LESDIGUIERES, FRANcOIS DE BONNE, DUC DE (1543-1626), constable of France, was born at Saint-Bonnet de Champsaur, on April 1, 1543. He was educated at Avignon under a Protestant tutor, and had begun the study of law in Paris when he enlisted as an archer. He joined the Huguenot troops in Dauphine, and distinguished himself in mountain warfare. In 1575 he became the acknowledged leader of the Huguenot resistance in the district with the title of commandant general, confirmed in 1577 by Marshal Damville, by Conde in 158o, and by Henry of Navarre in 1582. He seized Gap by a lucky night attack on Jan. 3, 1577, re-established the reformed religion there, and fortified the town. He refused to acquiesce in the treaty of Poitiers (1578) which involved the surrender of Gap, and after two years of fighting secured better terms for the province. Nevertheless in 158o he was compelled to hand the place over to Mayenne and to see the fortifications dismantled.
He took up arms for Henry IV. in 1585, capturing Chorges, Embrun, Chateauroux and other places, and after the truce of 1588-1589 secured the complete submission of Dauphine. In 1590 he beat down the resistance of Grenoble, and was now able to threaten the leaguers and to support the governor of Provence against the raids of Charles Emmanuel I. of Savoy. He defeated the Savoyards at Esparron in April 1591, and in 1592 began the reconquest of the marquessate of Saluzzo which had been seized by Charles Emmanuel. After his defeat of the Spanish allies of Savoy at Salebertrano in June 1593 there was a truce, during which Lesdiguieres was occupied in maintaining the royal au thority against Eperon in Provence. The war with Savoy pro
ceeded intermittently until 1601. Henry IV. made him a marshal of France in 1609.
Lesdiguieres took no part in the intrigues which disturbed the minority of Louis XIII., and he moderated the political claims made by his co-religionists under the terms of the Edict of Nantes. In 1622 he formally abjured the Protestant faith; he now became constable of France, and received the order of the Saint Esprit. He had long since lost the confidence of the Huguenots, but he nevertheless helped the Vaudois against the duke of Savoy. His last campaign, fought in alliance with Savoy to drive the Spaniards from the Valtelline, was the least successful of his enterprises. He died of fever at Valence on Sept. 21, 1626.
The life of the Huguenot captain has been written in detail by Ch. Dufuyard, Le Co tnetable de Lesdiguieres (Paris, 1892). His first biographer was his secretary Louis Videl, Histoire de la vie du connestable de Lesdiguieres (Paris, 1638). Much of his official corre spondence, with an admirable sketch of life, is contained in Actes et correspondante du connetable de edited by Comte Douglas and J. Roman in Documents historiques znedits pour servir l'histoire de Dauphine (Grenoble, 1878). Other letters are in the Lettres et memoires (Paris, 1647) of Duplessis-Mornay.