AN EDICT OF THE French King Prohibiting all Publick Exercise of the Pretended Reformed Religion in his Kingdom Wherein he Recalls and totally Annuls the perpetual and irrevocable Edict of King Henry the IV. his Grandfather given at Nantes full of most gracious Concessions to Protestants To which is added The French King's Letter to the Elector of Brandenburg containing several Passages relating to the foregoing Edict As also A Brief and True Account of the Persecution carried on against those of the foresaid Religion for to make them Abjure and Apostatize Together With the Form of Abjuration the Revolting Protestants are to Subscribe and Swear to And a Declaration of his Electoral Highness of Brandenburg in Favour of those of the Reformed Religion who shall think fit to settle themselves in any of his Dominions Translated out of French The Second Edition Corrected with Additions Printed by G. M. Anno Dom. 1686. An Edict of the King Prohibiting all Publick Exercise of the Pretended Reformed Religion in His Kingdom LEWES by the Grace of God King of France and of Navarre to all present and to come Greeting King Henry the Great Our Grand-Father of Glorious Memory desiring to prevent that the Peace which he had procured for his Subjects after the great Losses they had sustained by the long Continuance of Civil and Foreign Wars might not be disturbed by occasion of the Pretended Reformed Religion as it had been during the Reign of the Kings his Predecessors had by his Edict given at Nantes in the Month of April 1598. regulated the Conduct which was to be observed with Respect to those of the said Religion the Places where they might publickly exercise the same appointed extraordinary Judges to administer Justice to them And lastly also by several distinct Articles provided for every thing which he judged needful for the maintenance of Peace and Tranquility in his Kingdom and to diminish the Aversion which was between those of the One and Other Religion and this to the end that he might be in a better condition for the taking some effectual Course which he was resolved to do to re-unite those again to the Church who upon so slight Occasions had with-drawn themselves from it And forasmuch as this Intention of the King our said Grand-Father could not be effected by reason of his suddain and precipitated Death and that the Execution of the fore-said Edict was Interrupted during the Minority of the late King Our most Honoured Lord and Father of Glorious Memory by reason of some new Enterprizes of those of the Pretended Reformed Religion whereby they gave occasion for their being deprived of several Advantages which had been granted to them by the afore-said Edict notwithstanding the King Our said late Lord and Father according to his wonted Clemency granted them another Edict at Nismes in the Month of July 1629. by means of which the Peace and Quiet of the Kingdom being now again Re established the said late King being animated with the same Spirit and Zeal for Religion as the King Our said Grand-Father was resolved to make good Use of this Tranquility by endeavouring to put this Pious Design in Execution but Wars abroad coming on a few Years after so that from the Year 1635. to the Truce which was concluded with the Princes of Europe in 1684. the Kingdom having been only for some short Intervals altogether free from Troubles it was not possible to do any other thing for the Advantage of Religion save only to diminish the number of Places permitted for the Exercise of the Pretended Reformed Religion as well by the Interdiction of those which were found Erected in prejudice to the Disposal made in the said Edict as by suppressing the Mixt Chambers of Judicature which were composed of an equal number of Papists and Protestants the Erecting of which was only done by Provision and to serve the present Exigency Whereas therefore at length it hath pleased God to grant that Our Subjects enjoying a perfect Peace and We Our selves being no longer taken up with the Cares of Protecting them against Our Enemies are now in a Condition to make good Use of the said Truce which we have on purpose facilitated in order to the applying our selves enirely to the searching out of Means which might successfully effect and accomplish the Design of the Kings Our said Grand-Father and Father and which also hath been * Our Intention ever since we came to the Crown We see at present not without a just Acknowledgment of what We owe to God on that Account that Our Endeavours have attained the End We propos'd to Our selves forasmuch as the greater and better Part of Our Subjects of the said Pretended Reformed Religion have already Embraced the Catholick and since by Means thereof the Execution of the Edict of Nantes and of all other Ordinances in favour of the said Pretended Reformed Religion is become useless We judge that We can do nothing better towards the entire effacing of the Memory of those Troubles Confusions and Mischief which the Progress of that false Religion hath been the cause of in Our Kingdom and which have given Occasion to the said Edict and to so many other Edicts and Declarations which went before it or were made since with reference thereto than by a Total Revocation of the said Edict of Nantes and the particular Articles and Concessions granted therein and whatsoever else hath been Enacted since in favour of the said Religion I. We make known that We for these and other Reasons Us thereto moving and of Our certain Knowledge full Power and Authority Royal have by the present Perpetual and Irrevocable Edict Suppressed and Annulled do Suppress and Annull the Edict of the King Our said Grand Father given at Nantes in April 1598 in its whole extent together with the particular Articles ratified the Second of May next following and Letters Patent granted thereupon as likewise the Edict given at Nismes in July 1629. declaring them null and void as if they had never been Enacted together with all the Concessions granted in them as well as other Declarations Edicts and Arrests to those of the Pretended Reformed Religion of what Nature soever they may be which shall all continue as if they never had been And in pursuance hereof We Will and it is our Pleasure That all the Churches of those of the Pretended Reformed Religion scituate in our Kingdom Countries Lands and Dominions belonging to Us be forthwith demolished II. We forbid our Subjects of the Pretended Reformed Religion to Assemble themselves for time to come in order to the Exercise of their Religion in any Place or House under what pretext soever whether the said Places have been granted by the Crown or permitted by the Judges of particular places any Arrests of our Council for Authorizing and Establishing of the said places for Exercise notwithstanding III. We likewise Prohibit all Lords of what condition soever they may be to have any Publick
Exercise in their Houses and Fiefs of what quality soever the said Fiefs may be upon penalty to all our said Subjects who shall have the said Exercises performed in their Houses or otherwise of Confiscation of Body and Goods IV. We do strictly Charge and Command all Ministers of the said Pretended Reformed Religion who are not willing to be Converted and to embrace the Catholick Apostolick and Roman Religion to depart out of our Kingdom and Countries under our Obedience 15. days after the Publication hereof so as not to continue there beyond the said term or within the same to Preach Exhort or perform any other Ministerial Function upon pain of being sent to the Galleys V. Our Will and Pleasure is That those Ministers who shall be Converted do continue to enjoy during their Lives and their Widows after their Decease as long as they continue so the same Exemptions from Payments and Quartering of Souldiers which they did enjoy during the time of their Exercise of the Ministerial Function Moreover We will cause to be paid to the said Ministers during their Lives a Pension which by a third part shall exceed the appointed Allowance to them as Ministers the half of which Pension shall be continued to their Wives after their Decease as long as they shall continue in the state of Widow-hood VI. And in case any of the said Ministers shall be willing to become Advocates or to take the Degree of Doctors in Law we Will and Understand that they be dispensed with as to the three Years of Study which are prescribed by our Declarations as requisite in order to the taking of the said Degree and that after they have pass'd the ordinary Examinations they be forthwith received as Doctors paying only the Moiety of those dues which are usually paid upon that account in every University VII We Prohibit any particular Schools for Instructing the Children of those of the Pretended Reformed Religion and in general all other things whatsoever which may Import a Concession of what kind soever in favour of the said Religion VIII And as to the Children which shall for the future be Born of those of the said Pretended Reformed Religion Our Will and Pleasure is That hence forward they be Babtized by the Curates of our Parishes strictly charging their respective Fathers and Mothers to take care they be sent to Church in order thereto upon Forfeiture of 500. Livres or more as it shall happen Furthermore Our Will is That the said Children be afterwards Educated and brought up in the Catholick Apostolick and Roman Religion and give an express Charge to all Our Justices to take care the same be performed accordingly IX And for a Mark of our Clemency towards those of our Subjects of the said Pretended Reformed Religion who have retired themselves out of our Kingdom Countries and Territories before the Publication of this our present Edict Our Will and Meaning is That in case they return thither again within the time of four Months from the time of the Publication hereof they may and it shall be lawful for them to Re-enter upon the Possession of their Goods and Estates and enjoy the same in like manner as they might have done in case they had always continued upon the place And on the contrary that the Goods of all those who within the said time of four Months shall not return into our Kingdom Countries or Territories under our Obedience which they have forsaken remain and be Confiscated in pursuance of our Declaration of the 20th of August last X. We most expresly and strictly forbid all our Subjects of the said Pretended Reformed Religion them their Wives or Children to depart out of our said Kingdom Countries or Territories under our Obedience or to Transport thence their Goods or Effects upon Penalty of the Gally for Men and of Confiscation of Body and Goods for Women XI Our Will and Meaning is That the Declaration made against those who shall relapse be Executed upon them according to their Form and Tenor. Morever those of the said Pretended Reformed Religion in the mean time till it shall Please God to enlighten them as well as others may abide in the several respective Cities and Places of our Kingdoms Countries and Territories under our Obedience and there continue their Commerce and enjoy their Goods and Estates without being any way molested upon account of the said Pretended Reformed Religion upon condition nevertheless as forementioned that they do not use any publick Religious Exercise nor assemble themselves upon the account of Prayer or Worship of the said Religion of what kind soever the same may be upon forfeiture above specified of Body and Goods Accordingly We Will and Command our Trusty and Beloved Counsellors the people holding our Courts of Aids at Paris Bayliffs Chief Justices Provosts and other our Justices and Officers to whom it appertains and to their Lieutenants that they cause to be Read Published and Registred this Our present Edict in their Courts and Jurisdictions even in Vacation time and the same keep punctually without contrevening or suffering the same to be contrevened for such is Our Will and Pleasure And to the end to make it a thing firm and stable we have caused Our Seal to be put to the same Given at Fountainbleau in the Month of October in the Year of Grace 1685 and of of Our Reign the XLIII Signed LEWES VISA This Signifies the Lord Chancellors Perusal Le Tellier Sealed with the Great Seal of Green-wax upon a Red and Green string of Silk REgistred and Published the Kings Attorney General requiring it in order to their being Executed according to Form and Tenor and the Copies being Examined and Compared sent to the several Courts of Justice Bailywicks and Sheriffs Courts of each District to be there Entred and Registred in like manner and charge given to the Deputies of the said Attorney General to take care to see the same Executed and put in Force and to certifie the Court thereof At Paris in the Court of Vacations t he 22th of Octob. 1685. Signed De la Baune A LETTER of the French KING to the ELECTOR of Brandenburg Sept. 6. 1666. BROTHER I Would not have discoursed the Matter You write to Me about on the behalf of My Subjects of the Pretended Reformed Religion with any other Prince besides Your Self But to shew You the particular Esteem I have for You I shall begin with telling You That some Persons disaffected to My Service have spread Seditious Pamphlets among Strangers as if the Acts and Edicts that were Pass'd in favour of My said Subjects of the Pretended Reformed Religion by the Kings My Predecessors and Confirmed by My Self were not kept and executed in My Dominions which would have been contrary to My Intentions for I take care that they be maintained in all the Priviledges which have been Granted them and be as kindly us'd as My Other Subjects To this I am Engaged both by My
more than probable that they who do not follow Christ but because they Thrive by it and for the Loaves will cease to be of his Retinue when he is about to oblige them to bear his Cross and deny themselves But that which seems Inconceivable to me is that our Enemies should pitch upon such strange ways and methods to destroy us as they have done and that in so doing they should meet with a success so prodigious and doleful I shall as briefly as I can endeavour to give you an account of so much as I have understood of it All those thundring Declarations and destructive Arrests which continually were Sued for and obtain'd against us and which were Executed with the Extremity of Rigour were scarce able to move any one of us The forbidding of our Publick Exercises the demolishing of our Churches and the severe Injunction that not so much as Two or Three of us should dare to Assemble in order to any thing of Divine Worship had no other effect upon the far greater part of us than to Inflame our Zeal instead of abating it obliging us to Pray to God with greater Fervor and Devotion in our Closets and to Meditate of his Word with greater Application and Attention And neither the great wants to which we were reduced by being depriv'd of our Offices and Imploys and all other means of Living and by those insupportable charges with which they strove to over-whelm us as well by Taxes as the Quartering of Souldiers both which were as heavy as could be laid upon us nor the continual trouble we were put to by Criminal or other matters of Law which at the Suit of one or other were still laid to our charge tho upon the most frivolous and unjust pretences imaginable I say all these were not able to wear out our Patience which was hardned against all Calamities insomuch as the design of forcing us to abandon the Truth of the Gospel would Infallibly have been Ship-wrack'd if no other means had been taken in hand for this purpose But Alas our Enemies were too Ingenious to be bauk'd so and had taken our Ruine too much to Heart not to study for means effectual and proper to bring about their desires They call'd to mind what Prodigious success a new kind of Persecution had had of late Years in Poctou Aunix and Xaintonge which the Intendants of those places had bethought themselves of and they made no difficulty to have Recourse to the same as to a means Infallible and not to be doubted of I must tell you Sir That we had not the least thought that ever such violent Methods as these would have been pitched upon as the means of our Conversion We were always of Opinion that none but Dennuieux's and Marillacs could be fit Instruments for such like Enterprizes neither could we ever have Imagin'd that Generals of Armies who account it a Shame and Reproach to Attack and take some paultry Town or Village should ever debase themselves to Besiege Old Men Women and Children in their own Houses or that ever Souldiers who think themselves ennobled by their Swords should degrade themselves so far as to take up the Trade of Butchers and Hangmen by tormenting poor Innocents and inflicting all sorts of Punishments upon them Moreover we were the less in expectation of any such thing because at the self-same time they Treated us in this manner they would needs perswade us That the King's Councel had disapproved the Design And indeed it seem'd very probable to us that all Reasons whether taken from Humanity Piety or Interest would have made them disavow and condemn a Project so Inhumane and Barbarous Yet now by Experience we find it but too true that our Enemies are so far from rejecting the said Design that they carry it on with an unparallel'd Zeal and Application without giving themselves any further trouble to effectuate their Desires than that of doing these two things The First of which was to Lull us asleep and to take away from us all matter of Suspition of the mischief they were hatching against us which they did by permitting some of our Publick Exercises of Religion by giving way to our Building of some Churches by settling Ministers in divers places to Baptize our Children and by publishing several Arrests and Declarations which did intimate to us that we had reason to hope we should yet Subsist for some Years Such was that Declaration by which all Ministers were ordered to change their Churches every three years The Other was to secure all the Sea-Ports of the Kingdom so as none might make their escape which was done by renewing the Antient Prohibitions of departing the Kingdom without leave but with the addition of far more severe Penalties After these precautions thus taken they thought themselves no longer oblig'd to keep any measures but immediately lift up the hand to give the last blow for our Ruine The Intendants had order to represent to us That the King was resolved to suffer no other Religion in his Kingdom besides his own and to Command us all in his Name readily to Embrace the same without allowing us any longer respite to consider what we had to do than a few days nay hours threatning us That if we continued obstinate they would force us to it by the extremity of Rigour and presently Executing these their Menaces by filling our Houses with Souldiers to whom we were to be lest for a Prey and who not content with entirely Ruining of us should besides exercise upon our Persons all the Violence and Cruelty they could possibly devise And all this to overcome our Constancy and Perseverance Four Months are now past and gone since they began to make use of this strange and horrible way of Converting People worthy of and well becoming its Inventors The Country of Bearne was first set upon as being one of the most considerable Out-parts of the Kingdom to the end that this mischievous enterprize gaining strength in its passage might soon after over-whelm and as it were deluge all the other Provinces in the same Sea of the uttermost calamity Monsieur Foucaut the Intendant went himself in Person to all the places where we were in any numbers and commanded all the Inhabitants that were of the Protestant Religion under the Penalty of great amercements to Assemble themselves in those places he appointed to them where being accordingly met together he charged them in the Kings Name to change their Religion allowing them only a day or two to dispose themselves for it He told them That great numbers of Souldiers were at hand to compel those that should rfuse to yield a ready Obedience and this threatning of his being immediately followed by the Effect as Lightning is by Thunder he fill'd the Houses of all those who abode constant in their resolution to Live and Dye Faithful to their Lord and Master Jesus Chrst with Souldiers and Commands those Insolent Troops flesh'd with
like a Ball from one to another without giving them the least Intermission and keeping them in this condition for three days and nights together without Meat Drink or Sleep When they were so wearied and fainting that they could no longer stand upon their Legs they laid them on a Bed continuing as before to Tickle and Torment them after some time when they thought them somewhat recovered they made them rise and walked them up and down as before sometimes Tickling and other times Lashing them with Rods to keep them from Sleeping As soon as one Party of these Barbarous Tormenters were Tyred and wearled out they were Relieved by others of their Companions who coming fresh to the Work with greater Vigour and Violence reiterated the same Course By this Infernal Invention which they had formerly made use of with success in Bearn and other places many went Distracted and others became Mopish and Stupid and remain so Those who made their Escape were fain to abandon their Estates yea their Wives Children and Aged Relations to the Mercy of these Barbarous and more than Savage Troops The same Cruelties were acted at Negreplisse a City near to Montauban where these Bloody Emissaries committed unparallel'd Outrages Isaac Favin a Citizen of that Place was hung up by his Arm-pits and tormented a whole Night by pinching and tearing off his Flesh with Pincers tho by all this they were not able to shake his Constancy in the least The Wife of one Rouffion a Joyner being violently dragg'd by the Souldiers along the Streets for to force her to hear Mass dyed of this cruel and inhumane Treatment as soon as she reach'd the Church Porch Amongst other their Devilish Inventions this was one They made a great Fire round about a Boy of about Ten Years of Age who continually with Hands and Eyes lifted up to Heaven cryed My God help me and when they saw the Lad resolved to Dye so rather than Renounce his Religion they snatch'd him from the Fire when he was at the very point of being Burnt The Cities of Caussade Realville St. Anthonin and other Towns and Places in the Upper Guienne met with the same Entertainment as well as Bergerac and many other Places of Perigord and of the Lower Guienne which had a like share of these cruel and inhumane Usages The forementioned Troops marched at last to Castres to commit the same Insolencies and Barbarities there also And it is not to be doubted but that they will continue and carry on the same course of Cruelties where ever they go if God in Pity and Compassion to his People do not restrain them It is to be feared for it seems but too probable that this dreadful Persecution in conjunction with those Artifices the Papists make use of to disguise their Religion and to perswade Protestants that they shall be suffered to Worship God as formerly will make many to comply with them or at least make their Mouths give their Hearts the Lye in hopes of being by this means put into a condition to make their escapes and returning to that Profession which their weakness hath made them deny But Alas this is not all for those Poor Wretches whom by these Devilish ways of theirs they have made to Blaspheme and Abjure their Religion as if this were not enough must now become the Persecutors and Tormentors of their own Wives and Children for to oblige and force them to Renounce also for they are threatned that if within three days time they do not make their whole Family Recant in like manner those rough Apostles the Dragoons shall be fain to take further pains with them in order to the perfecting of their Conversion And who after all this can have the least doubt but that these unhappy Dragoons are the very Emissaries of Hell whose very last Efforts and Death struglings these seem to be This Relation hath given a short view of some of those Sufferings the Reformed have undergone but not of all It is certain that in divers places they have tryed to wear out their Patience and overcome their Constancy by applying Red hot Irons to the Hands and Feet of Men and to the Breasts of Women At Nantes they hung up several Women and Maids by their Feet and others by their Arm-pits and that Stark-Naked thus exposing them to Publick View which assuredly is the most cruel and exquisite Suffering can befall that Sex because in this case their Shamefac'dness and Modesty is most sensibly touched which is the most tender part of their Soul They have bound Mothers that gave Suck unto Posts and let their little Infants lye Languishing in their sight without being suffered to Suckle them for several days and all this while left them crying moaning and gasping for Life and even Dying for Hunger and Thirst that by this means they might Vanquish the Constancy of their Tender-hearted Mothers Swearing to them they would never permit they should give them Suck till they promised to Renounce their Profession of the Gospel They have taken Children of Four or Five Years of Age and kept them from Meat and Drink for some time and when they have been ready to faint away and give the Ghost they have brought them before their Parents and horribly Asseverated that except they would Turn they must prepare themselves to see their Children Languish and Dye in their presence Some they have bound before a great Fire and being half Roasted have after let them go They beat Men and Women outragiously they drag them along the Streets and Torment them day and Night The ordinary way they took was to give them noâ—est for the Souldiers do continually Relieve one another for to Drag Beat Torment and Toss up and down these Miserable Wretches without Intermission If it happen that any by their Patience and Constancy do stand it out and Triumph over all the Rage and Fury of those Dragoons they go to their Commander and acquaint him they have done all they could but yet without the desired success who in a Barbarous and Surly Tone answers them You must return upon them and do worse than you have done the King Commands it either they must Turn or I must Burst and Perish in the Attempt These are the Pleasant Flowry Paths by which the Papists allure Protestants to return to the Bosome of their Church But some it may be will object You make a great noise about a small matter all Protestants have not been exposed to these Cruelties but only some few obstinate Persons Well I will suppose so but yet the Horror of those Torments Inflicted on some hath so fill'd the Imagination of these Miserable Wretches that the very thoughts of them hath made them comply it is indeed a Weakness of which we are ashamed for their sakes and from whence we hope God will raise them again in his due time yet thus much we may alledge for their excuse that never was any Persecution upon pretence
as to St. Paul Saul Saul Why Persecutest thou me And make the rest the Examples of his Exemplary Justice Finally That He would grant That all those who have denied Him being touched with a True Repentance may with St. Peter Go out and Weep bitterly I am SIR Yours c. An Extract of a Letter containing some more Instances of the Cruel and Barbarous Vsage of the Protestants in France BUt this Sir is not the thing which troubles me most at this time there 's another cause of my Grief which is but too just and even pierceth my Heart with Sorrow and that is The Cruel Persecution which the Poor Protestants of France do suffer amongst whom I have so many near and dear Relations The Torments they are put to are almost Incredible and the Heavenly Courage wherewith some of them are strengthned by their Great Captain and Leader to undergo them is no less amazing and wonderful I shall give for Instance one or two of these Champions that by them you may judge of the rest A Young Woman was brought before the Council in order to oblige her to abjure the Truth of the Gospel which she boldly and manfully refusing was commanded back again to Prison where they shaved her Head and sing'd off the Hair of her Privities and having stript her Stark-Naked in this manner led her through the Streets of the City where many a blow was given her and Stones flung at her After this they set her up to the Neck in a Tub full of Water where after she had been for a while they took her out and put upon her a Shift dipt in Wine which as it dry'd and stuck to her Sore and Bruised Body they snatch'd off again and then had another ready dipt in Wine to clap upon her This they repeated six several times and when by this Inhumane usage her Body was become very Raw and Tender they demanded of her Whether she did not now find her self disposed to Embrace the Catholick Faith for so they are pleased to term their Religion But she being strengthned by the Spirit and Love of Him for whose Names sake she suffered all these Extremities undaunted answer'd That she had before declared her Resolution to them which she would never alter and that though they had her Body in their Power she was resolved not to yield her Soul to them but keep it pure and undefiled for her Heavenly Lover as knowing that a little while would put an end to all her Sufferings and give a Beginning to her Enjoyment of Everlasting Bliss Which Words of hers adding Fuel of their Rage who now despaired of making her a Convert they took and fastned her by her Feet to something that served the turn of a Gibbet and there let her hang in that Ignominious Posture with her Head downwards till she expired The other Person I would instance in and whom I pity the more because for ought I know he may yet survive and still continue under the Tormentor's Hands is an Old Man who having for a great while been kept close Prisoner upon the same Account as the former in a deep Dungeon where his Companions were Darkness and Horror and filthy Creeping Things was brought before his Judges with Vermin and Snails crawling upon his Mouldred Garment who seeing him in that Loathsom Condition said to him How now Old Man does not your Heart begin to Relent and are not you willing to Abjure your Heresie To which he answer'd As for Heresie I profess none but if by that Word you mean my Religion you may assure your selves that as I have thus long Lived so I hope and am resolved by the Grace of God to Dye in it With which Answer they being little pleased but furiously Incensed bespoke him in a rougher Tone Do'st thou not see that the Worms are about to devour thee Well fince thou art so resolved we will send thee back again to the loathsom Place from whence thou camest that they may make an end of thee and consume thy obdurate Heart To which he reply'd with the Words of the Holy Patient Job Novi postquam vermes confoderint Corpus istud in carne mea me vissurum esse Deum I know that after Worms have eaten this Body that in my Flesh I shall see God And having so said he was sent back to his loathsom dark Abode where if he be still I pray God to give him Patience and Strength to hold out to the End that so he may obtain the Crown of Life I should be too tedious in giving you all the Particulars of their Cruelty and of the Sufferings of the Protestants yet I cannot well forbear acquainting you with what lately I am most credibly inform'd of which take as follows Some Dragoons who were Quartered with a Person who they could by no means oblige to Renounce his Religion upon a time when they had well fill'd themselves with Wine and broke their Glasses at every Health they drank and so fill'd the Floor where they were with the Fragments and by often walking over and treading upon them reduced them to lesser Pieces and Fractions And being now in a merry Humour they must needs go to Dance and told their Host That he must be One of the Company but withal that he must first pull off his Stockings and Shoes that he might move the more nimbly In a word they forc'd him to Dance with them bare-footed upon the sharp Points of Glass which when they had continued so long as they were able to keep him on his Legs they laid him down on a Bed and a while after stript him stark naked and rolled his Body from one end of the Room to the other upon the sharp Glass as beforementioned which having done till his Skin was stuck full of the said little Fragments they returned him again to his Bed and sent for a Chyrurgeon to take out all the said Pieces of Glass out of his Body which you may easily conceive could not be done without frequent Incisions and horrible and most extream Pain Another Person being likewise troubled with the unwelcome Company of these Dragoons and having suffered extreamly at their Hands without the expected Success of his Conversion one of them on a time looking earnestly upon him told him That he disfigured himself with letting his Beard grow so long But he answering That they were the cause of it who would not let him stir out of door for to go to the Barber The Dragoon reply'd I can do that for you as well as the Barber and with that told him He must needs try his Skill upon him And so fell to work but instead of shaving him flea'd all the Skin off his Face One of his Companions coming-in at the Cry of this poor Sufferer and seeing what he had done seemingly blam'd him for it and said He was a Bunglar and then to his Host Come your Hair wants Cutting too and you shall
as soon as they shall Arrive and do promise to pay for them and their Families for Four Years the Rent of the said Houses provided that they engage themselves within the said Term to Build in such places as shall be Assigned to them in manner and upon condition as aforesaid VII As soon as they shall have taken up their Habitation in any City or Town of Our Dominions they shall immediately be made Free of the place as also of that particular Corporation which by their Trade or Profession they belong to and shall enjoy the self-same Rights and Priviledges which the Citizens Burgesses and Freemen of the said places or Corporations do enjoy and that without being obliged to pay any thing for the said Freedome and without being lyable to the Law of Escheatage or any other of what Nature soever they may be which in other Countries are in force against Strangers but shall be look'd upon and Treated upon all accounts in the same manner as Our own Natural Subjects VIII All those whose are willing to undertake and Establish any Manufactures whether of Cloth Stuffs Hats or any other whatsoever shall not only be furnished with all the Priviledges Patents and Franchises which they can wish for or desire but moreover We will take care that they be assisted with Moneys and such other Provisions and Necessaries as shall be thought fit to promote and make their undertaking successful IX To Country-men and others who are willing to Settle themselves in the Countrey We will cause a certain extent of Ground to be allotted for them to Till and Cultivate and give Orders for their being assisted and furnished with all things necessary for their Subsistence at the beginning of their Settlement in like manner as we have done to a considerable number of Swiss-Families who are come to dwell in Our Dominions X. And as for any business of Law or matter of difference which may arise amongst those of the Reformed Religion We do grant and allow that in those Cities where any considerable number of French-Families shall be Settled they be Authorized to choose one from amongst themselves who shall have full power to decide the said differences in a friendly way without any formality of Law whatsoever And incase any Differences shall arise between the Germans and the said French that then the said Differences shall be decided joyntly by the Magistrate of the Place and by the Person whom the French shall have Chosen for that purpose from amongst themselves And the same shall be done when the Differences of Frenchmen amongst themselves cannot be accommodated in the forementioned friendly way by the Person thereto by them Elected XI In every City where any numbers of French shall Settle themselves We will maintain a Minister and appoint a convenient place for the Publick Exercise of Religion in the French Tongue according to the Custome and with the same Ceremonies which are in use amongst the Reformed in France XII And forasmuch as such of the Nobility of France who heretofore have put themselves under Our Protection and entred into our Service do actually enjoy the same Honours Dignities and Immunities with those of the Countrey and that there are many found amongst them who have been raised to the chief Places and Charges of Our Court and Command over Our Forces We are ready and willing to continue the same Favour to those of the said Nobility who for time to come shall Settle themselves in our Dominions by bestowing upon them the several Charges Honours and Dignities they shall be found fitted for And in case they shall purchase any Mannors or Lordships they shall possess the same with all the Rights Prerogatives and Immunities which the Nobility of our own Dominions do of Right enjoy XIII All these Priviledges and Advantages forementioned shall not only be extended to those French of the Reformed Religion who shall Arrive in our Dominions in order to their Settling there after the Date of this Declaration but also to those who before the date hereof have Settled themselves in our Countries provided they have been forced to leave France upon account of their Religion they of the Romish Profession being wholly excluded from any part or share therein XIV In every one of Our Provinces Dutchies and Principalities We shall appoint and Establish certain Commissioners to whom the French of the Reformed Religion may have Recourse and Address themselves upon all occasions of need and this not only at the beginning of their Settlement but also afterwards And all Governours and Magistrates of Our Provinces and Territories shall have order by Vertue of these Presents as well as by other particular Commands We shall from time to time Issue forth to take the said Persons of the Reformed Religion into their Protection and to maintain them in all the Priviledges here before mentioned and not suffer the least hurt or injury to be done unto them but rather all manner of Favour Aide and Assistance Given at Postdam Octob. 26. 1685. Signed Frederick William Kind Reader FOrasmuch as in the Edict of the French King the perpetual and irrevocable Edict of Nantes is recall'd and abolished I thought fit because the whole Edict would be too long to be Inserted here to give you some passages of the Prefatory part of it whereby it may appear what stress was laid on it by Henry the IV. called the Great Grandfather to the present French King and how much he judged the exact maintaining of it would conduce to the Settlement Peace and Prosperity of his Kingdom Now it hath pleased God to give us a beginning of enjoying some Rest we think we cannot employ our selves better than to apply to that which may tend to the Service and Glory of his Holy Name and to provide that He may be Adored and Prayed to by all Our Subjects and if 〈…〉 at h not yet pleased him to permit it to be in one and the same Form of Religion that it may at the least be with one and the same Intention and with such Rules that may prevent amongst them all Troubles and Tumults and that We and this Kingdom may always conserve the Glorious Title of Most Christian and by the same means take away the Cause of Mischief and Trouble which may happen from the actions of Religion which of all others are most prevalent and penetrating For this cause acknowledging this affair to be of the greatest Importance and worthy of the best consideration after having considered the Complaints of Our Catholick Subjects and having also permitted to Our Subjects of the Reformed Religion to assemble themselves by Deputies for framing their Complaints and making a Collection of all their Remonstrances and having thereupon conferred divers times with them we have upon the whole judged it necessary to give to all Our said Subjects one General Law clear plain and absolute by which they shall be regulated in all differences which have heretofore risen among them or which may rise hereafter and wherewith both the one and the other may be contented having had no other regard in this deliberation than solely the Zeal we have to the Service of God praying that He would henceforward grant to all Our Subjects a Durable and Established Peace And We implore and expect from his Divine Bounty the same Protection and Favour he hath always bestowed upon this Kingdom from our Birth that He would give our said Subjects the Grace to understand that in observation of this Our Ordinance consisteth next to their Duty toward God and us the principal Foundation of their Vnion Concord Tranquility Rest the re-establishment of this state in its first Splendor Opulency strength as on our pâ—â—â— We promise that all the parts of it shall be exactly observed without suffering any contravention And for these causes having with the Advice of the Princes of Our Blood other Princes and Officers of Our Crown and other great and eminent Persons of our Council of State well and diligently weighed and considered all this affair We have by this Edict or Statute perpetual and Irrevocable Said Declared Ordained c. FINIS ☞ ☜