[The Vicomte de Bragelonne by Alexandre Dumas Pere]@TWC D-Link bookThe Vicomte de Bragelonne CHAPTER XI 6/18
Let them destroy each other's navies, we can construct ours with the wrecks of their vessels; when we shall save our money to buy nails." "Oh, how paltry and mean is all this that you are telling me, monsieur le cardinal!" "Yes, but nevertheless it is true, sire; you must confess that.
Sill further.
Suppose I admit, for a moment, the possibility of breaking your word, and evading the treaty--such a thing as sometimes happens, but that is when some great interest is to be promoted by it, or when the treaty is found to be too troublesome--well, you will authorize the engagement asked of you: France--her banner, which is the same thing--will cross the Straits and will fight; France will be conquered." "Why so ?" "_Ma foi!_ we have a pretty general to fight under--this Charles II.! Worcester gave us proofs of that." "But he will no longer have to deal with Cromwell, monsieur." "But he will have to deal with Monk, who is quite as dangerous.
The brave brewer of whom we are speaking, was a visionary; he had moments of exaltation, of inflation, during which he ran over like an over-filled cask; and from the chinks there always escaped some drops of his thoughts, and by the sample the whole of his thought was to be made out. Cromwell has thus allowed us more than ten times to penetrate into his very soul, when one would have conceived that soul to be enveloped in triple brass, as Horace had it.
But Monk! Oh, sire, God defend you from ever having anything to transact politically with Monk.
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