New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-07-04
BULWER'S RICHELIEU.
THE FIRST OUTLINE OF IT.

READY, NOW IN THE FORSTER COLLECTION Al
SOUTH REMINGTON.
Among the treasures which John Forster be-
oueathed to the English Nation was letter from
Bulwer Lytton to w. c. Macready, giving the orgi
nal outlipe of his celebrated play, Richeieu." II
was not published in Macready's "Reminiscences
in 1873. Lord Lyttons life has not yet been writ
ten. and as now printed in the handbook to the
Forster collection (Scribner 81 Welford), on which
an article in this paper last Wednesday was based,
If is believed that the letter for the first time sees
the light The letter bears date September, 1888:
NV dear Macready / have thought OF subject.
II is 10 this effect In the time of Louis XII,
the Chevalier de Marllac is the wttlest ana BRAY
est enteman celebrated for his eXtravagant val0r
and his enthusiasm for enjoyment, but in his most
mrthfu moments q dark cloud comes over him at
one n ame-the name OF RicheLeu! He confides to
his friend Cling Mars, the reason. VIZ: He bad once
entered INTO conspiracy against RlcheIeu Rich
elicu discovered and sent Tor MN. CneY lller de
Marlac' said be- Il do nor deaire 10 shed your
blood on the scafiod but YOU must die; here Is a
command on the frontier, fail in battle He went
TO the post but met glory aud not death. Rlcheneu
reviewing the troops, found HIM still living and SAID
Remember, the sword is over your head. take
your parole to appear before me once quarter
You can still find death. Will give yon time for
It,. Hence his extrayagant Yaior; hence ms desire
TO make the most of life While making tins coilll-
dence to ina Mare he is sent FOR by RIcbeiIeu lie
goes as TO death. Richclieu receives him sterny
rcmin'Is HIM OF his long delay upbrads him for hls
wit and Dobeness and ~ last, instead OF sentencing
him 10 death, Rlcheeu tells him that he has quail
ties that make hIn wish 10 attach INN to himself,
and that hC will marry HIM 10 a girl with a great
d0wrv, and give HIM high Office at Court. lie must
marry directly MarIliac goes out enchanted;
Now Richeheu's n.onve IS this: LOUIS XIII. has
fallen ir love with this girl. Louise dc IA Porte. and
wishes 10 make her his mistress. All the Kings
mistrcsses have hitherto opposed Richelieu lie IS
resolved that the King shall have no more He
will have no rival with the KING. He therefore
resol YES TO marry her TO Marlac, whose life Is in
his power. whom lie can hold IN command whom
ne believes TO be too noble 10 suffer the aduterous
connection.
Marillac is then introduced just married. with
high appointments and large dGwrv, the girl beauti-
ful when his wedding-day Cling Mars tells HIM
that the King loves his wife rs rage and despair
-c0nceyes himself duped, scene with the girl. II
which he rccOs from her. Suddenly three knocks
at ia. dooi. He ~ sent ioT by the King ana
dispatched to a Distance the bride, not wlved, l.
summoned to Court.
Marllsc, all pride and wrath, and casting all
upon ISichclicu, agrees to cOnsDIre against the
Cardinals life. The fortress where ltichclcu lodged
IN garrisoned with the friends of the c0DSplratoTs.
just as he has agreed he received anonym ,,I
letters telling him that his wife is at Chantilly.
that she will sleep IN the chamber of tho Mont
morences; that LOUIS means 10 enter the room That
night that, if be wishes Il guard his honor he can
enter the palace by secret passage which opens III
a picture of Hugo de MOntmOfeucI, the last duke,
who had been beheaded by Loms Tan act for which
the King ALWAYS felt TemoTsr This MOntmOreDcl
had been tine most intimate friend of Marllac, aud
had lett him hiS armor present. thought
strikes Marllac and ha goes of the stage.
- Louise alone in this vast room the picture OF
MontmOrcuc III complete aTmOr; a bed at the end.
Sire complains OF her husbands want OF love, and
laments her bard fate disnieses her NO
man. The King enters and LOCKS TIE doors
after suppiicatiOu and Resistance on her
part, he advances to seize her hen from Montmo-
Iencis picture. comes cry OF Hold ana the the
form descents from the panel and interposes: The
KING, horror struck and superstiloc. fees Louise
fants the form Is Marillac While she Is still III
sensible the clock strikes; 1t Is the hour he is to
ha He her
and leaves her.
"Rchelieu, alone at night when Mariac enters
TO him. tells him his life Is IN his power: uphraids
him for his Disgrace. etc. Richelen informs hlm
that he has married him to Louise TO prerent her
dshonOr; that ne mad sent the anonymous letter,
etc and converts Manllac into gratitude. Bus
what is TO be done the cOnspiratOIs have filed
the fortress. They (lfIcheeu ana Marillacl retire
into another ToOm and presently the cOnsprators
enter the one they had left, and Mariac joins them
and tells them the Cardinal is dead that ne viii sec
TO the funeral, etc. aud they had better 20 at once
and announce 1t to the King; that there are no
marks Of violence, that II seems Ike ut tOeIng
suffOcatlon).
SCENE IN HE STREETS OF PARIS
The King. who always feared and hated Richie
lieu. hears the news, and Is at first reiOlced the
coultie delighted, Paris III jubilee. But sud
denly comes news OF commotiOn, riot messengers
announce the defeat Of. the armies-'the Spanlards
have crossed the trOutler-hls General DE FeU-
guieres is slain-hnbbub and uproar wlthont with
cries of hurrah the old Cardinal is dead ! etc
when there is a counter cry Of Inc Cardinal! the
by Richelieu himself in complete armor. AT this
sight the confusion. the amaze. etc.-the mob
changes humOrs, and there is cry of Long live
the great Cardinal!
sCENE-THE KINGS CHAMBER.
The King. enraged at the trick played on him
and at his having committed himself to JOY at the
Cardinals death hears that de Marillac had an
nounced the false report, orders him TO the Basile
tells the Count de ChaTost 10 forbid Rlchelieu the
Louvre and declares henceforth he will reign alone.
Joy of the AHtl-CaIdnalIsts when the great doors
are thrown open and Rlchekea PALE SUFFERING sick.
i'll his Cardinals robes, leaning on his pages. enters
aud calls on. Charost the very mau who IL to forbid
his entranceD to i've him mis- arm which Charost
tremblingly does fore the eyes of the King. Rich
eleu and the King alone, Richeeu says
lie has come to tender bis resignation. The
King accepts ii, and klchelieu summons six secrc-
tares grooming beneath sacks of public papers all
demanding Immediate attention. Rlchelieu retires
TO u distance and appears almost dying The King
desperately betakes himself to the papers, III per-
pexity. bewIlderment and horror at the dangers
round HIM. At last he summons the Cardinal to his
side and impores him 10 resume the Office. The
Cardinal, with great seeming reluctance, says he
only will on one cOnditIon-complete power over
foes and friends Lonis must never again interfere
with public business. lie then makes hun sign
various papers, aud when all Is done the old man
throws of the dying state, rises with iOn-lke en-
ergy. France is again france-to the lroaters-I
Louis @% Tue half enfeebIed. half p ashamed re
tires. Richeiieu, alone, gives various papers
TO the secretaries, and summons Marillsc aud
his wife. He asks her If she has been happy. She
says No. thinking her husband hates her puts
the same question to Marillac, who thinking she
wishes TO separated says the same. He then tells
them. az the marriage has not beon fulfilled, they
can be divorced. They wOfuy a0ree-when. turn
ing to Marillac he shows him the Kings order that
he should 90 to the Bastlle aud then adds that in
favor OF MS service IN SAVING his lk's life, he has
the power 10 soften bis sentence but he must lose
his Office at court and 70 INTO exile. On hearing
this Louise turns round-her love breaks out; she
will 20 with hlm INTO Punishment, etc, anu the
reconciliation rs complete. Rlchelieu. regarding
them then adds Your sentence remains the same
we Danish you still-Ambassador to Austriap