FOOTNOTES:
[384] Mémoires de Choisy, p. 590.
[385] M. Feuillet de Conches, Causeries d’un Curieux, vol. ii. p. 529. “M. d’Artagnan told me,” says Olivier d’Ormesson in his Journal, “that M. Fouquet, during the first three weeks, was very unquiet and amazed, but that his mind grew calmer, and that he became very self-possessed afterwards, giving himself up largely to devotion; that he fasted every week on Wednesday and Friday, and besides this, lived on Saturday on bread and water; that he rose before seven o’clock, said his prayers, and after that worked till nine o’clock; that he subsequently heard mass.”—Journal d’Olivier d’Ormesson, vol. ii. p. 52.
[386] Letters from Louvois to Saint-Mars, June 29, 1665, and from Colbert to the same, on the same day. People at Paris as well as at Pignerol did not fail to say that heaven had judged him innocent whom men had condemned. See Lettres de Madame de Sévigné et de Guy Patin; Journal d’Olivier d’Ormesson, vol. ii. p. 372; Œuvres de Fouquet, vol. xvi.
[387] Order of Louis XIV., countersigned by Le Tellier, and dated from Saint-Germain, June 29, 1665. It was Saint-Mars who, with his free company as escort, took Fouquet to La Pérouse, and continued to guard him there till the month of August, 1666, at which period he brought him back to Pignerol.
[388] Delort, Histoire de la Détention des Philosophes, vol. i. p. 103.
[389] Letters from Louvois to Saint-Mars, July 26 and December 18, 1665.
[390] Louvois inquired in vain as to the manner in which Fouquet had been able to compound this sympathetic ink. “It is necessary,” he wrote to Saint-Mars on July 26, 1665, “that you should endeavour to find out from Monsieur de Fouquet’s servant how [his master] has written the four lines which appeared upon the book on warming it, and of what he has composed this writing.”
[391] The following is one of the first letters written from Pignerol by Saint-Mars. It is one of the rare letters addressed to Colbert. Saint-Mars made some progress in orthography after this, and the later despatches which we have of his show a rather less imperfect knowledge of the French language:—
“At Pignerol, this 13 February, 1665.
“Monseigneur—I have nothing fresh to tell you; everything is going on all right, in my humble opinion. I had been assured that there was a man of M. Fouquet’s here in the town. I had him sought for by the major, he has not been found; he has not shown himself before the prisoner’s windows, and I have taken care to say everywhere that I would not advise him to appear before the donjon, and that [if he did] it would not be a case of live and let live. I believe that this has frightened him. I thank you very humbly, Monseigneur, for the care and kindness that you have for me. I have received, by the last post, an account for the subsistence here for the present month which I am about to draw. My company arrived here on the 9th, and has already mounted guard. There is so much work to do here for the safety of a prisoner that I shall not be altogether settled for three weeks. M. Fouquet wishes to confess every month. I have given him a confessor who is of the household of one M. d’Amorclan, a man altogether devoted to Mgr. le Tèlier. For myself, I should approve of him; but as I have received orders to change him continually, I shall not allow him to confess until I receive your commands. I shall always await them with impatience, having no stronger desire than to please you, and to call myself all my life, Monseigneur, your very humble,” &c.—Manuscripts of the Imperial Library, Volumes in Green, C.
[392] Letter from Louvois to Saint-Mars, August 24, 1665.
[393] Ibid., August 2, 1665.
[394] Ibid., March 26, 1669.
[395] Letter from Louvois to Saint-Mars, September 25, 1669.
[396] Ibid., December 25, 1665.
[397] Letter from Louvois to Saint-Mars, December 13, 1670.
[398] Ibid., November 27, 1677.
[399] Letter from Louvois to Saint-Mars, February 14, 1667.
[400] Ibid., February 24, 1665. See also letters of February 20 and April 24, 1665.
[401] Letter of April 17, 1670. Moreover, the King from time to time granted him gratuities. See among others, in Delort, a letter of June 4, 1666.
[402] Letter from Louvois to Saint-Mars, October 1, 1668.
[403] Named Laforest. Five soldiers received money and were severely punished. Laforest was arrested, condemned to death, and executed on the spot. Despatches from Louvois to Saint-Mars, December 17, 1669, and January 1, 1670.
[404] Letters of Louvois to Saint-Mars, November 21, 1667, October 9, 1668, January 2, 1670, April 15, 1675, and July 3, 1677.
[405] Delort, Histoire de la Détention des Philosophes, vol. i. p. 33.
[406] Despatches from Louvois to Saint-Mars, March 3, September 12, 1665, October 23, 1666, and April 8, 1678.
[407] Letter from Louvois to Saint-Mars, November 22, 1667 and March 1, 1673. “There is no great inconvenience,” writes Louvois to Saint-Mars, “in M. Fouquet’s knowing that the King has made war 011 the Dutch. So do not persuade yourself that you have been deficient in any way in giving him a book which has apprised him of this.”—Letter from Louvois to Saint-Mars, July 2, 1673. “I have received your letter of the 16th of this month, which requires no answer except to say that the King approves your informing M. Fouquet of the current news, according as his Majesty has already permitted you.”—Letter of April 25, 1678.