The Adventures of Giulio Mazarini
Servant -- Diplomat -- Cardinal -- Ruler of France
by
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CHAPTER
ONE
In late August, 1620, two young horsemen were riding through a forest
on the road from
- Easy, boys, - the man growled. - Get down and drop your swords.
The two young travelers looked back and saw three more men approaching
them.
- Let’s obey them, - said one of the horsemen quietly.
They dismounted and dropped their swords to the ground.
- All right, - said the man with the pistol, gesturing to one of his
helpers to pick up the swords. He appeared to be the chief of the bandits. -
Pass me your purses and all your valuables.
As both young men hesitated, the second bandit rudely tore a purse off the string hidden
inside the shirt of one of them, while a third robber grabbed a purse from the
belt of the other. They threw the purses to their chief.
- Ah, the blond boy’s purse is pretty heavy, - said the chief with a
pleasant smile. He reached into the purse. - Jesus Maria! Gold! It’s full of
gold! Take their bags from the horses, - he added, addressing his men. - Well,
my boys, before I decide what I will do with you you
tell me who you are and where you are going.
- I don’t see why we should conceal our identities, - said the blond
youth. - You will find our papers and letters of recommendation in our bags
anyway. My name is Geronimo Colonna and my friend’s Giulio
Mazarini.
- Ah, Italians. No wonder you mangle our words. What’s your business in
- We are traveling to
- Hey, Pedro, - shouted one of the bandits. - A paper with fancy seals
in his bag.
- What’s that? - the chief perused the paper.
- It says Geronimo Colonna - that’s you. What’s in it?
- It’s a letter of recommendation.
- Ah, I see, to Count Olivares himself! You are a bigwig, hey? And signed “Grand Constable Colonna.” Who is he? your father?
- Yes.
- And who is the other youngster? Hey, you, is your father a general?
- No, - said Giulio, - he is in the service
of Constable Colonna.
- Ah, so you are a servant, a lackey.
- No, - said Geronimo, - he is my friend.
- With an almost empty purse he must be a lackey.
- Well, my boys, - he continued, - if you had nothing we would let you
go, without the horses of course. But you have money; in such a case, we
usually take the money and either kill the poor devil or tie him up to a tree –
we need time to disappear, you know.
Geronimo and Giulio exchanged glances.
- But don’t fret. You turn out to be pretty special. We won’t kill you.
We’ll keep you with us until we get a ransom. By the way, if he were your
lackey, - he pointed at Giulio, - we would ask for
him one tenth of what we ask for you, but since he is your “friend” we’ll have
to get for him as much as for you. . . Hey, Jose, tie up their hands.
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About the Book
The book is a fictional description of the life of Giulio Mazarini (Jules Mazarin as he is known in France and the English-speaking world), an Italian who lived in the 17th Century and had an amazing fate. He began his career as servant-companion of a young Italian noble and ended it as a ruler of France. This book is the first in a series consisting of four volumes: In the service of Constable Colonna, His Holiness’ diplomat, Richelieu’s admirer, and Ruler of France. The book is for anyone who likes adventure in a historical setting, from young adults to a mature audience. Readers may be attracted by the struggle of characters, possible rationale of famous historical personalities’ actions, description of seventeenth century Europe, diplomatic battles not dissimilar to our present day clashes, the tenacity, optimism, and knowledge of human nature of the protagonist who rises to the very top against all odds. Apparently no fiction books totally devoted to Mazarini’s life and adventures exist. As a character Mazarini appears in Alexander Dumas’ “Twenty Years Later” where he is not the main personage and is mostly treated with sarcasm (a tribute to the common prejudice of that time).
About the Author
Arkady Alexeev, born in
Since 1975 in