] Montmorency is the name of one of the oldest I noble families of France, which figures both in secular I and ecclesiastical history, though oftentimes its celeb- rity was purcliased at the expense of all humanitarian
from
. „ . „ . r 1 , • r 1 >•<• 1'"^ ..llage in wliich its se\eral members lived, and
especially in efforts lor a peacefid solution of he dif- | ^j^^^^ ^^^^^ ^j^^ j^,^,^ ^^^^^^^^,^ Oftentimes the house of ferences between his native country and the Ottoman power, concluding for Francis an advantageous peace with Soliman. In 1553 he was made bishop of Valence and of Die, and gained great popularity as a i)ulpit orator. He was not unfrequcntly invited to preach at court during the rule of Catharine de jNIedici. How- ever, after the Conference of Poissy (15G1), Jlontluc seems to have fallen into disrepute at court, for he was believed to have been one of the bishops whom Beza's argument had "almost persuaded to be a Protestant" (Browning, Huguenots, i, 108) ; and two j-ears later he was one of the prelates excommunicated by pope Pius j ^ IV (Browning, i, 180). Montluc was tinally restored to his former influence and position by the French Parlia- ment; but he never thereafter exerted liimself much in ecclesiastical labors, and liciaii-i nt his shrewdness, wis- dom,and learning, lie wa- x 1( cicl l,y the government of his country for several diplomatic missions, the most important of which was to Poland (in 1.572), where he zealously exerted himself to secure the crown for the duke of Anjou. It is generally conceded that Mont- luc's conduct in this affair was anything but honorable and manly. He persuaded the Poles to believe that the duke had had no part in the massacre of St. Bar- tholomew. On his return to France he lived at Tou- louse, where he died April 13, 1579. His theological writings arc : Deux instructions et deux epistres au clerge ft peiiple de Valence (Avignon, 1557, 8vo) -.—Cleri }'u- lintii et Dienifi.^ Reformatio (Paris, 1557, 8vo) : — Recueil des lieux de VEcriiure servant a decouvrir lesfautes con- tre les dix commamlemanfs de la loi (ibid. 1 559, 8vo) : — Sermons (ibid. 1559, 8vo) •.—Famili'ere Explication des articles de lafoi (ibid. 1561, 8vo) : — Sermons sur les ar- ticles de lafoi et de VOraison dominicale (ibid. 1561, 8vo). Sec be Thou, Hist, sui temporis ; Sismondi, Hist, des Fron^ais, chap, xvii, xviii, xi.^ ; Smedley, Hist, of
Jlontmorency has been styled " the first barons of France," and in recognition of their sen-ices to Roman- ism, " the first Christian barons." They furnished ofB- cers of state and generals for the French army, distin- guished ecclesiastics for the Church of Home, some of whom rose even to the cardinalate, besides a number of grand-masters and knights of the different European orders. One of the branches established in the Neth- erlands furnished count of Horn (Philip II de ^lontrao- rency-Neville). who. together with Egmont, was exe- cuted in Brussels during the bloiidy reign of the Span- sh general Alva. But we have room here only for those chiefly concerned in the Huguenot movement.
1. Annk, first duke of jMontmorency, marshal and grand-constable of France, noted for his alliance with the Guises [see HcGUiixoTs], was born in March, 1493, His Christian name, Anne, it is said, he received from his godmother, Anne of Brittany. He distinguished himself bj- his gallantry and military skill in the wars between Francis I and the emperor Charles V, and was taken prisoner along with his sovereign in the battle of Pavia, which was fought against his advice. He after- wards became the leader of the French government, showing great ability in matters of finance and diplo- macy, and was made constable in 1.538; but his rough manners made him an object of dislike to many ; and the suspicions of tlie king having been aroused against him, he was suddenly banished from court in 1541. and passed ten years on his estates, tiU the accession of Henry 11, when he came again to the head of affairs. In 1548 he bupi)ressed the insurrection in Guienne, but was less successful in 1557 in his contest with the cele- brated general of Philip II, duke Philibert Emmanuel of Savoy, whicli resulted in the, to France, disadvanta- geous peace of Chateau-Cambresis; and hence, with the accession of the youthful king, Francis II, there came a lecline of the power of the house of Jlontmorency, and
the Ref Religion in France, i, 122 sq., 189 ; ii, 82 ; De
m'ii'w f'"'^ ''^'^" ^'""'^""^' of France, p, 142 sq. j ;',;; „^e,„,j.„„. „f t,,e house of the Guises, who had
(•''•"•) .Francis entirely under their control Fortunately for
Montmignon, Jkan Baptiste, a French theolo- | Montmorency, the widow of the late king. Catliarinc de
gian, was born at Lucy in 1737, prepared in his studies for holy orders, and finally became successively secre- tary of the bishopric of Soissons, canon, vicar, grand- vicar, and archdeacon. In 1786 he accepted the editor- ship of the Journal EccUsiastique ; but as early as Jan- uary, 1788, abandoned this work, and took part in the I)ublications which were preparing at the outbreak of the Hevolution under the bishop of .Soissons, Obliged to <iuit France in 1793, he went to Belgium, and re-