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Narrative of a Tour Taken in the Year 1667, to La Grande Chartreuse and Alet
Narrative of a Tour Taken in the Year 1667 to La Grande Chartreuse and Alet Author:Claude Lancelot General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1816 Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million book... more »s for free. Excerpt: John de Wert, the General of the Spanish army, happened to be a prisoner of war on parole, during the detention of M. de St. Cyran. Whilst he staid at Paris, the Cardinal de Richelieu gave a superb ballet, to which he invited this Spanish nobleman ; and every expense was lavished upon the decorations, which could contribute to give the foreigner a high idea of French magnificence. The Cardinal retained his noble guest next to him, during the whole of the performance, which he beheld in perfect silence; at which M. de Richelieu not a little chagrined, asked him, " What he considered as the most marvellous spectacle he had ever seen ?" John de Wert immediately replied, " That of all the wonders he had ever seen, none had so much astonished him, as to see, in the dominions of his very Christian Majesty, Bishops amusing themselves at theatres; whilst saints languished in prisons. i Lancelot, torn. i. pp. 137, 138. Poulain, torn. L p. 47. Besogne, torn. iii. p. 412. Racine Hist. Abr. lc Port Royal, pp. 49, 50, edit. Vieune, 1767. M. de St. Cyran endured five long years' imprisonment. At length, Cardinal Richelieu expired. On the 4th of December, 1642, this minister, from the plenitude of despotic power on earth, was cited to appear before his final judge in heaven. He died aged fifty-eight. The friends of M. de Hauranne observed, that the day on which he departed, was that of the festival of St. Cyran. This event was soon succeeded by M. de St. Cyran's release. He never recovered his health. He had often deprived himself of both fire and clothing to relieve his fellow- prisoners. His constitution was br...« less