Produced by David Widger
Two very different persons died towards the latter part of this year.The first was Lamoignon, Chief President; the second, Ninon, known by thename of Mademoiselle de l'Enclos. Of Lamoignon I will relate a singleanecdote, curious and instructive, which will show the corruption ofwhich he was capable.
One day—I am speaking of a time many years previous to the date of theoccurrences just related—one day there was a great hunting party atSaint Germain. The chase was pursued so long, that the King gave up,and returned to Saint Germain. A number of courtiers, among whom wasM. de Lauzun, who related this story to me, continued their sport; andjust as darkness was coming on, discovered that they had lost their way.After a time, they espied a light, by which they guided their steps, andat length reached the door of a kind of castle. They knocked, theycalled aloud, they named themselves, and asked for hospitality. It wasthen between ten and eleven at night, and towards the end of autumn.The door was opened to them. The master of the house came forth.He made them take their boots off, and warm themselves; he put theirhorses into his stables; and at the same time had a supper prepared forhis guests, who stood much in need of it. They did not wait long for themeal; yet when served it proved excellent; the wines served with it, too,were of several kinds, and excellent likewise: as for the master of thehouse, he was so polite and respectful, yet without being ceremonious oreager, that it was evident he had frequented the best company. Thecourtiers soon learnt that his name vitas Fargues, that the place wascalled Courson, and that he had lived there in retirement several years.After having supped, Fargues showed each of them into a separate bedroom,where they were waited upon by his valets with every proper attention.In the morning, as soon as the courtiers had dressed themselves, theyfound an excellent breakfast awaiting them; and upon leaving the tablethey saw their horses ready for them, and as thoroughly attended to asthey had been themselves. Charmed with the politeness and with themanners of Fargues, and touched by his hospitable reception of them, theymade him many offers of service, and made their way back to SaintGermain. Their non-appearance on the previous night had been the commontalk, their return and the adventure they had met with was no less so.
These gentlemen were then the very flower of the Court, and all of themvery intimate with the King. They related to him, therefore, theirstory, the manner of their reception, and highly praised the master ofthe house and his good cheer. The King asked his name, and, as soon ashe heard it, exclaimed, "What, Fargues! is he so near here, then?"The courtiers redoubled their praises, and the King said no more; butsoon after, went to the Queen-mother, and told her what had happened.
Fargues, indeed, was no stranger, either to her or to the King. He hadtaken a prominent part in the movements of Paris against the Court andCardinal Mazarin. If he had not been hanged, it was because he was wellsupported by his party, who had him included in the amnesty granted tothose who had been engaged in these troubles. Fearing, however, that thehatred of his enemies might place his life in danger if he remained inParis, he retired from the capital to this country-house which has justbeen mentioned, where he continued to live in strict privacy, even whenthe death