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 pacem, p. 623, art. xx.

[606] Animad. in animad. ad. ar. 19. p. 645.

[607] P. 705.

[608] Via ad pacem, p. 626.

[609] Votum pro pace, p. 916.

[610] Animad. in animad. p. 646.

[611] Via ad pacem, p. 626.  Animad. in anim. p. 646

[612] Ep. 622. p. 943.

[613] Votum pro pace, p. 727.

[614] Ep. 613. p. 940.

[615] Ep. 668. p. 957.

[616] Via ad pacem art. 1. p. 615.

[617] Art. 7. p. 617.

[618] Via ad pacem, p. 628.  Anim. in anim. p. 647.  Votum pro pace, p. 724.

[619] Anim. in anim. p. 642.

[620] Votum pro pace, p. 681.

[621] Tillem. t. 2. p. 158.

[622] Ep. 318. p. 113.

[623] Ep. 357. p. 124.

[624] Tillemont, t. 2. n. 13. p. 567.

[625] Ep. 391. p. 866.

[626] Fabric.  Bib.  Graec. l. 4. p. 174. tom. 3.

[627] Commen. ad loca de Antichrist.  Anim. in anim. p. 649.