New-York tribune., 1910-07-23


Williams With seventeen illustrations
Crown svo, PIP. XIV. SIS. Charles Scrlo-
ner's Sons
M-. Williams. to whose industry we
ere already indebted for several studies
of prominent personages OF eighteenth
century France, adds to the adjective in
the title Of his latest book number OF
others in his preface. chosen apparently
with great deliberation and with an eye
TO their cumulative effect Spoiled
child Of Nature and of Fortune, he
writes of his hero, handsome, debonair,
witty. insinuating, magnificent, superbly
brave. sublin1ely audacious" All this is
true in q sense. yet much truer is Car
lyle's brief dismissal of the marshal-duke
with the contemptuous that famous
biackguard man"
Aufres temps. autres mpHrs. This
great granddaughter Of the great Car
dinal is possible only when considered
strictly in the environment and against
the background of his own period, Of
which. indeed. with the possible eXcep-
ton Of the Regent and Louis XIV them
selves, he remains the most typical rep
resentative Seen with modern eyes and
1udged by modern standards, test
which even the least admirable OF the
truly great men of any age sustain with
some measure Of success. he becomes
what Carlvie called him. a blackguard,
the noxious flower of the morass OF cor
ruption. immortality. venality and In
conpetence that was the court and the
government Of France during the long
life of Louis the Well-Beloved and the
short reign of his successor, who was
also his victim.
Richelieu. who was utterly void Of
principle or honor. employed the means
best ADAPTED to self-advancement in
that period-the influence of the success
sive favorites en- fiffe, toward whose in
stalIation in that post he bent all the
energies Of his talent for intrigue. He
usually succeeded, Yet failed lamenta bly,
in foreseeing the rise OF La Pompadour,
G woman far cleverer than he was as
man All through life he made mistakes
that kept him from still greater honors,
and thus protected France against the
harm that his incompetence would un-
cuestionably have caused her in the
highest posts OF the state. In his later
court charges he was comparatively
harmless Self-indulgence warning with
ambition was no doubt part of the cause
of this compare tive failure, but it was
due also To the limitations Of his talent.
His was no wide outlook, wherefore his
career vas not one well planned whole,
but a series Of momentary advances,
plotted as the occasion suggested He
lacked the foresight. the prudence OF
the true statesman. the skill Of the COM
raar6er in the field. He was a beau
sqbreur. z man of unquestioned, reckless
personal coura ge, yet te was robbed Of
most Of his due share Of the honor of
rortenoy by his own eagerness TO claim
il all. at the expense of the Marechal de
SAKE. and by the disproportionate zeal
with which Noltaire sang MS praises.
His conquest Of Majorca from the Eng
lsh was again. matter cf physical
courage rather than of strategy, and he
brought home from the campaign in
Hanover little but a reputation for
xenality and robbery that was forgiven
and forgotten only in the wave of indig-
nation over the far greater incompe-
tenoe of mis- successor in the field. Luck
served him: he was, indeed, spoiled
child Of Fortune" Even his readiness,
early in his career. to enter into negotia-
tiers with his courtry's Spanish enemies
failed To ruin him. He did not owe his
escape from the consequences of the dis
covery Of the plot to his own dexterfty
and Wit. however. for he was an i'm
prudent witness in his cHn behalf.
Richel!eu was a 'biackguard man"
most Of all in his private life. Mr..
Williams. who does not claim great
ness for him. compares him with Alci-
blades. and the comparison may stand,
so far as his reputation as young
man is concerned. He bcasted his con
quests. especially Of the favor he found
in the eyes Of the daughters Of the
royal house; one is tempted to add
that he probably boasted also of boHheS
fortunes that never were his. He care
fully, or, rather, recklessiy, built up
for himself a reputation for gallantry,
whose cap sheaf was a sensational duel
for his sake between two women Of
rank
Of MS Wit, his charm, Mr. Williams
IS unable to give US specimens or il
lustratiens He, and we with him,
must rely upon the record OF his social
successes and the testimony Of his con-
tenl.oraries No bon mot Of his has
been preserved that is worth repeating.
OF the fascination he exerted over
women the testimony is abundant, be-
ginning with that Of the austere Nine.
dc Naintenon, who saw him when at
fifteen he made his first appearance at
court:
Ee has, for little fellow the prettiest
figure inag! ina bic, a handsome face. and d
best dancers, an excellent horseTnan, PLAYS
cards. loves music. and talks we'll He Is
very 6eferential very polished, has an
agreea ble wit, is discreet when occasion re-
have described him. One would ike
10 csress him as 2 pretty child, and ] was
on the point Of ChuckinS him under the
chin when lie asked me to sign his ma
riase contract
That German Nine Sans-Gene, ''Lise-
lotte' Of the Palatinate, mother Of the
Regent, saw Richelieu with different
eyes. He is a great poitroon,' she
wrote. "insolent, without heart and with
out soul: il revolts me 10 think that he
is the pet Of all the ladies'. And again.
q little later: He is little toad. in
whom / find nothing agreea BILE. |