Factum du process du mareschal de Marillac: a Messieurs les Commissaires deputez par le Roy. [Paris?]: [s.n.], 1632. SpC. 944.032092 M336Y 1632 and Fillotte. Relation veritable de ce qui s’est passe au iugement du procez du Mareschal de Marillac: pronunciation, & execution de l’arrest contre luy donne par les Commissaires de la Chambre establie a Rueil, & de ses dernieres paroles & actions, deuant 7 sur le poinct de sa mort. [s.l. : s.n., 1632?].
Call Numbers: SpC. 944.032092 M336Y 1632
The extended Marillac family had aligned themselves with Queen Marie de Medici. The Queen served as regent for her son Louis XIII from 1610-1617. It is not by accident that Louise de Marillac’s arranged marriage was with Antoine LeGras who served as one of the queen’s secretaries.
In the power struggle between Marie de Medici and Cardinal Richelieu, Marie was unexpectedly defeated on the so-called “Day of the Dupes” in November 1630. She eventually fled France never to return. No noble family paid more dearly for their opposition to Richelieu than the Marillacs, including two of Louise’s uncles Michel and Louis.
Louis de Marillac (1572-1632) was the half-brother of Michel de Marillac. An early supporter of Henry IV, Marillac was richly rewarded. He undertook a number of diplomatic missions for Marie de Medici, and distinguished himself as a military leader in various campaigns. In 1629, Louis XIII promoted him to be a marchal of France. In 1630 he was sent to Italy as lieutenant general. Because of his role in the conspiracy against Cardinal Richelieu he was arrested and imprisoned on 21 November 1630.
He was tried by a special commission and convicted of peculat in March 1632. Peculat was the crime of misuse of royal funds and trust for personal gain. The usual punishment was banishment and confiscation of one’s property by the king, but in extreme cases the punishment was death. Of course, Marillac’s true “crime” was his role in the opposition to Richelieu. Marchal de Marillac was publicly executed at the place de Grave in Paris on 10 May 1632.
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St. Vincent’s Reading List is recurring blog series exploring texts known to have been read and recommended by St. Vincent de Paul, those which can be presumed to have been read by him, and important works published during his lifetime (1581-1660). All materials discussed are held by DePaul’s Special Collections and Archives. The entire series may be viewed here.