, a celebrated capuchin, better known by the name of Father Joseph,
, a celebrated capuchin, better known by the
name of Father Joseph, was born November 4, 1577, at
Paris, where his father, John de Clerc, had an office in
the palace. After pursuing his studies with success, he
visited Italy and Germany, entered into the army, and
gave his family the most flattering expectations of his future fortune, when he suddenly renounced the world, and
took the capuchins’ habit in 1599. He afterwards preached,
and discharged the office of a missionary with reputation,
was entrusted with the most important commissions by the
court, and contributed much to the reformation of Fontevrauld. He sent capuchin missionaries into England,
Canada, and Turkey, and was the intimate confidant of
cardinal Richelieu, to whotn he was servilely devoted.
Father Joseph founded the new order of Benedictine nuns
of Calvary, for whom he procured establishments at Angers. Louis XIII. had nominated him to the cardinalate,
but he died at Reuel, before he had received that dignity,
December 18, 1638. The parliament attended his funeral
in a body. The abbe Richard has published two lives of
this capuchin, in one of which, in 2 vols. 12mo, he represents him as a saint; and in the other, entitled “Le veritable Pere Joseph,
” as an artful politician, and courtier.
This last is most esteemed, and probably most to be credited.
, a celebrated Capuchin, born at Milan in 1586, descended from the
, a celebrated Capuchin, born at Milan in 1586, descended from the earls
of Magni, acquired great reputation in the seventeenth
century by his controversial writings against the protestants,
and philosophical ones in favour of Descartes against
Aristotle. He passed through the highest offices in his
order, and was apostolical missionary to the northern kingdoms. It was by his advice that pope Urban VIII. abolished the Jesuitesses in 1631. Uladislaus king of Poland,
solicited a cardinal’s hat for Magni; but the Jesuits are
said to have opposed it. They certainly informed against
him as a heretic, because he had said that the pope’s primacy
and infallibility were not founded on scripture, and he was
imprisoned at Vienna; but regained his liberty by favour
of the emperor Ferdinand III. after having written very
warmly against the Jesuits in his defence. He retired at
last to Saltzburg, and died there, 1661, aged seventyfive. Mention is made of Magni in the sixteenth Provincial Letter and one of his Apologetical Letters may be
found in the collection entitled “Tuba magna,
” tom. II.