DU PRAT

du prat, antoine (1463-1535), chancellor of france and cardinal, was born at issoire on the 17th of january 1463. he began life as a lawyer, and rose rapidly in the legal hierarchy owing to the influence of his cousin antoine bohier, cardinal archbishop of bourges. the first office which he held was that of lieutenant-general in the _bailliage_ of montferrand; in 1507 he became first president of the parlement of paris. louise of savoy had employed him as her adviser in her affairs, and had made him tutor to her son. when francis i. ascended the throne he made du prat chancellor of france, in which capacity he played an important part in the government. it was he who negotiated with leo x. concerning the abolition of the pragmatic sanction and the establishment of a concordat. after the meeting of the field of the cloth of gold (1520) he was engaged in unsuccessful negotiations with wolsey. during the regency of louise of savoy he, together with florimond robertet, was at the head of affairs. he took an active part in the suit brought by louise of savoy against the constable de bourbon, and in 1532 completed the work of uniting brittany to france. after the death of his wife in 1507 du prat had taken orders; he received the bishoprics of valence, die, meaux and albi, and the archbishopric of sens (1525); in 1527 he became cardinal, and in 1530 papal legate. he was a determined adversary of the reformation. he died on the 9th of july 1535. see the marquis du prat, _vie d'antoine du prat_ (paris, 1857).