Jacques Davy Duperron (; 15 November 1556 – 6 December 1618) was a French politician and Roman Catholic Cardinal.
Family and Education Jacques Davy du Perron was born in Saint-Lô in Normandy,Feret, p. 2 and n. 2. Some older authors, however, place his birth at Berne in Switzerland, to which his father Julien had retreated due to religious persecution. See e.g. André Pralard, Bibliothèque des auteurs ecclesiastiques du dix-septième siècle I (Paris 1708), p. 75; and Jean-Lévesque de Burigny, Vie du Cardinal du Perron (Paris 1768, p. 5.) into the Davy family, which belonged to the Norman minor nobility, in the branch "Davy du Perron" named after a property near St. Lô (in French his name is spelled Jacques Davy du Perron). He is never referred to as "Davy", and he usually signs his documents "Du Perron". The spelling "Duperron" is almost certainly wrong.
His father Julien was a physician, who, on embracing the doctrines of the Reformation, became a Protestant minister;De Burginy, p. 6, calls attention to a letter from the Sorbonne to Pope Clement VIII on 2 September 1594, which calles Julien du Perron a minister. his mother was Ursine Le Cointe, daughter of Guillaume Le Cointe, sieur de Tot et d' Héranville en Cotentin.C. Hippeau, Les écrivains normands au XVIIe siècle (Caen 1858), p. 2. During the siege of Rouen in 1562 by the troops of King Charles IX, Julien was arrested and imprisoned in Old Palais in Rouen."La vie de l' illusstrisime Cardinal du Perron", in Les divers Oeuvres de l' illustrissime Cardinal du Perron seconde edition (Paris 1629), p. 14. Ursine and her two children escaped through the royal lines and eventually was reunited with her husband in Bas Normandie. To escape persecution the family settled at Bern, in Switzerland. There Jacques received his education, being taught Latin and mathematics by his father, and learning Greek and HebrewFeret, p. 3. and the philosophy then in vogue, Aristotelianism, as well as that of Thomas Aquinas and Saint Augustine of Hippo.La vie de l' illusstrisime Cardinal du Perron", in Les divers Oeuvres de l' illustrissime Cardinal du Perron seconde edition (Paris 1629), p. 17-18.
During the disorders following the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre (23–24 August 1572 in Paris; a month later in Normandy) the family fled to the Island of Jersey, which was under Protestant English control.Feret, p. 4.
Career under Henry III
Returning to Normandy, du Perron's existence and his talents were drawn to the attention of a courtier who was visiting General Jacques of Matignon, the Governor of Normandy. This courtier, named Lancosme, took du Perron along with him when he returned to Blois,This is the version followed by Pralard, Bibliothèque des auteurs ecclesiastiques, p. 76. A different scenario is given by Burigny (pp. 12-13), who states that du Perron was taken to Blois by the Marechal de Matignon, who was going there to attend the Estates General. The Estates General met from 2 December 1576 to 1 March 1577 at the palace at Blois. where the new King, Henry III of France, was residing."La vie de l' illustrissime Cardinal du Perron", in Les divers Oeuvres, pp. 15-16. Feret, p. 5. He was presented to the King one evening during dinner, where he acquitted himself well both in speaking and in answering questions posed by the King's attendants.
After he had abjured Protestantism, around 1578, he was again presented by Philippe Desportes, abbot of Tiron, as a young man without equal for knowledge and talent. He was appointed Reader to the King by Henry III [Lecteur de la chambre du Roy].Les Divers Oeuvres de l' illustrissime Cardinal du Perron (Paris 1629) p. 581, and elsewhere. In 1578 he is also mentioned as Professeur du Roy aux langues, aux mathematiques, et en la philosophie.Feret, p. 7. He was commanded to preach before the king at the convent of Vincennes (1585), when the success of his sermon on the love of God,Les Diverses Oeuvres de l'illustrissime cardinal Du Perron seconde edition (Paris, 1629), pp. 533-580. and of a funeral oration on the poet Ronsard (on 24 February 1586, after dinner),Les Diverses Oeuvres de l'illustrissime cardinal Du Perron seconde edition (Paris, 1629), pp. 649-676. induced him to take orders. On the death of Mary, Queen of Scots (8 February 1587), he was chosen by the King to compose a poem in her honor and about her fate."La vie de l' illusstrisime Cardinal du Perron", in Les divers Oeuvres de l' illustrissime Cardinal du Perron seconde edition (Paris 1629), p. 20. Feret, pp. 14-15, points out that the solemn memorial service took place at Notre Dame on 13 March 1587, and that the Archbishop of Bourges, Renaud de Beaune, preached the funeral oration. De Thou, Histoires Book 86, chapter 16, confirms that du Perron was commissioned to write a poem.
Career under Henry IV
On the death of Henry III (2 August 1589), after having supported for some time the cardinal de Bourbon, the head of the league against the king, Du Perron eventually became a faithful servant of Henry IV. On 13 February 1590, however, he found himself compelled to write directly to the King, begging him not to believe the many calumnies being spread about by his enemies.César de Ligny, Les ambassades et negotiations de L' Illustrissime et Reverendissime Cardinal du Perron (Paris: Pierre Lamy 1633), pp. 1-3. On 11 December 1591 du Perron was appointed by the King bishop of Évreux.G. van Gulik and C. Eubel, Hierarchia catholica edition altera (Monasterii 1923), p. 190. Gallia christiana XI (Paris 1759), pp. 613-616. The Pope finally approved of the appointment at a Consistory on Monday 11 December 1595.A. N. Amelot de la Houssaie (ed.), Letres du Cardinal d'Ossat, Lettre XLII a Monsieur de Villeroy (18 December 1585), pp. 188-192, at p. 190. He was consecrated in Rome on 27 December 1595 by Cardinal François de Joyeuse; the co-consecrators were Archbishop Guillaume d'Avançon of Embrun and Anne d'Escars de Givry, bishop of Lisieux.Gallia christiana XI (Paris 1759), p. 615. On 4 November 1596 he was one of those who attended the Assemblée des Notables at Rouen.Théodore Godefroy and Denys Godefroy, Le Ceremonial françois II (Paris 1649), p. 383 and 385. Jacques-Auguste de Thou, Histoire de son temps, Liber CXVII He and Marechal de Matignon represented Normandy in the Third Chamber.
He instructed Henry in the Catholic faith; and in 1594 was sent to Rome with secretary Denis-Simon de Marquemont, where with the help of Abbé Arnaud d'Ossat (1536–1604), (later Cardinal d'Ossat) they obtained Henry's absolution from the status of relapsed heretic.Du Perron's letters to Henri IV, announcing successful completion of negotiations on 2 September 1595 and absolution from excommunication on 17 September 1595, in Les Diverses Oeuvres de l'illustrissime cardinal Du Perron seconde edition (Paris, 1629), pp. 858-860. D'Ossat, distinctly the second figure, is mentioned in a letter to the King at p. 861. Du Perron and d'Ossat performed the act of abjuration of Henry's heresy on the steps of St. Peter's Basilica on 17 September 1595,Lorenzo Cardella, Memorie de' cardinali della Santa Romana Chiesa VI (Roma 1793), p. 102. thereby ending six years of controversy over the status of France and its King in the eyes of the Papacy. Du Perron departed Rome on 28 March 1596. On his return to his diocese, Du Perron's zeal and eloquence were largely instrumental in withstanding the progress of Calvinism, and among others he converted and the Swiss General Sancy and Henry Sponde, who became bishop of Pamiers. At the conference at Fontainebleau in 1600 he argued against Du Plessis Mornay (1549–1623).
Cardinal du Perron
On 9 June 1604, du Perron was created a cardinal by Pope Clement VIII, at the request of King Henry IV. In a letter of 17 June 1604, King Henry IV was able to inform the Bishop that the Pope had indeed named him a cardinal.Feret, pp. 293-294. Du Perron is called "Mon cousin" for the first time. His red hat was bestowed personally by the King in a public assembly at Fontainebleau. His speech of thanks to the King on that occasion survives.Les Diverses Oeuvres de l'illustrissime cardinal Du Perron seconde edition (Paris, 1629), pp. 869-870. He then set out for Rome to partake in the ceremonies of his elevation; he was sent to Rome, departing Fontainebleau on 29 October 1604 as chargé d'affaires de France.Pierre La Croix, Mémoire historique sur les institutions de la France à Rome (2nd edition par Jean Arnaud) (Rome 1892) p. 155. His instructions from Henry IV required him to hold conversations with the Duke of Savoy and the Duke of Tuscany along the way.Recueil des lettres missives de Henri IV IV, p. 328. He and the Grand Duke discussed, among other things, possible candidates for the Papacy in the next Conclave, most especially the great-grand nephew of Leo X, Cardinal Alessandro de' Medici, Archbishop of Florence and Bishop of Palestrina.De Ligny, Les ambassades et negotiations de l' Illustrissime et Reverendissime Cardinal du Perron, p. 540. Cardinal de'Medici was well known in the French Court, since he had been Legatus a latere in France between 1596 and 1598. Henry also sent along general instructions for the French Cardinals in Rome, anticipating a vacancy in the Papal throne.Instructions for Cardinal de Joyeuse, de Givry, de Sourdis, Seraphin, and du Perron. The King had his own distinct opinions as to whom he favored: "Ceux au contraire que je desire favoriser et promouvoir sont les cardinaux de Florence [Medici], de Veronne [Valier], Sauli, Cossenze, Camerino [Pierbenedetti], Baronio et Séraphin [Olivier]." Cardinal du Perron made his solemn entry into Rome on 18 December.Burigny, Vie du Cardinal du Perron, p. 220-221. In the Consistory of 7 January 1605 he was named Cardinal Priest of S. Agnese in Agone, in Piazza Navona.
Immediately upon his appointment, Clement VIII found important work for du Perron in Rome. The Pope had formed a special commission, the Congregation de auxiliis, the chairmanship of which he retained for himself. But he appointed Cardinal du Perron to the Congregation. The purpose of this commission was to investigate and decide upon the work of the Jesuit theologian Luis de Molina, which had raised the acute question of God's Providence and human free will. Du Perron attended his first session on 21 January.Burigny, pp. 228-233. Clement was hostile to Molinism, and it was said that he was preparing a bull against it.
When Clement VIII died on Thursday 3 March 1605, the Congregation was suspended, and du Perron found himself involved in his first Conclave. Although he was not the leader of the French faction, he contributed loyally, after the failure of the candidacies of Cardinals Baronius and Seraphin, to the election of the French King's candidate, Cardinal de' Medici, to the papal throne as Pope Leo XI.The Sede Vacante and Conclave of 3 March - 1 April 1605 Du Perron sent a long letter to Henry IV, reporting the day-to-day movements inside the Conclave in great detail.De Ligny, Les ambassades et negotiations de L' Illustrisime et Reverendissime Cardinal du Perron (Paris 1633), pp. 578-638. On the death of Leo XI only twenty-four days later, du Perron participated in the election of Cardinal Camillo BorgheseThe Sede Vacante and Conclave of 27 April - 16 May 1605 as Pope Paul V. At the conclusion of the Coronation festivities, Cardinal du Perron wrote a report of the Conclave for Henry IV.De Ligny, Les ambassades et negotiations de L' Illustrisime et Reverendissime Cardinal du Perron (Paris 1633), pp. 673-679.