Popish Treachery OR A Short and New Account OF THE Horrid Cruelties Exercised on the PROTESTANTS IN FRANCE Being a true Prospect of what is to be expected from the most solemn Promises of Roman Catholick Princes In a Letter from a Gentleman of that Nation to one in England and by him made English Licensed and Entred according to Order Edinburgh Re-printed in the Year 1689. The Preface IT is not long since this Letter was writ to me by a French Gentâ—â—man at my Request and for my particular Satisfaction who he is a Person of much Worth and Integrity and has been an Eye-wâ—â—ness of most of the things whereof he speaks so the readier Faith aâ—â— greater Credit ought to be given to them But his Testimony aloâ—â— need not to be rely'd on for the Matters of Fact he here relates theâ— are thousands of other French Protestants now in England that coâ—firm the truth of all and who having felt the smart of a severe Persâ—cution in France are fled from thence to avoid the extream Fury aâ— insupportable Violence thereof Now the unquestionable Evidence have for the certainty of what is advanced in the following Accounâ— and the desire of many to see it Published in English has made me coâ—sent to expose it hoping it may give some seasonable Information anâ— Satisfaction to our People For though most of them may have heard much talk of a Persecution iâ— France and have Generously and Bountifully contributed their Charity towards the Relief of those Miserable Persecuted French Protestants who are come hither for Refuge and Succour yet I have reason to believâ— that very few of them know any thing of the Cruel manner wherewitâ— the Barbarous and Inhuman Papists have pursued that Persecution this is what they will find set down in short in the little Relation herâ— presented to them and they may there see a Notorious Example of thâ— base Treachery of Popery and of the Cruelties which it holds as 〈◊〉 Point of Religion to make Protestants suffer over whom it pretend to have a Soveraign and Absolute Dominion So this little Historâ— not being perplex'd and embarressed with numerous and tedious Circumstances all sorts of people may thereby easily inform themselves oâ— this Persecution as much as we ordinarily desire to know of such Events And besides that Charity of our poor Persecuted Brethren and Fellow Protestants makes us concern'd therein as being equally Objects of thâ— Hatred and Oppression of Popery so it may serve to prompt us to somâ— Reflections for our own Interest Nam tua res agitur paries cum proximus ardet When our Neighbours House is on Fire it behooves us to take Care of our own and to use all Lawfull and Convenient means to â—â—eserve it from the Rage and Fury of a Merciless Enemy Such has Popery ever been to Protestants and from it Good Lord still Deliver England Popish Treachery Or a Short and New Account of the Horrid Cruelties Exercised on the Protestants in FRANCE c. SIR Cannot but wonder as well as you that no History of the Persecution of the French Protestants has yet appeared in your Lanâ—â—age 'T is to be wished it were well known to all people of the Reâ—â—rmed Religion that they might there see Popery in its true Coâ—â—urs and be taught by that great Example to understand that the â—â—omises it makes are but Lyes and snares to deceive the Honest â—â—ith and good Nature of other Men. They would there see likeâ—â—se how by little and little it advanceth its Affairs still swearing â—â—at it has no design to proceed any further and how it at length â—â—ds Inhumanity to Perfidiousness when it has once got to be upâ—â—rmost But we had enough to convince us of the Treacherons and â—â—oody Spirit of Popery without the History of this late Persecuâ—â—on The Massacre of the Waldenses so often reiterated The geneâ—â—â— Massacre of the Protestants all over Europe in the beginning of â—â—e Reformation The Persecution and Massacre of the Low-Counâ—â—ies under Philip the Second The Massacre of St. Bartholomew in â—â—ance The Gun-powder Treason in England The Massacre of Ireâ—â—nd The last Persecution of Hungary and the late one of the Valâ—â—ys of Piedmont shew sufficiently how that Communion thirsts afâ—â—r the Blood of men and is Ingenious in satiating it self therewith â—â—om time to time However Sir since you desire it I will here â—â—aw you a short Scheme of that great Persecution which ought to 〈◊〉 an Eternal Advertisement to all Protestants in the World that Popery spares neither Oaths nor Promises to delude them and sticâ—â— at no Frauds nor Violences to obliterate them totally if it weâ— possible from off the face of the Earth And this Relation I aâ— now going to make you will be so much the more faithful as thaâ— shall say nothing therein but what my own eyes have seen or whâ—â— I other ways know for certain Truth The Protestants of France liv'd under the Faith of many Edictâ— which promised them liberty of Conscience and equal Priviledgâ— with the rest of the French the most considerable of their Edicts wâ— that of Nantes Henry the Fourth Grand-father of His present Majesty having by their Assistance and Fidelity put an end to thâ— League which the Papists had made to hinder him from gettinâ— into the Throne was desirous to recompence the Blood and Liveâ— which the Hugonots had expended for his service and he did it bâ— that famous Edict which gave them the same Priviledges as his othâ—â— Subjects enjoy'd and he granted it to them and to their Posteritâ— for ever under the Title of PERPETUAL and IRREVOCABLE so it was as a Law of the State which was confirm'd by the King at their coming to the Crown and has been expresly so by man Edicts of Lewis the 13th and of Lewis the 14th now reigning When this King came to the Crown he was very Young thâ— Prince of Conde stirr'd up Civil Wars to ravish it from him and thâ— greatest part of the Papists sided with him but the Protestants weâ— all of a constant and uncorrupted Fidelity to their Soveraign so thaâ— they made all the Prince's Designs prove Abortive and preservâ— the Scepter to him that yet bears it After which he gave them publick Declaration of his acknowledgement and assur'd them of hâ— favour and protection during his whole Reign but at this same timâ— that he gave this publick Declaration and a thousand other privatâ—ones to particular persons he even then began to form a design 〈◊〉 ruining those who had saved him He made reflection that since bâ— their means he had been settled in his Throne they might in aâ— other occasion shake him out of it and upon this reflection it wâ—â— that he refolved to ruine them as he has in effect done At first he began with Retrenching by degrees all the Hugonoâ— â—â—om his House who had any Imployment therein and the which 〈◊〉 had given them as a recompence of their
faithful service to him 〈◊〉 somuch that in a short time there was not a Souldier in his whole â—uards but what was of his own Religion Merit was no longer conâ—â—der'd in their persons he no more advanc'd any of them to the â—â—aces of Trust in the Kingdom he put out those he had formerly â—â—â—eferred thereto and he set forth divers Declarations prohibiting â—â—em all kind of Offices Arts and Trades so that none but Papists â—ould exercise or profess any by which means vast numbers of Proâ—estants were reduc'd to inevitable misery He took their Colledges and Schools away from them so that they â—ad no Master of their Religion to teach their Children either to Read or Write When he had done that he then sent Troops of Missionaries into all the Towns to gain as many as they could by cunning Tricks or price of Money and 't was a strange thing to see the shameful Commerce this people made of buying those whom extream poverty oblig'd to sell themselves The misery was so great in some places that they were forc'd to turn Papists sometimes for ten Crowns sometimes for five sometimes for two sometimes for a great deal less These Missionaries walk'd about every where with Baggs of Money in their Hands and for the space of two years together one saw hardly any other Traders stirring up and down the Kingdom but these Dealers for the Souls of men who bought them according to their Profession and the number of their Families At the same time Pensions or Imployments were given to those of any consideration who would turn Papists The King by a Declaration gave liberty to Children at seven years of Age to choose a Religion and the Fathers of such Children as became Papists were forced to give them yearly Pensions and always more than what they were well able by which means they seduced abundance of the youger sort bringing mourning and desolation into many Families which for the most part of the time they utterly ruin'd After this they forbad their Minister to speak any thing of Controversie or of what pass'd against them upon which prohibition and divers others of the like nature they daily made them say things that had never entered into their thoughts They hired false Wiâ—nesses to depose against them who were often reduc'd to avow theâ— lying Testimonies and 't was frequently prov'd too the Priestâ—â— and others and suborn'd them But as their ruine was absolutelâ— sworn so nothing satisfy'd them their Estates were confiscateâ— their persons cast into prison banish'd or condemn'd to some otheâ— shameful disgrace There was no safety for any they found way to bring the most moderate into trouble and especially to destroy those who were capable of giving some good Example to others These are the degrees of the Desolations of this People and of thâ— tears they have been made to shed for about twenty five years laâ—â— past during which time no body possess'd in peace what they had and every one were in perpetual unquietudes for themselves and foâ— their Children But these were only the beginnings of their Misery and the Essays of Popish fury and perfidiousness Whilst on one hand they persecuted some they assured others that the King had no design against their Liberty In almost all the Edicts which His Majesty set forth he inserted some Article to lull them asleep He said that not one Title of the Edict of Nantes should be violated And he insinuated that his intention was only to interdict the Religion and to stop there The Elector of Brandenburgh having had the bounty to intercede for them the King of France gave him an Answer that is to be seen in many of the Protestants writings by which he assur'd His Highness That so long as he liv'd no wrong should be done to his Subjects of the Reform'd Religion that he acknowledged them for good ones and would maintain them in all their Priviledges In the mean time he had taken from them many of these Priviledges and what is remarkable at the same time that he wrote this Letter to his Highness of Brandenburgh he in the very self same instant caused many of their Temples to be Demolish'd and others to be shut up put the Ministers into Prison oppressed private persons with heavy Injustices and made those to mourn bitterly whom he said he would protect He began a thing too which had never been heard of in any Age not even in the Savagest Nations or the most mote from Christianity that is He made Children to be taken from â—eir Fathers and Mothers and to be put into Convents with a strict â—arge not to let their Parents see them not excepting even persons 〈◊〉 the highest Birth and of Families to which he had obligations that â—â—ght never to have been forgotten by him He took away seven â—om the Duke de la Force an Ancient Duke and Peer of the Kingâ—om the eldest not being then Twelve Years old He did the like 〈◊〉 all those of the Count de Roy whom he had some time before perâ—tted to go and serve the King of Denmark in Quality of General 〈◊〉 his Armies In a word at the same time that he promised to â—otect the Hugonots he even then did all he could to ruine them â—â—d there was nothing but Sighs and Tears amongst them One saw â—ery where Souls afflicted to the very Grave some bewailing the â—â—s of their Pastors and Temples others the dispersion and ruine 〈◊〉 their Families others the carrying away of their Children and â—â—ers trembled for fear of the same or of greater Misfortunes In â—e do but mark now how far their Fraud and Cruelty went that â—ict of Nantes was Revocked which they had so often promiâ—d â—â—d so often sworn should be inviolably observ'd and this Fence â—ing quite broke down all that great people was abandon'd to the â—ge and Fury of the Souldiers But what is yet more notorious 〈◊〉 push on the Cheat as far as the fraudulent Wit of Man could carâ— it in the very Act for Cessation of the fore-mentioned Edict this â—â—ng declared that he was desirous that all people should live quiâ—y in their Families and that the Exercise of the Protestant Reliâ—â—on being interdicted every one might live in his own House as he â—eas'd But at the same time that His Majesty solemnly Swore this â—omise he sent his Armies to surprize the Protestants in their Towns â—â—d Houses with orders to Plunder Burn Demolish Beat and in â—ort to make them suffer all manner of Evils could be devis'd â—ath only excepted which in this circumstance would have been â—ok'd on as a great Happiness The King Usurp'd the Throne of â—â—d and took upon him the Empire over the Conscience and in 〈◊〉 Name whole Towns were Summon'd by puissant Armies to turn â—ists and upon refusal they were abandon'd to pillage and ruine and to the same Fury as Enemy Towns are wont to be when takâ—â— by Storm They seiz'd on all
the Avenues and brought back thâ—â— to the persecutors who had escaped out of their hands They beâ—â— ransack'd violated and made this people suffer a thousand Eviâ—â— without distinction either of Age Sex or Quality from the old 〈◊〉 to the youngest Male and Female Noble or Ignoble all weâ—â— equally at the discretion of the Souldiers Blasphemies Impietâ— and Blows were the Arguments of this Infernal Mission and oâ—â— may say without exaggeration that Hell seem'd to be let loose aâ—â— that the Devils were come to Preach up Popery on the Earth Alâ— Who can reckon the Tears were shed in this sad occasion Gâ—â— alone knows their number who doubtless has counted and gatheâ— them all into his Bosom The Air ecchoed every where with grieâ—â— ous Lamentations and I think nothing more pittiful could be heaâ— than the Crys and Groans of this people whilst they were in 〈◊〉 hands of their tormentors They dragg'd many of these poor Creatures into the Poâ—â— Churches by the Feet by the Hair of the Head or by Ropes tiâ—â— about their Necks they hang'd them up at the tops of Rooms 〈◊〉 out of the Windows by their Heels or by their Hands thâ— plung'd them into deep Wells and stinking Mires with Toads aâ—â— and Serpents where they left them according to the time of thâ—â— Constancy they lighted great Fires and Roasted some till thâ—â— had changed their Religion if their patience was longer than 〈◊〉 Cruelty of their Persecutors then they basted their Naked Legs wâ—â— scalding Grease or boyling Oyl Others they made to hold 〈◊〉 hot Coals in their Hands burnt the soals of their Feet tore 〈◊〉 Hair from their Beards and the Nails from their Fingers and Tâ— by the very Roots larded their flesh all over with Pins and thrash them with Sticks till they left them for Dead If they were Siâ—â— they beat Drums and sounded Trumpets Night and Day in thâ— Ears for 't was a general Rule to hinder them from sleeping and set them in different Postures sometimes standing upon one Lâ—â— holding up a Hand in the Air sometimes down on their Knees â—ing the like c. If they changed Postures through wearinâ— â—â—en they pinch'd and cudgell'd them till they were Black and Blue â—â—metimes they tied all the people of a Family in a Room together â—â—d in sight of one another they beat and bruis'd the Men and â—â—de the Women suffer a thousand indignities They would often â—â—rry them separately into Chambers to torment them but so as â—â—ey might hear each others crys and every one in suffering suffeâ—â—d for themselves and for the rest of their Family which they eiâ—er saw in torments or heard the crys thereof In short let any â—an but fancy to himself what vast numbers of Souldiers brutal â—â—d let loose are capable to invent and act in all manner of mischief â—â—d cruelty and he will have an Idea of the method whereby the â—â—otestants of France have been taught to become Papists O Temâ—â—a O Mores This great Fury made those that could save themselves fly into â—â—e Woods Mountains and Caves they wandred in the Fields exâ—â—sed to all the injuries of the Air not having wherewith to live 〈◊〉 to cover themselves and not daring to stir but in the Night for â—ar of falling into the hands of their Enemies Old and Young Men â—â—d Women all wandred in the Desarts and all these were but â—â—me Members of sad Families Fathers without Children and Chilâ—â—en without Fathers Wives without their Husbands and Husâ—nds without their Wives a doleful spectacle no doubt to the â—â—es of Men. But this is not all the fury was so excessive that the â—â—a-Ports were every where shut for to hinder their flight and aâ—â—ve 100000 Souldiers imployed to stop their passage on the Fronâ—â—rs besides all the Peasants whom they had made and the Priests 〈◊〉 joyn'd to take up Arms against them so that it was by great â—â—ovidence if any could save themselves amidst so many Obstacles â—â—nd I don't believe there was one in fourty but what was taken after â—ving gone sometimes two or three hundred Leagues with all sort 〈◊〉 misery and difficulty The Prisons were all full of those poor â—â—gitives and if any of them had ever changed their Religion beâ—â—re they were sent to the Galleys a punishment in France more â—gnominious and Cruel than any Death One law every where in â—â—e Provinces the Chains of these Confessors which they dragg'd along from one end of the Kingdom to the other Tantaene Animâ— caelestibus irae The Women were Shav'd and carry'd away tâ—â— Convents nor were they put in there many times till they had firâ—â— been at the mercy of certain people worse than the very Dragoons who made them suffer things that modesty and civility permit mâ—â— not to name I shall only say that they shut several of them up foâ— many months together with Murderers and Highway Men anâ— such like Cattle Some were cast into deep Dungeons where theâ— never saw day-light and they cloath'd them with filthy Raggâ— taken from the noisom Carkases of dead persons which they stripp'â— before their Faces But the height of all Evils and that which haâ— never entred into the heart of the wickedest of all the men Historâ— tells us of was the sending whole Vessels full of them to the Newâ— world to be sold to the Savages there Men and Women Younâ— and Old Noble or others all were treated equally alike In some places they made Assemblies to pray to God and theâ— the Dragoons Massacred all they could light on burnt the Housâ— to which the Fugitives retir'd and those poor creatures with theâ—â— Some they hang'd up on Trees and others they precipitated froâ— the tops of high Rocks and they broke those on the wheel limâ— after limb whom they called the heads of these Assemblies But 〈◊〉 would be endless to particularize all the various Tortures and uâ—â— heard of Cruelties which the Papists practic'd upon the Protestanâ— in France for to force them to abjure their Religion I will onâ— say that they carry'd them to all the excess of Fury and Inhumaniâ— that the Devils themselves were capable to inspire So that consideâ—ing this Persecution in all its circumstances it may well be reckoâ—ed the greatest and blackest that ever was amongst Christians 〈◊〉 any Age. After they had in this manner dispersed so many Families ruinâ— so many Houses made so many Tears to be shed and caus'd a gâ—neral Desolation they at length made a publick Spectacle and Dâ—vertisement thereof The Kings Players Acted for many montâ— together in Paris a Comedy call'd Merlin Dragoon in whiâ—â— the Persecutors and the Persecuted were the Persons Representeâ— â—nd inâ—â—â—â—rt and People went in Crowds to laugh and divert themselves at the Oppressions and Torments which the Protestants had â—uffer'd and by this as well as the rest you may judge what share Piety had in that Work. Now though all these Frauds Violencies and Cruelties and infinite numbers