René de Voyer de Paulmy d'Argenson

Portrait of René de Voyer

René de Voyer, seigneur d’Argenson(1596–1651) was a French diplomat.

Biography

René de Voyer was the grandson of René de Voyer, seigneur de Paulmy et de la Roche de Gennes, and of Jeanne Gueffault, dame d'Argenson. His father, Pierre, was the head of the comtes d'Argenson branch of the family.He was born on 21 November 1596.

René de Voyer was a lawyer by profession, and became successivelyavocat,councillor at theparlement de Paris,maître des requêtes,and councillor of state. Cardinal Richelieuentrusted him with several missions as inspector and intendant of the forces. In 1623 he was appointed intendant of justice, police and finance inAuvergne,and in 1632 held similar office inLimousin,where he remained until 1637.

After the death of Louis XIII in 1643, René de Voyer retained his administrative posts, was intendant of the forces atToulon(1646), commissary of the king at the estates ofLanguedoc(1647), and intendant ofGuienne(1648), and showed great capacity in defending the authority of the crown against the rebels of theFronde.After his wife’s death he took orders (February 1651), but did not cease to take part in affairs of state. In 1651 he was appointed byMazarinambassador atVenice,where he died on 14 July 1651.He was buried in the church ofSan Giobbein the city, with a tomb byThomas Blanchet.

Family

René de Voyer had seven children. His eldest sonMarc-René de Voyer de Paulmy d'Argenson (1623-1700)followed him as French ambassador to Venice. Among his other children wasPierre de Voyer d'Argenson, vicomte de Mouzay,governor general ofNew France.

Works

• De la Sagesse chrétienne(On Christian Wisdom,1640), translated into many languages.

References

• This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Chisholm, Hugh,ed. (1911). "Argenson s.v. René de Voyer".Encyclopædia Britannica.Vol. 2 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 457–460.Endnotes:
  • Fr. Rabbe (November 1899), "Compagnie du Saint-Sacrement", in theRevue historique
  • Beaucher-Filleau (1900),Les Annales de la compagnie du Saint-Sacrement,Paris
  • R. Allier (1902),La Cabale des dévots,Paris