The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1915-04-22
TheCardinal's
Enemy
-. 7-5.-
A Bit of History That Is
Also a Romance.
By F. A. Mitchell


If one were asked what period in his
tory furnished the most themes for sto-
rles he might be right in replying that
containing the administration of the
government Of Louis XIII. Of France
by Cardinal Richelieu. Louis queen,
Anne Of Austria, was bitter opponent
of the cardinal, and what Richelieu
was to the king the Duchess of Che
Vreuse WAS to the queen. The duchess
was one of the most beautiful, the most
attractive and the most intriguing wo-
men who ever lived.
After the exposure Of reasonable
plot the cardinal banished her to Lor-
raine, where she infatuated the king,
Louis Kill, mixing him up in another
conspiracy. The cardinals policy for
babe him to imprison a woman, so aft
,er Punishment from France had failed
he sent Nine. Chevreuse to a country
estate she owned. There, having no
better subject for her fascination, she
bewitched an octogenarian official. =
This amusement failing to satisfy
her, she turned her attention to an
other intrigue with a view to over
throwing the queens and her own de-
tested enemy, Richelieu.
At this time the queen was secretly
corresponding with those opposing the
cardinal, among them Nine. de Che
vreuse. The person who conducted this
correspondence was one La Porte, her
secretary. He was the keeper of her
cipher code, translated her letters into
it, forwarded them to their destination
and received the replies, handling them
in the same way.
But the cardinal was watching and
suspected the frequent goings and com
1ngs Of the man. One of the queens
supposed adherents was won over and
told La Porte that he was going to
Tours, where Nine de Chevreuse was
held In restriction, and asked If he had
any message for her. If so he would
carry it. La Porte replied that he had
a letter and would bring it to him.
While doing so he was arrested with
the queens letter on his person and
lodged in the Bastille. The letter was
not Important but the queen and her
friend had been forbidden to CORE
spOnd. The cardinal at once ordered
the seizure of the private papers Of both
the queen and the duchess.
When the queen was accused Of trea-
son she falsely made an oath that she
had not correspondent with any foreign
power. Richelieu knew better, and on
promise Of the kings pardon the queen
confessed that she had written her
relatives in Madrid and in Brussels,
but not on matters Of state. La Porte
declared that he had carried no letters
for the queen except to Nine. de Che
vreuse. Fearing that La Porte's state
ment and hers would not agree, Anne
desired to post him on what she had
declared and ask him to make the
same statement. This she hoped would
satisfy Richelieu and prevent his in
vestigating further.
But how reach La Porte in his cell at
the Bastille? So carefully watched was
he that a warden quilted him only for
few hours during the day and slept
in his cell at night. One of the queens
maids Of honor and devoted to her,
Mile. de Hautfort, not only suggested
plan Of conveying a letter to La Porte,
but volunteered to carry it herself.
The Chevalier de Jars, who had been
involved In former conspiracy against
the cardinal, was confined in the Bas-
tile and occupied a cell directly over
that Of La Porte, though between the
q
two others. It was hoped by the
queens adherents that De Jars might
find some way of conveying a letter
from the queen to La Porte. De Jars
had suffered paralytic stroke and was
allowed the privileges Of an invalid, be-
Ing permitted to receive friends and
converse with them in the courtyard of
the prison.
Mile. de Hautfort early one morn
ing issued from the palace of the
Louvre before the inmates were
awake, being dressed in the costume of
maidservant. Mademoiselle's hair,
Which was luxuriant and beautiful
was concealed under large Golf, and
)he was robed in a loose gown which
SoASCe'1Cu AS1 super ~ uSuIc. Calling Il
facre, she was driven to the Bastille
where she asked to see the Chevalier
de Jars, saying that she was lady's
maid of a niece of the chevalier and
bore message for him.
The hour was before the prisoners
time Of rising, and the queens maid of
honor was obliged to wait in the guard
room among a lot Of soldiers Of low
degree. After some time the cheval1er
arrived and asked what was wanted.
Mademoiselle drew him into the court
and, raising her Golf, showed him who
she was and handed him the queens
letter with her majesty's request that
he find means to convey it to La Porte.
De Jars was no coward, as he had
demonstrated in the schemes in which
he had embarked to overthrow the car
dinal. Nevertheless he hesitated to
become mixed up in scheme which If
discovered would cost him his head