massacre, 1572. David’s father was Thomas Papillon, gentleman of the bedchamber to Henri IV., and thrice his ambassador to Venice, but voluntarily retired into private life when the King abjured Protestantism; he had married on 12th August 1572 (the time of the festivities that preceded the massacre) Jane Vieue De la Pierre, and died 20th November 1608. David Papillon had a brother Thomas (born in 1578), Counsellor of the Parliament of Paris, and, in 1620, scribe to the Synod of Aries, who had a son, David, described as “a good and learned man, who was banished from Paris, and was imprisoned for three years at Avranches in Normandy, as an obstinate Huguenot,” and then allowed to retire to England, where he died in 1693; he, of course, was the nephew of our David Papillon who founded the English family. David Papillon, of Broad Street (born 1579, died 1659) was also of Lubenham in Leicestershire; at the date of 1618, when we first meet him, he was married to his second wife. His first wife, Mary Castel, to whom he was married in 1611, had died in 1614; her son died in infancy, but a daughter Mary survived, and was afterwards the wife of Peter Fontaine. Mr. Papillon married, secondly, on 4th July 1615, Anne Mary Calandrini; “she was of a family famous through many generations at Lucca in Italy,” being daughter of Jean Calandrini, and granddaughter of Juliano Calandrini (Pope Nicholas V.’s brother), “who adopted the Reformed religion, and had to leave his possessions at Lucca and to take refuge in France.” A memorial of this Mr. Papillon is Papillon Hall, the house which he built at Lubenham, and which is now the property of the Earl of Hopetoun. He was also celebrated as a military engineer, having been employed by Cromwell to fortify Northampton, Gloucester, and other towns. He was the author of the following publications:— (1) A Practical Abstract of the Arts of Fortification and Assailing, containing Foure different Methods of Fortifications, with approved rules to set out in the Field all manner of Superfices, Intrenchments, and Approaches, by the demy Circle, or with Lines and Stakes. Written for the benefit of such as delight in the Practice of these Noble Arts. By David Papillon, Gent. I have diligently perused this Abstract, and do approve it well worthie of the Publick view. Imprimatur, Io. Booker. London: Printed by R. Austin, and are to be sold at the south side of the Exchange and in Pope’s head Alley, 1645. [Dedicated “To His Excellencie Sir Thomas Fairfax, Generalissimo of the Forces of the honorable houses of Parlement,” signed “your Excellencies most humble and devoted servant, David Papillon, AEtatis suae 65,” and dated “London, January 1st, 1645.”] (2) “The Vanity of the Lives and Passions of Men. Written by D. Papillon, Gent:— Eccles. i. 2. Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities, all is vanity. April 9, 1651, Imprimatur, John Downame. London, Printed by Robert White, 1651.” [Dedicated “To my beloved sister, Mrs. Chamberlan, the widow;” dated “From London, June 1, 1651.” The epistle concludes thus:— “I commend you to the Lord’s protection, desiring to remain, dear sister, your loving brother, David Papillon.”][1] Mr. Papillon died in 1659, in his eightieth year, leaving, with other children,[2] his heir Thomas Papillon, Esq., of Papillon Hall and Acrise (born 1623, died 1702). Mr. Thomas Papillon corresponded with his excellent cousin, David Papillon of Paris (already mentioned), and welcomed him to England after his release from imprisonment. The following is an extract of a letter to Thomas from David, dated Paris, February 8, 1681:—
“Nous vous remercions aussi des teinoignages qu’il vous plait nous donner de votre affection singulière, particulièrement de la forte et sainte exhortation que vous nous faites de demeurer fermes en la foi et en la profession de la vraie religion. C’est une chose que nous ne pouvons esperer de nos propres forces, mais que nous devions demander et devions attendre de Celui en qui et par qui nous pouvons toutes choses. Il a conservé ce precieux don en la personne de notre père Thomas, de notre aieul commun Thomas, et de notre bisaieul sur lequel il a premièrement fait relever la clairté de sa face et de son evangile, et lui même fait l’honneur d’être du nombre de ceux qui lui presentèrent leur vie et leur sang dans cette journée célèbre de l’Année 1572, marchant par cette voie douloureuse sur les pas de son Sauveur et marquant à ses descendants par son exemple que ni mort, ni vie, ni principauté, ni puissance, ni hauteur, ni profondeur, ni chose presente, ni chose à venir, ne les doit separer de l’affection qui Dieu leur a temoigné en son Fils. Vous savez cela aussi bien que moi, mais il me semble que ces exemples domestiques ne doivent point être oubliés; or, comme il est important de les imiter il est très utile de les repasser souvent en la memoire et la pensée.
“Comme je ne prends point de part dans l’administration des choses publiques, et ne- ↑ As conjectured in my Chambrelan memoir, Mr. Papillon had two sisters, Estre and Anne, both married to Chambrelans aliàs Chamberlans.
- ↑ One of these children was Philip Papillon, a member of Exeter College, Oxford, in 1625, who inscribed, in the copy of William Browne’s Poems presented to that college, an English epistle in verse, headed “Euterpe to her deerest darling, Y. B.” Beloe’s Anecdotes, vol. vi., p. 59.
