The Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane, Alain René le Sage [most read books .txt] 📗
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campaign, and the care of maintaining the honour of the Spanish
colours was left to the Marquis de los Velez, commander-in-chief.
CH. IX. — The revolution of Portugal, and disgrace of the prime
minister.
A FEW days after the king’s return, an alarming report prevailed
at Madrid, that the Portuguese, considering the Catalan revolt as
an opportunity offered them by fortune for throwing off the
Spanish yoke, had taken arms, and chosen the Duke of Braganza for
their king, with a full determination of supporting him on the
throne. In this they conceived that they did not reckon without
their host; because Spain was then embroiled in Germany, Italy,
Flanders, and Catalonia. They could not in fact have hit upon a
crisis more favourable for their deliverance from so galling a
yoke.
It was a strange circumstance, that while both court and city
were struck with consternation at the news, my lord duke
attempted to joke with the king, and make the Duke of Braganza
his butt; Philip, however, far from falling in with this ill-timed pleasantry, assumed a serious air, of ill omen to the
minister, who felt his seat to totter under him. The queen was
now his declared enemy, and openly accused him of having caused
the revolt of Portugal by his misconduct. The nobility in
general, and especially those who had been at Saragossa, when
they saw a cloud gathering about the minister, joined the queen’s
party: but the decisive blow was the return of the duchess
dowager of Mantua from her government of Portugal to Madrid; for
she proved clearly to the king’s conviction that the counsels of
his own cabinet produced the revolution. *[see note at end of
chapter]
His majesty, deeply impressed with what he had heard, was now
completely recovered from every symptom of partiality towards his
favourite. The minister, finding that his enemies were in
possession of the royal ear, wrote for permission to resign his
employments, and retire from court, since all the political
mischances of the time were ascribed to his personal delinquency.
He expected a letter like this to produce a wonderful effect,
reckoning as be did upon the prince’s private friendship, which
could scarcely brook a separation: but his majesty’s answer
undeceived him, by laconically complying with his ostensible wish
to withdraw.
Such a sentence of banishment in the king’s own handwriting came
like a thunder-storm in harvest; but though destruction to his
long-cherished hopes, he affected the serene look of constancy,
and asked me what I would do in his circumstances. I would drive
before the wind, said I; renounce the ungrateful court, and pass
the remainder of my days in peace on my own estate. You counsel
wisely, replied my master, and I shall set out for Loeches, there
to finish my career, after one more interview with his majesty:
for I could wish just to convince him that I have done what man
can do to support the heavy load of state upon my shoulders, and
that it was not within the compass of possibility to prevent the
unfortunate events which are imputed to me as a crime. It were
equally reasonable to charge the pilot with the wrecking fury of
the storm, and make him answerable for the uncontrolled power of
the elements. Thus did the minister inwardly flatter himself that
he could set things to rights again, and once more fix firm the
seat which was shaking under him; but he could not procure an
audience, and was even commanded to resign his key of private
admission into his majesty’s closet.
This last requisition convinced him that there was no hope; and
he now made up his mind in earnest for retirement. He looked over
his papers, and had the prudence to burn a good number, he then
selected a small household for his retreat, and publicly
announced his departure for the next day. Apprehending insult
from the mob, if the time and manner of his setting out were
public, he escaped early in the morning through the kitchens out
at the back door, got in to a shabby, hired carriage, with his
confessor and me, and reached in safety the road leading to
Loeches, a village on his own estate, where his countess had
founded a magnificent convent of Dominican nuns.
*Note:
At length his sovereign frowns — the train of state
Mark the keen glance, and watch the sign to hate.
“Johnson’s Imitation of Juvenal’s Tenth Satire.”
CH. X. — A difficult, but successful, weaning from the world.
The minister’s employments in his retreat.
MADAME D’OLIVAREZ stayed behind her husband some few days, with
the intention of trying what her tears and entreaties might do
towards his recall; but in vain did she prostrate herself before
their majesties: the king paid not the least attention to her
pleadings and remonstrances, though artfully adapted for effect;
and the queen, who hated her mortally, took a savage pleasure in
her tears. The minister’s lady, however, was not easily
discouraged: she stooped so low as to solicit their good offices
from the ladies of the bedchamber; but the fruit of all this
meanness was only the sad conviction that it excited more
contempt than pity. Heart-broken at having degraded herself by
supplications so humiliating, and yet so unavailing, she departed
to her husband, and mourned with him the loss of a situation,
which under a reign like that of Philip the Fourth, was little
short of sovereign power.
The accounts her ladyship brought from Madrid were wormwood to
the duke. Your enemies, said she, sobbing, with the Duke of
Medina Coeli at their head, are loud in the king’s praises for
your removal; and the people triumph in your disgrace with an
insolent joy, as if the cloud of adversity were to be dispelled
by the breath which dissolved your administration. Madam, said my
master, follow my example; suppress your discontent: we must
drive before the storm, when we cannot weather it. I did think,
indeed, that my favour would only be eclipsed with the lamp of
life: a common illusion of ministers and favourites, who forget
that they breathe but at the good pleasure of their sovereign.
Was not the Duke of Lerma as much mistaken as myself, though
fondly relying on his purple, as a pledge for the lasting tenure
of his authority?
Thus did my lord duke preach patience to the partner of his
cares, while his own bosom heaved under the direst pressure of
anxiety. The frequent dispatches from Don Henry, who was staying
about the court to pick up information, kept him continually on
the fret. Scipio was the messenger; for he was still about the
person of that young nobleman, though I had relinquished my post
on his marriage. Sometimes we heard of changes in the inferior
departments of office, solely for the purpose of wreaking
vengeance on his creatures, and filling up the vacancies with his
enemies. Then Don Lewis de Haro was represented as advancing in
favour, and likely to be made prime minister. But the most
mortifying circumstance of all was the change in the viceroyalty
of Naples, which was taken from his friend, the Duke de Medina de
Las Torres, and bestowed on the High Admiral of Castile, who was
his bitterest enemy. For this there was no other motive but the
pleasure of giving pain to a fallen favourite.
For the first three months, his lordship gave himself up in his
solitude a prey to disappointment and regret: but his confessor,
a holy and pious Dominican, supporting his religious zeal with
manly eloquence, succeeded in pouring the balm of consolation
into his soul. By continually representing to him, with apostolic
energy, that his eternal salvation was now the only object worth
his care, he weaned him gradually from the uses of this world.
His excellency was no longer panting for news from Madrid, but
learning a new and important lesson, how to die. Madame
d’Olivarez too, making a virtue of necessity, sought refuge for
herself in the maternal guardianship of her convent, where
Providence had reared up, for her edification in faith and good
works, a sisterhood of holy maidens, whose spiritual discourses
fed her soul, as if with manna in the wilderness. My master’s
peace within his own bosom advanced, as he withdrew more backward
from sublunary things. The employment of his day was thus laid
out: almost the whole morning was devoted to religious duties,
till dinner-time; and after dinner, for about two hours, he
played at different games with me and some of his confidential
domestics: be then generally retired alone into his closet till
sunset, when he walked round his garden, or rode out into the
neighbourhood either with his confessor or me.
One day when I was alone with him, and was particularly struck
with his apparent self-complacency, I took the liberty of
congratulating his lordship on his complete reconciliation to
retirement. Use, however late acquired, is second nature,
answered he: for though I have all my life been accustomed to the
bustle of business, I assure you that I become every day more and
more attached to this calm and peaceful mode of life.
CH. XI. — A change in his lordship for the worse. The
marvellous cause, and melancholy consequences, of his dejection.
HIS excellency sometimes amused himself with gardening, by way of
variety. One day as I was watching his progress, he said
jokingly: You see, Santillane, a fallen minister can turn
gardener at last. Nature will prevail, my lord, answered I. You
plant and water something useful at Loeches, while Dionysius of
Syracuse whipped schoolboys at Corinth. My master was not
displeased either with the comparison or the compliment
We were all delighted at the castle to see our protector, rising
above the cloud of adversity, take pleasure in so novel a mode of
life: but we soon perceived an alarming change. He became gloomy,
thoughtful, and melancholy. Our parties at play were all given
up, and no efforts could succeed to divert his mind. From dinner-time till evening he never left his closet. We thought the dreams
of vanished greatness had returned to break his rest; and in this
opinion the reverend Dominican gave the rein to his eloquence;
but it could not outstrip the course of that hypochondriac
malady, which triumphed over all opposition.
It seemed to me there was some deeper cause, which it behoved a
sincere friend to fathom. Taking advantage of our being alone
together, My lord, said I, in a tone of mingled respect and
affection, whence is it that you are no longer so cheerful as
heretofore? Has your philosophy lost ground? or has the world
recovered its allurements? Surely you would not plunge again into
that gulf, where your virtue must inevitably be shipwrecked! No,
heaven be praised! replied the minister: my part at court has
long faded from my memory, and its trappings from my eyes.
Indeed! why then, resumed I, since you have strength enough to
banish false regrets, are you so weak as to indulge a melancholy
which alarms us all? What is the matter with you, my dear master?
continued I, falling at his knees: some secret sorrow preys upon
you: can you hide it from Santillane, whose zeal, discretion, and
fidelity you have so often experienced? Why am I so unhappy as to
have lost your confidence?
You still possess it, said his lordship: but I must own, it is
reluctantly that I shall reveal the subject of my distress: yet
the importunities of such a friend are irresistible. To no one
else could I impart so singular a confidence. Yes, I am the prey
of a morbid melancholy which eats inwardly into my vitals: a
spectre haunts me every moment, arrayed in the most
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