Henri de Talleyrand-Périgord , Count de Chalet (1599-1666) - the court official of Gaston, duke of Orleans , brother of King Louis XIII , conspiracy against Cardinal de Richelieu .
| Henri de Talleyrand-Perigord, Count de Chalet | |
|---|---|
| fr Henri de Talleyrand-Périgord, comte de Chalais | |
 | |
| Date of Birth | 1599 |
| Date of death | August 19, 1626 |
| Place of death | Nantes |
| Allegiance |  France |
| Occupation | courtier |
Content
Biography
He was a distant relative of d'Artagnan , and was also the grandson of Marshal de Montluc .
From an early age he served in the French army.
Got to the court of Gaston de Orleans; then married Charlotte de Curtill.
According to the memoirs of Mrs. de Mottville, the Comte de Chalet was in love with the Duchess de Chevreuse , who decided to make Henri a weapon for the plot against Cardinal Richelieu. According to the testimony of de Mottwil, the Duchess did everything to cause the count's jealousy, telling him that Cardinal de Richelieu was in love with her and was constantly imposing signs of her attention on her.
Once, de Chevreuse told him: "You say, Count, that you love me, but you have never thought of giving me any pleasure . " The surprised earl answered her: “Ask me what you please . ” Then the Duchess told the Chalet about the plan to overthrow the all-powerful Cardinal and the subsequent removal from the throne of the weak-minded Louis XIII. The agitated earl immediately agreed.
It was decided that this would take place at the summer residence of Richelieu Fleury-en-Bjer, four kilometers from Fontainebleau , during a visit of the brother of King Gaston there.
According to one of the versions, the attempt was foiled because of de Chalet himself: he dedicated his godfather, Mr. de Valence, to the conspiracy, who informed about the cardinal. According to another version, the denunciation was written by the Comte de Louvigny, a friend of the Comte de Chalet. According to contemporaries of those events, they were “like brothers”, but then there was a quarrel between them, and de Louvigny sent a written denunciation to the Cardinal, in which he not only reported de Chalet's correspondence on behalf of the Duke of Orleans with the gentlemen de Lavalette, de Soissons and others conspirators, but also claimed that de Chalet had pledged to kill the king, and the king’s brother and friends had to stand at the door of the bedroom for support.
In the “Memoirs of the Count de Rochefort,” Gacien d'Cortille de Sandra attributes all the merit of uncovering the conspiracy to Rochefort .
Anyway, the plot was uncovered, and it became clear that the main action was scheduled for May 11, 1626 . On the eve of the Count de Chalet, accompanied by a group of like-minded people, arrived in Fleury-en-Bierre, to notify the Cardinal of the imminent arrival of Gaston, and at the same time to study the situation in which he was to act. The count and his associates were puzzled when Cardinal de Richelieu accepted them surrounded by very numerous guards. Reinforced posts were placed throughout the house. Discouraged de Chalet and his people left Fleury.
Without hesitating, Cardinal de Richelieu, accompanied by guards, went to Fontainebleau to visit Gaston, whom he found in bed. Richelieu immediately made him understand that the conspiracy suffered a complete collapse. Then the cardinal delivered a long, instructive speech about the need to strengthen unity in the royal house and about the dangers that lay in wait for the state in the event of discord among members of the royal family. Then he suddenly abruptly changed his tone, urged Gaston to come to his senses and give the names of the conspirators. Frightened to death, Gaston, without hesitation, betrayed all the participants in the conspiracy and meekly signed all the papers proposed to him by Cardinal de Richelieu.
After receiving detailed information about the plot, the cardinal informed Louis XIII of everything. At the same time, he filed his resignation with the king, citing poor health. The cunning cardinal consciously went to the aggravation of the situation, realizing that at such a critical moment Louis XIII would need him more than ever. Richelieu needed a new mandate with broader powers. And he got it. On June 9, 1626, the royal courier handed the cardinal a letter, which, among other things, said:
I know all the reasons why you want to retire. I wish you to be healthy even more than you yourself want it ... Thanks to the Lord, everything has been going well since you are here. I have full confidence in you, and I have never had anyone who would serve me for the good as you do. This prompts me to ask you not to resign, because in this case my business would go bad ... Do not pay any attention to what they say about you. I will expose any slander on you and make anyone reckon with you. Rest assured, I will not change my mind. Whoever opposes you, you can count on me
On July 8, 1626, Count de Chalet was arrested, and a lengthy trial began over him.
Penalty
The mother of Comte de Chale repeatedly asked the king to soften the fate for her son. In the end, Louis gave in to the insistence of the unfortunate, replacing the execution by dismemberment with decapitation.
The execution of the Chalet was scheduled for August 19, 1626.
The Count’s friends attempted to save the Chalet by eliminating the executioner, but only increased their torment to their comrade. Not wanting to abolish the penalty, Richelieu offered life to one convicted hangman in exchange for decapitating the Comte de Chalet. The offender immediately agreed.
Not knowing how to handle a decapitation sword, the new executioner was able to cut off the head of the Chalet only from the 29th time.
Implications
A terrible example of the Chalet did not stop attempts to overthrow the cardinal, which has become even greater.
The ill-fated Duchess de Chevreuse was sentenced to exile in Poitou , but she left for Lorraine .
Anna of Austria has lost an already shaky good relationship with her spouse.
Gaston alone was not punished. On the contrary, the possessions of the prince increased.
Literature references
"Three Musketeers " - mentioned by Porthos among the victims of Richelieu.
“D'Artagnan, Cardinal's Guardsman” A. Bushkova - conspiracy against the Cardinal is mentioned among the participants.
"Battle of France", I. Danevskaya - Chalet conspiracy is described in the novel
"Hotel of the Thirteen Hung Up", Henri de Cock - events unfold around the plot of the Chalet
Sources
When writing the article was used material from:
- memoirs of Louis de Rouvroy, Duke de Saint-Simon ;
- "Historiettes" by Gideon Talleman de Reo
- books S. Nechayev "Three d'Artagnan"
- Memoirs of the Duke de Richelieu