[1] Some historians have fancied that there were feelings of tenderness on the part of Richelieu toward the beautiful Marie de Rohan; but it is only necessary to look into any of the memoirs of those times, and to remember the character of the man, to see that Madame de Chevreuse was incessantly employed in thwarting his plans, undervaluing his genius, and even ridiculing his person; and that nothing but the most bitter enmity could be excited on his part by such conduct.
[2] In the beautiful play of Richelieu, by Sir Edward Lytton, Richelieu is always dressed and represented, both on the English and American stage, as a very old and feeble man. The period of Richelieu's life is marked in the play by the introduction of Baradas. Now, Baradas succeeded Chalais in the favor of Louis XIII., and was exiled within the year. His fall from high favor and great wealth to his original obscurity and actual poverty was caused by no crime or conspiracy on his part, but merely by his rudeness and imprudence.
[3] The second examination of the unhappy Chalais, perhaps,—perhaps the lamentable scene of Anne of Austria's appearance before the council. It does not seem that De Tronson was particularly intimate with the Count de Chalais during his prosperity; but he certainly spoke in his favor to the king after his arrest, and painted in strong colors the danger of marrying Gaston to the rich heiress of Montpensier, whose revenues would in time make the heir-presumptive more wealthy than the monarch. Indeed, to many it has seemed that in this marriage Richelieu made the most dangerous error of his life. De Tronson seems to have been an amiable man and a man of talent, who somewhat feared Richelieu and courted him as much as honor and honesty would permit. But he soon disappears from the political stage; and his ultimate fate I do not know.
[4] Some say seven-and-twenty.
[5] These two men, who adhered to Lord Montagu through his whole journey, first tracking him from place to place with the sagacity and pertinacity of well-trained hounds, and then contriving to get admitted to his service, were in reality Basques. Some have supposed that they were creatures of Monsieur de Bourbonne; but there seems no doubt they were two of the many skilful agents whom Richelieu took care to provide himself with in every rank of life.
Transcriber's notes:
P.18. 'It it' is changed to 'It is'
P.76. 'stoop' changed to 'swoop'.
P. 106, 'dulness' changed to 'dullness'.
P.108. 'Rochelois' changed to 'Rochellois'.
P.126. 'Loge' changed to 'Logé'.
P. 211. 'Loir' changed to 'Loire'.
P. 219. 'th' changed to 'there'.