He was born in Paris, son of an advocate of the Parlement; he was brought up liberally and allowed to choose his beliefs, which became Calvinist.
Under Henry III of France he purchased a position as councillor.
He was président de la chambre at Castres in 1595; and in 1600 Henry IV made him arbiter at the Fontainebleau conferences between Cardinal Jacques Du Perron for the Catholics, and Philippe Duplessis-Mornay for the Protestants.
From 1602 he was ambassador at Venice; at the time of the Venetian Interdict he skilfully resolved differences of the Republic with Pope Paul V, who showed gratitude.
He left an account of his embassies, memoirs (1635), and a work on the Organon of Aristotle (1589).