Monceaux {Moncmus), FRAsgois de, a French writer noted for his studies in comparative archaeology, was a native of Arras, and flourished in the second half of the 16th century. He took quite an active part in the political affairs of France and Italy, but neverthe- less found time to write : Depoiiis civitatis JudcB etfori judicioriunque in Us exercendorum prisco ritu (Paris, 1587, 4to) : — Bucolica Sacra, sive Cantici Canticorum poetica paraphrasis et in eamdem lucubrationum, lib. ii (ibid. 1587, 4to; 1589, 8vo) : — Apparitionum divinarum qum de Ruho et quce in yEgypto revertenti in diveisorio Moysi facta Historia (Arras, 1592, 12mo ; 1597, 4to) : — In Psalnium xliv Pai-aphrasis poetica (Douai, 4to) : — Aaron purgatus, seu de vitulo aureo, lib. ii (Arras, 1606, 8vo; Leipsic, 1689, in Antiquitates Biblicce, and in vol. ix of Pearson's Critici Sacri. The Church of Rome ex- purgated it in 1609) : — Responsio jwo vitulo aureo non aureo (Paris, 1608, 8vo), a reply to Viseur's Destruction du " Veaux d'or purge" (ibid. 1608, 8vo). See Andre, Bih- liothecn Belgica, s. v. — Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, s. v.
Monclar, Jean-Pierre-Francois de Ripert, Marqnix de, a French religious writer, noted as a de- fender of the Huguenots, was born Oct. 1, 1711, at Apt, Provence. He was descended from the family of the dauphiness, and was the son of a magistrate whom the chancellor Daguesseau had surnamed L' Amour du bien. Dec. 19, 1732, he succeeded his father as procurator- general to the Parliament of Provence; he was then twenty-one years of age. He was a ready orator, a brilliant law3'er, and profoundly versed in public law. From 1749 he energetically declared himself in favor of the Protestants, and endeavored to obtain for them civil rehabilitation and liberty of conscience. In his article
on the clandestine marriages of tlie Reformed, he raised his voice, in the name of justice and humanity, against the iniquitous laws which ctmdemned to ignominy and illegitimacy the fruits of their unions; and at the same time he demonstrated, by learned calculations, that it was greatly to the interest of the state to favor the progress of population. In 1752 the republic of Geneva, a prey to civil dissensions, rendered homage to the in- tegrity of the magistrate by choosing him as arbiter for the two parties in collision. "At this time," says M. Villemain, " an event occurred which developed the tal- ents of several men in the parliaments of the kingdom ; this was the trial and expulsion of the celebrated society of the Jesuits. Monclar took a lively and active inter- est in this affair, and his expose of their doctrines was a masterpiece of method and clearness, without exaggera- tion, and without false eloquence. In the remonstrances that he was charged to draw up in the name of those opposed to the Jesuits, Monclar knew how to unite a dignified firmness with the respect due to the sovereign, and to avoid that rather republican severity with which Voltaire reproaches Malesherbes." He was instrumen- tal in restoring Venaissin to France (in 1768), and re- ceived for his services from Louis XV a pension and the title of marquis (October, 1769). Monclar, after forty years of active life, withdrew to his estate of Saint-Sa- turnin, where he died, Feb. 12, 1773. Romanists claim that Monclar in his dying hour made kno^vn to his con- fessor a regret for what he had said against the Holy See and the Society of Jesus. But there seems to be no ground for the declaration, as the whole life of the marquis speaks against any such change. He wrote Memoire theologique et politique au sujet des mariages clandesthis des Protestants en France (1755, 8vo) ; at the time of its appearance it aroused a warm discussion: more than twenty pamphlets were published for or against: — Compte rendu des Constitutions des Jesuites (1762, 2 vols. 12mo) ; reprinted since with the Requisi- toire du 4 Janvier, 1763, and the Conclusions du 5 Mars, 1765, on the bull Apostolicum pascendi (Paris, 1769, 2 vols. 4to and 8vo). The complete works of Monclar, comprising 8 vols. 8vo, were published in 1855. See Borely, Eloge de Monclar, pronounced November, 1843 ; Achard, I)ict. de Provence, s, v. ; Villemain, Tableau du dix-huitihne siecle, 9« le^on ; Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Gene- rate, s. V.
Moncon, Jean de, a Spanish theologian, who ad- vanced heretical opinions on the doctrine of the immac- ulate conception, was born at ]\Ionteson, Aragon, about 1360. He joined the brotherhood of St. Dominic, taught theology at Valentia, and in 1383 went to Paris, where he received the degree of doctor four years later. Hav- ing in his theses advanced some propositions contrary to the belief of the immaculate conception of the Virgin, he saw them condemned by the faculty, and Pierre" d'Orgcmont, then bishop, forbade their maintenance under pain of excommunication. This quarrel led to great trouble in the university ; those partisans of the Spanish monk who refused to retract were thrown into prison, and he himself was excluded from all the Do- minican courts. Moncon thereupon appealed to Clem- ent VII, schismatic pope, residing at Avignon; but, per- ceiving that the commissioners given him were not favorable, he took to flight (January, 1389), and was found in Aragon, where he was excommunicated. In order to revenge himself for the persecution, he entered the service of pope Urban IV, and wrote against Clem- ent VH. Peace was not concluded until 1403, and only by the intervention of many princes and of the pope of Avignon, Benedict XIII. In 1412 he was instructed by the duke Alfonso to sustain his right to the crown of Aragon. His works have never been printed. See Echard and Quetif, Script, ord. Prmdicatorum. — Univer- selle Biog. s. v.