Marron, Paul Henri

Marron, Paul Henri a Calvinistic divine, was born at Leyden April 12,1754. After studying at the Academy of Leyden, Marron entered the ecclesiastical office, and in 1776 became pastor of the Walloon Church of Dort. In 1782 he was appointed chaplain of the Dutch embassy at Paris. Six years later, Rabaut- Saint-Etienne secured his election as pastor by the Protestants of Paris, on whom Louis XVI had just conferred civil rights, and who flattered themselves that they would obtain more complete justice. Beilg disappointed in this hope, they decided, in order to retain their pastor, who had just been called to Sedan, to celebrate public worship in a place rented for that purpose. In June, 1790, Bailly, mayor of Paris, and general La Fayette, obtained permission for the Protestants to rent the Church of Saint-Louis-du-Louvre, which had been suppressed. Marron consecrated it on the 22d of the same month. In November, 1793, he had to present to the parish, as a patriotic gift, the four silver cups used in the celebration of the Lord's Supper. This proceeding did not save him from persecution. He had been twice arrested on suspicion, when, on the 7th of June, 1794, he was again imprisoned, and did not recover his liberty until after the fall of Robespierre. At this period, not being able to exercise his ministry publicly, he privately fulfilled its duties, and lived on the remuneration received as translator. In March, 1795, he obtained permission to resume his pastoral functions. At the time of the reorganization of divine worship, he shared largely in the benefits of the law of April 7, 1801, and was confirmed in his position of pastor. Marron was a member of the Institute of the Low Countries, and of the Society of Sciences at Harlem; he had some talent for preaching, and possessed, above all, the showy gift of oratory. He died at Paris, July 30, 1832. He composed some Latin verses on the events of his time, which are not without merit, and left some small works, of which the principal are, Lettre d'un Protestant à l'abbe Cerutti (Paris, 1789, 8vo) (anonymous): — Paul-Henri Marron à la citoyenlne Helene-Marie Williams (Paris, an. 3:8vo); this letter has been inserted in the second volume of his Letters containing a sketch of the politics of France from the 31st of May, 1793, to the 28th of July, 1794 (Lond. 1795, 3 vols. 12mo): — Constitution du peuple Batave, traduite du Hollandais (Paris, 1789, 8vo): — P. H. Marron, ministre du saint-Egvangile à Monsieur Lecoz, archeveque de Besanyon; this letter, dated Nov. 11, 1804, is printed at the end of a Letter to il Lecoz, archbishop of Besangon, on his project of uniting all the Protestants and Romran Catholics in the French empire,

etc. (Paris, 1807, 8Tvo). Marron also wrote for the Journal de Paris, the Journal, and the Magasin Encyclopedique; and contributed numerous articles to the ninth edition of the Nouveau Dictionnaire Historique, to the Biographie Universeile of Michaud, and to the Revue Encyclopedlique. He is credited with the notes added to Mirabeau's work, entitled Au Bataves, sur le stathouderat (1788,8vo). See Necrologe de 1832 (Par. 1833, 8vo); Barbier, Dict. des ouvrages anoznymes et pseudonymes; Haag, La France Protestante; Hoefer, Nouvelle Biographie Generale, vol. 33, s.v.