Ben Wilson

Again, that is Austin, as in the city Austin, Texas, austinlab.ai, and let them know that I sent you. And the problem with trying to make things the way they were before is that the way Cardinal Richelieu did things really works. And so his systems outlive him. Rochefoucauld writes about it this way. This is what he finds in Paris when he arrives after Richelieu's death.

Quote, I arrived at court and found it as submissive to his will after his death as during his life. His relations and his creatures continued to enjoy all the advantages they had gained through him.

Quote, I arrived at court and found it as submissive to his will after his death as during his life. His relations and his creatures continued to enjoy all the advantages they had gained through him.

and by a turn of fortune of which there are few examples the king who hated him and desired his fall was obliged not only to conceal his sentiments but even to authorize the disposition made by the cardinal in his will of the principal employments and most important places in his kingdom

and by a turn of fortune of which there are few examples the king who hated him and desired his fall was obliged not only to conceal his sentiments but even to authorize the disposition made by the cardinal in his will of the principal employments and most important places in his kingdom

Most painfully for Rochefoucauld, it's not only the king, but Queen Anne herself, who is now, by and large, in charge. You know, this is his old partner in crime who he's tried to, you know, whisk out of the country. She also goes along with this new regime kind of inspired by Richelieu and the way he was doing things. So her two sons are still too young to rule.

Most painfully for Rochefoucauld, it's not only the king, but Queen Anne herself, who is now, by and large, in charge. You know, this is his old partner in crime who he's tried to, you know, whisk out of the country. She also goes along with this new regime kind of inspired by Richelieu and the way he was doing things. So her two sons are still too young to rule.

And shortly after Richelieu, the king himself dies. So Queen Anne of Austria is now queen regent. And so she's totally in control. So this is Rochefoucauld's chance to make everything happen, to finally accomplish all the projects that they had been plotting. And yet now that she's in charge, she sees the wisdom of these reforms.

And shortly after Richelieu, the king himself dies. So Queen Anne of Austria is now queen regent. And so she's totally in control. So this is Rochefoucauld's chance to make everything happen, to finally accomplish all the projects that they had been plotting. And yet now that she's in charge, she sees the wisdom of these reforms.

And of course, now that she's the queen regent, the monarch in charge, centralization doesn't seem so bad, right? She's the one in charge of all these levers of power. So she turns on Rochefoucauld and adopts the policies of centralization advocated by Richelieu and now overseen by his successor, Cardinal Mazarin. Rochefoucauld considers this a betrayal and is one that he never gets over. Okay.

And of course, now that she's the queen regent, the monarch in charge, centralization doesn't seem so bad, right? She's the one in charge of all these levers of power. So she turns on Rochefoucauld and adopts the policies of centralization advocated by Richelieu and now overseen by his successor, Cardinal Mazarin. Rochefoucauld considers this a betrayal and is one that he never gets over. Okay.

By the way, really quick clarification because I've thrown out so many names. So you have Francois de la Rochefoucauld. That's the guy we're talking about. Then you have Richelieu, that's the cardinal who really centralizes everything in France. And then his successors are Mazarin, Cardinal Mazarin, and de Retz. And de Retz is like the big enemy of Rochefoucauld.

By the way, really quick clarification because I've thrown out so many names. So you have Francois de la Rochefoucauld. That's the guy we're talking about. Then you have Richelieu, that's the cardinal who really centralizes everything in France. And then his successors are Mazarin, Cardinal Mazarin, and de Retz. And de Retz is like the big enemy of Rochefoucauld.

I know it's like a lot of French names, but hopefully that helps you like get it straight a little bit. Okay. So Queen Anne of Austria turns on her old buddy Rochefoucauld. This doesn't stop him from plotting, of course. Nothing ever does. There's another small revolution called the Fronde. And Rochefoucauld is one of the preeminent supporters of it. And they're trying to prop up.

I know it's like a lot of French names, but hopefully that helps you like get it straight a little bit. Okay. So Queen Anne of Austria turns on her old buddy Rochefoucauld. This doesn't stop him from plotting, of course. Nothing ever does. There's another small revolution called the Fronde. And Rochefoucauld is one of the preeminent supporters of it. And they're trying to prop up.

The king has two sons. So they're trying to prop up one of the princes as the new king. They're still young, but they're teenagers, and so they're old enough to kind of be aware of what's happening and support one side or the other. So one of these princes supports the Fronde, and once again, Rochefoucauld has an adventure smuggling someone across France. This time, it's this little prince.

The king has two sons. So they're trying to prop up one of the princes as the new king. They're still young, but they're teenagers, and so they're old enough to kind of be aware of what's happening and support one side or the other. So one of these princes supports the Fronde, and once again, Rochefoucauld has an adventure smuggling someone across France. This time, it's this little prince.

And it is while he is fighting with this prince that he is fighting just outside of Paris, and he is shot by an arquebus, which is a form of early musket. He's shot in the face. And I'm not quite able to get, like, the... biology of what happens. I've tried looking this up and no one's totally clear on it, but he gets shot in the face and this immediately blinds him. He can't see.

And it is while he is fighting with this prince that he is fighting just outside of Paris, and he is shot by an arquebus, which is a form of early musket. He's shot in the face. And I'm not quite able to get, like, the... biology of what happens. I've tried looking this up and no one's totally clear on it, but he gets shot in the face and this immediately blinds him. He can't see.

And he's forced to retire to his estate where he rests and recovers over the course of a year. And over the course of that year, he does recover his sight. So I wonder if there were like some shards that got in his eyes and cut him up. But anyways, he's blind, but over the course of a year, he gains his sight again.