effort, with a Protestant clerical caste which
ruled always with pride, and often with menace.

Against such a theocratic republic war must come sooner or later, and in
1617 the struggle began. Army was pitted against army; Protestant Duke
of Rohan against Catholic Duke of Luynes. Meanwhile Austria and the
foreign enemies of France, Conde and the domestic enemies of France
fished in the troubled waters, and made rich gains every day. So France
plunged into sorrows ever deeper and blacker. But in 1624 Marie de'
Medici, having been reconciled to her son, urged him to recall
Richelieu.

The dislike which Louis bore Richelieu was strong, but the dislike he
bore toward compromises had become stronger. Into his poor brain at last
began to gleam the truth that a serf-mastering caste, after a
compromise, only whines more steadily and snarls more loudly; that at
last, compromising becomes worse than fighting, Richelieu was called and
set at work.

Fortunately for our studies of the great statesman's policy, he left at
his death a _Political Testament_, which floods with light his steadiest
aims and boldest acts. In that _Testament_ he wrote this message:

"When your majesty resolved to give me entrance into your councils and a
great share of your confidence, I can declare with truth that the
Huguenots divided the authority with your majesty, that the great nobles
acted not at all as subjects, that the governors of the provinces took
on themselves the airs of sovereigns, and that the foreign alliances of
France were despised. I promised your majesty to use all my industry,
all the authority you gave me, to ruin the Huguenot party, to abase the
pride of the high nobles, and to raise your name among foreign nations
to the place where it ought to be."

Such were the plans of Richelieu at the outset. Let us see how he
wrought out their fulfilment.

First of all, he performed daring surgery and cautery about the very
heart of the court. In a short time he had cut out from that living
centre of French power a number of unworthy ministers and favorites, and
replaced them by men on whom he could rely. Then he began his vast work.
His policy embraced three great objects: First, the overthrow of the
Huguenot power; secondly, the subjugation of the great nobles; thirdly,
the destruction of the undue might of Austria.

First, then, after some preliminary negotiations with foreign powers, he
attacked the great politico-religious party