otius had a wife of whom he was very fond, he was a man incapable
of embracing an opinion from motives of interest.

It is very certain that Grotius was most intimate with Father Petau, who
cultivated his friendship (as this learned Jesuit tells us himself in
one of his letters) in hopes of bringing him to an open profession of
the Roman Catholic faith. This gave M. Varlois occasion to say, in his
elogium of Father Petau[637], "What did he not do to gain over the
illustrious Grotius to the Catholic Religion? He did not dislike us, he
was even almost one of us, since he publicly declared his acceptance of
the doctrine of the Council of Trent. One thing only was wanting to him,
to resort to our Churches, which he only deferred till he could bring
many with him to the unity of the Catholic faith." Father Briet says
much the same in his _Annals of the World_ for the year 1645. "This year
died Hugo Grotius, the honour and glory of men of learning: his
intention was to die a Catholic, but he wanted time; for, as he assured
me, he believed as we do."

We read in the _Menagiana_[638], that when Grotius's death was known at
Paris, Father Petau, persuaded that he was a Catholic at heart, said
mass for his soul: it was even reported at that time, if we may believe
the compiler of those Anecdotes, that Grotius wanted to declare himself
before his journey to Sweden, but was advised by Father Petau to go
there first, and return afterwards to Paris to settle, and fulfil his
resolution. It is improbable that such a zealous Catholic as Father
Petau would advise Grotius to defer for a moment the edification of all
the Catholics by his return to the Church; but it is certain that Father
Petau said mass for his friend. The tradition of this fact is preferred
among the Jesuits, and there are people of credit alive who remember to
have heard it affirmed for certain by Father Harduin and M. Huet Bishop
of Avranches[639].

As Grotius's religion was a problem to many, Menage wrote an Epigram on
this occasion, the sense of which is, that as many different sects
claimed his religion, as there were towns which contended for the birth
of Homer:

Smyrna, Rhodes, Colophon, Salamis, Argos, Athenae,
Siderei certant vatis de patria Homeri:
Grotiadae certant de religione Socinus,
Arrius, Arminius, Calvinus, Roma, Lutherus.

FOOTNOTES:

[602] Ep. 966. p. 434.

[603] Ep. 489. p. 894.

[604] Ep. 622. p. 943.

[605] Via ad pa