PARIS, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 1679.
What I am going to tell you, my dear child, will both surprise and
vex you. M. de Pomponne is out of favor; he had orders on Saturday
evening, as he was returning from Pomponne, to resign his office. The
king has directed that he should receive seven hundred thousand livres,
and that his pension of twenty thousand livres a year, which he had
as minister, should be continued to him; intending, by this, to show
that he was satisfied with his fidelity. It was M. Colbert who gave him
his information, assuring him at the same time that he was extremely
mortified to be obliged, etc. M. de Pomponne asked him whether he might
not be allowed the honor of speaking to the king, to learn from his
own mouth what fault he had committed that brought this stroke upon
him: he was told, he could not; so he wrote to the king, expressing his
extreme sorrow, and his utter ignorance of what could have contributed
to his disgrace. He mentioned his numerous family, and besought him to
have compassion on his eight children. Immediately after, he caused
the horses to be put into his carriage, and returned to Paris, where
he arrived at twelve at night. M. de Chaulnes, Caumartin, and I, had
been, as I wrote you, on the Friday at Pomponne, where we found him
and the ladies, who received us with all the pleasure imaginable. We
chatted all the evening, and played at chess: ah! what a checkmate
they were preparing for him at St. Germain! He went thither the next
morning, because a courier waited for him; so that M. Colbert, who
thought to find him on Saturday evening, as usual, knowing he was set
out for St. Germain, returned instantly, and had nearly killed his
horses. For ourselves, we did not leave Pomponne till after dinner,
where we left the ladies. It was necessary to inform them of what
had happened, by letter; this was brought by one of M. de Pomponne’s
valets, who arrived at nine on the Sunday at Madame de Vins’ apartment;
the man’s precipitation, and his altered looks, made Madame de Vins
fancy he had brought the account of M. de Pomponne’s death; so that on
finding he was only disgraced, she breathed again; but she felt the
extent of his misfortune, and when she was sufficiently recovered went
to acquaint her sister with it. They set out that instant, leaving
all the little boys in tears; and arrived in Paris at two in the
afternoon, overwhelmed with grief. You may figure to yourself this
interview with M. de Pomponne, and what they felt on meeting each
other in so different a situation from what they were in the evening
before. I learned this sad intelligence from the Abbé de Grignan, and
I confess to you it pierced me to the heart. I went to their house
in the evening; they saw no company in public. I went up stairs, and
found them all three. M. de Pomponne embraced me without being able
to utter a word; the ladies could not restrain their tears, nor I
mine. You would have wept too, my child; it was really a melancholy
spectacle; the circumstance of our quitting each other at Pomponne so
differently, augmented our sorrows. Poor Madame de Vins, whom I left
in such spirits, could hardly be recognized; a fever of a fortnight
could scarcely have altered her more. She mentioned you to me, and
said she was persuaded you would feel for her and M. de Pomponne’s
affliction, which I assured her you would. We spoke of the blow she
felt from this disgrace, both in regard to her affairs, her situation,
and her husband’s fortune. I do assure you, she feels all this in its
greatest horror. M. de Pomponne, it is true, was not a favorite, but
his situation gave him an opportunity to obtain certain common things,
which often make our fortune. There are many inferior situations
sufficient to make the fortunes of individuals. It was besides
pleasant to be thus in a manner settled at court. What a change! what
retrenching, what economy, must now be made use of in his family! Eight
children, and not to have had time to obtain the smallest favor! They
are thirty thousand livres in debt; you may suppose how little they
will have left: they are going to a miserable retreat at Paris and
Pomponne. It is said so many journeys, and sometimes the attendance of
couriers, even that of Bavaria, who arrived on the Friday, and whom
the king waited for with impatience, have contributed to draw this
misfortune upon them.[152] But you will easily comprehend in this the
ways of Providence, when I tell you, the President Colbert has his
place; as he is in Bavaria, his brother officiates in his absence, and
wrote to congratulate him, and to surprise him, on the back of the
letter, as if by mistake; “To M. Colbert, Minister and Secretary of
State.” I paid my compliments of condolence to the unfortunate family.
Reflect a little on the power of this family, as well at home as
abroad, and you will easily perceive it far exceeds that of the other
house where a wedding is going on.[153] My poor child, this is a long
and circumstantial account; but I think, on such occasions, we can not
be too particular; you are pleased we should always be talking to you,
and in this instance I have perhaps complied with your desires too
much. When your courier arrives, I shall have nowhere to send him; and
it is an additional mortification to me to find I shall henceforth be
entirely useless to you; though it is true, I was already so, by means
of Madame de Vins; but that was meant in mere jest. In short, my child,
all is now at an end, and such is the way of the world. M. de Pomponne
is better qualified than any man upon earth to support this misfortune
with courage and with truly Christian resignation. Those who have acted
like him in prosperity, can not fail to be pitied in their misfortunes.
[152] The memoirs and letters of the cotemporary writers all
agree that M. de Pomponne’s negligence was the cause of his
disgrace. The more modern historians, even Hénault, keep to the
received opinion. How could they fail to remark, that Louis
XIV., in a memorandum written in his own hand, and mentioned by
Voltaire, has himself explained very differently the cause of
this minister’s dismissal? “All that passed through his hands,
lost the grandeur and strength it ought to have displayed, as
being the orders of a king of France.” These are his own words.
Every one knows, in reality, that it was from the treaty of
Nimeguen, a single year prior to M. de Pomponne’s disgrace, the
dominion and authority of Louis XIV. affected over all Europe,
were dated. From this period his ministers treated the foreign
embassadors with insulting arrogance. The famous chambers of
reunion were established. Strasbourg was taken possession of by
violence. Advances were made into Italy. No conciliatory measures
were adopted. All the states were irritated.
But besides M. de Pomponne’s having the crime of leaning toward
the Jansenists, Louvois and Colbert, though enemies to each
other, both labored to ruin him; the first to place his friend M.
Courtin in his situation, and the second, his brother Colbert de
Croissy. The last succeeded, to the great rage of Louvois.
[153] Madeleine-Charlotte le Tellier, daughter of M. de Louvois,
married the next day, 23d November, Francis Duke of Rochefoucault
and of Rocheguyon, grandson of M. de la Rochefoucault.
I must, however, add a word or two respecting your letter; it gave me
real consolation. You tell me the little boy is quite recovered, and
that I should be satisfied with yourself if I were to see you. Ah, my
child, it is indeed true; what a delightful sight would it be to me to
see you really occupied with the care of your health, by taking the
necessary repose to recruit your wasted strength; it is a pleasure you
have never yet afforded me. You find this care is by no means useless:
you already discover its salutary effects; and if I torture myself here
by my endeavors to inspire you with the same attention to your welfare,
you plainly see I have good reason.