François Henri de Montmorency-Bouteville, duc de Luxembourg
Encyclopedia
François Henri de Montmorency-Bouteville, duc de Piney, called de Luxembourg (January 8, 1628 – January 4, 1695) was a French general, marshal of France
, famous as the comrade and successor of the great Condé
.
against the marquis de Beuvron. His aunt, Charlotte de Montmorency
, Princess de Condé, took charge of him and educated him with her son, the Duc d'Enghien
. The young Montmorency (or Bouteville as he was then called) attached himself to his cousin, and shared his successes and reverses throughout the troubles of the Fronde
. He returned to France in 1659 and was pardoned, and Condé, then much attached to the Duchesse de Châtillon, Montmorency's sister, contrived the marriage of his adherent and cousin to the greatest heiress in France, Madeleine de Luxemburg-Piney, Princesse de Tingry and heiress of the Luxemburg dukedom
(1661), after which he was created Duc de Luxembourg and peer of France.
(1667–68), Condé, and consequently Luxembourg, had no command, but during the second campaign he served as Condé's lieutenant general in the conquest of Franche-Comté
. During the foul years of peace which followed, Luxembourg cultivated the favour of Louvois, and in 1672 held a high command against the Dutch. He defeated the Prince of Orange
at Woerden
but was stopped at the Dutch Water Line
, and in 1673 made his famous retreat from Utrecht
to Maastricht
with only 20,000 men in face of 70,000, an exploit which placed him in the first rank of generals.
In 1674 he was made captain of the Garde du Corps
, and in 1675 Marshal of France
. In 1676 he was placed at the head of the army of the Rhine, but failed to keep the Duke of Lorraine out of Philipsburg. In 1677 he stormed Valenciennes
; and in 1678 he defeated the Prince of Orange
, who attacked him at St Denis
after the signature of the Peace of Nijmegen
. His reputation was now high and it is reputed that he quarrelled with Louvois, who managed to involve him in the "affair of the poisons" and get him sent to the Bastille
. Rousset
in his Histoire de Louvois has shown that this quarrel is probably apocryphal. Luxembourg doubtlessly spent some months of 1680 in the Bastille, but on his release took up his post at court as capitaine des gardes.
, Luxembourg was entrusted with the command of King Louis' army in the Spanish Netherlands, superseding Louis de Crevant, Duke of Humières
. On July 1, 1690 he won a great victory over William's allied commander, the Prince of Waldeck
, at Fleurus
. In the following year he was again victorious at Leuze
on September 18, 1691.
In the next campaign he covered the king's 1692 Siege of Namur, and defeated William
at Steenkerque
in 1692; and on July 29, 1693, he won his greatest victory over his old adversary at Neerwinden
, after which he was called le tapissier de Nôtre Dame from the number of captured colours that he sent to the cathedral. He was received with enthusiasm at Paris by all but the king, who looked coldly on a relative and adherent of the Condés. St-Simon
describes in the first volume of his Memoirs how, instead of ranking as eighteenth peer of France according to his patent of 1661, he claimed through his wife to be duc de Piney of an old creation of 1571, which would place him second on the roll. The affair is described with St-Simon's usual interest in the peerage, and was chiefly checked through his assiduity.
In the campaign of 1694, Luxembourg did little in Flanders, except that he conducted a famous march from Vignamont to Tournay
in face of the enemy.
for the winter he fell ill, and died. In his last moments he was attended by the famous Jesuit priest Bourdaloue, who said on his death, "I have not lived his life, but I would wish to die his death." Luxembourg's morals were bad even in those times, but as a general he was Condé's grandest pupil. Though slothful like Condé in the management of a campaign, at the moment of battle he seemed seized with happy inspirations, against which no ardour of William's and no steadiness of Dutch or English soldiers could stand. His death and Catinat
's disgrace close the second period of the military history of the reign of Louis XIV
, and Catinat and Luxembourg, though inferior to Condé and Turenne
, were far superior to Tallard
and Villeroi
. He was distinguished for a pungent wit. One of his retorts referred to his deformity. "I never can beat that cursed humpback", William was reputed to have said of him. "How does he know I have a hump?" retorted Luxembourg, "he has never seen my back." He left four sons, the youngest of whom was a marshal of France as Marechal de Montmorency.
Marshal of France
The Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements...
, famous as the comrade and successor of the great Condé
Louis II de Bourbon, Prince de Condé
Louis de Bourbon, Prince of Condé was a French general and the most famous representative of the Condé branch of the House of Bourbon. Prior to his father's death in 1646, he was styled the Duc d'Enghien...
.
Early years
François Henri de Montmorency-Bouteville was born at Paris. His father, the Comte de Montmorency-Bouteville, had been executed six months before his birth for participating in a duelDuel
A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two individuals, with matched weapons in accordance with agreed-upon rules.Duels in this form were chiefly practised in Early Modern Europe, with precedents in the medieval code of chivalry, and continued into the modern period especially among...
against the marquis de Beuvron. His aunt, Charlotte de Montmorency
Charlotte-Marguerite de Montmorency
Charlotte Marguerite de Montmorency was an heiress of one of France's leading ducal families, and Princess of Condé by her marriage to Henry de Bourbon. She almost became a mistress of Henry IV of France, but her husband escaped with her after the wedding.-Life:She was the daughter of Henry de...
, Princess de Condé, took charge of him and educated him with her son, the Duc d'Enghien
Louis II de Bourbon, Prince de Condé
Louis de Bourbon, Prince of Condé was a French general and the most famous representative of the Condé branch of the House of Bourbon. Prior to his father's death in 1646, he was styled the Duc d'Enghien...
. The young Montmorency (or Bouteville as he was then called) attached himself to his cousin, and shared his successes and reverses throughout the troubles of the Fronde
Fronde
The Fronde was a civil war in France, occurring in the midst of the Franco-Spanish War, which had begun in 1635. The word fronde means sling, which Parisian mobs used to smash the windows of supporters of Cardinal Mazarin....
. He returned to France in 1659 and was pardoned, and Condé, then much attached to the Duchesse de Châtillon, Montmorency's sister, contrived the marriage of his adherent and cousin to the greatest heiress in France, Madeleine de Luxemburg-Piney, Princesse de Tingry and heiress of the Luxemburg dukedom
Duc de Piney
Duc de Piney was a title in the Peerage of France. The holders were also sometimes called duc de Luxembourg, after the House of Luxembourg, from whom they were descended....
(1661), after which he was created Duc de Luxembourg and peer of France.
War of Devolution and the Franco-Dutch War
At the opening of the War of DevolutionWar of Devolution
The War of Devolution saw Louis XIV's French armies overrun the Habsburg-controlled Spanish Netherlands and the Franche-Comté, but forced to give most of it back by a Triple Alliance of England, Sweden, and the Dutch Republic in the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle.-Background:Louis's claims to the...
(1667–68), Condé, and consequently Luxembourg, had no command, but during the second campaign he served as Condé's lieutenant general in the conquest of Franche-Comté
Franche-Comté
Franche-Comté the former "Free County" of Burgundy, as distinct from the neighbouring Duchy, is an administrative region and a traditional province of eastern France...
. During the foul years of peace which followed, Luxembourg cultivated the favour of Louvois, and in 1672 held a high command against the Dutch. He defeated the Prince of Orange
William III of England
William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
at Woerden
Woerden
Woerden is a municipality and a city in the central Netherlands. Due to its central location between Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht, and the fact that it has excellent rail and road connections to those cities, it is a popular town for commuters who work in those cities.-Population...
but was stopped at the Dutch Water Line
Dutch Water Line
The Dutch Water Line was a series of water based defences conceived by Maurice of Nassau in the early 17th century, and realised by his half brother Frederick Henry...
, and in 1673 made his famous retreat from Utrecht
Utrecht (city)
Utrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands with a population of 312,634 on 1 Jan 2011.Utrecht's ancient city centre features...
to Maastricht
Maastricht
Maastricht is situated on both sides of the Meuse river in the south-eastern part of the Netherlands, on the Belgian border and near the German border...
with only 20,000 men in face of 70,000, an exploit which placed him in the first rank of generals.
In 1674 he was made captain of the Garde du Corps
Garde du Corps (France)
The Garde du Corps was the senior formation of the King of France's Household Cavalry within the Maison du Roi.-History:The oldest company in the Garde du Corps was the Company of Scottish Archers, later just the 1st Scottish Company or Garde Écossaise, formed in 1419 from Scots that fought for...
, and in 1675 Marshal of France
Marshal of France
The Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements...
. In 1676 he was placed at the head of the army of the Rhine, but failed to keep the Duke of Lorraine out of Philipsburg. In 1677 he stormed Valenciennes
Valenciennes
Valenciennes is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.It lies on the Scheldt river. Although the city and region had seen a steady decline between 1975 and 1990, it has since rebounded...
; and in 1678 he defeated the Prince of Orange
Prince of Orange
Prince of Orange is a title of nobility, originally associated with the Principality of Orange, in what is now southern France. In French it is la Principauté d'Orange....
, who attacked him at St Denis
Battle of Saint-Denis (1678)
The Battle of Saint-Denis was fought on August 14-15 1678 between a French army commanded by the Marshal Luxembourg and a Dutch army under William III near Saint-Denis, a village outside Mons, then part of the Spanish Netherlands...
after the signature of the Peace of Nijmegen
Treaties of Nijmegen
The Treaties of Peace of Nijmegen were a series of treaties signed in the Dutch city of Nijmegen between August 1678 and December 1679...
. His reputation was now high and it is reputed that he quarrelled with Louvois, who managed to involve him in the "affair of the poisons" and get him sent to the Bastille
Bastille
The Bastille was a fortress in Paris, known formally as the Bastille Saint-Antoine. It played an important role in the internal conflicts of France and for most of its history was used as a state prison by the kings of France. The Bastille was built in response to the English threat to the city of...
. Rousset
Camille Rousset
Camille Félix Michel Rousset was a French historian. He taught at Grenoble before becoming a historian to the Ministry of War...
in his Histoire de Louvois has shown that this quarrel is probably apocryphal. Luxembourg doubtlessly spent some months of 1680 in the Bastille, but on his release took up his post at court as capitaine des gardes.
War of the Grand Alliance 1688-97
By 1690, during the War of the Grand AllianceWar of the Grand Alliance
The Nine Years' War – often called the War of the Grand Alliance, the War of the Palatine Succession, or the War of the League of Augsburg – was a major war of the late 17th century fought between King Louis XIV of France, and a European-wide coalition, the Grand Alliance, led by the Anglo-Dutch...
, Luxembourg was entrusted with the command of King Louis' army in the Spanish Netherlands, superseding Louis de Crevant, Duke of Humières
Louis de Crevant, Duke of Humières
Louis de Crévant, Duc d'Humières was a Marshal of France and Governor of Compiègne, Bourbonnais and Lille.He was present at the Battle of the Dunes, and participated in the Franco-Dutch war under Turenne. He was made Marshal of France in 1668...
. On July 1, 1690 he won a great victory over William's allied commander, the Prince of Waldeck
Prince Georg Friedrich of Waldeck
Prince Georg Friedrich of Waldeck was a German and Dutch Field Marshal .In 1641, Waldeck entered the service of the States-General of the Netherlands; later in 1651, in the service of Brandenburg, he reached the highest rank as minister...
, at Fleurus
Battle of Fleurus (1690)
The Battle of Fleurus, fought on 1 July 1690, was a major engagement of the Nine Years' War. In a bold envelopment the Duc de Luxembourg, commanding Louis XIV’s army of some 35,000 men, soundly defeated Prince Waldeck’s Allied force of approximately 38,000 men comprising mainly Dutch, German, and...
. In the following year he was again victorious at Leuze
Battle of Leuze
The Battle of Leuze took place on 18 September 1691, and was a famous French cavalry victory in the Nine Years' War, against a superior allied force....
on September 18, 1691.
In the next campaign he covered the king's 1692 Siege of Namur, and defeated William
William III of England
William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
at Steenkerque
Battle of Steenkerque
The Battle of Steenkerque was fought on August 3, 1692, as a part of the Nine Years' War. It resulted in the victory of the French under Marshal François-Henri de Montmorency, duc de Luxembourg against a joint English-Scottish-Dutch-German army under Prince William of Orange...
in 1692; and on July 29, 1693, he won his greatest victory over his old adversary at Neerwinden
Battle of Landen
The Battle of Landen , in the current Belgian province of Flemish Brabant, was a battle in the Nine Years' War, fought in present-day Belgium on 29 July 1693 between the French army of Marshal Luxembourg and the Allied army of King William III of England...
, after which he was called le tapissier de Nôtre Dame from the number of captured colours that he sent to the cathedral. He was received with enthusiasm at Paris by all but the king, who looked coldly on a relative and adherent of the Condés. St-Simon
Louis de Rouvroy, duc de Saint-Simon
Louis de Rouvroy commonly known as Saint-Simon was a French soldier, diplomatist and writer of memoirs, was born in Paris...
describes in the first volume of his Memoirs how, instead of ranking as eighteenth peer of France according to his patent of 1661, he claimed through his wife to be duc de Piney of an old creation of 1571, which would place him second on the roll. The affair is described with St-Simon's usual interest in the peerage, and was chiefly checked through his assiduity.
In the campaign of 1694, Luxembourg did little in Flanders, except that he conducted a famous march from Vignamont to Tournay
Tournay
Tournay may refer to:* Tournai , a municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut* Tournay, a commune of the Hautes-Pyrénées département, in southwestern France...
in face of the enemy.
Death
On his return to VersaillesVersailles
Versailles , a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial centre...
for the winter he fell ill, and died. In his last moments he was attended by the famous Jesuit priest Bourdaloue, who said on his death, "I have not lived his life, but I would wish to die his death." Luxembourg's morals were bad even in those times, but as a general he was Condé's grandest pupil. Though slothful like Condé in the management of a campaign, at the moment of battle he seemed seized with happy inspirations, against which no ardour of William's and no steadiness of Dutch or English soldiers could stand. His death and Catinat
Nicolas Catinat
Nicolas Catinat was a French military commander and Marshal of France under Louis XIV. The son of a magistrate, Catinat was born in Paris on 1 September 1637...
's disgrace close the second period of the military history of the reign of Louis XIV
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
, and Catinat and Luxembourg, though inferior to Condé and Turenne
Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne, Vicomte de Turenne
Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne, Vicomte de Turenne,often called simply Turenne was the most illustrious member of the La Tour d'Auvergne family. He achieved military fame and became a Marshal of France...
, were far superior to Tallard
Camille d'Hostun, duc de Tallard
Camille d'Hostun de la Baume, duc de Tallard was a French noble, diplomat and military commander, who became Marshal of France.-Military career:...
and Villeroi
François de Neufville, duc de Villeroi
François de Neufville, 2ème duc de Villeroy was a French soldier.-Biography:Villeroy was born in Lyon into noble family which had risen into prominence in the reign of Charles IX....
. He was distinguished for a pungent wit. One of his retorts referred to his deformity. "I never can beat that cursed humpback", William was reputed to have said of him. "How does he know I have a hump?" retorted Luxembourg, "he has never seen my back." He left four sons, the youngest of whom was a marshal of France as Marechal de Montmorency.
Marriage and children
François-Henri de Montmorency married on March 17, 1661 Madeleine de Clermont-Tonnerre, duchess of Luxembourg, princess of Tingry, comtess of Ligny, baronness of Dangu, and had 5 children:- Charles Frédéric de Montmorency-Luxembourg (1662–1726), duc de Piney-Luxembourg, father of Charles II Frédéric (1702–1764) Marshal of FranceMarshal of FranceThe Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements...
(1757) ; - Pierre Henri de Montmorency-Luxembourg (1663–1700), abbot of Saint-Michel d'Orcamp ;
- Paul Sigismond de Montmorency-Luxembourg (1664-?), duc de Châtillon, comte de Luxe and baron d'Apremont ;
- Angelique Cunegonde de Montmorency-Luxembourg (1666–1736), mademoiselle de Luxembourg ; married Louis Henri de Bourbon, bâtard de Soissons, illegitimate son of Louis de Bourbon and had issue; had two children;
- Christian Louis de Montmorency-LuxembourgChristian Louis de Montmorency-LuxembourgChristian Louis de Montmorency-Luxembourg, comte de Beaumont , prince de Tingry , comte de Luxe, was a Marshal of France ....
(1675–1746), prince de Tingry, comte de Luxe, pair de France, Marshal of FranceMarshal of FranceThe Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements...
(1734).