Page:The Vicomte de Bragelonne 2.djvu/303

Rh THE VICOMTE DE BKAGELOTOTE. 291 (augmentative Maigre, thin as Lazarus. Look!" and he showed his fleshless arm. "In your having been born of a family of fishermen [peclieurs), I see nothing injurious to you; for St. Peter was a fisherman; and if you are a prince of the church, mon- seigneur, he was the supreme head of it. Pass on, if you please." "So much the more for my having threatened with the IBastile a certain Bounet, a priest of Avignon, who wanted to publish a genealogy of the Casa Mazarini much too mar- velous." "To be probable?" replied the Theatin. "Oh! if I had acted up to his idea, father, that would have been the vice of pride — another sin." "It was excess of wit, and a person is not to be re- proached with such sorts of abuses. Pass on, pass on!" "I was all pride. Look you, father, I will endeavor to divide that from capital sins." "I like divisions, when well made." "I am glad of that. You must know that in 1630 — alas! that is thirty-one years ago " "You were then twenty-nine years old, monseigneur." "A hot-headed age. I was then something of " soldier, and I threw myself at Casal into the arquebusades, to show that I rode on horseback as well as an officer. It is true, II restored peace between the French and the Spaniards. That redeems my sin a little." "I see no sin in being able to ride well on horseback," said the Theatin; "that is in perfect good taste, and does honor to our gown. In my quality of a Christian, I ap- prove of your having prevented the effusion of blood; in my quality of a monk, I am proud of the bravery a monk has exhibited." Mazarin bowed his head humbly. "Yes," said he, "but i the consequences?" "What consequences?" "Eh! that damned sin of pride has roots without end. From the time that I threw myself in that manner between two armies, that I had smelled powder and faced lines of soldiers, I have held generals a little in contempt." "Ah!" said the father. "There is the evil; so that I have not thought one sup- portable since that time." "The fact is," said the Theatin, "that the generals we, have had have not been remarkable."