His zeal for the proteftant religion expofed him to many dangers both he and his mother very narrowly efcaped the maffacre at Paris. In 1567, Du Pleffis was obliged to retire from Paris, where he was pursuing his fludies, on account of the revival of the civil war. He foon after took up arms, and ferved nearly two campaigns; but having the misfortune to break one of his arms, he, for fome time, quitted the army, and fet out to vifit foreign countries. In the courfe of his travels, he ftudied the civil law at Heidelberg in Germany, and Padua in Italy. Though he was young, when he left his native country, he was affiduously engaged in acquiring useful knowledge. For this purpofe, he examined every thing that was curious in most places; and, that nothing might escape him, attentively perufed the hiftory of every town and province, through which he travelled. Nor was he attentive to their antiquities alone, but remarked whatever was worth notice in the manners, customs, and constitutions of each. In 1575, he married; and published the same year a treatise "Concerning Life and Death;" for though he was often employed in civil affairs, and oftener folicited to engage in them, yet he was ever ftrongly attached to ftudy and retirement. In 1576, Du Pleffis was wounded and made a prisoner; but foon obtaining his liberty, he went to the court of the king of Navarre, afterwards Henry IV. of France, who received him very graciously; fent him his ambassadour to Queen Elizabeth; made him one of his council; and upon all occafions paid the greateft deference to his judgment. He, on his part, rendered the king important fervices; and in 1590, was made his counsellor of state, having been previously invefted with the government of Saumur. After the king abjured the protestant religion, he reproached his apoftacy, withdrew himself gradually from court, and devoted his time to literary purfuits. In 1578, he published a treatise "Concerning the Church," in which he explained the motives, which induced him to renounce the Roman catholic and embrace the proteftant religion. In 1579, he began his celebrated book, upon "The Truth of the Chriftian Religion;" but he was feized with an illness, which prevented his completing the work as foon as he intended. In 1596, he published a work, entitled, "The Juft Procedure of those of the Reformed Religion;" in which he vindicates the proteftants from being criminal in regard to the prevailing diffentions; and imputes the blame to those who denied them that liberty, which they had merited by their eminent services. In 1595, he published his treatise upon "The Eucharift ;" which occafioned the conference at Fontainbleau, in 1600, between Du Perron, then bishop Evreux, afterwards cardinal, and Du Pleffis; and raifed his reputation and credit among the proteftants to fo prodigious an height, that he was called by many, "The Proteftant Pope." In 1607, he published a work, entitled, "The Mystery of Iniquity, or the Hiftory of the Papacy," which was written, as moft of his other works were, first in French, and then tranflated into Latin. In this performance he fhews by what gradual progreffions the popes have rifen to that ecclefiaftical tyranny, which was foretold by the apoftles, and what oppofition from time to time, all nations have given them. About this time alfo, he published, "An Exhortation to the Jews Concerning the Meffiah." The capital work, however, by which Du Pleffis diftinguished himself, is his "Defence of the Truth of the Chriftian Religion," in which he employs the weapons of reason and learning with great force and fkill against atheists, epicureans, heathens, Jews, mahometans, and other infidels, as he tells us in the title. The book was dedicated to Henry IV. and tranflated by himself into Latin. "As a Frenchman, fays he in his preface, I have endeavoured to ferve my own country firft; and as a chriftian, the univerfal church of Chrift next." In 1621, when Lewis XIII. made war upon the proteflants, he took the government of Saumur from Du Plesfis, upon which he retired to his barony of La Foreft in Poitou, and there fpent the remainder of his life. During his laft illaefs, being reminded of his fervices to the church, he replied, "Alas, what was there of mine in the work, fay not it is I, but the grace of God which was in me." "I afk for nothing," faid he, " but free mercy." In the morning of the day on which he died, he repeated thefe words of the apoftle with great emphafis. "We know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle be diffolved, we have a building with God, a house not made with hands." After which, being asked, if he was not affured of fharing in that eternal weight of glory spoken of by the apostle; he answered, "He was perfectly affured of it, and was fo by the demonftration of the Holy Spirit, more powerful, more clear and certain, than any demonstration of Euclid." Thus in the lively exercise of faith this great man expired, in 1623. General Biographical Dictionary, Vol. XI.-Hiftorie SIR PHILIP SIDNEY. PHILIP SIDNEY, a celebrated English gentleman, was born in the year 1554. When very young he was fent to Christ Church in Oxford, where he continued till he was feventeen, and then was sent to travel, in order to complete his education. He was at Paris in 1572, when the horrid maffacre of the hugunots commenced, and narrowly escaped by taking refuge in the houfe of the English ambaffadour. Soon after his return to his native country, he was appointed ambaffadour to Vienna, and obtained fuch a diftinguished reputation in foreign countries, that he was named a candidate for the elective crown of Poland. But Queen Elizabeth refused to part with a subject, whom the confidered one of the principal ornaments of her court. In 1582, he was knighted by her majefty. In 1585, he defigned an expedition with Sir Francis Drake into America, but was reftrained by the queen, and made governour of Flushing, and general of the horse (Flushing being about that time delivered to her majefty as one of the cautionary towns.) In both thefe pofts his conduct was eminently distinguished for valour and prudence. The glory of Sir Philip Sidney, though splendid, was however but fhort lived. In 1586, in an engagement with the Spaniards before Zutphen, he received a mortal wound. His magnanimity difplayed itself on this trying occafion. A foldier at the point of death chanced to lie near him, when stretched on the field of battle, nearly expiring and mangled with wounds, a bottle of water was brought to him to relieve his thirft; "This man's neceffity," faid he, refigning to the dying foldier the water, "is ftill greater than mine." After he had affifted his fellow fufferer, he was conveyed to Arnheim, where the principal furgeons of the camp attended him. Sir Philip found all the attempts, which the furgeons were able to make for his recovery ineffectual; and exhibited the moft heroic fortitude and refignation. He furvived almoft a month, which time he diligently employed in preparing for his approaching diffolution. After requesting the presence of a number of excellent clergymen of different religious denominations, he made a ftriking confeffion of his unfhaken belief in, and fincere love of, the christian religion. Then calling for his will, and fettling his temporal affairs, he took an affecting leave of his brother with these admonishing words, "My much loved and honoured brother, love my memory, and cherish my friends, whose faithfulness to me may recommend them to you; but above all govern your will and affections by the will and word of your Creator. In me behold the end of the world and all its vanities." He expired the 16th of October, 1586. After his decease, his body was conveyed to England, and magnificently depofited in St. Paul's Cathedral The king of Scotland celebrated his memory in a copy Latin verfes; and the English universities poured forth of |