Part 24 (1/2)
”No, no, madame,” he quickly rejoined, ”you are apt to jueneralise thus The young monks at Sainte Amandine showed themselves to be my enemies, I admit, and for this I shall punish them as they deserve, but the poor old e When peace is declared, I shall take care of them and of their monastery; the prior shall be made an abbot I like the poor fellow; so will you, when you see hi should have taken such a fancy to this old enerals in his convent because, forsooth, Judith once slew Holofernes! Judith ; she was a Jewess But a Christian et over it!
CHAPTER LIV
The Chevalier de Rohan--He is Born Too Late--His Debts--Messina Ceded to the French--The King of Spain Meditates Revenge--The Comte de Monterey--Madame de Villars as Conspirator--The Picpus Schoolmaster--The Plot Fails--Discovery and Retribution--Madame de Soubise's Indifference to the Chevalier's Fate
Had he been born fifty or sixty years earlier, the Chevalier de Rohan reat part He was one of those men, devoid of restraint and of principle, who love pleasure above all things, and ould sacrifice their honour, their peace of mind, aye, even the State itself, if such a sacrifice were really needed, in order to attain their own personal enjoyment and satisfaction
The year before, he once invited himself to dinner at avea es noticed the sa, too
The Chevalier had squandered his fortune five or six years previously; his bills were innu remarked, ”The Chevalier de Rohan will coo on as he does”
Instead of keeping an eye upon hi him to respect his family's honour, the Prince and Princesse de Soubise nore hiacy, debts, and despair drove this unfortunate nobleht never be expected of any high-born gentleo de Soria, the inhabitants of Messina had just shaken off the Spanish yoke, and had surrendered to the King of France, who proffered protection and help
Such conduct on the part of the French Govern of Spain e himself This is how he set about it
On occasions of this kind it is always the crafty who are sought out for such work Comte de Monterey was instructed to sound the Chevalier de Rohan upon the subject, offering him safety and a fortune as his reward
Pressed into their service there was also the Marquise de Villars,--a frantic gambler, a creature bereft of all principle and all modesty,--to whom a sum of twenty thousand crowns in cash was paid over beforehand, with the promise of a e Rohan and tell him what to do Certain ciphers had to be used, and to these the Marquise had the key They needed a ent and trustworthy, and for this ave the Chevalier an ally in the person of an ex-teacher in the Fle Saint Antoine This man and the Chevalier went secretly to the Comte de Monterey in Flanders, and by this trio it was settled that on a certain day, at high tide, Admiral van Tromp with his fleet should anchor off Honfleur or Quillebceuf in Nornal, La Truaumont, the Chevalier de Preaux, and the Chevalier de Rohan were to surrender to hile blow, all this being for the benefit of his Majesty the King of Spain
But all was discovered The five culprits were examined, when the Marquise de Villars stated that the inhabitants of Messina had given the of France had not condemned!
The Marquise and the two Chevaliers were beheaded, while the ex-school La Truaumont, son of a councillor of the Exchequer, he escaped the block by letting hiaolers, to whom he offered no resistance
Despite her influence upon the King's feelings, the Princess de Soubise did not deign to take the least notice of the trial, and they say that she drove across the Pont-Neuf in her coach just as the Chevalier de Rohan, pinioned and barefooted, wasto his dooe Captures Bonn--The King Captures Orange--The Calvinists of Orange Offer Resistance
Since Catiline's famous hatred for Consul Cicero, there has never been hatred so deep and enveno
For this loathing, cherished by a petty prince for a great potentate, various reasons have been given As for ht, and I am convinced that Prince William was actuated by sheer jealousy and envy
It was affirive hireat favourite, had offered to place hienerous proposals the petty Stadtholder replied, ”I ahter of a Carmelite nun” So absurd a proposal as this, however, was never made, for the simple reason that Madee to any prince or noble man in this orld Rather than to be parted frole He has often said as much to me, and there is no reason to doubt his word