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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/5409.txt b/5409.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..32f85a5 --- /dev/null +++ b/5409.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1597 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Memoirs of Count Grammont, Volume 1 +by Anthony Hamilton + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Memoirs of Count Grammont, Volume 1 + +Author: Anthony Hamilton + +Release Date: December 4, 2004 [EBook #5409] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK COUNT GRAMMONT *** + + + + +Produced by David Widger + + + + + + MEMOIRS OF COUNT GRAMMONT + + By Anthony Hamilton + + EDITED, WITH NOTES, BY SIR WALTER SCOTT + + + + +CONTENTS: + +BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF ANTHONY HAMILTON + +CHAPTER FIRST. + INTRODUCTION + +CHAPTER SECOND. + ARRIVAL OF THE CHEVALIER GRAMMONT AT THE SIEGE OF TRINO, + AND THE LIFE HE LED THERE + +CHAPTER THIRD. + EDUCATION AND ADVENTURES OF THE CHEVALIER GRAMMONT BEFORE + HIS COMING TO THE SIEGE OF TRINO + +CHAPTER FOURTH. + HIS ARRIVAL AT THE COURT OF TURIN, AND HOW HE SPENT HIS TIME THERE + +CHAPTER FIFTH. + HE RETURNS TO THE COURT OF FRANCE--HIS ADVENTURES AT THE SIEGE OF + ARRAS--HIS REPLY TO CARDINAL MAZARIN--HE IS BANISHED THE COURT + +CHAPTER SIXTH. + HIS ARRIVAL AT THE ENGLISH COURT--THE VARIOUS PERSONAGES OF + THIS COURT + +CHAPTER SEVENTH. + HE FALLS IN LOVE WITH MISS HAMILTON--VARIOUS ADVENTURES AT THE BALL + IN THE QUEEN'S DRAWING-ROOM--CURIOUS VOYAGE OF HIS VALET-DE-CHAMBRE + TO AND FROM PARIS + +CHAPTER EIGHTH. + FUNNY ADVENTURE OF THE CHAPLAIN POUSSATIN--THE STORY OF THE SIEGE OF + LERIDA--MARRIAGE OF THE DUKE OF YORK, AND OTHER DETAILS ABOUT THE + ENGLISH COURT + +CHAPTER NINTH. + VARIOUS LOVE INTRIGUES AT THE ENGLISH COURT + +CHAPTER TENTH. + OTHER LOVE INTRIGUES AT THE ENGLISH COURT + +CHAPTER ELEVENTH. + RETURN OF THE CHEVALIER GRAMMONT TO FRANCE--HE IS SENT BACK TO + ENGLAND--VARIOUS LOVE INTRIGUES AT THIS COURT, AND MARRIAGE OF MOST + OF THE HEROES OF THESE MEMOIRS + + + + + BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH + OF + ANTHONY HAMILTON. + + +Anthony Hamilton, the celebrated author of the Grammont Memoirs, much +cannot now be with certainty known. + + [For uniformity's sake the writer of this sketch has followed the + Memoirs in the spelling of this name; but he thinks it necessary to + observe that it should be Gramont, not Grammont.] + +The accounts prefixed to the different editions of his works, down to the +year 1805, are very imperfect; in that year a new, and, in general, far +better edition than any of the preceding ones, was published in Paris, +to which a sketch of his life was also added; but it contains rather just +criticisms on his works, than any very novel or satisfactory anecdote +concerning himself. It is not pretended here to gratify literary +curiosity as fully as it ought to be, with regard to this singular and +very ingenious man; some effort, however, may be made to communicate a +few more particulars relative to him, than the public has hitherto, +perhaps, been acquainted with. + +Anthony Hamilton was of the noble family of that name: Sir George +Hamilton, his father, was a younger son of James, Earl of Abercorn, a +native of Scotland. His mother was daughter of Lord Thurles, and sister +to James, the first Duke of Ormond; his family and connections therefore, +on the maternal side, were entirely Irish. He was, as well as his +brothers and sisters, born in Ireland, it is generally said, about the +year 1646; but there is some reason to imagine that it was three or four +years earlier. The place of his birth, according to the best family +accounts, was Roscrea, in the county of Tipperary, the usual residence of +his father when not engaged by military or public business. + + [In September, 1646, Owen O'Neale took Roscrea, and, as Carte says, + "put man, woman, and child to the sword, except Sir George + Hamilton's lady, sister to the Marquis of Ormond, and some few + gentlewomen whom he kept prisoners." No family suffered more in + those disastrous times than the house of Ormond. Lady Hamilton died + in August, 1680, as appears from an interesting and affecting letter + of her brother, the Duke of Ormond, dated Carrick, August 25th. He + had lost his noble son, Lord Ossory, not three weeks before.] + +It has been always said, that the family migrated to France when Anthony +was an infant; but this is not the fact: "Sir George Hamilton," says +Carte, "would have accompanied his brother-in-law, the Marquis of Ormond, +to France, in December, 1650: but, as he was receiver-general in Ireland, +he stayed to pass his accounts, which he did to the satisfaction of all +parties, notwithstanding much clamour had been raised against him." When +that business was settled, he, in the spring of 1651, took Lady Hamilton +and all his family to France, and resided with Lord and Lady Ormond, near +Caen, in Normandy, + + [Hence possibly Voltaire's mistake in stating that Hamilton was born + at Caen, in his Catalogue des Ecrivains du Siecle de Louis XIV.] + +in great poverty and distress, till the Marchioness of Ormond, a lady +whose mind was as exalted as her birth, went over to England, and, after +much solicitation obtained two thousand pounds a-year from her own and, +her husband's different estates in Ireland. This favour was granted her +by Cromwell, who always professed the greatest respect for her. The +Marchioness resided in Ireland, with the younger part of her family, from +1655 till after the Restoration; while the Marquis of Ormond continued +for a considerable part of that period with his two sisters, Lady +Clancarty and Lady Hamilton, at the Feuillatines, in the Faubourg St. +Jacques, in Paris. + +It appears from a letter of the Marquis to Sir Robert Southwell, that, +although he himself was educated in the Protestant religion, not only his +father and mother, but all his brothers and sisters, were bred, and +always continued, Roman Catholics. Sir George Hamilton also, according +to Carte, + + [That historian states that the king (Charles I.) deprived several + papists of their military commissions, and, among others, Sir George + Hamilton, who, notwithstanding, served him with loyalty and + unvarying fidelity.] + +was a Roman Catholic; Anthony, therefore, was bred in the religion of his +family, and conscientiously adhered to it through life. He entered early +into the army of Louis XIV., as did his brothers George, Richard, and +John, the former of whom introduced the company of English gens d'armes +into France, in 1667, according to Le Pere Daniel, author of the History +of the French Army, who adds the following short account of its +establishment: Charles II., being restored to his throne, brought over to +England several catholic officers and soldiers, who had served abroad +with him and his brother, the Duke of York, and incorporated them with +his guards; but the parliament having obliged him to dismiss all officers +who were Catholics, the king permitted George Hamilton to take such as +were willing to accompany him to France, where Louis XIV. formed them +into a company of gens d'armes, and being highly pleased with them, +became himself their captain, and made George Hamilton their +captain-lieutenant:--[They were composed of English, Scotch, and Irish.] +Whether Anthony belonged to this corps I know not; but this is certain, +that he distinguished himself particularly in his profession, and was +advanced to considerable posts in the French service. + +Anthony Hamilton's residence was now almost constantly in France. Some +years previous to this he had been much in England, and, towards the +close of Charles II.'s reign, in Ireland, where so many of his +connections remained. When James II. succeeded to the throne, the door +being then opened to the Roman Catholics, he entered into the Irish army, +where we find him, in 1686, a lieutenant-colonel in Sir Thomas Newcomen's +regiment. That he did not immediately hold a higher rank there, may +perhaps be attributed to the recent accession of the king, his general +absence from Ireland, the advanced age of his uncle, the Duke of Ormond, +and, more than all, perhaps, to his Grace's early disapprobation of +James's conduct in Ireland, which displayed itself more fully afterwards, +especially in the ecclesiastical promotions. + +Henry, Earl of Clarendon, son to the lord-chancellor, was at that time +lord-lieutenant of Ireland, and appears, notwithstanding his general +distrust and dislike of the Catholics, to have held Anthony Hamilton in +much estimation: he speaks of his knowledge of, and constant attention +to, the duties of his profession; his probity, and the dependance that +was to be placed on him, in preference to others of the same religious +persuasion, and, in October, 1686, wrote to the Earl of Sunderland +respecting him, as follows: "I have only this one thing more to trouble +your lordship with at present, concerning Colonel Anthony Hamilton, to +get him a commission to command as colonel, though he is but +lieutenant-colonel to Sir Thomas Newcomen, in regard of the commands he +has had abroad: and I am told it is often done in France, which makes me +hope it will not be counted an unreasonable request. I would likewise +humbly recommend to make Colonel Anthony Hamilton a privy-councillor +here." Lord Clarendon's recommendations were ultimately successful: +Hamilton was made a privy-councillor in Ireland, and had a pension of +L200 a year on the Irish establishment; and was appointed governor of +Limerick, in the room of Sir William King, notwithstanding he had +strongly opposed the new-modelling of the army by the furious Tyrconnel. +In the brief accounts which have been given of his life, it is said that +he had a regiment of infantry; but, though this is very probable, there +is no mention whatever of his commanding a regiment in the lists +published of King James's army, which are supposed to be very accurate: +he is indeed set down among the general officers. Lord Clarendon, in one +of his letters to the lord-treasurer, states, "That the news of the day +was, that Colonel Russell was to be lieutenant-colonel to the Duke of +Ormond's regiment, and that Colonel Anthony Hamilton was to have +Russell's regiment, and that Mr. Luttrell was to be lieutenant-colonel to +Sir Thomas Newcomen, in the place of Anthony Hamilton." It is not known +whether Anthony was present at the battle of the Boyne, or of Aughrim: +his brother John was killed at the latter; and Richard, who was a +lieutenant-general, led on the cavalry with uncommon gallantry and spirit +at the Boyne it is to be wished that his candour and integrity had +equalled his courage; but, he acted with great duplicity; and King +William's contemptuous echoing back his word to him, when he declared +something on his honour, is well known: He is frequently mentioned by +Lord Clarendon, but by no means with the same approbation as his brother. +After the total overthrow of James's affairs in Ireland, the two brothers +finally quitted these kingdoms, and retired to France. Richard lived +much with the Cardinal de Bouillon, who was the great protector of the +Irish in France, and kept (what must have been indeed highly consolatory +to many an emigrant of condition) a magnificent table, which has been +recorded in the most glowing and grateful terms, by that gay companion, +and celebrated lover of good cheer, Philippe de Coulanges, who +occasionally mentions the "amiable Richard Hamilton" as one of the +cardinal's particular intimates. Anthony, who was regarded particularly +as a man of letters and elegant talents, resided almost entirely at St. +Germain: solitary walks in the forest of that place occupied his leisure +hours in the morning; and poetical pursuits, or agreeable society, +engaged the evening: but much of his time seems to have rolled heavily +along; his sister, Madame de Grammont, living more at court, or in Paris, +than always suited his inclinations or his convenience. His great +resource at St. Germain was the family of the Duke of Berwick (son of +James II.): that nobleman appears to have been amiable in private life, +and his attachment to Hamilton was steady and sincere. The Duchess of +Berwick was also his friend. It is necessary to mention this lady +particularly, as well as her sisters: they were the daughters of Henry +Bulkeley, son to the first viscount of that name: their father had been +master of the household to Charles: their mother was Lady Sophia Stewart, +sister to the beautiful Duchess of Richmond, so conspicuous in the +Grammont Memoirs. The sisters of the Duchess of Berwick were Charlotte, +married to Lord Clare, Henrietta, and Laura. They all occupy a +considerable space in Hamilton's correspondence, and the two last are the +ladies so often addressed as the Mademoiselles B.; they are almost the +constant subjects of Hamilton's verses; and it is recorded that he was a +particular admirer of Henrietta Bulkeley; but their union would have been +that of hunger and thirst, for both were very poor and very illustrious: +their junction would, of course, have militated against every rule of +common prudence. To the influence of this lady, particularly, we are +indebted for one or two of Hamilton's agreeable novels: she had taste +enough to laugh at the extravagant stories then so much in fashion, "plus +arabes qu'en Arabie," + + [They were wretched imitations of some of the Persian and Arabian + tales, in which everything was distorted, and rendered absurd and + preposterous.] + +as Hamilton says; and he, in compliance with her taste, and his own, soon +put the fashionable tales to flight, by the publication of the 'Quatre +Facardins', and, more especially, 'La Fleur d'Epine'. Some of the +introductory verses to these productions are written with peculiar ease +and grace; and are highly extolled, and even imitated, by Voltaire. La +Harpe praises the Fleur d'Epine, as the work of an original genius: I do +not think, however, that they are much relished in England, probably +because very ill translated. Another of his literary productions was the +novel called Le Belier, which he wrote on the following occasion: Louis +XIV. had presented to the Countess of Grammont (whom he highly esteemed) +a remarkably elegant small country house in the park of Versailles: this +house became so fashionable a resort, and brought such constant visitors, +that the Count de Grammont said, in his usual way, he would present the +king with a list of all the persons he was obliged to entertain there, as +more suited to his Majesty's purse than his own: the countess wished to +change the name of the place from the vulgar appellation of Le Moulineau +into that of Pentalie: and Hamilton, in his novel, wrote a history of a +giant, an enchantment, and a princess, to commemorate her resolution. +It has however happened that the giant Moulineau has had the advantage in +the course of time; for the estate, which is situated near Meudon, upon +the Seine, retains its original and popular designation. + +About the year 1704, Hamilton turned his attention to collecting the +memoirs of his brother-in-law, the Count de Grammont, as we may +conjecture, from the epistle beginning "Honneur des rives eloignees" +being written towards the close of the above year: it is dated, or +supposed to be so, from the banks of the Garonne. Among other authors +whom Hamilton at first proposes to Grammont, as capable of writing his +life (though, on reflection, he thinks them not suited to it), +is Boileau, whose genius he professes to admire; but adds that his muse +has somewhat of malignity; and that such a muse might caress with one +hand and satirize him with the other. This letter was sent by Hamilton +to Boileau, who answered him with great politeness; but, at the same time +that he highly extolled the epistle to Grammont, he, very naturally, +seemed anxious to efface any impression which such a representation of +his satiric vein might make on the Count's mind, and accordingly added a +few complimentary verses to him: this letter is dated, Paris, 8th +February, 1705. About the same time, another letter was written to +Hamilton on the subject of the Epistle to Grammont, by La Chapelle, who +also seemed desirous that his life should be given to the public, but was +much perplexed which of the most celebrated ancients to compare the count +to. Mecaenas first presented himself to his imagination: absurdly +enough, in my opinion; for there was not a trace of similitude between +the two characters. This, however, afforded him some opportunity, as he +thought, of discovering a resemblance between Horace and Hamilton, in +which he equally failed. Petronius is then brought forward, as affording +some comparison to the Count;--a man of pleasure, giving up the day to +sleep, and the night to entertainment; but then, adds La Chapelle, it +will be suggested that, such is the perpetual activity of the Count of +Grammont's mind, he may be said to sleep neither night nor day; and if +Petronius died, the Count seems determined never to die at all. (He was +at this time about eighty-five years of age.) It may well be supposed +that all this, though now perfectly vapid and uninteresting, was +extremely flattering to Grammont; and the result was, that he very much +wished to have his life, or part of it, at least, given to the public. +Hamilton, who had been so long connected with him, and with whose +agreeable talents he was now so familiarized, was, on every account, +singled out by him as the person who could best introduce him +historically to the public. It is ridiculous to mention Grammont as the +author of his own Memoirs: his excellence, as a man of wit, was entirely +limited to conversation. Bussy Rabutin, who knew him perfectly, states +that he wrote almost worse than any one. If this was said, and very +truly, of him in his early days, it can hardly be imagined that he would, +when between eighty and ninety years of age, commence a regular, and, +in point of style, most finished composition. Besides, independent of +everything else, what man would so outrage all decorum as to call himself +the admiration of the age? for so is Grammont extolled in the Memoirs, +with a variety of other encomiastic expressions; although, perhaps, such +vanity has not been without example. Hamilton, it is true, says that he +acts as Grammont's secretary, and only holds the pen, whilst the Count +dictates to him such particulars of his life as were the most singular, +and least known. This is said with great modesty, and, as to part of the +work, perhaps with great truth: it requires, however, some explanation. +Grammont was more than twenty years older than Hamilton; consequently, +the earlier part of his life could only have been known, or was best +known, to the latter from repeated conversations, and the long intimacy +which subsisted between them. Whether Grammont formally dictated the +events of his younger days, or not, is of little consequence from his +general character, it is probable that he did not. However, the whole +account of such adventures as he was engaged in, from his leaving home to +his interview with Cardinal Mazarin (excepting the character of Monsieur +de Senantes, and Matta, who was well known to Hamilton), the relation of +the siege of Lerida, the description of Gregorio Brice, and the +inimitable discovery of his own magnificent suit of clothes on the +ridiculous bridegroom at Abbeville; all such particulars must have been +again and again repeated to Hamilton by Grammont, and may therefore be +fairly grounded on the count's authority. The characters of the court of +Charles II., and its history, are to be ascribed to Hamilton: from his +residence, at various times, in the court of London, his connection with +the Ormond family, not to mention others, he must have been well +acquainted with them. Lady Chesterfield, who may be regarded almost as +the heroine of the work, was his cousin-german. + + [She was born at the castle of Kilkenny, July, 1640, as appears from + Carte's life of her father, the Duke of Ormond.] + +But, although the history altogether was written by Hamilton, it may +not perhaps be known to every reader that Grammont himself sold the +manuscript for fifteen hundred livres; and when it was brought to +Fontenelle, then censor of the press, he refused to license it, from +respect to the character of the Count, which, he thought, was represented +as that of a gambler, and an unprincipled one too. In fact, Grammont, +like many an old gentleman, seems to have recollected the gaieties of his +youth with more complaisance than was necessary, and has drawn them in +pretty strong colours in that part of the work which is more particularly +his own. He laughed at poor Fontenelle's scruples, and complained to the +chancellor, who forced the censor to acquiesce: the license was granted, +and the Count put the whole of the money, or the best part of it, in his +pocket, though he acknowledged the work to be Hamilton's. This is +exactly correspondent to his general character: when money was his +object, he had little, or rather no delicacy. + +The History of Grammont may be considered as unique there is nothing like +it in any language. For drollery, knowledge of the world, various +satire, general utility, united with great vivacity of composition, Gil +Blas is unrivalled: but, as a merely agreeable book, the Memoirs of +Grammont perhaps deserve that character more than any which was ever +written: it is pleasantry throughout, pleasantry of the best sort, +unforced, graceful, and engaging. Some French critic has justly +observed, that, if any book were to be selected as affording the truest +specimen of perfect French gaiety, the Memoirs of Grammont would be +selected in preference to all others. This has a Frenchman said of the +work of a foreigner: but that foreigner possessed much genius, had lived +from his youth, not only in the best society of France, but with the most +singular and agreeable man that France could produce. Still, however, +though Grammont and Hamilton were of dispositions very different, the +latter must have possessed talents peculiarly brilliant, and admirably +adapted to coincide with, and display those of his brother-in-law to the +utmost advantage. Gibbon extols the "ease and purity of Hamilton's +inimitable style;" and in this he is supported by Voltaire, although he +adds the censure, that the Grammont Memoirs are, in point of materials, +the most trifling; he might also in truth have said, the most improper. +The manners of the court of Charles II. were, to the utmost, profligate +and abandoned: yet in what colours have they been drawn by Hamilton? The +elegance of his pencil has rendered them more seductive and dangerous, +than if it had more faithfully copied the originals. From such a mingled +mass of grossness of language, and of conduct, one would have turned away +with disgust and abhorrence; but Hamilton was, to use the words of his +admirer, Lord Orford, "superior to the indelicacy of the court," whose +vices he has so agreeably depicted; and that superiority has sheltered +such vices from more than half the oblivion which would now have for ever +concealed them. + +The Count de Grammont died in 1707. Some years after the publication of +his Memoirs, Hamilton was engaged in a very different work: he +translated Pope's Essay on Criticism into French, and, as it should seem, +so much to that great poet's satisfaction, that he wrote a very polite +letter of thanks to him, which is inserted in Pope's Correspondence. +Hamilton's Essay was, I believe, never printed, though Pope warmly +requested to have that permission: the reign of Louis XIV. had now +ceased; and, for several years before his death, the character of the old +court of that prince had ceased also: profligacy and gaiety had given way +to devotion and austerity. Of Hamilton's friends and literary +acquaintance few were left: the Duke of Berwick was employed in the +field, or at Versailles: some of the ladies, however, continued at St. +Germain; and in their society, particularly that of his niece, the +Countess of Stafford (in whose name he carried on a lively correspondence +with Lady Mary Wortley Montague), he passed much of his time. He +occasionally indulged in poetical compositions, of a style suited to his +age and character; and when he was past seventy, he wrote that excellent +copy of verses, 'Sur l' Usage de la Vie dans la Vieillesse'; which, for +grace of style, justness, and purity of sentiment, does honour to his +memory. + +Hamilton died at St. Germain, in April, 1720, aged about seventy-four. +His death was pious and resigned. From his poem, entitled Reflections, +he appears, like some other authors, to have turned his mind, in old age, +entirely to those objects of sacred regard, which, sooner or later, must +engage the attention of every rational mind. To poetry he bids an +eternal adieu, in language which breathes no diminution of genius, +at the moment that he for ever recedes from the poetical character. +But he aspired to a better. + +Whatever were Hamilton's errors, his general character was respectable. +He has been represented as grave, and even dull, in society; the very +reverse, in short, of what he appears in his Memoirs: but this is +probably exaggerated. Unquestionably, he had not the unequalled vivacity +of the Count de Grammont in conversation; as Grammont was, on the other +hand, inferior, in all respects, to Hamilton when the pen was in his +hand; the latter was, however, though reserved in a large society, +particularly agreeable in a more select one. Some of his letters +remain, in which he alludes to his want of that facility at impromptu +which gave such brilliancy to the conversation of some of his brother +wits and contemporaries. But, while we admit the truth of this, let it +be remembered, at the same time, that when he wrote this, he was by no +means young; that he criticised his own defects with severity; that he +was poor, and living in a court which itself subsisted on the alms of +another. Amidst such circumstances, extemporary gaiety cannot always be +found. I can suppose, that the Duchess of Maine, who laid claim to the +character of a patroness of wit, and, like many who assert such claims, +was very troublesome, very self-sufficient, and very 'exigeante', might +not always have found that general superiority, or even transient lustre, +which she expected in Hamilton's society: yet, considering the great +difference of their age and situation, this circumstance will not greatly +impeach his talents for conversation. But the work of real genius must +for ever remain; and of Hamilton's genius, the Grammont Memoirs will +always continue a beauteous and graceful monument. To that monument may +also be added, the candour, integrity, and unassuming virtues of the +amiable author. + + + + + CHAPTER FIRST. + + INTRODUCTION + + +As those who read only for amusement are, in my opinion, more worthy of +attention than those who open a book merely to find fault, to the former +I address myself, and for their entertainment commit the following pages +to press, without being in the least concerned about the severe +criticisms of the latter. I further declare, that the order of time +and disposition of the facts, which give more trouble to the writer than +pleasure to the reader, shall not much embarrass me in these Memoirs. +It being my design to convey a just idea of my hero, those circumstances +which most tend to illustrate and distinguish his character shall find +a place in these fragments just as they present themselves to my +imagination, without paying any particular attention to their +arrangement. For, after all, what does it signify where the portrait is +begun, provided the assemblage of the parts forms a whole which perfectly +expresses the original? The celebrated Plutarch, who treats his heroes +as he does his readers, commences the life of the one just as he thinks +fit, and diverts the attention of the other with digressions into +antiquity, or agreeable passages of literature, which frequently have +no reference to the subject; for instance, he tells us that Demetrius +Poliorcetes was far from being so tall as his father, Antigonus; and +afterwards, that his reputed father, Antigonus, was only his uncle; but +this is not until he has begun his life with a short account of his +death, his various exploits, his good and bad qualities; and at last, +out of compassion to his failings, brings forward a comparison between +him and the unfortunate Mark Antony. + +What I have said upon this subject is not meant to reflect upon this +historian, to whom, of all the ancients, we are most obliged; it is only +intended to authorize the manner in which I have treated a life far more +extraordinary than any of those he has transmitted to us. It is my part +to describe a man whose inimitable character casts a veil over those +faults which I shall neither palliate nor disguise; a man distinguished +by a mixture of virtues and vices so closely linked together as in +appearance to form a necessary dependence, glowing with the greatest +beauty when united, shining with the brightest lustre when opposed. + +It is this indefinable brilliancy, which, in war, in love, in gaming, and +in the various stages of a long life, has rendered the Count de Grammont +the admiration of his age, and the delight of every country wherein +he has displayed his engaging wit, dispensed his generosity and +magnificence, or practised his inconstancy: it is owing to this that the +sallies of a sprightly imagination have produced those admirable +bons-mots which have been with universal applause transmitted to +posterity. It is owing to this that he preserved his judgment free and +unembarrassed in the most trying situations, and enjoyed an uncommon +presence of mind and facetiousness of temper in the most imminent dangers +of war. I shall not attempt to draw his portrait: his person has been +described by Bussi and St. Evremond, authors more entertaining than +faithful. + + [Voltaire, in the age of Louis XIV., ch. 24, speaking of that + monarch, says, "even at the same time when he began to encourage + genius by his liberality, the Count de Bussi was severely punished + for the use he made of his: he was sent to the Bastile in 1664. + 'The Amours of the Gauls' was the pretence of his imprisonment; but + the true cause was the song in which the king was treated with too + much freedom, and which, upon this occasion, was brought to + remembrance to ruin Bussi, the reputed author of it. + + Que Deodatus est heureux, + De baiser ce bec amoureux, + Qui d'une oreille a l'autre va! + + See Deodatus with his billing dear, + Whose amorous mouth breathes love from ear to ear! + + "His works were not good enough to compensate for the mischief they + did him. He spoke his own language with purity: he had some merit, + but more conceit: and he made no use of the merit he had, but to + make himself enemies." Voltaire adds, "Bussi was released at the + end of eighteen months; but he was in disgrace all the rest of his + life, in vain protesting a regard for Louis XIV." Bussi died 1693. + Of St. Evremond, see note, postea.] + +The former has represented the Chevalier Grammont as artful, fickle, and +even somewhat treacherous in his amours, and indefatigable and cruel in +his jealousies. St. Evremond has used other colours to express the +genius and describe the general manners of the Count; whilst both, in +their different pictures, have done greater honour to themselves than +justice to their hero. + +It is, therefore, to the Count we must listen, in the agreeable relation +of the sieges and battles wherein he distinguished himself under another +hero; and it is on him we must rely for the truth of passages the least +glorious of his life, and for the sincerity with which he relates his +address, vivacity, frauds, and the various stratagems he practised either +in love or gaming. These express his true character, and to himself we +owe these memoirs, since I only hold the pen, while he directs it to the +most remarkable and secret passages of his life. + + + + + CHAPTER SECOND. + + ARRIVAL OF THE CHEVALIER GRAMMONT AT THE SIEGE OF TRINO, + AND THE LIFE HE LED THERE. + + +In those days affairs were not managed in France as at present. Louis +XIII.--[Son and successor of Henry IV. He began to reign 14th May, 1610, +and died 14th May, 1643.]--then sat upon the throne, but the Cardinal de +Richelieu, governed the kingdom; + + [Of this great minister Mr. Hume gives the following character:-- + + "Undaunted, Undaunted and implacable, prudent and active, he braved + all the opposition of the French princes and nobles in the + prosecution of his vengeance; he discovered and dissipated all their + secret cabals and conspiracies. His sovereign himself he held in + subjection, while he exalted the throne. The people, while they + lost their liberties, acquired, by means of his administration, + learning, order, discipline, and renown."] + +great men commanded little armies, and little armies did great things; +the fortune of great men depended solely upon ministerial favour, and +blind devotion to the will of the minister was the only sure method of +advancement. Vast designs were then laying in the heart of neighbouring +states the foundation of that formidable greatness to which France has +now risen: the police was somewhat neglected; the highways were +impassable by day, and the streets by night; but robberies were committed +elsewhere with greater impunity. Young men, on their first entrance into +the world, took what course they thought proper. Whoever would, was a +chevalier, and whoever could, an abbe: I mean a beneficed abbe: dress +made no distinction between them; and I believe the Chevalier Grammont +was both the one and the other at the siege of Trino.--[Trino was taken +4th May, 1639.]--This was his first campaign, and here he displayed those +attractive graces which so favourably prepossess, and require neither +friends nor recommendations in any company to procure a favourable +reception. The siege was already formed when he arrived, which saved him +some needless risks; for a volunteer cannot rest at ease until he has +stood the first fire: he went therefore to reconnoitre the generals, +having no occasion to reconnoitre the place. Prince Thomas commanded the +army; and as the post of lieutenant-general was not then known, Du +Plessis Pralin and the famous Viscount Turenne were his majors general. +Fortified places were treated with some respect, before a power which +nothing can withstand had found means to destroy them by dreadful showers +of bombs, and by destructive batteries of hundreds of pieces of cannon. +Before these furious storms which drive governors underground and reduce +their garrisons to powder, repeated sallies bravely repulsed, and +vigorous attacks nobly sustained, signalized both the art of the +besiegers and the courage of the besieged; consequently, sieges were of +some length, and young men had an opportunity of gaining some knowledge. +Many brave actions were performed on each side during the siege of Trino; +a great deal of fatigue was endured, and considerable losses sustained; +but fatigue was no more considered, hardships were no more felt in the +trenches, gravity was at an end with the generals, and the troops were no +longer dispirited after the arrival of the Chevalier Grammont. Pleasure +was his pursuit, and he made it universal. + +Among the officers in the army, as in all other places, there are men of +real merit, or pretenders to it. The latter endeavoured to imitate the +Chevalier Grammont in his most shining qualities, but without success; +the former admired his talents and courted his friendship. Of this +number was Matta: + + [Matta, or Matha, of whom Hamilton has drawn so striking a picture, + is said to have been of the house of Bourdeille, which had the + honour to produce Brautome and Montresor. The combination of + indolence and talent, of wit and simplicity, of bluntness and irony, + with which he is represented, may have been derived from tradition, + but could only have been united into the inimitable whole by the pen + of Hamilton. Several of his bons-mots have been preserved; but the + spirit evaporates in translation. "Where could I get this nose," + said Madame D'Albret, observing a slight tendency to a flush in that + feature. "At the side board, Madame," answered Matta. When the + same lady, in despair at her brother's death, refused all + nourishment, Matta administered this blunt consolation: "If you are + resolved, madame, never again to swallow food, you do well; but if + ever you mean to eat upon any future occasion, believe me, you may + as well begin just now." Madame Caylus, in her Souvenirs, + commemorates the simple and natural humour of Matta as rendering him + the most delightful society in the world. Mademoiselle, in her + Memoirs, alludes to his pleasantry in conversation, and turn for + deep gaming. When the Memoirs of Grammont were subjected to the + examination of Fontenelle, then censor of the Parisian press, he + refused to license them, or account of the scandalous conduct + imputed to Grammont in this party at quinze. The count no sooner + heard of this than he hastened to Fontenelle, and having joked him + for being more tender of his reputation than he was himself, the + license was instantly issued. The censor might have retorted upon + Grammont the answer which the count made to a widow who received + coldly his compliments of condolence on her husband's death: "Nay, + madame, if that is the way you take it, I care as little about it as + you do." He died in 1674. "Matta est mort sans confession," says + Madame Maintenon, in a letter to her brother. Tome I., p. 67.] + +He was agreeable in his person, but still more by the natural turn of his +wit; he was plain and simple in his manners, but endued with a quick +discernment and refined delicacy, and full of candour and integrity in +all his actions. The Chevalier Grammont was not long in discovering his +amiable qualities; an acquaintance was soon formed, and was succeeded by +the strictest intimacy. + +Matta insisted that the Chevalier should take up his quarters with him; +to which he only consented on condition of equally contributing to the +expense. As they were both liberal and magnificent, at their common cost +they gave the best designed and most luxurious entertainments that had +ever yet been seen. Play was wonderfully productive at first, and the +Chevalier restored by a hundred different ways that which he obtained +only by one. The generals, being entertained by turns, admired their +magnificence, and were dissatisfied with their own officers for not +keeping such good tables and attendance. The Chevalier had the talent +of setting off the most indifferent things to advantage; and his wit was +so generally acknowledged, that it was a kind of disgrace not to submit +to his taste. To him Matta resigned the care of furnishing the table and +doing its honours; and, charmed with the general applause, persuaded +himself that nothing could be more honourable than their way of living, +and nothing more easy than to continue it; but he soon perceived that the +greatest prosperity is not the most lasting. Good living, bad economy, +dishonest servants, and ill-luck, all uniting together to disconcert +their housekeeping, their table was going to be gradually laid aside, +when the Chevalier's genius, fertile in resources, undertook to support +his former credit by the following expedient. + +They had never yet conferred about the state of their finances, although +the steward had acquainted each, separately, that he must either receive +money to continue the expenses, or give in his accounts. One day, when +the Chevalier came home sooner than usual, he found Matta fast asleep in +an easy chair, and, being unwilling to disturb his rest, he began musing +on his project. Matta awoke without his perceiving it; and having, for a +short time, observed the deep contemplation he seemed involved in, and +the profound silence between two persons who had never held their tongues +for a moment when together before, he broke it by a sudden fit of +laughter, which increased in proportion as the other stared at him. +"A merry way of waking, and ludicrous enough," said the Chevalier; +"what is the matter, and whom do you laugh at!" "Faith, Chevalier," said +Matta, "I am laughing at a dream I had just now, which is so natural and +diverting, that I must make you laugh at it also. I was dreaming that we +had dismissed our maitre-d'hotel, our cook, and our confectioner, having +resolved, for the remainder of the campaign, to live upon others as +others have lived upon us: this was my dream. Now tell me, Chevalier, +on what were you musing?" "Poor fellow!" said the Chevalier, shrugging +up his shoulders, "you are knocked down at once, and thrown into the +utmost consternation and despair at some silly stories which the +maitre-d'hotel has been telling you as well as me. What! after the +figure we have made in the face of the nobility and foreigners in the +army, shall we give it up, and like fools and beggars sneak off, upon the +first failure of our money! Have you no sentiments of honour? Where is +the dignity of France?" "And where is the money?" said Matta; "for my +men say, the devil may take them, if there be ten crowns in the house, +and I believe you have not much more, for it is above a week since I have +seen you pull out your purse, or count your money, an amusement you were +very fond of in prosperity." "I own all this," said the Chevalier, "but +yet I will force you to confess, that you are but a mean-spirited fellow +upon this occasion. What would have become of you if you had been +reduced to the situation I was in at Lyons, four days before I arrived +here? I will tell you the story." + + + + + CHAPTER THIRD. + + EDUCATION AND ADVENTURES OF THE CHEVALIER GRAMMONT + BEFORE HIS COMING TO THE SIEGE OF TRINO. + + +"This," said Matta, "smells strongly of romance, except that it should +have been your squire's part to tell your adventures." + +"True," said the Chevalier; "however, I may acquaint you with my first +exploits without offending my modesty; besides, my squire's style borders +too much upon the burlesque for an heroic narrative. + +"You must know, then, that upon my arrival at Lyons--" + +"Is it thus you begin?" said Matta. "Pray give us your history a little +further back. The most minute particulars of a life like yours are +worthy of relation; but above all, the manner in which you first paid +your respects to Cardinal Richelieu: I have often laughed at it. +However, you may pass over the unlucky pranks of your infancy, your +genealogy, name and quality of your ancestors, for that is a subject +with which you must be utterly unacquainted." + +"Pooh!" said the Chevalier; "you think that all the world is as +ignorant as yourself; you think that I am a stranger to the Mendores and +the Corisandes. So, perhaps I don't know that it was my father's own +fault that he was not the son of Henry IV. The king would by all means +have acknowledged him for his son, but the traitor would never consent +to it. See what the Grammonts would have been now, but for this +cross-grained fellow! They would have had precedence of the Caesars +de Vendome. You may laugh if you like, yet it is as true as the gospel: +but let us come to the point. + +"I was sent to the college of Pau, with the intention of being brought +up to the church; but as I had quite different views, I made no manner +of improvement: gaming was so much in my head, that both my tutor and the +master lost their labour in endeavouring to teach me Latin. Old Brinon, +who served me both as valet-de-chambre and governor, in vain threatened +to acquaint my mother. I only studied when I pleased, that is to say, +seldom or never: however, they treated me as is customary with scholars +of my quality; I was raised to all the dignities of the forms, without +having merited them, and left college nearly in the same state in which I +entered it; nevertheless, I was thought to have more knowledge than was +requisite for the abbacy which my brother had solicited for me. He had +just married the niece of a minister, to whom every one cringed: he was +desirous to present me to him. I felt but little regret to quit the +country, and great impatience to see Paris. My brother having kept me +some time with him, in order to polish me, let me loose upon the town +to shake off my rustic air, and learn the manners of the world. I so +thoroughly gained them, that I could not be persuaded to lay them aside +when I was introduced at court in the character of an Abby. You know +what kind of dress was then the fashion. All that they could obtain of +me was to put a cassock over my other clothes, and my brother, ready to +die with laughing at my ecclesiastical habit, made others laugh too. I +had the finest head of hair in the world, well curled and powdered, above +my cassock, and below were white buskins and gilt spurs. The Cardinal, +who had a quick discernment, could not help laughing. This elevation of +sentiment gave him umbrage; and he foresaw what might be expected from a +genius that already laughed at the shaven crown and cowl. + +"When my brother had taken me home, 'Well, my little parson,' said he, +'you have acted your part to admiration, and your parti-coloured dress of +the ecclesiastic and soldier has greatly diverted the court; but this is +not all: you must now choose, my little knight. Consider then, whether, +by sticking to the church, you will possess great revenues, and have +nothing to do; or, with a small portion, you will risk the loss of a leg +or arm, and be the fructus belli of an insensible court, to arrive in +your old age at the dignity of a major-general, with a glass eye and a +wooden leg.' 'I know,' said I, 'that there is no comparison between +these two situations, with regard to the conveniences of life; but, +as a man ought to secure his future state in preference to all other +considerations, I am resolved to renounce the church for the salvation of +my soul, upon condition, however, that I keep my abbacy.' Neither the +remonstrances nor authority of my brother could induce me to change my +resolution; and he was forced to agree to this last article in order to +keep me at the academy. You know that I am the most adroit man in +France, so that I soon learned all that is taught at such places, and, +at the same time, I also learnt that which gives the finishing stroke to +a young fellow's education, and makes him a gentleman, viz. all sorts of +games, both at cards and dice; but the truth is, I thought, at first, +that I had more skill in them than I really had, as experience proved. +When my mother knew the choice I had made, she was inconsolable; for she +reckoned, that had I been a clergyman I should have been a saint; but now +she was certain that I should either be a devil in the world, or be +killed in the wars. And indeed I burned with impatience to be a soldier; +but being yet too young, I was forced to make a campaign at Bidache +--[A principality belonging to the family of the Grammonts, in the +Province of Gascony.]--before I made one in the army. When I returned to +my mother's house, I had so much the air of a courtier and a man of the +world, that she began to respect me, instead of chiding me for my +infatuation towards the army. I became her favourite, and finding me +inflexible, she only thought of keeping me with her as long as she could, +while my little equipage was preparing. The faithful Brinon, who was to +attend me as valet-de-chambre, was likewise to discharge the office of +governor and equerry, being, perhaps, the only Gascon who was ever +possessed of so much gravity and ill-temper. He passed his word for my +good behaviour and morality, and promised my mother that he would give a +good account of my person in the dangers of the war; but I hope he will +keep his word better as to this last article than he has done as to the +former. + +"My equipage was sent away a week before me. This was so much time +gained by my mother to give me good advice. At length, after having +solemnly enjoined me to have the fear of God before my eyes, and to love +my neighbour as myself, she suffered me to depart, under the protection +of the Lord and the sage Brinon. At the second stage we quarrelled. He +had received four hundred louis d'or for the expenses of the campaign: I +wished to have the keeping of them myself, which he strenuously opposed. +'Thou old scoundrel,' said I, 'is the money thine, or was it given thee +for me? You suppose I must have a treasurer, and receive no money +without his order. I know not whether it was from a presentiment of what +afterwards happened that he grew melancholy; however, it was with the +greatest reluctance, and the most poignant anguish, that he found himself +obliged to yield. One would have thought that I had wrested his very +soul from him. I found myself more light and merry after I had eased him +of his trust; he, on the contrary, appeared so overwhelmed with grief, +that it seemed as if I had laid four hundred pounds of lead upon his +back, instead of taking away these four hundred louis. He went on so +heavily, that I was forced to whip his horse myself, and turning to me, +now and then, 'Ah! sir,' said he, my lady did not think it would be so. +'His reflections and sorrows were renewed at every stage; for, instead of +giving a shilling to the post-boy, I gave him half-a-crown. + +"Having at last reached Lyons, two soldiers stopped us at the gate of the +city, to carry us before the governor. I took one of them to conduct me +to the best inn, and delivered Brinon into the hands of the other, to +acquaint the commandant with the particulars of my journey, and my future +intentions. + +"There are as good taverns at Lyons as at Paris; but my soldier, +according to custom, carried me to a friend of his own, whose house he +extolled as having the best accommodations, and the greatest resort of +good company, in the whole town. The master of this hotel was as big as +a hogshead, his name Cerise; a Swiss by birth, a poisoner by profession, +and a thief by custom. He showed me into a tolerably neat room, and +desired to know whether I pleased to sup by myself or at the ordinary. +I chose the latter, on account of the beau monde which the soldier had +boasted of. + +"Brinon, who was quite out of temper at the many questions which the +governor had asked him, returned more surly than an old ape; and seeing +that I was dressing my hair, in order to go downstairs: 'What are you +about now, sir?' said he. 'Are you going to tramp about the town? No, +no; have we not had tramping enough ever since the morning? Eat a bit of +supper, and go to bed betimes, that you may get on horseback by +day-break.' 'Mr. Comptroller,' said I, 'I shall neither tramp about the +town, nor eat alone, nor go to bed early. I intend to sup with the +company below.' 'At the ordinary!' cried he; 'I beseech you, sir, do not +think of it! Devil take me, if there be not a dozen brawling fellows +playing at cards and dice, who make noise enough to drown the loudest +thunder!' + +"I was grown insolent since I had seized the money; and being desirous to +shake off the yoke of a governor, 'Do you know, Mr. Brinon,' said I, +'that I don't like a blockhead to set up for a reasoner? Do you go to +supper, if you please; but take care that I have post-horses ready before +daybreak.' The moment he mentioned cards and dice, I felt the money burn +in my pocket. I was somewhat surprised, however, to find the room where +the ordinary was served filled with odd-looking creatures. My host, +after presenting me to the company, assured me that there were but +eighteen or twenty of those gentlemen who would have the honour to sup +with me. I approached one of the tables where they were playing, and +thought I should have died with laughing: I expected to have seen good +company and deep play; but I only met with two Germans playing at +backgammon. Never did two country boobies play like them; but their +figures beggared all description. The fellow near whom I stood was +short, thick, and fat, and as round as a ball, with a ruff, and +prodigious high crowned hat. Any one, at a moderate distance, would have +taken him for the dome of a church, with the steeple on the top of it. +I inquired of the host who he was. 'A merchant from Basle,' said he, +'who comes hither to sell horses; but from the method he pursues, I think +he will not dispose of many; for he does nothing but play.' 'Does he +play deep?' said I. 'Not now,' said he; 'they are only playing for their +reckoning, while supper is getting ready; but he has no objection to +play as deep as any one.' 'Has he money?' said I. 'As for that,' +replied the treacherous Cerise, 'would to God you had won a thousand +pistoles of him, and I went your halves; we should not be long without +our money.' I wanted no further encouragement to meditate the ruin of +the high-crowned hat. I went nearer to him, in order to take a closer +survey; never was such a bungler; he made blots upon blots; God knows, I +began to feel some remorse at winning of such an ignoramus, who knew so +little of the game. He lost his reckoning; supper was served up; and I +desired him to sit next me. It was a long table, and there were at least +five-and-twenty in company, notwithstanding the landlord's promise. The +most execrable repast that ever was begun being finished, all the crowd +insensibly dispersed, except the little Swiss, who still kept near me, +and the landlord, who placed himself on the other side of me. They both +smoked like dragoons; and the Swiss was continually saying, in bad +French, 'I ask your pardon, sir, for my great freedom,' at the same time +blowing such whiffs of tobacco in my face as almost suffocated me. Mr. +Cerise, on the other hand, desired he might take the liberty of asking me +whether I had ever been in his country? and seemed surprised I had so +genteel an air, without having travelled in Switzerland. + +"The little chub I had to encounter was full as inquisitive as the other. +He desired to know whether I came from the army in Piedmont; and having +told him I was going thither, he asked me, whether I had a mind to buy +any horses; that he had about two hundred to dispose of, and that he +would sell them cheap. I began to be smoked like a gammon of bacon; +and being quite wearied out, both with their tobacco and their questions, +I asked my companion if he would play for a single pistole at backgammon, +while our men were supping; it was not without great ceremony that he +consented, at the same time asking my pardon for his great freedom. + +"I won the game; I gave him his revenge, and won again. We then played +double or quit; I won that too, and all in the twinkling of an eye; for +he grew vexed, and suffered himself to be taken in so that I began to +bless my stars for my good fortune. Brinon came in about the end of the +third game, to put me to bed, he made a great sign of the cross, but paid +no attention to the signs I made him to retire. I was forced to rise to +give him that order in private. He began to reprimand me for disgracing +myself by keeping company with such a low-bred wretch. It was in vain +that I told him he was a great merchant, that he had a great deal of +money, and that he played like a child. 'He a merchant,' cried Brinon. +'Do not believe that, sir! May the devil take me, if he is not some +conjurer.' 'Hold your tongue, old fool,' said I; 'he is no more a +conjurer than you are, and that is decisive; and, to prove it to you, I +am resolved to win four or five hundred pistoles of him before I go to +bed. With these words I turned him out, strictly enjoining him not to +return, or in any manner to disturb us. + +"The game being done, the little Swiss unbuttoned his pockets, to pull +out a new four-pistole piece, and presenting it to me, he asked my pardon +for his great freedom, and seemed as if he wished to retire. This was +not what I wanted. I told him we only played for amusement; that I had +no design upon his money; and that, if he pleased, I would play him a +single game for his four pistoles. He raised some objections; but +consented at last, and won back his money. I was piqued at it. I played +another game; fortune changed sides; the dice ran for him, he made no +more blots. I lost the game; another game, and double or quit; we +doubled the stake, and played double or quit again. I was vexed; he, +like a true gamester, took every bet I offered, and won all before him, +without my getting more than six points in eight or ten games. I asked +him to play a single game for one hundred pistoles; but as he saw I did +not stake, he told me it was late; that he must go and look after his +horses; and went away, still asking my pardon for his great freedom. The +cool manner of his refusal, and the politeness with which he took his +leave, provoked me to such a degree, that I could almost have killed him. +I was so confounded at losing my money so fast, even to the last pistole, +that I did not immediately consider the miserable situation to which I +was reduced. + +"I durst not go up to my chamber for fear of Brinon. By good luck, +however, he was tired with waiting for me, and had gone to bed. This was +some consolation, though but of short continuance. As soon as I was laid +down, all the fatal consequences of my adventure presented themselves to +my imagination. I could not sleep. I saw all the horrors of my +misfortune, without being able to find any remedy; in vain did I rack my +brain; it supplied me with no expedient. I feared nothing so much as +daybreak; however, it did come, and the cruel Brinon along with it. He +was booted up to the middle, and cracking a cursed whip, which he held in +his hand, 'Up, Monsieur le Chevalier,' cried he, opening the curtains; +'the horses are at the door, and you are still asleep. We ought by this +time to have ridden two stages; give me money to pay the reckoning.' +'Brinon,' said I, in a dejected tone, 'draw the curtains.' 'What!' cried +he, 'draw the curtains! Do you intend, then, to make your campaign at +Lyons? you seem to have taken a liking to the place. And for the great +merchant, you have stripped him, I suppose? No, no, Monsieur le +Chevalier, this money will never do you any good. This wretch has, +perhaps, a family; and it is his children's bread that he has been +playing with, and that you have won. Was this an object to sit up all +night for? What would my lady say, if she knew what a life you lead?' +'M. Brinon,' said I, 'pray draw the curtains.' But instead of obeying +me, one would have thought that the devil had prompted him to use the +most pointed and galling terms to a person under such misfortunes. 'And +how much have you won?' said he; 'five hundred pistoles? what must the +poor man do? + +"'Recollect, Monsieur le Chevalier, what I have said, this money will never +thrive with you. It is, perhaps, but four hundred? three? two? well +if it be but one hundred louis d'or, continued he, seeing that I shook my +head at every sum which he had named, there is no great mischief done; +one hundred pistoles will not ruin him, provided you have won them +fairly.' 'Friend Brinon,' said I, fetching a deep sigh, 'draw the +curtains; I am unworthy to see daylight' Brinon was much affected at +these melancholy words, but I thought he would have fainted, when I told +him the whole adventure. He tore his hair, made grievous lamentations, +the burden of which still was, 'What will my lady say?' And, after +having exhausted his unprofitable complaints, 'What will become of you +now, Monsieur le Chevalier?' said he, 'what do you intend to do?' +'Nothing,' said I, 'for I am fit for no thing. After this, being +somewhat eased after making him my confession, I thought upon several +projects, to none of which could I gain his approbation. I would have +had him post after my equipage, to have sold some of my clothes. I was +for proposing to the horse-dealer to buy some horses of him at a high +price on credit, to sell again cheap. Brinon laughed at all these +schemes, and after having had the cruelty of keeping me upon the rack for +a long time, he at last extricated me. Parents are always stingy towards +their poor children; my mother intended to have given me five hundred +louis d'or, but she had kept back fifty, as well for some little repairs +in the abbey, as to pay for praying for me. Brinon had the charge of the +other fifty, with strict injunctions not to speak of them, unless upon +some urgent necessity. And this you see soon happened. + +"Thus you have a brief account of my first adventure. Play has hitherto +favoured me; for, since my arrival, I have had, at one time, after paying +all my expenses, fifteen hundred louis d'or. Fortune is now again become +unfavourable: we must mend her. Our cash runs low; we must, therefore, +endeavour to recruit." + +"Nothing is more easy," said Matta; "it is only to find out such another +dupe as the horse-dealer at Lyons; but now I think on it, has not the +faithful Brinon some reserve for the last extremity? Faith, the time is +now come, and we cannot do better than to make use of it!" + +"Your raillery would be very seasonable," said the Chevalier, "if you +knew how to extricate us out of this difficulty. You must certainly have +an overflow of wit, to be throwing it away upon every occasion as at +present. What the devil! will you always be bantering, without +considering what a serious situation we are reduced to. Mind what I say, +I will go tomorrow to the head-quarters, I will dine with the Count de +Cameran, and I will invite him to supper." "Where?" said Matta. +"Here," said the Chevalier. "You are mad, my poor friend," replied +Matta. "This is some such project as you formed at Lyons: you know we +have neither money nor credit; and, to re-establish our circumstances, +you intend to give a supper." + +"Stupid fellow!" said the Chevalier, "is it possible, that, so long as +we have been acquainted, you should have learned no more invention? The +Count de Cameran plays at quinze, and so do I; we want money; he has more +than he knows what to do with; I will bespeak a splendid supper, he shall +pay for it. Send your maitre-d'hotel to me, and trouble yourself no +further, except in some precautions, which it is necessary to take on +such an occasion." "What are they?" said Matta. "I will tell you," +said the Chevalier; "for I find one must explain to you things that are +as clear as noon-day." + +"You command the guards that are here, don't you? As soon as night comes +on, you shall order fifteen or twenty men, under the command of your +sergeant La Place, to be under arms, and to lay themselves flat on the +ground, between this place and the head-quarters." "What the devil!" +cried Matta, "an ambuscade? God forgive me, I believe you intend to rob +the poor Savoyard. If that be your intention, I declare I will have +nothing to say to it" "Poor devil!" said the Chevalier, "the matter is +this; it is very likely that we shall win his money. The Piedmontese, +though otherwise good fellows, are apt to be suspicious and distrustful. +He commands the horse; you know you cannot hold your tongue, and are very +likely to let slip some jest or other that may vex him. Should he take +it into his head that he is cheated, and resent it, who knows what the +consequences might be? for he is commonly attended by eight or ten +horsemen. Therefore, however he may be provoked at his loss, it is +proper to be in such a situation as not to dread his resentment" + +"Embrace me, my dear Chevalier," said Matta, holding his sides and +laughing; "embrace me, for thou art not to be matched. What a fool I was +to think, when you talked to me of taking precautions, that nothing more +was necessary than to prepare a table and cards, or perhaps to provide +some false dice! I should never have thought of supporting a man who +plays at quinze by a detachment of foot: I must, indeed, confess that you +are already a great soldier." + +The next day everything happened as the Chevalier Grammont had planned +it; the unfortunate Cameran fell into the snare. They supped in the most +agreeable manner possible Matta drank five or six bumpers to drown a few +scruples which made him somewhat uneasy. The Chevalier de Grammont shone +as usual, and almost made his guest die with laughing, whom he was soon +after to make very serious; and the good-natured Cameran ate like a man +whose affections were divided between good cheer and a love of play; that +is to say, he hurried down his victuals, that he might not lose any of +the precious time which he had devoted to quinze. + +Supper being done, the sergeant La Place posted his ambuscade, and the +Chevalier de Grammont engaged his man. The perfidy of Cerise, and the +high-crowned hat, were still fresh in remembrance, and enabled him to get +the better of a few grains of remorse, and conquer some scruples which +arose in his mind. Matta, unwilling to be a spectator of violated +hospitality, sat down in an easy chair, in order to fall asleep, while +the Chevalier was stripping the poor Count of his money. + +They only staked three or four pistoles at first, just for amusement; but +Cameran having lost three or four times, he staked high, and the game +became serious. He still lost, and became outrageous; the cards flew +about the room, and the exclamations awoke Matta. + +As his head was heavy with sleep, and hot with wine, he began to laugh +at the passion of the Piedmontese, instead of consoling him. "Faith, my +poor Count," said he, "if I were in your place, I would play no more." +"Why so?" said the other. "I don't know," said he, "but my heart tells +me that your ill-luck will continue." "I will try that," said Cameran, +calling for fresh cards. "Do so," said Matta, and fell asleep again. +It was but for a short time. All cards were equally unfortunate for +the loser. He held none but tens or court-cards; and if by chance he had +quinze, he was sure to be the younger hand, and therefore lost it. Again +he stormed. "Did not I tell you so?" said Matta, starting out of his +sleep. "All your storming is in vain; as long as you play you will lose. +Believe me, the shortest follies are the best. Leave off, for the devil +take me if it is possible for you to win." "Why?" said Cameran, who +began to be impatient. "Do you wish to know?" said Matta; "why, faith, +it is because we are cheating you." + +The Chevalier de Grammont was provoked at so ill-timed a jest, more +especially as it carried along with it some appearance of truth. "Mr. +Matta," said he, "do you think it can be very agreeable for a man who +plays with such ill-luck as the Count to be pestered with your insipid +jests? For my part, I am so weary of the game, that I would desist +immediately, if he was not so great a loser." Nothing is more dreaded by +a losing gamester, than such a threat; and the Count, in a softened tone, +told the Chevalier that Mr. Matta might say what he pleased, if he did +not offend him; that, as to himself, it did not give him the smallest +uneasiness. + +The Chevalier de Grammont gave the Count far better treatment than he +himself had experienced from the Swiss at Lyons; for he played upon +credit as long as he pleased; which Cameran took so kindly, that he lost +fifteen hundred pistoles, and paid them the next morning. As for Matta, +he was severely reprimanded for the intemperance of his tongue. All the +reason he gave for his conduct was, that he made it a point of conscience +not to suffer the poor Savoyard to be cheated without informing him of +it. "Besides," said he, "it would have given me pleasure to have seen my +infantry engaged with his horse, if he had been inclined to mischief." + +This adventure having recruited their finances, fortune favoured them the +remainder of the campaign, and the Chevalier de Grammont, to prove that +he had only seized upon the Count's effects by way of reprisal, and to +indemnify himself for the losses he had sustained at Lyons, began from +this time to make the same use of his money, that he has been known to +do since upon all occasions. He found out the distressed, in order to +relieve them; officers who had lost their equipage in the war, or their +money at play; soldiers who were disabled in the trenches; in short, +every one felt the influence of his benevolence: but his manner of +conferring a favour exceeded even the favour itself. + +Every man possessed of such amiable qualities must meet with success in +all his undertakings. The soldiers knew his person, and adored him. The +generals were sure to meet him in every scene of action, and sought his +company at other times. As soon as fortune declared for him, his first +care was to make restitution, by desiring Cameran to go his halves in all +parties where the odds were in his favour. + +An inexhaustible fund of vivacity and good humour gave a certain air of +novelty to whatever he either said or did. I know not on what occasion +it was that Monsieur de Turenne towards the end of the siege, commanded a +separate body. The Chevalier de Grammont went to visit him at his new +quarters, where he found fifteen or twenty officers. M. de Turenne was +naturally fond of merriment, and the Chevalier's presence was sure to +inspire it. He was much pleased with this visit, and, by way of +acknowledgment, would have engaged him to play. The Chevalier de +Grammont, in returning him thanks, said, that he had learned from his +tutor, that when a man went to see his friends, it was neither prudent to +leave his own money behind him, nor civil to carry off theirs. "Truly," +said Monsieur de Turenne, "you will find neither deep play nor much money +among us; but, that it may not be said that we suffered you to depart +without playing, let us stake every one a horse." + +The Chevalier de Grammont agreed. Fortune, who had followed him to a +place where he did not think he should have any need of her, made him win +fifteen or sixteen horses, by way of joke; but, seeing some countenances +disconcerted at the loss, "Gentlemen," said he, "I should be sorry to see +you return on foot from your general's quarters; it will be enough for me +if you send me your horses to-morrow, except one, which I give for the +cards." + +The valet-de-chambre thought he was bantering. "I speak seriously," said +the Chevalier, "I give you a horse for the cards; and, what is more, take +whichever you please, except my own." "Truly," said Monsieur de Turenne, +"I am vastly pleased with the novelty of the thing; for I don't believe +that a horse was ever before given for the cards." + + +Trino surrendered at last. The Baron de Batteville, who had defended it +valiantly, and for a long time, obtained a capitulation worthy of such a +resistance. + + [This officer appears to have been the same person who was + afterwards ambassador from Spain to the court of Great Britain, + where, in the summer of 1660, he offended the French court, by + claiming precedence of their ambassador, Count d'Estrades, on the + public entry of the Swedish ambassador into London. On this + occasion the court of France compelled its rival of Spain to submit + to the mortifying circumstance of acknowledging the French + superiority. To commemorate this important victory, Louis XIV. + caused a medal to be struck, representing the Spanish ambassador, + the Marquis de Fuente, making the declaration to that king, "No + concurrer con los ambassadores des de Francia," with this + inscription, "Jus praecedendi assertum," and under it, "Hispaniorum + excusatio coram xxx legatis principum, 1662." A very curious + account of the fray occasioned by this dispute, drawn up by Evelyn, + is to be seen in that gentleman's article in the Biographia + Britannica.] + +I do not know whether the Chevalier de Grammont had any share in the +capture of this place; but I know very well, that during a more glorious +reign, and with armies ever victorious, his intrepidity and address have +been the cause of taking others since, even under the eye of his master, +as we shall see in the sequel of these memoirs. + + + + +ETEXT EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS: + +Resolved to renounce the church for the salvation of my soul +The shortest follies are the best +There are men of real merit, or pretenders to it +Those who open a book merely to find fault + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Memoirs of Count Grammont, Volume 1 +by Anthony Hamilton + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK COUNT GRAMMONT *** + +***** This file should be named 5409.txt or 5409.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/5/4/0/5409/ + +Produced by David Widger + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You can also find out about how to make a +donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved. + + +**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** + +**EBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** + +*****These EBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers***** + + +Title: The Memoirs of Count Grammont, Volume 1. + +Author: Anthony Hamilton (Edited by Sir Walter Scott) + +Release Date: April, 2004 [EBook #5409] +[Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] +[This file was first posted on July 12, 2002] + +Edition: 10 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + + + + + +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MEMOIRS OF GRAMMONT, V1, BY HAMILTON *** + + + +This eBook was produced by David Widger <widger@cecomet.net> + + + +[NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of the +file for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making an +entire meal of them. D.W.] + + + + + + MEMOIRS OF COUNT GRAMMONT, VOLUME 1. + + By Anthony Hamilton + + EDITED, WITH NOTES, BY SIR WALTER SCOTT + + + + +CONTENTS: + +BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF ANTHONY HAMILTON + +CHAPTER FIRST. + INTRODUCTION + +CHAPTER SECOND. + ARRIVAL OF THE CHEVALIER GRAMMONT AT THE SIEGE OF TRINO, + AND THE LIFE HE LED THERE + +CHAPTER THIRD. + EDUCATION AND ADVENTURES OF THE CHEVALIER GRAMMONT BEFORE + HIS COMING TO THE SIEGE OF TRINO + +CHAPTER FOURTH. + HIS ARRIVAL AT THE COURT OF TURIN, AND HOW HE SPENT HIS TIME THERE + +CHAPTER FIFTH. + HE RETURNS TO THE COURT OF FRANCE--HIS ADVENTURES AT THE SIEGE OF + ARRAS--HIS REPLY TO CARDINAL MAZARIN--HE IS BANISHED THE COURT + +CHAPTER SIXTH. + HIS ARRIVAL AT THE ENGLISH COURT--THE VARIOUS PERSONAGES OF + THIS COURT + +CHAPTER SEVENTH. + HE FALLS IN LOVE WITH MISS HAMILTON--VARIOUS ADVENTURES AT THE BALL + IN THE QUEEN'S DRAWING-ROOM--CURIOUS VOYAGE OF HIS VALET-DE-CHAMBRE + TO AND FROM PARIS + +CHAPTER EIGHTH. + FUNNY ADVENTURE OF THE CHAPLAIN POUSSATIN--THE STORY OF THE SIEGE OF + LERIDA--MARRIAGE OF THE DUKE OF YORK, AND OTHER DETAILS ABOUT THE + ENGLISH COURT + +CHAPTER NINTH. + VARIOUS LOVE INTRIGUES AT THE ENGLISH COURT + +CHAPTER TENTH. + OTHER LOVE INTRIGUES AT THE ENGLISH COURT + +CHAPTER ELEVENTH. + RETURN OF THE CHEVALIER GRAMMONT TO FRANCE--HE IS SENT BACK TO + ENGLAND--VARIOUS LOVE INTRIGUES AT THIS COURT, AND MARRIAGE OF MOST + OF THE HEROES OF THESE MEMOIRS + + + + + BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH + OF + ANTHONY HAMILTON. + + +Anthony Hamilton, the celebrated author of the Grammont Memoirs, much +cannot now be with certainty known. + + [For uniformity's sake the writer of this sketch has followed the + Memoirs in the spelling of this name; but he thinks it necessary to + observe that it should be Gramont, not Grammont.] + +The accounts prefixed to the different editions of his works, down to the +year 1805, are very imperfect; in that year a new, and, in general, far +better edition than any of the preceding ones, was published in Paris, +to which a sketch of his life was also added; but it contains rather just +criticisms on his works, than any very novel or satisfactory anecdote +concerning himself. It is not pretended here to gratify literary +curiosity as fully as it ought to be, with regard to this singular and +very ingenious man; some effort, however, may be made to communicate a +few more particulars relative to him, than the public has hitherto, +perhaps, been acquainted with. + +Anthony Hamilton was of the noble family of that name: Sir George +Hamilton, his father, was a younger son of James, Earl of Abercorn, a +native of Scotland. His mother was daughter of Lord Thurles, and sister +to James, the first Duke of Ormond; his family and connections therefore, +on the maternal side, were entirely Irish. He was, as well as his +brothers and sisters, born in Ireland, it is generally said, about the +year 1646; but there is some reason to imagine that it was three or four +years earlier. The place of his birth, according to the best family +accounts, was Roscrea, in the county of Tipperary, the usual residence of +his father when not engaged by military or public business. + + [In September, 1646, Owen O'Neale took Roscrea, and, as Carte says, + "put man, woman, and child to the sword, except Sir George + Hamilton's lady, sister to the Marquis of Ormond, and some few + gentlewomen whom he kept prisoners." No family suffered more in + those disastrous times than the house of Ormond. Lady Hamilton died + in August, 1680, as appears from an interesting and affecting letter + of her brother, the Duke of Ormond, dated Carrick, August 25th. He + had lost his noble son, Lord Ossory, not three weeks before.] + +It has been always said, that the family migrated to France when Anthony +was an infant; but this is not the fact: "Sir George Hamilton," says +Carte, "would have accompanied his brother-in-law, the Marquis of Ormond, +to France, in December, 1650: but, as he was receiver-general in Ireland, +he stayed to pass his accounts, which he did to the satisfaction of all +parties, notwithstanding much clamour had been raised against him." When +that business was settled, he, in the spring of 1651, took Lady Hamilton +and all his family to France, and resided with Lord and Lady Ormond, near +Caen, in Normandy, + + [Hence possibly Voltaire's mistake in stating that Hamilton was born + at Caen, in his Catalogue des Ecrivains du Siecle de Louis XIV.] + +in great poverty and distress, till the Marchioness of Ormond, a lady +whose mind was as exalted as her birth, went over to England, and, after +much solicitation obtained two thousand pounds a-year from her own and, +her husband's different estates in Ireland. This favour was granted her +by Cromwell, who always professed the greatest respect for her. The +Marchioness resided in Ireland, with the younger part of her family, from +1655 till after the Restoration; while the Marquis of Ormond continued +for a considerable part of that period with his two sisters, Lady +Clancarty and Lady Hamilton, at the Feuillatines, in the Faubourg St. +Jacques, in Paris. + +It appears from a letter of the Marquis to Sir Robert Southwell, that, +although he himself was educated in the Protestant religion, not only his +father and mother, but all his brothers and sisters, were bred, and +always continued, Roman Catholics. Sir George Hamilton also, according +to Carte, + + [That historian states that the king (Charles I.) deprived several + papists of their military commissions, and, among others, Sir George + Hamilton, who, notwithstanding, served him with loyalty and + unvarying fidelity.] + +was a Roman Catholic; Anthony, therefore, was bred in the religion of his +family, and conscientiously adhered to it through life. He entered early +into the army of Louis XIV., as did his brothers George, Richard, and +John, the former of whom introduced the company of English gens d'armes +into France, in 1667, according to Le Pere Daniel, author of the History +of the French Army, who adds the following short account of its +establishment: Charles II., being restored to his throne, brought over to +England several catholic officers and soldiers, who had served abroad +with him and his brother, the Duke of York, and incorporated them with +his guards; but the parliament having obliged him to dismiss all officers +who were Catholics, the king permitted George Hamilton to take such as +were willing to accompany him to France, where Louis XIV. formed them +into a company of gens d'armes, and being highly pleased with them, +became himself their captain, and made George Hamilton their captain- +lieutenant:--[They were composed of English, Scotch, and Irish.] Whether +Anthony belonged to this corps I know not; but this is certain, that he +distinguished himself particularly in his profession, and was advanced to +considerable posts in the French service. + +Anthony Hamilton's residence was now almost constantly in France. Some +years previous to this he had been much in England, and, towards the +close of Charles II.'s reign, in Ireland, where so many of his +connections remained. When James II. succeeded to the throne, the door +being then opened to the Roman Catholics, he entered into the Irish army, +where we find him, in 1686, a lieutenant-colonel in Sir Thomas Newcomen's +regiment. That he did not immediately hold a higher rank there, may +perhaps be attributed to the recent accession of the king, his general +absence from Ireland, the advanced age of his uncle, the Duke of Ormond, +and, more than all, perhaps, to his Grace's early disapprobation of +James's conduct in Ireland, which displayed itself more fully afterwards, +especially in the ecclesiastical promotions. + +Henry, Earl of Clarendon, son to the lord-chancellor, was at that time +lord-lieutenant of Ireland, and appears, notwithstanding his general +distrust and dislike of the Catholics, to have held Anthony Hamilton in +much estimation: he speaks of his knowledge of, and constant attention +to, the duties of his profession; his probity, and the dependance that +was to be placed on him, in preference to others of the same religious +persuasion, and, in October, 1686, wrote to the Earl of Sunderland +respecting him, as follows: "I have only this one thing more to trouble +your lordship with at present, concerning Colonel Anthony Hamilton, to +get him a commission to command as colonel, though he is but lieutenant- +colonel to Sir Thomas Newcomen, in regard of the commands he has had +abroad: and I am told it is often done in France, which makes me hope it +will not be counted an unreasonable request. I would likewise humbly +recommend to make Colonel Anthony Hamilton a privy-councillor here." +Lord Clarendon's recommendations were ultimately successful: Hamilton was +made a privy-councillor in Ireland, and had a pension of L200 a year on +the Irish establishment; and was appointed governor of Limerick, in the +room of Sir William King, notwithstanding he had strongly opposed the +new-modelling of the army by the furious Tyrconnel. In the brief +accounts which have been given of his life, it is said that he had a +regiment of infantry; but, though this is very probable, there is no +mention whatever of his commanding a regiment in the lists published of +King James's army, which are supposed to be very accurate: he is indeed +set down among the general officers. Lord Clarendon, in one of his +letters to the lord-treasurer, states, "That the news of the day was, +that Colonel Russell was to be lieutenant-colonel to the Duke of Ormond's +regiment, and that Colonel Anthony Hamilton was to have Russell's +regiment, and that Mr. Luttrell was to be lieutenant-colonel to Sir +Thomas Newcomen, in the place of Anthony Hamilton." It is not known +whether Anthony was present at the battle of the Boyne, or of Aughrim: +his brother John was killed at the latter; and Richard, who was a +lieutenant-general, led on the cavalry with uncommon gallantry and +spirit at the Boyne it is to be wished that his candour and integrity +had equalled his courage; but, he acted with great duplicity; and King +William's contemptuous echoing back his word to him, when he declared +something on his honour, is well known: He is frequently mentioned by +Lord Clarendon, but by no means with the same approbation as his brother. +After the total overthrow of James's affairs in Ireland, the two brothers +finally quitted these kingdoms, and retired to France. Richard lived +much with the Cardinal de Bouillon, who was the great protector of the +Irish in France, and kept (what must have been indeed highly consolatory +to many an emigrant of condition) a magnificent table, which has been +recorded in the most glowing and grateful terms, by that gay companion, +and celebrated lover of good cheer, Philippe de Coulanges, who +occasionally mentions the "amiable Richard Hamilton" as one of the +cardinal's particular intimates. Anthony, who was regarded particularly +as a man of letters and elegant talents, resided almost entirely at St. +Germain: solitary walks in the forest of that place occupied his leisure +hours in the morning; and poetical pursuits, or agreeable society, +engaged the evening: but much of his time seems to have rolled heavily +along; his sister, Madame de Grammont, living more at court, or in Paris, +than always suited his inclinations or his convenience. His great +resource at St. Germain was the family of the Duke of Berwick (son of +James II.): that nobleman appears to have been amiable in private life, +and his attachment to Hamilton was steady and sincere. The Duchess of +Berwick was also his friend. It is necessary to mention this lady +particularly, as well as her sisters: they were the daughters of Henry +Bulkeley, son to the first viscount of that name: their father had been +master of the household to Charles: their mother was Lady Sophia Stewart, +sister to the beautiful Duchess of Richmond, so conspicuous in the +Grammont Memoirs. The sisters of the Duchess of Berwick were Charlotte, +married to Lord Clare, Henrietta, and Laura. They all occupy a +considerable space in Hamilton's correspondence, and the two last are the +ladies so often addressed as the Mademoiselles B.; they are almost the +constant subjects of Hamilton's verses; and it is recorded that he was a +particular admirer of Henrietta Bulkeley; but their union would have been +that of hunger and thirst, for both were very poor and very illustrious: +their junction would, of course, have militated against every rule of +common prudence. To the influence of this lady, particularly, we are +indebted for one or two of Hamilton's agreeable novels: she had taste +enough to laugh at the extravagant stories then so much in fashion, "plus +arabes qu'en Arabie," + + [They were wretched imitations of some of the Persian and Arabian + tales, in which everything was distorted, and rendered absurd and + preposterous.] + +as Hamilton says; and he, in compliance with her taste, and his own, soon +put the fashionable tales to flight, by the publication of the 'Quatre +Facardins', and, more especially, 'La Fleur d'Epine'. Some of the +introductory verses to these productions are written with peculiar ease +and grace; and are highly extolled, and even imitated, by Voltaire. La +Harpe praises the Fleur d'Epine, as the work of an original genius: I do +not think, however, that they are much relished in England, probably +because very ill translated. Another of his literary productions was the +novel called Le Belier, which he wrote on the following occasion: Louis +XIV. had presented to the Countess of Grammont (whom he highly esteemed) +a remarkably elegant small country house in the park of Versailles: this +house became so fashionable a resort, and brought such constant visitors, +that the Count de Grammont said, in his usual way, he would present the +king with a list of all the persons he was obliged to entertain there, as +more suited to his Majesty's purse than his own: the countess wished to +change the name of the place from the vulgar appellation of Le Moulineau +into that of Pentalie: and Hamilton, in his novel, wrote a history of a +giant, an enchantment, and a princess, to commemorate her resolution. +It has however happened that the giant Moulineau has had the advantage in +the course of time; for the estate, which is situated near Meudon, upon +the Seine, retains its original and popular designation. + +About the year 1704, Hamilton turned his attention to collecting the +memoirs of his brother-in-law, the Count de Grammont, as we may +conjecture, from the epistle beginning "Honneur des rives eloignees" +being written towards the close of the above year: it is dated, or +supposed to be so, from the banks of the Garonne. Among other authors +whom Hamilton at first proposes to Grammont, as capable of writing his +life (though, on reflection, he thinks them not suited to it), +is Boileau, whose genius he professes to admire; but adds that his muse +has somewhat of malignity; and that such a muse might caress with one +hand and satirize him with the other. This letter was sent by Hamilton +to Boileau, who answered him with great politeness; but, at the same time +that he highly extolled the epistle to Grammont, he, very naturally, +seemed anxious to efface any impression which such a representation of +his satiric vein might make on the Count's mind, and accordingly added a +few complimentary verses to him: this letter is dated, Paris, 8th +February, 1705. About the same time, another letter was written to +Hamilton on the subject of the Epistle to Grammont, by La Chapelle, who +also seemed desirous that his life should be given to the public, but was +much perplexed which of the most celebrated ancients to compare the count +to. Mecaenas first presented himself to his imagination: absurdly +enough, in my opinion; for there was not a trace of similitude between +the two characters. This, however, afforded him some opportunity, as he +thought, of discovering a resemblance between Horace and Hamilton, in +which he equally failed. Petronius is then brought forward, as affording +some comparison to the Count;--a man of pleasure, giving up the day to +sleep, and the night to entertainment; but then, adds La Chapelle, it +will be suggested that, such is the perpetual activity of the Count of +Grammont's mind, he may be said to sleep neither night nor day; and if +Petronius died, the Count seems determined never to die at all. (He was +at this time about eighty-five years of age.) It may well be supposed +that all this, though now perfectly vapid and uninteresting, was +extremely flattering to Grammont; and the result was, that he very much +wished to have his life, or part of it, at least, given to the public. +Hamilton, who had been so long connected with him, and with whose +agreeable talents he was now so familiarized, was, on every account, +singled out by him as the person who could best introduce him +historically to the public. It is ridiculous to mention Grammont as the +author of his own Memoirs: his excellence, as a man of wit, was entirely +limited to conversation. Bussy Rabutin, who knew him perfectly, states +that he wrote almost worse than any one. If this was said, and very +truly, of him in his early days, it can hardly be imagined that he would, +when between eighty and ninety years of age, commence a regular, and, +in point of style, most finished composition. Besides, independent of +everything else, what man would so outrage all decorum as to call himself +the admiration of the age? for so is Grammont extolled in the Memoirs, +with a variety of other encomiastic expressions; although, perhaps, such +vanity has not been without example. Hamilton, it is true, says that he +acts as Grammont's secretary, and only holds the pen, whilst the Count +dictates to him such particulars of his life as were the most singular, +and least known. This is said with great modesty, and, as to part of the +work, perhaps with great truth: it requires, however, some explanation. +Grammont was more than twenty years older than Hamilton; consequently, +the earlier part of his life could only have been known, or was best +known, to the latter from repeated conversations, and the long intimacy +which subsisted between them. Whether Grammont formally dictated the +events of his younger days, or not, is of little consequence from his +general character, it is probable that he did not. However, the whole +account of such adventures as he was engaged in, from his leaving home to +his interview with Cardinal Mazarin (excepting the character of Monsieur +de Senantes, and Matta, who was well known to Hamilton), the relation of +the siege of Lerida, the description of Gregorio Brice, and the +inimitable discovery of his own magnificent suit of clothes on the +ridiculous bridegroom at Abbeville; all such particulars must have been +again and again repeated to Hamilton by Grammont, and may therefore be +fairly grounded on the count's authority. The characters of the court of +Charles II., and its history, are to be ascribed to Hamilton: from his +residence, at various times, in the court of London, his connection with +the Ormond family, not to mention others, he must have been well +acquainted with them. Lady Chesterfield, who may be regarded almost as +the heroine of the work, was his cousin-german. + + [She was born at the castle of Kilkenny, July, 1640, as appears from + Carte's life of her father, the Duke of Ormond.] + +But, although the history altogether was written by Hamilton, it may +not perhaps be known to every reader that Grammont himself sold the +manuscript for fifteen hundred livres; and when it was brought to +Fontenelle, then censor of the press, he refused to license it, from +respect to the character of the Count, which, he thought, was represented +as that of a gambler, and an unprincipled one too. In fact, Grammont, +like many an old gentleman, seems to have recollected the gaieties of his +youth with more complaisance than was necessary, and has drawn them in +pretty strong colours in that part of the work which is more particularly +his own. He laughed at poor Fontenelle's scruples, and complained to the +chancellor, who forced the censor to acquiesce: the license was granted, +and the Count put the whole of the money, or the best part of it, in his +pocket, though he acknowledged the work to be Hamilton's. This is +exactly correspondent to his general character: when money was his +object, he had little, or rather no delicacy. + +The History of Grammont may be considered as unique there is nothing like +it in any language. For drollery, knowledge of the world, various +satire, general utility, united with great vivacity of composition, Gil +Blas is unrivalled: but, as a merely agreeable book, the Memoirs of +Grammont perhaps deserve that character more than any which was ever +written: it is pleasantry throughout, pleasantry of the best sort, +unforced, graceful, and engaging. Some French critic has justly +observed, that, if any book were to be selected as affording the truest +specimen of perfect French gaiety, the Memoirs of Grammont would be +selected in preference to all others. This has a Frenchman said of the +work of a foreigner: but that foreigner possessed much genius, had lived +from his youth, not only in the best society of France, but with the most +singular and agreeable man that France could produce. Still, however, +though Grammont and Hamilton were of dispositions very different, the +latter must have possessed talents peculiarly brilliant, and admirably +adapted to coincide with, and display those of his brother-in-law to the +utmost advantage. Gibbon extols the "ease and purity of Hamilton's +inimitable style;" and in this he is supported by Voltaire, although he +adds the censure, that the Grammont Memoirs are, in point of materials, +the most trifling; he might also in truth have said, the most improper. +The manners of the court of Charles II. were, to the utmost, profligate +and abandoned: yet in what colours have they been drawn by Hamilton? The +elegance of his pencil has rendered them more seductive and dangerous, +than if it had more faithfully copied the originals. From such a mingled +mass of grossness of language, and of conduct, one would have turned away +with disgust and abhorrence; but Hamilton was, to use the words of his +admirer, Lord Orford, "superior to the indelicacy of the court," whose +vices he has so agreeably depicted; and that superiority has sheltered +such vices from more than half the oblivion which would now have for ever +concealed them. + +The Count de Grammont died in 1707. Some years after the publication of +his Memoirs, Hamilton was engaged in a very different work: he +translated Pope's Essay on Criticism into French, and, as it should seem, +so much to that great poet's satisfaction, that he wrote a very polite +letter of thanks to him, which is inserted in Pope's Correspondence. +Hamilton's Essay was, I believe, never printed, though Pope warmly +requested to have that permission: the reign of Louis XIV. had now +ceased; and, for several years before his death, the character of the old +court of that prince had ceased also: profligacy and gaiety had given way +to devotion and austerity. Of Hamilton's friends and literary +acquaintance few were left: the Duke of Berwick was employed in the +field, or at Versailles: some of the ladies, however, continued at St. +Germain; and in their society, particularly that of his niece, the +Countess of Stafford (in whose name he carried on a lively correspondence +with Lady Mary Wortley Montague), he passed much of his time. He +occasionally indulged in poetical compositions, of a style suited to his +age and character; and when he was past seventy, he wrote that excellent +copy of verses, 'Sur l' Usage de la Vie dans la Vieillesse'; which, for +grace of style, justness, and purity of sentiment, does honour to his +memory. + +Hamilton died at St. Germain, in April, 1720, aged about seventy-four. +His death was pious and resigned. From his poem, entitled Reflections, +he appears, like some other authors, to have turned his mind, in old age, +entirely to those objects of sacred regard, which, sooner or later, must +engage the attention of every rational mind. To poetry he bids an +eternal adieu, in language which breathes no diminution of genius, +at the moment that he for ever recedes from the poetical character. +But he aspired to a better. + +Whatever were Hamilton's errors, his general character was respectable. +He has been represented as grave, and even dull, in society; the very +reverse, in short, of what he appears in his Memoirs: but this is +probably exaggerated. Unquestionably, he had not the unequalled vivacity +of the Count de Grammont in conversation; as Grammont was, on the other +hand, inferior, in all respects, to Hamilton when the pen was in his +hand; the latter was, however, though reserved in a large society, +particularly agreeable in a more select one. Some of his letters +remain, in which he alludes to his want of that facility at impromptu +which gave such brilliancy to the conversation of some of his brother +wits and contemporaries. But, while we admit the truth of this, let it +be remembered, at the same time, that when he wrote this, he was by no +means young; that he criticised his own defects with severity; that he +was poor, and living in a court which itself subsisted on the alms of +another. Amidst such circumstances, extemporary gaiety cannot always be +found. I can suppose, that the Duchess of Maine, who laid claim to the +character of a patroness of wit, and, like many who assert such claims, +was very troublesome, very self-sufficient, and very 'exigeante', might +not always have found that general superiority, or even transient lustre, +which she expected in Hamilton's society: yet, considering the great +difference of their age and situation, this circumstance will not greatly +impeach his talents for conversation. But the work of real genius must +for ever remain; and of Hamilton's genius, the Grammont Memoirs will +always continue a beauteous and graceful monument. To that monument may +also be added, the candour, integrity, and unassuming virtues of the +amiable author. + + + + + CHAPTER FIRST. + + INTRODUCTION + + +As those who read only for amusement are, in my opinion, more worthy of +attention than those who open a book merely to find fault, to the former +I address myself, and for their entertainment commit the following pages +to press, without being in the least concerned about the severe +criticisms of the latter. I further declare, that the order of time +and disposition of the facts, which give more trouble to the writer than +pleasure to the reader, shall not much embarrass me in these Memoirs. +It being my design to convey a just idea of my hero, those circumstances +which most tend to illustrate and distinguish his character shall find +a place in these fragments just as they present themselves to my +imagination, without paying any particular attention to their +arrangement. For, after all, what does it signify where the portrait is +begun, provided the assemblage of the parts forms a whole which perfectly +expresses the original? The celebrated Plutarch, who treats his heroes +as he does his readers, commences the life of the one just as he thinks +fit, and diverts the attention of the other with digressions into +antiquity, or agreeable passages of literature, which frequently have +no reference to the subject; for instance, he tells us that Demetrius +Poliorcetes was far from being so tall as his father, Antigonus; and +afterwards, that his reputed father, Antigonus, was only his uncle; but +this is not until he has begun his life with a short account of his +death, his various exploits, his good and bad qualities; and at last, +out of compassion to his failings, brings forward a comparison between +him and the unfortunate Mark Antony. + +What I have said upon this subject is not meant to reflect upon this +historian, to whom, of all the ancients, we are most obliged; it is only +intended to authorize the manner in which I have treated a life far more +extraordinary than any of those he has transmitted to us. It is my part +to describe a man whose inimitable character casts a veil over those +faults which I shall neither palliate nor disguise; a man distinguished +by a mixture of virtues and vices so closely linked together as in +appearance to form a necessary dependence, glowing with the greatest +beauty when united, shining with the brightest lustre when opposed. + +It is this indefinable brilliancy, which, in war, in love, in gaming, and +in the various stages of a long life, has rendered the Count de Grammont +the admiration of his age, and the delight of every country wherein +he has displayed his engaging wit, dispensed his generosity and +magnificence, or practised his inconstancy: it is owing to this that the +sallies of a sprightly imagination have produced those admirable bons- +mots which have been with universal applause transmitted to posterity. +It is owing to this that he preserved his judgment free and unembarrassed +in the most trying situations, and enjoyed an uncommon presence of mind +and facetiousness of temper in the most imminent dangers of war. I shall +not attempt to draw his portrait: his person has been described by Bussi +and St. Evremond, authors more entertaining than faithful. + + [Voltaire, in the age of Louis XIV., ch. 24, speaking of that + monarch, says, "even at the same time when he began to encourage + genius by his liberality, the Count de Bussi was severely punished + for the use be made of his: he was sent to the Bastile in 1664. + 'The Amours of the Gauls' was the pretence of his imprisonment; but + the true cause was the song in which the king was treated with too + much freedom, and which, upon this occasion, was brought to + remembrance to ruin Bussi, the reputed author of it. + + Que Deodatus est heureux, + De baiser ce bec amoureux, + Qui d'une oreille a l'autre va! + + See Deodatus with his billing dear, + Whose amorous mouth breathes love from ear to ear! + + "His works were not good enough to compensate for the mischief they + did him. He spoke his own language with purity: he had some merit, + but more conceit: and he made no use of the merit he had, but to + make himself enemies." Voltaire adds, "Bussi was released at the + end of eighteen months; but he was in disgrace all the rest of his + life, in vain protesting a regard for Louis XIV." Bussi died 1693. + Of St. Evremond, see note, postea.] + +The former has represented the Chevalier Grammont as artful, fickle, and +even somewhat treacherous in his amours, and indefatigable and cruel in +his jealousies. St. Evremond has used other colours to express the +genius and describe the general manners of the Count; whilst both, in +their different pictures, have done greater honour to themselves than +justice to their hero. + +It is, therefore, to the Count we must listen, in the agreeable relation +of the sieges and battles wherein he distinguished himself under another +hero; and it is on him we must rely for the truth of passages the least +glorious of his life, and for the sincerity with which he relates his +address, vivacity, frauds, and the various stratagems he practised either +in love or gaming. These express his true character, and to himself we +owe these memoirs, since I only hold the pen, while he directs it to the +most remarkable and secret passages of his life. + + + + + CHAPTER SECOND. + + ARRIVAL OF THE CHEVALIER GRAMMONT AT THE SIEGE OF TRINO, + AND THE LIFE HE LED THERE. + + +In those days affairs were not managed in France as at present. Louis +XIII.--[Son and successor of Henry IV. He began to reign 14th May, 1610, +and died 14th May, 1643.]--then sat upon the throne, but the Cardinal de +Richelieu, governed the kingdom; + + [Of this great minister Mr. Hume gives the following character:-- + "Undaunted, Undaunted and implacable, prudent and active, he braved + all the opposition of the French princes and nobles in the + prosecution of his vengeance; he discovered and dissipated all their + secret cabals and conspiracies. His sovereign himself he held in + subjection, while he exalted the throne. The people, while they + lost their liberties, acquired, by means of his administration, + learning, order, discipline, and renown."] + +great men commanded little armies, and little armies did great things; +the fortune of great men depended solely upon ministerial favour, and +blind devotion to the will of the minister was the only sure method of +advancement. Vast designs were then laying in the heart of neighbouring +states the foundation of that formidable greatness to which France has +now risen: the police was somewhat neglected; the highways were +impassable by day, and the streets by night; but robberies were committed +elsewhere with greater impunity. Young men, on their first entrance into +the world, took what course they thought proper. Whoever would, was a +chevalier, and whoever could, an abbe: I mean a beneficed abbe: dress +made no distinction between them; and I believe the Chevalier Grammont +was both the one and the other at the siege of Trino.--[Trino was taken +4th May, 1639.]--This was his first campaign, and here he displayed those +attractive graces which so favourably prepossess, and require neither +friends nor recommendations in any company to procure a favourable +reception. The siege was already formed when he arrived, which saved him +some needless risks; for a volunteer cannot rest at ease until he has +stood the first fire: he went therefore to reconnoitre the generals, +having no occasion to reconnoitre the place. Prince Thomas commanded the +army; and as the post of lieutenant-general was not then known, Du +Plessis Pralin and the famous Viscount Turenne were his majors general. +Fortified places were treated with some respect, before a power which +nothing can withstand had found means to destroy them by dreadful showers +of bombs, and by destructive batteries of hundreds of pieces of cannon. +Before these furious storms which drive governors underground and reduce +their garrisons to powder, repeated sallies bravely repulsed, and +vigorous attacks nobly sustained, signalized both the art of the +besiegers and the courage of the besieged; consequently, sieges were of +some length, and young men had an opportunity of gaining some knowledge. +Many brave actions were performed on each side during the siege of Trino; +a great deal of fatigue was endured, and considerable losses sustained; +but fatigue was no more considered, hardships were no more felt in the +trenches, gravity was at an end with the generals, and the troops were no +longer dispirited after the arrival of the Chevalier Grammont. Pleasure +was his pursuit, and he made it universal. + +Among the officers in the army, as in all other places, there are men of +real merit, or pretenders to it. The latter endeavoured to imitate the +Chevalier Grammont in his most shining qualities, but without success; +the former admired his talents and courted his friendship. Of this +number was Matta: + + [Matta, or Matha, of whom Hamilton has drawn so striking a picture, + is said to have been of the house of Bourdeille, which had the + honour to produce Brautome and Montresor. The combination of + indolence and talent, of wit and simplicity, of bluntness and irony, + with which he is represented, may have been derived from tradition, + but could only have been united into the inimitable whole by the pen + of Hamilton. Several of his bons-mots have been preserved; but the + spirit evaporates in translation. "Where could I get this nose," + said Madame D'Albret, observing a slight tendency to a flush in that + feature. "At the side board, Madame," answered Matta. When the + same lady, in despair at her brother's death, refused all + nourishment, Matta administered this blunt consolation: "If you are + resolved, madame, never again to swallow food, you do well; but if + ever you mean to eat upon any future occasion, believe me, you may + as well begin just now." Madame Caylus, in her Souvenirs, + commemorates the simple and natural humour of Matta as rendering him + the most delightful society in the world. Mademoiselle, in her + Memoirs, alludes to his pleasantry in conversation, and turn for + deep gaming. When the Memoirs of Grammont were subjected to the + examination of Fontenelle, then censor of the Parisian press, he + refused to license them, or account of the scandalous conduct + imputed to Grammont in this party at quinze. The count no sooner + heard of this than he hastened to Fontenelle, and having joked him + for being more tender of his reputation than he was himself, the + license was instantly issued. The censor might have retorted upon + Grammont the answer which the count made to a widow who received + coldly his compliments of condolence on her husband's death: "Nay, + madame, if that is the way you take it, I care as little about it as + you do." He died in 1674. "Matta est mort sans confession," says + Madame Maintenon, in a letter to her brother. Tome I., p. 67.] + +He was agreeable in his person, but still more by the natural turn of his +wit; he was plain and simple in his manners, but endued with a quick +discernment and refined delicacy, and full of candour and integrity in +all his actions. The Chevalier Grammont was not long in discovering his +amiable qualities; an acquaintance was soon formed, and was succeeded by +the strictest intimacy. + +Matta insisted that the Chevalier should take up his quarters with him; +to which he only consented on condition of equally contributing to the +expense. As they were both liberal and magnificent, at their common cost +they gave the best designed and most luxurious entertainments that had +ever yet been seen. Play was wonderfully productive at first, and the +Chevalier restored by a hundred different ways that which he obtained +only by one. The generals, being entertained by turns, admired their +magnificence, and were dissatisfied with their own officers for not +keeping such good tables and attendance. The Chevalier had the talent +of setting off the most indifferent things to advantage; and his wit was +so generally acknowledged, that it was a kind of disgrace not to submit +to his taste. To him Matta resigned the care of furnishing the table and +doing its honours; and, charmed with the general applause, persuaded +himself that nothing could be more honourable than their way of living, +and nothing more easy than to continue it; but he soon perceived that the +greatest prosperity is not the most lasting. Good living, bad economy, +dishonest servants, and ill-luck, all uniting together to disconcert +their housekeeping, their table was going to be gradually laid aside, +when the Chevalier's genius, fertile in resources, undertook to support +his former credit by the following expedient. + +They had never yet conferred about the state of their finances, although +the steward had acquainted each, separately, that he must either receive +money to continue the expenses, or give in his accounts. One day, when +the Chevalier came home sooner than usual, he found Matta fast asleep in +an easy chair, and, being unwilling to disturb his rest, he began musing +on his project. Matta awoke without his perceiving it; and having, for a +short time, observed the deep contemplation he seemed involved in, and +the profound silence between two persons who had never held their tongues +for a moment when together before, he broke it by a sudden fit of +laughter, which increased in proportion as the other stared at him. +"A merry way of waking, and ludicrous enough," said the Chevalier; +"what is the matter, and whom do you laugh at!" "Faith, Chevalier," said +Matta, "I am laughing at a dream I had just now, which is so natural and +diverting, that I must make you laugh at it also. I was dreaming that we +had dismissed our maitre-d'hotel, our cook, and our confectioner, having +resolved, for the remainder of the campaign, to live upon others as +others have lived upon us: this was my dream. Now tell me, Chevalier, +on what were you musing?" "Poor fellow!" said the Chevalier, shrugging +up his shoulders, "you are knocked down at once, and thrown into the +utmost consternation and despair at some silly stories which the maitre- +d'hotel has been telling you as well as me. What! after the figure we +have made in the face of the nobility and foreigners in the army, shall +we give it up, and like fools and beggars sneak off, upon the first +failure of our money! Have you no sentiments of honour? Where is the +dignity of France?" "And where is the money?" said Matta; "for my men +say, the devil may take them, if there be ten crowns in the house, and I +believe you have not much more, for it is above a week since I have seen +you pull out your purse, or count your money, an amusement you were very +fond of in prosperity." "I own all this," said the Chevalier, "but yet +I will force you to confess, that you are but a mean-spirited fellow upon +this occasion. What would have become of you if you had been reduced to +the situation I was in at Lyons, four days before I arrived here? I will +tell you the story." + + + + + CHAPTER THIRD. + + EDUCATION AND ADVENTURES OF THE CHEVALIER GRAMMONT + BEFORE HIS COMING TO THE SIEGE OF TRINO. + + +"This," said Matta, "smells strongly of romance, except that it should +have been your squire's part to tell your adventures." + +"True," said the Chevalier; "however, I may acquaint you with my first +exploits without offending my modesty; besides, my squire's style borders +too much upon the burlesque for an heroic narrative. + +"You must know, then, that upon my arrival at Lyons--" + +"Is it thus you begin?" said Matta. "Pray give us your history a little +further back. The most minute particulars of a life like yours are +worthy of relation; but above all, the manner in which you first paid +your respects to Cardinal Richelieu: I have often laughed at it. +However, you may pass over the unlucky pranks of your infancy, your +genealogy, name and quality of your ancestors, for that is a subject +with which you must be utterly unacquainted." + +"Pooh !" said the Chevalier; "you think that all the world is as +ignorant as yourself; you think that I am a stranger to the Mendores and +the Corisandes. So, perhaps I don't know that it was my father's own +fault that he was not the son of Henry IV. The king would by all means +have acknowledged him for his son, but the traitor would never consent +to it. See what the Grammonts would have been now, but for this cross- +grained fellow! They would have had precedence of the Caesars de +Vendome. You may laugh if you like, yet it is as true as the gospel: +but let us come to the point. + +"I was sent to the college of Pau, with the intention of being brought +up to the church; but as I had quite different views, I made no manner +of improvement: gaming was so much in my head, that both my tutor and the +master lost their labour in endeavouring to teach me Latin. Old Brinon, +who served me both as valet-de-chambre and governor, in vain threatened +to acquaint my mother. I only studied when I pleased, that is to say, +seldom or never: however, they treated me as is customary with scholars +of my quality; I was raised to all the dignities of the forms, without +having merited them, and left college nearly in the same state in which I +entered it; nevertheless, I was thought to have more knowledge than was +requisite for the abbacy which my brother had solicited for me. He had +just married the niece of a minister, to whom every one cringed: he was +desirous to present me to him. I felt but little regret to quit the +country, and great impatience to see Paris. My brother having kept me +some time with him, in order to polish me, let me loose upon the town +to shake off my rustic air, and learn the manners of the world. I so +thoroughly gained them, that I could not be persuaded to lay them aside +when I was introduced at court in the character of an Abby. You know +what kind of dress was then the fashion. All that they could obtain of +me was to put a cassock over my other clothes, and my brother, ready to +die with laughing at my ecclesiastical habit, made others laugh too. I +had the finest head of hair in the world, well curled and powdered, above +my cassock, and below were white buskins and gilt spurs. The Cardinal, +who had a quick discernment, could not help laughing. This elevation of +sentiment gave him umbrage; and he foresaw what might be expected from a +genius that already laughed at the shaven crown and cowl. + +"When my brother had taken me home, 'Well, my little parson,' said he, +'you have acted your part to admiration, and your parti-coloured dress of +the ecclesiastic and soldier has greatly diverted the court; but this is +not all: you must now choose, my little knight. Consider then, whether, +by sticking to the church, you will possess great revenues, and have +nothing to do; or, with a small portion, you will risk the loss of a leg +or arm, and be the fructus belli of an insensible court, to arrive in +your old age at the dignity of a major-general, with a glass eye and a +wooden leg.' 'I know,' said I, 'that there is no comparison between +these two situations, with regard to the conveniences of life; but, +as a man ought to secure his future state in preference to all other +considerations, I am resolved to renounce the church for the salvation of +my soul, upon condition, however, that I keep my abbacy.' Neither the +remonstrances nor authority of my brother could induce me to change my +resolution; and he was forced to agree to this last article in order to +keep me at the academy. You know that I am the most adroit man in +France, so that I soon learned all that is taught at such places, and, +at the same time, I also learnt that which gives the finishing stroke to +a young fellow's education, and makes him a gentleman, viz. all sorts of +games, both at cards and dice; but the truth is, I thought, at first, +that I had more skill in them than I really had, as experience proved. +When my mother knew the choice I had made, she was inconsolable; for she +reckoned, that had I been a clergyman I should have been a saint; but now +she was certain that I should either be a devil in the world, or be +killed in the wars. And indeed I burned with impatience to be a soldier; +but being yet too young, I was forced to make a campaign at Bidache-- +[A principality belonging to the family of the Grammonts, in the Province +of Gascony.]--before I made one in the army. When I returned to my +mother's house, I had so much the air of a courtier and a man of the +world, that she began to respect me, instead of chiding me for my +infatuation towards the army. I became her favourite, and finding me +inflexible, she only thought of keeping me with her as long as she could, +while my little equipage was preparing. The faithful Brinon, who was to +attend me as valet-de-chambre, was likewise to discharge the office of +governor and equerry, being, perhaps, the only Gascon who was ever +possessed of so much gravity and ill-temper. He passed his word for my +good behaviour and morality, and promised my mother that he would give a +good account of my person in the dangers of the war; but I hope he will +keep his word better as to this last article than he has done as to the +former. + +"My equipage was sent away a week before me. This was so much time +gained by my mother to give me good advice. At length, after having +solemnly enjoined me to have the fear of God before my eyes, and to love +my neighbour as myself, she suffered me to depart, under the protection +of the Lord and the sage Brinon. At the second stage we quarrelled. He +had received four hundred louis d'or for the expenses of the campaign: I +wished to have the keeping of them myself, which he strenuously opposed. +'Thou old scoundrel,' said I, 'is the money thine, or was it given thee +for me? You suppose I must have a treasurer, and receive no money +without his order. I know not whether it was from a presentiment of what +afterwards happened that he grew melancholy; however, it was with the +greatest reluctance, and the most poignant anguish, that he found himself +obliged to yield. One would have thought that I had wrested his very +soul from him. I found myself more light and merry after I had eased him +of his trust; he, on the contrary, appeared so overwhelmed with grief, +that it seemed as if I had laid four hundred pounds of lead upon his +back, instead of taking away these four hundred louis. He went on so +heavily, that I was forced to whip his horse myself, and turning to me, +now and then, 'Ah! sir,' said he, my lady did not think it would be so. +'His reflections and sorrows were renewed at every stage; for, instead of +giving a shilling to the post-boy, I gave him half-a-crown. + +"Having at last reached Lyons, two soldiers stopped us at the gate of the +city, to carry us before the governor. I took one of them to conduct me +to the best inn, and delivered Brinon into the hands of the other, to +acquaint the commandant with the particulars of my journey, and my future +intentions. + +"There are as good taverns at Lyons as at Paris; but my soldier, +according to custom, carried me to a friend of his own, whose house he +extolled as having the best accommodations, and the greatest resort of +good company, in the whole town. The master of this hotel was as big as +a hogshead, his name Cerise; a Swiss by birth, a poisoner by profession, +and a thief by custom. He showed me into a tolerably neat room, and +desired to know whether I pleased to sup by myself or at the ordinary. +I chose the latter, on account of the beau monde which the soldier had +boasted of. + +"Brinon, who was quite out of temper at the many questions which the +governor had asked him, returned more surly than an old ape; and seeing +that I was dressing my hair, in order to go downstairs: 'What are you +about now, sir?' said he. 'Are you going to tramp about the town? No, +no; have we not had tramping enough ever since the morning? Eat a bit of +supper, and go to bed betimes, that you may get on horseback by day- +break.' 'Mr. Comptroller,' said I, 'I shall neither tramp about the +town, nor eat alone, nor go to bed early. I intend to sup with the +company below.' 'At the ordinary!' cried he; 'I beseech you, sir, do not +think of it! Devil take me, if there be not a dozen brawling fellows +playing at cards and dice, who make noise enough to drown the loudest +thunder!' + +"I was grown insolent since I had seized the money; and being desirous to +shake off the yoke of a governor, 'Do you know, Mr. Brinon,' said I, +'that I don't like a blockhead to set up for a reasoner? Do you go to +supper, if you please; but take care that I have post-horses ready before +daybreak.' The moment he mentioned cards and dice, I felt the money burn +in my pocket. I was somewhat surprised, however, to find the room where +the ordinary was served filled with odd-looking creatures. My host, +after presenting me to the company, assured me that there were but +eighteen or twenty of those gentlemen who would have the honour to sup +with me. I approached one of the tables where they were playing, and +thought I should have died with laughing: I expected to have seen good +company and deep play; but I only met with two Germans playing at +backgammon. Never did two country boobies play like them; but their +figures beggared all description. The fellow near whom I stood was +short, thick, and fat, and as round as a ball, with a ruff, and +prodigious high crowned hat. Any one, at a moderate distance, would have +taken him for the dome of a church, with the steeple on the top of it. +I inquired of the host who he was. 'A merchant from Basle,' said he, +'who comes hither to sell horses; but from the method he pursues, I think +he will not dispose of many; for he does nothing but play.' 'Does he +play deep?' said I. 'Not now,' said he; 'they are only playing for their +reckoning, while supper is getting ready; but he has no objection to +play as deep as any one.' 'Has he money?' said I. 'As for that,' +replied the treacherous Cerise, 'would to God you had won a thousand +pistoles of him, and I went your halves; we should not be long without +our money.' I wanted no further encouragement to meditate the ruin of +the high-crowned hat. I went nearer to him, in order to take a closer +survey; never was such a bungler; he made blots upon blots; God knows, I +began to feel some remorse at winning of such an ignoramus, who knew so +little of the game. He lost his reckoning; supper was served up; and I +desired him to sit next me. It was a long table, and there were at least +five-and-twenty in company, notwithstanding the landlord's promise. The +most execrable repast that ever was begun being finished, all the crowd +insensibly dispersed, except the little Swiss, who still kept near me, +and the landlord, who placed himself on the other side of me. They both +smoked like dragoons; and the Swiss was continually saying, in bad +French, 'I ask your pardon, sir, for my great freedom,' at the same time +blowing such whiffs of tobacco in my face as almost suffocated me. Mr. +Cerise, on the other hand, desired he might take the liberty of asking me +whether I had ever been in his country? and seemed surprised I had so +genteel an air, without having travelled in Switzerland. + +"The little chub I had to encounter was full as inquisitive as the other. +He desired to know whether I came from the army in Piedmont; and having +told him I was going thither, he asked me, whether I had a mind to buy +any horses; that he had about two hundred to dispose of, and that he +would sell them cheap. I began to be smoked like a gammon of bacon; +and being quite wearied out, both with their tobacco and their questions, +I asked my companion if he would play for a single pistole at backgammon, +while our men were supping; it was not without great ceremony that he +consented, at the same time asking my pardon for his great freedom. + +"I won the game; I gave him his revenge, and won again. We then played +double or quit; I won that too, and all in the twinkling of an eye; for +he grew vexed, and suffered himself to be taken in so that I began to +bless my stars for my good fortune. Brinon came in about the end of the +third game, to put me to bed, he made a great sign of the cross, but paid +no attention to the signs I made him to retire. I was forced to rise to +give him that order in private. He began to reprimand me for disgracing +myself by keeping company with such a low-bred wretch. It was in vain +that I told him he was a great merchant, that he had a great deal of +money, and that he played like a child. 'He a merchant,' cried Brinon. +'Do not believe that, sir! May the devil take me, if he is not some +conjurer.' 'Hold your tongue, old fool,' said I; 'he is no more a +conjurer than you are, and that is decisive; and, to prove it to you, I +am resolved to win four or five hundred pistoles of him before I go to +bed. With these words I turned him out, strictly enjoining him not to +return, or in any manner to disturb us. + +"The game being done, the little Swiss unbuttoned his pockets, to pull +out a new four-pistole piece, and presenting it to me, he asked my pardon +for his great freedom, and seemed as if he wished to retire. This was +not what I wanted. I told him we only played for amusement; that I had +no design upon his money; and that, if he pleased, I would play him a +single game for his four pistoles. He raised some objections; but +consented at last, and won back his money. I was piqued at it. I played +another game; fortune changed sides; the dice ran for him, he made no +more blots. I lost the game; another game, and double or quit; we +doubled the stake, and played double or quit again. I was vexed; he, +like a true gamester, took every bet I offered, and won all before him, +without my getting more than six points in eight or ten games. I asked +him to play a single game for one hundred pistoles; but as he saw I did +not stake, he told me it was late; that he must go and look after his +horses; and went away, still asking my pardon for his great freedom. The +cool manner of his refusal, and the politeness with which he took his +leave, provoked me to such a degree, that I could almost have killed him. +I was so confounded at losing my money so fast, even to the last pistole, +that I did not immediately consider the miserable situation to which I +was reduced. + +"I durst not go up to my chamber for fear of Brinon. By good luck, +however, he was tired with waiting for me, and had gone to bed. This was +some consolation, though but of short continuance. As soon as I was laid +down, all the fatal consequences of my adventure presented themselves to +my imagination. I could not sleep. I saw all the horrors of my +misfortune, without being able to find any remedy; in vain did I rack my +brain; it supplied me with no expedient. I feared nothing so much as +daybreak; however, it did come, and the cruel Brinon along with it. He +was booted up to the middle, and cracking a cursed whip, which he held in +his hand, 'Up, Monsieur le Chevalier,' cried he, opening the curtains; +'the horses are at the door, and you are still asleep. We ought by this +time to have ridden two stages; give me money to pay the reckoning.' +'Brinon,' said I, in a dejected tone, 'draw the curtains.' 'What!' cried +he, 'draw the curtains! Do you intend, then, to make your campaign at +Lyons? you seem to have taken a liking to the place. And for the great +merchant, you have stripped him, I suppose? No, no, Monsieur le +Chevalier, this money will never do you any good. This wretch has, +perhaps, a family; and it is his children's bread that he has been +playing with, and that you have won. Was this an object to sit up all +night for? What would my lady say, if she knew what a life you lead?' +'M. Brinon,' said I, 'pray draw the curtains.' But instead of obeying +me, one would have thought that the devil had prompted him to use the +most pointed and galling terms to a person under such misfortunes. 'And +how much have you won?' said he; 'five hundred pistoles? what must the +poor man do? + +'Recollect, Monsieur le Chevalier, what I have said, this money will never +thrive with you. It is, perhaps, but four hundred? three? two? well +if it be but one hundred louis d'or, continued he, seeing that I shook my +head at every sum which he had named, there is no great mischief done; +one hundred pistoles will not ruin him, provided you have won them +fairly.' 'Friend Brinon,' said I, fetching a deep sigh, 'draw the +curtains; I am unworthy to see daylight' Brinon was much affected at +these melancholy words, but I thought he would have fainted, when I told +him the whole adventure. He tore his hair, made grievous lamentations, +the burden of which still was, 'What will my lady say?' And, after +having exhausted his unprofitable complaints, 'What will become of you +now, Monsieur le Chevalier?' said he, 'what do you intend to do?' +'Nothing,' said I, 'for I am fit for no thing. After this, being +somewhat eased after making him my confession, I thought upon several +projects, to none of which could I gain his approbation. I would have +had him post after my equipage, to have sold some of my clothes. I was +for proposing to the horse-dealer to buy some horses of him at a high +price on credit, to sell again cheap. Brinon laughed at all these +schemes, and after having had the cruelty of keeping me upon the rack for +a long time, he at last extricated me. Parents are always stingy towards +their poor children; my mother intended to have given me five hundred +louis d'or, but she had kept back fifty, as well for some little repairs +in the abbey, as to pay for praying for me. Brinon had the charge of the +other fifty, with strict injunctions not to speak of them, unless upon +some urgent necessity. And this you see soon happened. + +"Thus you have a brief account of my first adventure. Play has hitherto +favoured me; for, since my arrival, I have had, at one time, after paying +all my expenses, fifteen hundred louis d'or. Fortune is now again become +unfavourable: we must mend her. Our cash runs low; we must, therefore, +endeavour to recruit." + +"Nothing is more easy," said Matta; "it is only to find out such another +dupe as the horse-dealer at Lyons; but now I think on it, has not the +faithful Brinon some reserve for the last extremity? Faith, the time is +now come, and we cannot do better than to make use of it!" + +"Your raillery would be very seasonable," said the Chevalier, "if you +knew how to extricate us out of this difficulty. You must certainly have +an overflow of wit, to be throwing it away upon every occasion as at +present. What the devil! will you always be bantering, without +considering what a serious situation we are reduced to. Mind what I say, +I will go tomorrow to the head-quarters, I will dine with the Count de +Cameran, and I will invite him to supper." "Where?" said Matta. +"Here," said the Chevalier. "You are mad, my poor friend," replied +Matta. "This is some such project as you formed at Lyons: you know we +have neither money nor credit; and, to re-establish our circumstances, +you intend to give a supper." + +"Stupid fellow!" said the Chevalier, "is it possible, that, so long as +we have been acquainted, you should have learned no more invention? The +Count de Cameran plays at quinze, and so do I; we want money; he has more +than he knows what to do with; I will bespeak a splendid supper, he shall +pay for it. Send your maitre-d'hotel to me, and trouble yourself no +further, except in some precautions, which it is necessary to take on +such an occasion." "What are they?" said Matta. "I will tell you," +said the Chevalier; "for I find one must explain to you things that are +as clear as noon-day." + +"You command the guards that are here, don't you? As soon as night comes +on, you shall order fifteen or twenty men, under the command of your +sergeant La Place, to be under arms, and to lay themselves flat on the +ground, between this place and the head-quarters." "What the devil!" +cried Matta, "an ambuscade? God forgive me, I believe you intend to rob +the poor Savoyard. If that be your intention, I declare I will have +nothing to say to it" "Poor devil!" said the Chevalier, "the matter is +this; it is very likely that we shall win his money. The Piedmontese, +though otherwise good fellows, are apt to be suspicious and distrustful. +He commands the horse; you know you cannot hold your tongue, and are very +likely to let slip some jest or other that may vex him. Should he take +it into his head that he is cheated, and resent it, who knows what the +consequences might be? for he is commonly attended by eight or ten +horsemen. Therefore, however he may be provoked at his loss, it is +proper to be in such a situation as not to dread his resentment" + +"Embrace me, my dear Chevalier," said Matta, holding his sides and +laughing; "embrace me, for thou art not to be matched. What a fool I was +to think, when you talked to me of taking precautions, that nothing more +was necessary than to prepare a table and cards, or perhaps to provide +some false dice! I should never have thought of supporting a man who +plays at quinze by a detachment of foot: I must, indeed, confess that you +are already a great soldier." + +The next day everything happened as the Chevalier Grammont had planned +it; the unfortunate Cameran fell into the snare. They supped in the most +agreeable manner possible Matta drank five or six bumpers to drown a few +scruples which made him somewhat uneasy. The Chevalier de Grammont shone +as usual, and almost made his guest die with laughing, whom he was soon +after to make very serious; and the good-natured Cameran ate like a man +whose affections were divided between good cheer and a love of play; that +is to say, he hurried down his victuals, that he might not lose any of +the precious time which he had devoted to quinze. + +Supper being done, the sergeant La Place posted his ambuscade, and the +Chevalier de Grammont engaged his man. The perfidy of Cerise, and the +high-crowned hat, were still fresh in remembrance, and enabled him to get +the better of a few grains of remorse, and conquer some scruples which +arose in his mind. Matta, unwilling to be a spectator of violated +hospitality, sat down in an easy chair, in order to fall asleep, while +the Chevalier was stripping the poor Count of his money. + +They only staked three or four pistoles at first, just for amusement; but +Cameran having lost three or four times, he staked high, and the game +became serious. He still lost, and became outrageous; the cards flew +about the room, and the exclamations awoke Matta. + +As his head was heavy with sleep, and hot with wine, he began to laugh +at the passion of the Piedmontese, instead of consoling him. "Faith, my +poor Count," said he, "if I were in your place, I would play no more." +"Why so?" said the other. "I don't know," said he, "but my heart tells +me that your ill-luck will continue." "I will try that," said Cameran, +calling for fresh cards. "Do so," said Matta, and fell asleep again. +It was but for a short time. All cards were equally unfortunate for +the loser. He held none but tens or court-cards; and if by chance he had +quinze, he was sure to be the younger hand, and therefore lost it. Again +he stormed. "Did not I tell you so?" said Matta, starting out of his +sleep. "All your storming is in vain; as long as you play you will lose. +Believe me, the shortest follies are the best. Leave off, for the devil +take me if it is possible for you to win." "Why?" said Cameran, who +began to be impatient. "Do you wish to know?" said Matta; "why, faith, +it is because we are cheating you." + +The Chevalier de Grammont was provoked at so ill-timed a jest, more +especially as it carried along with it some appearance of truth. "Mr. +Matta," said he, "do you think it can be very agreeable for a man who +plays with such ill-luck as the Count to be pestered with your insipid +jests? For my part, I am so weary of the game, that I would desist +immediately, if he was not so great a loser." Nothing is more dreaded by +a losing gamester, than such a threat; and the Count, in a softened tone, +told the Chevalier that Mr. Matta might say what he pleased, if he did +not offend him; that, as to himself, it did not give him the smallest +uneasiness. + +The Chevalier de Grammont gave the Count far better treatment than he +himself had experienced from the Swiss at Lyons; for he played upon +credit as long as he pleased; which Cameran took so kindly, that he lost +fifteen hundred pistoles, and paid them the next morning. As for Matta, +he was severely reprimanded for the intemperance of his tongue. All the +reason he gave for his conduct was, that he made it a point of conscience +not to suffer the poor Savoyard to be cheated without informing him of +it. "Besides," said he, "it would have given me pleasure to have seen my +infantry engaged with his horse, if he had been inclined to mischief." + +This adventure having recruited their finances, fortune favoured them the +remainder of the campaign, and the Chevalier de Grammont, to prove that +he had only seized upon the Count's effects by way of reprisal, and to +indemnify himself for the losses he had sustained at Lyons, began from +this time to make the same use of his money, that he has been known to +do since upon all occasions. He found out the distressed, in order to +relieve them; officers who had lost their equipage in the war, or their +money at play; soldiers who were disabled in the trenches; in short, +every one felt the influence of his benevolence: but his manner of +conferring a favour exceeded even the favour itself. + +Every man possessed of such amiable qualities must meet with success in +all his undertakings. The soldiers knew his person, and adored him. The +generals were sure to meet him in every scene of action, and sought his +company at other times. As soon as fortune declared for him, his first +care was to make restitution, by desiring Cameran to go his halves in all +parties where the odds were in his favour. + +An inexhaustible fund of vivacity and good humour gave a certain air of +novelty to whatever he either said or did. I know not on what occasion +it was that Monsieur de Turenne towards the end of the siege, commanded a +separate body. The Chevalier de Grammont went to visit him at his new +quarters, where he found fifteen or twenty officers. M. de Turenne was +naturally fond of merriment, and the Chevalier's presence was sure to +inspire it. He was much pleased with this visit, and, by way of +acknowledgment, would have engaged him to play. The Chevalier de +Grammont, in returning him thanks, said, that he had learned from his +tutor, that when a man went to see his friends, it was neither prudent to +leave his own money behind him, nor civil to carry off theirs. "Truly," +said Monsieur de Turenne, "you will find neither deep play nor much money +among us; but, that it may not be said that we suffered you to depart +without playing, let us stake every one a horse." + +The Chevalier de Grammont agreed. Fortune, who had followed him to a +place where he did not think he should have any need of her, made him win +fifteen or sixteen horses, by way of joke; but, seeing some countenances +disconcerted at the loss, "Gentlemen," said he, "I should be sorry to see +you return on foot from your general's quarters; it will be enough for me +if you send me your horses to-morrow, except one, which I give for the +cards." + +The valet-de-chambre thought he was bantering. "I speak seriously," said +the Chevalier, "I give you a horse for the cards; and, what is more, take +whichever you please, except my own." "Truly," said Monsieur de Turenne, +"I am vastly pleased with the novelty of the thing; for I don't believe +that a horse was ever before given for the cards." + + +Trino surrendered at last. The Baron de Batteville, who had defended it +valiantly, and for a long time, obtained a capitulation worthy of such a +resistance. + + [This officer appears to have been the same person who was + afterwards ambassador from Spain to the court of Great Britain, + where, in the summer of 1660, he offended the French court, by + claiming precedence of their ambassador, Count d'Estrades, on the + public entry of the Swedish ambassador into London. On this + occasion the court of France compelled its rival of Spain to submit + to the mortifying circumstance of acknowledging the French + superiority. To commemorate this important victory, Louis XIV. + caused a medal to be struck, representing the Spanish ambassador, + the Marquis de Fuente, making the declaration to that king, "No + concurrer con los ambassadores des de Francia," with this + inscription, "Jus praecedendi assertum," and under it, "Hispaniorum + excusatio coram xxx legatis principum, 1662." A very curious + account of the fray occasioned by this dispute, drawn up by Evelyn, + is to be seen in that gentleman's article in the Biographia + Britannica.] + +I do not know whether the Chevalier de Grammont had any share in the +capture of this place; but I know very well, that during a more glorious +reign, and with armies ever victorious, his intrepidity and address have +been the cause of taking others since, even under the eye of his master, +as we shall see in the sequel of these memoirs. + + + + +ETEXT EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS: + +Resolved to renounce the church for the salvation of my soul +The shortest follies are the best +There are men of real merit, or pretenders to it +Those who open a book merely to find fault + + + + + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MEMOIRS OF GRAMMONT, V1, BY HAMILTON *** + +************* This file should be named mcg1w10.txt or mcg1w10.zip ************ + +Corrected EDITIONS of our eBooks get a new NUMBER, mcg1w11.txt +VERSIONS based on separate sources get new LETTER, mcg1w10a.txt + +This eBook was produced by David Widger <widger@cecomet.net> + +Project Gutenberg eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the US +unless a copyright notice is included. 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