Chapter XLVI: The Bequest — Summary and Analysis
Spoiler Notice: This page reveals all key events of Chapter 46 of Between Two Kings by Lawrence Ellsworth. If you haven't read the chapter yet, you may wish to do so first.
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Summary
Cardinal Mazarin, wracked by gout and facing death after his confession to a Theatine father, is troubled by the monk’s suggestion that his great fortune is ill‑gotten and must be restored to the king. He calls for his trusted man of finance, Colbert, and asks whether the Theatine was right. Colbert coldly assures him that the priest is a poor judge of finance but slyly turns the dilemma to his own advantage.
Colbert argues that if Mazarin leaves only a token legacy to the young Louis XIV, the king will see it as an admission of theft. Instead, he advises the cardinal to offer everything. Playing on Colbert’s knowledge of the king’s character—a young ruler consumed by pride and a desire to build his own glory—he guarantees that Louis will refuse a vast handout. If the bequest is worded correctly, the king’s pride will demand that he achieve everything himself; he will refuse the forty million livres, and the cardinal’s family will keep a secret reserve of thirteen million without any scandal.
Mazarin, racked with pain, agrees. Colbert dictates a bequest that surrenders all the cardinal’s wealth to the king “as a devoted servant.” The cardinal signs with a sigh, and Colbert seals the document and hastens to the Louvre to deliver it. Meanwhile, Mazarin writhes in agony, his mind on hell. Colbert walks the corridor, planning the future under the rising sun of a new reign.
Key Events
- Mazarin, having confessed, agonises over the Theatine’s claim that his wealth was the king’s money and must be returned.
- Colbert reassures him that a theologian’s financial opinion is worthless, but then warns that the priest’s words might be a trap.
- Mazarin reveals that he sees the king as a rival who would happily inherit his fortune; he wants to thwart him.
- Colbert explains the king’s character: a proud young man who will refuse any gift that he did not earn, preferring to build his own kingdom.
- Colbert proposes that Mazarin bequeath his entire estate to the king, guaranteeing that the king will decline it.
- The cardinal, in intense physical and mental anguish, agrees and dictates a bequest that surrenders all his property to His Majesty.
- Colbert personally delivers the sealed bequest to the Louvre and returns home, satisfied with a job that serves his own ambitions.
Character Development
Cardinal Mazarin
At death’s door, Mazarin is terrified not of God but of losing his fortune. He clings to his wealth and resents the king who would inherit it. Even in agony, he schemes to preserve a hidden reserve for his family, revealing his lifelong avarice and political cunning.
Jean‑Baptiste Colbert
Colbert emerges as a cold, calculating genius. He dismisses the confessor’s moral stance, manipulates Mazarin’s fear and pride, and already positions himself for the next reign. His sour, “miser’s grimace” masks a mind that is turning “toward the new sun that would regenerate the future.” He is no mere servant; he is a builder of power.
The Theatine Confessor
An honest man who forces Mazarin to face the question of his ill‑gotten riches. He functions as the moral conscience the cardinal ignores but cannot silence.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Pride as a Political Tool
Colbert identifies the king’s defining trait: a desire to owe nothing to anyone. This pride becomes a lever to preserve the cardinal’s fortune. The chapter suggests that in the French court, pride dictates policy more than piety or justice.
The Dying Man’s Grip on Wealth
Mazarin’s bequest is not an act of charity but a strategic evasion. The cardinal, sweating and screaming, thinks of hell while simultaneously protecting thirteen million livres for his family—a vivid portrait of the inability to let go.
Moral Restitution vs. Political Manipulation
The Theatine demands restitution; Colbert reframes the issue as a political transaction. The bequest that appears generous is, in fact, a gambit designed to preserve hidden assets. The chapter questions whether true restitution is ever possible when power is on the line.
The Passing of an Era
Mazarin is the “pillar of the past,” his death cries echoing an old order. Colbert, with his “thick‑browed” planning, represents the new, bureaucratic monarchy of Louis XIV. The bequest becomes a symbolic transfer of the realm’s financial soul.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 46 is a turning point in the novel’s financial and political intrigue. It reveals the inner workings of a dying minister’s mind and sets up the transfer of power. Colbert’s masterstroke—using psychological insight to protect Mazarin’s fortune while appearing to give everything to the king—cements his role as the architect of the future French state. The scene crystallises the themes of pride, legacy, and moral decay that run through the story, and it foreshadows the tremendous influence Colbert will exert under Louis XIV.
Study Questions and Answers
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Why does Colbert advise Mazarin to bequeath his entire fortune to the king, and what does this reveal about the young Louis XIV?
Colbert understands that the king’s pride and ambition will not allow him to accept a gift he did not earn. Louis XIV wants to build his own glory; taking a vast inheritance would wound his sense of majesty. Colbert uses this insight to ensure the king refuses the bequest, thereby shielding the secret thirteen million livres for Mazarin’s family. -
In what ways does the chapter contrast the Theatine confessor’s moral advice with Colbert’s political counsel?
The Theatine frames Mazarin’s wealth as a sin that requires restitution to the king. Colbert reinterprets the same dilemma as a problem of public perception and royal psychology. The confessor speaks of the soul; Colbert speaks of reputation and leverage. The chapter shows how easily piety is outmanoeuvred by pragmatic, self‑serving reason in the corridors of power. -
How does Colbert’s behaviour during and after Mazarin’s crisis signal the changing of an era?
While Mazarin writhes and cries out in fear of hell, Colbert paces the corridor composing the bequest that will secure his own future. He thinks not of his master’s suffering but of “the new sun” of the next reign. His cold focus on the document and his triumphant return home mark him as a man of the coming absolutist state—loyal to the system, not to the dying person.