The Protestants were now at the mercy of Richelieu, who had already, by separate treaties, secured the alliance of Spain, and of the United Provinces. The army he as sembled was commanded by the King in person, attended by all the principal nobility. The Cardinal himself, aspi ring to the reputation of a general, planned the lines of cir cumvallation, designed the forts, and directed the attack. The citizens of Rochelle, animated by civil and religious zeal, and abundantly provided with military stores, resol ved to defend themselves to the last extremity; and their Guyton, a man of experience and fortitude, took the command, as neither the Duke of Rohan, nor I:is brother Soubese, were in the place. The Cardinal, find ing it impossible to reduce it so long as the communication by sea remained open, attempted first to shut up the har bour by stakes and by a boom ; but these methods being ineffectual, he recollected what Alexander had performed at the siege of Tyre, and erected a mole a mile in length across a gulf, into which the sea rushed with great impe tuosity. The inhabitants, before it was completed,. saw an English fleet approach ; they crowded the ramparts in the expectation of relief; but the English Admiral, after throw ing in a small supply of corn, either through cowardice or treachery, declined an engagement with the fleet of France, and returned to Portsmouth. The Duke of Buckingham then resolved to resume the command ; but while he was hastening the preparations, he was stabbed by Felton. In the mean time the mole was completed, and so strong as to resist all the attacks of the Earl of Lindsay, who suc ceeded to the command of the English fleet. He was obliged to abandon the enterprize ; and as the sails of his squadron vanished from the view of the abandoned and des pairing inhabitants, they consented to surrender, after a siege of 12 months. They were deprived of their privi leges, and their fortifications were destroyed ; but they were permitted to retain possession of their property, and allowed the free exercise of their religion, A. D. 1629. Scarcely had the inhabitants opened their gates, when a tempest arose so violent as to bury in the ocean that mole which had been the cause of their ruin ; so that, if they had held out only a few hours longer, the pride of the Car dinal would have been humbled, and their freedom preser ved.
Richelieu, deeply impressed with the advantages that result from quickly following up success, immediately af ter the fall of Rochelle marched into the other parts of France, where the Protestant party were powerful, or pos sessed the cautionary towns. He met with the most vigo rous resistance in Languedoc from the Duke of Rohan, who, however, when he learnt that England had concluded a peace with France, and thus abandoned the Protestants to their fate, had recourse to negotiation, and obtained very favourable conditions both for himself and his party. The Protestants were permitted to retain their estates, and al lowed the free exercise of their religion ; all the privileges of the edict of Nantes were also confirmed to theM ; but they were deprived of their cautionary towns, as dange rous to the state. From this period is justly dated the ag grandizement of the French monarchy, which had suffered considerable diminution by the power that the Protestants had acquired during the civil wars. Indeed, it seems to have been Richelieu's object, not so much to subdue the Protestants, because they were of a different religion from that established in France, as because they had erected themselves into an independent community, and aimed at an entire separation from the monarchy. It was in their political, not in their character, that he chiefly regarded them as enemies to his plans of aggrandizing the power of the sovereign ; and that this was his view of them, Nv i I I further appear in the sequel, when we advert to the assistance which he gave to the Protestants in Ger many.
As Richelieu had displayed an extent and vat iety of ta lent, during the siege of Rochelle, which he was not pre viously supposed to possess, the King determined to com mit to his superintendence the care of the marine ; and for this purpose he persuaded the Duke of Montmorency to resign that situation. This department soon experienced the beneficial effects of the comprehension of the Cardinal's mind, and the activity and vigilance of his management. But he did not confine himself to this or any other particu lar branch of public business. Indeed, the care of these were only subordinate to his grand and daring designs; for, having subdued the Protestants, he now directed his thoughts to the humbling of the I louse of Austria. This he perceived could be done most effectually, and at the same time with the least risk to France, by supporting the Protestants in Germany. There were, however, other means, of a less extensive nature, which he did not ne glect.
On the death of the Duke of Mantua, the Duke of Ne vers claimed the duchy, as the next male heir ; but the Emperor thought proper to bestow it on the Duke of Guastalla ; and the Duke of Savoy again urged his preten sions to the dependent marquisate of Montserrat. Both were supported by Philip, King of Spain. The Duke of Nevers, in his distress, knew not where to turn for assis tance. He had incurred the suspicion of the Cardinal, by uniting with his secret enemies in France. He was the object of dislike to the Queen-mother ; but Richelieu pos sessed so much patriotism, that he abandoned the sense of his own injuries, refused to listen to the complaints of Ma ry de Medicis, and strongly advised the King to support the Duke against the House of Austria. An army was ac cordingly formed: Louis placed himself at their head. The Alps were passed ; the narrow pass of Suza penetra ted ; and the Duke of Savoy, alarmed, and unequal to the combat, was under the necessity of deserting his allies, and of uniting his troops with those of France. Casal was at that time besieged by the Spaniards ; and when Louis first entered Italy, he meant to have advanced with his whole army to its relief; but, upon learning that the Duke of Ro han had again roused the Protestants in several provinces, he himself returned with most of his troops, leaving 3000 chosen soldiers for the protection of Casal. The Protes tants were soon reduced. In the mean time, the Duke of Savoy, violating his engagements, had joined the Spaniards in the siege of Casal ; upon which the Cardinal, lately ap pointed lieutenant-general, and thus possessed of all mili tary and civil power, prepared to reduce him to submis sion. In a short time, his troops approached Turin ; but while the Duke was preparing for the defence of his capi tal, Richelieu suddenly changed his direction, marched against Pignerol, an important fortress, which opened a di rect passage from Dauphine to Italy, and took it in 12 days. Louis now joined the army ; and, in a short time, reduced the whole of Savoy ; which so afflicted the Duke, that it caused his death. This circumstance facilitated the progress of the French; but their career was stopt by a pestilential disorder, that carried off great numbers, and enfeebled the bodies and minds of most of the survivors. Notwithstanding this calamity, they were ordered to pro ceed to the relief of Casal, when the treaty of Ratisbon was 'oncluded, which established the Duke of Nevers in the peaceable possession of the duchy of Mantua, and the mar quisate of Montserrat.