 His father was seigneur of Jouy, Auneau and Mondoubleau, marquis d'Alluye, and governor of Chartres, and François himself held the title of Count of La Chapelle.As the eldest son, he was not initially destined for a career in the church.He studied humanities at the Collège de Navarre in Paris, fought in the siege of Chartres (1591) and was engaged to marry Catherine Hurault de Cheverny, daughter of the royal chancellor Philippe Hurault.