R I C 



R I C 



tore that period, as we find his name not only in the lepond 

 book of " Motetti della Corona," publilhed at Foffem- 

 brone, 15 19, and preferred in the Britilh Mufeum, in 

 which collection he was author of the fourth motet, 

 •' Mileremini mei ;" but to a motet in a mufic-book, pre- 

 ferved at Cambridge, of Henry VIII. when prince of 

 Wales. Ghreanus fays, that " great praife is due in our 

 times to the vocal compofitions of John Richefort." In 

 the mufeum collection of French fongs, in four, five, and 

 fix parts, printed in the Netherlands during the fixteenth 

 century, there is one by this author for three tenors and a 

 bafe, which, though it would be thought monotonous by 

 modern ears, has great merit for the artful contexture of 

 the parts, which are moving throughout in cksfe fugue and 

 imitation. The words, indeed, of thefe old fongs are gene- 

 rally as rude and devoid of meaning as thofe of our own 

 country, equally ancient ; this, however, contains a general 

 cenfnre of indifcriminate urbanity. 



RICHELET, Cjesar-Peter, a French writer, was 

 born, in 1631, at Cheminon, in Champagne. He went, 

 when voung, to Dijon, where he fuperintended the edu- 

 cation of the fon of the marquis de Courtivron. About 

 1660 he went to Paris, was admitted an advocate, and be- 

 gan to plead at the bar. He became connected with 

 d'Ablancourt and Patru, and acquired reputation frem the 

 attention he paid to the French language. In 1 665 he 

 was admitted to an academy of men of letters, which the 

 abbe d'Aubi<Tnac had eftablilhed at his own houfe. It 

 appears that he was for fome time placed about the dauphin, 

 as one who might contribute to infpire that prince with 

 the love of literature. He afterwards took up his abode 

 in different parts of France, the enemies he made by his 

 fatirical difpofition obliging him frequently to fhitt his 

 refidence. He died at Paris in 1698, at the age of 67. 

 The principal work of Richelet is his " Dictionnaire Fran- 

 cois," of which the firfF edition was publilhed at Geneva 

 in 1680, 4to., and feveral have fince been printed with 

 additions. The laft is that of the abbe Goujet, Lyons 

 J 7J9> 3 v0 ' s - *°1" R'chelet's Dictionary has been popular, 

 though his orthography was much cenfured. He alfo 

 publilhed " Dictionnaire des Rimes ;" " Les plus Belles- 

 Lettres des meilleurs Auteufs Francois ;" of this collection 

 the bell edition is that of Bruzen de la Martinierc, 1737, 

 2 vols. i2mo. ; " A Tranflation of Garcilailo de la Vega's 

 Hiftory of Florida ;" and other works. 



RICHELIEU, Aemand du Plessis, a famous prime 

 miniiler of France, born at Paris in 1585, was the fon nf 

 Francis du Pleffis Richelieu, grand provoft of France, and 

 captain of the guards to Henry IV. He was brought up 

 to the church, and after ttudying at the Sorbonne, went to 

 Rome. At the early age of 22, he was confecrated bifhop 

 of Lucon. Though he had obtained fome diftindlion by his 

 proficiency in fcholaftic theology, his great objeft was to 

 make his way at court. He concealed, under polite and in- 

 finuating manners, a determined difpofition, and a fpirit of 

 intrigue well fuited to a female regency and a reign of fa- 

 vourites. The queen-mother, Mary of Medicis, in 161 6 

 nominated him her grand almoner and fecretary of ilate. 

 On the fall of the marfhal d'Ancre, his proteclor, Riche- 

 lieu retired from court, and affedled to employ himfelf in 

 writing books of devotion, while he was upon the watch to 

 recover his credit. This point he at length gained, by 

 effecting an accommodation between the queen and her fon 

 Lewis XIII., and the new favourite de Lugnes rewarded 

 his fervices by procuring him a cardinal's hat in 1622. 

 After the death of Lugnes, the court and kingdom, fell into 

 diforder through the intrigues of- the great, and the con- 



1 



tention9 of different parties, while all agreed in their de- 

 fiance of the laws, and encroachments upon the fupremr 

 authority. A minifter of equal talents and refolution was 

 wanted to remedy thefe evils, and he exifted in Richelieu. 

 He had gained the confidence of the queen-mother, who 

 recovered influence enough to introduce him into the council, 

 notwithftanding the oppofition of the other minifters, who 

 feared him, and the repugnance of the king, who fufpecled 

 his ambition, and was fhocked with his licentious manners. 

 In 1624 he found means to fubvert all his rivals, and to 

 poffsis himfelf of the whole authority of the crown. 



The government, in his hands, foon affumed a tone of 

 vigour and decifion. He concluded the treaty of marriage 

 between the prince of Wales and Henrietta, the French 

 king's filler, in fpite of the efforts of Rome and Spain, and 

 equally dilconcerted thofe courts by fending an army, and 

 preventing the projected union with the Milanefe. He next 

 turned his arms againll the French Calvinills, who, ren- 

 dered difaffecled by the frequent breaches of the treaties 

 made with them, were become a kind of independent re- 

 public within the kingdom. Having firll fecured the 

 friendship of Holland by pecuniary aid, he obtained the 

 affiftance of its fleet, and that of the Enghfh, againll their 

 brother Protectants of Rochellc, and expelled them from 

 the ifle of Rhe. It is acknowledged that the French mo- 

 narchy dates from him its itrength and independence. One 

 of the principal enemies he had to contend with was Gallon, 

 duke of Orleans, the king's brother. In confequence of a 

 confpiracy entered into by this prince to alTafiinate the 

 minifter, and effect great changes at court, Richelieu ar- 

 retted feveral of his confidents, and brought fome of them 

 to the fcaflold. The danger he had incurred formed a pre- 

 text for giving him a bodv guard ; and, by his pretended 

 wilhes to quit his llation, he augmented his influence over 

 his mailer. In 1627 war broke out with England, chiefly 

 in confequence of the infolent vanity of the duke of Buck- 

 ingham ; and the Rochellers, with whom an accommodation 

 had been made, were induced to favour the Englilh. 

 Richelieu thereupon reiolved to reduce to fubmiffion a town 

 which had long been the feat of an independent power, 

 1 leagued with the enemies of tke kingdom ; and after 

 the duke of Buckingham had been obliged withdifgrace to 

 quit the ille of Rhe, Rochelle was inverted on all fides. 

 Richelieu in perfon took the command of the fiege, and in 

 order to prevent the arrival of fuccours by fea, he caufed to 

 be conflrudled a vaft dyke in the ocean, by which all com- 

 munication from abroad was cut off. This circumilance 

 has given occafion to the cardinal's flatterers to compare him 

 with Alexander before Tyre, and the work has been repre- 

 fented as one of the prodigies of his genius ; but it was 

 really that of the genius of the engineer Metezeau, and 

 Richelieu only deferves the praife of adopting a bold defign, 

 and finding refources for putting it in execution. At 

 length, after a noble refiltance of eleven months, Rochelle 

 fubmitted to famine ; and the Proteltants having lolt their 

 great bulwark, and all their other ftrong places, were ren- 

 dered incapable of again ailing as an armed party. It is to 

 the credit of the policy and moderation of Richelieu that 

 they were It ill allowed the free exercife of their religion. 



In 1629 Richelieu received the patent of prime minifter, 

 and was nominated lieutenant-general of the army employed 

 in the war in Italy, with powers fo extenfive, that the royal 

 authority was reduced to a fhadow. All that was great in 

 the nation trembled before him. His foreign politics had 

 chiefly in view the humiliation of the houfe of Aultria ; 

 and by his treaty, in 1 631, with Guftavus Adolphus, he 

 enabled that great king to purlue thofe plans which brought 



the 



