Mazarin

Also known as: Cardinal Mazarin / Giulio / His Eminence / J. M—— / Lord Giulio / Mazarini / Monseigneur Mazarin / Monsieur Mazarin / Monsieur de Mazarin / Sieur Mazarin / his eminence / monsieur le cardinal / my Lord Giulio / the cardinal / the minister / the prime minister · Family: French court · Role: cardinal and minister · First appears: Chapter 1

At the opening of the Fronde, Mazarin is reportedly secretly married to Anne of Austria, and is presented as the shade of Richelieu. He relies on Bernouin as his valet and investigates D’Artagnan, soon employing him for missions from the Bastille and seeking the return of Rochefort, whom he orders to guard the imprisoned Duc de Beaufort. During the unrest, Guitant and Comminges are his friends and attendants, while Villequier, Madame de Chevreuse, Duke of Orléans, and Louis XIV stand against him; Mazarin concludes that “there would be no one on his side except the queen.”

With Anne of Austria’s support, Mazarin recruits D’Artagnan and Porthos, promising service, advancement, and a barony, while Athos refuses to identify the king’s cause with his. He keeps Duc de Beaufort confined, intensifies his surveillance, and sends D’Artagnan and Porthos after him when he escapes. He also cuts off Abbé Scarron’s pension for receiving Monsieur de Gondy, treats Monsieur de Retz as an enemy, and negotiates with Oliver Cromwell’s envoy over Charles I and France.

As Paris rises against him, Mazarin helps Anne of Austria remove the royal court to Saint Germain, sending D’Artagnan and Porthos on further missions and promising them rewards. Parliament orders him from court and France, Duc de Beaufort’s faction pillages his house and library, and he announces his resignation before deciding to remain in power for his own and the queen’s safety. He arrests D’Artagnan, Porthos, and Athos, but the musketeers reverse their positions: D’Artagnan and Porthos capture him, Athos receives his sword, and Aramis’s men surround him. At Pierrefonds, Mazarin capitulates, signs their treaty, remains minister, and is returned to Anne of Austria; “you have me in a snare, gentlemen. I confess myself conquered.”