the countess of saint geran-第13章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



ladies　de　Ventadour　and　du　Lude　had　helped　her　in　prison　with　money

and　adviceanother　strong　piece　of　presumptive　evidence。



The　petitions　of　the　accused　and　the　interpleadings　of　Mesdames　du

Lude　and　de　Ventadour　were　discussed　in　seven　hearings；　before　three

courts　convened。　　The　suit　proceeded　with　all　the　languor　and

chicanery　of　the　period。



After　long　and　specious　arguments；　the　attorney　general　Bijnon　gave

his　decision　in　favour　of　the　Count　and　Countess　of　Saint…Geran；

concluding　thus：



〃The　court　rejects　the　civil　appeal　of　la　Pigoreau；　and　all　the

opposition　and　appeals　of　the　appellants　and　the　defendants；　condemns

them　to　fine　and　in　costs；　and　seeing　that　the　charges　against　la

Pigoreau　were　of　a　serious　nature；　and　that　a　personal　summons　had

been　decreed　against　her；　orders　her　committal；　recommending　her　to

the　indulgence　of　the　court。〃



By　a　judgment　given　in　a　sitting　at　the　Tournelle　by　M。　de　Mesmes；　on

the　18th　of　August　1657；　the　appellant　ladies'　and　the　defendants'

opposition　was　rejected　with　fine　and　costs。　　La　Pigoreau　was

forbidden　to　leave　the　city　and　suburbs　of　Paris　under　penalty　of

summary　conviction。　　The　judgment　in　the　case　followed　the　rejection

of　the　appeal。



This　reverse　at　first　extinguished　the　litigation　of　Mesdames　du　Lude

and　de　Ventadour；　but　it　soon　revived　more　briskly　than　ever。　　These

ladies；　who　had　taken　la　Pigoreau　in　their　coach　to　all　the　hearings；

prompted　her；　in　order　to　procrastinate；　to　file　a　fresh　petition；　in

which　she　demanded　the　confrontment　of　all　the　witnesses　to　the

pregnancy；　and　the　confinement。　　On　hearing　this　petition；　the　court

gave　on　the　28th　of　August　1658　a　decree　ordering　the　confrontment；

but　on　condition　that　for　three　days　previously　la　Pigoreau　should

deliver　herself　a　prisoner　in　the　Conciergerie。



This　judgment；　the　consequences　of　which　greatly　alarmed　la　Pigoreau；

produced　such　an　effect　upon　her　that；　after　having　weighed　the

interest　she　had　in　the　suit；　which　she　would　lose　by　flight；　against

the　danger　to　her　life　if　she　ventured　her　person　into　the　hands　of

justice；　she　abandoned　her　false　plea　of　maternity；　and　took　refuge

abroad。　　This　last　circumstance　was　a　heavy　blow　to　Mesdames　du　Lude

and　de　Ventadour；　but　they　were　not　at　the　end　of　their　resources　and

their　obstinacy。



Contempt　of　court　being　decreed　against　la　Pigoreau；　and　the　case

being　got　up　against　the　other　defendants；　the　Count　de　Saint…Geran

left　for　the　Bourbonnais；　to　put　in　execution　the　order　to　confront

the　witnesses。　　Scarcely　had　he　arrived　in　the　province　when　he　was

obliged　to　interrupt　his　work　to　receive　the　king　and　the　queen

mother；　who　were　returning　from　Lyons　and　passing　through　Moulins。

He　presented　the　Count　de　la　Palice　to　their　Majesties　as　his　son；

they　received　him　as　such。　　But　during　the　visit　of　the　king　and

queen　the　Count　de　Saint…Geran　fell　ill；　over　fatigued；　no　doubt；　by

the　trouble　he　had　taken　to　give　them　a　suitable　reception；　over　and

above　the　worry　of　his　own　affairs。



During　his　illness；　which　only　lasted　a　week；　he　made　in　his　will　a

new　acknowledgment　of　his　son；　naming　his　executors　M。　de　Barriere；

intendant　of　the　province；　and　the　sieur　Vialet；　treasurer　of　France；

desiring　them　to　bring　the　lawsuit　to　an　end。　　His　last　words　were

for　his　wife　and　child；　his　only　regret　that　he　had　not　been　able　to

terminate　this　affair。　　He　died　on　the　31st　of　January　1659。



The　maternal　tenderness　of　the　countess　did　not　need　stimulating　by

the　injunctions　of　her　husband；　and　she　took　up　the　suit　with　energy。

The　ladies　de　Ventadour　and　du　Lude　obtained　by　default　letters　of

administration　as　heiresses　without　liability；　which　were　granted　out

of　the　Chatelet。　　At　the　same　time　they　appealed　against　the　judgment

of　the　lieutenant…general　of　the　Bourbonnais；　giving　the　tutelage　of

the　young　count　to　the　countess　his　mother；　and　his　guardianship　to

sieur　de　Bompre。　　The　countess；　on　her　side；　interpleaded　an　appeal

against　the　granting　of　letters　of　administration　without　liability；

and　did　all　in　her　power　to　bring　back　the　case　to　the　Tournelle。

The　other　ladies　carried　their　appeal　to　the　high　court；　pleading

that　they　were　not　parties　to　the　lawsuit　in　the　Tournelle。



It　would　serve　no　purpose　to　follow　the　obscure　labyrinth　of　legal

procedure　of　that　period；　and　to　recite　all　the　marches　and

countermarches　which　legal　subtlety　suggested　to　the　litigants。　　At

the　end　of　three　years；　on　the　9th　of　April　1661；　the　countess

obtained　a　judgment　by　which　the　king　in　person



　　　　　〃Assuming　to　his　own　decision　the　civil　suit　pending　at　the

　　　　　Tournelle；　as　well　as　the　appeals　pled　by　both　parties；　and　the

　　　　　last　petition　of　Mesdames　du　Lude　and　de　Ventadour；　sends　back

　　　　　the　whole　case　to　the　three　assembled　chambers　of　the　States

　　　　　General；　to　be　by　them　decided　on　its　merits　either　jointly　or

　　　　　separately；　as　they　may　deem　fit。〃



The　countess　thus　returned　to　her　first　battlefield。　　Legal　science

produced　an　immense　quantity　of　manuscript；　barristers　and　attorneys

greatly　distinguishing　themselves　in　their　calling。　　After　an

interminable　hearing；　and　pleadings　longer　and　more　complicated　than

ever；　which　however　did　not　bamboozle　the　court；　judgment　was

pronounced　in　Conformity　with　the　summing　up　of　the　attorney…general；

thus



〃That　passing　over　the　petition　of　Mesdames　Marie　de　la　Guiche　and

Eleonore　de　Bouille；　on　the　grounds；〃　etc。　　etc。；



〃Evidence　taken；〃　etc。；



〃Appeals；　judgments　annulled；〃　etc。；



〃With　regard　to　the　petition　of　the　late　Claude　de　la　Guiche　and

Suzanne　de　Longaunay；　dated　12th　August　1658；〃



〃Ordered；



〃That　the　rule　be　made　absolute；



〃Which　being　done；　Bernard　de　la　Guiche　is　pronounced；　maintained；

and　declared　the　lawfully　born　and　legitimate　son　of　Claude　de　la

Guiche　and　Suzanne　de　Longaunay；　in　possession　and　enjoyment　of　the

name　and　arms　of　the　house　of　Guiche；　and　of　all　the　goods　left　by

Claude　de　la　Guiche；　his　father；　and　Marie　de　la　Guiche　and　Eleonore

de　Bouille　are　interdicted　from　interfering　with　him；



〃The　petitions　of　Eleonore　de　Bouille　and　Marie　de　la　Guiche；　dated

4th　June　1664；　4th　August　1665；　6th　January；　l0th　February；　12th

March；　15th　April；　and　2nd　June；　1666；　are　dismissed　with　costs；



〃Declared；



〃That　the　defaults　against　la　Pigoreau　are　confirmed；　and　that　she；

arraigned　and　convicted　of　the　offences　imputed　to　her；　is　condemned

to　be　hung　and　strangled　at　a　gallows　erected　in　the　Place　de　Greve

in　this　city；　if　taken　and　apprehended；　otherwise；　in　effigy　at　a

gallows　erected　in　the　Place　de　Greve　aforesaid；　that　all　her

property　subject　to　confiscation　is　seized　and　confiscated　from

whomsoever　may　be　in　possession　of　it；　on　which　property　and　other

not　subject　to　confiscation；　is　levied　a　fine　of　eight　hundred　Paris

livres；　to　be　paid　to　the　King；　and　applied　to　the　maintenance　of

prisoners　in　the　Conciergerie　of　the　Palace　of　justice；　and　to　the

costs。〃



Possibly　a　more　obstinate　legal　contest　was　never　waged；　on　both

sides；　but　especially　by　those　who　lost　it。　　The　countess；　who　played

the　part　of　the　true　mother　in　the　Bible；　had　the　case　so　much　to

heart　that　she　often　told　the　judges；　when　pleading　her　cause；　that

if　her　son　were　not　recognised　as　such；　she　would　marry　him；　and

convey　all　her　property　to　him。



The　young　Count　de　la　Palice　became　Count　de　Saint…Geran　through　the

death　of　his　father；　married；　in　1667；　Claude　Francoise　Madeleine　de

Farignies；　only　daughter　of　Francois　de　Monfreville　and　of　Marguerite

Jourdain　de　Carbone　de　Canisi。　　He　had　only　one　daughter；　born　in

1688；　who　became　a　nun。　　He　died　at　the　age　of　fifty…five　years；　and

thus　this　illustrious　family　became　extinct。











End