Book 4

This is the fourth and last book in the series devoted to the adventures of Giulio Mazarini. After Mazarini’s arrival in France Richelieu entrusts a diplomatic mission to him to negotiate a peace agreement between France and Spain whose armies face each other in the territory of Savoy and are ready to start a war. Mazarini finds an ingenious way to gain support of the Savoy army and thus obtains Spain’s agreement to withdraw its troops which results in cessation of hostilities. For bringing peace to Northern Italy Mazarini is rewarded by the Pope of Rome with the rank of cardinal. Richelieu, on his deathbed, recommends to Louis XIII that he make Mazarini a member of the Royal Council. The king agrees and when he dies the queen keeps Mazarini in her Regent’s Council. After a short while, feeling that Mazarini is her staunch supporter, the queen appoints him prime minister to the consternation of most aristocrats. But the queen believes in the genius of her prime minister, admires him as a politician and a courageous man, and soon they become lovers. The noblemen begin to conspire against Mazarini. He has their chief  Duke de Beaufort and his cohorts arrested. Then a vicious slanderous campaign against Mazarini is started by Paul de Gondi, coadjutor of Paris. Antimazarinists organize a revolt in Paris. This fight against Mazarini, the queen and the king who is still a little boy is called in history the Fronde. Mazarini is compelled to leave France and goes into exile. But soon he returns with a mercenary army because the royal power is threatened by the Frondeurs. Mazarini defeats his enemies, but leaves France again to let his supporters consolidate their power. Only after the whole of France, including the king and queen, asks him to return, he comes back to Paris and becomes the uncontested ruler of the country until his death