All the people interested in opposing the work set up a cry.  They saw place, power, everything, about to fly from their grasp, if the counsels of Vauban were acted upon.  What wonder, then, that the King, who was surrounded by these people, listened to their reasons, and received with a very ill grace Marechal Vauban when he presented his book to him.  The ministers, it may well be believed, did not give him a better welcome.  From that moment his services, his military capacity (unique of its kind), his virtues, the affection the King had had for him, all were forgotten.  The King saw only in Marechal Vauban a man led astray by love for the people, a criminal who attacked the authority of the ministers, and consequently that of the King.  He explained himself to this effect without scruple.

The unhappy Marechal could not survive the loss of his royal master’s favour, or stand up against the enmity the King’s explanations had created against him; he died a few months after consumed with grief, and with an affliction nothing could soften, and to which the King was insensible to such a point, that he made semblance of not perceiving that he had lost a servitor so useful and so illustrious.  Vauban, justly celebrated over all Europe, was regretted in France by all who were not financiers or their supporters.

Boisguilbert, whom this event ought to have rendered wise, could not contain himself.  One of the objections which had been urged against his theories, was the difficulty of carrying out changes in the midst of a great war.  He now published a book refuting this point, and describing such a number of abuses then existing, to abolish which, he asked, was it necessary to wait for peace, that the ministers were outraged.  Boisguilbert was exiled to Auvergne.  I did all in my power to revoke this sentence, having known Boisguilbert at Rouen, but did not succeed until the end of two months.  He was then allowed to return to Rouen, but was severely reprimanded, and stripped of his functions for some little time.  He was amply indemnified, however, for this by the crowd of people, and the acclamations with which he was received.

It is due to Chamillart to say, that he was the only minister who had listened with any attention to these new systems of Vauban and Boisguilbert.  He indeed made trial of the plans suggested by the former, but the circumstances were not favourable to his success, and they of course failed.  Some time after, instead of following the system of Vauban, and reducing the imposts, fresh ones were added.  Who would have said to the Marechal that all his labours for the relief of the people of France would lead to new imposts, more harsh, more permanent, and more heavy than he protested against?  It is a terrible lesson against all improvements in matters of taxation and finance.

But it is time, now, that I should retrace my steps to other matters, which, if related in due order of time, should have found a place ere this.  And first, let me relate the particulars concerning a trial in which I was engaged, and which I have deferred allusion to until now, so as not to entangle the thread of my narrative.