Mornay, Philippe de, seigneur du Plessis-Marly

Mornay, Philippe de, seigneur du Plessis-Marly

▪ French diplomat
also called  Philippe Duplessis-mornay  
born Nov. 5, 1549, Buhy, Normandy, Fr.
died Nov. 11, 1623, La Forêt-sur-Sèvre

      French diplomat who was one of the most outspoken and well-known publicists for the Protestant cause during the French Wars of Religion (1562–98).

      Mornay received a Protestant education, studying Hebrew, law, and German at the University of Heidelberg. He only narrowly escaped death while in Paris at the time of the massacre of Protestants on St. Bartholomew's Day (Aug. 24, 1572). During the next four years he wrote numerous political tracts, including Discours au roi Charles (1572; “Discourse to King Charles”) and Remonstrances aux estats pour la paix (1576; “Remonstrances on the Conditions for Peace”). Scholars have disputed whether the Vindiciae contra tyrannos (1579; “A Defense of Liberty Against Tyrants”), the most famous tract of Protestant political thought of the time, should be attributed to Mornay or to his friend Hubert Languet. The Vindiciae acknowledges a contract between a sovereign and his people: if the sovereign becomes a tyrant, the contract is broken and the people have the right to depose him.

      Fighting for the Huguenots, Mornay was captured in 1575, but by concealing his identity he was able to secure release for only a small ransom. In 1576 he married Charlotte Arbaleste, whose memoirs are a major source for the events of her husband's life. Mornay became a valued counsellor of Henry of Navarre (later King Henry IV of France) and negotiated the reconciliation between Navarre and Henry III of France in April 1589. He conducted many important embassies for the Protestant cause and for Henry IV both before and after Henry's accession to the throne. During this time he was appointed governor of Saumur.

      Henry IV's reconciliation with the Roman Catholic church (1593) ended his collaboration with Mornay, and the publication of Mornay's De l'institution . . . de l'Eucharistie (1598), in which he made use of scriptural quotations in an attack on Roman Catholic eucharistic doctrine, increased the breach between them. At a public disputation at Fontainebleau in 1600 with Jacques Davy Duperron, bishop of Évreux, it became clear that Mornay had lost Henry IV's favour. He played no further part in national affairs and in 1621 was deprived of his governorship.

      Mornay also wrote a history of the papacy (1611). His Mémoires et correspondance (collected ed., 12 vol., 1824–25) contains many documents of French Protestant policy.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • DU PLESSIS-MORNAY, Philippe (Seigneur du Plessis-Marly) — (1549 1623) Philippe Du Plessis Mornay was a French Protestant or Huguenot leader, statesman, political theorist, and prominent spokesman for the Protestant cause during the French Wars of Religion (1562 98). Born in Buhy, Normandy, under his… …   Renaissance and Reformation 1500-1620: A Biographical Dictionary

  • Mornay —   [mɔr nɛ], Philippe de, Seigneur du Plessis Marly [dy plɛ si mar li], genannt P. Duplessis Mornay [dyplɛ si ], französischer Staatsmann, * Buhy (bei Gisors) 5. 11. 1549, ✝ La Forêt sur Sèvre (bei Bressuire, Département Deux Sèvres) 11. 11. 1623 …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Mornay — (spr. näh), Philippe de, Seigneur du Plessis Marly, franz. Staatsmann, geb. 5. Nov. 1549 auf Buhy (Normandie), unter Heinrich IV. Staatsrat und Gouverneur von Saumur, gest. 11. Nov. 1623 zu La Forêt sur Sèvre; auch theol. Schriftsteller. Seine… …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Mornay — (– äh), Philippe de, Seigneur de Plessis Marly, geb. 1549 in der Normandie, Hugenotte, Staatsmann u. Gelehrter, unter Heinrich IV. Staatsrath u. Gouverneur von Saumur, leitete die Angelegenheiten seiner Glaubensgenossen bis 1620, wo er von Ludwig …   Herders Conversations-Lexikon

  • Philippe de Mornay — Philippe Duplessis Mornay Pour les articles homonymes, voir Duplessis. Philippe Duplessis Mornay, en réalité Philippe de Mornay, Seigneur du Plessis–Marly, également appelé Philippe Mornay Du Plessis (né le 5 novembre 1549 à Buhy, dans… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Philippe duplessis-mornay — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Duplessis. Philippe Duplessis Mornay, en réalité Philippe de Mornay, Seigneur du Plessis–Marly, également appelé Philippe Mornay Du Plessis (né le 5 novembre 1549 à Buhy, dans l actuel Val d Oise mort… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Philippe de Mornay — (5 November 1549 – 11 November 1623), seigneur du Plessis Marly, usually known as Du Plessis Mornay or Mornay Du Plessis, was a French Protestant writer and member of the Monarchomaques ( killer of kings ). Biography He was born in France, now… …   Wikipedia

  • Mornay sauce — poured over an orecchiette pasta dish A Mornay sauce is a Béchamel sauce with shredded or grated cheese added. Usually, it consists of half Gruyère and half Parmesan cheese, though some variations use different combinations of Gruyère, Emmental… …   Wikipedia

  • Mornay — [mō̂r nā′] Philippe de [fē lēp′ də] Seigneur du Plessis Marly 1549 1623; Fr. diplomat & Huguenot leader: also Duplessis Mornay …   English World dictionary

  • Philippe Duplessis-Mornay — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Duplessis et Mornay. Philippe Duplessis Mornay, en réalité Philippe de Mornay, Seigneur du Plessis–Marly, également appelé Philippe Mornay Du Plessis (né le 5 novembre 1549 à Buhy, dans l actuel Val d… …   Wikipédia en Français

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”