François-Joachim of Pierre de Bernis

Biography

Born in a family from old nobility, it made her studies with the Louis-the-Large college, with Paris, before entering to the great seminar of Saint-Sulpice. Excel pupil, it was also ambitious and melancholic person. M {{gr.}} of Fleury, initially its guard, was turned over then against him and broke clear its future ecclesiastical career. Bernis wrote in its Mémoires :

“I was born sensitive to excess. My situation humiliated me, I devoured the bitterness of it; but I knew well that a sad face interests little time and tiredness soon. I have thus the force to keep my sorrows for me, and to make shine with the eyes of the others only my imagination and my cheerfulness. ”

Until the 35 years age, he wrote and published poetry, which was worth to him, on behalf of Voltaire, the nickname of “Babet the bouquetière”, or “Beautiful Babet”. This junior by vivarois family made his way brilliantly. At 29 years, in 1744, it entered to the French Academy.

Its gallant worms were worth prestige and friends to him. Thus it met the marchioness of Pompadour, favorite of the king Louis XV, via Mrs. d' Estrades, cousin of Mrs. the Norman one.

This friendship drew it from poverty, was worth to him a royal pension of 1500 books (either: 12000 Euros), as well as an apartment with the Tileries. The marchioness of Pompadour launched especially its diplomatic and political career in the first circles of the royal Gouvernement of France at the point to make it enter to the Conseil of the king when it was named Minister of state (1757) then Secretary of State of the Foreign affairs (1757 - 1758).

Great-uncle of Mgr of Fare, bishop of Nancy, person in charge of the king Louis XVIII

The Cardinal of Bernis was great-uncle of his Eminence the cardinal Count Anne Louis Henri of Fare (1752 - † 1829), bishop of Nancy then archbishop of Direction and Auxerre, first chaplain of Madam dauphine the, Pair of France, Commandeur of the Ordre of the Holy Spirit, Minister of state (1824) which was the person in charge of the king Louis XVIII with Vienna during the Émigration.

Diplomat

In 1752, it required an embassy. The king proposed the Poland to him; he refused, one granted Venice to him. Sérénissime was not then any more an important station, the city shone especially by its courtesans and her Carnaval. Bernis made pretense believe it, without being easily deceived: “I was hardly to fear in Venice, and all that could arrive to me there of worse, it was there to be forgotten. ”.

It carried out large train of house, its cook was famous, all Europe passed to Venice to divert itself there, all that counted was invited in the ambassador of France. Admittedly, Bernis all its life liked to carry out a life of pleasure, but it also entered there of deliberated:

“When my friends thundered me of the great expenditure which I made, I answered them: I place my money non-returnable at an extremely advantageous sum of money. You will see that it will pay to me in abbeys and dignities. ”

It got information, maintained the double agents or triple, its favor believed. With Casanova the cardinal of Bernis shared a complicity which ensured to them one big hit in the city of the Doge S; when he was recalled to Versailles in 1755, one thought of him for the embassy of Spain, posts prestigious.

Reversal of alliances of 1756

Although he had expressed reservations on this subject, it was charged to negotiate with the count de Staremberg the reversal of alliances between the king Frederic II of Prussia and the empress of Austria. Choiseul was indicated ambassador in Vienna; he authorized to it provided that one named Bernis Secretary of foreign affairs. The suggestion could appear friendly, it was underhand: such a ministry during such a time, it was a bow net, it was the risk to lose itself. In 1757, it thus entered to the council of the king. It collected the favors: abbey of the Three-Fountains of the Order of Cîteaux, member of the Order of the Holy Spirit. He enjoys then: 40000 pounds of revenue.

The treaty of Versailles was signed in 1756; it led to the Guerre Seven Year old. The destiny of the weapons appeared catastrophic. Ministers were returned. Bernis was offered to disentangle this crisis: he asked for the armchair of Prime Minister, the king refused; Bernis asks for the cardinal hat of then, in order to be, at least in the field of the label, the first of the ministers. The king accepted the market (October 1757) (defeat of Rossbach in November 1757). Bernis appeared to arrive, him to it peaceful, the conciliator, at the top of the capacity. Fifteen days later, it accepted a Lettre de cachet of the king, enjoignant to him to go under two days in its residence of Vic-sur-Aisne and to leave moreover it. It was the exile.

Bishop of Albi

He pronounced finally his wishes. In 1764, it was named bishop of Albi, planted vines, traced roads, was occupied with its charities and appeared an excellent administrator. It still could, thanks to copious ecclesiastical benefit, to carry out large train.

In Rome

The pope Clément XIII died soon: a Conclave was convened, Bernis left for Rome. It was in charge of a mission: to find a candidate anti Jésuite S. the Company crossed a bad master key then: it was prohibited in Portugal, in Spain, in France; the new pope would have as a task to dissolve it. Bernis found a former cordelier who made the deal. In reward, one appoints it ambassador in the Eternal City of 1774 to 1794). It there made election of another pope, Clement XIV, played hosts with pleasure, made to work good cook of city (even if the drop will condemn it to boiled vegetables), knew the famous softness of living of before the Révolution.

The fall

Bernis was seen requiring, at the end 1790, to lend oath to the civil Constitution of the clergy. He tergiversated initially, sending a ticket containing an oath under reserves. The January 30th 1791, the oath was issued null of form by the Parliament. The February 23rd, Bernis meant its written refusal. It accepted the March 30th its letters of recall.

In parallel, he saw himself stripped his episcopal dignity: at the end of October 1790, the departmental directory had summoned it to choose between its évêché of Albi and its embassy. At the beginning of 1791, a new bishop was elected in his place. He did not touch the treatment of: 10000 pounds promised to the outgoing bishops; worse still, one claimed to him: 18000 pounds of postponed taxes. Bernis, adversary of the Revolution, pushed the pope to condemn the civil Constitution of the clergy.

In March 1792, it was registered for the first time on the list of the emigrants. Its goods were put under sequestration. In spite of the cancellation of the inscription, the pieces of furniture of the ancestral castle, in Ardeche, were sold with the biddings, in order to pay them: 53000 pounds of “patriotic contribution” that the district required of him. The March 4th 1793, it was definitively declared emigrated. The remainder of its goods was sold.

Bernis remained influential all the same with Rome, even if it were nothing any more officially. In April 1790, it accommodated Mesdames Adélaïde and Victoire, girls of Louis XV. The December 10th 1790, it was named “visitor of the churches, convents and possessions of France” for the Papal States. It was even in charge of a diplomatic mission: in February 1794, one charged it with negotiating near Charles IV of Spain the reception of the count de Provence. Bernis obtained from it nevertheless only one invitation for the count alone.

Sunday November 3rd 1794, it died, in Rome. It was buried in the church Saint-Louis-of-French until in 1805, date on which its family made transfer her body to the cathedral Our-Lady-and-Saint-Beaver from Nimes. Its heart remained in the Eternal City.

Memories

Bernis remained famous for its Mémoires , written in the pleasant style of the time, where it tells the adventures of its life, denouncing its enemies like Mgr of Fleury and remainder faithful to its friendships, for example with Mrs. de Pompadour. It is shown there more virtuous than it is, affirming it always to have been repugnant to with the vice, which the testimony of its contemporaries, like Casanova, really does not confirm.

Quotations

“If I prefer outward journey with the sky for the climate, I would prefer the hell for his frequentation. ”

Principal works

Reflections on passions and the tastes (1741)
various Poetries, by Mr. L.D.B. (1744)
Works meslées in prose and worms of Mr. L.D.B *** (1753)
Four seasons, or Géorgiques françoises, poëme (1763)
Seasons and days, poems (1764)
Works complettes of Mr. C. of B *** (1767)
Correspondence of the cardinal of Bernis, minister of state, with Mr. Paris of Verney, adviser of State, since 1752 until in 1769 (1790)
the avenged Religion, poem in 10 songs (1795)
Correspondence of Voltaire and the cardinal of Bernis, since 1761 up to 1777 (1799)
Memories and letters of François-Joachim of Pierre, Cardinal of Bernis (1715-1758), published with the authorization of its family, according to the new manuscripts by Frederic Masson (1878). Republication: Mercure de France, Paris, 2000.

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