Marseilles, by a treaty with pirates, of which treaty copies were in the hands of thousands.

In the midst of all that could terrify the protestants, seduction was by no means laid aside. Their enemies made for them, a translation of the New Testament. They would not give them that of Veron, which has been too much decried; nor that of Marolles, a catholic, which had not much reputation; nor that of Mons, which was odious to the Jesuits; nor that of Amelotte, which contained some things which might be misimproved; but they published another translation, with this title, The New Testament of our Lord Jesus Christ, translated from the Latin into French, by the theologians of Louvain. The author of the history of the edict of Nantes, says, this transla tion is so full of impudent falsification, that it is difficult to conceive how the human spirit could attain to such a degree of audacity, and how a prelate, of the first rank, would give it the sanction of his name. But, after having read much of the temper, spirit, and proceedings of those times, I can only say, they who could do what was then done, would do any thing it pleased God to permit, under a notion that what he permitted THEM to execute, he undoubtedly approved.

The revocation of the edict of Nantes, was published October 22, 1685. This act was hastened to gratify the chancellor, Tellier, who was an old man, and on the very brink of the grave. As

soon as he had applied his seal to this edict, he pronounced, in Latin, the words of Simeon; which, in our translation, are these: "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant, depart in peace, according to thy word, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation." By these words, Simeon, in his advanced age, declared, that after seeing the Messiah, and in him God's salvation, he did not desire to live any longer. With what propriety could the chancellor apply these words to his own case? but thus the mouths of some men, abuse the most holy expressions; so that words which have expressed the most pious sentiments, have been employed, on other occasions to express the most extravagant notions of the heart and mind. One, and the same language, is sometimes made use of, to manifest the most unfeigned love to God, and to manifest the utmost extravagance of false zeal. That which Simeon said, in the ardour of living faith, the chancellor applied to that action, by which he gave the form to the greatest act of injustice. He survived this execrable business, but a few days; for he died at Paris, the 31st of October, 1685.

What followed, in the execution of this dreadful deed, is too horrible to describe. Without entering minutely into particulars, let it be enough to say, on such authority as cannot be fairly contradicted, that the very same day, this edict was registered and published,. at, Paris, they began to demolish the church at CHARENTON; that the oldest minister of it, was commanded to leave.

Paris in four and twenty hours, and to depart the kingdom; that his colleagues, were commanded to follow in forty-eight hours; that other ministers, at a distance, were only allowed fifteen days; that in their flight they endured all manner of affronts and vexations; that they neither permitted them to dispose of their estates, nor to carry away any of their effects; that they disputed they had no right to take away their books and private papers, under various pretences; that they would not give them leave to take with them either father or mother, brother or sister, or any of their kindred; though many of them were infirm and poor; and could not subsist without their assistance. In some frontier places, the refugees were stopped and imprisoned, upon ridiculous pretences, on which, many of them were shut up for life, or sent to the GALLIES. Guards were doubled in sea port cities, highways, and fords; the country was covered with soldiers; even the peasants were armed to stop, or kill, those that passed by them; and, in short, they forgot nothing that might retard and obstruct the flight of the persecuted, though, by so doing, it hindered almost all commerce with the neighbouring nations.

This was the state of things, in the latter end of the year 1685; which fulfilled the threats of many of the Romish clergy, who three years before, had said to the protestants, in their PRETENDED PASTORAL LETTER. "Ye must expect miseries incomparably more dreadful and intolerable, than all

those,

those, which hitherto your revolt, and your schism, have drawn upon you.'

As to such as have escaped into foreign countries, who are, at least, AN HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND PERSONS, their estates are confiscated; this being all the hurt they can do them at present. But, Mr. CLAUDE, from whom this sad account is taken, adds, "I say, at PRESENT; for it is not questioned, but our persecutors are contriving to extend their cruelties farther."

And now, what effect had all these proceedings on the minds of the king, and pope, and on the most bigetted roman catholics? Were they alarmed, or ashamed? no, they could not blush; nor were they dismayed. Did they clothe themselves in sackcloth, and mourn in dust and ashes? no, they made merry, and congratulated one another, for what they had thus effected. The king, that very king, who had said, "My subjects, of the pretended reformed religion, have given me unquestionable proofs of their affection and loyalty," could now say, My grandfather, Henry the fourth, loved you, and was obliged to you. My father, Lewis the thirteenth, feared you, and wanted your assistance: but I neither love you, nor fear you, and do not want your services." He was then on the pinacle of his glory; his dominion was, as it were, established over all Europe; but HERE he began to extirpate heresy, and HERE he began to fall; nor has the nation ever recovered its grandeur

since.

This was the opinion of Mr. Robinson, prior to the French revolution, and what sort of grandeur the French have gained by that strange event, the lovers of order are unable to admire.

Pope Innocent the eleventh, highly approved of the revocation of the edict of Nantes. He wrote a brief to the king, in which he assured him, that what he had done against the heretics of his kingdom, would be immortalized by the elogies of the catholic church. He delivered a discourse, in the consistory, in which he said, "the MOST CHRISTIAN king's zeal, and PIETY, did wonderfully appear in extirpating heresy, and in clearing his whole kingdom of it, in a very few months." He ordered TE DEUM to be sung, to give thanks to God, for this return of the heretics into the pale of the church, which was accordingly done with great pomp.

But, whatever pope Innocent the eleventh, or his warmest adherents, might say, or do, I believe there were roman catholics, that saw this tremendous tragedy with very different emotions; and that there now are roman catholics, who read of these proceedings, blushing as they read. MAROLLES, of whose sufferings I am soon to give a concise account, speaks well of several sincere catholics, during his severe trials; and it would not only be illiberal, but unjust, to say, there are not still among them, men of sense, of learning, and of faith unfeigned,