MORNAY (Philip de)

MORNAY (Philip de), lord of Plessis-Marly, governor of Saumur, and one of the best Protestant generals of France, was born of a noble family at Buh

Morning, in 1549. He became well skilled in polite literature, divinity, and the learned languages. Having embraced the Protestant religion, he travelled to Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, and to England; and at length engaged himself in the interest of the king of Navarre, who was afterwards Henry the Great. That prince relied greatly on his judgment, and in 1590 made him counsellor of state. De Pieffis performed the most important services for him, and was one of the lords who contributed most to his ascending the throne. He was in a manner the head and soul of the Protestants: he had their entire confidence, and acquired great reputation amongst them on account of his learning, valour, and probity; which occasioned his being called the Pope of the Huguenots. He opposed king Henry IV.'s embracing the Romish religion to the utmost of his power; and soon after that event retired from court, and laboured at his famous work on the Eucharist. He continued to support the Calvinists party by his writings; and Lewis XIII. taking from him the government of Saumur in 1621, he retired to his barony at Forêt-sur-Seure in Poitou, where he died in 1623, aged 74. He also wrote, 1. A treatise on the truth of the Christian religion. 2. The mystery of iniquity; and other works.