725 FRANCE. 
voy, feconded by marefchal Crequi, triumphed over the Mary of Medicis at Cologne clofed a life embittered 
Spaniards led by the duke of Modena; and in the Ne- by the difcord of her fons, and her own exile ; the filial 
therlands, the vigorous etforts of the prince of Orange regard which Louis had denied to her while living,, was 
compelled the garrifon of Breda to furrender. But the fenfibly felt on the news of her death ; but the attention 
duke of Weimar, who fought for Louis, and hud been of France was engrofied by the approaching dilTolution 
trained to arms in the fchool of Guftavus, maintained an of him whofe counfels had driven her into baniffiment,. 
independent authority over an army of various nations in and whofe implacable vengeance had (hed, by the hands 
the pay of France, which was furprifed and routed in the of the executioner, fome of the noblelt blood of France, 
ftege of Rheinfeld ; the duke of Rohan, who had acconi- The glories and life of Richelieu drew near their end; 
panied him from efteem, here received his mortal wound, after the reduction of Perpignan, exhaufted in body,, but 
and clofed a life of virtue and of glory. But tire duke ot (fill vigorous in mind, he had approached the capital by 
Weimar within a few days effaced his difgrace by the ilow aiuPtemperate journies ; his laft moments attefted 
total defeat of his enemies. Four imperial generals in his afcendancy over his fovereign, and were ftill terrible 
chains attelled his triumph ; and the towns of Rheinfeld, to his enemies. On his death-bed he protelled to Louis, 
Fribourg, and Brifac, acknowledged the dominion of the that his counfels had ever been directed to the honour of 
vidlor. The death of the duke of Savoy about this time the crown and the welfare of the kingdom; and, in 1642^ 
rather increafed than diminilhed the influence of France; he terminated his Iplendid career with a fortitude and 
his widow, the filler of Louis, was appointed regent du¬ 
ring the minority of her infant foil; and Richelieu re- 
folved to retaliate on Spain the invafion of Picardy by 
the fiege of Fontarabia. But the prince of Condc, to 
whom that enterprife was confided, was defeated by the 
admiral of Caftile, and with the remnant of his army 
with difficulty efcaped to his Ihips. This miicarriage 
was balanced by a domellic event of the higheft importance. 
The queen, in 1638, was delivered of a Ion, which, while 
it fecured the peaceable fuccellion to the throne, contri¬ 
buted to check the turbulent levity of the duke of Or¬ 
leans, and to eftablilh the power of the cardinal. 
While Louis, in 1642, prell'ed the liege of Perpignan, 
a confederacy was formed that promifed to extinguilh 
the power of Richelieu. The lively temper, agreeable 
addrefs, and elegant perfon,of Cinq Mars, the fecond fon 
of marefchal d’Effiet, had rendered him peculiarly ac¬ 
ceptable to the king; but this favourite, haughty and 
intractable, regarded with averfion the fuperior afcen¬ 
dancy of the minilter ; Richelieu had repreffed his am¬ 
bition that afpired to the ducal honours of France ; and 
the gratitude of Cinq Mars for pad favours, was over¬ 
whelmed by the refufal of nev? dignities. Weak himfelf, 
and incapable of great defigns, he liftened to the 1'uggef- 
tions of M. de Thou, fon of the celebrated hiftorian; 
by the advice of that gentleman, he connected himfelf 
with the dukes of Orleans and Bouillon ; and foon after, 
in conjunction with thole princes, formed a fecret al¬ 
liance with the court of Spain, with whom Louis was at 
war. The duke of Bouillon was to have the command 
of the army, and engaged, in cafe of danger, to receive 
the duke of Orleans into Sedan; while Philip 1 YL pro- 
mifed to furnith the confpirators with ample 1'upplies of 
money and a formidable body of troops. But thefe in¬ 
trigues, however fecretly conducted, could not efcape 
the vigilance of the cardinal. On the firft intimation, he 
preffed Louis to quit the walls of Perpignan, and repair 
to Narbonne. The defeat of the marefchal Gwmmoat, 
on the banks of the Scheld, difpofed the monarch to 
liflen to the f'olicitations of his minilter, in whofe abilities 
he alone could confide to retrieve the difafter; the car¬ 
dinal in this interview, is fuppofed bitterly to have re¬ 
proached his fovereign ; and Louis acknowledged that 
Cinq Mars had frequently urged him to the deltruCtion 
of Richelieu. By the advice of that ftatelman, the king 
proceeded to his capital, after inverting the cardinal with 
dilcretionary powers for the deltruCtion of his enemies. 
The duke of Orleans made an ample confeffion ; but 
though he refufed publicly to bear evidence againrt his 
confederates, his life, as brother to the king, was re- 
fpeCted ; the duke of Bouillon purchaled his pardon by 
the ceflion of his principality of Sedan; but Cinq Mars 
and de Thou were condemned to atone for their prefump- 
tion on the fcaftold ; the morning of their execution 
brought intelligence of the furrender of Perpignan ; and 
Richelieu apprifed the king of both events by a (ingle 
and expreffive line : “ Your troops are in Perpignan, 
and your enemies in the grave.” 
mental ferenity, that aftonilhed thofe who had beheld the 
fanguinary effects of his adminiftration. 
Three mighty and fuccefsful projects immortalize the 
period of his government. He humbled the turbulent 
ipirits of the great; he fubdued the fhibborn zeal of the 
hugonots ; and he curbed the encroaching power of the 
houfe of Aurtria. Undaunted and implacable, prudent 
and adtive, no combinations of the powerful nobles could 
withftand his vigilance ; no intrigues could elude his 
penetration; while he exalted the throne, he controlled 
a fovereign impatient of rule and jealous of his authority ; 
and while he extinguifhed the liberties of the people, lie 
eftablifhed among them difeipline and order, and opened 
to them the paths of literature and renown. 
From the death of Richelieu, Louis afpired to hold the 
reins of government himfelf. Mazarin, for whom the 
late minirter had obtained a cardinal’s hat, and to whom 
he had lately imparted his confidence, was, indeed, intro¬ 
duced into the council ; but the fervants of the crown 
were retained in their former departments, and the only 
change thiit appeared was recalling from banifhmene 
the mod illuftrious objects oi the cardinal’s jealouly. 
The war was rtill profecuted with diligence and vigour, 
and the fpirit of Richelieu feemed ftill to impel the ma¬ 
chine which his genius had fet in motion. In Germany, 
the count of Guebriant, and the Swediffi general Torten- 
fon, triumphed over the Imperialifts ; in Piedmont, Lor- 
rain, Roulillon, and Catalonia, the marefchals Schcm- 
berg, Meilleraie, l’Hopital, and Koudancourt, in fuccef- 
five victories, Curtained the glory, and increafed the ex- 
tenlive dominions, of France. 
But the fuccefs of Ids arms could not check the progrefs 
of difeafe ; and Louis was fenrtble that the inevitable mo¬ 
ment was rapidly approaching, when his reign and his life 
nmft Terminate together. A ilow fever hung upon him,, 
and his body exhibited the fymptoms of inevitabledecay. 
The tender years of his fons expofed the kingdom again 
to thofe diffenfions which had lately been fo happily ex- 
tingturtied ; and anxious for the welfare of his children 
and people, he diligently revolved in what hands to place 
the reins of government. Anne of Auftria, the partner 
of his bed, never partook of his confidence ; and his 
brother, the duke of Orleans, had forfeited his efteem by 
his levity, and incurred his enmity by his feditious in¬ 
trigues. At length he publilhed to the world the plan 
that he had fecretly meditated ; and endeavoured, by 
diftributing into different hands the power that he 
bequeathed, to counterbalance the afpiring hopes of each, 
and to fecure the tranquil minority of the dauphin. The 
queen, indeed, was appointed foie regent, with the fuper- 
intendance of her children ; but the duke of Orleans was 
declared head of the council, and lieutenant-general 
throughout the kingdom. In cafe of his death this trull 
was firft to be devolved on the prince of Conde, and after¬ 
wards on the cardinal Mazarin. Buthillier, fuperinten- 
dant of the finances, and bis fon Chavigni, were nomi¬ 
nated to the council, in which all affairs were to be 
decided by a majority of voices. The queen and the 
duke 
