Ben Wilson

So the man who is dragging France into modernity, kicking and screaming, is a man known as Cardinal Richelieu. You might have heard of him. He is the bad guy in The Three Musketeers. And so the nobility really hate Richelieu, who was in fact a very intelligent and discerning man who did a lot to modernize France. So the nobility are constantly trying to block and challenge and overthrow him.

And Rochefoucault joins in these intrigues the second he is able to. As soon as he comes of age, he starts. And especially early on, these intrigues are sort of flailing and hopeless. Rochefoucault is thrown into prison at the Bastille for eight days. But the thing you have to know about this guy is that he is a classic swashbuckler, right?

And Rochefoucault joins in these intrigues the second he is able to. As soon as he comes of age, he starts. And especially early on, these intrigues are sort of flailing and hopeless. Rochefoucault is thrown into prison at the Bastille for eight days. But the thing you have to know about this guy is that he is a classic swashbuckler, right?

He's daring, he's brave, he's extremely capable, he's handsome, he's intelligent, he's charming. And so even his greatest enemy in later life, in writing a description of him, starts out by saying, quote, there has always been a certain je ne sais quoi in Monsieur de la Rochefoucauld.

He's daring, he's brave, he's extremely capable, he's handsome, he's intelligent, he's charming. And so even his greatest enemy in later life, in writing a description of him, starts out by saying, quote, there has always been a certain je ne sais quoi in Monsieur de la Rochefoucauld.

And he ends by saying, he might well have passed for the most polished courtier and the finest gentleman in private life, which this age has produced. And the guy who writes this of Rochefoucauld, his name is de Retz. And this is the guy who I mentioned at the beginning that Rochefoucauld kind of shuts him in a door and tries to have someone stab him from behind.

And he ends by saying, he might well have passed for the most polished courtier and the finest gentleman in private life, which this age has produced. And the guy who writes this of Rochefoucauld, his name is de Retz. And this is the guy who I mentioned at the beginning that Rochefoucauld kind of shuts him in a door and tries to have someone stab him from behind.

Okay, so Rochefoucauld is so charming and talented that even his enemies, who he has tried to like personally hand-to-hand assassinate, cannot fully resist his charms. So Richelieu, who Rochefoucauld plots against, lets him out of the Bastille after only eight days, and he tries to convert him to the royalist side.

Okay, so Rochefoucauld is so charming and talented that even his enemies, who he has tried to like personally hand-to-hand assassinate, cannot fully resist his charms. So Richelieu, who Rochefoucauld plots against, lets him out of the Bastille after only eight days, and he tries to convert him to the royalist side.

He recognizes this is a talented and potent young man, and he wants to involve him in the future administration of France. And he's basically telling him, hey, don't throw your life away. Stop plotting against me. Come on our side. This is the direction France is going, and you should be involved in it. We'd love to have you involved in it. One of the main people who he plots with

He recognizes this is a talented and potent young man, and he wants to involve him in the future administration of France. And he's basically telling him, hey, don't throw your life away. Stop plotting against me. Come on our side. This is the direction France is going, and you should be involved in it. We'd love to have you involved in it. One of the main people who he plots with

is Anne of Austria, the king's own wife. In fact, Rochefoucauld steals her away from the court because she is in opposition to her husband on a number of different matters and is very much friendly with the old nobility like Rochefoucauld is. He writes of this kind of adventure.

is Anne of Austria, the king's own wife. In fact, Rochefoucauld steals her away from the court because she is in opposition to her husband on a number of different matters and is very much friendly with the old nobility like Rochefoucauld is. He writes of this kind of adventure.

He says, however difficult and perilous this adventure might seem to me, I may say that never in all my life have I enjoyed anything so much.

He says, however difficult and perilous this adventure might seem to me, I may say that never in all my life have I enjoyed anything so much.

I was at an age, 24, at which one loves to do extravagant and startling things, and I felt that nothing could be more startling and more extravagant than to snatch at the same time the queen from the king, her husband, and from the cardinal de Richelieu, who was so jealous. OK, like what? What an amazing adventure. You know, he literally he kind of she so she's on his side.

I was at an age, 24, at which one loves to do extravagant and startling things, and I felt that nothing could be more startling and more extravagant than to snatch at the same time the queen from the king, her husband, and from the cardinal de Richelieu, who was so jealous. OK, like what? What an amazing adventure. You know, he literally he kind of she so she's on his side.

She's going along willingly with this kidnapping, kidnapping. She wants to go to kind of friendly territory. And, you know, he's sneaking around through France. They're dressed up like commoners so they don't get noticed. You know, he's going from safe house to safe house like crazy. It's an amazing adventure, the kind of thing that you would make a movie of.

She's going along willingly with this kidnapping, kidnapping. She wants to go to kind of friendly territory. And, you know, he's sneaking around through France. They're dressed up like commoners so they don't get noticed. You know, he's going from safe house to safe house like crazy. It's an amazing adventure, the kind of thing that you would make a movie of.

And frankly, I think an action like this justifies an entire lifetime. People will go their entire lives without living as much as Rochefoucauld did in a few short weeks when he is roughing it across France, dodging guards, and trying to whisk away the Queen of France. Okay, well, this plot fails as do all his other plots.