The vicomte de Bragelonne; or, Ten years later by Alexandre Dumas

Author:Alexandre Dumas [Dumas, Alexandre]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 1858-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

from the office of M. Letellier, who is sober, to the little

secret largesses of M. Fouquet, who is prodigal, I could

recite, figure by figure, all the money that is spent in

France from Marseilles to Cherbourg."

"Then, you would have me throw all my money into the coffers

of the king!" cried Mazarin, ironically; and from whom, at

the same time, the gout forced painful moans. "Surely the

king would reproach me with nothing, but he would laugh at

me, while squandering my millions, and with good reason."

"Your eminence has misunderstood me. I did not, the least in

the world, pretend that his majesty ought to spend your

money."

"You said so clearly, it seems to me, when you advised me to

give it to him."

"Ah," replied Colbert, "that is because your eminence,

absorbed as you are by your disease, entirely loses sight of

the character of Louis XIV."

"How so?"

"That character, if I may venture to express myself thus,

resembles that which my lord confessed just now to the

Theatin."

"Go on -- that is?"

"Pride! Pardon me, my lord, haughtiness, nobleness; kings

have no pride, that is a human passion."

"Pride, -- yes, you are right. Next?"

"Well, my lord, if I have divined rightly, your eminence has

but to give all your money to the king, and that

immediately."

"But for what?" said Mazarin, quite bewildered.

"Because the king will not accept of the whole."

"What, and he a young man, and devoured by ambition?"

"Just so."

"A young man who is anxious for my death ---- "

"My lord!"

"To inherit, yes, Colbert, yes; he is anxious for my death

in order to inherit. Triple fool that I am! I would prevent

him!"

"Exactly: if the donation were made in a certain form he

would refuse it."

"Well, but how?"

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Dumas, Alexandre - Ten Years Later

"That is plain enough. A young man who has yet done nothing

-- who burns to distinguish himself -- who burns to reign

alone, will never take anything ready built, he will

construct for himself. This prince, monseigneur, will never

be content with the Palais Royal, which M. de Richelieu left

him, nor with the Palais Mazarin, which you have had so

superbly constructed, nor with the Louvre, which his

ancestors inhabited; nor with St. Germain, where he was

born. All that does not proceed from himself, I predict, he

will disdain."

"And you will guarantee, that if I give my forty millions to

the king ---- "

"Saying certain things to him at the same time, I guarantee

he will refuse them."

"But those things -- what are they?"

"I will write them, if my lord will have the goodness to

dictate them."

"Well, but, after all, what advantage will that be to me?"

"An enormous one. Nobody will afterwards be able to accuse

your eminence of that unjust avarice with which pamphleteers

have reproached the most brilliant mind of the present age."

"You are right, Colbert, you are right; go, and seek the

king, on my part, and take him my will."

"Your donation, my lord."

"But, if he should accept it; if he should even think of

accepting it!"

"Then there would remain thirteen millions for your family,

and that is a good round sum."

"But then you would be either a fool or a traitor."

"And I am neither the one nor the other, my lord.

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