend, you must at all costs ensure that you look at her left shoulder in the light of at least one candle, and even better - in the light of the sun,” said Athos extremely seriously.
- And what should I see there? - inquired d'Artagnan.
“I pray to God that you don’t see anything special on her shoulder,” Athos said softly. - In this case, I will offer you five bottles of the best Burgundy wine. And you will call me an old bore whose imagination ran wild from some pathetic pebble.
“But I don’t want to insult you at all, Athos!” - D'Artagnan protested.
“I only ask you to calm down my unforgivable suspiciousness,” Athos answered softly. -Can you do this for me?
- But how?! - D'Artagnan exclaimed, however, looking into the serious face of Athos, he stopped short. - I will try. I promise. I will do it.
“Do it as quickly as possible, my son,” said Athos and pressed d’Artagnan to his chest. “Otherwise my heart will forever ache for you.”
This was the first time Athos called d'Artagnan son. He didn't do this often. Very rarely. Not as often as one might conclude from reading the notes of the magnificent visionary Grimaud.
Chapter 49
Of course, the campaign against La Rochelle was Richelieu’s personal affair, but only such a superficial “thinker” as Grimaud could write: “Richelieu knew that by defeating England, he would thereby defeat Buckingham, that, having triumphed over England, he would triumph over Buckingham and, finally, that by humiliating England in the eyes of Europe, he would humiliate Buckingham in the eyes of the Queen.” Of course, all this was true, and, of course, we said exactly this more than once in our conversations, but it is also true that the cardinal did not start this campaign in order to humiliate Buckingham, and not even in order to triumph over the Queen . He was not the kind of man to send his fellow citizens to war for the sake of his own petty victories. He deliberately sacrificed all of himself to the interests of France, which he placed much higher than even the interests of the King. No matter how sacred Louis XIII was for him, the dynasty of the Kings of France itself was much more significant for him, so much more important that he even managed to inspire the King to make some personal sacrifices in the name of the interests of the dynasty and the state, which Mazarin never managed to do in relation to Queen Anne or in relation to Louis XIV. Proof that the cardinal would have given his life for France without hesitation is the fact that even being deeply ill and on his deathbed, he did not stop working and making the greatest decisions for the good of the country, without asking fate for even a few hours to to relax in peace and comfort. Even his favorite pastime - stroking his adored cats - was for him just a form of reflection for making responsible and important decisions. Believe me, I know what I’m talking about, since I have all the documentation written by him personally or dictated by him, if not in originals, then in copies, and it occupies ten cabinets. I treasure this documentation as a collection of priceless thoughts and testimonies from my time. I am not sure that France will ever have such a rich heritage of these documents as I personally have, since I do not intend to bequeath to her all those documents, copies or originals of which are not available in the state archives of Paris.
Of course, Richelieu completed his actions to create a united and strong France, which was hampered by the stronghold of the Huguenots, ready at any moment to open ports for the landing of the British or the fleet of any other state unfriendly to us, with the goal of weakening our influence on the west coast.
The entrance from the sea had to be securely closed. To my joy, I find this thought in Grimaud’s writings, for which I congratulate him, which suggests that not all of our valuable thoughts, which we easily expressed in conversations, not at all embarrassed by our servants, passed his ears . But Grimaud is certainly mistaken that the real stake in the campaign against La Rochelle was Queen Anne, and that this stake was played between Richelieu and Buckingham.
He understands this matter as if there were no Kings Charles I and Louis XIII at all, but only their first ministers, who decided everything in their states at their own discretion. There is some truth in this statement, but not the whole truth. If Louis XIII wanted to eliminate Richelieu, he would have done it with ease. Therefore, despite the fact that Richelieu was guided by lofty goals not related to personal well-being, in order to achieve them and even to be able to somehow influence their formulation, he was obliged to take care of maintaining his influence on the politics of France, and this is precisely the reason for his the greatest attention to those circumstances that may create the danger of his physical or political elimination. However, times were such that after the political elimination of a figure of such significance, physical elimination would certainly follow.
D'Artagnan was the first of us to be on the battlefield, going there as part of the troops under the leadership of the Duke of Orleans. Since the King was prevented from going there by health reasons, we, the King's musketeers, remained for some time in Paris.
In general, Grimaud quite accurately described the events that happened to us during the siege of La Rochelle in 1627-1627.
By this time, Fran;ois de Barrada had already been dismissed from the favorites, and his place was taken by Claude de Saint-Simon, who, as Grimaud correctly described, delivered to Paris sixty enemy banners captured as trophies. All losses on both sides have been accurately calculated, so there is no point in discussing it here.
It must be said that Barrad was exiled to his own estate not for those major sins that could not be hidden, but for those minor shortcomings that irritated the King. Louis was so carried away by the young handsome man, taking into account that this was no longer his first or second favorite, the King began to be compared more and more often with Henry III, and the Huguenots even said that since the Italian sin had spread in France, then soon in the reformist heresy will also spread. Indeed, with each new favorite, the circle of the King’s depraved amusements expanded, which certainly became known, since the King’s court was swarming with spies not only from the cardinal, but also from the Queen Mother, so those sins of Louis, which were beneficial for the Queen to hush up, were spread in the form of rumors at the direction of the cardinal, and those of his sins that cast a shadow on the monarchy as such, and which the cardinal covered up in every possible way, were spread in the form of gossip and pamphlets already at the direction of the Queen Mother, who was deeply offended by her insufficiently high position in her opinion, which simply humiliated. Barrad's greatest shortcomings were his extreme susceptibility to gossip of the most vile kind, which he conveyed to the King. Basically, he conveyed gossip generated by the Queen Mother's fantasy regarding Queen Anne, although, however, they had some basis, but, of course, not at all on the same scale as they reported to the King. Poor Anna of Austria could not simply look at a man at court without her and him being immediately declared lovers, or at least not attributed to her falling in love with him. So even Montmorency and many others were included as lovers. The Queen, it must be said, was by no means like that. Her only guilt before the King was that an heir had not yet been born. The King himself and his lovers, including the same Barrad, were more guilty of this than her, but this guilt was really great, which allowed many to despise her behind her back, although she constantly prayed to the Lord for the desired grace and made sacrifices to many saints. Perhaps those who argued that the birth of an heir does not require the Lord, but someone closer and lower than him, were right, and since the King does not fulfill his duties in this matter, the Queen would be better off asking for help from those who could to provide it to a significantly greater extent than the Lord, who, apparently, is not inclined to repeat his miracle of the immaculate conception, apparently believing that one such event is enough for all times to come. The advantages of Saint-Simon over Barrada were that he was the best hunter, knew many stories about hunting, was aware of all the news in this area, knew how to distinguish the qualities of a hound, was an expert on falcons and falconry, skillfully blew a hunting horn, not pouring saliva into it. Of course, with such merits, he pushed Barrad into the background, after which the loser was driven out of sight.
Returning to the description of the life of the musketeers during the siege of La Rochelle, I repeat again that Athos would never have written what the scoundrel Grimaud wrote. Without a twinge of conscience, he reports: “As for the musketeers, they, being not particularly busy during the siege, were not kept too strictly and led a cheerful life. This was given to them, and especially to our three friends, all the easier because, being on friendly terms with M. de Treville, they often received from him special permission to be late for the camp and to appear there after the fires had been extinguished.”
He believed that if instead of “Mister Musketeers” he simply wrote “Musketeers”, no one would recognize his style? What makes him think that we weren't particularly busy during the siege? Even in times of peace, musketeers strictly and conscientiously serve to protect the King and carry out his personal orders. It was not for nothing that the King, who loved the cardinal and hated him at the same time, was afraid of losing him, but also afraid of becoming completely dependent on him, boasted that he would always have control over Monsignor Cardinal in the person of Monsieur de Treville. It is also true that in the end it was the cardinal who won, at whose instigation de Treville was eventually sent into honorable retirement, but this happened later, much later. Now the musketeers were necessary and not only the King himself, but also other nobles, with the consent of the King, resorted to their services. So we were not left idle, and sometimes we were entrusted with the most dangerous and most responsible work, which required not only the ability to fight and courage, but also cold, calculating reason, remarkable ingenuity and excellent observation. I already told you how we were sent on reconnaissance missions earlier. Now, knowing about this ability of ours, de Treville entrusted us with similar tasks, which we carried out with honor. I repeat that describing everyday military life is a boring task, and reading about it is doubly boring, for this reason I will not present it here on these pages. What Grimaud considered idle wandering and a cheerful life was sometimes only a cover, since de Treville knew very well that among ordinary soldiers and even among the cardinal’s guards there could be enemy spies, or simply people sympathizing with the Huguenots, since after all, citizens fought in this war one country, so some of the soldiers could have relatives in La Rochelle. Regarding the musketeers, there was no doubt about their devotion; de Treville was confident in us as in himself, knowing each of us not only by name, but also knowing the families from which we came, reinforcing his opinion of us with the memory of the feats we had accomplished, among which duels or skirmishes with the cardinal's guards hardly occupied any significant place. In this regard, one should not trust the memoirs of Grimaud, to whom such duels seemed the height of nobility and courage, and almost the only occupation of musketeers. If this were so, the musketeers and guards would have exterminated each other long ago. During hostilities, the attitude towards duels was extremely intolerant even on the part of the King and de Treville, who in peacetime showed condescension a couple of times, fueled by pride in the honor of the military unit, the head of which was formally the King himself.
Grimaud’s phrase that “d’Artagnan was on guard duty in the trench” sounds funny. There is no guard duty in the trenches; this, gentlemen, is not a headquarters or an ammunition depot. They fire at the enemy from the trench, while the enemy responds by shooting at those holed up in the trenches. The servants, whose place would have been in the front ranks of the infantry, became exhausted in the positions of lackeys under the musketeer masters, which allowed them to shift almost the entire burden of military battles to their masters, leaving for themselves only the functions of supplying provisions, caring for horses, squires and orderlies. However, in fairness, I will say that our servants were able to fight on occasion no worse than soldiers and even almost as successfully as officers and nobles, but at the same time they acted with a sword like a pot handle or a scythe, or a shovel, whereas they could shoot from muskets and pistols they were trained quite well, and blunderbuss even mastered such an exotic form of martial art as lasso throwing.
Chapter 50
The story of how Athos snatched from Milady the cardinal's receipt, which grants forgiveness for any act committed by the bearer of this receipt, and how Athos identified Milady as his ex-wife Anne de Bayle, Countess de La F;re, is told quite accurately for the reason that that Athos told it in detail to his friends, and Grimaud heard it, of course. But Grimaud naively writes that Milady did not dare to admit to the cardinal that Athos had taken this paper from her by force, fearing that the count would inform the cardinal that she was wearing the mark of a thief on her shoulder. Firstly, Grimaud was in vain to believe that Richelieu did not know this. Secondly, it was all the more in vain that he believed that for such an insignificant reason the cardinal could refuse the services of a rather clever spy and would bring her to trial. For what? After all, branding was a punishment in itself! Having suffered this punishment, Anne de Bayle had already settled her scores with justice for those sins that preceded this event, and the sins that followed were the sins that she committed in the service of the cardinal! If she could fear punishment from the cardinal, it would only be for the murder of her husband, the Marquis de Brenvilliers, as well as her maid. This sin still had to be proven! The attempt on my life, several attempts on d'Artagnan's life, all this meant nothing in the eyes of the cardinal. After all, he said that he would like it to be as easy for him to deal with Milady’s enemies as with his own! After all, he called d'Artagnan's life meaningless! No, of course, Athos could not harm Milady by telling her about her brand. This could only expel her from the high society in which she lived and felt like a fish in water. And the Count de Rochefort would not have turned his back on her either, which I know for sure. Yes, the stigma exposed her as a thief, or as a prostitute, but tell me, honestly, are prostitutes actually deprived of the opportunity to communicate with people who call themselves noble? Are men really that persistent in expelling them from their society? And what did this mark mean, after all? In some India or Burma, in New Zealand, or in Polynesia, a woman herself could voluntarily get a tattoo for herself, as just a decoration for her body. And such a tattoo could well have the shape of a lily. Milady could easily hide the mark under such a tattoo. But the law did not prescribe further persecution of such persons; they were simply shunned, they were only avoided from establishing close contact with them. Pray tell me - a brand on the shoulder! If the brand was intended to ensure that the branded person was forever expelled from society, it should have been placed not on the shoulder, where it can be easily hidden under clothing, but on the forehead, on the cheek, or at least on the neck.
In addition, Grimaud forgot that in the last meeting d'Artagnan himself saw this mark, only he saw it not by chance, but in fulfillment of a promise made to Athos, which was that he would try to look at the left shoulder of the noble lady with whom he had become close , thanks to flirting with her maid Katie.
Here is how it was.
Milady, as I already wrote, gave d'Artagnan a ring. And although she mistakenly gave him the wrong ring that she intended to give, the purpose of such a gift was to see it on de Wardes’ hand and make sure that it was he who came on a date with her. At the same time, she made d'Artagnan, that is, the imaginary de Wardes, promise to wear this ring without removing it. Of course, after this, Milady tried to meet with de Wardes in order to see this ring on his hand and calm down that it was him, or not to see him and make sure that someone else was deceiving her, posing as de Wardes . She succeeded and was convinced that her suspicions were correct.
She decided to expose the imaginary de Wardes, and since a new meeting was scheduled at the last date, all her preparations boiled down to the fact that she prepared and hid on her belt a long, sharp knife with a narrow blade, called a stiletto. She placed two loaded pistols on the windowsill behind the curtain and tremblingly awaited the arrival of the unknown man who dared to take possession of her, posing as de Wardes. Before killing him, she decided to look into his face and see in him the fear of death in order to fully enjoy her revenge.
When d'Artagnan came to her, she whispered to him: "Wait one minute, dear, I'll be right there."
After that, she pulled the cord, after which the thick curtains on the windows parted and the room was illuminated by four candelabra, which had been lit in advance and were hidden on the windowsill behind these thick curtains.
Seeing d'Artagnan, Milady exclaimed in surprise, since she did not expect to find him, her sworn enemy, who had disrupted her plans on a trip to London. An evil smile stretched her thin lips, her face turned from beautiful to disgusting.
- What a pleasant surprise! - she exclaimed, pointing the barrels of both pistols at him. “I will have double the pleasure of killing you.” Firstly, I will take revenge on you for my failure in London, and secondly, you will pay for the insult that you caused me by obtaining my affections by deception!
“Perhaps you will miss,” d’Artagnan replied with contempt. “Or perhaps not, but in any case, you will have to explain to your servants the appearance of a man’s corpse in your bedroom.”
Milady only thought for a second, since this problem had not occurred to her, at that very moment d'Artagnan snatched his pistol from his belt, since Athos' warning made him expect a dirty trick from this lady.
“I only have one pistol, but I won’t miss, even if you manage to wound me ,” he said. “Besides, I don’t care about your servants or the questions they ask.” The pistol in your left hand is useless because you can't aim well with your left hand, so drop it.
Milady glanced absentmindedly at her pistol in her left hand, d'Artagnan fired and hit, as he intended, the pistol that was in Milady's right hand. The weapon was knocked out of her hands, causing her unexpected pain in her hand. Crying out in pain, Milady dropped the pistol from her left hand to grab her right hand with her palm. At this time, d'Artagnan, like a young leopard, jumped up to her in two leaps and took her by both hands with his strong hands.
- You are in my power, madam! - he said. - Do not be afraid! I will leave now and not cause you any harm, but first I must do one more thing.
With these words, he let go of Milady’s left hand, jerked the lace peignoir off her left shoulder, and fixed his gaze on her shoulder.
Seeing the brand, he let go of Milady's other hand in surprise. Anna de Bayle immediately jumped back two steps and snatched her stiletto from her belt.
- Scoundrel! - she cried. - I'll kill you! No one should know my secret! You will have no mercy!
- Is that so? - exclaimed d'Artagnan. — Stiletto fencing? I like it!
After that, he grabbed his dagger from his belt, which, although it was half as long as Milady’s stiletto, was four times more dangerous in his hands than the bladed weapon of the enraged Anne de Bayle.
Milady retreated in impotent rage and began to slowly sink to the floor. Her shoulders twitched convulsively from the sobbing that overwhelmed her.
D'Artagnan did not expect this. He felt sorry for this defeated woman, pathetic and defenseless in her humiliation.
He put away the dagger and intended to come up and calm her down, however, Milady was just waiting for this. Her tears were just another pretense. She tried to strike d'Artagnan with her stiletto, and she would have succeeded if at one time d'Artagnan's old father had not taught him to dodge blows delivered at the most unexpected moment from various directions. Without even having time to understand what was happening, the dexterous Gascon, with the movement of his left elbow, trained in continuous exercises, deftly knocked off the stiletto and grabbed Milady by the hand.
- That's it, my dear! - he said. - I see you haven’t calmed down yet!
With these words, he threw her forcefully onto the bed, after which he picked up her two pistols and a stiletto from the floor and threw them out the window.
“I hope there are no more weapons in this room ,” he said. “However, I won’t come back here again.”
After that, he decisively pushed the door with his foot, knocking out the flimsy bolt, and left Milady's house.
D'Artagnan told me all this, and I believe him, although everyone knows that the Gascons love to boast, talking about their battles, either with men with weapons in their hands, or with women in battles of a different kind. But a guarantee of the sincerity of d'Artagnan's story is that he told us all this not to boast, but when we analyzed all the actions of Anne de Bayle before making the difficult decision to rid the world of this devil in female guise.
So, of course, I must return to the story of how Athos took from Milady the cardinal's open paper, an indulgence without specifying the offense or the name of the person who committed it.
Any reader will find inconsistency here.
Indeed, several times before, Athos had argued that if Milady was alive, and if she had decided that d'Artagnan was her enemy, then our friend was in the greatest danger. He also said to himself that since Milady had not died, he would not give even a penny for his life, adding, however, that he was not very upset about this, since he had lost interest in life and did not expect anything good from her . Milady, indeed, was extremely dangerous due to her absolute indiscriminateness in the means of achieving her goals. We remember that she hired assassins and sent poisoned wine under the guise of a gift from friends. Only a happy accident in both cases saved d'Artagnan from death. No one and nothing prevented Milady from repeating her assassination attempt as many times as needed to bring the matter to an end. How can we explain that Athos, taking the paper from Milady, completely calmed down on her account, saying at the same time: “And now that I have pulled out your teeth, viper, bite if you can”? Did he really think he had neutralized her? Of course no.
But he knew that Milady would go to England in order to force Buckingham to end the war. This was done on the orders of Richelieu and for the benefit of France. Athos saw that the French were dying on the battlefield, shooting at the French, and that England was responsible for this fratricidal war.
Yes, my friends. In the person of Buckingham, England did evil towards us French. England in every possible way incited and fueled religious hatred, fueled separatist sentiments in the west of the country. She sought to use part of our people against the rest of the population, to weaken and ruin both. The great cardinal opposed this, and Athos could not help understanding his policy and disagreeing with it. That is why he said to Milady: “Whether you kill or commission someone to kill the Duke of Buckingham, I don’t care: I don’t know him, and besides, he’s an Englishman.” An ordinary civilian and Christian should not have spoken this way, but this is the only way a military man, a musketeer, a soldier fighting on the side of France against England could reason in relation to the leader of the country with which the war was going on. Athos understood that Milady could not inform the cardinal that she had so easily lost the document he had issued with such difficulty, not because she was afraid of being exposed regarding the brand on her shoulder, but because Richelieu, like any politician, did not like losers, which she became a result of the exclusively moral defeat that Athos inflicted on her. Coming to the cardinal as a defeated woman, she could not count on his support. A broken card is thrown out of the game, a cut-down piece is removed from the chessboard, and the cardinal would not spare an exposed spy, who also gave away documents that should never have been given away. He would have cut her out from among his people, after which she would never recover. Athos understood this. A person who has lost the favor of the powers that be has an aura of failure; everyone begins to shun him like a leper, as if fearing that his bad luck will spread to them too. The only way out for Milady was to carry out the cardinal's instructions, and then seek his support, which he would provide to the winner, but which he would certainly refuse to the loser. It is not for nothing that he treated even d’Artagnan, like all of us, enemies who showed sufficient strength and independence, as we saw, with respect, while even the one who broke, surrendered and submitted, like Monsieur Bonacieux, he treated only with contempt.
Fighting against the cardinal, without noticing it ourselves, we gained more and more respect for him, while helping the Duchess de Chevreuse in her many intrigues, I gradually lost that freshness of perception of her beauty and attractiveness, which had faded significantly in my eyes due to the uncleanliness of that game, which she conducted in the interests of the Queen against the King and the Cardinal, and also sometimes in the interests of the Cardinal against the Queen and Monsieur, and in her own interests against the whole world.
To put an end to the history of d'Artagnan's love affairs, I will add that I assigned Milady's maid named Katie to Camille de Bois-Tracy, which she never regretted. Katie was Milady's obedient servant, but not devoted enough for the reason that she perfectly understood how cruel and immoral Anne de Bayle was, so she looked for any opportunity to find herself a more worthy job. Camilla was the complete opposite, she was kind-hearted and truly loved her new maid. She was subsequently taken in by the Duchess de Chevreuse. I will tell you more about Katie’s fate in the future of my story.
Now I mentally return to the time of the siege of La Rochelle.
Chapter 51
You have seen in Grimaud's notes a mention of the dam that Richelieu built, of course. I remember.
The first time it is mentioned is when describing the meeting of Mr. Bonacieux with Cardinal Richelieu. Bonacieux was brought to the cardinal for interrogation, he sat, neither alive nor dead, fearfully awaiting his fate. At this time, the cardinal bent over the dam card. This is what Grimaud writes: “And the cardinal, with the greatest attention, bent over the map of La Rochelle, unfolded, as we have already said, on his table, and began to draw on it with a pencil the line of the famous dam, which a year and a half later closed access to the harbor of the besieged city " I am afraid that the reader did not retain these remarkable lines in his memory, but I am grateful to Grimaud for inserting this charming turn into his fantasy. He wanted to emphasize that already then, a year and a half before its construction, the cardinal had developed its plan in the smallest detail. I'm afraid, unfortunately, that this plan matured later and more hastily, which does not make it any less great.
The second time the dam is mentioned is in my response, where I supposedly complain that I didn’t eat well, since it was a fast day, and there wasn’t even decent fish in the tavern. These are the words that the great visionary and no less great chronicler Grimaud attributed to me: “They say that the dam that Monsieur Cardinal is building drives all the fish into the open sea.” She is then mentioned twice more in these memoirs by Grimaud. But Grimaud's fantasies about my disparaging mention of this dam almost sadden me. If I hadn't made it a point not to be upset, I would have been really upset about this. Could I, a soldier, a musketeer, leading battles with the enemy, and, by the way, very interested in fortification, engineering, sapper and artillery work, speak so disparagingly about such a significant action as the construction of a dam in order to prevent the enemy from receiving reinforcements , weapons, food supplies and other necessary things? Richelieu practically deprived the residents of rebellious La Rochelle of any support from the sea; they did not have a rear as such. A blockade from the sea and a blockade from land - and now they were completely surrounded, so the only outcome of this war was obvious - the complete defeat of La Rochelle.
To strategists of all times and all peoples, I would say the most important conclusion from everything that happened then in La Rochelle. If your enemy is supported by a foreign state, or a bloc of foreign states, you will never defeat him until you deprive him of this support. It is impossible to wage a war on a small piece of one’s own or neighboring territory against an entire coalition of states. The first step is to cut off all communication routes between this rebellious piece of land and those who have an immeasurably greater resource in comparison with it, and are vitally interested in supplying and supplying, day and night, continuously and tirelessly, this rebel with food, ammunition, and on occasion, even send there mercenaries, volunteers and even your own regular troops, if things smell like victory. Cut this artery, and then you will take the rebels bloodlessly and for sure. Leave this artery unharmed, and then there will be no end to the war, the number of victims on both sides will increase, but there will be no sense, or you will have to fight not only with your own rebels, but also with all the states that support them, including through straits, across seas and even across oceans. Richelieu understood this like no one else. This dam gave us victory. Without this dam, the commanders of Louis XIII, obsessed with the mania of military glory and marshal honors, would have killed as many soldiers in this not very significant war as would be required for their exaltation, and for a loud, pompous, bloody and merciless victory on both sides. There are no fortresses that would not surrender when surrounded, but at the same time there are few fortresses that could not hold out against an attack from one side, in the presence of effective support from the opposite. Therefore, there are no impregnable fortresses and no easily accessible fortresses, but there is a strategy of the victors and there is a strategy of a protracted, fruitless one-sided siege.
The great dam of Cardinal Richelieu may have saved our lives, mine, and those of Athos, Porthos, and d'Artagnan. Therefore, I will allow myself to dwell on this issue.
Grimaud in his memoirs writes something that he himself, of course, could not have formulated if he had not read half of this text in one of the many books from Athos’s library, combining it with fragments of our conversations: “Although La Rochelle was in close ring, although the success of the siege, thanks to the measures taken, and especially thanks to the dam that prevented boats from penetrating the besieged city, seemed undoubted, nevertheless, the blockade could drag on for a long time, to the great shame of the King’s troops and to the great displeasure of the cardinal.” This is only part of the truth. If it weren’t for the dam, the siege could have dragged on not just for a long time, but endlessly, and to no avail, that’s what he should have written.
However, what will you take from him and what demand can there be from him, from Grimaud? Indeed, in another place Grimaud writes about himself: “The poor fellow has reached the point where he has almost forgotten how to speak.” What can I say! It would be better if he forgot how to write! He writes that one of the soldiers put a goose on his saber in order to roast it! An unprecedented stupidity that could cost him his life! Is a saber a skewer? In other cases, a skewer, of course, can be used as a weapon if there is no other choice, but using a weapon as a skewer is too much, because it means hopelessly ruining the most important weapon! After such use, the saber will cease to be a saber, but will turn into a strip of iron of disgusting quality, which will bend and become dull; it is impossible to fight with such a weapon. If I ever saw one of our servants using a saber in this way, I would send him away, but first I would give him a good beating, and I would not pay him any wages that might be due to him. Moreover, this applies not only to my servants, but also to the servants of my comrades. Grimaud must have been crazy when he wrote this. Fortunately, he didn’t do anything like that, otherwise it would have been worse for him. In fact, he treated Athos's weapon with such reverence that he would not even dare to run his fingernail along the blade, much less skewer a goose or capon on it. So did he really think that nobles could handle their weapons like that? I would be indignant if I were capable of such sinful acts, even if only mentally. Or here’s another thing - is it possible for d’Artagnan to call sappers navvies? Dear, old, gray-haired graphomaniac Grimaud! What a ridiculous writer you are!
So, about the siege and the capture of La Rochelle. The origins of this long-standing conflict date back to the birth of Protestantism; the gradual accumulation of mutual hostility was aggravated by insults inflicted on both sides, then by crimes, and ultimately by murders. The confrontation escalated on the night of August 23-24, 1572, on that same infamous Night of St. Bartholomew, which finally divided France into two irreconcilable camps - the Catholic camp and the Protestant camp. The decisive and cruel actions of Charles IX, inspired by Catherine de Medici, his mother, the Dowager Queen, and Guise, led to the physical extermination of a huge number of Huguenots of France, who, moreover, concentrated in Paris, having gathered there for the wedding of their leader, Henry Navarre with the King's sister Margot. The Huguenots believed in the establishment of peace and in their own safety, which made it possible to deal with them with almost no casualties on the part of the Catholics. The Huguenots and their families were dragged out of bed to be killed, rushing out in the middle of the night in groups with great numerical superiority, armed with all kinds of weapons that could be obtained, killing their wives and children, without even giving them the opportunity to dress, so that they appeared before the Lord in the same night, most of them naked and with numerous wounds, evidence of the cruelty of Catholics brutalized by blood and impunity. This night became a household name, memorable for those few Huguenots who survived it, the loss of their friends and loved ones, and remained in the memory of generations as the most shameful night for Catholics. Since Henry of Navarre himself miraculously escaped and later became King Henry IV of France, he tried to reconcile the Catholics (which he himself became, having converted to the Catholic religion for the sake of reconciling the parties and, mainly, for the sake of securing his rights to the crown of France) with the Huguenots, having issued the Edict of Nantes, giving the Huguenots the right to conduct their religious rites at their place of residence, with the exception of Paris and some other large cities of France.
The war between the remaining Huguenots and the predominantly Catholic part of the country took the form of long and bloody wars that spanned the reigns of Charles IX, Francis II and Henry III. Only Henry IV was able to put an end to this fratricidal war with the indicated Edict of Nantes. The mistake or intention of Henry IV was that this Edict also granted the rights to the Huguenots to have their own troops to defend their lives and their rights. The Huguenots received several large cities in France, which, in connection with this, finally became Huguenots, since all the Catholics left these cities. Sovereignty gave rise to separatism, separatism developed to the extreme, as a result, the initially sovereign, non-belligerent part of France turned into territories that felt like the complete opposite of the rest of the country, as a result of which they were ready to enter into the most unexpected alliances with anyone, just against their own country and their own fellow citizens of a different religion. The closest neighbors were not slow to take advantage of this, since neighboring states are always antagonists, if they are not satellites or colonies, or loyal allies, which they are forced to become for the sake of joint defense from even stronger and even more aggressive neighbors on other sides. Of course, the first of these antagonists was England, and, of course, it was with her that the Huguenot separatists entered into an agreement. There is a real danger that we will lose these territories along with the ports, the coast, the fortresses and that part of the fleet that is assigned to these ports. If this process is not resisted, it was possible in the future to completely lose access to the sea and sovereignty, which was already in great danger due to the unfriendly encirclement of the two Habsburg states, which had France almost encircled.
After the murder of King Henry IV by the religious fanatic Ravaillac, the fragile truce collapsed. Ravaillac's hand was probably guided by a more powerful hand. They suspected, and not without reason, the King's wife, Queen Mother Marie de' Medici, as well as her favorite Concino Concini, Marshal d'Ancre. Since they came to power as a result of this event, the investigation into the murder was carried out only for show, Ravaillac was brutally dealt with, and onlookers standing closer to him during this brutal reprisal claimed that Ravaillac asked to give him the word so that he would expose his accomplices, but this only led to the fact that the torture intensified, and it was ordered that his cries of wanting to make a terrible confession be drowned out by the beating of drums.
The confrontation between the Huguenots and Catholics entered a new brutal phase. The Catholics were dissatisfied with the Huguenots, openly blaming them for the murder of the King, while the Huguenots, suspecting the hand of the country's most important Catholics in this matter, and feeling a new wave of oppression, on the contrary, blamed the Catholics for this and became even more bitter against them. As a result, even those who had hoped to live in good harmony with the Catholics became extreme separatists, and their cities together formed a kind of state within a state. They received a wide variety of support from Spain and England, since these neighboring states were extremely interested in weakening France and hoped, if not to snatch territory from it, then, in any case, to weaken it as much as possible. Dynastic marriages did not help either, as a result of which the spouses of both Kings were the sisters of the French King Louis XIII.
The confrontation flared up and reached an open military confrontation. Languedoc rebelled, and then La Rochelle.
It must be said that the coastal islands and fortress-ports are strategic objects of particular importance. These are the islands of Belle- Ile , Quiberon, Noirmoutier en L'ile, Ye, Re, and of course the ports, and among them the most significant is La Rochelle.
After Louis XIII occupied the fortresses of Saumur and Thouars in April 1621, which surrendered without resistance, the army moved on. The city of Saint-Jean d'Angely was taken in two weeks, its walls were destroyed, and the townspeople were deprived of their privileges. The siege of Montauban did not lead to success; the King's army was forced to retreat due to the outbreak of an epidemic, which saved this city from destruction by His Majesty's troops. We, the musketeers, took part in these campaigns, as I already reported when describing our reconnaissance sortie.
Notable nobles who led the Huguenots settled in the rebellious cities. The Duke de Rohan reigned in Languedoc, making the Anduze fortress his main residence; his closest associate, the Duke de Soubise, settled in La Rochelle. As a result of its advantageous geographical position, La Rochelle became the most important stronghold of the Huguenots on the Atlantic coast, from where their troops regularly made predatory campaigns to the cities of Poitou. We did not yet know that the County of De La F;re was seriously damaged by these raids, which caused significant financial damage to Athos personally.
This state of affairs, of course, did not suit King Louis XIII. The royal army drove the Huguenots out of Guienne, capturing all the cities that belonged to them. At the walls of Montpellier, the irreconcilable de Rohan and de Soubise began negotiations. According to the decision of the assembly, the King obliged the Protestants to demolish all the fortifications of their cities and granted them an amnesty. But the peace concluded in Montpellier turned out to be only a short respite.
Having come to power, Richelieu took a number of actions with the aim of capturing Castres in Languedoc and the island of Re, located at the exit from the harbor of La Rochelle. Richelieu declared the suppression of the Protestant uprising to be the kingdom's priority.
France received the support of Holland, while the rebel La Rochelle received the support of England, so at this point there was not just a struggle of France against the annexation of its ancestral territories, but a military clash between the most influential states of Europe took place on foreign territory, with the wrong hands, which was paid for mainly , other people's lives, that is, the lives of the French on both sides.
States that engage in internal conflicts are certainly instigators of war, which can escalate into a multi-state war, which I strongly condemn. It would be better for us not to resort to the help of the Dutch, provided, of course, that the separatists did not resort to the help of England. Well, in this sense, England bears its share of responsibility for the sacrifices that ended this internal war, and Athos was certainly right in not wanting to stand up for Buckingham, the de facto head of England at that time.
The Cardinal rented ships from Amsterdam in order to capture La Rochelle. It must be said that earlier the Pope allowed to enter into alliances with foreign Huguenots to fight their own Huguenots, so in this sense Richelieu did not retreat one iota from the position of the Catholic Church, expressed in the decree of one of the pontiffs. But a debate began in the Amsterdam city council over whether Catholics should be allowed to preach on Protestant ships. It was decided to ban preaching, but Dutch ships transported French soldiers to La Rochelle. The Dutch helped because they were allies with France in the fight against the two Habsburg empires - the Holy Roman Empire and Spain.
Buckingham convinced Charles I to support the Huguenots of La Rochelle in the fight against France, which he considered a personal fight against Richelieu for a place in the heart of Queen Anne. Charles sent eighty warships to the Huguenots. In June, Buckingham landed six thousand soldiers on the island of Re, from which La Rochelle is just a stone's throw away. It should be noted, in fairness, that although the island belonged to the Huguenots and was perfectly fortified, its inhabitants did not join the uprising, but only expressed sympathy and moral support for the Larochelles.
Chapter 52
However, my memoirs become boring even for me when I get too carried away with the presentation of political and military events, forgetting about the main characters, my friends and enemies.
Further events are closely related to the activities of Milady, Anne de Bayle, Lady Clarique, aka Marquise de Brenvilliers, Countess de La F;re, and much more. It is this lady that La Rochefoucauld calls Countess Carlyle, since she used this name several times, hiding behind the name of her friend, having previously convinced her not to make a fuss about it.
To avoid further confusion, we will have to clarify some points. Grimaud mistakenly calls Lord Winter the elder brother of Milady's late husband. If he were the elder brother, then after the death of Milady's husband, her son Mordaunt, born in this marriage, would be called Lord Winter.
Let me correct the inaccuracies that Grimaud made.
In his works there is a chapter “Conversation between Brother and Sister,” where at least two questions arise for the reader about some discrepancy with the previously stated information. Indeed, we already know that Milady had a son, and that is why she was concerned about leaving him a sufficient inheritance, for the sake of which she wanted to get rid of her husband's brother. Grimaud does not report any direct attempts to accomplish this until this chapter, but writes only that she was upset that d'Artagnan did not kill Lord Winter in a duel. The reader may get the false impression that Milady was inciting d'Artagnan to kill Lord Winter in a duel, promising herself as a reward for the murder, but it was not about the murder of Lord Winter, but about the murder of the Comte de Wardes! This could hardly serve as a basis for claims on the part of Lord Winter. Perhaps he could be angry with her because, as it turned out, she had already been married before, which did not prevent her from marrying his brother. Thus, Lord Winter's accusations that Milady has already tried to kill him twice are groundless, and yet he gleaned them from a letter composed by me! So, I have baselessly accused Milady of trying to kill Lord Winter?
Maybe Milady is not as bad as Grimaud’s memoirs claim?
I feel obligated to clarify. Milady tried to kill d'Artagnan twice (by hiring soldiers and sending poisoned wine). Milady shot at me. Milady persuaded d'Artagnan to kill de Wardes. She regretted that Lord Winter had not died in the duel with d'Artagnan. But where are her immediate attempts to kill Lord Winter?
Let me just say that they were. I know this for sure. But you won’t find this in Grimaud’s notes. So, I was right in telling Lord Winter that Milady had already tried to kill him twice. But this does not follow from Grimaud’s notes, so I am giving my comments here.
In the chapter “The English and the French,” Grimaud writes the following about the conversation between Milady and d’Artagnan: “She told d’Artagnan that Lord Winter was not her brother, but only the brother of her husband: she was married to his younger brother (Sic!) , who died, leaving her a widow with a child, and that child is Lord Winter's sole heir, unless Lord Winter marries." The reader learns from this message that Milady was married to Lord Winter's younger brother.
In the chapter “A Conversation between Brother and Sister,” Lord Winter supposedly tells Milady: “I have judges ready, who, if necessary, will punish a woman so shameless that she, while her husband was alive, sneaked into the marriage bed of my elder brother (Sic!), Lord Winter, and these judges, I warn you, will hand you over to the executioner, who will make one shoulder like the other.” That is, in this case, Lord Winter calls Milady's late husband his elder brother.
Seniority in noble families due to the law of primogeniture is a very significant aspect of the right of inheritance. The inheritance was not divided equally between the brothers, and almost everything went to the elder brother. Therefore, Lord Winter could not make a mistake in conversations of this kind, just as Milady could not make it. If she were married to her elder brother, then her husband would be called Lord Winter, she herself would be called Lady Winter, and after the death of her husband, his legitimate son, that is, the son born in this marriage, would become the next Lord Winter. The man called Lord Winter in Grimaud's memoirs would thus have been a usurper until he challenged the marriage of Milady and his brother, but this is precisely what he did not intend to do, according to these memoirs. We read from Grimaud the words addressed by Lord Winter to Milady: “Oh, believe me, if the memory of my brother were not sacred to me, I would rot you in some state prison or send you to Tyburn for the amusement of the crowd! I will remain silent, but you too must endure your imprisonment without complaint.” So, having learned from a letter written by me on behalf of d'Artagnan that Milady had a first husband, a Frenchman, who is still alive, Lord Winter had the opportunity to challenge her rights of inheritance, as a result of which he was legally called Lord Winter, having inherited this title from his elder brother, but he doesn’t want to do this out of respect for his brother, so as not to cast a shadow on his name. But, excuse me, in this case it turns out that he himself is a usurper, because if the elder brother left behind a son, then the title of lord should be inherited by him, as well as the entire fortune of this brother. Readers who found a discrepancy between Milady's statement that her husband was the younger of two brothers and Lord Winter's statement that this brother was the elder would rather believe Lord Winter's words than Milady's, and would be mistaken. After all, if Lord Winter were right, and not Milady, then this man could not call himself Lord Winter. Fortunately, I do not need to solve this problem in a logical way, since I know the truth that explains all the inconsistencies in these statements. Of course, Milady was married to Lord Winter's younger brother, so the question of her husband being called a lord never arose, just as the question of her son also becoming a lord could not arise until the lord himself Winter, her brother-in-law, would not have died childless, or at least without leaving behind at least one son.
If Milady's husband were the eldest son, he would not be called a marquess, since he would be an English lord. He was the Marquis de Brenvilliers, and would only become Lord Winter if his elder brother died. The marquis's inheritance amounted to just over a million livres. Milady should have been called the Marquise de Brenvilliers, and her son Mordaunt should have been called the Marquis de Brenvilliers, but not everything worked out as she had planned. The fact is that the Marquis suspected Milady of adultery, and when his wife, a blonde, gave birth to a dark-haired son, the Marquis, also blonde, thought seriously about how nature could perform such tricks. Having studied some biological works, he became convinced of what he already knew, namely, that he was not Mordaunt's father. He undertook a little investigation, and since the money allowed him to hire several detectives, he learned the name of Mordaunt's father, who turned out to be a rootless swindler, and also, to his great chagrin, learned that this swindler was far from the only man receiving from Milady what that only he alone should receive as a legal spouse. In addition, he learned that Milady had a first husband, from whom she was not divorced, and who was most likely alive, although he was hiding in an unknown direction, apparently having changed his name and appearance. The reason for this was that a quarrel probably broke out between the spouses, as a result of which he hanged her and left his home, however, Milady was saved thanks to fortunate circumstances for her. They said that the rope turned out to be fragile, so Milady almost immediately fell off the noose, but her husband did not pay attention to the noise in the house, since he was extremely excited by what was happening, at that time collecting only the family jewels most dear to his heart before his disappearance, and believed that this noise arose, apparently, as a result of the fall of some shelves or cabinets.
Upon learning of these shocking facts, the Marquis immediately made a will, according to which he left the title of Marquis and half of his fortune to his second cousin John Foster, who lived in London. He, of course, did not bequeath the title to his brother or his future children, since such a title was not needed by Lord Winter, and the marquis's fortune was insignificant in comparison with that of his elder brother. So, he left one million livres and the title of marquis to his second cousin, a relative on his mother’s side, and only half of the fortune in the amount of one million livres he left to his wife and her son. Not recognizing Milady’s son as his son, he nevertheless decided that it was not appropriate to deprive his own wife even if she was so dishonest with him that she gave birth to a child from her lover.
The Marquis sent a copy of the will, certified by a notary, to London to his elder brother, whom he appointed as his executor; another copy was kept in France by a notary. He also sent a letter to the church court, asking for consent to divorce. The Marquis was beside himself, since even a divorce in those days in England did not mean the possibility of entering into a second marriage, and if it was concluded, such a marriage was recognized as illegal, an exception could be made only for the King. The Marquis, who passionately desired to leave behind an heir, was thus simply killed by the news that his son was not in fact one, but had been cheated by his unfaithful wife on the side of some pathetic adventurer.
Unfortunately for himself, the Marquis experienced his grief so strongly that in his hearts he spilled everything to his wife, telling her what was sore about him and blaming her for his own misfortune. He also reported on his measures taken against her and against her illegitimate son.
Milady at first tried to justify herself, but when the Marquis presented her with evidence of her infidelities, named the names of all her lovers, and also said that she had married him illegally because she had a French husband, she objected that, as far as she knew, her the first husband drowned in a pond.
Then the Marquis made another mistake.
“I know for sure that he is alive, but so that you don’t doubt it, I will find him and present evidence that he is alive to the church court!” - he cried vehemently. “Perhaps then I will receive not only a divorce, but also the right to marry some honest woman who will be faithful to me and give birth to my children, and not a bastard from her lover!”
- Marquis, I have been slandered! - Milady answered with despair. - Give me the opportunity to justify myself. Not later than the day after tomorrow I will provide you with evidence of my honesty and exposure of those who provided you with fake evidence of my alleged infidelities.
The Marquis was overcome with doubt, since Milady knew how to very skillfully pretend to be an innocent victim of circumstances.
“Well, I will wait for your excuses and if you can justify yourself, I will offer you my most sincere apologies ,” he said. “But not until this evidence is provided to me.”
This quarrel destroyed the marquis. Milady understood that the evidence of her betrayals available to the Marquis was indisputable, while she herself could not refute them in any way and justify herself. She made a promise to justify herself for only one purpose: she needed time to get rid of her husband. It took her a day to prepare for the murder; she tried to arrange everything so that nothing would expose her. On the eve of the appointed day, she poisoned the unsuspecting marquis, as well as her maid, who heard part of their conversation and could testify that the day before the couple had a strong quarrel. After that, Milady arranged everything as if there had been a robbery in the house. She herself, having set the house on fire, disappeared with her son into the house of her lover. Her plan was that the judges would first decide that the Marquis had been robbed and that the robbers had killed him along with his wife.
Subsequently, when she was convinced that no one suspected her of murder, so that she could return without risking anything and demand her share of the inheritance, she returned and announced that her husband had sent her for treatment at the waters, which explained her absence, and that the woman whose burnt corpse was found in the marquis's house was his mistress. This would allow her to arouse the sympathy of investigators and judges and easily receive the marquis’s inheritance, but not his title for the child, since the will made by the marquis entered into legal force, since it was made in accordance with all the rules and certified by a notary.
Naturally, Milady considered herself robbed, since she hoped to receive two million and the title of marquis for her son.
Therefore, she turned her attention to the elder brother of her late husband, forming a plan to take possession of his inheritance and title, which only required that he die in such a way that not a single soul could blame her for this death.
Milady's first attempt to kill Lord Winter was carried out with the help of Rochefort. Milady complained to Count Rochefort about Lord Winter and asked him to intercede on her behalf. She accused him of considering her to be the culprit in the death of her brother. Rochefort agreed to challenge Lord Winter to a duel, but did so in a very noble manner. He wrote him a letter explaining the reasons for his indignation.
Lord Winter came to the duel with two English seconds.
“First of all, I must say, Count, that your challenge has been accepted and I will have the honor to fight you ,” he said. “But since this duel may have an outcome in which either you or I will be killed, I would not want there to be a misunderstanding between us that can no longer be resolved if one of us dies.” You stand up for the honor of your friend, which causes unconditional admiration. But I defend the good name of my brother, who deprived his legitimate son of half the inheritance and title. It may seem cruel. Therefore, take a look at this letter from my brother, written shortly before his death, and also at the document attached to it.
Rochefort bowed, took the papers offered to him and studied them carefully.
“Dear sir ,” he said after he had read to the end. “My attitude towards this duel has changed. I do not wish for your death, believing that you acted completely within your rights. Since I made the challenge without sufficient grounds, you have the right to choose a weapon, since I recognize you as the offended party.
“I also have no intention of killing you, just as I have no intention of dying, however, I believe that the duel must take place,” replied Lord Winter. - I think that our seconds do not need to fight against each other, as is customary in the case of serious insults. It will satisfy me if we fight until first blood.
The duel took place in an extremely delicate manner, both opponents took care of each other, but a battle is a battle. At first they only made test attacks and reflected each other’s attacks, but after a quarter of an hour they were tired of this, each decided to put an end to this ridiculous rivalry. The Comte de Rochefort decided to wound Lord Winter in the left arm, but it was at the very moment when he was performing his maneuver that he himself felt the cold of steel just above the elbow of his left arm. However, he managed to pierce Lord Winter's left hand.
The rivals appreciated each other's fencing art and endurance and declared a draw, after which they parted as friends. Rochefort learned something interesting about Milady, which he intended to use to protect himself from her in case she started any intrigue against him. I found out about this completely by accident.
The Count de Ronchamp informed me about this in a letter. The fact is that Milady reproached de Rochefort for not fulfilling his promise to kill Lord Winter, but the letter was delivered by mistake not to the Comte de Rochefort, but to the Comte de Rochamp, a friend of the late Marquis, with whom I met as a result of an error, by which the Marquis considered me to be the culprit of Milady's adultery. Ronchamp considered it necessary to warn me about the treachery of the widow of his late friend, who also planned to kill her brother-in-law. In the same letter, de Ronchamp made a note: “This is at least the second attempt by the marquise to eliminate her brother-in-law in order to inherit his fortune. Beware, Monsieur d'Herblay, this woman will stop at nothing to deal with her enemies, and, as far as I know, you are one of them."
Grimaud did not know about this, but apparently believed that he had described these attempts in his memoirs. This is not entirely accurate. She indirectly influenced d'Artagnan's intention to challenge her brother-in-law to a duel, but this time there was no direct attempt to kill Lord Winter. Seeing how d'Artagnan, who she met on the way, looked at Lord Winter with displeasure, Milady tried to be as kind as possible to her brother-in-law in order to anger d'Artagnan even more, making him jealous. Noting to herself that he was already quite furious, she hastened to hide, leaving the two men alone so that their quarrel would turn into a duel.
Investigating Milady's case much later, I also inquired about why Milady did not marry Lord Winter himself, who was much richer than his younger brother. The answer lies in the fact that she simply did not have the opportunity to get to know him, and after she met his younger brother and fell in love with him, she realized from the first glance at Lord Winter that this man would never look at the bride or his brother's wife as a possible object of love. For him, she was only a relative, and not a woman with whom he could fall in love, whom he could desire.
Already at that very moment she decided that it would be nice to become a widow, and then pay closer attention to her brother-in-law, however, she soon realized that such a person as Lord Winter would always see her only as a relative, he would consider such a marriage incest, so for her the most interesting point was that Lord Winter was not married. Then she decided to become his heir at the first opportunity, and from that moment the life of Lord Winter became in danger.
In the same chapter of Grimaud's memoirs we can read that Milady was Buckingham's mistress. Grimaud writes: “Milady rather feared that her previous tricks in England would come to light. Buckingham could guess that it was she who cut off the two diamond pendants, and take revenge for her petty betrayal; but Buckingham was incapable of committing any violence against a woman, especially if he believed that she acted under the influence of jealousy.” Jealousy only arises between lovers, so it can be understood that Grimaud is hinting at a connection between Milady and Buckingham. Grimaud is right. But Milady introduced herself to Buckingham under the name of Countess Carlisle; such a countess really existed and was friendly with Milady. The Countess was a stranger to Buckingham, but rumors of her beauty caused Buckingham to write her a letter inviting her to a small dinner. The Countess understood what this meant, and she was not one of those ladies who necessarily refuse or are indignant at such proposals, but the only thing is that on that very evening she could not appear on such a date, and, moreover, her husband was quite jealous. The Countess shared her doubts with her friend, and they conceived a joke in the spirit of Beaumarchais. Milady suggested that she would appear to Buckingham under the guise of the Countess of Carlisle and seduce him, after which together they would expose the Duke as a red tape, chasing every skirt. Milady took advantage of this opportunity not at all to humiliate Buckingham, but to get closer to him, since she was already a spy for the cardinal and understood perfectly well that her value would increase many times over if she met the main arbiter of English politics. She did so, after which she confessed to the Duke of an innocent prank. She explained her actions by saying that she was in love with him. The Duke laughed with her, after which they met many more times, but the Duke jokingly called her Countess of Carlisle, which suited Milady very much, who saw this as an opportunity to once again not shine her name in high society, in order to maintain a greater opportunity for all sorts of intrigues in future.
So, in England, Milady could count on the friendly attitude of Lord Winter, who was unaware of her plans to send him to the next world, also on the friendship of Countess Carlisle and her husband, Earl Carlisle, on increased attention from Buckingham himself, who, however, almost he immediately forgot about his mistresses as soon as they disappeared from the horizon. Milady understood that the Duke had guessed who it was who had cut off the two diamond pendants from his suit, since it was quite possible that only she had approached him close enough to be able to do this. She prepared a tearful speech about how she felt the imminent separation, the inevitability of parting forever, and decided to leave herself at least such a modest reminder of the Duke. She was sure that the Duke would believe her and forgive her.
Lord Winter, warned by our letter, arrested Milady immediately upon her arrival in England and entrusted her guard to Lieutenant Felton.
Chapter 53
If I had not already understood that the alleged memoirs of Athos were written by Grimaud, then the chapters telling about our actions during the siege of La Rochelle would have convinced me of this completely. Just read the story about how we dined under enemy fire in the Saint-Gervais bastion, and all doubts will disappear. Judging by the description, we would not have accomplished this heroic feat if not for Grimaud. But first I will quote the previous chapter. Please note that Athos taught Grimaud to obey without words, and Grimaud understood him perfectly. Nowhere and never is it said about any misunderstanding on the part of Grimaud, although I can remember at least ten situations when Grimaud did something completely different from what Athos demanded, which caused us the liveliest laughter, since a gesture that certainly indicates a demand to bring another bottle of champagne cannot be interpreted as a request to bring mustard. And when Grimaud walked around with mustard and saw in front of his nose the goblet that Athos was holding out to him, his surprised and guilty grimace made us laugh so hard that it was absolutely impossible to contain . A gesture for Grimaud to shut up and close his mouth, poor Grimaud interpreted that he should close the window or doors in the room. When Athos pointed to the cloak, hinting that he wanted Grimaud to hand it to him and help him get dressed, the dull servant grabbed a brush and began to clean the dust from the cloak, which caused Athos’ rage and a fit of merriment among us. By the way, this fun protected Grimaud from a slap on the wrist, which otherwise Athos would certainly have slapped on an insufficiently smart servant. However, after several months of training, Grimaud actually began to understand Athos’s gestures perfectly, and learned to respond to them just as accurately. We can say that Athos and Grimaud invented a special sign language. But no one objective, except Grimaud himself, would ever characterize the communication between Athos and Grimaud as successful, at least during the siege of La Rochelle. Grimaud, among other things, does not explain the reason that Athos forbade him to speak. The fact is that Grimaud had previously been extremely talkative, which caused our friendly banter with Athos. We assumed that Athos, with all the gloom of his character, chose a servant who entertains him with empty conversations and reasoning about this and that, like a buffoon. Athos objected that he didn’t like Grimaud’s talk just as much as we did, and made a bet with us that in less than a month he would completely wean Grimaud from talkativeness, so much so that he would even give orders to him with signs, and exactly the same get all the necessary information from him. The bet was that if we lost, then all three of us would have to...
However, this is not relevant. Athos, he won the bet, you fulfilled his demands, and we must pay tribute to Athos’s sense of humor, we looked the most ridiculous. I will never wear a woman's dress again! Damn it, I let the bet slip. Never mind, this book is still not for reading at leisure by some idiots who use this information to mock us. Closer to the topic.
So Grimaud lied about his brilliant understanding of Athos's wordless instructions. Far from it.
Further in the text, as you remember, Athos asked for a bet that the musketeers would spend a whole hour in the Saint-Gervais bastion, where they would have breakfast. If you carefully read the further descriptions of these events, then admit honestly, didn’t you get the impression that the musketeers were only chatting and having breakfast, while Grimaud did the whole thing almost alone? He collected guns, fired back at enemies, finally collected the corpses of soldiers killed earlier in this bastion, gave them picturesque poses as defenders of the bastion, put weapons in their hands, which, in fact, detained those who tried to attack the bastion. Along the way, Grimaud managed to serve the musketeers, feeding them lunch, which he personally brought in a basket, pouring wine for them, and he himself was content with only a small share of the feast, which Athos deigned to allow him to “grab a loaf of bread, two cutlets and a bottle of wine.” What precision! It is clear that Grimaud was not entirely satisfied with such a meager lunch, since he remembered everything in detail.
In addition, Grimaud rather roughly conveys the speech of the musketeers. Just look at Athos’ phrase: “You are stupid, friend Porthos!” Could Athos really communicate so rudely with his friends? This is how our servants talked to each other, who bullied each other, but did not take offense at this, since among people of ordinary rank, rude jokes at each other are perceived as manifestations of trust and friendly intimacy, whereas among nobles this is unacceptable. In the dialogues written by Grimaud, we often call each other “you,” which never happened.
Further, I cannot ignore the following phrase by Grimaud: “Meanwhile, the royal army, to which the anxieties of its only and real head were alien, led a cheerful life. There was plenty of food and money in the camp; all parts competed with each other in daring and various amusements. Seizing spies and hanging them, organizing risky expeditions to the dam and the sea, undertaking the most reckless undertakings and carrying them out in cold blood - this is what the army spent all its time doing and what helped it while away the days, long not only for the Larochelles, tormented by hunger and painful waiting, but also for the cardinal, who so stubbornly blocked them.”
In this description, the royal army looks like rollicking loafers, drunkards, card and dice players who found fun in catching spies and hanging them. This is an obvious slander, for which I would pierce any nobleman who would allow himself to speak like that about the King’s musketeers or even about the guards. The truth is that any of us understood how fleeting our lives could be, which could be cut short at any moment by a stray bullet, a cannonball, buckshot, or even an ordinary stone knocked out of its place by a cannonball. Our ostentatious indifference to our fate, which we sometimes hid even from ourselves, cannot be called fun. We had no time for games and drinking, because, as I have already said, de Treville often said: “A soldier who does not have an assignment is a potential violator of discipline, and in wartime a potential criminal.” So they didn’t leave us without instructions. And these orders were dangerous. In addition, if we talk about our four, then danger threatened us not only from La Rochelle, but also from behind, which is much worse. Our enemies were Milady, who could send hired killers to us even taking into account the fact that she herself was in England at that time, as well as Rochefort, and, worst of all, Cardinal Richelieu. The cardinal alone was enough to ensure that not even a sou could be given for our lives. The Cardinal could simply send us to the hottest point of the battle, even on a completely pointless operation. We could not discuss orders and refuse to carry them out, especially when we are talking about orders given by the First Minister of France, the de facto commander-in-chief of the French army. If he had said: “Athos, Porthos, Aramis, d’Artagnan, go and die under the walls of La Rochelle!”, we would be forced to do this, and at the same time we would try to take as many enemies with us to the next world as possible, That's all. I think we wouldn’t even have time to write a last goodbye to our loved ones, and this was not done in such cases. The fact that the cardinal did not give us such an order, which so clearly demonstrates his hostility towards us, only proves that he had a fair sense of justice, respected our brave and honest opponents, but did not consider us enemies. Yes, I make a difference between these concepts. They fight enemies to the end, regardless of the ethics of their methods; opponents are defeated only in a fair fight, in a battle of skill, intelligence, and sometimes even in a confrontation of nobility. We would refuse to carry out the cardinal's order only if he ordered us to arrest the King or de Treville. In this case, we would arrest him himself. If his order was directed against the enemies of France, we would have carried it out, since de Treville himself would have confirmed it, which we, of course, knew about, because the cardinal commanded the military campaign.
Here is another interesting example of absurdity in the texts of Grimaud’s memoirs. He describes how “the cardinal left the house, accompanied only by Cahuzac and La Houdiniere, without any purpose, only to go for a ride.” For Richelieu to do something without any purpose, this never happened. Every minute of his time was dedicated to some purpose. The Cardinal never took a stroll. If he went somewhere, he had a clear goal. Another thing is that he could imagine his movements as a walk without any goals. But it's not the same thing. Of course, Richelieu had a goal, and it was, at a minimum, to inspect the state of affairs at the front. Grimaud further reports: “Having leisurely climbed the hill, he saw not far away behind a hedge seven people lying and basking in the rays of the sun, which rarely appears at this time of year, with empty bottles lying around them. Four of these people were our musketeers, who were preparing to listen to the reading of a letter that one of them had just received. This letter was so important that because of it they left the cards and dice laid out on the drum."
We retired in order to discuss the important news from Paris and decide on further actions, and the cards, dice and wine were taken as a diversion, precisely so that in case anyone asked what we were doing, we would answer that we took advantage of the free time to celebrate d'Artagnan's transfer to the Musketeers. However, “free time” for soldiers during battle is an almost mythical concept. Sometimes, after a very difficult sortie or bloody battle, we could receive an hour or two as an incentive to rest and recuperate. But wartime is not the time for picnics, drinking wine, playing dice or cards. Only narrow-minded servants could decide that the life of musketeers during the war consisted of endless picnics, drinking bouts, games and feasts. Regarding the catching of spies and the entertainment of hanging them, this is the usual slander. As a rule, spies were caught by those whose responsibility it was. We did not belong to the detachment for catching spies and deserters. We were not among their executioners either. So we didn't catch the spies and execute them. If the cardinal or king wanted the execution to be carried out in public, he was required to appear. This could only happen if a deserter or traitor was executed as a warning to the soldiers with whom he served. Since there were none among the musketeers, we never witnessed the hanging of any spy during the entire siege of La Rochelle. I think that our servants took advantage of their free time, which they also had very infrequently, once or twice to amuse themselves by observing such an execution. This impressed poor Grimaud so much that he decided to describe something similar in his memoirs, giving free rein to his imagination.
At the time when we gathered to read the letter I had received, we arranged things in such a way that we simply sat on a picnic, empty bottles scattered around and spread out dice and cards. Three of our servants should have warned us about the arrival of strangers.
Of course, it was Grimaud who first noticed the cardinal’s approach, and he could not miss the opportunity to report this in his memoirs. He warned us with his cry: “Officer!” For this he was reprimanded by Athos, and when it turned out that it was Richelieu, Athos, after the cardinal left, reprimanded Grimaud for warning us too late about the approach of strangers. Having reported both of these facts, Grimaud expressed his protest against Athos's contradictory demands, while trying to do this as delicately as possible, without directly accusing Athos of injustice, but this injustice of the master in relation to the servant simply sticks out from this description. Poor Grimaud thus belatedly responded to the insult inflicted on him. I admit that Grimaud was an excellent servant, so for several decades he did not show that he was offended, and served his master faithfully, but still could not resist and squeezed a pin into his text addressed to Athos.
Well, such hairpins only enliven the memoirs.
Chapter 54
Grimaud reports that in my letters I called Marie de Chevreuse Aglaya Michon. This is not entirely true. I called her Marie Michon, as she herself introduced herself to me the first time I met her. But at a time when she was especially wary of the cardinal's spies, she asked me to change the name too, so that no one would guess who the letter was addressed to. So Marie Michon turned into Aglaya Michon. By the way, pay attention to the fact that in the second book of his memoirs, entitled “Twenty Years Later,” the same author, Grimaud, puts into the mouth of Athos and the Duchess de Chevreuse herself the name Marie Michon. Grimaud was so inconsistent and inattentive, so you can trust me, I’m not mistaken about her real and fictitious name.
Next, Grimaud describes with pleasure how he had to eat a letter from Aglaia Michon, washing it down with a glass of Bordeaux wine. He did not often have the opportunity to taste such excellent wine, so a whole glass of such wine for him was an excellent compensation for the displeasure of eating a letter. From the description of this event, one feels that he would gladly repeat a similar snack, provided that he got a second glass of this wine. Well, Grimaud was not a drunkard, but he knew how to appreciate good wine. Athos knew this. I am not convinced that if I had offered such a snack and drink to Bazin, he would not have vomited after that. Perhaps we need to come up with some name for Grimaud's talents for shredding and destroying paper.
However, he is truly talented as a romantic writer. Who would have thought? The description of how Milady seduced Felton from the true path and instilled in him hatred of Buckingham is worthy of becoming a masterpiece of adventure literature. The Athos Library is truly a great school!
Apparently, it was precisely the fascination with this own fiction that made Grimaud believe that Milady was married to Lord Winter’s elder brother. But even if the description of her story were conveyed completely accurately, we know that her story was completely fictitious, so in order to arouse Felton's indignation, she could well have added such a detail that Lord Winter was her husband's younger brother, so that the insidious actions attributed to him become even more vile and more understandable. After all, it turns out that Lord Winter was involved in the death of his brother, since he had a direct interest in inheriting the family primogeniture, that is, the most significant share of the inheritance that his supposedly elder brother had previously received.
Here, of course, everything does not add up. The younger brother could not receive this inheritance if his older brother had a son. Milady herself allegedly did not tell Felton that she managed to give birth to a son from her husband, since this would not fit into her theory that he died before he had time to avenge her insulted honor. But in fact, she managed to give birth to this son. So, I reiterate that Grimaud got everything wrong about the seniority of the Winter brothers.
I must say that the words that Milady spoke to Felton in order to seduce him from the true path, no one will ever know, since they were spoken between the two of them, and there were no witnesses to their conversation. Milady, of course, did not convey this conversation to anyone, and Felton also did not confess on this topic. Puritans do not confess.
I believe that Grimaud took ideas for his brainchild from some adventure novel. The description of the days Milady spent in captivity, as well as her escape, is simply a figment of Grimaud’s wild imagination. The dialogues are written beautifully, the idea that Milady moved Felton to pity by talking about the cruel persecution of her by Buckingham and Lord Winter evokes respect. Of course, if Milady had told Felton that Lord Winter was the younger brother of her late husband, then his crimes would have acquired both motive and cunning. But Milady could hardly take such a serious risk. After all, Felton could make inquiries, and Lord Winter himself could tell him that Milady was the widow of his younger brother, and not his elder. It would be easy to establish the truth, and Milady would lose her trust.
In addition, Grimaud paints Lord Winter’s hatred and contempt for Milady too decisively and in thick colors. There were no grounds for this at that time. If Lord Winter had known that Milady had killed his brother, her husband, he would have had her executed, in which case he would not have treated her as gently as described in Grimaud's memoirs. If he didn’t know this, and he couldn’t know this, since I didn’t tell him this, he simply had nowhere to know it, then how can many absurdities be explained? Shortly before this, Lord Winter communicated well with Milady, calling her his sister and Lady Clarik, and even introduced her to d'Artagnan as his savior, who did not want to kill him in a duel, despite the fact that he had every opportunity to do this, and then suddenly speaks about her meanness and deceit in such colors as if he himself was actually convinced of this and felt it all himself. First, in Grimaud’s descriptions, we find Lord Winter extremely disposed towards Milady, maintaining friendly and family relations with her, calling her Lady Clarik, then Lord Winter leaves for England, receives only a short letter from a person unfamiliar to him, completely believes him and becomes a jailer and accuser Milady, and at the same time calls her not Lady Clarik, but Charlotte Buxton.
Let me remind you that in order to change his attitude about her, he had the only reason - this was my letter with the following text: “Twice you almost became a victim of your close relative, whom you consider your heir, since you do not know that she got married in England, having already been married in France. But the third time, that is, now, you may die. Your relative left La Rochelle for England this night. Watch for her arrival, for she harbors monstrous plans. If you want to know what she's capable of, read her past on her left shoulder."
I do not think that a warning of this kind is the basis for such a series of statements containing contempt, hatred, mistrust, reproach for pretense and much more. Lord Winter could only take note of her intention to kill him, and also, for example, due to the fact that Planchet verbally reported the danger for the Duke of Buckingham, also fear such an outcome. In this case, he would simply order her to be taken into custody and not released until the situation is clarified. Then it would be strange for him to intend to give her freedom on the condition that she moves away. After all, nothing would stop her from returning! Keeping an eye on her would be an unaffordable luxury, because it would require the involvement of several soldiers and officers at the very time when, let me remind you, the war was going on. It would be much easier to keep her locked up until all the circumstances are clarified. This is exactly what Lord Winter actually did. He simply locked her up and put Felton in charge of what little staff was needed to guard her and provide her with food and other needs. He, of course, did not provide her with any confidante. Moreover, there was no escape using a saw to cut the bars, using a rope ladder and other romantic attributes of pulp novels. The truth is that Lord Winter did not yet fully know anything about Milady’s ability to deceive people, attract them to her side and ensure that they fulfill their vile plans. If he had known about this, he would simply have changed the guards every day, since her plan would have been impossible to implement in a day. So Milady escaped not as a result of any special dexterity and strength on the part of Felton, who sawed down the bars and carried the captive entrusted to his guard up the rope ladder, but simply because Felton, having sufficient power, simply took Milady out of the castle and put him on the ship. There were no tricks involving sawing off the bars or throwing a purse of gold on the ground. Such a purse would certainly have been noticed by the guards passing under the windows of the prison tower, and they would, of course, have noticed the rope ladder hanging from the tower, even if it did not reach the ground several feet. If the guards are guarding the tower from the outside, then they also look at the window of this tower, where the prisoner is imprisoned. However, I understand that Grimaud read this story of escape using a rope ladder from de Sully’s memoirs, which Athos had. This memoir tells the story of Henry of Anjou's escape, with the help of Henry of Navarre, from the palace of Queen Mother Catherine de' Medici. He may have used other romantic books as the source of his fantasies. I was especially amused by the parts where Grimaud describes what Milady thought, what face she made when she thought that no one could see her, what Felton thought, and so on. Of course, Lord Winter was not so prudent, not yet fully knowing the full depth of his daughter-in-law’s meanness, he simply placed her in a locked room, believing that he had done everything necessary for his own safety and for the safety of Buckingham. Felton was not forbidden to communicate with her, since Lord Winter had no idea about Milady’s treachery, about her talents to seduce and turn into a friend a person whom he saw for the first time. Of course, it is also the case that, having read the message that he could read his daughter-in-law’s past on her left shoulder, he tried to figure out this mysterious hint. He hinted in Felton's presence that Milady had something on her left shoulder that would shed light on many circumstances. Milady, who did not expect this, was horrified and could not hide her feelings at that moment. Lord Winter, noticing her horror and embarrassment, guessed that it was probably the mark of a thief or a prostitute, and did not seek the opportunity to verify this. The reason for this was that he still accepted her as his relative and only heir. It is completely inexplicable that Lord Winter did not demand that Milady give him his brother’s son to raise. Noble people do exactly this in such cases. If he considered Milady to be an unworthy woman, this would be a reason to try to take his nephew away from her in order to give him a proper education and ensure his life. This is what Lord Winter should have done out of respect for the memory of his brother, and not what he said that he would not raise a scandal regarding the fact that her marriage was not valid, since she was already married in France to a certain French nobleman, unknown him, who was still alive.
So, the confusion in Grimaud's account of these events is such that I had to shed light on these events. Lord Winter, who did not consider Milady too dangerous, simply put her in custody, without bothering to warn his officers about Milady’s treachery, since he himself knew absolutely nothing about it. Milady, taking advantage of the opportunity to communicate with Felton, assured him that she was the victim of a conspiracy and slander, blaming Lord Winter and Buckingham for everything . Felton simply released her, taking advantage of his position as chief of the guard. The angry Lord Winter sent Felton to the active army at the front, which Felton sought, since there it would be easier for him to meet Buckingham and kill him. All this is so simple, and we know so little of the details of these events that this situation could hardly be presented in several chapters and on so many pages. If we talk about speculation, then this is definitely not for me. In these memoirs I write only strictly what I know for sure. The Felton case remains vague to me, so everything that I know for sure, I have already stated, with all truthfulness and consistency.
Regarding the fact that Lord Winter calls her first Lady Clarik, and then Charlotte Buxton, while then, without any apparent reason for the reader, Athos calls her Baroness Sheffield, I can give the following explanations. Lord Winter's brother was Claric Winter, Baron Sheffield, who on his arrival in France acquired the lands of which he formed the Marquisate of Brenvilliers. Accordingly, this brother was styled Sir Clark Winter, Baron Sheffield, Marquis de Brenvilliers. In England, a wife is considered one person with her husband, to the point that every name of her husband can be applied to her. So if her husband's name was Sir Clarik, then she herself could be called Lady Clarik. Feeling sympathy for the widow of his younger brother, Lord Winter called her by the name of his brother, that is, Lady Clarik. When he received news that she was plotting murder, he called her by the name under which she introduced herself to his brother when they first met, that is, Charlotte Buxton. Athos called her Baroness Sheffield after her second husband, just as he could have called her Marquise de Brenvilliers, but Athos chose to use her English nobility by her husband, rather than her French one, because according to the laws of France she should have been called Countess de La F;re. Calling her by this name would be most unpleasant for Athos.
Regarding the name “Milady”, which we called this lady, Grimaud also made a mistake. In his memoirs, he first reports Rochefort’s thoughts: “If only this rogue did not see my lady.” The fact that Planchet can read the thoughts of the people he has met in his life, I have already noted, is worth laughing at. It is impossible to communicate other people's thoughts in a memoir. If you speculate on these details, then you are not writing a memoir, but a novel.
Next we encounter this word in the remark: “Remember... - Milady cried out...”. How could Grimaud know about the dialogue that took place between Milady and Rochefort, one can only guess, because at that time Grimaud was not even familiar with d'Artagnan, and d'Artagnan himself at that time was in another place and lay unconscious, he didn't hear this conversation. Well, if Grimaud knew people’s thoughts, is it any wonder that he knew everything they talked about?
The third time in Grimaud's memoirs we encounter this name on the lips of d'Artagnan himself. He calls her that without any reason, because he didn’t hear that that’s what Rochefort called her! Further, d'Artagnan himself tells de Treville that the stranger called this lady "Milady", but, as we see, he did not call her that. Here Grimaud made a mistake. Indeed, of course, Rochefort called her that in front of him, that is, Grimaud forgot to describe the dialogue that took place between Milady and Rochefort, and which d'Artagnan witnessed. Such a monologue took place; d'Artagnan, perhaps, only demanded satisfaction from Rochefort because the count's unflattering review of the color of his horse was uttered in the presence of Milady and precisely in the hope that she would laugh at the young man with him.
Chapter 55
I will say a few words about Constance Bonacieux. In Grimaud's memoirs we meet two different Constantius. First Constance before our trip to England. In fact, only d'Artagnan reached England itself. This, as we see, is a rather strict married lady who keeps d'Artagnan at a distance. Perhaps he has not yet earned her gratitude and love? How do you like the fact that he snatched her from the hands of her kidnappers? He single-handedly dispersed the cardinal's four spies who had tied her up. This is not enough? Next, our young Gascon passionately confesses his love, after which he not only promises to unconditionally obey his lady in everything, but also fulfills his promise, because he guards her on the way to Buckingham, then guards them both, after which he promises not to follow her, and keeps his promise, although it was difficult for him. At the same time, Constance talks down to him, demands obedience and does not promise anything specific for this, evading his persistence.
At their next meeting, she yields to his assurances of devotion and, with some doubt, instructs him to go to England with a letter to the Duke of Buckingham on the Queen’s matter. D'Artagnan asks her a question: “I will return, having earned her gratitude, but will I also deserve your love?” In response to this, Constance only blushes, that is, she did not give him a definite promise. They communicate on “you”, Madame Bonacieux does not admit to reciprocal feelings, so nothing proves to d’Artagnan that he loves her, except for the not very significant fact that she resorts to his help when she simply has no one else to turn to contact her.
After his successful return, Constance also does not promise him anything. They had two meetings in passing, where she also did not admit her love for him, and they hardly even talked, so during this time they almost did not get closer at all.
Regarding the first meeting, Grimaud reports: “The day before, they had only briefly seen each other at the gatekeeper Germain, where d’Artagnan summoned her. The young woman was in such a hurry to convey to the queen the good news of the safe return of her messenger that the lovers barely had time to exchange a few words.” The second meeting consisted of Constance taking d’Artagnan without any words to the room where he had the good fortune to see and kiss the Queen’s hand, after which an amazingly brief dialogue took place between him and Constance:
- You! Finally! - cried d'Artagnan.
- Shut up! - said the young woman, covering his mouth with her hand. - Be silent and leave the same way you came.
- But where and when will I see you? - cried d'Artagnan.
- You will learn this from the note that you will find at home. Go, go!
“With these words, she opened the door to the corridor and escorted d’Artagnan out of the office.”
Doesn't it look a little like a conversation between two lovers? He screamed twice, she covered his mouth and escorted him away.
Then there was a letter with the following content: “They want to warmly thank you on their own behalf, as well as on behalf of another person. Be at Saint-Cloud this evening at ten o'clock, opposite the pavilion adjacent to M. d'Estr;es' house. K.B.”
The meeting, as you know from Grimaud’s memoirs, did not take place. Accordingly, recognition did not take place, and intimacy did not take place, which even in the case of mutual love does not always happen, but only if nothing prevents it. But only after such intimacy can a couple call themselves lovers, and even then, as a rule, they avoid such a pragmatic name. If there was no such closeness, then they talk only about their love, the man calls his lady beloved or beloved, but certainly not his mistress. Any number of letters can only confirm this status of a beloved woman, but does not make her a mistress.
What do we read in Grimaud’s memoirs when describing Constance’s conversation with Milady, whom she naively considers also the cardinal’s victim, and, therefore, her friend and comrade in misfortune?
Milady guessed and expresses her guess out loud: “It was you who were d’Artagnan’s mistress!”
After some doubts, Constance replies: “Well! Yes, madam! So, are we rivals?
Seriously? A married lady who did not enter into any carnal relations with the young Gascon, but only trusted him, instructing him to deliver some kind of diamond pendants, now easily agrees to be called the mistress of this young man? The fact that he saved her from four spies who were committing violence against her, and I don't mean sexually assaulting her, did not make her accept his expressions of love favorably. But the fact that he delivered a dozen diamond pendants for another woman, even for the Queen, even at the request of Constance herself, immediately made her his mistress? I apologize - not immediately, but after she was kidnapped again, and after her knight did absolutely nothing to find her and free her, but went to collect his three friends, whom he lost while carrying out her order. Perhaps you will say that he did a lot to save her? Then tell me what exactly, and how did it end? By what results could Constance understand that d'Artagnan, not sparing his life, rushed to save her? As far as she could tell, the Queen had interceded on her behalf in gratitude for the service she had done her, and nothing more. However, if she knew at what cost he had obtained information about her, it would hardly have contributed to improving her attachment to the young Gascon. After all, d'Artagnan truly became Milady's lover. However, I don’t blame him at all, but women look at such adventures differently, even if they are the only way to save themselves.
It must be said that in these inconsistencies Grimaud also completely betrayed his authorship of these memoirs.
At first, his fantasies portrayed Constance as more strict than she really was, and when he described her last days, old Grimaud (you understand that he wrote his memoirs in old age) became emotional and added color to Constance’s love for d’Artagnan . Well, I don’t blame him for this, but I, as I have noted more than once on these pages, strive to present the truth and nothing but the truth, however, I also recognize the fact that Grimaud’s voluminous work conveyed our adventures in complete detail and almost accurately, and, in any case, I do not set myself the task of rewriting the history of these months, since it is written quite correctly and in detail, except, of course, for those moments to which I draw the attention of those who, who knows, may still read these sheets.
Grimaud should have been more careful in presenting the entirely invented dialogue between Milady and Rochefort. Milady asks Rochefort to convey some information to the cardinal, after which she also says the following: “tell him that of these four people only two should be feared: d'Artagnan and Athos; tell him that the third, Aramis, is the lover of Madame de Chevreuse; he must be left alive, his secret is known to us, and he can be useful to us; and as for the fourth, Porthos, he is a fool, a fop and a simpleton, and you shouldn’t even pay attention to him.”
I must correct Grimaud. Milady did not know that I was in a known relationship with the Duchess de Chevreuse, since she had no way to know it. We hid it very skillfully, which was not typical for the Duchess. Mary’s connection with Count Holland, with Buckingham, with Prince de Marcillac, later known as Francois de La Rochefoucauld, even with Buckingham himself, was known to many, but only thanks to the talkativeness of these particular lovers. But no one knew about my connection with her, since I did not expand on this matter, and even my friends, Athos, Porthos and d'Artagnan, for a long time only guessed that I knew some lady at court, whom I called Marie Michon, later Aglaya Michon, and described her as my seamstress cousin. Even if my friends guessed who was hiding behind these names, they accepted my version unconditionally and did not try to force me to be frank and find out the name of my friend. Also, no one at court ever guessed about Mary’s connection with Athos, from which connection Raoul was born, whom Athos raised and made Viscount de Bragelonne. In addition, as I have already reported, I had meetings with Camille de Bois-Tracy, and also, I confess, I sometimes carried out some kind of spiritual mentoring over some of my parishioners and even sometimes yielded to their persistent desire to receive from me not only spiritual grace, but also evidence of my highest respect for them and my unconditional recognition of their femininity and beauty. I can’t say that such meetings were a burden to me. I gratefully accepted their expressions of divine grace, to which I was fortunate to introduce them, believing that the covenant of our Lord “Be fruitful and multiply” should be received with reverence and not neglect the duty that he entrusted to us with these words. In any case, I put some effort into ensuring that if my parishioners were going to multiply, then on my part I did everything in my power for this, and then everything depended on the will of the Lord. Most of my parishioners were young women who did not fully receive their due from their elderly spouses, so my efforts only allowed the birth of babies who were destined to become wealthy nobles to the delight of voluptuous old men who had the desire to leave offspring and sufficient capital to enter into unequal marriage, but with insufficient strength to bring this intention to a happy end. I suppose they should be grateful to me for the fact that their lineage has not died out.
Thus, I believe that the words attributed to Milady about me are erroneous. It is unlikely that she, even if she knew about my connection with Maria, could convey such information through Rochefort; she would have reserved this news for herself in order to personally inform Richelieu, who was very interested in such connections. In addition, Grimaud did not know what Milady certainly knew, namely: that Richelieu himself had several very close meetings with Maria, which allowed her to subsequently get away with any conspiracy, for which she, however, paid a certain price, which was that these conspiracies were revealed not without her help. Let me remind you that she tried her best to be a valuable informant both for the Queen and her supporters, and for the Cardinal, choosing according to her own judgment what information could be shared with one side or another so as to only add weight to herself and her messages, but not to destroy that amazingly subtle harmony of balance between love and hatred that Queen Anne, Cardinal Richelieu, and King Louis XIII had for her. I admit that my love for Maria also had a tinge of hatred and irritation, but it was the kind of love that one does not voluntarily give up. Mary’s lovers, like flies in honey, did not have the strength to leave their bait, but they also received intense pleasure from being in such sweet captivity. Milady could not make plans to use me and my connection with Chevreuse. If the cardinal needed a connection with Chevreuse, he would only have to remember his own relationship with her, because this lady even managed to make not only the cardinal fall in love with her when he was still only a bishop, but also the King himself, although only platonically. No, of course, Richelieu did not need intermediaries to communicate with Maria.
As for the characterization of Porthos as “a fool, a fop and a simpleton”, to whom “you shouldn’t even pay attention”, then this does not correspond to the truth in the slightest degree. Milady could not form such a superficial opinion about Porthos as Grimaud puts into her mouth, nor a deeper impression, simply for the reason that she was not so familiar with him as to at least somehow characterize him, other than “ large and an extremely strong musketeer,” since this is exactly how he appeared when we first met him. I will stand up for Porthos with all my heart. He was a man of the kindest soul, but not out of stupidity, but consciously. He loved to show off in beautiful suits, but does this prove his stupidity? If so, then all the courtiers are stupid, and they are all veils. He was never a dupe. At that hour when I thought that he would die through my fault, he understood everything, and, as it seemed to me, he understood this much earlier. So that my heart would not be tormented by incorrigible guilt, he laughed it off, saying that since I acted this way out of selfishness, he unconditionally forgives me, because he understands, since he considers selfishness to be an integral and ineradicable trait of any person. One must have the huge heart of Porthos to find an excuse so easily, despite the fact that Porthos himself did not possess selfishness in the slightest degree. I would in no way call the desire to become a baron or duke selfishness, it is vanity, without which there can be no military. Porthos would be a bad person if he didn’t strive for anything at all. So, Grimaud is again wrong in these passages.
Next I drew attention to the description of how Milady was led to execution by Grimaud and Mousqueton.
Milady allegedly told them: “I promise a thousand pistoles to each of you if you help me escape! But if you betray me into the hands of your masters, then know: I have avengers nearby who will make you pay dearly for my life!
Since Grimaud himself writes these memoirs, one should trust the retelling of this phrase, unless his memory fails him. But then the author reports: “Grimaud hesitated. Blunderbuss was shaking all over.” After this, Athos, on the advice of Lord Winter, replaced the servants with Planchet and Bazin. Did Grimaud himself write such a confession about himself that he hesitated, wondering whether to accept the bribe and save Milady? This is a trap for the narrow-minded. Grimaud decided to add a little black paint to the description of himself in order to hide his authorship. He failed.
A superficial reader will attribute his hesitation to the proposed reward for betrayal. But Grimaud was never a traitor; he was selflessly devoted to Athos. A more perceptive mind would attribute these hesitations to Milady's threats in case the ransom did not take effect. But those who know Grimaud and Mousqueton, as I know them, will not accept this explanation either. I can restore the original text of this phrase, which Grimaud himself then deliberately shortened so as not to give away his authorship. Indeed, when he enthusiastically described the dialogue between Milady and Felton, he gave his imagination full rein, without fear that his authorship would be revealed. Here he realized that if he described the reasons for Grimaud’s hesitations, the reader could ask: “How did the author know about their reasons, if the author was not Grimaud himself?”
For this reason, he shortened the text. In the original version, and I have no doubt about it, it was written like this: “Grimaud intended to convey this whole conversation to Athos, but doubted it, since Athos forbade him to speak unless absolutely necessary . Therefore, he hesitated between simply ignoring these words, and perhaps not telling Athos something important, and conveying them verbatim and being reprimanded by Athos for daring to open his mouth when Athos did not ask him or allowed me to speak. He looked at Mousqueton, hoping that he would convey the conversation to his master, because no one required him to remain silent. At that moment, Grimaud saw that Bousqueton was trembling all over, probably torn by indignation at Milady, who had dared to offer him a bribe and threaten him with violence, trying to force him not to carry out the orders of his beloved master.”
It may sound strange, but our servants were almost like family to us. They were devoted to us selflessly, of course, which I never had reason to doubt. Blunderbuss might perhaps have been able to afford to steal a couple of small coins from his master, but I suspect that Porthos himself occasionally left a few coins in sight for Blunderbuss, because he believed that it was undignified to give small money to a servant without any particular reason, since a nobleman like him should give only gold, and in those days he did not have such quantities of gold coins that he could afford to unreasonably reward Mousqueton with at least one pistole above his salary. The Picardian Planchet also had a certain vein of acquisitiveness, but he would not allow himself to rob his master even of a single sou, and this acquisitiveness manifested itself only in his attempts to find additional income that would not interfere with his duties as d'Artagnan's servant. Bazin, my dear Bazin, was devoted to me from head to toe, for he saw in me a future bishop, cardinal and even Pope, perhaps also the Lord God himself, so he believed sincerely and even somehow fatalistically that he needed only obey me in everything and follow me, not worrying about anything else, and that in this case he will be assured of heaven both on Earth and in Heaven. As for Grimaud, he adored Athos, if only because he knew that he was a real count, who had the whim of being a simple musketeer for some time. He was quite content to be the only servant of the poor musketeer, especially knowing that in time he would become the majordomo of the noble count.
So, Grimaud, you failed to fool me! This not very flattering description of yourself did not deceive me. I still know that these memoirs were written by you, even if under the influence of studying some historical notes, and reading avidly several dozen adventure novels that replenished your mind, thirsting for philosophical conversations, and deprived of them at the whim of your master, Comte de La Fere , who preferred to see you silent and silent. Well, he raised you to be a shadow man, but one in whose soul the passions of an unrecognized writer bubble.
Grimaud, my dear old comrade, servant and friend of my dear Athos, when it comes to gold and diamonds, your imagination knows no bounds. In your descriptions, we musketeers lose thousands of pistoles, then don’t have a single sou, after which we again throw away money without counting, whole wallets stuffed with gold! In your descriptions, we search the pockets of Englishmen killed in a duel and dispose of the money found on them at our own discretion, but at the same time we do not have a sou to pay for lodging and food in taverns! All we do is drink, play cards, fornicate, and fight duels! Where and when did you adequately describe at least one battle, of which there were many, and in which we showed remarkable courage, but, more importantly, resourcefulness, dexterity, dexterity? At these moments, you, our servants, sat back in the trenches, or, at best, handed us loaded muskets, reloading them behind cover. A few times you had to shoot yourself, but that was rare. And, I must say, not too accurate. This, I agree, is not your fault, since you did not have the opportunity to practice shooting as often as we did with enviable regularity. No one releases either gunpowder or bullets to train servants. Perhaps this is in vain. Perhaps our detachment should then be counted not in the number of four musketeers, but in the number of eight warriors? Who knows? You were our orderlies, but not our partners in battle. Therefore, Grimaud’s descriptions relate to our everyday life to a greater extent than to our battles.
These memoirs by Grimaud paint a very one-sided picture of us, but I will not correct them. I will only point out, as promised, the biggest mistakes.
Milady demands from Rochefort that he give her all his money. He allegedly had five hundred pistoles at that moment, and he, according to Grimaud, gave the entire amount to her unquestioningly. She allegedly had the same amount with her at that moment. Wonderful! What was Rochefort left with? How did he manage to get to La Rochelle from Bethune without a single sou? Perhaps he decided to starve on the road? And not feed the horse? And not give it something to drink? And not spend the night? It's funny, really! Milady thus had a thousand pistoles! That's fifteen pounds of gold! How did she travel with them? Where did she hide them? For the corsage?
Athos, who allegedly searched the pockets of an Englishman he killed in a duel, even if he then ordered that the found gold be given to the servants of the murdered man, still did not commit a very noble act. Grimaud did not know that the duelists got rid of any burden that would constrain them before the duel. This Englishman would have to give this gold to his servants for safekeeping before the duel began. If he did not do this, then he might be suspected of intending to use this gold as protection against a sword thrust. Well, no one forbade wearing a medallion on your chest, or having a cigarette case in your pocket, and hoping that it would save you; it sometimes happened, but extremely rarely. A wallet with gold in your pocket will hinder rather than help the battle. Of course, Athos's opponent knew this, so he had no gold in his pockets. The winners had the right to take the weapons of the vanquished. This is what Athos did. He took the sword, then his rival’s servant, also an Englishman who did not know the customs of the French, asked if the winner would also like to take the gold of the vanquished, to which Athos answered negatively. From Grimaud’s side it looked just as he had described it out of his own thoughtlessness. He only remembered that Athos gave the gold to the servant, although he could have kept it with himself. Therefore, he writes that Athos found gold on the body of the Englishman he killed and gave it to the servants of this Englishman. Grimaud remembered only the fact that Athos refused the money of the Englishman he had defeated; his memory could not retain the details of this event, so he conjectured the rest, and conjectured it very unsuccessfully.
I am writing about this for the reason that at the end of Grimaud’s first book, entitled “The Three Musketeers,” Athos pays the executioner with a purse of gold, which the executioner accepted, but immediately threw into the river, because he believed that Milady’s execution was a matter of his honor. , and should not be charged for.
Well, it’s written beautifully, but not a single line is true.
This gold was found in the house where we found Milady. We could not help but search the house, since Milady was the cardinal's spy. In addition, we hoped to find additional evidence against her, or information that could be useful to us in our, if not the fight against the cardinal, then at least for protection from him. Gold was found, but, of course, it was not a thousand pistoles, but only a hundred. Grimaud exaggerated the amount exactly tenfold. Athos gave half of this money to d'Artagnan so that he could order prayers for the soul of God's servant Constance Bonacieux. He paid the other half to the Executioner. The executioner asked to take them and order funeral masses for Charlotte Buckson's soul. He said this when Milady was still alive.
- No, no, you won't kill me! - Milady shouted. - I have a son! Lord Winter, you will not leave my son an orphan! After all, this is your nephew! This is your dear brother's son! Are you really going to make the baby an orphan?!
Lord Winter grew gloomy.
“I have never heard of the existence of your son, my lady,” he replied. - How old is he?
- He's just a baby! - Milady exclaimed. - He will be lost without me!
“I will order funeral masses from my money, and all your funds in the amount of a million livres will go to your son, if he exists,” replied Lord Winter. “But he will not be able to inherit my brother’s titles, since your marriage is not valid, because you were already married here in France.”
“Madam, I give you a divorce ,” said Athos. - Mr. Lilsky Executioner will seal this decision of mine. At your deathbed you will no longer be Countess de La F;re; remain Lady Winter if that is what you wish.
After these words, he turned his back to her.
The executioner threw the gold onto the sand, my lady jumped to her feet and ran away, but her feet got stuck in the mud, she stumbled and fell, after which she rose to her knees and, raising her head, saw that the executioner was standing right in front of her, drawing his sword.
“Everything is gone,” she said in despair. - I died! Well, cut it!
And she threw back her long hair to the top of her head, exposing her bare neck to the executioner.
She was luckier than poor de Saint-Mars. The executioner of Lille took off her head with one blow, so that she suffered for as long as the defeated favorite of Louis XIII.
After this, the executioner wrapped Milady's body and her head in his cloak, threw two heavy stones there so that the body would sink, and then tied the cloak with two knots from corner to corner. He placed this burden in the boat with sufficient care bordering on reverence. After the execution was completed, the body of the deceased should be treated with due respect. The executioner gently lowered his terrible bundle into the river, which accepted him and carried him to its muddy bottom.
I saw Mousqueton pick up a purse of gold and, not having pockets of the appropriate size, put it in Grimaud's pocket. Grimaud didn't mind.
To the credit of our servants, I must say that they actually used no less than half of this amount to order funeral prayers for Milady's soul. Athos added to this amount all the money he had at that moment.
Our servants divided half of the money raised by Mousqueton among themselves.
I can't blame them. We Musketeers so often forgot about their needs and left them to fend for themselves, and at the same time we also imposed on them the responsibility of taking care of us, so that when fate sent them income, we pretended not to notice it. That is life.
So Milady was finished.
The Comte de Rochefort, whom Grimaud sometimes erroneously calls Chevalier de Rochefort in his notes, did not learn about this from us. When he tried to arrest d'Artagnan, which we prevented, he said that one way or another we should still go to La Rochelle, where we were heading. There we will inevitably fall under the authority of Mr. Cardinal Richelieu, who in this case will arrest all four. D'Artagnan admitted that he was under arrest and asked Rochefort only that we, Athos, Porthos and I, be his escorts. Rochefort had no choice but to agree to these conditions, because there were more of us, strength was on our side.
I must also say a few words about the patent for the position of lieutenant of the royal musketeers, issued to Richelieu d'Artagnan without indicating the name of the person for whom this patent was intended.
D'Artagnan successively proposed this patent to Athos, Porthos and myself.
Athos refused, saying that for the Count de La F;re it was too little, and for Athos it was too much, Porthos refused, citing his intention to leave the service and marry a rich widow, Madame Coknard, and I refused, citing my intention to become an abbot and part with the musketeer's cloak. That's how Grimaud describes it, in any case.
But we must remember that this patent was signed by Cardinal Richelieu.
It should also be recalled that the royal musketeers were supposed to obey Mr. Captain de Treville and it was believed that they reported directly to the King, and de Treville only performed his duties in this part. Consequently, such patents should have been issued only by the King at the suggestion of de Treville. Richelieu could only issue a patent for the position of lieutenant of the cardinal's musketeers.
Yes, I remind my readers that although we called them the Cardinal's Guards, their exact name was the Cardinal's Musketeers, while we were the King's Musketeers, musketeers who wore blue cloaks with silver lilies.
The very moment when Richelieu “made” d’Artagnan a musketeer after our breakfast on the bastion of Saint-Gervais, the situation was different. Richelieu only suggested that the King make d'Artagnan the King's musketeer, after which the King ordered de Treville to prepare the appropriate patent and signed it.
The patent signed by the cardinal was a patent for the position of lieutenant of the cardinal's musketeers, a musketeer who wore a red cloak with large silver crosses on the back and chest.
Of course, all three of us understood this, but we did not want to disappoint d'Artagnan. When he was arrested by order of Richelieu, we feared that we would never see him alive again. The news that the cardinal had issued d'Artagnan an open patent for the post of lieutenant of the musketeers could only mean one thing: the cardinal had recruited our friend into his service, forgiven him only on the condition that he become a lieutenant of his musketeers, the cardinal's musketeers, and put on a red cloak with crosses .
Athos, looking at this document, thought, most likely, the same thing that I thought, and the same thing that Porthos most likely thought.
And I thought the following: “Poor d'Artagnan! You had to choose between death or service to the cardinal! Well, you made the right choice! But the cardinal gave you an open patent! If any of us agrees to enter his name here, the cardinal will give the same patent to you, d'Artagnan, since he has already made his decision regarding you. But he wants to lure into his net not only you, but also us, or at least one of us. But this will not happen! I’d rather become a monk.”
That's what I thought.
Athos thought, I suppose, the same thing, but decided not to become a monk, but to become a count, since the county was waiting for him in the glorious city of La F;re. This city was so significant that Henry of Navarre himself besieged it in order to make it his own. So Athos was noble enough and rich enough to be able to end his service with de Treville in an instant.
Porthos really preferred marriage to serving as a cardinal.
D'Artagnan himself, during his first conversation with the cardinal, told him that by the will of fate, all his friends were friends of the King, all enemies were friends of the cardinal, so fate itself made the choice for him.
Grimaud writes that Athos wrote d'Artagnan's name into the patent, which finally resolved the issue of this choice.
Grimaud does not know that Athos put a huge blot on half of Richelieu’s signature and, as if by accident, pierced the patent with a pen in two places.
- Forgive me, d'Artagnan! - Athos exclaimed. “You see what my addiction to wine can lead me to!” My hands are shaking. I ruined the document. But it’s okay, I undertake to fix this problem. Tomorrow I will go to de Treville and ask him to rewrite this patent in your name and get His Majesty’s signature on it.
Athos placed such emphasis on the words “His Majesty’s signature” that d’Artagnan understood absolutely everything.
- Athos! - he exclaimed. - Don't slander yourself! I understood perfectly well what shame you had just saved me from! Indeed, it is not fitting for me to accept mercy from someone who has brought so much evil to me and my friends! I'd rather never be a lieutenant than become a cardinal's lieutenant!
“That’s why I stay away from the court,” answered Athos, “because the intrigues of all these dukes, ministers and cardinals under the King are such that you won’t even notice how you will dance to their tune!” I am glad, d'Artagnan, that my hand trembled and that this document was spoiled, but I believe that Captain de Treville will understand me correctly. Tonight you will have another patent to replace this one.
After that, Athos casually folded the patent and put it in his pocket.
Indeed, on the evening of the same day, Athos presented d'Artagnan with a patent signed by the King.
- Athos, you are a sorcerer! - exclaimed d'Artagnan. - Why don’t you stay in the Musketeers for at least another year or two? If you do not want to serve under me, which I understand and accept, then be my mentor and deputy for at least a while?
“I don’t need this, d’Artagnan, but, as I see, you need it,” answered Athos. “Well, I’m ready to remain a musketeer for a while longer, but only until you yourself understand that you can easily do without my advice.” And not one day longer, keep in mind!
Athos kept his promise to the letter. In 1631, he resigned from the King's musketeers and went to his place in Blois.
Chapter 56
The first volume of Grimaud's memoirs, entitled "Memoirs of the Comte de La F;re" and subtitled "The Three Musketeers", begins with a description of the events of 1625, on the first Monday of April of this year d'Artagnan left for Paris. This volume ends with a description of the events of 1628 - on October 28, 1628, La Rochelle signed the capitulation, and on December 23, the King triumphantly returned to Paris. Further it is indicated only that Athos served under d'Artagnan until 1631, that is, another three and a half years after the events on the Lys River, where Milady was executed by the executioner, who had lost his brother by her mercy.
If the memoirs had been written by Athos, he would have described at least something from these three years, because he loved d'Artagnan like a son, and he certainly would not have been indifferent to how he turned from a young trainee into an experienced lieutenant of the royal musketeers. For Grimaud these events were of no interest, so he did not describe them.
I have to fill this gap as best I can. If I had written these memoirs, then I would have stopped in my descriptions where Grimaud stopped, since at the beginning of the winter of 1628 the four of us parted, and only Athos remained with d'Artagnan for another three and a half years.
I was not supposed to know what happened to them, and what happened at the King’s court, since, according to Grimaud’s memoirs, I became a monk.
This is what Grimaud reports about me: “Aramis, having made a trip to Lorraine, suddenly disappeared and stopped writing to his friends. Subsequently, it became known through Madame de Chevreuse, who told two or three of her lovers about this, that he had become a monk in one of the monasteries of Nancy. Bazin became a novice."
This is exactly what I would like people to think of me, but this is absolutely not what I actually did, so I will write about it in more detail than about the three years that Grimaud described, to whose description I I just attached a few comments in the form of a dozen chapters, which I combined into the Second Book.
This is illogical when you consider that the First Book contains forty-five chapters, but it is completely logical when you consider that the First Book sets out events that have not been described by anyone else, while the Second Book only complements and corrects the events of these troubled three that have already been described generally well. and a half years. However, readers were probably bewildered as to how the events described in this book could take as long as three and a half years, if these events were just our duel, which turned into a duel with the cardinal’s guards, d’Artagnan’s trip to London, d'Artagnan's love affair with Milady, our short-term participation in the siege of La Rochelle, return to Paris, a trip to the Bethune monastery and the pursuit of Milady, as well as her execution and return to La Rochelle. Each of these events takes at most a couple of weeks, and even if d'Artagnan's trip could have taken several months, we know that his trip took ten days, since the cardinal informed the King that the ball was scheduled in twelve days, d'Artagnan left only the next day, and he returned a day before the ball.
Such is human memory. She remembers only the most significant events, leaving out all the others. But in Grimaud’s description, the actions develop rapidly, each subsequent action is a direct consequence of the previous one, the reader gets the impression that the events took place in two or, at most, three months. Where does a three and a half year old come from?
Frankly, I myself was surprised, after reading all this, by such a discrepancy, since my memory also lost much of what happened to us in those days.
As I have already said, the description of our service, consisting of the performance of convoy and security duties in peacetime and the most ordinary soldier's duties in wartime, which include heroic battles and, if necessary, death in battle on the orders of the commander, indeed, fell out of these memoirs, but I do not think that these descriptions would greatly enrich these memoirs. Fortunately, none of us was killed, although orders to go into battle without sparing our lives often came, and we carried them out conscientiously. Take, for example, the attack of the Saint-Gervais bastion by d'Artagnan with a small detachment. This is a real feat, about which, however, Grimaud reports almost nothing. However, perhaps I will remember some more details of our life at that time and our exploits and describe them later, but I do not promise this even to myself, and even more so I do not promise this to my readers.
Now I want to pay some attention to the person of Milady, who will then disappear forever from the pages of my memoirs, but her place will soon be taken by her son, the illegitimate Mordaunt, adopted by her from a rootless adventurer, and passed off to her as the legitimate son of her husband, Baron Sheffield, Marquis de Brenvilliers.
By the way, Lord Winter was never Baron Sheffield; Grimaud is mistaken about this. This title was borne by his younger brother in England, but in France he preferred to be called Marquis de Brenvilliers. Don’t let this surprise you, because our glorious Porthos was called Baron du Valon de Pierrefonds de Brassier.
I will also tell you the reasons why the unfortunate marquis did not use his English title in France.
But even more, I consider it my duty to explain why I did not accuse Milady of trying to kill me, and also why Athos tried to kill Milady after seeing the brand on her shoulder.
I agree that to find out that you, Comte de La Fere, married for love against the will of your family to a girl whom you considered innocent and honest, and, as it turned out, married a thief or even a prostitute, is a great disappointment in life. I also agree that a nobleman of this rank has undivided power within his county even over the lives of his subjects and even over the life of his wife, but these ideas have long since become a thing of the past, and without sufficient grounds to take the life of a wife, even if not so honest and innocent, as you believed, it would be extremely unfair, and Athos has always been the embodiment of justice.
In Grimaud's account this passage remains dark, with no convincing motivation for Athos' actions.
Indeed, when a criminal was branded, after that she was released. That is, branding was sufficient punishment for the crimes she had committed, after which she should no longer be persecuted. If she had received additional punishment, she simply would not have been released. And if she was not supposed to be released, she would not be branded.
One can, of course, note the deep indignation of Athos that he sullied the honor of his family with such a marriage? Marrying a woman who is much lower than her husband does not undermine the honor of the family, especially if this marriage can be ended. It would be enough to send her to a monastery or get a divorce, and Athos’s honor would be saved.
In addition, as Grimaud reports, and this is the true truth, Charlotte Buckson was branded not at all by the verdict of French justice, but on the initiative of the executioner who was mortally at odds with her, illegally, whatever the reasons for his actions, whatever crime she committed, but branding is done only by court verdict. What the executioner committed, according to the law, is a crime against Milady’s person, a violation of her rights, violence, so formally and legally Milady was right when she claimed (according to the same Grimaud) that the mark was applied to her in a dishonest way. It’s not undeserved, that’s true, but it’s not legal either. If she deserved it and it would have been recognized by a court that had the right to impose such a punishment, then it would have been done legally, by a court verdict, but such a sentence was not imposed on her.
So, it turns out that Athos acted unfairly, since, firstly, formally Milady should not have worn the mark, and secondly, even if this mark was placed by a court verdict, it would not give him a reason or reason to execute her, since the brand was already a punishment in itself, thirdly, as Cardinal Richelieu rightly asserts, “you arrogated to yourself the rights of judges, without thinking that those who are not authorized to punish and yet punish are murderers.” So, from the statements of Grimaud’s memoirs it follows that Athos is a murderer, even if a failed murderer, but his act should have been qualified as such, if we talk about the fact that he hanged Milady, although she managed to escape and survive after that. Would Athos really have written such memoirs himself, exposing him to such crimes, without citing any arguments to justify himself, except that Milady had a mark on her left shoulder? Of course no.
So Grimaud knew only part of Milady's story, and told only what he knew. He did not delve into these legal subtleties out of ignorance.
Grimaud's naivety even goes so far as to perceive the address "my lady" as Charlotte Buckson's proper name. He did not understand that we called her that only so that no one would guess who we were talking about if they overheard us. True, this name arose by itself, since d'Artagnan initially called her that, not knowing her true name, but after we realized who she was, we used this name solely for security reasons.
So, the story of Milady... Athos carried out his own investigation, and he introduced me to his results.
Charlotte Buckson was born into the family of innkeeper Michel Munier, and Munier is her real maiden name. This innkeeper and his wife Zhanna were engaged in robbery, but they did it so carefully that for a long time they managed to remain unpunished. Little Charlotte Munier actively participated in this matter. If the parents noticed a wealthy guest traveling alone or with a single servant, the mother would send Charlotte to talk to the traveler, trying to extract as much information from him as possible. For information about where the traveler was going, where his next stop would be, and, in particular, what valuable things he was carrying with him and where he was hiding, little Charlotte received a reward in the form of candied fruit or sweets, and sometimes she was given something from the property of the murdered person. , especially when she got a little older. The girl was very attractive and smart, with the appearance of an angel and the ability to portray this angel. She learned to provoke the traveler to openness, telling him tales about her doll in a gentle voice, sparkling with piercing blue eyes, batting her eyelashes, and also showing the traveler her “treasures” in the form of fragments of colored glass.
- Uncle, my doll Louise has a dowry! - she said. - Look, these are emeralds, beryls, sapphires and diamonds!
Portraying holy, childish naivety, she showed the traveler shards of glass, praising them as if they were real jewelry, and putting a finger to her lips so that the guest would not blab to anyone about such “countless riches.”
“Just don’t tell anyone about these treasures,” she whispered in the ear of the weakened elderly rich man, barely touching his ear with her wet lips. “Can you tell me how best to hide these treasures from the robbers?” Just don’t tell anyone, not even my mommy and my daddy, because they don’t suspect that my doll Louise is such a rich girl. If you tell them, they will take my treasures and give them to the poor or take them to church, as they always do.
The trusting traveler gained confidence in the girl and her kind parents, who so generously distributed alms. He began to joke with the girl and suggest different ways to hide the treasures better. Often these methods coincided with those chosen by the guest himself. One suggested sewing them into a hat, another - hiding them in a heel, a third - keeping them under a pillow.
- You're laughing at me, uncle! - Charlotte finally spoke. “You don’t know what treasures are, and you probably don’t know how to hide them properly.” Have you ever held a coin worth more than ten sous?
The guest smiled and showed Charlotte the real gold one. The girl opened her eyes wide and showed true delight, began to talk to the guest, depicting the highest respect and devotion, as if she had never seen such money in her life. This flattered the wine-drunk guest, who sometimes pulled out a real diamond, or a whole wallet of gold, after which, satisfied with the effect produced, he hid it back, while Charlotte noticed the place where the valuable thing or wallet had disappeared.
After her parents received a full report of the traveler's wealth from her, they decided whether attacking him was worth the risk. Sometimes the spouses decided that the risk was too great and abandoned their intention to kill and rob the traveler.
Once, when Michel said: “No, it’s too dangerous!”, Charlotte began to be capricious.
- Well, please, daddy! - she whined. - Kill this good guy! I liked the ring he showed me! I tried it on and it fits my finger! I want him to be mine. Please, please, daddy, mommy, kill this kind uncle so that the ring becomes mine!
Zhanna hugged her daughter, kissed her on the head and calmed her down.
“Okay, my dear daughter ,” she said. “If my lovely Charlotte wants this ring, she will get it, I promise you!”
Just before the departure of the rich guest, the Munier spouses gave the traveler and his servant tea with a decoction of poisonous herbs that did not act immediately, while little Charlotte gave the travelers' horses herbs that were supposed to knock them down an hour after they were eaten by them. The traveler was leaving the yard.
Charlotte's parents set off after the traveler, and soon caught up with the carriage with fallen asleep horses and travelers who had fallen asleep forever. The carriage was immediately taken to a special hunting lodge in the depths of the forest, where the couple cut it into pieces. Every secluded crevice was examined to see if money or jewelry was hidden there. The successful search was greatly facilitated by the information received from Charlotte. The wreckage of the carriage disappeared into the oven so as not to leave any evidence. The horses were sold to gypsies from a neighboring village.
For a long time, the crimes of the Munier family remained a secret, but one day Michel Munier inadvertently decided to sell one of the diamond rings, for which he received one and a half thousand pistoles. This ring was bought by a reseller from the city; it was later seen and identified by one of the heirs of the murdered traveler. The investigation began, the Munier family was exposed, but the judges did not think that nine-year-old Charlotte could be involved in the crimes of her parents. Under a different name, she was sent to be raised in the Bethune Monastery.
Chapter 57
Charlotte took with her to the monastery those small “trinkets” that, according to her assurance, her rich uncle-godfather gave her. She portrayed such innocence to the investigators and used her angelic appearance so cleverly that the investigators did not even think of checking the “trinkets” that were in Charlotte’s box with the list of jewelry that people who disappeared in different years near that area had. where the Munier family's inn stood.
True, this box no longer contained the beautiful amber rosary, but Charlotte did not regret them!
When she first saw them at Father Martin's, who was staying at their inn, her eyes lit up. It seemed that the sun was shining in every bead of these rosary! The kind Father Martin allowed the lovely blond, curly-haired girl to play with the rosary, although this was, in some way, a violation, because rosary beads were holy objects that children should not play with. Charlotte, in joy, kissed old Father Martin on the cheek, causing him to melt and glow with happiness. He stroked the girl on the head and kissed her snow-white hands.
- I want these rosary beads! - Charlotte said to her mother in the evening. - Kill this good guy and give me these rosary beads.
- No, this will not happen! - the mother objected sternly. - He is a priest, and I will not take such a sin on my soul!
- I want these rosary beads, or you are not my mother! - Charlotte exclaimed. “I won’t love you if I don’t get these rosary beads!”
At this, Charlotte stamped her foot and pouted.
- Stop it! - objected the mother. - Do you want us to be wheeled around?
“Let them drive around, but I want to get these rosaries,” Charlotte objected.
The mother slapped her daughter in the face in anger, after which Charlotte began to sob loudly and hid in the far corner.
The mother's heart trembled.
- Daughter, forgive me! - the mother exclaimed and hugged the crying Charlotte. - Do not cry! These rosary beads will be for you.
- Mommy! You are the best! - Charlotte answered and hugged her mother.
But Charlotte harbors resentment and hatred for her mother in her soul. Although the next day she received this rosary, and, noticing blood on one of the beads, wiped it off with her finger, meticulously examined each bead, after which, making sure that the rest of the beads were clean, she gladly put the rosary in the pocket of her dress, she was still angry looked at her mother when she did not see it, and whispered to herself: “I will not forget this slap.”
When two investigators came to the tavern with a search, Charlotte took out an amber rosary from her box, which she was already pretty tired of, and casually threw them under the bench.
Investigators soon found these rosary beads.
- Wow! - one of them exclaimed. - Yes, these are Father Martin’s rosary! These scoundrels killed him too! They did not spare the holy man! I'll get this couple on the wheel.
- Don't touch my wife! - Michel exclaimed. - She didn’t know anything! Only I killed Father Martin, I was alone, she was visiting her sister that day!
“Well, that means they’ll only wheel you, and they’ll just hang her,” answered the investigator.
- Men are such weak creatures! - Charlotte whispered to herself and looked at her father with contempt. - What kind of self-sacrifice does their stupid love push them to! I would never do that!
No one heard her because she said it with just her lips. She threw up the rosary to punish her mother for slapping her, and was somewhat disappointed that her mother would only be hanged. She did not harbor such hatred for her father, but at that moment she despised him, so she did not regret it at all.
On the day that Father Bertrand took her to the monastery, the carriage in which they were traveling passed by Place de Greve, where people were crowded.
- What is happening there? - Charlotte asked Father Bertrand.
“Nothing special, my child,” answered Father Bertrand and drew the curtains of the carriage.
- No, I want to watch! - Charlotte objected and tore the curtains open. - What is this? After all, this is mother! And father!
- Poor child! - said Father Bertrand, full of sympathy. - How unfortunate it is that we are passing here at this moment! May the Lord bless you!
With these words, Father Bertrand crossed Charlotte and crossed himself.
“I have the right to watch my parents die,” Charlotte said firmly.
She was interested to see how her mother would dangle on a rope, and how they would cut off her father’s arms and legs, after which they would cut off his head.
“I won’t allow this,” Father Bertrand said firmly and closed the curtains again, after which he ordered the coachman to quickly turn into some street.
Having brought Charlotte to the monastery, Father Bertrand asked the abbess to be as attentive as possible to the girl.
“She comes from a dysfunctional family ,” he said. - Be careful with her, you will need a lot of patience to raise her.
“I will do everything as expected, don’t worry, Father Bertrand,” answered the abbess.
She decided that Father Bertrand was asking for more tenderness and care for the new pupil of the monastery, while Father Bertrand meant that this child already has some inclinations towards vice, or, in any case, shows an unhealthy interest in execution, surprising in such a way. small child. He wanted to say that these imbalances in upbringing should be corrected by proper treatment of the child. Although he was a kind person, he was not a very good speaker, so he remained misunderstood.
Charlotte quickly became friends with Elizabeth de Beltham, the daughter of a noble family, who was given up to be raised because the Beltham couple were forced to leave France for a while. She drew attention to the wonderful medallion decorated with diamonds. The medallion depicted the Virgin Mary.
- What a wonderful thing! - Charlotte exclaimed.
Elizabeth allowed Charlotte to examine the medallion from all sides.
Charlotte showed her ten rings and said:
“If I die, these rings will be yours.” I bequeath them to you.
- What you! - Elizabeth exclaimed with emotion. - What are you talking about? Why would you suddenly have to die? After all, you are so young!
“I believe that best friends should bequeath to each other the most precious thing they have,” Charlotte said firmly. - You are my best friend. Therefore, I bequeath to you all my rings.
“Then I will do the same,” answered Elizabeth. “I don’t have rings, but I have this medallion, and I bequeath it to you.”
Charlotte gently hugged Elizabeth and kissed her on the cheek. She was happy.
Six months later she pretended to be very ill. Elizabeth did not leave her bed.
“I want to immediately register with a notary the will of my rings to you, my dear Elizabeth,” she said in a weak voice.
The abbess refused to call a notary, but Charlotte insisted, and then the abbess said that she herself would notarize Charlotte's will.
Charlotte showed such concern about this will that the abbess had to draw it up according to all the rules and hand it over to Elizabeth.
Touched, Elizabeth immediately wished to draw up the same will in relation to her medallion, which the abbess also certified and handed to Charlotte.
A few days later, Charlotte began to recover.
No one ever guessed that her entire illness was a show for Elizabeth and the abbess.
Six months after these events, Elizabeth suddenly began to feel very bad. Two days later she died. No one knew that two hours before her illness, Charlotte gave her friend a soft drink, into which she sprinkled drugs known to her.
So Charlotte became the owner of a magnificent medallion studded with diamonds.
Chapter 58
Charlotte's talents were revealed more and more. This was facilitated by her self-education in the criminal field.
The fact is that the abbess had an extensive library, which she inherited from her deceased elder brother, a nobleman with broad views. Charlotte was taught to read and write so that she could read moral and spiritual books, and she successfully pretended that she read only such literature. Possessing a brilliant memory and quick wit, she easily looked for some particularly vivid fragments on the pages of spiritual books, read only them and memorized them the first time. This allowed her to shine with her erudition and save a lot of time on reading such books. She used all the time freed up in this way to read adventure novels and even court reports that were in the library of the abbess’s brother. The abbess herself did not do a proper audit of this library, which was, of course, her big mistake.
Reading these books, young Charlotte Munier found a whole treasure trove of examples of how you can fraudulently rob your neighbors, and also become their heirs, dooming them to death. She also carefully studied and memorized methods of murder.
One Christmas Eve, when Charlotte was already thirteen years old, the pupils of the monastery, whose future life did not involve serving the Lord, decided, in secret from the nuns and the abbess, to tell fortunes about the future groom.
- There’s nothing to guess here! - said Mademoiselle de Fertet. “It’s quite obvious that the best groom will go to Annabelle de Lernu, because she’s the most beautiful.”
Young Mademoiselle de Lernu blushed with pleasure, but Charlotte cast an evil glance at Mademoiselle de Lernu, and then at Mademoiselle de Fertet.
“I will get the best groom ,” she said quietly but confidently, so that everyone present could hear her.
Confused by her words, the young girls abandoned the idea of fortune telling. This sounded like a prophecy of misfortune that was about to happen to Mademoiselle de Lernu, since everyone knew that among the pupils there were two beauties - Charlotte and Annabelle, and Anabelle, by all accounts, was more beautiful than Charlotte.
Two months later, Mademoiselle de Lernu died of some mysterious illness.
Mother Superior, having learned from Mademoiselle de Fert that Charlotte had predicted in such a strange form that she would remain the most beautiful of the pupils, became worried. She recalled the case of Elizabeth de Beltham. The abbess decided to check her doubts and during lunch, when all the pupils were in the dining room, she searched Charlotte's bedside table and found books from the library in it that horrified her. The abbess had no idea that such books could be contained in the library inherited by the monastery from her late brother. She ordered all such books to be confiscated and set on fire. The discovery of the books greatly puzzled the abbess, who could not help but connect this fact with two mysterious deaths. That evening she wrote a letter to Father Bertrand, in which she shared with him her concerns about Charlotte's upbringing.
A week later, a response came in which Father Bertram, sharing the concern of the mother abbess, proposed to transfer her to another monastery, in which stricter rules of upbringing were established, and in which Charlotte would be looked after more closely. A month later, Father Bertram arrived at the Bethune Monastery and took Charlotte away. So she turned out to be first a novice, and then a nun of the Templemar Benedictine monastery, while Father Bertram recorded her under a new name, under the name of Charlotte Buckson, hoping that, having broken with her past name, Charlotte would also break with her criminal inclinations.
In this monastery, the service was corrected by the priests of the nearest monastery. They usually did not communicate with nuns and novices, but Charlotte noticed one handsome young priest, Jean, who attracted her with a thick, rich voice, a pleasant, regular face, and a slender and strong figure. This tall monk seemed to be so devout that he did not even look at the nuns. It was difficult for Charlotte to attract his attention, especially since there were almost no opportunities for this. These difficulties only provoked her, she set herself the goal of making him fall in love with her, without pursuing any other specific goals, just for fun. She herself did not at all fall in love with him, but she considered him a quite distinguished young man, whose mistress it would not be a shame to be. If she had fallen in love with him, perhaps nothing would have worked out with him, but since she was completely indifferent to him, and her initiative was fueled only by the excitement of solving a difficult problem, she thought through her every gesture, every glance, every inadvertent a dropped word, using methods of seduction that she learned from the frivolous novels of Mother Superior’s library.
The methods of seduction, combined with the heavenly beauty of Charlotte, with her angelic voice, artistic gift, with her calculating mind and cold heart, brought the desired results. The young priest Jean was at first extremely embarrassed, after which he became interested in Charlotte, she gave him reasons for vague hopes and dreams, which she immediately took away, showing the highest modesty and purity, demonstrating purity of thoughts and almost childish naivety, combined with the beauty of the young woman and those statements almost on the verge of decency, which can only be afforded by extremely depraved natures, or absolutely pure souls, who do not attach to their words that hidden meaning that could be taken as hints, if not for the confidence in the innocence of the girl speaking these words.
Jean lost his head, falling in love with Charlotte, he renounced his destiny, decided to take off his priestly cassock, leave his service in the monastery and indulge in secular life. For the sake of possessing Charlotte, he would agree to descend forever into Hell.
To evoke even more compassion from the simple-minded Jean, Charlotte came up with the noble name Anna de Belle. This name was prompted by her memory of Anabel, who had once been poisoned by her, about whom she liked absolutely everything, including the sonorous name, and for which she hated her even more. So, Charlotte turned into the self-proclaimed noblewoman Anne de Belle.
Charlotte skillfully fueled Jean's passion with frequent but short meetings in which their breaths and lips only merged, but in which both maintained innocence for lack of time and opportunity to reward each other with the most intimate evidence of mutual love.
- What should I do so that we can finally unite forever? - asked Jean, trembling with love.
- Dear Jean, my dear! - Charlotte answered passionately. - After all, I want the same thing! But we can’t be together, because we have no means of livelihood outside the monastery! If only we had wealth!..
- How can we get rich? - asked the naive Jean.
“I don’t know,” Charlotte said sadly. “If only we had the same golden cups, rings, chains, crosses and medallions that are kept in the tabernacle!”
Jean thought deeply. Charlotte skillfully directed his thoughts towards robbing the monastery, and Jean finally made up his mind, believing at the same time that the idea belonged to himself.
For the sake of the happiness of owning Charlotte, Jean cleaned out the tabernacle, taking out treasures worth fifty-two thousand pistoles, which he, in his naivety, agreed to sell in a pawnshop in the city of Lille for ten thousand. The owner of the pawnshop identified almost all the items of the Templemar monastery and suspected something was wrong, since Jean, among other things, demonstrated a clear lack of understanding of the value of the items brought. He did not want to quarrel with the Catholic Church and the monastery, because due to his nationality he needed, if not patronage, then at least condescension on its part. Therefore, he told Jean that the payment would be made the next day, allowing him to leave along with his valuables, and he immediately notified the abbot of the Templemar monastery and the judicial authorities about the suspicious client.
Charlotte, fearing that Jean would take the money for himself and disappear with it, came to the pawnshop with him, where they were both arrested.
Grimaud is mistaken when he reports that the executioner of the city of Lille was supposed to brand the criminals. The brother of a priest cannot be an executioner, and the brother of an executioner cannot be a priest. The executioner's craft is inherited, and people from this family do not become priests. Those who can become priests do not willingly become executioners.
The man who called himself the Executioner of Lille actually was one, but this happened later, as an exception to the general rule. I have a handwritten letter from this man, Jacques Dertier, which describes these circumstances. So I'll just rewrite it here.
“Dear Monsieur Abbot d'Herblay!
At your request, I am telling you what I know about the person you are asking me about, Charlotte Buckson, also known as Anne de Bayle.
I, Jacques Dertier, the elder brother of the priest Jean, was a Catholic judge in the city of Lille, trying crimes against the faith. As part of my duty, I had to judge Jean and Charlotte, accused of stealing the valuables of the Templemar monastery. According to the gravity of their crime, I should have sentenced both to imprisonment and branding. Jacques was tried under the name “Father Jacques Niguel, priest of the Templemar Benedictine monastery,” his true surname was not mentioned in the case, since he did not name it, but introduced himself as Jacques Niguel, that is, no one, which surname he gave upon entering the monastery out of modesty. So no one had anything against me, his brother, administering the trial, since no one knew about our relationship. In fact, in passing this sentence, I had to brand my own brother. It's terrible, but I became my own brother's executioner, not physically, but indirectly. It was as if fate, which had prepared for me this terrible fate in the form of the profession of an executioner, knew in advance about my future fall and, as a first step, forced me to first be a legal executioner, so that later I would become one physically. I had to pass this terrible sentence on my own brother, but I could have refused it, citing that I could not judge my brother impartially, however, I was afraid that another judge might impose a more severe sentence, including the death penalty . Therefore, I hid from the other judges that I was Jean’s brother and sentenced him to ten years in prison with a branding.
But Charlotte managed to seduce the jailer and escape from custody, after which she made sure that Jean could also escape. The jailer was sent to the galleys.
An investigation has begun. An investigator who arrived from Paris said at first that the security of the prisoners was too sloppy, which allowed the criminals to escape. He pointed out that they should have been kept under closer supervision, that is, in a stricter prison. He stated that the sentence imposed was too lenient and therefore became interested in me since I was presiding over the trial. Without much difficulty, he found out that Jean was my brother, which allowed him to accuse me of bias and of obstructing the investigation, obstructing the correct correction of the trial. Along the way, he suspected me that it was I who organized the escape of both criminals. Since the charge of concealing the relationship was fair, all the other charges brought against me seemed undoubted to the judges hearing my case. I was deprived of my clergy, and, of course, the right to participate in court proceedings, not to mention presiding over them and passing sentences. I was left without a profession and without a position, but that was not enough. I was accused of organizing the escape and sentenced to serve the same sentence that I imposed on my brother Jean. If they had evidence against me, I too would have been sent to the galleys, just like the jailer.
Having learned about this, Jean voluntarily surrendered to the authorities, demanding that I be released. But the authorities arrested him and did not think to let me out. This became known to my poor brother Jean, who, having learned of this misfortune, hanged himself in his cell with a rope made from strips of fabric into which he had torn his clothes. Another investigator from Paris arrived to deal with this excess, who considered that in the current circumstances, since Jean himself voluntarily surrendered to the authorities, and since there was no evidence incriminating me in the case, I could be released, but he confirmed the deprivation of all rights and expulsion from all positions. I was left without a position, without a job and without a livelihood, since my house and my money were also taken from me the day I was sent to prison.
At this very time, the executioner of the city of Lilya died, and I, full of despair, walking past the market square where various advertisements were posted, saw that the city authorities needed an executioner. The executioner was provided with squalid housing at the expense of the city, but I didn’t have any, so this was my salvation. I was good with a sword and an ax, so I decided to accept this job offer. So I became the executioner of Lille. I looked with trepidation at the mark that had once branded my brother, and which should have branded the woman who had seduced him. Now this brand was one of my tools. I dreamed that this mark would also mark her, the culprit of all my misfortunes and the death of my dear Jean.
Probably Fate, which had treated my poor brother and me so cruelly, took pity and provided me with the opportunity for revenge. The said Charlotte, having learned about the true value of the treasures stolen from the monastery, decided to seduce another monk into stealing them a second time. But the monk reported on her, she was arrested again, and I had to brand her. I confess that I felt true satisfaction in carrying out this revenge with my own hands. If I could, I would have strangled her, but she was only supposed to serve ten years for the first crime, plus two more years for trying to seduce the monk into stealing again.
She again managed to seduce the jailer and escape. This time she did not try to arouse his love, since the authorities assigned an old and experienced guard to her, who did not like women, and, frankly speaking, no longer had the physical ability to love them. Charlotte realized that the previous method was not suitable, and decided to act on pity. She tore all her clothes and wove a rope out of them, but did not hang herself, like my poor brother, but only pretended to attempt suicide, setting it up so that when the jailer brought her lunch, he saw her, completely naked, with a rope in her hands, trying to tie her up. one end of the rope to the window bars.
Apparently, although the elder was powerless, he was voluptuous. The picture he saw struck him, reminiscent of biblical scenes or, perhaps, ancient paintings. He felt both pity and senile sensuality for Charlotte. Throwing off his jacket, he threw it over Charlotte's shoulders and tried to calm her down, but the pretender did not calm down until he promised to arrange her escape. And so it happened, she escaped, wearing clothes that were procured for her by an old lustful jailer, who was imprisoned for five years, having previously given him forty lashes with a whip.
After this, as I know, Charlotte married the nobleman Comte de La Fere. She succeeded in this because she pretended to be a noblewoman, renting a decent house for a short time and acquiring decent clothes by selling jewelry that she apparently inherited from her parents.
Jacques Dertier."
There is only one inaccuracy in this story. The jewelry that Jacques Dertier writes about was not inherited by Charlotte from her parents, but as a gift from them for her assistance in preparing terrible robberies and murders.
Chapter 59
Count de La F;re, our dear Athos, indeed considered Charlotte a noblewoman and fell in love with her, succumbing to the charm of her beauty, captivating voice, and refined manners acquired by her upbringing in two monasteries. Having discovered, by pure chance, a brand on her shoulder, he locked her in one of the rooms of his luxurious house, instructed two servants to guard her and supply her with the essentials for life, and he himself undertook a detailed investigation into the reasons for the appearance of this brand.
He began his search with the executioner, since the mark, as he easily found out, pointed to the city of Lisle. The executioner told him the same thing that he subsequently wrote to me in the letter that I cited in the previous chapter. Athos went to the Templemar Benedictine monastery, where he learned new details about the life of Charlotte Buckson. There he learned that Father Benedict had brought her to the monastery. He also found Father Benedict, who told Athos the story of Charlotte Munier, starting from childhood. Athos spent a large sum of money in order to buy back several things, which he considered very important for a conversation with his wife.
Arriving at his estate, Athos went into the room where his wife had been languishing all this time.
“Madam, you cruelly betrayed my trust and disgraced me forever, covering my entire family with an indelible stain of dishonor ,” he said. “I can only thank fate for the fact that our short-term union did not manage to culminate in the birth of a joint heir of my family with you.”
- Count, you have been cruelly deceived! - Charlotte exclaimed. - Listen to me! I'll tell you the whole story of how I got this damned brand. After all, I am innocent, I swear to you! I am pure and innocent! I am the victim of an insidious scoundrel who kidnapped me and tried to take possession of me by force, but when he realized that I would not give myself up to him, but would rather die, he tied me up and put this nasty brand on me, taking revenge on me for my honesty and inaccessibility. Believe me, Count! I am not lying!
“A very interesting story, madam,” Athos smiled bitterly. “I would probably believe you if it weren’t for the numerous evidence that you are a pathetic liar, in addition to the fact that you are a thief and a murderer, an accomplice to monstrous crimes and a perpetrator of no less monstrous atrocities.”
“Everything they could tell you about me is slander!” - Charlotte objected passionately. “Many dreamed of possessing me, so many pursued me, and when I refused them, they became my enemies. I have so many enemies among men whom I refused! Are you really going to blame me for this? My honesty and modesty, which led to so many men hating me! They made my life Hell, I was hoping it was all over because I met you! After all, I love you, Count!
“Tell me, Charlotte, where did you get this medallion that you sold to show off to me by pretending to be a noblewoman?” - asked Athos, placing on the table a medallion depicting the Mother of God, decorated with diamonds.
“This is a gift from my good mother, Countess Buckson!” - Charlotte answered.
“There is no such countess, and there never was,” answered Athos. “I knew the family of the Marquise de Beltham. This medallion is their family heirloom. There is a pair for it that I bought from them. Exactly the same, depicting the Savior, also decorated with diamonds. Here, look. So you continue to insist that your locket is a gift from your mother, Countess of Buxton?
- Okay, I confess! - Charlotte answered. “I bought this medallion with the money my parents left me, I really liked it, but later I was forced to sell it. Will you really blame me for buying something I liked with my own money?
“Elizabeth de Beltham was so young when you poisoned her to take possession of this medallion,” Athos said sadly. — My parents showed me her portrait. A very sweet and nice girl, she was kind and smart. About your age. Now she would be eighteen years old. But she died before she even reached ten. You killed her.
- No! - Charlotte cried. - This is slander! Slander! I'm not to blame for anything!
- Look at this mirror, madam! - said Athos. -Who do you see in him?
- What nonsense! - Charlotte objected. - Anyone knows that in the mirror he sees himself!
“And I thought that in this mirror you should have seen poor Annabelle de Lernu ,” said Athos. “After all, she looked so often in this mirror that her mother gave her.” She was a very beautiful girl, and could have become an equally beautiful woman, but, unfortunately, she met you, and therefore she died at the age of thirteen, five years ago.
- This is slander, slander, this is not true! - Charlotte objected again heatedly.
“Look at this monstrance,” continued Athos. “The finger of St. Augustine is kept here.” It is all made of gold and decorated with sapphires, emeralds, pearls and beryls. You convinced poor Jacques to steal her and other jewelry worth fifty-two thousand pistoles.
- Fifty-two thousand! - Charlotte involuntarily admired, but immediately caught herself. “I have never seen this thing, or any of the other things you are talking about, and I don’t know any Jacques!”
“It’s all a lie, madam, just a complete lie ,” said Athos in an even more gloomy voice. - Tell me at least one word of truth!
- I love you, Count, and it’s true! - said Charlotte.
“If this is true, and if you love me, then confess your crimes, tell me the truth about all this,” answered Athos.
“I told you the whole truth, Count,” replied Charlotte. “I was slandered, I don’t know anything from what you just said, I didn’t see these things, my conscience is clear, I didn’t commit those terrible crimes you’re talking about.”
“So, you continue to lie ,” said Athos, nodding to himself with a bitter grin on his face. “For your theft, you were sentenced to twelve years in prison, of which you served only two weeks.” You should have been hanged for your murders.
- No no! It's not my fault! - Charlotte shouted.
“Be quiet, madam, I haven’t said everything yet.” - continued Athos. “In order for you to become the owner of this lovely ring, your parents killed a dear, kind old man.” For the sake of this ring, a young man with green eyes and black curls, who treated you to a sugar cockerel, was killed. This ring was taken from the finger of a forty-year-old lady who called you “a lovely child” and gave you a tortoiseshell comb. This ring cost the lives of a young girl and the young man accompanying her, who compared you to an angel. Continue?
- No no no! It's a lie, it didn't happen! - Charlotte continued to deny.
“Don’t worry, madam, Charlotte Munier, I think that’s your real name?” For these crimes, your parents Michel and Jeanne Munier were already punished, and you, due to your youth, were not charged with these murders, although, however, you deliberately contributed to them, mixing sleepy herbs into the horses' feed, and finding out where the doomed travelers hide their valuables, don't they?
Charlotte was silent, unable to deny it any longer. She was horrified by how deeply Athos had studied her past life.
“Don’t worry, madam, you won’t face the gallows ,” Athos finally said.
- Yes, Count! - Charlotte was delighted. “You won’t give me away, will you?” You won't tell anyone? I will do everything for you, everything you want, just don’t give me away!
“The gallows does not threaten you, since you deserve to be thrown on the wheel,” said Athos gloomily, laying out the amber rosary on the table. “I know for sure that if it weren’t for your stubbornness, your parents would not have decided to kill the priest.” So the punishment that your father suffered for you should have been applied to you.
- No! - Charlotte screamed in despair. - No! No! I don't want! It's not my fault.
“Well, let’s leave your childhood crimes aside ,” said Athos. “Your father took the blame upon himself.” You were still so young, although, however, for justice this age is already sufficient to charge you with such a serious crime as participation in the murder of a priest. But let's assume that this is forgotten. Then all you deserve is the gallows. Do you agree with me, madam?
“I don’t know anything, I don’t understand anything, I can’t speak, leave me alone, sir!” - Charlotte answered, as it occurred to her to pretend to be insane.
“You will spend this night, madam, in prayer, just like me,” Athos said dryly. “You will be escorted to the family chapel, where you will pray to the Almighty to forgive you for your sins.” In the morning a priest will come to you so that you can repent of all the crimes you have committed, after which you will be unctioned, and I will give you a drink similar to the one you prepared for your best friends Elizabeth de Beltham and Annabelle de Lernu. However, the drink I will give you will be more gentle. Your friends died in agony, fading away for several days, but you will simply fall into a peaceful sleep and appear before the Creator, if he does not consider it necessary to send you straight to Hell. You will do it voluntarily, I hope, or I will force you to drink it.
“Perhaps we can drink it together,” Athos thought then.
“Okay, I agree,” Charlotte said with feigned resignation, realizing that it was useless to argue with the count, and hoping that the night would provide her with an opportunity to escape.
She obediently proceeded to the family chapel, knelt before the crucifix and began to pray.
Athos closed the doors, locked them and ordered his servant Pierre not to let Charlotte out under any circumstances, went to his office, where he also devoted the night to prayers for forgiveness of Charlotte de La F;re.
The next morning, Athos went to the chapel to make sure that Charlotte had prayed all night and did not prefer to devote this time to sleep or other worldly activities.
He found the door wide open. In the chapel, Pierre lay on the floor with a broken skull in a pool of blood; next to him lay a heavy crucifix, which Charlotte, probably, after much effort, managed to tear off from the wall on which it was held by four nails. Charlotte herself was nowhere to be found.
Without saying a word, Athos went to the stable, chose the fastest horse, grabbed a long whip and galloped in the footsteps of the fugitive. Since Charlotte had little knowledge of horses, she chose the most beautiful horse, but not the fastest or the toughest. A couple of hours later, Athos caught up with the fugitive and, tying her up with his whip, gagged her with his handkerchief and brought her back to his house.
“You did not want to atone for your sins, preferring to take on the new sin of murder on your soul ,” he said in a gloomy voice, from which goosebumps ran down Charlotte’s body. - I will not tell you: “Die in peace,” madam. I'll tell you: "Go to Hell." I won't give you the last word. Everything you could say in this world, you have already said. Save your eloquence for the meeting with Satan.
After this, Athos climbed onto the stepladder, removed the heavy candelabra from the ceiling hook and tied a whip to it. He made a loop at the other end of the whip. Athos was in a hurry as if every extra minute of Charlotte's stay on Earth threatened humanity with new misfortunes. At that moment, he really felt it with every fiber of his soul. He was in such a hurry that he did not check the strength of the thin end of the whip, did not lather it in order to ensure the slip of the loop, and neglected the fact that Charlotte's hands were left untied, since he had to untie them in order to use the whip for a new purpose. He did not take some other measures that were known to any executioner, but which such a refined aristocrat as Athos did not even suspect.
Hastily, as if afraid to change his mind, he dragged Charlotte onto the stepladder, put a noose around her neck and kicked the stepladder out from under her feet. After that, without even looking at the result of the work of his hands, he slammed the doors of the room where Charlotte was squirming on a rope and ran out of the house. He intended to drown himself in a nearby pond.
Having reached the pond, he, without undressing, threw himself into the dark, deep water. The water hid the noble count beneath him, in his ears he heard the ringing silence of the water, occasionally interrupted by a dull gurgle, heavy boots dragged him to the bottom. But his instincts did not allow him to drown. He did not want to swallow the muddy, disgusting-tasting water; after a few seconds, the water pushed him to the surface. Athos closed his eyes and tried to dive again, but again he could not bring himself to take a breath under water so that his lungs filled with disgusting liquid. After making two or three more attempts, he began to sluggishly row his hands towards the shore, after which he got out and fell face down on the slippery wet grass. He lay on the grass for an hour or two, not feeling the morning cool at all, despite the fact that all his clothes were wet. Finally he got up and wandered off, not knowing where.
On the road he met a sergeant of the royal troops, accompanied by two soldiers.
- Young man! - exclaimed the sergeant. - You are extremely lucky! I see your business is not so good if you swim in your clothes and roll in the mud in the morning! Lost at cards? Did your lover cheat on you with your best friend? Did your uncle leave an inheritance not to you, but to your cousin? No problem! Sign up for the royal army. The army will take care of you! You will have everything except problems. You will forget about your mistress, gambling debts, inheritance and all other troubles.
- Could they kill me if I follow your advice? - Athos asked gloomily.
“You and I are not children, and we understand that an army is an army, but this is unlikely,” the sergeant answered good-naturedly. “The King’s soldiers don’t die as often as they say.” Any duel poses a much greater danger than serving in the royal army.
“Then this doesn’t suit me,” answered Athos.
- Wait, young man, don’t rush to refuse! — the sergeant hastened to clarify, adjusting to Athos’s views. “I forgot to say that one of the inalienable delights of the army is playing with death, which tickles the nerves so much that it constitutes the unforgettable charm of army service.”
— Which troops have the highest mortality rate? - asked Athos.
“In wartime, with everyone, and in peacetime, as now, with the King’s musketeers,” answered the sergeant. “But in order to join the musketeers, you must be a nobleman and be able to fence well, shoot a pistol and a musket, and ride a horse.”
“That’s all there,” answered Athos indifferently. - Where do I sign?
“Here and here,” answered the sergeant. — When can you arrive at the collection point?
“Immediately,” answered Athos.
Chapter 60
Lord Winter tried to find Milady's son, because she claimed that he was his brother's son, that is, his own nephew. In these searches, he learned a lot of new and unpleasant things about his daughter-in-law. I informed him of her attempts to force me into a duel with the Marquis de Brenvilliers in order to leave her a widow. Her choice fell on me only for the reason that she knew that I was equally good at shooting and wielding a sword, so that a sad outcome for her husband would be the most likely outcome with any choice of weapons.
Since the duel did not take place, or rather, it took place in a non-lethal form, since all the misunderstandings were easily clarified, she decided to take revenge on me and tried to kill me. I have already described this, as well as the accident that saved my life. I introduced Lord Winter to the Count of Ronchamp, who was friendly with the Marquis de Brenvilliers. The Comte de Ronchamp was considered a friend of the Marquis's family, so he knew a little better some of the circumstances of the last months of his life.
This yielded several names and addresses to which Lord Winter sent the detectives he had hired. He established that Milady had given birth to a son from a certain adventurer named Gerard Duchot. This adventurer, it seems, also engaged in robbery in the night streets of the outskirts of Paris. He himself did not love Milady at all, since he had at least half a dozen mistresses in different parts of Paris. This happens sometimes - ladies with the most seductive appearance remain cold to noble handsome men, but burn with an inexplicably strong passion for some scum of society with a repulsive appearance and disgusting character. Duchot boasted that with his fierce face and a knife of immense size, he instills “death fear” in lonely passers-by, so that in most cases they prefer to part with their wallet without further ado. That’s what he called himself – Duchot Dead Fear. Apparently, in honor of dad, Milady christened her son Mordaunt. (“Mort daunt” is French for “dead fear” - translator’s note).
Lord Winter received extremely convincing evidence of the absence of relationship between his brother and this son of my lady. However, since he had rashly promised Milady to take care of her son, he decided that Mordaunt would retain the right of inheritance of Milady's fortune, which she in turn inherited illegally from her husband the Marquess (since the illegality of such a marriage could easily be established from the marriage documents). documents that were preserved by Athos only for the reason that he did not bother to destroy them, since he was more concerned about the destruction of Milady and himself). Her inheritance of the fortune of the Marquis de Brenvilliers was also illegal for the reason that, on the basis of an investigation carried out by Lord Winter, it was established and proven that Milady herself sent her second husband to the next world, and in such cases, of course, the murderer is not may inherit from the deceased. Realizing the injustice and groundlessness of such a benefit in relation to Milady's son, Lord Winter nevertheless carried it out, taking the necessary actions to establish guardianship over him, and hired a nurse, teacher and tutor for this child. Thus, he did everything to ensure that this illegitimate child, adopted by his daughter-in-law from a rootless adventurer, would grow up and be brought up as a legitimate son of an English nobleman should grow up and be brought up. Subsequent events showed how wrong this decision was, but I believe that even if Lord Winter knew that his kindness would be repaid with black ingratitude, that he was raising his future murderer, he would nevertheless have done the same for Mordaunt the very thing he did, since for Lord Winter the fulfillment of a promise was an obligation from which evasion was unacceptable.
I must describe in a few more words the time this book was about. In June 1627, if I am not mistaken, on the twenty-second, the Comte de Boutville-Montmorency and his second, the Comte de Chapelle, were executed for participating in a duel because on the twelfth of May of the same year they staged a duel with the Marquis de Beuvron and Marquis de Bussy d'Amboise. The Marquis de Bussy d'Amboise was killed in this duel, and the Marquis de Beuvron fled to Italy, hiding from punishment for the duel. This clearly proves that participation in a duel was extremely dangerous even for those who were fluent with a sword, because even the winners were deprived of their lives. Thus, Cardinal Richelieu managed to achieve his goal; skirmishes between nobles still occurred, but secretly, in remote places, without unnecessary witnesses, and most importantly, the winners no longer received the honor of a dashing warrior, but the shame of a criminal and a shameful death, however, like the vanquished if they were still alive.
In the light of this most severe policy for duelists, I must clarify the description that Grimaud deigned to give to the method of clarifying the relationship that d'Artagnan used in relation to the lovely Madeleine, the owner of the Goat Hotel. Of course, d'Artagnan could boast that he inflicted two puncture wounds on the impudent Swiss who decided to hit on his beloved while d'Artagnan himself was fighting. Grimaud forgets that d'Artagnan is a Gascon, that his father, accompanying him to Paris, admonished him with practical advice for the times of Henry IV, which was completely unsuitable for the times of Richelieu's reign. The advice to challenge anyone to a duel, using any excuse, in the times of Louis XIII and Richelieu was tantamount to advice to go straight to the Place de Greve to lay your head on the block. The grounds for a challenge to a duel do not amount to a challenge, since the bullies would have to think a hundred times before outlawing themselves and putting into the hands of the cardinal and his bloodhounds a legal basis for being sent straight to execution.
Challenges to a duel and the duels themselves took place approximately in the same way as d'Artagnan did.
- Buddy, would you like to get a couple of outdoor fencing lessons from me? - asked d'Artagnan.
- I drink about saklat , because it’s femme flies away “Have a few lessons with me,” answered the Swiss, convinced of his advantage, since he was almost a head taller than d’Artagnan and much broader in the shoulders. - I ’ll crush the face like an impudent frog!
“First I’ll put you on a sword, like a beetle on a pin, but this, of course, is part of a fencing lesson,” answered d’Artagnan. “I ask you to forgive me in advance if, by pure chance, during our lesson I accidentally injure your arm or your shoulder, but training should be as difficult as fighting, otherwise it is not training, but empty fun!”
- I bring this from the barn. “Famme, my apologies for the fact that, most likely , I will inadvertently injure my face , since I am not too strong at careful fencing ,” answered the Swiss.
“I must remind you, fat man, that we are not going to have a duel, but just want to exercise a little and teach each other a few lunges in the hope that it will be useful to both of us in the service of His Majesty,” d’Artagnan said with a grin, twirling his mustache .
- Of course , I’ll teach the front to fencing better “loftily and more decisively,” answered the Swiss.
- Well, we agreed! - answered d'Artagnan and said goodbye to his rival in a dramatic manner.
During the meeting, approximately the following conversation took place.
“I hope you brought enough bandages with you ,” said d’Artagnan. “It seems a little dark here, so I am absolutely afraid that through carelessness I might accidentally inflict a couple of minor injuries on you.” I pray to God that they are not fatal.
- This is exactly what I wanted to say to the femme , my half-life fencing master ,” answered the Swiss and resolutely went on the attack.
There were no seconds.
D'Artagnan always commented on his attacks as if he were actually giving a fencing lesson.
“Pay attention to the insufficient protection of your forearms ,” he said. - This is not the case, because your opponent, in the case of such weak protection, can easily inflict a very painful wound on you. Of course, not a direct attack, but, for example, like this. Oh my God! Please forgive me, I just wanted to show you that a small deceptive movement allows me to achieve complete lack of protection on your left forearm, and you see, what a shame, I accidentally wounded you there!
- Der Toffel ! - answered the Swiss. - I’ll pierce the face right now in such a precise place!
“Nothing worked out, as you can see, my dear, because it only seemed to you that I was unprotected!” - D'Artagnan objected. - You see, you should first make two false attacks, for example, like this, like this and like that! Damn it! I accidentally made three feints and carelessly wounded you in the right hand. Please forgive my awkwardness!
Spread the shorts across the face ! - exclaimed the Swiss. - Fuck me ! _ I don't get wet to go through this fencing lesson with such wounds.
“I am extremely upset that I was so careless,” answered d’Artagnan, taking off his hat and bowing to his opponent. “I will send you your servant with your things, since you are leaving the Kozochka Hotel this evening.” I recommend the Pussycat and Tangle Hotel on Montrogail Street. The food there is good, the prices are tolerable, the hostess is nice, and has the dignity that she does not have a lieutenant of the royal musketeers as a friend. If it occurs to you to get a few more fencing lessons from me, and always at your service, but don’t come for me yourself, it’s better to send some smarter boy, otherwise I might think that you came not to me, but to Madeleine, in this case, our fencing lesson can take place at the hotel at the very moment when I see you there. I assure you, in such a situation I am so clumsy that I can forget that there is just a lesson between us, and accidentally injure myself so seriously that you will need not the help of a doctor, but the guidance of a priest. This would be extremely unfortunate for me.
At this point, d'Artagnan stopped his training in belles-lettres and went to the "Kozochka", from where he sent out the servant and the things of the uninvited guest. To the chagrin of the Swiss who had moved out, d'Artagnan, in order to speed up his departure, took it upon himself to help the servant pack his things and get ready himself, but due to the fact that his hands, as he believed, had already worked enough that evening, he helped mainly with his feet, and the technique he used in doing so could most correctly be called a kick. With this miraculous remedy, he accelerated both the collection of the Swiss’s belongings and the departure of his servant, and the last episode of the use of the miraculous kick greatly contributed to the servant’s quickest passage through the hotel doors.
Regarding Queen Anne's letter to the Duke of Buckingham, I was able to find out the following.
This is how Grimaud describes the Queen's letter:
"My lord! I conjure you with all that I have suffered because of you and for your sake since I have known you - if my peace is dear to you, stop your extensive armaments against France and put an end to the war. After all, even out loud everyone says that religion is only its visible cause, but they secretly claim that the true reason is your love for me. This war may bring not only great disasters to France and England, but also misfortunes to you, my lord, which will make me inconsolable. Take care of your life, which is in danger, and which will become precious to me from the moment when I am no longer forced to see you as an enemy.
Anna is kind to you."
The text of this letter is not entirely accurate, since its source is the oral history of Lord Winter. I learned from the Duchess de Chevreuse that at the same time that Bazin conveyed a letter from us to the Queen through her that they wanted to kill Buckingham, she received a secret message from Cardinal Richelieu, who brought Count Rochefort to Paris, and ordered it to be conveyed to the Queen through La Porta, who, although he was the personal valet of Anne of Austria and for the most part contributed to her intrigues even against the cardinal, still remained also a relative of Richelieu on the maternal side, and did not dare to act too often in defiance of his powerful relative. So, La Porte gave the Queen a letter with the following content.
“Your Majesty! Being Your Majesty's most humble and most devoted servant, and having been appointed by the will and highest confidence of Your Royal Husband to the post of First Minister of France, I turn to you with the humble request to carry out one of the greatest deeds for the benefit of France and the Royal dynasty, and I hope for a favorable response to my lowest request.
I beg you to write a letter to Mr. Duke of Buckingham and ask him in this letter not to come to the aid of the rebellious city of La Rochelle and not to aggravate by such an action what I hope are temporary differences between our two states, which have led to the unfortunate temporary rupture of diplomatic and commercial relations, which , to my deepest regret, even result in military confrontation. Our army defends exclusively the interests and borders of our state, solving internal problems, overcoming the separatism of our border provinces, without having the slightest intention of invading neutral territories, and even more so within the borders of our neighboring states, while we support England for the rebellious city of La Rochelle We will be forced to consider it as direct military intervention in our internal affairs, because of which a serious war could inevitably break out between our kingdoms. This is all the more regrettable if we remember that the wife of the King of England, Charles the First, is the august sister of the King of France, Louis the Thirteenth, your august husband.
For these reasons I beg Your Majesty to persuade the Duke of Buckingham not to take such obviously unfriendly steps as to support the French Huguenots in their unjust struggle against the legitimate government and against their own King.
I am convinced that you will find words to persuade the Duke of Buckingham not to allow assistance to the rebellious city of La Rochelle from the sea, which assistance would only contribute to the intensification and deepening of the military conflict, would lead to many unnecessary casualties on both sides, while I am convinced that victory in any case will remain with the troops of His Majesty the King, your august husband.
Your letter will not be left without attention, in view of the greatest respect for your august person, which the said Duke of Buckingham certainly has for you, as he has repeatedly so eloquently declared, and confirmed his statements with actions that only a person extremely passionate can do in his feelings of delight, so much so that some of his actions can even be described as extreme and overly impulsive. I am convinced that your word will be perceived by him as a command, the failure of which is unacceptable, which allows me to assume that your influence on the destinies of many French citizens and your opportunity to save many lives should not remain unused in that great hour of testing that has come for all of France, when we must all rally around His Majesty King Louis the Thirteenth, your august husband, to prevent consequences even more severe than the loss by our kingdom of such an important port-fortress as La Rochelle.
I ask you to kindly try to convince Monsignor the Duke of Buckingham to abandon the idea of providing military assistance to the rebellious city of La Rochelle, and also to abandon the idea of helping this city with the supply of goods, including food, weapons, gunpowder, resin, metals and other goods of strategic importance. importance for the defense of the fortified city.
From reliable sources I learned that in England itself a dissatisfaction with the policies pursued by him, dangerous for the Duke, is brewing, and that there is a large and very influential group of people who have set themselves the task of eliminating the Duke of Buckingham in the event that he provides military or other assistance to the rebellious city -Fortress of La Rochelle. I assume that such a cruel and unthinkable crime by all human laws, if it happens, will cause you, Your Majesty, great grief, as well as all of us. The most reliable way to avoid this tragedy would be to influence the Duke with words and persuasion, so as to convince him not to help the fortress of La Rochelle.
If my words did not seem convincing to you, and your doubts about the advisability of such a letter are not completely dispelled, I ask you to take my word for it that this will save not only France, but also England, will keep our states from a fierce war, such a good deed will count towards you in heaven, I tell you as your confessor and as a cardinal, representative of the Pope.
I send you my blessing and wishes for all the best and I sincerely hope that this letter will be interpreted correctly by you, and that you will keep secret the letter setting out this humble request of mine from all immodest eyes, and it will be even better if this letter is completely destroyed after you read it.
I remain devoted to Your Majesty and Your August Husband, King Louis the Thirteenth,
Cardinal Richelieu, First Minister of France."
The Queen wrote a letter to Buckingham as follows:
"My lord! By some signs I realized that my opinion is not completely indifferent to you, and therefore, counting on the fact that you will treat my request with all due attention, I conjure you with everything that is dear to you and beg you as a Queen and as a woman, - do not contribute to the expansion of the military conflict between my husband and the rebellious city of La Rochelle, stop your extensive armaments in favor of these rebels, and, consequently, against France and against me personally. I beg you to put an end to this senseless war. This war may bring not only great disasters to France and England, but also misfortunes to you, my lord, which will make me inconsolable, since I know from my sources that a crime is being hatched against you within your country, and the new Ravaillac is already choosing the day and an hour to interrupt your precious life, not only for you, believe me. Take care of your life, which is in danger, and which will become even more precious to me from the moment when I will not be forced to see you as an enemy.
Anna is kind to you."
As you can see, the Queen did not write about the fact that behind her back someone was talking about the languid relationship between her and the Duke. And how could she have written such a thing?
Another mistake of Grimaud is that in the second book he reports the following about d’Artagnan: “Athos infected him with his proud dignity, Porthos with ardor, Aramis with grace. If d'Artagnan had continued to live with these three people, he would have become an outstanding person."
Interrupting this flow of words, I must immediately state that the subjunctive mood here is erroneous: d'Artagnan became an outstanding person without any “woulds,” because even King Louis XIV himself unconditionally admitted this.
Grimaud further reports: “But Athos was the first to leave him, retiring to his small estate near Blois, which he inherited; the second to leave was Porthos, who married his prosecutor; Aramis was the last to leave to be ordained and become abbot.” Apparently, Grimaud's memory failed him when he wrote these lines. This is what Grimaud himself wrote in the last chapter of the first part of his memoirs: “D'Artagnan accepted the rank of lieutenant awarded to him. Porthos left the service and married Madame Coquenard the following year: the coveted chest contained eight hundred thousand livres.” In the same year, that is, in 1628.
Further: “Aramis, having made a trip to Lorraine, suddenly disappeared and stopped writing to his friends.” Yes, I stopped writing to them, so our communication was interrupted in the same year 1628.
Further: “Athos served as a musketeer under d'Artagnan until 1631, when, after a trip to Touraine, he also left the service under the pretext that he had received a small inheritance in Roussillon. Grimaud followed Athos."
So, Athos remained with d'Artagnan for more than three years, and Grimaud himself was with Athos. Why on earth does Grimaud write that Athos was the first to leave him? Did his memory really fail him so much that he forgot about the whole three years that his master spent as a musketeer, serving under d'Artagnan?
I think that Grimaud simply did not want to talk about these years. Since he attributed the authorship of these memoirs to Athos, he should have realized that Athos himself should not have allowed such a contradiction.
Besides, calling Athos's estate a "small estate" is too much! Athos himself called his estate that way, of course, as a joke. If you doubt it, take a map of France and find on it the county of La F;re at the confluence of several branches of the Oise River. Five hundred years ago, La F;re became part of the domain of the powerful de Coucy family, which challenged the kings of France. The head of the de Coucy family ordered the construction of a castle and powerful fortifications. In 1595, La F;re was mentioned in the chronicle of the religious wars. They wrote about how King Henry IV besieged the city, which was occupied at that time by the Spaniards. After two years of unsuccessful siege, the King decided to use the method with which Hercules cleared the Augean stables. To do this, he took advantage of the special location of La F;re in the middle of the branches of the Oise River. By order of Henry IV, the riverbed downstream was blocked and water flooded the city, after which it was forced to surrender. The family of the Comte de La Fere reconciled with the power of the King and recognized him as their sovereign. The count's father was a humble servant of the King, showed the highest respect for royal authority and bequeathed the same to Athos. However, Athos interfered so little in the lives of the peasants, whom he could rightfully consider his own, giving them complete freedom of action, that Grimaud might never have known that the boundaries of the county of La F;re were much wider than those within which Athos preferred to live among the rural landscape, enjoying the beauty of nature and the aromas of a blooming garden.
So, Athos did not at all leave d'Artagnan one of the first, but on the contrary served with him for more than three years. Since I promised Athos to make the appropriate corrections, I will have to talk about these three years.
By the way, I’ll also tell you about the fate of the maid Katie, who, as you remember, was in love with d’Artagnan , and he also reciprocated her feelings, and whom, at his request, I attached to Camille de Bois-Tracy.
But first I would like to pull old Grimaud by the forelock for this phrase, which follows those that I have already quoted. Grimaud reports: “And d’Artagnan, who always imagined his future as inseparable from the future of his three friends, found himself alone and weak; he did not have the determination to follow a path on which, in his own feeling, he could achieve anything only on the condition that each of his friends yielded to him, so to speak, a little of the electric current that heaven had bestowed upon them.” To write about d'Artagnan that he was lonely, weak, indecisive, and could not achieve anything is to slander him. He achieved everything he set his mind to, and it was not his fault that he was not always appreciated by those he served. Let me remind you that human achievements are measured not by the amount of gratitude for them from others, including those for whom these people made their achievements, but precisely by what they themselves did for other people. In this sense, d'Artagnan surpassed all of us and most people of his generation. I would not have started writing this memoir if I did not believe this to be the case. He always, with some incomprehensible fifth sense, very subtly distinguished what was permissible and what was unacceptable from the point of view of universal human morality, which is even higher than Divine morality. He did not kill unnecessarily and without reason, but only to fulfill his military duty. In this sense, he absorbed all the high morality of Athos, and developed it to an even greater degree of perfection. This did not happen immediately, of course, but was especially clearly manifested in his actions, committed and deliberately not committed in relation to a man held alternately in the Bastille and in the Pignerol fortress in an iron mask. I will tell you about this not only what we and our servants are privy to, and not only what is known only to us four, but unknown to our servants, but also what not a single living soul knows except me.
In the year following the events described in this book, that is, January 15, 1629, a solemn meeting of Parliament took place in the presence of the King.
His Majesty forced Parliament to agree to limit his rights of remonstration, that is, instructions by which Parliament tried to limit royal power and influence the King's decisions on major issues. The Codex compiled by Michel de Marillac was discussed. This “Michaud Code,” as all those who were dissatisfied with it contemptuously called it, declared the reforms that had begun, which were carried out at the insistence of Richelieu. Not all provisions of this code were implemented, but some of them, which were embodied as a result of additional decrees of the King, bore fruit, primarily in the sphere of strengthening the absolute power of the King by ensuring the subordination of the highest nobility, including princes of the blood, dukes and peers. , who until then considered themselves special people, not completely subordinate directly to the King, but having some special rights, powers and self-worth. By the decisive action of Cardinal Richelieu the noose of forced submission was gradually tightened around the throats of these princes and dukes. Those who did not want to submit and humble themselves became fewer and fewer, and the most disobedient of them would inevitably face the Bastille, and for direct treason against the King, from now on they could expect the most severe trial, which could even sentence the traitors to death. The era of the complacent Henry IV, who forgave traitors, remembering their previous merits or simply their high position, was quickly ending. The era of absolutism began, in which a very significant distance was formed between the King and everyone else due to the strengthening of the power of the King and the weakening of the power of all others, and since the King at the same time fully and always accepted all of Richelieu’s proposals, it would be fair to say that an era of colossal concentration of power began Cardinal Richelieu. The King's leniency extended only to Queen Anne and Monsieur, Duke of Orleans, the King's brother. All the others were just that, all the others, and the leniency towards these two constant instigators of conspiracies was explained by the leniency towards them of Cardinal Richelieu, and a third person, the Duchess de Chevreuse, was secretly on this list. True, Richelieu, this great and wise politician regularly reminded that all his efforts are aimed only at the benefit of the King, France and the dynasty, and that he is not at all concerned about his personal interests and benefits, but, however, he is concerned about preserving this as long as possible . his personal power solely so that he would have time and be able to do everything planned and everything possible for France and the King, which was only in his power.
Thus, any conspiracy against Richelieu was automatically interpreted as a conspiracy against France; criticism of the cardinal or his disobedience began to actually be equated with treason against France. Those who wished to serve the King or Queen, while avoiding what might be called service to a cardinal, found themselves in a very difficult position. D'Artagnan himself found himself in such a difficult position.
Chapter 61
I want to remind you of Milady's maid, Katie. She, as you know, was in love with d'Artagnan , who did not at all reject her evidence of love. He spent several nights with her, convincing himself that he did this solely in order to get closer to Milady and find out from her information about the whereabouts of his beloved Constance. Amazing thing ! A young man falls in love with a married maid, the wife of the owner of an inexpensive hotel, who did not confess her love back to him, but decisively neglects the love of an unmarried maid, a charming girl who is head over heels in love with him, does not hide it, is devoted to him and has no shortcomings at all . This happens, right, but not so seriously, not so deeply.
A young healthy man cannot help but appreciate mutual love and reach for unrequited and hopeless love! Please note, I am not saying anything about the fact that d'Artagnan could well have preferred the noble and beautiful Milady, since, as we know, she was a hypocrite and an extremely vicious woman, a criminal, but while d'Artagnan did not know all this, she , must have been quite attractive to him.
What do you want? Youth and strength! They must express themselves somehow! All four of us did not shy away from women, only Athos was burned by his first and sincere love, so he was afraid of attachment to any of them, and often expressed very dark thoughts on the topic of women as such. He simply collected aphorisms in which women were ridiculed in one way or another, but he never showed any negative feelings towards any woman with whom he had the opportunity to communicate - neither contempt, nor arrogance, nor hatred, nor even emphasized indifference. Remember that he addressed the wife of the shopkeeper and inn owner, Constance Bonacieux, as “Madam,” and pronounced it in such a way that even if he addressed the duchess in a similar way, she would not consider it an insult. He also turned to Mademoiselle de La Valli;re even at a time when he knew that she had ruined the life of his beloved son Raoul.
I must bring to the attention of my readers that Grimaud had a very poor understanding of the titles of nobility, and, as I have already noted, could not evaluate or compare the incomes of different people, mistaking false splendor for true wealth, and not noticing true values. That is why he believed that the Comte de La F;re was poor, since Athos himself was always quite condescending and disdainful of his estate, while he considered Porthos to be fabulously rich, not noticing that most of his luxuries were not as expensive as Porthos tried to show . Indeed, Grimaud would not have distinguished a mahogany table made by a master of his craft, covered with elegant carvings, from a beech or oak table made by a simple carpenter. For him, the massiveness of furniture was a sign of its significance. He considered the silver dishes, here and there sparingly decorated with gilding, which Porthos preferred, to be rich, while the elegant goblets of Italian masters, some of which came from the workshop of Benvenuto Cellini, he considered ordinary dishes, since they did not hold very much wine. He would not be able to distinguish an expensive painting from a cheap fake, a valuable old book from an ordinary pulp novel, the finest Chinese porcelain from the cheap handicrafts of porcelain makers from Avignon, Beauvais or Savigny. Grimaud did not understand that Porthos always wanted to appear richer than he was, as the famous baldric, gilded only in front, should have told him, while Athos always wanted to appear much poorer and more modest than he was, since he was embarrassed by his nobility. Porthos wore massive gold rings, all of which did not cost even a tenth of the cost of one elegant ring on the hand of Athos, decorated with a large pure diamond or emerald. Porthos, the eldest son in the family, inherited almost everything that his parents could leave him, but it was so little that he could hardly adequately equip himself for service in the musketeers, while he left his family estate Valon to his steward, who also had to to ensure the maintenance of Porthos’s glorious mother, Madame du Valon, to whom Porthos wrote tender letters once a month and was afraid that someone would find out about it. Grimaud portrays Porthos as a serene player of cards and landsknecht, while Porthos sent money to his mother at every opportunity, and, moreover, considered it impermissible for himself to touch the income from the estate, considering himself obliged to adequately support his mother, Madame du Valon. Hiding his filial tenderness, he lightheartedly reported that he had lost a considerable sum, since boasting about how much a musketeer could afford to lose was one of the most common boasts. The fact is that our captain de Treville said that a musketeer should not be rich, since a rich musketeer cannot be a brave musketeer. Therefore, Porthos preferred to brag about his extravagance, his huge losses, and presented himself as a man in no way interested in money, pretending that the noble duchesses who were in love with him were only thinking about presenting him with their family jewels. The fact is that the glory of Alphonse, a man in the pay of his mistress, in those days was not shameful, as it became in the last years of Louis XIV. Porthos, therefore, wanted to appear worse than he really was, and he sometimes succeeded. In any case, he managed to fool Grimaud.
Poor Grimaud sometimes writes that I or d'Artagnan rummaged through our pockets and desk drawers in the vain hope of finding at least half a pistole, but at the same time threw purses of gold left and right. Of course, nobles never counted money in the presence of their servants. But each of us always knew exactly how much money was in a particular wallet, and for the convenience of calculations, we sometimes carried with us several wallets, in which certain amounts necessary for the most urgent expenses were prepared. If we once threw a wallet on the innkeeper’s table without even looking into it, with the words “Innkeeper! Dinner for four, hurry up! And feed our horses, and also take care of our servants! was more efficient and did not serve bad wine and bad food. You really couldn’t count out coins in front of the innkeeper! The point is that innkeepers often traded in robbery, so it would be imprudent to take out all your sums in front of them in order to count out the required amount. After all, the trade of Milady’s parents was not at all uncommon in the times I am writing about, and even now it is still found in the provinces.
I must say that Grimaud sometimes completely erroneously describes the expenses of the highest nobility. When he writes that Fouquet displayed vases full of diamonds at his receptions, and that each of his guests could draw from there as much as he wanted, he passes off the lackey's tales as the truth.
I will remind you of one famous episode from the time of Henry IV. One day Bassompierre was playing with Henry IV, and suddenly the King noticed that among the pistols laid out on the table, there were half-pistol coins. The minimum bet was for one pistole, so this money was too small for such a game. Of course, they got there from the pocket of the King, who was one of the poorest Kings of France in all its times. Bassompierre rashly said: “Your Majesty wanted them to pass for pistols.” As soon as he said this, he already realized that he had made a mistake, but the King did not hesitate to object. “No, it was your pleasure,” replied Henry IV. “Really, this must be my mistake! I ask you to generously forgive me!” - answered Bassompierre, after which he grabbed all the half-pistols from the table, of which there were more than forty, laid them out on the same number of pistols, and threw the half-pistol coins out the window to the pages and footmen.
Queen Marie de Medici was wrong, who commented on this episode with the following words: “Bassompierre is playing the King, and the King is playing Bassompierre.” After all, she was from a rich family and could afford to waste gold, although she never did this. What could be expected from Henry IV, who could never pay his servants as much as they deserved? If he had been rich, would he have married Marie de Medici? Never! After all, he sacrificed his family happiness to the royal treasury. If you look carefully, he, I believe, sacrificed more: he lost his life through the fault of this Queen, and also did not leave his son on the throne of France. His sons were considered bastards, even though he made them princes and dukes, while the Queen's bastard ascended the throne under the name of Louis XIII. That's why we took Queen Anne's side in the conflict between the King and Queen. After all, Queen Anne was the true daughter of the King of Spain, born a princess, the sister of the King of Spain, while Louis XIII was the son of Marie de Medici, who could not boast of being a born princess.
Louis XIII was, of course, richer than Henry IV, but not so rich as to waste money. Louis XIV was forced to save money from childhood; the stingy Mazarin did not allocate sufficient funds for his maintenance. Of course, Fouquet had millions, and with all my friendly disposition towards him, I cannot help but admit that a man who became so rich as superintendent of finance must have understood that to be richer than the King is not only indecent, but also dangerous, since it is completely it is obvious that his wealth was to the detriment of the treasury. His predecessors were no more honest than he, but they were smart enough to hide the wealth they acquired in the service of the King as Superintendent of Finance. If you rob the King so much that you become richer than him, then at least hide it! Fouquet did not always hide it, but, of course, he could not give away diamonds left and right. He simply didn’t have them in such quantities, or at least extra ones. Especially if we remember that the cunning Colbert first achieved the complete ruin of Fouquet, and only after that decided to arrest him. Fouquet understood this and felt that he did not have long to imagine himself as a person more significant than the King. He had to save money. Of course, he gave expensive gifts even when it was an unacceptable luxury for him, when he could hardly afford it, but he did this only in relation to those people who he needed, in fact, buying their friendship and devotion. He was only forgetting a simple rule that Machiavelli had already given. You should never give everything you can; you should limit your good deeds, restrain them, just as we restrain a zealous horse so that it does not overtake other horses. Any treasury will sooner or later become empty if more is drawn from it than is put into it. A repeated gift of the same amount is no longer perceived as a benefit, but as a due reward for one’s efforts, and if the next gift is even one iota less, it will be perceived as an insult, as disgrace, as punishment. Therefore, if the very first benefit is excessive, then the benefited person will very quickly consider that his price is equal to this amount or even higher than it, he will expect, or even demand, more. Thus, those who have been blessed quickly become offended, after which they easily move into the camp of the enemy. If the benefit is much less than the sovereign can afford, but there is attached to it the promise of a greater benefit, then one can be sure that the recipient of these gifts will not betray, at least until he receives the next gift or the next reward, which they are looking forward to. Mazarin knew this. For this reason, Mazarin won where anyone else would have lost. As for Richelieu, he was generous to his friends and merciless to his enemies, which proves that he did not count as his enemies either Queen Anne, or the Duchess de Chevreuse, or even us, Athos, Porthos, d'Artagnan and me. He was ready to bring us to his side, but he understood that we could not become his servants, and would not want to be his friends, so for him it was enough that we faithfully served the King and maintained, if possible, neutrality in relation to him. The Cardinal achieved this extremely cleverly by giving d'Artagnan an open patent for the position of lieutenant of the royal musketeers. And although, as I said, Athos, Porthos and I successively refused the honor of putting our names on this patent, d'Artagnan agreed to this, but, in fact, he received another patent, signed by the King. This was reported to the Cardinal, and when he heard about it from his secretary, he furiously threw off the table the chessboard on which the pieces were placed after one game remained unfinished. He sat down in his favorite chair, picked up one of the many cats that filled his palace, and began to thoughtfully stroke it, gradually calming down.
Finally, his face took on the most radiant expression, he tenderly kissed the cat on the nose and again began dictating his notes to the secretary.
I know perfectly well the reason why the cardinal calmed down.
He realized that our views are unchanged, that we are not being cunning, but openly stand in the position of faithful service to the Queen and King, refusing to serve him.
He saw in us people who are disobedient, but whose actions can be calculated in advance. An enemy whose actions and motivations you fully understand is no longer dangerous. Richelieu saw in us people far from intrigue, and he was not afraid of such people. He even intended to use us for his own purposes, because if you have people whose steps you can calculate, they can be used very effectively for a variety of things.
He was absolutely right about my friends.
But he was mistaken in believing that I, too, was so simple that my actions could be calculated many steps ahead; he equated me, Athos, Porthos and d’Artagnan, since he perceived us as nothing other than “these four.” He did not recognize in us four different musketeers, each of whom had his own character, his own merits and his own shortcomings. Even we ourselves could not calculate each other; we revealed new and hitherto unknown traits in each other. However, I may be mistaken in counting d'Artagnan among such people. If he didn’t know something about one of us, then it was enough for him to get some kind of thread, a hint, a clue, and he invariably found out everything he wanted, and he wanted to know everything about us. As soon as he saw Raoul, he instantly realized that he was the son of Athos. He understood that I would never fully become an abbot or priest, I would not renounce my militancy, I could only be a musketeer abbot, or an abbot musketeer, but not just one. Having tracked down me and the Duchesse de Longueville, he immediately guessed the relationship that arose between us. He quickly realized that it was not the duchess who supplied Porthos with money, but the lawyer’s wife. When Grimaud describes how d'Artagnan, on the way to Athos, seventeen years after separation from him, expected to see a bitter drunkard, he simply gave irrepressible rein to his imagination. I discussed this later with d'Artagnan. He simply dropped an awkward phrase in front of Grimaud: “Dear Athos! I'm glad to see you in good health! I can see from your face that you lead an extremely healthy lifestyle! Indeed, if you continued to drink the way we sometimes drank during the years of our musketeer life, it could not but affect your health. I must admit that in recent years I have hardly taken any wine into my mouth.”
From this phrase, Grimaud conjured up a whole three-page dialogue about how d'Artagnan, on the way to Athos, discusses with Planchet his premonitions that Athos has become a decrepit drunkard who is not suitable for any serious business.
D'Artagnan never said a single bad word about his friends, especially about Athos, in any conversation with someone else, and especially in front of the servants. With the same success, Grimaud could have slandered Athos that he spoke ill of his father, or that Porthos spoke contemptuously of his elderly mother. For d'Artagnan, Athos was almost a saint. Grimaud noticed that d'Artagnan's relationship with Planchet became over time much closer and acquired a hint of friendship, d'Artagnan's address became less lordly and orders, shades of request and respect appeared, and even sometimes he seemed to ask Planchet's advice in those matters , in which the inveterate shopkeeper and townsman knew more than such a military bone as d'Artagnan. This irritated Grimaud, who did not become such a close comrade to Athos as Planchet became to d'Artagnan. Grimaud forgets that Athos had a lot of servants, while d'Artagnan did not have even one servant, not counting his orderlies. Athos, in his own way, deeply loved Grimaud and trusted him in everything, but this was the love of a master for his servant, while d'Artagnan showed Planchet the respect of an officer for the bourgeois. That is why Grimaud invented this vile dialogue between Planchet and d'Artagnan, where they discussed Athos and reasoned that there was no point in going to him, and that if he agreed to the offer to return to duty, it would not be best result. Also, the reason for this undignified dialogue that Grimaud inserted into his memoirs is a deep-seated resentment against the Gascon for the fact that he unwittingly contributed to the fact that Lavaliere strengthened herself at court as the mistress of King Louis XIV, which caused a serious heart wound to his adored Raoul de Bragelon.
Grimaud adored Raoul so much that he even several times called the Viscount's possessions recorded in his name by Athos the County of Bragelonne. Remember that Porthos says that one county after another is falling on Athos, he is already the Count de La F;re, so he also needs to inherit the county of Bragelonne.
The reason was that Athos was the eldest son of his grandfather's junior branch, the county of La F;re was greatly reduced when divided among family members. When Athos left his home, he knew that the estate would not go to waste, since his younger sister, Adele, lived with him. Having decided to die, he left all his estate to his sister, so he did not care too much about how things were going in their joint estate. But fate decided otherwise. In 1631, Adele died of a fever, leaving no heirs, and Athos took over the rights of his own estate for the second time, and when a year later his childless uncle, Jean Eugene Viscount de Bragelonne, also died, Athos inherited this viscountcy. These acquisitions did not please Athos, because he loved his sister Adele, although he did not admit this to anyone, and he had the warmest memories of his uncle. His uncle, Jean Eugene Viscount de Bragelonne, was close to the court of Henry IV and told Athos a lot about the former King, as well as about Athos’ father and his grandfather. It was Uncle Eugene who instilled in Athos respect for royal power and that noble behavior in which he always looked like a prince, without doing anything for it, and not caring in the least about the impression he made on other people.
At one party, where the Duke of Orleans complained that Richelieu was completely controlled by his august brother King Louis XIII, M. Chavigny, who was considered Richelieu’s illegitimate son, also told some comic story about the cardinal. The Duke of Orleans laughed and said to him: “And you, son?”, exactly repeating the words of Julius Caesar to Marcus Brutus. Indeed, Richelieu in his youth was very close to Madame Boutiller, the mother of M. Leon Boutiller, Comte de Chavigny de Buzance, Baron de la Greve and d'Antibes, who belonged to the Bragelon family. This lady brought good fortune to the family by introducing her husband to the Queen Mother, who later became Superintendent of Finance. She also secured the position of coadjutor in Tours for her son-in-law. Judge for yourself the influence and wealth of the Bragelon family!
It must be said that Richelieu entrusted the father of Count de Chavigny with many different delicate assignments and diplomatic missions, and was also the superintendent of finance, but Leon not only inherited this position, but also became the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Grimaud, completely without reason, describes this man, let me remind you, from the Bragelon family on his mother’s side, in the role of the jailer of the Duke de Beaufort. Chavigny was too distinguished for such a role. Chavigny was a friend and prot;g; of Cardinal Mazarin, he was a member of the regency council under the young Louis XIV, he was at first an active supporter of Mazarin, and later, having quarreled with him, became an active figure in the Fronde. But Chavigny was never the jailer of the Duke de Beaufort, the grandson of Henry IV. And if he had been, Athos would have acted differently, seeking the release of the Duke. Family relationships in those days meant a lot, much more than they do now when I write these lines.
I consider it appropriate here to report on the reasons why I left the Musketeers. At this very time I decided to become a Jesuit. I have already drawn attention to the fact that two Jesuits greatly contributed to the rise of Richelieu. I also accidentally learned that some influential people in France acquired their influence not without the participation of this mysterious community. Even de Luynes, whom many suspected of sympathizing with the Huguenots, was assigned to the King not without the help and assistance of the Jesuits. Appointments to the highest and most influential positions at court could not be done without their approval; without the assistance of this influential society it was impossible to become not only a cardinal, but even a bishop. The Jesuits did not express their power overtly, they had it, and they used it.
The power of the Jesuits could not be obtained in bed battles, just as it could not be acquired through valiant military service. It was something completely different - it was the power of intellect and concrete deeds, it was the power of painstaking and purposeful actions. Just as a beaver slowly and surely builds his dam, blocking a small stream, creating a pond of unprecedented size, which cannot be compared with the small hole that an elephant can dig when trying to get to the water, so the Jesuits, acting gradually and without noise, created their own states within states, decided the fate of the world. The kings, shedding the blood of thousands and thousands of their citizens and citizens of neighboring states, tried to move the borders of their own states, but sometimes these efforts went to waste, and sometimes, instead of acquiring foreign land, they lost part of their own, while the Jesuits were engaged in training, recruiting more and more more youth, who were ready for militant actions if necessary, they acquired peace without open war for it. If they killed someone, then only the one who needed to be eliminated in the name of their highest goal, and they did it in such a way that no one could suspect anything, and no one could blame them for it. I would compare secular power to an incompetent woodcutter who, in order to get rid of a tree that was bothering him, bled his hands, dulled his ax, after which the tree he attacked fell in the wrong place, causing more damage than profit, while I would compare a Jesuit to a skilled gardener who cuts two or three roots from an unnecessary tree, after which it dries up and turns into dust, who throws two or three grains into the ground, after which, over the years and years, huge trees grow stronger and stronger in the right place. stronger than those they dumped.
I began to study the personality of Ignatius of Loyola and admired him. This man whose motto was: “Be all things to all men in order to win all men.”
Starting with simple charity and the spread of Christianity, he acquired an influence that the Pope did not have. However, five-sixths of the influence that the current Pope has was acquired for the papacy by Ignatius of Loyola and his followers. At first, no one noticed the Jesuits, but they noticed everything that was worth attention, crushed them without violence, attracting them with privileges and positions in the church and even in the secular hierarchy, the highest of which, not counting the positions of Kings and Princes, could no longer be acquired without them support.
Ignatius of Loyola never set himself unattainable goals, although the goals he set would seem unattainable to many. And all the tasks that this great man set for himself, he solved, achieved all the goals, and precisely by following the plan that he made. Having set the task of winning the minds of future generations, he became the best teacher of theology, then found, trained and involved the best teachers in Europe into his community. Gradually, he acquired the greatest authority before the Pope, having achieved the decision that all Catholic schools would staff their departments with the active assistance of the Jesuits. Fifteen years after his idea, Ignatius of Loyola controlled all the best universities in Europe, all higher church education, and there was no other education at all. Convinced that winning the best young minds of Europe is not enough, it is also necessary to attract the best warriors to his side, he solved this problem.
That's why I became a Jesuit.
As a Jesuit, I knew that I should not lose sight of my friends. I tried to know everything about d'Artagnan, and for these purposes I convinced Maria to send Katie to him. I tried to know everything about Porthos, and for this purpose, two solicitors in Madame Coquenard’s office were on my payroll, and when she decided to close the law office, they began to act as servants at the Valon estate.
Regarding how I learned about Athos' affairs, I will write a little later.
Chapter 62
Initially, the Jesuit Order was created on the principles of equality, but life itself forced us to reconsider these principles. By the time I became interested in this organization, it had a military-like clear hierarchy with a general at the very top and with the obligation of complete and unconditional subordination of all members to higher ranks. In addition, many provisions were secret, however, it was not a secret that, by the highest command of the Pope, the orders of the higher commanders of the Order were recognized as more important than any orders of representatives of secular power. This meant, for example, that if an officer belonging to the Jesuit Order received an order from his Jesuit superior that contradicted an order from a superior army officer, he had to obey the superior in the line of the Order, even at the cost of military or state treason. Of course, there was a logic to this. After all, the army is a secular power, and the Order is a Divine, higher power. What the officer of the Order orders, the Pope wants, and what the Pope orders, God wants. Imbued with this ideology, I realized that I was taking a step beyond the boundaries of the state, beyond the boundaries of the fatherland, joining something larger, higher, more significant than secular power, as if ascending several steps directly to the Lord.
But I must admit that it was not religiosity that pushed me into the arms of the Order. Having realized his power, I realized that he was important and useful not only in heaven, about which I could still have some reasonable doubts, but also on sinful Mother Earth, and regarding this real power I no longer had any doubts .
In addition, I was also impressed by the fact that at first one of the most important goals of the Order was caring for the health of women with the lowest social responsibility, as well as the eradication in some long term of the institution of prostitution as such. But this eradication was planned to be carried out not through the extermination of fallen women, but through their transformation, purification and return to the bosom of God, as happened with Mary Magdalene. Another important task of the Order was to eradicate the decline of morals in monasteries, and again, primarily in nunneries. It must be admitted that if, for the sake of the glory of the Lord, it was necessary to lock up a large number of women within the monastery walls, then it would be necessary to occupy their mind, body and soul with sublime activities and at the same time so self-sufficient that this could turn them away from sinful thoughts and especially from sinful thoughts. acts. And this second task, in my opinion, was not simple, but extremely noble. The main thing was that the one who copes with such a task will gain enormous experience with which he can easily get along with secular women, which attracted me for obvious reasons. By this time I had already realized how important women are in managing the world order, how important it is for any man, if not to manage them and not to take advantage of their capabilities, then, in any case, not to fall into their traps and avoid any opportunity to accidentally make money from them yourself an enemy.
So, I decided to get closer to the Jesuits, to enter the Order, and I also firmly decided not to let my friends out of my sight. I cannot swear that I was guided in this decision solely by friendly feelings, but if someone accused me of being guided by purely selfish feelings, he would be wrong. Friendly feelings were strong in me, I would only be happy with any success of each of my friends, I was not jealous of their fame, nor wealth, nor power, nor success with women. But I considered these three to be perhaps my only spiritual wealth, achievement, contribution to the future, and not so much material as moral. At the same time, to be completely honest, I cannot swear that I would not, on occasion, sacrifice the interests of one of them for my own benefit. I confess that I was more selfish then than later. The day of my moral transformation was the day of our meeting on the Royal Square, when, at the behest of Athos, I broke my sword so as not to accidentally cross it with d'Artagnan or Porthos. Athos’s speech and the oath that he made, as well as the oath that we all took after him, with the exception of Porthos, who simply burst into tears, changed my soul into “before” and “after.” At that moment I felt completely and irrevocably how dear these three friends were to me. I would truly sacrifice my life for any of them. I heard from the lips of Athos something that I did not know, that I had never thought about, but which I agreed with without the slightest doubt. Kings and princes come and go, but our friendship is the most valuable thing we have and will remain forever. He is right! Kings, princes, women, rulers and subordinates, they can all betray. “Friends also betray,” you say, and you will be wrong. If a friend betrayed you, then you simply did not have a friend. Look inside yourself and answer, were you yourself a friend to him, someone who would not betray you under any circumstances? If you yourself were not such a friend, then you cannot demand such friendship in return, and, therefore, you did not have friendship, but friendship. But friendship does not betray, it simply ceases to be friendship.
Rochefort was a friend when we had common goals. My friend was Fouquet, whom I called a friend to my face and behind my back, but I could never compare his friendship with the friendship of our four. Perhaps the friendship that arose between the four of us has never existed on this sinful Earth before us, and will never exist after us. I even thought that none of us would ever act not only as Judas did towards Christ, but also would not repeat Peter’s denial. Any of us would throw ourselves on the cross instead of a friend. It was some kind of special religion, and even something higher than religion. It was fellowship.
But all this happened after the speech of Athos, which in terms of its impact on us was comparable to the Sermon on the Mount of Christ, and even stronger, since Judas and Peter heard the Sermon on the Mount, but one of them betrayed Christ, and the other denied him three times. I am not kidding. If the King or Cardinal sentenced my friends to execution and said: “Who is the friend of Athos, Porthos and d'Artagnan, go out to execution with them!”, I would go out and join them. But this is “after”, not “before”.
Since I am writing this not for anyone to read it, but for myself, for memory, it is difficult to suspect me of lying.
If these three were alive now, and if I were offered the opportunity to die with them, or to die so that they could live, I would do it with joy and would consider this moment the happiest moment of my life. If you like, I have become a fanatic of our friendship, which the Lord sent me alone to keep in my withered heart, since now I can see my friends only in the next world, and there is not long left to wait for our meeting, for, God knows, I have lingered on this light. For what? I think, just to finish these notes, and then come what may! But I started writing the first book when they were all alive. But I write so slowly. And sometimes I burn what I wrote and start writing again. Moreover, I have not yet described the death of each of my friends. Everything has its time. Perhaps I will do it if I have enough mental strength for it. I can't calmly think about it. So, I have to write and try to describe everything that I still remember, without thinking about whether anyone will read it. I have assigned this to myself, and I will fulfill this assignment.
Perhaps it is only for this purpose that the Lord still maintains the spark of life in me, and this task determines its remaining duration. In this case, I must hurry, since I do not intend to artificially prolong my days and months, the weak decay of an old man, clinging to life when the friends dear to my heart are already, I believe, waiting for me in the next world. I can see my three friends, who have already filled my cup with heavenly wine, and are waiting for me to arrive in order to share a toast with them to the four musketeers! You say that they don’t drink wine in heaven? Nonsense! What kind of paradise is this then?
But let's go back to 1628. I decided that it would not hurt D'Artagnan to resume meetings with Katie, and it would not hurt me at all to receive from her some information about how my friend lives, what sorrows interfere with his heroic life and glorious career, or what joys befall him. share. I wanted to know this in order to help him cope with his troubles to the best of my ability and share his joys with him. I voluntarily took upon myself the share of the old mother, who, having sent her sons into the world, greedily searches for every news about her children and sends them her blessing, laying a cross in the direction in which she last saw her sons. Yes, I became sentimental, but only about my three friends. Perhaps this happened for the reason that Mary forbade me to think of her two children as my descendants, and I obeyed her order to such an extent that I almost really believed that I had nothing to do with their birth. A different understanding came later, much later.
As for Madame Camille de Bois-Tracy, I felt good, very good, with her, but I parted with this romantic love, because I did not feel any trembling of the heart near her, which I always felt near Mary. Madame Duchess de Chevreuse knew how to make her love and hate, to experience a series of such strong feelings that in comparison with this, any prosperous and calm love looked like a puddle in comparison with the raging ocean. I was bored next to Camilla, and boredom can kill any love. Next to Maria, I constantly fought for my feelings, like a sailor on a broken boat fighting for his life with twenty-foot waves, waiting for the ninth wave. It was hard to love Maria, but it was impossible not to love her.
I did not wish such love for anyone, but I did not look for anything else for myself and would not wish for anything more calm and happy.
I came to Maria to talk about Katie.
After those proofs of love with which our rendezvous began, we, as always, proceeded to a late dinner, which could also be called an early breakfast, for dawn was already breaking on the horizon.
- My dear, how did you like my prot;g; Katie? - I asked.
- Do you want to take it for yourself? - Maria asked playfully.
“I thought that maybe it would be a good idea to return it to d’Artagnan,” I replied. “The poor fellow lost his beloved, and Katie, as far as I remember, was head over heels in love with him.”
- Was, you say? - asked Maria. — Love, which is spoken of in the past tense, is not love at all. How can love stop if it is true?
Maria looked at me with her childishly naive look, which she knew how to portray, and I once again agreed with her, although she, of course, was wrong.
“Besides, the question is not whether she loves him, but whether he loves her?” - Maria continued.
- In this regard, I am calm! - I exclaimed. - Having spent almost six months next to you, she, of course, at least learned something from you, but you easily win the hearts of those men who like you!
- You are insolent, you scoundrel! - Maria got angry jokingly and lightly hit me on the arm. “However, I agree that under my sensitive mentoring Katie has transformed.” Now she is no longer such a simple maid who falls in love with the first mustache and goatee she sees. Now she will be able to stand up for herself and, if necessary, seduce a gentleman who is worthy of her.
- Mustache and beard! - I mimicked. “You don’t know d’Artagnan at all if you try to describe his merits with such derogatory comparisons.” I would say that these are iron muscles, a swift sword and Gascon pride, as well as, of course, noble honor.
- My poor Aramis! - Maria exclaimed. — Such ardent enthusiasm for the young man? Have you really joined the camp of the late Henry III and the now living Louis XIII?
- No, madam! - I answered dryly. - This is only sincere male friendship without the slightest admixture of what you are hinting at!
- Well, don’t be offended, Rene! - Maria cooed affectionately. - I'm kidding. I like to see you angry, but only for a short time and not seriously. Don't sulk! Well, forgive me! Do you want me to earn your forgiveness?
“I’m not sure that you will succeed ,” I said in a deliberately offended tone, anticipating what her mercy might be like, and what kind of evidence of repentance she would provide me with.
“Well, if you don’t want to, then I don’t see what else I can do here ,” said Maria, feigning intentions to leave the cozy apartment we were renting.
- No, wait! - I said. “I’m not at all angry with you, but I’m wondering what you were going to offer me in order to, as you said, earn my forgiveness!”
- Oh, you naughty girl! - Maria answered flirtatiously. - Well, okay, so be it. I am returning Katie to you, although I have already become attached to her with all my soul. She is truly a nice girl, although she is a simpleton. Just promise that you will return her to me after the charm of her first love for your Gascon fades away in her, she gets bored and wants to return to the fun life she led with me.
“Why do you think that d’Artagnan will bore her, and why do you call your life with her fun?” - I asked.
- How else? she asked. - Life is full of dangers, promising equally an unprecedented rise or an unprecedented fall - what could be more fun? And isn’t this better than being one of the many mistresses of a soldier who can be struck down at any moment by an enemy bullet or the blade of a raider?
- You're killing me, Maria! - I exclaimed.
“The truth always kills someone or something,” answered the duchess. - Okay, I’ll send her here to you, deal with her yourself.
- Are you leaving already? - I asked.
- Of course! What else should I do here? - was the answer.
“You promised some special favor,” I hinted.
- I? - Maria asked with feigned surprise. - When is this?
“You said that you could earn my forgiveness!” - I reminded.
- Look how cleverly he turned it all out! - Maria exclaimed, turning to the candelabra on the ceiling. “He insults me by taking my favorite maid, and he also wants me to provide him with some special services in order to earn his forgiveness!” Or maybe you will come down from heaven to earth and finally realize, wretched abbot, that it is you who must earn my forgiveness?
“Well, so be it, I’m ready to admit my guilt ,” I said, realizing that arguing with the woman you love is madness.
“I’ll think about what punishment to give you,” Maria proudly announced.
- So you are jealous of me for Katie! - I exclaimed to make her a little angry, which suited her very well.
- I? Be jealous? Katie? To you?! - Maria said in such a tone as if I had told her that I could tear down Mont Blanc or drink the Seine. - What do you imagine about yourself?
- All the better! - I said.
“So you have the audacity to be glad that I’m not jealous!” - Maria started herself up. “Consequently, you don’t love me at all and don’t want me to love you.”
- Duchess, come on! — I gave up. “I agree in advance with everything that you have said and will say, and I apologize in advance for all the guilt that you assign to me.”
With these words, I kissed her right hand, after which I immediately received my left hand for the same thing, and kissed her too.
“Okay ,” the duchess said graciously and slapped my hand again. - Oh, I’m incredibly lenient towards you! God will punish me for this! Katie will be with you in an hour.
After these words, Maria disappeared behind the curtain covering the doors of our love nest.
Chapter 63
“Katie, baby, I want to make you happy ,” I said to Katie, Marie de Chevreuse’s maid, when she came to me.
“I’m listening to you,” Katie said modestly.
“You no longer have to fear Lady Winter’s revenge, so you don’t have to constantly stay in the house of your new mistress, the Duchess de Chevreuse,” I said, hoping for a joyful reaction.
“The lady is sending me away?” - Katie asked, apparently remaining calm, but I noticed signs of anxiety in the trembling of her lips and in the way she clutched her purse with her fingers.
- Not at all! - I answered. “You’ll just have more freedom now, so you’ll be able to see the Chevalier d’Artagnan.”
- See you? - Katie asked indifferently. - For what? After all, he doesn't love me.
“Didn’t he tell you about his love?” - I was surprised.
“He only said this so that I could help him get to Milady Winter,” answered Katie. “He told me that he needed Milady only to rescue one worthy lady from captivity, but I realized that he loved this lady more than anything in the world.” I also noticed that he only pretended to be indifferent to Milady, but in fact he seemed to be very supportive of her too. I was the last one he ever thought about. He would not have thought about me if it had not been for his passion for that lady and his extraordinary interest in Milady.
“It’s all in the past,” I answered. - This lady is no longer there.
“You already told me,” Katie answered with ostentatious indifference. - Has Milady gone to England?
“My lady has gone much further,” I answered. “She is now where they don’t return.” At least until Archangel Gabriel blows his trumpet.
- Is that so? - Katie perked up. - Is Milady dead?
At these words, good Katie folded her hands in prayer and began to whisper Angelus Domini. As an abbot, I crossed her and blessed this prayer.
“So, you and I sang it and we can forget about its former existence ,” I said. “As I already said, you have nothing to fear anymore.”
“But that lady about whom the Chevalier d’Artagnan took so much care, I suppose, is now finally free?” - asked Katie.
“Let’s read the Angelus Domini together in memory of God’s servant Constance ,” I said. “She deserves our sorrow more than Milady.”
“Is this lady also dead?” - Katie exclaimed and again folded her hands in prayer.
“It’s not good to rejoice at someone else’s death, my dear, but I forgive you this sin, since both of these deaths are in your favor, because now Monsieur d’Artagnan is free ,” I said.
“How scary it is,” Katie whispered. - Gain access to the heart of a loved one through two deaths. Do I dare to take advantage of such circumstances? D'Artagnan's love probably brings misfortune to those he loves.
“You’re right about poor Constance, my child,” I agreed. “But your former owner’s misfortune happened to her solely through her fault.” She suffered a well-deserved punishment for the death of unfortunate Constance, whom she poisoned.
“Did Monsieur d’Artagnan really take revenge for the death of his beloved so decisively?” - asked Katie. — Did he raise his hand to the lady? Or was she executed by court order?
“You are right and wrong at the same time ,” I said. - D'Artagnan was among those involved in her death, but he did not raise his hand to her. She was executed according to the verdict, but this verdict was more divine than human, and although it was passed by people who were not charged with the authority to administer this court, the highest judge in the state recognized their actions as competent and forgave them in advance, even before they did it, but and subsequently confirmed this.
“You speak in riddles ,” said Katie.
“I don’t recognize you, my child ,” I said. “You were so cheerful and laughing, but now you have become so sensible and serious!” And when? The moment I told you that you could try your luck and try to win over the Chevalier d'Artagnan.
“Unrequited love will not bring me joy, because he, perhaps, will give in to my persistence, but only as a result of the death of those whom he loved more than me,” Katie said sadly.
“You were ready to enter into an unequal battle with your former owner, risking everything, including your life, and you were not stopped by the fact that you had almost no chances, and now, when you have all the trump cards, you refuse to fight for your happiness? - I was surprised.
“It’s not quite as simple as you describe it,” Katie objected. “I fought for a moment of triumph when I thought that this was the best thing that was destined for me, and then whatever will happen. Now that, as you say, my rivals are dead, I must think about whether I should become his mistress, or even something less than a mistress, when it may be easy, but it is also meaningless? After all, his heart is broken! Will he be able to love?
“I suggest you become a healer of his heart and soul ,” I said, not understanding why my proposal did not meet with any enthusiasm.
“And what kind of gratitude do you expect from me for this offer?” - Katie asked dispassionately.
- Absolutely none! - I lied.
- So you want to say that the way to his bed does not lie through your bed? - asked Katie, noticeably perking up.
- No way! — I sincerely objected. - I will not attack your honor! I have a sweetheart, as you probably know!
“Yes, I know that, and I also know from her that you, Monsieur d’Herblay, do nothing without your own interest,” answered Katie.
I blushed at her words.
“So this is the reason for your coldness at the news that you will be able to see d’Artagnan,” I said thoughtfully. - Don't be afraid, my child. I am not a pimp or a pimp, and certainly not a scoundrel who lures girls into my bed by force or cunning, or takes advantage of the hopeless situation in which they find themselves.
“So you don’t want me,” Katie nodded. - What do you want then? For me to spy on him? I warn you that I will never do anything that would harm the Chevalier d'Artagnan, even if he completely neglects me! Even if it hurts me.
In this involuntary impulse, Katie was again the Katie I knew earlier. She revealed her passions. It turns out that she suspected that I would demand from her caresses of the most intimate nature, or I would order her to spy on d'Artagnan to his detriment. Therefore, she tried to appear indifferent to a topic in which I expected her to be much more interested.
“I admit, you almost guessed the second part of your suspicion ,” I said. “But I’m not going to spy on my friend.” I just want him to be happy. I would very much like to know everything about him, but not as an enemy or rival, but as his best friend, in order to be able to come to his aid in time when this help is needed, since I know that out of pride he will not call me before that minute while he still has hope of coping with the problem on his own. I would not like to be ignorant of the dangers that threaten him. I would like you to be his guardian angel, and if necessary, I would help you with this, when masculine strength, dexterity and determination are required. We saved each other's lives more than once, and this is not forgotten. After all, you understand how dangerous serving in the ranks of the royal musketeers is. And now we, his friends, will no longer be near him. I am going to become an abbot, Porthos is getting married and resigning from the musketeers, Athos also expressed his intention to leave the musketeers, but I hope he will remain close to our friend d'Artagnan for some time . I worry about him and would like to have a reliable and kind friend next to him, which I consider you to be.
I spoke so eloquently that I even believed every word I said, especially since there was more truth in my words than deceit. By God, kind Katie made me almost abandon the idea of simply spying on d'Artagnan for my own selfish purposes, and limit myself to precisely those goals that I so colorfully described to Katie.
“Well, if you’re not joking, then your proposal is indeed noble and very flattering for me ,” said Katie, as it seemed to me, this time cheerfully and carefree. - But he’s a musketeer! He doesn't need a maid, and I can't do anything else. And he is unlikely to want to marry me. I'm not even sure that he will allow me to live next to him. Therefore, I can only hope for rare meetings!
“Whether they will be rare or frequent depends only on you, my child ,” I said. - But explain to me what you still want?
“I want to remain the maid of the Duchess de Chevreuse, if you told the truth, and the Duchess does not send me away ,” said Katie.
- Is that so? - I was surprised. - For what?
“If you really want to give me a chance to win the heart of the Chevalier d’Artagnan, then I know only one way ,” said Katie. “D’Artagnan can only love an independent girl, and not one who will come to him and hang around his neck.” The Duchess pays me enough for me to rent several rooms, and even an entire floor in a modest inn. I will rent one or two rooms to the Chevalier d'Artagnan, and he, I hope, will pay attention to me, since he will be forced to communicate with me once a week on the issue of rent. Then I'll see if he loves me.
“And you know d’Artagnan quite well!” - I exclaimed. - But why did you decide that he would want to move to a new apartment?
— His former lover was, if I’m not mistaken, the mistress of the inn where the Chevalier lodged? - asked Katie.
“Yes, that’s true, I admit ,” I said.
“This lady, as far as I heard, was a married lady, and her husband was also the owner of this apartment?” - continued Katie.
- You are quite knowledgeable! - I exclaimed.
“When you love, you remember everything you learn about your loved one,” Katie answered simply. “I don’t think that the Chevalier will be pleased to live in the house where his beloved lived, paying for her ex-husband, a widower. He will be equally irritated by his grief at the loss, and his joy, if he is consoled, and his indifference, as long as he demonstrates it.
- I would give you a doctorate in psychology if I had the right to do so! - I admired. “And how come I didn’t think that d’Artagnan would want to move out of his apartment?”
“It’s enough that I thought about it,” Katie said modestly.
“So, we agreed ,” I said. “I’ll talk to the Duchess, she will keep your place for you, but will give you more freedom, we will find you rooms that you will rent, and two of which you will offer to d’Artagnan.” All your ideas seem amazing to me.
“Monsieur d’Herblay,” said Katie firmly. - I understand your desire to be aware of all your friend’s affairs, but I do not share it. Every person has the right to privacy and to maintaining the secrecy of all his affairs, except those that he himself would like to talk about. Therefore, I promise you nothing except that I will tell you about the Chevalier d'Artagnan only what I consider necessary, and only when I consider it appropriate. It is possible that I will never tell you anything. And this is most likely. Are you satisfied with these conditions?
It seemed to me that this simpleton was not at all as simple as I had thought before this conversation with her. I expected that she would throw herself around my neck and be endlessly and eternally grateful for the opportunity to see d'Artagnan, but she twisted me around her little finger and did everything her way.
Why do some noble ladies behave like simpletons, and some women of ordinary rank have much more dignity than would be enough for any noble lady?
Disarmed, I kissed Katie's hand. I still don't understand why I did it. Apparently, it is not only origin that makes a lady noble. If she cannot boast of a noble origin, but has a sound mind and a kind heart, in terms of her dignity and position she can be placed almost no lower than another noble lady. In any case, it seemed so to me then, and perhaps I still think so now.
Chapter 64
Meanwhile, the siege of La Rochelle was coming to an end.
At the direction of Richelieu, our engineers and sappers surrounded the city with a ditch, fortified by eleven forts and eighteen redoubts. The surrounding fortifications were completed in April 1628 and manned by an army of 30,000 men.
Four thousand workers built a seawall a third of a mile long to block access to the sea between the city and the harbor. This stopped all shipments of weapons, ammunition and food by sea. The first dam was destroyed by waves due to severe weather. The new dam was built on a foundation of sunken old ships covered with rubble. The royal artillery was installed on the dam, which destroyed the English ships trying to supply the rebellious city.
On the island of Re, the British tried to storm the small fort of St. Martin, but were repulsed. Small boats managed to occasionally supply the fort, despite its blockade by royal troops. With Buckingham's death, support for the rebels ended. The last assault by the British was repulsed, and with heavy losses for them. The English retreated, forcing the city to capitulate on October 28, 1628. Under the new peace treaty, the Huguenots lost the right to territorial, political and military self-government. They lost the right to own fortified areas. All the fortifications of La Rochelle were planned to be demolished, including the memorable bastion of Saint-Gervais, but since La Rochelle became a completely Catholic city, Richelieu canceled the destruction of the fortifications on the sea side, rightly believing that they might still be needed to contain the British. For some time, the Huguenots still retained the freedom of religion guaranteed to them by the Edict of Nantes.
Meanwhile, in Languedoc, the troops of the Prince of Cond; fought with Henri de Rohan. In September 1628, de Rohan, suffering one military defeat after another, initiated secret negotiations with Spain. As a result, he managed to create an anti-French coalition consisting of England, Spain, Savoy and Lorraine.
After Louis XIII solemnly entered the conquered city and made sure that the siege ended in the complete defeat of the Protestants, he returned to Paris satisfied, and the lieutenant of the royal musketeers d'Artagnan returned with him.
As Katie predicted, he wanted to move out of Monsieur Bonacieux’s place and asked all his friends if they would help him find another apartment. Since it was I who offered him to rent rooms in Bonacieux’s house, he turned to me first. I told him that, fortunately, I knew one of the suitable addresses for the simple reason that these rooms were rented out by a certain lady well known to him and me. D'Artagnan was very surprised, but agreed to inspect the rooms. I referred to being busy and apologized that I could not see him off, after which I gave the address. I admit, I would really like to see his surprise when he recognizes Katie as the owner of the apartment, but I realized that my presence could ruin everything. Katie told me nothing about this first meeting, so I cannot give any details of this scene. I only know that d'Artagnan reigned in two rooms on the top floor. At first he intended to limit himself to one room, but Katie said that the price of two rooms would differ from the price of one room by only a quarter of the cost, and our musketeer gave up. Since, upon returning from the military campaign, its participants were paid all the arrears of salary, d'Artagnan generously paid for the apartment for six months in advance and promised Katie to pay regularly from now on. This was the first and last payment he made. During these six months, Katie managed to strengthen their relationship so much that our gallant lieutenant began to feel like the rightful owner of everything that belonged to her, which she did not object to, since she herself was the first property on this list.
Probably, our Gascon was not the best husband, especially since this relationship was not approved and legalized by the church, except for the condescending consent to it on my part, and I, after all, was an abbot. But I dare to assume that Katie did not feel disadvantaged and d'Artagnan never gave her a reason to complain about the lack of temperament with which he proved to her his respect, respect and love. However, Katie, as I expected, fooled me, because she told me absolutely nothing about him, except that I knew my friend’s address and could visit him at any time without warning or invitation. I also knew that at any moment I could count on the support of his sword. If I challenged Satan himself to a duel, he would not refuse to be my second. He would have crossed swords with him himself if I needed it.
In April 1629, a truce was concluded between France and Savoy. At the same time, an agreement was concluded between France and England directed against Spain. In July, the Empire concluded a separate peace with Denmark, which had lost the war. In September, Louis XIII temporarily reconciled with the Queen Mother. A little later, in September, Richelieu managed to make Sweden our ally. For these purposes, he contributed to the conclusion of the Altmark Treaty between Sweden and Poland with the assistance of his clever diplomat Baron de Charnasse, sent for these purposes. With these actions, Richelieu freed Sweden from problems associated with Poland, which allowed him to increase pressure on the Empire. In October, Spanish troops attacked us in Mantua. In November, Richelieu's representative, Louis Dehay de Courmenin, went to negotiate in Moscow, where he obtained permission for our merchants to trade in Moscow, Arkhangelsk, Novgorod and Pskov, and also received a promise from the Moscow Tsar to go to war with Poland so that she would not be able to attack Poland again. Sweden, which Richelieu intended to use as the main weapon to fight the Empire. These successes of Richelieu in foreign policy, as well as his previous successes in domestic policy, which allowed him to pacify the Huguenots, opened the way for him to the pinnacle of power; in November Richelieu became the chief minister of state, and in December he set out on a new campaign in the direction of Italy.
Meanwhile, Monsieur, the King's brother, continued to plot, as did his mother and the Queen. Marie de Chevreuse was one of the most active participants in these conspiracies. The year 1630 began with the King's reconciliation with his brother, and ended with his reconciliation, but between January and December many events occurred that did not at all contribute to peace between them.
During this period, Marie de Chevreuse quite often went to live at her husband's castle in Dampierre. It must be said that she easily crossed the whole of France if necessary, since she could not only ride in a carriage, but also rode perfectly on horseback, for which she wore a man’s suit. It is worth remembering that in 1626 she fled from possible punishment for intrigue to Lorraine, where she became close friends with Charles IV, Duke of Lorraine. However, she always gravitated towards conspirators, and the Dukes of Lorraine at all times were the most notorious conspirators, believing that, due to their nobility, they could lay claim to the French throne. I am afraid to think about what could happen if their connection, that is, the connection between Marie de Chevreuse and Charles of Lorraine, went far beyond personal relations and led to the formation of a new political alliance against the King. Only a man like Richelieu could resist such an alliance.
I admired Maria, was surprised by her activities, feared for her, and for myself, and for the King, and loved her even more because of this.
In these two years of which I am now writing, the shadow activities of various parties led to very strong shifts of power in France. The hidden springs of these actions were not only the party of the Queen Mother, the party of Queen Anne and the party of Richelieu, but also the active actions of the Jesuit Order should be taken into account. I learned some important information from Mary and used it to gain the trust of my new spiritual friends. No, it wasn't betrayal. I only learned from Maria what she herself invented in relation to the two parties between which she deftly maneuvered. If Mary herself shared some information with Richelieu, extracting from him information useful for herself, which she partially shared with Queen Anne, then I exactly adopted her approach for myself. By learning, not on purpose, but inadvertently, some information from Maria, I used it to adjust my actions in the Order, and by learning the expected actions of the Order, I sometimes kept Maria herself from taking rash steps. I am convinced that I saved her from death twice, which, however, I never boasted to her about. I did this not so much for her as for myself, she was dear to me, and I would not want her to fall. I must also remind you that our alliance with Maria was never political, I was not a member of her party, although I occasionally helped her in her affairs, and she helped me make some important acquaintances. I have never pledged myself to be politically loyal to her, to keep her secrets, or to aid her intrigues. Our complete mutual trust was based on the fact that we both perfectly understood each other’s benefits, and also understood that neither of us would sacrifice our own benefits.
I remember one conversation in which Maria introduced herself to me not just as a duchess amusing herself from time to time with intrigues and political games, but as a thoughtful politician, which she never looked like in anyone’s eyes.
I remember the conversation began with me wondering why France does not stop fighting on one of its borders, then on the other.
— Henri, do you play chess? - asked Maria.
“No, I prefer games that don’t require as much mental effort as this intricate Indian game,” I replied.
— Maps and landsknecht? - Maria asked contemptuously. —Are you afraid to occupy your mind with thoughts?
“Not that,” I objected. “I often have to strain my mind for other activities, so if I play, it’s only to give it rest.
— Are your mental pursuits aimed at interpreting Latin texts from thousands of years ago? - Maria said sarcastically. — Do you hope to write extensive commentaries on some blessed Augustine on a hundred pages and get a theological chair for it?
“Not quite so,” I objected and blushed because she almost guessed right.
“Listen, Henri,” Maria suddenly said. - After all, you are a soldier, officer! You have to think strategically!
“I’m no longer a soldier, but just an abbot,” I objected.
“Don’t lie to me, and in any case, don’t lie to yourself, Rene!” - Maria exclaimed.
She called me Henri or Rene, depending on whether she saw me as a lover or an intellectual interlocutor.
“I really quit the musketeers ,” I said.
“You can quit the musketeers as much as you like, but you will never fire the musketeer from yourself, from your heart!” - Maria exclaimed passionately. - If this were not so, then I would not be interested in you!
- And what follows from this? - I asked.
“Politics or war are also a kind of chess, or rather, chess is a simplified game in which there are elements of both,” Maria continued. “Only on this board there are pieces not of two colors, but dozens and even hundreds of different colors and shades.” But there is no fundamental difference. Each group, united by its colors, wants victory for itself, and, consequently, defeat for everyone else. The best thing for her is to decapitate her opponent, but if this is not possible, she tries to first take the best position, to control the most important squares on this board. The more cells you control, the stronger your position. And a strong position sometimes replaces a strong army. You may not have enough troops, but if your few troops are in a better position, you can defeat an enemy even if you are outnumbered.
—And what analogy do you see here in the state affairs of France? — I asked, vaguely anticipating her answer.
“The European countries are jealously watching the entire board of Europe,” she replied. “As soon as France eases pressure on a certain cell, all its neighbors immediately begin actions in order to establish their own control over it. You can only give up a cell if in return you gain control of a more important cell. And it’s even better not to give up anything, but only to acquire, even if little by little, but so that no one can take this acquisition away from you.
- And who are the players on this huge chessboard? - I asked.
- All! - Maria exclaimed. - France, England, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, both Hollands! It’s impossible to list them all! But this is not enough!
- What else? - I asked.
“Each country is also a kind of chessboard,” Maria continued. — On our board, the main players are the Queen Mother’s party, Richelieu’s party, our Queen Anne party, Monsieur’s party, the princes’ party, the party of the Dukes of Lorraine, and some others.
“And the party of the Order of Friends of Jesus,” I thought.
“Sometimes parties enter into alliances to finish off a common enemy,” Maria continued. “The Queen Mother sometimes supports Monsieur and our party against the cardinal, but more often than not she takes his side, since in his youth he was very good, and there were even some cupids between them, perhaps very serious ones.” Now there is a great opportunity to forever sow discord and mistrust between them.
- How about that? - I was surprised. - On what basis?
— The Queen Mother wants to marry her youngest son to her niece, which, of course, will strengthen her power. Monsieur himself is in love with Maria de Gonzago, the daughter of the Duke of Nevers, he even began to seriously talk to her about his upcoming marriage, Maria developed her thought. “Of course, the heirs from Maria de Gonzago will have less chance of winning the throne than the heirs from the Medici’s niece, and if the marriage takes place without the permission of the King, these chances will not exist at all.” But Gaston is in love. Our wonderful Queen Anne is capable of thwarting the Queen Mother's plans for Gaston's marriage to her nephew. We agreed that our lovebirds could move to the Spanish Netherlands, where they would enter into a legal marriage.
- But this would be high treason! - I exclaimed.
“In the event that the King does not forgive his brother, and this will only matter if the King acquires a male heir in the very near future, since His Majesty’s health is of great concern,” Maria objected. - If the King passes into another world, then Monsieur will be the first contender for the crown, and no one will dare to challenge his marriage. In this case, the alliance of France with the Spanish Netherlands, and therefore with Spain, that is, with both Habsburg Empires, will create a new balance of power due to new strong alliances throughout Europe.
- So, what follows from this? - I asked.
“It follows from this that the Queen Mother, who fully strives for the rapprochement of France with both Empires, in this case is not interested in this union at such a price, but is much more interested in Monsieur marrying her niece, even if it is not to promote these unions to such an extent! - Maria exclaimed. — Richelieu looks at these problems from the standpoint of state interests, Queen Anne sees in Spain a state ruled by her brother, that is, she wants rapprochement with her, the Queen Mother wants Gaston’s marriage with another Medici, and Gaston himself wants a marriage with Maria de Gonzago. Of course, the matter cannot end to the satisfaction of all parties. The side whose aspirations are not crowned with success will consider itself disadvantaged and offended. There are many sources of conflict here, here are the levers for dividing and conquering. It may also end in the fact that even if one of the parties achieves that everything will turn out according to its wishes, it will still lose a friend, partner and ally in the person of other parties, and therefore will ultimately lose.
- What is your benefit at the moment, madam? - I asked.
“The Queen Mother can no longer be our ally who would stand up for Queen Anne, but she may still be useful to us as an opponent of Richelieu,” Maria answered triumphantly. - We will quarrel Marie de Medici with her son Gaston, we will quarrel her with Richelieu, we will also quarrel Gaston with the King and with Richelieu, as a result of which the King will be forced to make peace with Queen Anne and with me, so as not to be left alone, that is, almost alone , except for his beloved Richelieu, whom in fact he has long and strongly hated, but does not admit it because he needs this clever politician. Perhaps we can take him off the board. Fewer figures – more space!
- You’ll set them all at odds, suppose what’s next? - I asked.
“Then the Queen Mother goes into exile forever and never again interferes in the affairs of government,” Maria answered. - This will end the power of the Medici in France, I hope, forever. And then we will begin to work to ensure that the power of Queen Anne and those who will be at one with her is established in France. If Gaston is obedient, he will enter this circle, but if not, he will also go into exile. But while Richelieu is in power, we need Gaston.
I looked carefully at Mary, who so easily in her dreams controlled the fate of two royal persons, one of whom was the crowned Queen and mother of the now reigning King, and the other his brother and only heir, Monsieur, the official Dauphin! If the King died today, the state would fall into their hands, since no one would take the childless Queen Anne into account as much as they did. And so Mary is plotting to eliminate these two most important persons in the state for the rise of Anna of Austria and for her own rise through her! I'm not even talking about the Cardinal, First Minister Richelieu! And she sees the instrument for these plans as redrawing the borders of European states, the conclusion and dissolution of alliances of various monarchies, and the main instrument of her actions is intrigue! Give an idea to one person, ridicule someone’s intentions or support someone’s plans, help one action to happen and provide at least a slight obstacle to another event, and now things are going the way you wanted, and you become a central figure in power.
- How does Dad look at all this? - I asked, because at that time in my head I mistakenly connected the policy of the Pope and the policy of the Order as a single whole.
“The Pope is concerned about strengthening the power of Catholicism, of course, and about strengthening the power of the Holy See,” Maria waved it off. “His Holiness already seems to regret that Richelieu received the cardinal’s hat.” I heard that in order to strengthen mutual understanding between France and the Vatican, which is almost non-existent now, a representative, a certain Cardinal Giulio Mazarin, will be sent to France.
-What kind of person is this? - I asked.
“I don’t know this yet, but I believe that we will find out in the very near future,” Maria answered.
Chapter 65
Two weeks after d'Artagnan returned to Paris, I sent him a short letter with the following content.
“Dear friend! I have finally found out the name of the very stranger to whom you owe the loss of your letter of recommendation. I will tell you his name when we meet. He, as you know, is not only involved in the two abductions of the lady for whom you are grieving, but also caused us other troubles, at the direction of the person who gave you one open paper in exchange for another. I predict that you will want to have a conversation with him, in which I am ready to act as a second interlocutor, if one is required. Be there today at seven o'clock in the evening at the entrance to the Palais Cardinal, I believe you will see him. Your friend Aramis."
I sent this note with Bazin.
An hour later Bazin returned with the next letter.
“Dear Aramis! I am extremely grateful to you for taking such a lively part in my affairs. Indeed, the conversation with this gentleman has been postponed for too long. Wait for news. Your faithful d'Artagnan."
D'Artagnan, of course, did not forget his intention to fight at all costs with the stranger from Meng, who stole his letter of recommendation to de Treville. While I was carefully, and therefore slowly, making inquiries with those persons who should have known about this stranger, our Gascon went directly to de Treville to persuade him to tell him the name of the stranger, since de Treville at the first meeting I let it slip to him that he guessed who they were talking about. Monsieur de Treville flatly refused to give any information, since he realized that we were talking about a duel, and he did not want his officers to be executed on the Place de Greve for violating the edict prohibiting duels.
D'Artagnan met the Comte de Rochefort at the place and time that I indicated to him.
- Sir, please stop and give me a couple of minutes! - he exclaimed, seeing that Rochefort was not paying attention to him and intended to proceed about his business without slowing down.
- It’s you, Mr. Gascon nobleman! - exclaimed Rochefort. - What's your name there? D'Armental? D'Argenson? D'Armagnac? Wait a minute, I think I remembered! Your name is Dard D'oignon! Mister Onion Dart!
“I see you know my name from the letter you stole, and you pretend that you don’t remember it!” - answered d'Artagnan, whose eyes flashed sparks. “Isn’t it time for you to introduce yourself so that I know who to order the departure prayer for tomorrow?”
- Wow, Mr. Insolent! - exclaimed Rochefort. - As I see, you are threatening me? Have you already forgotten how your threats ended in Menge?
“I will make you eat every word you say before you give up the ghost!” - exclaimed d'Artagnan. - If you intend to hide now without giving your name, then you will get it!
At these words, he tore off the glove from his left hand with his right hand and backhanded Rochefort in the face, after which he threw the glove at his feet.
“Is that so, Monsieur d’Artagnan?” - said Rochefort, switching to a loud whisper and filled with anger. - Keep in mind that I am not a weak woman, and I will not allow myself to be killed like a lamb! I'm in a hurry now, but tomorrow at six o'clock in the morning I will be at your service in the Tournelle Park. Come with a second.
- Your name? - asked d'Artagnan. “In case you forget to show up, I don’t want to rely on luck, which only brings us together when you’re in a hurry!”
“Don’t worry, I will appear,” Rochefort replied, picking up d’Artagnan’s glove from the ground where it had been thrown as a pledge of challenge. “As you can see, I accepted your challenge, and will return this glove to your lifeless body.” A little advice. Do not come to our meeting on a yellow mare.
After these words, Rochefort burst out laughing and, sharply turning his back on d'Artagnan, resumed his path in the direction where he had gone earlier. He was confident that the Gascon would not shoot him in the back and would not rush after him with a sword, since he already knew very well about his nobility.
- Name, damn it!? - exclaimed d'Artagnan. “I want to know who I’m going to cross swords with!”
- Count de Rochefort! - the count said arrogantly and abruptly and hastened to hide.
An hour later d'Artagnan was with me.
“Aramis, I invite you to be my seconds in my duel with Count Rochefort ,” he said. “I finally found out his name.” I gave up the idea of inviting Athos because he is sentimental, and I intend to do away with Rochefort this time!
“You are absolutely right, dear d’Artagnan, but tell me, for God’s sake, do you really intend to kill him tomorrow?” — I answered, at the same time asking my question.
- What can stop me from doing this? - D'Artagnan was surprised.
“Killing him is too little,” I objected. “You could have killed him because he stole your letter of recommendation, although, by the way, this did not bring you any trouble, in addition, thanks to this you met three magnificent musketeers and entered their circle of friends, didn’t it?”
“This does not negate the dishonesty of his act,” d’Artagnan snapped. “Besides, I need revenge not only for the letter!”
- That's it, dear friend! - I picked up. “After all, he deserves not one death, but several, whereas by killing him tomorrow you will punish him only once, which you would have done if he had only stolen your letter.” But he stole something more from you!
- You're right, damn it! - D'Artagnan agreed. - But is it possible to kill a person several times?
“Of course, you can only kill once, but you can make them suffer more than once, and not twice, but many times,” I answered. - Look here.
I took a bar of dry soap and began to draw with it on my dark purple camisole that I was wearing.
“An injection into this place, even five inches, will not be fatal, but it will be extremely painful ,” I said, applying crosses and circles. - You can also inject here, here and here. Your opponent will heal such wounds for at least a month, or even a month and a half. He will go crazy with rage because he is bedridden and cannot immediately take revenge for his humiliation. And after recovery, he will certainly challenge you to a duel in the hope of revenge. The only question is whether you are cold-blooded enough to inflict deep wounds in one of these places and make him suffer, instead of immediately dying from one of those wounds that I know you are capable of inflicting on almost any swordsman in Paris .
This “almost” seems to have really hurt our Gascon.
“I will wound this scoundrel wherever I want, and when I want!” - D'Artagnan answered decisively.
“But you’ve never fought with him and you don’t know his hand!” - I objected. - I would recommend trying this, but if you find that it is too difficult, kill him by any means, even with Athos' famous blow to the throat.
- So that he immediately gives up the ghost? - D'Artagnan objected. - This is despite the fact that I have been chasing him for many months? Considering he kidnapped Constance twice? Considering that this ultimately led to her death? Don't persuade me, Aramis! I'll kill him three, four, five times! He will suffer, recover and again be sent to a hospital bed from the wounds that I will inflict on him in the same place! Which of the places you indicated is the most painful?
“This is it,” I answered, pointing to one of the crosses on my clothes.
I do not inform readers of this passage so that they do not take advantage of this knowledge to the detriment of their opponent.
“It is decided that I will wound him in this place in three duels in a row, and then in the fourth duel I will kill him ,” said d’Artagnan.
His voice was even and calm. It seems that the thought of Rochefort's torment slightly consoled his longing for Constance.
The next morning Rochefort appeared for the duel along with a guardsman of the cardinal, whose name I have forgotten. I wrote down this name on a piece of paper before crossing the sword with him, but on the evening of the same day I gave this piece of paper to the temple of St. Augustine along with ten pistoles, ordering a funeral service for the servant of God who had until that day bore this name.
D'Artagnan inflicted a deep wound on Rochefort in the very place that I pointed out to him as the most painful.
“Count, we have resolved our differences regarding letters that certain people are in the habit of reading without being the ones to whom these letters are addressed ,” he said to Rochefort, who was pressing his hand to his wound. “It will take you at least a month to recover, but I will send you with my servant Planchet an amazing balm for wounds according to my good mother’s recipe, which, when applied to the wounds, you will get back on your feet much faster.” I hope that in three weeks you and I will be able to discuss several more issues that have not yet been resolved between us. I'm talking about the kidnappings of Constance Bonacieux, of which there were two, both of which were carried out by you, and also that you left the poor thing in the hands of Milady, knowing that she would not escape from there alive.
It seemed to me that d'Artagnan spoke these words with less hatred towards Rochefort than when he exchanged a few words with him before the first duel.
“It’s difficult for me to argue with you,” Rochefort replied, “since the wound you inflicted on me is extremely painful, but we will meet again.”
- No doubt! - answered d'Artagnan.
After that, he called Planchet and ordered Rochefort to be bandaged and taken to wherever he asked. For these purposes, d'Artagnan prudently ordered Planchet to hire a small cart in advance.
We hugged d'Artagnan and parted, since it was unsafe to leave the place of the duel together.
That evening I wrote the following letter.
“Mr. Coadjutor of the Order of the Friends of Jesus, Count Etienne de Lyon.
Your Holiness! As I promised, the life of M. Comte de Rochefort is not in danger, but he will lie wounded for at least three weeks, which was agreed upon between us.
I remember that you need the Count to carry out certain tasks in the interests of the Order, and I believe that it will be easier to use him after he has been somewhat tamed by receiving a similar wound one or two more times. After this I will have a proper conversation with him, and no later than six months later he will be reconciled with my friend and will be ready to use him for our purposes. Knowing the character of the cardinal, who loves to punish the victors, but is also prone to sentimentality in relation to those who suffered in his service, I am convinced that his sympathy for the Comte de Rochefort will only increase from pity and sympathy for him, especially if he will be convinced that his best spy was wounded three times while carrying out his instructions. I remind you of your promise that my friend will not be prosecuted for the duel that took place on his initiative. I hope that this condition will be fulfilled especially carefully, since you will still be convinced that the living d'Artagnan is much better than the dead d'Artagnan, but I, for my part, vouch for this with everything I can vouch for.
Yours sincerely, Abb; d'Herblay, Assistant to the Order of the Friends of Jesus."
The case of the three duels between d'Artagnan and Rochefort is the only time I managed to defeat d'Artagnan. In all other situations, he was great at figuring out my tricks.
I'm not angry at him for this. And may his soul forgive me this little manipulation.
Chapter 66
“Come in, assistant,” a voice came from behind the door, and I entered.
The room was quite spacious, all the walls were covered with bookcases, which contained a total of at least twelve thousand volumes of books, provided that they were arranged in one row. At the spacious table sat a thin man of about fifty-five, dressed in a rather elegant, but simple and no-frills dark burgundy suit. This, as I knew, was the coadjutor of the Jesuit Order, the Reverend Father Etienne de Lyon. There were several books on the table, an open notebook covered in small handwriting, and the writing language was unfamiliar to me. It didn't look like hieroglyphs, but it wasn't some kind of Latin language either. This was the cipher that I now know perfectly, but which I modified so much that even experts in this cipher could not read my notes, while I read them with the same ease as if the text were written in French. However, then I would not be able to make out a single word in these recordings.
“So, Monsieur d’Herblay, through your efforts, as you claim, the life of Monsieur Comte de Rochefort was saved, but he was seriously wounded?” - asked the coadjutor.
“That’s right, Holy Father,” I replied. - The wound is not so much dangerous as painful. Such wounds are not forgotten, they ache, the people who received them suffer, but do not deprive them of mobility.
“Couldn’t you have gotten by with a lighter wound?” - asked the coadjutor.
“Based on your assignment, I have not found any other way to resolve this conflict,” I answered. - D'Artagnan would never give up revenge for the death of his beloved, and also for other insults inflicted on him by the Count de Rochefort. Only a serious wound inflicted by him on his opponent could cool his ardor at least for a while. If I abandoned this plan, then it would not be possible to exclude their chance meeting, the result of which would be the death of the count. If we needed Rochefort, the abscess had to be opened as quickly as possible and with a result that would satisfy everyone.
“You did not dare to sacrifice your friend out of a feeling of affection ,” said the coadjutor, not asking, but affirming. - The Holy Church does not deny such feelings, but you must understand that service to the Order must be above all human affections, sorrows, insults or joys. You have labored in the service of the Lord, therefore all worldly affairs, earthly sorrows and joys, should not distract you from your main goal - promoting the prosperity of the Holy Catholic Church. You can love, be friends, lead a secular lifestyle, but at the right moment you must obey only us.
“I will remember this, Holy Father,” I answered with humility.
- What, other than friendly affection, dictated your request that our Order take care of saving your friend from punishment for dueling? - asked the coadjutor dispassionately.
“Friendly feelings were my main motivation...” I began.
“Learn to answer the question directly and without roundaboutness,” Father Etienne interrupted me without any irritation, but with some impatience. “I didn’t ask you what the main feeling was, it’s clear to me.” Answer the question posed. What motivated you besides friendship?
“A sense of duty and a sense of justice,” I answered.
“These feelings again ,” the coadjutor said with a sigh and winced. - A servant of the Order should have only one feeling - a feeling of devotion to the Order. You must perceive any order from a superior as an order from Christ himself, and nothing else. Did Abraham remember his father's affection and did he think about the sense of duty and justice when the Lord demanded that he sacrifice his own son Isaac?
“I admit that you are right, Holy Father,” I lied.
- And you agree with my words? - asked the coadjutor, looking intently into my eyes.
“I perceive your words as the command of Christ himself, so I don’t consider myself to have the right to think about whether I agree or disagree,” I answered with a little demonstrative enthusiasm, realizing that overacting in such a performance is even worse than not finishing up.
“Even if you lied now, it’s better than if you started arguing with me ,” the coadjutor said with satisfaction, addressing himself rather than me. “If you don’t agree with me in your heart, but will act as the Order requires, that’s enough for the Order.” Do you think it would be advisable to attract some of your friends to the Order? This Gascon d'Artagnan? Comte de La F;re? Or perhaps Monsieur du Valon?
“This is completely impossible ,” I said.
“Nothing is impossible for the Order,” the coadjutor calmly answered.
“Sorry, I wanted to say that this is not advisable,” I corrected myself.
“Explain yourself,” demanded Father Etienne and looked at me with his sharp gaze penetrating into the very soul.
“D’Artagnan is too hot, ardent, he will not allow himself to be commanded by anyone other than the King and representatives of his power, such as, for example, de Treville, de Cond;, de Turenne, de Schomberg and, in a sense, de Richelieu,” I answered. .
- "In a manner"? What does it mean? — the coadjutor was surprised. - Explain yourself.
- Recognizing unconditionally the authority of the First Minister of France, as well as the spiritual authority of the Cardinal, d'Artagnan will not submit directly to Monsieur Richelieu, unless he is sure that the order comes from the King or it is in the spirit of the King's orders. He will go on Richelieu's orders to die in battle, but will not spy on anyone on his orders.
“You forgot to name another person whose orders your friend obeys unquestioningly,” the coadjutor said with a smile.
-Are you talking about the Queen? - I asked.
“Yes, now the list is complete,” nodded Father Etienne.
“He will submit to the Queen even if he knows that the King would not approve of such submission, and if he may be threatened with the Bastille or death for it, ” I said.
- Wonderful! - exclaimed the coadjutor. — We need such people, but not as members of the Order, of course. We will be able to slightly guide their actions when necessary. You did the right thing in taking care of saving his life.
With these words, Father Etienne wrote a few letters in his notebook. I am convinced that he wrote down the name of d'Artagnan, but he did it using such symbols, which, as it seemed to me then, were not enough to write down this name without errors and lacunae.
Since there was a pause, I continued.
“The Comte de La F;re will not be able to blindly obey the Order to the same extent, for he obeys only the call of his own heart and his cold reason, in which the main place is given to the concepts of noble honor and the honor of his family,” I said .
“Well, in fifteen, or maybe in twenty years, we will have business in England for which such a noble man can be extremely useful, ” said the coadjutor, making new notes in the notebook.
“Regarding England, I can recommend to you Lord Winter, with whom all four of us are quite closely acquainted ,” I said.
“And I will remember this,” answered the coadjutor, making new notes. “Wasn’t it his daughter-in-law you executed on the banks of the Lys River?”
“You are extremely well informed, Holy Father,” I replied. - Her fault is that...
“No need, I know,” the coadjutor answered and did not write anything down this time. - What can you say about Monsieur du Valon?
“This is a man with an extremely kind heart, possessing superhuman strength, who, for the sake of his friends, will be able to repeat all twelve labors of Hercules, and not even once, but three times ,” I said. “But his mind should not be occupied with the ideas of the Order; they are too confused and unclear for him.” Everything is much simpler with him. It must be turned to face the enemy and point out those who should be crushed first, after which the job will be done.
- It seems that you treat him as your personal bodyguard or even a watchdog? - asked the coadjutor.
“That would be too presumptuous, Holy Father,” I objected. “He decides for himself which side to take, but fortunately for him, he was never faced with a difficult choice, since all his friends, all of us, always fought on the same side.
“That’s wonderful, Monsieur d’Herblay, but what do you think he will do if his friends join opposite sides?” Have you ever thought about this?
“I don’t allow such a situation, Your Holiness,” I answered naively.
- And in vain! - objected the coadjutor. “You yourself told me that your friends are guided by principles that are far from the main idea that you yourself will henceforth have to be guided by, until you receive, perhaps, a blue envelope.”
A blue envelope was a letter by which a member of the Order was informed that he was expelled from society, and therefore no longer has any rights and privileges, but he retains the obligation to keep secret everything that he learned during his stay in the Order.
“I think that no one can predict the behavior of Monsieur du Valon in such a situation,” I answered after some thought.
“Remember, Monsieur d’Herblay, once and for all,” the coadjutor said without emotion. —The Order of the Friends of Jesus never predicts anything. The Order controls events so that such an event comes true, out of many different events, the probability of which is approximately the same, which corresponds to the interest of the Order, that is, the interest of the general of the Order, who can only be judged by the Pope, and over the Pope there is only the judgment of the Lord. We here on Earth only help the Lord establish the order that he prescribed for us, people, in his sacred books and which he pointed out in his sermons to the holy apostles.
With every mention of the Pope, the Lord and the apostles, the coadjutor barely noticeably applied a cross to himself with a confident and memorized movement to the point of automatism.
“I will remember this, Holy Father ,” I said.
— When joining the ranks of members of the Order, you must realize that the orders of the superiors of the Order are much more important for each member than the orders of representatives of secular authorities, no matter how high they stand.
“I understand, Holy Father ,” I said. — Does this also apply to the very top of secular power? Will I be able to disobey the orders of the highest dignitaries?
“The high-sitting head is further from the people and, perhaps for this very reason, closer to God ,” the coadjutor said thoughtfully. - But this does not mean that such a head hears the voice of God better. Closeness to the Lord in this case can mean a much greater closeness of this head’s meeting with the Lord in the next world than this very head suggests.
“I’m afraid I don’t quite understand ,” I said modestly, although I fully understood the coadjutor’s hint.
“I mean the scaffold,” Father Etienne snapped. “Kings who act against the will of God are not as far from the scaffold as they might think. Just remember Maria Steward.
“But Maria Steward was executed by the Protestant Queen, while Maria herself was more of a Catholic,” I was surprised.
- Protestant, Catholic, what's the difference? - Father Etienne grumbled. - All people are creatures of God, all religions worship the same Lord, perhaps calling him differently. The point is not at all what kind of church certain parishioners want to go to, what prayers and in what language they read, but in whose interests they act. As for this Steward... Her head is not the last of this kind to rise higher than its owner imagined. The Lord sees everything and does not forgive everything, he does not forget anything, neither evil nor good. Follow the path of serving the Lord that you have chosen, young man, and you will never regret it. You have already been told, of course, about the degree of obedience that our Order requires from its members. You must be like a corpse. It's a corpse. This is what St. Ignatius of Loyola bequeathed to us. Your eyes, your feelings, your muscles and veins, all this now does not belong to you, you will be controlled not by your soul, but by the soul of the Order, and you will become an obedient executor of its will, the will of the general of the Order, that is, the will of Christ himself. Do you understand this?
“Yes, Holy Father ,” I said. - My decision is firm and final, I hope that I will never deserve a blue envelope.
“Well, Monsieur d’Herblay,” concluded Father Etienne. - I'm pleased with the conversation. The information you provided also completely satisfied me; it fully corresponds to the information we received from other sources, so you have been accepted to the first step and can now rightfully call yourself the way you signed in your first letter. You are now not a candidate for assistant, but an assistant of the Order. When you are needed, they will find you. You will be told what to do. Now assimilate the knowledge that you will find in the list of books given to you. You should master them over the next few years. I was told that your memory allows you to remember what you need almost three times faster than everyone else. This is a useful skill.
The coadjutor nodded, indicating that the visit was over, I bowed, said goodbye and left his office.
Going outside, I breathed in the cold autumn air with pleasure. It was as if I had crawled out of a musty hole. But it was not the quality of the air in the prelate's office, which was by no means stale or tainted by any disgusting miasma. The very atmosphere of the office, the hard, imperious and cold gaze of the coadjutor prevented me from breathing deeply. Freed from the close attention of this domineering man, I felt myself enjoying life, which seemed to be suspended in the presence of this Jesuit.
I have decided that I have chosen the right path, but I will not submit myself to complete obedience to this Order. I will remain an invisible pawn while other pieces on this chessboard fight against each other, I will try to become a queen. I asked myself, what is the cost of my future career? I'm not ready to give up earthly feelings. I'm not going to be a corpse. But I will be able to portray this same corpse for the time being.
At that time I had no idea that my friends would be dearer to me than all the careers, all the Orders of the world, and even all the women in the world. Because women cheat, friends never. However, of course, I will not refuse women, and if I have children, then I will do everything possible and impossible to give them a brilliant education, wealth, and arrange their lives in the best possible way. Even then I vaguely understood that I had to enter this Order and pretend in it to be a simple functionary, subordinate unquestioningly to all my superiors, to be an outwardly obedient corpse, but to preserve myself for my own sake and for the sake of my friends. I saw this Order as a convenient ladder to climb to where others climb as if along a sheer wall, fall off and are killed to death. They are free to express their feelings and for this they are deprived of a direct path to the top and strong support under their feet. I will hide my feelings and demonstrate humility and diligence, which will provide me with protection, confidence and success. I can step off these stairs at any moment. The blue envelope is not the end of life. But I will make every effort to ensure that this envelope passes me by, or comes to me as late as possible, that is, at least when I have a sufficient position in society and sufficient wealth. The Jesuits do not take revenge on their former members unless they betrayed them. I didn’t intend to betray anyone, but a pawn that doesn’t aim for a queen is not even suitable for the role of a simple pawn. It seems to me that Father Etienne understood me perfectly, he was well aware that my obedience was not completely sincere, it was limited by its boundaries. He saw that I could not refuse friendship and did not demand this from me.
“Well,” I decided. — Life promises to be interesting! Let's see what surprises she will bring me! In any case, I won’t be able to complain about boredom.”
Chapter 67
At this very time, the focus of intrigue was Maria Louise de Gonzaga, daughter of the French Duke Charles de Nevers of the House of Gonzaga (and from 1627 he was also Duke of Mantua) and Catherine de Mayenne (niece of the Duke of Guise). Since she was a relative of the Duke de Chevreuse, you can imagine what an active part Chevrette took in her fate.
The idea of becoming related to the King's younger brother became obsessive for Mary. She was already on very warm terms with him. I wouldn’t be surprised if I found out that this relationship was not just warm, but completely hot and physical. Maria in this regard will not surprise me with any new discoveries in terms of the number and variety of those who, together with her, unpacked the gifts of the highest passion, as is usually done at night and alone, and Chevrette was able to do this both during the day and in the presence of witnesses, or even assistants.
Maria de Gonzaga, as they say, is ripe for marriage. Her father's sister, the Dowager Duchess of Longueville, again a relative of Chevrette, was involved in her upbringing. This aunt could teach her niece anything! And love and intrigue.
Thanks to the assistance of her aunt and Chevrette herself, a brilliant match loomed before the girl! Indeed, Monsieur, aka Dauphin, Gaston d'Orl;ans, brother of King Louis XIII, what more could one dream of?
I have already said that this marriage was completely unacceptable for the Queen Mother, who hoped to marry her youngest son to her niece, also a Medici. If this happened, it would be the third Queen in a row from the Medici family! Praise the Lord that this did not happen! But the matter between Gaston and Maria Gonzaga was, as they say, in the clear, since the alleged spouses had already come to an agreement and exchanged vows of mutual love.
The Queen Mother took the most decisive action; she ordered Maria de Gonzaga to be kidnapped and hidden from Gaston. In this matter, she still remained an accomplice with her formerly beloved, and now hated, cardinal. This marriage would also violate the plans of Richelieu, who feared the bride and groom would flee from Paris. Acting together, the cardinal and the Queen Mother arranged the kidnapping of Mary, Richelieu imprisoned her in the Vincennes castle, and then transferred her to a monastery.
The cardinal's fears regarding Gaston were completely confirmed. At the end of August 1629, Monsieur, offended by the fact that the King refused him command of the Italian army (which was extremely reasonable), offended by the fair reprimands that he regularly received from his elder brother and sovereign, dissatisfied with Gaston’s riotous and depraved lifestyle, crossed the border and took refuge in Lorraine. The Duke of Lorraine, of course, accepted Gaston as his own and gave him an extremely warm welcome, realizing what a big trump card he had in the game for power. Oh, these Gizas!
Long and grueling negotiations began. The flight abroad of the official heir to the throne, the Dauphin, was a direct betrayal of the state! The cardinal tried to resolve the issue peacefully. And it’s true: a bad peace is better than a good quarrel!
Having begged for a lot of additional privileges and advantages, Gaston returned four months later and made peace with his brother the King, which is how the year 1630 began, as I already noted.
Of course, he returned extremely angry with Richelieu, mistakenly considering him to be the cause of all his disasters, without taking into account the contribution to these troubles of his own mother Marie de Medici, because in reality the main driving force behind all these events was the Queen Mother.
One of the conditions of the agreement was that Gaston would renounce Maria de Gonzago, as a reward for which he would be freed from the unbearable tutelage of Cardinal Richelieu. The corresponding agreements were signed, both documents were transferred to Bellegarde for safekeeping. It was at this moment that the King was forced to appoint Richelieu as First Minister, also in the form of some concession and in compensation for the loss of his influence on Monsieur. As a result, Richelieu received a personal guard no smaller in number than that of the King himself. The Cardinal, now occupying a luxurious palace called the Palais Cardinal, "Cardinal's Palace", even hosted a theatrical performance there for all three of His Majesties, the King, Queen and Queen Mother . Among the new authors supported by Richelieu, the young Norman Pierre Corneille appeared for the first time. Richelieu continued to displease everyone, including the King. Some condemned him for fighting the Protestants, others for being too loyal to them in this fight, some for the fact that he was carrying out almost state affairs, others for the fact that he was not in everyone’s favor. leads the state, he was hated both for the fact that he is more of a warrior than a prelate, and for the fact that he is still a prelate, and not a warrior. Some hated him for one thing, others for another, but they all hated him, and everyone could not do without him. In this dual and illogical attitude towards Richelieu, the King was ahead of everyone else. He most often expressed dissatisfaction with the cardinal in his absence, and most often praised him in his presence. Louis XIII very often threatened in the presence of the Queen Mother, Monsieur and the Queen that he would get rid of the tutelage of the all-powerful cardinal, and never took a single step to reduce his power even by an iota. The king could not do without Richelieu, and this is what irritated him more than anything else.
When Queen Anne suffered another miscarriage, this gave the King reason to say that his wife’s womb was as dead as a cemetery. This second miscarriage revived the hopes of all who considered themselves close to the throne, especially Gaston d'Orl;ans. It was not hidden from Monsieur that the King’s health could crack at any moment. Indeed, soon the King fell ill, and so badly that it seemed that nothing could save him. He went to bed, received his closest relatives in turn and asked their forgiveness for unwittingly caused insults, if there were any. Among those to whom the King apologized was Queen Anne, but they did not include Marie de Chevreuse, whom he hated, perhaps also because in his youth he was too in love with her, but did not receive it from her. desired. Finally, Brother Richelieu, Cardinal of Lyon, unctioned the King and fully prepared him to meet the Lord. The entire court lay low in anticipation of the outcome of the tragic events, and now it is no secret that not all of the King’s closest relatives would consider this outcome tragic, and perhaps there were none at all. Even the Queen Mother, as I now believe, would easily be consoled in the event of the death of her eldest son by the consideration that her younger and, undoubtedly, more beloved son would reign in his place.
Madame du Fargis, Taleman de Reo's own aunt, keeper of the Queen's wardrobe and jewelry, appointed to this position instead of Chevrette, had even already sent a courier to Gaston to find out how he would feel about the prospect of marrying Anne of Austria, whom she already considered the Dowager Queen. Marie de Medici was already distributing court positions in her own way, the keeper of the state seal, Mariillac, was trying on the position of Richelieu, hoping to become first minister instead, and his brother, the marshal, volunteered to kill the cardinal with his own hands in order to rid everyone of his person, just as he had been destroyed in his time Marshal d'Ancre. True, not all of Richelieu’s enemies supported the idea of his physical destruction. After all, he was a cardinal, not just a minister of the church, but one of its most senior representatives! Bassompierre proposed life imprisonment, and the Duke of Guise, a relative of Chevrette, proposed exiling the cardinal to Rome. Chevrette wisely remained silent, not taking part in the discussion of methods for eliminating the cardinal, which demonstrated her intelligence, experience and foresight, which I cannot help but recognize.
On the morning of November 30, the ringing of bells in all the churches of Paris announced the King's miraculous recovery. One can only guess how much angry disappointment seethed in the hearts of those who made their plans with the new monarch in mind! Richelieu, who was not allowed to the sick bed, and who did not know whether the King was still alive or no longer, was able to guess this only from the changed attitude towards him that he could observe. Just yesterday, all the courtiers, meeting him, tried to pretend that they did not notice him, to quickly leave him, to leave him in splendid isolation. Now they bowed to him again, inquired about his health, tried to start a conversation with him even when there were no topics for this except the weather and the health of the King.
The Queen Mother and Queen Anne went on a pilgrimage to Notre-Dame de Grace on Ile Barbe to thank the Virgin Mary for the miraculous recovery of their son and husband. I believe that they not only had prayers of thanksgiving, but also sins that it would not be a bad idea to atone for during this pilgrimage.
The king was still weak after his illness, softened and kind. He again asked for forgiveness from his mother and wife, promised them to listen to their advice in the future, which, as it seemed to him, he would actually do later. Both Queens strongly demanded the cardinal's resignation. Louis advised the cardinal to reconcile with the Queen Mother. Richelieu obeyed and portrayed repentance, friendship and obedience to her.
This sweet, fleeting scene was short-lived, of course. Both knew each other too well to believe in the sincerity of friendly feelings. However, Richelieu had more important things to do than confront the Queen Mother. He plunged into foreign policy, immersed himself in resolving relations with Italy. He managed to make peace and avoid a clash in Casale, which was announced by the then almost unknown Cardinal Giulio Mazarin.
The Queen Mother arranged a magnificent celebration in the Luxembourg Palace on the occasion of peace with Italy, although the real reason for her celebration was the promise to finally get rid of Richelieu, which she snatched from the King, from her son who had barely managed to recover. Dictating the terms of a son who almost died and has not yet fully recovered - how maternal it is!
Richelieu again noticed that when he approached, the courtiers dispersed from him, like from a leper. Queen Anne was then surrounded by Madame du Fargis, Madame de Laveau, and the Duchess de Chevreuse. They all unanimously celebrated the victory over Richelieu.
Madame de Laveau, this is the same dwarf that Queen Anne received as a gift from her aunt Isabella Clara Eugenia, ruler of the Netherlands. She received a large willow cage, wrapped in a blanket, in which, as she was told, there was a magnificent and intelligent parrot, who could speak compliments in many foreign languages. The dwarf, hidden in a cage, greeted the Queen in Spanish, Italian, French, English and Dutch. The Queen did not believe that the parrot was capable of such a thing and pulled off the cover, revealing an extremely small woman underneath. This miniature lady was accepted into the staff, married the Queen’s servant, Monsieur de Laveau, showed ingenuity and obedience, and earned the Queen’s favor. The fashion for dwarfs that arose at court subsequently led to the appearance of the Preval family at court; both spouses were dwarfs and enjoyed great favor, and completely in vain, which I will talk about later, since Mr. Preval played his negative role in the history of the Iron Mask.
After the events described above, those three fateful days came, the last of which remained in the history of France as the “Day of the Fooled.”
On the first of these three days, November 10, the Queen Mother, convinced that the King would soon drive the cardinal out, dropped the guise of friendship and declared to Richelieu that she had lost all confidence in him and was depriving him of all positions held by him in her house. He ceased to be the head of the Queen's Council, the superintendent and the chief dispenser of alms on her behalf. The Queen Mother also deprived all of Richelieu's relatives of their positions. She was convinced that she managed to convince her son to do the same with the cardinal, so she decided to strike him first, expecting similar actions on the part of Louis XIII .
The next day, November 11, she locked herself in the Luxembourg Palace with the King, discussing plans to deprive Richelieu of all his posts. She described to the King the cardinal’s treachery, hinting that Richelieu was encroaching on special attention from Queen Anne, citing du Fargey’s testimony. Richelieu himself, who tried to sneak into this meeting, was, of course, refused to be accepted.
There can be no doubt that she herself believed in this gossip, which is why the Queen Mother’s hatred of Richelieu in this case was intensified not so much by concern for the honor of her daughter-in-law, but by the rage of an abandoned mistress.
After waiting for Marie de Medici to come out, Richelieu said to her: “I am sure, Your Majesty, that you were talking about me.”
In response, the Queen Mother defiantly confirmed this and burst out with furious abuse against him. Richelieu knelt before the Queen and with tears in his eyes asked for his resignation. The feeling of complete victory did not calm the Queen; she screamed even louder and scolded him with completely different words that are permissible to address to a minister of the church, a prelate, or a cardinal. Only abandoned women can scold their former lovers or husbands with such words, which is what happened in this case.
Louis XIII , unable to bear such a scene, ordered Richelieu to leave.
Richelieu considered that his game was lost, because the King went to Versailles, while making it clear to the cardinal that he should under no circumstances join him.
But at that moment Cardinal da Lavalette approached Richelieu, who, placing his hand on his shoulder in a friendly manner, said: “Go to the King and don’t leave him alone, this is your chance.”
The Queen Mother’s mistake was that, having knocked everything she wanted out of her son, she considered herself a winner, and perceived her victory as final and irrevocable, while Louis XIII was not far from the kind of person for whom any decision could be final and could not be revised.
While the Queen Mother celebrated the victory surrounded by Mariillac, who imagined himself to be the first minister, his brother Marshal and her other henchmen, Richelieu dutifully listened to all the claims of Louis XIII, who, having finished listing the grievances and claims, decided to somewhat smooth out the impression and began to remember also the merits of the great cardinal. To his surprise, he began to understand how petty and few in number all the claims are, and how insignificant they are in comparison with the great merits, of which there are many more, and each of which makes the grievances of both Queens and even the personal grievances of the King pale before such concepts as statesmanship , necessity, expediency.
Meanwhile, Richelieu began to make requests to the King, but these requests did not relate to personal benefits, but to how His Majesty should act in the future when solving certain state problems. Richelieu did not make excuses, but gave brief and practical instructions regarding foreign and domestic state policy, as well as regarding finance, the army, and personnel decisions. The king could not help but agree that all this advice was extremely useful, and also realized that he was not able to independently not only carry out at least a small part of these instructions, but even to even remember them. The king realized that the enemies of Richelieu are at the same time the enemies of France, while the friends of the cardinal are also friends of the state, he realized that the only way for him to remain King, without bothering his head with problems that he cannot solve, is to leave Richelieu next to him precisely in the position of first minister in which he recently found himself by decision of the King.
“For me, you are the most devoted and humble servant that cannot be found in the whole wide world ,” the King finally says. - I am extremely grateful to you. Continue to serve me in the same way as you served me before, and I will protect you from any machinations of your enemies.
Richelieu not only did not collapse, but he rose even higher. That is why November 12 remained in history as the Day of the Fooled. Richelieu's enemies celebrated their victory on the very day when their final defeat took place. Already the night before, Mariillac was arrested and demanded to return the state seals. In the morning, the court camarilla learned that Richelieu spent the night in Versailles and returned from there, accompanying the King. The courtiers hastily left the Luxembourg Palace, now avoiding the Queen Mother like a leper.
In the morning, the marshal, Mariillac's brother, was arrested, and his head was subsequently cut off. A wave of persecution and punishment falls on the conspirators. The Duke of Guise is expelled. Bassompierre faces life imprisonment. Before his arrest, Bassompierre manages to throw into the fireplace about six thousand love letters that he carefully kept, most of which were written by the hand of Princess de Conti, but, however, not all of them were from her. De Bellegarde was also expelled, who was confident that, as a comrade-in-arms of Henry III , no disgrace would ever touch him, and undeserved favors would be showered on him, as if according to an obligation passed from one King to another by inheritance.
Queen Anne's entourage also received its share of disgrace. Madame du Fargis is sent away, as are the de Laveau spouses, who are also separated and doomed to live separately. The Spanish ambassador Mirabel and his wife were removed. From now on, access to the Louvre is open to them only during official ceremonies. Everything Spanish is persecuted. Even ten-year-old Fran;oise Berto, the future Madame de Motteville, whose fault was that she spoke to the Queen in Spanish, is removed from the Louvre.
At that time it seemed to me that France had perished, that evil and dark forces had won.
But Father Etienne invited me again. The reason for his invitation was that I was in that close connection with Marie de Chevreuse, who was interested in the Order, using all the secret springs to most effectively influence the development of political processes in Europe.
This time Mr. Coadjutor deigned to give me a small lesson in the politics of the Order. I believe that even then he saw in me not only a blind performer, but also, perhaps, an organizer, not only a pawn, but also a piece, appreciating in me not so much obedience, but a lively mind and the ability to quickly find solutions to various complex problems. situations, such as my idea of allowing d'Artagnan to wound Rochefort but not kill him.
Chapter 68
“The Order does not condemn you, Chevalier d’Herblay, for opposing the plans of Cardinal Richelieu ,” the coadjutor said at the next meeting. “You and your friends acted on a whim, inspired by the idea of saving the honor of Queen Anne. This is noble and to some extent even commendable. In fact, you managed to save the marriage of the Royal couple, and the Holy Church, as you understand, stands for the preservation of every marriage concluded before the Lord, and even more so the marriage of the King and Queen.
I nodded but remained silent because I felt it was inappropriate to say anything in response to this.
“The rapid growth of the power of Cardinal Richelieu is currently in our favor, however, we also need a restraining factor in the person of the Duchess de Chevreuse, who, as you understand, actively involves the Queen, Monsieur, princes and dukes in her circle,” continued Father Etienne de Lyon. — In order to control political events, we need various levers acting in opposite directions. We can provide support to the party whose actions are aimed at the result that is most desirable for us. Our support will not be felt by those we help; they will attribute it to luck or providence. No one will consider our opposition to be a conscious action of some force either, attributing their failures to simple failure. Politicians think that Fortune is fickle and will turn to face them, but turns away from them, while Fortune's real name is the Order of Friends of Jesus. Yes, we take on the role of this pagan goddess for those who they mistakenly believe are in political power. They think they make politics and run the country. Let them continue to think like that.
I listened attentively, without interrupting or interjecting remarks, since the holy father had not yet asked me anything.
“The Cardinal was an ardent supporter of the Pope in those two years when he expected to receive the cardinal’s cap,” continued the coadjutor. “As soon as he got what he wanted, he imagined himself independent from the Holy See and began to oppose the unification of the Catholic world. Well, for France it may be appropriate, but for Europe it is not entirely appropriate. But we are exploring all the possible consequences of strengthening certain states and at the moment we believe that the strengthening of the two Habsburg Empires is premature, and perhaps the time when this would be desirable will never come. We currently hold the view that the inconsistency and some contradictions of various European countries will create better conditions for ensuring its control by the Holy See in the field of Catholicism, in the field of the spiritual victory of the cause of Christ. We, as you probably know, already have our own states in the New World and many other places. Europe will serve us as a kid glove, which is put on our iron hand. Appearance, visibility and gentleness will be ensured by the varied actions of the governments of different countries, while the unity of the idea of accepting Christ will be ensured by our quiet leadership. We should also pay close attention to the Ottoman Empire and the countries of Africa. This is where the efforts of our preachers should be directed in order to gain spiritual power over these lands. However, this big deal will not be done quickly. It was much easier for us to establish Christianity in the New World, since the primitive paganism that was encountered by our conquistadors there was easier to transform and adapt to the idea of Christianity than the religion that had taken hold in Muslim countries, capable of resisting our apostles of faith for a very, very long time and successfully. We have a lot of work to do with these states. First, we need to establish friendly relations with them. We will even be able to use the Ottoman Empire in order to rein in those Christian countries that break away from the correct line, deviate from subordination to the Pope to such an extent that intervention will be required, not morally- educational, but political or even military. For such subtle influences, we need the ability to influence both opposing sides. We will need your duchess to restrain Cardinal Richelieu, and your Count de Rochefort will be very useful to restrain the duchess and Queen Anne herself. Today I do not instruct you to do anything except that you yourself be careful in your relations with the Duchess, and remember all the ideas and requests that will come from her. I emphasize that I do not require information from you, you will not be a traitor to your friendship or love, but you yourself must take note of all the information that comes to you in order to act most effectively in order to carry out my instructions, or instructions from the person who will convey the orders of the Order to you instead of me. We do not morally break the members of our Order. We attract them to us. And we always help them in everything. You must have already heard the main principle of the founder of the Order?
“Become everything to everyone in order to win everyone,” I said humbly.
- Absolutely right! - Father Etienne agreed. “I see that you didn’t waste your time and studied in detail the books prescribed for you to study.”
“I can quote from memory any passage from the main book that…” I began.
“Okay, okay, I believe you,” answered Father Etienne. - Later. At this moment I instruct you to take care of preserving the life and freedom of the Duchess de Chevreuse. I hope that such an assignment does not conflict with your beliefs and personal preferences. I don't ask because I know the answer.
I smiled and nodded.
“I do not require you to report to us about the dangers that may arise for her as a result of her too adventurous undertakings,” the coadjutor continued. “You will decide for yourself how dangerous her ideas are for her personally.” If you see that you need to intervene, correct her actions, or stop her from acting, do so as you see fit. If you need our help, you will get it. But if you fail to cope with the task received, if the Duchess de Chevreuse dies, even if this is not the slightest fault of yours, you will be expelled from the Order. You must also take care of the life and freedom of the Count de Rochefort. This is your task for the coming years, as long as Cardinal Richelieu is alive. Other orders may come, but this order will not be canceled, I repeat, as long as Richelieu is alive. This is approximately twelve years. That's all. Go.
I bowed and left. This conversation took place in 1630. How could Father Etienne know that Cardinal Richelieu had exactly twelve years to live?
So the Queen Mother went into exile in the Spanish Netherlands. There she met the previously exiled Madame du Fargy and other disgraced oppositionists and formed a foreign circle with them to fight her own son. Monsieur, the King's brother, fled from France again. First, he went to Lorraine, that is, to its capital Nancy, to Charles IV of Lorraine, a close friend and relative of Marie de Chevreuse, then to Brussels. He made several trips from Nancy to Brussels and back, seeking the support of all potential allies. He would be ready to achieve the throne with the help of his neighbors, whose loyalty he acquired with promises of territorial concessions. The acquisition or strengthening of power in one’s own country through territorial concessions to neighbors, of course, should be strongly condemned, because in this case, after several such adventures, there would be nothing left of France. But when have such considerations stopped adventurers trying to seize what does not belong to you at the cost of ceding part of what you claim?
This foreign circle of oppositionists found warm sympathy both with Marie de Chevreuse and Queen Anne herself. This brought them even closer together, and due to the fact that Maria knew perfectly well all the weak strings of her royal friend, she continued to exert a strong influence on her.
The closest epistolary contacts were maintained between the Queen and the circle of exiles. Chevrette organized the mail forwarding, creating a whole staff of secret assistants for these purposes, which included me, but all our conspiracy, as well as the inept primitive allegories in the text of the letters, did not in the least prevent Richelieu from being aware of all this abundant correspondence. I think that some of the letters in the form of copies ended up on Richelieu’s desk from Chevrette herself, who in this way bought herself guarantees of life and inviolability of rights and property in the event of the failure of another conspiracy. All this was reminiscent of some kind of feverish game of forfeits in the company of close people, relatives and former lovers. And it’s true, after all, the King at one time was in love with Chevrette, and, it seems, he was seriously in love, and the cardinal did not pass this cup, and, I assume, he managed to sip the share of reciprocity due to him from this inexhaustible vessel of voluptuousness. The Queen was also Chevrette's friend in many ways, which my modesty prevents me from discussing. I won’t be mistaken if I include in this list Gaston d’Orl;ans, as well as the Duke de La Rochefoucauld, who appeared at the court at that time, Prince de Marcillac, later known as Fran;ois VI , who, by the way, wrote quite well. I remember that his literary debut was his own verbal self-portrait written by him, which was distributed in a collection compiled in the salon of Mademoiselle de Montpensier. This La Rochefoucauld crossed my path more than once, first managing to insinuate himself into the ranks of the admirers of the Duchess de Chevreuse, then establishing some kind of connections with the Duchess de Longueville, and finally starting to pursue Madame de Lafayette. I regret that I didn’t challenge him to a duel and kill him. I know that he wanted the same for me. Once he even lay in wait for me with his armed servants in order to catch and kill me, like some thief, but, fortunately, this happened when d'Artagnan was looking for me with his Planchet in order to drag me into the adventure that he proposed to him. Mazarin. Grimaud recounted this episode in his second book. The mercenaries and servants of La Rochefoucauld took the wrong trail, mistaking d'Artagnan for me, and when they realized their mistake, I had already managed to take measures to hide from them and later join my friend, when these conspirators, realizing that they had made a mistake , fell behind d'Artagnan and went home. I was grateful to my friend for my miraculous deliverance from the clique of murderers, but, of course, I could not accept his offer to become a Mazarinist. However, all this happened much later, nineteen years later, but in the meantime the future La Rochefoucauld, under the name Marcillac, irritated me with his annoying courtship of Marie de Chevreuse, which he later called in his memoirs a simple but tender friendship.
Since I began to list Mary’s lovers, I should also include Charles de L’Aubepin, Marquis de Chateauneuf, keeper of the state seal. This man was more than twenty years older than Mary and me, he held the post of Keeper of the Seal from 1630 to 1633, in fact he was the Minister of Justice. He began his career at court as a page in the retinue of Constable Montmorency, and was also in the service of Henry IV.
In 1609 Henry IV made him his ambassador extraordinary to Holland and Brussels. As chancellor of the King's orders in 1620, he went as ambassador to Germany with the Duke d'Angoul;me and the Comte de Bethune, then to Venice. In 1626, King Louis XIII entrusted him with an extraordinary embassy to Valtellina in order to obtain ratification of the treaty of Monzon by the League of Grisons and the Swiss Corps. Chateauneuf achieved only a very partial agreement with the Swiss cantons. The King of France then hurried to send him to Venice in order to help Etienne Aligre at the Seigneury in the Republic of Venice and justify himself for the treaty signed with the Spaniards. In 1629-1630 he again became Ambassador Extraordinary to London, before becoming Privy Seal from 14 November 1630 until 25 February 1633, when he was imprisoned for 10 years for his association with Marie de' Medici and for unscrupulous political dealings. I am writing about it in such detail that I can get it out of my head and not return to it, although, however, this will not work, because I intend to describe two conspiracies - the Chevreuse conspiracy of 1633 and the “Important” conspiracy of 1643. Chateauneuf participated in both, and in both he was exposed, for which he was punished.
He should learn from Gondi's coadjutor, Mr. Retz, who eventually achieved the cardinal's hat through his efforts. This man reminds me of myself, both in appearance and in the resourcefulness of his mind, in his successful intrigues and, perhaps, in his attitude towards beautiful ladies. I was angry with the coadjutor many times, a couple of times or more I was ready to challenge him to a duel and kill him, but it was all because of the ladies, and such outbursts of anger are easily forgotten, without leaving lasting hatred in the soul. I remembered him because of his famous phrase that you should think through your actions in such a way that even in case of defeat they bring more benefit than harm. This refers, of course, to Gondi's own benefit. In this he had no equal! I think that if it weren’t for him, there would be no Fronde in France. But again, if it weren’t for him, it would not have been possible to reconcile with her in order to subsequently suppress her. He awakened this popular rage against Mazarin and, to some extent, against the Queen, and he also helped to pacify her. I would not want to have him as an enemy, just as I would not want to have a friend in him; he was sometimes an ally, sometimes an adversary, but always not as seriously as it might seem. He lived playfully, and achieved his goals playfully, and he was not bothered by the fact that for the sake of his games hundreds and thousands of common people laid down their lives, believing that they were fighting for their freedom and independence. But in reality, they were just pulling chestnuts out of the fire for him, burning their own fingers, and even felt reverent gratitude towards him for this. However, I will tell you about the coadjutor Gondi, the future Cardinal de Retz, in due time, later. Let's go back to 1632.
So, Chateauneuf, another admirer of Marie de Chevreuse. At the beginning of 1632, Maria drew him into her intrigues. But two years ago, as the ambassador of England, he spoke very badly about her. But he came, he saw, he lost. Forgetting about his venerable age of fifty-two, he followed her like a boy. And, of course, he contributed to the correspondence between Queen Anne’s circle and the circle of the Queen Mother and Monsieur in exile.
The entire correspondence was known to Cardinal Richelieu, who convinced the King that it was aimed not only at the overthrow of the cardinal himself, but also at the overthrow of the King. The unequivocal proposals from Madame du Fargis that Queen Anne, now a widow, should marry Gaston, were proof of this assertion and incriminating evidence against Queen Anne.
Marshal Marillac, as you remember, was beheaded on May 10, 1632, the King showed everyone what price even the most senior statesman could pay for treason, which should have served as a warning to everyone, but apparently this warning was not enough. Duke Henry II de Montmorency, godson of King Henry IV, admiral who cleared the island of R; and Oleron from the Huguenots, who received the title of Marshal of France for his victories over the Huguenots of Henri de Rohan in Languedoc, where he succeeded his father as governor with very broad powers, commander , who in 1629-1630 successfully acted against the Savoyards in Piedmont, captured the commander Doria and took Saluzzo (once promised by the king to his father), had the stupidity to join the uprising of Gaston of Orleans against Richelieu. This is what destroyed him. More precisely, he was ruined by the influence of his wife; in this regard, he is not the first, and he is not the last. After all, it was under the influence of his wife, an Italian from the Orsini family, who was also a cousin of Queen Marie de’ Medici, that he joined the rebels and gave the rebellious Gaston refuge in Languedoc. True, Bishop Albi Alphonse II d'Elben also contributed to this decision, but would he have been able to persuade the marshal to betray the King if not for his wife? So, the unfortunate Montmorency in September of the same year was defeated by Marshal Schomberg, loyal to the king, near Castelnaudary in just half an hour. Montmorency himself, seriously wounded, was captured by the royal troops. The Toulouse Parliament found him guilty of lese majeste and sentenced him to death. It should be noted that Montmorency's sister was the wife of Henry II de Bourbon, Prince of Cond;, who from 1589, after the suppression of the Valois dynasty and the ascension to the throne of Henry IV, and until the birth of the King's eldest son in 1601, was the first prince of the blood and presumptive heir crowns So Montmorency himself stood quite high, and the fact that such a head rolled off his shoulders was no joke.
Richelieu explained to the King that in the event of victory, Montmorency intended to create an independent principality on the Italian-French border. And the split of France is what Richelieu fought most decisively against. Richelieu supported his explanations with copies of intercepted letters. The sentence was carried out in Toulouse; all Montmorency's titles and possessions were confiscated, however, later his sister's husband, the Prince of Cond;, begged for them.
The execution of Marshal of France Montmorency marked the complete victory of Richelieu, the primacy of the King's power over any other power in France.
This finally made even Queen Anne tremble before the King and Richelieu and tempered the ardor of Gaston and the Queen Mother. They were given to understand how serious the consequences of such conspiracies could be, even for them personally.
Richelieu also found out that the marshal was wearing a bracelet with a medallion on his arm, which contained a portrait of Queen Anne. This further cast a shadow on the Queen. She had to justify herself with oaths and tears, with assurances that she had never had any intrigue in Montmorency. She insisted even more fervently that she had no idea of marrying Gaston d’Orl;ans. She had to say that he disgusted her. It would be enough to compare the handsome Gaston with other courtiers to understand that “disgusting” is not about him. Why would he be “disgusted” to her? However, the King was satisfied with this explanation, since he himself, apparently, considered his younger brother to be “disgusting.”
When deciding to execute the marshal, Richelieu did not even take into account the fact that during the King’s illness, when the fate of the cardinal hung in the balance, it was Montmorency who was one of the few who offered him his help and support. By the way, Chateauneuf also put his stamp on the verdict, saving his own skin, thereby “thanking” the son of his former boss, because, let me remind you, he began his career as a page in the retinue of Constable Montmorency, the father of the executed marshal.
So, Marshal of France Montmorency was executed, which put an end to this glorious dynasty, the peak of its influence during the reign of Henry II . This cruelty towards such a noble nobleman, of course, was attributed to Cardinal Richelieu, which prompted Marie de Chevreuse and Queen Anne to a new conspiracy. They did not abandon the idea of removing Richelieu, they only decided that from now on they would act more carefully. Holy simplicity! Each of them hoped for personal salvation in any outcome through small information services to the all-powerful cardinal, so any conspiracy of theirs was already doomed in advance, since under these conditions it would be impossible to hide anything from him.
Maria put together a new circle of conspirators from all those who were members of the previous circles, and who at the same time survived and were not deprived of their freedom, adding to it the Marquis de Chateauneuf. Count Holland, the Chevalier de Jarre, Montagu, and many others were involved in the matter. The Keeper of the Seal, the Marquis de Chateauneuf, was seduced by the prospect of love victories over Marie de Chevreuse, and also had very serious ambitions in the structure of the new power. He believed that, having removed Richelieu, he would take the place of the First Minister of France.
Richelieu, at forty-seven years old, looked like a broken old man due to poor health, which fueled the ambitions of the young and zealous nobles, in addition to the poor health of the King and the absence of his son, as a result of which the rebellious Gaston d'Orleans was listed as the Dauphin, the official heir to the throne.
Meanwhile, Richelieu tried to influence Maria de Chevreuse not only with threats, but also with love notes, of which she had accumulated about fifty. Chevrette sent all these notes to de Chateauneuf with a note that the first minister, as is easy to see, was seeking her love, but it was not the first minister she would like to give in to. The hint was obvious. Chevrette promised the position of first minister to Chateauneuf, and with it herself. The rapprochement between Chateauneuf and Chevreuse did not remain a secret for Richelieu, who had spies everywhere. It is possible that Maria herself tried to blackmail the cardinal, or told him part of her plans, counting on reciprocal services if the whole venture failed.
I continued to play the role of Chevrette’s cordial friend, passing on her notes from time to time, trying to hide my person even from those people whose devotion, as Maria assured me, I could not doubt. I understood that God protects those who are careful, I tried to stay as much as possible in the shadow of all these intrigues. At the same time, I really protected Maria from careless steps to the extent that this could be done, since she was a woman with her own mind, practically uncontrollable.
At this very time the cardinal fell seriously ill. The conspirators were glad that nature itself would complete the work begun. D'Epernon, who was visiting the cardinal at that time, abandoned the idea of killing him or arresting him, since he found him in a very deplorable state. He believed that Richelieu would die any day without this. However, a local doctor performed an operation on the cardinal and Richelieu soon recovered, to the deep disappointment of all the conspirators.
The Queen, meanwhile, made a tour of some cities, which was by no means a pleasure tour. She wanted to make sure that the leadership and citizens of these cities loved and supported her more than the cardinal, and perhaps even more than the King; If she did not receive such evidence, she hoped to change the situation through personal charm. In a number of cities she succeeded, which immediately became known to Richelieu, and, consequently, to the King.
As a result, on February 25, 1633, Chateauneuf was arrested and imprisoned in the Angoul;me fortress for ten years. Chevalier de Jarre was sentenced to death, but at the moment when he was already standing on the scaffold, blindfolded, it was announced to him that the execution had been replaced by imprisonment in the Bastille. The Duchess de Chevreuse was again exiled to her estate in Dampierre, Queen Anne, of course, was again scolded and forgiven. Maria, dressed in a man's dress, managed to meet the Queen in the monastery of Val-da-Gr;ce, after which she was sent to one of her estates in Touraine. To d'Artagnan's chagrin, Maria took Katie with her, since she was not only accustomed to using her as a maid, but also involved her in her intrigues. During the last meeting with the Queen, which Chevrette was allowed by the King, she agreed on through whom and how they would correspond. I was one of the links in this correspondence. The other link was Mademoiselle Marie de Hautefort.
This Marie de Hautfort was the second tender love of King Louis XIII , the first, if you remember, was Marie de Chevreuse when she was Duchess de Luynes.
But the King’s love gave her nothing but respect on his part and, perhaps, the ingratiation of the courtiers, whose thin noses extremely quickly caught where and where the wind of royal favors was blowing. Louis XIII , unlike Henry IV , knew only how to idolize the ladies he adored and sigh for them, not going beyond a gentle shake of the hand or a fatherly kiss on the forehead. This was not the kind of love Mademoiselle de Hautefort had the right to expect. Having fallen in love with fourteen-year-old Marie de Hautefort, Louis XIII only wanted to see her as often as possible and admire her beauty and innocence. He forced Queen Anne to accept her grandmother as the keeper of her wardrobe and jewelry in place of the escaped rebellious Madame du Fargis, who was sentenced to execution in absentia, while Marie de Hautefort herself became the Queen's maid of honor, which made her presence at court inevitable. Tired of the King's sighs, this Mademoiselle de Hautefort decided to try her luck in friendship with the Queen. An important role in attracting Marie de Hautefort was played by Prince de Marcillac, who appeared at court in those years, the same Francois de La Rochefoucauld about whom I already wrote. He simply looked after her, as well as Marie de Chevreuse. In those days this did not shock anyone. However, should I talk about this? After all, I was on very friendly terms not only with Marie de Chevreuse, but also with Camille de Bois-Tracy. This La Rochefoucauld was from the same background as me. It’s not for nothing that at one time we intended to kill each other!
Chapter 69
At that very moment, when I was thinking about how I could arrange one thing, and regretted that Porthos was in his Valon estate, two very familiar blows of incredible force were heard on the door, after which the one who knocked on them did not waiting for an answer, he opened them and came in to me.
- Porthos! - I exclaimed, hugging him and carefully preventing a return hug that could break my ribs. “I’m damn glad, especially since I was just thinking about you!”
“That’s very nice to hear, dear Aramis!” - Porthos answered. - And if this is true, and not just a figure of speech, then it’s doubly pleasant to hear!
“Believe me, Porthos, it’s true, but I admit that I thought about you, regretting that I could not get your help at the very moment when I really needed it,” I honestly admitted.
With such a sincere person as Porthos, it is disgusting to be cunning, although sometimes you have to. Talking to him sincerely is a complete pleasure.
- In that case, I am three times glad of our meeting, and if we are talking about a duel, then four and five! - exclaimed Porthos. “It’s been a while since I’ve drawn my sword, and I admit, when I looked at you, I thought that maybe we could rekindle old times again?”
“Providence itself sent you to me, since we are really talking about a duel ,” I said. “But this matter is extremely delicate.”
“I don’t like that word,” Porthos replied, sitting down with a flourish on the strongest chair in my house, the only one that could withstand such treatment, and we both knew it. - Delicacy, this is not for me, you know! Where another one passes between two chairs without hitting them, I will knock over both, taking the table as well!
- The delicacy of this matter is that I need to catch two people who know about this, so they will avoid meeting with me, and if our paths do cross, they will behave extremely politely, so the challenge to a duel “It will be very difficult,” I explained.
“I understand,” said Porthos, scooping up a whole handful of nuts and candied fruits with his huge hand and putting into his mouth such a portion that I would consume drop by drop for three weeks. “You, like our dear Athos, will never take the simplest path that d’Artagnan and I are taking.” You first need to exchange a few words, only after that you pull the sword out of its sheath. We prefer to first draw our sword, after which, believe me, any words always lead to the same result.
“What can you do, you know that I’m half a priest, and every time after a successful duel, and I haven’t had any others, I order a mass for the repose of my opponent, or a prayer for his recovery, and also go to the confessional,” I answered . “To talk with the confessor, I certainly need to convey to the confessor those very words of insult that I, as a nobleman, simply could not bear, otherwise the confessor, you know how saturated they are all with prejudices, will never give me absolution.
“I must admit, I’m not as familiar with confessors as you are, Aramis, because the last time I was at confession... Let me remember... I remember, never!” - Porthos answered and burst out laughing. - Just kidding, I, of course, occasionally attend this dreary event, but I do it with reluctance, and try to forget about it as soon as possible. It reminds me of my childhood, when my kind mother scolded me too often for breaking the arms and legs of the boys with whom I had to fight. It is a pity that she was not similar in character to Monsieur de Treville, who only praised me for my strength! All these instructions that I must measure my strength with the strength of my opponent’s bones simply drove me into depression. What kind of fight is it if you can’t have a full blast?
“You are absolutely right, dear Porthos, and I will give you this opportunity if we figure out together how we can do this as delicately as possible ,” I said.
- That word again! - Porthos grumbled and, picking up a vase with nuts and candied fruits, poured the remaining contents into his mouth. “Tell in order everything that you have the right to tell me, and don’t say anything that you have no right to tell.”
“It’s very simple,” I began. “Richelieu’s two cryptographers should be exterminated, since they intend to decipher several letters intercepted by his spies, among the senders and addressees of which is the person whom, as you know, our friend d’Artagnan was already saving from an inevitable scandal, and you and I also participated at first.” on this trip.
- This is worthwhile! - exclaimed Porthos. “If I were you, I wouldn’t stand on ceremony, and if I were the confessor, I would forgive you this sin in advance, even before you commit it!”
“I’m afraid the Lord will not approve of the confessor himself in this case,” I smiled. “These people, with the light hand of the cardinal, were assigned to one temple as librarians, so they are, to some extent, servants of God.
- Ugh! - Porthos responded contemptuously. - Fight with the monks! It’s the same as catching a skinny boy and breaking his legs! No pleasure, just disgust and self-contempt! After all, maybe they never even held a sword in their hands?
“Don’t worry about that,” I replied. “Both of them are former guardsmen of the cardinal, tried in battle, have strong and strong hands and have such skill in this matter that we will not have to blush for crossing swords with them.”
- That is good! - Porthos said with approval, looking longingly at the empty nut bowl.
“Listen, Porthos, I think I’ve come up with something ,” I said. - I assume you came on horseback?
- Of course! - Porthos answered, pointing to his boots with gilded spurs.
- That is great! “We’ll go to a suburban inn, which our cryptographers will definitely stop by, since now they’re just on their way to Paris, returning from a secret trip ,” I said. “We have to wait for them for two hours or so, but it’s for the best.” We will have time to make all the necessary preparations.
On the way, I outlined my plan to Porthos, which he liked.
The Little Mermaid tavern was, indeed, the only place on this road where travelers could have a quick bite to eat while their horses were watered, fed and groomed. This place was not too far from Paris, but the smells from the kitchen were so attractive that we had no doubt that the travelers we expected would want to rest there and refresh themselves before the last leg. Several people were having lunch at the inn, but this did not bother us yet; we went straight to the innkeeper.
“I’m renting your entire inn for four hours, starting from the next hour ,” I told the innkeeper. “There should not be a single person in the room except those whom I wish to invite.”
“But these people haven’t finished their dinner yet,” the innkeeper was about to object, but when he saw the weighty wallet, he realized that my offer was extremely profitable for him. - I'll sort it out! In an hour, my entire inn is at your disposal.
“And here’s another thing ,” I said. “I need the strongest chair in your establishment.” - I buy it from you.
— Is this chair suitable for you? - asked the innkeeper, bringing out a good oak chair.
- Wonderful! - I answered, testing his strength. “Shorten his legs by ten inches.”
The owner, who was paid enough, did not argue and complied with my demand.
An hour later, the dining room of the Little Mermaid tavern was transformed. All the tables were pushed together and covered with a single tablecloth, on which were displayed the most appetizing dishes in abundance, sufficient to feed ten people.
On the road leading to the inn, Bazin settled down along with two other assistants hired right there in the inn. They stopped all travelers and informed them that the Little Mermaid Inn was currently closed, and advised them to go to the nearest inn along their route. If travelers were heading to Paris, they recommended visiting the Fat Shepherd tavern; if they were traveling from Paris, they directed them to the Rooster and Hen. I described to Bazin those travelers to whom he should not have given this warning.
Porthos sat in front of the set table all this time and, according to my instructions, caused only a little chaos on it, emptying only a couple of bottles of wine and depriving the roast pig of only two legs. Everything should have looked as if Porthos's feast had recently begun and was in full swing.
As soon as I saw two horsemen approaching in the distance, similar to those for whom we were waiting, I knocked three times on the window of the inn to warn Porthos, and I hid around the corner and went to the slightly open window of the inn to listen to everything that was happening inside.
The riders dismounted and, not finding anyone to hand over the reins of their horses, tied them to a hitching post, which apparently caused them some displeasure. This was part of my plans.
- Master! - exclaimed the chief cipher du Perrage, whom I immediately recognized by his voice. - Give us a great dinner and better wines! We're damn hungry from the road! Take care of our horses, damn you!
Porthos, delighted that he could finally begin a serious meal, immediately stuffed his mouth, taking a large bite from the side of the pig, which, fortunately for Porthos, was not yet cold.
Since the owner did not appear and did not answer, as was planned and paid for by us, the second companion, de Gravu, a little younger and much more impatient, also began to call the innkeeper.
- Hey, master, damn you! Is there anyone here or is there no one?! - he exclaimed, not paying any attention to Porthos, who, because of the filed legs of the chair, looked like a short, fat man.
The resemblance to an ordinary bourgeois, caught by hunger on the road, was given to him by certain changes in his appearance, which I persuaded him to make for the benefit of our cause. I tousled his beard and mustache, ordered him to just throw a shapeless doublet over his shoulders over his clothes, which hid his muscular shoulders and arms, in addition, he sat, as I had taught him, pressing his elbows to his sides, which made his arms seem shorter than they were. The picture looked as if a plump bourgeois had decided to enjoy lunch alone.
Porthos, as I taught him, mumbled something inarticulate, continuing to eat the pig, generously pouring horseradish on it and washing it down with wine.
- Dearest! - Du Perrage addressed Porthos in a condescending tone. “Can you tell us where the owner has gone?” We're damn hungry!
“Eof fwafwif not wfaefwa,” answered Porthos, still chewing.
- I'm sorry, what? - both guests asked at once.
Porthos raised his right hand, palm forward, as if inviting the guests to wait a little, after which he chewed and repeated his phrase.
“This tavern is not for rent ,” he said, sizing up the pheasant leg.
- Nonsense! - exclaimed du Perrage. — For what reason can a host refuse dinner to guests?
“For the reason that the entire inn has already been purchased for an extremely important meeting between two important people,” Porthos answered with importance.
“Please forgive me, we didn’t know,” du Perrage replied politely, holding de Gravu back from an outburst of anger with his hand and gesture. “Will you at least tell us the names of these two important people, through whose fault we were left without dinner?” Perhaps they will share with us, for a fee, of course! After all, as we can see, there is enough food for ten!
“You don’t need to know the name of the first person, since you see her in front of you ,” said Porthos and poked himself in the chest with a pheasant leg.
“Let’s say,” replied du Perrage, hiding an ironic smile. — I hope that the second person is no less important than the first?
“To the point,” answered Porthos. “At today’s meeting, this person is no less important than the first, and the meeting would be a waste of time if it weren’t for her.”
—Will you tell us the name of this person? insisted du Perrage.
“I would tell you if I knew,” Porthos answered.
- How can you say that you will have an important meeting between two people if you don’t even know the name of the person you are going to meet with?
- Why the hell do I need his name? - Porthos was surprised. “I’m already carrying out this meeting, and I don’t need to know the name at all.”
- But, I beg your pardon, there is no one here! - du Perrage continued his interrogation, who was already beginning to lose patience, but his curiosity demanded that the interrogation be completed.
“This is this person ,” said Porthos, pointing with a pheasant leg, of which almost nothing was left, at the piglet lying in front of him on a platter. “I intend to bring this meeting to its logical conclusion, that is, until this person no longer has anything to offer me.”
- So you intend to communicate with this person alone? - asked de Gravu, whose mouth was already watering at the sight of the crispy skin of the pig, the smell of which pleasantly irritated his nostrils.
- Why alone? - Porthos was surprised. “Almonds, truffles, asparagus, gherkins, tomatoes and potatoes will also participate in this meeting, and the Bordeaux family will chair the meeting.
With these words, Porthos pointed to half a dozen bottles of Bordeaux to his right.
“Will you allow us to take part in this glorious conversation with such pleasant gentlemen?” - Du Perrage asked with a smile, hoping in this way to join the meal, playing along with the joke of the fat little bourgeois whom he saw in Porthos.
“I would love to, gentlemen,” Porthos sighed. — But the conditions of the rendezvous are agreed upon in advance and are not subject to adjustment. You'll have to find yourself another tavern.
- Well, that's it, idiot! - Du Perrage seethed. “Either you share your food with us, or I will make you swallow this pig whole, and then I will gut you!”
“It looks like you’re full of bile,” said Porthos innocently, continuing his meal. “I wouldn’t advise you to get so angry, honorable traveler.” With such a gallbladder, fatty foods are contraindicated for you.
At these words, Porthos put the second pheasant leg into his mouth, sent a cup of Bordeaux after it, and returned to the pig again.
- Monsieur du Perrage, let me teach this scoundrel a lesson! - exclaimed de Gravu.
- I myself! - Du Perrage objected. - Listen to me, fatty! Either you show due respect to the two nobles who decided to have a meal in this tavern, or...
- Or what? - Porthos asked, emptying another goblet.
“Or I’ll make a sieve out of you!” - exclaimed du Perrage, clutching the hilt of his sword.
“I’ve already heard something like this, more than once,” Porthos answered calmly and, pricking two truffles on his fork at once, popped them into his mouth. - And you seem to be very hot-tempered!
- Oh, you scoundrel! - exclaimed du Perrage. - Yes, I’ll make an escalope out of you!
De Perrage tried to strike Porthos, but he quickly grabbed the attacker's right hand with his left hand and squeezed with such force that the attacker screamed.
“I understand that you want to fight ,” said Porthos with undisguised pleasure. “I don’t mind if it’s right now, but not in the tavern, of course.”
After these words, he rose from his low chair and threw off his ugly doublet. Underneath it, the arrivals found a nobleman's paramilitary suit. Du Perrage and de Gravu, not without horror, saw the huge figure of Porthos, who was a head taller than each of them and one and a half times wider at the shoulders.
“You...” was all du Perrage said. -Are you a nobleman?
- For what reason do you doubt this? - asked Porthos. - My second will appear any minute.
- Damn it, we've been outwitted, it's a trap! - Du Perrage exclaimed in his hearts.
“If you apologize to me and to the person with whom I had a rendezvous, I am ready to forgive you ,” said Porthos generously, pointing his hand at Piglet.
- Apologize to the pig? - Du Perrage exclaimed in horror.
“You interfered with our rendezvous and did not want to leave us alone, therefore, you insulted both of us ,” Porthos said and smiled.
“But he’s not a nobleman, and besides...” du Perrage objected.
“He was destined to become part of the nobleman,” Porthos objected. “And it’s not his fault that you prevented him from doing this.”
“So, the duel is inevitable,” said du Perrage doomedly.
“It is inevitable, gentlemen, if you do not want to satisfy my demand,” Porthos agreed. - And here is my second!
At that very moment I had already opened the doors of the tavern and was standing in the doorway.
- Monsieur d'Herblay! - Du Perrage whispered in despair. - That's what it's all about! That's what this whole circus with the pig was played out for!
“You can still refuse the duel if you accept the offer of my friend du Valon,” I answered condescendingly. “However, in this case, I cannot promise you that I will not write a pamphlet about how du Perrage apologized to the little pig and send it to two or three publishers.”
- Damn you, d'Herblay! - exclaimed du Perrage, threw his glove on the floor, signaling that he accepted the challenge, and left the inn.
After him came de Gravu, and behind them came Porthos and I.
“If you are hungry, gentlemen ,” I said, “and this may prevent you from fighting us, we invite you to dine with Monsieur du Valon and me before we proceed to the duel.”
“Thank you, but I prefer to kill on an empty stomach,” replied du Perrage coldly.
“And I prefer to do this on a full stomach,” answered Porthos.
“I’m very sorry, gentlemen, that we are forced to kill you ,” I said. “The meal may delay this event somewhat, but if you wish to cancel it, you will have to abandon the service of His Holiness Cardinal Richelieu and leave France forever.” If you give us the word of a nobleman that you will leave France without visiting Paris, Monsieur du Valon and I are ready to forget about this little misunderstanding between you and him, as well as the story of the pig.
- To arms! - exclaimed du Perrage. “I did not retreat before the Huguenots, before the Spaniards and before the English, and I will not retreat before you either.”
“It is very unfortunate to kill a compatriot,” I objected, drawing my sword.
- We'll see who wins! - exclaimed du Perrage, making the first lunge in my direction.
- How about that? - I exclaimed. - Well, defend yourself!
Our swords sparkled in the glare of the setting sun. Du Perrage was an excellent warrior. I was sorry to kill him.
- Porthos, do not kill your enemy until I have dealt with mine! - I shouted and went on the offensive.
“It will be difficult,” Porthos replied. “Can I at least hurt him?”
- As many as you like! - I answered.
Since my opponent was a good swordsman, there was even a moment when I almost regretted that I decided to save his life, since my life was in serious danger. Still, I managed to knock the sword out of du Perrage’s hands and put mine to his chest.
“Listen, du Perrage, I repeat my conditions again ,” I said. “Either you give your nobleman’s word to get out of France today, or I will return your sword to you and this time, I swear, I will kill you.”
- Fight to the end! replied du Perrage.
“Well, you made this choice yourself,” I answered.
With the toe of my foot I threw his sword in his direction, he picked it up and rushed at me again.
The battle was long and fierce. This time both opponents were determined to send their opponent to the next world. Finally, my sword did what it was destined to do. I pierced du Perrage's heart so that the other end of the sword came three inches from his back.
He could not even say the last “Sorry” to the world. I crossed him and headed towards Porthos, who was jokingly parrying de Gravu’s blows and trying to figure out where to inflict a wound on him.
Porthos' opponent, as I warned, was also a very good fencer. He managed to inflict several scratches on Porthos, but Porthos did not remain in his debt, wounding him in the left shoulder.
- Surrender, de Gravu, you are one against two! - I shouted to him.
- You will still kill me! - replied de Gravu, continuing to deliver furious blows to Porthos, who repelled them extremely skillfully.
“I won’t kill you, the nobleman’s word, if you accept our conditions!” - I exclaimed.
- Okay, I give up! - exclaimed de Gravu and broke his sword. - Your conditions?
“I should gouge out your eyes and cut out your tongue ,” I said. “I need you to no longer serve Richelieu as a codebreaker.” But I am ready to be satisfied, as I have already said, with the word of a nobleman that you will leave France immediately.
“I promise to go to Lorraine and stay there as long as Cardinal Richelieu lives,” replied de Gravu. — Will such a promise suit you?
“Quite,” I answered. “Let’s go and finish eating what Monsieur du Valon hasn’t had time to eat yet.”
- Do you think he will keep his promise? - Porthos asked me in a whisper when de Gravu hastily disappeared through the door of the inn.
“He’s not so dangerous alone,” I answered. “Without du Perrage, he won’t be able to read the very letters that are bothering me.” Besides, time is on our side. If he does not read them in the next two months, they will lose their relevance. But this is unlikely.
When we entered the inn, de Gravu had already begun intimate communication with the pig.
“You, gentlemen, will not regret your decision ,” he said. “I will not break my word, and besides, I was only a workhorse for Monsieur du Perrage.” Without it, I will not be able to decipher a single letter written in the Queen's code, even in six months.
“I know about that,” I lied, pouring him a full cup of Bordeaux. - Don't be afraid, there is no poisoned wine here! Would you like me to take a sip from your cup?
- After all, we are nobles! - objected de Gravu. “How can I doubt your word if you don’t doubt mine?”
With these words, de Gravu drank the wine I poured in one gulp and returned to the pig.
“And I like him ,” said Porthos. - Nice fencing! It's been a while since I've come across such a clever opponent! When Richelieu dies, come to me in Valon. I will give you a warm place with a good salary and an excellent table.
“Agree, de Gravu ,” I said. “Mr. du Valon’s cook is better than the cooks of some princes.” I already know!
“I would like the position of librarian ,” said de Gravu.
“I don’t have a library ,” said Porthos, emptying his goblet. “Well, we’ll have to get one.” Provided that we fence at least occasionally.
He looked affectionately at de Gravu and smiled at him fatherly.
“But not before Richelieu dies ,” I said and, remembering the words of Father Etienne de Lyon, added. - This is approximately twelve years from now.
After dinner, we informed the innkeeper that a failed guest named du Perrage had bequeathed to him his horse and saddle, as well as his wallet, on the condition that he bury him with due honors.
Chapter 70
The Comte de Ronchamp informed me that, on behalf of Lord Winter, he would like to speak with me. I set a time for him and we met.
- Dear Chevalier d'Herblay! - said the count. “You, of course, remember that lady, the Marquise de Brenvilliers, because of whom we met you, and this is perhaps the only thing for which I am grateful to her.” There are, you know, people who can only do one good thing in their entire life - die. And I consider this lady to be one of those people.
“You are talking about the illegitimate wife of the Marquis de Brenvilliers , who at different times also bore the names of Anne de Bayle, Lady Clarique, Countess de La Fere, Lady Winter,” I prompted. - We called her Milady.
— Did you have any communication with her? - the count was surprised. “It seemed to me that she intended to kill you and even tried to do it once or twice?”
“Exactly so, dear Count,” I replied. “She intended to kill me, as well as my friends, and one of them she intended to kill a little more persistently.” But, fortunately, she did not succeed. And she finally did the very good deed that you are talking about, that is, she died. True, I admit that my friends and I, as well as Lord Winter, helped this.
“You shouldn’t regret this lady, because she killed my best friend ,” said the count. - Poison your own husband! What could be more monstrous?
“Oh, she ruined not only him ,” I said. “And her first husband had evidence of many of her crimes. I’m afraid that we will never know the full list of her atrocities, but what we know for sure is more than enough. However, sorting out her sins is already the work of Satan. She disappeared without a trace, I assure you.
- Not at all! - exclaimed the count. “And that’s exactly why I wanted to see you.” She left a very noticeable trace. The fact is that she had a son.
“Yes, I remember ,” I said. - We were talking about something like this,
“This child, according to the laws, can claim to be recognized as the heir of my friend, the Marquis de Brenvilliers, but I have irrefutable evidence that he is not his son.”
“I have irrefutable evidence that even if the child in question were the actual son of your friend the Marquis de Brenvilliers, he could not possibly be considered his legitimate son, therefore the question of his inheriting the Marquis’s fortune cannot be resolved positively.”
- Indeed? - the count was surprised. - I did not know that!
“This marriage was illegal, since she was married to another man, a noble Frenchman, who, as far as I know, is still alive,” I answered.
- This is a completely unexpected circumstance! - exclaimed the count.
“Absolutely so,” I agreed. “However, if you are acting on behalf of Lord Winter, who already knows about this, then, it seems to me, you too should have been informed about it.”
“I believe that Lord Winter did not have the opportunity to describe to me all the sides of this matter, since he only wrote to me this.
With these words, the count handed me a letter.
- But this letter is addressed to you! - I objected.
- It concerns you too, so I ask you to familiarize yourself with them.
I opened the letter and read the following.
“Dear Comte de Ronchamp!
Knowing from my dear late brother, who rightfully used the title of Marquis de Brenvilliers in France, that you were his best friend, and, I hope, remain so after his death, I make an unusual request to you. As you know, the death of my brother is shrouded in mystery for everyone, but your information about the culprit of this misfortune, this crime, is confirmed by the evidence with which you introduced me during my last and short stay in France. I must confess to you that since it would be difficult for this and many other crimes to punish with the help of the servants of the law the one who committed this insidious murder without casting a shadow on our family, I was forced to use another method to ensure justice. Judge me as you see fit, and as your heart tells you, but I do not repent of what I did, and I believe that the punishment was fully consistent with the crimes, and, perhaps, did not atone for them, so Satan will have something to do with her deceased soul. At the same time, I inadvertently took upon myself the obligation to take care of the son of this criminal woman, and although I understand that this child has nothing in common with my family, since his real father was a certain adventurer without family and tribe, I would still like to fulfill your promise. I ask you to order the search for this child, for which I am sending you a letter of credit covering possible expenses for this enterprise. If the money sent is not enough, please do not hesitate to request an additional amount. My search is aimed at saving this child from the harmful influence of his father, with whom he is probably being kept and raised. If this boy is raised by his father, then I shudder to think what he will become when he grows up. Perhaps four of your compatriots, whose names are Comte de La F;re, Chevalier d'Herblay, Chevalier du Valon and Captain d'Artagnan, will help you in your search.
If you find out anything about this child, please let me know immediately, as I really want him to grow up to be a well-behaved person and a productive member of society. Of course, he should not be informed about the fate of his mother. I would not like to consider him my relative and would be satisfied if he bore a different name, but I would like him to have everything he needs for a happy and honest life, provided, of course, that he does not go down the destructive path his mother, that is, he will not take the path of crime.
If this child is raised in the spirit of his mother and actual father, an adventurer and a robber, I will renounce any relationship with him, which in fact there is no.
Yours sincerely
Lord Winter."
- Do you understand now what position I found myself in? - asked the count. “Since I saw your name among these four Frenchmen, and we know each other well, and I dare to hope that you consider me your friend, just as I consider you, I hastened to meet with you and discuss this letter.”
“Dear count, of course, I consider you a friend and am ready to help in any way I can,” I hastened to assure him. “The only trouble is that I can’t imagine how I could help you in this matter.”
“You, as I see, know something more about this lady than I do,” the count objected. “You know that she was married before she married the marquis, and you also know about the many crimes she committed.”
- It's very simple, Count! - I answered. “Her first husband was my friend, the Count de La F;re mentioned in this letter. From him I know the story of this lady, in addition, I know how she ended her days, but this does not give any indication of where to look for her son, or even under what name he lives.
“Well, this is much less than I expected, that is, nothing at all,” answered the count. “For my part, I have found out something, but this does little to resolve the issue in the way Lord Winter wanted.
After this, Count Ronchamp told me what I have already reported above. The detectives hired by the count established that the father of Milady's son is an adventurer and robber named Gerard Duchot, who began by cutting off the wallets of unwary buyers at fairs, after which it seemed to him that such an income was not regular enough and too insignificant for him. Then he began to attack the rich bourgeoisie and even noble nobles who recklessly found themselves on the night streets in the outskirts of Paris. In order to better hide from justice, he never robbed two nights in a row on the same street, moving from the western outskirts to the eastern, from the northern to the southern. In each such place he had his own refuge, where he paid the dishonest owners of the brothels with stolen or looted things.
Since the Comte de Ronchamp was able to add little to his story, I consider it appropriate to report here what I learned much later, but it will be convenient to state it here and now.
As I learned, Milady had a strange attraction to criminals, who reminded her of the days of her childhood. Scoundrels who could kill for a pearl pendant or two gold earrings torn from the ears of a victim seemed to her to be real people, while she looked at true nobles with contempt, as second-class people, unable to make their own capital, and using only what what they inherited from rich parents. She was convinced that every rich family built up its wealth through terrible crimes, and on this basis, she considered those who lived off their parents’ money to be insignificant and worthless people, and in those who laid the foundations of future wealth, their own and their children, she saw genuine heroes. Therefore, she despised people such as the Count de La F;re, the Marquis de Brenvilliers, Lord Winter, and the Duke of Buckingham. She liked only those who rose from the very bottom, without a penny to their name. She despised military service, and she regarded people like me or my friends, Porthos and d'Artagnan, only as a means to achieve her goals, or as an obstacle to her goals. She liked the Count de Rochefort precisely because he had about six brothers, whom his father brought in in his third marriage, while he himself, born in his first marriage, and who caused the death of his own mother, since she died in childbirth, was always the unloved son in the family, I heard only reproaches from my stepmother that his maintenance was expensive for his family. Since the Count de Rochefort's father gradually began to view his eldest son only as a burden, the young count was forced to seek his fortune in Paris, relying only on his own enterprise. Having made a couple of successful forays against the Spaniards, he attracted the attention of Cardinal Richelieu, who first accepted him as a page, and then assigned him a good salary for carrying out the most delicate and dangerous assignments. In other words, Rochefort became the personal spy of Cardinal Richelieu, acting on behalf of the cardinal himself or Father Joseph.
Milady met Rochefort in a very interesting way. Her friend, Gerard Duchot, had designated a wealthy nobleman, the Chevalier de Segur, as his victim. He tracked him down and knew in advance that the Chevalier de Segur would be passing along the Quai d'Orfevre the next day, carrying a fairly large amount of money. For this information he paid the Chevalier's servants ten pistoles. Duchot ordered Milady to meet de Segur and distract him with conversations in order to freely kill him with a stab in the back, since he knew that the Chevalier was good with a sword. Milady did just that. She turned to the Chevalier with some question and smiled tenderly at him. De Segur was flattered by the attention of such a beautiful stranger, answered her question, a long and frivolous conversation ensued, the Chevalier at that moment did not see anyone next to him. At that moment he was stabbed in the back with a dagger.
- Finally, Gerard! - Milady said. - I'm already tired of waiting for you! A little more and he would have attacked me with his harassment. Take his wallet quickly and get out of here!
- I'm sorry? - An unfamiliar voice came from the darkness.
- Gerard? - Milady exclaimed. - God, this is not Gerard! Gerard, help! There's a killer here!
“Calm down, madam, I am not a murderer,” replied Rochefort, for it was he. “I am a representative of the Lord’s court, I only carried out the sentence passed on this man by the highest court.”
-What are you saying? - Milady asked in horror, little by little realizing that this man in a black mask had no intentions of harming her.
“Not every punishment is carried out in broad daylight and according to the verdict of the judges, but, nevertheless, I acted in fulfillment of the highest command ,” said Rochefort. - And you, as I understand it, are an accomplice of an ordinary night robber? You can take this unfortunate man’s wallet, I’m not interested in him.
Milady immediately realized that the matter was not as simple as it might seem, that this was a political murder, and that the person who committed it was perhaps very influential, so he could be useful to her.
- What nonsense are you talking about! - Milady exclaimed in the tone of an offended princess. - I really need his wallet! I, too, acted on the highest command, but since a weak woman cannot independently rid society of such a scoundrel as this, I had to hire one desperate fellow. Here he comes. Gerard, you're late! It's done, hide, we'll talk later!
The black shadow that barely appeared from around the corner immediately disappeared, as if it had never existed.
- Gerard? - asked Rochefort. - So on whose instructions were you acting?
“Since I just spoke to this man, and you stabbed him to death before my eyes, wouldn’t it be better if you were the first to tell me on whose instructions you acted?” - Milady objected arrogantly.
“I can’t tell you this, because it’s not my secret, and goodbye to that ,” said Rochefort.
- Well, at least I can tell you this! - Milady answered proudly. “I was instructed to eliminate this man by the great Cardinal Richelieu himself, and I am grateful to you for your help, and now farewell.”
— Cardinal Richelieu? - asked Rochefort. - That's the thing.
-What surprises you? - Milady asked.
- But I have never met you before among the people in the service of His Eminence! - Rochefort replied.
“This only shows how much the cardinal values me,” Milady answered proudly. - People like me are not entrusted with small matters. Today I dealt with this matter only because of its extraordinary urgency.
“Apparently, for this reason, this case was entrusted to two executors at once,” Rochefort replied. - Well, madam, goodbye.
“I should be addressed with the title “Milady,” Milady clarified. - Goodbye, I hope, forever!
When Rochefort disappeared, Milady called Gerard over to search the dead man’s pockets with him, after which Duchot, who did not disdain to strip the dead man of every last thread, tied a heavy stone to his feet and threw the corpse into the Seine.
When Rochefort informed Richelieu that the task of eliminating the dangerous English spy Chevalier de Segur had been completed, he asked for what purposes a lady unknown to him, calling herself Milady, was involved in this matter.
-Who else is Milady? - Richelieu was surprised.
- She referred to your instructions! - Rochefort replied.
After this, he recounted to the cardinal all the events of that night.
“Find me this lady,” the cardinal ordered. “I must see her and talk to her.”
This is exactly what Milady was counting on. Rochefort accidentally met her at one of the social events, and she, of course, would not have recognized him if he had not spoken to her, since she did not see his face, but remembered his voice.
- Milady, despite the fact that you deceived me, this in no way lowers you in my eyes! - he said. — The Cardinal really liked your sweet joke, and he invites you to meet him.
The meeting took place and Milady was accepted above staff as a secret spy for Cardinal Richelieu.
I learned all this much later through people from the Order, when I had the opportunity to learn such secrets that should have died along with those who knew them.
So, Gerard Duchot was Milady's lover and Mordaunt's father. This was all that the Comte de Ronchamp knew then. Neither he nor I managed to find this mysterious Duchot. The fact is that he managed, by posing as someone else, to become a nobleman in the eyes of the whole world. To do this, he used the documents and money of the officer he killed, returning from military service to his estate, in order to accept the inheritance of his deceased parents. This officer was an orphan, he was absent for quite a long time, and in appearance he was vaguely similar to Gerard Duchot. Therefore, Gerard decided, having hidden the traces of the murder, to impersonate this officer and try to take his place, take possession of his estate, which, although rather modest, still gave the right to a noble title. So Gerard Duchot fled from Paris, settling in a small estate in Burgundy, where he took his son Mordaunt. There he raised him according to his own taste, instilling in him contempt for human life, cruelty, determination, and stubbornness in achieving goals. More strongly than other traits, he instilled in Mordaunt a thirst for revenge on those who killed his mother, Gerard’s mistress, Lady Winter, Anne de Bayle, Lady Clarique, Countess de La F;re, but in fact just Charlotte Munier, a simpleton who assumed the title of nobility. In other words, Gerard Duchot raised Milady’s son to be a criminal. Mordaunt disappeared from sight until 1648. Only much later did I learn that his father, Gerard Duchaud, appropriated and bore the name...
However, I will tell you more about this in due time.
Chapter 71
Since Queen Anne was the brother of the King of Spain, it is not surprising that she actively corresponded with him and took his problems and sometimes his requests to heart. After all, he remained in her homeland, so she corresponded through him with both her fatherland and her childhood.
I would not blame her for this, but her correspondence was extremely extensive. I have already said that her correspondents were Mirabel in Brussels, and Olivares, who received her correspondence through him. Among those with whom she corresponded were also Duke Charles of Lorraine, who received letters through Chevreuse, who was in Touraine, and Marie de Medici in exile, with whom Madame du Fargis organized correspondence. In England, her letters were received by Earl Holland and Montagu. All these people hated Richelieu and gave their advice on how to deal with him, and also offered a wide variety of help.
If the King was most concerned that the Queen might cheat on him with the help of this correspondence, which, by God, is strange, since the King had long ceased to be interested in Anne of Austria as a wife, then Richelieu accused her of high treason and was not so wrong. Indeed, she was looking for ways to overthrow the first minister, and, however, she did not refuse, in any case, such projects, mainly from Monsieur, Marie de Chevreuse, Catherine de Medici and du Fargy, in which one of the results was the removal of her as well royal spouse from power.
I myself was as inconsistent in these intrigues as La Porte. We helped her in her correspondence, although we defended France from foreigners with arms in our hands, since we separated the issues of the integrity and unity of the state with the issues of unquestioning obedience to the cardinal. The cardinal who ruled the country at this time seemed not at all concerned about having the support of the majority of the aristocrats. He had enough of his own confidence in the correctness of all the steps he was taking. Perhaps he was right, because in recent years I acted in exactly the same way.
Of course, our feelings were entirely on the side of the Queen. After all, the King was sometimes so rude and so straightforward, he did not want to show the Queen not only a modicum of love, but not even a drop of delicacy.
After the French army inflicted another defeat on the Spaniards, he organized noisy celebrations in honor of such victories and forced the Queen to dress up, demanded that she be cheerful and demonstrate her joy in public. Of course, her heart was heavy, because every time it was a defeat for her fatherland and her brother personally, it was a victory for the cardinal and her unloved husband.
Who was there to support her?
Firstly, I conveyed Chevrette's letters to her through La Porte or through Mademoiselle de Hautefort. Yes, the young maid of honor who captivated her husband’s imagination was, oddly enough, one of her few allies. Why did the Queen trust her? I can't say that! Among those whom she could completely trust were the lieutenant of the royal musketeers d'Artagnan, the Comte de La F;re, as well as myself, and, of course, Porthos. But she apparently feared that we might betray her. I don’t know the reasons for this, but I believe that Richelieu, knowing full well that we could be an extremely strong support for her, hastened to undermine her trust in us, probably with the help of some kind of slander. The Cardinal was a master at ruining other people's reputations. For the same reason, we kept a low profile, believing that it was impossible to restore a lost reputation with any excuses, especially if you don’t know what you are actually accused of, or if, even worse, you are not accused of anything at all, but they simply avoid you like a leper. This was the main reason why Athos decided to leave service and move away from the court. An exalted nature, he was extremely sensitive to hypocrisy or mistrust. Having every reason to occupy the highest positions at court, he kept himself modestly and in the shadows, and when, by some signs, he realized that he was not welcome at court, he decided to retire to Blois.
At this very time, the Queen made a new friend at court - Giulio Mazarin. He had recently been elevated to the rank of prelate and served as papal envoy and ambassador extraordinary. One of Mazarin's tasks was to please Cardinal Richelieu and become his assistant. He succeeded in this so much that Richelieu introduced him to the Queen, having previously sought her consent with the words: “You, Your Majesty, will like him, because he is so similar to Buckingham!”
The queen really liked him, because he sought peace, was known as a peacemaker, which she also wished with all her soul.
But Richelieu had an unenviable feature, a mockery of fate. Everyone he promoted and patronized betrayed him. However, he paid the same to almost all those who promoted him, except for Father Joseph, so there is justice under the moon. Richelieu was betrayed by his nominees, apparently as punishment for his betrayal of de Luynes and the Queen Mother. This applies least of all to Mazarin, since he only managed to make friends with the Queen, without trying to further deepen the gap between her and Richelieu. All the other nominees of the great cardinal betrayed him in much more than that.
Mazarin brought a curiosity to Paris - a carriage with glazed windows. This made it possible to admire the views even in bad weather, without any risk of staining your face with splashes of rain or dirt, and without exposing it to dust. Paris was delighted.
At this very time, Richelieu noticed that the King had lost interest in Saint-Simon. Indeed, their connection was more like friendship than a connection with de Luynes and other favorites. But friendship ends when it ceases to be mutual. Louis XIII began to be burdened by Saint-Simon ever since he made several unfortunate mistakes.
In July 1634, the King walked with Saint-Simon through the forest confiscated from Montmorency. They met charming young ladies in the clearing, whom one of the zealous courtiers ordered to bring there for His Majesty’s light amusement. De Saint-Simon decided that these ladies were of the most accessible quality, and had a direct conversation with them about how he would like to spend the rest of the evening with them. This extremely angered the King, who is extremely reserved in treating ladies in this way, although he allowed something similar to happen to his favorites, using them as pages.
Another time, Saint-Simon, knowing that the King was still in love with the young Mademoiselle de Hautefort, offered his help in order to arrange everything in the best possible way and bring this love to a happy, mutually pleasant and extremely close relationship. This proposal also caused Louis XIII irritation, annoyance and even anger. In his eyes, Saint-Simon insulted both Mademoiselle de Hautfort and the King’s feelings for her.
- Never dare to offer me anything like that again! - exclaimed the King.
“Your Majesty, I just wanted to please you!” - Saint-Simon tried to justify himself.
“Only I can want here,” the King answered sharply. “And if you are not able to understand what I want, in any case, you must know what I do not want and will never want!”
After this, Louis XIII suspected that Saint-Simon's proposal was based on his confidence that such a thing was achievable, which greatly damaged Mademoiselle de Hautefort herself in his eyes. The king simultaneously lost both his platonic love and his favorite, both became disgusting to him.
The attentive Richelieu organized an advantageous presentation of Mademoiselle Louise de Lafayette to the King, since he had already managed to perfectly study the preferences and tastes of the King. This lady was the complete opposite of Mademoiselle de Hautefort, modest and pious, soft and obedient, chaste, like the King himself. She became the ideal sympathetic listener to whom the King could henceforth express his troubles and grievances. Listening to long and tedious complaints to the whole world, she pretended that she found this conversation entertaining, she knew how to see wit or resourcefulness even where there was nothing close to it. She knew how to laugh so convincingly that Louis himself after that found his statements witty and successful. They cooed sweetly in the Queen's bedroom and one day Mademoiselle Louise de Lafayette was so enthusiastically amused by the King's next joke that the bed maid had to change the sheets. One of the maids of honor decided to help out the favorite and stated that the stain appeared due to the fact that she had a lemon in her pocket, so this stain was just lemon juice. The offended Queen ordered La Porte to smell the stain to make sure it was not lemon juice. Lafayette was embarrassed, the King was annoyed, the Queen was triumphant at the opportunity to humiliate her favorite.
Meanwhile, the Queen, raised at the Spanish court, spent money faster than she should have. The Superintendent of Finance reported to the First Minister that the treasury might soon be empty.
- Are you saying that money is starting to run out? - asked Richelieu.
“This one would be nothing, Your Eminence,” answered the superintendent. - The problem is that they have finished starting!
“Well, the next time Her Majesty demands to pay her bills, explain this to her,” replied Richelieu.
The queen wanted not only to live in grand style, but also to pay pensions to all her former servants and friends who, due to the fault of Richelieu, lost their income. This was, of course, an excessive desire.
Having received a refusal, Anna of Austria came to Richelieu in order to express her grievances.
“Your Majesty is completely in vain to believe that refusals to fulfill your completely fair demands come from me,” the cardinal objected as if nothing had happened. “On the contrary, I assured M. d’Aguja in every possible way that all your expenses must be paid without delay and in full.” Let me talk to him again.
After this, Richelieu ordered the payment of the Queen's bills.
Several such misunderstandings, skillfully organized by the cardinal, allowed him to freely remove the chief treasurer d'Aguja and replace him with his faithful man, Monsieur de Chavigny.
At the same time, a spy named Clausel was exposed. Richelieu ordered that his connections with Savoy, Spain and England be investigated with special care, and that all the threads leading from Clausel to Queen Anne be identified.
Trying to be pleasant to the Queen, without giving up the idea of becoming her lover, Richelieu simultaneously entangled the Queen in a web of spies, collecting a whole dossier on her, with which he could compromise her before the King. The information collected seemed to him to be insufficient; subsequently it became outdated, and Richelieu could be convinced from various conclusions expressed by the King from time to time that the information collected would not be sufficient for the King to ask the Pope for a divorce, after which the Queen would go to a monastery. The King would easily have forgiven the Queen for her betrayal of the Fatherland, but Richelieu had no evidence of adultery. All that remained was the accusation of infertility, which every year became a growing problem for France, and especially for Richelieu, since the health of Louis XIII was constantly causing concern, and the accession of Gaston d'Orl;ans would mean a return to the reign of the Queen Mother, Marie de' Medici.
Although the King had already clearly demonstrated dislike and even contempt for the Queen as a wife, he continued to publicly demonstrate his highest favor for her as a royal Queen, and also a daughter and sister of the Spanish Kings. Therefore, in the days when the King had to leave Paris for a short time in connection with a military campaign in Picardy, the Queen remained in it as the ruler of the capital and the head of the Royal Council, which demonstrated the highest trust in her on the part of the King, which, of course, she was not worthy of in issues related to politics.
Chapter 72
Of course, I was no longer so naive as to convey Chevrette’s letters to the Queen or the Queen’s letters to Chevrette without inquiring about their contents. Since previously, a couple of times, Maria let me pre-read the letters sent to her, even before her disgrace, so that I could be convinced of the purity and nobility of her actions, subsequently she limited herself to only retelling their contents to me, handing over the letters in sealed form. This, of course, alarmed me. When I realized that those who thoughtlessly allow her to involve themselves in her intrigues, completely trusting her, without examining in detail what exactly they are getting into, are subsequently left as losers, which could cost them their freedom and even their heads, I decided for myself that not all of Mary’s requests are so harmless that they should be fulfilled with complete trust in her. The position of a servant of the Lord, that is, a member of the Order, directly obliged me, firstly, to know about all the dangers that could threaten her personally, in connection with the special assignment to protect her, and secondly, to know about everything that can be found out regarding the most important political events in the state. So, I opened the letters without hesitation, since I had been taught to do it so delicately that after resealing them no one would suspect that the letters had been opened. Of course, I never made copies of them, I only memorized their contents.
I can now reproduce one of these letters from memory.
“Dear Chevrette! Here it is, an interesting case when I finally, at least for a while, got rid of the petty tutelage of two people. One of them, as you know, has every right to interfere in my personal life, but does not do this, neglecting marital duties; however, he interferes in my relations with my relatives, which I did not give him the right to do. The second, as you understand, is the most unbearable. It is precisely his duty to take care of the good of the state, and he could reproach me for corresponding with my brother and some other relatives, but it is he who is much more interested in becoming the confidant of my personal secrets, and even, as you know, it yearns to become one of my deepest personal secrets. God, save me from such a fate! Even in a dream, I would not want to deal with him any closer than with my confessor. However, I won’t tell my confessor everything about myself, especially to such a confessor!
I digress, however. I wanted to tell you that for a while I received not only freedom, but also power! Yes, yes, I am now the head of the Royal Council and head the capital. The husband left for Picardy. Imagine what a murmur there was in the council when His Eminence announced to them the will of my husband! One of them even became indignant: “How? Queen? Lead the King's council? Is it conceivable to allow a woman into the King’s council?” By the way, His Eminence stood up for me, objecting: “Is the Royal Council a bathhouse, so that women are prohibited from entering?”
I must say, everyone there fawns over the cardinal, the first minister and the owner of the Royal Council. This upstart, who tried to object, simply mistakenly believed that Richelieu himself would oppose this appointment. When His Eminence unconditionally supported the King’s decision, he was the first to applaud the cardinal. It’s high time they understood that my husband does not make any political decisions himself. All his decisions are the decisions of the cardinal, which he only voices! So I am convinced that the idea of entrusting me with power in Paris and the Council during Louis’s absence certainly comes from Richelieu. I am also sure that he did everything possible and impossible so that I would know that this was his merit. In this way, this ridiculous suitor in a red robe wants to demonstrate to me that both my rise and my fall depend only on him. All this is being done in order to persuade me to do something that I do not write about, and you know very well what he is trying to achieve! Never! Can you hear? Never! No, no and NO. God, even if I liked some man, then in this case too... No! I can, of course, sympathize with someone and wish him happiness and success. I will not lie, Buckingham was dear to me, and I still mourn him and pray to God for the repose of this crazy, but deeply sympathetic nobleman. However, this is not the feeling that is called love, you know, my deep sympathy for this unfortunate Duke would not have prompted me to betray my husband. As for Richelieu... By God, this is funny and disgusting, and vile, and disgusting. I want to get rid of him, I want him not to be in my life, but he imposes his presence on me and also makes such disgusting hints that he would be happy if... Why should I care about what is required for his happiness? I don't wish it on him. As a Christian, of course, I wish him to achieve everything that he deserves, but what he achieves is not included in this list and will never be included.
God, Chevrette, dear, you wrote that you had a plan in mind to put this presumptuous courtier in his place. I beg you, start implementing it as soon as possible, if it has a chance of success.
In the meantime, I will enjoy the temporary, but almost complete power that has fallen on me! God! I'm almost free! I say: “Almost,” because you know that the cardinal did not leave me without being surrounded everywhere by spies and spies of all kinds. I know that I can only rely on you, on La Porta, and on two or three other people, however, I am no longer so confident in them. How terrible it is to not trust anyone! Sometimes I don’t even trust the mirror, the bed, or even my own pillow. What if she reports to the cardinal in the morning how many tears I shed and what name I fell asleep with on my lips? Know that I whispered only two names - yours and his. I whispered: “Chevreuse! Deliver me from Richelieu! However, all this is no longer a secret to him. He knows that I don't want to see him, and this seems to make him appear in front of me more often than he should! I hug and kiss you, my dear! Love me and pray for me, the poor abandoned Queen, torn from everyone she cares about and surrounded by everyone she hates!”
Of course, I am giving this letter in translation from the code agreed upon between the Queen and the Duchess, since the Queen used some proper names to designate herself and noble persons, so that her letter looked like an ordinary letter from one private person to another. When their code was solved, she invented another one, but they were all naive. Naturally, if they use the names of the main characters of some widely circulated play by Corneille or another author who puts ancient stories in a modern way, and when these plays are known to everyone, calling themselves Ximena, Sabina or Camilla, the Queen would not deceive anyone.
So, this letter did not contain anything new or specific, only the usual complaints of the Queen, offended by the intrusive guardianship on the part of the Cardinal and the inattention on the part of the King, who decided that she had temporarily received real power, which, of course, was not the case. She was nominally allowed to head the Royal Council; of course, no one allowed her to make any decisions.
Having handed over the letter to its destination, I went to one of the gunsmiths. His name was Marin Le Bourgeois.
- Hello, Mr. Marin! - I told him. — I would like to order you a special type of pistols.
“You have come to the right place, dear sir,” answered the master. “My workshop makes the best pistols in France and even the best in all of Europe!”
“I know that, Monsieur Marin,” I answered. “But I need something even better.”
- Better than our best pistols? - Le Bourgeois was surprised. - What could it be?
“Listen, dear master, I would like you to improve the pistol lock ,” I said. - Existing pistols require too many steps before firing. This is not suitable for real battle.
- What do you propose, sir?..
“Call me Aramis,” I replied.
“Yes, Mister Aramis,” answered the master. - What do you propose, Mr. Aramis?
“You see, Mister Master ,” I said. - I represent a certain society that needs a large number of improved pistols. We will make you a large order. Let's say, at first, a hundred pistols, and in the future the number will go to several hundred and possibly thousands. But it must be a pistol of a completely different design.
- Really curious! - exclaimed Monsieur Le Bourgeois.
- Yes. First of all, to the shortcomings of the existing design. As you know, the great advantage of the best pistols is that instead of lit tinder, a pyrite stone is used for the fuse, which produces sparks. This is great, but pyrite wears out very quickly. After each new shot, you don’t know whether the next shot will be successful or whether it will misfire. Replacing pyrite after each shot is a troublesome task, and in battle, completely impossible. Therefore, in any real battle, after the first shot, you can no longer count on a second shot.
- All this is true, Mr. Aramis, but the design of the pistol that you criticize contains the ideas of many geniuses of many times! - Mr. Le Bourgeois objected.
“This means that new geniuses are needed, and you will find them and attract them to your work,” I continued. - Try to find another stone that would produce a spark no worse than pyrite, but would be stronger. Try, I don't know, silicon, maybe, or something else.
“Your proposal is clear, we’ll look,” the master agreed. - But the search requires money, and the result will not necessarily suit you.
“You will receive two thousand pistoles immediately for your research without the obligation to provide a ready-made solution, but only to collect and systematize all the ideas in this direction ,” I said. “And another eight thousand pistoles if these two thousand allow you to create a new design that would satisfy us.”
“I continue to listen to you with growing interest, Mr. Aramis!” - exclaimed the master, rubbing his hands.
“We don’t like the fact that you have to turn the trigger mechanism with a key,” I continued. — The key gets lost very often. And it is impossible to borrow it from a comrade during a battle. A different spring is needed, a stiffer one, so that simply cocking the hammer is enough to fire the shot.
“In that case, cocking the hammer will require a fair amount of force,” the foreman objected.
“Any soldier has enough strength,” I waved him off. “Besides, if you sharpen the flint at the right angle, perhaps it will be possible to create a spark even if the impact is not too strong.” You need to look for materials and work on the design.
“I already understood and remembered that,” the master responded.
“We need a pistol that can fire at least two shots per minute ,” I said.
— How do you like the idea of a double-barreled pistol? - asked the master.
“I’m familiar with such designs,” I answered. — The barrels are located one under the other, the triggers are exactly the same, and the handle is oriented along the same axis as the barrels, ending in an egg-shaped thickening. In order to shoot from such a pistol, you have to turn the wrist inside out. In this case, it is very difficult to aim; the recoil leads to the fact that after a dozen shots the shooter’s hand begins to ache. No, that won't do. Consider placing the trunks next to each other. Two different trigger mechanisms can be made. Then the shooter will be able to fire two shots at least simultaneously, even with the shortest period of time between them. This will be a good weapon. You can place the barrels one above the other, but in this case it will be necessary to make triggers of different heights. It is not comfortable. In fact, in order to shoot equally accurately from both barrels, you need to learn to aim differently.
— Two barrels in a pistol, located side by side, is a good solution! - answered the master. - But such a pistol will be heavier than a regular one.
“You can shorten the barrel and make holes in the handle to lighten its weight,” I answered. - I give you a month for your research. In a month I will listen to your proposals, and if I like them, I will leave you the promised eight thousand pistoles to develop the entire design.
“Okay, Mister Aramis ,” said the master. — Do you have permission for such a large order of weapons from Mr. First Minister?
“I don’t have such permission, and I don’t intend to get it,” I answered softly.
“But in this case, you can only order a few pistols for your own needs,” the master objected. “Otherwise, I must either refuse to carry out such a large order, or I myself must notify the Ministry of Armaments about this order and ask for proper permission.”
“This order comes from our common commanders,” I answered and made the conventional sign of the Order members.
“Your order will be completed in the best possible way,” the master answered. — Of course, no information will be sent to the ministry. Your answer completely convinced me. I would complete the order even if you did not pay me anything. Where can I find you if I have questions for you?
“Thank you, I know that,” I replied. “But saving money is not a priority at the moment.” And you will inevitably have expenses.
I left my address to M. Le Bourgeois, also left him two thousand pistoles and took leave of him. This was a very good investment for the Order's capital. Despite the fact that the pistol developed by this master still misfired on average once every eight to ten shots, it was still half as common as in all other designs. The new pistol was much more reliable than all previous ones. The Order intended to order two thousand pistols from the master, but in 1634 the master, unfortunately, died. Investigations carried out by the order showed that the death was due to natural causes. The master took some of the manufacturing secrets with him to the grave. The apprentices were unable to produce pistols of the same quality, although, of course, some design secrets became public knowledge over time. Thus, the Order received only one hundred and fifty examples of these new pistols. They were used only in exceptional cases, but very effectively. The master's biggest secret was how he managed to make shallow spiral-shaped cuts inside the barrel, which caused the bullet to twist, fly straighter and not tip over. I suggested this idea to him based on those rifled bullets that Athos introduced me to. I still can’t understand how he made these wonderful trunks. I had six of these pistols, which I kept for myself as the organizer and leader of this development. The Order was pleased, and I moved to the next higher level in its hierarchy.
Chapter 73
Events followed, as a result of which the Queen first experienced the greatest humiliation, then the greatest triumph. Her humiliation consisted in the fact that the entire power of the espionage and investigative apparatus created by the cardinal fell upon her for the most insignificant reason. The Cardinal sought to find out all the actions, letters, and even the intentions and thoughts of all those whom he might consider his enemies. And he could consider all of France, including even the King, his enemies. Realizing the truth of the statement that “the fish rots from the head,” Richelieu decided to deal the strongest blow to the head of the conspiracy, the Queen herself, subjecting her to humiliating interrogations, searches, accusations and isolation.
By mid-1936, the number of letters intercepted and copied by the cardinal's spies, messages from spies and other direct and indirect evidence finally convinced Richelieu that the Queen actively hated him and supported everyone who was in solidarity with her, hoping for all sorts of favors if she succeeded in eliminating the hated first minister .
He decided to obtain evidence that would definitively incriminate her in the eyes of the King, such as, for example, letters written by the Queen personally, which irrefutably exposed her in conspiracies, and not only against Richelieu, but also against the King or, at a minimum, against his politics, that is, against France. Richelieu understood that the King would easily forgive the Queen’s hatred of the First Minister, since he himself disliked him very much, which did not prevent him from completely relying on him and entrusting him with the most difficult matters.
He did everything possible and impossible to set a trap for the Queen. He tried to win over Buckingham's former servant Ogier, whom the Queen knew and trusted. However, Ogier, indeed, sent copies of letters to the cardinal and even, it seems, one or two genuine letters, but only those that did not contain anything incriminating, so the appearance of his betrayal of the Queen and loyalty to the cardinal only contributed to strengthening the position of Anne of Austria, testifying in favor of her innocence.
The cardinal tried to get close to La Rochefoucauld, but he pretended that he did not maintain connections with anyone, including the Duchess de Chevreuse. This was a lie, of course.
But the cardinal was determined to crush the Queen. He no longer believed her promise to tell him the most important information about conspiracies. He remembered that from the time of the revelation of the Chalet plot, when it became clear that he had offered Monsieur to refuse the wedding with Mademoiselle de Montpensier, so that after the “removal” or even elimination of the King, by marrying Anne of Austria, he himself would become King, Louis XIII would believe the cardinal that not only the Duchess de Chevreuse, but also Queen Anne herself was aware of these plans of Monsieur. From that time on, the King always suspected that Anna and Chevrette had such plans and did not abandon them. Always seeing in his wife someone who hated or despised him, he never trusted her anymore. He believed that she dreamed of his death and marriage with Gaston d'Orl;ans. For this reason, he himself began to dream of getting rid of her, but he was stopped by her high origin and respect for the marriage sanctified by the church. The King's piety kept him from divorcing, but it could not force him to live a full family life with the one he considered a traitor, which she was not yet. The Order made sure that Father Caussin, who held the position of coadjutor in the Jesuit Order, was assigned to the King as a confessor. At the same time, the Order instructed me to help Father Caussin in every possible way, to obey him in everything.
At the same time, the Order recruited Mademoiselle de Hautefort into its ranks.
The Order did not want the elimination of the Queen and the excessive strengthening of the power of the cardinal, who had already taken control of almost all of France. The cardinal weakened the Catholic states and waged his struggle against Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, and Savoy. The Order did not welcome this. But the fight against England was pleasing to the Order. The Cardinal was needed, but he had to be limited.
Meanwhile, the Queen often used completely random people from among the courtiers for her correspondence. No one dared to refuse her, so she sent letters to Chevrette even through the Archbishop of Bordeaux, who, on his way to his place, had to pass through Tours, where Mary was staying at that time. This letter was then passed on to Mary by the Archbishop of Tours, who, at eighty years old, was also madly in love with Chevrette, despite his clergy. There were many letters sent by the Queen, not all of them were intercepted by the cardinal, and those letters that fell into his hands still did not incriminate the Queen of anything significant.
The Queen, surrounded by the cardinal's veneers in her own palace, was forced to write her letters at night, when everyone was asleep, even the spies assigned to her. Spies and spies were cunning, but their cunning was sometimes carried out with white thread. So one of the ladies-in-waiting pretended to be engrossed in reading the Book of Hours, holding it upside down. When the Queen was unable to answer letters at night, she had to pretend to retire during the day to pray, and use this time to write letters or read correspondence received.
Lately, the Queen has often begun to retire to Ville-de -Gr;ce under the pretext of praying at the monastery of Saint-Etienne. The abbess of the monastery, in the world Louise de Millet, who was nicknamed Mother Saint-Etienne by her position, was very sympathetic to the Queen and provided her with every opportunity to write letters without witnesses and to read the correspondence received. The monastery of Ville-de -Gr;ce became a kind of place for the Queen's mail correspondence. Her page La Porte began to perform the functions of secretary, cipher and decipherer, keeper of seals and ciphers. His cache also contained sympathetic ink, grids for reading encrypted letters, chemicals for developing secret writing, and other accessories of a conspirator and conspirator.
In 1637, at the beginning of August, it seems on the ninth, the King, on the advice of the cardinal, summoned the Queen to his place, but Anna of Austria, awaiting the arrival of several letters from her foreign relatives and disgraced friends, decided to stay in Ville-de-Gr;ce, so she made the excuse that her luggage is too dismantled and it will take a lot of time to pack. Indeed, in those days, furniture, clothing, dishes and other utensils were not constantly kept in palaces and castles; all this followed the residents when moving from one place to another. The King and Queen did the same until the time when nobles like Fouquet or Mazarin did not realize that, living in two houses or more, it was much easier to move from one home to another lightly, having everything necessary in each palace, after which this fashion everyone else adopted it too.
Richelieu convinced the King that the Queen had more compelling reasons for disobedience than unpacked luggage. The accumulated copies of letters, insufficient in themselves, combined with this inexplicable disobedience of the Queen, finally had the influence on Louis XIII that Richelieu sought. The king was filled with suspicion and ordered an investigation to be launched.
The unsuspecting Queen went to Chantilly on August 12, while La Porte went to meet Monsieur de Latibaudiere des Azots, who was tasked with delivering the Queen's letter to the Duchess de Chevreuse. This Poitevin nobleman was one of the cardinal's spies, who, on the instructions of Richelieu, delayed the transmission of the letter for several days, citing some important matters that supposedly kept him in place, as a result of which he asked La Porte to keep these letters with him for a few days.
La Porte decided to visit M. de Guiteau, who had returned wounded from the battle, to ask him about the news at the front. In the evening, leaving de Guiteau, La Porte was stopped by a carriage at the corner of Coquiyer and Grad-Augustin streets, which blocked his way. Four stalwart guardsmen pushed the poor man into the carriage, after which it took him to the Bastille.
La Porte was searched and a letter intended for the Duchess de Chevreuse and other less significant letters were seized. After that, all his personal belongings and even his clothes were taken away from him, he was placed in a punishment cell, where there was nothing except a bed and a chamber pot.
Father Etienne, my previous boss in the Order, immediately found out about this and made sure that Mr. La Porte had a cellmate from among the persons accountable to the Order. A whole performance was staged for this. That same evening, several prisoners tried to escape from the Bastille, shooting broke out, the prisoners were captured and placed in cells one by one, so that all the cells were occupied. That same evening, a certain Madame de Erck brought her son with a demand to take him into custody, supposedly “so that he would grow up and gain some sense.” The mother accused her son of freethinking and supported her demand with a letter signed by the prosecutor general, which said that this gentleman should be kept in the Bastille for as long as Madame de Erck deems necessary, after which he should be given back to her at her first request. The commandant had no choice but to place M. de Erck in the same cell where La Porte was placed.
Monsieur de Erck informed La Porte that despite the fact that his house in Ville-de -Gr;ce had been searched, the cache had not been found, so that cipher materials and particularly important letters that could incriminate him and the Queen were still there. in a hiding place. La Porte also thought with horror that in his hiding place, in addition to ciphers and seals, there was a whole series of lampoons against the cardinal, any of which was enough to send him to the scaffold. The fact that the cache had not been found, of course, calmed La Porte somewhat, but, to his chagrin, the next day he was summoned for interrogation, after which he was placed in another cell. Madame de Erck, of course, took her son the very next day.
The Cardinal ordered that another man, Hercule de Sauchezou, be placed with La Porte , who was allegedly accused of contempt of the cabinet. This de Sauchezou wildly scolded the cardinal and tried in every possible way to prove himself a supporter of the Queen. But he overplayed his hand, La Porte guessed that this was one of Richelieu’s regular spies, so he remained silent, pretending to be sullen and taciturn.
The interrogation of La Porte was led by the reporting judge Leroy de Lapotrie. This man simply adored his profession, had a truly acting gift, so he skillfully portrayed sympathy, sympathy and sincerity.
Lapautrie lamented the poor maintenance of La Porte, promised to correct everything, said that the Queen's page ended up in the Bastille due to a misunderstanding, which, of course, will be corrected immediately, but first some formalities must be settled, so in the interests of a speedy release, Mr. La Porte needs to quickly try to remember in detail all the letters that the Queen sent and received in the last six months, also remember all the addressees, retell the contents of these letters.
“If the whole matter depended on me, dear Monsieur de La Porte, I would release you immediately!” - said Lapotrie. “But the case has already started, the warrants have been signed, the protocols have been drawn up. Believe me, the easiest way for you is to tell us everything that we already know, and we already know most of it, believe me. In this case, I myself will sign a petition for your speedy release. They will return to you everything that was taken from you during the search and, I believe, they will even give you some compensation for the inconvenience caused.
“If I am arrested by mistake, I would prefer that the mistake clear itself up, after which, as you assure me, I will be released,” answered La Porte.
“That’s all true, of course, but this case will take at least three months to sort out, or even more!” - Lapotrie objected. “Unfortunately, the warrant bears the seal of the First Minister, and I’m even afraid that if we don’t stop this case in the next 24 hours, the case will also receive His Majesty’s visa.” Then you will be considered a state criminal, and such cases are not resolved faster than in a year. You will probably be released, but then not in two or three days, but in a year, or maybe in two, or even later.
- How much later? asked La Porte.
“Let me count,” Lapotrie answered readily. — Proceedings, appeals, cassation, review of the case...
Lapotrie moved his lips almost silently and flexed his fingers.
“Wait a minute... It seems I’ve taken everything into account ,” he finally said. - You will be released after... After... So, yes. Exactly! You will be released... Never.
With these words, he looked at La Porte with such a radiant smile, as if he had told him about winning a hundred thousand livres.
“Well, this period is quite bearable,” replied La Porte, returning the same radiant smile to his tormentor. - That's fine for me. I'll wait.
Chapter 74
The next day, de Lapotrie ordered La Porte to be escorted to a special room for interrogation with partiality.
- Do you know, Mr. La Porte, what these items are needed for? - he asked the prisoner, gesturing with his hand at the numerous devices invented by the Holy Inquisition.
“Do you know, Monsieur de Lapotrie, what is the maiden name of the late mother of His Eminence Cardinal de Richelieu?” - La Porte asked in turn.
“Her last name is La Porte,” de Lapotrie replied dispassionately.
“Exactly,” confirmed La Porte. - I belong to Mr. Cardinal...
“I know,” Lapotrie interrupted him. “Mr. Cardinal sadly told me that many of his relatives often do not live up to his hopes, so that in his youth he was in vain to show them his protection. He resigned himself to the thought of losing some of them for the good of the state and the monarchy.
“I know that the cardinal does not value his relatives too much,” replied La Porte. “If this were not so, I would not have to mourn my late goddaughter Constance Bonacieux.”
“His Eminence had to sacrifice family feelings towards closer relatives for the good of the King,” Lapotrie answered indifferently. “You won’t fool me with this.” So let's discuss these great gadgets. This, for example, is called the “Spanish Boot”. After it, you will be able to wear much smaller shoes than you wear now, although not without pain. However, I am only making an assumption. None of those who tried on these boots needed any other shoes. We don't let out cripples. If a confession has to be extracted from you with the help of such devices, you will no longer have the opportunity to leave here. For the sake of the peace of the state, we should not worry the people with evidence of methods of untying the tongues of the enemies of France.
“You don’t have to continue, I can guess the purpose of all these devices,” replied La Porte.
“The funny thing is that your martyrdom makes no sense,” Lapotrie continued. “Her Majesty has already told His Eminence the contents of absolutely all the letters written to her, as well as all the letters received by her over the past six months. So you can safely say the same. This will only help the cardinal trust her and save her from unnecessary unpleasant conversations, and you from more than unpleasant interrogations, the end of which, I think, you will eagerly await even if the end of the interrogations means the death penalty for you.
“I don’t think His Majesty will approve of the torture and execution of Her Majesty’s faithful servant ,” La Porte said doubtfully.
“He won’t approve, of course, since he is very kind to his subjects,” Lapotrie agreed. “But it’s not for nothing that he’s called Louis the Just.” For him, justice is above all. And justice requires that traitors be executed. So he, reluctantly, will sign such a sentence.
“If you have evidence of my treason against the King or France, present it to me,” La Porte objected.
“His Eminence deigned to provide you with the opportunity to save your life and even your position and your fortune, but only through sincere repentance ,” said Lapotrie. “If I provide you with evidence of your betrayal, your confession will not be required, and you will have no chance of salvation.”
“But for what reason do you believe that I know the contents of the letters that the Queen wrote?” asked La Porte.
“You handed them over to their destination,” Lapotrie replied.
“But they were sealed,” La Porte objected.
“You,” Lapotrie clarified. - After all, you performed the duties of secretary, cipher clerk and personal postman to the Queen. If as a postman you might not know the contents of letters, then as a secretary you must know all the letters dictated to her, and as a cipher clerk you are simply obliged to know the contents of those letters that were encrypted.
“But Her Majesty did not order all letters to be encrypted,” La Porte objected.
“Okay, we’ll limit ourselves to the fact that you tell us the contents of only those letters that you personally encrypted,” Lapotrie agreed. — By the way, why did the Queen need to encrypt them?
“These letters were to be sent to the Queen’s relatives living in other countries,” replied La Porte. “Her Majesty did not want that if the letters fell into the wrong hands, someone could get acquainted with her personal family affairs. Isn't the Queen allowed to correspond with her brother or her aunt? And doesn’t she have the right to take measures to ensure that family conversations do not become the property of idle gossips?
- So, do you agree to acquaint us with the contents of those letters that you encrypted? - Lapotrie repeated the question.
“If, as you say, Her Majesty told the cardinal the contents of all her letters, then I have nothing against also reporting the contents of these letters ,” said La Porte.
“I’m listening to you ,” said Lapotrie, dipping his pen into the inkwell and preparing to write.
“You didn’t understand me,” La Porte clarified. - I meant that if the Queen told the contents of the letters to the cardinal, then I, perhaps, could retell the contents of these letters, but only to the cardinal, and only in the presence of the Queen, and only after she confirms, that she no longer makes a secret of this and agrees that I tell about it to the one to whom she has already told all this.
Lapautrie furiously threw the pen on the table.
- Le Mange! - he exclaimed.
A guard entered the door.
“Take Monsieur La Pote to the punishment cell,” Lapotrie said dryly and left the interrogation room.
At night, La Porte was woken up and, without giving him time to finally wake up, he was taken to a carriage, which went to the places where executions were carried out. Since under Richelieu in wartime state criminals were most often executed at night to avoid unnecessary crowd disturbances, La Porte had every reason to believe that he was being taken to execution. First the carriage passed the corner of St. Paul's Church, then the cemetery of St. James, then the Place de Greve and the Cross of Trauar. Each of these ominous places made La Porte’s heart beat faster and his forehead feel cold. Still, after the carriage passed the last of the ominous places without stopping, La Porte realized that today, perhaps, he would not be executed yet. The carriage's journey ended in the courtyard of the Palais Cardinal, the cardinal's palace. The First Minister decided to interrogate his relative himself.
In the room where La Porte was escorted, Richelieu himself sat in an easy chair, on his left hand sat the keeper of the seal, Chancellor Pierre Seguier, Duke de Villemore, on his right hand sat Secretary of State Sublet de Noyer, who was a member of the Jesuit Order, about which Richelieu was not aware.
- Mister La Porte! - Richelieu exclaimed and almost rushed to hug the prisoner as his best friend. - I am glad to see you as a guest, but I am upset by the circumstances that brought us together at such a late hour, here and now.
“I cannot answer in kind, Mr. First Minister,” replied La Porte. “It seems to me that you are going to ask me questions that, I’m afraid, I cannot answer without violating the official duties of Her Majesty’s page, and without going beyond the boundaries of permissible modesty in relation to an august person, respect for which forbids any mortal to be interested in what which Her Majesty did not deign to notify anyone of her own free will.
“It’s all right, dear La Porte, it’s all right!” - Richelieu agreed. “But you forget that there is the will of His Majesty the King of France, against which the will of Her Majesty the Queen means nothing.”
“So the questions you will ask me come from the King?” asked La Porte.
“That’s right,” confirmed the cardinal.
“In that case, my answers are intended only for the ears of His Majesty, and I am ready to answer him in the absence of other witnesses,” replied La Porte.
“Think what a stupid devotion to someone who doesn’t even think of valuing you!” - Richelieu chuckled. - Listen, La Porte. They found only five hundred livres on you. Is this all your condition? Everything you have earned in Her Majesty's service?
“This, indeed, has been the bulk of my fortune to date, but I serve not for money, but for the honor of serving my Queen,” La Porte replied with dignity.
“A person like you deserves more, undoubtedly, and if we agree, I am ready to take you into my service with much more pay, starting from the day of your detention in the Bastille,” said Richelieu, smiling radiantly .
“I am forced to decline such a flattering offer, Your Eminence, since I am already in the service of a person occupying a somewhat higher position than you,” replied La Porte, realizing that he might be signing his own death warrant.
- Do you mistakenly believe that you took a position under the Queen without my permission? - Richelieu chuckled. “Do you mistakenly believe that the Queen is more powerful than the First Minister?” Listen, Mr. postman, cipher clerk, secretary and valet of the august person, you don’t understand politics at all, don’t try to figure it out. If, as you said, the Queen is of a higher position than I, let her order that you be set free, that an apology be made to you for what you have suffered, and most importantly, that you not be treated as I intend. enroll. Let's see how successful she is.
“I didn’t mean actual power,” replied La Porte, turning pale and sweating. “I just said that Her Majesty is the personification of the monarchy along with His Majesty, and everyone else is just their subjects.”
“Your amendment is accepted,” Richelieu said peacefully. “I in no way abdicate the title of Her Majesty’s subject, just like His Majesty, but my duty, the duty of the First Minister of France, is to protect the monarchy, to protect the interests of the King, and in the end even to protect the Queen herself from herself, and from those rash acts that she can commit under the influence of her imaginary girlfriends and imaginary friends, plunging her into conspiracies that can end disastrously even for her. Because, as you understand, the august marriage has not yet lived up to its main purpose. His Majesty still has no heir. The Kingdom cannot exist with the constant threat that it will pass into the hands of Monsieur, since in fact the Queen Mother will return to power. Do you want a new Marshal d'Ancre for France? Do you want to change the political course towards subordinate-allied relations with Spain and the Netherlands? Do you want to split the country? Branches of La Rochelle, Lorraine, Navarre? Do you want a final break with Savoy? Is this what you are trying to achieve? Do you want our islands and coasts to go to England and Spain, and the border areas to go to our warlike neighbors?
“I only serve my Queen,” La Porte said quietly.
“Then serve her, do for her what His Majesty and I are trying in vain to do for her own good!” - exclaimed Richelieu. — Persuade her to repent and abandon once and for all attempts to interfere in politics! Her duty is to love the King and give birth to princes and princesses. And she is engaged in intrigues together with this intriguer de Chevreuse!
“It’s not my destiny to lecture Her Majesty,” La Porte answered modestly.
“Of course,” replied Richelieu. “But wasn’t it your duty to keep the Queen from taking rash steps to the detriment of the King?”
“I cannot know what damage will be caused to His Majesty the King by the fact that Her Majesty the Queen continues to communicate with those who are dear to her,” La Porte answered evasively. - Do I have the right to keep the Queen from communicating with her brother, mother-in-law, brother-in-law, cousins?
- So, you confirm that the Queen corresponded with the King of Spain, with the Queen Mother, with Monsieur, with Henrietta of France and with the Duchess of Savoy? - Richelieu said joyfully.
“I didn’t claim anything like that, I just said that the Queen, in my opinion, has the right to kindred feelings and their manifestation,” La Porte hastily corrected.
“Listen, dear La Porte,” Richelieu said peacefully again in a soft voice. “After all, your duty as a subject commands you to obey the orders of the King.” And His Majesty has ordered that you tell what Her Majesty Queen Anne has already told him and me. You should simply confirm her confession with your testimony, which will ease both your fate and the fate of Her Majesty.
“I cannot confirm something about which I know nothing,” La Porte continued to persist. “In order to confirm what the Queen said, I must know exactly what she said, and, in addition, I must be absolutely sure that this is exactly what she said.” That is, I need to hear about her herself, what exactly she told the King and you, in order to confirm this.
“And you think that such confirmation could mean at least something?” - Richelieu asked with a grin. - Under these conditions, you can confirm any lie, with the same success you could simply tell me: “I confirm everything that Her Majesty says and deny everything that she denies.”
“It is this formulation that I would like to offer you, for lack of a better one,” La Porte obediently agreed.
- I don’t like this wording! - Richelieu shouted irritably. - The king is not satisfied with this formulation, do you hear? His Majesty King Louis XIII wishes to hear from you not such a general formulation, but a detailed list of everything that his dear august wife the Queen wrote about and encrypted with your help, where exactly, what exactly, when, to whom, do you understand me?
“I understand you perfectly, Your Eminence, but you also understand me,” La Porte continued to persist. - I cannot slander the Queen.
“No one is asking you to slander,” Richelieu interrupted him. - Tell the truth.
“I already told the truth,” La Porte answered stubbornly. “I have nothing to report, since I do not know what the Queen said, and everything that she did not say did not happen, since I completely agree with her opinion on this topic.”
“Take this idiot back to the Bastille,” Richelieu snapped and gave a sign that the interrogation was over.
Sublet de Noyer came out the door and invited a convoy, who took La Porte out and took him back to the Bastille.
Chapter 75
The Cardinal came to the King.
“Your Majesty, the interrogation of La Porte has not yet brought anything ,” he said. - I say that this is only for now. I will force him to tell everything he knows, but for this it is necessary to search the monastery of Saint-Etienne, and also interrogate the abbess.
- I don’t understand you, cardinal! - the King said angrily. “You promised to obtain evidence of the Queen’s guilt.” I even allowed her to be interrogated. Chancellor Seguier, it seems to me, was quite persistent. The Queen told everything, if I'm not mistaken. The letters you intercepted do not in the least expose her to a lie. She corresponded with her relatives and friends, but everything she wrote to them did not deserve the distrust that I showed towards her, and the persecution that fell on her and on all those who assisted her in this correspondence. All these are meaningless details of her personal life. I admit, she spoke unflatteringly about you, Cardinal, but she has the right to her own opinion, which I, of course, do not share. Now you want me to allow your investigators to break into the monastery and interrogate you? And then, why should I interfere in these affairs of yours? Who, after all, is the first minister and the cardinal? Me or you? If you, as the first minister, need to deal with the abbess of the monastery, can you, as a cardinal, at least spare me from interfering in the affairs of the church? Take action yourself if you see fit, but don't involve me in it. I want to know the truth and I give you complete freedom to find out the whole truth. But don't ask more from me!
“You are absolutely right, Your Majesty,” the cardinal replied with ostentatious humility. “But it seems that I did not express my thought precisely, which is why, probably, you deigned to not understand me completely correctly.” I only meant that I was ready to apologize to Her Majesty and admit that all the services subordinate to me were completely wrong in bringing charges against her. It seems that the Queen, indeed, was just corresponding with her relatives on completely innocent topics. Believe me, Your Majesty, that I want nothing more than to completely and finally remove all even the slightest charges from your august wife, from Her Majesty the Queen, to bring her the most humble apologies and to atone for those unpleasant moments of conversations with Chancellor Segye that she had a chance to experience it. But for this it would be extremely desirable to obtain definitive evidence of her innocence, for which it is necessary to look through those letters and drafts that are stored in the monastery of Saint-Etienne.
- So you care about the Queen? - the King asked with disbelief and some disappointment.
“I am always, hourly and every minute concerned about the good of the Queen, Your Majesty!” - Richelieu answered enthusiastically, without blinking an eye. - If sometimes the duties of the First Minister force me to be persistent in investigating the possible actions of persons, even very important and significant ones, the results of which could pose a danger to France, then I always regret what measures sometimes have to be taken. And this occurs to the highest degree when hard-hitting questions have to be asked to members of your, Your Majesty, august family. You know with what regret I had to learn about the deplorable actions of your honorable mother for the state! To an even greater extent , the sacred person of Meste and Her Majesty is sacred to me . And if circumstances force me, as you yourself can see, I have to conduct thorough investigations, however, now that I am completely confident in her innocence, I would with a light heart and joy in my soul complete the task of finally clearing her good name from the slightest suspicion.
“So, the Queen is innocent,” the King concluded with undisguised disappointment. “You just need to definitively prove it.” But isn't your conviction in this enough?
“My conviction is quite enough to terminate the case and for an apology on my part,” Richelieu agreed. - But I would like an apology to be made on behalf of the public service, in fact and on your behalf, Your Majesty, but only on the basis of actual evidence of her innocence, so that subsequently there would be no reason to refuse these apologies and again dry up your soul with unfounded suspicions regarding Her Majesty.
- An apology on my behalf? - asked Louis. -Are you sure this is necessary? For this, we really need compelling reasons. Okay, I'll send Seguier to the monastery of Saint-Etienne. Perhaps then an apology on my behalf will not be required.
“It would be regrettable, Your Majesty, but we should not rule it out,” Richelieu replied. “It absolutely cannot be ruled out that some new letters, or their drafts, or the key to the code of some letters will be found.”
“Go ahead,” agreed the King in a more elevated mood.
“The monastery is not subject to secular authority in such delicate matters,” Richelieu clarified.
“Then accompany Segyo, because I assume that the abbess will obey the cardinal?”
“This will give such a visit an overly official tone,” Richelieu objected softly. “It would be better if he were accompanied by M. de Gondi, Archbishop of Paris.” This visit can be outwardly framed as a completely ordinary check.
- Fine! - the King exclaimed impatiently. “I will send Gondi with Segyo.” That's all, I hope?
- It was not in vain that Your Majesty became famous as Louis the Just! - the cardinal answered flatteringly.
- Yes, I am like this! - The King agreed proudly, as his mood completely improved.
Mother Abbess denied everything even under the threat of excommunication. On this basis, Richelieu suspected that Gondi had warned her about the upcoming visit. And so it was, of course. Archbishop Gondi, in order to divert suspicion from himself, pretended to be extremely persistent and even deposed the mother abbess, immediately appointing a new abbess from among the more accommodating nuns. Segier and his men found only old and meaningless letters and drafts from the Queen.
Then Richelieu handed Seguier a copy of the previously intercepted letter received from the Spanish ambassador Marquis de Mirabel, and ordered him to say that it had been found in the monastery. The text of this letter left no doubt that it was a reply, from which it followed that the Queen herself also wrote to Mirabel, which was a much more serious offense than correspondence with the Duchess de Chevreuse. Indeed, the Queen had no right to communicate with the Spanish ambassador, since she thereby usurped the rights of her husband to conduct foreign policy, for such letters could only be sent in the name of the King or on his behalf on behalf of those to whom such powers were issued. The Queen was in no way the person to whom the King entrusted the conduct of official policy with Spain. So, such a letter exposed her. The copy was made so skillfully that the Queen decided that this was her original letter. Therefore, she snatched it from the Chancellor's hands and hid it on her chest, believing that this place was inaccessible to anyone, since even the King would not risk touching the Queen's breast without her permission. However, Segye was intoxicated by his temporary power, which allowed him to interrogate and search the Queen herself, so he used fireplace tongs and removed this letter from the Queen's bodice, and also searched all her personal belongings. The Queen was shocked by such unceremonious treatment, which would have been impossible for royalty in Spain, so she fainted, or, more likely, feigned it. After this, she fell ill for two days, feigning a fever, not touching food and refusing to accept anyone. During this time, the cardinal's bloodhounds searched all her closets, chests and caskets. All servants were interrogated.
Only after this did the Queen realize that she had fallen for Richelieu’s bait, because if she had denied that she knew this letter, then it would have turned out that it was just a copy. Her attempt to hide it in her bodice gave her away because it proved that such a letter existed and she knew about it. Almost all the Queen's servants and friends who had not yet been captured hastened to leave her so as not to risk persecution. Next to her only de Brienne, de Treville, de Guiteau, de La Rochefoucauld, Mademoiselle de Hautefort and I remained. The rest were either captured, either far away, or hastened to hide. To the Queen's credit, it must be admitted that she was much more worried about her friends than about herself, since she was almost not worried about her fate. Monsieur de Brienne explained to her the danger of the situation. The King, having learned how she behaved in relation to the copy of the letter from Mirabel, was again filled with suspicion and hostility towards the Queen. Brienne warned the Queen that the King was seriously considering an annulment, after which the outcast Anne of Austria could be settled in the fortress of Le Havre, and this in fact would be imprisonment, no better than imprisonment in a monastery. Some even said that the King again intended to marry the cardinal’s niece, Madame de Combalet, to whom he had a strong attraction in his youth.
The Queen decided to take extreme measures. She ordered the bailiff Legare to be summoned and in his presence, placing her hand on the Bible, she swore that she had never written any letters of political content abroad, and had never entered into any conspiracy with anyone. Of course it was a lie, but who would dare tell her that? Monsieur Legare was ordered to convey this oath to the cardinal and inform him that the Queen used the services of her servant exclusively for correspondence with her friend, the Duchess de Chevreuse. The Queen informed her confessor, as well as the confessor of the King, Father Caussin, a Jesuit and my direct superior in the line of the Order, for transmission to the King, that all her persecution was organized by Cardinal Richelieu solely as a result of a hostile attitude towards her, which stemmed from accumulated grievances. The Queen did not dare to inform the King that Richelieu had offered her to have an intimate relationship to give birth to an heir to the throne. But she recalled an incident when the cardinal tried to strike up a conversation with her right on the road to the Tuileries. A year before, his carriage met the Queen's carriage, Richelieu respectfully greeted the Queen and asked her to stop for a short conversation, but the Queen rejected this proposal, saying that if the cardinal wanted to talk with her, he should make an appointment with her at the time when It would be convenient for her, but now she was in a hurry about her business. The cardinal was not happy and looked offended. Now he recalled his grievances to her and took revenge for her lack of friendliness.
Her horsemaster, Mr. Patroclus, also stood up for the Queen. Father Caussin stood up for her before the King, saying that even if the Queen was guilty of anything, she had already more than atoned for her guilt by the suffering that she had to endure from this investigation. But Richelieu did not calm down. Through Mr. Legre, he conveyed to her that he did not believe her oath, since it contradicted the reliable information he had.
The Queen invited the cardinal to meet and explain frankly what he wanted from her.
Richelieu came to see her, accompanied by two of his closest associates, secretaries of state and a member of the royal council. The first of them was Leon Boutiller de Chavigny, Baron de la Greve et d'Antibes, the second was Francois Sublet de Noyer. None of them were members of the Jesuit Order, however, I know the conversation that took place between them.
“Your Majesty, in the presence of these two gentlemen, whom your august husband instructed to testify that my words come from him and are fully consistent with the orders of His Majesty, I am authorized to offer you, on behalf of the King, terms of reconciliation,” Richelieu began.
- Is that so? - exclaimed the Queen. — Since when are family issues resolved with the help of such a representative embassy? I have already come to terms with the fact that the King does not honor me with his visits very often, as a result of which I can only wonder why he married me if all his interests in me as a wife are exhausted by those few visits that serve only to to express dissatisfaction with me!
The Cardinal fell silent and bowed his head, feigning polite attention.
At that moment the Queen was seized with horror. She realized that the question “Why did you marry me?” she touched on a topic that should not have been touched upon at all, because if the cardinal had answered that the King married so that the Queen would give birth to heirs, then taking into account the fact that in twenty-one years of marriage she never gave birth to the Dauphin, the King would quite may raise the question of dissolving this barren marriage. If the conversation went in this direction, no one would take into account the fact that the King himself did not try very hard to achieve success in this area. She would have remembered two miscarriages, especially the first, which had occurred due to her carelessness, and then, together with those suspicions that were now gaining the force of accusation, the King’s intentions, about which de Brienne had warned her, could begin to be fulfilled.
“I hope, Your Eminence, that you have come to give me good advice on how I should behave, so that the King would like to make me happy with his visit more often,” the Queen immediately said and her face lit up with a false radiant smile, which she presented to all three of her visitors in turn.
“That is exactly what we came to you with, Your Majesty,” answered the cardinal. “His Majesty is very dissatisfied with your correspondence with unfriendly countries, but he would very much like to make peace with you and forgive you, for which he invites you to listen to his terms of reconciliation.
- Conditions?! - the Queen asked arrogantly. “So I’m condemned and have to beg for forgiveness?!”
“Please note, Your Majesty, that it was not I who said this, but if you yourself characterized the situation in this way, I do not dare argue with you,” the cardinal answered softly.
Anna again realized that she had fallen into a trap that she had set for herself.
“I will listen to what my husband told me to tell you, although I would prefer to hear it all from his lips,” the Queen said peacefully.
“Your husband, His Majesty King Louis XIII told me to tell you that he is ready to forget everything and forgive you, provided that you admit your guilt and promise to comply in the future with those easy restrictions that His Majesty is pleased to impose on your correspondence.”
- So, I have no choice! - answered the Queen, again switching to the tone of offended innocence. “The king says I’m guilty, and all I have to do is admit it.” Well, in that case, I admit it, because I swore on the altar not to contradict my husband in anything when I married him. True, I did not imagine that I would not be allowed to have friends and communicate with relatives. But I admit that I am guilty of having girlfriends and corresponding with my brother.
“I said that you should confess everything and submit to everything, Your Majesty,” the cardinal retorted gently. - This is the King's demand. You haven’t confessed to everything that the King already knows. His Majesty knows that you have corresponded with your brothers who are at war with His Majesty. Perhaps you told them information that in your opinion meant nothing, but everything that the Queen may know is extremely important information for the enemies of France and the King. During the war, you simply should not have corresponded with the leadership of the states at war with us, regardless of family relations with them. By marrying the King of France, the Princess of Spain became the Queen of France, your subjects here in France, your sovereign here in France, and it is your duty as a subject and as a spouse and as a Queen to be guided solely by the interests of France in all your actions that may, due to or contrary to your wishes, cause damage to France or give an advantage to a country in a military conflict with France.
“Ask everyone to leave except you, Your Holiness, so that we can talk about all the circumstances in more detail ,” the Queen finally said.
Chapter 76
“Speak, Your Majesty ,” said the cardinal. - I'm paying attention.
- First, Your Eminence, tell me everything you would like to say, I will listen to you with attention, I promise.
“Your Majesty, your husband, King Louis XIII has authorized me to receive a written promise from you that you will no longer write abroad, reporting any information or making any requests ,” said Richelieu. “He will henceforth consider such actions not only as actions aimed at undermining the political sovereignty of France, but also as direct disobedience, that is, a rebellion against his royal power.” You will no longer be able to excuse yourself by saying that you did not imagine that such letters could cause any damage to the kingdom.
- This is all? – the Queen asked, trying not to show any feelings, since she had not yet decided whether in the given circumstances it would be better to feign righteous anger or present herself as an innocent victim.
“Without relying entirely on your promise, His Majesty intends to take measures to make it impossible for any correspondence between you and any foreign citizens without his knowing the contents of this letter and approving its sending,” the cardinal continued. “However, His Majesty’s good advice is that you completely refuse such correspondence.” Knowing that you used a cipher for some letters, His Majesty does not insist that you give him the keys to this cipher, however, he warns that if you write at least one shortest encrypted letter, even in one line, he will return to this issue and demand that you show him the codes you have in order to read not only this letter, from the appearance of which I strongly warn you, but also those letters that are currently unread, but are available in the form of copies, and some in the form of original copies. His Majesty fully relies on your word that the contents of these letters are completely innocent, but warns that in case of your disobedience he will be forced to check whether this is so, using the most decisive methods.
At that moment, the Queen remembered my message, transmitted to her through the Duchess de Chevreuse, that the most skillful codebreaker of Cardinal du Perrage had been killed by me in a duel and mentally thanked for this the person who did it, that is, me. Of course, at the same time, she did not know that it was I who did this, since it is not customary to brag about such exploits, and besides, caution forced me to be modest, because I could not entirely rely on the fact that my secret would be kept if someone knew it. then another, except Porthos and Mary. Even without that, there was still a second duelist, de Gravu, who could reveal this secret.
“These codes are lost,” answered the Queen. “They were invented by me and Marie de Chevreuse only so that our little women’s secrets would not suddenly become the property of immodest men.” Believe me, Mr. Cardinal, there is nothing reprehensible in the encrypted letters, but there is much that the King would not want to read under any circumstances, since it would offend his natural modesty regarding those little female secrets that distinguish female nature, her physiology , if you want to. So I am happy that the King will not read these letters and his modesty will not suffer, but I regret that I cannot prove my words by handing over these codes to some modest woman who could read these letters and fully confirm my words.
“I completely believe you, Your Majesty,” the cardinal lied without blinking an eye, confirming his words with a gentle and at the same time respectful smile. “The order regarding the prohibition of encrypted correspondence comes from the King, and I cannot cancel or change it. Therefore, in case of violation of this order, the King orders to act as he promises in his warning, and I think that he will find people who will solve the problem of lost ciphers.
“Are you threatening me, Your Eminence?” — the Queen asked in an even and calm tone, which did not quite correspond to the essence of her question.
“I am explaining to you the essence of the King’s order,” Richelieu replied in an unctuous voice.
- Why are you following me, Your Eminence? - the Queen asked tiredly. - Do you want to get from me something that you will never be able to get? Is that what it's all about?
“I would also like to talk to you about this, Your Majesty,” answered the cardinal, and at the same time his face expressed relief. “I know that someone started a rumor that I am seeking your special favor.” This rumor became known to the King.
- Can I close all their mouths? - asked the Queen with cold contempt. - Am I responsible for the conjectures that are born in heated heads?
- Can I understand your words in such a way that these rumors do not come from you? - asked the cardinal.
“How could you admit that I could spread such nasty gossip about myself?” - the Queen flushed.
“They could have spread not directly from you, but by your condescending permission,” the cardinal continued.
“Do you mean to say that I can hint to some of my ladies-in-waiting that I would like my good name to be torn apart by evil tongues?” - asked the Queen with a tired grin.
“You could forgive someone too talkative for such indiscretion, perhaps?” - asked the cardinal.
- Enough! - exclaimed the Queen. “I couldn’t invent such gossip about myself, and I couldn’t let it into the world.” And if one of those who calls himself my friend, and whom I have until now considered my friend, spreads such gossip, he is no longer my friend, no matter who he is.
“I didn’t expect any other answer, Your Majesty,” the cardinal answered, not entirely sincerely. “Forgive me my question, but I was forced to ask this question because these rumors reached me through people intelligent enough and knowledgeable enough for me to ignore them. I will not name names, but these are very respected people, such as, for example, Patroclus, or Father Caussin, or, say, La Rochefoucauld. I do not name the names of these people, I only say that those who repeat these rumors inspire no less respect and trust than the people listed.
“You are killing me,” the Queen sighed. “There was a time when I myself would have thought that this is exactly what you were trying to achieve, but I would never have allowed this secret to go anywhere beyond my suspicions and doubts.”
“Can I also be sure that you have never complained to His Majesty about me?” - asked the cardinal. — I don’t mean only these charges.
- Ah, Your Eminence! - the Queen exclaimed in her hearts. “Is it possible not to notice that you are following me?” I am not surprised by the rumors you are talking about, since it is already obvious to every last maid in the Louvre that you are taking revenge on me for something, are looking for a reason to punish me for something, are setting the King against me . I live in an atmosphere of constant control, suspicion, reproach, I feel being watched at every step! Did I, the Spanish princess, think that the fate of the Queen of France was so unenviable? That I will not have the freedom to choose friends, girlfriends, to communicate with my family and loved ones, at least through letters? Can I be happy in such hell? It seems to me that the Queen of France is the most powerless woman in the Louvre, and perhaps in all of France.
“Your Majesty, let me assure you that this is far from true, and very far from the true state of affairs,” the cardinal objected. “You are the most significant person in the Kingdom after the King, but you have the power to become an even more significant person, and you know it.”
“You are talking about the birth of an heir,” the Queen answered wearily. - Apparently, I can no longer wait for this happiness. The Lord turned away from me, as did the King.
“If the King has turned his back on you, then the Lord has nothing to do with it, since you are not the Virgin Mary, and the Dauphin, who has been awaited for so long and in vain, is still not Jesus Christ,” the cardinal objected. - It is hardly reasonable to hope for a miracle of an immaculate conception, so it would be better to limit ourselves to the desire for a vicious conception, if I may be allowed to use this term. However, who would dare to call the vicious relationship between the Queen and the King for the birth of the Dauphin? Heaven has approved this marriage, and heaven expects from you the same thing that all citizens of France expect.
“And you’re talking about the same thing, and again about this,” said the queen sadly. “His Majesty has not honored me with gallant visits for a very long time.” In addition, even in cases where such visits occur, most often there is no result.
—Have you ever thought, Your Majesty, about what events almost inevitably await France in the very near future if an heir does not appear in the next two years? - asked the cardinal. - However, we may not have even these two years. A year and a half, no, a year. Exactly one year. That's how much I can give you to finally solve this problem.
“You, Your Eminence, dare to set deadlines for me in a matter in which only the Lord God, as you yourself know, is omnipotent, and no one else?” - the Queen exclaimed and looked at the cardinal with a mixed feeling of horror and admiration.
- Listen, Your Majesty! - Richelieu exclaimed with a passion that exposed him as a high-flying politician, and not at all a prelate in love with the Queen. “We, the King and I, are creating a new type of state, we are creating that France that is destined to become great for centuries.” It will be the most brilliant state in Europe, and Paris will rightfully be considered the capital of the world. Don't you see that without a decisive hand guiding the entire state, France is doomed to be torn to pieces? Your late father-in-law, King Henry IV , the great King Henry IV , who all his life was forced to watch as various princes, great and small, princes of the blood and foreign princes, dukes and cardinals, creating short-lived alliances, undermined and plundered the country? These unions disintegrated not only as a result of their own defeats, but much more often because of their own victories, since the temporarily united money-grubbers just as easily united against a common enemy, as they easily separated in attempts to grab a richer piece for themselves, brought the state to a state of complete collapse, poverty, and almost anarchy. Is it possible to come to terms with a situation where the King has to fight his way into his own capital? Or with a situation where this very capital has to be taken by a long siege? These terrible but never-ending civil wars, religious strife, provincial revolts, behind-the-scenes games and intrigues of everyone, all this led to the fact that the King was forced to borrow money from his courtiers for the most urgent needs! What did royal power become? Just appearance! What is a state without strong royal power? Nothing! Would you like for France a fate of petty fragmentation, like some Germany, where every elector fancies himself a King, but in reality they are ruined nobles with a piece of land and a gang of robbers ready to engage in robbery under their leadership? A country where only the eldest son got at least the little that was still left in the family, and the younger sons had to become abbots or mercenaries to feed themselves? Is this the kind of France we need? And what will happen to the kingdom if your august husband passes away without leaving behind his son, the Dauphin? You know it yourself. The heir to the throne is considered Monsieur, the current official Dauphin, Gaston d'Orl;ans. He cowardly fled abroad and started numerous intrigues from there in order to undermine the power of his brother and the King, in the hope that he would die as soon as possible, freeing the throne for him! If I believed that you hoped to marry him after the death of your spouse...
- No! No! Never! This proposal is criminal, such an assumption is insane, and the very thought of it is disgusting to me! - the Queen exclaimed with feeling.
“I know, Your Majesty,” Richelieu answered softly. “I might have doubted your words before, but believe me, I believe you.” But I cannot vouch for His Majesty. Perhaps he suspects you of this intention, and perhaps for this reason he does not want to see you?
- God, what nonsense! - Anna exclaimed. - What nonsense? Can this really happen?
“Look what comes out of all this,” the cardinal continued calmly. “The king is forced to suspect you of such an intention for the reason that you did not bring him an heir.” And for this same reason he does not visit you and does not make any efforts to ensure that an heir is born from you, Your Majesty. What should this inevitably lead to?
- Oh, I will never become a mother! - the Queen said doomedly.
“You should become the mother of the future King,” Richelieu replied, emphasizing the word “should.” “You must do everything, even against the wishes of the King, in order for an heir to appear.” Only in this case will this vicious circle be broken. You must give birth to a son, or better yet, two sons, one after the other. The youngest will be a reserve. But there must be one Dauphin, and it must be your son, Your Majesty!
- Don’t I want the same thing myself? - exclaimed the Queen.
“Your Majesty, there is no time,” Richelieu continued, as if not noticing the Queen’s last words. “The king is sick, very sick.” Thank God he is still alive, but we cannot hope that the Lord will send him many more years. No one knows how long he has left, but if the Lord gives him another six or seven years, this will be his greatest mercy.
- Six seven? - the Queen asked with horror. - You think so?
“I know that, Your Majesty,” the cardinal answered dryly. “And I also know that I will not survive it.” I'll leave early. Who will you stay with, Your Majesty? With Gaston, with your mother-in-law Maria de Medici, and also with your father-in-law’s bastards, these legitimized princes?! All of them will take upon themselves the crown of France, and you will not be able to hold it! At best, you will be thrown into a monastery! And at worst...
- You say terrible things, monsignor! - exclaimed the Queen.
- Remember what happened to Henry III ? - asked the cardinal. - What happened to Henry IV ? The Clements and Ravaillacs are still alive in France! And not only in it. Just remember Buckingham! Nothing can stop a fanatic's knife aimed at a royal person, unless this person takes care of her own safety, receiving the support of the most important noble persons and protecting herself with a strong company of bodyguards at every ceremonial exit! And all this is given to only one! Power must be undeniably legitimate. No one should doubt the right of the monarch to the throne that he occupies. When I say “no one,” I do not mean fanatics, but I mean those individuals who at least influence something in the state. All nobles must bow before the King's undoubted right to pardon and execute anyone who does not obey him. Only then is this power worth anything. Leave the throne of France without the King's son, and you will leave France plunged into long and bloody civil wars. There must be one heir to the throne. This is the main principle of stability. One and only one, undoubted, recognized by all. And for this it is required that this be the son of the King, a boy, and it is very desirable that he has already matured enough by the time the burden of power falls on him. But even if he does not reach maturity before this tragic event, at least his very existence changes a lot. If the King dies and the Queen gives birth to a son no later than nine months after his death, then this son is considered the son of the King and the throne goes to him. Is it possible. But only if the Queen has strong support in the person of, for example, the First Minister. Strong, authoritative, holding all the reins of power in his hands. Someone like me. But I am not destined to outlive your husband. My health is even worse than his. We, two aging men who hold all the power in our hands, may pass away at the same time, or with a short interval, one after the other, but I believe that I will be the first. Therefore, you must give birth to an heir earlier than nine months after the death of the King. Much earlier. As soon as possible . And you already have very little time left. That's why I didn't say "advisable", I said "you should", "you should". Without any doubts. The heir must appear no later than in a year. I am not giving you a longer term, because fate will not give you a longer term.
- But how to do this? - asked the stunned Queen.
“As you know, there are two ways for this,” answered the cardinal. - The path that duty and heaven shows you should work. But if it doesn't work, you have another option. You suspected me that I intended to help you solve this problem.
“I didn’t say that,” the Queen objected.
“First of all, they are talking about this in the Louvre, and it doesn’t matter at all where these outrageous rumors came from,” the cardinal answered dispassionately. “I cannot help you solve this problem unless I am completely cleared of such suspicions.” You need my help and my friendship, but for this you must first help me clear this suspicion. After all, if the King suspects me of these intentions, he will never trust me to watch you.
- God! What are you saying? - exclaimed the Queen.
“I’m telling you what you need to know,” the cardinal answered calmly. “You know very well that when a King dies and his Dowager Queen announces her pregnancy, she is placed under such strict supervision that if she is not pregnant, she will have no opportunity to do so.” so that this statement of hers would later be confirmed! If the King did not leave his seed in the Queen before his death, no one will be able to do this, since the control will be extremely serious. And first of all, of course, this will be taken care of by the King's brother, who should inherit the crown if the pregnancy turns out to be false. Thus, the Queen will be surrounded by the strictest control, I would say the strictest control.
“I understand the need for such measures,” the Queen said sadly.
“But if the King visits the Queen and she then announces her pregnancy, wouldn’t the same thing happen?” - asked the cardinal and silently looked into the Queen’s eyes.
“You’re talking about the fact that...” said the Queen and suddenly fell silent in thought.
“I’m saying that with my power I undertake to organize so that the King will pay you a gallant visit no later than within three, no two, months ,” said Richelieu. “You must make every effort to ensure that this visit has the desired consequences for everyone.” But if these consequences desired by everyone do not occur, but at least such a meeting occurs, after which the King will have no reason to doubt the paternity of the unborn child, then, as I think, these events can and should be initiated with the assistance of another person, worthy of this honor, who will not be able to subsequently let slip about such assistance provided to him.
“You say terrible things, cardinal,” whispered the Queen.
“Terrible things will happen if the King dies childless,” Richelieu shrugged off the Queen’s words. “I’m talking now about real things and about what you need to do for the good of France.” Now think about who could do four extremely important things in this enterprise. Firstly, who can ensure that the King pays you a gallant visit in the next two months, given that he is currently completely in no mood for this, and divides his favor between the former favorite Mademoiselle de Hautefort and the emerging favorite Mademoiselle de Lafayette?
“It seems impossible to me,” the Queen said, barely audible.
“I undertake to make sure that the King places his pillow next to yours,” replied Richelieu. - Who else can arrange this? This was my “first ”. Secondly, who can arrange for the right person to have the opportunity to meet with you for the period necessary to solve the problem in the event that His Majesty’s actions are not successful?
“Such a person does not exist,” answered the Queen.
- And finally, thirdly, who will be able to remove this person and place him in a place where he will no longer be able to tell anyone about the mission that he completed? - asked the cardinal.
“I believe that only you can do this, Your Eminence,” answered the Queen.
“And also take into account that this person, who may be entrusted with such a responsible mission, should not be a random person,” continued the inexorable Richelieu. “This man, in my opinion, should have the right to conceive the future King of France.” Sorry, Your Majesty, that I call a spade a spade. This must be the prince of the blood. Son of your father-in-law, King Henry IV . His eldest son.
“But his eldest son is Louis XIII ,” the Queen objected.
- Oh, how wrong you are, Your Majesty! - exclaimed Richelieu. - I'm talking about the eldest son. But not necessarily those born in marriage. However, he was definitely born from Henry IV .
- God, how terrible this is! - exclaimed the Queen.
“You would have a different attitude towards this if you knew that your mother-in-law, Queen Mother Marie de Medici, at one time committed exactly the action that you described as something terrible,” Richelieu replied. “You can trust me because I know about it first-hand.” I assume that you are aware of the relationship in which I stood for some time with your mother-in-law, Queen Mary? At the very best. In such cases, when such things are not hidden, since nothing remains hidden between people in such relationships.
The Queen almost fainted from these words.
“Listen, Your Majesty,” Richelieu said quietly and clearly. — Your husband is not the son of King Henry IV . He doesn’t know about this and will never know, God willing. But it is in your power, in yours and yours alone, to ensure that your son is the grandson of King Henry IV . In this case, justice will prevail. Formally he will be the son of Louis XIII and on that basis have every right to the throne of France, but in reality he will be the son of the eldest son of King Henry IV , whom our good late King Henry IV intended to legitimize and to whom he intended to leave the throne and crown of France. You will only restore justice, and for this you will not need to start intrigues and make a coup. The crown will be returned to the family of the great King Henry IV . Everyone will bow before you, not knowing about this feat. All of France, and I, the first among all, will praise you for the birth of the much-awaited Dauphin. On this day, I will kiss your hand, the hand of the new Queen Mother, with trepidation.
“You can kiss her right now,” the Queen said and extended her right hand, decorated with diamonds, to the cardinal.
“I’m not worthy of this yet,” Richelieu objected and respectfully knelt before the Queen.
- What should I do? - asked the Queen.
“Sign the paper of repentance that I will draw up to appease the King,” answered the cardinal. “In addition, to dispel any doubts of the King in the suspicion that I claimed your special attention and encroached on your honor, so that I would not lose his confidence.”
- It will be done! - exclaimed the Queen.
“Also, I ask you, Your Majesty, to show constant dissatisfaction with me, complain to the King about my excessive guardianship, convince him that you do not feel free in the presence of the numerous spies with whom I have surrounded you.” Only in this case will the King trust me to protect your honor and innocence after the event that could cause the heir to the throne. For my part, if you fulfill these conditions, I promise that in less than two months the King will honor you with a visit.
- Do you promise me this? - asked the Queen.
“I will do this even if it means burning my palace, the Palais Cardinal, to the ground,” replied the cardinal. “So don’t forget to complain at every opportunity about excessive guardianship on my part.”
After these words, Richelieu bowed to the Queen and left with the most respectful air.
The Queen thought for a long time. All this time, a wide variety of emotions played on her face, from horror to delight. Finally, she rang the bell, ordered herself to undress and went to bed, after which she fell asleep almost immediately. Her sleep was calm and long.
Chapter 77
The Cardinal dictated a draft of the Queen's confession, which she rewrote with ostentatious indignation, crossing out the phrase that her actions were contrary to what she had promised the King. In this "confession", it was said that the Queen admitted that she had correspondence with her brother the Cardinal Infante, with the Marquis of Mirabel and with the English resident in Flanders, Gerbier. Since the correspondence with the Queen Mother, with Gaston d'Orl;ans and with the Duchess de Chevreuse was not mentioned in this confession, it could be concluded that this correspondence was not blamed on her.
Specific messages were mentioned that were said to be distasteful to the King, namely Mirabel's information about the agreement between the King and Lorraine, and the Queen's regrets that France was moving closer to England instead of being an ally of Spain.
At the end of the document, the Queen promised never to make such mistakes again, after which the King made a note that, by virtue of this confession, he forgives the Queen and wishes to completely forget this misunderstanding, and also intends to live with the Queen as a good husband and a good King.
After signing the document, the King and Queen showed joy on their faces and hugged, while each of them probably cursed their other half in their hearts. An unpleasant surprise was the addition to this document of a note, drawn up, of course, by the cardinal, but signed by the King. It stated that the King forbids the Queen to correspond with anyone without his knowledge and consent. From now on, all the Queen’s letters had to be sealed by the chamberlain, the keeper of the Queen’s wardrobe and jewelry, after the King had become acquainted with them, the maid was forbidden to have writing materials for the Queen, and the Queen was also forbidden to go to the monastery without the permission of the King, and the keeper of the jewelry and The wardrobe was supposed to follow the Queen wherever she went. Of course, both the King and Queen knew that she was the cardinal's spy.
There were also notes that the Queen should know that if she does not keep her promise, writes herself or tells someone to write to other countries, or receives correspondence from there, then by such an action she will deprive herself of the forgiveness that the King granted her document. The Queen was also forbidden to correspond with the Duchess de Chevreuse and any intermediaries delivering letters to her. Among them were Mister Kraft and Mister La Rochefoucauld mentioned, since the King did not know about me. At first glance, it is inexplicable why the cardinal did not include the Archbishop of Tours in this list. I believe that he decided to leave some communication channels for the Queen, which he could keep under his complete control, rightly believing that if the Queen were deprived of all known communication channels, she would find new ones, whereas if she were left with less reliable ones, then in If she decides to break her promise, she will use precisely these channels, considering them not exposed.
This once again demonstrated the cardinal’s cunning and intelligence.
After the signing of this agreement, the cardinal again stated to the King that the Queen had not made complete confessions, and that it would be advisable to re-examine La Porte and the abbess of the monastery of Saint-Etienne, since the testimony of all three differed significantly.
The abbess confessed to everything that was demanded of her, but La Porte asked that the Queen write him permission to confess, and also that he be told exactly what he had to confess . The cunning courtier chose such a formulation that he, they say, does not understand what exactly he must confess, but is ready in advance to confess everything that the Queen tells him to confess. Of course, a confession made in such a form would have no meaning and no force.
La Porte tried to shield the Queen even at the cost of her life, and the Queen wanted to save La Porte even at the cost of her humiliation.
Richelieu again ordered La Porte to be brought to him for interrogation, and showed him a letter signed by the Queen, in which she urged him to tell the whole truth to the cardinal on all the questions that Richelieu would ask him.
“Don’t ruin yourself, Mister La Porte,” the cardinal said in a soft voice. “You see for yourself that the Queen confessed everything, and in order for the King to believe her confessions completely, all that is required is confirmation, that is, for you to say the same thing.” The paper has already been signed stating that the King forgives Her Majesty; all that remains are empty formalities.
“But you are suggesting that I save myself by telling you something about the Queen that will destroy her!” - La Porte objected. - After all, if we are talking about her actions, which she is not blamed for, then they probably do not interest you. For my part, I don’t understand what I could report that would require an investigation.
“But you promised to confess everything if you received the Queen’s permission to do so!” - exclaimed Richelieu. - I show you this permission, signed by the Queen. If you don't confess, then you're breaking your own promise!
“But I asked that the Queen not only allow me to confess, but also tell me exactly what I must confess,” La Porte continued.
Truly, it takes strong nerves to argue so persistently with Richelieu or to so skillfully pretend to be an imbecile. Of course, Richelieu lost patience.
— Is it true that Mademoiselle de Hautefort instructed the Marquis de La Rochefoucauld to organize the Queen’s escape to the Netherlands? - Richelieu asked, looking into La Porte’s eyes.
La Porte did not expect such a turn, because even if such questions were raised, he had not heard anything about it.
- This definitely never happened! - exclaimed La Porte.
The cardinal laughed and ordered La Porta to be taken away.
- Do you know, le Mal, what amused me just now? - he asked the secretary. - The conviction with which La Porte refuted the assumption that I expressed to him! Of course, you have no idea why it looked funny.
“No, monsignor, I don’t guess,” agreed Michel le Mal.
“I remembered how one baron, who doubted that all his many children were really his children, said to his wife: “You know, Marie, it seems to me that Pierre is not at all like me. Didn’t you get it from some neighbor?” - “But no, no! - Marie exclaimed. “That’s exactly Pierre – definitely your son!”
Michel le Mal grinned and tried to put on a smart face.
“I want to say that the vehemence with which La Porte denied precisely this last question that I asked him betrays him completely, and it is quite clear to me in what cases I asked him questions containing assumptions that he did not deny.” so furiously,” the cardinal concluded. “His reaction to my questions was better than any confession.” Now I know everything. Absolutely everything I wanted to know about this case.
“Let me ask you a question, monsignor,” replied Le Malle. — Did you assume that the Queen could escape to the Netherlands?
“The Queen has an aunt, Clara Eugenia, in the Netherlands,” answered the cardinal. - This is the ruler of the Netherlands, as you know. Such an escape could provide her with refuge and a completely calm and comfortable life. She could have planned something like this.
“Won’t she be able to plan this in the future?” - Le Malle asked.
“No,” the cardinal answered confidently. - Now there is no.
It must be said that La Porte was threatened with another interrogation with partiality. This interrogation was entrusted to Mr. Laffema, who would have been ready to crush the poor man’s feet or knees, or maybe both, fortunately, he had the tools for this. But fortunately, Mademoiselle de Hautefort gave me a note about what exactly the Queen confessed to, and said that this note should be given to La Porte in the Bastille. The note contained the Queen's confirmation that she allowed and even ordered La Porte to confess the same thing. I used the same technique that I talked about earlier, a person was temporarily placed in the Bastille who found a way to pass a note along a chain that also included one guard who was part of the Order. La Porte read the note and destroyed it by swallowing it. For appearances, he became a little stubborn, but did not take the interrogation to the extreme point. Pretending that he was afraid that torture would be applied to him, he stated everything that he should have stated, according to the Queen’s command.
- Simple as that! - exclaimed the cardinal when Laffema placed on his table the interrogation report, signed on each sheet by La Porte. “I thought this guy would continue to be stubborn.” So, I was wrong about him, he seemed much stronger to me. Well, leave him alone. In the Bastille, of course. Let him just sit and come to his senses. We'll release it a little later. Broken people are useful to us in freedom.
- So he's not guilty? asked Laffema.
“Remember, Laffema,” replied Richelieu. “There is not a single innocent person today about whom one could say with confidence that he will remain innocent tomorrow.” We only prevented one crime, prevented one conspiracy, but did not eradicate crime as such, and did not prevent all conspiracies that may take place in the future. Since you and I know that La Porta can be broken, we better have him in the camp of potential conspirators. But in order for him to return to this camp, he must be kept in the Bastille for another five or six months. Better - seven. Otherwise, it may not be accepted back if we release it too quickly.
Poor La Porte remained in the Bastille for another seven months, however, his imprisonment was not very onerous, especially in comparison with the first two weeks. The concessions made for him made his stay there much easier. Porthos once said to himself that he would not be upset if he went to Hell: it is, of course, hot and uncomfortable there, but the society there is much more fun than in Paradise. The same could be said in those days about the Bastille. Since La Porte was no longer in solitary confinement, his fellow sufferers who brightened up his leisure time were pleasant, noble and educated people. Among those who shared the cell with them is M. de Chavaille, chief of police of Ysers, who was condemned for discord with the ruler of his province. He entertained himself by keeping a diary, or writing memoirs, or something like that. He infected La Porta with this addiction. Also sharing leisure time with La Porte was the Comte d'Ahon, who was guilty of planning to take the cardinal's niece hostage in order to exchange her for Montmorency. He did not save Montmorency, since he failed to capture his niece, but ended up in the Bastille, where he devoted his forced leisure to the study of mathematics. So those who say that Richelieu greatly contributed to the development of science in France are certainly right, and the example of the count confirms this. In these memoirs, La Porte reports that among his cellmates was M. Charles d'Angen du Fargis, a former ambassador to Spain, who gave La Porte lessons in drawing and perspective. If this is true, Richelieu's contribution to painting should also be recognized, however, it seems to me that La Porte got something wrong, since du Fargis was arrested much earlier, in 1635, and was imprisoned not in the Bastille, but in the Ch;teau de Vincennes. However, I cannot rule out that for some reason he spent some of his time in the Bastille.
Also in the Bastille at that time were the Comte de Cramail, Bassompierre, Marshal de Vitry, Monsieur de Vauthier, and even for eight days the Duke de La Rochefoucauld. By the way, La Rochefoucauld ended up there through no fault of his own , and although he was extremely unpleasant to me personally, I am glad that he was released soon.
He was let down by the story of the Book of Hours.
In order for this story to be understandable, I must make a short excursion into earlier events so that it becomes clear what connected the Duke de La Rochefoucauld and the Duchess de Chevreuse.
Chapter 78
The fact is that Francois de La Rochefoucauld was too friendly with the beauties who were on the staff of the Queen's ladies-in-waiting. Among them, two stood out, with whom, it seems to me, he established very friendly relations. And I still don’t consider Maria de Chevreuse. The first of them was Mademoiselle Fran;oise de Barb;si;res de Chemreault, a young, flexible and very charming lady, and if she had been married, I myself would have taken a closer look at her. But only the King or the groom, or a fool could afford to flirt with mademoiselle. Since I do not consider La Rochefoucauld a fool, and it is also reliably known that he was neither the King nor the groom, his behavior is simply incomprehensible to me. We have to admit that young men, who have considerable intelligence in all other respects, often become dullards when it comes to pretty women.
Of course, one stupidity leads to another, even greater one. Mademoiselle de Chemreau introduced La Rochefoucauld to Mademoiselle de Hautefort. To understand what kind of trouble La Rochefoucauld found himself in, it should be recalled that Mademoiselle de Hautefort at one time pleased the King and was in fact an official favorite, although without those privileges for which many ladies-in-waiting dream of this fate. The king did not waste his male ardor on this favorite, but only languidly admired her from afar, which did not prevent him from being jealous of her not only for men, but also for women. Therefore, an acquaintance, and, moreover, a trusting relationship with such a lady could only be safe for the Queen, although I would not guarantee on this score either. To complete the picture, I will add that Mademoiselle de Chemro was a spy for the cardinal. La Rochefoucauld's third passion was Marie de Chevreuse, who was, as you know, a friend of the Queen, who subsequently aroused the passion of the King and the Cardinal for some time, but has recently aroused only indignation in them. That was the duchess; she left no one indifferent to her. Those who fell in love with her, but did not receive her reciprocal feelings, often began to hate her, and yet, among other things, she gave the King and the Cardinal reasons for this too often. It was in such a circle of ladies friendly to him that La Rochefoucauld found himself, despite the fact that Chevrette was in Tours, on her estate, while both mademoiselles were near the Queen.
The cardinal's investigation of the Queen's correspondence with foreign officials occurred during the war with those states with whose ambassadors and rulers Anne of Austria exchanged letters. This is what made her guilt obvious. This is exactly what Richelieu took advantage of in order to discredit the Queen.
At this time, the actual fragmentation of the state was reflected, which could even be characterized by the term “multiple power”, which proves the rightness of Richelieu, who wanted to establish the absolute power of the King by diminishing and even destroying the power of princes, marshals, and dukes. Indeed, the marshals were more concerned with personal glory than with solving the general tasks that the war posed to them. And since they had to fight almost along the entire border, one commander was not enough. Chatillon and Breze competed with each other in their successes. La Rochefoucauld, who participated in the fighting for some time, was removed from the army for unworthy speeches against the cardinal. Arriving at the court, he felt the hostility of the King, and his arrival coincided with the fact that the King removed Mademoiselle de Hautefort from himself. The reason for this removal was the indecent proposal of Saint-Simon, which I already wrote about, as well as the rise of a new star of the court in the person of Louise de Lafayette. But La Rochefoucauld perceived this removal as the King’s desire to annoy him personally. To what extent are some people infected with a sense of their own greatness? Would the King really refuse someone he really liked for the sole reason that someone else also liked her? Even if La Rochefoucauld bore the name of Prince de Marcillac in those years! In these matters, for any King there is only him and the object of his passion.
At this very time, the Cardinal gave many reasons for discontent, so that all his enemies gradually began to unite again, with the goal of his physical elimination, since they no longer believed that the King would agree to simply remove him from power.
There were also those who suggested that de Treville arrest the cardinal, to which de Treville replied that he would immediately do this if he received an order from the King, and from no one else.
The Duchess de Chevreuse remained in exile in Tours after an incident when the opposition, led by Monsieur, then still at court, conspired to kill the cardinal. After the meeting in Amiens, such an opportunity presented itself in the best possible way. The king went home first, while the cardinal stayed another half hour. He found himself surrounded by his enemies, who only dreamed of killing him. Among them were both princes, Saint-Ibar, Montresor, Varicarville and, of course, Monsieur. La Rochefoucauld was among them. They all suddenly realized that the cardinal was actually in their power, because he was alone against all of them. In this case, they agreed that they would act on Monsieur's orders. But Gaston d'Orleans did not give any sign to act, so the cardinal calmly left the unfriendly society and promised himself never to act so rashly again. No one understood why Gaston d'Orl;ans did not give a sign to deal with the cardinal. Some suggested that he showed timidity, others attributed everything to lack of insight, but my opinion is that Gaston worked on both sides. He was afraid of the cardinal and told him some information. He understood that if there was no assassination attempt, he would not lose anything, but if an assassination attempt occurred and turned out to be unsuccessful for some reason, he might not be forgiven.
The Duchess de Chevreuse was sent to Tours, the Queen spoke well of her in conversations with La Rochefoucauld, and also highly praised La Rochefoucauld himself in letters to Chevrette. This served to bring them closer together. La Rochefoucauld, meanwhile, received permission to visit the army to participate in hostilities and return to the court to perform secular duties. This, I believe, was achieved through the efforts of the Queen, whose petition at that time still meant something. So La Rochefoucauld became a courier between the Queen and Chevrette, as well as a friend of both of them.
When the events described above occurred, as a result of which the Queen’s writing materials were taken away and a promise was taken from her to stop correspondence, Richelieu, in order to rein in and intimidate the Queen’s overly active supporters, spread a rumor that the King was seriously considering such a step, as the dissolution of a marriage with the subsequent imprisonment of the Queen in one of the fortresses, presumably in Gipra. At that very time, the Queen, to whom these servants also reached, even before a decisive conversation with the cardinal, was frightened and, indeed, asked La Rochefoucauld how possible it was to arrange her escape to Brussels, accompanied only by Mademoiselle de Hautefort. La Rochefoucauld was delighted with such an order, although, in fact, there was no order yet. Whatever the dangers this might pose, the plan was so daring that La Rochefoucauld was apparently dizzy with possible happiness. Did he really imagine that he would eventually be able to marry the Queen or , at least, enter the circle of the most intimate friends of the ruler of the Netherlands, or some other nonsense? God knows!
Instead of ruling out any discussion on the topic, he made it clear that he was willing to think about the possibility.
The Queen's conversation with the cardinal the next day changed everything; in addition, Madame Marie-Madeleine de Vinero, Duchess d'Aiguillon, Cardinal Richelieu's maternal niece, stood up for the Queen. She, of course, believed that her intercession played a decisive role, since no one except the cardinal himself knew all his cards in this game.
So, the tension between the Queen and the cardinal subsided, leaving only visible hostility, which the cardinal asked the Queen to express in public towards him.
The Queen was only concerned about the fate of her friend, Marie de Chevreuse. Indeed, she was in the dark. She was forbidden to write. The Duke de La Rochefoucauld received a warning that he was forbidden to see the Duchess de Chevreuse, as well as correspond with her.
There was an agreement between the Queen and Chevrette about a signal in case of danger. It was agreed that if the duchess received a book of hours in a green binding, this would mean that there was no danger, but if she was sent a book of hours in a red binding, this would mean that the danger was extremely high, and the duchess should save herself as quickly and decisively as possible.
The Queen begged La Rochefoucauld to warn Chevrette that there was no danger, La Rochefoucauld could not see her or correspond with her under pain of imprisonment in the Bastille, there seemed to be no way out of this situation. La Rochefoucauld did not dare to object to the Queen and report that he could not fulfill her request. It would probably be easier for him to go to the Bastille for the rest of his life than to refuse the Queen’s request. Moreover, La Rochefoucauld himself would be happy to have a useful influence on the fate of the duchess he adored.
So, La Rochefoucauld ordered to send the duchess a book of hours bound in green. Mademoiselle de Hautfort informed the Order about this. Father Etienne ordered the Book of Hours to be replaced with another one, which had a red binding.
Many years later I realized how wise Father Etienne was. Indeed, the cardinal calmed the Queen and wanted to get the Duchess de Chevreuse into his hands. He would like to place her in the Bastille, confront her with La Porte and, if necessary, with the Queen. The appearance of complete friendship and affection for the Queen, which he showed in the last conversation, did not in the least exclude the possibility that he would at any moment be ready to obtain an annulment of the marriage, since for him the birth of an heir to Louis XIII was the highest priority during these years, and if the Queen showed disobedience, he would have removed it without the slightest regret, just as a chess player removes the cut-down piece of his opponent. For him, the transfer of the throne into the hands of his sworn enemy, Gaston of Orleans, was unacceptable; in order to prevent this from happening, he could enter into an alliance not only with the Queen, whom he once loved, and whom, probably for this very reason, he greatly disliked, not in the strength to endure her refusal, expressed in an extremely contemptuous form, and repeatedly; I am convinced that the cardinal would have made a deal with the Devil himself, if such a thing had been possible, just to prevent Gaston from reaching the crown of France.
So, Richelieu was eager to get the Duchess de Chevreuse in his hands for interrogation with passion, so he convinced the Queen that the Duchess had absolutely no guilt, and therefore she could return to court, the Queen decided to return Mary with the help of a book of hours in a green binding, but Father Etienne ordered the duchess to be removed as far as possible from France.
As a result, the Duchess hastily collected all her jewelry, dressed in men's clothes, which suited her so well, taking with her only the maid Katie, who, I remember, was once in love with our friend d'Artagnan, and the two ladies in men's suits galloped away from Paris to Spain.
On the way, she stopped by the eighty-year-old Archbishop of Tours, who adored her, left with him all the correspondence with the Queen and other important persons, which she did not dare destroy, but also wisely decided not to take with her, and asked him to hide it away and show her the best way to Spain . The archbishop, who came from B;arn, had many relatives near the Spanish border. All night, the loving prelate painstakingly wrote instructions on how best and safest the duchess should move to Spain, who to turn to for help, where to stop for the night, and how not to get lost along the way.
These were extremely useful and valuable parting words for travelers like Chevreuse and Katie, both of whom had no experience of long horseback travel through unfamiliar places.
Maria hid these parting words in the pockets of her men's clothing. Meanwhile, the Archbishop noticed that her clothes were too conspicuous, so that in the area they would be passing through, they would unnecessarily attract attention. He offered her and Katie other costumes, more suitable for long riding and not so attracting the attention of the mouthless.
Maria thanked the archbishop with a kiss on the forehead and hurried to change into the clothes provided to her. She was in such a hurry that she forgot to take out the prelate's instructions from the pockets of her removed clothes, and remembered them only when it was too late to return. It is not surprising that the ladies got lost and took a completely different route than the venerable archbishop had instructed them to follow.
This led to the fact that they ended up in Roche Labeille, lying between Tulle and Angoul;me, where there was not even an inn. They decided to ask the priest for hospitality. They knocked on the door and heard the answer “Come in! The door is not locked!
A dim lamp was burning in the priest's bedroom. There was already a man lying on the bed, whom the travelers took for a priest. Having informed him that two travelers needed a bed for the night, the duchess heard the answer that there was only one bed in the house, and if the young traveler was content with half of it, while his servant could perfectly settle on a chest in the next room, Maria decided to play pranks in her style. The priest's voice seemed young and pleasant to her; she looked at the profile of the man lying on the bed, in whom she saw noble features.
She decided to seduce the priest because it seemed funny to her that, as a result of such a prank, the holy father, despite his long righteous life, would go to Hell. In his person, she decided to take revenge on all the clergy, and first of all on the cardinal, because of whom she was forced to leave her estate and rush all day long to unknown destination on horseback.
This unusual night was remembered for a long time by both, because, as it seemed to Mary, the priest did not resist his fall too much and turned out to be a passionate, strong and skillful lover, so that she even regretted that he was a priest and she was a fugitive, and to repeat this nights cannot be counted on.
The man whom the fugitives took for a priest was Athos, and I believe that that night he no longer hated or despised women so much, since this meeting left him with only pleasant memories.
Ah, I am not at all jealous of Chevrette for Athos, because if I were jealous of her, I would have to see enemies in too many noble nobles, starting with the King and the Cardinal, as well as the King of Spain, the Duke of Holland, Buckingham, La Rochefoucauld and... Enough! I am not writing these memoirs to list Chevrette’s lovers, and, by the way, she had two husbands at different times!
However, Maria did not give birth to children from all her lovers.
But this night led to the birth of Raoul, Viscount de Bragelonne.
He was like a son to all four of us. Why was it? No, of course not. However, more on that later.
So Chevrette retired to Spain.
Meanwhile, the cardinal summoned her to Paris with his letter. The Duke of Chevreuse replied that his wife had left Tours without informing him of the direction of her departure and the time of her absence.
The Cardinal was beside himself. He accused the Queen of corresponding with her, and of telling her to leave and hide. The Queen denied everything, and in this case she did not lie.
The Cardinal sent a convoy led by Mr. Vigner, who was supposed to catch up with the duchess and return her home, and then escort her to Paris, but not as a prisoner, but as a guest.
He still hoped that they would catch up with her. But the horsemen sent in pursuit learned from the duke that Mary intended to visit the Archbishop of Tours, who believed the assurances that it would be better for Mary to return before she reached the borders of Spain. He spoke in detail about all the instructions that he provided Maria with.
Of course, Monsieur de Vigne and his convoy, catching up with Maria and her companion, drove along the path along which the travelers should have traveled, but not along the path along which they actually traveled. Therefore, the pursuers did not catch up with the fugitives, and all inquiries about them yielded nothing. On this basis, the Cardinal suspected that the Duchess was deliberately confusing her tracks, and that she had simply outwitted him. He brought his accusations against the Queen with even greater force, which made Anna of Austria seriously offended by the Duchess, and from that day on their tender friendship received its first crack.
Meanwhile, the Duchess from the Spanish border sent La Rochefoucauld her jewelry, providing the shipment with a letter in which she asked to keep these jewelry for her in case she could return to France, or to keep them in case fate did not allow her to do this. La Rochefoucauld, who did not even allow the thought of a second outcome, decided to carefully preserve all her treasures for Mary.
The cardinal learned about everything except Mary's jewelry. He summoned La Rochefoucauld for questioning to account for his actions. La Rochefoucauld took all the blame upon himself, admitting that he had feelings for the duchess that were warmer than friendship, and that he mistakenly sent her a book of hours in a red binding, which alerted her and forced her to leave Tours. La Rochefoucauld actually thought that the color of the binding was not what it should have been, due to someone's mistake.
La Rochefoucauld's confessions brought him to the Bastille, but not for long. As I said, he was released eight days later. Indeed, the cardinal could not keep the duke and prince in the Bastille for a long time just because he sent a book of hours to the duchess he idolized!
Thus, the Jesuit Order temporarily removed the Duchess de Chevreuse from France and unwittingly contributed to the birth of Raoul, in the future the Viscount de Bragelonne.
Chapter 79
When La Rochefoucauld was released, he was taken to Ruel to the cardinal, who expected to hear from him words of apology for his misdeeds and words of gratitude for his release. The impudent La Rochefoucauld said neither one nor the other, according to his self-written memoirs. But I don’t believe them, since the cardinal testified that he received everything he expected from the duke. And how could it be otherwise? How could La Rochefoucauld be sure that even in the event of daring behavior he would be released and even his property would not be damaged? Of course no. None of those who dealt with Richelieu could be sure that after a conversation with him they would not end up in the Bastille or another fortress, not even the Queen, and even those who had significant guilt could have no doubt that they would not be executed , secret or demonstrative - on the Place de Greve or on another ominous place, of which there were at least four in Paris.
And I myself am writing memoirs, right now, so I know for sure that in my own memoirs the author himself acts impeccably: he always shows courage, nobility and prudence. This comes from the fact that our mind does not allow us to blame ourselves too much for our actions and thoughts. I'm talking now about mentally healthy people. Therefore, our consciousness finds us a justification for our every action, every thought, and paints us not as we would appear in the eyes of an unbiased witness, but as we would like to appear in the eyes of those to whom we are not indifferent. La Rochefoucauld, of course, was asked about his rendezvous with Richelieu by the Queen, Mademoiselle de Hautefort, and the Duchess de Chevreuse. And, of course, in his reports about him he embellished his answers. And an embellished story about oneself, told three times (at least), replaces true memories in the mind, completely and forever.
But I know the truth. La Rochefoucauld humbly apologized to the cardinal for his indiscretion and asked for forgiveness, and also made promises and vows never again to do anything that might not please His Eminence and His Majesty, and in case of doubt, to consult with the cardinal. This was tantamount to a promise of denunciation; nominally Richelieu recruited La Rochefoucauld as his informant, which he tried to do with everyone. On these conditions, and only on these conditions, the Duke of La Rochefoucauld was released on all four sides.
The Cardinal, as the Duke believes, did not find out about Chevrette’s jewelry, which was entrusted to him for safekeeping. Let me disagree with this recollection of La Rochefoucauld.
There were no such messages in France from those persons who were on the cardinal's special list, or to those persons who were on it, so that messages from them or to them would not become known to the cardinal. This transfer fell into the sphere of close interest of the cardinal on both counts. The Cardinal not only knew about this transfer, but also had an inventory of the jewels and their valuation, and these jewels were carefully examined in order to find out if there were any secret signs on them. The medallions were opened, the rings were examined under a magnifying glass, one of those made by Galileo Galilei in 1624 for his "occhiolino", a small microscope, but which he rejected, and they were rebought by Ferdinand de' Medici, and subsequently presented to Richelieu. So La Rochefoucauld was in vain to believe that Chevrette’s treasures represented a secret for Richelieu.
La Rochefoucauld's exaggerated stories about his own courage, dedication and nobility found a warm response in the hearts of the Queen, Mademoiselle de Hautefort and Duchess de Chevreuse , who heard them a little later. Mademoiselle de Hautefort, in particular, showed such undoubted “evidence of her respect and her friendship” for him that La Rochefoucauld himself admitted that in the light of this evidence he already found his misadventures “even too much rewarded.” In other words, he received the very evidence of her trust, which even the King himself did not claim, and the possibility of which de Saint-Simon hinted to the King, as a result of which the King rejected both Saint-Simon himself and subsequently Mademoiselle de Hautefort, since this the monarch could only love by idolizing. He should have taken the Virgin Mary as his wife; he would have made a magnificent old man, Joseph, protecting the maiden from men and admiring her innocence and purity.
So, La Rochefoucauld received his “reward” from Mademoiselle de Hautfort, and the Duchess de Chevreuse, for her part, proved that she also had no less gratitude to La Rochefoucauld. He himself writes about this: “she exaggerated what I had done for her so much that the Spanish King visited her for the first time when the news of my imprisonment arrived, and the second time when he learned that I was already free.” I must say that I know about the reasons for the Spanish King’s visit to Chevrette, but the reason could have been the one the Duke writes about. If ever a man visited Chevreuse for a different purpose than I did, it was either her husband, or a eunuch, or her son, or King Louis XIII .
So, La Rochefoucauld, released from the Bastille, went to Verteuil for three years, where he considered himself an exile. Richelieu, apparently, considered him his man among the conspirators, while La Rochefoucauld himself, in his memoirs, in any case, sympathizes with the conspirators. The truth was in the middle. Indeed, if all those who counted themselves among the conspirators against Richelieu had been such in fact, they would have overthrown him five or six times, whereas they failed to consistently accomplish this even once, so loose was their community, guided by such contradictory aspirations Each of them.
Meanwhile, Richelieu decided to replace one of the King’s favorites with another, because he was convinced that Mademoiselle de Hautefort completely took the Queen’s side. He managed to advantageously present Mademoiselle Louise de Lafayette, whom I already mentioned above, before the King. This mademoiselle found a very strong response in the King’s heart. Her almost childlike spontaneity, which the King found endearing, including the funny episode with the “crushed lemon,” paved the way to the heart of this lover of purity and innocence.
Lafayette, indeed, not only fell in love with the King, but also fell in love with him. Perhaps this was the only woman in the life of Louis XIII who loved him. Her feelings were sincere, so, firstly, she wished the King happiness even if it would be without her participation, and secondly, she refused to report to the cardinal information about her meetings with the King, especially what exactly Louis told her, and how he reacted to certain words of hers. She, I repeat, sincerely found the King’s most boring speeches interesting and had fun on those rare occasions when the King wanted to make a joke, flat and not witty. The king was, of course, delighted, but Richelieu was not happy with this situation. In addition, he promised the Queen that in the very near future the King would honor her with his active attention.
Through the efforts of the cardinal, both participants in this strange platonic flirtation finally came to the conviction that it would be good for everyone for Louise to be removed to a monastery. This was realized. The king shed tears and prepared to visit Mademoiselle de Lafayette in her monastery. They talked through the bars for three hours. This scene between the favorite Louise and King Louis reminded me very much of another scene between another favorite Louise and another King Louis, which took place a quarter of a century later. Truly, history repeats itself, first as tragedy and then as farce. If for King Louis XIII this meeting could be called a tragedy, since it was about the only and last meeting between the final departure of the favorite to become a nun, then for King Louis XIV such meetings before each “final” departure of Louise de La Valli;re to the monastery became almost a tradition . In addition, Louise de Lafayette sincerely loved the King, whom no one loved except her, and devoted herself to the Lord in order to remain virgin forever for the sake of the King, while Louise de Lavaliere gave birth to Louis XIV five children, two of whom lived to adulthood , Louis XIV legitimized all five of them and gave them his surname de Bourbon. Therefore, the phrase: “Sire, leave me and return to your wife!” in the mouth of Louise de Lafayette she was sincere, but in the mouth of de Lavaliere... Judge for yourself!
So, Louise de Lafayette begged the King to return to the Queen and live with her in good harmony, as spouses should live.
The king absentmindedly promised this, not at all intending in his heart to follow this useful advice.
Of course, Louise addressed these pleas to the King at the instigation of Richelieu, who could not force her to spy, but could convince her to set the King on the true path, important for the state. The same request came from another camp, from Father Caussin, a Jesuit.
But the cunning cardinal was not content with just these instructions given to Louise. In addition, he ordered her to detain the King for at least three hours. The fact is that the cardinal trusted one warlock, who, looking at the Sun through smoked glass, and also using some of his other observations, predicted the storm quite accurately. This time he predicted it for the evening of December 5, 1637. Thus, the cardinal knew for sure that the King would have to return home, caught in the storm. All the persons accompanying Louis were the cardinal's people and had clear instructions, which were that the King, at all costs, would stop for the night at the Louvre to visit the Queen. In addition, the corresponding instructions were received by the guard captain de Guiteau, who sympathized with the Queen, not knowing that these instructions came from the cardinal. He believed that they came from de Treville.
As soon as the King left the monastery, a monstrous storm broke out. The drivers, instead of calming the horses, provoked them into demonstrating nervousness and dropped several torches into a puddle. All this seemed to the king a terrible omen: horses tearing their tracks, torches going out from gusts of wind and rain, water pouring into the carriage through the leather curtains that did not fit tightly to the edges. At this moment, the King is met by the Guards captain de Guiteau, accompanied by a small convoy, and invites the King to use the Louvre, which is just a stone's throw away, for an overnight stay.
The king agreed that the further journey to Fontainebleau would be unnecessarily tiring and long, in addition, he was afraid of the possibility of catching a cold, which would be completely undesirable, since the health of Louis XIII was already in a deplorable state . So, the King arrived at his wife's palace. But it would not be Louis XIII if he began to apologize for an unforeseen visit and ask for an overnight stay with his wife, who was almost in exile, and whom he had not visited for a very long time. The king decided to demonstrate that he made this night visit simply because it pleased him to do so.
The couple dined together in the presence of curious courtiers on both sides, who were surprised at such an unexpected event and wondered what caused it and what consequences it might have. The Queen remembered Richelieu's promise and was surprised at how accurately he fulfilled it.
“Your Majesty honors me with such an unexpected surprise as your long-awaited visit ,” said the Queen.
“I know,” the King said dispassionately, putting a spoonful of amazing pate into his mouth and washing it down with magnificent wine.
“I regret that I will not be able to treat you to your favorite poppy seed roll with walnuts, hazelnuts and candied fruits,” the Queen continued. “But this dessert will be ready by morning, I’ve already given orders.”
- Great! - exclaimed the King. “And for today I’ll settle for a creamy souffl; with blueberries.”
The Queen realized that she had won a small victory: the King would stay the night even if the storm subsided immediately.
Fortunately, in the Louvre there was no second bed worthy of the King, but the Queen’s bed was roomy enough, so the servants put the Queen and King’s pillows on the common bed, which thus became the matrimonial bed, without asking any questions. Even if the King intended to spend the night in a separate bed, he considered it beneath his dignity to give additional orders on this topic. However, Queen Anne had a very seductive appearance in those years, and Cologne water completed the job. The King happily lay down next to the Queen, Anna gently stroked his hand, he almost mechanically responded to her tenderness, after which all the necessary actions for conceiving the Dauphin were finally completed by both parties.
Anna considered herself a winner and offered prayers to the Virgin Mary and all the other saints she could remember, that this meeting would lead to the appearance of an heir.
The next morning the King received his favorite dessert and left for his palace, without wasting words of love. He was much more interested in the upcoming hunt.
Two weeks later, the cardinal secretly appeared to the Queen to discuss an extremely important matter. The Queen, who outwardly continued to demonstrate hatred of Richelieu, this time did not object to such a meeting and did her best to ensure that no one knew about it.
“Your Majesty, you could make sure that I keep my promises ,” said the cardinal after the usual displays of deference and greetings.
“Your Eminence, I have nothing to reproach you with,” agreed the Queen.
- So, when can we announce to the people the good news about the conception of the Dauphin? - asked Richelieu.
“I’m afraid not this time,” the Queen said sadly.
“So, the best of all plans did not work, a second such case may not arise, so it is necessary to move on to implementing a backup plan ,” said the cardinal.
- I can't! - exclaimed the Queen. - This is impossible! I'm afraid! This is disgusting, this is a sin!
“Madam, why didn’t you warn me that you preferred to end your days in Le Havre?” - Richelieu said calmly. “You will probably not be particularly pleased to learn that Louis XIII will receive consent from the Pope to dissolve your marriage and to conclude another marriage union, which, I hope, will facilitate the appearance of an heir no later than in a year and a half.” From there, from Le Havre, you can send prayers to the Holy Virgin for the sending of an heir to His Majesty.
- Wait! - said the Queen. —Todo _ esto es terrible . Pero debo estar de acuerdo con esta propuesta.
“Caesar, Duc de Vend;me, eldest son of King Henry IV , who is currently in love with your friend Marie, Duchess of Chevreuse, is convinced that she has made an appointment with him tomorrow evening,” the cardinal said calmly. “He is convinced that the duchess reciprocates his feelings, and for these purposes he will secretly arrive from Spain.” It was agreed that the duchess would wear a mask and the date would take place in complete darkness. This is the mask that should be worn by the one who comes to see the son of Henry IV tomorrow on a date, and this is a bottle of the favorite Cologne water that the Duchess de Chevreuse uses. Tomorrow at ten o'clock in the evening the carriage will arrive for the lady who decides to meet Vendome, and will take her to elegantly furnished rooms, not far from here, where Caesar Vendome will arrive at midnight. The lady who had already agreed in writing to a meeting with Caesar Vend;me, that is, the Duchess de Chevreuse, made him promise to let her go before dawn. The carriage will wait for this lady all night. I recommend that she not linger after the date has taken place. No one will know about this meeting between Caesar de Vend;me and the Duchess de Chevreuse. Never. Even the Duchess de Chevreuse herself. As for the Duke de Vend;me, he had already given a written promise to keep this meeting secret. So, I leave here the mask and Cologne water, in the next room there is a wardrobe in which the Duchess de Chevreuse could appear at this meeting. It would be nice to burn him in the fireplace after this meeting. A lady who decides on such a date can refuse it at any moment. No one will monitor the execution of these instructions; the carriage will go to the meeting place even if no one gets into it, and will go back at four o’clock in the morning, regardless of whether anyone returns to it or not. But if a woman's voice asks the coachman to go earlier, this command will be carried out. Therefore, most likely, even I will not know for sure whether anyone took advantage of this offer or not. You can send some lady-in-waiting in your place and play a trick on Caesar de Vend;me in this way. In any case, I will assume that this is exactly what will happen. If this lady-in-waiting is lucky enough to become pregnant by King Henry IV 's eldest son , I believe she can be proud of it for the rest of her life. As for your pregnancy from the King, I have not heard anything and know nothing. Perhaps you were mistaken, perhaps you are already pregnant? I will pray to the Lord about this, I hope with all my heart that this is exactly the case, and I do not intend to return to this topic until we are all told about the wonderful news on your behalf. I wish Your Majesty good luck in any case, and I dare to assure you of my sincere respect and deepest respect. Let me take my leave of this.
After these words, the cardinal bowed respectfully to the Queen and left.
The Queen approached the table on which the cardinal had left a silk mask and perfume. She opened a bottle of Cologne water and recognized the very perfume that Marie de Chevreuse loved so much. Of course, Cesar Vend;me will mistake for Chevrette the woman who will allow him to cling to her in complete darkness, hiding her face under a silk mask.
The Queen's heart began to beat desperately.
Chapter 80
The newly appeared regularly published journal Gazette notified the people of France on January 30, 1638 that there was hope for the birth of the Dauphin.
All the nobility, led by princes, dukes, marshals, cardinals and other high-ranking nobility, hastened to express their delight and hope that their expectations would be met.
The queen trembled at the thought that the matter could again end in a miscarriage. This time she showed rare prudence; any carelessness was excluded. The king was pleased, but this did not cause a significant improvement in relations between the spouses.
Noticing that the Queen’s brow was darkened from time to time by some secret thoughts, the cardinal, under the guise of spiritual guidance, visited Anne of Austria.
“Your Majesty ,” he said after the usual greetings. “I am delighted that the Lord has blessed your marriage and I hope that the baby born will be a boy.” Prayers for this mercy will be held regularly in all churches dedicated to your patroness, the Virgin Mary.
“Your Eminence, I’m afraid...” whispered the Queen. - The King... After all, he...
“Your Majesty has absolutely nothing to fear,” Richelieu said softly. — Unless you may be afraid of a somewhat prolonged pregnancy, maybe two or three weeks. But this is nothing!
“I know, and yet...” the Queen said sadly.
“You will drink the contents of this bottle on the morning of the fifth of September or in the evening of the fourth of September ,” said the cardinal. — The baby will be born on September 5th in the afternoon or late afternoon. This drink will not harm him or you. It will only hurry him up a little. You know your spouse. He believes too much in numbers and signs, and knows how to count quite well, in any case, he can calculate a period of nine months without error. If the child is born on September 5, neither a day earlier nor a day later, the King will have no doubts. After all, I interpreted your fears correctly? You are afraid of a protracted pregnancy, aren't you?
“Your Eminence, thank you,” the Queen replied, taking the bottle.
“You can be absolutely sure that this drink will not harm your health, I give you my word on this,” added the cardinal. — Word from Cardinal Richelieu.
“I believed you even without such assurances ,” said the Queen, and her voice sounded more calm and joyful. - You are saving me again.
- In no case! - the cardinal objected. “I haven’t done or am doing anything at all, I just brought you the strengthening medicine that you will need to strengthen your strength during childbirth.” I didn't say or do anything different. Now let me take my leave.
- Give me your hand, Duke! - said the Queen.
For the first time in her entire life, the Queen called Richelieu duke, a title that he could rightfully be called, but which indicated not a priestly rank, nor a court position, but the dignity of Richelieu. This was a special appeal with which she had once addressed Buckingham.
Richelieu bent one knee and gallantly kissed the hand of Anne of Austria.
“Your Majesty, I assure you that I bow before you and will always be glad to serve the King and you,” the prelate said gallantly, after which he left, leaving the Queen in a state of bewilderment and admiration.
- What a man! - Anna whispered. - And how I didn’t understand him all this time! However...
I find it difficult to say what this “However ” thrown at her could mean.
The king also expected the birth of the Dauphin and had no doubt about his paternity. To those who spoke to him about the Queen's pregnancy as a mercy of God and a miracle, he replied that the Lord, undoubtedly, can and does work miracles, but it should hardly be called a miracle what a husband sharing a bed with his wife does for her. child.
The King attributed the long absence of children to the Queen, and the pregnancy that took place solely at his own expense, as his own personal merit.
On the evening of the fourth of September, the Queen drank the contents of Richelieu's bottle.
A few hours later, on the night of the fifth, contractions began. The king ordered everything to be prepared for the fireworks display so that the people could properly celebrate the birth of the Dauphin. In the case of the birth of a daughter, the fireworks should have been a little shorter.
As soon as the birth began, the King began to get nervous and did not want to attend it. He was only informed about how they were going.
For some reason, he decided that childbirth could be difficult and dangerous for the woman in labor and for the baby.
“If there are problems, save the child ,” he told the midwives, which once again demonstrated a more than cool attitude towards the Queen.
During the Queen's pregnancy, Louis XIII returned to his forgotten favorite Mademoiselle de Hautefort, since he had already forgotten about Louise de Lafayette, and he rejected Mademoiselle de Chemro, proposed to him by the Cardinal, knowing that she was in the secret service of Richelieu.
“It may very well be that fate is preparing for you such an exaltation that you cannot even imagine ,” the King once said to Mademoiselle de Hautfort, hinting that if the Queen dies in childbirth, then perhaps he will marry her.
However, he spoke these words not for her, but for himself. Louis was pleasantly excited by the idea of remaining a widower, having received an heir to the throne. This was the reason for his coldness towards the pregnant Queen and his disregard for her position.
When the King was informed that a boy had been born, his joy knew no bounds; he immediately entered the bedroom where the birth took place and examined the baby with pleasure, making sure, first of all, that it was indeed the Dauphin.
He did not take him in his arms, he hastened to announce that it was time to launch fireworks into the sky so that good subjects would know about the most significant event of this year for France. He never returned to the Queen's bedroom.
Everyone who was present at the birth, including Madame de Hautefort and the King, hastened to enjoy the spectacle of the fireworks, except for two midwives, one of whom was to take care of the Dauphine, and the other of the Queen. The first midwife took the baby to the nurse, Madame de Lagiroudiere, the second midwife remained to wash the Queen.
Anna of Austria felt completely abandoned by everyone. She wasn't even shown the baby. At that moment she felt a bitter resentment, which responded with a strange pain in her stomach.
- Your Majesty! - exclaimed the midwife. - It seems to me that the birth is not over! You have another baby!
The midwife received the second baby, wrapped him in a towel and wanted to hand him over to the nurse, but noticed that there was no one in the bedroom except her and the Queen.
Placing the baby on the bed next to the Queen, she rushed out of the bedroom in alarm, preparing to tell the whole world that the Queen had given birth to twins.
But as soon as she opened the doors, she ran into the cardinal.
— How is Her Majesty’s health? - the cardinal asked the midwife.
- Twins! - the midwife exclaimed joyfully. — The Queen gave birth to two boys!
- What? - asked the cardinal and immediately covered the midwife’s mouth. - Quiet, quiet, no need to shout so much. Show me the baby.
Entering the bedroom and seeing the child, the cardinal immediately gave orders.
“Stay here, don’t let anyone in except me or His Majesty ,” he said and went after the King.
Louis XIII at that time stood on the balcony with Mademoiselle de Hautefort and admired the colorful fireworks.
“My people rejoice at the birth of my son!” - he said proudly.
“Your Majesty, please accept my congratulations ,” said the cardinal. - There's something you should know. I ask you for two words.
Mademoiselle de Hautfort obeyed the cardinal's stern gaze and, curtseying to the King, left the balcony.
“Your Majesty, God loves you very much ,” said Richelieu. “He sent you his gift in abundance.”
-What are you talking about, cardinal? - the King asked cheerfully.
“I’m talking about the fact that instead of one Dauphin, the Queen gave birth to two,” Richelieu whispered. “But we shouldn’t tell this to the people.” This must remain a secret.
- In secret? - the King was surprised. - Why in secret? Aren't two heirs better than one?
“Two heirs to the throne are undoubtedly exactly twice as good as one,” the cardinal agreed, “but only if there is no doubt between them regarding seniority.” A second heir born nine months or more later is highly desirable. But the second heir, born immediately after the first, is a big problem, Your Majesty. Which of them will be destined to be considered the Dauphin? Both? Or just one of them? If one, then which one? If both, then what will this lead to?
- What will this lead to, cardinal? - asked the King.
“Towards a civil war,” answered the King. - To a bloody and protracted civil war, until one of your sons defeats the other. Can we allow brother to go against brother, for the citizens of France to go to war against each other, without knowing exactly which of the two contenders should be supported?
- My God, you say terrible things, cardinal! - exclaimed the King, who had already allowed himself to address Richelieu in this way three times already.
“I’m telling them to warn them so that something like this doesn’t happen in reality,” replied Richelieu.
- How can you prevent this? - asked the King.
“Only one way,” answered the cardinal. “We should hide the second prince from everyone.” First of all, from the princes of the blood, and, of course, from Monsieur.
“We need to think about it,” replied the King.
“You can think about this as much as you like, Your Majesty, but if you agree with my proposal after you announce to everyone about the birth of the second prince, this thinking will no longer have any meaning, since the mistake made will be impossible to correct.”
- A mistake, you say? - the King asked worriedly.
“A terrible mistake,” confirmed the cardinal.
Chapter 81
On the occasion of the birth of the Dauphin, the King gave Monsieur six thousand crowns. This money was supposed to brighten up his disappointment in connection with the loss of the official title of Dauphin, that is, the first contender for the throne of France in the event of the death of the King. Now this child stood between him and the throne. He still had a faint hope in case this child did not survive, or to be a regent for the young King, which, of course, was not so sweet. Richelieu very much regretted that he could not look at Gaston’s face when he learned about the birth of the Dauphin; he did not have the pleasure of watching his sour face. The royal son was christened Louis the God-given, and the Pope himself became his godson.
Even before the Dauphin was born, on March 27, 1638, the King unexpectedly promoted the eighteen-year-old captain of the guards, appointing him chief wardrobe master. This young man, the son of Marshal d'Effiat, was recommended to him by Richelieu as a man with impeccable taste in matters of fashion. Of course, the cardinal was well aware that the King liked handsome young men more than girls, for whom he had only timid reverence, and even then not for everyone, and such feelings were extremely short-lived. The Cardinal at one time promoted the career of this young man’s father, and therefore hoped that this young man would be doubly grateful to his benefactor, so that, as Richelieu’s prot;g;, he could help strengthen his influence on the King. The Cardinal began to be annoyed that young girls with uncontrollable whims and political preferences could overnight destroy all his efforts to strengthen the state.
This young man's name was de Saint-Mars. By the way, he was a distant relative of our Charles d'Artagnan through his mother Montesquieu. In my memoirs I will also mention another man named Saint-Mars, commandant of the fortress of Pignerol and then of the Bastille under Louis XIV. The Saint-Mars I am writing about now is Henri Coaffier de Ruzet, while the commandant of the fortress was B;nigne Dauvern de Saint-Mars. They weren't even related.
Of course, before Richelieu recommended this to Henri Coaffier de Ruzet de Saint-Mars, son of Marshal d'Effiat, to the King, he in every possible way expressed his gratitude for the future benefit and agreed to regularly report to the cardinal all the information about all conversations with the King. And, of course, Saint-Mars forgot his promises as soon as he felt that his influence on the King had become even stronger than that of Richelieu. This was all the more unbearable for the cardinal because he built his power over decades and based it on the greatest mental effort, on the comprehensive education he received, on excellent memory and painstaking work, as well as on truly Machiavellian resourcefulness necessary in order to avoid numerous traps on the way to success. Henri de Saint-Mars received everything just for his appearance and youth, for being pleasant to the King. Indeed, when the King admires you, the whole of Paris admires you, and it does not matter that this is just because of your appearance. In this case, it is easy to be pleasant to everyone and courteous to everyone, since no one will spoil relations with the royal favorite. But even this turned out to be difficult for him. He very quickly imagined that all the benefits that fell on him as if from a cornucopia were not only truly deserved, but also decided that they were too few for him.
The king adored Saint-Mars as he had never loved anyone, neither before him nor after him. He was literally in love with him, he humiliated himself in front of him, seeking favor from him, just to cheer him up, he showered his favorite with money, positions and all kinds of gifts, despite the fact that the financial situation of the country, exhausted by numerous wars, was catastrophic.
At first, de Saint-Mars considered himself a godsend, a gift for the King, then he began to consider himself a godsend for all of Paris, all of France, then, of course, he began to believe that all of France existed only for his pleasure. By the way, he was exactly the same insolent, sissy and self-loving man as Buckingham, and achieved everything in exactly the same way, in other words, Saint-Mars was the French Buckingham under Louis XIII, as Buckingham himself was under James I and Charles I.
So, realizing his influence on the King, Saint-Mars became even more capricious, the King made one concession after another, Saint-Mars finally decided to completely end his dependence on the cardinal, since this dependence had already begun to burden him. He decided to become not only a close friend of the King and his favorite, but also a relative of the ruling family, to join the dynasty of European monarchs.
Meanwhile, the King began to grow cold towards Madame de Hautefort, which Richelieu also contributed to, since she, as he saw, took the Queen’s side and gradually began to perform worse and worse in her duties as his informant. Richelieu, confident that the new favorite would replace Madame de Hautefort for him and would inform him not only about the affairs of the Queen, but also about the affairs of the King, which was much more important, himself contributed to the resignation of Madame de Hautefort. It should also be taken into account that the King never divided his affections among many, so that, having inflamed with irrepressible affection for de Saint-Mars, he almost immediately lost interest in Madame de Hautfort. Richelieu finished her off by refusing her request to appoint her grandmother as the teacher of the then unborn Dauphin, offering Madame de Lansac, a completely devoted informant to him, for this place. The King knew that the Queen had established friendly relations with Madame de Hautefort, and extremely disliked Madame de Lansac, so he gladly agreed to this decision. Everything that annoyed the Queen pleased the King, and the time when she was waiting for the Dauphin to appear was no exception. The Queen was not free to choose nannies and teachers for her children. They were appointed by the cardinal on the principle of personal devotion, so among them there were also inattentive ones, one of whom almost made the Dauphin lame by carelessly swaddling him, the other almost infected him with scabies. The Cardinal took away from the Queen the last people devoted to her, such as Madame de Sensay, and assigned the de Brassac spouses, also his proteges, to her. All this was arranged as if it had been done by decision of the King.
The King's tender friendship with de Saint-Mars alienated him even more from the Queen. Saint-Mars, at nineteen years old, had already become the chief horseman, while the previous favorites, Barrada and Saint-Simon, only achieved the position of first horseman. The Chief Horsemaster was traditionally called “Mr. Chief,” which indicated the extreme importance of this position. To purchase this position from de Bellegarde, who had previously held it, Louis XIII spent four hundred thousand ecus from the treasury, which was so lacking for military expenses. Also, the King gave Saint-Mars, without any special reason, from time to time very significant sums, from six to eighteen thousand francs, just to cheer him up. Superintendent of Finance Claude de Bouillon was horrified by the orders for the issuance of these amounts, but he had to pay. Moreover, Saint-Mars' father, Antoine Coaffier de Ruzet, Marquis d'Effiat, himself held the position of superintendent of finance until 1631, when, having received the rank of Marshal of France, he was sent as commander-in-chief to Alsace, where, during a campaign against Trier, he fell ill and died the next year. So it was difficult for de Bouillon to refuse the son of his predecessor, but it was absolutely impossible to refuse the King, who was adamant regarding the money for gifts to Saint-Mars and did not agree to save money. If only he had been at least four times less generous towards his wife, the Queen of France! The king endured the whims of this young man, spoiled by himself, who takes money, accepts positions and does not feel obliged to anything, takes all this for granted. At night, taking advantage of the fact that the King was sleeping, Saint-Mars rushed to Paris, where he indulged in pleasures, participating in revelry with friends and embracing Marion Delorme, whom jokers had already begun to call Madame Chief behind her back, in a passionate embrace. In this situation, Mr. Chief was frankly bored with the entertainment that the King arranged for him, he felt sleepy, and he became bored with hunting - the favorite pastime of Louis XIII . He fell asleep in broad daylight just at the time when the King wanted to see him and declared that he needed him. Not knowing about the favorite's nightly adventures, the King reproached him for laziness. The king was so offended that he complained about him in letters to the cardinal, as he wished in the same tone as a small child would complain to its mother about a friend or brother who offends him, and in almost the same words.
The King was so upset by the outbursts of melancholy and whims of de Saint-Mars that at Christmas 1639 he even decided to put the pillow next to the Queen again, since Louis XIII, this adult child, constantly needed sympathy and at least some kind of consolation, and he was trying to find a new favorite did not dare, because he was still attached to this capricious favorite. However, in this case, too, the King, one might say, heeded the advice of the capricious favorite, who, in the hope of getting rid of the King, himself advised him to visit the Queen for Christmas. From this brief meeting, on September 21, 1639, Philippe was born, the next son of the King, whose birth took away all hopes of Gaston d'Orl;ans of ever taking the French throne. Richelieu, of course, rejoiced.
Having two official heirs to the throne allowed the King and Queen to relax and no longer worry about dynastic interests, which eased some of the tension between them. The Queen focused her thoughts on Philip, with whom she found it easier to communicate than with her eldest son, since the cardinal and his henchmen showed their obsessive concern for his upbringing to a slightly lesser extent.
The Queen was not jealous of the King for Saint-Mars, and, moreover, she was grateful to him that the King was honored to facilitate the birth of Philip. Saint-Mars sometimes managed to improve the King's mood, for which the Queen was also grateful to him. Gradually, she began to treat him as an ordinary member of the family and established friendly relations with him out of hatred for the cardinal. True, it must be said that after the birth of the Dauphin, the Queen’s hatred for the cardinal noticeably faded, but was replaced by fear, which gave rise to a new form of hatred - hatred from cowardice. The Queen understood that the cardinal held her secret, and even two secrets, in his hands. The first could discredit her before the King, the second - before all of France, although this second secret was not her fault, but her misfortune. Anna of Austria could not forgive the cardinal for rejecting Louis's brother, who was named Louis-Philippe. Therefore, hatred of Richelieu returned to her with renewed vigor.
Therefore, when Saint-Mars casually dropped the phrase that the cardinal was terribly tired of him, and he would be glad if he were dismissed, the Queen thought about it, after which she shared this news with the Duchess de Chevreuse. Maria immediately drew up and proposed a new plan to the Queen.
Chapter 82
Chevrette received the following letter in 1641.
“Dear Aglaya!
Pumpkins cannot be stored in this heat. Both types of pumpkins from my garden have become so shriveled that not only I suspect this, but also the neighbors say that this year they will not last until spring, although no one knows which of the two types will rot first, the oblong one or the round one. The sequence of preparing them, of course, will greatly influence what menu will be in my kitchen.
If the round pumpkins are cooked first, then the oblong pumpkins will define the smells in the kitchen in the spring. Of course, my head cook will air the kitchen in any case, but the big question is who will create the menu for the harvest festival, and whether there will be a general choir at this festival, or just one soloist. And if there is a choir, then it is important which voices will prevail in it and who will be the soloist. It is now extremely important that the choir, if it is formed, should consist of baritones and not just basses. I would like to hear a mezzo-soprano, and, of course, a simple soprano, which, as you know, I could never listen to with my eyes open, but I was all ears.
I am very afraid that the round pumpkins will dry out first. In this case, the entire menu will go down the drain, if the oblong pumpkins turn out to be stale for a week, or even more so for two or more, there will be no order in the kitchen. The cook demands orders. If I don't get the pumpkins sorted in the next week or two then it will be too late as I can't expect the round pumpkins to last more than four to six weeks.
Pumpkin, as you know, goes well with honey, which is included in many recipes, as well as with wine. This recipe was compiled by the gardener, but fortunately the chief cook no longer feels gratitude to him, and he said three times in front of me that he would gladly throw away all the gardener’s recipes with him, or even fire him, and even without a pension. I think we can trust him and try to use him to rein in the gardener. No one else, except the cook, has made as many bouquets for the table as this last one, and only he has the agility in selecting flowers from the flowerbed, since both the gardener and the caretaker are now suffering from a cold to the point of fever. The culinary specialist wants to create the menu himself, he wants to buy his own album for recording the menu, he ordered a binding for this album in Nevers, although he shows no interest in embossing on this binding. I would assume that he chose the bookbinding in Paris if I believed that he even makes such purchases himself. He has established complete harmony and commonality of orders with the bookbinders: they offer embossing, and he approves of it. Apparently, he seeks this kind of commonality from the binding manufacturers from Nevers. Well, these are exorbitant conditions, but if you take into account the price of these bindings, then it may, perhaps, not be so expensive. That's what he's counting on. If you add the right menu design to his culinary talents, you get a level of customer service that in the future can compete with the best cuisines of Paris and Tours. But I believe that we can and should promise him support in this enterprise if he will help build an inn on the site where the gardener has neglected the business so much that thorns have grown there. I wrote “will help”. It is not right. Let him build the tavern himself, you and I will not leave the kitchen. Women should think about making recipes and showing them to men, and men should help them light the stove, if necessary, prepare firewood. This is how I was raised in my native village, in the South. I need the best recipe for pumpkin dishes, make one, you know how to make such things.
I hug you tenderly and kiss you everywhere, your faithful friend, Agatha.”
Using an allegory I invented to ensure that the letters were not encrypted, the Queen wrote and Mary read the following.
"Dear Maria!
The Cardinal is sick as always, and so is the King, but both of them are so seriously ill this time that everyone expects their death, no one just knows which of them will appear before the Almighty first. The sequence of their departure, of course, will greatly influence who gets all the power in France.
If the King leaves first, then Richelieu can do everything his way. Of course, my eldest son will be King in any case, but the big question is who will be the regent, and whether it will be the sole power of the regent, or whether a regency council will be created. And if there is a council, then it is important who will join it and who will lead it. It is now extremely important that the council, if it is created, consists of people loyal to me, and not of my enemies. I would like to see you in it, and, of course, other people dear to my heart, devoted to me not for awards, which, as you know, I could never give out, but simply for who I am.
I am very afraid that my husband, the King, will be the first to leave. In this case, everything was lost if the cardinal survived him by at least a year, or, even more so, by two years or even more. There is no more time. If the cardinal is not removed in the next six months or a year, then it will be too late, since I cannot hope that the King will live more than two or three more years.
The King, as you know, has a new favorite, Saint-Mars, who has officially received the highest ranks and positions. The cardinal contributed to his promotion, but fortunately Saint-Mars no longer feels gratitude to him, and he said three times in front of me that he would gladly send the cardinal into retirement, or even to prison, or even to heaven. I think we can trust him and try to use him to remove the cardinal. No one else has as much power as he does, and only he has power in connection with health in the kingdom, since both the King and the Cardinal are mortally ill. Saint-Mars has his own ambitions; he wants to marry Princess Marie-Louise de Gonzago, although he apparently does not feel any love for her. I would have assumed that he was in love with Marion Delorme if I believed that he could love anyone but himself. With her, he established complete harmony and community of affections: she loves him, and he also loves himself. Apparently, he seeks this kind of community from Marie-Louise de Gonzago. Well, these are exorbitant ambitions, a misalliance for the princess, but if we take into account his positions, wealth and influence, then this may, perhaps, turn out to be a misalliance for him. That's what he's counting on. If you add her nobility to his power, you get a mixture that in the future may threaten me, you and me, Maria. But I believe that we can and should promise him support in this marriage if he helps us overthrow Richelieu. I wrote “will help”. It is not right. Let him overthrow him himself, you and I have no right to risk ourselves like that. Women must conceive great things and direct men to them, and men must implement them and, if necessary, die for them. This is how I was raised at home in Spain. I need a detailed action plan, draw it up, because you know how to do such things.
I hug you tenderly and kiss you everywhere, your faithful friend, Anna.”
Chapter 83
Times have come for Richelieu. His chief assistant, Father Joseph, died. Also, unable to withstand the extreme nervous tension from the extraordinary expenses that the King carried out for the sake of his favorite, the superintendent of finance, Mr. Bouillon, died. The serious illness of the King and the equally serious illness of the cardinal together created an atmosphere of general anticipation of imminent changes. And as both of these illnesses dragged on, those waiting began to lose patience. Everyone who was dissatisfied longed for at least some change, in vain believing that any change would bring something better. If joy ever falls to the lot of the people under an absolute monarchy, it is only for the time when the Dauphin is born or for the time when he buries his sovereign or temporary worker. The joy from the birth of the Dauphin passed, the joy from the death of the cardinal was still anticipated, and many began to lose patience.
The first to lose patience were the Queen, the Duchess de Chevreuse and the favorite of the King de Saint-Mars. However, the King also wished for the death of the cardinal on an emotional level, but did not show it, because with his mind he understood how undesirable such a development of events was.
But nothing would have happened if the King had not spoiled Saint-Mars. Several times he took the side of his favorite on issues that the cardinal considered unimportant and conceded, such as the next promotion of the favorite, granting him the right to attend meetings of the royal council. Saint-Mars decided to marry Maria de Gonzago, but for this he did not have enough nobility. If he had become constable, duke and peer, or first minister, such a marriage might well have become a reality. Saint-Mars remembered that de Luynes was constable. Richelieu opposed this appointment of this still very young man to such a high position. Saint-Mars was convinced that if it were not for Richelieu, he could have achieved what he wanted. In addition, if the cardinal were overthrown, the position of first minister would become vacant, and if the cardinal were killed, then his dukedom would also become vacant, since Richelieu, of course, had no direct heirs, but only nieces.
The Cardinal did not believe that the Queen had refused to participate in the plots against him. For verification, he ordered that a letter allegedly from the Duchess, which he had received through his own channels, be given to her. By this time, I had already managed to inform Mary that the cardinal had established the production of fake letters from her, which, however, he had already used long before that, because it was with a fake letter that he lured Buckingham to France, when the nobleman in love, contrary to the Queen’s assurance, She did not call him, but nevertheless used this pretext to visit Paris, achieve a meeting with the Queen, and left only after receiving the diamond pendants of Anne of Austria as a guarantee of her special attitude towards him.
So, I reminded Mary about the possibility of such forged letters, and she warned the Queen about it in one of the secret letters. Therefore, the Queen understood perfectly well that no letters from Mary should arrive through channels unknown to her. Therefore, after Madame de Brassac informed her that a letter had arrived for her from the Duchess de Chevreuse, the Queen played her role masterfully.
“For what purpose and with what tricks does this woman dare to write letters to me?” - exclaimed the Queen with ostentatious indignation. “It seems to me that I have already suffered enough because of her!” I don't want to hear anything about her, and I won't read a single word from her. Send all her letters to the fire immediately, without even notifying me of their arrival. It would be much better if she herself sent them to the fire before sealing them and sending them to me. She compromises me before the King and the First Minister. Never remind me of her again!
Madame de Brassac bowed and left, returning this letter to the cardinal.
- Did you read it? - asked Richelieu.
“Your Eminence, Her Majesty did not even deign to pick up this letter, ordering her not to remind her of this woman again,” Madame de Brassac answered, showing the unbroken seal on the letter.
“Very good ,” said the cardinal and, taking the letter, threw it into one of the drawers of his desk.
The Queen chose as her girlfriend the Princess de Cond;, sister of Montmorency, wife of Richelieu's relative and mother of Louis II de Bourbon-Cond;, Duke of Enghien, engaged to the cardinal's niece, Claire-Clemene de Maillet-Breze, whom he later married.
The whole court noticed that the Queen seemed to be reconciled with Richelieu, and the cardinal himself understood that there were reasons for this. Those who did not know the true reasons for this believed that the cardinal made concessions, since the position of Anna of Austria after the birth of two sons was extremely strengthened. The mother of the King's two sons cannot be treated in the same way as the First Minister could afford to treat the Queen, who had not given birth to an heir in twenty-one years of marriage.
The Cardinal asked the Queen to pretend to show hostility towards him, but in reality to make peace, but what happened, of course, was completely different. Outwardly, the Queen showed obedience and humility, although inside herself she did not accept his interference in her life, which she perceived as unacceptable tyranny.
Having become related to the royal family through the marriage of his niece to the Duke of Enghien, Richelieu allowed himself to act in a completely unfamily-like manner. He wrote the play “Miriama”, the title character of which he condemned for loving a foreigner. He directly called this love criminal in the play. The allusion to the Queen and Buckingham was obvious to everyone, so staging this play in the court theater in front of all the nobility was an overly daring attack even for the first minister.
This play spoiled the Queen’s mood, especially since the actress Saint-Amour, known for her immoral behavior, was the soloist in it. Entrusting her to play such a role at a performance that was given in the Louvre was simply a mockery. The King took particular pleasure in informing the Queen of all his victories over Philip IV , the Queen's brother.
“Sire, this news both pleases and saddens me,” answered the Queen. “I am certainly proud of you, my King and husband, but I am saddened by the military defeats of my brother and my Motherland.
“You don’t have to worry about your brother, madam,” replied the King. “Your brother regularly wins victories that I simply didn’t tell you about.”
- Is that so? - Anna was surprised. — What kind of victories are we talking about?
— About victories over your best friend, Duchess de Chevreuse! - exclaimed the King, considering this joke very witty. “I know for a fact that your brother, the King of Spain, receives from your friend all the favors that only a man can receive from a woman!” It seems that she has set herself the goal of turning the heads of all the monarchs of Europe!
Having said this, the King realized that he had gone too far. Maria, of course, deserved this remark, since she had both Buckingham and Charles of Lorraine, and now the King of Spain, on her account, and taking into account that Louis XIII himself was in love with her at one time, one could say that Maria visited the beds of the rulers of England, Lorraine, Spain, and almost visited the bed of the King of France. However, I cannot guarantee that it was appropriate to add this “it was a little” here. Indeed, in the time of de Luynes, all four “slept under the same blanket,” as those who knew how to notice and draw conclusions later gossiped about them. But the phrase was unsuccessful. After all, with this phrase, Louis himself added himself to the list of monarchs conquered by Mary.
The ambiguity of this phrase did not escape Anne of Austria.
But she pulled herself together and spoke in an even and calm voice.
“Sire, I already told Madame de Brassac, and also asked me to convey this to the cardinal, and I tell you the same ,” she said. “I don’t want to hear anything about this woman.” And it’s really strange to me that in those days when I wanted to communicate with her, I was forbidden to do so, but now, when I don’t want to know anything about her and don’t even want to hear her name, I’m reminded of her every day, and I forced to listen to things about her that I shouldn't listen to.
“Of course, we will never allow this intriguer not only to the court, but also to Paris,” answered the King, thinking at the same time that this would be a glorious revenge on Mary for her intransigence towards him at one time.
Louis believed that de Chevreuse, who did not agree to become his favorite in every sense, was deliberately playing tricks with almost any noble man, just to annoy the King as much as possible. If he no longer loved her, he was jealous, and jealous with terrible force. Mary emanated such ardor and such strong attractiveness that even for the prude Louis, a carnal relationship with her did not seem shameful, but was desirable, alluring; it became some kind of painful passion that had to be carefully hidden and which he could fight only through ostentation. contempt and inner anger.
Chapter 84
“Monsieur Chief ,” I said, finding de Saint-Mars at one of the night drinking sessions, after which he again intended to visit Marion Delorme. “I have to give you a letter from one of your good friends, and I’ll give you some advice from myself, if you want to listen to it.”
“I don’t know you, sir, so I don’t ask your advice,” replied de Saint-Mars. -Who is this letter from?
“The signature and seal will tell you everything,” I answered. “Perhaps, having found out who this letter is from, you will feel more trust in the person who delivered it.” I'll wait for you to read it. The sender insists that you do not keep it, but return it back through me. A matter of extreme importance.
Saint-Mars snatched the letter from me, hastily opened it and read it.
- I don’t understand anything! - he said. - This letter was sent by the Duchess de...
- No names needed, sir! - I interrupted him. “Sometimes even the walls have ears.” We'll call her Marie Michonne. It is enough that you are convinced by the signature and seal that it was sent by someone who, as you know, does not write about trifles.
- But I didn’t understand a single line! - Saint-Mars objected. - How can this nonsense about falconry, about wild boar, deer, boar, as well as some nonsense about wardrobe, wigs, carriages and liveries, have anything to do with me?
“Here we use an allegory, which is not a code, but transforms the original text of the letter in such a way that it can under no circumstances be used as evidence against the one who wrote it, as well as against the one who is its addressee,” I answered. - I can give you the key to it, but it will be easier if I translate for you from a sheet of paper what is written here, and you can follow the text, and then next time it will be easier for you to understand what people and terms are encrypted in the same letter. But first, I ask you to go into the garden and stand in an open place to be completely sure that no one is hiding in the bushes or behind a bench to overhear our conversation.
“Well, translate, do me a favor,” replied Saint-Mars and handed the letter to me.
We walked into the garden and stopped near a low flower bed with fragrant flowers, pretending to enjoy its aromas. The garden was lit enough for me to read, and Saint-Mars, looking at the text of the letter, to understand the meaning of the allegories and notice the correspondence between what I read and what is written in the letter.
“So, the following is written here ,” I said and began to read, replacing the allegorical terms with their original meaning. - Mister Chief! The Duchess de Chevreuse writes to you, who, as you know, was friendly with the Queen, and, believe me, remained her closest friend. We learned that you, like all of us, supporters of Her Majesty, strongly condemn the methods of strangling the freedom of France and establishing absolutism with which the cardinal has been tormenting the kingdom for many years. Many times we tried to put an end to this evil, but fate did not favor us. However, now with your help, if we can count on it, the cardinal can be neutralized. He must be removed from power. But, knowing his cunning, knowing that even in the most hopeless situations he can achieve a “last meeting” from the King, at which he will again win him over to his side and set him against all honest and worthy people who care only about the good of France and the prosperity monarchy, those who are loyal to their Queen and, of course, to the King, but do not consider it necessary to obey the tyrant, the strangler of freedom, the executioner of many worthy people, Cardinal Richelieu. So the cardinal must be overthrown. For complete success of the matter, it is necessary to bring to our side the King’s brother, Gaston of Orleans, as well as the Duke de Bouillon, Prince of Sedan. Since Sedan is an independent state, it can serve as a refuge in case of defeat and a stronghold in case of success. We undertake to attract these persons, as well as many other worthy and influential nobles, that is, the entire flower of the French nation. I can also promise the support of Spain, Lorraine, Savoy, Sedan and some other neighboring states, support or at least neutrality from England and the Netherlands. All of Europe suffers from Richelieu, all of it will be happy to get rid of him, but France suffers most from him, and therefore it is the job of the French to rid the state of the hated cardinal. If you agree to act, I will send you my plan through the person who will give you this letter. I ask you to return it to him, since the letter must be destroyed, otherwise it may harm the one who wrote it and all those mentioned in it. Yours sincerely, Duchess Marie de Chevreuse.
“Well, if I understand something about allegory, it may indeed be written here exactly what you read, but I don’t have complete confidence in this,” answered Saint-Mars. — How can I be sure that your translation matches the original?
- Turn the letter over, Mr. Chief, and read what is written on the back.
Saint-Mars turned the letter over and read the following: “This letter is written using allegory and some other techniques, but the one who gives it to you can easily read it to you in its original form. Trust him, he will not lie a single word while translating it. Your Marie de Chevreuse."
- Indeed, this postscript is not encrypted! - exclaimed Saint-Mars. “The Duchess warmly recommends you.” Therefore, I will agree to listen to your advice, although I cannot promise that I will follow it. Speak up.
“Mr. Chief ,” I said. “By virtue of the oath I swore to Her Majesty, I carry out any of her wishes, and also due to other circumstances that are important to me, I obey the Duchess de Chevreuse in almost everything .” I translated her letter to you exactly, without adding or subtracting a single word, and without introducing my interpretation into a single phrase. However, I know all too well all these people who are hatching yet another new conspiracy, and I know just as well the one against whom it is being hatched. Believe me, the conspiracy is doomed to fail. I don't recommend you participate in it. If you refuse to participate, the conspiracy will not take place, or, in any case, the conspirators will return to the idea of it no earlier than in a year or two. This is enough for everything to change. I know the cardinal's health; in a year or two he will pass away due to natural causes. Just wait and whatever you want will come to you.
- How strange! - exclaimed Saint-Mars. “You behave like one of the most important persons in the conspiracy, and at the same time you dissuade me from participating in it!” Is this not a provocation set up by the cardinal?
“I can’t answer that either negatively or affirmatively,” I replied. “I never rule out provocation when dealing with the Duchess de Chevreuse.” However, this lady is very impulsive, and provocation requires not only a cold heart and a sober, calculating mind, but also endurance and patience. What is needed is the patience of Prometheus and the endurance of Tantalus, I would say. The Duchess does not possess these virtues. But she could have been used. This is another reason to be careful. If you verbally convey your negative answer to the Duchess, I will consider you not only the most handsome and successful young man at the French court, but also the wisest and most prudent.
“So, you brought me a letter implicating me in a conspiracy, and then you try to persuade me to abandon it?” - asked Saint-Mars.
“People often do things that defy simple explanation,” I answered. “Haven’t you ever fought a duel with a person you deeply like, or, on the contrary, defended the honor of a lady to whom you yourself are more than indifferent?” In the same way, I am now in a situation in which my convictions tell me to act in one way, and cold reason convinces me of another. I was and am in the Queen’s camp, I am her supporter, and an opponent of Richelieu. But my voice is too weak to be heard by those who develop action tactics. While I agree with the strategy, I do not agree with the tactics, but my disagreement will not make me change my principles and leave my friends, however, I warn everyone against the outcome that I can predict with complete confidence. So Socrates knew for sure that the citizens would condemn him, but this confidence did not force him to retract his words. In the same way, I know that the conspiracy is now untimely, but if it takes place, I will help him.
“You explained your position to me, sir,” replied Saint-Mars. - Forgive me for not addressing you by name, you didn’t tell me it.
“Call me d'Alameda,” I replied. - This is not my real name, but it will be better for everyone.
“Well, Monsieur d'Alameda,” replied Saint-Mars. “Perhaps you have the luxury of waiting for the cardinal to die.” Probably the Queen can bear it too. But I want to marry the one whom the King could very well marry me if I received some additional favors for the services to France that I have already rendered, am rendering, and will continue to render. The king would have granted this to me, I am sure, if not for the cardinal. I, like you, am perfectly aware that the cardinal does not have long left, that death has already sharpened its scythe and is approaching him. But the King is not in the best position either. If the King dies first, the cardinal will place his henchmen everywhere and turn me into nothing. No, I can't let that happen. I will not forgive myself for the fact that I could sweep him away like a cup from the table, since my power at present is such, and it is comparable to the power of a cardinal, and even in some ways higher. I will not forgive myself, I say, if after the death of the King the cardinal takes from me everything I have, and even my life itself, whereas now I hold his life in my hands. I will regret that I did not take advantage of the opportunities that fate provided me in order to finally consolidate my position at the level that I rightfully deserve.
“Well, I understand you,” I replied. “You did not heed my advice, but you heeded the duchess’s proposal.” I'll pass this on to her, rest assured. Soon you will receive a detailed action plan and either agree with it or reject it. Until then, I recommend that you once again carefully weigh everything and think about my advice.
“Everything has already been decided,” Saint-Mars answered arrogantly.
“You are sacrificing too much, believe me ,” I said. - In the hope of getting not so much compared to what you might lose. The stakes are not equal. I wouldn't advise you to do this. Think again.
- Oh, are you talking about my position? - Saint-Mars said languidly. “For you, perhaps, the fear of parting with this position is a big risk, but for me, I assure you, it does not matter at all.” At least now I am ready to return to the position I occupied before the King became friends with me. I told him about this myself more than once. Yes, yes, that’s what I said: “I am ready at any moment to become a simple de Saint-Mars, Your Majesty, I am not at all afraid of such a change and will even perhaps be glad of it.” Do you know what the King answered me? He said: “Forgive me, dear friend, do not be offended by me and do not insult me by leaving me!” That's it.
“Perhaps you didn’t understand, sir,” I clarified. - When I said about what you risk, I did not mean your positions.
- What am I risking besides them? - Saint-Mars asked arrogantly. - Money? I appreciate them even less!
“You’re risking more than just your positions and money,” I objected.
- What else? - asked Saint-Mars. - Freedom?
“Head,” I answered.
- The king will not execute me! - exclaimed Saint-Mars. - He loves me. Even if he puts me in the Bastille, he himself will rush there for me no later than in an hour, at most in two. Execute me, your Saint-Mars? Unthinkable! You don't know the King very well.
“You don’t know him enough,” I answered. - One more thing. I know the cardinal quite well. Think about it again carefully.
“There’s nothing to think about, everything was decided long ago, and it’s decided finally,” answered Saint-Mars.
I bowed and, putting the letter in my pocket, left the garden, where our conversation had already begun to attract the attention of Mr. Chief’s drinking companions at his nightly revelry.
Chapter 85
The next day, Saint-Mars met with Louis de Fontraille, Marquis de Marestan, who was a close friend of Saint-Mars and was in the service of Monsieur. Fontray, despite his physical disabilities, was an extremely charming man; his interlocutors stopped noticing his hump and short stature as soon as he opened his mouth and began his intelligent and at the same time pleasant speeches, which he delivered in a velvety baritone. I agree in advance that smart speeches are rarely pleasant, and pleasant ones are rarely smart, but this was precisely the special talent of Fontray, who managed to combine these two incompatible qualities in his conversation.
“Louis, I invite you to join my cause ,” said Saint-Mars.
“I am always with you in everything, my friend,” Fontray answered, “but caution forces me to clarify what exactly we are talking about?”
“I want to do a favor for the King,” replied Saint-Mars.
“This matter is worth any effort, and I will support you if you tell me what this service consists of and what my role will be in it,” answered Fontray.
“This service will consist in the fact that I will relieve His Majesty from His Holiness ,” Saint-Mars said with a grin.
“If His Majesty had been passionate about getting rid of His Eminence, he would probably have done it long ago, wouldn’t he?” - Fontray doubted.
“He is afraid to raise his hand against the priest, against the cardinal, he is afraid that the Pope will excommunicate him from the church,” answered Saint-Mars.
“Could you please tell me the source of such detailed information about His Majesty’s fears?” - Fontray clarified.
“He told me about this himself when I suggested that he get rid of this tyrant,” Saint-Mars answered serenely.
- If so, please clarify, my friend, did the King give you a direct order to eliminate the first minister, or are you just interpreting his hints? - Fontray did not let up.
“Do you want to hear exactly the retelling of the King’s words?” - asked Saint-Mars. - If you please. The king said: “God, how tired am I of the cardinal’s comprehensive tutelage? I hope the Lord will take him away soon!” - Saint-Mars lied without blinking an eye.
- What happened next? - asked Fontray.
“I answered that if the King does not like one of his subjects, he can easily be removed,” Mr. Chief continued to lie.
- Is that so? - Fontray was surprised. - What did the King answer to this?
“He said that Richelieu would come out of any prison, from any place where he could be hidden, to which I said that no one had ever managed to come out of the grave,” Saint-Mars continued, almost believing his lie.
- You allow yourself to speak quite boldly when communicating with His Majesty! - Fontray admired.
- Yes, no one will call me a coward! - Saint-Mars exclaimed proudly, completely not understanding the meaning of Fontray’s remark. “I can speak freely with the King on any topic.”
“And to these words the King answered you that he was afraid of the Pope’s condemnation?” - Fontray clarified.
- Exactly! - Saint-Mars continued to fantasize. “He said that he would have long ago ordered the execution of Richelieu if he had not feared complications with the Pope. And after that he added that if some misfortune happened to Richelieu by the will of God, it would be happiness for all of France.
- My friend, aren't you mistaken? - Fontray doubted. “As far as I know the King, he couldn’t say that.”
- How could he respond to my words, in your opinion? - Saint-Mars asked with a laugh.
“He would say that it would be happiness,” answered Fontray. - Just happiness, but not “happiness for all of France.” Because by the concept of “happiness” His Majesty means happiness for the King, and not happiness for France.
“I now remember exactly what he said: “That would be happiness!” - Saint-Mars corrected himself. “I added the words about all of France on my own, because I, unlike His Majesty, do not separate my happiness from the happiness of France.”
“My friend, never say such words to anyone but me, and don’t ever say them to me again!” - Fontray said softly. - In this short conversation, you have already uttered four phrases, for any of which you can be shortened by a whole head!
- I'm not afraid of it! — Saint-Mars waved it off confidently.
- It’s easy for you not to be afraid, I have to! - Fontray grinned.
“Don’t be afraid either,” Saint-Mars said serenely. “If you agree that the King will not harm me, then rest assured that I will always intercede before the King and for you.”
“I meant something completely different,” Fontray replied. “I said that you are a tall and slender young man who will remain so even without a head, while I am a short dwarf who, without a head, will look not like a person, but like a cabbage stalk.” So I especially have to be wary of losing my head!
- What difference does it make who looks like what without a head! - Saint-Mars burst out laughing. “No creature can live without a head.”
“You are mistaken, my friend,” Fontray objected with a smile. - Some worms can grow a new head, a cockroach can live without a head for a week, a frog for two hours, a chicken for five minutes.
- How do you know this? - Saint-Mars was surprised.
“From the books available in Monsieur’s library,” answered Saint-Mars. — Certain African insects, called praying mantises, can make love without a head and leave offspring.
- A great activity for pilgrims - making love! - Saint-Mars burst out laughing. “By the way, when making love you don’t need a head, and I suspect that none of the lovers uses it.” It’s not for nothing that they say about a lover that he has lost his head from love! And one can only become involved in leaving offspring only by truly completely losing one’s head!
“Isn’t it because you visit Marion Delorme that you also lose your head from time to time?” - asked Fontray.
- Oh, no, I’m not losing my head, because I’m not going to marry her! - Saint-Mars objected.
- But, apparently, you would agree to marry Mademoiselle de Chemro? - asked Fontray.
“Mademoiselle Chemro is sweet, I won’t hide it,” answered Saint-Mars, “but she doesn’t suit me.”
- It doesn’t fit, that’s how it is? - Fontray was surprised. - And it seemed to me that you were in love with her?
- In love? - asked the Chief. - I guess so. But do we marry those we fall in love with? After all, I am to some extent in love with Marion Delorme, and with a dozen other ladies with whom I like to spend time.
- So, you will never marry? - Fontray grinned.
“On the contrary, I will marry, and very soon, but not to Mademoiselle de Chemreau,” objected Saint-Mars.
-Who is this lucky girl? - asked Fontray.
“Of course, Maria de Gonzago,” Saint-Mars answered proudly.
“The Cardinal will not allow this,” replied Fontray.
“The Cardinal will be gone soon,” Saint-Mars said confidently. “I will decide what is good and what is bad for France.”
“Let me know when this happens,” Fontray replied. - I congratulate you on this event.
“When I eliminate the cardinal, all of France will line up to congratulate me on this event,” replied Saint-Mars. “But I won’t care about them.” For me, true friends will only be those who support me before this event occurs.
“How could you doubt my support, dear friend?” - asked Fontray. “Of course, I will support you in all your endeavors, isn’t this my statement that started our conversation today?”
“But you seem to be hesitating,” Saint-Mars doubted.
“Of course, I’m scared, and I explained my reasons to you, it seems, quite convincingly,” answered Fontray. “Do not reproach your allies for hesitating, because the one who sways like a pendulum does not move too far from his goal, while those who do not hesitate to abandon you, or worse, betray you, are much worse.” And they will never return to the goal they swore to serve.
- But you’re not like that? - Fontray Saint-Mars finished his thought.
“I’m not like that,” agreed Fontray. “I may hesitate, but I will not betray.”
- Your hand, Fontray! - exclaimed Saint-Mars.
“Before such a thing, a handshake is not enough,” Fontray objected. “We’ll hug like brothers, and then whatever happens.”
“Well, I’ve brought one more person into my business,” thought Saint-Mars. “Through him I will receive Monsieur’s support.”
“You have to be extremely careful with this Saint-Mars,” thought Fontray. “He’s really capable of doing such a thing that we’ll all be left without our heads!”
- So will you talk to Monsieur? - Saint-Mars clarified.
“I talk to him several times a day,” Fontray replied.
“And you will convey to him my proposal regarding the cardinal?” - asked Saint-Mars.
“I’ll do better,” Fontray replied. “I will bring you together so that you can present your proposals to him, and I promise that he will listen to you to the end.”
- Wonderful! - exclaimed Saint-Mars. - This is really much better!
“I’ll let you know the time,” Fontrai replied.
“Sly guy! Wants to stay clean! - thought Saint-Mars. “Well, I’ll pretend that I’m very pleased with the results of the conversation, but when Richelieu is gone, I’ll remember that he hesitated and didn’t go all the way with me!”
“Fool, you really can end up without a head this way!” - thought Fontray. “But I can’t contradict Mr. Chief, the King’s favorite!” Perhaps the King really decided to get rid of Richelieu? That would be nice. But not with my hands, because if this cup passes from him, then everyone who is involved in this will have a hard time!”
- Do you promise me Monsieur's favor? - asked Saint-Mars.
“You don’t have to worry about that,” Fontray replied. — There has not yet been a single conspiracy against Richelieu that Monsieur would not have supported.
Saint-Mars and Fontray bowed and each went their separate ways.
Chapter 86
Fontray was a cautious man, but very determined. He knew that many conspiracies against the cardinal had already failed for the sole reason that at the right moment the conspirators lacked the determination to bring the matter to an end. That is why he showed caution, fearing that the matter would end in talk, while Richelieu, of course, having exposed another conspiracy, would not limit himself to educational speeches. If Saint-Mars had said: “In a week we will kill the cardinal,” Fontray would have strongly supported him, but when he heard the words: “I invite you to join me,” he did not see the decisiveness that would make him join immediately and without any doubt . Monsieur was more active, but only in words.
“Your Highness, Mr. Chief wanted to talk to you,” Fontray told Gaston d’Orl;ans.
“I have nothing to gossip about with this upstart, Richelieu’s protege,” Monsieur replied with contempt.
“He is plotting to overthrow the cardinal and is looking for allies in this matter,” answered Fontray.
- Is this serious, or will it be limited to empty talk? - Gaston perked up.
“I can’t say that ,” Fontray said, shrugging his shoulders. “If I were sure that his plan would be completed, I would join him.”
— Saint-Mars in a conspiracy against Richelieu? That's funny! - Monsieur exclaimed. - We must support him! Have you given your consent?
“As soon as I understand that this is serious, I will certainly give it to you,” Fontrai answered. “For now, I just promised to bring him together with you.”
- What makes you doubt the seriousness of this intention, if he already expressed it? - Gaston inquired.
“Only people who are desperate in their situation, who have nothing to lose, or people who are desperate by nature,” answered Fontray. - Mister Chief is neither one nor the other. He has a lot, a lot. He has something to lose. And he's not a fanatic. I fear that he is simply seeking new concessions from the King and will abandon his plans as soon as he receives them.
- What kind of concessions is he seeking? - asked Gaston.
“He let it slip that he wants to marry Maria Gonzago ,” said Fontray.
- How wide he began to walk! - Monsieur was indignant. - How dare he? I wish I could tear my pants from such steps! Boy, young man! It’s not enough for him to be called Chief, he decided to join the family? The king will not agree to this, Richelieu will not agree to this, she herself will not agree to this, in other words, no one will agree to this!
“Your Highness, he expects to become a constable, or a first minister, or a peer, and then, perhaps, Maria Gonzago will look at this marriage differently,” answered Fontray.
- Saint-Mars? Constable? Is this a conceivable thing? - Monsieur exclaimed.
“Your brother the King dotes on him,” Fontray reminded. “If he really wants to get rid of Richelieu, then after the end of the matter he will still be grateful to him.” So such a development of events is quite likely.
- This cannot be allowed! - Monsieur objected.
“Of course, Your Highness,” agreed Fontray. “But tell me, to what extent is the cardinal interfering with you?”
- In the highest degree, Fontray! - Gaston exclaimed. - He interferes with everything! I would pay a lot of money to remove it!
“In that case, you just need to encourage Mr. Chief in his intention to obtain the post of constable of France and take Maria Gonzago as his wife ,” said Fontray.
“The price for getting rid of the cardinal is too high, excessive!” - Monsieur objected.
“I’m not talking about actually facilitating this,” Fontray clarified. - Just don’t object to him, listen to his dreams calmly, pretend that you don’t object to his plans. Just don't promise anything.
“Well, I’m probably ready to agree to that,” Monsieur replied. “Tell me, Fontray, could you kill the cardinal yourself?”
“I would probably agree to be the new de Vitry and save the King from Richelieu just as de Vitry saved him from Marshal d’Ancre.” And get a reward for it. But I don't want to be the next Jacques Cl;ment! If I killed the cardinal, after which everyone else would turn away from me, and the King would execute me, I would not agree to that. However, I will be quite happy if de Saint-Mars kills him. The King will probably forgive him, and maybe even praise him!
“Well, I guess I’m ready to talk to Mr. Chief,” Monsieur said quietly.
Chapter 87
Fran;ois Auguste de Thou was a man of a different kind. He was an educated and intelligent nobleman, a brilliant military man and a very smart lawyer. It seems to me that Saint-Mars didn't even bother to notify him of what exactly he had gotten him into. The poor guy trusted friendship too much.
When in January 1642 Monsieur, Bouillon and Saint-Mars decided to enter into an alliance with Spain, promising it a sharp change in foreign policy after the overthrow of the cardinal, they outlawed themselves with this step. Saint-Mars did not even tell Auguste de Thou about this, believing that he did not need to know.
Monsieur sent Fontray to Madrid to negotiate. Spain helped to recruit and pay for the army, which was led by Gaston d'Orl;ans and which he sent against his own brother and against his country. The Duke of Bouillon provided Sedan as a refuge for the conspirators. Monsieur promised Spain the return of all fortresses.
Fontray conveyed to the Spaniards that Monsieur promised to respect and observe all the rights of the King and Queen. It was obvious to everyone that the King was hopelessly ill and his throne would soon become vacant. As for the Queen, the promise made to Spain, which was that the alliance with Spain would not be directed against the Queen in any way, was nothing more than a stupid farce. After all, Anna of Austria was a Spanish princess, the daughter of the previous King of Spain and the sister of the current King. Of course, an alliance between France and Spain could in no way infringe on its rights.
The Spaniards knew how to read between the lines. The guarantees for the Queen, written down in the draft treaty, indicated to the Spaniards that the Queen had a hand in the drafting of this draft, and the guarantees regarding the King demonstrated that the authors of this draft listened to the desire of the Queen herself to preserve her rights through preserving the rights of the King (after all, her the situation in France rested only on this marriage) and to save his face in case this agreement became known to the King. But he should have become known to him if the plan had been successful, but the King had remained alive.
However, it should also be taken into account that no agreements with any state could be concluded or even even discussed by anyone except the King of France himself or his first minister, and no signatures on any agreements could be valid until while the King was alive. Consequently, this agreement could have at least some significance only in one of the following cases: in the event of the natural death of King Louis XIII , in the event of the murder of this King, or in the event of his forcible removal from power, for example, tonsure as a monk. But this is not enough. Indeed, in the event of the death of the King, the issue of a new government had to be resolved first, and only then this new government could conclude international agreements. That is, as long as Louis XIII was alive, this treaty was a usurpation of his rights, and in the event of his death, this treaty usurped the rights of his heir. Gaston could sign such an agreement only if he was completely confident that as a result of the conspiracy, it was he, and no one else, who would lead the policy of France. Even the existence of a draft of such a treaty, which Gaston read and let go of his hands without breaking, was already treason, a conspiracy, a plan for a coup d'etat.
Such a treaty was insignificant while the King was alive, and exposed those who drew it up and those who approved it of an attempt on the King himself, and not just on the cardinal.
I cannot assume that Monsieur did not understand this. By drawing up this agreement and stipulating guarantees for her in it, he equated the Queen with himself as a rebel and conspirator.
In addition, let me remind you that the Queen promised the King and the Cardinal not to interfere in politics under any circumstances, not to enter into correspondence with any foreigners, otherwise, in case of violation of this promise, she automatically revoked the King’s pardon granted to her by him.
The appearance of the draft of this treaty was the actual beginning of the de Saint-Mars conspiracy.
I had the opportunity to read this document, but did not do so. Here is how it was.
I received a handkerchief with one knot, which meant that I was to pick up a letter for Maria. Usually, such letters were conveyed to me by Madame de Hautefort, and after her by other loyal people of the Queen. To receive the letter I went to a house on the Rue Vaugirard. We did not risk leaving letters in a designated place, but passed them from hand to hand. I put on a mask made of black velvet, believing that God protects those who are careful. To prevent someone else from appearing in my place, we used a system of passwords and symbols that were exchanged during meetings. I immediately recognized the lady who appeared this time to give me the letter. I was often on duty in the palace, I was perfectly familiar with the figure, gait, gestures, manner of speaking, and voice of the Queen. I would have recognized her unmistakably by one of her ears or by several curls. So the mask of blue and silver velvet, which she also put on, could not deceive me. But I instantly realized that I shouldn’t show that I recognized the Queen, I needed to talk to her like an ordinary noble lady.
“Sir, are you the gentleman whom Marie Michon called Monsieur d’Alameda?” - asked the Queen.
“Yes, madam,” I answered. “Are you a messenger from her cousin?” How should I contact you?
Cousin Marie Michonne we called the Queen.
“Yes, I am her cousin’s messenger,” answered the Queen. - Address me as “Madam.”
“Madam, have you brought a letter for Marie Michonne?” - I asked.
“Yes, but not only that,” answered the Queen. “At her cousin’s request, I would like to speak with you.” She knows you as a true and devoted friend, a faithful friend of the Duchess de Chevreuse and a loyal subject of the French Queen.
“That’s all true, I am truly the Queen’s faithful servant,” I answered.
“Madame Cousin asked me to ask you a few questions to find out your opinion on one issue in which you are, of course, an expert ,” she said.
“You flatter me, I’m an ordinary musketeer and a bit of an abbot, but I’ll try to answer your questions,” I answered with a bow.
This bow gave me away. The Queen realized that I had guessed who she was.
- God! I'm so careless! - she involuntarily exclaimed.
“Don’t worry, madam, nothing threatens you here, and anyone who even tries to look at you without due respect will be killed immediately,” I replied.
“So, you guessed me ,” she said and sank weakly into the chair that I immediately offered her.
The messengers who came before her only handed over the letter and immediately left, so they did not sit in the chair.
“I would like you to clarify this ,” said the Queen after she had been silent for several minutes to gather her courage. “I have friends, or allies, whatever you want to call them.” Now our thoughts are united, and therefore we understand each other perfectly.
I just bowed, indicating that I was going to listen, but I wasn't going to interrupt.
“Today my main enemy is the one who can deprive me of many of my legal rights, and is already doing this through his influence on my husband ,” she said. “It is my inalienable right to protect myself from him.” And if I can only defend myself by depriving him of the power which my husband has imprudently entrusted to him, then I seem to have a right to do so. And in this struggle of mine for myself, I, of course, can and must enter into alliances with those who pursue the same goals as me.
I bowed again and continued listening.
“But after our first common goal is achieved, there will be other goals,” the Queen continued. — The main question is who will use the results of this action and for what purposes.
I was silent, there was a pause, indicating that the Queen was waiting for my answer.
“Will you allow me to answer, Your...” I asked and stopped short, because I didn’t know if I could call her Your Majesty.
“Yes, I allow you to answer, Monsieur d'Alameda,” she replied. “You can simply call me “Mistress.”
“My Lady ,” I said. — The question, of course, is who will be the regent for the young King if and when Louis XIII departs for a better world. I understand that Monsieur will pretend to be the only regent, which under no circumstances should be allowed. And we, your friends, will not allow this. This will be the second part of our joint efforts if the first part is successful. In this case, there is an additional plan that is quite reliable.
“You say this “if” of yours as if you are not at all convinced that the first part of our plan will be crowned with success? - exclaimed the Queen. - Do you really doubt your success?
“Life has taught me to doubt everything that is not certain, my Lady,” I answered.
- So, in this case, perhaps you doubt the existence of our Lord? — the Queen asked in horror and crossed herself.
“I said that I doubt something that is not certain,” I clarified. - The existence of the Lord is undoubted, so I do not doubt it.
“Okay,” the Queen calmed down. “You are not an atheist, but your strange phrase almost convinced me otherwise.” So, you are not convinced of success, but did not refuse to help us?
“I cooperate with all the plans of my Lady,” I answered.
“You don’t find them criminal, I hope?” - asked the Queen.
“I find them very reasonable, since I know that the King signed an order in the event of his death to transfer both princes to the care of Cardinal Richelieu, that is, to take them away from their mother,” I answered.
The queen shuddered at these words and it seemed to me that her hands trembled.
“Any mother has the right to oppose such an action, to ensure that her children are not given to her enemy to be raised in hatred of her,” I continued. — Trying to send your enemy to heaven before your spouse is so natural in this situation! Is it possible to condemn this aspiration?
- Yes, yes, you are right! - exclaimed the Queen.
“But from the point of view of the law...” I said.
— From the legal point of view? - asked the Queen.
“We should all be extremely careful, my Lady ,” I said seriously.
“Can I count on your help and support, Mr. d’Alameda, if I have to confront my brother-in-law?” - asked the Queen.
“My life belongs entirely to you, Your Majesty, and I can also vouch for the lives of my three friends as for myself!” - I exclaimed passionately.
The Queen did not pay attention to the fact that I addressed her as “Your Majesty”, she was so excited.
- Tell me, sir, do you believe in the success of our enterprise? she asked.
“I will do anything for success ,” I said.
“That’s not the answer,” the Queen insisted. - Do you believe in success, you say?
“There are too many people involved in this matter,” I replied, “so I doubt that it can remain a secret for long to the one against whom it is directed.” And in this case, such forces will be gathered against us that we will not be able to resist. I would prefer to act with small but reliable forces.
- How small? - asked the Queen.
“If Your Majesty ordered me to destroy the cardinal, he would be destroyed, and for this I would only need those three friends about whom I already told you.” The four of us could have done this job better than the entire Spanish army led by Gaston d'Orl;ans.
—Would you raise your hand against a priest? she asked.
“A priest who wears armor and weapons is not particularly inviolable,” I answered. “We would raise our hand against the commander, the military leader.” It's not a sin.
“But he led the French army, and you took the oath,” the Queen said doubtfully.
“We swore allegiance to the King, and since spouses are united before the Lord, we also swore allegiance to the Queen,” I answered. “Neither I nor my friends have ever sworn allegiance to Cardinal Richelieu.” If the one to whom we have sworn allegiance demands that we raise our hand against someone to whom we have not sworn allegiance, this demand will be fulfilled.
“Thank you, Mister d'Alameda, I will remember your words,” replied the Queen. - Now I have to go. But first, would you like to familiarize yourself with the letter that I want to convey through you?
She took out a sealed letter and handed it to me.
“I would ask you for the exact opposite favor,” I replied, taking another slightly larger envelope from the table and putting the letter into it. - Let me ask you to seal this outer envelope with some simpler seal, if you have one. And let me not read the contents of this letter. I can already guess its contents, but for the sake of our common safety, the fewer people who can quote at least one line from it, the less danger there will be for everyone involved in its writing.
The Queen chose one of her rings as a seal, I put wax on the envelope and the Queen put her seal on it.
“I will deliver this letter to Marie Michonne, and both seals will remain intact ,” I said.
“Thank you, sir ,” said the queen and left the room.
In the next room, she was met by two ladies-in-waiting, who had been waiting for her all this time, and escorted her to the carriage.
Chapter 88
After the page reported to the Queen that the Duke de La Rochefoucauld was asking for an audience, Anna ordered to invite him immediately.
“Your Majesty ,” said La Rochefoucauld after expressing the traditional greetings, as well as his usual exaggerated compliments. - I have a part to tell you good news!
“I am incredibly happy when my friends bring good news,” answered the Queen. - Speak up.
“I proved myself to be a very successful commander in the last battles ,” said the Duke.
“If these battles were fought against my enemies, it would be good news indeed,” replied the Queen. - But they were fought against my Motherland!
“Sorry, Your Majesty, I was tactless,” La Rochefoucauld caught himself. - I attribute the good news not to the cause, but to the consequences, let me tell you about them.
“Well, if the consequences are not as sad as their cause, I will gladly listen to them and be happy, if not for myself, then at least for you,” answered Anna.
— I have been offered the position of brigadier general! - exclaimed La Rochefoucauld.
“Well, I’m glad that you will receive a promotion, after which you will be even more successful in defeating my brother’s troops ,” the Queen said sadly.
“But a higher position will provide me with more substantial opportunities!” - exclaimed La Rochefoucauld. “If you need military assistance, I can provide it with a large number of soldiers!”
“Tell me, Duke, who exactly offered you the new position?” - asked the Queen.
“The one who controls all positions, the first minister,” replied La Rochefoucauld.
“That is, my enemy,” answered the Queen, nodding her head to indicate that she had assumed so.
“But in the end, it’s not so important from whose hands I take this position, but what matters is how I can use it!” - exclaimed La Rochefoucauld.
“Really, having received this position from the hands of Richelieu, will you be able to use it against Richelieu?” - asked the Queen.
“I didn’t think about that,” La Rochefoucauld said absently.
“The Cardinal wants to be regent for my young son in the event of the King’s death,” answered the Queen. “And he wants in advance to deprive me of all support from friends, buying them new positions, which will not cost him a single penny personally.”
- Your Majesty! Do you really think that I can be bought? That by offering me high positions, the cardinal can force me to defect to the camp of your enemies? - La Rochefoucauld said hotly.
“If you accept this position, then you simply cannot be ignoble to the cardinal,” replied the Queen.
“But Saint-Mars rose to prominence thanks to the patronage of the cardinal, which does not prevent him from plotting to eliminate him, not only from his position, but also physically,” La Rochefoucauld objected.
— Do you consider such behavior morally acceptable? - inquired the Queen. - After all, you are not Saint-Mars. I am forced to enter into an alliance with him, but it will not make me respect him the way I respect you, Duke. So, do you consider such treachery and betrayal acceptable for yourself?
“Richelieu deserves such a betrayal, because, as I know, he himself did the same in relation to the Queen Mother, Marie de Medici,” La Rochefoucauld replied.
“That’s not what I asked,” answered the Queen. — I asked if you consider such behavior unacceptable for yourself as well?
“Of course, I’m not capable of such baseness,” La Rochefoucauld lied. “I couldn’t be ungrateful to a benefactor.” But I believe that this position is not a gift, but a reward for merit, so the cardinal is not such a benefactor.
- Does it matter whether it’s a gift or a reward? - asked the Queen. - By accepting the reward, you will also acquire the moral need to be grateful. Not everyone acts as their inner morality requires, but with regard to you, Duke, I have a different opinion, so I fear that I may lose you if you begin to receive rewards from the hands of the cardinal. I need you. I admit that very soon I will need protection both from the cardinal and from other persons claiming the regency.
- Are we talking about Monsieur? - La Rochefoucauld asked carelessly.
“Monsieur is our ally against the cardinal, and we must all stick together and support each other,” the Queen hastily objected. “But we don’t know how it might end.” I would count more on your friendship and help if you did not accept any awards from the cardinal.
“I promise you, Your Majesty, to refuse the offered position tomorrow ,” said La Rochefoucauld, trying in vain to hide his disappointment.
“I thank you, Duke,” replied the Queen. “To my great regret, I am not able to compensate you for the loss of this almost your position, but perhaps the times will come when you will not regret this choice.”
“I’m happy just because I did something nice for you,” replied La Rochefoucauld. “I’m ready to sacrifice even more.” Whatever, everything, anything, and life itself, you just have to demand.
“We need your life,” answered the Queen. “Especially now that you have made this sacrifice.”
“In that case, I will not put it off until tomorrow, and today I will immediately let the cardinal know that I do not accept the position from his hands,” replied La Rochefoucauld.
“Okay, Duke, go,” the Queen approved of his words and dismissed him with a gesture of her hand.
The Cardinal absently stroked the cat sitting on his lap and looked carefully into the face of the Duke of La Rochefoucauld.
“So, Duke, you resolutely refuse the post of brigadier general,” he said thoughtfully. “I didn’t expect such scrupulousness from you.” Remember how you thanked me for getting you out of the Bastille. Yes, yes, I pulled you out, because it wasn’t me who put you there, but your own actions against the King.
La Rochefoucauld began to sweat.
“I believe that I have not yet earned this position enough,” La Rochefoucauld timidly objected.
“There is a war going on, Duke,” the cardinal said firmly. “You won’t refuse to return to the battlefield, will you?”
“Anyone would rightly call such a refusal cowardice,” answered the Duke. “But no one will say about Duke Francois de La Rochefoucauld that he is a coward!”
“Of course, Duke, of course,” agreed the cardinal. “But this means that you agree to continue to fight in a lower rank than what was offered to you, although you understand perfectly well that in this case you will have less opportunity to be useful to France.”
“I believe that there are others more worthy than me ,” said La Rochefoucauld.
This lie was doubly painful for him, since he himself did not believe his words, and he understood that the cardinal did not believe him.
“During hostilities, it is not appropriate for military personnel to refuse promotion in military rank, since this smacks of desertion ,” said the cardinal.
“I ask you to immediately send me to the battlefields!” - La Rochefoucauld exclaimed, realizing that he had little choice, either war or the Bastille.
“Of course, Duke, who could refuse you such a reasonable request?” - Richelieu agreed. - You reminded me of an old episode. I offered four musketeers an open patent for the position of lieutenant of the royal musketeers. Three of the four musketeers in turn refused my flattering offer, knowing full well that they were acting to their own detriment and making an enemy in me. But the fourth agreed to accept this patent, although, however, he outwitted me. He deliberately spoiled it, after which he persuaded his captain, Monsieur de Treville, to issue him this patent anew, in order to be obliged for this elevation not to me, but to him.
- Your Eminence, I am refusing this position not because it was offered by you! - La Rochefoucauld passionately objected, but this lie did not deceive the cardinal.
“I didn’t say that at all,” the cardinal objected softly. “And since you say this, I have not the slightest doubt that you would refuse to accept such a promotion from the hands of the King as well.” This is a great pity, since before your words I had precisely the intention of informing you that this position was offered to you, in truth, not on my behalf, but on behalf of the King, and the patent, of course, would have been signed by the King, and I was only fulfilling functions as a humble messenger of this good news for you.
La Rochefoucauld was silent in annoyance.
“Yes, that’s right, the position was offered to you by the King, and you will certainly upset him by refusing when I give it to him,” he continued. “But since you yourself have already said that you will refuse the position even if it is offered by the King, the conversation is over.” I won't keep you any longer. Tomorrow you can return to the army. However, it’s not too late, you can leave today.
The cardinal stroked the cat with special tenderness and returned his gaze to his papers on the table, making it clear that the audience was over.
Chapter 89
“Your Majesty, we must go to Catalonia ,” said Richelieu.
“You and I are both sick, cardinal,” the King objected. - We won't get there.
“If the Lord decides to take a life, he will take it from the one lying in bed, and if he decides to save it, he will save it on the battlefield,” answered the cardinal.
- This is all true, of course, but do we have enough strength? - asked the King.
“It’s not us who will need strength, but the horses that will be harnessed to our carriages ,” said the cardinal.
“You haven’t ridden in a carriage for over a year now, but only travel in a sedan chair to avoid shaking, cardinal!” - exclaimed the King. - Do you really decide to travel in a carriage? What happened in Catalonia that we both must definitely go there?
“The Catalans rebelled against the authorities of Madrid, after which the uprising was brutally suppressed, although not completely,” Richelieu said. — Madrid had few forces in Catalonia, the Catalans again pushed back the Spanish troops and proclaimed the Catalan Republic. If they are not helped, then the conflict will drag on, and only God knows when and how it will end. With our help, Catalonia can finally become ours. It would be unreasonable to miss such an opportunity.
“Perhaps you are right, cardinal, but why should we go there personally?” - asked the King. - After all, we have someone to put at the head of the army. Take Conde, or Gaston, or even Gondi, or de Beaufort.
“Are you proposing to give command of the army to one of those who have already proven that they can rebel against you, Your Majesty?” - asked the cardinal. “This is tantamount to your abdication of power.” Any of them only dreams of leading an army in order to threaten the tranquility of the state. No, this is impossible, it is better for us to lose all dreams of Catalonia.
“In that case, why don’t you go alone, cardinal?” - asked the King.
“If God takes my life during this campaign, the army will be left without a commander, and any prince can lead it with the very consequences that I fear,” the cardinal objected.
“Well, I’m not asking you why don’t I go there alone,” the King sighed. “I don’t want to lead an army alone.” However, I can take Mr. Chief with me.
“I would rather give up Catalonia, Roussillon, and, perhaps, even Lorraine, but I will not trust Saint-Mars with our best army ,” said Richelieu. “He will demand the title of constable before going to Catalonia, or after the first victory, and you, Your Majesty, will not be able to refuse him this.” The victories there will be easy.
“You don’t love Mr. Chief so much,” said the King.
“I love only you, Your Majesty, and this is the only feeling that guides my actions,” the cardinal answered and bowed respectfully.
“I must admit, I’m starting to get tired of this arrogant and capricious young man,” the King said thoughtfully. - At night he goes somewhere, and during the day he is constantly sleepy and boring. Always bickering with me. No matter what, he’s simply bullying me. You'd think I owe him something! No, I don’t argue, he’s good, of course, but still he’s already weighing me down. So, you say Catalonia is uneasy?
“An uprising began against the Castilians for the independence of Catalonia, many Castilian officials were killed,” said the cardinal. “We can take advantageous positions on the Iberian Peninsula, closer to its central part. The rebels proclaimed an independent Republic and sent a letter addressed to you asking for protection and protectorate. I have prepared your positive response, you should sign here, Your Majesty.
- So, are you and I going to Catalonia? - asked the King, without looking at the document, putting his signature on it. — Will the Queen and the princes remain in Paris?
“Yes, Your Majesty, the Queen and Monsieur will remain in Paris; as for the princes, it is better for them to stay in Vincennes during this troubled time under the care of M. de Chavigny,” answered the cardinal.
Chavigny was a protege of the cardinal, who was still friends with his mother. Some even said that Richelieu was his true father.
“Well, if you’ve thought it through so well, cardinal, I approve of your plan ,” the King said with a sigh.
However, the King hoped that he would have fun on the road and feel better. But the main reason why he agreed with Richelieu's plan was the cardinal's fear that he himself might die on the road. The thought of such a possibility warmed the soul of Louis XIII , who knew how to sincerely rejoice in the misfortune of others and stoically endured the cruelest blows that fate dealt to even his closest friends and servants, including his untimely death.
“So you think, Cardinal, that Catalonia can become part of France?” - the King asked finally.
“I believe this is extremely desirable and quite probable, and if we undertake this campaign right now, it will become inevitable, Your Majesty,” replied Richelieu.
“Well, that means we’re going,” concluded the King. - Tell the army to prepare for the march.
With this cunning move, Richelieu sent the young princes under the supervision of Chavigny. The Queen and Monsieur were left without an army and without heirs to the throne, that is, without the slightest legal or forceful support in case they needed to individually seize all power in the state. Richelieu, therefore, if the King died during the campaign, had every chance of remaining the only regent and, therefore, could become the absolute master of France.
If the Queen had also gone to Vincennes, she would have remained the sovereign mistress of her children for the time being, and Cond;, one of Richelieu’s most dangerous rivals, would have reigned in Paris at the same time. In the presence of the Queen, this brother-in-law of the cardinal could not lay claim to any real power.
However, the cardinal arranged the figures in this way only to maintain calm in the state for a time while the patronage of Catalonia was carried out by military means in order to then annex it to France by political means. But this successful arrangement of the figures caused panic in Saint-Mars. No matter how little he knew about politics, he could not help but realize where all this could lead. Therefore, even if the cardinal did not think about a regency in the event of the death of the King, then Saint-Mars, and Monsieur, and the Queen and Fontraille, and even the self-possessed and balanced de Thou understood that the situation in the event of the death of the sick King was too successful for the cardinal and too unsuccessful for all his opponents.
Saint-Mars decided to speed up events and began to spread speculation that Richelieu was really planning to permanently remove the Queen from the young princes in order to become Regent. He invented non-existent details to prove his version in order to push the conspirators to take more decisive action. The Queen, in a panic, approved the agreement with Spain, although only in words, but that was enough. Saint-Mars and Fontray began negotiations with Spain without notifying de Thou, they also prepared everything for the assassination of the cardinal, and they hid these preparations not only from de Thou, but also from the Queen, from Bouillon and from Monsieur.
All the conspirators lied to each other. Saint-Mars lied to Fontray and Monsieur that the King had clearly hinted that he wanted Richelieu eliminated. Monsieur, realizing that Anna would not believe such an unreliable source of information as Saint-Mars, lied to the Queen that he himself allegedly heard similar statements from his august brother.
“Is it really possible to eliminate the cardinal?” - exclaimed the Queen. - Has my husband finally agreed to this?
- Would I talk about this if it weren’t so? - asked Monsieur in response, who had entered into his role so much that he himself began to believe what he himself had come up with. “The King’s wish is undeniable, so this time everything will work out.” Fontray has already taken the treaty that you deigned to approve to Spain.
Anna felt her palms getting wet. She experienced extreme horror. From her experience she knew that there was not a single secret in France that would remain a secret for the cardinal, and in this case, if this agreement became known, Richelieu would use it to deprive her forever not only of the opportunity to see her sons, but and deprive of freedom. This was a direct path to the dissolution of the marriage and to Anna’s imprisonment in a fortress or in a monastery.
“Monsieur, ... Gaston, you must promise me never to tell anyone about this letter ,” she said almost in a whisper.
“Don’t worry, Your Majesty, Madame de Saint-Georges will not betray us ,” said Gaston. “Besides, she didn’t even hear my words.”
Madame de Saint-Georges was a young lady assigned to the Queen by the cardinal, but the Queen had already become quite close with her, as she managed in her time with Madame de Hautefort and with some other ladies whom Richelieu wanted to make his spies, but the Queen, with her characteristic charm, won them over to sympathy and friendship.
“You can never be sure of that,” answered the Queen.
“Listen, Your Majesty, you could just write a message to your brother, couldn’t you?” - Gaston continued. — Have you maintained any relationship with your brother?
“Saint-Mars recently asked me this same question, and I answered him the same as I will answer you.” The King forbade me to maintain contact with him, and therefore I do not maintain it,” replied the Queen.
“But in our common cause, preliminary coordination of our future actions with your brother would be extremely useful ,” said Monsieur.
- In our business? Our actions? - asked the Queen. - Dear Gaston, you know, I love you like a brother and agree with your opinion on most issues, but I still don’t know and don’t want to know anything about any “our affairs”, the solution of which would require me to break my promise to me to my husband and the King.
“But you yourself admitted that Richelieu’s removal would be a good thing!” - Gaston said passionately in a loud whisper.
“If by the will of God or the will of my august husband the First Minister were ridiculous, I would accept it with gratitude, that’s all,” answered the Queen. “But I will accept any will of God and any will of my husband and King in this way, with gratitude.” I simply shouldn't do anything else.
- Even if the cardinal takes your children away from you, establishes guardianship over them with the help of his people, and becomes the sole regent for the young King? - Monsieur said in a quiet, angry whisper.
“The Lord sometimes sends us trials, caring for us, for our good, because only by undergoing education here, on sinful earth, in this world, can we perhaps earn a better share in the world to come, in heaven,” said Anna in a humble tone .
Gaston realized that the Queen was afraid of getting involved in another conspiracy, although she wished him success with all her heart.
“Your Majesty, I understand you ,” he said. “I fully approve of your position, but let me and your other friends make sure that the Lord is more lenient towards you and does not send you trials that are very difficult to endure.” “And forgive us, your devoted friends, for the fact that in order to solve this task of helping the Lord, we will probably have to enter into not only preliminary negotiations with your august brother, but also sign some mutual obligations or at least reach an agreement of intent, which would be desirable for all parties to this matter.
“Oh, Gaston, dear, I don’t understand anything about what you just said,” answered the Queen. “I can only tell you that if my husband and King has enough power to forbid me to communicate with my brother, then I have no power over you, and I do not intend to forbid you to communicate with anyone, in your opinion.” discretion.
Gaston looked expressively into the Queen's eyes, and then kissed her hand.
“How lucky my brother is to have such a reasonable and obedient wife!” - he said either with irony, or with delight, or perhaps with both.
“Thank you, Gaston,” replied the Queen. “There is no need to remind you that I consider you one of my best friends, and that I always wish my friends good luck in all their endeavors.”
Gaston bowed his head slightly, exactly as Monsieur should have bowed to the Queen, and left.
The Queen did not sleep that night. If you wake up in the middle of the night and can’t fall asleep for a long time, the minutes drag on tiresomely long. Only five minutes will pass, and it will seem to you that half an hour has passed. Half an hour will seem like two hours, and the sleepless night will drag on endlessly. If you can’t sleep, you can get up, pretend that the night has not yet begun, or has already ended, but the Queen could not afford such luxury, because if she did not sleep at night, the next day the cardinal, the King, and there will be no end to the questions about the reasons for such insomnia.
The queen could not sleep because of fear. If during the day, when talking with Gaston, she was afraid that she might end up in the Bastille, now at night it already seemed to her that she was halfway to the chopping block. The Cardinal could execute princes of the blood, he proved that. What will stop him from executing the Queen? Reason told her that this was impossible; in peacetime, such a thing could cause a war with Spain, but after all, Spain is already at war! And no matter how her reason assured her that she would not face such punishment, the fear did not go away. And, besides, isn’t being imprisoned for life in the Bastille, or in some other fortress, or in a monastery the same death, only slow and, perhaps, more painful?
The Queen broke out in a cold sweat at the thought that Madame de Saint-Georges had heard every word of her conversation with Monsieur. Of course, she showed loyalty and friendliness towards the Queen, but isn’t that what the cardinal’s spy should behave like? What if this evening she conveyed this conversation to Richelieu, word for word? Will she survive free until the next evening in this case?
A restful sleep still did not come, the Queen found her bed, pillow, blanket uncomfortable, she tossed and turned, but could not fall asleep, the quietest sounds frightened her. She was in a panic.
In the morning she herself came to the cardinal.
- How touching, Your Majesty, that you came to visit me and inquire about my health! - said the cardinal in a weak voice, so that it was impossible to understand whether he was weak or just pretending. “Thank you, Your Majesty, and do not forget to also visit your sick husband.” Your visit will add strength to him, just as it added it to me.
“Your Eminence, I will pray to the Lord for you,” Anna answered. - And for the King. I didn't come just to inquire about your health. I have something to tell you.
The cardinal motioned for all the servants to leave.
“Obviously, Your Majesty would like to ask me for something ,” said Richelieu and showed a gentle smile.
“Perhaps so,” answered the Queen, gathering her courage.
“This is double happiness, not only to be honored with your visit, but also to have the opportunity to please you by fulfilling your request ,” said Richelieu. - Speak up, I'm listening.
“This request is of the kind that I ask Your Eminence to be careful during the trip on which, as I heard, you are going ,” said the Queen.
“The Lord has already numbered my days,” replied the cardinal. “I understand that I don’t have much left.” So should I be afraid of an enemy bullet if I wasn’t afraid of it in my younger years, when I had something to lose?
“Sometimes an enemy bullet is not as dangerous as a dagger from the side you don’t expect ,” said the Queen.
“So you came to warn me, Your Majesty ,” said Richelieu and nodded with gratitude.
“Once upon a time, a confessor not only reconciled me with my husband, but also helped me in one important state matter ,” said the Queen. “You can say you saved my life, Mister Cardinal.”
The Cardinal looked carefully into the Queen's eyes, waiting for the continuation of her words.
“So, today I repaid the debt, and perhaps I’m saving your life by telling you to be careful on your trip ,” said the Queen.
“Well, of course ,” said Richelieu in a quiet, tired voice. “They’re all impatient.” Well, we don't have long to wait. But, as far as I understand, they do not want to wait. Who is this new de Vitry?
“Your Eminence, don’t ask me to say something about which I know absolutely nothing,” answered the Queen. “I just want you to know for sure that I did not plot anything against you, did not persuade anyone to do anything, and that I did not sign any letters, and did not give approval to any letters, and did not even read them.
“So there is a letter from Monsieur to the King of Spain ,” said Richelieu. “Well, I expected it.” Your Majesty, you can rest assured, I never considered you guilty of anything, I always defended you before His Majesty, and I am convinced that I did the right thing. And now I assure you in advance: that whatever happens in the near future, the investigation will not affect you, since you, as I see from your words, sacredly observe your promise to His Majesty not to write any letters to your brother, do not send any messengers, do not receive or read any letters from him.
“I observe it sacredly,” answered the Queen and, looking at the image of the Virgin Mary, she crossed herself earnestly. Do not write, do not read, do not send messengers.
“In that case, you have nothing to fear,” replied the cardinal.
“I’m not afraid for myself, but for you,” answered the Queen.
“If a draft of such a letter fell into your hands,” said the cardinal, “what would you do with it?”
“I wouldn’t touch him!” - the Queen exclaimed hotly. “And if I picked it up, it would only be to tear it into small pieces without reading it!”
“If such a draft does fall into your hands, it would be better if you brought it to me ,” said the cardinal. - To hand it over to the King, of course.
“I haven’t seen the draft, no one has told me its contents, I only have reason to fear that if such a letter suddenly exists for some reason, then I have nothing to do with it,” answered the Queen.
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” replied the cardinal. “I apologize that due to illness I was forced to receive you while lying in bed, and now I cannot get up to bow and see you off.”
- So, take care of yourself, Your Eminence! - said the Queen and left the cardinal.
“Now he won’t be able to say that I didn’t warn him,” thought the Queen, leaving the cardinal. “If the conspiracy fails, I can always say that I warned the cardinal about everything, and if only for this reason, I never participated in it.”
“She got involved in a conspiracy and is afraid that the conspiracy will be revealed and all the conspirators will be executed,” Richelieu thought. “She came for an indulgence, and I gave it to her.” Oh, if only I could get a copy or a draft of this letter!”
After this visit, the Queen could rightfully call some of her friends devoted friends. Because that is what they have become.
Chapter 90
The Comte de Rochefort entered the cardinal's office. Richelieu was reclining in bed, soft pillows covered with silk were placed under his back, a trapezoidal table stood above his feet, and three cats were sitting next to him on the bed.
“Monseigneur,” said Rochefort, bowed and waited for orders.
Richelieu crossed de Rochefort and coughed. None of the cats were scared off, which proved that coughing was a common occurrence for the cardinal.
“Count, you will go south ,” he said. - Take ten people. First you will stop in Pau. If you don't find any traces of Fontray there, move on. If necessary, you will go to Spain, first to Zaragoza, and then to Madrid itself. This envelope contains the addresses along your route and the names of people from whom you can obtain the information you need. Also here is a letter certifying your credentials and a pass to Spain.
- Should I find Fontray? - Rochefort clarified. — Arrest him or kill him?
“It doesn’t matter to me, you can arrest him, you can kill him, or you can release him, but just get me all the papers that will be with him.” However, first watch him, so that he does not get rid of them, sensing persecution.
“All papers found on him will be delivered to Your Eminence,” Rochefort replied.
“Pay special attention to the agreement with Spain or the secret protocol, or at least the draft of this document,” Richelieu clarified.
- Do you need the original? - asked Rochefort.
- This would be ideal, but in extreme cases I will be satisfied with a copy of it. If you find encrypted documents or any notes, even the most innocent ones, deliver everything to me. Also all other items found on him. It could be anything - a ring, a scarf, a glove, a brooch, a button. I repeat, whatever. Any thing can be a password.
“In order to search Fontray so thoroughly, I will have to kill him ,” said Rochefort. — Do you have any objections to this, monsignor?
“I said, do with him as you wish, but if you catch him only in Spain, be extremely careful,” replied the cardinal. - If you obtain a document proving Monsieur's conspiracy with Philip IV , King of Spain and brother of our august Queen, you can neglect all other searches. This letter or draft agreement is the highest priority. Everything else is important only if you do not obtain such a document.
“I understand you, monsignor,” Rochefort replied.
“As soon as the contract, or at least a copy of it, is in your hands, your only task will be to deliver this document to me as quickly as possible,” the cardinal continued. - You will receive money for the trip from the treasurer. I'm not keeping you.
Rochefort took the envelope, bowed and left.
Meanwhile, I needed to go to Tours, to see Marie de Chevreuse, and, of course, on the way I dropped into Blois, hoping to see Athos.
I will not describe the beauty on the road or how I got to the count's castle. Grimaud in his memoirs, which I have already recalled more than once, calls this castle the white house. Well, buildings that should be called castles can, of course, be called so simply, but I remember very well that Athos did not live in a white house, as Grimaud writes, but in a white castle. And what kind of name is this – “White House”? Nothing serious can be called "White House".
The castle was magnificent and surrounded by a beautiful garden, it was clear that Athos was prospering.
At the entrance to the garden, on a bench made of cast tracery cast iron with an oak seat, a thin man sat and carefully polished a magnificent sword, which I immediately recognized. I would have recognized the man if his face had not been hidden by the brim of his hat. But since I was riding on horseback, accompanied by the faithful Bazin, we attracted the attention of this man even earlier, so as we approached, he put down his saber, stood up and, taking off his hat, bowed low to me.
- Welcome, Chevalier d'Herblay! - he said. - Glad to see you, dear Bazin!
- Grimaud! - I exclaimed, rejoicing at this meeting almost as much as if I had met Athos himself. - I hope the Count is at home?
“He’s at home and waiting for you,” Grimaud replied.
Bazin jumped off his horse and hugged Grimaud. At that moment Athos appeared on the threshold.
“Forgive me, dear friend, that I did not come out to meet you, because I was a little late in changing clothes ,” he said, running up to me.
We hugged.
- What do I hear? Did you change your clothes before my arrival? - I was surprised.
“My shirt got a little dirty, so I couldn’t appear before you like that,” Athos answered with a smile.
Athos changed not only his shirt, he was completely dressed as if for a holiday.
“We have seen each other more than once in clothes stained with blood, wine, road dust, or even all of these combined,” I answered.
“Yes, that’s true, and, fortunately, most often it was not our blood,” answered Athos. - But let's go into the house! The table is already set! Grimaud, feed Bazin and take care of our friends’ horses.
Thus Athos called Bazin a friend. He became very sentimental. Grimaud just nodded silently and began to carry out the tasks entrusted to him by the count. However, he started them earlier, because he knew exactly what Athos told him to do in such a situation.
We entered the house, where I saw a young, neatly dressed woman, who, seeing me in the company of Athos, immediately went out through other doors.
“Count, I congratulate you ,” I said.
- With what, my friend? - asked Athos.
“We all knew you as a person who shunned women, and now I see a woman lives in your house ,” I said. - I am sincerely happy for you.
“You have reason to be happy for me, but this woman is not what you thought,” Athos answered without a hint of resentment or irritation. “This is a former nurse, and now the nanny of an orphan whom I am going to raise and educate.” I took custody of him. The nurse became so attached to him that she did not want to part with him even after her services became unnecessary.
- Child? At your place, Count? - I was surprised. - And you are the guardian? Well, that’s not bad either, it’s a family after all.
“Yes, you’re right, Aramis, this is a family,” Athos agreed. “My life now has meaning.” Now can you guess why I had to change my shirt?
“Not quite,” I answered. “I didn’t have to babysit children.”
“I taught my pupil Raoul the basics of fencing, and he managed to cut it in two places with the end of his sword,” Athos said cheerfully, while his face beamed with happiness.
- How old is he? - I asked.
“He was born in 1634, he will soon be eight years old,” answered Athos.
-Will you show it to me? - I asked.
“Alas, it won’t work out, he asked me to leave to go to the neighbors ,” said Athos.
“Are you letting such a young boy go alone on a horse?” - I was surprised.
“Nothing will happen to him,” answered Athos. “He’s a great rider, he has a great horse, and it’s a quiet place.” In any case, he will be able to fend for himself. Besides, Blaisois is with him. This is my new servant. But why are we standing? The table is set! You're probably hungry from the road. Let's continue our conversation at the table.
Athos's table was set with exquisite dishes and decorated with equally exquisite wine. If this feast was on the occasion of my arrival, I was extremely flattered, but if Athos ate so luxuriously every day, I could only rejoice for him. At that time I still had a good appetite, so for the first ten minutes we just devoured food, occasionally accompanying this action with a few sips of excellent wine.
When dessert was brought, Athos looked at me affectionately and said:
“Whatever brings you to my house, I am extremely glad to see you!” - he said. - Remember that my home is always open to my friends.
“I know about this, Athos, but perhaps I will soon become a very dangerous guest,” I answered.
“No matter what you do, I approve of your actions in advance, and no matter what crime you commit in the eyes of the cardinal and his justice, I will never disown you, so is it worth talking about it?” - Athos answered. “Even if hundreds of the cardinal’s guards are chasing you in order to arrest you, in this case you can always find refuge with me, and I will not allow anyone to arrest a friend like you, and I will defend your freedom with a sword in my hand.” to the last drop of blood.
I couldn’t resist and hugged Athos.
“I know about this, Count, but I hope it won’t come to that,” I replied. “Perhaps I will serve our Queen too faithfully, which could completely put me at odds with the cardinal.”
“Well, are we all four going to gather again to serve the Queen against the cardinal?” - asked Athos. “Why didn’t you take d’Artagnan with you?” Or does his duty as a lieutenant of the royal musketeers prevent him from joining this enterprise?
“No, my friend,” I answered. “This time I will handle the task myself, and if I needed help, I, of course, would turn to d’Artagnan, and to Porthos, and to you, dear Athos, but at the present time it is not required.” Besides, you have a child in your arms. Can I tear you away from such important and pleasant concerns?
“Don’t worry about that, my friend, I can completely entrust Raoul to my servants, and go with you myself, if required,” Athos objected.
“No, no, dear friend, it’s easier to do my job alone,” I answered. - Nowadays I am a simple letter carrier.
“The road to the estate of the seamstress Marie Michon passes through Blois,” Athos answered with a smile. - Well, I am grateful to her for the happiness of meeting you. And not only for this.
- Is that so? - I was surprised. -Have you met her?
“You could say so,” answered Athos. - But it's a long story. Someday, perhaps, I will tell it, but now it is premature.
— Should I say hello to her from you, Count? - I asked with a smile.
“No, it’s not necessary,” answered Athos. “I don’t think she remembers me.” Our meeting was such that I did not have the honor of introducing myself to her. She unwittingly did me a kindness, but probably doesn’t remember it anymore. It would be inappropriate to talk to her about this now.
“Well, now the times are such that it’s really better for you, Count, not to maintain acquaintance with her ,” I said. “Even I’ve been quite careful about this lately.” Perhaps these times will change soon, but for now the situation is, I would say, unpredictable.
“I told you, dear Aramis, that I would support you in any of your business, but perhaps I would not advise you to participate in every business ,” said Athos. “Perhaps it would be better for you to stay away from the grandiose plans of the active seamstress?”
“I completely agree with you, Athos, but I have already entered into this matter, and I cannot get out of it without casting suspicion on my person,” I answered. “And suspicions are worse than direct accusations, because you can answer the accusation with a sword in your hands, while suspicions defame you, and you don’t even suspect it.”
“A truly noble man, of which I undoubtedly count you, is answerable only to his own conscience,” answered Athos. “So don’t worry about suspicions.” Just ignore them.
“Thank you for the lesson, Athos, that’s exactly what I try to do, but it doesn’t always work,” I answered.
“You are probably in a hurry, but I hope that you will spend the night with me, and in the morning you can go further ,” said Athos.
“Dear Athos, thank you, this coincides with my plans,” I replied.
We walked around the garden, talked about all sorts of abstract things, remembered our exploits and our duels with the cardinal's guards. The evening went great.
Before falling asleep, I thought about what kind of good deed Chevrette could have done for Athos without bothering to get to know him.
The next morning, before saying goodbye to Athos, I decided to find out something.
“I was extremely glad to see you, dear Athos, in happiness and prosperity ,” I said. - This pupil of yours has a very favorable effect on you. Perhaps I should adopt some orphan?
“If the Lord gives you a sign to do this, then by all means obey his command,” answered Athos.
— How did the Lord show you this path? - I asked. — Did they drop this child on the threshold of your castle?
“Not quite so,” answered Athos. “This child, at the age of three months, was given to a poor priest from the village of Roche Labelle, located between Tulle and Angoul;me. A week after that, I passed through this village and stopped by this priest, who told me this story. I asked where the child was, and the priest replied that he had given him to be raised in a peasant family that already had three children. I visited this family, saw the poverty in which they lived, and realized that an extra child would be a burden to these kind people. So I gave them some money and invited them to give him to me to raise. Fortunately, they agreed, because they had not yet become attached to him, and they decided that a fourth child, and a stranger at that, would be too burdensome for them. So, I brought him home to Blois, where he has lived for almost eight years.
— You have always been a man of a broad soul and a kind heart! - I exclaimed. “I’ll actually think about following your example.” But only if I am kicked out of the abbots.
We both laughed at my joke, hugged each other, we, me and Bazin, rode off towards Tours.
I promised myself to go to the village of Roche Labelle, located between Tulle and Angoul;me, to find the local priest there and ask him about this child. Something told me that he had some connection with Marie de Chevreuse, who, in her hasty flight, I believe, passed through this very village.
Chapter 91
Leaving the Palais Cardinal, Rochefort hastily moved towards the barracks of the cardinal's guards. After walking only ten steps, he heard a shout from behind.
- Don’t be in such a hurry, Mister Rochefort! Don't make me chase you again!
Rochefort looked around and saw the musketeer lieutenant d'Artagnan. A little further away, about ten steps from him, stood six musketeers. They watched this scene carefully, but it was clear that they were ordered not to interfere in it without sufficient reason. The very presence of these witnesses did not allow Rochefort to neglect this appeal and brush aside the man for whom he harbored an intense hatred, which, no doubt, was mutual.
- You again! - Rochefort said in a tired voice full of hatred.
“I’m glad that you stopped calling me those offensive nicknames that only an angry father is allowed to give to a guilty boy ,” said d’Artagnan. — I would like to remind you that our communication was terminated on my initiative due to some problems with your health, which resulted from our pleasant conversation. I have given you time to heal in order to continue our graceful meeting. Would you be so kind as to continue it? I see that your health is completely restored and does not cause any concern!
“I’m in a hurry to attend to important matters,” Rochefort objected. - See you sometime later.
“Let me disagree with you, dear M. Rochefort,” answered d’Artagnan. - As I noticed, you are always in a hurry, every time we meet, so I cannot hope that you will ever not be busy with the next important things for you. In addition, you have proven more than once that those important things for you that you are in a hurry to do are precisely such that it is extremely important for me to prevent you from completing them.
“This time my business is indeed extremely important,” Rochefort replied. “They don’t tolerate any delay for your petty squabbles.”
“Perhaps the kidnapping of a defenseless woman or her insidious poisoning is a trifle for you, but for me, believe me, this is not a trifle at all,” d’Artagnan objected hotly. Be kind enough to follow me, it’s not far here. This will take you and me no more than half an hour, despite the fact that we will spend two-thirds of this time on a pleasant walk.
“I have to walk in the opposite direction, so the conversation with you will not take place today,” Rochefort replied and intended to continue on his way.
- Know that I expected this! - said d'Artagnan in a loud voice.
At the same moment, six musketeers headed towards Rochefort with very fast steps.
Rochefort considered it indecent to run away. Despite the fact that, as a rule, a large number of guardsmen could be found near the Palais Cardinal, at this early hour practically none of them were nearby, and those who could have heard him and hastened to help would hardly have managed with six musketeers and their lieutenant, known as the best swordsman in France.
“I see that you are pursuing me with a tenacity worthy of better use,” Rochefort said wearily. -Are you threatening me with violence? Here, near the Palais Cardinal?
“My friends only want to ask you not to leave me before we finish this pleasant conversation with you,” answered d’Artagnan. “They will only intervene if someone tries to stop us.”
- If I set you now the time and place of our conversation, will you leave me alone? - asked Rochefort.
“No, Monsieur Rochefort, I won’t leave you alone,” answered d’Artagnan. “I have been looking for an opportunity that has presented itself only now, for two months, because you have improved your health quite a long time ago. Despite our persuasion to continue our conversation, you extremely cleverly avoided continuing our conversation. I can't wait, damn it. The understatement eats away at my soul. I still have many arguments left for our unfinished dispute.
-Will you give me a reprieve? - asked Rochefort, anticipating the answer to this question.
“Not a minute more than is necessary in order to reach that fragrant garden with an excellent clearing to which I invite you,” answered d’Artagnan.
“The cardinal will execute you,” Rochefort said calmly.
“ If our conversation ends the way I expect, I’m even ready to let him do it,” answered the Gascon. “If it doesn’t end the way I would like, then he will simply have no one to execute.” Make up your mind, Mr. Rochefort, or all these six musketeers will confirm my words, which I will say on every corner in the Louvre, namely, I will say that Count Rochefort is a coward who, having once received a wound from me, began to cowardly hide from me and avoid good manly conversation with swords in hands, as befits real soldiers.
Rochefort realized that if he tried to evade the duel, this would be exactly what happened. The cardinal, of course, could protect Rochefort from swords and from slander, but even he could not protect him from shame, for which there would be such weighty grounds. And the loss of honor for a nobleman is unacceptable, even for such a nobleman as Count Rochefort was.
“Let’s go, but quickly,” he finally answered.
- Finally! - D'Artagnan exclaimed joyfully. - How many extra words we had to spend on persuasion!
Should we say that d'Artagnan crossed swords with Rochefort and inflicted one of the most painful wounds on him, which again confined Rochefort to bed for two months? If d'Artagnan's sword had deviated even a quarter of an inch, Rochefort might have remained immobilized for the rest of his life. His right leg would never be able to serve him again; at best, he would be chained to a chair on wheels, which the poet Scarron invented for himself many years after this event. But d'Artagnan studied the basics of anatomy perfectly, so the wound he inflicted on Rochefort, again this time, caused extreme anxiety and severe pain, but did not threaten the count's life.
“We will meet again for a final conversation, Monsieur Comte ,” said d’Artagnan, stepping on Rochefort’s sword near the guard, after which its blade broke with a ringing sound. “I liked our two conversations so much that I extremely regret that the third conversation may be your last.” - My good advice to you. Buy a sword that is at least two inches longer, and also practice fencing every day as soon as you get better.
After this, d'Artagnan bowed to Rochefort, turned around and walked away, accidentally stepping on Rochefort's hat, which lay nearby. In any case, no one who could see this could claim that it was done on purpose, since d'Artagnan, it would seem, did not look at his feet at all, moving away from his defeated enemy.
If such a person who could observe this scene were nearby and had excellent hearing, he would be able to hear the strange words that d'Artagnan uttered extremely quietly:
- Be patient a little longer, Constance, my dear, soon we will close this account completely.
That is why the Comte de Rochefort did not fulfill the cardinal’s instructions and could not go to Spain in order to obtain the preliminary agreement drawn up by Gaston for the King of Spain, or to make a copy of it. Monsieur Fontray was not attacked by the Comte de Rochefort.
Chapter 92
Saint-Mars almost believed that he could overthrow the cardinal. He believed that his marriage to Maria Gonzago was a done deal. He managed to get along with her briefly, they had tender feelings for each other, but if he was so sensible as to neglect his feelings for Mademoiselle de Chevreau for the sake of elevation through marriage with Maria Gonzago, then Maria herself was reasonable enough not to agree to the marriage until Saint-Mars achieves the position of first minister or constable of France, which would make him one of the most distinguished nobles of the kingdom.
In this situation, Saint-Mars showered Maria with love letters, but at the same time he found time for letters to Mademoiselle de Chevreau, which contained no less passion. From this it is clear that Saint-Mars did not truly love any of these ladies, since a true lover does not split his soul into feelings for two or more objects of passion. He also sent promises to Mademoiselle de Chevreau to marry her, apparently keeping her in reserve. Well, it happens that some men leave behind several widows, who only at the grave of their husband learn that they were not the only ones, so is it any wonder that Saint-Mars had two brides? Perhaps he had more, who knows? No one has figured this out.
I must admit that Saint-Mars had someone to learn from such a versatile approach to women. So was his former benefactor, and now his sworn enemy, Cardinal Richelieu. Indeed, the cardinal was a very amorous man; there were times when he felt not so much a cardinal as a duke, not so much a spiritual person as a man. His love for his nieces went beyond family feelings.
The cardinal's niece Marie-Madeleine, Marquise de Combalais, who married at the behest of her uncle, who wanted to become related to de Luynes, was always on too tender a relationship with him. After the death of de Luynes, this marriage lost any meaning for the cardinal, but after her husband himself, the Marquis Antoine de Combalais, was killed during the siege of Montpellier, Marie-Madeleine remained noble, rich, and free, after which she simply moved in with her uncle in the Palais Cardinal. Why did she do this? Certainly not to look after his many cats. I would say that the Marquise Combalet herself became her uncle’s most beloved cat, and this role suited her quite well. Actually, the Queen Mother’s jealousy of the Marquise was not the last reason for the break between her and Richelieu. This example shows how difficult it is to combine courting one lady for the sake of a career with courting another lady for love. This example, however, taught nothing to de Saint-Mars, who confessed his love to two ladies at the same time. I don’t blame him for this, I can understand it, but doing it epistly was extremely stupid. Personally, I always confessed my love only to the lady whom I saw in front of me at that moment.
I must explain the reason why I did not recommend Saint-Mars to enter into the conspiracy. The thing is, I didn't believe him. Indeed, he assured one and all that the King wanted the cardinal's resignation and even his death. If he could get the King to resign the cardinal, that’s what he should have done. The fact that he did not do this indicates that he could not have done it, and that is the only reason why he started this conspiracy. But if so, he should have understood that the King would be dissatisfied with the murder of the cardinal, and no other “removal” would have been possible for all the conspirators taken together. No one could compromise the cardinal in the eyes of the King, so there was nothing to count on. Indeed, even a very intelligent Jesuit, Father Caussin.
Poor Father Caussin wasted his eloquence trying to persuade the King to limit Richelieu’s power, or even expel him altogether. While Father Caussin made his fiery speech, it seemed that Louis XIII was listening to him with attention and completely agreed with him. This inflamed the eloquence of the prelate, who began to predict hellish torment and responsibility at the Last Judgment for the cruelties, violence and unrest committed by the cardinal in the country, and even dared to threaten that the Lord's punishment would overtake not only the cardinal, but even the King himself. Pious Louis did not object; he agreed with Father Caussin in everything. When the prelate, tired of speeches, believed in his complete victory, the King said:
“You are certainly right, father, so repeat your words before the cardinal!” Let him come to his senses and change.
Father Caussin was not ready for this; it was a dead end. It’s one thing to whisper to the powerful of this world what he will deign to hear against your all-powerful rival, and quite another to say it to his face. This is much more difficult, more dangerous, and completely futile.
He destroyed any accusation made to the cardinal’s face to the ground with his arguments. So it was this time. The Cardinal, in a few words, maintaining complete calm and the appearance of dispassion, which made his words more convincing, explained to the King that only those alliances are useful for France that he concludes, and that all those states against which these alliances are concluded are truly unfriendly in terms of towards France, and that no negotiations with them will ever lead to a change in their position. On the part of Father Caussin there were only emotions and quotes from the Gospels, not supported by facts, while Richelieu easily operated with facts, figures, names and events. The confessor was disgraced and soon removed from the King.
So, such an insignificant politician as Saint-Mars, of course, could not have such a strong influence on the King to achieve the bloodless removal of the cardinal from power. That is why he started a conspiracy where the key event would be the murder of Richelieu. But the second key event was the action of the neighboring states in response to this murder, so the preliminary agreements with Sedan, Spain, and Brussels were themselves treason.
It was enough for the Cardinal to know that such agreements exist, or at least are being discussed, are available in the form of drafts that the parties have already exchanged. The cardinal would not have been a cardinal if he had been content only with giving the corresponding commission to the Count of Rochefort.
He, of course, no longer had such a clever spy as Milady, but he had other assistants with the most versatile talents.
Poor de Thou was brought into the conspiracy for only one purpose - to attract the Queen. She continued to distrust Saint-Mars, who was taking the King away from her, and Monsieur, who probably claimed the regency. It was natural for her to fear a catch in this situation. De Tu was a widely educated, intelligent, talented and experienced man. But the whole point is that he only confirmed to the Queen that he was a friend of Saint-Mars and sympathized with his endeavors, but in fact he did not even know to the end the full depth of the conspiracy, its goals, methods and other details.
None of them understood that the King loved to dream that Richelieu would disappear, but he grabbed him with both hands whenever he needed to act decisively and smartly. Therefore, Louis XIII would never have agreed to the cardinal's resignation.
By the way, Brienne, who was the intermediary between de Thou and the Queen, acted in the same way as I, playing the role of intermediary between Chevreuse and Saint-Mars. He accurately conveyed to the Queen the requests from his cousin de Thou, after which he persuaded the Queen not to satisfy them under any circumstances.
At the same time, the Queen acted extremely illogically, although her actions can be explained by her aspirations. She wanted to protect her children from the influence and power of Richelieu, as well as from the influence and power of Monsieur. Therefore, she was ready to enter into coalitions with each of them against the other. The coalition with Saint-Mars did not seem reliable to her. Through de Thou, she contacted the Duke of Bouillon, recommending that he agree to accept the position of commander of the Italian army. Bouillon hesitated, fearing that if he were away from Sedan for a long time, he might simply lose him. Moreover, he did not understand or share the fears of all the conspirators in the event of the death of the King, believing that the coalition consisting of the Queen, Monsieur, Monsieur Main, de Thou, Fontraille and other supporters of the Queen was strong enough to defeat Richelieu. He did not take into account two factors that were well known to all participants in this coalition. Firstly, the cardinal was two heads smarter than all of them put together, and, perhaps, he was the only one who understood politics. Secondly, he had an extensive network of spies and guards, that is, he knew what was happening in the state and could influence what was happening, he had both knowledge and power.
So, on January 27, 1642, the very ill Louis XIII , accompanied by an equally ill cardinal, troops and his nobles, among whom were Saint-Mars, de Treville and d'Artagnan, marched into the pass to Catalonia. At the same time, Fontray, disguised as a priest, headed to Madrid. Rochefort, bedridden , did not dare to inform the cardinal about the impossibility of carrying out the mission entrusted to him, so he sent in his place de Cahuzac and La Oudiniere, accompanied by ten guardsmen, explaining to them at their own peril and risk the whole essence of the task entrusted to him. The Queen obtained from the King the right to remain with the children in Saint-Germain at least until April.
Two sick people move slowly, each of them needs a gentle regime of travel, so the cardinal practically did not see the King during this campaign. He only managed to see him four times: in Fontainebleau, in Lyon, in Moulins and in Norbonne. Meanwhile, Mr. Chief is inseparably with the King and uses this to denigrate the cardinal word by word in the eyes of the monarch. The Cardinal is only consoled by the reports of his devoted Sublet de Noyer that the King does not listen too much to this gossip, as well as information about all military operations that is provided to him by the captain of the guards Abraham Faber, the future commandant of Sedan, Marshal of France, inventor of the method of siege of fortresses using parallels and trenches.
End of the second book
(To be continued)
Chapter 240
Yesterday, I finished my memoirs.
I wrote down the last event in my life that I thought was worth writing down.
I told here how I became a general of the Jesuit Order, and also how I became the Pope.
I told you what crimes Milady had committed long before I met her and Athos fell in love with her.
I told how I myself was almost killed by her.
I also told about how Mordaunt became the monster we met him, who was to blame for this, how he killed several people who were not involved in his fate, and among them Milady’s maid Katie.
I also talked about how in reality we escaped from a mined felucca, about why in reality Mazarin gave the title of Baron to Porthos and the rank of captain of the royal musketeers to d'Artagnan, I explained why he deprived him of this rank, and for what reason the King returned it to him.
I told why d' Artagnan aroused Colbert's envy, why the King arrested Fouquet, why he entrusted the arrest to d'Artagnan.
I also told about the terrible secret of Queen Anne, as well as the reasons why d'Artagnan revealed my plan to replace the King with his twin brother, and how he subsequently realized this plan himself, and then returned the rightful King to his place.
In these memoirs I explained why Charles of Lorraine died, and also why King Louis XIV always treated the Duchess de Chevreuse with the greatest respect, and why I stopped treating her with respect.
Now my notes contain explanations of many events, as well as descriptions of the actions of people whom I knew, with some of whom I was friends, with others I was at enmity, with others I maintained friendly relations, and others I simply observed from the sidelines, without interfering in any way with their lives.
I described how I, a simple chevalier, abbot and musketeer d'Herblay, became first the Bishop of Van, then the actual general of the Jesuit Order, while all other members of the Order believed that this general was Father Giovanni Paolo Oliva, who was only my nominal representative and carried out my will, representing me explicitly, hiding behind his figure the one who led everything, me, the true general of the Order. I became Duke d'Alameda, Spanish Ambassador to France.
With my participation, Queen Anne of Austria of France escaped mortal danger three times, Cardinal Richelieu escaped almost inevitable death, the Duchess de Chevreuse escaped execution four times, the Count de Rochefort three times, the Count de La F;re and his son Raoul de Bragelonne once.
I am one of the survivors who knows who was the true father of King Louis XIV .
I almost saved the favorite of King Louis XIII Saint-Mars from death, together with my friends I almost saved the King of England Charles I from execution. I intervened in European affairs and corrected the course of events as I saw fit.
With my participation, the Duke de Beaufort escaped from the fortress, reconciled with Queen Anne, King Louis XIV and Cardinal Mazarin. I carried out almost single-handedly, with a little help from Baron du Valon, the replacement of King Louis XIV with his brother Louis-Philippe, and after Captain Charles d'Artagnan and Fouquet returned Louis back, I was forced to hide in Spain for some time. I guessed from some signs known to me that d'Artagnan independently carried out this replacement of the King with his brother for the second time, after which Louis Philippe was on the throne for more than three months. When fate entrusted me with influencing which of the two princes would remain on the throne of France for good, I, like my friend d'Artagnan, having weighed all the pros and cons, made a decision that was extremely unfavorable for me personally, but precisely corresponded to the interests of France, I chose Louis XIV, thereby condemning Louis Philippe to repeated exile. Finally, I connected Louis Philippe with his beloved Catherine Charlotte de Gramont, Princess of Monaco. I rescued his captives Louis-Philippe and Charlotte de Gramont from the hands of Charles of Lorraine , ensuring them a quiet happiness away from everyone who knew them and who could prevent them from enjoying love and a simple life, unencumbered by any worries. Finally, I stopped supplying Charles of Lorraine with the antidote that could have kept him alive, after he broke his promise not to rebel against Louis XIV and not to plunge France into a new series of civil wars, as a result of which Charles of Lorraine died. After this I retired from business in France and devoted all my energies to the works of God.
I finally became Cardinal Antonio Pignatelli, replacing the deceased man who bore that name before me, taking advantage of the significant similarity with him, as a result of the proposal that my agents, members of the Order, made to me. Under this name I became a cardinal, and then at the age of 89 I became Pope, taking the name Innocent XII . I liked this name because I, indeed, considered myself innocent of the troubles that were happening in Europe, and which I, to the best of my ability, sought to avert from my dear France.
I described all this in my memoirs.
I haven't written much today. Will I continue my memoirs, describing day by day the events that will happen to me tomorrow, in a week, in a month or in a year?
Will anything else happen to me?
How much longer will the Lord tolerate my mortal existence, and when will he call me to himself? After all, I am already well over ninety years old. After all, I can’t flatter myself with the hope of living to be a hundred years old or longer? This is not given to anyone in the sublunary world. The lamp of my life is inevitably going out, the count is no longer in years or months, but, most likely, in days or even hours. I no longer hope that events worth recording will happen to me.
Thank God, I took care of the successor!
I thought that perhaps I should remember some more of what happened to me earlier? Have I forgotten anything important?
Of course, I described some events chaotically, perhaps without paying due attention to the details that should have been written down.
Add them now? Meaning?
But no, that doesn't make any sense. After all, no one will read this book, I am writing it exclusively for myself. So why force yourself, why rush your pen? Should I observe the sequence of presentation, the proportionality of chapters and submit to other prejudices?
I bet myself that I could take out a dozen or two chapters and throw them in the fireplace and no one would even notice any changes. After all, I have no readers, and I hope I never will. Meanwhile, I noticed that everything that I wrote down on paper remains in my memory forever. In other words, despite the fact that I hoped to write down my memories in order to forget them and clear my mind for other thoughts, new and useful, I, as it turns out, are just having fun and unnecessarily fixing long-gone events in my memory. However, there is some benefit from this. I put all my memories in order, put them in order, and after that they leave only peace and warmth in my heart, as if the consciousness of an honestly fulfilled duty.
Curious if anyone will read my works? Once a fortuneteller taught me how to tell fortunes using Tarot cards. Should I try to make jokes for the sake of it?
I folded the Tarot cards and read some gobbledygook. I wanted to find out the names of my possible future readers, but I see some strange combinations of characters! Zhiznobud ... Tinaswift ... Sofialagerfeld ... What nonsense! Can people be called such names? It is true what they say that fortune telling is a pastime for fools. I'll throw away these Tarot cards and won't waste any more time on them.
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TRANSLATOR'S NOTE: This two hundred and fortieth chapter, perhaps not finished, ends the folder with sheets of manuscript, which, I think, should have been entitled "Memoirs of Aramis." It had a different name, which I reported in the preface to the translation I completed.