The Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane - Alain René le Sage (best fiction books of all time .txt) 📗

returned to Madrid. Thus ended the royal

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