Page:Secret History of the French Court under Richelieu and Mazarin.djvu/123

Rh Madame de Chevreuse considered that this was doing but little for a man of the talent of Châteauneuf, who had staked his fortune and his life, and had suffered an imprisonment of ten years in the service of the queen. She perceived clearly that the perpetual postponement of the favors constantly promised to the Vendômes and to La Rochefoucauld, and as constantly deferred, were but so many artifices of the cardinal, and that she was his dupe; she complained loudly of this treatment, and began to indulge in bitter and sarcastic expressions against him. This was furnishing Mazarin with weapons against herself. He impressed the queen with the idea that Madame de Chevreuse wished to rule her, that she had but changed her mask and not her character, and that she was still the passionate and restless person who, with all her wit and her devotion, had never brought any thing but evil to the queen, and was only capable of ruining others and of destroying herself. By degrees, secret and hidden as it was, war was declared between them more openly. Rochefoucauld has admirably depicted the commencement and progress of this curious contest. The Carnets of Mazarin throw a new light on the subject, and infinitely exalt the talents of Madame de Chevreuse by showing to what degree Mazarin dreaded her.

Everywhere he regards her as the real chief of the party of the Importants. "It is Madame de Chevreuse," says he, unceasingly, "who animates them all."—"She studies to strengthen the Vendômes, she endeavors to gain all the house of Lorraine, she has already gained the Duke de Guise, and through him, she is attempting to win from me the Duke d'Elbeuf."—"She has a clear perception of everything; she readily divines that it is I who am acting in secret on the queen to hinder her from restoring the government of Brittany to the Duke de Vendôme. She has said so to her father, the Duke de Montbazon, and also to Montagu."—"She quarrels with Montagu himself because he opposes Châteauneuf by