ANGOULEME, CHARLES DE VALOIS, DUKE OF natural son of Charles IX. of France by Marie Touchet, was bon.. at Fayet, Dauphine, April 28 1573. His mother married Francois de Balzac, Marquis d'Entragues, and one of her daughters, Henriette, marquise de Verneuil, after wards became the mistress of Henry IV. Charles, known in his early manhood as Comte d'Auvergne, was made colonel of horse by Henry IV., and served in the campaigns of Argues and Ivry. But in 16o1 he was implicated in the Biron conspiracy, one of the objects of which was to persuade Henry to repudiate his wife. Biron was executed, but Auvergne, after making a full confession, was released. He then engaged in fresh intrigues with .the Spanish court, acting in concert with his half sister, the king's mistress, and her father. Henriette was pardoned, but Auvergne spent 11 years in the Bastille. On his release in 1616 he was reinstated in the army, and employed in several cam paigns. He became Duke of Angouleme in 1619. He com manded at the siege of La Rochelle in 1627, and in Lorraine in 1635. He retired soon after Richelieu's death in 1643, and lived in retirement until Sept. 24 165o.
The duke was the author of the following works: (I) Memoires, from the assassination of Henri III. to the battle of Argues (1 589-93 ) published at Paris by Boneau, and reprinted by Buchon in his Choix de chroniques (1836) and by Petitot in his Memoires (ist series, vol. xliv.) ; (2) Les Harangues, prononces en assemblee de MM. les princes Protestants d'Allemagne, par Monseigneur le duc d'Angouleme (162o) ; (3) a translation of a Spanish work by Diego de Torres. To him has also been ascribed the work La generale et fidele Relation de tout ce qui s'est passé en l'isle de Re, envoyee par le roi d la royne sa mere (Paris, 1627) .