July 26, 2025 • 9 mins
Explore the extraordinary life of St. Vincent De Paul, a man of humility, compassion, and generosity whose impact resonates even today. Born around 1581 and living until 1660, Vincents early life was shaped by his own experience of slavery, having been captured by Turkish pirates and sold in Tunis. His escape in 1607 led him to a life of service, becoming a priest and devoting his ministry to the poor. In 1625, he founded the Congregation of the Mission, a society of missionary priests known as Vincentians or Lazarists. Alongside Louise de Marillac, he established the Daughters of Charity, a group dedicated to nursing the sick, whose work in hospitals during several plagues is well-documented. Listen to the tale of this remarkable individual, and discover the lasting legacy of his profound spiritual journey.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapter ten of Life of Saint Vincent de Paul. This
is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the
public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit
LibriVox dot org. Life of Saint Vincent de Paul by
Francis Alice Forbes. Chapter ten, Troubles in Paris. The Parliament
(00:25):
at last took up the matter. Men went about the
streets of Paris shouting down with Mazarin. A revolution was feared,
and the queen, with her young son, fled to Saint Germain.
The Royal troops in the meantime, under Conde, were blockading Paris.
The rebellion, known as the Froned, had begun. Vincent de
(00:45):
Paul was in a difficult position. His sympathies were wholly
with the suffering people, but although it had long ceased
to meet, he was still a member of the Council
of Conscience and owed allegiance to the Royal Party. What
would become of the poor in Paris Is the town
were reduced to famine, This was the thought that was
uppermost in his mind. On the other hand, he dows
(01:06):
insisted that the congregation of the Mission should in no
way mix itself up with politics. The life of its
members was to be a hidden life of prayer and
labor for souls. The safest course was obviously to remain
neutral and take no part in the matter. But his
own safety was the last consideration likely to move him.
Was it his duty to remain silent? That was the
(01:28):
vital question? Could he do any good by speaking long
and earnestly? Did he pray for guidance, and without a
thought of the consequences to himself, decided at last to
act judging of others in the light of his own
straightforward honesty. It seemed to him that if it were
once clearly represented to the Queen that it was Mazarin's
(01:48):
presence alone that prevented peace, she could not fail to
see that it was her duty to force him to withdraw.
Surrounded as she was by courtiers who did not dare
to tell her the truth, she might be ignorant of
her how much she herself was to blame in the matter.
He had shamed her into doing what was right in
the matter of the Bishop of Portieres. Might he not
succeed in awakening her conscience? Once more? He was on
(02:11):
his knees in the church of Saint Lazare that Vincent
resolved on the action that was at best only a
forlorn hope, but still worth trying. With his usual prompt energy,
the old man of seventy three mounted his horse, and,
accompanied only by his secretary du Corneau, set out for
Saint Germain. The sin was in flood, and the water
breast deep on the bridge over which they had to ride.
(02:34):
Du Cournaud avowed afterwards that he was quaking with fright,
but Vincent, though wet to the skin, scarcely seemed to
notice that all was not as usual, and rode on
through the floods in silence. Arrived at Saint Germain, he
asked to see the Queen, who, thinking that he had
been sent by the people to make their peace with her,
admitted him at once to her presence. With the straightforward
(02:56):
simplicity that characterized all his dealings, he proceeded to state
his errand he had come, he said, to ask the Queen,
for the sake of her country and her people, to
rid herself of Mazarin, and to forgive the rebels. Anne
of Austria listened in silence and gave no sign of
either sympathy or displeasure. When the speaker had ended, she
(03:16):
quietly referred him to Mazarin himself. Vincent's hopes must have
sunk low, indeed at such a suggestion, but he was
determined to go through with what he had begun. Confronted
with the cardinal, he earnestly represented to him that it
was his duty to sacrifice himself for the good of
the country, That his retirement would be an act of
noble unselfishness which could not fail to win the blessing
(03:38):
of Christ, That it would put an end to the
sufferings under which France was groaning, and save many innocent
people from a fearful and horrible death. Mazarin had a
sense of humor, and it was perhaps the only thing
about him that responded to this appeal to his better feelings.
It no doubt appeared to him sufficiently ludicrous that any
one should expect him to sacrifice himself for the sake
(03:59):
of others, and probably those around him would have shared
his opinion. Yet Vincent was justified in his experiment. Long
as had been his experience with the sin and misery
of men, it had not taught him any more than
it did his divine master to despair of human nature.
He had only employed his usual methods with Mazarin, methods
(04:19):
that had prevailed with so many souls. He had appealed
to the desire for good, which he believed lay hidden
in the heart of every man, no matter how deeply
it might be buried under the refuse of a wasted life.
He had appealed and failed. His mission had borne no fruit,
yet he could not regret that he had undertaken it,
although the consequences were to be serious for himself, For
(04:42):
during his absence, the fact that he had gone to
Saint Germain had leaked out among the people, and in
one moment of anger, all his claims and their love
and gratitude were forgotten. Monsieur Vincent has betrayed us to
the Queen, was the cry in the streets of Paris.
While the mob falling on Saint Lazare pillaged it from
top to bottom, carrying off everything on which they could
(05:02):
lay hands. Vincent had gained nothing and lost all. It
was not even safe for him to return to Paris.
So great was the fury of the people. He had
also won for himself the ill will of both Mazarin
and the Queen. Yet with his usual humility and patience,
he blamed no one but himself he had done. He
declared solemnly to du Cournault that which he would have
(05:26):
wished to have done, were he lying on his death bed,
that he had failed was due solely and entirely to
his own unworthiness. And now, since it was better for
every reason that he should not return to Paris, he
determined to undertake a visitation of the congregation of the
Mission priests and Sisters of Charity in every center where
they were working in France. In spite of his weariness
(05:47):
in his seventy three years, he set forth on his journey,
riding the old horse that was kept to carry him,
now that he could no longer travel on foot. The
suffering and misery that he witnessed, the horrors of famine
and of war, only seemed to redouble his zeal to
win the souls of men for their maker. He knew
the purifying force of suffering, born for God. He also
(06:10):
knew the danger of despair. These poor creatures must be
taught at any cost to lift their hearts to God,
to bear their anguish patiently, to remember amid what agonies,
the son of God had given his life for them.
Wherever he went, his burning words and heroic example infused
new life and courage into the hearts of his sons
(06:31):
and daughters in Christ, who, in the life of abnegation
they had undertaken, had often good reason for despondency. Traveling
in these lawless times was both difficult and dangerous, for
the country roads were infested with robbers, but Vincent had
no fear. He was seldom free from illness, which was
sometimes increased by the privations he had undergo, but he
(06:52):
traveled on without resting. Yet amid all the new suffering
which he had to witness and relieve, he was always
mine full of his dear poor. In Paris, which was
still besieged by the troops of Conde, he had obtained
a promise from the Queen during their last interview to
let grain be taken into the town to feed the
starving inhabitants, but she had not sufficient energy to see
(07:14):
that it was carried out. The people were beginning to
realize what they had lost to Monsieur Vincent, and to
suspect that they had misjudged him. Hunger at last forced
them to make terms with the royal party, although the
hated Mazarin was still supreme and the Queen and her
young son re entered Paris in triumph. But even Anne
of Austria was not so foolish as to make her
(07:36):
entry with a cardinal at her side, And during the
few weeks which still elapsed before he made his appearance
in the capital, the Queen, free for a moment from
the evil influence had stifled all her better impulses, wrote
to Vincent, begging him to return. He was ill at
Richelieu when the message reached him, and the Duchess do'r Guillon,
one of the most devoted of his ladies of charity,
(07:57):
sent a little carriage to fetch him. She had known
him long enough, however, to be sure that his love
of mortification would prevent him from availing himself of what
he would certainly look upon as a luxury. The carriage
was accompanied by a letter from the Queen and the
Archbishop of Paris, ordering him, in virtue of obedience, to
use it in the future for all his journeys. He obeyed,
(08:20):
but sorely against the grain, and as long as he
was obliged to avail himself of it, always referred to
the little carriage as his disgrace. Come and see the
son of a poor villager riding in a carriage, he
would say to his friends when he took leave of them,
And indeed Monsieur Vincent's little carriage soon became well known
in Paris. It was always at the disposal of anyone
(08:42):
who wanted it, and when Vincent used it himself, it
was generally shared by some of his beloved poor. The
fact that it came in handy for taking cripples for
a drive or the sick to the hospital was the
only thing that reconciled him to its possession. But the
troubles of the Fronde were not yet at an end,
and with Mazarin's return to Paris, the discontent broke out afresh.
(09:05):
The people were glad enough during the troublous times that
followed to have Vincent once more in their midst. End
of Chapter ten,
Chapter ten of Life of Saint Vincent de Paul. This
is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the
public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit
LibriVox dot org. Life of Saint Vincent de Paul by
Francis Alice Forbes. Chapter ten, Troubles in Paris. The Parliament
(00:25):
at last took up the matter. Men went about the
streets of Paris shouting down with Mazarin. A revolution was feared,
and the queen, with her young son, fled to Saint Germain.
The Royal troops in the meantime, under Conde, were blockading Paris.
The rebellion, known as the Froned, had begun. Vincent de
(00:45):
Paul was in a difficult position. His sympathies were wholly
with the suffering people, but although it had long ceased
to meet, he was still a member of the Council
of Conscience and owed allegiance to the Royal Party. What
would become of the poor in Paris Is the town
were reduced to famine, This was the thought that was
uppermost in his mind. On the other hand, he dows
(01:06):
insisted that the congregation of the Mission should in no
way mix itself up with politics. The life of its
members was to be a hidden life of prayer and
labor for souls. The safest course was obviously to remain
neutral and take no part in the matter. But his
own safety was the last consideration likely to move him.
Was it his duty to remain silent? That was the
(01:28):
vital question? Could he do any good by speaking long
and earnestly? Did he pray for guidance, and without a
thought of the consequences to himself, decided at last to
act judging of others in the light of his own
straightforward honesty. It seemed to him that if it were
once clearly represented to the Queen that it was Mazarin's
(01:48):
presence alone that prevented peace, she could not fail to
see that it was her duty to force him to withdraw.
Surrounded as she was by courtiers who did not dare
to tell her the truth, she might be ignorant of
her how much she herself was to blame in the matter.
He had shamed her into doing what was right in
the matter of the Bishop of Portieres. Might he not
succeed in awakening her conscience? Once more? He was on
(02:11):
his knees in the church of Saint Lazare that Vincent
resolved on the action that was at best only a
forlorn hope, but still worth trying. With his usual prompt energy,
the old man of seventy three mounted his horse, and,
accompanied only by his secretary du Corneau, set out for
Saint Germain. The sin was in flood, and the water
breast deep on the bridge over which they had to ride.
(02:34):
Du Cournaud avowed afterwards that he was quaking with fright,
but Vincent, though wet to the skin, scarcely seemed to
notice that all was not as usual, and rode on
through the floods in silence. Arrived at Saint Germain, he
asked to see the Queen, who, thinking that he had
been sent by the people to make their peace with her,
admitted him at once to her presence. With the straightforward
(02:56):
simplicity that characterized all his dealings, he proceeded to state
his errand he had come, he said, to ask the Queen,
for the sake of her country and her people, to
rid herself of Mazarin, and to forgive the rebels. Anne
of Austria listened in silence and gave no sign of
either sympathy or displeasure. When the speaker had ended, she
(03:16):
quietly referred him to Mazarin himself. Vincent's hopes must have
sunk low, indeed at such a suggestion, but he was
determined to go through with what he had begun. Confronted
with the cardinal, he earnestly represented to him that it
was his duty to sacrifice himself for the good of
the country, That his retirement would be an act of
noble unselfishness which could not fail to win the blessing
(03:38):
of Christ, That it would put an end to the
sufferings under which France was groaning, and save many innocent
people from a fearful and horrible death. Mazarin had a
sense of humor, and it was perhaps the only thing
about him that responded to this appeal to his better feelings.
It no doubt appeared to him sufficiently ludicrous that any
one should expect him to sacrifice himself for the sake
(03:59):
of others, and probably those around him would have shared
his opinion. Yet Vincent was justified in his experiment. Long
as had been his experience with the sin and misery
of men, it had not taught him any more than
it did his divine master to despair of human nature.
He had only employed his usual methods with Mazarin, methods
(04:19):
that had prevailed with so many souls. He had appealed
to the desire for good, which he believed lay hidden
in the heart of every man, no matter how deeply
it might be buried under the refuse of a wasted life.
He had appealed and failed. His mission had borne no fruit,
yet he could not regret that he had undertaken it,
although the consequences were to be serious for himself, For
(04:42):
during his absence, the fact that he had gone to
Saint Germain had leaked out among the people, and in
one moment of anger, all his claims and their love
and gratitude were forgotten. Monsieur Vincent has betrayed us to
the Queen, was the cry in the streets of Paris.
While the mob falling on Saint Lazare pillaged it from
top to bottom, carrying off everything on which they could
(05:02):
lay hands. Vincent had gained nothing and lost all. It
was not even safe for him to return to Paris.
So great was the fury of the people. He had
also won for himself the ill will of both Mazarin
and the Queen. Yet with his usual humility and patience,
he blamed no one but himself he had done. He
declared solemnly to du Cournault that which he would have
(05:26):
wished to have done, were he lying on his death bed,
that he had failed was due solely and entirely to
his own unworthiness. And now, since it was better for
every reason that he should not return to Paris, he
determined to undertake a visitation of the congregation of the
Mission priests and Sisters of Charity in every center where
they were working in France. In spite of his weariness
(05:47):
in his seventy three years, he set forth on his journey,
riding the old horse that was kept to carry him,
now that he could no longer travel on foot. The
suffering and misery that he witnessed, the horrors of famine
and of war, only seemed to redouble his zeal to
win the souls of men for their maker. He knew
the purifying force of suffering, born for God. He also
(06:10):
knew the danger of despair. These poor creatures must be
taught at any cost to lift their hearts to God,
to bear their anguish patiently, to remember amid what agonies,
the son of God had given his life for them.
Wherever he went, his burning words and heroic example infused
new life and courage into the hearts of his sons
(06:31):
and daughters in Christ, who, in the life of abnegation
they had undertaken, had often good reason for despondency. Traveling
in these lawless times was both difficult and dangerous, for
the country roads were infested with robbers, but Vincent had
no fear. He was seldom free from illness, which was
sometimes increased by the privations he had undergo, but he
(06:52):
traveled on without resting. Yet amid all the new suffering
which he had to witness and relieve, he was always
mine full of his dear poor. In Paris, which was
still besieged by the troops of Conde, he had obtained
a promise from the Queen during their last interview to
let grain be taken into the town to feed the
starving inhabitants, but she had not sufficient energy to see
(07:14):
that it was carried out. The people were beginning to
realize what they had lost to Monsieur Vincent, and to
suspect that they had misjudged him. Hunger at last forced
them to make terms with the royal party, although the
hated Mazarin was still supreme and the Queen and her
young son re entered Paris in triumph. But even Anne
of Austria was not so foolish as to make her
(07:36):
entry with a cardinal at her side, And during the
few weeks which still elapsed before he made his appearance
in the capital, the Queen, free for a moment from
the evil influence had stifled all her better impulses, wrote
to Vincent, begging him to return. He was ill at
Richelieu when the message reached him, and the Duchess do'r Guillon,
one of the most devoted of his ladies of charity,
(07:57):
sent a little carriage to fetch him. She had known
him long enough, however, to be sure that his love
of mortification would prevent him from availing himself of what
he would certainly look upon as a luxury. The carriage
was accompanied by a letter from the Queen and the
Archbishop of Paris, ordering him, in virtue of obedience, to
use it in the future for all his journeys. He obeyed,
(08:20):
but sorely against the grain, and as long as he
was obliged to avail himself of it, always referred to
the little carriage as his disgrace. Come and see the
son of a poor villager riding in a carriage, he
would say to his friends when he took leave of them,
And indeed Monsieur Vincent's little carriage soon became well known
in Paris. It was always at the disposal of anyone
(08:42):
who wanted it, and when Vincent used it himself, it
was generally shared by some of his beloved poor. The
fact that it came in handy for taking cripples for
a drive or the sick to the hospital was the
only thing that reconciled him to its possession. But the
troubles of the Fronde were not yet at an end,
and with Mazarin's return to Paris, the discontent broke out afresh.
(09:05):
The people were glad enough during the troublous times that
followed to have Vincent once more in their midst. End
of Chapter ten,
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