Memoirs of Louis XIV, vol 15 | Page 6

this second scene,
which I would gladly have escaped, was tolerably exciting.
The Cardinal still insisting that the Regent must choose which of the
two be sent away, M. le Duc d'Orleans asked me what I thought. I
replied that I was so bewildered and so moved by this astounding
occurrence that I must collect myself before speaking. The Cardinal,
without addressing himself to me but to M. le Duc d'Orleans, who he
saw was plunged Memoirs in embarrassment, strongly insisted that he
must come to some resolution. Upon this M. le Duc d'Orleans
beckoned me over, and I said to him that hitherto I had always regarded
the dismissal of the Marechal de Villeroy as a very dangerous
enterprise, for reasons I had several times alleged to his Royal
Highness: but that now whatever peril there might be in undertaking it,
the frightful scene that had just been enacted persuaded me that it
would be much more dangerous to leave him near the King than to get
rid of him altogether. I added that this was my opinion, since his Royal
Highness wished to know it without giving me the time to reflect upon
it with more coolness; but as for the execution, that must be well
discussed before being attempted.
Whilst I spoke, the Cardinal pricked up his ears, turned his eyes upon
me, sucked in all my words, and changed colour like a man who hears
his doom pronounced. My opinion relieved him as much as the rage
with which he was filled permitted. M. le Duc d'Orleans approved what

I had just said, and the Cardinal, casting a glance upon me as of thanks,
said he was the master, and must choose, but that he must choose at
once, because things could not remain as they were. Finally, it was
agreed that the rest of the day (it was now about twelve) and the
following morning should be given to reflection upon the matter, and
that the next day, at three o'clock in the afternoon, I should meet M. le
Duc d'Orleans.
The next day accordingly I went to M. le Prince, whom I found with
the Cardinal Dubois. M. le Duc entered a moment after, quite full of the
adventure. Cardinal Dubois did not fail, though, to give him an
abridged recital of it, loaded with comments and reflections. He was
more his own master than on the preceding day, having had time to
recover himself, we cherishing hopes that the Marechal would be sent
to the right about. It was here that I heard of the brag of the Marechal
de Villeroy concerning the struggle he had had with Dubois, and of the
challenges and insults he had uttered with a confidence which rendered
his arrest more and more necessary.
After we had chatted awhile, standing, Dubois went away. M. le Duc
d'Orleans sat down at his bureau, and M. le Duc and I sat in front of
him. There we deliberated upon what ought to be done. After a few
words of explanation from the Regent, he called upon me to give my
opinion. I did so as briefly as possible, repeating what I had said on the
previous day. M. le Duc d'Orleans, during my short speech, was very
attentive, but with the countenance of a man much embarrassed.
As soon as I had finished, he asked M. le Duc what he thought. M. le
Duc said his opinion was mine, and that if the Marechal de Villeroy
remained in his office there was nothing for it but to put the key outside
the door; that was his expression. He reproduced some of the principal
reasons I had alleged, supported them, and concluded by saying there
was not a moment to lose. M. le Duc d'Orleans summed up a part of
what had been said, and agreed that the Marechal de Villeroy must be
got rid of. M. le Duc again remarked that it must be done at once. Then
we set about thinking how we could do it.
M. le Duc d'Orleans asked me my advice thereon. I said there were two

things to discuss, the pretext and the execution. That a pretext was
necessary, such as would convince the impartial, and be unopposed
even by the friends of the Marechal de Villeroy; that above all things
we had to take care to give no one ground for believing that the
disgrace of Villeroy was the fruit of the insults he had heaped upon
Cardinal Dubois; that outrageous as those insults might be, addressed
to a cardinal, to a minister in possession of entire confidence, and at the
head of affairs, the public, who envied him and did not like him, well
remembering whence he had sprung, would consider the victim too
illustrious;