Duel of the Mignons
The duel of the Mignons is one of the most famous duels in French history and took place on Sunday, April 27th, 1578 in Paris . On that day, three of the mignons of the French King Henry III. and three other members of the royal entourage opposite.
background
The reason for this duel were the disputes between Heinrich III, which had been simmering for some time. and his younger brother François and their supporters. François' favorites were mostly recruited from former close friends and confidants of Henry III, who probably no longer had access to the king due to internal rivalries among the favorites and were therefore inferior to the Mignons in the struggle for political power in France.
The specific occasion, however, was an insignificant battle of words between Charles de Balzac , Baron d' Entragues , and Heinrichs Mignon Jacques de Lévis, comte de Caylus , who made fun of Balzac's dealings with a “lady who was more beautiful than chaste”. Charles de Balzac therefore challenged Jacques de Lévis to a duel on April 26, 1578 in the courtyard of the Louvre . The next day was set as the date.
Procedure and outcome of the duel
The duel began at 5 o'clock in the morning on the Marché aux Chevaux (German: "Horse market") at the Hôtel des Tournelles near the Bastille . Lévis seconded two other Mignons, Louis de Maugiron and Jean d'Arcès, Baron de Livarot, while Charles de Balzac was accompanied by François d'Aydie (Vicomte de Ribérac) and Georges de Schomberg (* 1543), who was loyal to the Guise .
Schomberg was killed during the Battle of Arcès and Maugiron by Aydie, who was seriously wounded himself and died of his injuries at noon the next day. Arcès survived the fight but spent the next six weeks in hospital due to a severe head injury and was disfigured for the rest of his life. Lévis, seriously wounded by Balzac's 19 sword blows, fought for his life under medical supervision in the Hôtel de Boissy for 33 days, but succumbed to his injuries on May 29th. Only Charles de Balzac got away with minor injuries. Even on his deathbed, Lévis complained that his opponent had fought unfairly because, unlike Lévis , he had used a dagger in addition to his sword .
| Mignons | opponent |
|---|---|
| Jacques de Lévis (comte de Caylus) - died 33 days later from his injuries |
Charles de Balzac (Baron d'Entragues) - Slightly wounded |
| Louis de Maugiron - Killed in a duel |
François d'Aydie (Vicomte de Ribérac) - Sued his injuries the following day |
| Jean d'Arcès, Baron de Livarot - seriously wounded and disfigured for life |
Georges de Schomberg - Killed in a duel |
Contemporary assessment
The duel of the Mignons became so well known in France because it caused a sensation among contemporaries and was met with strict rejection by the majority. Years later, it was controversial because, for the first time in French history, the seconds took an active part in the fight, which was fought with extraordinary brutality. Their actual job was to monitor and ensure that the duel was carried out in accordance with the rules, but in this case they took up arms themselves, although they had no argument with each other. Her behavior was sharply criticized by many because it ran counter to the idea behind a duel at the time - the defense of honor. In addition, the duelists went into battle completely unarmed. On the grounds that this should be interpreted as an expression of a life-despising attitude, they were also accused of having sinned against God.
Heinrich III took the duel. suddenly two of his closest friends, but he did not dare bring Balzac to account.
literature
- Louis-Pierre Anquetil: Histoire de France, depuis les Gaulois jusqu'à la fin de la monarchie . Volume 7, 5th edition. Ledentu, Paris 1825, pp. 61-68 ( online ).
- Hippolyte de Barrau: Documens historiques et généalogiques sur les familles et les hommes remarquables du Rouergue dans les temps anciens et modern . Ratery, Rodez 1853-1860.
- Pierre de Bourdeille, seigneur de Brantôme : Couronnels françois, discours sur les duels . Renouard, Paris 1873 ( Oeuvres complètes de Pierre de Bourdeille seigneur de Brantôme. Volume 6), pp. 312-314 ( online ).
- Nicolas Le Roux: La faveur du roi. Mignons et courtisans au temps des derniers Valois (verse 1547-verse 1589) . Champ Vallon, Seysse 2001, ISBN 2-87673-311-0 , pp. 388-405 ( online ).
- Nicolas Le Roux: Le point d'honneur, la faveur et le sacrifice. Recherches sur le duel des mignons d'Henri III . In: Histoire, Economie et Société . Vol. 16, No. 4, 1997, ISSN 0752-5702 , pp. 579-595 ( PDF ; 1.5 MB).
Web links
References and comments
- ^ N. Le Roux: Le point d'honneur, la faveur et le sacrifice. Recherches sur le duel des mignons d'Henri III , p. 591.
- ↑ Jean de La Taille: Discours notable des duels, de leur origine en France, et du malheur qui en arrive tous le iours au grand interest du public. Ensemble des moyens qu'il y auroit d'y pouvoir. Rigaud, Paris, 1607, p. 82.
- ↑ P. de Bourdeille: Oeuvres complètes ... , p. 314: The author uses the French word "épée", which can be translated both with "sword" and with "sword".