Last Years



Cardinal Richelieu



Today is the 4^th of December of 1642. I feel quite ill and the thought of death keeps appearing in my mind. I am afraid that not much time in this world is left for me. I fell ill on November 1642. For many years I have suffered fevers, maybe malaria, strangury, intestinal tuberculosis with fistula, and migraine. My right arm was suppurating with tubercular osteits and I could not help but cough blood. Before I fell ill, I have alienated with many people including Pope Urban VIII but was displeased at him for his refusal to name me the papal legate in France but I forgave him when he granted Jules Mazarin, my best friend at the time, cardinalate. The others must have known I have became quite weak when a young man, Henri Coiffier de Ruze, marqueis de Cinq-Mars was introduced to Louis XIII’s court. Since I have been good friends with Cinq-Mars’s father I thought that his son would be able to control and I would have more power over the monarchy but I was wrong. He, on the contrast, was very difficult to control. Matter of fact, he plotted a scheme with leading nobles to raise a rebellion. They even signed a secret agreement with the king of Spain. Fortunately, I was able to discover the plot and got him arrested and executed. Comparing to now with before, I am practically dying. This pain is too much to bare, I hope I would go to sleep peacefully soon.