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Author: Richelieu, Armand Jean du Plessis, duc de, 1585-1642.
Title: The political will and testament of that great minister of state, Cardinal Duke de Richelieu done out of French.
Print source: The political will and testament of that great minister of state, Cardinal Duke de Richelieu done out of French.
Richelieu, Armand Jean du Plessis, duc de, 1585-1642., Du Chastelet, Paul Hay, b. ca. 1630.
London: Printed and are to be sold by the booksellers of London and VVestminster, MDCXCV [1695]
Notes:
Also attributed to Paul Hay, marquis Du Chastelet. Cf. NUC pre-1956 imprints.
Imperfect: faded, with print show-through and slight loss of print.
Reproduction of original in the Huntington Library.
Subject terms:
Political science -- France -- Early works to 1700.
State, The.
France -- Politics and government -- 1610-1643.
URL: https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A57253.0001.001
How to cite: For suggestions on citing this text, please see Citing the TCP on the Text Creation Partnership website.

Table of Contents
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title page
ADVERTISEMENT TO THE READER.
TO King LEWIS XIII.
THE Political Testament Of the Famous CARDINAL Duke de RICHELIEU.
CHAP. I. A Short Relation of the King's great Acti∣ons, until the Peace concluded in the Year—
CHAP. II. Of the Reformation of the Ecclesiastical Order.
SECTION I. Which represents the ill State of the Church at the beginning of the King's Reign; the Present State thereof; and what is necessary to be done to put it in that in which it ought to be.
SECT. II. Of Appeals, and the Means to regulate the same.
SECT. III. Of Priviledg'd Cases, and the means to Regu∣late the same.
SECT. IV. Which shews the Consequence of the Regalia pre∣tended by the Holy Chappel of Paris over the Bishops of France, and opens a way to suppress the same.
SECT. V. Of the Necessity of Protracting the Delays that are us'd in the Course of Ecclesiastical Justice; from whence it happens, that three Crimes remain un∣punish'd.
SECT. VI. Which represents the Prejudice the Church receives by the Four Exemptions several Churches enjoy, to the Prejudice of the Common Right; and pro∣poses Means to remedy the same.
SECT. VII. Which represents the Inconveniences that arise from the Bishops not having an Absolute Power to dispose of the Benefices that are un∣der them.
SECT. VIII. Of the Reformation of Monasteries.
SECT. IX. Of the Obedience which is due to the POPE.
SECT. X. Which sets forth the Advantage of Learning; and shews how it ought to be Taught in this Kingdom.
SECT. XI. Means to Regulate the Abuses which are committed by Graduates in the obtaining of Benefices.
SECT. XII. Of the Right of INDULT.
CHAP. III. Of the NOBIITY.
SECT. I. Divers Means to Advantage the Nobility, and to make them Subsist Honourably.
SECT. II. Which Treats of the Means to prevent Duels.
CHAP. IV. Of the Third ORDER of the Kingdom.
SECT. I. Which relates in general to the Disorders of the Courts of Justice; and examines in particular, whether the Suppression of the Sale of Offices, and of Here∣ditary Offices, would be a proper Remedy for such Evils.
SECT. II. Which proposes the general Means which may be us'd to put a stop to the Disorders of the Courts of Justice.
SECT. III. Which represents the necessity of hindring the Officers of Justice, from incroaching upon the King's Au∣thority.
SECT. IV. Of the Officers of the Finances.
SECT. V. Of the PEOPLE.
CHAP. V. Which considers the State in it self.
SECT. I. Which represents how necessary it is, that the several Parts of the State should remain every one with∣in the extent of their Bounds.
SECT. II. Which examines, Whether it is better to make the Governments Triennial in this Kingdom, than to leave them Perpetual, according to the Use which has been practis'd hitherto?
SECT. III. Which condemns Survivorships.
CHAP. VI. Which represents to the King, what Men think he ought to consider, in relation to his Per∣son.
CHAP. VII. Which represents the present State of the King's Houshold; and sets forth what seems to be necessary, in order to put it into that in which it ought to be.
CHAP. VIII. Of the PRINCE's Council.
SECT. I. Which shews that the best Prince stands in need of a good Council.
SECT. II. Which represents what Capacity is requir'd in a good Counsellor.
SECT. III. Which represents the Integrity that is requir'd in a good Counsellor.
SECT. IV. Which represents what Courage and Force is requir'd in a Counsellor of State.
SECT. V. Which represents what Application is requir'd in Counsellors of State.
SECT. VI. Which represents the Number of Counsellors of State that is requisite, and that one among them ought to have the Superiour Authority.
SECT. VII. Which represents what the King's Behaviour is to be towards his Counsellors; and shews, that in order to be well serv'd, the best Expedient he can take is to use them well.
THE Political Testament Of the Famous CARDINAL Duke de RICHELIEƲ.
CHAP. I. The first Foundation of the Happiness of a State is the Establishment of the Reign of God.
CHAP. II. Reason must be the Rule and Conduct of a State.
CHAP. III. Which shows that Public Interest should be the only End of those who govern States, or at least that it ought to be perferr'd to particular Advantages.
CHAP. IV. How much Foresight is necessary for the Go∣verument of a State.
CHAP. V. Punishment and Reward are two Points ab∣solutely necessary for the Conduct of States.
CHAP. VI. A Continual Negotiation contributes much towards the good Success of Affairs.
CHAP. VII. One of the greatest Advantages, that can be procur'd to a State, is to give every one an Employment suitable to his Genius and Capacity.
CHAP. VIII. Of the Evil which Flatterers, Detractors, and Intriguers commonly occasion in States, and how necessary it is to remove them from Kings, and to banish them from their Courts.
CHAP. IX. Which Treats of the Power of the Prince; and is divided into Eight Sections.
SECTION. I. The Prince must be Powerful, to be Respected by his Sub∣jects and by strangers.
SECTION II. The Prince must be powerful by his Reputation; and what is necessary to that End.
SECTION. III. The Prince must be Powerful by the force of his Frontiers.
SECTION. IV. Of the Power a State ought to have by its Land-Forces. This Section has several Subdivisions, upon the account of the abundance of matter it contains, which will be specify'd in the Margin.
SECTION. V. Of Naval Power.
SECTION. VI. Which Treats of Trade, as a dependency of the Power of the Sea, and specifies those which aremost Convenient.
SECTION VII. Which shows that Gold and Silver are one of the princi∣pal and most necessary supporters of the State; declares the means to make this Kingdom Powerful in that kind: shows the revenue of the same at present, and how it may be improv'd for the Future, in discharging the People of three parts in four of the Burthen which overwhelms them at this Time.
SECTION. VIII. Which shews in few words, that the utmost point of the Power of Princes must consist in the Possession of their Subjects Hearts.
CHAP. X. Which concludes this Work, in showing that whatever is contain'd in it will prove in∣effectual, unless the Princes and their Mi∣nisters are so mindful of the Government of the State, as to omitt nothing which their Trust obliges them to, and not to abuse their Power.
Historical Observations. ON THE Political Testament, OF Cardinal de Richelieu.
THE Contents.