Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1894-06-15
Cardinal RicheIieu.
Founded on the Play of "RicheIieu," by
Lord Lytton.
CHATTER /.
The Two SphinXes.

Inc Two SpnlnNeS.
In the year 1641, when France was
menaced by leagues of all Its neigh
bors and those undying enemies,
England, Austria, Italy and Spain,
whose secret representatives deeply
embosomed were within her heart,
there sat two men in profound pom
behring's IN the masters cabinet in
that Cardinal palace which we know
as the Palais Royal at present
The walls were hung with an arras
depicting scenes whore the church
militant had triumphed. the windows
were Theoretically sealed, and the
doors double. These precautions
were not wholly political, for a fire
burnt luridly in the deep mantel un-
der a marble-piecc embossed with
struggle OF centaurs and sea-horses,
though it was summers height, and
any thoughtful observer would have
expected TO see in the tenant of the
chamber one whose term OF years
made fire a second life. A large
screen limited at further means of
concealment and the huge brass and
ebony clock was capacious enough
to secrete a man. On the dull green
walls hung map OF La Rochelle,
with the works which Cardinal
RIchelieu was accredited with de-
signing traced in red ink, and, as an
antithesis, there was opposed to it
plan of the castle where the kings
brother, CASTOR, duke of Orleans,
had planted assassins against the
prime minister, whom he never
dared to face in combat.
The table that the two thoughtful
men shared between them was COW
cred with papers and charts, Walls of
chemicals necessary TO revive secret
writing, keys to cipher in binding
furnished with lock and key, and a
small model stage after classical
presidents, which at the moment,
from partially to their weaknesses,
if not Indifference to the object, was
allowed TO be a species of kennel for
FIVE or six kittens Of different colors;
slumbering pellmell after tiresome
romp, the mass, all heads, tails and
legs, vaguely suggested one of those
plates of interviewer animals which
Da Ninci loved TO design and Palsy
painted in earthenware.
On the board also WAS q large seal
which bore the device Of Kichelieu,
the eagle amid clouds, and there
were others which presented tokens
OF his posts as peer, religious chief.
and correspondent with great powers.
Check -jowl with reliquary
stood against the wall two handed
sword such as Charles Martel swung
when he drove the Saracen out Of
his realm; it had been actually used
be the duke of Richelieu in a hand
to.hand encounter with the defenders
OF La Rochelle, of which q notch in
the blade from shearing a helm re-
NAMED in honorable witness. A
suit Of half-armor, yelled with a ban
ner, seemed to stretch out one pad
ded glove to reach it.
Put that heavy falchion was no
longer feather in the tremuloGs,
slender and bloodless hanGs of that
silent man of nearly three score
years. who confronted the other on
his left at the board.
1t was JehaI Armand Duplessis,
duke OF Rlchelieu and Fronsac, O
bishop at "a. home and war secre-
tary at 80, and later the prelate-
statesman who made his boy master
a slave. but an illustrious slave,
reckoned the greatest of contem-
porary monarchs.
A Venitian lace collar, though OF
an Isabella hue, seemed white under
his hard, dry, wasted face; hair as
gray as dull steel escaped from the
velvet cap which covered the ton
sure, and strayed upon the high tore
head; he wore a gray mustache and
that goats beard which was called
1.-THE royal cut" in mockery OF the
edict which forbade it being worn.
Everybody hated him, and every
body had their reasons; the king b :
cause he felt his inferiority beside
him, the mobiles because he had
struck off the highest of their heads
like another Tarquin. the people be.
cause under him their taxes grew
and still grew again.
But If there were gloom on the
visage of his red eminence, there
was mono on the ivory face of the
second occupant of the statesman {
closet.
"His Gray Eminence." as the wag.
gish tongue warily styled the rever
end Capuchin father, Joseph du
Tremblay. This alter ego of the
cardinal was an enigma, perhap:
even to him whose friendship he
ever cherished as that OF kind o.
divinity. There is no doubt that Dr
Tremblay was sincerely religious al
the outset Of his career, but never
had his superior found a more faith
full disciple OF Machiavel. He was
reckoned pious courtier, and never
theless, no bride of the crown, nc
charms OF the queen, no threats oil
the nobility affected the devotion o.
Richeliev's right arm, sole CONSIDER
and sustainer against all.
In the end the astute churchmar