The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-11-12
Birthday Bio-Briefs
 Famous Men
CARDINAL RICHELIEU.

Yesterday, Nov Il, was permeated through and through with the trou- bles, in 1630. of the great Cardinal Richelieu, and of his victory over his enemies, It is called in history '7I'he Day of Dupes." for didn't he get them all by a. stroke of genius, the clever and cunning brilliant in the tiara of history?
 Is there a scene more amusing in all literature than the opening chap ter of the Three Musketeers,' by Du- mas, when D'Artignan, the brave, de- Iightful young swaggering roysterer, not knowing the identity of a gentle man sitting quietly in the wayside inn, clothed in the purple cossack and birotta, summons him-after a, heated discussion on the part of D'Artagnan to a duel because the quiet gentle man amused himself and his friends at the expense of D'Artagnan'S horse, Q rather eccentrtc mount from Gas cony, T will see you later in Paris, young man" said the quiet gentle man, smiling a curious smile, and af- ter DtArtagnan had been pummelled by the crowd. The quiet gentleman was Cardinal Rfchelieu-
 But this subsequent treatment of and rewards to D 'Artagnan, showed how thoroughly the Cardinal appre~ ciated sheer braveTy-and needed II in his service
 Cardinal Richelieu on Nov. II. 1880, triumphed over the petty spir- it's, and the mean connivances of seri~ ous MBsHlz,s bent upon his ruin. The reader knows perchanCe something of this mans life who ruled France. seized AIsace, bartered dynasties whose religion was France. Armand Jean du Plessis, Duo de RiChelieu. was born in Paris in 1885 He was consecrated bishop of LucOn when he was but 21 years old, In 1916 he was appointed 9 minister of State by the Queen Mother Marie D'AIedici, but in five months he was driven from of flee, on the assassination of Conctni, Marshal of France, For Concini, a vulgar Italian who had come to Paris had become the favorite of the Queen Mother Regent during the minority of her weak son afterward Louis XIII. There were unwholesome rumors afloat, Marie dMedfct had heaped millions upon her faVorite. and France, the easily kindled, was aroused. But, Richeieu owed his ap- poinment to Concini, and he kept quiet, seeing only his goal ahead. Yet the big years of untrameIIed author ity that lay ahead of him were not even suspected by those most closely associated with him. Now, Louis XIII hated Concini, Master of dissimula~ ton himself, he managed the "pIOt'' so well that Concini was fired at op the streets at night, and fell dead on the spot. His body was hacked to pieces; his heart actually taken out and broiIed over the coaIs while the mob sang obscene songs about Con cini and Marie.''
 In 1922 RicheHeu received the Car
 
 and was recalled to office in France, and again made Minister of State by Louis XIII. From this time on he ruled the kingdom. He was the terror of Europe. He had spies in every sal on, and spies in every court. He him. self speaks of his achievements ir these words: 'T employed all my en- ergy to ruin the Huguenot faction, to humble the pride of the nobIes, to re- duce all subjects to their duty, and to exalt France to it's proper position among foreign nations" 4 master Of tactics, cunning, intrigue, courage, us. ing adroitly, his various gifts as occa~ sion called for them, he terminated the internal disorders in France which the religious wars had brought upon the nation. He gave despotic power to the monarch His greatest achievements were his foreign policies, InOugh the State religion was the Catholic Church, Richelieu in the 30 years war stirred up the Protestant GustaVus Adolphus of Sweden to sun. port the Protestant Cause against the House of Hapsburg (of Austria) tha& he hated.
 His services to Letters were magnf., ficent Cardinal RicheIieu, at whose name men of power trembIed, whose smile or frown upon admittance to his anti-chamber-mean success or ruin, was the patron and friend of Corneille. He furthered the Founding of the French Academy by Mme de Rambeuillet. He rebuilt the Sor- bonne. The great cardinal lived mea- gerly himself Qargely on account o+ his feeble health), in the superb Palais Cardinal-afterward the PaIafs Royal. During all the years of stu pendous work, he had the king to contend with-for the king hated him but Richelieu was indispensable to the king!
 The Day of Dupes," today. Nox II, 1630, was when RicheIieu-4vho be, the willy Queen Mother who had pre- l1eved his power to be ended through vailed upon Louis to dismiss Riche~ lieu boldly proceeded to Versailles then only a hunting lodge; and he strode into the presence of the king The result of that secret conference of which history may never know the -tull details, was that Louis surren, dered himself completely into inc power of Richelieu, and the Queen Mother was forbidden to return +o Paris-and made her escape to the Netherlands! The bold strokes are all ways the successful ones in history. as In the life of an individual RichelieU duped them all.
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