The Memoirs of Cardinal de Retz | Page 3

could even swear he
would have protested from the very bottom of his heart that he had no
other motive than the apprehension of the dangers to which a contrary
profession might expose my soul. So true it is that nothing is so subject
to delusion as piety: all sorts of errors creep in and hide themselves
under that veil; it gives a sanction to all the turns of imagination, and

the honesty of the intention is not sufficient to guard against it. In a
word, after all I have told you, I turned priest, though it would have
been long enough first had it not been for the following accident.
The Duc de Retz, head of our family, broke at that time, by the King's
order, the marriage treaty concluded some years before between the
Duc de Mercoeur--[Louis, Duc de Mercoeur, since Cardinal de
Vendome, father of the Duc de Vendome, and Grand Prior, died
1669.]--and his daughter, and next day came to my father and agreeably
surprised him by telling him he was resolved to give her to his cousin
to reunite the family.
As I knew she had a sister worth above 80,000 livres a year, I, that very
instant, thought of a double match. I had no hopes they would think of
me, knowing how things stood, so I was resolved to provide for myself.
Having got a hint that my father did not intend to carry me to the
wedding, as, foreseeing, it may be, what happened, I pretended to be
better pleased with my profession, to be touched by what my father had
so often laid before me on that subject, and I acted my part so well that
they believed I was quite another man.
My father resolved to carry me into Brittany, for the reason that I had
shown no inclination that way. We found Mademoiselle de Retz at
Beaupreau, in Anjou. I looked on the eldest only as my sister, but
immediately considered Mademoiselle de Scepaux (so the youngest
was called) as my mistress.
I thought her very handsome, her complexion the most charming in the
world, lilies and roses in abundance, admirable eyes, a very pretty
mouth, and what she wanted in stature was abundantly made up by the
prospect of 80,000 livres a year and of the Duchy of Beaupreau, and by
a thousand chimeras which I formed on these real foundations.
I played my game nicely from the beginning, and acted the ecclesiastic
and the devotee both in the journey and during my stay there;
nevertheless, I paid my sighs to the fair one,--she perceived it. I spoke
at last, and she heard me, but not with that complacency which I could

have wished.
But observing she had a great kindness for an old chambermaid, sister
to one of my monks of Buzai, I did all I could to gain her, and by the
means of a hundred pistoles down, and vast promises, I succeeded. She
made her mistress believe that she was designed for a nunnery, and I,
for my part, told her that I was doomed to nothing less than a
monastery. She could not endure her sister, because she was her father's
darling, and I was not overfond of my brother,--[Pierre de Gondi, Duc
de Retz, who died in 1676.]--for the same reason. This resemblance in
our fortunes contributed much to the uniting of our affections, which I
persuaded myself were reciprocal, and I resolved to carry her to
Holland.
Indeed, there was nothing more easy, for Machecoul, whither we were
come from Beaupreau, was no more than half a league from the sea.
But money was the only thing wanting, for my treasury, was so drained
by the gift of the hundred pistoles above mentioned that I had not a sou
left. But I found a supply by telling my father that, as the farming of
my abbeys was taxed with the utmost rigour of the law, so I thought
myself obliged in conscience to take the administration of them into my
own hands. This proposal, though not pleasing, could not be rejected,
both because it was regular and because it made him in some measure
believe that I would not fail to keep my benefices, since I was willing
to take care of them. I went the next day to let Buzai,--[One of his
abbeys.]--which is but five leagues from Machecoul. I treated with a
Nantes merchant, whose name was Jucatieres, who took advantage of
my eagerness, and for 4,000 crowns ready money got a bargain that
made his fortune. I thought I had 4,000,000, and was just securing one
of the Dutch pinks, which are always in the road of Retz, when the
following accident happened, which broke all my measures.
Mademoiselle de Retz