The Huguenots in France

nies to which they were subjected for many years before and after the passing of the Act of Revocat

tate of France at that time, in connection with the biography of one of the most celebrated Huguenots of his period, both in hi

arents for the profession of the law, and prosecuted his studies at

ed under many disabilities. He continued, however, for some time to exercise his profession, with much ability, at Castres, Castelnaudry, and Toulouse. He was frequently employed in defending Protestant pasto

taining an order for the demolition of the remaining Protestant temple of that city.[20] The pretext for suppressing this church was, that a se

ted with all the people, and especially with occasional visitors and strangers; that the ministers were quite unacquainted with the girl, or that she professed the Roman Catholic

estant church at Uzes, and another for the demolition of the large Protestant templ

ed to apostatize with him. The daughter, though only between ten and eleven years old, was sent to a convent at Teirargues, where, after enduring considerable persecution, she persisted in her steadfastness, and was releas

ion, and the other containing her formal abjuration. It was alleged that her abjuration had been signified to Isaac Dubourdieu, of Montpellier, one of the most distinguished pastors of the French Church; but that, nevertheless, he had admitted her to the sacrament. This

nied by a strong military force; and at a sitting of the Assembly of the States which shortly followed, the question of demolishing the Protestant temple at Montpellier was brought under con

her he was aware that there were eighteen hundred thousand Protestant families in France? Upon which the Duke, turning to the officer of his guard, said, "

andate. It required the destruction of the place within twenty-four hours; "but you will g

icism the proceedings had been instituted, was now requested to admit the authenticity of the documents. She was still imprisoned in Toulouse; and although entreated and threatened by turns to

in ruins, and Isabeau de Paulet was recommitted to prison. On hearing of this incident, Brousson remarked, "This

njustice. With this object, a meeting of twenty-eight deputies took place in the house of Brousson, at Toulouse, in the month of May, 1683. As the Assembly of the States were about to take steps to demolish the Protestant temple at Montauban a

on of the good life which such conversion implies; constant prayer to the Holy Spirit to enable them to remain steadfast in their profession and in the reading and meditation of the Scriptures; encouragements to them to hold together as congregations

ies of which were sent to Louvois and the other ministers of State. On this and other petitions, Brousson observes, "Surely all the world and posterity will be surprised, that

in private, in the neighbouring fields or woods-not in public places, nor around the ruins of their ancient temples-for the purpos

n a field near the town, when the minister preached to them from the text-"Render unto C?sar the things which are C?sar's, and unto God the things which are God's." The meeting was conducted with the utmost s

d to "convert" the Protestants. The town was almost wholly Protestant. The troops

ops upon them-and Anduze, Sauvé, St. Germain, Vigan, and Ganges were as full of them as St. Hy

zat, for a billet for six

of Red Dragoons, for ni

Villeneuve's Dragoons,

Dragoons of Languedoc, for thre

ates (troopers) for

ndred and nine companies of

s for the tr

e by the soldiers, of furniture, and losse

-

l 24

of the respective districts called upon their bishops for help to put down this heretical display. The Bishop of Valence (Daniel de Cosmac) accordingly informed them th

irst took place on the 8th of August, at Chateaudouble, a manufacturing village in Drome. The assembly was surprised by a

that the dragoons had entered Bourdeaux, and that it was a scene of general pillage. The Bourdeaux villagers at once set out for the protection of their families. The troopers met them, and suddenly fell upon t

was taken prisoner, David Chamier,[23] son of an advocate, and related to some of the most eminent Protestants in France. He was taken to the neighbouring town of Montelimar, and, after a su

him to take more active measures for their suppression. He appointed Marshal Saint-Ruth commander of the district-a man who wa

e: "Amnesty has no longer any place for the Viverais, who continue in rebellion after having been informed of the King's gracious designs. In one word, you are

ry, scourging, slaughtering, laying waste, and suppressing the assemblies

on, they shot them down at once, though unarmed. If they were unable to fly, they met death upon their knees. Antoine Court recou

wards he himself followed to give instructions for their "conversion," partly through favours, partly by money. "My efforts," he himself admitted, "were not always without succe

persion of meetings; the hanging of persons found attending them; the breaking upon the wheel of the pastors captured, amidst horrible tortures; the destr

to languish with his bones broken, for forty hours, until he died. During his torments, he said: "I count myself happy that I can die in my Master's service. What! did my glorious Redeemer descend from heaven and suffer an ignominious death for my salvation, and shall I, to prolong a miserable life, deny my blessed Saviour and abandon his people?"

, said: "These wretches go to the wheel with the firm assurance of dying martyrs, and ask no other favour than that o

was ordered to be demolished-and the institution of processes for the demolition of fourteen more Protestant temples, Brousson at last be

s not one that could be bought. He also found that his office of defender of the doomed Huguenots could not be maintained without personal danger, whilst (as events proved

onsideration of their case. Roman Catholics and Protestants, they said, had so many interests in common, that the ruin of the one must have the effect of ruining the other,-the flourishing manufactures of the province, which were mostly followed by the Protestants, being now rapidly proceeding to r

to the Duke de Noailles, the governor of the province. He treated the deputation with contempt, and their petition with scorn. Writing to Louvois, the King's prime minister, De Noailles said: "Astonished at the effrontery of t

to the framing of the petition, a detachment of four hundred dragoons was ordered into the place. One of those to be apprehended was Claude Brousson. Hundreds of persons knew of his abode in the cit

disguised dress, passed out of the Crown Gate, and in the

minister of a Huguenot church in Holland. But although the ministers had escaped, all the property they had left behind them was confiscated to the Crown. Hideous effigies of t

d others in Holland, who flooded Europe with accounts of the hideous cruelties of Louis XIV. and his myrmidons the clergy and dragoons, he composed and published a work, addressed to the Roman Catholic part

t church of his native city had been suppressed, and their temple given over to a society of female converters; that the wives and daughters of the Protestants who refused to abjure their faith had been s

nd facilitate their settlement in the canton, or enable them to proceed elsewhere. Brousson was from the first an energetic member of this committee. Part of their work

received very cordially by the Elector of Brandenburg, who had already given great assistance to the Huguenot emigrants, and expressed himself as willing to do all that he could for their protection. Brousson and La Porte here met the Rev. David Ancillon, who had been for thirty-three

s published, entitled "Letters of the Protestants of France who have abandoned all for the cause of the Gospel, to other Protestants; with a particular Letter addressed to Protestant Kings, Electors, Rulers, and Magistrates." The Elector circulated this volume, accompanying it with a letter w

early two hundred and fifty Huguenot ministers had taken refuge in Holland; there were many merchants and manufacturers who had set up their branches of industry in the country; and there were

g like sheep without shepherds, deprived of guidance, books, and worship-the prey of ravenous wolves,-and it occurred to him whether the Protestant pastors had done right in leaving their flocks, even though by so doing they

ple, until the first shock of the enemy was past; and had you even courageously exposed yourselves to martyrdom-as in fact those have done who have endeavoured to perform your duties in your absence-perhaps the examples of constancy, or zea

s in exile defended themselves. Béno?t, then residing in Germany, replied in a "History and Apology for the Retreat of the Pastors." Another, who did not give his name, treated Brousson's censure as that

prisoners in the Tower of Constance, and the noise of the chains borne by the galley slaves at Toulon and Marseilles. He reproached himself as if it were a crime with the repose which he enjoyed. Life became insupportable t

but he thought a higher duty called him away from them. When his friends told him that he would be taken prisoner and hung, he said, "When God permits his servants to die for the Gospel, they pre

these services were not regular pastors, but only private members of their former churches. Some of them were very young men, and they were nearly all uneducated as regards clerical instruction. One of the most successful was Isaac Vidal, a lame young man, a

ennes, also received the crown of martyrdom. Ever since the Revocation of the Edict, he had proclaimed the Gospel o'er hill and dale, in woods and caverns, to assemblies of the people wherever he could collect them. He was executed in 1687. Three other persons-Gransille, Mercier, and Esclopier-w

ousson's companions were these: Francis Vivens, formerly a schoolmaster in the Cevennes; Anthony Bertezene, a carpenter, brother of a preacher who had recently been condemned to death; and seven other persons named Papus, La Pierre, Ser