The Memoirs of Cardinal de Retz | Page 9

of great men, and justified and
honoured by the mighty danger that attended its execution. We renewed
our consultations, engaged some accomplices, took all the necessary
precautions, and resolved upon the execution. The danger was indeed
very great, but we might reasonably hope to come off well enough; for
the Duke's guard, which was within, would not have failed to come to
our assistance against that of the Cardinal's, which was without. But his
fortune, and not his guards, delivered him from the snare; for either
Mademoiselle or himself, I forget which, fell suddenly ill, and the
ceremony was put off to another time, so that we lost our opportunity.
The Duke returned to Blois, and the Marquis de Boissi protested he
would never betray us, but that he would be no longer concerned,
because he had just received some favour or other from the Cardinal's
own hands.
I confess that this enterprise, which, had it succeeded, would have
crowned us with glory, never fully pleased me. I was not so scrupulous
in the committing of two other transgressions against the rules of
morality, as you may have before observed; but I wish, with all my
heart, I had never been concerned in this. Ancient Rome, indeed, would
have counted it honourable; but it is not in this respect that I honour the
memory of old Rome.
There is commonly a great deal of folly in conspiracies; but afterwards
there is nothing tends so, much to make men wise, at least for some
time. For, as the danger in things of this nature continues, even after the

opportunities for doing them are over, men are from that instant more
prudent and circumspect.
Having thus missed our blow, the Comte de La Rochepot and the rest
of them retired to their several seats in the country; but my
engagements detained me at Paris, where I was so retired that I spent
all my time in my study; and if ever I was seen abroad, it was with all
the reserve of a pious ecclesiastic; we were all so true to one another in
keeping this adventure secret, that it never got the least wind while the
Cardinal lived, who was a minister that had the best intelligence in the
world; but after his death it was discovered by the imprudence of Tret
and Etourville. I call it imprudence, for what greater weakness can men
be guilty of than to declare themselves to have been capable of what is
dangerous in the first instance?
To return to the history of the Comte de Soissons, I observed before
that he had retired to Sedan for safety, which he could not expect at
Court. He wrote to the King, assuring his Majesty of his fidelity, and
that while he stayed in that place he would undertake nothing
prejudicial to his service. He was most mindful of his promise; was not
to be biassed by all the offers of Spain or the Empire, but rejected with
indignation the overtures of Saint-Ibal and of Bardouville, who would
have persuaded him to take up arms. Campion, one of his domestics,
whom he had left at Paris to mind his affairs at Court, told me these
particulars by the Count's express orders, and I still remember this
passage in one of his letters to Campion: "The men you know are very
urgent with me to treat with the enemy, and accuse me of weakness
because I fear the examples of Charles de Bourbon and Robert
d'Artois." He was ordered to show me this letter and desire my opinion
thereupon. I took my pen, and, at a little distance from the answer he
had already begun, I wrote these words:
"And I do accuse them of folly." The reasons upon which my opinion
was grounded were these: The Count was courageous in the highest
degree of what is commonly called valour, and had a more than
ordinary share in that boldness of mind which we call resolution. The
first is common and to be frequently met with among the vulgar, but

the second is rarer than can be imagined, and yet abundantly more
necessary for great enterprises; and is there a greater in the world than
heading a party? The command of an army is without comparison of
less intricacy, for there are wheels within wheels necessary for
governing the State, but then they are not near so brittle and delicate. In
a word, I am of opinion there are greater qualities necessary to make a
good head of a party than to make an emperor who is to govern the
whole world, and that resolution ought to run parallel with judgment,--I
say, with heroic judgment, which is able to distinguish the
extraordinary from what we call the impossible.
The Count