Montpensier, Anne-Marie-Louise d'Orléans, duchesse de, 1627-1693
We, the undersigned, certify to all to whom these presents may
come, that we are very glad and well-satisfied with one another,
and that we have never been in such perfect unison as at present.
In faith of which we have signed the present certificate.
(signed) LOUIS; and by my order:
(signed) EFFIAT DE CINQ-MARS.
The laboured reconciliations were not durable; the months which
followed the signing of the certificate were one long tempest. The
objects of the King's bitterest jealousy were young men who formed
a society called _Les messieurs du Marais_ because they met every
evening at Mme. de Rohan's in the Palais Royal (the King then lived at
the Louvre). Louis could not be silent; he exposed his spite on all
occasions. January 5, 1640, he wrote to the Cardinal:
I am sorry to have to tell you again of the ill-humour of M. le
Grand. On his return from Rueil he gave me the packet which you
sent to me. I opened it and read it. Then I said to him:
"Monsieur, the Cardinal informs me that you have manifested great
desire to please me in all things; nevertheless you evince no wish
to please me in regard to that which I begged the Cardinal to speak
of: namely, your laziness." He answered that you did speak to him
of it, but that he could not change his character, and that in that
respect he should not do any better than he had been in the habit
of doing. That discourse angered me. I said to him that a man of
his condition ought to take some steps toward rendering himself
worthy to command armies (since he had told me that it was his
intention to lead armies). I told him that laziness was contrary
to military action. He answered me brusquely that he had never had
such an intention and that he had never pretended to have it. I
answered, "_Que si! You have!_" I did not wish to go any deeper
into the discourse (you know well what I mean). I then took up the
discourse on laziness. I told him that vice renders a man incapable
of doing anything good, and that he is good for nothing but the
society of the people of the Marais where he was nourished,--people
who have given themselves up to pleasure! I told him that if he
wishes to continue the life that he is now living among his old
friends, he may return to the place whence he came. He answered
arrogantly that he should be quite ready to do so!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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