, a protestant minister and professor of divinity at Nismes, of
, a protestant minister and professor of divinity at Nismes, of the seventeenth century, is,
contrary to his namesake in the preceding article, memorable for becoming a papist, even after having maintained in public disputation, in 1602, that “Pope Clement
the VHIth was properly the Antichrist,
” yet he was the
first who began to yield in the political assemblies of the
reformed in France. Many circumstances in his behaviour
had made him suspected as a pensioner of the court, as a
false brother, and a traitor to the churches. He did not,
however, openly change his religion till a popular tumult
arose against him > in which his house was plundered, and
himself so near being murdered, that, for the sake of
escaping he was obliged to lie three days concealed in a
tomb. After this he settled at Paris, where he endeavoured
to make his fortune. He published in 1614, the year after
his conversion, a book of controversy upon the subject
of antichrist. The king employed him in several important affairs; and in 1626 he was commanded to attend
his majesty to Britanny, where he was honoured with the
title of state and privy counsellor. Cardinal de Richelieu
had a particular esteem for him. He died of a hectic fever
in 1626. His family was numerous; and he made all his
children promise that they would live and die in the catholic faith. His only daughter married M. Tardieu, lieutennnt-criminel of Paris, concerning which couple some
curious anecdotes are recorded in Boileau’s tenth satire,
and in the notes of St. Marc. Ferrier was the reputed
author of a famous political work, entitled “Catholique
d'Etat,
” published in