bussi is sent from court.—marguerite’s husband attacked with a fit of epilepsy.—her great care of him.—torigni dismissed from marguerite’s service.—the king of navarre and the duc d’alencon secretly leave the court.
the queen my mother, a woman endowed with the greatest prudence and foresight of any one i ever knew, apprehensive of evil consequences from this affair, and fearing a dissension betwixt her two sons, advised my brother to fall upon some pretence for sending bussi away from court. in this advice i joined her, and, through our united counsel and request, my brother was prevailed upon to give his consent. i had every reason to suppose that le guast would take advantage of the reencounter to foment the coolness which already existed betwixt my brother and the king my husband into an open rupture. bussi, who implicitly followed my brother’s directions in everything, departed with a company of the bravest noblemen that were about the latter’s person.
bussi was now removed from the machinations of le guast, who likewise failed in accomplishing a design he had long projected,—to disunite the king my husband and me.
one night my husband was attacked with a fit, and continued insensible for the space of an hour,—occasioned, i supposed, by his excesses with women, for i never knew anything of the kind to happen to him before. however, as it was my duty so to do, i attended him with so much care and assiduity that, when he recovered, he spoke of it to every one, declaring that, if i had not perceived his indisposition and called for the help of my women, he should not have survived the fit.
from this time he treated me with more kindness, and the cordiality betwixt my brother and him was again revived, as if i had been the point of union at which they were to meet, or the cement that joined them together.
le guast was now at his wit’s end for some fresh contrivance to breed disunion in the court.
he had lately persuaded the king to remove from about the person of the queen-consort a princess of the greatest virtue and most amiable qualities, a female attendant of the name of changi, for whom the queen entertained a particular esteem, as having been brought up with her. being successful in this measure, he now thought of making the king my husband send away torigni, whom i greatly regarded.
the argument he used with the king was, that young princesses ought to have no favourites about them.
the king, yielding to this man’s persuasions, spoke of it to my husband, who observed that it would be a matter that would greatly distress me; that if i had an esteem for torigni it was not without cause, as she had been brought up with the queen of spain and me from our infancy; that, moreover, torigni was a young lady of good understanding, and had been of great use to him during his confinement at vincennes; that it would be the greatest ingratitude in him to overlook services of such a nature, and that he remembered well when his majesty had expressed the same sentiments.
thus did he defend himself against the performance of so ungrateful an action. however, the king listened only to the arguments of le guast, and told my husband that he should have no more love for him if he did not remove torigni from about me the very next morning.
he was forced to comply, greatly contrary to his will, and, as he has since declared to me, with much regret. joining entreaties to commands, he laid his injunctions on me accordingly.
how displeasing this separation was i plainly discovered by the many tears i shed on receiving his orders. it was in vain to represent to him the injury done to my character by the sudden removal of one who had been with me from my earliest years, and was so greatly, in my esteem and confidence; he could not give an ear to my reasons, being firmly bound by the promise he had made to the king.
accordingly, torigni left me that very day, and went to the house of a relation, m. chastelas. i was so greatly offended with this fresh indignity, after so many of the kind formerly received, that i could not help yielding to resentment; and my grief and concern getting the upper hand of my prudence, i exhibited a great coolness and indifference towards my husband. le guast and madame de sauves were successful in creating a like indifference on his part, which, coinciding with mine, separated us altogether, and we neither spoke to each other nor slept in the same bed.
a few days after this, some faithful servants about the person of the king my husband remarked to him the plot which had been concerted with so much artifice to lead him to his ruin, by creating a division, first betwixt him and my brother, and next betwixt him and me, thereby separating him from those in whom only he could hope for his principal support. they observed to him that already matters were brought to such a pass that the king showed little regard for him, and even appeared to despise him.
they afterwards addressed themselves to my brother, whose situation was not in the least mended since the departure of bussi, le guast causing fresh indignities to be offered him daily. they represented to him that the king my husband and he were both circumstanced alike, and equally in disgrace, as le guast had everything under his direction; so that both of them were under the necessity of soliciting, through him, any favours which they might want of the king, and which, when demanded, were constantly refused them with great contempt. moreover, it was become dangerous to offer them service, as it was inevitable ruin for any one to do so.
“since, then,” said they, “your dissensions appear to be so likely to prove fatal to both, it would be advisable in you both to unite and come to a determination of leaving the court; and, after collecting together your friends and servants, to require from the king an establishment suitable to your ranks.” they observed to my brother that he had never yet been put in possession of his appanage, and received for his subsistence only some certain allowances, which were not regularly paid him, as they passed through the hands of le guast, and were at his disposal, to be discharged or kept back, as he judged proper. they concluded with observing that, with regard to the king my husband, the government of guyenne was taken out of his hands; neither was he permitted to visit that or any other of his dominions.
it was hereupon resolved to pursue the counsel now given, and that the king my husband and my brother should immediately withdraw themselves from court. my brother made me acquainted with this resolution, observing to me, as my husband and he were now friends again, that i ought to forget all that had passed; that my husband had declared to him that he was sorry things had so happened, that we had been outwitted by our enemies, but that he was resolved, from henceforward, to show me every attention and give me every proof of his love and esteem, and he concluded with begging me to make my husband every show of affection, and to be watchful for their interest during their absence.
it was concerted betwixt them that my brother should depart first, making off in a carriage in the best manner he could; that, in a few days afterwards, the king my husband should follow, under pretence of going on a hunting party. they both expressed their concern that they could not take me with them, assuring me that i had no occasion to have any apprehensions, as it would soon appear that they had no design to disturb the peace of the kingdom, but merely to ensure the safety of their own persons, and to settle their establishments. in short, it might well be supposed that, in their present situation, they had danger to themselves from such reason to apprehend as had evil designs against their family.
accordingly, as soon as it was dusk, and before the king’s supper-time, my brother changed his cloak, and concealing the lower part of his face to his nose in it, left the palace, attended by a servant who was little known, and went on foot to the gate of st. honore, where he found simier waiting for him in a coach, borrowed of a lady for the purpose.
my brother threw himself into it, and went to a house about a quarter of a league out of paris, where horses were stationed ready; and at the distance of about a league farther, he joined a party of two or three hundred horsemen of his servants, who were awaiting his coming. my brother was not missed till nine o’clock, when the king and the queen my mother asked me the reason he did not come to sup with them as usual, and if i knew of his being indisposed. i told them i had not seen him since noon. thereupon they sent to his apartments. word was brought back that he was not there. orders were then given to inquire at the apartments of the ladies whom he was accustomed to visit. he was nowhere to be found. there was now a general alarm. the king flew into a great passion, and began to threaten me. he then sent for all the princes and the great officers of the court; and giving orders for a pursuit to be made, and to bring him back, dead or alive, cried out:
“he is gone to make war against me; but i will show him what it is to contend with a king of my power.”
many of the princes and officers of state remonstrated against these orders, which they observed ought to be well weighed. they said that, as their duty directed, they were willing to venture their lives in the king’s service; but to act against his brother they were certain would not be pleasing to the king himself; that they were well convinced his brother would undertake nothing that should give his majesty displeasure, or be productive of danger to the realm; that perhaps his leaving the court was owing to some disgust, which it would be more advisable to send and inquire into. others, on the contrary, were for putting the king’s orders into execution; but, whatever expedition they could use, it was day before they set off; and as it was then too late to overtake my brother, they returned, being only equipped for the pursuit.
i was in tears the whole night of my brother’s departure, and the next day was seized with a violent cold, which was succeeded by a fever that confined me to my bed.
meanwhile my husband was preparing for his departure, which took up all the time he could spare from his visits to madame de sauves; so that he did not think of me. he returned as usual at two or three in the morning, and, as we had separate beds, i seldom heard him; and in the morning, before i was awake, he went to my mother’s levee, where he met madame de sauves, as usual.
this being the case, he quite forgot his promise to my brother of speaking to me; and when he went, away, it was without taking leave of me.
the king did not show my husband more favour after my brother’s evasion, but continued to behave with his former coolness. this the more confirmed him in the resolution of leaving the court, so that in a few days, under the pretence of hunting, he went away.
