What did Richelieu mean by his "six lines" quote?

Upvote:12

because of what a horrible person it makes you look like when you come out and actually say it

Well, you managed to do it with less than 2 lines (although perhaps not for the most honest of men).

Regardless of the authenticity of the quote, I can see two interpretations:

  1. I am so skilled in twisting words that I can make even the most innocent phrase look like treason
  2. Language is so ambiguous and prone to misinterpretation that it is possible to twist even the most innocent words to a reason for hanging

Personally I've never thought of the first interpretation until I saw the question; I always considered the quote a warning about the consequences of saying something in public (esp. if it's written or otherwise persisted). While it is possible to argue that he is proud of his skill, I see it mostly as an exaggeration: it wouldn't be the same if he said "suspended from class", would it?

Upvote:13

The attribution may well be apocryphal.

In the Wikipedia entry on Armand Jean du Plessis de Richelieu, the phrase is attributed to Richelieu himself, either in Mémoires or in Testament politique. However, I have been unable to find it in either of these texts (admittedly, just did a quick search).

In the Bulletin du bibliophile, Volume 6 (1843), page 12, the phrase is attributed to Voltaire, not Richelieu.

In Débats du procès instruit par la Haute-cour de justice, contre Drouet, Baboeuf et autres, Volume 2, Éd. Baudouin, Paris (179?) , page 44, it is now attributed to Laubardemont - but with some hesitation.

So, at least by the time of the French Revolution it is clear there was some confusion as to the original author and context.

Upvote:15

The idea originated with the memorialist Françoise Bertaut de Motteville who only entered the French court after Richelieu had died, so she was reporting rumors she heard from people who knew Richelieu personally.

In her memoirs published in 1723, she wrote the following in volume one:

Laffemas avoit promis au Ministre qu'il le tourmenteroit si bien qu'il en tireroit a-peu-pres ce qu'il en desiroit savoir, & que sur peu de mal il trouveroit les moyens de lai faire son proces selon les manieres meme du cardinal, qui, a ce que j'ai oui conter a ses amis, avoit accoutume de dire qu'avec deux lignes de l'ecriture d'un homme on pouvoit faire le proces au plus innocent, parce qu'on pouvoit sur cette matiere ajuster si bien les affaires, que facilement on y pouvoit faire trouver ce qu'on voudroit.

which means:

Laffemas promised the Minister that he would harrass him so much that he would extract pretty much everything he wanted to know, and that it would be little trouble as he would find the means to prosecute him according to the methods of the cardinal himself, who, as I have heard his friends tell, was in the habit of saying that with two lines of a man's handwriting, an accusation could be made against the most innocent, because the business can be interpreted in such a way, that one can easily find what one wishes.

The "six lines" paraphrase is an invention of "quotation book" editors who came later.

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