Pomponne de Bellièvre, seigneur de Grignon (1529 – 7 or 9 September 1607) was a French statesman,

chancellor of France The Chancellor of France (), also known as the Grand Chancellor or Lord Chancellor, was the officer of state responsible for the judiciary of the Kingdom of France. The Chancellor was responsible for seeing that royal decrees were enrolled and ...

(1599–1605).

Life

Bellièvre was born in

Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...

in 1529. Between 1575 and 1588, Bellièvre accepted more than a dozen diplomatic missions for King Henry III of France (1551–1589). Sometimes he negotiated with foreign rulers, such as

Elizabeth I of England Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. She was the last and longest reigning monarch of the House of Tudor. Her eventful reign, and its effect on history ...

, but more often with domestic antagonists, such as Henry of Navarre and his

Huguenot The Huguenots ( , ; ) are a Religious denomination, religious group of French people, French Protestants who held to the Reformed (Calvinist) tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, ...

Henry I, Duke of Guise Henri I de Lorraine, Duke of Guise, Prince of Joinville, Count of Eu (31 December 1550 – 23 December 1588), sometimes called ('Scarface'), was the eldest son of François, Duke of Guise, and Anna d'Este. His maternal grandparents were Ercole ...

, and the Catholic Leaguers, and

Francis, Duke of Anjou ''Monsieur'' François, Duke of Anjou and Alençon (; 18 March 1555 – 10 June 1584) was the youngest son of King Henry II of France and Catherine de' Medici. Early years He was scarred by smallpox at age eight, and his pitted face and s ...

and his allies in the

Low Countries The Low Countries (; ), historically also known as the Netherlands (), is a coastal lowland region in Northwestern Europe forming the lower Drainage basin, basin of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta and consisting today of the three modern "Bene ...

. In the course of these missions Bellievre corresponded copiously with Henry III, and Bellievre also discussed them with his ministerial colleagues, often stating frankly to colleagues his discomfort with King Henry's decisions. With the king himself, he expressed his doubts more cautiously.Dickerman, Edmund H., and Anita M. Walker, "Missions impossible: Pomponne de Bellievre and the policies of Henry III" in ''Canadian Journal of History'', Dec. 200
online version
at findarticles.com, Retrieved 1 August 2008 Pomponne de Bellièvre was sent to London in November 1586 by Henry III and

Catherine de' Medici Catherine de' Medici (, ; , ; 13 April 1519 – 5 January 1589) was an Italian Republic of Florence, Florentine noblewoman of the Medici family and Queen of France from 1547 to 1559 by marriage to Henry II of France, King Henry II. Sh ...

to try to persuade Elizabeth I not to execute

Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was List of Scottish monarchs, Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legit ...

. Elizabeth rejected the arguments presented by Bellièvre, and insisted that because Mary was in England she was subordinate to her rule and justice.Estelle Paranque, ''Elizabeth I of England through Valois Eyes'' (Palgrave Macmillan, 2019), pp. 188–198.

Farewell to Henry III

As King Henry III lay dying in 1589, Bellièvre pronounced a devastating commentary on the royal master he had served: "If kings are good, we must preserve them; if they are bad, we must endure them. God sends one or the other to punish or console His people."

Assembly of Notables

In 1596, Bellièvre led the charge for the convocation of an

Assembly of Notables An Assembly of Notables () was a group of high-ranking nobles, ecclesiastics, and state functionaries convened by the King of France on extraordinary occasions to consult on matters of state. Assemblymen were prominent men, usually of the aristo ...

to address the kingdoms financial problems. The Assembly would largely endorse his program, however in 1597 he quickly found himself supplanted by the baron de Rosny.

References

* * * *Poncet, Olivier, ''Pomponne de Bellièvre (1529–1607) Un homme d’État au temps des guerres de religion'' (Paris: École des chartes, 1999)

Notes

External links

* 1529 births 1607 deaths Chancellors of France Politicians from Lyon 16th-century French diplomats 17th-century French politicians Finance ministers of France 16th-century French politicians French nobility {{KingdomofFrance-stub