Historic Tales: The Romance of Reality. Vol. 06 (of 15), FrenchMorris, Charles
History
Historic Tales: The Romance of Reality. Vol. 06 (of 15), French
Morris, Charles
France -- History
The dying cardinal had triumphed over all his foes. He had, from his bed
at Tarascon, dictated to the king the course to be pursued, entailing
dishonor to the Duke of Orleans and death to the grand equerry of
France. The king then took his way back to Fontainebleau in the litter
of the cardinal, which the latter had lent him. Richelieu did not
remain long behind him. He was conveyed to his house in Lyons in a
litter shaped like a square chamber, covered with red damask, and borne
on the shoulders of eighteen guards. Within, beside his couch, was a
table covered with papers, at which he worked with his ordinary
diligence, chatting pleasantly at intervals with such of his servants as
accompanied him. In the same equipage he left Lyons for the Loire, on
his return to Paris. On the way it was necessary to pull down walls and
bridge ditches that this great litter, in which the greatest man in
France lay in mortal illness, might pass.
What followed needs few words. The Duke of Bouillon confessed
everything, and was pardoned on condition of his delivering up Sedan to
the king. He was kept in prison, however, till after the death of his
accomplices, Cinq-Mars and De Thou, who were tried and sentenced to
execution.
Bouillon had not long to wait. The execution took place on the very day
on which sentence had been pronounced. The two culprits met death
firmly. Cinq-Mars was but twenty-two years of age. He had rapidly run
his course. "Now that I make not a single step which does not lead me to
death, I am more capable than anybody else of estimating the value of
the things of the world," he wrote. "Enough of this world; away to
Paradise!" said De Thou, as he walked to the scaffold.
There were no more conspiracies against Richelieu. There was no time for
them, for in less than three months afterwards he was dead. The
greatest, or at least the most dramatic, minister known to the pages of
history had departed from this world. His royal master did not long
survive him. In five months afterwards, Louis XIII. had followed his
minister to the grave.
_THE PARLIAMENT OF PARIS._
In the streets of Paris all was tumult and fiery indignation. Never had
there been a more sudden or violent outbreak. The whole city seemed to
have turned into the streets. Not until the era of the Revolution, a
century and a half later, was the capital of France again to see such an
uprising of the people against the court. Broussel had been arrested,
Councillor Broussel, a favorite of the populace, who sustained him in
his opposition to the court party, and at once the city was ablaze; for
the first time in the history of France had the people risen in support
of their representatives.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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