At the time my magnanimous brother Charles reigned4 over France, and some few years after our return from the grand progress mentioned in my last letter, the Huguenots having renewed the war, a gentleman, despatched from my brother Anjou (afterwards Henri III. of France), came to Paris to inform the King and the Queen my mother that the Huguenot army was reduced to such an extremity5 that he hoped in a few days to force them to give him battle. He added his earnest wish for the honour of seeing them at Tours before that happened, so that, in case Fortune, envying him the glory he had already achieved at so early an age, should, on the so much looked-for day, after the good service he had done his religion and his King, crown the victory with his death, he might not have cause to regret leaving this world without the satisfaction of receiving their approbation6 of his conduct from their own mouths, a satisfaction which would be more valuable, in his opinion, than the trophies7 he had gained by his two former victories.
I leave to your own imagination to suggest to you the impression which such a message from a dearly beloved son made on the mind of a mother who doted on all her children, and was always ready to sacrifice her own repose8, nay9, even her life, for their happiness.
She resolved immediately to set off and take the King with her. She had, besides myself, her usual small company of female attendants, together with Mesdames de Rais and de Sauves. She flew on the wings of maternal10 affection, and reached Tours in three days and a half. A journey from Paris, made with such precipitation, was not unattended with accidents and some inconveniences, of a nature to occasion much mirth and laughter. The poor Cardinal11 de Bourbon, who never quitted her, and whose temper of mind, strength of body, and habits of life were ill suited to encounter privations and hardships, suffered greatly from this rapid journey.
We found my brother Anjou at Plessis-les-Tours, with the principal officers of his army, who were the flower of the princes and nobles of France. In their presence he delivered a harangue to the King, giving a detail of his conduct in the execution of his charge, beginning from the time he left the Court. His discourse was framed with so much eloquence12, and spoken so gracefully14, that it was admired by all present. It appeared matter of astonishment16 that a youth of sixteen should reason with all the gravity and powers of an orator17 of ripe years. The comeliness18 of his person, which at all times pleads powerfully in favour of a speaker, was in him set off by the laurels19 obtained in two victories. In short, it was difficult to say which most contributed to make him the admiration20 of all his hearers.
It is equally as impossible for me to describe in words the feelings of my mother on this occasion, who loved him above all her children, as it was for the painter to represent on canvas the grief of Iphigenia’s father. Such an overflow21 of joy would have been discoverable in the looks and actions of any other woman, but she had her passions so much under the control of prudence22 and discretion23 that there was nothing to be perceived in her countenance24, or gathered from her words, of what she felt inwardly in her mind. She was, indeed, a perfect mistress of herself, and regulated her discourse and her actions by the rules of wisdom and sound policy, showing that a person of discretion does upon all occasions only what is proper to be done. She did not amuse herself on this occasion with listening to the praises which issued from every mouth, and sanction them with her own approbation; but, selecting the chief points in the speech relative to the future conduct of the war, she laid them before the Princes and great lords, to be deliberated upon, in order to settle a plan of operations.
To arrange such a plan a delay of some days was requisite25. During this interval26, the Queen my mother walking in the park with some of the Princes, my brother Anjou begged me to take a turn or two with him in a retired27 walk. He then addressed me in the following words: “Dear sister, the nearness of blood, as well as our having been brought up together, naturally, as they ought, attach us to each other. You must already have discovered the partiality I have had for you above my brothers, and I think that I have perceived the same in you for me. We have been hitherto led to this by nature, without deriving28 any other advantage from it than the sole pleasure of conversing29 together. So far might be well enough for our childhood, but now we are no longer children. You know the high situation in which, by the favour of God and our good mother the Queen, I am here placed. You may be assured that, as you are the person in the world whom I love and esteem30 the most, you will always be a partaker of my advancement31. I know you are not wanting in wit and discretion, and I am sensible you have it in your power to do me service with the Queen our mother, and preserve me in my present employments. It is a great point obtained for me, always to stand well in her favour. I am fearful that my absence may be prejudicial to that purpose, and I must necessarily be at a distance from Court. Whilst I am away, the King my brother is with her, and has it in his power to insinuate32 himself into her good graces. This I fear, in the end, may be of disservice to me. The King my brother is growing older every day. He does not want for courage, and, though he now diverts himself with hunting, he may grow ambitious, and choose rather to chase men than beasts; in such a case I must resign to him my commission as his lieutenant33. This would prove the greatest mortification34 that could happen to me, and I would even prefer death to it. Under such an apprehension35 I have considered of the means of prevention, and see none so feasible as having a confidential36 person about the Queen my mother, who shall always be ready to espouse37 and support my cause. I know no one so proper for that purpose as yourself, who will be, I doubt not, as attentive38 to my interest as I should be myself. You have wit, discretion, and fidelity39, which are all that are wanting, provided you will be so kind as to undertake such a good office. In that case I shall have only to beg of you not to neglect attending her morning and evening, to be the first with her and the last to leave her. This will induce her to repose a confidence and open her mind to you.
“To make her the more ready to do this, I shall take every opportunity, to commend your good sense and understanding, and to tell her that I shall take it kind in her to leave off treating you as a child, which, I shall say, will contribute to her own comfort and satisfaction. I am well convinced that she will listen to my advice. Do you speak to her with the same confidence as you do to me, and be assured that she will approve of it. It will conduce to your own happiness to obtain her favour. You may do yourself service whilst you are labouring for my interest; and you may rest satisfied that, after God, I shall think I owe all the good fortune which may befall me to yourself.”
This was entirely40 a new kind of language to me. I had hitherto thought of nothing but amusements, of dancing, hunting, and the like diversions; nay, I had never yet discovered any inclination41 of setting myself off to advantage by dress, and exciting an admiration of my person and figure. I had no ambition of any kind, and had been so strictly42 brought up under the Queen my mother that I scarcely durst speak before her; and if she chanced to turn her eyes towards me I trembled, for fear that I had done something to displease43 her. At the conclusion of my brother’s harangue, I was half inclined to reply to him in the words of Moses, when he was spoken to from the burning bush: “Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh? Send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt44 send.”
However, his words inspired me with resolution and powers I did not think myself possessed45 of before. I had naturally a degree of courage, and, as soon as I recovered from my astonishment, I found I was quite an altered person. His address pleased me, and wrought46 in me a confidence in myself; and I found I was become of more consequence than I had ever conceived I had been. Accordingly, I replied to him thus: “Brother, if God grant me the power of speaking to the Queen our mother as I have the will to do, nothing can be wanting for your service, and you may expect to derive47 all the good you hope from it, and from my solicitude48 and attention for your interest. With respect to my undertaking49 such a matter for you, you will soon perceive that I shall sacrifice all the pleasures in this world to my watchfulness50 for your service. You may perfectly51 rely on me, as there is no one that honours or regards you more than I do. Be well assured that I shall act for you with the Queen my mother as zealously52 as you would for yourself.”
These sentiments were more strongly impressed upon my mind than the words I made use of were capable of conveying an idea of. This will appear more fully15 in my following letters.
As soon as we were returned from walking, the Queen my mother retired with me into her closet, and addressed the following words to me: “Your brother has been relating the conversation you have had together; he considers you no longer as a child, neither shall I. It will be a great comfort to me to converse53 with you as I would with your brother. For the future you will freely speak your mind, and have no apprehensions54 of taking too great a liberty, for it is what I wish.” These words gave me a pleasure then which I am now unable to express. I felt a satisfaction and a joy which nothing before had ever caused me to feel. I now considered the pastimes of my childhood as vain amusements. I shunned55 the society of my former companions of the same age. I disliked dancing and hunting, which I thought beneath my attention. I strictly complied with her agreeable injunction, and never missed being with her at her rising in the morning and going to rest at night. She did me the honour, sometimes, to hold me in conversation for two and three hours at a time. God was so gracious with me that I gave her great satisfaction; and she thought she could not sufficiently56 praise me to those ladies who were about her. I spoke13 of my brother’s affairs to her, and he was constantly apprised57 by me of her sentiments and opinion; so that he had every reason to suppose I was firmly attached to his interest.
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1
eloquent
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| adj.雄辩的，口才流利的；明白显示出的 | |
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harangue
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| n.慷慨冗长的训话，言辞激烈的讲话 | |
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discourse
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| n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述 | |
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4
reigned
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| vi.当政，统治（reign的过去式形式） | |
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extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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approbation
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| n.称赞；认可 | |
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7
trophies
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| n.（为竞赛获胜者颁发的）奖品( trophy的名词复数 )；奖杯；（尤指狩猎或战争中获得的）纪念品；（用于比赛或赛跑名称）奖 | |
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8
repose
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| v.(使)休息；n.安息 | |
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9
nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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10
maternal
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| adj.母亲的，母亲般的，母系的，母方的 | |
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cardinal
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| n.(天主教的)红衣主教；adj.首要的，基本的 | |
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eloquence
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| n.雄辩；口才，修辞 | |
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13
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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14
gracefully
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| ad.大大方方地；优美地 | |
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15
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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orator
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| n.演说者，演讲者，雄辩家 | |
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comeliness
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| n. 清秀, 美丽, 合宜 | |
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laurels
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| n.桂冠，荣誉 | |
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20
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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21
overflow
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| v.(使)外溢，(使)溢出；溢出，流出，漫出 | |
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22
prudence
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| n.谨慎，精明，节俭 | |
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23
discretion
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| n.谨慎；随意处理 | |
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24
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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25
requisite
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| adj.需要的，必不可少的；n.必需品 | |
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26
interval
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| n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息 | |
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27
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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28
deriving
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| v.得到( derive的现在分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
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29
conversing
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| v.交谈，谈话( converse的现在分词 ) | |
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30
esteem
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| n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作 | |
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31
advancement
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| n.前进，促进，提升 | |
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32
insinuate
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| vt.含沙射影地说，暗示 | |
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33
lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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34
mortification
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| n.耻辱，屈辱 | |
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35
apprehension
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| n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑 | |
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36
confidential
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| adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的 | |
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37
espouse
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| v.支持，赞成，嫁娶 | |
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38
attentive
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| adj.注意的，专心的；关心(别人)的，殷勤的 | |
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39
fidelity
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| n.忠诚，忠实；精确 | |
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40
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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41
inclination
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| n.倾斜；点头；弯腰；斜坡；倾度；倾向；爱好 | |
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42
strictly
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| adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地 | |
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43
displease
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| vt.使不高兴，惹怒；n.不悦，不满，生气 | |
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44
wilt
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| v.(使)植物凋谢或枯萎；(指人)疲倦，衰弱 | |
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45
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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46
wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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47
derive
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| v.取得；导出；引申；来自；源自；出自 | |
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48
solicitude
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| n.焦虑 | |
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49
undertaking
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| n.保证，许诺，事业 | |
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50
watchfulness
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| 警惕，留心； 警觉（性） | |
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51
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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52
zealously
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| adv.热心地；热情地；积极地；狂热地 | |
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53
converse
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| vi.谈话，谈天，闲聊；adv.相反的，相反 | |
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54
apprehensions
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| 疑惧 | |
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55
shunned
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| v.避开，回避，避免( shun的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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56
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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57
apprised
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| v.告知，通知( apprise的过去式和过去分词 )；评价 | |
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