Claude de Bourdeille, comte de Montrésor
Encyclopedia
Claude de Bourdeille, comte de Montrésor (c. 1606–1663) was a French aristocrat and Count of Montrésor, who played a role in the intrigues of the first half of the 17th century, and was also a memoir-writer.
He left his Mémoires, published posthumously in 1663. The Eleventh Edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica
(published in 1911) notes in its encyclopedic entry on the Count of Montrésor that "His Mémoires have preserved his name from the oblivion otherwise awaiting such intriguers; they are written with naīve frankness and are extremely interesting."
, the famous French writer. He became the second favorite of Gaston d'Orléans
(younger brother of King Louis XIII
) in 1635. Along with Gaston d'Orléans and the Count of Soissons
, he planned the assassination of Richelieu at the camp of Amiens
in 1636, a plan which eventually failed.
The Count of Montrésor was forced to spend the next six years on his estate, but in 1642 he entered into the plot of Cinq-Mars against Richelieu. On the failure of the plot, he escaped to England, and his estates were confiscated.
Returning after Richelieu's death in 1643, he entered into the intrigues of the period just preceding the Fronde
. He was exiled for his involvement in the cabale des Importants in 1643. He later returned from the safety of his exile in Holland to aid the duchesse de Chevreuse
. He allied with the cardinal de Retz during the Fronde, and was eventually imprisoned in the Bastille
, and then in Vincennes
. Mazarin attempted to win him over in vain, but in 1653 he made his submission to the victorious minister, and from that time on played no part in public life.
and Jean-Joseph-François Poujoulat in the Nouvelle collection des mémoires pour servir à l'histoire de France (Paris, 1836). The first editions of the Mémoires du Comte de Montrésor from 1663 can be found in the special collections of several libraries around the world.
Claude de Bourdeille, Count of Montrésor (1663). Mémoires. Petitot, C. B., Petitot, A., Monmerqué, L.-J., & Delbare, F.-T. (1819). Collection complète des mémoires relatifs à l'histoire de France, depuis le règne de Philippe-Auguste, jusqu'au commencement du dix-septième siècle; avec des notices sur chaque auteur, et des observations sur chaque ouvrage. Paris: Foucault. Michaud, J. F.
, & Poujoulat, J. J. F. (1836). Nouvelle collection des mémoires pour servir à l'histoire de France, depuis le XIIIe siècle jusqu'à la fin du XVIIIe; précédés de notices pour caractériser chaque auteur des mémoires et son époque; suivi de l'analyse des documents historiques qui s'y rapportent. Paris: L'Editeur du commentaire analytique du code civil.
He left his Mémoires, published posthumously in 1663. The Eleventh Edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica
Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition
The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition is a 29-volume reference work, an edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica. It was developed during the encyclopaedia's transition from a British to an American publication. Some of its articles were written by the best-known scholars of the time...
(published in 1911) notes in its encyclopedic entry on the Count of Montrésor that "His Mémoires have preserved his name from the oblivion otherwise awaiting such intriguers; they are written with naīve frankness and are extremely interesting."
Biography
The Count of Montrésor was the grandnephew of BrantômePierre de Bourdeille, seigneur de Brantôme
Pierre de Bourdeille, seigneur de Brantôme was a French historian, soldier and biographer.-Life:Brantôme was born in Périgord, Aquitaine, the third son of the baron de Bourdeille...
, the famous French writer. He became the second favorite of Gaston d'Orléans
Gaston, Duke of Orléans
Gaston of France, , also known as Gaston d'Orléans, was the third son of King Henry IV of France and his wife Marie de Medici. As a son of the king, he was born a Fils de France. He later acquired the title Duke of Orléans, by which he was generally known during his adulthood...
(younger brother of King Louis XIII
Louis XIII of France
Louis XIII was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1610 to 1643.Louis was only eight years old when he succeeded his father. His mother, Marie de Medici, acted as regent during Louis' minority...
) in 1635. Along with Gaston d'Orléans and the Count of Soissons
Louis de Bourbon, comte de Soissons
Louis de Bourbon, Count of Soissons , was a French nobleman, the son of Charles de Bourbon, Count of Soissons and Anne de Montafié...
, he planned the assassination of Richelieu at the camp of Amiens
Amiens
Amiens is a city and commune in northern France, north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in Picardy...
in 1636, a plan which eventually failed.
The Count of Montrésor was forced to spend the next six years on his estate, but in 1642 he entered into the plot of Cinq-Mars against Richelieu. On the failure of the plot, he escaped to England, and his estates were confiscated.
Returning after Richelieu's death in 1643, he entered into the intrigues of the period just preceding the Fronde
Fronde
The Fronde was a civil war in France, occurring in the midst of the Franco-Spanish War, which had begun in 1635. The word fronde means sling, which Parisian mobs used to smash the windows of supporters of Cardinal Mazarin....
. He was exiled for his involvement in the cabale des Importants in 1643. He later returned from the safety of his exile in Holland to aid the duchesse de Chevreuse
Marie de Rohan-Montbazon, duchesse de Chevreuse
Marie de Rohan was a French aristocrat, famed for being the center of many of the intrigues of the first half of the 17th century in France...
. He allied with the cardinal de Retz during the Fronde, and was eventually imprisoned in the Bastille
Bastille
The Bastille was a fortress in Paris, known formally as the Bastille Saint-Antoine. It played an important role in the internal conflicts of France and for most of its history was used as a state prison by the kings of France. The Bastille was built in response to the English threat to the city of...
, and then in Vincennes
Vincennes
Vincennes is a commune in the Val-de-Marne department in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. It is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe.-History:...
. Mazarin attempted to win him over in vain, but in 1653 he made his submission to the victorious minister, and from that time on played no part in public life.
Publication of his Mémoires
The Count of Montrésor's Mémoires were published posthumously in 1663. In subsequent years, they were occasionally reprinted in one and two volume editions, as noted by Louis Monmerqué in his 1826 biographical sketch of the Count of Montrésor. Since then, the Count of Montrésor's Mémoires have been reprinted in large collections spanning multiple volumes. The first such collection was by A. Petitot and Louis Monmerqué in the Collection des mémoires relatifs a l'histoire de France (Paris, 1819) and the second such collection was by Joseph François MichaudJoseph François Michaud
Joseph François Michaud was a French historian and publicist.He was born at Albens, Savoie, educated at Bourg-en-Bresse, and afterwards engaged in literary work at Lyon, where the French Revolution first aroused the strong dislike of revolutionary principles which manifested itself throughout the...
and Jean-Joseph-François Poujoulat in the Nouvelle collection des mémoires pour servir à l'histoire de France (Paris, 1836). The first editions of the Mémoires du Comte de Montrésor from 1663 can be found in the special collections of several libraries around the world.
Claude de Bourdeille, Count of Montrésor (1663). Mémoires. Petitot, C. B., Petitot, A., Monmerqué, L.-J., & Delbare, F.-T. (1819). Collection complète des mémoires relatifs à l'histoire de France, depuis le règne de Philippe-Auguste, jusqu'au commencement du dix-septième siècle; avec des notices sur chaque auteur, et des observations sur chaque ouvrage. Paris: Foucault. Michaud, J. F.
Joseph François Michaud
Joseph François Michaud was a French historian and publicist.He was born at Albens, Savoie, educated at Bourg-en-Bresse, and afterwards engaged in literary work at Lyon, where the French Revolution first aroused the strong dislike of revolutionary principles which manifested itself throughout the...
, & Poujoulat, J. J. F. (1836). Nouvelle collection des mémoires pour servir à l'histoire de France, depuis le XIIIe siècle jusqu'à la fin du XVIIIe; précédés de notices pour caractériser chaque auteur des mémoires et son époque; suivi de l'analyse des documents historiques qui s'y rapportent. Paris: L'Editeur du commentaire analytique du code civil.