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Richelieu, now in full power, proposed to himself three objects to reduce the power of the nobility, to weaken the Protestants, and to humiliate the House of Austria. The nobles were becoming very independent, and had formed a party against the court, in which they were joined by Gaston d'Orleans. A conspiracy was also made to kill Richelieu by the Count of Vendome, the Count of Chalais, Madame de Chevreuse (widow of de Luynes, and married to the Duke de Chevreuse), and the prince. The plot was however discovered through the imprudence of the Count de Chalais, who confided it to one of his friends; but Richelieu acted with great moderation, none of the conspirators were put to death at the time, but the following year he condemned to death for slight offences the Count de Chappelles and the Duke de Bouteville. La Rochelle, the only remaining stronghold of the Protestants in France, was now besieged by the advice of Richelieu. The King of England sent a fleet to its aid, under the command of the Duke of Buckingham, but he was repulsed and obliged to return home. The inhabitants were still encouraged by Charles I. to hold out, and Buckingham was upon the point of sailing again, when he was assassinated by Felton, 24th August, 1628. The Earl of Lindsay then took the command of the fleet, but was also forced to retreat, and La Rochelle surrendered. Famine had been doing its work in the city: 5,000 inhabitants only were left; they were allowed to retain their possessions and to follow their religion, but their privileges were abolished and their fortifications razed to the ground.

In 1629 the Duke of Savoy and the Spaniards, encouraged by the Emperor Ferdinand, violated the treaty of Suza, which assured the succession to the Duchy of Mantua to the son

of the Duke of Nivers. Louis XIII., marched in person against them, and established the duke in his rights 1631. The king was here taken seriously ill and transported to Lyons, where a plot was formed against the cardinal, who by this time had completely lost the friendship of the queen mother: she refused to see him, or to assist at any council at which he was present. The king having recovered, returned to Paris. Here Richelieu found enemies on every side; he sought an interview with the king at the Luxembourg, and was refused, but by means of a private staircase he entered unannounced the room in which Louis and Marie de Medicis were at the moment disputing about the cardinal. A violent scene ensued, and the king left the room. Marie thought she had triumphed; but the next day, which is known as the "journée des Dupes," Louis left for Versailles, followed by Richelieu, who obtained an interview and re-installed himself in the king's favour. Queen Marie was holding court at the Luxembourg when this news arrived, together with an order from Louis for the arrest of the Lord-Keeper Marillac, who was tried and condemned to death on a charge of rapine and extortion. This sentence was, in spite of the exertions and prayers of the queen mother, carried out. Marie de Medicis, who continued her intrigues against the cardinal, was banished to Compiègne, whence she escaped to Belgium six months afterwards. She did not return to France, and after several years spent in exile, died in want and misery at Cologne, 3rd July, 1642.

Gaston d'Orleans retired to the protection of the Duke of Lorraine, and excited the Duchy to rise against his brother; Louis, however, unexpectedly besieged Nancy in the middle of the winter; the duke surprised, and without defence, pro

mised to receive the king's troops in his fortresses, and Gaston joined Marie de Medicis in Brussels, where he continued to excite the discontented nobles to rebellion. Montmorency, governor of Languedoc, foolishly joined the prince; a battle was fought at Castelnaudry, and Montmorency was wounded and taken prisoner. Gaston retired to Beziers, where he asked pardon of his brother, and signed a treaty by which he promised to remain upon friendly terms with all the ministers, and with Richelieu in particular.

Montmorency was tried at Toulouse and condemned to death. Louis refused to pardon him, although the Queen, Gaston d'Orleans, the Prince of Condé, and even the Pope, asked his life. He was beheaded 30th October, 1632.

Richelieu now began to prepare for weakening the House of Austria. At this time the war, known as "The Thirty Years War,” was raging between the Protestant Princes and the Emperor Ferdinand. Richelieu armed the King of Sweden in defence of the Protestants, and continued to send money to the Swedes after the death of the king, who was killed at the battle of Lutzen, 1632. "After the battle the body of the king, Gustavus Adolphus the Great, was found under a heap of dead, on the roadside between Lutzen and Leipsic. It lay near a large stone, which, in commemoration, is called the Schwedenstein (Swede stone), and which still indicates the spot where the great vindicator of the religious liberties of Germany terminated his career. The king's buff coat was carried to Vienna, where it is still kept; but the body was conveyed to Weissenfels. The Swede stone is simply inscribed, "G. A., 1633 :" around it are four seats, and in sorrowing beauty overhangs a willow.

It is related that a knight, wearing a green scarf, was

always seen near Gustavus, on the field of Lutzen, even to the moment of his mortal wound, as though to point him out to the aim of the Imperialists, and that immediately after his fall this same personage appeared near the Duke of Friedland (Wallenstein), informing him that his royal foe no longer existed.

The joy that the Duke experienced on learning the death of Gustavus was not that which a common mind would have felt for the loss of so remarkable a rival. "Heaven has ordered it," said he, "Germany was not vast enough to contain us both."-Timbs.

The present favourite of Louis XIII. was a young man named Cinq-Mars, whose family was devoted to Richelieu, and who had been presented to Louis by the cardinal; when in full power, however, he turned against his benefactor, and took every opportunity of angering the king, making him feel how entirely he and his kingdom were governed by Richelieu; at last he formed a plan, in which he was joined by Bouillon and de Thou, to overthrow and kill the Cardinal. They also, after much persuasion, obtained a promise of support from Olivarez, the minister of the king of Spain, upon certain conditions. All was ready, when by some means a copy of the treaty with the Spanish minister fell into the hands of Richelieu. He at once acquainted the king with what was going on, and obtained permission to seize and do as he would with the conspirators. De Thou dcnied everything, and threw himself upon the mercy of the king, who, however, declined to interfere in any way. When both were condemned to death, de Thou said to Cinq-Mars, “Monsieur, I have some reason to complain of you: you are the cause of my death; but God knows how much I love

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you. Let us die, Monsieur, with courage, and gain Paradise." Both died the same day, 12th Sept., 1642. The executioner beheaded Cinq-Mars with one stroke, but he was less fortunate with de Thou, probably unnerved by the death of the first, he was obliged to strike several times in order to finish his dreadful task. Bouillon saved himself by confessing the part he had taken in the conspiracy, and by giving up his principality of Sédan to the king. After the death of Cinq-Mars, the conduct of Louis towards the cardinal was very cool. Richelieu's health declined rapidly, and he died 4th December, 1642, aged 58 years. The king, who did not seem much affected by the illness of his minister, visited him a few hours before his death. He was buried with very little pomp, at the church of the Sorbonne. By his will he left to the king the Palais Cardinal (Palais Royal), his golden altar vessels, his largest diamond, and 1,500,000 livres in ready money.

Louis XIII. did not long survive the cardinal. Before his death he caused the queen to be named regent, but, as if to show his distrust of her to the last, he arranged that her power should be restrained by a council, formed by Condé. and Mazarin (protégé of Richelieu). The Duke of Orleans was made lieutenant of the kingdom, as a proof that the king pardoned all his former offences. Louis XIII. died 14th May, 1643. By his queen, Anne of Austria, he had two children. Louis XIV., king, and Philip of Orleans, chief of the third House of Orleans. The Royal Academy was founded in this reign.