PARIS, Friday, Jan. 12, 1674.
Well, your peace is then concluded at last. The Archbishop of Rheims
and Brancas received their letters before I did mine; M. de Pomponne
sent to inform me of this important event from St. Germain; I was
ignorant, however, of the particulars, but now I know all. I advise
you, my child, to regulate your conduct by circumstances; and since it
is the king’s will that you should be friendly with the bishop,[98]
endeavor to obey him. But to return to St. Germain: I was there three
days ago; I went first to M. de Pomponne’s, who had not yet applied for
your leave of absence, but is to send for it to-day. From thence we
went to the queen’s; I was with Madame de Chaulnes; there was nobody
to talk but me, and you may be sure I was not deficient. The queen
said without hesitation that you had been absent for more than three
years, and that it was time for your return. From court we went to
Madame de Colbert’s, who is extremely civil and well bred. Mademoiselle
de Blois[99] danced; she is very pleasing and graceful. Desairs says
she is the only one who reminds him of you: he asked me what I thought
of her dancing, for my applause was required, and I gave it with the
greatest readiness. The Duchess de la Vallière was there; she calls
her little daughter _mademoiselle_, and the young princess in return
calls her _pretty mamma_. M. de Vermandois was there too. No other
children have yet made their appearance. We afterward went to pay our
respects to monsieur and madame; the former has not forgotten you, and
I never fail to present your dutiful acknowledgments to him. I met
Vivonne there, who accosted me with, “_Little mamma_, I beg you will
embrace the Governor of Champagne.”[100]--“And pray who is he?” said
I.--“Myself,” replied he.--“You!” said I; “pray who told you so?”--“The
king has just informed me of it.” I instantly congratulated him. The
Countess de Soissons was in hopes of getting this post for her son.
[98] Of Marseilles.
[99] She had been educated by Madame Colbert.
[100] This government was vacated by the death of Eugene Maurice,
of Saxony, Count de Soissons, which happened June 7, 1673.
There is no talk of taking the seals from the chancellor;[101] the good
man was so surprised at this additional honor, that he began to fear a
snake in the grass, and could not comprehend the reason of being thus
loaded with dignities: “Sire,” said he to the king, “does your majesty
intend to take the seals from me?”--“No, no, chancellor,” replied the
king, “go, sleep in peace.” And, indeed, they say he is almost always
asleep; there are many wise conjectures on the subject, and people can
not understand the reason of this augmentation of favors.
[101] Stephen d’Aligre was keeper of the seals in 1672, upon the
death of Chancellor Seguier, who was made Chancellor of France in
1674.
The prince set out the day before yesterday, and M. de Turenne is to
follow to-day. Write to Brancas to congratulate him on his daughter’s
being in the queen’s household, for he is very proud of it. La Troche
returns you many thanks for your kind remembrance of her. Her son
has still nose enough to lose half of it at the next siege, without
the loss being very apparent. It is said that the _Dew_[102] begins
to be less friendly with the _Torrent_, and that after the siege of
Maestricht, they entered into a league of mutual confidence, and saw
the _Fire_ and the _Snow_ every day of their lives. You know all this
could not last long without occasioning great tumult, nor without
being discovered. The _Hail_[103] seems to me, with respect to the
reconciliation between you and him, like a man who goes to confession,
and keeps one great sin upon his conscience--by what other name can you
call the trick he has played you? Still the wise heads say you must
speak, you must ask, you have time, and that is sufficient; but do not
wonder at the faggoting of my letters. I leave one subject, you think
I have done with it, and suddenly I resume it again, _versi sciolti_.
Do you know that the Marquis de Sessac is here, that he will have a
situation in the army, and will probably soon be presented to the king?
This is manifestly predestination.
[102] The _Dew_, the _Torrent_, the _Fire_, and the _Snow_, etc.,
are ciphers between the mother and daughter. These ciphers do not
always mean the same persons. In this place, it seems that Madame
de Montespan is the _Torrent_, Madame de Vallière the _Dew_, the
king is the _Fire_, and the _Snow_ represents the queen.
[103] Apparently the Bishop of Marseilles.
Corbinelli and I talk of Providence every day, and we say, as you know,
from day to day and hour to hour, that your journey is determined.
You are very glad that you have not to answer for this affair, for a
resolution is a wonderful thing for you, quite a wild beast. I have
seen you a long time deciding on a color: it is a proof of a too
enlightened mind, which, seeing at one glance all the difficulties,
remains suspended, as it were, like Mohammed’s tomb: such was M.
Bignon, the greatest wit of the age; I, who am the least of the present
age, hate uncertainty, and love decision. M. de Pomponne informs me you
received your leave of absence to-day; I am consequently ready to do
every thing you wish, and to follow, or not to follow, the advice of
your friends.
It is said here that M. de Turenne has not yet begun his march, and
that there is no further occasion for it, because M. de Monterei has at
last retreated, and M. de Luxembourg is freed, with the assistance of
five or six thousand men, whom M. de Schomberg assembled, and with whom
he so extremely harassed M. de Monterei, that he was obliged to retire
with his troops. The prince is to be recalled and all our poor friends
with him. This is the news of the day.
The ball was dull, and ended at half past eleven. The king led out
the queen; the dauphin, madame; monsieur, mademoiselle; the Prince de
Condé, the great mademoiselle; the Count de Roche-sur-Yon, Mademoiselle
de Blois, handsome as an angel, dressed in black velvet, with a
profusion of diamonds, and an apron and stomacher of point lace. The
Princess d’Harcourt was as pale as the Commandeur in the play Du Festin
de Pierre. M. de Pomponne has desired me to dine with him to-morrow, to
meet Despréaux, who is to read his Art of Poetry.