r rw U 1'— 3i MflM *m r* *j|fc i LIBEARY Theological Seminary. PRINCETON, N j. Case Division Shel f Section ..Mi£ ! Book No, i ' ... A D N A T 1 RO 'I I O N ilrcribcb /9> 1, fc I A N I S' T O R OF THE SUFFERINGS O ? Mr. LEWIS DE MA'ROLLES, AND Mr. ISAAC LE FEVRE, UPON THE REVOCATION OF THE EDICT OF NANT£» A N HISTORY O F T H E SUFFERINGS Mr. LEVHS DE MAROLLES, AND Mr. I.SAAC LE FEVRE, UPON THE REVOCATION OF THE EDICT OF NANTZ. TO WHICH IS PREFIXED, A GENERAL ACCOUNT OF THE TREATMENT OF THE PROTESTANTS IN THE GALLIES OF FRANCE. Tranflated from the French about the Beginning of this Century. AND NOW REPUBLISHED By JOSEPH PRIESTLEY, LL.D. F.R.S. The righteous Jhall be bad in e-verlafting remembra?2ce. Ps. cxii. 6. BIRMINGHAM, PRINTED BY PEARSON AND ROLLASOK, FOR J. JOHN;OM n° 72, st. Paul's church-yard, lckbok. MDCCLX XX VIII. THE PREFACE, HAVING reafon to think that the account of the fufferings of Lewis de Marolles, and alfo of thofe of Mr. le Fevre (both tranflated from the French) are now very little known, I give this new edition of them. Few works appear to me more in- ftru&ive, or more interefting; as they ihew the actual force of chriftian principles ; and the reading of them tends to difpofe the mind to feel, and to act, as becomes chriftians in all fituations, and efpecially the molt trying ones. In times of peace and tranquility, the purfuits of chriftians being the fame with thofe of the world at large, they are apt to conform to the world more than becomes their character, and to lofe fight of thofe objedts which ought chiefly to engage their at- tention. Not fufHciently confidering that we are allowed the enjoyment of our property, our liberty, or even our lives, no longer than the enjoyment of them is confiftent with our chriftian profefllon, we do notfufo loofe to them as we ought to do* and there- fore, even while we retain them, we do not enjoy them as chriftians ought to do, viz. as things that are not our own> but only given us as ftewards, for purpofes refpecting chiefly the good of others. A 3 With vi PREFACE. With thefe fentiments, however, we have, in facl: 3 the trueft enjoyment of them, and of ourfelves •, be- ing unfpeakably happier than they who purfue the world and the things of it with the greateft avidity, who retain them with the greateft obltinacy, and who part with them with the greateft reluctance. A chriftian fhould at all times rejoice as though he re- jokd not) and weep as though he wept not, becaufc the fafjjion of this world faffcs away, and the Lord, his jud^e, is at hand. He ought to consider nothing as properly his, or deferving his attachment, but that inheritance which is incorruptible, uxdefiled, and that fadetk not away, referved for him in heaven, in thatftate \vh.. h is called the new heavens, and the new earthy wherein dwelleth righteoufiefs. In time 'of perfecution thefe chriftian fentiments are perpetually obtruded upon us. Without any effort of our own, the occurrences of every day will fagged them ; and though it is our duty not to court, but to Jfhun, perfecution, as well as evils and trials of any other kind, left we fhould not be able to acquit ourfelves well in them, and might juftly draw upon ourfelves the punifhment of our pre- fumption and vain confidence j we fhould exert ourfrlves to do every thing in our power to acquire thoic ientimen:s and refolmions which are naturally produced by the circum fiances attending perfecu- tion. The lefs our firuat;on does for us, the more we .houid do for ourfelves. Now it appears to me that one of the beft methods of doing this is read- ing he hiftories of perfecutions, and of courfe con- templating the lives and characters of thofe who have diftingoifhed themfelves as martyrs in the caufe PREFACE. vii caufe of truth. Next to feeing and converfing with the men ourfelves, and our being witneffes of their patient fufferings, this will have the greateft effect to difpofe us to feel and act as they did. Of ail the chriftian martyrs whofe hiitories I have read, I know of none whofe behaviour appears to me more worthy of attention than the perfons whofe fufferings I now bring before the reader •, as, though they were not directly put to death, they -mewed more real fortitude of mind than thofe who fuffered a violent death in any form. To die by the fword, by wild beads, or by fire, requires the refolution and exertion of a few hours at mofc (though cer- tainly the mofl vigorous and heroic that human na- ture is capable of) but the horrors of a dungeon, which thefe men endured, to fay nothing of the dreadful punifhment of the gallies, as defcribed in this work, required the unremitted exertion of months and years. In a public execution, more efpecially, there are many things which contribute to raife a man's fpirits, and carry him through the dreadful fcene with a good grace; but folitary confinement tends to deprefs the mind j and in the cafes before us, it was attended with every thing that could make men pafs their time in. the mofl comfortlefs and irkfome manner. To them death, in any form, muff, have appeared a happy de- liverance. Yet thofe long fufferings, we fee, were borne without any impatience, or a fpirit of revenge, but with the greater! mceknefs and refignation, and with fentiments of good will even towards thofe who inflicted them. This circumP.ance it is that fliew? an infinite fu- A 4 perioritv viii PREFACE. periority in the behaviour of chriftiahs fufrering in the caufeof truth, to that of the North American In- dians in braving torture and death. They do it without complaining, indeed, but with the mod rancorous and revengeful difpofition ; comforting themfelves with the thought of having inflicted on their enemies the fame torments when, it was in their power, and wifhing to inflict ihem agaiti. They die with the feelings of a biute beaftj but chriftians with that dignity which is the perfection of human nature. They who, from a hatred of chriftianity, give the preference to the courage of the Indians, in bearing torture and death, to that of the christian martyrs, mew their utter ignorance of every thing in which true greatnefs of mind, and dignity offentiment, confift. This is difcovered not by the mere bearing of pain, but by the temper of mind with which it is borne. The reading of fuch works as thefe, befides giv- ing us a lively idea of the power of virtuous prin- ciples, and in fome meafure infpiring us with them, fo as to prepare us to act with the fame fortitude our- felves, fhould we be called to it, mould make us more fenfible of our happinefs in being exempted from fuch trials, anddifpofeus to diftinguifh our- felves by aftive fervices in the caufc of truth, when we are not called to do it in the way of Juffering. As thefe martyrs promoted the great caufe of chriftian truth in the manner which their times and circum- ftances required, let us do the fame in ours j and though not capable of doing it in the moft glorious manner poflible, let us acquire all the honour that we can. If we do not give our lives, which is un- questionably 4 P R £ F A C F. . is cveftionably of far greater value than any thing elfe, let us at kail give our time, and our labour. Much remains to be done to promote the caufe of chriltian truth, which thefe martyrs left undone, which indeed they had no idea of, and which, through prejudice and mifhken views of things, they would have oppofed with the greaieft zeal; and f^ere are other ways of fnewing our attachment to the caufe of truth, and our zeal for the propagation of it, be- fides dying for it. As far as God has been pleafed to open our eyes, let us exert ourfelves, by every means in our power, to enlighten the minds of others. We fhould put no candle under a bufhel, and hide no talent in a napkin. Let us, more es- pecially, fhew the fame firmnefs of mind (and per- haps it may require no lefs firmnefs) in acting againfl: the more gentle, but often more powerful, influence oifajhwt, which the martyrs did againfl cpen viol- encei Let us, by writing, by preaching, or by converfa- tion, as ability and opportunity ferve, point out thofe errors in chriftian doctrine, difcipline, or mode ofworfhip, which we believe yet to remain among profeffing chriftians, unmoved by any thing that men may fay of us, or do to us j thankful that the power of bigots is now reftrained, and that however willing they may be, it is not permitted them to touch the lives of the faithful witneffes for the truth. What is. our exclufion from ftations of honour or profit; what are the greateft calumnies, to which we can be expofed, and every mark of refentment that can now be fhewn us, to the dreadful fufferings of the French Proteftants, exhibited in this treatife ? We may even x PREFACE, even divert ourfelves with the reproaches of our enemies, but the dungeons of Mr. dc Marolles, and le Fevre, were no iubjects of pleafahtry. What they fuffered we mould be ready to endure j but being exempted from this, we fhould not hefitate to expofe ourfelves to every thing elfe with the greatefi alacrity** When I am fitting in a chearful room, by a comfortable fire fide, with my family about me, attending without reftraint, to any purfuit of philo- fophy, theologv, or general literature, for which I have an inclination, vifited by my friends, and cor- refponding with whom I pleafe ; when I fee t;;e chearing rays of the fun, and the fair face of nature, and make whit excurfions I pleafe, and in what man- ner I pleafe, to diftant places, as health, conveni- ence, or pleafure, may require; I think of Mr. Marolles, who after having been accuftomed to en- joy all thefe bleflings, voluntarily incurred the lofs of them all, and, without repining, thought himfelf abundantly recompenced by the peace of his mind, and his future profpects. How itrenuoufiy, then, fhould we exert ourfelves to make the beft ufe of the liberty we enjoy. Dens nobis hiec otia fecit. The liberal minded among the catholics (and there are, I am confident, many who may with great truth be thus denominated among them) will nor, I hope, imagine that I republifh thefe tracts with any view to expofe them to the odium of protef- tants. They will reprobate the conduct of Lewis XIV. and his minifters, as much as I can do; and the more as having been of their communion; and they will rejoice with me in fuch an exhibition of the 3 PREFACE. xx the power of chriftian principles, and of a regard to truth and confcience. Such examples will be confidered by them as edifying to themfelves, as well as to us. There is reafon to think that the principles of chriftian moderation have taken as deep root in many of the members of popifh eftablilh-.. ments, as in any proteftants, and I mould now think myfelf as fafe in France or in Italy, as in. England. The zeal for an eftabliihment will, in general, be in proportion to the intereft men have in keeping it up, and their oppofition to fectaries in proportion to the dread they conceive of their influence. And that felf-deception, under the fecret influence of which men contend for thtir interejly when they perfuade themfelves that they are contending for truth , is that to which all men, in all countries, are equally fubject. Let no man, merely becaule he is a dilTenter from all civil eftablifhments cf religion, conclude that he has nothing of the antichriftian fpirit by which they are actuated. It may be owing to nothing but the accidental circumitances of birth and education, that he is not a member of the moil rigid eitabiimment. This is certainly the cafe with the great mafs of all difftnters, iince it is fo with the generality of other men; and the fureft way of fudging of ourfelves, is not by what we imagine we fhould think or do in given fituatioris, but by what we fee others do in them. If any man continue in thefam? chfs in. whicfh he was born, if he hold the fame opinions in which he was educated, and if he difcourage all diffent from his own doctrines and mode of worfhip as much xii PREFACE.' much .13 is in his power, whatever that be (which is the cafe with many dirTenters) he is not, in his temper and difpofition, which is that which con- ftitutes the charo.Eler, to be diftin^uifhed from art inquifitor; and in the fame circlimftanees he would have as little fcruple to employ torture, as he now has to employ cenfure, to gain the fame ends. They differ only in the mode of expfefling their refcntmem againft thofe who differ from them. We ought alio to confider that the mod violent perfecutors have often had as good intentions, with refpect to the caufe of truth, and of God, as any of us can boait. Their primary error was that of their judgment, firft in imagining that to be truth which was not fo, and then in conceiving that it was their duty to promote truth by external force, an opinion which a very honeft man may happen to entertain j for fuch was the ferious and avowed opinion of Luther, Calvin, and in fome mea r ure of Socinus too. We fee, however, in their ex- ample of what importance it is to form juft opinions^ when we fee them to have fuch ferious confequences; and let it be confidered that other fpeculative opinions may have important confequences, though not of this particular nature, in preventing blood- Hied, and fecuring the lives, the liberties, and the property, of honeft men. Farther to leflen our unehriftian refentment againft perfecutors, and to lead us to feel as becomes chriflians with refpect to them, and to all men, let it be confidered that a man who has nothing of the fpirit of antichrift within him, who truly thinks for himfelf, uninfluenced by any external circumftancc, is PREFACE. xiii is ftill deficient in the true fpirit of chriftianity, if he promote the cauie of truth with intemperate heat, and indulge himfelf in any afpcrity of language, and abufe, with refpett to thofe who do not think as he does; and unlefs, with all candour, he endeavour to ihow to others the light that he has gained. To aflifl us in acquiring this temper of chriftian forbearance towards thofe who oppofe us, we fliould reflect that it is the refult of a wife part of our constitution, that the bulk of mankind mould not haftily change their opinions or practices, and that innovations fliould be oppofed; becaufe this makes us more cautious in propagating what appears to be truth, and gives it the firmeft eftablifhment when it is once received. And we fhould not deny to error the benefit of that general law of nature which is ultimately favourable to truth : and it only requires time for all tiuth to eftablifh itfelf in the place of all error, and confequently to gain any advantage of which error may for a time be poflefled. Laftly, mould we be poflefTed of all thofe requi- fites of a chriftian temper (which is more than any man can boaft) mould we be actuated by the pureft love of truth, without any finifter motive whatever to embrace it, and fhould we exert our- felves to promote it with the purell zeal, and good will to all men, making all due allowance for their mifconceptions, and their oppofition to ourfelves, always afcribing it to the beft motives that can be fuppofed to actuate them, and in the midft of our fufferings praying for our greateft enemies and per- fecutors, xiv PREFACE, fecutors, we mould ftill confider that it is ultimately of God that we have been led to think and feel as we do, as much as that we were born and educated in the circumftances in which we "were. With a better difpofition than that of the proud Pharifee, yea with the humility of the publican himfelf, we ihould fay, Gcd we thank thee that we are not as ether men are. For in other circumftances (which depend on the providence of God) we mould have been other men. When all thefe confiderations are duly attended to, I hope that fuch books as thefe with which I now prefent the reader, will not contribute to in- flame our refentment againft any {ct of men what- ever •, but only (hew us in a ftronger light the great importance of truth,and the value of chriftian princi- ples, which alone can raife men above the world and all its terrors, and not diminilh our candour and mo- deration, in promoting what we deem to be truth. We may abhor particular difpofitions, and par- ticular meafures, but we muft love men, all men, the word of men, and endeavour, by all the means in our power, to make them wifer and better. But from thefe means we muft exclude every kind of force, or reftraint. Notwithstanding what is here faid, with a view to promote a truly chriftian fpirit towards all men, of the laudable moderation of many members of the church of Rome (and the fame might be faid with refpecl to many of them in all ages, as well as the prefent) I have no doubt but that the papal power is Antichrift, the myftical Babylon, defcribed in the book of Revelation, which was to prevail over * » PREFACE. xv over the faints, to be drunk with the blood of the martyrs, and which is doomed to deftruflion. The perfecutions occafioned by the fupporters of papal power have far exceeded all the perfecutions by hea- thens. In no country of eqoal extent with France, was there ever fo much real mifery produced by any of the Roman emperors, as was occafioned by Lewis' XIV. and certainly with no other view than to extirpate what he thought to be herefy. But the church of England, though difienting from the church of Rome, yet agreeing with it in many particulars, efpecially in the conjundtion of civil and ecclefiaftical power, and in having employed its power to extirpate herefy (as in the reigns of Elizabeth, and the Stuarts) cannot expettto efcape, when the time mail come that, not only the great antichriftian power itfelf, but all xh^t partake of her Jins, Jhall receive of her plagues. Some perhaps may wonder that I chufe to exhibit to this advantage perfons who appear to have thought very differently from myfelf, confidering Jefus Chrift as the fupreme God, and addreffing prayers to him. But that was the error of the times, and not of thofe particular men, who, more- over, were not by profeflion theologians ; and their opinion concerning Jefus Chrift had no influence whatever in enabling them to bear their fufTerings. Thofe were the principles of chriftianity in general, fuch as are common to Trinitarians, Arians, and Unitarians. Accordingly, we find that perfons of all thefe denominations have borne perfecution with equal firmnefs. I hope xvi PREFACE. I hope that my zeal for any particular tenet relating to chriftianity will never make me lofe fight of thofc great principles which are common to all chriftians, the catholics themfelves included, many of whom have alfo borne perfection as well as any proteftants, though, at the fame time, from miftaken views of things, they would not have fcrupled to perfecute others. I am not, I hope, fo bigotted to my own opinions, as not readily to allow that many of thofe who think the worft of me, and who would think they did God fervice in deftroying me, if it were in their power, are as good men as myfelf. Though they think me certainly doomed to hell, they would rejoice to find me in heaven. In reprinting thefe treatifes I have made no alter- ations excepting of a few words, and phrafes which were become obfolete, and fometimes in the divifion of fentences and paragraphs. The ftyle in general is not changed. It appeared to me to be fufficient to exprefs what was intended to be expreffed in fuch a manner as would not difguft a ferious reader, and for a faftidious one this publication is not intended. Serious men will refpe£t ferious things. I have likewife reprinted the Prefaces, and every thing elfe that was prefixed to the publications, though feveral things in them will be found to be repetitions, and therefore unneceflary. I wifh them to appear to others juft as they appeared to me, and what I might have been difpofed to cut off, others might have wifhed to retain. THE THE CONTENTS OF THE Account of the Sufferings of the Proteftants Aboard the Gallies. THAT the inhumanity of the modern, as well as an- cient perfecutors, exceeds the rage of the mofi favage beajis ----- _ page 25 'That the propagation of religion is the cloak with papifls forfuch inhuman barbarities - - P« 25 That the barbarous ufage of proteftants, on board the gallies, iS one method, among many others, offuch cruel ufage ; concerning which, the author was very well qualified to give an account, as having been fometime chaplain on board the gallies, and therefore an eye-wit- nefs - - - - p # 2 5 The defcription of the galley, and of the common miferies of alljlaves on board the fame, from p. 27 to 32 The more peculiar fufferings of the proteftants, and more particularly by the baftinado, on board the gallies, from p. 36/0 the end, ft The [ xviii The CONTENTS of the particular Sufferings of Mr. Lewis de Marolles. I. THE introduction, Jhewing that it is the lot of the righteous to be expofed to bufferings, an4 the wif~ dom of providence in fo ordering it. II. Moyfieur de Marolles, aperfon eminent as well for his birth and employments, e.s the greatnefs of his fufferings. III. That he was a good philofopher and mathematician, and particularly fkille din Algebra. IV. That he made it his chief bufinefs to infirucl himfelf in religion, and to grow and advance in piety •, concerning I which, and the former attainments here is to befeen his character. V. That endeavouring to get out of the kingdom, he was perfuaded by the intendant to fettle *«->Alface. In which feclion there is a curious difquijition concerning the place of the famous battle with Attila. VI. That the uffurances of the intendant, proved afalfe fecurity, VII. The whole family of the Marolles proved eminent confeffors. VIII. Our martyr being apprehended and imprifoned at Strafburgh, was firongly folicited to change his religion. But in thefeveral conferences with him for that purpofe, he CONTENTS. xix he bravely ft cod his ground. His wife and children im- prijoned at Chalons, and at length banifhed. IX. His friends of the Romifh religion ajfure him that his peace and pardon was to be had on no other terms, than the change of his religion. X. He is removed from Srrafburgh to the pr if on of Cha- lons, where he is vifited by the bifhop who treated him with much humanity ; but remaining firm in his religion* is condemned to the gallies. XI. After his condemnation he is removed from Chalons to Paris, and from thence to La Tournelle, where per- fons condemned to the gallies remain till the departure of the chain. XII. Here he is alternately ufed with mercy and rigour, by one or other, to induce him to apoflatize, but without effeel, though once he flaggered, yet again recovered'* and when it was propofed to him to be fen t to the Bifhop of Meaux to be inflrucled, he refufes, and with good reafon. XIII. From La Tournelle the court belonging' to the par- liament of Paris, where criminals are tried, he is re" moved to Le Tournelle where prifoners condemned to the gallies are fent till their departure; where in the dungeon, and with a chain on his neck of thirty pounds weight, he fuffered great extremities, and though tempted not only with a releafe but preferment* yet would not abjure his religion-, whence alfohe writes many comfortable letters to his f Hinds. b 2 XIV. Writes xx CONTENTS. XiV. Writes to, and is vifited by his wife, who wafies his wounds. And Jhe acquainting him faith an infamous fraud, contrived by the papifls to allay the wonder of his conjlancy, namely that he was befidcs himfelf he propofed to the learned a mathematical problem. XV. He departs in the chain from Paris, though ill of the fever, and arriving at Marfeilles, is put into the hof- pital as an invalid. XVI. He is removed on board the gallies, and defigned to be embarked for America ; on which f or row ful occafion he wond:? fully cor, forts his wife, leffening injiead of aggravating that, and his other fufferings . XVII. Atfirjl indeed he is treated in the gallies withfome lenity and refpeft, which whether from deftgn, or the compaffion offome general officers, is hard to determine. XVIII. They novj begin to treat him with rigour, and he is much deprived of the liberty of writing-, finds however fome opportunity of writing to his wife, and congratu- lates her efcape cut of the kingdom, concerning which he had been extremely folicitous. XIX. Hasfeveral conferences and difputes with the bifhop of Marfeilles, and others of the clergy, in all which he jlandsfirm. XX. He doth with wonderful dexterity acquaint his wife with the particularities of his fiate and treatment. XXI. It happened to our martyr, as before it had to Mr. Le Fevre, to be worfe handled after his conferences ; for to CONTENTS. xxl to break his covjiancy by orders from the court, he is re- moved from the galley to the dungeon, which he defcribes, and where he continues fix years till his death ; of the three fir Jl of which we have no account. XXII. In the three loft years it appears by fome letters from him, into what an abyfs ofmifery he was caft, and how great was the ftrength of his faith and hope j and hew greatly he comforted his companions infufferings. XXIII. The rigours he endured feemed to be greater than the king loaded him withal. XXIV. Mr. Marolles and another confeffor, do by their letters mutually comfort each other. XXV. Writes his laft and mofi admirable letter to his wife, acquainting her with his fpiritual conflicts, and their happy iffue. XXVI. 'The account of his death, with fome particulars of his life not known before. X&VII. The conclufion, with mofi edifying refletHons upon the whole. THE [ fcxii ] r h e SUFFERINGS i O F Mr. L E F E V R E. Page *TP H E Introduction - - - - -115 Mr. Le Fevre's family and profej/ion - - - 117 His account of his fifler and father , &c. - - - - 118 His education, and behaviour on the revocation of the Edit! of Nantz - - - - - - - -119 His firft letter from the gallics - - - - - -120 His account of Mr. Marolles - - - - - - -121 Hisfeizure,&Co .---------126 His account of his imprisonment - - - - - -127 His journey from Befancon to Dijon - - - - 129 — to Chalons - - - - - - - -131 He is made the companion of Mr. de Marolles - - 132 He is put onboard the gallies - - - - - -134 His letter from the gallics to his Paflor - - - - 136 He is put into the dungeon ------- ibid. A defcription of it - - - - - - - - - -1^9 The badnefs of his food, &c,&c. - - - -141. 210 He CONTENTS. xxiii Page He is more clofely confined --------144 He enters the tenth year of his fufferings - - - - 145 His complaints of his failings ------- 146 Hisprayer ------------ 148 His employment -----------151 The difficulties attending his correfpondence - - -155 His companion for his brethren - - - - - - -156 Who endeavoured to ajfifi him - - - - - - - 157 The letter of Mr. Efcher of Zurich 158 The fufferings of P. Mauru ------- 162, His letter to Mr.le Fevre ---164 il4r. D. S. to Mr. le Fevre concerning P. Mauru - 174 Of other fufferers - - ~- -1 75 Of three brothers!). S—— ------ j^y The fufferings of a converted prieft in a dungeon - 179 A letter from a poor Jhepherd confined there - - - ib. The fufferings of a young woman - - - - - -181 Proteftants obliged to hear mafs in the gallics - - 183 Their petition on that Jubj 'eel - - - - - - -185 Mr. leFevrt'sfonnet on the King - - - - - -189 His complaints of ill ufage in prifon - - - - - 1 90 The proteftants worfe ufed after their petition - - 192 Of the baflinado on board the g allies - - - - - 193 A letter of Mr. Serre, giving an account of his fuf~ fering //------------ 19& Mr. xxiv . CONTENTS. Page Mr. le Fevre's account of him y &'c . - - - - -197 The baftinado. dij continued -------- 200 Mr. le Fevre's death --------- 2 oi More particulars of his behaviour - - - - - -202 An account of 'him by M. D. S. H. J. - - - 205 Exhortation by the Writer ------ _- 207 General obfervations on the -perf editions of the church of Rome, and exhortations to the faff erers - - 111 A jhort account of Mr. le Fevre from Marie illes - -219 THE SPECIMEN O F PAPAL AND FRENCH PERSECUTION, EXHIBITED In the fufferings of fome of the more eminent confessors and Martyrs, who have fignalized their faith and patience with- in the long and difmal reign of LEWIS XIV. PARTICULARLY OF LEWIS DE MAROLLES/&C, 3 T O MONSIEUR H E I N S I U S, COUNCELLOR AND PENSIONARY O F HOLLAND AND WE S T-FRIEZL AN D. SIR, A Friend of my Father's, to whom I have communi- cated fome letters written with his own hand, would needs take the pains to put in order the hiftory of his fufferings and martyrdom, with which it has pleafed God to crown him. I take the liberty, Sir, to dedicate it to you, and I hope you will not take it ill. I thought that the hiftory of the many evils and fufferings, which the mod cruel violence could invent, wherewith to triumph over his faith and conftancy, might ferve to fortify and ftrengthen thofe who are persecuted for the truth, and to awaken thofe who are negligent in the exercife of piety. I have alfo been perfuaded, that the hiftory of a martyr which hath made fo much noife in the world (if I may lay it without vanity) could not be better dedicated than to the primier minifter of a commonwealth, no lefs charitable than pow- erful, and which affords fubfiftence and fupport to fo many millions of perfons, who have forfaken all to preferve that fidelity which they owe to God. Every one, Sir, is ac- quainted with the weight, and influences which your coun- ielshave in all the deliberations of the ftate. And the refu- gees are not ignorant of the obligations, which engage them topublilh their acknowledgments. It is for this reafonthat in acquitting myfelf of lo juft a duty, I intreat you to grant me the honour of your protection, and to permit me to ftile myfelf, with a moft profound refpeel. S I R, Your moft humble, and moft obedient fervant, DE MAROLLES, I H ' fc PUBLISHER TO THE R E A D E R. IT is univerfally acknowledged that no reading is more ufeful than the lives of great arid good men , and of all live thofe are mod edifying which represent to us the noble conflicts, and eminent fufferings of confeffors and martyrs. For thefe are the principal leaders in. thearmies of the living God, (landing firm againft all the batteries of the powers ofdarknefs; and to behold their courage and con- ftancy> is not more entertaining, than it is truly edifying, as it animates us to follow the example of fuch heroes in the chriftian warfare. But many will be apt to fay, what need we examples of this fort in thefe latter ages, fmce the church is come under the protection of chriftian princes, who have been nurfing fa^ thers and nurfing mothers to it. The primitive chriftians they readily extol, and the faith and patience of the firft martyrs they hear and read of with admiration. But of the modern martyrdoms, thefe feem to underftand little of the neceffity, and as (lightly to efleem their fufferings. But tins is a prejudice which, with fubmiffion, I fhall prefume to fay, arifes from too great an inadvertancy of what is both predicted in fcriptufe, and recorded in ecclefiaftical hiftory, concerning the (fate of the church of God in the middle, and thefe latter ages. As to the Scripture accounts of this matter, what more evident than that its ftate was to be militant, and particularly that under the antichriftian domination it ii.'Ould fuffer a long and difmal opprefllon, and even an extermination in fome places, fo as to be forced to take her flight into the clofeft coverts? what elfe can mean thefe words of St. John, Rev. xii. 6. That " the woman ihould " fly into the wildernefs, where (he had a place prepared " of God, that they ' fhould feed her there a thoufand two " hundred and threefcore days," which in the prophetic ftile means twelve hundred and fixty years, and that there (he (hould " prophecy in fackcloth," Rev. xi. 3. The wildei- iiefs does mcft aptly denote the place of her chiej refi- dence PREFACE, 5 dence in the middle ages efpecially, and her being in fack- cioth prefignifies the fadnefs of her heart, and her low con- dition during that whole time. And as for evidence from ecclefiafKcal hiflory, if our proteftant readers would vouchfafe with the fame diligence and regard to perufe the hiftories of the old Albigenfes and Waldenfes, and oLthe proteftant churches their fucceffors, efpecially thofe of Piedmont and France, as they ufually do the hiftories of popiih writers, they would difcern thofe and other prophecies verified to a tittle, as to the fufferings of both, under the Roman antichrift, during that long ty- ranny, drawing now, it is much to be hoped, towards its find period. And as in the primitive perfecutions they find the laft, namely, that of Dioclefian, to exceed all the former in duration, the numbers of the perfecuted, and the variety of their fufferings ; fo in this of the churches of France and Piedmont, carried on by the power and influence of another Dioclefian, they, will find, as e'er long will be made appear, a like proportion with refpect to all the for- mer, in every of thefe particulars. It was in this laft that our noble confeffor and martyr, Mr. Lewis de Marolles, fhone fo glorioufly in this chriftian. warfare , it was in this that he flood fo immoveable, when thoufands fell on all fides him, in Courts, in prifons, in conferences, himfelf remaining equally unfhaken with either menaces or entreaties ; and it was in this that he bore up afterwards with a great and elevated foul, both in the gallies and in the dungeon. And what a long and dif- mal night muft this latter of fix years continuance have been to any other, who had not been pofTeffed of fuch a clear confcience, and a joyous mind, as God vouchfafecl to him ! The cordials of divine comfort muft have been very firong that could fupport him under the load of his chains, and in fuch horrid circumftances fo long! and in- deed it appears -through his whole hiftory, that as his fuf- ferings were uncommon, fohis confolations were exceedingly great. But I could not have formed fo ftrong an idea of them, had it not been for one of the darkeft pafiages in his ftory. in page 61, upon his firfl coming to La Tournelle, you will find him exprefling himfelf thus; M I meet here V with fomething more agreeable and more grevious than V the dungeon, but we muft fubmit to all." This period wherein he fpeaks of what he felt in the dungeon, to be both agreeable and grievous at the fame time, feemed to me B 3 a' G PREFACE. at firft to be inconfiftent, till waiting upon that learned mathematician, Mr. de Moivre, to put right the following problem ; in difcourfe upon Mr. de Marolles, that gentle- man told me, that in the five or fix times he was with him in his confinement, he always found him, though with a chain upon his neck, and in a place and company moft hor- rid, yet with a chearful look, and fmile upon his counte- nance, fuch as fpake more than a bare ferenity of mind, even a joy in his heart ; fo that this period muft intimate that there was that which was as agreeable to his inward mind, as the difcordant founds of oaths and execrations from his wretched company, was more, much more grievous to his fanctified ears, than the very dungeon itfelf. And this pe- riod being fo underftood, is very edifying, as it mews the ineffable iupports from the fpirit of God, which holy fouls do meet with in their extremeft fufferings. But they are not the memoirs ofMonf. de Marolles alone, whofe life did fhine in the dungeon, as a diamond in the dark, which may be produced ; but I have others by me of equal luftre, and which ihall be likewife communicated to the world, if thefe fhall meet with that kind acceptance, they feem to me to deferve. I had once indeed defigned to have inferted them in the Martyrology which is already far advanced in the prefs. But Derides that my other materials for that hiftory will more than fill the number of fheets propofed ; I have been induced to publifh thefe lives feparately, that coming into more hands they might convey their edification farther. And if I may judge of others advantages by mine own, the benefit they will reap by the reading of fuch lives will not be fmall, there being no fort of reading that I have yet ex- perienced, which, next to that of holy fcriptures, tends more to nourifh our faith, hope, and charity, to beget that meeknefs and humility, and to impregnate the foul, with fuch an heavenly dilpofition, and fuch an abfolute fubmiffion and reilgnation to the divine will, as thefe ac- counts do. And indeed when we fee others with fo entire a refigna- tion to the Divine pleafure, facrifice their lives, and their all in a chearful obedience to his commands ; how can any of us repine under any of the common fufferings of this human life, be they indignities, loffes, pain, ficknefs, or other afflictions, none of which are to be named with thofe of Martyrs! and furely '* man being born to afflictions" as naturally PREFACE. y naturally " as the fparks fly upwards ;" as for our immita- tion in other parts of chriftian duty, fo efpecially on this latter account, no fort of reading feems to me of more ge- neral ufe than this of the fufferings and conflicts of thefe chriftian heroes. But why fhould I fpeak only of the ufe of thefe memoirs as encouraging us to bear up under common affli6Hons? for alas! we, ho more than other proteftant churches, can be fo fecure and fafe (fo long as the Roman Antichrift, and his vaffal of France, continue in power to perfecute) but that we ourfelves may be, fome time or other, called forth to the like athletic exercifes of heroic religion; and this kind of reading would have its more immediate ufe to this pur- pofe, being no lefs apt to animate us to ftrive for victory, than the hiftories of the noble atchievements in fecular wars, wonderfully ftimulate military men to contend for worldly glory. And to this purpofe let us hear that great Eufebius in the introduction to his hiftory of the famous martyrs of Lyons, the fame country where ours have fo glorioufly contended for immortal crowns*. " From thefe kind of " narratives lays he, not only the knowledge of tranfa&ions " are to be fought , but what is more valuable, fuch docu- " ments as promote piety too. Other hiftorians indeed, fays " he, have wholly made it their bufinefs to record in their " works, trophies erefted againft their conquered enemies; *-' the valour of generals, and brave exploits of foldiers, be- " fmearedwith blood, and polluted with innumerable flaugh- " ters in defence of their children, countries, and eftates; '* but we who fet forth the hiftory of a divine fociety of men, " will record upon immortal monuments, inferibed with " indelible characters, the moft peaceable wars waged for " the obtaining fpiritual peace; and the valiant a6ls of " thofe perfons who in fuch rencounters contended more " for the truth, than for their country, and for religion " rather than their deareft relations; publifhing for the " perpetual remembrance of pofterity, the continued earn eft- *' nefs of thofe champions who fought for piety, their forti- " tude in undergoing manifold torments, their trophies *' erecled againft the devil, the viclorious conqueft obtained " over invilible adverfaries, and laft of all their crowns." Behold herein moft elegantly defcribed the bravery of the ioldiers of Jefus Chrift in their fpiritual warfare againft the powers of darknefs ; and the reading indeed of fuch muft as * Eufeb. Hift. Eccl. lib. v. Prosm. B 4 W^ll # 5 PREFACE. well naturally, as in virtue of a divine energy, animate us to a like gallantry in like conflicts, fhould we by divine Providence be ever called forth to fuch combats. It was with thefe views that the primitive chriftians took care to collect the a£ls of the confeffors and martyrs of thofe early times ; and had not the wicked monks in latter ages fpoiled thefe accounts, by adulterating them with a thou- fand legendary tales, and mere anile fables,' thereby to countenance their own futilities, and to introduce and maintain their idolatries, and fuperftitions, thofe pre- cious remains tranfmitted to us in their own native fim- plicity and fmcerity, would have been valued by us as the raoft considerable pieces of antiquity. And it is enough to infpired us with a juft value of them, as sincerely deli- vered to us, when we read the ftory of the martyrs of Lyons, and more particularly that of Attalus and Blandina in Eufe- bius (book v. chap, i) in whofe confli&s for three days (the judges and executioners, even tiring themfelves in torturing their very weak bodies) we may behold that con- stancy and magnanimity, that is rarely to be met with in the braveft heroes. And indeed it is a fpeftacle worthy of God and angels, much more of us mortals, to behold thefe glo- rious confeffors and martyrs, magno elatoque anlmo stemming the tide of obloquy and contempt, charging bravely through wounds and tortures, marching undauntedly through the legions of the prince of darknefs, and vigo- roufly to lay hold on the crowns of glory held forth to them by their once fuffering, but now triumphing me- diator and redeemer. And it is really fo affe&ing and edifying a piece of hiftory viz. that of Eufebius, concerning the martyrs of Lyons, that had I not a more proper place for it, I mould have pre- fixed it to this fpecimen of modern perfecutions in France ; that by having in our view the ancient and late perfecutions in one and the fame country, we might the more easily com- pare them together, and fee that there is nothing of differ- ence but of name only, between Rome and Gaul pagan, and Rome and France antichriftian, the fame diabolical fpirit reigning in both. Our forefathers of the reformation alfo had the like juft ▼alue for thefe fort of memoirs, fo that no fooner had Mr. Fox that great Mart yrolo gift (never to be fufficiently valued for his induftry and fidelity, notwithstanding the detractions of the enraged enemy, too eaiily imposing upon fuch PREFACE. 9 fuch as are but cold friends to the reformation) publifhed his hiflorical collections of the arts and fufferings of our glorious martyrs, but the piety of our anceftors had them chained in our churches for the edification of the people ; and the people from the experience of the benefit they re- ceived by them took them into their houfes, and read them on Sunday nights to their families. And this with the greatefl reafon, fince (as that great man, Archbilhop Til- iotfon, fpeaks of it as a true observation) ** catechifing, " and the hiflory of the martyrs, have been the two great 41 pillars of the proteftant religion." Serm. fol. p. 619 But alas ! we feem to think we want no fuch pillars ; we can fondly imagine our church is fafe, though numberlefs popiih priefis are among us, with innumerable intrigues, perpetually labouring to undermine or overturn us, firft to divide and then inflame us. I do indeed as readily and heartily, believe, as any one, that humanly fpeaking, we are fafe, fo long as God lends us fo excellent a Queen to reign over us. And it is well we are fo fafe, for it may fufficiently ap- pear from this fpecimen of papal and French tyrrany, in what a miferable condition we fhould be, had we lately, or mould we yet fall under fo fevere a fcourge as French po-r pery. It is hardly to be conceived what can be invented by the malice of devils more torturous, than after a bafli- nado in the gallies, which has left the body one entire wound, to be thrown into a dungeon, there to be devour- ed by vermin engendered in the putrefaction of their fores, and there again to lie in filth and ordure, and to be pined to death with famine, and ftarved with cold, and all this during a difmal night of many years, as has, and is flill the cafe of many of thele confelfors : though I fay, nothing can be imagined more exquifitely cruel, yet I am per- fuaded, if the raoft inventive malice of Rome or France could have it in their power to infiift more, we of all pro- teftants in chriftendonv fhould be fure to feel the fury of it; the confederation of which, God grant it may be fo a warning to us, as to remove the danger at the greatefl dif- tance from us ! Our neighbours and filler nation of Ireland, who have within the memory of man, forely felt the rage of popery, as men awakened, feem to be intent upon this ; and are taking the mofl wife and pious meafures in the world, to re- move for ever all danger from them ; namely, after having removed the bloody inftruments of maffacres and rebellions, the jo PREFACE. the popifh priefts, out of their country, by taking the moft chriftian and effeftual meafures to inftruft the mif- guided people in true religion. The fmart of thofe fores they have felt, may have perhaps influenced them to thefe precautions; bkit we having felt for late generations little but deliverances, whilft others have felt nothing but fuffer- ings, have need of being warned by others experiences; for which confederation of fafety alio, as well as of edifi- cation, it is that this fpecimen of popiih cruelty is here pre fen ted. Nor is it only our fafety from the more immediate fcourge of popery, that is herein ccnfuited: for though God ihould ftill continue to fave us, and that even againft our wills, from fuch an unfpeakable miiery, as that would bring upon us; yet there is great reaion we fhouid bethink our- felves that God has otherwile left him to chaftife us ; efpe- cialiy fmce death, in the moft cli'mal of all its ihapes, that of the plague, has for thefe five years come ftalking from the Eaft and North towards us, and is now come near us. and though God Ihould not be provoked by our unparal- leled ingratitude for that ineftimable blefiing, his prelerva- tion of us from popery, and his continuance of the beft re- ligion in the world among us, to deliver us over to the fcourge of papal tyranny ; yet we may have juft reafon to apprehend that he ihould at length vfiit this fmful nation and city, for its crying fins of infidelity profanenefs and im- morality, and particularly for its debaucheries and abomi- nations not to be named, yet too much connived at, or rather worfe, by fuch magistrates as difcourage the execution of our good laws againft fuch pernicious of! Anders ; as alio for that vile hypocrify of fo many pretending a mighty zeal for the beft of churches, when they live fo as would be a difhonour to the worft. God indeed feems to deal with us as anciently with his own people the Ifraelites, whom notwithstanding their in- tolerable provocations, and particularly in looking back towards, and longing for the leeks and onions of Egypt, he feemed loath to give up to be deftroyed by the heathen nations, but rather took them under his own immediate chaftifements, leaft in their deftrucuon his holy name fhouid be blafphemed among the gentiles. And if for the fake of our religion, not of ourfelves, and that the true religion might not be blafphemed among the paganifed ro- manifts, he fhouid not deliver us to the deflations of po- pery, *' letting us fall into the hands of men v.hofe mer- cies PREFACE. ,1 cicsare cruel ," and in mercy fhould rather let us fall under his own hands, by vifiting us with^he plague; this to me feems an awakening confideratior/, and to call loud upon us to prepare ourfelves by lu^h meditations, and fuch reading as will beft enable us to i!>ear fo fevere a vifitation. And indeed, to acquaint ourfelves with the faith and pa- tience, and conftancy of martyrs, will be alike ufeful under both thefe calamities. - Both perfecution and peftilence do pre Cent death unto us in the neareft view, and with the mod ghaftly countenance ; both put us upon the exercife of the moft heroic virtues, conftancy and resignation ; and both require the mod noble examples of the fame to be laid before us. And therefore fuch reading may, at leaft, be of ufe to thofe who may think it their duty to keep their (rations, fhould the plague come among us ; fmce to ftand our ground in fuch a cafe, will itfelf require a fpirit of martyrdom. Not that I would be thought to defpond, as if we were already fo abandoned to iniquity, as to leave no room for hopes of mercy. On the contrary, there are as promifmo- figns of divine favour, as tokens of the plague, to por- tend his high difpleafure. And among the multitudes of bad, there may perhaps, be many as good chriftians amonw us, as in moft ages before us. We have had, of late years, focieties of young men raifed among us, who have not only encreafed our numbers at daily prayers and monthly com- munions, and have been greatly inftrumental to found and maintain the fame, but to whom alfo we are to acknow- ledge it, that according to our rubric, we have them on all our feftivals. We have, moreover, an heroic fet of worthy gentlemen and others, the fociety for reformation of man- ners, who with the courage of confeifors, have expofed them- felves to a thoufand indignities, ignominies and dangers, and fome of them have aftually facrificed their lives, in a noble oppolition to profanefsand debauchery. We have other focieties, fome for the propagation of our holy religion abroad by fending and fupporting miffions in the Weft, and others are making towards the Eaft Indies ; and we have another like fociety meeting weekly to coniult, and to give their affiftance to, the inftruftion and chriftian education of the children of our ignorant and profligate poor at home, by raif- ing of charity fchools ; and at the recommendation of our moft pious queen to her parliament, we are to have a great addition to our churches for the worfhip of God, which is a more public and national charity ; not to men- tion is PREFACE, tion fome other confullations, becaufe not yet fo well known,, ■of equal tendency perhaps, to fome of the former, for dif- fusing the light of the gofpel, and the converfion of flagitious fmners, and by both for the falvation of many fouls. And all thefe great and glorious defigns having been formed in thefe two la ft happy reigns, and that in a time <~>f war; it may be hoped, that as they have been none of the leaft means to procure us fuch glorious fucceffes ; fo if continued and encouraged, they may be equally powerful with God, to avert whatever judgments may feem other- wife to be impendent over us. But if through the frowns of any in magifiracy, in con- tempt of laws both divine and human, and the neglett of the inferior .officers, though fworn to execute fuch laws, (and yet, who with an uncommon air of alfurance, (hall ai- fume to themfelves the title of the only true fons and friends of the church, and of a church too, whofe princi- ples and doctrines, of any in the world, are the moft oppo- site to, and give no manner of falvos for impiety and im- morality) our crying fins fhall not only be connived at, but mere libertinifm {hail be again let loofe upon us ; if again thefe noble heroes in the caufe of Cod, who in perfeft fubferviency to the laws of our land, have here- tofore fo fuccefsfully and vifibly fuppreffed the overflowings of ungodiinefs, fo that open curfmgs and fwearings were no more heard in places of retort, lewd women did not openly walk in our ftreets, houfes of bawdry were profecuted and put down, fodomites were frighted out of their nafly places of retreat, and the Lord's day rendered facred among us; if thefe brave chriftians, who have fo vifibly weakened the power of fatan's, and i'o fuccefsfully advanced the conquefts of Chrift's kingdom, lhall be difcouraged and overborn by noife and clamour, and the fins of Sodom, and other high debaucheries and impieties lhall be permitted to get head again: And farther yet ; if regardlefs of the affii&ions of Jofeph, we ihould be infenfible of our brethren's fuffer- ings, of their unfpeakable fufferings, I lay, in prifons, gallies, and dungeons, and postponing, once more, their deplorable cafe, ihould mind only our own fecurity and eafe at home; upon fuch high provocations, there may be too much reafon to fear that God will renew his contro- verfy with us, and let in for our chaftifement, either po- pery or peftilence upon us ; and upon this confideration it may behove us, to prepare ourfelves for the day of afflic- tion, PREFACE. m tion, by being converfant in fuch reading, and by employ- ing our thoughts in fuch meditations, as thof'e herein' re- commended. To fum up this whole matter; this fort of reading feems to me the moft ufeful and edifying, as it nourilhes in our fouls the moft divine and heavenly difpolitions, as it pre- pares our hearts to bear with refigriatton the more common affli&ioris, and the moft extraordinary and terrible difpen- fations, and as it tends to beget in our minds a fpirit of mar- tyrdom. And I might alfo enlarge on its ufeful tendency to create in us a more catholic charity towards our protef- tant brethren abroad, together with fuch a fellow feeling of their mi feries, and fufferirigs, as it becomes thofe to have, who believe there ought to be a "communion of faints," in all the members of the " church militant ; it is ufeful in an hieh meafure to raife in us the higheft efteem for fuch noble confef- Fors and glorious martyrs, and to make us glorify God in their faith and conftancy ; not to infift how the confideration of fuch their fore and unipeakabletrials ihould render us moft highly fenfible of God's mercies, in the many and almoft miraculous deliverances from the like cruelties, from which he has fo fig- nally faved us; and this the rather, becaufe we cannot be certain whether we could have borne up with fo much ad- mirable conftancy, and unihaken perfeverance, under fuch tremendous trials. But above all, I confider it as peculiarly ufeful in the prefent juncture, as it may excite fuch as may have it in their power, to extort from the grand oppreffor, a deliverance at iaft of our brethren, thofe great confeffors, groaning under fuch horrible and dreadful fufferings. And, indeed, to be plain, it is not fo much the benefit of ourfelves at home, that I defign by this publication, as of • the fufferers themfelves abroad, who are faid not to be a few. I am credibly informed, that (befides the multitudes forced into convents and prifons) there are ftill alive in the gallies and dungeons of France, little lefs than four hun- dred ; and thele latter muft have fuffered by many years a much longer night, even than Mr. de Marolles (and his dear friend and companion in fufferings, Mr. le Fevre was locked up, and lived in his dungeon fixteen years). And if the notice of thefe things could be conveyed to the great ones, who are to manage the proteftant negociations, wherever, and whenever they ihall be fet on foot ; it were a crime to doubt, whether their hearts would be touched with that compallion, as to make them exert themfelves for the 14 PREFACE, their brethren's enlargement out of fo long and difmal a cap-% tivity. And as the enemy's power feems to be brought to a much lower ebb, than at the peace of Ryfwick (her Ma- jefly and herallies having carried their conquefts beyond his barriers, and even to his very frontiers) fo it is to be hoped that there is nothing farther wanting, but that upon the next treaty there minifters fhould accordingly exert themfelves for the deliverance of thofe both within, and without the gallies and dungeons ; for which there feem to be many reafons, that may be fetched, as well for mere intereft, as religion. I (hall not prefume to enter into the politic confederation of this matter, and to plead how far the reftitution of the French proteftants to their legal rights, as irrevocably efta- blilhed by the edift of Nants, may be reckoned among the beft expedients to reftrain the grand monarch, as his ad- mirers vainly think him, from difturbing any more, after another peace, the repofe of Europe ; but fhall rather leave the reader for fatisfa6tion in that point, to the ingenious author of the intereft of. Europe, with refpeft to peace or war, lately published, and printed for S. Poping, at the Raven, Pater-nofter-Row, 17 12. And from him I think, they may find it. But if I may have leave to ipeak my fen- timents in the cafe, as a divine, I prefume to fay, that it may be worthy our refleftion, whether it can be expefted that the all-wife Providence ihould better profper the pre- fent than it did the laft peace, fhould the deliverance of his fuffering fervants be again poftponed, now that the ob- ft'acles feem not, at the pafs to which matters are brought, to be half fo great, nor his power of refufmg, near fo ftrong. And, indeed, fince Providence has brought us, with fuch wonderful fucceffes, to the very door of France ; and fhould we enter it, it is highly probable, there would be found many thoufands, even of the old Papifts, who by having fo long viewed the admirable conftancy of the French confeffors and martyrs, have entertained a quite different opinion of their religion than they formerly had, as may be partly feen in the following account of the converfation of a popifh prieft from his cruel religion, upon that very fcore ; nay, and thefe very papifts throughout France, as we are credibly informed, are now grown fo fick of popery, that but for the tyranny they are under, they would abandon it. Since, I fay, thefe things are fo, what pity is it, that fome vigorous efforts fhould net be made, to reftore a,t i leaf! PREFACE. 15 leaft our proteftant brethren there to their liberty and reli- gion, and efpecially when their full liberty would, in all probability, be our firm fecurity? Not to concern ourfelves in their refcue, when things are brought to fo promifing a profpe6t, would be to ferve only our own felves of the indul- gent mercies of Providence, and then to let its more peculiar concerns, as far as in us lies, fhift for themfelves. - I prefume to fay, his more peculiar concerns, even in thefe fecular turns and revolutions. For thofe who read the hiftories of the world, with thofe higher and nobler views, which facred writ does abundantly give them, do confider even profane and civil hiftories, as well as facred and ecclefiaftical, as no other than the hiftories of Providence. And fuch may be able to produce, from both ancient and modern ftory of either kind, many inftances wherein the greateft politicians, a&ing upon mere fecular maxims, with a flight to God's government of human affairs, have been fatally miftaken in the iffue ; when others atting with an eye to the intereft of his kingdom, have fucceeded beyond all human, expeftation. And it feems worthy the divine wifdom to permit the wife men of the world to be fo mifer- ably difappointed in their fchemes, as inftead of putting an end to, to lay the foundation of far greater, and morelafting calamities to their country ; when poftponing the interefts of his fervants they mall mind only their own. \Vherea9 on the contrary, if with due fubmiffion we may fpeak it; it does as much as humanly can be done, to engage the di- vine Providence to give an happy iffue to fuch endeavours and meafures, wherein they fairly confult, not only their own, but the interefts of him to whom they owe, and to whom they are accountable for all their power. But that I may not be thought, by what has been faid of poftponing the reftoration of our proteftant brethren, at the treaty of Ryfwick, to reflect in the leaft on the memory of a prmce, to whofe glorious memory we owe the greateft re- fpect, as he was both ours and Europe's great deliverer ; as if he was wanting, in doing what was practicable to be done for the deliverance of the perfecuted in the former treaty ; and that others may not pretend from fo great an example, their own excufe, fhould the fame perfecuted perfons in France be now for ever abandoned; give me leave to offer fomething in apology for that omiffion in the former, which feems not fo eafily to be admitted in the latter negociation. And the befl apology that can be made, is to be taken from the i6 t £ E 1 A C t. the far greater impraclicablenefs of the great work thefy than appears to be in it in the prefent circumftances. And here it may be obferved, that fuch as feem to have as little real concern for the reftoration and liberty of the French proteftants, and others of our brethren under oppref- fion and perfecution, as they have little love and honour for our late great deliverer, King William of glorious me- mory,- are mighty forward in cenfuring his want of fincerity and zeal for the proteftant intereft, becaufe their interefts both in France arid elfewhere, were fo abandoned, as they think in the treaty of Ryfwick ; not confidering the then power of the enemy, and the hard circumftances both of him, and his allies, when fuch articles were concluded, not only to their feemingnegleft but to their great difadvaritage. But the ftate of the cafe being fo well fummed up by the in- genious author of the intereft of Europe, now mentioned, p. 44. I mail give it partly in his words. " They (the refugees) were indeed then big with expec- " tation, that the proteftant princes, concerned in the laft " war, would have ftipulated their re-eftablilhment at the " treaty of Ryfwick. I cannot doubt of King William's " zeal for the proteftant intereft, but many circumftances did " then concur to force him to wave that article. The Duke *' of Savoy had relinquished the alliance. The Emperor's *' war with the Turk, added to the ordinary dilatorinefs of " the German nation, rendered the affiftance of the empire " very precarious. The feeble adminiftration of Spain had " expofed that monarchy to the greateft dangers. Barcelona " was taken, and almoft all Catalonia was reduced. In the " Low Countries, Mons, Charleroy, Aeth, and feveral others " of the Spanifti towns were fallen into the French hands. " In America they had plundered Carthagena. Some of the " towns in Holland began to flag, and King William well " remembered the fatal effefts of the French intrigues with " fome of the Dutch Magiftrates at the treaty of Nemeguen. *' His own title to the crown of Britain had not been ac- *' knowledged by the French ; and he had enemies not a few *' to ftruggle with at home. He knew what a precarious ." ftate the King of Spain's health was in at that time, and " perhaps he did not care to deprive himfelfand his allies " of the fervice of the French refugees that were in their " armies, in the war, which no doubt, he forefaw would *' again break out upon the catholic King's death. ■ And for *' thofe, among other reafons, it may be believed, that the " intereft PREFACE. 17 " intereft of that people was overlooked." Thus does our author apologize, and I think very juflly, for what was omitted in the treaty of Ryfwick, in behalf of our fuffering brethren in France. And he might have added, the bi- gotry of the Emperor Leopold, then at the Head of the alli- ance, as another unfavourable circumftance to the proteflant intereft; who, though he might have had Strafburgh, the very key of Germany, delivered up to the Empire, was thought to choofe Brifack, that fo confiderable a city as the former, might not, by being delivered to France, enjoy the free exercife of the proteflant religion. But the cafe feems to be now extremely altered, to the ad- vantage of the proteflant intereft, both as to power and cir- cumftances. For as to power, have we not now pa (Ted ; are we not now in poffeffion of his impregnables? and have we not foraged even in Old France? and as to other circum- ftances, inftead of an Emperor at the head of the alliance, as well able as bigotted enough to oppofe any terms for the refloration and fecurity of proteflants, the prefent Emperor knows himfelf to be too much dependent upon the proteflant princes of the alliance, to give them the leaf! obftru&ion in fo juft an article, as fhall not only reclaim all our fullering brethren from the gallies and dungeons, but reft ore to the reft through France, the protection and benefit of their edicts ; fo that upon the whole, Providence feems to have given to the proteflant powers both opportunity and capacity, at the next treaty, which was wanting at that of Rylwick, to ren- der themfelves, and her Majefly of Great Britain more efpe- cially, for ever famous throughout Chriftendom, for one of the moft glorious a 61s that was ever accomplifhed by peace or war; even fuch as Conftantine the Great did glory in, and was applauded for, by the primitive church, beyond all his other triumphs. We»know, indeed, how inexorable hitherto that perfe- cutor hath been, and how perfectly deaf to all remonflrances in their favour, he has mowed himfelf; and he feems to de- lign to let us farther know, how inflexible he ftill intends to continue, if it be true what we hear of the renewing the baftinado, that tremendous torture ! aboard the gallies, which for mere ihame, for fome years, has been intermitted; as alfo, that the persecutions are begun again in the princi- pality of Orange. Thefe feem to be very omnious prefages, that at the fame time he fpeaks fuch inclinations to have peace with his enemies abroad, he defigns nothing lefs than C a cell a- x 8 PREFACE. a ceffation o£ cruelties to thefe the moft diftrerTed of his poor fubje&sathome. And, indeed, it has been his turner prac- tice, particularly after the peace of Ryfwick, partly out of that infolence peculiar to himfelf, and to lhew his contempt of the proteftant powers, and partly from the mitigation of his native cruelty towards his proteftant fubjects, to renew with greater violence their perfecution, after he has been fufficiently humbled in war by princes of their perfuafion. But God be for ever praifed, who by the many wonderful fucceffes lately granted over him, has now put it in the power of the proteftant allies, more than at the former peace, to extort from him, what of all things in the world he would not willingly grant ; and no doubt but that in gratitude to God forfuch fucceifes, they will make it their firft care to procure an entire freedom to thefe his confeffors, to ferve him ; to ferve him, I lay, who has granted them fuch fucceffes againft fo fwom an enemy to themfelves. So that could a perfect, and full knowledge of thefe things reach them, as we mould have no reafon to fear that we mould again hear of our glorious confeffors from the fame gallies they are now in, afteranother peace ; lb neither mould we havecaufe to doubt of the deliver- ance of the many hundred thoufands befides, of their bre- thren in France ; who, though their bodies are free, yet their confciences are miferably enflaved to popilh tyranny. Her Majefty's pious inclinations at leaft, to obtain their deliverance, we very well know, want no incitements ; nor fnall we have reafon to doubt the zeal of her minifters ; es- pecially if fully acquainted with the methods of cruelty, which for many years, even to this day, we hear are exer- cifed on thofe confeffors, more particularly on board the gallies; for which reafon I mall prefix to this life of Mr. Marolles, the relation of an eye witnefs, imong us concern- ing them, who is ready to atteft the truth of it; and fuch is the generofity of Englilh proteftants that upon due informa- tion, none are fo courageous, none more ready to rifque the greateft dangers to refcue the miferable. This was the noble and heroic temper in the Queen Eli- zabeth-times. No foonerdid me and her wife minifters hear of the oppreffion of the proteftant churches in any part of Europe, but me interpofed with her full power, and all her intereft, to fnatch them out of the jaws of the Roman Hon, juft ready to devour them. And for this, as one of the principal of her royal qualities, it was that her name is to this day fo highly honoured, and will be precious among proteftants preface: *9 proteftants to future ages. Nor let any that ferve her pre- sent majefty, who fills the throne with equal glory, defraud her through their indifference in fo important an article, of that the chief garland in all her triumphs, and which will laft longeft, and fmell fweeteft, even down to lateft gene- rations; which is her being the great prote£trefs of pro- teftants, and the reftorer of their liberties, wherefoever, or how far foever they are invaded ; and may this pious and generous fpirit be ever the glory of the Englilh nation ; now efpecially, fince it had never a greater occafion to fhew its companions to its proteftant brethren (whofe fufferings, if we confider them both as to length and rigour, have been fuch as are not to be parelleled in any hiftories, from the foundation of chriftianity) than it has at this time , and being fuch do loudly cry out to us come and help us. And to excite fuch a laudable and truly chriftian fpirit in us, is the great defign of this fpecimen of papal and French perfecution. However, mould the iffue be otherwife than what we fo earneftly wifh, than what we fo ftrongly hope for, which. God forbid ! I am perfuaded the knowledge of their deplor- able cafe will both multiply and invigorate the prayers of all good men for them to the throne of grace ; and from God we may be aifured they will thereupon be either relieved, or fupported. And to his companions therefore, let us de- voutly recommend them. And his compaffions, though all other fail, will be fufficient. C2 * . A N ACCOUNT OF THE TORMENTS WHICH THE FRENCH PROTESTANTS ENDURE ABOARD THE GALLEYS. By JOHN B I O N, SOMETIME PRIEST AND CURATE OF THE PARISH OF URSY IN THE PROVINCE OF BURGUNDY, AND CHAP- LAIN TO THE SUPERBE GALLEY IN THE FRENCH SERVICE. c 3 THE P R E F A C E. AS I purpofed in this work, only to make the fufferings of the proteftants condemned to the gallies for the fake of religion, known to the world, people will be apt to think that when I fpeak in general of the different forts of forcats, or flaves, which are among them, I go befides the rules I prefcribed to myfelf. But, if it be confidered, that it is no little torment to the proteftants to be amongfl male- factors, and lewd and profligate villains, whofe continual blafphemies and curfmgs have no parallel but among the damned in hell, it will not be thought befides my purpofe to have given to the world a particular account of the various forts of thofe men who live in the gallies. Befides there is a block, which thofe who never faw the gallies but in the port of Marfeilles, will infallibly Humble at, if not removed, and it is this; that whereas the galley-flaves during the time they are in that wretched condition, whilfi! at fea and tugging at the oar, are allowed to keep (hop about the port, and there to work and fell all manner of com- modities ; and fometimes have leave to walk in the town, giving only one penny to the Algoufm, as much to the Turk, with whom each of them muff, then be coupled, and five pence to the Pertuifenier, or partizan-bearer who guards them ; and there are fome befides that even have their wives at Marfeilles, and all are permitted to hear from their friends and receive money from their relations; yet all fuch com- forts and favours, as well as all manner of correfpondence with friends are utterly denied the proteftant. I have not defcended to particulars in what relates to the ufefulnefs of gallies in fea-fights, for the keeping of the coafts, or convoying of merchant fhips when there is danger of their being taken or let upon by the brigantines, which the Duke of Savoy keeps commonly for that pm-pofe during the war, in Villa Franca, St. Hofpitio and Onegiia. Nor do I take notice in this work, how the gallies in an engage- ment, wherein there are men of war, ferve to keep off, and link with their cannon-fhot out of the courfier (a gun fo cal- led) the fire-ihips the enemy fendeth to fet the iinp on lire ; C 4 and 2| PREFACE. and to tow away fuch as are difabled in the fight. I might alio have obferved how in every galley there are five guns up- on the fore deck, viz. four, fix, or eight pounders, and a fifth called the courfier, which carries a fix and thirty pound ball ; as alfo that when an enemy's fhip is becalmed, a galley, which with her gears can do what fhepleafeth, may attack that fhip fore or aft to avoid her broadfides, and ply her with cour- fier ; fothat fometimesif fhehappenethtogiveherafhotwhich cometh between wind and water, fhe forceth her to furren- der; which however happeneth feldom enough; for a fhip needs but a little wind to make nothing of overthrowing five or fix gallies. Neither did I think fit to give here an account of the num- ber of gallies in France, which is twenty-four at Marfeilles, and fix upon the ocean; nor to fpeak of the fix fmall rooms in every galley under the deck, wherein ammunition and provifions are kept, and which they call Gavon, the Scandclat, the Campaign, the Paillot, the Tavern, and the Fore-room.- All thefe particulars would have car- ried me too far out of my way and befides my purpofe, which is only to give a plain and faithful account without amplifying, of the fufferings of the proteftant galley-flaves. If there be anything omitted in this relation, it will not be found as to any material point ; and as my fole aim in it hath been to work a fellow feeling in other men's hearts, I fhall not find myfelf at all difappointed, although their cu- riofity mould not be fully fatisfied. The Lord in his mercy pour out his bleffing upon this work, and favourably hear our prayers and fupplications, which we (hall never ceafe to make unto his divine Majefty, for the deliverance of our poor diftreffed brethren. THE THE SUFFERINGS OF THE PROTESTANTS IN THE FRENCH GALLEYS. THE difmal accounts handed clown to us by hiftorians, of the torments inflicted on chriftians by the heathen emperors in the firft ages of the church, might juftly be fufpefted, if the woeful experience of our own, did not put the truth of them out of difpute. For though it be not eafy *o conceive how men can put off all that is tender and generous in their natures, and degenerate into the fierceneis of brutes ; yet it is but looking on the world around us, and we lhall be convinced that they ean even out-do their fellow animals in cruelty to one another, nay, we may fee many profefimg chriftianity, under the fpecious pretence of ze;d for its intereft, commit fuch bar- barities as exceed, at leaft equal, the rage of the perfecutors of the primitive chriftians. Hiftory abounds in inftances that {hew the nature of a fpirit of perfecution, and how boundlefs is its rage and fury ; but the fad effects it hath of late years produced in France, as they are ftill frefh, and but too obvious, are fcarce to be paralleled in any age or nation. All the world knows the proteftants there lived under the pro- tection of the edict of Nantes, a treaty as full and folemn as any ever was. It was at firft religioufly obferved, but in time feveral breaches were made in it ; many of its branches were by degrees lopped off, till at laft under the prefent King, at the continual teafing, and folicitation of the Jefuits, thofe reftlefs bufy infects, it was perfiduoufly broke, or as they pleafe to term it, revoked. But religion, and its propagation, muft be the cloak un- der which thofe crafty lilver-fmiths intend to play their game, and therefore having firft confidently taught that the King hath a defpotic power over their consciences, as well as eftates, and confequently his will the rule of their religion, they, by feveral arts and methods, but chiefly by dreadful punifh- ments, 26 Ihefufferings of the Protejlants ments, force weak people to play the hypocrite, and em- brace a religion which in their hearts they deteft. Such as are too good chriftians to profutute their confciences to vile worldly interefls are denied the benefit of retiring into foreign countries; and punifned, if dilcovered, often with death, or referved for more cruel ufage, and condemned to fpin out their wretched lives in the gallies. Of thefe laft I defign to give the public an account, as be- ing of all men the moft miferable. The barbarities com- mitted in thofe horrid machines exceeding all that can pof- f bly be imagined ; the ingenuity of the famous Sicilian tyrants in inventing torments, deferves no longer to be pro- verbial, being far excelled in this pernicious art by the mo- dern enemies of religion and liberty. I fhall endeavour to fatisfy the curiofity of thofe who de- fire to be informed of the treatment the flaves (and particu- larly the proteftants) in the galleys meet with ; and to con- vince fuch as are loth to harbour any hard thoughts of the French court, and juftify its proceedings by pretending, that what they fuffer is not on the account of religion, but a juft lawful punifhment for rebellion and difobedience. My being feveral campaigns chaplain aboard one of the gallies called La Superbe, gave me fufficient opportunity of informing myfelf of the truth of the following relation ; and I hope my integrity will not be called in queftion by any body who hears, that during my flay in that fervice I never received the leaft difguft, or met with any difobliga- tion. However the certificates I have from Monfieur de Montolieu, chief flag-officer of the French gallies, and Monfieur D'Autigny, captain of the aforefaid galley, whofe chaplain I was, a reward alio for my fervices conferred on me by the French King, in the year 1704, at the recommen- dation of Monfieur de Pontchartrain ; with the feveral good offices done me by the general, and other officers who knew me ; thefe will I hope fcreen me from the fufpicions, or ca- lumny of fuch as through malice, or perhaps intereft, might be inclined to mifreprefent me. Neither fhall a blind zeal for the protefhnt religion, which I have lately embraced, hurry me beyond the ftri6t bounds of truth, or make me reprefent things in any co- lours but their own. I fhould be an unworthy profefior of that holy religion, if on any confideration I lhould in the leaft deviate from the ftricleft truth ; to which end I fhall 4 relate in the French Gallics. 27 relate nothing by hearfay, but like the apoftle, confine myfelf to thole things my eyes have feen. But before I proceed to fhew the fufferings and mifery the wretches in the gallies labour under, I fhall give a Ihort defcription of that velfel. Agalleyisalongflatone-decked-vefifel ; and though it hath two mafts, vet they generally make ufe of oars, becaufe they are built fo as not to be able to endure a rough fea, and there- fore their fails for the mod part are ufelefs, unlefs in cruil- ing, when they are out of fight of land; for then, for fear of being lurprifed by ill weather they make the beft of their way. There are five flaves to every oar, one of them a Turk, who being generally ftronger than chriftians, are fet at the upper end to work it with more ftrength ; there are in all three hundred flaves, and an hundred and fifty men, . either officers, foldiers, leamen, or fervants. There is at the ftern of the galley, a chamber fliaped on the outfide like a cradle, belonging to the captain, and folely his at night, or in foul weather, but in the day time common to the officers, and chaplain ; all the reft of the crew (the under officers excepted, who retire to other con- venient places) are expofed above deck to the fcorchingheat of the fun by day, and the damps and inclemencies of the night. There is indeed a kind of tent fufpended by a ca- ble, from head to ftern, that affords fome little flhelter ; but the misfortune is, this is only when they can beft be with- out it, that is in fair weather; for in the leaft wind, or ftorm, it is taken down, the galley not being able to en- dure it for fear of overfetting. In the two winters in 1703, 1704, that we kept the coafts of Monaco, Nice, and Anti- bes ; thofe poor creatures after hard rowing, could not en- joy the ufual benefit of the night, which puts an end to the fatigues and labours of the day, but were expofed to the wind, fnow, hail, and all other inconveniencies'of that fea- fon. The only comfort they wifhed for was the liberty of fmoaking; but that on pain of the baftinado, the ufual punifhment of the place, is forbid. When we confider that the velfel being but fmall for the number, the men confequently crouded, the continual fweat that ftreams down from their bodies, whilft rowing, and the fcanty allowance of linen, one may eafily imagine that this breeds abundance of vermin ; fo that in fpight of all the care that can be taken, the gallies fwarm with lice, &c. which ■1% The Sufferings of the Prot eft ants •yhich netting in the plates and lappets of their clothes, re- lieve by night the executioners who beat and torment them by day. Their whole yearly allowance for clothes is two fhirts made of the coarfeft canvas, and a little jerkin of red ferge, flit on each fide up to their arm holes; the fleeves are alfo open, and come not down fo low as their elbows, and every three years a kind of a coarfe frock, and a littlecap to cover their heads, which they are obliged to keep clofe fhaved as a mark of infamy. Inftead of a bed, they are allowed, lick or well, only a board a foot and a half broad ; and thofe who have the unfortunate honour of lying near the officers, dare not prefume (though tormented with vermin) to ftir fo much as a hand for their eafe ; for fear their chains lhould rattle and awake any of them, which would draw on them a puniihment more fevere than the biting of thofe infefts. It is hard to give an exact, defcription of the pains and la- bours the flaves undergo at fea, efpecially during a long campaign. The fatigue of tugging at the oar is extraor- dinary, they mult rife to draw their flroke, and fall back again; infomuch that in all feafons, through the conti- nual and violent motion of their bodies, the fweat trickles down their harraffed limbs ; and for fear they fliould fail (as they often do through faintnefs) there is a gangboard (which runs through the middle of the fhip) on which are ported three comites (an officer fomewhat like a boatfwain in her Majefly's (hips) who, whenever they find, or think that an oar does not keep touch with the reft, without ever examining whether it proceeds from weaknefs or lazi- nefs, they unmercifully exercife a tough wand on the man they fufpecl; which being long, is often felt by two or three of their innocent neighbours, who being naked when they row, each blow imprints evident marks of the inhuma- nity of the executioner; and that which adds to their mii'ery is, that they are not allowed the leaft fign of dis- content, or complaint, that fmall and lad comfort of the miferable ; but mult on the contrary, endeavour with all their might to exert the little vigour that remains, and try by their fubmiflion to pacify the rage of thofe relentlefs tigers, whofe ftrokes are commonly ufhered in, and fol- lowed by a volley of oaths and horrid imprecations. No fooner are they arrived in any port, but their work (inftead of being at an end) is increased, feveral laborious things, in the French Gallies, , 29 things, previous to cafting anchor being expe&ed from them, which in a galley is harder than in a (hip. And as thecomite's chief {kill is feen in detfteroufly cafting anchor, and that they think blows are the life and foul of all work, nothing is heard for fome time but cries and lamentations ; and as the poor flaves arms are bufy in the execution of his commands, his are as brifkly exercifed in laming them. To fupport their ftrength under all thofe hardfhips, dur- ing the campaign, every morning at eight of the dock, they give each man his proportion of bifcuit, of which in- deed they have enough, and pretty good ; at ten a poringer offoupmade with oil, peafe, or beans, often rotten, and commonly mufty. I call it foup according to their ufe, though it be nothing but a little hot water, with about a dozen peafe or beans floating on the top ; and when on duty, a pichione of wine (a meafure containing about two thirds of an Englifh pint) morning and evening. When at anchor in any port, all who have any money are allowed to buy meat ; and the Turk that commands the oar, and is not chained, is commonly the perfon employed for this purpofe, as alfo to fee it dreffed in the cook-room. But I have often feen the captain's cook, a brutal paflionate man, take the poor men's pot, under pretence that it troubled him, and either break or throw it over-board; whilft the poor wretches were fainting for want of that little refreih- ment, without daring fo much as to murmur or complain. This indeed is not ufual, but where the cook happens to be a villain, of which fort of men there is plenty in the gallies. The officers table is well fumifhed both for plenty and delicacy, but this gives the flaves only a more exquilite fenfe of their mifery, and feems to brave their poverty and hunger. Whilft we fpent the carnival of 1704 in the port of Monaco, our officer frequently treated the prince of that place aboard the galley; their entertainments were fplendid, mufic and all things that could promote mirth were procured ; but who can exprefs the afHiftion of thofe poor ere tures, who had only a profpeft of pleafure, and whilft others revelled at their eafe, were finking under a load of chains, pinched with hunger in their ftomachs, and nothing to fupport their deje&ed fpirits ; nay, and what is worfe they are forced to add to the pomp and honour done to great men who vifit their officers, but in iuch a manner as moves the companion of all who are not ufed to fuch difmal folemnities. 30 The fufferings of the P rot eft ants folemnities. When a perfon of quality comes on board, the comite gives twice notice with his whittle ; the firft time they are all attentive; and the fecond the (laves* are obliged to dilute (as they call it) three times ; not with a chearful huzza, as in an Englifh man of war, but by howl- ing in a pitious tone, making a lamentable complaining outcry. When the badnefs of the weather hinders the gallies from putting to fea, fuch as'Jhave trades work in the galley, fuch as lnve none learn to knit coarfe (lockings; the comite, for whole profit they work, gives them yarn, and pays them about half the ufual price ; and this not in money, but fome little victuals, or wine, which they are obliged to take out of the fhip's cellar (of which the comite is the keeper) though it be generally bad, and darned with water ; for though they had as much gold as they could carry, they durft not on pain of a baftinado, fend for any wine from the fhore. The moft moving fpectacle of all is to fee the poor fouls that have no trade ; they clean their comrades clothes, and deftroy the vermin that torment their neigh- bours ; who in return give them fome fmall fhare of that icanty pittance they purchafe by working. One may imagine that fuch ill-treatment, diet, and in- fection; mud needs occafion frequent ficknefs: in that cafe their ulage is thus. There is in the hold a clofe dark room, the air being admitted only by the fcuttle about two foot fquare, which is the only paflage into it. At each end of the laid room there is a fort of a fcaffold called taular, on which the lick are laid promifcuoufly without beds, or any thing under them ; when thefe are full, if there be any more they are ftretched all along the cables, as I faw in the year 1703, when being on the coafl of Italy, in winter time, we had above threefcore lick men ; in this horrid place all kind of vermin rule with arbitrary fway, gnawing the poor fick creatures without difturbance. When the duties of my fimftion called me in among them, to confefs, advife, or adminifter fome comfort, which was conftantly twice a day, I was in an inftant covered all over with them, it being im- poffible to preferve ones felf from their fwarms ; the only way was to go in a night gown, which I (tripped off when I came out, and by that means rid myfelf of them by putting on my cloaths ; but when I was in, methought I walked in a literal fenfe in the (hades of death : I was obliged notwithstanding to make confiderable flays in this gloomy. in the French Gallies. 3 1 gloomy manfion, to confefs fuch as were ready to expire ; and the whole fpace between the ceiling and the taular being bnt three feet, I was obliged to lie down and ftretch myfelf along their fides, to hear their confeffions ; and often when I was confeffing one, another expired juft by my fide. Though this relation may fall into the hands of fome nice perfons, yet I cannot omit one aggravating circum Ranee; which is, that they are deprived of all convenience of doing the neceffities of nature, except a little pail always fo nafty, that they are but little better fork, and are befides fo weak, that they are not able to go to it, the ftench consequently is moft intolerable, infomuch that no flave, though ever fo weak, but will rather chufe to tug at his oar, and ex- pire under his chain, than retire to thisloathfomehofpital. There is a furgeon to take care of the lick. At the firft fetting out of the galley, the King lays in drugs for the life of the crew, which are always very good, and therefore the furgeon makes money of them in the feveral places we arrive at, fo that the perfons they are intended for, have the leaft benefit of them. During ficknefs, the King orders each man in the room we have defcribed, a pound of irem bread, and the fame quantity of frefh meat, and two ounces of rice a day. This is the fleward's province, and he difcharges his office in fuch a manner that five or fix campaigns make his fortune. We have frequently had in our galley threefcore and ten fick men, and the quantity of fiefh allowed for that number never exceeded twenty pound weight, and that bad meat too; though (as I have obferved) the King's allowance is one pound for every man, the reft going into his own pocket. Once out of curiofity I tafted it, and found it Lttle better than hot water. I complained to the furgeon and fteward, but being great together, and commenfals, they connive at one another. I complained to the officers alfo, but for what reafon I can only guefs, they did not re- gard me, and I have too much refpeft for the captain, to lay that he had any reafon or intereft to wink at fo great a piece of injuftice ; though he could by his own authority do thefe wretches juftice, who often refuie that water, made only more loathfome by ihe fmall quantity of meat put into it, and the little care ufed about it. I enquired of other chaplains, whether the fame was praftife'd aboard their gal- lics, they frankly confeffed it was, but durfi own no more. After 3 2 The fufferings of the Protejlants After the campaign of 1704, having occafion to go to Verfulles, I thought myfelf obliged when there, to give an account to Monf. de Pontchartrin, one of the King's minifters, whole peculiar province the fea affairs are. I offered him a ftiort memorial, and fome advices which I thought mod proper to prevent the like abufes for the future ; and he was pleated to be fo well fatisfied, and found them fo agreeable to fome intimations given him before, that he regarded my advice and offered me his in- tereft. The King was pleafed to order me a gratuity; and I left the warrant with Monf. Thome treafurer general of the gallies, living at the Marias du Temple, to ferve as an acquittance for the feveral payments he has made me. This is a brief account of the galley, -and the govern- ment thereof. I now proceed to fhew what fort of people are condemned there. There are in a galley five feveral forts of people, under the notion of flaves, befides feamen and foldiers, viz. Turks, fuch as are called diferters*, criminals, andproteftants. The King buys the Turks to manage the ftroke of the oars, as I have already (hewn, and they are called Vogueavants, and they together with fuch as are on the feats called Banc du quartier, de la Conille, & les efpalliers, have the fame allowance with the foldiers. They are generally lufty ftrong men, and the leaft unfortunate of the whole crew; being not chained, but only wear a ring on their foot as a badge of fhvery. When they , arrive at any port they have liberty to trade, and fome of them are worth three or four hundred pounds ; they frequently fend their money to their wives and families, and to the fhame of chriftians be it fpoken, there is a great deal more charity among them than is to be found among us. I had taken one called Tripoli for my fervant, and he was a moft religious ob- server of his law; during the ramadan (a fall kept by them the firft moon of the year) he never eat nor drank from fun rifmg to fun fetting in fpight of all the toil and fatigue of the oar, nor did he ever feem uneafy, though ready to faint through weaknefs. I could never fo much as perfuade him to take a little wine, though I have often urged him merely out of compaffion. The officers made ufe of no other fervants, and they are fo trufty that they are never found out in any theft or roguery. If any by chance do * FaulToniers. commit. in the French Gallies. 33 commit a fault, all the Turks importune their refpe&ive matters, to intercede for him with the captain. If any be iick, they are all bufy about him, to do him all the kind of- fices in their power; they club to buy him meat, or to pur- chafe any thing that may refrefh him or do him good. In fhort, in the gallies one would think that the Turks and the chriftians had made an exchange of principles, and that the latter had abjured the precepts of their Saviour, and that the others had taken them up ; and accordingly preach up Chrift to a Turk in the gallies, and his anfwer prefently is, he had rather be transformed into a dog than be of a religion that countenances fo much barbarity, and fuffers fo many crimes. I cannot omit one remarkable inftance of their conftancy, and firm adherence to their religion. One of them who fpoke French* fell fick, I found him ftretched on the cable in the place I have already defcribed, I had done him fome fervices, and feeing me do the duties of my fun&ion to fome of his neighbours, he called me to him, bid me farewell, telling me that he found he could not poflibly live four hours longer. I ventured to talk to him of God, our Saviour Chrift, the principles of his religion, and told him that through him alone he was to expert falvation ; I found what I faid made fome impreffion, whereupon I embraced him, and told him, I would anfwer for his foul, if he would renounce Mahomet, who was but an impoftor, and believe in Jefus Chrift, the only redeemer and faviour of mankind, whofe excellent docirinehe had heard me fo often preach. He told me then he would do what I thought fit. I anfwered that all that I defired was his confent to receive baptifm, without which I told him, he could expeft no falvation. I explained in a few words the nature and defign of it; and having induced him to confent, I went for fome water, and fecretly told the Captain what had happened; but un- luckily another Turk, a friend of his, who alfo underftood French, and had underftood all that had paft; whilft I was away, faid fomething to my profelyte in his own. language, fo that by the time I came back he had quite altered his refolution, fo that I could by no means perfuade him to perform the promife he had made me. Nay, his friend threw himfelf over him, and ex- horted him to continue true to the prophet Mahomet, in fpite of the comite who wasprefent, and threatened feverely to beat him if he defifted not ; he prevailed in defpight of D all, 34 The fujfmngs of the Vroteftants all, for the poor wretch died in my prefence in his error. Had I underftood religion as well as I do now, I Ihould not in that extremity have infilled fo much on the abfo- kvte necedity of baptifm, but having given him a general notion of the principles of the christian religion, I mould have admonhhed him to repentance, and to implore the divine mercy for pardon of his fins through the merits of Chrift, and fo in faving his foul from death, I Ihould have hid a multi- tude of my own fins. The reader I hope, will excufe my former error. Though, as appears from what has been faid, the Turks in the gallies are treated fomewhat better than the chriftians ; and though they be in no wife molefted on the fcore of religion (tor whilft mafs is faying, they are put into the caique, or long-boat, where they divert themfelves by fmoking, and talking) yet there is not one of them but would give all the world to be at his liberty, for the very name of a galley is terrible to them; becaufe, notwith- ftanding their treatment is pretty eafy, yet they are (laves during life, unlefs when they are very old, and unser- viceable, they meet with friends who are willing to lay out a large fum of money for their ranfom ; which (hews how little thole perfons are acquainted with the affairs of that nature, who lay that there are in the gallies men who would not accept of their freedom though it were offered them. It is juft like talking of a battle which one never faw, un- lefs at a great diftance, or knows nothing of but by hearfay. Thofe who are called Fauffoniers are generally poor pea- fants who are found out to buy fait in provinces where it is cheap ; fuch as is the country of Burgundy, or the country of Dombe. In France what they call a pint of fait, weigh- ing four pounds, cofts 3s. 6d. and there are lome poor pea- sants, and their whole families,. who, for want of fait eat no foup fometimes in a whole week, though it be their common nouriihment. A man in that ftarving languishing condition ventures to go abroad to buy fait in tke provinces where it is three parts in four cheaper, and if difcovered he is certainly fent to the gallies. It is a very melancholy fight to fee a wife and children lament their father whom they fee loaden with chains, and irrecoverably loft, • and that for no other crime but endeavouring to procure fubliftence for thofe to whom he gave birth. Thefe indeed are condemned only for a time, perhaps five, fix, or eight years, but the misfortune is, that having ferved out their time, in the French G allies. 35 time, if they out live it, they are ftill unjuftly detained ; for penance or manes ava'l nothing in this purgatofy, in- dulgences are here excluded, efpecially if the man be un- fortunately ftrong and robuft, let his fentence be what it will. The King's orders are that when the time of the fen- tence is expired they fhould be fet at liberty, and lent home; but in this, as in many other cafes, his orders are not duly put in execution ; which indeed does not excufe him, iince a good prince is obliged to have an eye on the adminiftration of his minifters and officers. As for deferters, their fentence runs during life. For- merly they ufed to cut off their nofe and ears, but becaufe they flunk, and commonly infetted the whole crew, they only now give them a little Hit. Though thefe are inex- cusable, becaufe defertion is upon feveral accounts danger- ous, and bafe ; yet it moves one's pity to fee young men, who often Happen to defcend from good families condemned to fo wretched and fo miferable a life. Such as are condemned for crimes are generally felons, lharpers, or highwaymen ; and the mod notorious villains are lead daunted, and take heart fooneft. They pre- fently flrike up a friend! hip with thofe of their own gang; they tell over their old rogueries, and boaft of their crimes, and the greateft villain panes for the greateft hero. The mifery they have reduced themfelves to, is fo far from work.ng any amendment, that it makes them more deipe- rate and wicked ; mfomuoh, that if any frranger chances to come aboard, though it were but an handkerchief, or fome fuch trifle, they will certainly Ileal it if they can. Their common' employment is to forge titles, to engrave falfe feals, and counterfeit hand writing; and thefe they fell to others as bad as themfelves, who often come in,, fometime alter to bear them company ; but though they feel no re- morfe, yet they feel the comite, who, with a rope's-end often viiits their ihouldtrs; but then inftead of complain- ing, they vomit out pathsand blaiphemies enough to make an's hair ftand an end. There was one, who mewing me the mark the rope had made about his neck, bragged, that though he had etcaped the gallows, he was not thereby grown a coward ; but as foon as ever he had been at liberty, he had robbed the firfl perion he met with ;• and that having been taken and brought before a judge who knew him not, be had been only condemned to the gaiiies, where he thanked God. he was lure of bread and gocd company the remain- B 2„ der j6 'The Sufferings of the Protejlants der of his days. . It is certain that how terrible and hard foever the ufage of fuch may be in the gallies, yet it is too- mild for them ; for in fpight of all the mifery they endure, they are guilty of crimes too abominable to be here related ; over which we (hall draw a veil, and go on to the proteftants who are there purely becaufe they chofe rather to obey God than man, and were not willing to exchange their fouls for the gain of the world. It is not the lead aggravating circum- ftance of their mifery, to be condemned to fuch hellith compa- ny. For they who have fo great a value for the truth of religion as to prefer it to their worldly intereft, muft be fuppofed to be indued with too much virtue not to be in pain, and under concern for the open breach of its rules, and the unworthinefs of its profeffors. The proteftants now in the gallies have been condemned thither at feveral times. The firft were put in after the revo- cation of the edict of Nantes ; the term prefixed for the fatal choice of either abjuring their religion, or leaving the kingdom was a fortnight, and that upon pain of being condemned to the gallies ; but this liberty by many bafe artifices and unjufl methods was rendered uielefs, and of none effect ; for there were often fecret orders by the con- trivance of the clergy, to prevent their embarking, and hin- der the felling of their fubftance ; their debtors were abfolved by their confeffors when they denied a debt ; children were forced from their fathers and mothers arms, in hopes that the tendernefs of the parent might prevail over the zeal of the chriftian. They indeed were not maifacred as in Herod's time, but the blood of their fathers was mingled with their tears; for many minifters who had zeal and conftancy enough to brave the feverefl punifhments, were broken alive upon wheels without mercy, whenever furprized in difcharging the duties of their function. The regifters and courts of juftice where the fentences were pronounced againft them, are recorded, and the executioners of them are lading monuments of the bloody temper and fury of popery. The laity were forbid, on pain of the gallies, to leave, the kingdom on any pretence whatfoever ; but what pofte- rity will fcarce believe, the proteftants of all fexes, ages, and conditions ufed to tly through deferts and wild imprac- ticable ways; committing their lives to the mercy of the feas, and running innumerable hazards, to avoid either idolatry or martyrdom. Some e leaped very happily in fpight of tke vigilance of the dragoons arid bailiffs, but many in the French G allies. . 37 many fell into their hands ; whereby the prifons were filled with confeflbrs. But the faddeft fpeftacle of all, was to fee two hundred men at a time chained together going to the gallies, and above one hundred of that number proteftants ; and what was barbarous and unjuft to the laft degree Was, that they were obliged, when there, on pain of baftinado, to bow before the hoft, and to hear mafs ; and yet that was the only-crime for which they had been condemned thither. For fuppofe they were in the wrong in obftinately refufing to change their religion, the gallies were the punifhment ; why then were they required to do that which had been the caufe of their condemnation? efpecially fince there is a law in France, that pofitively forbids a double punifh- ment for one and the fame fault, viz. (Non bis punitur in idem). But in France, properly fpeaking, there is no law, where the King's commands are abfolute and peremptory : and I have feen a general baftinado on that account, which I (hall defcribe in its proper place. It is certain that though there was at firft a very great number of proteftants condemned to the gallies, the baftinado and other torments hath deftroyed above three parts of four, and moft of thofe who are ftill alive are in dungeons ; as Meff. Banfillion, De Serres, and Sabatier, who are confined to a dungeon at Chafteau d' If (a fort built upon a rock in the fea, three^ miles from Marfeilles). But the generous conftancy of this laft, about eight or ten months ago, deferves a place in this hiftory, and challenges the admiration of all true proteftants. Monfieur Sabatier, whofe charity and zeal equals that of the primitive chriftians, having a little money, diftributed it to his brethren and fellow fufferers in the gallies ; but the proteftants being watched more narrowly than the reft, he could not do it fo fecretly, but he was difcovered and brought before Monf. de Monmort, intendant of the gallies at Marfeilles. Being afked, he did not deny the facl; Monfier Monmort not only promifed him his pardon, but a reward, if he would declare who it was that had given him that money. Monf. Sabatier modeftly anfwered, that he ihould be guilty of ingratitude before God and man, if by any confeflion he mould bring them into trouble who had been fo charitable to him; that his perfon was at his dif- pofal, but he defired to be excufed as to the fecret expefted from him. The intendant replied, he had a way to make him tell, and that immediately; whereupon he fent fo* D3 fomc 3 3 1 he Jufferings of the P rot eft ants fome Turks, who at his command flripped Sabatier (lark naked, and beat him with ropes ends and cudgels during three days, at fever il times; and feeing this did not pre- ■ vail over this generous confeMor, he himfelf (which never happened to an intendant before) turned executioner, finking him with his cane, and telling the byftanders, " fee what a devil of a religion this is." Thefe were his own expreffions, as is credibly reported by perfons that were prefent; and indeed, the gazettes, and public letters give us an account of the fame. At laft, feeing he was ready to expire, he commanded him into a dungeon, where, notwithstanding all torments, Providence hath pre- ferved him" to this day. But though moil of the proteftants of the firft date are de- ftrOyed, yet the wars in the Cevennes have furnifhed them with more than enough to fill the vacant places. Thefe wars may be properly called a fecond perfecution, becaufe the cruelty and inveterate malice of a popifh prieft was the oc- cafion and firft caufe of them. One of the moft bitter and paffionate enemies of the proteftants was the Abbot du Chelas, whofe benefice was in the Cevennes. He kept an exaft account of the proteftants in his diftriel, and whenever he miffed them at mafs, he ufed to fend for them under fome pretence or other to his houfe, and ufed to make his fervants tye them (whether men, women, or maidens) to a tree, ftripped down to their waift, and then with horfe whips, fcourged them till the blood guflied out. This the papifts themfelves do not deny, who own that this du Chelas was a bad man, and yet this his pro- ceeding againft the proteftants being meritorious at court, he had encouragement to hope for a reward; but at laft his pro- teftant neighbours perceiving that there were no hopes of pacifying this monfter, by iubmiffion and fair means, grew oefperate, and one night inverted his houfe. He leaped out of his window into his garden, but not being able to get out he begged quarter; but as he had never granted any, they ferved him as he had ferved them, by killing him ; and becaufe they were fure of being purfued they kept the country, and by degrees their numbers encreafed ; where- upon all who were tormented for not going to mafs made a body and joined them. They had goodfuccefs for fome time, but at laft they fell a facrifice into the hands of their ene- mies ; and not only they, but the inhabitants of the neigh- . Soaring countries, as the Viverrois, and Languedoc. And upon in the French Gallies. 39 upon a bare fufpicion of being in their intereft, thofe with whom any arms were found, thofe who refufed to frequent the mafs were either hanged or broken on the wheel ; and that infurreftion was made ufe of as a pretence to fend to the gallies feveral rich proteftant merchants. There is fince that time, a gentleman, Monf. Saigas by name, who, before the repeal of the edi& of Nantes, enjoyed a plentiful eftate in the Cevennes; in order to keep it he abjured his religion, and promifed to go to mafs; but hisfpoufe, a worthy lady, with whom I have often converfed at Geneva, where fhe now lives, refufed and generoufly rejected all propofals on that fubje6t. Seeing they threatened her with a cloi- fter, (lie endeavoured to gain time; but at laft her huf- band told her that there was a pofitive order from court to confine her if fhe did not comply and go to mafs. This courageous lady, who deferves to be a pattern of piety and zeal to pofterity, having by prayer and other afts of devotion implored the divine adiftance, refolved to quit her country, her hufband, children, and eftate, and all that is dear and precious here below. She took her op- portunity one day when her hufband was gone a hunting, without communicating any thing of herdefignto anybody, but to fuch as were inftrumental in her efcape ; and ihe re- tired to Geneva, where fhe might have the liberty to make an open profeflion of her religion, and bemoan the misfor- tune of her family. Some time after the wars of the Cevennes broke out, Monf. de Saigas was accufed of affifting the Camifars with provifion ; and in fpight of his hypocrify, and pretended zeal for his new religion, he was fent to the gallies. But here we muft admire the wifdom of Providence, very re- markable in this difpenfation ; for this has proved the means of opening his own eyes, and letting him fee his error ; as ap- pears from the penitential letters he writes to his friends, his chriftian like behaviour under his fufferings, his exhor- tations to his fellow fufferers, and the noble and pious ex- ample he fhews them. He has had frequent offers made him, of being reftored to his eftate on the lame conditions he had preferved it before, but he has hitherto been proof againft all their attempts. He was fome years ago put into the Hofpital-general for the gallies at Marleilles. This is a Jcind of manufactory, where their treatment is fomewhat eafier than in the gallies; but at the fiege of Thoulorf, he, and all his brethren, were taken out of that hofpital and rc- P 4 crmed 4© The Sufferings of the Proteftants duced to their old ftation and former miferable condition { and befides was plundered of a dozen or fourteen louis d'ors, which he had procured to purchafe fuch neceffaries as might keep up and fupport his fpirits under the hardfhips he en- dured. This account came to Geneva to his lady while I was there, who is, as one may eafily imagine, in anunexpref- fible concern for the miferies her hufband groans under. But it is time to bring this fad relation to a conclufion, in order whereunto, I (hall, according to my promife, give ■ an account of the general baftinado at which I was prefent, and it was not the leaft means of my converfioU' God grant it may be effectual to my falvation. In the year one thoufand feven hundred and three, feveral proteftants out of Languedoc and the Cevennes were put on Doard our galley, they were narrowly watched and obferved, and I was mightily furprized on Sunday morning, after faying mafs on the bancaffe (a table fo placed, that all the galley may fee the prieft when he elevates the hoft) to hear the comite fay, he was going to give the huguenots the baftinado becaufe they did not kneel, nor Ihew any refpeft to the myfteries of the mafs ; and that he was going to ac- quaint the Captain with it. The very name of baftinado terrified me, and though I had never feen this dreadful ex- ecution, I begged the comite to forbear till the next Sunday, that in the mean time I would endeavour to convince them, of what I then thought their duty and my own. Accord- ingly I ufed all the means I could poffibly think of to that effeft, fometimes making ufe of fair means, giving them viftuals, and doing them other good offices; fometimes ufing threats, and reprefenting the torments that were de- figned them, and often urging the King's command, and quoting the paffage of St. Paul, that " he who refifts the " higher power refifts God." I had not at that time any defign to oblige them do any thing againft their confid- ences; but what J did chiefly proceeded from a motive pf pity and tendemefs. This was the caufe of my zeal, which had been more fatal to them, had not God endued them with refolution and virtue fufficient to bear up againft my arguments, and the terrible execution they had in view. I cquIcJ not but admire at once both the itiodefty of their anfwers, and greatnefs of their courage; ♦' the. King," fay they, M is indeed mafter of our bodies, *1 but hot of our conlciences." But at laft the dreadful day teing come, the comite narrowly obferved them, to fee the fruit in the French Gallies. 41 fruit of my labours. There were only two out of twenty that bowed their knee to Baal, the reft generoufly refufed it, and were accordingly by the captain's command, ierved in the manner following : Here like another ^Eneas, with regret calling to mind the miferies and ruin of his own country, the very memory whereof ftruck his foul with horror, I may truly lay, Infan- dum regina jubes renovare dolorem. In order to the execution every man's chains were taken off, and they were put into the hands of four Turks who ftripped them ftark naked, and ftretching them upon the courlier (that great gun we have defcribed in the preface) there they are fo held that they cannot fo much as ftir, during which time there is a horrid filence throughout the whole galley ; and it is fo cruel a fcene that the mofl profli- gate obdurate wretches cannot bear the fight, but are forced to turn away their eyes. The victim thus prepared, the Turk pitched upon to be the executioner, with a tough cudgel, or knotty ropes-end, unmercifully beats the poor wretch, and that too the more willingly, becauie he thinks that it is acceptable to his prophet Mahomet. But the mofl barbarous of all is, that after the (kin is flead off their bones, the only balfam they apply to their wounds is a mixture of vinegar and fait ; after which they are thrown into tbe hofpital already defcribed. 1 went thither after the execution, and could not refrain from tears at the fight of fo much barbarity. They quickly perceived it, and though fcarce able to fpeak through pain and weaknefs, they thanked me for the companion I ex- preffed, and the kindnefs I had always fhewnthem. I went with a defign to adminifter fome comfort, but I was glad to find them lefs moved than I was myfelf. It was wonderful to fee with what true chriftian patience and conftancy they bore their torments ; in the extremity of their pain never expreflmg any thing like rage, but calling upon Almighty God, and imploring his afliftance. I viuted them day by day, and as often as I did, my confcience upbraided me for perfifting fo long in a religion, whofe capital errors J long before perceived, and above all that infpired fo much cruelty, a temper direclly oppofite to the fpirit of chriftia- nity. At laft their wounds, like fo many mouths, preaching to me made me fenfible of my error, and experimentally taught me the excellency of the proteftant religion. But it is high time to conclude, and draw a curtain over tins horrid fcene, which prefents us with none but ghaftly fight? 42 ThefufferingsoftheProteftants, &c. fights and transactions, full of barbarity and injuftice, but which all (hew how falfe it is, that they pretend in France for detaining the proteftants in the gallies, viz. that they do not fiiffef there upon a religious, but a civil account, being condemned for rebellion and difobedience, the punifhments infii&ed on them when they refufe to adore the hoft. The rewards and advantages offered them on their compliance in that particular, are a fufficient argument againft them, there being no fujeh offers made to fuch as are condemned for crimes. It {hews the world alfo the almoft. incredible bar- barity ufed againft the French protefhnts, and ajt, the fame time fets on in a moft glorious manner their virtue, conflan- cy, and zeal for their holy religion. THE THE H I S T O R OF THE SUFFERINGS OF THE BLESSED MARTYR, LOUIS DE MAROLLES. I.TT is certain that the wifdom of God under the gofpel [ difpenfation, hath chofen the voice of afflictions, and the cry of the blood of martyrs to manifeft the power and victories of faith ; and in confequence of this, the author of the epiftle to the Hebrews, having given fome examples of the furprifing effects of faith furniihed by the martyrs, from thence draws this conclufion, or rather exhortation, " wherefore feeing we alfo are compafTed about with fo great a " cloud of witnenes, let us lay afide every weight, and the fin " which doth foeafilybefet us, and let us run with patience the " race that is fet before us; looking unto Jefus, the author " and finifher of our faith; who for the joy that was fet " before him endured the crofs, defpifing the mame, and " is fat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For " confider him that endured fuch contradiction offmners " againft himfelf, left ye be wearied and faint in your " minds." To copy therefore after the divine oracles, and to imitate in particular this author, I mall lay before the eyes of chriftians the fufferings of fome later confeffors and mar- tyrs, to the end that being animated and encouraged by thole great examples, they may preferve to God that fidelity which they owe him, in the midft of the moft (harp and fe- vere trials. Jefus Chrift who hath redeemed us, and who mall judge the world, doth prefcribe us our duty when he fays, Mat. iii. 32. whofoever jhall confefs me before men, him will I confefs alfo before my father which is in heaven. But whofoever 5 jhall 44 ¥be Sufferings and Martyrdom /hall deny me before men, him will I alfo deny before my father which is in heaven. Now we mud not imagine, nor flatter ourfelves that the rigour of this command doth regard only thofe who mall renounce Jefus Chrift as faviour of the world, to receive the Alcoran ; this precept doth likewife ex- tend to the falutary truth which God hath made known to us ; fince in St. Mark viii. 38. it is declared by the fon of God in thefe exprefs words, whofoever Jhall be ajhamed of me, and of my words, &c. of him Jhall the fpn of man be ajhamed when he comet h in the glory of the Father, with the holy angels. From thence it is that the firft chriftians, jealous of the honour of God, and of the purity of their faith, chofe to expofe themfelves to all manner of miferies, rather than to do any thing which bore the leaft refemblance of idolatry, or which might be liable to finifter interpretations, as appears by the writings of the firft doftors of the church, and particularly of Tertullian. They likewife ranked among the apoftates thofe cowards who gave money to the commif- fioners to be comprehended in the number of thofe who had obeyed the ordinances made againft the chriftians, although they had done no fuch thing. But as they exercifed this rigour towards feeble chriftians, they likewite took great care to collect the a6ls and mo- numents of the martyrs, as appears by a letter of the church of Smyrna* occafioned by the death of St. Polycarp their biihop, who had feen the apoftie St. John. And if time had not robbed us of thofe precious relations, one might more exactly fee both the number and conftancy of all thofe martyrs, of whom now we hardly know the names. They celebrated the day of their death, as being that of their birth, they made encomiums upon them on the fcore of their fufferings, infomuch that at length the chriftians in profperity, being inwardly convinced of the vaft and infi- nite difference betwixt theirs and their own zeal and piety, between theirs and the lives of thofe ill^ftrious martyrs, be- gan tp invocate them, and worfhip their relicks; but in the beginning it was not fof. The faithful of Smyrna fay jin their letter that they had gathered together the bones of the martyr Polycarp, ■ which they valued and prized above " gold or precious-ftones, to repofit them in a luitable and f convenient place, to the end that, meeting and affembling V there as much as they poffibly could, they might cele- i* brate the day of his martyrdom, or of his birth, as well * Rufeb. Ecclcf. Hift. lib. i. p. 4. + Ibid lib, x p. J7- " ia of Louis de Mar oiks. 45 "in memory of thofe who have fuftained this glorious *• fight, as to inftru6t and confirm pofterity by their ex- «' ample." This place where they repofited the bones of thofe happy men, was, as is confeiled by the learned, the church yard where they buried them, and where the firft christians met to celebrate the memory of the martyrs. It is very certain by this letter, that they did not as yet in- vocate thofe martyrs, iince making reflections upon the pro- ceedings of the Jews, who folicited the proconfuls to hinder the chriftians from collecting the bones of Polycarp, for fear, faid they, that they mould worfhip him inftead of him that was crucified ; thofe faithful anfwer, that the Jews were ignorant, that they might worfhip and ferve no other than him who died for the falvation of men, whom they adore as the fon of God* ; but that they loved and honoured, as it was juft they mould, the martyrs, as difciples and imi- tators of him. It appears from another paffage of St. Irenaeus, alleged by Eufebius, that the chriftians were grieved that they could not intet the bodies of the martyrs t. He obferves that moreover the Pagans caufed them to be burnt, to expofe their allies to the wind, or call them into the Rhone, thereby making a mock and derifion of the hopes which the chriftians had of the refurrectionj. Eufebius further informs us, that in his time, under the perse- cution of Maximinian§, they hindered the chriftians from burying their martyrs, as if that, faith he, had been of fomc importance. When the church enjoyed fome repofe under the chrif- tian emperors, they began every whereto feek for the bodies of the moft famous and illuftrious martyrs, to erect, tombs and monuments to them. Their dreams then ferved inftead of proofs to difcover and diftinguiih them ;" and they began to have too great an efteem, and regard for their- relicks. We read in the fourth tome of the great Bibliotheca of the fathers, fome treatifes attributed to Eufebius by the Jefuit Sirmond ; among which in the 2d book which treats of the refurrettion, there is mention made of St. Romaia martyr of Antioch ; and it is obferved there that an apof- tate furgeon being ordered to cut out his tongue, he re- ferved and kept by him for a proof againft thofe who would have accufed him of not performing his commiffion. Upon which Eufebius makes this reflection* that he did not throw * ' ATaTTUfAtv aZiug. i Tpv^ai t?j yr\ % Hitttry Martyr. Pateft. cap. 9. § Q m Ti mfaaSior. 6 that 46 7 he Sufferings and Martyrdom that which he had cut away, but preferved it at his houfe againft his refurreftion, as the weak and infirm faithful were wont to do, that they might honour thofe fragments of the bodies of the martyrs which they could recover and procure. There are two things remarkable in this hiftory, the growing cufrom of worfhipping the relicks, but withal, that cufrom difapproved and reje&ed by wife and knowing perfons. The people had fo ftrong a bias and inclination to fuperftition*, that in the time of Theodofius the younger, the Novatians, thofe of them at leaft, who made a particu- lar feet upon the account of Eafter dayf, alfembled near to the tomb of Sabbatius in theiile of Rhodes, where he (died in exile, to pray over his fepulchre. Biihop Atticus caufed the body to be conveyed away by night to take them off from this fuperftition. It is therefore trne, according to the fentiments of the greateft part of chriftendom, that we are to collect the acts of the martyrs, only to be inftrueled and encouraged by their example. It is with this view and confideration that the firft chriftians, and our fathers at the time of the refor- mation, compiled, and left us as much as they could of the hiftory of thofe who have fuffered for the faith. And we their iucceffors mould be wanting to our duty, and to that care which pofterity expefts and requires from us, if we fhould neglect to acquaint future ages, how great and violent have been the efforts of the perfecution, which under a great and powerful King hath been unjuftly carried on agxirtft us ; and with the greatnefs of the ftrength and conftancy of fo many faithful, who by their admirable pa- tience have luftained the combat without falling, or who have pioufly and courageoufly recovered from their laples. One lhall fee them by thouiands forfake their country, their goods, their friends, to go out of the kingdom, at the peril of being condemned to the gallies, or confined in fome prifon or cloiiter, and in each expofed to all the temptations, and alltheiecretmiieries, which it is very diffi- cult to give a lively reprefentation of. We have feen perfons of birth and quality, as M. the Marquis of Monbetton de- scended from the family of la Force, of 74 years of age, alio men of learning and fludy, under the ch:un, or upon the bench of galley- ilaves with the oar in their hand, under the infpeftion of a fevere cornite. * Hift, Sofcrat. lib. 7. c. 25. f Ettj tw raf a svxto-Oat , • We of Lewis de Marolles. 47 We have feen Monfieur Muffon, a famous counfellor in the parliament of Paris, depart with all his family to come and give glory to God at the Hague, where he lived with the approbation of all honeft perfons ; we have feen, I fay, thisce- lebrated magiftrate condemned to the gallies, without any re- gard to the dignity of his character, which could not exempt him from the apparent infamy of that arreft, which will in fu- ture ages be his and his family's glory. Would not one who fees and confiders this inflexible rigour be apt to fay that to ■fen-e God according to the convictions of a man's heart, and the motions of his confcience, was the greateft of all crimes, and the moll unpardonable of all trefpaffes? well, God be praifed, that in an age fo infect ed with the love of the world, wherein piety is on all fides expofed to the at- tacks of impiety and libertinifm, the reformed churches of France, will be able to furnifh and afford the fucceeding ages, great examples of fidelity, and perfeverance in the midft of the moft dangerous, and moft fenfible afflictions ; and indeed every one ought to contribute their afliftance towards the publication of the hiftory of thofe noble and worthy confeffors and martyrs of Jefus Chrift. II. And truly it muff have been thought a great negleft of this duty, to have deprived the public of the knowledge which it ought to have of the bleffed martyr Louis de Marolles, who hath filled the Louvre, the Parliament, France, and all Europe with the fweet odour of his fuffer- ings and afflictions. To perpetuate this we might here produce feveral letters which he wrote with his own hands, and others likewife which were wrote to him by feveral perfons, and even by fome of his Roman Catholic friends, to which he hath anfwered ; only that to do this would require a volume. It fhall therefore fuffice to give fome brief idea of his fufferings, and of the invincible rirmnefs of his faith during fo fharp and tedious a trial ; and the names of the perfons concerned fhall be fuppreffed and concealed, that they may not be expofed to refentment. Monfieur Louis de Marolles was born about the year 1629, as appears by one of his letters a little before his death, which happened in the year 1692, faying, " that *' he had almoft accomplished 63 years. He was born at Champagne, of an ancient family, very noted for their Hull in the law. He dwelt at St. Menehoult, where he exercifed the office of the King's counfellor, and receiver of confign- ments 48 The Sufferings and Martyrdom merits, his religion making him incapable of any other" port. His eldeft brother was flain by a cannon-ball, which broke his leg at the taking St. Menehoult by the King; and he went thither by orders of the court, to direft where to apply the batteries for the attack of the weakeft part of the place. He was brought back to Chalons, where the King fent him his furgeons; who having cut off his thigh four fingers too low, they were forced to begin the operation a-new, in which he died. III. Our Lewis de Marolles was loved and efteemed by all thofe who knew him, becaufe he was of a fweet and eafy temper, and of a pleafant and agreeable converfation. He was endued with a perfect good judgment, infomuch that upon the firft mention of the new philofophy of Gaffendi and Defcartes, founded upon experience, he applied him- felf to ftudy them, and did of himfelf make a great pro- grefs and proficiency therein. I have feen fome remarks and obfervations which he made upon the Vacuum with quills full of quickfilver, in which there appeared as much juftice in his reafonings, as exa&nefs and accuracy in his obferva- tions. He applied his experience to the ftudy alfo of phy- fic, as far as philofophy and his own natural fenfe and un- derftanding could enable his mind to find out fome medi- cines proper to heal the fick ; and his children have feveral receipts written with his own hand. Having learned of Monfieur Claude de Marolles of Vitry in France, his rela- tion, the grounds and fundamentals of Algebra ; thofe two friends advanced fo far in this fcience, that they were both of them the prime artifls of their age. They held a correfpondence, by letters, with all thofe who were excel- lent in this fcience, efpecially with P. de Billy, a learned jefuu% who hath prefented the public with Diophantes Re- divivus. There is in manufcript a treatife of Algebra, com- pofed by our Lewis de Marolles, with the folution of a great number of very difficult and curious problems. As he was endued with a clear and perfpicuous genius, he delivered and explained himfelf after fo plain and intelligible a manner, that one might eafily apprehend the meaning of what he faid. Thofe alfo who defired to profit by his converfation, became in a fhort time fkilful in this fcience; as, among others, a certain honeft man who lived with the Duke of Main, and who faithfully maintained that friendfhip with him which he owed him, having done all that in him lay to procure of Louis de Marolles. 49 procure him forne eafe and refrefhment. One may fay, that if Monfieur de Marolles had loved the world, he would have appeared among the learned with great diftinc- tion. IV. But he was contented to lead a quiet and obfcure life in the place of his nativity, amongft his relations, who are the moft noted perfons in St. Minehoult, and made it his chief bufinefs and occupation to inftruft himfelf in religion, and to grow and advance in piety. This virtue was in him a truly chriftian grace, founded upon the knowledge and a lively periuafion of the truth, and of his duty. It was not the effect of a phlegmatic and melancholic temper, which fometimesputs on the appearance of piety, the better to judge and cenfure all mankind. Never was any man more agreeable and pleafant in every thing wherein piety was not concerned. He made ufe of mufic for his recreation, and Sometimes of hunting, to preferve his health by that exer- cife. In a word, he was efteemed by all the world, and affectionately loved by his friends; always of a fmooth and equal temper, always (hewing an honeft and becoming gra- vity, without being crabbed and troublefome ; always of a light and ch earful humour, Supported by the beaut}- and good difpofition of his mind, having a heart Satisfied and contented with his condition. The paftor of his church, a man of great merit, and Strict probity, his intimate friend, and one in whom he placed his moft entire confidence, doth thus fpeak of him in one of his letters. " Monfieur de Marolles was of a *' very happy conftitution ; his temper was free from va- " pours of melancholy, and did not carry him into any op- 4< pofite or contrary paftion: he was endued with a folid " Spirit, capable of vaft application, with an exa6t judgment " and difcerning quality; he never filled his mind with 41 vain cares and folicitudes, but maintained a great ileadi- *' nefs and conftancy in misfortunes; this was not a bare *' natural difpofition in him, but he had Strengthened it by " ftudy, meditation and piety; he had a good heart, and a " firm resolution never to be wanting in any of his duties ; *' all this gave him a fund of peace and tranquility, fo that " he was fcarce ever feen to be in the leaft pafflon ; he " knew how to be fea.Sonably ferious, and merry in conyerfa- " tion, and rendered himleif fo pleafant and agreeable in " fociety, that I have feen but few people like him. He " had attained a Sufficient light and knowledge in the " hiftory of the church, fo as very much to ground and E " confirm 50 *The Sufferings and Martyrdom " confirm him againft the romifh religion ; he perfected and * 4 compleated his knowledge by diligently reading the dif- 44 putes betwixt Mr. Claudius and Mr. Amaud upon the 14 Eucharift, and Mr. Larroque's hiftory of the Eucharift ; M and he likwife read the other books of the time, when " they fell into his hands. After the reading of the Holy" "Scriptures, and fome other books which he made ufe of " to feed and nourifh his devotion, he employed his time 4i in the ftudy of the mathematics, and particularly of Al- " gebra, and recreated himfelf with mufic. You know " that he had a great defire to bring up his family well; " one of his chief maxims with relation to that, being, that "it is neceffary to reftrain children from trifles, in order *•' to render them of a juft mind, and never to fill them with "vain fears nor vain hopes. The, cares- and diftra&ions 44 which followed upon his marriage did fometimes create " him fome cares and uneafinefs ; but he contented him- "' felf therewith out of a principle of duty. When the 44 affairs oi religion began to betaken in hand, he did often 44 declare to me that he feared nothing fo much as to fee " his wife and children fuffer, and that if he could find the 41 rheans' to lend them out of the kingdom, he was in no " fe.U" for himfelf. In all our affairs he maintained a free •' fpirit, and I never faw him embarraffed but once in a " nice and critical conjunfture. He during all that time " afforded me more iuccour and confolation than I am. " able to exprefs; and I do believe that I did often con- *' tribute to flrengthen and confirm him in his good refo- *' lutions, which affords me at prefent a true joy and 44 comfort. He remained a long time unrefolved in his " choice of a retreat into foreign countries; I was at firfl " in a mind to go to Switzerland, and I had propofed to " M. the late Count d'E- to fell his land, and purchafe " others there, to which he was well enough- inclined; I *' endeavoured to engage Monfieur de Marollesto take the 44 fame courfe and not to feparate. He terrified fome " inclination thereto for fome^time, but in a journey which V we made together to Vitry ; M. the do6tor le T per- " fuaded him to go with M. Beck as being a man able to? 44 make a good Ihift, and one who could find out the " means to procure a good fettlement any where ; and fmce 44 that time he wholly laid afide his thoughts of travelling 44 into thole parts, and we each of us took different mea- * 4 fuses. A little while after the exercife of religion was'taken 44 away of Louis de Mar oiks. ft "away from us; and at length they expelled m? from " Ep . Monfieur de Marolles came to me to Neuy , f* and the day following to Helm — , where we had our laftcon- ■' verfation together, which was very tender and affect- M ing." V. In order to comprehend the reafon which drew Monf. de Marolles into Germany, you muft know that fome pro- teftants going from Champagne to Lorrain, bordering upon the Duchy of Deux Ponts, the inhabitants of the county of Sarbruck and Alfatia had been prevailed upon by Monf. the intendant of Goupellier to fettle themfelves in that country, affuring them with an oath, that no perfon fhould be molefted or difturbed,,and that the exercife of re- ligion which was eftablifhed at Lixim andBourbac fhould be preferved, becauie the King had a mind to populate and re- eftablifh that defolate and ruined country. Several dif- courfed with me about it, to whom I anfwered that we muft confider that country, juft as we do a tree in a large cam- paign field, when we are overtaken and furprized by a norm, and one retires thither only to fmd fhelter a while under its branches. That moreover it would be more eafy to go out of the kingdom, being upon the frontiers thereof. Thus did Monfieur de Marolles and I reafon when we were together at Helmauru near to Vitry, on. Eafter-day, in the year 1685, which was the laft time that I% r er fawhim. I fhall obferve, in going along, that this village derives its name from another which is called Maura ; and they fay Helmauru, inftead ofLesMauru. The little rivei of Moivre gives them both their name. From whence it muft be concluded, that the famous battle of Attila was fought in Champagne near to Chalons, at a place called Mauriacum. There is a village called Pogny, derived from the latin word pugna, which fignifies a fight or battle. The river of Moi- vre does in this place difcharge itfelf into the Marne, and Vitry, perhaps took its name from this victory. This may ierve to determine authors upon this point, which is very much perplexed and embarraffed in hiftory. VI. All the promifes and affurances of Monfieur de la Goupellier were but weak and* (lender fecurities, as had been forefeen ; and a few days after the revocation of the edict of Nants, fome archers were fent to compel thofe who had been folicited and invited to fettle themfelves in thofe quar- ters, to abandon them and return home. VII. Monfieur Bartholemi de Marolles, a young nephew #i our illuftrious martyr, was (topped at Biche ; nothwith- E 2 ftandins: £2 The Sufferings and Martyrdom {binding that he had a certificate from the Grand Bailiff ofth county of Sarbruck, as having abdtif fix months fince preached In the church of Bourbac. He continued th-.ee months a prisoner in that fort, and was at length conveyed to Cha- lons. They took him out of the prifon of the town, to remove him into the Biihoprick, in order to make room for his uncle, whom they had brought thither. This young man, who was then but nineteen years of age, continued three year; in the prifons ofthe Biihoprick : and after having fuf- tained their difputes, promifes, and threatenings, he was at length fetat liberty as a confeifor, and came to continue his studies with fticcefs at Utrecht, where he now is. One cannot, without injuftice, refufe to the name of de Marches thofe praifes and encomiums which he deferves. I (hall not flop with obferving that that family is- inverted with ancient titles of honour and nobility ; as the ward- ship of noblemen's children ; which according to the cuftom of Vitry, belongs only to gentlemen. I chufe rather to iiifift upon the prailes which piety hath procured them ; for beiides our Martyr and his nephew, who have been juil mentioned, there is flill at Amfterdam Mr. Thierride Ma- rolles an advocate, whom together with his whole family, we are to look upon as fo many confeffors. He retired at firft to Mets, from whence he was forbid to depart. At length the„ Count de Byfli caufed him to come before him, the 28th day ofjanuary, 1686, and ordered him to quit the city the fame day with his family, confuting of eight per- foris. Fie retired to thecaftle of (Jlemery upon Seille, where lie fpent the winter. The 8th day of May, 1686, the Grand Provoft of Nancy took them all prifoners, and committed thera to his archers, and the next day had them all ftript into their Hurts, being the hufband, the wife, three young damfels, and three boys, in the prefence ofthe judge, and the mayor of Clc- mery. They took away all the money which was fewed up in their cloaths; and at length they covered them one after another with the Provoft s morning gown, to fearch them all over their bodies. Would not one fay that they treated them at diicretion, as if they had been prifoners of war, affafiins, or poifoners-. They were all of them at length carried prifoners to Chalons, where they were feparated. The mother and daughters were put into different convents, the boys who were very young, with fcriveners or notaries. The maids imitated thefe brave examples, each of them continuing firm and ftedfaft in their religion. They were all of them let at liberty and tent out of the kingdom the firft of March 1688, of Lotth de MaroiUs. 53 j 688., together with M. de Beauchamp an elder of Charcn- loii, M. tie Marolles ftudent in divinity, of whom we have fpoken before. VIII. As for our martyr, with Madam Mary Gommeret his wife, the daughter of M. Gommeret, formerly a famous and noted magiftrate of Sedan, and very high in the efteem of M. theMarihalde Febere, they fettled themfelves at Lixim. He had four children ; two daughters are with their mother in a fociety of ladies of quality at Harlem, from whom they receive all manner of kindneis and confolation. The two fons are in the fervice; the eldeft who had his leg broke twice, once at the battle of Landen, and another time by an unfortunate accident, is an officer in the Eari of Aller- marle's regiment, and the youngeft enfign of the regiment of M. de St. Ainand, both of them loved and efteerned by thofe that know them. They were very young when their father endeavoured to go out of France, fince he faw he could no longer ftay there with liberty of confcience. But God who called him to glorify his name, and to carry along With his chains the good odour of the reformation even in- to the Praetorium, fuflered him to be ftopped with his whole family on Sunday the fecond day of December in the year 1685, upon the territories of France, two leagues on this fide the Rhine, by one M. Bourbon and aid-major of Strasbourg, accompanied with two Cavaliers. They were all of them conveyed to one of the prifons of the city, and put into a fquare tower which ftands in the middle of the river. He obferved that this tower is twenty-fix feet in front, and 106 in height. We muft in this place hear what he faith himfelf. " A little while (fays he) after he had " been there, Mr. the Marquis de Chamilly governor, ■" Mr. de la Grange the intendant, together with the *.' Major and aid-major, Bourbon, came to interrogate * l and examine me. 1 told them the naked truth of things ** without difguife or diffimulation j after which they de- f parted.. The next morning Madam the governefs gave " herfelf the trouble to vifit us. After having told us that ihe 41 fympathized in our misfortune fhe faidthat there-was a re- V medy to be had, that it lay in our power, and that we mufl " obey the King's orders and get ourfelves inftructed, that " fhe would fend us fome father jefuits for that purpofe, " I anfwered her, that as for my part, I found mylelf fuffi- *' ciently inftructed, but that I would not refule to hear " thofe whom (he ihould do me the honour to fend to me, E3 "Tlie 54 The Sufferings and Martyrdcm " The fame day in the afternoon came P. Dez, re&or, ao " companied with another Jefuit to vifit us. There pafT- " ed nothing but civility, making me a thoufand offers of " fervice, and defiring me freely to let him known if I " wanted any thing out of, their houfe, or any of their " books feeing 1 had no other book bevides our pfalms; and " becaufe I propofed to fet myfelf as fair as poflibly I could " in his efteem, I prayed him to fend me Thomas-a-Kempis V de Imitatione Chrifti, which he did together with forae " others, and particularly Mr. de Condon's expofition of " the catholic faith. Ke came again to vifit me, and afked " me what Jcruples I might have concerning my religion ; I " anfwered that I had none, but that I was very well per-- " fuacled that it was the good and true one. He replied, " that my difcourfe (hewed me to be prejudiced. Upon " this we entered into debates, and the fubjeft of this firft " converfation ran upon this, viz. our acknowledgment of " the proteftants of the Aufbourg confeffion for brethren, *' and upon the Eucharift." One may by thefe firft fteps difcover the fincerity and dove- like fimplicity of this bleffed martyr. He was arretted in the kingdom, and if he had had a mind to fay that he was going to Strafbourg, as he was folicited and defined to do, there was nothing which could prove, or convince him of the con- trary ; and they would not then have condemned him, but have been contented to fend him back to Champagne. Bat being always faithful to his God, and ever careful to pre- ferve his innocence and. integrity, he ufed neither deceit nor equivocation. " I told them," faith he, " the true ftate " of things without difguiie or diffimulation ;" that is, as he expreifes himfelf in another letter, that he declared fincerely that his defign was to go out of the kingdom, and feek in foreign countries the liberty of ferving God according to the motions and directions of his confcience. It would be a curious thing to know what reflections the equivocating doftors made in private upon this fincerity. But to this his ' chriftian fincerity, rnuft be joined the prudence and mode- ration with which our martyr behaved himfelf, to the end that even bis good might not be eviljpoken of, according to the precept of St. Paul. I propofe however, faith he, to fet myfelf as fair as I poffibly could in his efteem. 1 (hall not relate all thofe conferences and converfations in which this faithful chriftian difcovered his knowledge, and the folid foundations of his faith. He confirmed his fentiments of Louis de Marolles. §§ fentiments by reafon, the word of God, and fome pafTages of the fathers. Some days after the vifit of father Dez, he re- ceived another from father Robine, and their difcourfe was concerning the authority of the church in explaining the meaning of the fcripture. " Mr. de Marolles laid that the " fcripture was explained by itfelf, and the maxims of 41 good ferine. Upon which the jefuit afked him, if he was " infallible. To which having replied that he had not " prefumption enough to believe himfelffuch; the jefuit " concluded, that I muf* therefore doubt of all my " decifions. To which I anfwered, that bec.mfe I * l might be miftaken, it did not at all follow that all *' my judgments muff be dubious, and that his maxim '• was good for nothing but .to eflablifh infidelity." They ■difcourfed about councils and their pretended infallibility. They examined what was meant by the word church ; our martyr affirming that the true church to which Jehu; C-hrift communicates and imparts his graces, could hot be com- pofed of hypocrites, impious, and profane perfons. He ob- ferves, that in another vifit this fame prieft engaged him in a difpute, about the pretended fchilm, with which they charge and reproach us, telling him that we muff rather fuffer and endure all than give iuch a fcandal to the church. He anfwered that fo foon as we find ourfelves forced to a worfhip which we efteemed difagreeable to God, we can no longer hold and join in communion with thofe who would oblige us to fuch worfhip ; and that befides they had driven us out of it by excommunications, by torments, and cruel deaths. He alleged the example of Elias, and of thofe 7000 men who had not bowed their knees to Baal, and afked the jefuit whether he believed that thofe 7000 per- fons did feparate from the true church, by joining themfelves to Elias; to which the father jefuit returned no anfwer, but went away a little after. Mr. and Madam de Chamilly came to vifit him attended by P. Re&or, and M. Sev. minifler of Bourbon, who cither had, or was ready to make his abjuration ; which. however he hath fmce detefted and abhorred, having left France, as I have been informed, to lament his fall : their converfation was like to the former. And as M. Marolles went about tofpeakof what had paffed in the ninth century, as concerning Pafchafius and Ratramus, he obferves that they flopped his mouth by faying that it was one of minifter Claudius's fables, which plainly (hews that thofe doctors E 4 i'pend 5 6 The Sufferings and Martyr dom fpend but very little ftudy in controverfies, to attribute that to Claudius, which all our authors have taken notice of re- fore him. M. de Marollcs proceeds in his relation, and fays; " when I faw myfelf treated after that manner, I did r< exaftly keep that filence, which they impofed upon me, *' and the reftor began to read again out of thofe books *' which he had brought ; and after a lecture, which lafted " a very long while, M. the Marquis de Chamilly bid M. *' Sev , tell me his opinion ; but he made no other anfwer *' but trot he lhared in our misfortune. After which they *' all went out, and P. Reftor never came more to fee me " fmce that time, but P. Godinet and another came fe\e:al " times. As in the firft converfation he repeated part of " the fame things which P. Dez had told me before, I made " him the fame anfwers." In another, this jefuit undertook to prove to him that a fign may be the thing fignified. *' You know," faith he, V the noble a&ions which the King of Poland did at the " raifing of the liege of Vienna. Is it not true that one or " two years afterwards the fame King might himfelfhave " reprefented his exploits upon a theatre. It would there- f 4 fore be himfelf, which reprefentd himfelf, and he, I " fay, would have been both the fign and the thing fignified " together," to which piece of fbphiftry, our martyr re- plies ; "That I found his example very ftrange, and his " proof very weak, and that his propofition proved nothing- *.' elfe, but that the King of Poland might reprefent his 11 part by his prefent actions, and that his prefent aftions " were only figns and reprefentations of his pari actions, " and not the aftions themfelves; and that to prove what " ht faid, it was fufficient only to obferve that any other *' perfon befides the King might have made the like repre- " fentations." In another vifit the difcourfe happened to be upon the words ot Jelus Chriit, this is my body, which the jefuit called operative, that is, that they converted the bread into the proper body of Chrift, by expreffly declaring that it was fo, and M. de Marolles affirmed that they were fignificative, that is, that they did exprefs what was already done. Fa- ther Godinet to prove what he faid, alleged this example. " If the King mould fay to Mr. de Chamilly, you are " Marlhall of France, no one would queftion but that he " was fo." Our m irtyr replied, " That it was not to be " dDubted but that if the King would make Mr. de Chamilly «« Marftial of Louis de Mar oiks. 5 7 «' Marfhal of France he would fpeak in the common phrafe- " of the whole world, and fay, I make you Marfhal cv " France." This difpute was very long, I only take notice by thefe two circumftances of it, to ihtw the prefence, and freedom of mind, of this illuftrious prifoner. IX. During the time of the confinement of Monfieur de Marolles at Strafburgh, he received feveral letters from, his friends of the roman catholic religion. I have read one from a magiftrate of St.Minchoud, his relation and his friend ; and two others from that generous friend of his, who was with the Duke of Main, " in one of which he told him ' after having reprefented, that a coufin german of Mr. de • Saumaize, having tried if he could deliver a petition ' to the King to obtain leave to go out of the kingdom, 1 upon condition of leaving all his eftate in his hands con- ' fifting of 708000 livres of rents, thinking that claufe • would further the reception of the propofal, and that it • would be received in favour of io near a relation, a man of * merit, and one to whom they actually feek occafion to ' do good. But they anfwered that it would be a mark ' of great confederation, and favour to the perfon who ' {hould meddle with it, if upon a like demand, he was * not fent to the baftinado." At length, he dire&s his difcourfe to his friend. " Neverthelefs, our ancient friend- 1 fliip obliges me to conjure you to have pity upon your. ' dear wife, your children and yourfelf, and not expofe 1 yourfelf to the fatal and miferable confequences which 1 might happen, if you were fo ill advifed as to think of 1 making your efcape*. The very thoughts of it make me * tremble with horror. I mull fpeak plain, dear Sir, not ' all my credit, and that of all my friends, nor our alliance 1 would be able to fave you from the gallies, nor the reft 'of your family from perpetual imprilonment. They will ' thereupon make ufeofa feverity, which nothing can be ' able to mollify .efpecially at firft,when they will fupport the ' laws by examples." This friend wrote this in anfwer to Monfieur de Marolles, who had written to him from Lixim, defiring to procure leave for him to depart out of the kingdom, and promifmg in his favour to make him a dona- tion of all his eftate, upon condition of receiving only 5000 franks. The fear of falling into the hands of the dragoons, was the caufe that he did not ftay for the anfwer, and that he did not receive this letter till he was in the pri- * Monfieur de Marolles was then at liberty at Lixim, fori ^8 The Sufferings and Martyrdom fon of Chalons. It was eafy for him to conclude from the anfwer of this generous friend of his, that he was not to promife himfelf any favour or moderation, but that he muft look to be treated with the utmoft feverity. X. It is probable that Monfieur de Chamilly wrote to the court much about the time that our martyr was maintain- ing the truth of his faith againft the jefuits. The 17th of January 1686, he was removed from Strafbourg to Chalons with his family* where he arrived on Monday the 28th of January. They carried them in a waggon attended by 'Monfieur Bourbon the aid-major, who had (topped them, together with an officer and five troopers. He was put into the prifon of the city of Chalons, where, he obferves he continued juft fix weeks. He was immediately vifited by the bifhop of Chalons, who is now archbiihop of Paris. We muft do him juftice, and fay, that the zeal which he hath for his religion, is as conformable to his charatter, as the perfecuting fpirit of feveral other bifhops is far from it. He wrote to Monfieur de Chamilly, in favour of Mr. de Marolles, as foon as he knew of his confinement at Strafbourg; and in the vifit which he made him at Chalons, he told him that if he could he would conceal him under his robe. XI. During the four firft weeks that our martyr conti- nued at Chalons, he had liberty enough. The ecclefiaftics who believed themfelves able to cope with him, at firft were eager to fignalize themfelves ; but when they found his conftancy to be invincible, they locked him up in a dungeon without fuffering him to fee any perfon for the fpace of 15 days. After which he was brought to judgment the 9th of March, and his fentence pronounced againft him by torch light. Here follows a copy of his fentence. Upon the perufal of the procefs extraordinarily made at the requeft of the attorney-general, in the Bailiwick, and prefidial court of Chalons againft Lewis Marolles of the pretended reformed religion, formerly receiver of the monies depofited in the Bailiwick of St. Menehoud, who ftands accufed, and is prifoner in the royal gaol of the city of Chalons, viz. A letter written from the Marquis de Louvoisto Mr. de Miromenil, intendant in the province of Champagne, dated December 14, 1685, at the bottom of which there is written ; a copy whereof the original is in our hands, figned Miromenil : by which among other things, the faid Sieur de Miromenil is firft commanded from his Majefty, that procefs be made, and perfected againft the faid of Lewis de Mar oiks. 59 faid de Marolles, accufed by the officers of this court, ac- cording to the rigour of his edi6ls and ordinances. Se- condly, the interrogatory of the prifoner of the 28th of Ja- nuary laft paft, at the bottom whereof are the requefts of the laid attorney- general, requiring that the witneffes who depofed in the laid informations taken, and the decree of the criminal Lieutenant in this court. Thirdly, the in- formation taken the faid day of January 29th laft paft. Fourthly, the requefts of the faid attorney-general, re- quiring that the witneffes who depofed in the faid information, may be further examined as to their de- pofitions, and be confronted with the faid de Marolies, prifoner. Fifthly, a judgment of the faid day of January 29th for the examination, and confronting of the faid witneffes. Sixthly, the examination of the faid witneffes, and confronting of the fame with the prifoner of the fame day. Seventhly, and the conclufions, and defires of the faid attorney-general, the faid prifoner being heard at the bar in the open court: we adjudge that the faid de Marolles is declared, proved, and convicted of having been apprehended, endeavouring to go out of the kingdom with his family, contrary to his Majefty's edicts, and declara- tions ; for reparation whereof we have condemned, and do condemn the faid de Marolles, prifoner, to ferve the King for ever as a flave onboard the gallies, and his perfonal goods, and chattels forfeited to the King, by this our fentence, judg- ment, and decree. Done in the council chamber, or open court, the 9th of March, 1680, figned at the bottom Sebille. C. Jourdain, J. Jourdain Baugier, le Vautrel, Deu du Vieux Dampierre, Rambourg, all counfellors to the King in the bailiwick, and prefidial court of Chalons, the year and day above-mentioned. Signed Dompmartin. Signified and delivered the prefent copy to the faid Lewis de Marolles, prifoner in the royal gaol of Chalons, nomi- nated in the fentence above tranfcribed, fpeaking to himfelf that he may not plead ignorance. Whereas the ferjeant had forgot Monf. de Marolles's ap- peal to the parliament of Paris, he caufed him to be put in mind of it, and the fergeant corrected that miftake. XI. This 9th of March, when fentence was pronounced, againft Monfieur de Marolles, was on a Saturday ; and the Monday following they took him out of the dungeon to convey him in a waggon to Paris, attended by three archers from Chalons, the youngeft of Mr. de Marolles's fons, (the eldeft A 6o The Sufferings and Martyr dm tided being gone from Chalons) prefented himfelf upon the way without the city, to accompany his father, the archers fuffeped him to ride in the waggon with him, and treated the pri Toner with as much civility, as could be expefted from thofe fort of perfons. They had a certain refpeft for him, which virtue begets in the hearts of the molt barba- rous ; they told him that they did not fear he would make his efcape out of their hands, and did not mind to guard him with that feverity and exa&nefs which they generally ufe towards galley-flaves. He arrived at the Conciergery upon Thurfday the 14th of March, 1686. His Ion went with him into thechamber, where they immediately put the prifoners that came from all parts, till fuch times as they have informed themfelves of the nature of their condemnation. The night approach- ing, he afked if he might return the next day to fee his father, they told him he might. But coming thither the next morning, he was told that he might fee him no more ; and I find a bill of his hand wherein he hath written as follows. " I was put into a dark dungeon, where I have " been thefe two months without feeing anybody. Oa *' Saturday the 1 ith of May, 1 686, I was brought before my " judges at the court, where criminal caufes are tried, and " contrary to what is ufual, my judgment was deferred till " Tuefday the 14th of the fame; and my condemnation of " Chalons was confirmed the fame day. About two o'clock " in the afternoon, they put the irons upon my hands, put " me into a coach, and I was carried to La Tournelle where " I entered, making the 26th galerian." La Tournelle was a palace in Henry the Second's time, but now they fend the perfons thither who are condemned to the gallies, until the departure of the chain. XII. Thus is our martyr entered upon one of the firft theatres in the world, where he maintained the profeflion of his faith in oppofition to the threats, and promifes of the world with courage and mildnefs, and to the edification of all good perfons. As foon as he was arrived at La Tour- nelle, and loaded with chains, having fome fpare moments to write to his family and his friends, he employed thofe moments in comforting and rejoicing them, by giving them an account of the flate of his foul, and the tranquillity of his heart, putting his truft in God, and counting himfelf happy in that he fuffered for the glory of his name, and of his truth. We have all his letters written with his own hand. of Louis Je Mar oiks, 61 hand, which I fhall not give to the public, becaufe it would require a volume to contain them ; it being my defign only to give the hiftory of his fufferings, which are undeniable proofs of the moft notable effe&s which hope, piety, and the grace of God can produce. He fays in one of his letters, dated from La Tournelle, the 6th of May, 1686. " 1 was put into a dark dungeon in the Conciergery where I have been buried for thefe fix " months. On the morning of my arrival; 1 was twice V brought before the procurator-general in a chamber of the " conciergery, and I returned fuch anfwers to the queftions " which he put to me, asJefusChrift infpired me with ac- " cording to his promife. He made me another vifit, and " gave me this teftimony, that it was admirable to lee me " do that for error, which none of them perhaps would do V for the truth. A little while after the chief prefident 41 had me brought out of the dungeon, with the greatefr " honour in the world ; when I was come to the chamber " where he waited for me, he caufed all his attendants, con- " filling of fix or feven perfons of merit, to go out, and " honoured me with a private conference for the fpace of '* two hours. He expreffed towards me much goodneis " and defire to ferve me, and as loon as he was gone out he " betook himfelf to his company again, and laid (as I was " informed by one of my friends who was prefent) I come "from difcourfing with a good man. Thefe are only " words, but yet they afford lome comfort. I did likewife re- " ceive feveral marks of the favour, and &;oodnefs of the "prefident of the court of juftice where I was condemned. " He talked with me at the door of the dungeon, and " after fome difcourfe, he told me that it was with great " grief and foriow that he faw me there; that he wilhed " that I might be feized with fome light ficknefs, to have " an occafion to take me out from thence, and put me into " the infirmary; that whenever I defired to fpeak with him " I needed but to tell the gaoler, who Ihould acquaint him " with it, and he would not fail to come to the concier- " gery to fee me. All thefe gentle methods had their end " and view, but they were, I thank God unfuccefsful. God " having put it into my heart to continue faithful to him " even unto death, if need required." In another letter, dated from La Tournelle, the 2d of July, he informs us of a combat in which he had yielded up againft his own heart and mind. He confeffes that being m 6 2 The Sufferings and Martyrdom in the prifon ofChalons, " the tears of a wife, and a family, " which are dear to me, faith he, and which were not able " to move me at Strafbourg, joined to thofe of two brothers- . u in-law, who came to fee me at Chalons, induced me to " accept of certain propofals which were made me, by two " of the mod eminent and confiderable perfons of the pro- ■' vince." I have been informed that thofe propofals were to defire his liberty, in order to inftruet. himfelf more fully, in the controversies which occafion our feparation from the church of Rome. " But a few days after God having given 44 me to underftand my fault, and having afforded me an *' opportunity of repairing it, 1 embraced it with joy, fer- 44 vency and tears ; and that father of mercies who knows 11 how to produce light out of darknefs, made ufe of my " infirmities thereby to give me that flrength, and ftead- 44 faftnefs which I have (ince had. This gives mereafon to " hope, that he will continue this favour tome untotheend, " and, that he will always proportion his gifts, and graces " to the trials to which it lhall pleafe him to expofe me. *' For the former, miffing of their end, they did at length 44 make me new offers, which affected me yet lefs than the 44 former, and Ireje&ed them all without deliberating upon " them ; at which they were fo enraged that I was next day 44 put into a dungeon, where I lay thirteen days before my 44 condemnation. This paffed at Chalons. Being in the " conciergery at. Paris, one of my friends, tutor to the 44 children of the King and Madame Montefpan, came with 11 his Majefty's permilfion to fee me. He propofed to me " to go for eight or ten months to the Bifhop of Meaux, 44 to get myfeif inftructed (this is their way of fpeaking) I 41 returned him thanks, and affured him that it was not in the 44 power of time to change my light and knowledge, and that I 44 wasperfuaded that the bifhop of Meaux, could not fatisfy me 44 any more than the other bifhops which I had already feeri." XIII. We muftnot pafs over without animadverfion, this uprightnefs of foul, . this nicenefs of confidence in our martyr, notwithflanding that his confcience might have fo- liated him by his prefent miferies, and by the fear of future calamities, by the fincere afre&ion which he bore to his wife and family ; notwithflanding this, I fay, hereje&sandfilences all that the love of the world, and of this life, what- ever the bonds of flelh and blood could reprefent unto him to fupprefs his fidelity, and tarnifh the luftre and glory of his futterings and, confeffion* They offer him from the 7 • King of Louis de Marolks. • 63 King his liberty for eight or ten months, during which time he might hope not only to go out of his dungeon, but alfo expeft fome happy change, or fome favourable oppor- tunity to efcape the chain and the gallies to which he was condemned forever. How would a heart lefs filled with the love of God, and the knowledge of its duty in all its ex- tent, have invented fpecious pretences, and captious argu- ments to free itfelf from fuch dreadful miferies. But our martyr having regard to nothing but his duty, oppofes the very firft affault of the temptation, and tramples it under his feet. It mud not be imagined, that this invincible conftancy is in any manner the effect, of ftubbornnefs and obftinacy. The jefuits of Strasbourg, and the ecclefiaftics of Chalons are convinced that the faith of our Martyr, was accompa- nied with light and knowledge. This great man knew how to diftinguifh between the reafons, which may engage us to feek fome new inftruftion, and thofe fecret motives of the heart which are not to be hearkened unto. When there arife of themfelves reafons for fome doubts and fcru- ples about the faith, then a man is neceffarily, and indif- penfably obliged to get himfelf inftmeled and informed. In fuch a cafe this care and pains is a debt which a man owes to himfelf; and negligence therein can proceed from no- thing elfe, but either an unreafonable ftubbornnefs, or a criminal indifference. A man mutt likewife enquire into the religion of his neighbours, and his countrymen, either to reap advantage from their light and knowledge, or to communicate and impart ours to them, and help forward their falvation as much as poffibly we can. But when one enjoys a full and entire perfuafion of his faith, especially by its oppofition to a doctrine whofe falfe foundations one knows, and that the motive which puts us upon feeking in- ftruction proceeds only from a heart defirous to free itfelf from thole affli6tions which are occafioned by its religion, then this fecret motive whereof a man is convifted within himfelf, cannot doubtlefs be acceptable to God, nor pro- cure his bleffing. This is a crime, this is to tempt God, becaufe it is to put a fecret cheat upon one's felf, and to call in queflion a known truth. Befides, as things flood irt France, to talk of getting 'one's felf inftructed, was tacitly to engage one's felf to renounce one's religion. Mr. de Marolles knew this very well, which made him reje6t all thofe offers, without bellowing a moment's deliberation up- on 64 The Sufferings and Martyrdom on them. They likewife made him the fame propofals, juft when he was ready to depart for the gallies. We follow the order and courfe of time, and therefore when we come to fpeak of that we (hall hear his anfwer. But is it not much to be wondered at, that the bilhop of Meaux would not venture himfelf with this illuftrious prifoner to inftruct him, either whilft he was in the conciergery, or at La Tournelle? Were not they as convenient places to apply himfelf to the converfion of Mr. de Marolles in, as Meaux or Gormilly, the country-houfe of that prelate? What reafon could hinder him from exercifmg his charity in thofe places of miferyand affliction? This iseafily known, that bilhop would run no hazard. He thought it concerned his reputation, not to enter the lifts with this learned perfon, without being firft allured of the victory ; as if the inftruc- tion which we owe to our neighbours was like a theatrical combat, wherein all the fpeetators Should know the party that was to be vanquished. This brings to my mind the faying of a certain minifter to a courtier, being at Foun- tain-bleau, at the time of the revocation of the edict ofNants. This courtier would needs engage him to take a dinner with, him, to enter into converfation with the bifhop of Meaux, and Cither Le Chaize. The minister's anfwer to his impor- tunities was that he might do what he pleafed ; but he let him know that it was his humour to anfwer with civility and a durance to their arguments ; that therefore he mufl con- fid er what he defigned to do, adding with a fniile, that he believed it was not the humour and inclination of thofe gentlemen to follow the chafe in the plain and open field, they would be for having the beaft iliut up in a park, that they might be fure of the prize. XIV. Let us return to the hiftory of our martyr. After having languished two months in a dungeon, he was brought before the court on Saturday the 1 ith of May, 1686. We are informed of what pafTed there by a letter which he wrote to his fift ei -in-law, dated from La Tournelle, the 17th of May. " I have been two full months with feven miferable ■' wretches condemned either to the gallies, or to be hanged " ancfbroken alive upon the wheel, in a dungeon fo dark, " that I could not well difcern their faces. They have all 11 been troubled with Rheums and Fluxes which God hath " preferved me from, although I am old, and they all of them " young. The nth current I was taken out of the dungeon 41 contrary to my expectation, for I expected that they would of Louis de Mar oiks. 6$ •* would let me rot there, and brought to the criminal " court to be judged. Mr. the prefident of the houfe, who "was at the head of my judges, ordered me to fit down * upon the prifoners ftool, and took my oath to fpeak the " truth. I anfwered to all whatfoever he defired to know " of me, after which he made me an exhortation, and bid me " think ferioufly with myfelf, that it was not they that mould " judge me, and that the declaration of the King did ex- u preitly mention my condemnation. I returned him thanks " for his .goodnefs which he expreffed to me, and told " him that I was in no great trouble to deliberate; that " my refolution was fixed long ago, and that I refigned my- " felf to the court, and was ready to naffer the penalties to " which they fhould think fit to condemn me; that how " great and fevere foever they may be they would be lefs ** uneafy to me, than to aft againft the lights of my con- " fcience, and live like a hypocrite. They ordered me "■ thereupon to withdraw, and I was conveyed back to my " dungeon. I expefted to be conducted in the afternoon *' to La Tournelle, but they deferred my judgment till " Tuefday following, the 14th of May, and three or four " hours after they came to carry me away; they put the *' manacles upon my hands, and fo condufted me in a ** coach to La Tournelle." It is not known for what rea- fon they delayed contrary to what is ufual, to pronounce the fentence of Mr. de Marolles. It is probable that the court defigned to inform the King of the conftant refolution of our martyr, and make fome new attempts in his favour. Indeed I find in a letter of recommendation written from Paris to Mr. de Courfelles governor of Toulon, in favour of Mr. de Marolles, that his fentence of condemnation to the gallies had been confirmed at the parliament of Paris, but after fuch a manner, as had procured pain and trouble to all the judges ; that the chief prefident and procurator general, did intend to reprefent to the King all the circum- ifances of the affair, and the merit of the perfon : but as the declarations were formal, the King would make no ex- ception. If the truth of the matter was known, perhaps one might find the clergy haftening his condemnation, whilft an auguft parliament deferred it in order to folicit his pardon. So true it is that the genius and difpofition of the Roman catholic religion in its mod trufty minifters, is a barbarous, and unmerciful genius, which breaths forth nothing but blood and violence, always contrary to chriftian F charity 66 The Sufferings and Martyrdom charity and moderation. But be that as it" will, he was at length fentenced, and the fentence of the prefidial of Cha- lons was confirmed. Let us hear the following part of his letter: " The go- vernor of Tournelles knowing who I was, and being in- formed of my crime, caufed me to be treated with as much gentlenefs as can be expefted in that place. They were contented to put a fetter upon one foot. But the next morning he came to tell me that he had juft received orders which very much afflicted him, which was, that the king had commanded that the chain ihould be put up- on my neck. I thanked him for his goodnefs which he expreffed to me ; and told him that I was ready to pay a refpecHul obedience to the orders of his Majefty. I laid afide my hat, they took the chain from off my foot, and put me on another about my neck, which doth not I be- lieve weigh lefs than 30 pounds. Thus you fee, my dear lifter, the date and condition which the wife Providence of God hath chofen and allotted for me, out of a thoufand others in which he might have placed me. I expecl: from his mercy, ftrength, and conH;ancy, to fuffer all for his glory and my own faivation. Do not afflict yourfelf at my condition, my dear filler, it is more happy than you think for. Weep not for me: keep your tears for fo many miferable wretches who live not lb contentedly as I do. Grant me the affifhnce- of your prayers : I al- fure you that I do not forget you in mine." And in another letter of the 16th of May, i. e. the day, when the chain was put about his neck, he fays after fuch another relation as that before mentioned. " Thus, fir (I fuppofe he wrote to M. Jurieu) you have an' abridgment of my mi- fery, and to fpeak more truly, of my glory, for I con- tinually give thanks to God for the honour, which he doth me in not thinking me unworthy to fuffer for his name-fake. Let your prayers accompany mine, to ob- tain from the mercy of God his fuccour and affiftance fo long as it fhall pleafe him to continue my iufferings and afflictions." Nine days after that the procurator general went thither, ' and we are informed by a note written with our martyr's own hand, what palfed between that famous magiftrate and himfelf. " The 24th of May, 1606, the procurator general " came to vifit thofe who were condemned to the gallies. " He addreffed himfelf to me, and feeing the chain upon " mjr of Loiilsde Maroiies. ' 6y cc my neck, he told me that it was with grief, that he. faw " me in fo miferable a condition, and that he did" greatly " defire to deliver me out of it; that I was fo much the " more worthy of pity and compaffkm, becaufe it was my " prejudices which plunged both myfdi ; intrj " mifery. I anfwered him that I mould be very-much to \* blame if that were fo, but that it was rriy opinion; that " in cafes which concern our faction, we mult dt'tplk " and neglect whatfoever relates oniy-to this iife, and that " it was this thought and confideratiori Which induced me " to bear my evils with patience. He replied, thai, he' .was *' perfuaded that I was right as to my intentions, that I il had a fmcere zeal for the glory of God and my own falya- " tion, but wanted knowledge; and that he would come " again to fee and talk with me within a little time, that " there was nothing which he would not either do or V give to deliver me out of my mifery. I told him that I " did with much thankfulnefs and refpect, receive the to- " kens of his goodnefs which he was pleafed to mew me, " after which he departed/' Three days after he received another vifit, of which we have likewife an account written with his own hand; " Monday the 2 r j\\\.oi May, 1686, between feven and eight V o'clock in the. evening, a counfellor belonging to the " court of La Tournelle, who fat the next to, and on the V right hand of the preficlent of the houfe, when I was " brought into the court before my trial, came to vifit the '.' prifoners at La Tournelle. And after he was gone out " Mr. Le Roi, our head keeper, took me out of the place " where we are, and brought me into a chamber which is V called the council chamber, where the counfellor waited " forme: I had my chain about my neck. He told me " with all the ingenuity and candour in the world: all our '.' affembly,iir, are touched with grief for the mifery, to which " they .know you are reduced, and I come to foiicityou to *' deliver yourfelf out of it. We know that you have lived V liJce -a very honeft man, and that you proceed from a *' good, family; co.nlider with, and examine yourfelf by the " ru ; les both of policy and confeience. Eefore feven or " eight months are at an end your religion fhall be no more " mentioned in France. Even at prefent there are very fe- " vere edicts againft the new converts who do not do their' li duty: and m otherplace.s your religion hath been ex- " tinguifhed this. 130 years. . .But, I do not come hitherto. s ■■:• F 2 " difpute 6 S The Sufferings and Martyrdom - difpute with you about it. You know that it hath fub- lifted and continued in the kingdom only upon fufferance and toleration, and out of a neceffity of appealing and putting an end to the troubles. It lies wholly in your power to advance yourfelf higher than you have ever yet been, and to procure peace to your family." " I anfwered, that I was very much obliged to their illuftrious affembly, for palling fo favourable a judgment upon me, and for the goodnefs which they exprefled to- wards me ; and to himfelf in particular, for the marks- which he gave me of his good will, that I did return them all a thoufand thanks, but that nothing fhould ever be able to make me do any thing againfl my conlcience, and that I had but little regard for all the advan- tages of this life. That if it were true that I was in an error, and it mould pleafe God to convince me of it by giving me new lights and knowledge, I fhould not fail to follow them with much zeal and joy, out of a fole view to the glory of God. I faid, moreover, that the edi£l of Nants, was to reward the good fervices which that King (Henry IV.) had received from the proteftants, rather than to appeafe the troubles which were then allayed, the arms being laid down, and the King in the peaceable pof- feflion of the crown. I faid nothing of religion becaufe of what he had faid to me, that he was not come to difpute with me about it. This good counfellor went away a little after, defiring me to think ferioufly upon what he had faid unto me. Mr. Le Roi told me as he carried me back, that this counfellor was fent as Commiffioner by the court of La Tournelle, to fpeak to me from the part of that famous fociety, who were never touched with fo much trouble and compaffion for any perfon as they were for me." The counfellor's name was Mr. Reynaud. I muff advertife the reader that the chamber of La Tour- nelle, is a chamber or court belonging to the parliament of Paris, where criminals are tried, to the end that it may not be confounded with La Tournelle, or rather les Tournelles, whither they fend the perfons condemned to the gallies until their departure. There is at prefent in that parliament la Tournelle civil, and la Tournelle criminal. Mr. Marolles wrote feveral letters from la Tournelle to- his wife, children, and friends. He fent one dated the 16th of May to Monf. Jurieu, to which that paftor returned an anfwer the 27th of the fame month. He received an anfwer from of Louis de Marollet, 69 from our martyr the 2d of July, 1686, who affures him that his letters did tend to the confolation ofhimfelf, and all thofe to whom he could communicate them. And after having returned him thanks for his good advice, he tells him. " The manner of my fuffering, and the good eye with which "God makes me regard all my fufferings, perfuades me ** that he will give me the grace to continue faithful unto 4i him even unto death. I do not fax my eyes upon ** the condition in which I am, which troubles and " affli&s thofe that fee it, much more than it does my- *' felf. I place them folely upon the rewards which God " has promifed to all thofe that fear his name. I am cer- " tain that the light afflictions with which he is pleafed to 44 vifit me., will produce in me, according to his divine pro- *' mifes, an eternal weight of exceeding great glory. I com- " fort myfelf becaufe the fufferings of this prefent time, are At not to compare with the future glory, which is to be re- 41 vailed in us,- and I put my truft in what St. James fays, *' Bleffed is the man who endures temptation, for when he pall " have been tried, he /hall receive the -crown of incorruptible glory * c and immortality, which God refcrves for his deft. I rejoice " in that our Saviour doth pronounce thofe blejfed whojuffer 411 for righteoujnefs fake. Thus, fir, I make all my glory and " happinefs to confift in this, that my redeemer doth not ** count me unworthy tofuffer for his name fake. I fix my *' confidence upon the eternal rock. 1 put all my truft in •* him* I expert help and fuccour from him alone. I " perfuade myfelf that nothing fhall be able to move me, *' fixed upon fo folid a foundation." He put in pra6tice what he fo well wrote in an excellent little treatife of his own hand writing upon providence, and which he compofed with- out doubt in the time of his confinement. This whole letter maybe feen inferted in the paftoral letter of Monf. Jurieu, in the year 1686, I proceed to what concerns the hiftory of his fufferings. He fays, a little lower: " That, fir, is my 4< ufual occupation, as much as the infamous place wherein "lam confined, will permit. I call it infamous, becaufe 41 there is not an honeft or virtuous word to be heard there; *' it refbunds with nothing but filthinefs and execrable blaf- *' phemies- They make luch a noife, and tumult all day, " and for the greateft part of the night, that I could fcarce " heretofore meet with one happy moment, to lift up my *' heart to God. I was fo overwhelmed with drowfinefs, that 44 1 often feU afleep before I had made an end of my prayer: F 3 ** when 7 o 7*^ Sufferings and . Martyrdom '* when I awaked about three or four o'clock of the morn- " in?;, I endeavoured to keep myfelf awake, that I might, " whilft :e was free from noife, pay my homage to ."•God with fome attention. I have more liberty iince ■*'' thefe te "i or twelve days : for when it is fine weather, they *' . .iter the chain to go out and abide in a court all day, ex- •" cept it be fix of us who are kept locked up. I fpend one '-.part o this time in reading, meditation and prayer, and M I do likewife take the liberty to fing fome pfalms, as I "hive done , in all the places of my iinprifonment " without ever being complained of for it. Thus you -" fee in two words an abridgment of our mifery. We ■' lie 53 of us in a place, which is not above 30 feet in •" length, and nine in breadth. There lies on the right - ' fide of me a lick peafant with his head to my feet, and my " feet to his head. There are likewife others. There is " fcarce one among us who doth not envy the condition *' of feveral dogs and horfes. This makes us ail defire that *' the chain may quickly depart. They conceal this from ii us, but as far as we can judge, it will depart next Satur- " day. We were yefterday 95. condemned perfons in num- * { ber, but two of them died that day, and one to day. We *' have full fifteen or fixteen fick, and there are but few who " eicape it. I have had five fits of the tertian fever : but *• I thank , God I am very well recovered of it, and in a ?' difpofition to make the journey to Marieilles. We fhall *' take in fome of our brethren at Bourgogne, who are con- *' demned to the chain for the lame caufe for which I am, *' who have the honour to he the firft condemned by the •/ parliarrient of Paris." . We likewife meet with two other letters, which a Ger- man mmifter wrote to him in the latin tongue, full ol in- ftru&ion and confolation. In one of the aniwers which our martyr made him, he begs the afliftance of his prayers, V hoping," faith he, if that by means of the powerful affift- *'.ance, which feveral other iervants of. God as weli as you 1 ' do afford me, my fuflPerings will end in the glory of our *' creator, the edification of our brethren, and my own " falvation. When I reflect," faith he, */ on the merciful " providence of God towards me, I am ravilhed.with admi- " ration, and do evidently difcover the fecret Heps of Pro- " videUce, which hath formed me from my youth, after a *■' requifite manner to bear what I fuffer. I have always i} had but little love for thofe. things which worldlings " efteemed -of Lewis de Mar oiks. 7 1 *' efteem-and and admire, and more care to provide for my " foul than my body. Although I do acknowledge to my 41 fhameand confuf.on, that I have not ferved God fo faith- " fully as I ought to have done, and that I have not been " to thankful as I ought to have been for fo many benefits, '.' and favours which he hath conferred upon me. I have " always had a zeal for his glory and his truth: and thefe *' are thofe holy feeds which he hath had the goodnefs to '< preferve in my heart, which in this time of defolation " begun to produce in me the excellent truths, the fweetnefs *' of which affords me a pleafure, which I am not able to " utter and exprefs to you. It is this happy condition in " which I am, which affures me that God will finifh the " work which he has begun in me: and I believe I may fay " with his faithful ; pofiles, that I am confident, that " neither angel, nor principality, ncr power, ?icr height h, nor U depth, nor things prejent, nor things to come, nor any other <{ creature Jhall ever be able to feparate me, from the love which 14 God hath Jhewn me in his Son Jefus Chrijt. I can truly and *' fmcerely fay, fir, that the prifons, and dark dungeons " in which I have been confined for above thefe fix months, " and the chain which I now carry about my neck, have " been fo far from lhaking the holy refolution which God " hath put into my heart, that it hath only flrengthened " and confirmed it. J- have fought -God in a quite different '.' method in my afflictions* than ever I did in a fhte " of worldly profperity, and I may fay that he hath " fufrered himielf'to be found by me. -He hath very de- " lightfully communicated himfelf to me by the fweetnefs " of his confoiations. In the midfl of the tranfitory afHic- " tions which it is his will that I ihould fuffer, he hath " made me to tafte of folid good things. The evils '.* with which 1 am threatened do not at- all terrify me. If " they are violent, I- am not in a condition to bear up long " againft them, and fo a chriftian death will put an happy " period thereto; if they are moderatfe Ifhall have reafon " to blefs our God for it, who fhall continue his fa- " vour and goodnefs towards me. Thefe confiderations " make me look upon the time to come with the eye " of conftancy and affurance." It appears by thefe few extracts which we give of the letters of that blefled martyr, how great was the tranquillity, and affurance of that chriftian and heroic foul. F'4 It 7 2 The Sufferings and Martyrdom It was therefore to no purpofe to renew the attack to per- vert and ftagger a heart fo full of knowledge, fervour, and piety. We have already obferved that it had been propofed to him to fpend eight or ten months with the Bifhop of Meaux. They renew the charge by propofing an unlimited time. How great and dangerous was that temptation ! Our martyr is under the chain, and has a profpe6t of a dreadful futurity ; he is folicited not only by his own flelh, but alfo by the fight of his airlifted wife, and by his fatherlefs chil- dren which he leaves in the midft : infomuch that the na- tural love of life, the fcene of afflictions, the profpeft of the dreadful miferies which his condition reprefented to him, conjugal love, and paternal affe6lion, did all of them combine to induce, and conftrain him to accept a propofal, which feemed at firft to oblige him to nothing. They offer him his liberty only upon condition that he would promife to endeavour to get himfelf inftru6ted, without fetting any limited time. He might flatter himfelf that they Would open him a door for his deliverence without complying with the King's orders. But his foul faithful to his God, filled with his holy refolutions, looks upon it as a crime to accept a propofal, from which there might be drawn the leaft confequence prejudicial to the certainty of his faith. He is in the prefence of his enemies, the combat is begun, he is refolved to win the vi&ory, without fo much as hearing talk of returning into his tent. He tramples the world under his feet, and will not allow that enemy time to recover new ftrength. One of his friends did firft make this propofal to him, from Monf. Morel a rich partifan, or farmer of the King's revenues at Vitry, " Who promifed to procure his deliver- *' ance from the chain the next day, if he would take even ** an unlimited time, to apply himfelf in good earneft to " get inftmction. He affured him what mould be promifed " him, mould be faithfully obferved and performed:" This parTed about the end of June. Other perions renewed the attack on the firft day of July, as he informs us by a note written with his own hand, wherein he gives us the reafons for his refufal. " At La Tournelle, Wednefday the 17th of July, 1686. " Ten or twelve days before our departure from thence, an 4< advocate of the court of parliament came to fee me, ac- fl companied with a lady who w^s unknown to me; and « Madam of Louis de MaroIIes. 73 •« Madatn Lambliu who hacT done me the honour of a vlfit in " the prifon at Chalons. She was the wife of a treafurer of " France; ihe teftified by her tears, that fhe was fenfibly " touched with the condition in which flue faw me, " and that fhe wifhed with all her heart that fhe " could procure my deliverance out of the mifery which " I fuffered. The difcourfe fell upon the propofal which " had been made me fome days before, viz. to go to the " bilhop of Meaux to be inftrueled ; this is their way " of fpeaking. The advocate began to fpeak upon this " point, and employed all his rhetoric to prove that I " ought to accept of that offer, and faid, that he did " not believe that I could offer any fufficient reafons to " the contrary. When he had made an end of his difcourfe, " and given me place to fpeak, I anfwered that 1 thought " myfelf very much obliged to do as I did for the following " reafons. I faid that in the conferences which I had with " the R. R. P. P. jefuits at Strafbourg, they had not given " me any manner of fatisfa£lion in my objections which I •' made to them. That the fame anfwer, or much to the " fame purpofe at leaft, had been given me at Chalons, and " that I had read the fame things in the works of the famous " Mr. Arnaud, and fmce they had not fatisfied in that " author, they could not ?.fford me more fatisfaclion elfe- " where. That I was very flrongly perfuaded of the " truth of my faith, about which I had no manner of doubt, " and that 1 feared it was tempting of God to accept the " offer which they made me. That on the other hand, the *' fpace of eight months that I had been confined, had en- *' ured me to fufferings, that by that means God had dif- " covered to me the vanity of this life, and all that is here " below; that thereby he had broken afunder moft of the " bands and ligaments which engaged me to the world, " and had put into my heart a great difrelifh for the earth, " and an ardent defire after heaven. That I efteemed this " ftate fuflficiently happy to think ferioufly to preferve it. " I added that all the civilities which I was perfuaded I *' fhould receive from fo famous and noble a prelate, and " the confiderable alteration which would happen to my " condition, would make me within a few days forget all " my miferies, and would root in my heart the love of the " world, and pleafures of life more flrongly perhaps "than V ever, to plunge me again into mifery without any " certainty 74 The Sufferings and Martyrdom ** certainty of receiving io much favour, and affiftance from <* Gpd therein as I have already received till this prefent. " That for thofe reafons I was refolved to follow my yoca- '•* tion and to end my days in fuffering, if it was the will of " God. That as to the reft I did with very great acknow- " ledgments, and thankfulnefs receive the tokens which he " he gave me of his charity and affection." *' Since then he came feveral times to fee me, always " backing what he had advanced with the ftrongeft argu- " ments he could. The laft time that he faw me, which '.{ was on Monday the 15th of July, 1686, he told Mr. Le " Roy our head keeper, that he came by orders, of the V procurator-general." " And the next day, the procurator-general honoured " me with a vifit, and told me that he came to try yet again, " if before our departure for Marfeilles, there were yet any ** room left to refcue me from the chain and mifery, and " afked me if there were no alteration in me. And when " I had returned him the thanks due to his civility, 1 told him " that all my misfortune had wrought no change upon the " difpofition of my heart, no more than upon that of my " mind: he then departed." The chain is to depart next Saturday the 20th of this month. The more one reflects upon the condition of our martyr, for the lpace of two months fince his condemnation, till his departure from Yens, the more {hall one ad- mire his virtue, ftrength, and piety in this fo danger- ous and obftinate a combat, which he had with the world. I do not find that any eccleliaftic in all that great city fought to have any conference with Monf. de Marolles. .This is to be wondered at, that whilft the members of Par- liament exprefs fo much pity and companion for that illuf- trious priicner, the clergy mould look upon him with fo much mdiiference. But there is a great deal of reafon to believe that they were afraid of this holy and learned man. XIV. We have given an idea of his piety, and his conflicts, we rnuft lay him open on all fides, and conhder this great foul in all the different' occurrences and concerns of life. . His Gcd poffeffed, and wholly filled him : after which the cares of his family fucceeded in their order. Upon his firft coming to La Tournelie, he acquainted his wife with that freedom of fpirit which he generally ufed, the 14th of May, 1686, of Louis de Marolies. 75 r686v " I informed yb% my dear fchild, that my judgment • *■*. was* "confirmed this ifioi itence of the court, c< and that' I am at prefent at La T&urnelle with ivd. Le " Favrv, which is no finall comfort tome. Altribugh I •" have a great define to fee you, yet it is fo hot that I ad- " vife you to ftay till to-morrow morning, but fend to me " immediately d,e Marolies and his brother, that I may have *' the fatisiactiou to fee them, and receive a true and exa6r. *' account of your hate an . condition, i meet here with " fomething more agreeable and more grievous than the dun- " geon, but we muft fubmit to all.'' His wife underthe greateft affliction tl at can be imagined, vifited him as often as (he co lid, and put her hands through the grate to wa fn the wounds whiah'the chain hard made upon him, with water in which mufquet balls had been fteeped. She heard one day that the clergy had fpread a report in. Paris, that he was bender; himfelf. This infa- mous fraud was contrived to allay the wonder, and admira- tion which the constancy of our martyr, raifed in all that great city. So foon as he was informed of it, he propofed a problem to the learned, to the end that they might exer- cife themfelves in the folution of it, and thereby judge of the fituation of his mind, and of the nature of the calumny which had been forged a gainft him. I have not- this pro- blem at prefent, but it appeared by a letter of his dear friend, and fcholar, who was then with the Duke of Main, that our martyr being always free in his chains, always of an even temper, and like to himfelf, anfwered to the qucftions which were propofed to him, juft as if he had been at eafe in his clofet. This friend of his faid to him; " 1 per- " ceive there is an error in the folution of the problem " which I fent you, upon the condition which I pretended " to add to yours. It is true my four numbers have all " the requiiite and necefiary conditions; but it is not true " that their fum being made equal to a number given, " would produce the fame effect with refpect to the con- *' ditions annexed. Neverthelefs I am well enough fatisfied " that your problem is refolved thereby; I am going to " reduce it into lines, and make a geometrical proportion " of it to puzzle the Archemedes of our time. Thus I in- 'f tend to propofe it. " To divide, a line given into four lines commenfurable " among themfelves, and to the whole, and which may be "of y6 *£he Sufferings and Martyrdom * l of fuch a nature, that the difference of any two, taken at " pleafure, may likewife be commenfurable, and moreover *' between the difference of any two parts taken at pleafure, *' and the difference of any two other parts taken likewife *' at pleafure, to affign a mean proportional, which may " be commenfurable to all the lines mentioned in the pro- " blem." One may conclude from thefe words, as alfo from the report of Monf. de Moivre belonging to the royal college at London, who was acquainted with Mr. de Marolles during his confinement, that the problem which he propofed was that which Mr. Ozanam printed in thefe words. " To find out four numbers, whofe num- *' ber may be equal to a number given, and fuch that the " difference of any two of them whatfoever may be a fquare " number." Thofe who know what application of mind this fcience requires, will be able to judge of the ftrength of our martyr. But he had taken the good courfe, and thrown himfelf into the arms of Providence, and peaceably fubmitted to the will of his God. XV. At length the chain departed from Paris, on Satur- day the 20th of July. Monfieur de Marolles had then the fever. He had dreaded the forrowful feparation from his wife ; and his wife, caff down, and fick with affliction could not be prefent at this forrowful departure. They had not above the breadth of a key to crofs, to enter into the boat. The galerians go two by two, carrying a long chain which paries through their particular chains in rings, our martyr was permitted by favour to be in the lafl rank : in thofe few fleps which he had to take, he met his children, who caft themfelves upon his neck, and embraced him. It is hard to reprefent this forrowful adieu without grief and emotion. One may eafily imagine that this famous galerian, who fome months fmce made fo much noife in Paris, drew a great concourfe of people; every one feemed touched with his mifery, and an ancient roman catholick merchant break- ing through the throng, came and embraced, and encou- raged him, offering him his purfe. This man hath fmce given glory to God, and retired with his family to London, there to make profeffion of the truth. Monfieur de Marolles wrote from Dijon to one of his friends at Paris ; the letter is dated the 30th of July, ten days after his departure from La Toumelle. " Our treat- " ment," Jaith he, " is extremely prejudicial to me: I dif- fembled of Louis de Mar oiks. 77 *' fembled my condition as much as pofllble at my depar- " ture. I had the fever on Thurfday the 18th of "July, which continued on Friday, and was more vio- *' lent on Saturday. I fet out therefore in this con- " dition after having refigned myfelf to the will of " God, and I have not yet wholly got rid of this fever, " which hath been continual, and without intermiffion : I " may tell you, my dear filler, that it brought me even to " death's doer, but God in his infinite goodnefs hath raifed " me up again, and I am now part danger. Our Captain " had compaffion on me, and the fecond day he had me " loofed from the chain, and kept me always in his cham- " ber, or in the boat with him. I rauft confefs that in 11 this voyage it was, that I perceived in good earneft: that I " fuffered. But notwithftanding this, my dear fir, blefs " God with me that he was pleaied to grant me fuch a fpeedy " deliverance. 1 perceive my ftrength fenfibly to return, " and I hope that before I arrive at Marfeilles I mall be " perfe&ly well recovered." It did appear by all the letters of this holy man, that he was fo far from augmenting, that he leffened his miferies, that he might not aggravate the affliction of his wife ; fo that when he ipeaks of his miferable condition, one muft be perfuaded, that it was much harder than he fpeaks of. Of this we have a proof in a letter which he wrote from Marfeilles, a little while after his arrival ; it is dated the 25th ofAuguft. " As I left Paris fick of a " fever, it hath accompanied me to this place, I have un- " dergone incredible fatigue, and have been twice at the " point of death; in which condition I lay upon planks 11 without any ftraw under me, and my hat for a pillow. ** When we left the water it was much worfe with us. We 44 were forced to be jumbled fourteen hours a day in a wag- " gon (for all thofe roads are very rough and ftony) and *' thurfl: into dungeons. Thus my dear and true friend, " God having thus proved me and furnifhed me with ne- ** ceffary affiflance, he hath at length brought me hither " pretty free from the fever, but very weak. It is a pitiful *■ fight to fee my leannefs : and what is terrible at my arrival, * l for want of exmining into my condition, they fent me *• away into the galley. I was conducted by two of our " guards who fupported me, and I was no fooner come " thither but I Was chained as the other galley flaves were. " But fevetal officers Coming to fee our chain had compaffion "on 7 8 The bufferings' and Martyrdom '. on me, efpecially MonfieUr P f.rcm Whom I received ' infinite favours. They fpake to the major who fent a on to fee me, upon vhofe report I was let loofe, ' ancNfent to the hofpital where I now am. It is a fine ' place, admirably well ordered; I live almofl wholly at ' my own charges. We are very well ferved in it, and in ' (hort I am very well fatisfied with it. I begin to eat, and ' to recover my ftrength by degrees, ancPwith God's affift- ■ ancc there is hones of my perfeift recovery within a ftioft '.time." I know not if it hath pleafed God to hear the ar- dent prayers which I have ■put up to him for the fuccefs of the journey of Verfaiiles, and I wait with extreme impatience to hear about it. By this journey of Verfaiiles, he' meant his family's departure out of the kingdom, which gave him great uneafinels ; I am, faith he, in a letter of the 30th of September, in daily concern, for my poor family, may it pieafe God to put a fpeedy end to the uneafinefs which I have about it. He was about three weeks in the galley-flave's hofpital. ■ He wrote a letter the 15th of September, by which it appeared that he was there ftill. "The miserable journey which I " have made, hath learnt me what it is to fuffer. It is there " that I begin to feel my iuiferings. Let us therefore com- " fort ourfelves, my dear child,, fmce they arepaft and gone, " and I am in a place of reft.' I live very contentedly in the " company of Monf. La Fevre. This Mr. La Fevre is like- " wife a famous martyr who was advocate at.Chatel Chinon tl in Nivernois. — We are always together, our beds join to '* one. another*- we make ui'e of but one pot. Freih fupplies - " are daily offered. to Monf. Fevre andmyfelf. One M. MV " a banker hath offered Us money, if we have occafion for " it* :.: Monf.- La F. hath likewile written to me. -twice -to* " offer me fome:. But I thank God we do not yet want it.- " M, P. hath my little treafure in his hands. He hath pro-- " vided me a fteward at the hofpital/ to take care to buy me' " what foe ver I want, and. who reckons with M. P. forhis* " expences.. . Thus you fee, my. -dear heart, that I have no** " thing elfe.to-.do, but to pray jto God, and_ he. ch earful." 1 We. fee how much -this great man made of that, little reft- and' eafe.^which hehad to comfort his- poor wife. He proceeds ;• " Let this comfort-you, and give.youoeeafion not- to .U'ou-V " bie : ypurfeif at my condition j for it.is.eafy by 'the-gra.ce of • ** God,- , 1 have further to-, tell you.thst in a .viiit. \yhich .;was ' .. - - •• made . ef Louis . de Marolles. '79 ", made here a little after our arrival, I was declared invalid, " in regard to the infirmities which you know I am fubjeol " to. — Monf. deSeignelai Cent eight or ten days fince 300 " pardons for galley-fiaves. XVI. One would wonder to fee, that among fo great a number of pardons, there was not one for our martyr, although great interceffion was made for him, and his con- demnation had troubled his judges and. all honed men. But it feems as if they had made it their bufinefs, and were in honour obliged to triumph over his conftancy and piety. He tells us a little above that he was declared invalid upon the account of his known and fecret infirmities. Neverthe- lefs we find him a few days after on board the gallies: there are letters of his which he wrote on the 23d and 30th of Sep- tember, from on board the old galley St. John, where he fays, ** It is defigriecyaext week to embark 150 invalid galley " flaves for America. I was ranked in this number , but " one of my friends told the intendant, that I was re- " covered from three great fits of ficknefs, which I have had " fince my departure from La Toumelle. This is what he " faid to his fon." He proceeds in the letter of which we give fome extracts. '* The favour which he grants me is " that he referves me for a fecond embarkation which is to. "be made towards the middle of November. The advan- *' tage which I fhall gain by this delay is, that he who fpoke " to the intendant for me, hath the direction of the veffel " in which I fhall make the voyage : fear not fir, this is not " able to lhake my conftancy: God by his grace hath fixed ':* it upon too folid foundations. I can fincerely affure you " that I heard this news with as little emotion as I am now " in about it." It mud neverthelefs be acknowledged, that this kind of perfecution was 1 terrible temptation; fo long as one is in the kingdom, one flatters ones felf, one hopes,- one receives a little fuccour and comfort from ones friends and relations. The church, whole eyes is upon us, the edi- fication of our brethren, and all things conduce to animate and encourage us to the conflict. But to fee one's felf de- prived of all thofe powerful motives at once/' to go into a new world, there to be buried as it were, feparated from the reft of mankind, in a ftate worfe than that o'i a (lave, aban- doned to the difcretion of a man, who goes to the end of the world in quefi: of riches, and who, without any regard to humanity, treats his (laves in proportion to. their labcir, 2 and 8d The Sufferings and Martyrdom and the profit which he reaps thereby. Good God ! What an Egypt is this to thofe faithful martyrs who are tranfported thither? Monfieur Marolles, notwithftanding, received this dreadful news without any emotion. " It is no matter to " me," faith he, " whether I die by land or by fea, in Europe M or America. I am permaded that all kinds of death ** of God's children is precious in his eyes. I do likewife " believe that my death would be more edifying, and more " glorious, if it mould happen during my bonds. I have " fully refigned myfelf to the will of God: I am perfuaded u that all ftates and conditions in which it fhall pleafe him " to put me are thofe ftates, in which he judges I fhall glo- " rify him better than in an infinite number of others which " he might allot me." Speaking to his fon concerning his embarking towards the middle of November, he faith, " You mult not be afflicted; this was decreed in heaven be- *' fore it was appointed on earth, and we muft all be per- " funded that it is for our good that God is thus pleafed to '* order it." He fpoke in this letter of Monf. Le Fevre his companion in bonds, and it were to be defired that fomeone would give us the hiftory of his fufFerings. Thole two famous martyrs did comfort and encourage each other. I have read a letter of Monf. de Marolles, in which he fays of Monf. Le Fevre that he wrote like a divine : they feparated them at their de- parture out of the hofpital to put them on board of different gallies. Monf. de Marolles tells his fon to acquaint Monf. Le Fevre's relations, " that he was laft Saturday (the letter is dated the 30th of September 1686) removed from the " reale where he was fince our coming out of the hofpital, *' and put on board an armed galley, called the Magnifique. " He is diftinguilhed from other galley -flaves, and placed in " the ftern." In his letter of the 23d of September to his wife, he di- verted himfelf with giving her the defcription of his galley flave habit. We fhall make no difficulty of giving fome extracts of it, .which fhewhis great foul in his natural ftate, and in the familiarity of a hufband who opens his breaft to his wife. " I live at prefent altogether alone: they bring " me food from abroad,' bread and meat at the rate of nine " fous per day. 1 am furnilhed with wine in the galley for u nothing, and with fome of the King's bread. He that " fupplies me with wine eats with me, and he is a very 1 *' honeft cf Louis de Mar oiks. Si "honeftman: I am treated with civility by all on board 11 the galley, feeing that the officers vifit me. I am getting " a quilt made to day. I intend to buy fheets, and am " going to work to procure my eafe. You will fay pelhaps *■ that 1 am an ill manager; but I have had enough of' lying " upon the hard boards ever fince Xuefday until this time. " If you were to fee me in my fine galley-Have habit, you " would be ravifhed with admiration. I have a fine little " red jacket, made juft after the fafhion of the carrier's " frocks of Ardennes. It is put on like a fhirt, for it is " open but a halfway before. I have likewife a fine red cap, " two pair of breeches, two (liirts with threads as big as my " finger, and (lockings: my cloaths of liberty are not loft; " and if it would pleafe the King to mew me favcui , I would - " take them again. We have the honef-eft patron of all " the gallies. He treats me with all manner of civility and " refpeel : he will put me into what place of the galley 1 *' pleafe: and he hath promifed me that when it is cold, he " will let me lie in his cabbin. Let all thefe fuccours which " God affords me, comfort and rejoice thee. I am already u fed *' to the place where I am, as if I had been there ail my life *' time.— rl am better here than in the hofpital. We enjoy " a good air, for there is none of us fick, neither are we " pefrered with ill fcents." He mentions at the bottom, his uneafmefs about the voyage of Verfailles. One may judge by the chearfulnefs, with which he defcribes his miiery, of the greatnefs of his foul, the liberty of his mind, and the tranquility of his heart. We mud likewife conclude, that in fpeaking of his afflic- tions and fuffering, he doth rather leffen than aggravate them: infomuch that when he gives a defcription of bis mifery, we ought to believe it upon his bare word although there wanted other teftimonies. XVII. True it is he had been reprefented to the gover- nor, the intendant, the captain of the gallies, and the chief of the fquadrons. They had been acquainted with the merit of Monf. de Marolles, and were touched with his virtue. Every one would have been glad to enjoy his company. Much about that time when the report was fpread in Hol- land, of his embarkment for America, a paftor, one of his relations and friends, wrote to him upon this fubje6t, and entreated him at the bottom of his letter to fend him the problem which he had lent to Paris, becaufe feveral G learned 82 'The Sufferings and Martyrdom learned and curious perfons, and particularly amongft others the famous Monf. Huygens defired to have it : He returned this friend of his an anfwer after the moft chriftian and edi- fying manner. After which he fpoke to him about the problem, and gave him two or three folutions of it, defiring them to excul'e him that he did not find out more, by reafon of the noife which the galley (laves made in the gal- ley. But this letter is loft. We have taken notice that our martyr leffened the account of his miferies, inftead of aggravating it ; of this we find an unexceptionable proof in a letter which he wrote to his wife the 6th. of Oclober, he declares to Her his trouble be- caufe the report of the ill ufage which he received had been fpread abroad. " It would (faith he) have troubled me very Ci much to have tarried any longer in the hofpital ; the cor- ' ' rupted air which one fucks in there, would perhaps have *' flung me into a relapfe : and I enjoy here a very healthful " air. I am exceedingly more flrong than I was at my " entrance here, I am fincere in what I write to you, and I " difguife nothing from you : for a proof of which I am" *' going to tell you that which will give you trouble,- " whereas it ought to afford you joy, for the remembrance " of paft evils is agreeable. I tell you ingenuoufly, that' n the iron which I wear on my foot, although it doth not " weigh three pounds, troubled me much more at firft " than that which you faw about my neck at La Tournelle. " This proceeded only from my great leannefs at that time: S{ but now that I have almoft recovered my former good ftate,. " it is nothing fo with me ; befides that we learn every day " to place it fo as it may give us the leaft uneafinefs." And in another letter which he wrote to his fon the next day, being the 17th of 0£tober, 1686. " I know not," faith he, " my dear child what M — thought of when he gave an " account of the ill treatment which they give us. Atleaft '."* I am certain that he ought not to have comprehended me " therein, for certainly I have been ufed very well in the ''hofpital. I was vifited almoft daily by Monl. F , con- " troller-general of the gallies, a man of underftanding and " credit. He came about feven days ago, to fee me in the '•' galley where I am, and we continued in difcourfe together ' ' lor the fpace of almoft two hours in the fiern. He always of- " fered me money upon his own credit, and from his friends, " as likewife did M. Jam — and M, Sel—another officer, You. of Louis de Marolks. 83 " You fee therefore that one muft be very hard to be fatif- *' fied, if in the condition in which one is, one is not con- " tented therewith. You will fee by the letter which I " wrote to your mother, on the 2^d of September, that I " am very well here. I have not met with any trouble, 11 excepting the two or three firft days, that I was chained " upon a bench with two galley-Haves day and night. But *' there are at firft certain rules to be obferved, and I thank " God they did not laft long. For fince that time I have *' been let loofe all the day, and have had liberty to walk " to and fro as much as I would on the galley." M. de Marolks Tpake with, discretion, not to caft his family in- to the excels of affliction ; but this is no argument that one fliould not re tie ft upon the rigour which they exercifed to- wards him. He had been declared invalid, when he was in the ho'p'tal, and incapable to ferve becaufe of his fecret infirmities. They had put him in the lift for an embarkment for America. Neverthelefs a few days after this, they t:.ke him out of the hofpital, to chain him day and night for the fpace of three days, upon a form in the galley. It is hard to penetrate into the myftery of fo unequal a conduct. We cannot at prefent give the reafon of this change, nor know if it were by a fecret order from court, which intended to tire out this bleifed martyr, or whether it was the compaf- fion of fome general officers, who would exempt him from the embarkment for America, which was to be made in November. Although it mould be fo, our martyr himfelf was not able to fee into this myftery, and did not then underftand this good intention, if there were any in it. For he fays to his fon in the fame letter; "Take fpecial care, not to *' fpeak to your mother of the embarkments for America. * ' I am at prefent very Well ; I live with him that fells the wine " in our galley; I am very well fed, 1 lie in his chamber, " and we have each of us our bed." We fee the care which this good hufband and father took to give an account of thofe few conveniencies which he enjoyed, for the confola- tion of his family, the forrowful condition of which afford- ed him the mofl fenfible occafion of his uneafinefs. " You " afford me," he proceeds, " the greateft fatisfaftiort in the " world, in fending me word, that your aunt hath put " ) our buSmefs of Versailles in a good forwardnefs, and that " your mother is with God's afliftance, in continual hopes u to finifli it." I have already obferved that by this bufi- G 2 nefs, 84 The Sufferings and Martyrdom nes, he meant, their going out of the kingdom. Fail not to let me know what ihe hath done in it, upon your firft knowlege of it. — I be ( eech God with all the powers of my qui to grant you a happy ilfue to this affair. XVIII. We have a while ago put it as a queftion, whether the inequality of the conduct, which we obferved with re- fpefl to M. de Marolies proceeded from a fpirit of rigour, or from a good intention. But one cannot any longer doubt, but that they did it for no other end, but to fink and deprefs with the weight of affliction both him and Monf. Le Fevre, his illufrrious companion in fufferings and glory. This is what he wrote to his wife fifteen days after that of which we have juft now fpoken: it is dated from la Tiere the 24th of October, 1606. " You muft not difturb and d'if- " quiet yourfelf for me. I am at prefest in perfect health, " but in order fully to perfuade you, that 1 will conceal 110- " thing of my condition from you ; I give you to underftand " that Monf. le Fevre, and I are not any more fet loofefrom the ' ' chain, neither day nor night, and that we are not any longer " allowed the liberty ofgoingonihore, nor fuffered to receive " letters, nor write any which are not feen. Wherefore if you " do not meet with any more trifles in mine, by which " I endeavoured to divert thee in thy trouble, be not af- V dieted at it, and do not impute any thing to me for it. " He meant without doubt by thefe trifles, that which he had " written to her concerning his feaman's habit. M. Le " Fevre had the honour to appear before the biihop of Mar- " feilles, and exactly at the time they tell us when the " orders were come down from the court, to reduce us to " the condition, which I have juft told you 1 am in. I " have, and muft again, within a little while, pafs into dif- " ferent conditions. I have changed my galley thrice in " one week, from la Grande S. Jean, I have been removed " to la Petit, and from thence to La Grande Royal, from " whence I was conducted with feveral other galley-flaves. " to the pare, a place where they divide them. Laftly, I was " put on board an armed galley, which is called la Fierce. " The intendant told me 1 muft prepare myfelf for a " fecond emb irkment for America, which is to be about the " middle of November next. If I happen to be one of the " number, let not this afflict you, my dear child. Let us " reiign our I elves to the Providence of God, who does all i( things with an infinite wildom, and with a molt noble " end of Louis de Mar oUes. 85 *< end for his children. We are not able to m?ke a good " choice, becaufe we know not wh t is befi for us. Let us " therefore leave it to him, who knows how 1o bring light *< out of darknefs, and to call the things that are not, as if they "were; and let us be peruaced that he Mill do nothing " but what will be for his own glory, and our (alvct'on. " Let us not oppofe his will, by impatience, or fruitlefs " tears. We cannot be ignorant of his divine will ; it evl- * dently appears to us by the effects. Our feparation, " which, to confder it in ltfelf, is the moft hard and bitter '* thingin the world for us, is not fo if we ronfider it as it is the " will of God, fmce it is from thence that it doth proceed. " And fnce the judgment of men doth only pronounce 44 the decres of Providence, let us lay our hand upon our " mouths, let us with profound fubmiilion and obedience, " adore the hand which fmites us. Let us fay with Eli, it " is the Lord let him do what J'eemetb him good.. Let us not doubt " but that he will lhew us by a happy experience, that all work- " eth together for the good of thofe that love and fear him* " Let us profit by his difcipline ; let us not regard ouf ftate " with the eyes of the body ; let us not confine our fight to " to the miferies of this life; let us carry it to the glorious " recompences which God promifes his children. Let us *'* be perfuaded that if w,e weep and mourn now, there will " come a day when we fhall be comforted. They :,re *' thele coniiderations, my dear wife, which fupport " me, and which make me iwallow and digeft all my * 4 mifery without much trouble. Believe what I am gomg " to tell you, and praftife it. Do not disquiet yourfelf for " me, for all my changes are for the better. I protefl to " you that I never yet have been fo well, as I now am, fl There are two little cabbins at the head of the galley, of " which I have one. This favour was procured me by a " young officer, whom I teach Algebra. It is four or five " days ago, fmce 1 was vifted by a certain head of a fqua- " dron, called M. de I , I lhould perhaps have received "as much from another chief head of the iquadron, if he " were not abfent." This makes me to be confidered by the fut -officers of our galley. Let this comfort thee. I know not what fo many honeft perfons may think, who could not refufe their efteem to the merit of M. de Marolles, nor their admiration of his patience, to fee fo refolute a pro- ceeding in the perfecution which was made againfl him. I am, G 3 for 86 The Sufferings and Martyrdom for my part, perfuaded, that it is impoffible, but that this fpirit of cruelty and violence which theRomifh religion infpires, mufti leave great prejudices in the minds of all thofe who are able to judge of the fury of the perfecutors, and the patience, and conflancy of the martyrs. One fees an honeft man rea- dy to be fnatched out of the land of the living as I may fay, ready to be confined for ever, and without any hopes of re- turning in thofe remote and unknown climates, where cruelty and barbarity have a full fcope, to exercife their fury upon the miferable. What tranquillity neverthelefs do we fee in the heart of our martyr, what truft in the provi- dence of his God! What resignation, what fubmiffion to his will ! As he was deprived of the liberty of writing with that eafe that he formerly did, as he obferves in the foregoing letter, we find no letter from him for the fpace of a whole month. Neverthelefs, it appears that his good friend, who was with the Duke of Maine, was in that time to prefent a pe- tition for Mr. de Marolles to the King, from which he ex- pe6ted no good fuecefs, any more than his friend. This letter is dated from the galley laFiere the 26th of November, 1686. '* He acquaints his wife with the joy which he had *' for her voyage of Verfailles, that is, her departure out " of France, which makes me," faith he, " daily pour out " my foul before my God, to thank him for all the mercies " and favours, which he has bellowed upon us all; the *' other letter was delivered to me the 6th current, together *' with another excellent one from our good relation and " friend." This was that pallor who wrote to him upon the news of his tranfportation into America, and who defired him to fend him his problem. " I with I were able to fend him an anfwer, and return ? 4 him all thanks, which fomany marks of his precious friend- " {hip, which he affords me, deferve: But I dare not 41 undertake it, and you muft acquit me of that duty towards f him, you mull affure him, and all his family, of the fince- V tity of my affe£tion; that his good letter afforded me 4 ' great confolation, that it flrengthened my faith, and 44 fettled my hopes, and that it hath produced excellent " fruits in my foul. He notwithllanding, returned him (' an anfwer a little while after. Defire him always to afford 41 me the afliftance of his good prayers. My fupport per- f* haps is owing to the fupplication of fo many good fouls, " who of Louis de Marolles. 87 et who pray for me both in private and in public, for of " myfelf I am altogether nothing elfe but weaknefs and in- " firmity ; neyerthelefs by the grace of my God I ftill ftand, ■f* and I hope that I (hall perfevere faithful unto him, even 4( unto death ; and that in recompence he will give me the '* crown of life. Whatfoever hazard I run to write to " thee, 1 will not forbear to do it, as often as God Ihall " give me opportunity. It is the only happinefs which is 4< left us in our forrowful feparation to be able to confer * l with and comfort one another. But I mall likewife con- " fine myfelf to write to thee alone for the future. Ac- 41 quaint our intimate friend in particular with it, and de- " lire him not to take it ill that I ufe him thus." It is cer- tainly Monf. jurieu that he means, from whom he received notat le fc-rvice, and great confolations. " Let him know likewife, that I received his laft and his " firft at the fame time, for which I return him thanks, and *' def re that he will always aflift me with his prayers. If the ** letters that I Ihall write to you are intercepted, and im- *' puted to me as a crime, it (hall be a crime which I ihall always " take pleafure and del.ght in confeffing, before all tho*e who " ihall queftion me about it. I do not think that perfon of a 4< juft and equitable fpirit, who can think jll of, and blame a " hufband for endeavouring to comfort his wife, in fucfa. 41 forrowful conjunctures as thefe are, to which it has " pleafed God to reduce us. This, my dear heart, is my " resolution upon that point. Notwithftanding, let us '* both of us do all things with a chriftian prudence, fo that ** we may give no handle againfl us to thole who only wait " for an opportunity; and as to the reft, let us rely upon " the providence of God, the fingular favours and mercies V of which we daiiy experience." A little lower after hav- ing exhorted her, " to offer up their bodies and fouls to " God as a living facrifice, holy and acceptable which is *' our reafonable fervice," he fays, " this is what I daily u ftudy to do. I can truly tell you, that there paiTes but " few nights, but I water my bed with my tears. I do not " fay this, my dear heart, to afflift thee, I do on the con- " trary imagine, that this news may afford thee matter of *' joy, and an holy occaflon to join with me in blelling *' God for it. For thefe tears are not the effects of a worldly '" forrow which bringeth foTth nothing but death. But W they proceed from the grace of God, iome of them from G 4 " that 8 8 The Sufferings and Martyrdom " that godly for row which brlngeth forth repentance to falvatian; " never to be repented of> others from the joy which I feel "when I confider with admiration, how great the mercies " and favours are which God doth, and hath beftowed upon " you all, and upon myfelf. I likewife reflect with extreme '■ joy and fatisf'ction upon the facrifice, which thou haft " offered up to God, of the goods which he had given to " thee and ms. Thou mighteft have enjoyed them, if " thy heart h id been turned and inclined that way. But *.' thou haft made thee 3 treafure of them in heaven, where rujt " and thieves fpoil ot. This treafure will provide for the time *? to come, for thee •ad our children, a fblid foundation for " eternal life* Thou has efteemed the precious liberty " of ferving God of much greater worth, than the riches' " of this world. Thou haft like Mary chofen the good ( - part, which lhall not be taken from thee. I allure you '•' my de^.r, that thou couldeft not have made a choice more " to my mind. 1 praife God with all the powers and fa- " culties of my foul, who hath given me a wife truly " chriftian, who will in my ab fence do her endeavour to V teach our children to.be chriftians." XIX. During the month of December, our martyr had feveral conferences, and difputes with clergymen at the' biihop of Merfailles'. The effects of thofe conferences were to be feared, becaufe they often ferved only to render their condition worfe, as it is thought it happened to Moni. La Fevre, who had been with the biihop of Merfailles before Monf. de Marolles ; He acquaints us in a letter written to his wife, with ail that happened to him. It is dated from the galley La Fiere, the 20th of January, 1687. " Hebe- V gins with willies for the new year, and advifes her not " lightly to give credit, to all the grevious reports, which " were fpread abroad of his condition, and to believe no- " thing of it, but what he fhould write himfeif:" fpeaking of this public report, he faith ; " all that is falfe of which you " fent me word, except two things, namely, that for above •' three months fince, I have been confined to the chain " day and night, and that I have not been free from thence, " only to be conveyed to the biihop of Marfeilles. I aiTure f* thee, that I have not as yet received orders from any one f* to employ myfelf in work. I fat very quietly in my place and law it done before the fhort days, and it is at prefent (lone almoft every day before I am removed from my " place of Louis de Marolles. 89 w place ; praife Cod therefore with me, for this merciful *' treatment which he affords me, and befeech him that fo 44 long as he {hail think good to continue my fulferings, my ¥ condition may not become worl'e." They, it is probable judged him unable to bear the fatigue, by reafon of his weaknels and fecret infirmities. " I aifure you," he pro- 44 ceeds, " I have not fo much reafon to complain as you 44 imagine, and that the time flips away very quickly. The " week is no fooner begun, but I find myfelf at the end of 44 it. When I am up, after having prei'ented my petitions 44 to God, I read fix, .'even, or eight chapters of holy fcrip- 44 ture; I make fuch reflections and obfervations thereon as 44 I am able. I draw from this divine lburce, all the con- 44 folations which I ftand in need of. God himfelf doth 44 moft plentifully furniih me \ ,T ith them, and with his pre- " cious balm of gilead, he gently anoints and fupples all " the wounds which my fuflerings may make in my heart." All thofe letters of which we give extracts, are written with his own hand. " The good Monf. le Fevre, he pro- ceeds, '* my dear companion in bonds, hath been taken a 44 month fmce out of the Magnihque, where he was very " well, and was removed to la Grand Royal, where they ** put fetters and two chains on his foot. This fad con- 44 dition did not long continue thus. A galley-Have be- 44 longing to our galley, was the day before yefterday on " board the fame galley where he was, and informed me at 44 his return, that he did not any longer wear his chains, 44 and fetters but in the night only." It would be a difficult matter, rightly to fathom the myftery of all thole changes and alterations. M. de Marolles fays nothing of it. Was it not that when thofe blelfed martyrs, had met with fome icene of humanity in the galley wherein they were, and their virtue had procured them fome compaffion, then the zealous miffioner, always cruel, always implacable, caufed them to be removed elfewhere, to try if they could not at length meet with barbarous officers, and fit to do the work of executioners ! The rigour perhaps was likewife augmented againft thele famous contelfors, when the conferences had not fucceeded to the honour of the miffioners. It feems that this was the opinion of our martyr, when he adds, 4t I tell thee in- M genuouily, my dear child, that I was afraid that the end of 44 the conferences, which I had at the bifhop of Marseilles', f* would caft me into a very bad condition. But my fears 44 are $o The Sufferings and Martyrdom ** arediffipated, and they are ended as well and as happily *' as I could defire them-. I have therein followed the advice *' of St. Peter; I have thereat rendered a reafon with mi-ld- " nefs, and reverence of the hope that is in ?ne. I made an end 44 of thofe affairs at the 6th interview. I have had theho- 4< nour to difpute more than once before that illuftrious 44 prelate; but the flrongeft debate was, between a divine " come from Paris, and myfelf. Laft Tuefday the yth day 44 of this month, was the laft time that I was there. After " having told this almoner, that the anfwers which he made " to my proportions could not give me fatisfa&ion, we 44 parted good friends. When I came down, I defired to 44 pay my refpeointednie by the foyereign phyfician of my body and oul, to whom I have refigned myfelf, and that he would not have appointed it, if he had not judged it neceflary. It is by this means, and the fparing manner after which I have lived for all this prefent year, that God hath pre- ferved me in life and health. Beware therefore of falling into regret, whereas you ought to blefs God for his mer- ciful conduft towards me. I have juft told you that I have fullered nakednefs, \ have been almoft a year with- out flirts, my cloaths are more torn and ragged than thofe of the pooreft beggars, which (land at the church doors. I have gone bare-foot, till the fifteenth of December, I fay bare-foot, for \ have had {lockings which had no feet, and a pair of old ihpes unfewed on both fides, and bored. through the foals. An intendant who came into this city three years ago, faw me in this magnificent drefs, and though he promifed me much, yet he left me ten months in this condition, at the end of which God raifed mc up fuccour, which there was no room to expert. He put it into the heart of a charitable and pious perfon, the Al- moner of the citadel to vifit me ; this without doubt was done with the agreement of the King's lieutenant, who is likewife very charitable. And having feen me in thefor- rowful condition in which I was, he went out immedi- ately to fetch me fome of his linen, but I hindered him. But at length he did folicit fo well for me, that he pro- cured me a whole galley-flave's fuit, and obliged the ma- jor to buy me a pair of (hoes, and a clpfe.pair of breeches out of my own money. So that by the care of this good perfon, I am better cloathed than I have ever been in all my captivity. He procured me likewife a more, notable advantage, which is that, ever frnce this year and. a half, the King's lieutenant gives me every day a lanip full of oil, which gives me light for fix, {even, and eight riours. This gives me an opportunity to read the holy fcripturS more than I did before. They gave me but a little can- dle for a Hard a day. I believe that this is eriough to Sa- tisfy thy curiofity. I mufl further add, that I have been, for thei'e five or fix months, troubled with an oppreffion of the lungs, which aimoit took away my breath. I have " likewife of Louis de Marolks* 99 ' likewife been troubled with giddinefs, and have fallen 1 down fo as to break my head. This giddinefs I impute « to the want of food. But I am now by the grace of God ' in more perfect health than I have been thefe forty years. • I fpeak, my dear, fincerely as in the prefence of God. ' It is two or three months that they give me regularly 1 three little loaves, and often foup, imce which time my • head is almoft fettled, and I fleep much better, and my ' giddinefs is almoft over. After the comfortable news ■ which I tell you think no more but to rejoice at it, and to ' praife God for it, and labour after thy health which fhall ' always be mine. This I conjure you in the name of God, 1 and let not your fufpicions any more trouble the reft ' and fatisfa&ion, which I find in the poffeflion of my ■ God." XXIII. That major of the citadel, from whom our mar- tyr received fuch ill treatment, is called Lambert. He can- not allege the King's orders in excufe. He was not com- manded to be fure to keep back his money, to make his ad- vantage out of the King's five fols, not to fend him his din- ner till ten o'clock at night, and to. let his cloaths rot upon the body of his prifoner, and to refufe him fire in the win- ter. However rigorous the orders might be, one might ex- ecute them like an honeft man, or like an executioner. One may likewife judge of it by a letter of our martyr written on the firft day of the year 1 692 , to one of his companions in affli&ion- After having acquainted him with thefituation of his foul, and alfured him that through the grace of God, flefh and blood had never harrafled him, to yield to any of their pernicious coun- cils. He gives him an account of his little neceffities, and fays, " I entreat you with my ufual boldnefs, to buy me if you " can, for three fols and a half, fome thread which is not " dyed, to mend my linen, and as much brown thread, for 41 my breeches and other cloaths, and to caufe the whole *' to be bound up into two bottoms. That will be enough 4 * to ferve me the remainder of my days. It is above fix " weeks fmce the ferjeants have afked the major every day " for fome for me, without ever obtaining any. Thus do " I fare in all things with him. He has for thefe three 4 * months, refufed to get my linen warned." Muft he not be very cruel, to ufe him after this manner. XXIV. In the following letter may be feen how thofe two famous confeffors comfort and encourage each other, H 2 M. de \ \ Go The Sufferings and Martyrdom M. de Marolles tells his friend, " You fpeak juft to my "mind, rny dear brother, when you fay that we -alone fhall *'' be the perfons, whom the King will not make to feel the " effects of his clemency. We are brought upon the ftage *' ill order to ftrike a terror into the whole kingdom, and " upon whom muft fall that vengeance*, which the King " mikes' thofe to feel, who do not acquiefce, and fubmifc " to his orders. But, if we have had the misfortune to dii- " obey our great monarch, let this be our comfort that we "■ did it out of an indifpenlible neceffity to which we were V reduced, of difobeying him. We have preferred the obe- " uieace which we owe to the Divine, to that which we owe " to human mojefty. This is the laudable crime for which " we fuffer fo many mifefies. Let us always fix our eyes " upon the glorious recompences, which God referves in ' • Heaven for us, for that very crime for which the God of this " world will perhaps never forgive us. Let us wait the will " of the Lord, and "be always faithful to him." It muft be "cbferved that in this letter, there are certain proofs that ne of our martyrs letters had been communicated to the King. XXV. He wrote again to his wife on the 24th of March, y'6')2, and acquaints her with the fole trouble that had af- fiioied him during't.he whole time of his captivity. He begins with iris joy that her letter of the 16th ofDecember had been delivered to him ; after' which he advertifed her that the pir .dure of this correfpondence might be interrupted, and that (he muft prepare herielf for it. At length he tells her ; " The chriftian manner in which, my dear wife, you re- " iceived the account of my fufxerings, engages me to hide " nothing thereof from you. Ail that you know is but " very little in companion of what I am going to tell you. *' I krrow very well that I cannot perform what I propofe " to : lyfeif, without making an open confeffion of my ^infirmities, and the nr.rrownefs ofmyfpirit: but I have " always been fmcere, and will continue fo to the end. I " will endeavour" to make myfelf|)afs for no other than for " a man or very common endowments. When I was taken "out of the galley and brought hither, I found at firft a " great deal ot pltafure in this change. My ears were no " longer offended with the horrid and blafphemous founds, * i with which thofe places continually echoed. I had the " liberty to fing at every turn the praifes of my God. I " could of Louis de Marolles. lor " could proftrate myfelf before hirrk as often as I pleafed* *' Moreover I was difcharged from that uneafy chain, which •' was infinitely more troublefome to me than that of thirty ** pounds weight which you faw me carry. But notwith- " ftanding all thefe troubles, the Lord who had a mind to " make me experience his fuccour and aflTftance in a rare " and extraordinary manner, fufFered me to fall into a terri- " ble trial. The folitude and perpetual darknefs in winch " I fpent rhy days prefented my narrow foul with fuch a " frightful and terrifying idea, that they made a very fatal " impreffion thereon. It was filled with a million of falfe f* and vain imaginations which did very often tranfport " it into deliriums and idle fancies, which laired fometimei " for the fpace of two whole hours. My prayers were no " remedy againft this evil. God was pleafed that it fhould V continue for fome months. I was plunged into a pro- " found abyfs of affli&ion. When I coniidered together " with this forrowful condition my little bodily reft, I con- " eluded from thence it was the high road to diitraftion, and " that I fhould never efcape falling into it. I inceffantly im- " plored thefuccours of my God. I begged of him, that he " would never fuffer mine enemies to tr.uniph over me and " my fufferings in fo forrowful a manner as that was. At " length after much prayer, fighs and tears, the God of " my deliverance heard my petitions, and after fo many " tempefts fent a perfe6l calm and ferenity. He diffipated- " all thofe illusions which gave me fo much trouble. After *' having delivered me out of fo fore a trial, never have any •■': doubt, my deareft wife, that God will not deliver me out " of all others in general. Do not therefore difquiet yourfelt ** any more about me. Hope always in 'the goodnefs of " God, and your hopes (hall not be in vain. I ought not, 41 in my opinion, to forget to take notice of a coniiderable •' circumftance which tends to the glory of God. The du- *-' ration of fo great a temptation, was, in my opinion, the " proper time for the old ferpent to endeavour to caft me V into rebellion and infidelity. But God always kept him •' in fo profound a filence, that he never once offered to in-* ** feft me with any of his pernicious councils, and I never felt " the leaf! inclination to revolt. Ever fince thefe forrowful days *' God hath always filled my heart with joy. I pofTefs my " foul in patience. He makes the days of my affli&ion U fpeedily to pafs away. I have no fooner begun them but I ** find myfelf at the end of them. With the bread and wa- H 3 »• ter i ©4 The Sufferings and Martyrdom " ter of affli&ion, with which he tries me, he affords me •' continually moft delicious repafts." XXVI. This is the laft letter of this bleffed martyr which hath been put into my hands. We muft believe that they doubled the ftri&nefs with which they kept him, to deprive him of this confolation. We are likewife informed by the letter of a faithful confeffor who was on board the gallies, and who hath always run all hazards, to do our martyr all the fervices that he could, that the extreme weaknefs of his body and eyes hindered him from reading and writing, a month or two before his death. Which happened on the 17th of June, in the year 1692, and he was buried by Turks In the fame place where thofe infidels were buried. There is an extraft of a letter written from Marfeilles of the 20th of June, 1692, which fays, " The fubjeft of this prefent, is 4 * chiefly to acquaint you with the death of Monf. de Marolles, ** that famous confeffor of Chrift, who hath beenfo longfhut *' up in a dungeon in the great citadel, where they have made •* him to fuffer very much. Hewaspreffedtothe laft to change *' his religion, but he hath always perfevered in his own. He *' died the day before yefterday, being buried by Turks " among the Turks. They muft make an end as they had be- *' gun. Thus is he out of his mifery, and crowned with glory " in Abraham's bofom. We ought to de-fire to end our days " as holyly as he did, who died a true martyr with great *' conftancy and refignation. Thus (hall he enjoy an eter- *' nal recompence, whereas his perfecutors (hall have a great " account to give to the fovereign judge." I pafs by other circumftances for fear of difcovering the author of this let- ter, who is perhaps a roman catholic, fmitten with the fufferings of our martyr. " If you do not know Monf. de " Marolles's relations, communicate, if you pleafe, what I " write to you to Mr. Barnard, who hath fometimes afked* " me about him. May God comfort the afflicted who " ought to be glad to hear that he is at reft. He had no- " thing to hope for but fufferings in this world." There is ftill another letter of the 20th of June written to his wife, by that generous confeffor who was on board the gallies, and who rendered our martyr all manner of fervices and confolations, as appears by the anfwers which Monf. de Marolles returned to his letters. He faith, among other things, that this dear martyr of the Lord re- figned his fpirit into the hands of his father on the 17th day of the prefent month, and was the next day laid in his laft grave of Louis de Mar oiks. 103 grave by fix Turks, as it is the cilftom hereto bilfy thpfe who die faithful to their faviour. I cannot, he proceeds, give you an exa£l account of his laft hours, nor his laft words. But I will tell you in a few words that whi.cn hath been known. You have already learned by the letters of this dear martyr, that after having groaned for fome time un- der irons, he was removed to a dungeon dreadful for its ob- fcurity, and much more fo for its ftench. You know that they fed him but very ill there, and that he often laboured un- der hunger, not "having enough even of bread and water, which was his common' diet. This great aufterity made him very weak, and fiurfg him into great vertigoes, fo that he fell aown about two months firice with very weaknefs, and dallied his head againft the wall in which he made feveral wounds. He hath been' continually languishing ever fince that moment, and his life hath.been nothing elfebut a liv- ing death. Thofe who had the management of him, were infenfible of all his pains excepting that for thefe fix weeks part, they gave him a little better, and a little greater quan- tity of vicluals. But his body was weakened, and his na- ture brought fo low, that it could not recover its ftrength. This faithful fervant of the Lord had almoft loft his fight about a month fmce: and although I had fent him your laft letters, he could neither read them nor return any anfwer.. He likewife returned me thofe which I from time to time wrote to him* He was forced to be contented with hearing by word of mouth from me, arid caufed me to be told that he recommended himfelf to the prayers of his good friend, and that he thought of nothing elfe but his departure. God hath at length difpofed of him, and he fhall return to us no more. He hath gone through the moft cruel tor- ments which inhumanity in its utmoft extent could infiift ; but yet God hath never fuffered them to make a prize of his innocence. — I muft tell you foT yourconfolation, that from the time that they faW this dear martyr begin to grow weak and decay, he was often vifited by doctors of the con- trary communion; but this firm and immoveable fervant of God was not moved by their vifits. He heard without trouble that which he rejected, and did not return railing for railing. He bleft his enemies to the laft. His glory will never be blotted out neither in heaven nor in the earth. XXVII. Let us follow the thoughts of this confeflor of the truth, ar»d fay with him, that the glory pfMonf. de 2 H 4 Marolles 404- The Sufferings and Martyrdom Marolles will never be extinguished in the eyes of God or men. One may without exaggeration fay that he was one of the moft famous martyrs that the church ever knew. He hath undergone all the moft formidable afflictions that the world , that the fury of perfecution could invent . He hath fuf- tained every thing which was able to fhock human nature t But he fuftained it like that houfe built upon a rock which Jefus Chrift fpeaks of in the gofpel, which the. moft violent ftorms could not overthrow. He feemed to be engaged to the world by the ftrongeft bonds of flefh and blood; he had an eftate, he had a wife and children who were dear to him. How often have they laid before him, by flattering promifes, the advantages of the world, fince fuch great and frequent efforts were made to triumph over his fidelity ? they could not fay that a morofe and conceited humour had produced any thing like obftinacy in his foul. His conftancy was well founded, it was enlightened and grounded upon good reafons. He always gave areafon of his hope with modefty. This is ateftimony, which all the do&ors who have had any conference with him cannot refufe to give him. One year on board the gallies, five years in a dungeon, perplexed withdarknefs, and ftench, always expofed to cold, nakednefs, and hunger! Imagination itfelf cannot without horror, form a juft idea of all thdfe fufferings. Notwithftanding, this blefled martyr informs us, that dur- ing the whole time of fo tedious and dreadful a combat, in which he was befieged by all the horrors of this life, in which the world prefented him with its riches and honours , this foul faithful to his God, always kept his flefh in a re- fpeciful filence to the adorable providence of that great God, who would be glorified in his afflictions. What' a treafure of confolation and inftruclion would it be to all the faithful, if we had the thoughts, the meditations, the prayers, the private conferences of this holy foul with his God, during thofe five years in which his body lay buried in the deep mire, to fpeak in the language of the royal prophet. But fince we cannot have an account of the effects which this eminent faith produced, we ought to make many ufeful and falutary refle6tions upon fo famous an example. Thofe libertines who defpife piety, and redicule its promifes, ought to tremble and ftand in awe of the judgments of God. They believe neither heaven nor hell, nor the refurreclion, nor life eternal. What affurance have they of this annihila- tion of Louis de Mar oiks. .105 tion, which fliould make them expect death with fuch a bru- tal fecurity, as if they had certain demonftrations of this* pretended future annihilation? Our martyr was endued with a folid judgment, a piercing fpirit ; he was enlight- ened, and was a good philofopher. He hud time often to reflect upon eternity: and the reward appeared to him fo certain, that his hope gave him the victory .over all the moft dreadful evils which were able to ihake and ftagger the heart of mankind. Such a fteady, fuch an unlhaken fidelity, wants but very little of being as forcible and convincing as the teftimony of a foul, which had already enjoyed the blefled \ifion of God. This martyr fhould likewife awaken thofe chriflians lulled a fleep m error, who flatter themfelves that they are not liable to thofe penalties with which Jefus Chrift has threatened thofe who lhall deny him before men, becaufe they have not abjured the gofpel to receive the alcoran. Our martyr be- ing convinced of the truth, which God had made known unto him, was perfuaded, that the fidelity which God ex- pected from him, obliged him, not to fuffer the truth by any means to be prejudiced, nor any breach to be made in his faith. He would preferve it pure and inviolable, as he had received it from his God. He likewife teaches thole fluggifh chriftians, who live in the world as the reft of men do, contented with performing the exterior fervice which religion prefcribes; our martyr, I fay, teaches them to work out their falvation with an holy fear. For if we muft be faithful to him when he calls us to fullering, we do not owe him lefs obedience in the things which he commands us to do, and which the gofpel requires of us. His example likewife inftructs us to put our truft in God, in the moft lbrrowful conjunctures of this life. Did we but know his fecret foliloquies, how often ihould we find him ftrengthening, and comforting himfelf with thofe words of" his iaviour, Let not your heart be troubled, and be notfearful\ ye believe in God, believe alfo in me. And with thofe of his Apoftle. I foiozv whom I have believed, and I am perfuaded, that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him, in- fomuch that neither death nor life, Jhall ever feparate me from the love which God hath f jewed me in Chrijl Jefus. If God is for us who fliall be againjl us. Lastly, This cruel inhumanity with which our martyr was fo long perfecuted, ought to give us juft ideas of the Romiih io6" *tbe Sufferings and Martyrdom, &c. RomHh religion. For where truth is, there alfo muft hu* Inanity and charity of neceffity be. By confequence a reli- gion which ends difputes by fire arid faggot, cannot without difpute, have any (hare in the ialutary truths which Jefus Chrift delivered, nor that fpirit of the gofpel, which is a ibirit of rnildnefs, which doth good to all men^ but efpecinlly to thofe of the houjhold of faith. Cod grant that tnofe of this communion who {incerely feek to work out their falvation, may ferioufly think thereupon ; and may the fight of fo much violence and bar- barity, which this religion infpires and exercifes ; may the voice and groans of fo many affli&ed perfons, becaufe they would not betray their confcience, rouze them out of fheir ftupidity to read the word of God, that they may (featch out the truth therein, and openly profefs it after fhey have found it, in giving glory to God. Amen, U A N HISTORICAL ACCOUNT op the SUFFERINGS AND DEATH OF THE FAITHFUL CONFESSOR AND MARTYR, M. ISAAC LE FEVRE, AN ADVOCATE OF PARLIAMENT, WHO, AFTER EIGHTEEN YEARS IMPRISONMENT, DIED A SLAVE IN THE FRENCH KING'S GALLIES. TOGETHER WITH A PARTICULAR RELATION OF THE CONDITION OF THE OTHER MISERABLE PRISONERS THERE. Extracted out of his own, and other Confeffors Letters, and authentic Memoirs. DONE INTO ENGLISH FROM THE FRENCH. TO WHICH IS PREFIXED, A PREFACE BY THE EDITOR. THE PREFACE !j F T H E E D I T O R. IT is a fixed and unalterable majcim with me, " that the " church, or body of chriftians, who are for promoting " their intereft by the fpirit of perfecution, i. e. by lay- " ing any violence on the confciences of men, are not, and " cannot be a true part of the church of Chrift. I need not enlarge on this point, fmce the whole tenour of the gofpel, that is, the whole chriftian difpenfation, breaths forth no- thing but love and an univerfal charity even towards thofe, who .are fo unhappy as ftill to perfift in the wrong ; and would have no other force offered to them, but fuch as pro- ceeds from the ftrength of a cogent argument. The na- ture of man is fuch, as not to be dragged, but led by gen- tle and rational methods to his duty ; and whenever any vi- olence is offered to him, he is apt to break out into a paffion, and by that very means to be prejudiced againft the truth itfelf. To fet this matter in a clear light, let us take a fhort view of the method which the apoftles and their immediate fol- lowers puriued in converting perfons to chriftianity. St. Peter in his difcourfes to the Jews and profelytes, makes ufe only of fuch arguments to convince them as were con- victive, and pricked them to the heart ; and the greateft in- flance of his feverity was by virtue of his fpirituaj authority againft Ananias and Sapphira, who lied againft the Holy- Ghoft, which cannot be drawn into confequence to juftify the practice of any future ages. That famous fynod of the apoftles, recorded A£ts xv. was fo far from rigour, and impofing upon the confciences of the new converted gen- tiles, that it only enjoined them fuch things as natural rea- fon would have dilated to them. St. Paul the great apoftle of the gentiles, though truly zealous in the caufe of Chrift and no PREFACE, and his religion, though he pronounced his anathema's and Maranatha's very frequently, yet was he fo very far from the fpirit of persecution, that he was for reducing men from the error of their ways by the fpirit of meeknefs. And when he had pafled the mod dreadful fentence of excommunica- tion againft the inceftuous perfon, with what tendernefs does he exprefs himfelf upon that perfon's repentance? I need not infift upon the practice of the other apoftles, fince it is plana, that the fevereft of them were not for com- mitting delinquents in points of confcience to the fecular power, but condemned them by their own ecclefiaftical jurif- di&ion and cenfures. What has been faid of the apoftolical times, may with a great they aimed at joining St. Paul's fword to St. Peter's keys, and affected the fupremacy in temporal as well as in fpiritual af- fairs. The chriftain Princes oppofed the ufurpation for fome time, and the pope was forced to drop his point, till at laft taking the advantage of their, mutual contefts, which no ques- tion were under-hand kept up by him, he gained his end. For fome of thofe princes he by promifes wheedled, and others he by threatenings huffed into a compliance with his. ambitious ends. Now the papal court was arrived to its greateft height, and what violence and force, what cruelties and oppreffions it has exercifed from that time hitherto in order to Iceep up its fpiritual and temporal grandeur, is notorious- to all who know any thing of church-hiftory. St. Peter's keys have not 112 PREFACE. not been fo ufeful to fupport the papal throne, as St. Paul's fword. So that if any prince has been fo refty as to call in queftion this new acquired authority, not only bulls and excommunications, but even fire and {word, depofit'ions and maffacres, have been the effects of putting the affront on this univerfal monarch. Hence it ha\ come to pafs, that fubje&s have been difcharged of their allegiance to their law- ful fovereigns, their kingdoms difpofed of to others, armies and fleets raifed, invafions encouraged, plots and maffacres countenanced and hleffed by the roman pontiff, efp*ecially if this has been againil heretical princes, or princes that feem- ed to favour heretics. To this fpring we owe the doftrine of not keeping faith with hereticks, of the lawfulnefs of de- pofmg and killing kings, with the like. To this we owe the crufadoes raifed, and inquifitions let up, againft thole that oppofed the papal tyranny, both before and fmce the refor- mation began in Luther's time. In fhort, if we furvey pope* ry from top to bottom, we (hall find a black fpirit of perfe- ction running through all its parts ; and that it may well be flyled the great whore, which makes itfelf drunk with the blood of the faints. Need we rake into the hiftory of part ages to juftify the charge? No, we have one nearer home within our own me- mory, nay, within our prefent knowledge, and which proves but too well the truth, or at leaft the probability of what is contained in the following relation of the fufferings and death of M. le Fevre. One would have thought that fo foft and polite a nation, as France pretends to be, would never have acted with fo much fury againft its own members. But the diabolical fpirit of Antichrift has infufed its venom into that .as well as into other nations. The prince actuated withapopifh zeal, and to fhew he deferved the character given by the court of Rome of moil chriftian, was refolved to have but one reli- gion in his kingdom . Hence was the edi£t of Nants repealed, and the protectants opprelfed on all hands : their mmifters and principal men baniihed, and the reft left to be converted by miffionary dragoons. Under this oppreffion they have long groaned, and the gallies, prifons, and dungeons, have been their lafl refuge. Now will you fay that fuch perfecutions of men for the fake of religion alone is confonant to the gofpel? Do not fuch men, and fuch a church, as aft upon fuch bloody prin- ciples {hew, by what fpirit they are led, viz. not by that of the PREFACE. 113 themeelc-fpiritedjefus, but bythat of the devil, who was always a hater of the brethren, and a murderer from the beginning? How does this their practice fiy into their very faces, and upbraid them with the falfhood of their profeffion ? But to conclude: a jew, a heathen, or a mahometan, may with as good a grace pretend to chriftianity, as he who profeffes him- ielf a chriftian, and yet a6ts with fuch a perfecuting temper of mind, as is diametrically contrary to the genius of the chriftian religion. A word or two with refpecl: to the following papers, and we have done. It is unknown who was the collector of them, and therefore we fhall not trouble ourfelves with gueffing at random about the author. That which is moft certain is, that they contain in them an account of the furferings and death, not only of le Fevre, but alfo of many others, who were his companions, and bore up with patience, conftancy, and faith, under all the preffures of their cruel enemies, ibme on board the gallies, and others in the naftinefs of fome loathfome dungeon. To conlider the variety of tor- ments which they endured, mould melt our hearts with com- panion : to conlider their ftedfaftnels in adhering to the profeffion of the chriftian faith, fhould teach us to prepare ourfelves againft the fiery trial ; and to conlider the unwea- ried malice and cruelty of their perfecutors, fhould put us upon praying, to be delivered from fuch inhumane princi- ples, and fuch inhumane practices, as popery infufes into, ^nd teaches its difciples. A N A N ACCOUNT OF THE SUFFERINGS AND DEATH OF THAT FAITHFUL CONFESSOR AND MARTYR, Monf. ISAAC. LE ( FEVRE, Of Chatel-chinon, in the Nivernois, Advocate in Parliament. IT is a wonder to me, that our Lord Jefus Chrift and his apoftles, having foretold in all the facred books of the New Teftament, that the condition of the faithful, ?nd of the church, mould be expofed to perfections and the crofs in this life, as they themfelves were expofed to it in the whole courfe of their miniftry: I fay, it is amazing, that the church of Rome has placed the tem- poral profperity and glory of thofe that defend it among the marks and characters of its truth and faith ; and which the famous Cardinal Bellarmin makes his 15th and laft characle- riftick mark of the true church : it further furprifes me that Ihe glories in it, as if (he defigned to fulfil the prediction of the Holy Ghoft, concerning the myftical Babylon, who fays, I am queen and jhall fee noforrow. But it is yet more aftonifhing, that St. John having fore- told in his Revelation, that the true church mould not only fuffer great perfecutions from the Pagans, its profeffed ene- mies, but alfo from the falfe or antichriftian church, of which he that calls himfelf the head, fits in the temple of God, fhews himfelf to be God, and exalts himfelf above all that is called God ; it is a wonder to me, I fay, that Ihe ihould make it her bufmefs to opprefs and perfecute thofe •hriftians who have feparated themfelves from her, and I 2 thofe 1 1 6 The Sufferings and Death thofe that will not come into her communion, with fire and fword ; and which for divers ages, that is to fay, fince fhe has acquired that power and authority in the world, which the fpirit of God foretold us, that the beaft and her falfe prophet would ufurp, has exercifed all manner of fury and cruelties againft them, as appears by what has been done within the laft five or fix centuries againft the Waldenfes, Albigenles, Bohemians, Lutherans, and the Calvinifts, as they are called, and this in all countries that are unhappily lubjefted to her jurif'dittion; where the kings, princes, and ftates have unjuftly affifted that murdrefs of faints with their forces ; as appeared in the foregoing ages in Italy, France, England, and in Germany ; and as has been feen in the laft, and- in our age in all parts of Europe, where that beaft is adored, and exercifes its dominion; and as it is yet par- ticularly to be feen in our France, by this late and extra- ordinary per fecution, that was raifed there fome years ago by that antichriftian church, her clergy, and her prelates, and where unhappily the prince that reigns there an- swers but two much to the defigns and folicitations of that cruel and perfecuting fociety, and which he makes one of his chief fupports. It is a perfecution, that perhaps has not been guilty of lb many maffacres, nor fpilt fo much blood as thofe that have preceded it, but which has in its pro- ceedings larger chara&ers of inhumanity, cruelty, and oar- barity, than have been feen from the beginning of chrif- tianity, down to our times; a perfecution, wherein the devil and his agents have difpiayed more cunning, and craft, which the Holy Ghoft calls the depths of Satan, than were ever feen in all the former. This may give us great reafon to believe that the kingdom of Satan, and of the antichrif- tian beaft is not far from its end, and that as their time is but fhort, they employ alfo their utmoft ftrength to com- pal's their damnable defigns; that is, to exterminate the true church, and if poffible to deftroy the ele6t of God. But I do not here pretend to write a hiftory, or make a defcription of this dreadful and terrible perfecution. There is already enough written on that fubjeft, and doubtlefs time will produce yet more complete hiftories of it. I lhall only fpeak of the fuffertngs of a blelfed martyr, who finifhed his Courfe glorioufly on the gallies, in the prilons, and dun- geons of Marfeilles ; fufferings that lafted 17 years. Tfhall enly give, the church, and the faithful, the admirable exarn- l ple5 *f Monfieur Ifaac k Fevre. 117 pies of faith, patience, piety, charity, and of all kind of virtues, which that herald of God fupplied us with, during that long continuance of conflicts and trials which he main- tained fo glorioufiy. There have been illuftrious and ge- nerous champions, who before, and like him have fig- nalized their faith and courage by a happy death, which confounded their perfecutors, and edified all good people. But it muff be confefTed that there was fomething particular in this man, either for the length of his fufferings, or for the example of all kind of virtues that he made appear in it, or for fo many excellent and holy exhortations which he gave to his brethren, to all the oonfeffors in the prifons, and on the gallies, and which made him to be looked upon by the perfecutors as the minifter of thofe galley-flaves and prifoners of Jems, whom they called their Calvin ; and who, for that reafon was kept clofer, and treated more cruelly, as will appear by the hiftory which I give of it to the public. And in fhort, for the many fine letters, and divers other writings in profe and verfe, addreffed to his friends and relations in France, and in foreign countries, that would make large volumes if they could be collected together. The name of this martyr is Ifaac le Fevre, at prefent known every where; his bonds having rendered him famous in France, and in all protectant countries. By profeflion he was an advocate, or counfellor at law, aged about 37 years, when he was condemned, and 54 years of age when he died, in June 1702. He was born at Chatel-chinon in the Nivemois, of honourable parents, and one of the moft confiderable families of that country, whom 1 have known and converled with, and of whom I can juftly give this character; that they were the beft people among us, and whole eulogy our happy martyr gives 'us in one of his letters, written in the prifons of Marieilles, which I think it my duty to infert here, and the rather becaufe I was a witnefsof the greatefl part of what he fays of them ; where, after having fpoke of the fufferings and the perfeverance of his dear fifter, who was at that time in a convent at Nevers, and who glorified God there by her courage and patience, and wh6 died afterwards in the faith of Jefus Chrift, without ever having done any thing againft her confcience, piety, and fidelity, being as it were natural and hereditary to that holy family. He fpeaks thus of them : J 3 " What w 1 1 8 The Sufferings and Death " What God works in her, charms me. That great God hath been mindful of his promife, in favour of the children ofthofethat fear him. My predeceffors, my father and mother, were of that number. P. le Fevre, and M. Elignard, having walked before him in chriftian fimplicity, and performed their duty, died both in a good old age, in the communion of the true church. God took her to himfelf betimes, whom he had made the inflrument of bringing me into the world ; but I know her piety was exemplary, and her life edifying, and very remote from the vain amufements of the age. You know what was the probity, the zeal, the patience of my deceafed father. I cannot mention him without tendernefs, but his me- mory is too dear to me to pafs it over in filence. You vifited him on his death bed, or rather on his bed of life, and I remember that in coming away, you gave him this tefti- mony ; 1 came to edify and comfort a lick perfon, but he edifies and comforts me. Such you faw him then, and fuch he was in all the courfe of his ficknefs, which was very long, and very fevere, always refigned, patient, and very willing to give up his foul into the hands of his creator and his God. He was naturally hafty and paffionate, but the grace of God raifed him fo much above himfelf, that it made him the moft patient man in the world, in the extreme!! and moft violent pains of the ftone and the cholic, which racked his reins and entrails. He being ftruck with the dead palfy on one fide, I carried him often from one bed to another, becaufe it gave him eafe. All my little fervices were fo pleafmg to him, and he com- mended them fo much, that he could not endure me out of his fight. His palfy degenerated into an apoplexy. He was four days and nights in an agony, his eyes always caft up to heaven, not with the face of a dying man, but of one in an extafy, fhewing always, when they roufed him with caufticks out of that lethargic (lumber, that his heart and mouth breathed after nothing but his God. I praife God, the God of my fathers, for the fpirit of meeknefs wherewith he had endued his fervant, for the patience of a. martyr which he had given him, and for the fincere and internal piety with which he had infpired him. And as long as I live I (hall blefs the Lord God of all flefh, the father of fpirits, who granted me the favour to be pre- fent at that change, terrible indeed to the reprobate, but "Tweet w of Monjieur Ifaac le Fevre. 1 19 si fweet and full of confolation for his children ; and becaufe *' in that moment when he took the foul of his fervant to *' himfelf he put thefe words into my mouth, which I pro- " nounced with an elevated voice, " Lord Jefus receive his f* fpirit into thy hands." May the bleffed Jefus put them " again into my heart and mouth at the laft moment of my •" life, and fay himfelf to my foul, come good and faithful "fervant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord ; and may " he fay to my foul, I am thy faviour! I cannot live, much " lefs die without my Gocl; neither the world nor the " devils (hall ever feparate me from him; I will be faithful " to him unto death." I could not forbear publifhing this teftimony of our martyr, in favour of fuch a pious father, and alfo becaufe it fliews fingular marks of the fon's piety and cha- lity. But I return to his hiftory. This martyr had been very well educated. He had learning and ingenuity. He was fent to Geneva in 1663, where be went through the courfe of philofphy. A little while after he went to ftudy the law at Orleans, where he maintained Thefes, and took his de- grees. Afterwards he went to Paris, where having fhewed his teftimonials to Mr. Talon, who was at that time advo- cate-general, h-e was admitted as one of the advocates of the court of parliament. But fmce I intend only to defcribe his martyrdom here, and what immediately preceded it, I mall fay nothing of his youth, nor of his behaviour within his paternal family, only that it was always wife and well re- gulated. He lived fometime in Paris, from whence he re- turned into Provence, and was employed in the concerns of the marfhionefs of St. Andrew Mombrun, on which occafion he took a journey into Poitou and Staintonge to fettle her affairs, which he performed as well as could be done. Being in that country, he was brought into queftion by the intendant of Rochfort concerning his religion, on falie informations that had been given him. Being cited before him, he appeared there though he was fick of an heftie fever, which left him while he was in the intendant's houfe. He was difmiffed and difcharged. From thence he came to Paris juft at the fame time that the edift of Nantz was re- voked, which caufed him to depart from thence again im- mediately for Burgundy, to give the Marchionel's of St. Andrew an account of her bulinefs, and afterwards to dif- ipofe himfelf for a retreat for the quiet x>{ his confci«nce, and I 4 t* 1 20 The Sufferings and Death to ferve God at liberty in a foreign country. This is iuc relation that he gave himfelf of what palled in that lady's houfe, and how they treated her, and all thofe of that place. That letter written from a galley of Marseilles in 1 686, deferves to be entirely infertediiere, iinceit contains the relation of what happened to him until his going from thence, and the recital of the perfecutions that were carried on in thofe parts, wherein he had the fhare which he mentions in his letter. f l I received your letter moft fortunately in a time when " I am more observed and clofer kept than ever. Nobody " dares come near, or fpeak to me', and they refufe any that " afks to fee me to come into the galley wherein I am. All '( the letters that are fent to me are detained from me and ?.' carried to the intendant. Other galley-flaves have the li-r " berty of being freed from the great chain by giving fome " money, but that liberty is abfolutely denied me. They '.' will neither let me write, nor read ; and notwithstanding '■' all thofe obftacles your confolations are come to my " hands , I have deceived the vigilance of my keepers, and il read that fair letter equally ftrong and comfortable with V inexpreffible delight. I find it full of tendernefs and " charity, which penetrates my heart with love and acknow- " ledgment. Some paffages in it make me enter into the *■ joys of the blelfed, and to confider the glory that is laid tl up for us in the heavens, as if it were prefent. I am V touched to the quick, and feel my moll honoured father " (permit me to call you fo, as I have the honour to be " yourdifciple and pupil injefus Chrift) and am very fen- " iible that God who made ufe of your miniftry to form *' the true faith in my heart, continues to make ufe of it 41 to this day for my confirmation and perfeverance in " that faith, and to ft.rength.en me in my pious defign and holy *' resolution to die rather a thoufand times, than to forfake " lb great a Salvation. My foul difcouraged and tired *' with the voice of the ftranger, rejoiced with great joy at " that of its dear lliepherd. The tears which you draw out • ' of my eyes ferve for aliment to that inward joy, and do '.' but increafe my tranquillity. Faithful minifter of Jefus *' Chrift, you diicharge the office of a good pallor well, and *' your reward will be great in heaven. I owe you a large • ' anfwer, and defire paffionately to acquit myl'elf of that <; duty : and feeing this beginning had good fuccefs, 1 hope M all the reft will have the i^me." As of Monfuur ljaac le Fevre. 1 1 i As he was alfo afked news of Mr. de Marolles, to whofe chain he was joined at Chalons, and with whom it was known he had been f'orne time in the hofpital of Marfeilles,. he anfwers in that fame letter, before he fpeaks of him- felf. " There is at prefent no communication between the illuftrious Mr. de Marolles and me. We were but few days together. He was declared invalid*, and as fuch put on board of an hofpital galley. The reafon of that change I am a ftranger to. That generous champion appeared like a burning lamp in the metropolis of the kingdom, and I am but a fmoaking match, whom our God, who makes choice of weak things to confound the flrong, has looked upon in his great cempaffions. Sir, and my moft dear paftor, I am fo far from the perfection you impute to me, that I mall endeavour to entertain you with my fears and troubles, my great weakneifes, my fuf- ferings, and with the great favours that God has done me. I fhall make no exact relation of my little adventures ; but fpeak only of the difpofitions I was in at that time when God plucked up the plants, which he had planted in the places of my reii- dence, from what I found myfelf to have when I was leized, and laffly of our heavenly father's bleffings on my weak beginnings. " The ipirit of fear and weaknefs reigned in the provinces' from whence I came, when I had the honour to fee you at Paris. I thought to have found more conftancy and fleadfaftnefs in that great city : but alas ! There was a "-e- neral conflemation in it ; and 1 was obliged to leave it. mournful remembrance! it was in the time when God was pleafed to break down the fence wherewith in his Pro- vidence he had encompaffed his church. You gave me your bleffing, and I left you and my dear relations with weeping eyes and a more forrowful heart. We lamented the calamities of Jofeph, and I can fay, that from that day I had great forrow, and a continual affliction at my heart, until the day of my condemnation to the galiies. '* The Marchionefs of St. Andrew expected my return to finiih her great affairs, faying fhe could truft nobody but me. I was three weeks in a continual hurry, oftener at Nevers, and at Moulins in Bourbonnois, than at Noele, 1 was known to be of the religion, and great care was " taker, i n The Sufferings and Death " taken to inform me of any confiderable perfons changing " their religion in any place. I faw nothing but fallings " on the right and the left, the moil pious funk under the " power of the temptations,; trembling feized me. I faid " in my grief, if the cedars fall, what will become of the " bullruin? The lady of St. Andrew who thought herfelf " iheltered from the ilorm, was attacked in her turn. Mr. " de Harlai counfellor of fl'ate, and at that time intendant *' of Burgundy, wrote to her from Parai-le-moineau. His (i letter was full of civilities, but prelTmg and without flat- " tery. Ke laid, of two things fhe muft do one, forfake her *' religion, or refolve to lole her eftate, her liberty, and " alio to fufier in her own perfon. This is the doleful " choice (he was to make. 9 That lady deiired time, with-* " out promifing any thing by that firft anfwer. Mr. the '! intendant, gave her fifteen days at fartheft to confider of •" it, and explained himfelffo diftinftly and powerfully on V h : s orders that Madam St. Andrew, and Monlieur and il Madam de Mcmbrun feeing themfelves brought to extre- " mities, refolved to feek for fome allowances to be made 11 in' the reunion that was propofed to them. That de- '■ figii was put in execution, and an aft of reunion was drawn *' up, on the model of the gentlemen of Grenoble, and " thofe of Lyons. A lejLter was joined to that aft, and " Mr. cle Monchanin du Monceau was the bearer of all, " who Came to Dijon before the 15 days were expired. But " it was in vain. Mr. the intendant, would not yield to " any thing. He repeated his former threats, and told the " Sieur de Monchanin, that lie would fend 12 archers to " take me. The biihop of Autun feemed alfo to be very " angry with me. They had been informed that I had " taken' much pains in Foitou to confirm my brethren, and " that I continued yet to go from time to time in the pro- " vinces of Nivernois, and of Berry, for the fame purpofe. " Mr. de Monchanin endeavoured to excuie me, and told " the intendant that I was no wicked perfon; and that if it " was a crime to be wedded to one's religion, we were all " guilty, and as he was going to enlarge upon our misfor- " tunes, and the hardships that were exercifed againft us, " the laid Sieur intendant interrupted him, faying to him: " what do you complain for, you have not yet refilled unto " blood: thel'e words, to fpeak it en paflant, have made " greai imprefiions upon me fince. They are St. Paul's, " wordj of Monfieur Jfaac le Fevre. I 23 " words in the 12th of the Hebrews, but affuredly it was W not with the fame fpirit, nor with the fame end that the " intendant made ufe of them here; it is rather with that " of Julian the apoftat, who thus anfwered the complaints *-.' of the chriftians of thofe times whom he perfecuted: It '■' belongs to you to fuffer, for your mafter foretold that it " would happen to you. It is thus that this famous apof- " tat, and the celebrated Mr. de Harlay infult the poor " afflicted in perfecuting them themfelves. Oh, it was not " the fpirit of God that infpired thofe words into that in- • * tendant, as he did into St. Paul, who fpoke them by the " infpiration of God to comfort and ftrengthen the affiifted ' only to exercife his mercy on thofe that fufler, but on thofe " alfo that inflicl the puniihment ; he that commands us to " love our enemies, works what he commands in us himfelf. *■' The world has looked upon us a long time as tottering walls, " but it does not fee the almighty hand that fupports us." " They do not forget to try always," fays he eliewhere, "to " weary out my patience ; and there is reafon to believe that *'* the money that is given for me, is not employed to my re- " lief ; it does not come to our hands, and I do not know what " is done with it, nor where it goes. That which is certain; " is, that when I entered into my dungeon, the major told ine " that the King would not maintain me, and that I ought to " give order for my expences, and to regulate it." For that purpofe he was permitted to fend bills of exchange drawn by him on his relations, for the payment of his provifion, without fuffering him to write any thing about his condition, or his health: " I did it, fays he, and agreed with a public ' ' houfekeeper, for ten pence a day, to live a life according to " my condition ; which lafted but three months: becaufe the *■' hofl that ferved me with provifion cheated me, and the " major favoured him :" though he feemednot to approve of his conduct on the complaints that were made to him about it. He had alfo promifed that I ihould be provided with a mat- trefs, and covering, " mine," faid he, \ l being rotten, and my ' ' covering all rags ; but 'all this without effe6l. In the mean " time, how great fo ever my anguifh was, I efleem it moreex- " pedient to iuffer life, than to defire death, unlefs it be defir- " edas St. Paul did, tobewith Chrifl, to poffefs thefulnefsof " that holinefs and charity, that is only to be found in Hea- , ven." Whereupon he blames the action of Eufebius of Ver- ceil, who being confined to Scythopolis by the Arians, had a defign of flarving himfelf to death, quoting this fentence of a poet on that fubjecl. '.' Rebus in adverfis facile efl contemnere mortem, " Fortiter ille facit, qui miiereife potefl." " God," faid he, "will be glorified by my fufterings, the lon- " ger they are, and the more difficult to beiupported, themorc glory 144 The Sufferings and Death *' glory the Lord will have by them ," alledging on that fub- je£t the words of an ancient. " Undeelfet magnum perfeverare, nifi inter tribulationes, et tentationes effet perfeverandum. " I am, fays he, always purfued with the fame violence, *' there is no intermiffion in regard of me ; they always de- " ny me all manner of commerce with the living, and alio ** with the dead ; certainly they would ufe no villain as they ** have ferved me : but the Lord who is my God, my pro- " tector, and my deliverer, has relieved me : he has had pity " on my weaknefs, and given me a patience that Ineverdurft " have hoped for : glory be given to him for it now and ever- " more. It is glorious," fays he again elfewhere on the fame fubjeft, " it is glorious to fuffer for his caufe, it is the moft " excellent manner whereby God can be glorified by men, " as it is the greateft fign of glory and honour that God does " to men. 1 do not refufe the honour he does me on that ac- *' count, but I conjurehim by the bowels of his mercy to pro- " duce in me powerfully both to will and to do according to " his good pleafure. 1 acknowledge that men make me fuf- " fer for God, and that God makes me fuffer for my fins, " That he permits men to make me fuffer, is doubtlefs for " my fins, but it is at the lame time alio for his intereft, *' and for juftice. Therefore it is that God always juft, and *' faithful in his promifes, takes my part and the defence 44 of my caufe: if he does not hear me, ad voluntatem, lie " will hear me ad falutem ; and whether I live, or whether *' I die, I will live to him, and die to him." Afterwards he was two years arid fome months clofely con- fined, until the end of the year 1698, infomuch that he had no kind of intercourfe with the world and his friends ; he that ferved him for a meffenger having been imprifoned. They took away all his works, his pious books, fome writings, fome fermons, the abridgement of Monfieur de la Placeite's morals, and he kept only the tranllation ofourpfalms, printed at Neufchatel. home days after he had been in that folitude, the mHTionary father Guiraud, accompanied with another clergy- man, who having, doubtlefs already feen him before, had pro- teRed that he would not fee him until the day of the refur- rection ; came neverthelefs to fee him, fpoke to him, careft him, 'and would enter into controverfy with him : but he in- tangled and embarraffed himfelf ftrangely, and brought no- thing but confuiion away from his vifit. It was in Ipeaking of his of ' Monjieur Jfaac !e Fevfi. 145 Ms privation of the converfution with the world, that hefaid ; It was the fchool of fufferings, wherein he learned to die to the defires of the world, to ones felf, and to-felf-love. " It is in " retirement, andfolitude thatweraife ourfelves to God, and V converfe with him in prayer, which is the refuge of feints, " and the comfort of martyrs. It is there that a faithful life "finds all that it can, and ought to delire of itsjefus the " comforter, and that it has fo much the more familiarity " with its creator, becaufe ithas thelefs with the creature." It was on chriftmas-eve of that year, that a foldier who had done him foine little fefvice, was condemned to he hanged. "But, faid he, in thofe extremities of fufferings, " and in thofe opprefilons of the flesh ; God made me feel his " affiftance in fight of thofe that furrounded me. It hap- " pened but once or twice to me, to tell them that they vio- " fated all the laws of humanity in regard of a man who had " given nobody any fubje6l of complaint, and whofe inno- u cency and fincerity wasknownto them ; in faying to them, " that as for the reft, 1 trufted in God, and that when a " man fuffered for God, he wanted no courage; that hedid *' not fuffer all this by his own ftrength ; that he was there " ready to fuffer, and that he did not refufe to die. " As this holy man defired nothing fo much as his faneli- c< fication, without which he knew that his courage, and " patience would be in vain, he faid, in a letter to Made- *' moifeile R. I enter into the 10th year of my fufferings, " (this was in 1695) and by God's grace, I have neither loft " fpirit, nor patience, nor faith, nor health, at leaft not totally. " Ah my dearkinfwoman, the Lord has heard your prayers, **. and thofe of the Mofes's and of the Samuel's, that intercede " for me: He has fpared my weaknefs, he has pitied my ** frailty, and he will rinimwhat concerns me. If 1 was but *' difburthened from the weight of my fins, if I could difen- " gage myfelf from the thoughts oi the world, I fhould be '" too happy, I fhould be incomparably more happy, than I " was in the world, though when I left it, I had almoft what ** I could reafonably delire in it. But I confefs with grief, " and confufion, that I am a man of little faith, and a finner, " I have defired my vifible and temporal liberty with too "* much ardour and fervency." This is very near hitherto, That is to the month of No- vember 1699, what could be collected of his condition, as to the evils, and the fufferings to which he was exjrofed all L t t 146 The Stiff 'rings and Death that time. Ke had, as we have fai'd, pious and holy conver* fations with his brethren, to whom he often gave advice; ' and whom he alio freely reprimanded for their faults, when he thought there was occalion for it: as alfo Math his other friends, relations, and particularly with his paftor,with vhom he had a regular intercourfe, when it was fuflfered him to have any, to whom he communicated himfelf inti- mateiv, and afked his advice on all things. And here are fome paffages gathered out of that martyr's pious conven- tions that will doubtlefs be edifying to the readers, for the excellent lights ofwifdom and piety that appear in them, and wherewith the grace of God had fo richly endowed him. Firft of all, that holy man, notwithstanding all the graces and gifts of faith, and of fanctification, wherewith God had plentifully furnilhed him, complained almoft in all his let- teis ; of his infirmities and fms, much more than he did of his misfortunes and oi his outward fufferings, which he men- turned only to fatisfy thofethat prefied him to inform them of it, and to teftify his acknowledgment to God, for the patience, and ftrength, that he gave him to undergo them ; whereas his letters were all full of complaints which he made to God, and to men, of his fins, and his inward weakneffes. He laid alfo, *• that there needed more graces, and force " againft fin, than for the refiftance unto blood. There are " times wherein God fufpendsthe influences of his grace to- " wards me, wherein he takes the fentiments of his love from " me ; which I look upon as a chaftifement, and an effect, of " God's love towards me, who makes me to defire the renew- *<• ingofhis fpirit, there being no greater evidence of the pre- ' ' fence of his fpirit, than the defire of a more abundant grace. " I am fo great a finner, that it is juft I Ihould be chaftifed. " Happy is he whom the Lord is willing to inftruet, whom ** he vouchfafes to teach his law ; he will keep his foul at reft " in the moft difficult times, and while the ditch is digging, 4( to caft the wicked in." It was concerning thofe" inward conflicts that he faid to> one of his friends, that the devil, who animates the lielh and lin againft the holy confeffors, for fpight and in defpairto be deceived in his hopes by their perfeverance, whom he could not vanquilh by the feverity of their torments that he raifed againft them, difplays the utmoft ftrength of his malice and fury by thofe inward conflicts that he raifes in them, 3. and of Monfieur Ifaac k Fevre. 147 and draws, if it maybe fo faid; all his armies into order of battle to corrupt the heaft and the mind ; to which he aptly compares St. Paul's thorn in the rleih. In the mean time his mind was always employed on pious things, in meditating on themyfteries of truth and Salvation, and on the means to attain to it ; a fubjec! of which he fpake with as much light and folidity as the molt accomplished divines ; which made thole that knew him particularly, to wonder, as knowing that he had never applied to the ftudy of divinity : he faid alfo to thofe that teftified their admi- ration to him on that fubjeet ; " That he had never learned *' the things he. told them, before he was a galley flave, and " a prifoner of Jefus Chrift, and his domeflick difciple, " and that it was not he alone that had learned to fpeak in *' irons, and to pray on the lea, but that his dear compa- " nions had received the fame graces." And indeed there are divers letters from thofe confeffors, which juftify that truth perfectly, different in condition, but by the graces of the fpirit made equal in the knowledge of falvation, and to whom God gave thofe lights that they had not before. He complains often of the fufpenfions of grace, and of the variety of motions wherewith his foul was agitated in that condition. And he takes it for a chaftizement of God for his fins, but the end thereof to be always happy for him ; grace returning after his correction, and delivering him from his difquiets by the repofe and the calm which it pro- duced in his foul ; which he exprefl'es very well, by thefe words of a pfalm which he turns thus: God in his wrath has punifh'd me, Tis lefs than my defert ; He like a tender father does The fears of death avert. " Godchaftifesme," faid he, " only to correct me for my *■' faults, and to fave me in fpight of the world and hell. *' That Almighty hand that began the work will finifh it. ** I keep to my pledge and the promifes of my God. Now u this is the uie that God would have me make of the fuf- *' penhons and interruptions of the virtue of his fanclifying ** fpirit. ift. It is a continual warning that God gives me to ■*" amend and reform all that is in me, which may difpleafe " him. II. God putsme in mind what I am, or to fpeak more ** forcibly-, he makes me to know and feel in a moft lively [* manner that I atfi but vanity in his prefence. III. He L 2 would 1 48 The Sufferings and Death " would make me fenfible what he is to me, by a cont^ " nual dependence upon his affifiance ; that is, that 1 ftand " extremely in need of it, and that I Ihould perilh, if he " withdrew it altogether form me. Certainly I am not in- 11 different to that Sovereign Lord of heaven and earth, ** feeing he vifits and comforts me in my affli&ions and *' troubles, and his goodnefs reduces me again into the way " that he had marked out for me. IV. God will give me " thereby a greater value for his gifts and favours; andlaftly, " he will thereby alfo infpire me with the contempt of fuch " a wretched and untoward life, and with the defire to pals " into my dear country, where there is perfect peace, and an " eternal quiet. It is God only that can make us happy. tl Our perlect happinefs is in heaven, and there is none " folid to be found on earth. Death muft be defired in " order to be happy in fome fort, but we muft die indeed " to be perfectly happy. It was very well faid by one of " old, that he who thinks he is to die, eafily defpifes things •' prefent." It muft be confeffed that thefe were happy fufpenfions, and fuch as produced admirable effects in that martyr's foul. In thofe motions and difpofitions he fent this excellent and holy prayer which he had compofed for his own ufe,. to his brethren, to Mr. Neau who was then in a dungeon, and to the confelfors that were on board the gallies, which de- ierves to be inlerted in this place ; wherein he fays that he makes ufe of Mr. de Placette's thoughts and expreflions, from whom a book had been lent him, and whofe thoughts, and notions he fays pleafed him, and which he endeavoured to accommodate to his own ufe, and to that of his com- panions,' A Prayer to Jefus Chrift. " Cut me, burn me, ftrike me, O my God, but heal " me, but comfort, and dwell with me, and fupport me " with thy fpirit. Let thy inward and fecret voice comfort " my affli&ed heart, and let thy prefence didipate my trou- " bles, and not a day of my life lhall pals without adoring* " thy incomprehensible goodnefs, and teftifying my fenfe "of it with mod humble thanks. I do not rely or* ** my refoiulions, on my cares, nor on my ftrength. I ex- *« peel all from thy grace, O my God, and from thy merci«< " fui of Monfieur Ifaac le Fevre. 149 " ful and undeferved goodnefs. And I humbly fupplicate " thee with all the fervour and humility I am capable of, " that it may pleafe thee to banifh all other objects b elides " thyfelf abfolutely out of my mind, and not iuffer me to " think on any thing whatfoever but to fear thee, to fub- " mit my will to thine v and to believe thy truth and love " thy goodnefs. And to the end, O my God, that I may " promife to myfelf that thou wilt receive my homages, my "adorations, and my acknowledgments with delight, and " that of thy goodnefs, thou will hear my prayers, purify " my mouth, my hands, and my heart, by the faiu.tarV " virtue of thy precious blood, and by the powerful cfri- " cacy of thy fpirit. I know there are no impurities, no " filthinefles, but what the merit of the one, and the infiu- " ences of the other can take away. Give me that double " afliftance, O adorable Saviour ; blotout my fins part by the Ai merit of thy fufferings, and reform my prefent defects by " the graces of thy fpirit. Let the facred fire of that fpirit u inflame my heart, to make a pleafmg facrifice of it to thee, " in this deftitution I am of all kind of relief. O merciful '■ redeemer of mankind, make me to find in the reading }' and meditation of thy holy word, the inftruclion of my "mind, the nourifhment of my faith, the fupport of my " hope, and the falutary remedy of all my pains, dure me " of that profound difguft which I have hitherto but too " much felt for that celeitial and fupematural food. Re- " claim me from that natural inclination to my own luiis, " which carries me to do my own will, whereas I ought to " have none other but thine. Give me grace to fubmit my- " felf gently and quietly to thy yoke, to bear it with joy, " and never to complain of its weight. Amen." He expreffed aim-oft the lame thoughts in verfe, which I