Cardinal duc de Richelieu’s Testament Politique
by Emilie Kyes and Lilyanha Williams
Introduction
The nobility in France, once a military force, by the 17th century had become somewhat farcical, buying their condition and acting not within their realm as noble. Throughout early modern France nobility was contested, it was important to those in power to have those who both recognized their place and would do what was best for the king, something uncommon in the commoditization of nobility. In the first half of the 1600s, there was a reorganization of the conceptual nobility and how you must preserve the inheritance of nobility while protecting patronage that went along with this (Romaniello, 156). Further, within this political and hierarchical turmoil, the authoritative connection to the monarchy became a contested space with differing views on how the nobility should regard and serve the king. The nobles were an extension of the king and this way of God’s will. Sandberg explains the authority like this, “Authority and power were personal possessions of the monarch who insisted on alluding to ‘my town,’ ‘my province,’ my army,’ or ‘my regiment’ to assert the personal bonds of royal authority” (Sandberg, 118). In this way, the conflict of power and authoritative balance as wanted by the king and his advisors would lend itself to the instability as reflected in Richelieu’s Political Testament. Richelieu discusses the ways that the nobility should be used by King Louis as pieces in a larger game while minimizing efforts to extend beyond their role. Richelieu’s depiction of the nobility is derived from a place of fear of the uncontrolled, and through this develops a system to further limit the actions of the nobility.
The following excerpt is taken from Richelieu’s chapter on Nobility. The testament was written for King Louis XIII as a way to turn the future monarch into a great leader. Richelieu was developing the French monarchy into an absolutist system and through this testament was hoping to consolidate the king’s power. This relationship would be described as, “Louis XIII the reputation of being a diffendent ruler, led by the nose of Richelieu” (Moote, 162). This proved to be instrumental in the developing absolutist society, and in limiting the nobility's reigns within the monarchy.
Transcription
Après avoir représenté ce que j’estime absolument nécessaire pour le rétablissement du premier Ordre de Votre Royaume, je passe au second, & dis qu’il faut considérer la Noblesse comme un des principaux nerfs de l’Etat, capable de contribuer beaucoup à sa conservation, & à son établissement. Elle a été depuis quelque temps si rabaissée, par le grand nombre des Officiers que la malheur du siècle a élevés à son préjudise, qu’elle a grand besoin d’être soutenu contre les entreprises de telles gens. L’opulence & l’orgueil des uns accablent la nécessité des autres, qui ne sont riches qu’en courage, ce qui les porte à employer librement leur vie pour l'État, dont les Officiers tirent la substance.
Comme il les faut soutenir contre ceux qui les oppriment, il faut avoir un soin particulier d'empêcher qu’ils ne traitent ceux qui sont au-dessous d'eux, comme ils sont traités des autres
C'est un défaut assez ordinaire à ceux qui sont nés dans cette ordre, d’user de violence contre le Peuple, à qui Dieu semble plutôt avoir donné des bras pour gagner sa vie, que pour la défendre.
Il eft très-important d’arrêter le cours de tels désordres par une sévérité le cours nue, qui fasse que les foibles de Vos Sujets, bien que désarmés, ayent à l’ombre de Vos Loix autant de sûreté, que ceux qui ont les armes à la main.
La Noblesse ayant témoigné en la guerre, heureusement terminée par la Paix, qu’elle était héritière de la vertu de ses Ancêtres, ce qui donna lieu à César de la préférer à toute autre; il est besoin de la discipliner, en forte qu’elle puisse acquérir de nouveau conserver sa première réputation, & que l’Etat soit utilement servi.
Ceux qui étant préjudiciables au public ne lui sont pas utiles; il est certain que la noblesse qui ne lui sert point á la Guerre, n’est pas seulement inutile, mais à charge à l’Etat, qui peut en ce cas être comparé au corps qui supporte le bras paralytique, comme un saix qui le charge, au lieu de le soulager.
Comme les Gentilshommes méritent d’être bien traités lorsqu’ils font bien il faut leur être sévere, s’ils manquent à ce à quoi leur naissance les oblige; Et he ne sais aucune difficulté de dire, que ceux qui dégénérant de la vertu de leurs Ayeuls, Manquent de servir la Couronne de leurs épées & de leaurs vies, avec la constance & la fermeté que les Loix de l’Etat Requiérent, mériteront d’être privés des aventages de leur naissance, & réduits à porter une partie du fraix du Peuple
Translated Text
After having represented what I estimate to be absolutely necessary for the reastablishment of the first Order of Your Kingdom, I pass at the seconds, and say that it must be considered the nobleness is like a new principal of the state, capable of contributing a lot to the conversation and to the establishment[1]. It has been a while since she has stooped this low, the large number of Officers that the misery of the century at ones selfs prejudice, she has big reason to to be sustained against the enterprise of such men. The abundance and the pride are overwhelmed with the necessity of others, who are not rich with courage, those who bring employment freely to live their state, so the officers pull from substance[2].
Like they must hold on against those who oppress them, you must have a particular treatment preventing that they treat those who are beneath them.
It’s an ordinary default to those who are born in this order, using violence against the people, at who God seems to have given their arms to win his life[3], for the defense.
It is very important to stop the courses of these disorders by a severity of the naked course. Which makes your subjects weak, good as disarmed, going to the shade of your law enough of security, that those who have their arms at their hands.
The nobleness having given witness during the war, happily finished by peace, she was the heir of the vertue of her ancestors, who has given place at Cesar of the favorite of all others; he needs to discipline her, in strength she is able to acquire a new and keep her first reputation, and to the state is utilised.
Those who are prejudice towards the public are not useful; it is certain that the nobleness who aren’t served in the war, is not only nonuseful, but a charge at the state[4], who can be compared at the core who supports paralyzed arms, like a known who will charge, in place of ease.
Like the gentle men deserving of being treated well because they do well and we must serve them, if they miss what their birth duties imply; and he has no difficulty saying, those who degenerate of the vertu of their places elders, missing to serve the crown of places thick and of their lives[5], with the constant and the firmness that the laws of state require, meriting to be private of advantages of their birth right, and reduce to bring a part fresh to the people.
Modernized Text
After having represented what I estimate to be an absolute necessity for the reestablishment of the first order of your kingdom, I move to the second, and say that it must be considered that nobility is principal to the order of the state, capable of contributing a lot to the conversation and to the establishment. For a while now she has suffered by public officals, who now are innumerable by the misfortunes of this time, and she must be supported in the battle with these men. The abundance and the pride of the officals and need the help of others, they don’t have a lot of courage, employers give people the bare neccesities to survive, the officers go against the poor They go after the workers of the king, a person will need to have a higher status then an officer to be treated well. There is a hierarchy placed for people that they are born into ,there is violence to people based on where they fit in the hierarchy. It is important to rid of this hierarchy that is placing people based on who their parents are rather then their characteristics. It makes people unmotivated to try when their place in society has already been decided, subjects who are seen as less will not want to defend their country if need be. The people who were born to be combaters didn’t even win in war but tied. As much as they are proud of their country they need to see when things aren’t working and make the changes that seem appropriate to maintain the reputation the have built and care to maintain. The people believe in the birth rights of the hierarchy do not care about the well being of the country especially the people who are part of the nobility but don’t do there part by going to war have even less right to talk down on people who are born in a not as high rating position because they can’t believe in being born into a position if they aren’t going to do it. Saying they deserve special treatment because they were born into a specific family even if they do not do their end of that deal. Not being their to serve the king and still expecting privilleges even though they are not doing their part
Bibliography
Jean du Plessis, Armand. Maximes d'etat, Ou testament politique d'Armand du Plessis, cardinal duc de Richelieu, pair & grand-admiral de France, premier ministre d'etat sous le regne de Louis XIII. du nom, roi de France & de navaree. Vol. 1, Et se vend à la Haye, chez C. Lefebure, MDCCLXX. [1770]. Eighteenth Century Collections Online, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CB0130837402/ECCO?u=wash_main&sid=bookmark-ECCO&xid=0fd05033&pg=1.
Moote, A. Lloyd. Louis XIII, the Just. 1st ed, University of California Press, 1989.
Romaniello, Matthew P., et al. Contested Spaces of Nobility in Early Modern Europe. Ashgate, 2011.
Sandberg, Brian. Warrior Pursuits: Noble Culture and Civil Conflict in Early Modern France. 1st ed., vol. 128, Johns Hopkins University Press, 2010.
They are discussing how there must be a change to the nobility because their role is capable of contributing highly to the kingdom if they do their part. ↑
They are discussing the role of the nobility who have bought their offices and the danger this poses to the traditional nobility. Further this lack of tradition poses a threat to the king whose power comes from the ability to control. ↑
This was an interesting way to explain how God had created the land they are on as well as the things they have, so they should use their weapons to protect their land. ↑
This once again targets the nobility of the robe who have not earned their positions and are trying to remove themselves from the general public. They haven't served in wars and are not fighting in the interest of the people or the king and this shows the argument by richelieu to limit these offices. ↑
This brought up the people who were part of the nobility who did not want to partake in their role of serving the crown but then indulge in the luxury’s that took place when being part of the nobility. ↑