massacres of the south-第5章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


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…religionists　would　have　been　able　to　retain　their
fortresses；　but　what　was　actually　done　was　that　the　strong　places
were　first　taken　away；　and　then　came　the　Revocation；　after　which　the
Calvinists　found　themselves　completely　at　the　mercy　of　their　mortal
enemies。

》From　1669；　when　Louis　first　threatened　to　aim　a　fatal　blow　at　the
civil　rights　of　the　Huguenots；　by　abolishing　the　equal　partition　of
the　Chambers　between　the　two　parties；　several　deputations　had　been
sent　to　him　praying　him　to　stop　the　course　of　his　persecutions；　and
in　order　not　to　give　him　any　fresh　excuse　for　attacking　their　party；
these　deputations　addressed　him　in　the　most　submissive　manner；　as　the
following　fragment　from　an　address　will　prove：

〃In　the　name　of　God；　sire；〃　said　the　Protestants　to　the　king；　〃listen
to　the　last　breath　of　our　dying　liberty；　have　pity　on　our　sufferings；
have　pity　on　the　great　number　of　your　poor　subjects　who　daily　water
their　bread　with　their　tears：　they　are　all　filled　with　burning　zeal
and　inviolable　loyalty　to　you；　their　love　for　your　august　person　is
only　equalled　by　their　respect；　history　bears　witness　that　they
contributed　in　no　small　degree　to　place　your　great　and　magnanimous
ancestor　on　his　rightful　throne；　and　since　your　miraculous　birth　they
have　never　done　anything　worthy　of　blame；　they　might　indeed　use　much
stronger　terms；　but　your　Majesty　has　spared　their　modesty　by
addressing　to　them　on　many　occasions　words　of　praise　which　they　would
never　have　ventured　to　apply　to　themselves；　these　your　subjects　place
their　sole　trust　in　your　sceptre　for　refuge　and　protection　on　earth；
and　their　interest　as　well　as　their　duty　and　conscience　impels　them
to　remain　attached　to　the　service　of　your　Majesty　with　unalterable
devotion。〃

But；　as　we　have　seen；　nothing　could　restrain　the　triumvirate　which
held　the　power　just　then；　and　thanks　to　the　suggestions　of　Pere
Lachaise　and　Madame　de　Maintenon；　Louis　XIV　determined　to　gain　heaven
by　means　of　wheel　and　stake。

As　we　see；　for　the　Protestants；　thanks　to　these　numerous　decrees；
persecution　began　at　the　cradle　and　followed　them　to　the　grave。

As　a　boy；　a　Huguenot　couldenter　no　public　school；　as　a　youth；　no
career　was　open　to　him；　he　could　become　neither　mercer　nor　concierge；
neither　apothecary　nor　physician；　neither　lawyer　nor　consul。　　As　a
man；　he　had　no　sacred　house；　of　prayer；　no　registrar　would　inscribe
his　marriage　or　the　birth　of　his　children；　hourly　his　liberty　and　his
conscience　were　ignored。　　If　he　ventured　to　worship　God　by　the
singing　of　psalms；　he　had　to　be　silent　as　the　Host　was　carried　past
outside。　　When　a　Catholic　festival　occurred；　he　was　forced　not　only
to　swallow　his　rage　but　to　let　his　house　be　hung　with　decorations　in
sign　of　joy；　if　he　had　inherited　a　fortune　from　his　fathers；　having
neither　social　standing　nor　civil　rights；　it　slipped　gradually　out　of
his　hands；　and　went　to　support　the　schools　and　hospitals　of　his　foes。
Having　reached　the　end　of　his　life；　his　deathbed　was　made　miserable；
for　dying　in　the　faith　of　his　fathers；　he　could　not　be　laid　to　rest
beside　them；　and　like　a　pariah　he　would　be　carried　to　his　grave　at
night；　no　more　than　ten　of　those　near　and　dear　to　him　being　allowed
to　follow　his　coffin。

Lastly；　if　at　any　age　whatever　he　should　attempt　to　quit　the　cruel
soil　on　which　he　had　no　right　to　be　born；　to　live；　or　to　die；　he
would　be　declared　a　rebel；　his　goads　would　be　confiscated；　and　the
lightest　penalty　that　he　had　to　expect；　if　he　ever　fell　into　the
hands　of　his　enemies；　was　to　row　for　the　rest　of　his　life　in　the
galleys　of　the　king；　chained　between　a　murderer　and　a　forger。

Such　a　state　of　things　was　intolerable：　the　cries　of　one　man　are　lost
in　space；　but　the　groans　of　a　whole　population　are　like　a　storm；　and
this　time；　as　always；　the　tempest　gathered　in　the　mountains；　and　the
rumblings　of　the　thunder　began　to　be　heard。

First　there　were　texts　written　by　invisible　hands　on　city　walls；　on
the　signposts　and　cross…roads；　on　the　crosses　in　the　cemeteries：
these　warnings；　like　the　'Mene；　Mene；　Tekel；　Upharsin'　of　Belshazzar；
even　pursued　the　persecutors　into　the　midst　of　their　feasts　and
orgies。

Now　it　was　the　threat；　〃Jesus　came　not　to　send　peace；　but　a　sword。〃
Then　this　consolation；　〃For　where　two　or　three　are　gathered　together
in　My　name；　there　am　I　in　the　midst　of　them。〃　　Or　perhaps　it　was　this
appeal　for　united　action　which　was　soon　to　become　a　summons　to
revolt；　〃That　which　we　have　seen　and　heard　declare　we　unto　you；　that
ye　also　may　have　fellowship　with　us。〃

And　before　these　promises；　taken　from　the　New　Testament；　the
persecuted　paused；　and　then　went　home　inspired　by　faith　in　the
prophets；　who　spake；　as　St。　Paul　says　in　his　First　Epistle　to　the
Thessalonians；　〃not　the　word　of　men　but　the　word　of　God。〃

Very　soon　these　words　became　incarnate；　and　what　the　prophet　Joel
foretold　came　to　pass：　〃Your　sons　and　your　daughters　shall　prophesy；
your　old　men　shall　dream　dreams；　your　young　men　shall　see　visions；。。。
and　I　will　show　wonders　in　the　heavens　and　in　the　earth；　blood　and
fire；。。。　and　it　shall　come　to　pass　that　whosoever　shall　call　on　the
name　of　the　Lord　shall　be　delivered。〃

In　1696　reports　began　to　circulate　that　men　had　had　visions；　being
able　to　see　what　was　going　on　in　the　most　distant　parts；　and　that　the
heavens　themselves　opened　to　their　eyes。　　While　in　this　ecstatic
state　they　were　insensible　to　pain　when　pricked　with　either　pin　or
blade；　and　when；　on　recovering　consciousness；　they　were　questioned
they　could　remember　nothing。

The　first　of　these　was　a　woman　from　Vivarais；　whose　origin　was
unknown。　　She　went　about　from　town　to　town；　shedding　tears　of　blood。
M。　de　Baville；　intendant　of　Languedoc；　had　her　arrested　and　brought
to　Montpellier。　　There　she　was　condemned　to　death　and　burnt　at　the
stake；　her　tears　of　blood　being　dried　by　fire。

After　her　came　a　second　fanatic；　for　so　these　popular　prophets　were
called。　　He　was　born　at　Mazillon；　his　name　was　Laquoite；　and　he　was
twenty　years　of　age。　　The　gift　of　prophecy　had　come　to　him　in　a
strange　manner。　　This　is　the　story　told　about　him：〃One　day；
returning　from　Languedoc；　where　he　had　been　engaged　in　the
cultivation　of　silkworms；　on　reaching　the　bottom　of　the　hill　of　St。
Jean　he　found　a　man　lying　on　the　ground　trembling　in　every　limb。
Moved　by　pity；　he　stopped　and　asked　what　ailed　him。　　The　man　replied；
'Throw　yourself　on　your　knees；　my　son；　and　trouble　not　yourself　about
me；　but　learn　how　to　attain　salvation　and　save　your　brethren。　　This
can　only　be　done　by　the　communion　of　the　Holy　Ghost；　who　is　in　me；
and　whom　by　the　grace　of　God　I　can　bestow　on　you。　　Approach　；and
receive　this　gift　in　a　kiss。'　　At　these　words　the　unknown　kissed　the
young　man　on　the　mouth；　pressed　his　hand　and　disappeared；　leaving　the
other　trembling　in　his　turn；　for　the　spirit　of　God　was　in　him；　and
being　inspired　he　spread　the　word　abroad。〃

A　third　fanatic；　a　prophetess；　raved　about　the　parishes　of　St。
Andeol　de　Clerguemont　and　St。　Frazal　de　Vantalon；　but　she　addressed
h