massacres of the south-第6章

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when　the　Protestants　get　the　upper　hand；　their　vengeance　is　marked　by
brutality　and　rage；　when　the　Catholics　are　victorious；　the
retaliation　is　full　of　hypocrisy　and　greed。　　The　Protestants　pull
down　churches　and　monasteries；　expel　the　monks；　burn　the　crucifixes；
take　the　body　of　some　criminal　from　the　gallows；　nail　it　on　a　cross；
pierce　its　side；　put　a　crown　of　thorns　round　its　temples　and　set　it
up　in　the　market…placean　effigy　of　Jesus　on　Calvary。　　The　Catholics
levy　contributions；　take　back　what　they　had　been　deprived　of；　exact
indemnities；　and　although　ruined　by　each　reverse；　are　richer　than
ever　after　each　victory。　　The　Protestants　act　in　the　light　of　day；
melting　down　the　church　bells　to　make　cannon　to　the　sound　of　the
drum；　violate　agreements；　warm　themselves　with　wood　taken　from　the
houses　of　the　cathedral　clergy；　affix　their　theses　to　the　cathedral
doors；　beat　the　priests　who　carry　the　Holy　Sacrament　to　the　dying；
and；　to　crown　all　other　insults；　turn　churches　into　slaughter…houses
and　sewers。

The　Catholics；　on　the　contrary；　march　at　night；　and；　slipping　in　at
the　gates　which　have　been　left　ajar　for　them；　make　their　bishop
president　of　the　Council；　put　Jesuits　at　the　head　of　the　college；　buy
converts　with　money　from　the　treasury；　and　as　they　always　have
influence　at　court；　begin　by　excluding　the　Calvinists　from　favour；
hoping　soon　to　deprive　them　of　justice。

At　last；　on　the　31st　of　December；　1657；　a　final　struggle　took　place；
in　which　the　Protestants　were　overcome；　and　were　only　saved　from
destruction　because　from　the　other　side　of　the　Channel；　Cromwell
exerted　himself　in　their　favour；　writing　with　his　own　hand　at　the　end
of　a　despatch　relative　to　the　affairs　of　Austria；　〃I　Learn　that　there
have　been　popular　disturbances　in　a　town　of　Languedoc　called　Nimes；
and　I　beg　that　order　may　be　restored　with　as　much　mildness　as
possible；　and　without　shedding　of　blood。〃　　As；　fortunately　for　the
Protestants；　Mazarin　had　need　of　Cromwell　at　that　moment；　torture　was
forbidden；　and　nothing　allowed　but　annoyances　of　all　kinds。　　These
henceforward　were　not　only　innumerable；　but　went　on　without　a　pause：
the　Catholics；　faithful　to　their　system　of　constant　encroachment；
kept　up　an　incessant　persecution；　in　which　they　were　soon　encouraged
by　the　numerous　ordinances　issued　by　Louis　XIV。　　The　grandson　of
Henri　IV　could　not　so　far　forget　all　ordinary　respect　as　to　destroy
at　once　the　Edict　of　Nantes；　but　he　tore　off　clause　after　clause。

In　1630that　is；　a　year　after　the　peace　with　Rohan　had　been　signed
in　the　preceding　reignChalons…sur…Saone　had　resolved　that　no
Protestant　should　be　allowed　to　take　any　part　in　the　manufactures　of
the　town。

In　1643；　six　months　after　the　accession　of　Louis　XIV；　the　laundresses
of　Paris　made　a　rule　that　the　wives　and　daughters　of　Protestants　were
unworthy　to　be　admitted　to　the　freedom　of　their　respectable　guild。

In　1654；　just　one　year　after　he　had　attained　his　majority；　Louis　XIV
consented　to　the　imposition　of　a　tax　on　the　town　of　Nimes　of　4000
francs　towards　the　support　of　the　Catholic　and　the　Protestant
hospitals；　and　instead　of　allowing　each　party　to　contribute　to　the
support　of　its　own　hospital；　the　money　was　raised　in　one　sum；　so
that；　of　the　money　paid　by　the　Protestants；　who　were　twice　as
numerous　as　the　Catholics；　two…sixths　went　to　their　enemies。　　On
August　9th　of　the　same　year　a　decree　of　the　Council　ordered　that　all
the　artisan　consuls　should　be　Catholics；　on　the　16th　September
another　decree　forbade　Protestants　to　send　deputations　to　the　king；
lastly；　on　the　20th　of　December；　a　further　decree　declared　that　all
hospitals　should　be　administered　by　Catholic　consuls　alone。

In　1662　Protestants　were　commanded　to　bury　their　dead　either　at　dawn
or　after　dusk；　and　a　special　clause　of　the　decree　fixed　the　number　of
persons　who　might　attend　a　funeral　at　ten　only。

In　1663　the　Council　of　State　issued　decrees　prohibiting　the　practice
of　their　religion　by　the　Reformers　in　one　hundred　and　forty…two
communes　in　the　dioceses　of　Nimes；　Uzes；　and　Mendes；　and　ordering　the
demolition　of　their　meetinghouses。

In　1664　this　regulation　was　extended　to　the　meeting…houses　of　Alencon
and　Montauban；　as　Well　as　their　small　place　of　worship　in　Nimes。　　On
the　17th　July　of　the　same　year　the　Parliament　of　Rouen　forbade　the
master…mercers　to　engage　any　more　Protestant　workmen　or　apprentices
when　the　number　already　employed　had　reached　the　proportion　of　one
Protestant；　to　fifteen　Catholics；　on　the　24th　of　the　same　month　the
Council　of　State　declared　all　certificates　of　mastership　held　by　a
Protestant　invalid　from　whatever　source　derived；　and　in　October
reduced　to　two　the　number　of　Protestants　who　might　be　employed　at　the
mint。

In　1665　the　regulation　imposed　on　the　mercers　was　extended　to　the
goldsmiths。

In　1666　a　royal　declaration；　revising　the　decrees　of　Parliament；　was
published；　and　Article　31　provided　that　the　offices　of　clerk　to　the
consulates；　or　secretary　to　a　guild　of　watchmakers；　or　porter　in　a
municipal　building；　could　only　be　held　by　Catholics；　while　in　Article
33　it　was　ordained　that　when　a　procession　carrying　the　Host　passed　a
place　of　worship　belonging　to　the　so…called　Reformers；　the
worshippers　should　stop　their　psalm…singing　till　the　procession　had
gone　by；　and　lastly；　in　Article　34　it　was　enacted　that　the　houses　and
other　buildings　belonging　to　those　who　were　of　the　Reformed　religion
might；　at　the　pleasure　of　the　town　authorities；　be　draped　with　cloth
or　otherwise　decorated　on　any　religious　Catholic　festival。

In　1669　the　Chambers　appointed　by　the　Edict　of　Nantes　in　the
Parliaments　of　Rouen　and　Paris　were　suppressed；　as　well　as　the
articled　clerkships　connected　therewith；　and　the　clerkships　in　the
Record　Office；　and　in　August　of　the　same　year；　when　the　emigration　of
Protestants　was　just　beginning；　an　edict　was　issued；　of　which　the
following　is　a　clause　：

〃Whereas　many　of　our　subjects　have　gone　to　foreign　countries；　where
they　continue　to　follow　their　various　trades　and　occupations；　even
working　as　shipwrights；　or　taking　service　as　sailors；　till　at　length
they　feel　at　home　and　determine　never　to　return　to　France；　marrying
abroad　and　acquiring　property　of　every　description：　We　hereby　forbid
any　member　of　the　so…called　Reformed　Church　to　leave　this　kingdom
without　our　permission；　and　we　command　those　who　have　already　left
France　to　return　forthwith　within　her　boundaries。〃

In　1670　the　king　excluded　physicians　of　the　Reformed　faith　from　the
office　of　dean　of　the　college　of　Rouen；　and　allowed　only　two
Protestant　doctors　within　its　precincts。　　In　1671　a　decree　was
published　commanding　the　arms　of　France　to　be　removed　from　all　the
places　of　worship　belonging　to　the　pretended　Reformers。　　In　1680　a
proclamation　from　the　king　closed　the　profession　of　midwife　to　women
of　the　Reformed　faith。　　In　1681　those　who　renounced　the　Protestant
religion　were　exempted　for　two　years　from　all　contributions　towards
the　support　of　soldiers　sent　to　their　town；　and　were　for　the　same
period　relieved　from　the　duty　of　giving　them　board　and　lodging。　　In
the　same　year　the　college　of　Sedan　was　closedthe　only　college
remaining　in　the　entire　kingdom　at　which　Calvinist　children　could
receive　instruction。　　In　1682　the　king　commanded　Protestant　notaries；
procurators；　ushers；　and　serjeants　to　lay　down　their　offices；
declaring　them　unfit　for　such　professions；　and　in　September　of　the
same　year　three　months　only　were　allowed　them　for　the　sale　of　the
reversion　of　the　said　offices。　　In　1684　the　Council　of　State　extended
the　preceding　regulations　to　those　Protestants　holding　the　title　of
honorary　secretary　to　the　king；　and　in　August　of　the　same　year
Protestants　were　declared　incapable　of　serving　on　a　jury　of　experts。

In　1685　the　provost　of　merchants　in　Paris　ordered　all　Protestant
privileged　merchants　in　that　city　to　sell　their　privileges　within　a
month。　　And　in　October　of　the　same　year　the　long　series　of
persecutions；　of　which　we　have　omitted　many；　reached　its　culminating
pointthe：　Revocation　of　the　Edict　of　Nantes。　　Henri　IV；　who　foresaw
this　result；　had　hoped　that　it　would　have　occurred　in　another　manner；
so　that　his　co…r