Guillaume du Vair

Guillaume du Vair ( born March 7, 1556 Paris, † August 31 1621 in Tonneins, Aquitaine ) was a French essayist and statesman.

Life

Vair Counsellor of Parliament in 1584 and influenced the political process at the end of the civil war. In 1593 he advocated the recognition of Henry IV as king of France, should he decide to convert to Catholicism. Later Vair drove in the diplomatic service to England, served as governor in Provence and in 1619 Bishop of Liseux. Vair wrote several essays in which he wanted to bring Christianity to the morality of the ancient Stoics in line. His work was characterized by clear style and influenced René Descartes and Blaise Pascal, the great philosophers of the 17th century. " De la constance et consolation of Calamités publiques " ( 1593) was a dialogue about faith in times of need. Vair also wrote an essay on the French language. He was a friend of François de Malherbe.