The Memoirs of Cardinal de Retz | Page 8

resolutions, which were, dexterously to
manage the weakness of the Duc d'Orleans and to put that in execution
which the boldness of his domestics had almost effected at Corbie.
The Duc d'Orleans was appointed General, and the Comte de Soissons
Lieutenant-General of the King's forces in Picardy, but neither of them
stood well with the Cardinal, who gave them those posts only because
the situation of affairs was such that he could not help it. L'Epinai,
Montresor, and La Rochepot made use of all the arguments they could
think of to raise jealousies and fears in the Duc d'Orleans, and to inspire
him with resolution and courage to rid himself of the Cardinal. Others
laboured to persuade the Comte de Soissons to relish the same proposal,
but though resolved upon, it was never put into execution. For they had
the Cardinal in their power at Amiens, but did him no harm. For this
every one blamed the Count's companion, but I could never yet learn
the true cause; only this is certain, that they were no sooner come to
Paris than they were all seized with a panic, and retired, some one way,
some another.
The Comte de Guiche, since Marechal de Grammont, and M. de
Chavigni, Secretary of State and the Cardinal's most intimate favourite,
were sent by the King to Blois. Here they frightened the Duc d'Orleans

and made him return to Paris, where he was more afraid than ever; for
such of his domestics as were not gained by the Court made use of his
pusillanimous temper, and represented to him the necessity he was
under to provide for his own, or rather their, security. La Rochepot and
myself endeavoured to heighten his fears as much as possible, in order
to precipitate him into our measures. The term sounds odd, but it is the
most expressive I could find of a character like the Duke's. He weighed
everything, but fixed on nothing; and if by chance he was inclined to do
one thing more than another, he would never execute it without being
pushed or forced into it.
La Rochepot did all he could to fix him, but finding that the Duke was
always for delays, and for perplexing all expedients with groundless
fears of invincible difficulties, he fell upon an expedient very
dangerous to all appearance, but, as it usually happens in extraordinary
cases, much less so than at first view.
Cardinal de Richelieu having to stand godfather at the baptism of
Mademoiselle, La Rochepot's proposal was to continue to show the
Duke the necessity he lay under still to get rid of the Cardinal, without
saying much of the particulars, for fear of hazarding the secret, but only
to entertain him with the general proposal of that affair, thereby to
make him the better in love with the measures when proposed; and that
they might, at a proper time and place, tell him they had concealed the
detail to the execution from his Highness upon no other account but
that they had experienced on several occasions that there was no other
way of serving his Highness, as he himself had told La Rochepot
several times; that nothing, therefore, remained but to get some brave
fellows fit for such a resolute enterprise, and to hold post-horses ready
upon the road of Sedan under some other pretext, and to so execute the
design in the presence and in the name of his Royal Highness upon the
day of the intended solemnity, that his Highness should cheerfully own
it when it was done, and that then we would carry him off by those
horses to Sedan. Meanwhile the distraction of the inferior ministers and
the joy of the King to see himself delivered from a tyrant would
dispose the Court rather to invite than to pursue him. This was La
Rochepot's scheme, and it seemed exceedingly plausible.

La Rochepot and I had, it may be, blamed the inactivity of the Duc
d'Orleans and the Comte de Soissons in the affair of Amiens a hundred
times; yet, no sooner was the scheme sufficiently matured for execution,
the idea of which I had raised in the memory of La Rochepot, than my
mind was seized with I know not what fear; I took it then for a scruple
of conscience,--I cannot tell whether it was in truth so or not, but, in
short, the thought of killing a priest and a cardinal deeply affected my
mind. La Rochepot laughed at my scruples, and bantered me thus:
"When you are in the field of battle I warrant you will not beat up the
enemy's quarters for fear of assassinating men in their sleep." I was
ashamed of my scruples, and again hugged the crime, which I looked
upon as sanctified by the examples