DU PLESSIS-MORNAY, mn. r'nt.'. PIIILIPDL (1549-l(i33). A distinglnshed French Protestant leader, frequently called time Iuguenot Pope.' He was Zorn at I1uhy, in Normandy, of nominal ly Catholic parents, who destined him for the priesthood, hut early in life he declared himself a Protestant. iris convictions were strengthened by visits to Geneva and Heidelberg, then the cen tre of Calvinism, during four years of travel (1;05-73). lln his return to France he attached himself to Coligny, whose fate he escaped on the night of Saint Bartholomew, lie remained in Eng ]and for a year, but came back to take up arms for the iiuguenut cause. 1Ie was captured by Guise at the siege of Dormans in 1575; hut, not being recognized. gained his liberty by the pay ment of a small ransom and took refuge with the Duke of Bouillon at Sedan. Here he married a young widow, Charlotte• Arbaleste, whose hatred of Catholicism was equal to his own. Henry of Navarre sent him to England as a personal representative in 1577, am] dewing this period lie wrote a number of theological works. ()n Condo's death in 15SS he was recognized as the head of the Huguenot faction, and had much intluenee with Henry IiL, whom he persuaded to legalize the preaching of the reformed doctrine tln•oughmo ut France. Ile also succeeded in bringing about an understanding between the King and his future successor, and his services were recognized by his appointment as Governor of Saunnir. where
he inade things so (iitlicuIt for the Catholics that many of them fled from the district. After Ilia murder of henry 111. lie took a prominent part in the military and at her movements u-li nit brought Ifenry of Navarre to the throne, but the latter's conversion ended his ofI'ieia1 aetiyity. IIe lost his position in the King's Council, but re taim•d his governorship, building at Sannnur a Protestant church and college for the education of preachers. Iris scheme for the organization of French Protestants was adopted hay the gath ering at Sainte-Foy in 1594, and lee was con cerned in tlne negotiations which led up to the Ldiet of Nantes. The principal event of his later years was his famous controversy with Duperron, the learned Bishop of Evreux. who accused him of misquotation and garbling in one of his controversial treatises, and met and routed him in a public disputation. Du Plessis was de prived of his office at the time of the Huguenot rising of and died in retirement on his estate of La Foret-sur-Sevre two year, later. Consult his ..1Hmoires ( t corresponda »re. repub lished in 12 volume- (Paris. 1824-25); also Ambert. Du Plcssis- 31 ornag ( Paris. 1817).