RETZ, JEAN FRANcOIS PAUL DE GONDI, CAR DINAL DE (1614-1679), French churchman and agitator, was born at Montmirail in 1614. The family had acquired great estates in Brittany, and Retz himself always spelt his designation "Rais." He was a third son, and was destined for the church. He studied at the Sorbonne, and when he was scarcely eighteen wrote the remarkable Conjuration de Fiesque, a little historical essay, of which he drew the material from the Italian of Augustino Mas cardi, but which is all his own in the negligent vigour of the style and the audacious insinuation, if nothing more, of revolutionary principles. Anne of Austria appointed him in 1643 to the co adjutorship and the reversion to the archbishopric of Paris. Retz acquired great influence with the Parisians, which he gradually turned against Mazarin. No one had more to do than Retz with the outbreak of the Fronde in October 1648, and his history for the next four years is the history of that confused and, as a rule, much misunderstood movement. Of the two parties who joined in it Retz could only depend on the bourgeoisie of Paris. But although he had some speculative tendencies in favour of popular liberties, and even perhaps of republicanism, Retz represented no real political principle, and when the break up of the Fronde came he was left in the lurch. In 1652 he was arrested and im prisoned, first at Vincennes, then at Nantes; he escaped, how ever, after two years' captivity, and for some time wandered about in various countries. He had been made a cardinal before his downfall, and had no small influence in the election of Alexander VII. In 1662, he was received back again into favour by Louis XIV. and on more than one occasion he served as envoy to Rome. Retz, however, was glad in making his peace to resign his claims to the archbishopric of Paris. In compensation he received the
rich abbacy of St. Denis and restoration to his other benefices with the payment of arrears.
The last seventeen years of Retz's life were passed partly in his diplomatic duties (he was again in Rome at the papal election of 1668), partly at Paris, partly at his estate of Commercy, but latterly at St. Mihiel in Lorraine. His debts were enormous, and in 1675 he resolved to make over to his creditors all his income except twenty thousand livres, and, as he said, to "live for" them. He died in Paris on Aug. 24, 1679. One of the chief authorities for the last years of Retz is Madame de Sevigne, whose connection he was by marriage. De Retz's Memoirs were certainly not written till the last ten years of his life, and they do not go farther than the year 1655. They are addressed in the form of narrative to a lady who is not known, though guesses have been made at her identity, some even suggesting Madame de Sevigne herself. They display extraordinary narrative skill.
The Memoirs of the Cardinal de Retz were first published in a very imperfect condition in 1717 at Nancy. The first satisfactory edition was that which appeared in the twenty-fourth volume of the collection of Michaud. and Poujoulat (Paris, 1836). They were then re-edited from the autograph manuscript by Geruzez (Paris, 1844), and by Champollion-Figeac with the Mazarinades, etc. (Paris, 1859). In 187o a complete edition of the works of Retz was begun by M. A. Feillet in the collection of Grands Ecrivains. The editor dying, this passed into the hands of M. Gourdault and then into those of M. Chantelauze, who had already published studies on the connection of St. Vincent de Paul with the Gondi family, etc. (1882).