The constancy of the Cardinal against those who would remove him out of the Kings Favour.
JT cannot be denied, but that the Cardinal was affected with such apparent grief on this occasion, as cannot be imagined, and as it is not generosity but a poor∣ness of spirit, to a shew an insensibleness on such occasions; so in the Cardinals face one might see all the lively marks of displeasure. It was not the apprehension of losing his fortune that did touch him, for he had learnt by a long experience, that the greatest happinesse of this life is not confined to the greatest honours, and that those who govern an Estate, are like the Celestial Bodies, which receive much honour from the earth, but have no rest at all; so that he had most readily renounced all, according as he supplicated his Majesty, if his Majesty would have thought it fit, who too too well knew of what con∣cernment he was to his State. It could not be, that he did suspect his Ma∣jesties goodnesse or constancy, to whom hee knew his fidelity, was better known then to all the rest of France, and of whose affection he had so many dai∣ly testimonies, that he could not but without great blame have him in any doubt at all. But as Innocence cannot without trouble passe for guilty; so the vice of in∣gratitude with which the Queen Mother did strive to sully his glory, made it so much the more insupportable, by how much lesse he had deserved it. He was not to learn that the power of Grandees was potent enough to insinuate into the peo∣ples minds, their particular thoughts for infallible truths, and that she might in France, and to posterity, make him passe for an ungratefull servant of those favours which she had conferred upon him. It was for this, that he could not imagine (no more then he Kings loyal servants) that (after he had given canse to the whole World to admire him) the Artifices of some seditious spirits, would be able to counterpoise his glory.
Ingratitude is a deficiency of that acknowledgement which one ought to have for good Offices, so that who so confesseth himself to be indebted, cannot be ac∣cused. But surely he cannot be called ingratefull, who hath no greater desires then of paying eternal service to those from whom he hath received obligations, and who hath no more apparent grief, then to see the malice of his enemies able to remove him from the opportunities of so doing But what appearence can there be of casting this infamous quality in his teeth who hath paid all imaginable services to his very enemies, onely that he might make' them Mediators of his Reconciliation, which would inable him to imploy the rest of his life, to serve her who had obliged him? Can he be called ingratefull, who would lose the first place of Honour in a State, to preserve that which he had formerly possessed in the good opinion of his Benefact••ix, seeing he could not make a more perfect demonstration of his acknow∣ledgement? And now cannot the whole Court bear witnesse, that all this was but one part of the care which the Cardinal took to recover some part of the honour of the Queen-Mothers good opinion?
He whom she made his principle accuser, never durst disavow it in his writings. But not wel•• knowing how to describe his ingratitude, he would fain make him passe for ingratefull, because he did not adhere to, and follow all the Queen Mothers sentiments in State affairs; as if a Minister could with Justice prefer the opinion of such a person as she was, before the Kings service! And as if the condiscendence which he should make to the Queen Mothers will, would not be one of the greatest defects in a person of his Trust! It is true that her birth, might oblige him to ex∣traordinary services, but they never ought to run counter to the fidelity due to his Master, which commands him to passe by no occasion of preserving or augment∣ing his glory. He is obliged to know what is due by way of recognition to those