Henri Arnauld
Henri Arnauld [1]
brother of Antoine, was born in Paris in 1597. He was originally designed for the bar, but, on receiving from the court the abbey of St. Nicholas, he entered the church. He was elected bishop of Toul by the diocesan chapter; but, as the election gave rise to disputes, he would not accept it. In 1645 he went to Rome to appease the quarrel between the Barberini family and Pope Innocent X; and such was his success that the family had-a medal struck and a statue erected in his honor. On his return to France, he was made bishop of Angers in 1649, devoted himself to his sacred calling, and became, like the rest of his family, a zealous Jansenist. He was one of the four bishops who refused to sign the acceptance of the pope's bull condemning the 'Augustinus" of Jansenius. He was accustomed to take only five hours' sleep, that he might have time for prayer and the reading of the Scriptures without encroaching on the duties of his episcopal office. He was regular in visiting the sick. When there was a scarcity of provisions at Angers, on one occasion, he sent ten thousand livres so secretly that the donation was attributed to another, and the real donor was only discovered by accident some time afterward. His diocese he never left'but once, and that was to reconcile the Prince of Tarento to his father, the Duke de la Tremouille. When Angers revolted in 1652, the queen-mother was about to take heavy vengeance upon it, but was prevented by this bishop, who, as he administered the sacrament to her, said. "Take the body of Him who forgave His enemies when on the cross." Some one advising him to take one day in the week for recreation, he replied, "Yes, I will, when you find me a day in which I am not bishop." His Negociations a la Cour de Rome (1748, 5 vols.) contain many curious facts and anecdotes. He died at Angers, June 8, 1694. - Memoires de, Port-Royal (Utrecht, 1742), vol. i; Besoigne, Vie de Henri Arnauld (Cologne, 1756, 2 vols. 12mo); Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, ii, 290.
