MORNAY, PHILIPPE DE, Seigneur du Plessis-Marly, was born at Buhry or Bishuy in Upper Normandy, in France, in 1549, and was educated at Paris. He made rapid progress in the belles-lettres, in the learned languages, and in theology, which was then thought a prodigy in a gentleman. He was destined for the church by his father, who was a zealous Roman Catholic; but the principles of the Reformation, which he had imbibed from his mother, effectually excluded him from the ecclesiastical preferments to which, by his interest, abilities, and birth, he would have been entitled. After the horrible massacre of St Bartholomew, he travelled Italy, Germany, England, and the Low Countries; and after his return joined the King of Navarre, at that time leader of the Protestant party, and since so well known by the name of Henri IV. This prince sent Mornay, who employed his whole abilities, both as a soldier and a writer, in defence of the Protestant cause, to conduct a negotiation with Elizabeth, Queen of England. He was left wholly to his own discretion in the management of that business, and was successful in almost every negotiation. He tenderly loved Henri IV., and spoke to him upon all occasions as to a friend. When he was wounded at Aumale, he wrote to him in these words:—"Sire, you have long enough acted the part of Alexander; it is now time you should act that of Cæsar. It is our duty to die for your Majesty. It is glorious for you, Sire, that I dare venture to tell you it is your duty to live for us." This faithful subject did everything in his power to raise Henri to the throne; but when he deserted the Protestant faith he reproached him in the bitterest manner, and retired from court. Yet Henri still loved him, and had occasion afterwards to give evidence of his continued attachment to this tried servant. Mornay's knowledge, probity, and valour made him the soul of the Protestant party, and procured him the contemptuous appellation of the "Pope of the Huguenots." He defended their doctrines both by speech and writing. One of his books, Un Traité de l'Institution de l'Eucharistie, published in 1598, having stirred up the Catholic divines, he refused to make any reply to their censures and criticisms except in a public conference. This was accordingly appointed to be held in the year 1600 at Fontainebleau, where the court then was. The two champions were Duperron, Bishop of Evreux, and Mornay. After a great many arguments and replies on both sides, the vic-
tory was adjudged to Duperron. He had boasted that he would point out to the satisfaction of every one five hundred errors in his adversary's book, and he partly kept his word. The Calvinists did not fail to claim the victory on this occasion, and they still continue to do so. But this conference, instead of putting an end to the differences, was productive of new quarrels amongst the controversialists, and of much profane wit amongst the libertines. When Louis XIII. was making preparations against the Protestants, Mornay, who was governor of Saumur, wrote him a letter, full of enlightened freedom, dissuading him from such a measure. But these remonstrances produced no other effect than the loss of the government of Saumur, of which he was deprived by Louis XIII. in 1621. He died two years afterwards, on the 11th November 1623, aged seventy-four, in his barony of La Foret-sur-Seure in Poitou.
His principal works are,—Un Traité de l'Eucharistie, 1604, folio; Un Traité de la Vérité de la Religion Chrétienne, 8vo; La Mystère d'Iniquité, 4to; Un Discours sur le Droit prétendu par ceux de la Maison de Guise, 8vo; curious and interesting Memoirs, from the year 1572 to 1629, 4 vols. 4to; Letters, written with great spirit and good sense. David des Liques published a Life of De Mornay, in a quarto volume; and additional information regarding him will be found in the Lives of the Ancient Seigneurs of Mornay, by R. de Mornay de la Villetertre, 1689, 4to. The greater number of his works were translated into English during his own time.