Marmontel, Jean Fkan^ois, a celebrated French critic, and a leader in the French school of infidelity which flourished under the guidance of Diderot, Holbach, and Voltaire, was born at Bort, in Limousin, in 1723, of humble parentage. He was educated at the Jcsidts' college at Mauriac, but, not inclining towards asceti- cism, weiit to Paris finally (1746), and there became in- timate with the great freethinkers of the 18th century. Marmontel wielded an able pen, and largely devoted himself to authorship, producing both original works and translations of valuable English writers. By inter- cession of Jladame Pompadour, he secured a secretarj^- ship at Versailles in 1753. Later he became editor of the Mercure, for which he wrote, in part, his celebrated Confes Moraitx, afterwards published in book form (Paris, 1761,2 vols.). These Moral Tales were received with extraordinarj- favor, and were translated into most of the languages of Europe. Though written with great elegance and animation, their morality is rather ques- tionable, and, appearing at a time when literature was unusually weiglied down by freethinkers and atheists, the French clergy declaimed against the Contes Maraux. The opposition of the clergy became more decided against Marmontel in 1767, when he published his Belisaire, a political romance. A chapter of it treats on toleration. This part of the work was specially objected to by the doctors of the Sorbonne " as heretical and blasphemous," and quickly the cry resounded through the pulpits of the capital, and thence into those of the inland towns, until the excitement became general. Belisaire was condemned by the archbishop of Paris. Voltaire could hardly say enough in its praise, and the empress Cath- arine II honored it by a special order for its immediate translation into Russian. Marmontel himself came off victor in this contest with the Sorbonne and the clergy, and gained the honorable appointment of historiogra- pher of France. To the Enryclojyedie (s. v.) he contrib- uted '' Elements de Litterature" (1787, 6 vols. 8vo) ; he had charge, moreover, of its departments of poetry and general literature. During the Revolution he retired to the countrj-, and died at the village of AbloviUe, near iM-reux, December 31, 1799. An edition of liis (Fuvres Completes was published by himself in 17 vols. ; another in 18 vols. (Paris, 1818) ; a third in 7 vols. (Paris, 1819-20). See Saint-Surin, Notice sur Marmon- tel (1824); Sainte-Beuve, Canseries du Lundi, vol. iv; Morellet, Eloge de Marmontel (1805); Villenave, Notice sur les Ourrages de Marmontel (1820) ; Edinb. Rev. 1806 (Jan.) ; Schlosser, Gesch. d. 18'™ u. 19'^" Jakrhunderts, ii, 2. § 1 ; Thomas, Diet, of Biog. and Mythol. s. v. ; Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, s. v, (J. H.W.)
Mar'moth (Mapfj.oi^i'), a less correct form (1 Esdr, viii, 62 ) of the Heb, name Meuemoth (1 Ezra viii, 33),
Marne, Jeax-Baptiste de, a Flemish ecclesiastic and historian, was born at Douai in 1699. He entered the Society of -Jesus in 1619; was appointed minister to Naniur, after having taught belles-lettres and theology in many cities, and tilling different missions. After- wards he was called to Liege, and became confessor to John-Theodore of Bavaria, and synodal examiner of the diocese. Ten years later he retired to Liege. He died Oct. 9, 1756, Marne wrote Martyr du secret de la con- fession, ou la Vie de Saint Jean Nepoumeine (Paris, 1741, 12mo; Avignon, 1820, 18mo), See Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, xxxiii, 907,
Marnix, Philippe van, de Ste. Aldegoxde, oc- cupies a distinguished place in the history of the Neth- erlands during the Keformation period. He was born at Brussels in 1538, of parents thoroughly identified with the interests of their country, and was carefuUy edu- cated at home, and later at Geneva under Calvin and Beza. After returning to his home in 1560, he spent six years in retirement, but became known, notwith- standing his seclusion, as a careful observer of events, and respected as a patriot and a man of honor. His de- votion to the cause of the Reformation, whose influence he steadily endeavored to extend, could not remain con- cealed ; nor could his learning, his keen understanding, and his power as a writer escape recognition. He was soon in intimate relations with the leaders of the na- tion, and the rapid progress of events forced him into prominence. He is universally held to be the author of the so-called compromise (about 1565-66) by which the nobles and others pledged themselves to resist, by all lawful means, the introduction of the Inquisition, The league soon attained such proportions that it dared to present (April 5, 1566) a petition to the regent for the suppression of the institution. Soon after, when Protestant field -preaching was introduced, he jjlaced himself at the head of the movement, and insisted that the Protestants should be jjermitted to worship in Ant- werp itself. On the 19th of August an iconoclastic mob destroyed the many works of art that adorned the churches, etc., of Antwerp, and the regent, in alarm, per- mitted Protestant worship in specified places ; and un- der this sanction the first synod of the Walloon church- es assembled in Antwerp Oct. 26, 1566. ]\Iamix pre- sided, and by his influence contributed to the adoption of the reformed confession, by which event the Calvin- ists acquired a pre-eminence that still continues. The government now adopted more energetic measures to re- strain the Protestants, by placing garrisons in im[)ortant towns, and even besieging such as refused to admit them. This was the case at Valenciennes ; and Jlarnix, while seeking to aid the beleaguered city, was defeated, his brother killed, himself banished, and his property confiscated. During his exile he was influential in con- verting William of Orange and Nassau to the Protes- tant faith, and formed a connection with him that was only dissolved by death. In the mean time, however, Marnix had entered the sen'ice of the Palatine Freder- ick HI, and fixed his residence at Heidelberg, wliere he was largely engaged in theological investigations ; but, with the consent of the elector, he was often employed in the affairs of his own country, under the direction of the prince of Orange, being present at the defeat of Louis of Nassau at Jemmingen in July, 1568, etc. He attended the synod of the exiled clergy at Wesel in November, 1568, and his influence is seen in the consti- tution of the Church then adopted. A second impor- tant synod was held at Emden, Oct. 4 to 14, 1571, at which Marnix was also present, and which selected him to write a history of recent events in the Netherlands ; but the needs of his country prevented the execution of this task. In July, 1572, he was sent by the prince of Orange to confer with the delegates of Holland, who were assembled at Dort, and succeeded in inducing them to pledge their readmess to make every sacrifice to throw off the Spanish j^oke. Thenceforward his activity was incessant. He was taken prisoner by the Spaniards in November, 1573, but his life was spared, as the prince of Orange had threatened to retaliate, and Requesens, suc- cessor to the duke of Alba, employed him in an attempt to negotiate a peace, which was defeated by the sagac- ity of Orange. A similar office, undertaken after his ex- change on the order of the prince of Orange, likewise failed, as did his mission to induce queen Elizabeth of England to accept the sovereignty of the Netherlands. He assisted in the negotiations that resulted in the "Pacification of Ohent" in November, 1576, and in the formation of the second union between the ])rovinces at Brussels in December, 1577. In May, 1578, he repre-