From Dark Blue.

A FAMOUS FRENCHMAN.

Translated from an autobiographical sketch by
MAXIMILIEN DE BETHUNE DUC ᎠᎬ SULLY
Prime Minister of Navarre, and concluded by the

VICOMTESSE DE KERKADEE.

My father was François de Béthune, Baron de Rosny, and my mother Charlotte Dauvet, daughter of the Seigneur de Rieux. At my birth I received the name of Maximilien. Our House drew its origin (by the House of Coucy) from the ancient House of Austria, with which must not be mistaken that which is now on the throne; the latter is descended from the Counts of Hapsburgh, who were only noblemen 300 years ago.

sacrifice to the public fury. I was alone in my room, dressing, when I saw my landlord enter the hall in the greatest consternation. He was a Huguenot, and, having heard what was the matter, had resolved to go to Mass. He had come to try and persuade me to go with him and do the same; but I would not follow him. I' tried to reach the College of Bourgogne, where I studied, notwithstanding the long distance from the house, which rendered my resolution a very perilous one. I put on my scholar's dress, and taking a large missal under my arm, I went down-stairs. I was seized with terror, on entering the street, to see the furious mob, who surged fiercely through the streets, breaking open The House of Béthune gave its name to the doors of the houses, and crying; a town in Flanders whence came the "Kill, kill; massacre the Huguenots; Counts who anciently governed that and the blood that I saw on the pavement Province. All the Béthunes distinguished redoubled my fright. I fell in with a corpsthemselves in the wars during the Cru-de-garde, who stopped me. I was quessades, and were amongst the first to scale tioned, and they were beginning to malthe walls of Jerusalem. treat me, when the book I carried was Antoine and Coësne de Béthune, follow- luckily seen, and served me as a passport. ing the steps of their ancestors, were also Twice afterwards I fell into the same danthe first to hoist the banners on the ram- gcr, and escaped from it with the same good parts of Constantinople when Baudoin luck. At last I arrived at the College; Comte de Flandres took that capital from but the porter refused me entrance, and I Alexis Comène; Coësne obtained the remained in the street, in the midst of a government of it. fierce crowd still in eager search for fresh The Béthunes allied themselves to sev-prey; when I bethought myself of asking eral princes of the House of France, to the Emperors of Constantinople, the Kings of Jerusalem, the House of Lorraine, and many other illustrious stocks.

for the principal of the College, called Lafaye, a good man, who loved me devotedly.

With the help of a few pieces of silver that I slipped into the porter's hand, I at In thus writing of my ancestors I beg last induced him to let me pass, and I was my readers to exonerate me from all af- soon in the presence of Lafaye. The good fectation or vanity. I was born on De- man made me go with him to his room, cember 13, 1560, and although I was only where two inhuman priests, who were rethe second son, yet (owing to the infirmi-lating the massacre of the Sicilian Vesty of my eldest brother) I was looked up- pers, tried to tear me away from him and on as the future head of the family. I put me to death, saying that their order had been brought up in the doctrine of was to kill even children at the breast. the "réformés," and I have constantly All that Lafaye could do was to conduct professed it, spite of the threats and promises of parties and the vicissitudes of my times; nay, even the change in the religious views of the King, my protector, and his most earnest endeavours to win ine over to the Romish persuasion, could not make me renounce my faith.

I was twelve years of age when the Massacre of St. Bartholomew took place. I had gone to bed very early the day before, and I was awakened at three o'clock in the morning by the ringing of bells and the confused cries of the populace. St. Julien, my tutor, went out hastily with my valet to know the cause of the noise; but I never heard of them afterwards, and undoubtedly they fell a

me secretly to a small closet, and lock me into it. I remained there three whole days, receiving food from a servant of the charitable Lafaye, utterly uncertain what my fate would be.

At the end of this time, the prohibition against further slaughter and pillage having been at last published, I was taken from my prison.

Eight days after this adventure I received a letter from my father, in which he said how much alarmed he had been on my account; however, his advice was that I shouid remain in Paris, since the prince I served was not free to leave it, but, that, in order to escape further risk, I ought to make up my mind to do what

the prince had done, and go to Mass. But to this suggestion I would not as

sent.

gone to the assault with my flag, I was thrown down by the shock of pikes and halberds into the ditch, where I remained sunk in the mud, and so hampered with my flag that without the help of La Trape, my valet, and of a few soldiers, I should certainly have perished.

The town was completely pillaged, and I obtained as my share in the spoil a purse containing a thousand gold crowns, that an old man, pursued by five or six soldiers, gave me to save his life.

As I was not always permitted to attend upon the King of Navarre, I employed my leisure in as useful a way as I could. I gave up the study of languages and many other studies, notwithstanding my father's strong recommendation to me not to neglect them; but this became an impossibility to me as soon as I returned to Court. I parted with regret from the excellent tutor my father had given me, During a truce the King of Navarre and passed from his hands into those of went to Béarn, and allowed me to follow one the King of Navarre had with him, him. He was going under pretence of whom he ordered to teach me mathemat-visiting his sister, but in reality to see ics and history, two sciences which soon Mdlle. de Tignonville (whose mother was consoled me for the neglect of my other governess to Mdlle. de Navarre), and of studies. The rest of my time was employed in learning how to read and write well, and in the acquisition of exercises which give grace to the body, and the cultivation of the virtues which give strength to the soul.

In these principles, and especially in that of giving more attention to moral than to mental and physical training, the King had been instructed himself. But at the age of sixteen this course of education was interrupted by the outbreak of war, in which I engaged, in company with the King, without any hope of ever coming out of it with my life.

To our peaceful exercises succeeded those which only concerned war, and we began by trying the art of firing the arquebusse.

whom he was very fond. I laid aside my uniform, and assumed a dress more suitable to the new part I was about play.

My economy, added to my military profits, had given me a considerable sum, and I was able to pay several young noblemen to join me in attaching ourselves entirely to the King's person. My great youth made this very extraordinary, but I had felt in my early age how excellent it is to put order into one's house.

Mademoiselle, sister of the King, was very lively, and always in search of amusement. I learnt from that princess the art of a courtier, a thing very new to me. Her Royal Highness had the kindness to teach me how to dance in a ballet, which was executed with great magnificence.

The truce being over, we again began All that a young man can do at such as the war. After a great many conflicts, time is to make his heart profit at the ex- Catherine de Medicis wished to pacify the pense of his brains; for even in embar- State; or having, perhaps, some other hidrassment such as we encountered, nay, in den designs, she left Paris with all her the very midst of arms, there presents it- Court, and came to meet us. The ceremoself to whoever knows how to seek for it nious association between the two Courts, excellent schooling for virtue and polite- soon gave place to pleasure and gallantry. ness. But woe to him who is engaged in The Queen Mother might then have conso fatal a profession to youth if he fails included a truce over all the kingdom; but strength and will to resist bad example: it was only arranged for the places where if he has not the good sense to guard himself against all vices, how will he be fortified in those principles that wisdom dictates, to the private individual as well as to the prince? Yes! Virtue should become so much a habit by practice that no virtuous action should ever cause the slightest effort.

I soon followed the King of Navarre into the battle-field, and was made ensign in the regiment of M. de Lavardin, Marshal of France, who was very fond of me, and we went to defend Périgueux. I ran many risks, but the worst one was at the siege of Villefranche in Périgord. Having

both Courts should be together, and within a mile and a half of them. Here they overwhelmed one another with politeness, and spoke with great familiarity; but if two of the opposite factions met outside it was fighting "à l'outrance."

We took several towns by stratagem; one of them was St. Emilion, where we marched during the night unknown to the Queen. We had an immense petard, in the shape of a German sausage, which we fastened to the recess of the window of a large tower; the noise of this machine, when it exploded, was so great that it was heard miles off. With it we

I did not assist at all the sieges, but get warm or sleep in a bed whose short went about and fought at different places, and narrow silk curtains, very light until the sad news I received from Rosny counterpaine, and damp sheets would obliged me to go home. The village had have frozen me in the midst of summer, I been depopulated by the plague, and my made up my mind to get up. I intended wife, who had lost most of her servants by indemnifying myself for my wretchedness it, had fled to the forest, where she had by making a large fire; but I found, only spent two days and two nights in her car-holly-wood and green juniper, which would riage. Then she had taken refuge at the not burn. I spent the rest of the night Château de Huets, belonging to an aunt wrapped up in my dressing-gown. I left of mine. The joy my wife felt in seeing this poor dwelling with pleasure, and went me yielded to her fear of the danger I ran back to my people, who had fared far betin being with her, and she had the castle ter than their master. gates shut up, thinking I would go away. I entered, notwithstanding her resistance, and remained there a month, with only two noblemen and two servants, breathing the country air undisturbed, because the plague prevented people from coming near us. The persecution of all the Protestants made me fear that the money which was owed to me would be confis- The dissolution of the marriage of cated for the benefit of the League; however, I was paid upon contenting myself with 10.000 livres, instead of 24,000, which was entirely for King Henry's use.

I was severely wounded at the battle of Ivry, and the King, on hearing it, hastened to me, whilst I was being carried on a litter, and did not disdain to dismount his horse in order to express to me his sincere sympathy. When he heard that, although half-mutilated, there were hopes for me, he embraced me, saying: "Farewell, my friend, recover soon and remember you have a good master."

The King had wished me to try and effect a reconciliation between the Duc de Montpensier and the Comte de Soissons, and on returning from them I went to Anet, where Madame la Duchesse d'Aumale lived, who had repeatedly invited me to come and visit her. She expressed much joy in seeing me, and gave me a most graceful welcome. She took me by the hand, and we visited the galleries and the splendid gardens which made Anet so enchanting an abode. She was most anxious to see her husband obedient to his sovereign, but the conditions she wished to exact obliged me to decline meddling in this affair.

Hitherto I had seen nothing but what could do honour to the master of a truly royal house, and I should have been ignorant of the deplorable state to which he was reduced if the Duchess had not forced me to stay to supper and sleep there. After a meal long waited for, and as bad as it was badly served, I was ushered into a room all marble, but so unfurnished and cold that, not being able to

It was about this time that I experienced my first great sorrow: I heard of the illness of my wife, and fled to Rosny, where I arrived in time to receive the last embrace of this amiable woman. The death of so dear a wife shut my heart against all other feelings, and for a long time I thought of nothing else.

Henry with Marguerite de Valois had taken place, and I was often in consultation with His Majesty about the choice of a new Consort. The Duchesse de Beaufort, Gabrielle d'Estrées, whose ambition after the birth of her second son had become unbounded, wished to be declared Queen; but Marguerite de Valois had refused to sanction her divorce with the King should the Duchesse be made Queen, and Henry, notwithstanding the importunity of his mistress, had been obliged to give up all idea of marrying her. He therefore confided in me, and we began to pass in review the different princesses likely to suit him.

"That I may never repent of my choice," said the King to me, "and escape from the greatest of misfortunes — that of having a wife badly made in mind and body -- I must have seven things which will be difficult to find in one person: the woman I marry must be beautiful, wise, sweettempered, witty, prolific, rich, and of royal lineage."

All this ended, however, in his marrying Marie de Medicis, a niece of the Duke of Tuscany, who was neither beautiful nor of very great descent.

at

The future Queen arrived at Lyons, after leaving Livorno with an escort of seventeen galleys. Her Majesty was supper when Henry entered the apartment incognito, wishing to see her without her knowledge. The queen, perceiving that something had happened from the appearance of the people around her, retired to her room. The King followed immediately, and at his entrance Marie de Medicis threw herself at his feet. Henry