Louis de Bérenger
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Louis de Bérenger | |
|---|---|
| sieur du Guast | |
 Portrait of Du Guast | |
| Born | c. 1540 |
| Died | 31 October 1575 |
Louis de Bérenger, sieur du Guast (c. 1540– 31 October 1575) was a French noble and early favourite of king Henri III during the French Wars of Religion. Having fought in the latter Italian Wars under Marshal Brissac he achieved prominence in court in 1569, when he was subject to the attentions of the acclaimed poet Ronsard. The following year he was elevated to a gentleman of the chamber in the entourage of the King's brother. It was with the king's brother that he participated in the assassinations that prefigured the Massacre of Saint Bartholomew. In the civil war that followed he would command a company of infantry during the siege of La Rochelle, during which he received a severe wound to his arm in an assault.
With his patron Anjou's election as king of the Commonwealth, Du Guast travelled with his lord to the east. While in the country during Anjou's brief rule he found himself overshadowed by Bellegarde, Anjou's new closest favourite, finding himself forced to compete with Bellegarde for the position of Colonel-General of the infantry. News of the king's death in France, caused Anjou to flee the Commonwealth to take the 'more valuable' throne. Du Guast travelled back with him and spent time with the now king Henri III during his walks in Lyon. Du Guast was granted a large monetary gift from the king in early 1575 and superseded Philippe Strozzi as commander of the French guard. Du Guast at this point found himself frustrated with the king's sister Marguerite de Valois, who had rebuffed his advances. Resultingly he informed the king of her affair with the seigneur de Bussy, chief among the king's brothers' favourites. Henri instructed Du Guast to kill Bussy, and he arranged an attempt while Bussy was departing from the Louvre. Du Guast and twelve other men jumped on him, but Bussy was able to evade their attacks, swearing vengeance for the attempt. Du Guast was now tasked with ensuring that the king's brother did not escape court to set himself up with the rebels in the provinces as their leader. Du Guast recommended to the king locking Alençon in the Bastille but the king refused. After Alençon's escape the civil war began to look up for the king, with the Duke of Guise's victory at the Battle of Dormans. Du Guast warned the king of the risks of allowing the duke to overshadow his achievements, and persuaded the king to not seek peace and keep fighting for victory so he could surpass Guise in achievement. On 31 October 1575 Du Guast was assassinated in his home by a group of men led by Vitteaux, a client of Alençon's.
A noble of Dauphinois extraction, Du Guast was born around 1540.[1]
Known for his roving romantic attentions, Du Guast started an affair with Françoise Babou de la Bourdaisière, wife of Antoine d'Estrées.[2]
The historian Pierre Chevallier describes Du Guast as a man whose 'insolence was matched only by his delight for mockery'.[3] This was the opinion of the contemporary historian de Thou, who charged Du Guast with a penchant for treating the high nobles of the court as his social inferiors.[4]
Reign of Henri II
During the latter Italian Wars, Du Guast served in Italy under the command of Marshal Brissac.[2]
Reign of Charles IX
As early as 1569 Du Guast had achieved prominence at court, as evidenced by the verse written concerning him by Ronsard. In 1570, Du Guast was elevated to the position of 'gentleman of the chamber' for the king's brother Anjou. His patron in this powerful prince's court was at first Albert de Gondi.[5]
Massacre of Saint Bartholomew
Du Guast was thus already among the entourage of Anjou in 1572, and as such participated alongside his lord in the execution of the kill lists, that would spiral out of control into the Massacre of Saint Bartholomew. Du Guast headed to the rue de Béthisy where he had been instructed to hunt down and kill a Protestant captain named Charles de Baumanoir.[6]
La Rochelle
The following year, while conducting the siege of La Rochelle, Du Guast who had accompanied his lord participated in the assaults. Du Guast held authority over an infantry regiment for the conduct of the siege. During one attempt on the bastion de l'Évangile which guarded the north approach to the city, Anjou reported to the king that Du Guast had been wounded.[7] Du Guast had received a serious wound to the arm which made it non functional.[2] As the siege dragged on, Anjou was elected as king of the Commonwealth affording him the opportunity to bring the inconclusive siege to a close. While Anjou was keen to free himself of many of his mother's advisers, he established for himself a circle of favourites he could be sure were his men to accompany him on the journey. Among those men were Du Guast.[8] During the king's time in the Commonwealth he increasingly elevated Roger de Saint-Lary de Bellegarde as chief among his favourites. Du Guast was among those favourites frustrated by the attentions bestowed upon Bellegarde, and competed with the future Marshal for the privilege of the position of 'Colonel-General of the Infantry'.[2] Upon learning of his brother's death, Anjou returned to France as king Henri III. He made his entry into the country at Lyon where he stayed for a while. During his stay he was ever surrounded by those who had been close to him in the Commonwealth, d'O, Caylus, Entrangues and Du Guast, who often walked the streets with him.[9]