The Memoirs of Cardinal de Retz | Page 4

(for she had taken that name after her sister's
marriage) had the finest eyes in the world, and they never were so
beautiful as when she was languishing in love, the charms of which I
never yet saw equalled. We happened to dine at a lady's house, a league
from Machecoul, where Mademoiselle de Retz, looking in the glass at

an assembly of ladies, displayed all those tender, lively, moving airs
which the Italians call 'morbidezza', or the lover's languish. But
unfortunately she was not aware that Palluau, since Marechal de
Clerambaut, was behind her, who observed her airs, and being very
much attached to Madame de Retz, with whom he had in her tender
years been very familiar, told her faithfully what he had observed.
Madame de Retz, who mortally hated her sister, disclosed it that very
night to her father, who did not fail to impart it to mine. The next
morning, at the arrival of the post from Paris, all was in a hurry, my
father pretending to have received very pressing news; and, after our
taking a slight though public leave of the ladies, my father carried me
to sleep that night at Nantes. I was, as you may imagine, under very
great surprise and concern; for I could not guess the cause of this
sudden departure. I had nothing to reproach myself with upon the score
of my conduct; neither had I the least suspicion that Palluau had seen
anything more than ordinary till I arrived at Orleans, where the matter
was cleared up, for my brother, to prevent my escape, which I vainly
attempted several times on my journey, seized my strong box, in which
was my money, and then I understood that I was betrayed; in what grief,
then, I arrived at Paris, I leave you to imagine.
I found there Equilli, Vasse's uncle, and my first cousin, who, I daresay,
was one of the most honest men of his time, and loved me from his
very soul. I apprised him of my design to run away with Mademoiselle
de Retz. He heartily approved of my project, not only because it would
be a very advantageous match for me, but because he was persuaded
that a double alliance was necessary to secure the establishment of the
family.
The Cardinal de Richelieu--[Armand Jean du Plesais, Cardinal de
Richelieu, was born in 1585, and died in 1642.]--(then Prime Minister)
mortally hated the Princesse de Guemenee, because he was persuaded
she had crossed his amours with the Queen,--[Anne of Austria, eldest
daughter of Philip II., King of Spain, and wife of Louis XIII., died
1666.]--and had a hand in the trick played him by Madame du Fargis,
one of the Queen's dressing women, who showed her Majesty (Marie

de Medicis) a love-letter written by his Eminence to the Queen, her
daughter-in-law. The Cardinal pushed his resentment so far that he
attempted to force the Marechal de Breze, his brother-in-law, and
captain of the King's Life-guards, to expose Madame de Guemenee's
letters, which were found in M. de Montmorency's--[Henri de
Montmorency was apprehended on the 1st of September, 1632, and
beheaded in Toulouse in November of the same year.]--coffer when he
was arrested at Chateau Naudari. But the Marechal de Breze had so
much honour and generosity as to return them to Madame de
Guemenee. He was, nevertheless, a very extravagant gentleman; but the
Cardinal de Richelieu, perceiving he had been formerly honoured by
some kind of relation to him, and dreading his angry excursions and
preachments before the King, who had some consideration for his
person, bore with him very patiently for the sake of settling peace in his
own family, which he passionately longed to unite and establish, but
which was the only thing out of his power, who could do whatever else
he pleased in France. For the Marechal de Breze had conceived so
strong an aversion to M. de La Meilleraye, who was then Grand Master
of the Artillery, and afterwards Marechal de La Meilleraye, that he
could not endure him. He did not imagine that the Cardinal would ever
look upon a man who, though his first cousin, was of a mean extraction,
had a most contemptible aspect, and, if fame says true, not one
extraordinary good quality.
The Cardinal was of another mind, and had a great opinion--indeed,
with abundance of reason--of M. de La Meilleraye's courage; but he
esteemed his military capacity infinitely too much, though in truth it
was not contemptible. In a word, he designed him for that post which
we have since seen so gloriously filled by M. de Turenne.
You may, by what has been said, judge of the divisions that were in
Cardinal de Richelieu's family, and how much he was concerned to
appease them. He laboured