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〃No； no！〃 cried Mazarin； fearing that should his prisoner
ever leave his prison he would be the more exasperated
against him if he thus retrenched his amusement。 He then
asked with whom he played。
〃My lord； either with the officers of the guard； with the
other prisoners； or with me。〃
〃But does he not approach the walls while playing？〃
〃Your eminence doesn't know those walls； they are sixty feet
high and I doubt if Monsieur de Beaufort is sufficiently
weary of life to risk his neck by jumping off。〃
〃Hum！〃 said the cardinal； beginning to feel more
comfortable。 〃You mean to say； then； my dear Monsieur la
Ramee 〃
〃That unless Monsieur de Beaufort can contrive to
metamorphose himself into a little bird； I will continue
answerable for him。〃
〃Take care！ you assert a great deal；〃 said Mazarin。
〃Monsieur de Beaufort told the guards who took him to
Vincennes that he had often thought what he should do in
case he were put into prison； and that he had found out
forty ways of escaping。〃
〃My lord； if among these forty there had been one good way
he would have been out long ago。〃
〃Come； come； not such a fool as I fancied！〃 thought Mazarin。
〃Besides； my lord must remember that Monsieur de Chavigny is
governor of Vincennes；〃 continued La Ramee； 〃and that
Monsieur de Chavigny is not friendly to Monsieur de
Beaufort。〃
〃Yes； but Monsieur de Chavigny is sometimes absent。〃
〃When he is absent I am there。〃
〃But when you leave him； for instance？〃
〃Oh！ when I leave him； I place in my stead a bold fellow who
aspires to be his majesty's special guard。 I promise you he
keeps a good watch over the prisoner。 During the three weeks
that he has been with me； I have only had to reproach him
with one thing being too severe with the prisoners。〃
〃And who is this Cerberus？〃
〃A certain Monsieur Grimaud； my lord。〃
〃And what was he before he went to Vincennes？〃
〃He was in the country； as I was told by the person who
recommended him to me。〃
〃And who recommended this man to you？〃
〃The steward of the Duc de Grammont。〃
〃He is not a gossip； I hope？〃
〃Lord a mercy； my lord！ I thought for a long time that he
was dumb； he answers only by signs。 It seems his former
master accustomed him to that。〃
〃Well； dear Monsieur la Ramee；〃 replied the cardinal 〃let
him prove a true and thankful keeper and we will shut our
eyes upon his rural misdeeds and put on his back a uniform
to make him respectable； and in the pockets of that uniform
some pistoles to drink to the king's health。〃
Mazarin was large in promises； quite unlike the virtuous
Monsieur Grimaud so bepraised by La Ramee； for he said
nothing and did much。
It was now nine o'clock。 The cardinal； therefore； got up；
perfumed himself； dressed； and went to the queen to tell her
what had detained him。 The queen； who was scarcely less
afraid of Monsieur de Beaufort than the cardinal himself；
and who was almost as superstitious as he was； made him
repeat word for word all La Ramee's praises of his deputy。
Then； when the cardinal had ended：
〃Alas； sir！ why have we not a Grimaud near every prince？〃
〃Patience！〃 replied Mazarin； with his Italian smile； 〃that
may happen one day； but in the meantime 〃
〃Well； in the meantime？〃
〃I shall still take precautions。〃
And he wrote to D'Artagnan to hasten his return。
17
Describes how the Duc de Beaufort amused his Leisure Hours
in the Donjon of Vincennes。
The captive who was the source of so much alarm to the
cardinal and whose means of escape disturbed the repose of
the whole court； was wholly unconscious of the terror he
caused at the Palais Royal。
He had found himself so strictly guarded that he soon
perceived the fruitlessness of any attempt at escape。 His
vengeance； therefore； consisted in coining curses on the
head of Mazarin； he even tried to make some verses on him；
but soon gave up the attempt； for Monsieur de Beaufort had
not only not received from Heaven the gift of versifying； he
had the greatest difficulty in expressing himself in prose。
The duke was the grandson of Henry VI。 and Gabrielle
d'Estrees as good…natured； as brave； as proud； and above
all； as Gascon as his ancestor； but less elaborately
educated。 After having been for some time after the death of
Louis XIII。 the favorite； the confidant； the first man； in
short； at the court； he had been obliged to yield his place
to Mazarin and so became the second in influence and favor；
and eventually； as he was stupid enough to be vexed at this
change of position； the queen had had him arrested and sent
to Vincennes in charge of Guitant； who made his appearance
in these pages in the beginning of this history and whom we
shall see again。 It is understood； of course； that when we
say 〃the queen；〃 Mazarin is meant。
During the five years of this seclusion； which would have
improved and matured the intellect of any other man； M。 de
Beaufort； had he not affected to brave the cardinal； despise
princes； and walk alone without adherents or disciples；
would either have regained his liberty or made partisans。
But these considerations never occurred to the duke and
every day the cardinal received fresh accounts of him which
were as unpleasant as possible to the minister。
After having failed in poetry； Monsieur de Beaufort tried
drawing。 He drew portraits； with a piece of coal； of the
cardinal； and as his talents did not enable him to produce a
very good likeness； he wrote under the picture that there
might be little doubt regarding the original： 〃Portrait of
the Illustrious Coxcomb； Mazarin。〃 Monsieur de Chavigny； the
governor of Vincennes； waited upon the duke to request that
he would amuse himself in some other way； or that at all
events； if he drew likenesses； he would not put mottoes
underneath them。 The next day the prisoner's room was full
of pictures and mottoes。 Monsieur de Beaufort； in common
with many other prisoners； was bent upon doing things that
were prohibited； and the only resource the governor had was；
one day when the duke was playing at tennis； to efface all
these drawings； consisting chiefly of profiles。 M。 de
Beaufort did not venture to draw the cardinal's fat face。
The duke thanked Monsieur de Chavigny for having； as he
said； cleaned his drawing…paper for him； he then divided the
walls of his room into compartments and dedicated each of
these compartments to some incident in Mazarin's life。 In
one was depicted the 〃Illustrious Coxcomb〃 receiving a
shower of blows from Cardinal Bentivoglio； whose servant he
had been； another； the 〃Illustrious Mazarin〃 acting the part
of Ignatius Loyola in a tragedy of that name； a third； the
〃Illustrious Mazarin〃 stealing the portfolio of prime
minister from Monsieur de Chavigny； who had expected to have
it； a fourth； the 〃Illustrious Coxcomb Mazarin〃 refusing to
give Laporte； the young king's valet； clean sheets； and
saving that 〃it was quite enough for the king of France to
have clean sheets every three months。〃
The governor； of course； thought proper to threaten his
prisoner that if he did not give up drawing such pictures he
should be obliged to deprive him of all the means of amusing
himself in that manner。 To this Monsieur de Beaufort replied
that since e