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described in his Essays, being, like it, domestic, conducted 

 in a feudal castle in a remote district, and embracing a 

 much greater range of subjects than is comprehended in 

 our modern ' courses of study.' Bassompierre tells us, for 

 example, in his memoirs, among other particulars of his 

 studies, that in his seventeenth year he devoted one hour a 

 day singly to the study ' of law, of casuistry, of Hippocrates, 

 the ethics and politics of Aristotle,' and that, like our own 

 Lord Herbert of Cherbury, whom he resembled in his ad- 

 miration of the usages of chivalry, he prided himself on his 

 early proficiency in martial exercises, particularly ' riding 

 the great horse.' 



In 1598 Bassompierre arrived, in the course of his 

 travels, at Paris, having first visited Italy and Germany. 

 His reception at the court of France was Mattering beyond 

 example. His family was of the highest order of nobility : 

 his father Had commanded a regiment of cavalry, called 

 reiters (riders), under the French king, Henry IV., and, 

 like his master, had been wounded at the battle of Ivry ; 

 and Bassompierre's person and address were those of a 

 knight of romance. Bassompierre was first introduced to 

 the French king's notice in a ballet, which some young 

 courtiers had got up to amuse Henry on his recovering from 

 an illness, in which the illness, and still more the mode of 

 cure, were held up to laughter. Bassompierre took a part 

 in the ballet, and quickly caught the attention of Henry. 

 The result was a warm friendship on both sides; and Bas- 

 somp;orre became for life a devoted Frenchman. 



The incidents of Bassompierre s career are only interest- 

 ing to the general reader so far as they illustrate the man- 

 ners of the times. Bassompierre was young, ardent, and 

 accomplished, and distinguished for his personal beauty and 

 courage ; and the court of France was at that time one 

 scene of gaiety, intrigue, and licentiousness. His career 

 may accordingly be briefly described as that of a ' chartered 

 libertine,' who united the wily arts of the courtier with the 

 intrepidity of a soldier. In many respects the court of Henry 

 resembled that of Charles II. of England. It is but justice, 

 however, to the French king to state, that unbridled as he- 

 was himself in the indulgence of his amorous propensities, 

 and baneful as was the effect of such an example upon the 

 morals of his court, the general features of its prolligacy 

 were less sordid and disgusting than those which disgrace 

 the history of 'the English court during the times which fol- 

 lowed the Restoration. 



In IGO'J Bassompierre was on the point of being married 

 to the most beautiful woman in France, the daughter of the 

 Constable de Montmorency. He was preferred among a 

 host of suitors by Mademoiselle de Montmorency herself, 

 and had obtained the consent of her father and the king, 

 who had not then seen the lady. In a few days afterwards 

 Henry saw her, and, though then fifty-seven years of age, 

 became ' madly and desperately ' in love with her him- 

 self. After a sleepless night the king sent for Bassom- 

 pierre to attend him in his cabinet. ' I was thinking, 

 :iipierre,' said he, 'that the best thing you can do is to 

 marry the Duchess of Aumale and revive the dukedom in 

 your own person.' ' What, sire, would your Majesty have 

 me marry two wives ? ' was the answer. ' The truth is, my 

 friend,' said Henry, ' I am myself desperately, madly in love 

 with Mademoiselle de Montmorency, and should hate you 

 if you obtained her heart, while you would be sure to hate 

 me if she fixed her affections on me. Now, I have too great 

 a regard for you to risk our friendship by your union with 

 her, and therefore I think it better to give her in marriage 

 to my nephew the Prince of Condi-, who is young and a 

 hundred times fonder of the chace than of the ladies. This 

 union will be the solace of the old age upon which I am 

 just entering, and I shall seek no thanks from her but her 

 affection. I assure you I seek no more.' (Memoires, torn. i. 



;!.) Bassompierre knew that it was useless to refuse 

 is consent to this proposition, and he was too prudent a 

 courtier to incur the loss of the king's friendship. 



Bassompierre served in all the civil wars, mostly of a re- 

 ligious character, in which France was engaged in his time, 

 and rose through successive steps to the highest military 

 honours, having been appointed by Henry captain-general of 

 tli" Swiss Guards, a high court appointment, and promoted 

 to the rank of marshal in the next reign. He does not seem 

 t> have possessed much military talent, and was distin- 

 guished in the camp chiefly by his playful humour and 

 courage. He assisted at the siege of Rochelle, under the 

 eye of Cardinal Richelieu, and is reported to have said on 



i: 



that occasion, ' We shall be fools enough to take the plaoa 

 for the cardinal,' meaning that the capture of that last 

 fortress of the Huguenots would so strengthen the hands of 

 Richelieu as to place the party of the queen-mother and the 

 Guises at his mercy ; and the result proved that Bassom- 

 pierre was right. 



Bassompierre stood so high in the favour of the indolent 

 monarch, Louis XIII., as to convert the favourite Luynes 

 into a fierce enemy. After some coqueting and countermin- 

 ing on both sides, Luynes succeeded in inducing Louis to 

 give Bassompierre a cold reception at court. Bassompierre 

 sought an explanation with the favourite. Luynes told him, 

 frankly that he was jealous of his influence with the king ; 

 that he (Bassompierre) must see, from the reception lie had 

 met with, that he had now a superior in influence, and there- 

 fore he must make up his mind to take a military appoint- 

 ment at a distance, an embassy, or be forbidden from the 

 presence. Bassompierre accepted the offer of an embassy, 

 and Luynes declared himself his devoted friend. He was 

 accordingly sent ambassador extraordinary to Spain, and 

 afterwards to the Swiss, in the years 1624 and 1625. The 

 particulars of these embassies are detailed in his Ambassades 

 and his Memoires, but do not possess general interest. In 

 1626 he was sent to England, at the instance of the Car- 

 dinal Richelieu, in order to enforce the observance of the 

 treaty of marriage between Henrietta Maria and Charles I., 

 so far as it applied to the toleration of the Roman Catholic 

 worship. The circumstances which gave rise to this embassy- 

 lire explained by the following letter: 



'Stecnie [Buckingham], I have refceaved your letter by 

 Die Greame, this is ray answer. I command you to send all 

 the French away tomorrow out of the toune if you can by 

 faire meanes (but stike not long in disputing), otherwise 

 force them away, dryving them away lyke so manie wylde 

 beastes untill ye have shipped them, and so to the Devill go 

 with them. Let me heare no answer bet of the performance 

 of my command. So I rest, 



' Your faithfull, constant, loving friend, 



'August ~th. 1626.' 'CHARLES REX. 



(Elhs's Original Letters, first series, vol. iii. p. 244.) 

 This violent dismissal of the queen's household was re- 

 sented as an affront by the king of France, her brother, and 

 Bassompierre was despatched as ambassador extraordinary to 

 seek an explanation. Charles refused to give him an audience 

 till he had dismissed Father Sancy (concerning whom see 

 D Israeli's Commentaries on the Reign of Charles I., vol. i.), 

 who had come over in his train. Bassompierre firmly re- 

 fused, and stood upon his privileges as an ambassador. The 

 king was placed in an awkward dilemma, dreading, in par- 

 ticular, ' a scene with his wife,' should he admit Bassom- 

 pierre to a public audience. Buckingham explained to 

 Bassompierre the difficulties of his master's situation, and 

 threw himself upon the Frenchman's good nature to extri- 

 cate him from them. Bassompierre accordingly suggested 

 that the king, ' after allowing me to make my bow, and 

 having received with the king's letter my first compliments, 

 when I should. commence to open to him the occasion of my 

 coming, the king may interrupt me and say, " Sir you are 

 come from London (to Hampton) ; you have to return thither; 

 it is late, anil this matter requires a longer time than I can 

 now give you. I shall send for you at an earlier hour," &c., 

 &c., and after some civil expressions about the king, my 

 brother-in-law, and the queen, my mother-in-law, the king 

 will add, " I can no longer delay the impatience of the queen, 

 my wife, to hear of them from yourself," &c.' Charles had 

 the meanness to go through this humiliating ceremonial to 

 the letter. A few days afterwards he admitted Bassompierre 

 to a private audience, in which he gave vent to his angry 

 feelings. Bassompierre replied with equal warmth, and 

 taunted Charles with a breach of the treaty of marriage. 

 Charles, whose pride refused to plead the real cause, the 

 necessity of yielding to the religious prejudices of his par- 

 liament, contended that the treaty was ' one of stale and not 

 of religion.' Angry threats and recriminations followed, 

 which induced Charles to exclaim, ' Why then do you not 

 declare war at once?' With great firmness and dignity 

 Bassompierre replied, ' I am not a herald to declare war, 

 but a marshal of France, to make it when declared.' 



The remainder of Bassompierre's career is soon told. He 

 attached himself warmly to the interests of the house of 

 Guise, and the queen-mother Mary de' Medicis, who was 

 the great obstacle to Richelieu's attaining absolute power, 

 and he paid the penalty of his adhesion. The immo- 



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