Volume II Part 75 (2/2)
Towards the end of the same year I learnt at Paris that the wretched e at Coire, the capital of the Grisons, where he asked to be nized as lawful husband of the woman with him; but in a short tiood, and expelled him fro nowhat to do next, took the desperate step of going to Bressa, a toithin the Venetian territory, where he sought the governor, telling hiing the governor to take him under his protection and to obtain his pardon
The first effect of the podesta's protection was that the penitent was imprisoned, and he then wrote to the Tribunal to knohat to do with him The Tribunal told him to send Father Balbi in chains to Venice, and on his arrival Messer-Grande gave him over to the Tribunal, which put him once more under the Leads He did not find Count Asquin there, as the Tribunal, out of consideration for his great age, had moved him to The Fours a couple of months after our escape
Five or six years later, I heard that the Tribunal, after keeping the unlucky monk for two years under the Leads, had sent hi lest his flock should take contagion froinal ht However, Balbi did not stop there six ot the key of the fields, he went to Rome, and threw himself at the feet of Pope Rezzonico, who absolved him of his sins, and released him from his monastic vows Balbi, now a secular priest, returned to Venice, where he lived a dissolute and wretched life In 1783 he died the death of Diogenes,I rejoined Madahtful family, from who at the ”Hotel de l'Esprit,” and we passed a few days thereout in an excellent travelling carriage for Paris the Only, Paris the Universal During the journey I thoughtit a pleasant one, as I had not to put my hand in my pocket for other expenses The charms of Mdlle Riviere enchanted ratitude and respect to this worthy falance, or if I had let her suspect ht e did not fit reeable faiven in return for pleasant society, a seat in a coood bed
We reached Paris on the 5th of January, 1757, and I went to the house of my friend Baletti, who received h I had not written he had been expecting reatest possible distance between myself and Venice, and he could think of no other retreat for me than Paris The whole house kept holiday when my arrival becaard than in that delightful fareeted with enthusiasm the father and mother, whom I found exactly the same as when I had seen thehter whoirl Mdlle Baletti was fifteen years old, and her iven her the best ood e of society-in short, all that a clevera pleasant lodging near the Baletti's, I took a coach and went to the ”Hotel de Bourbon” with the intention of calling on M de Bernis, as then chief secretary for foreign affairs I had good reasons for relying on his assistance He was out; he had gone to Versailles At Paris one arly but forcibly said, ”strike while the iron's hot” As I was iet from the liberal-minded lover of my fair M---- M----, I went to the Pont-Royal, took a hackney coach, and went to Versailles Again bad luck!
Our coaches crossed each other on the way, and ht his excellency's eye M de Bernis had returned to Paris with Count de Castillana, the ambassador froot to the gate I saw a reatest confusion, and fro is assassinated! The king is assassinated!”
My frightened coach on his way, but the coach was stopped I was uard-room, where there were several people already, and in less than three minutes there were twenty of us, all under arrest, all astonished at the situation, and all asat each other without daring to speak I knew not what to think, and not believing in enchant Every face expressed surprise, as everyone, though innocent, was reeable position for long, as in five ies told us ere free
”The king is wounded,” he said, ”and he has been taken to his room The assassin, whom nobody knows, is under arrest M de la Martiniere is being looked for everywhere”
As soon as I had got back to entleive hiladly pay half the fare; but in spite of the laws of politeness I refused his request IOn any other occasion I should have been ive him a place, but there are times when prudence does not allow one to be polite I was about three hours on the way, and in this short time I was overtaken everyat a breakneck pace Every ht a new courier, and every courier shouted his news to the winds The first toldhad been bled, that the wound was not , and that his o to the Trianon if he liked
Fortified with this good news, I went to Silvia's and found the family at table I told the has been assassinated”
”Not at all; he is able to go to the Trianon, or the Parc-aux-cerfs, if he likes M de la Martiniere has bled hier The assassin has been arrested, and the wretched man will be burnt, draith red-hot pincers, and quartered”
This neas soon spread abroad by Silvia's servants, and a crowd of the neighbours came to hear what I had to say, and I had to repeat the sa ten times over At this period the Parisians fancied that they loved the king They certainly acted the part of loyal subjects to adhtened, and would only love the sovereign whose sole desire is the happiness of his people, and such a king--the first citizens of a great nation--not Paris and its suburbs, but all France, will be eager to love and obey As for kings like Louis XV, they have become totally impracticable; but if there are any such, however much they may be supported by interested parties, in the eyes of public opinion they will be dishonoured and disgraced before their bodies are in a grave and their names are written in the book of history
CHAPTER xxxII
The Minister of Foreign Affairs M de Boulogne, the Comptroller--M le Duc de Choiseul--M Paris du Vernai-- Establishment of the Lottery--My Brother's Arrival at Paris; His Reception by the Acadeht to regard as my fatherland, since I could return no ave me birth: an unworthy country, yet, in spite of all, ever dear to me, possibly on account of early impressions and early prejudices, or possibly because the beauties of Venice are really unood luck or ill, as one takes it, and it was ale
Paris was not wholly new to me, as my readers know I had spent two years there, but Ithen no other aim than to pass the time pleasantly, I had merely devoted myself to pleasure and enjoyment Fortune, to whoolden doors; but I now felt that I must treat herof her favoured sons whoifts I understood now that the nearer one draws to the sun the more one feels the warmth of its rays I saw that to attain my end I should have to employ all my reat, and take cue from all whom I found it to be ested by these thoughts, I saw that I ive up my old habits and pretensions, which would be sure tome as a trifler, and not fit to be trusted with affairs of any iht wisely, and the reader, I hope, will be of the same opinion ”I will be reserved,” said I, ”in what I say and what I do, and thus I shall get a reputation for discretion which will bring its reward”
I was in no anxiety on the score of present needs, as I could reckon on a monthly allowance of a hundred crohich adin, sent me, and I found this sum sufficient in the meanwhile, for with a little self-restraint one can live cheaply at Paris, and cut a good figure at the saood suit of clothes, and to have a decent lodging; for in all large towns the inning one is always judged My anxiety was only for the pressing needs of the moment, for to speak the truth I had neither clothes nor linen--in a word, nothing
If my relations with the French ambassador are recalled, it will be found natural that my first idea was to address myself to hiperfectly certain that the porter would tell ed, I took care to have a letter, and in theI went to the Palais Bourbon The porter took ave him my address and returned home
Wherever I went I had to tell the story of my escape fro as the flight itself had been, as it took htest bit of fancy-work; but I had to be polite to the curious enquirers, and to pretend that I believed theeneral, the best way to please is to take the benevolence of all horanted
I supped at Silvia's, and as the evening was quieter than the night before, I had tiratulate irl was, as I had said, fifteen years old, and I was in every way charood results of her education, and I did not even think of guardinga victim to her charms I had taken so lately such well-founded and philosophical resolutions, and I was not yet sufficiently attempted I left at an early hour, impatient to see what kind of an answer theto wait, and I received a short letter appointing a uessed that I was punctual, andM de Bernis expressed his pleasure at seeingable to be of service to me He told me that M---- M---- had informed him of my escape, and he had flattered hio and see in Paris would be hi to my arrest and escape, but all the details in the latter were purely iinary and had no foundation in fact M---- M---- was not to blame, as she could only write what she had heard, and it was not easy for anyone besides myself to know the real circuer buoyed up by the hope of seeing either of the men who alone had made her in love with life, her existence had beco able to take any coion ”C---C---- often corieve to say she is not happy with her husband”
I told M de Bernis that the account of ht from The Leads, as told by our friend, holly inaccurate, and I would therefore take the liberty of writing out the whole story with theme that he would send a copy to M---- M----, and at the same time, with the utmost courtesy, he put a packet of a hundred Louis inme that he would think what he could do for me, and would advise me as soon as he had any communication to make