Gondi, Pierre De

Gondi, Pierre De a cardinal-bishop of Paris, was born in 1533. He studied jurisprudence at Toulouse, and theology at Paris. Before 1569 he was bishop of Langres and grand-almoner of Catherine de Medici. In the following year he became bishop of Paris. A short time after the death of his brother, Henry III sent him to Rome to ask of the pope permission to alienate from the revenues of the clergy 50,000 gold florins. During the league, the Spaniards sought in vain to draw him into their party. He refused the cardinal's hat which Sixtus V offered to him in 1588, except on consent of the king. He died February 17, 1616. See Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, s.v.