words that may give them present relief. So it was 1685. said, what harm was it to promise to be united to the catholic church: and the renouncing those men's errors did not renounce their good and sound doctrine. But it was very visible, with what intent those subscriptions or promises were asked of them: so their compliance in that matter was a plain equivocation. But, how weak and faulty soever they might be in this, it must be acknowledged, here was one of the most violent persecutions that is to be found in history. In many respects it exceeded them all, both in the several inventions of cruelty, and in its long continuance. I went over the greatest part of France while it was in its hottest rage, from Marseilles to Montpelier, and from thence to Lions, and so to Geneva. I saw and knew so many instances of their injustice and violence, that it exceeded even what could have been well imagined; for all men set their thoughts on work to invent new methods of cruelty. In all the towns through which I passed, I heard the most dismal accounts of those things possible; but chiefly at Valence, where 660 one Dherapine seemed to exceed even the furies of inquisitors. One in the streets could have known the new converts, as they were passing by them, by a cloudy dejection that appeared in their looks and deportment. Such as endeavoured to make their escape, and were seized, (for guards and secret agents were spread along the whole roads and frontier of France,) were, if men, condemned to the galleys, and, if women, to monasteries. To complete this cruelty, orders were given, that such of the new converts as did not at their death receive the sacrament, should be denied burial, and that their bodies 1685. should be left where other dead carcases were cast out, to be devoured by wolves or dogs. This was executed in several places with the utmost barbarity: and it gave all people so much horror, that, finding the ill effect of it, it was let fall. This hurt none, but struck all that saw it even with more horror than those sufferings that were more felt. The fury that appeared on this occasion did spread it self with a sort of contagion: for the intendants and other officers, that had been mild and gentle in the former parts of their life, seemed now to have laid aside the compassion of Christians, the breeding of gentlemen, and the common impressions of humanity. The greatest part of the clergy, the regulars especially, were so transported with the zeal that their king shewed on this occasion, that their sermons were full of the most inflamed eloquence that they could invent, magnifying their king in strains too indecent and blasphemous to be mentioned by me. ness. I stayed at Paris till the beginning of August. Barrillon sent to me to look to my self; for the king had let some words fall importing his suspicion of me, as concerned in the duke of Monmouth's busiWhether this was done on design, to see if such an insinuation could fright me away, and so bring me under some appearance of guilt, I cannot tell for in that time every thing was deceitfully managed. But I, who knew that I was not so much as guilty of concealment, resolved not to stir from Paris till the rebellion was over, and that the prisoners were examined and tried. When that was done, Stouppe, a brigadier general, told me, that Mr. de Louvoy had said to him, that the king was resolved to put an end to the business of the Hugue 1685. nots that season: and, since he was resolved not to change, he advised him to make a tour into Italy, that he might not seem to do any thing that opposed the king's service. Stouppe told me this in confidence. So we resolved to make that journey 661 together. Some thought it was too bold an adventure in me, after what I had written and acted in the matters of religion, to go to Rome. But others, who judged better, thought I ran no hazard in going thither for, besides the high civility with which all strangers are treated there, they were at that time in such hopes of gaining England, that it was not reasonable to think, that they would raise the apprehensions of the nation, by using any that belonged to it ill: and the destroying me would not do them the service that could in any sort balance the prejudice that might arise from the noise it would make. And indeed I met with so high a civility at Rome, that it fully justified this opinion. well re Pope Innocent the eleventh, Odescalchi, knew who And was I was the day after I came to Rome. And he ordered ceived at the captain of the Swiss guards to tell Stouppe, that Rome. he had heard of me, and would give me a private audience abed, to save me from the ceremony of the pantoufle. But I knew the noise that this would f Burnet, in the year 1677, published a book in vindication of the ordinations of the church of England, in which is this passage, page "Yet as we 62. acknowledge the church of "Rome holds still the funda"mentals of the Christian re 66 66 ligion; so we confess she "retains the essentials of ordi"nation." Which, no doubt, was understood to be a fair ad- 1685. make: so I resolved to avoid it, and excused it upon my speaking Italian so ill as I did. But cardinal Howard and the cardinal d'Estrees treated me with great freedom. The latter talked much with me concerning the orders in our church, to know whether they had been brought down to us by men truly ordained, or not: for, he said, they apprehended things would be much more easily brought about, if our orders could be esteemed valid, though given in heresy and schism. I told him, I was glad they were possessed with any opinion that made the reconciliation more difficult; but, as for the matter of fact, nothing was more certain, than that the ordinations in the beginning of queen Elizabeth's reign were canonical and regular. He seemed to be persuaded of the truth of this, but lamented that it was impossible to bring the Romans to think so. Cardinal Howard's freedom with me. Cardinal Howard shewed me all his letters from England, by which I saw, that those who wrote to him reckoned that their designs were so well laid, that they could not miscarry. They thought, they should certainly carry every thing in the next session of parliament. There was a high strain of insolence in their letters; and they reckoned, they were so sure of the king, that they seemed to have no doubt left of their succeeding in the reduction of England. The Romans and Italians were much troubled at all this: for they were under such apprehensions of the growth of the French power, and had conceived such hopes of the king of England's 662 putting a stop to it, that they were sorry to see the king engage himself so in the design of changing the religion of his subjects, which they thought would create him so much trouble at home, that he would neither have leisure nor strength to look after 1685. the common concerns of Europe. The cardinal told me, that all the advices writ over from thence to England were for slow, calm, and moderate courses. He said, he wished he was at liberty to shew me the copies of them: but he saw violent courses were more acceptable, and would probably be followed. And he added, that these were the production of England, far different from the counsels of Rome. He also told me, that they had not instruments enough to work with: for, though they were sending over all that were capable of the mission, yet he expected no great matters from them. Few of them spoke true English. They came over young, and retained all the English that they brought over with them, which was only the language of boys: but, their education being among strangers, they had formed themselves so upon that model, that really they preached as Frenchmen or Italians in English words; of which he was every day warning them, for he knew this could have no good effect in England. He also spoke with great sense of the proceedings in France, which he apprehended would have very ill consequences in England. I shall only add one other particular, which will shew the soft temper of that good natured man. He used me in such a manner, that it was much observed by many others. So two French gentlemen desired a note from me to introduce them to him. Their design was to be furnished with reliques; for he was then the cardinal that looked after that matter. One evening I came in to him as he was very busy in giving them some reliques. So I was called in to see them; and I whispered to him in English, |