MOLE, MATHIEU (15841656)

This article appears in Volume V18, Page 653 of the Encyclopedia Britannica.

Encyclopedia Britannica - Main :: MIC-MOL

MOLE, MATHIEU (15841656) , French statesman, son of Edouard mole (d. 1614), who was for a time procureur-general, was educated at the university of Orleans. Admitted conseiller in 16o6, he was president aux requeetes in Oro, procureur-general in succession to Nicolas de Bellievre in 1614, and he took part in the assembly of the Notables summoned at Rouen in 1617. He fought in vain against the setting up of

special

SPECIAL

tribunals, or commissions, to try prisoners charged with political offences, and for his persistence in the case of the

brothers

BROTHERS, RICHARD (1757-1824)

Louis and Michel de Marillac he was suspended in 1631, and ordered to appear at

Fontainebleau

FONTAINEBLEAU

in his own defence. Hitherto Mole's relations with Richelieu had been fairly good, but his inclination to the doctrines of Port Royal increased the differences between them, and it was not until after Richelieu's death that he was able to secure the release of his friend, the abbe de St Cyran. In 1641 he was appointed first president of the parlement, with the preliminary

condition

CONDITION (Lat. condicio, from condicere, to agree upon, arrange; not connected with conditio, from condere, conditum, to put together)

that he should not permit the general assembly of the chambers except by express order of the king. After Richelieu's death the pretensions of the parlement in-creased; the hereditary magistrature arrogated to itself the functions of the states-general, and in 1648 the parlement with the other sovereign courts (the cour des aides, the grand conseil, and the cour des cornptes) met in one assembly and proposed for the royal sanction twenty-seven articles, which amounted in substance to a new constitution. In the

long

LONG, GEORGE (1800-1879)
LONG, JOHN DAVIS (1838– )

conflict between Anne of Austria and the parlement, Mole, without yielding the rights of the parlement, played a conciliatory part. In the popular tumult known as the day of the barricades (Aug. 26, 1648) he sought out Mazarin and the queen to demand the release of Pierre Broussel and his colleagues, whose seizure had been the

original

ORIGINAL

cause of the outbreak. Next day the parlement marched in procession to repeat Mole's demand. On their way back they were stopped by the crowd. " Turn, traitor," said one of the rebels to Mole, seizing him by the

beard

, " and unless you wish to be massacred, either bring back Broussel, or bring Mazarin as a

hostage

HOSTAGE (through Fr. ostage, modern otage, from
Late
- LATE
Lat. obsidaticum, the state of being an obses or hostage; Med. Lat. ostaticum, ostagium)

." Many magistrates fled; the remnant, headed by the intrepid mole, returned to the Palais Royal, where Anne of Austria was induced to release the prisoners.
Mol'e's moderating counsels failed to prevent the outbreak of the first Fronde, but he negotiated the peace of Rueil in 1651, and averted a conflict between the partisans of

Conde

and of the Cardinal de Retz within the precincts of the Palais de Justice. He refused honours and rewards for himself or his family, but became keeper of the seals, in which capacity he was compelled to follow the court, and he therefore retired from the presidency of the parlement. He died on the 3rd of January 1656.
The Memoires of Mole were edited for the Societe de 1'histoire de France (4 vols., 1855) by Aime Champollion-Figeac, and his life was written by Baron A. G. P. de Barante in Le Parlement et la Fronde (1859). See also the memoirs of Omer Talon and of De Retz.

End of Article: MOLE, MATHIEU (15841656)

If you wish, you can link directly to this article.

<a href="http://jcsm.org/StudyCenter/Encyclopedia/MIC_MOL/MOLE_MATHIEU_15841656_.html">
MOLE, MATHIEU (15841656)
</a>

(Previous)
MOLE, LOUIS MATHIEU, COMTE (17811855)

(Next)
MOLECULE (from mod. Lat. molecula, the diminuti...

JCSM was founded in 1997 and exists to help the community and bring people into a life-changing and productive relationship with Jesus Christ. JCSM offers over 200,000 free web pages, including its weekly inspirational emails that were sent continuously for over a decade.

Jesus Christ Saves Ministries
P.O. Box 9297
San Diego, CA 92169
1-888-887-0417 or Email