Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1853-07-05
From GleasoNs Pictorial.
A Passage In the Life OF RlcheIieu
BY EDWARD SUTTON SMITH.

see lhe Mediterranean, tar distant, wash
ing with its blue waters the sandy shores
Enter .ha, city resembling Athens; and Ii
Find him who reigns there, follow that darl
and irregular street; mount the steps Of the
old archiepiScopaI palace, and enter the frs
and largest Of It's apartments.
twas very long and high saloon, lighted
by series Of lofty windows, Of which the
upper part only have retained The blue, vel.
low and red panes, that difuse mysterious
light through the apartment. An immense
round table occupied its enlre breadth, near
the great fireplace around This table, GOV.
cred with colored cloth, and laden with
papers and portfolios, were seated. bending
over their pens, eight secretaries, busted in
copying letters which were passed to them
from a smaller sable. Olher men moved
cautiously to and fro on The carpeted floor,
arranging The completed papers in the
shelves of bookcase, partly filled with
books bound in black.
Notwithstanding The number Of persons
asseaab!ed in The room, you might have
heard hpin drop. The only interruption TO
the otherwise dead silence, was The sound Of
pens rapidly gliding over paper, and shril
voice debating, stopping every row and then
10 cough. THIS voice proceeded from vas,
arm. chair, placed by the side Of The fire,
which was blazing. no,wilhsla anding The hea,
Of the season and Of The country. Il was
one OF those arm.chairs ihu, yoG still see in
old castles, and which seem made 10 read
you TO sleep, Whatever the book NAV be-, so
easy is every par Of it: you are received
into a circular cushion Of down; if the head
leons back. the cheeks sink in,o pillows
covered with silk, and the SEQ. iu,s out so
far beyond The elbows, ,ha, you may believe
the proVident uphols,erers Of our forefa,hers
arranged that the book should make no
noise in falling so as to awaken the sleeper.
But let us quit this DEPRESSION, and proceed
10 the nsan who occupied the chair, and was
verv far from sleeping.
He had broad forehead, bor1ered with
very thin white hair, large mild eyes, wan,
pale face, 10 which n small, pointed, white
beard gave that air Of s1bIlety observable in
all the portraits Of the age Of Louis XIII.
A mouth almost without lips, which Lava,er
deemed an indu6itable sign Of an evil snind.
was framed, as Il were, in pair Of slight,
gray moustsehes. and royale, an orna.
ment then in fashion, and which resembled
a comma in its form. The old man wore
close red cap, large robe.de.chambre, and
stockings Of purple silk; he was no less
parsonage than Armand Dupessis, Cardinal
De Richeieu.
Neor him, round the small table of which
we have spoken, were six youths Of froaa
fifteen 10 twenty; these were pages or do
mes,ics, according to the term then in use,
which signifed friends Of she house. This
custom was remnant Of feuda patronage,
which then existed in France. The younger
members OF high families received wages
from the great lords, and were devoted TO
iheir service in oil things.
The pages we speak Of. drew up letters
from the outline previously given by the
cardinal; and, after their mGsier had thrown
a glance over them, passed them TO the Sec
reiaries, who made fair copies OF them; The
old duke, for his part, wrote on his knee
private notes upon small slips of puper, that
he inserted in oil the noles before sealing
them, which he always did with his own
hand.
He had been writing for some minutes,
when, in a mirror before him, he saw The
youngest of his pages wiring something on
sheet Of paper much smaller than the off.
.cial sheet; he hastily wrote few words,
and then slipped !. under the large sheet,
which, much against his inclination, he had
TO fill; but, seoted behind The cardinal, he
hoped that the difficulty with which The lat.
ter turned round, would preven. him from
seeing the little monGuvre ,ha, he had per.
formed with SO much difficulty. Suddenly
Richelieu said 10 him, drily:
"Come hiIher. Monsieur Albert"
These words came like thunder. clap
upon the poor boy, who appeared about
seventeen. He, however, rose q, once, and
stood before The minister, his arms hanging
q, his side, and his head down.
The o.her pages and the secretaries moved
no more than soldiers when comrade ID
struck down by ball, SO accustomed were
they to this species Of summons. The
present one, however, was delivered In O
more energetic tone than usual.
"WhsI werc you wrj,ingf"