The history of the famous Edict of Nantes containing an account of all the persecutions that have been in France from its first publication to this present time : faithfully extracted from all the publick and private memoirs, that could possibly be procured / printed first in French, by the authority of the states of Holland and West-Friezland, and now translated into English.

A Declaration of the King upon the Peace which he gave his Subjects of the Pretended Reformed Religion, confirming the Proceding Edicts of Pacification. Given at the Camp before Mompellier October 19. 1622. and Publish'd in Parlament November 21.

LLWIS King of France and Navarr, To all, &c. As every Christian Prince that fears God, ought to have in abhorrence the Effusion of the bood of Mankind, created after the Image of the Al∣mighty, so also is he bound and oblig'd not only to avoyd the Occasions of Civil and Domestick Warrs, but also to seek and embrace all honourable and law∣ful means to reunite and cause his Subjects to live under the Laws of the Kingdom in good Concord and Obedience. And the same Divine Goodness that has known our heart ever since it has pleas'd him to call us to the Go∣vernment of the French Monar∣chy, is the Judge of our inward Thoughts, and every body knows that our Arms have bin no less Just then constrain'd and necessary for the support and defence of our Authority: Whether against those, who from the Beginning, under divers borrow'd Pretences, have rais'd up Troubles during our Mi∣nority; or after that, against our Subjects of the Pretended Refor∣med Religion, abus'd and sur∣priz'd by the Artifices of some among 'em, who thought to make their advantages as well of their Simplicity, as of the publick Di∣vision of our Kingdom; whereas our Intentions never have bin other, after the laudable Example of our Predecessors of happy Me∣mory, then to keep 'em all in good Peace and Union, in that Duty and Obedience which is due to us, under the benefit of our Edicts; and to use 'em as our good and faithful Subjects, when they contain themselves within the Bounds of Respect and Sub∣mission which are due to a Sove∣raign: Not having spar'd any du∣ty of Remonstrance and Diligence to prevent the Mischief which it was easie to foresee, before we came to force and violence, to our great Sorrow, for the preservation of our Royal Dignity, and the Pow∣er which God has put into our hands; to remove all Jealousies and mistrusts of our Sincerity which have been infus'd into 'em with ar∣tifice and design, tho' we were ne∣ver worse then our words to any person, to prevent the Misfortunes and Accidents that have ens••'d; and to let 'em understand together

with the Principal Authors and Fomenters of this publick Dis∣order, the real ground of our up∣right and Sincere Intentions to Cherish and preserve all in peace, and in the free and quiet Enjoy∣ment of what is granted and or∣dain'd by our said Edicts. And seeing it is so, that our said Sub¦jects of the Pretended Reformed Religion, have been since inspir'd with better thoughts, and ac∣knowledging their Errors and this Truth, have had recourse to our Clemency and Goodness by most humble Supplications, which they have sent us by their Deputies on purpose, beseeching us that we would voutsafe 'em our Pardon, and abolish the Memory of what is past; we always inclining rather to mildness and mercy, then to push forward the Rigor and Ju∣stice of our Arms, tho' they have gain'd us signal advantages, suf∣ficient for us to ground the hopes of a prosperous Conclusion, and being desirous out of respect to their Submissions and duties, to restore Peace to the Kingdom, and to reunite our Subjects in amity and concord one among another, and in a general and Unanimous Obedience toward our selves; and for other important Reasons and Considerations, us thereunto moving, with the Ad∣vice of the Princes, Dukes, &c. We have said, ordain'd and de∣clar'd, and do say, ordain and de∣clare, by these Presents, Sign'd with our Hand, and it is our Will and Pleasure, that the Edict of Nantes, the Declarations and secret Ar∣ticles register'd in our Courts of Parlament, shall be faithfully ful∣fill'd to our Subjects of the Pre∣tended Reformed Religion, in all their Parts and Clauses, and as they were well and duly enjoy'd in the Reign of the Deceased King our thrice Honour'd Lord and Father, and since our coming to the Crown, before the last Commoti∣ons: That the Exercise of the Religion, Catholick, Apostolick and Roman, shall be restor'd and resettl'd in all parts of the King∣dom and Countries under our O∣bedience where it has bin inter∣rupted, to be there freely and Peaceably continu'd without any Molestation; forbidding expresly all Persons of what Quality or Condition soever, upon pain of being punish'd as disturbers of the Publick Peace, to molest or di∣sturb the Ecclesiasticks in the Ce∣lebration of Divine Service, en∣joyment or collecting the Tithes, Fruits and Revenues of their Benefi∣ces, and all other Rights and Duties to them appertaining. In like manner the Exercise of the Pre∣tended Reformed Religion, shall be establish'd in such Places, as we shall think good and proper, after we have heard the Remon∣strances of the Deputies of our Province of Guienne. It is our Pleasure also, that all the new Fortifications of the Cities, Towns, Castles, Forts and Fortresses, held by our said Subjects of the Refor∣med Religion, more especially those rais'd in the Islands of Re and Oleron, shall be demolish'd and level'd with the Ground, the an∣cient

Walls, Towers, Gates, Motes and Counterscarps still standing in the same Condition, with Pro∣hibitions to the said Cities to For∣tifie 'em anew, and for the more faithful Execution of the said De∣••••mishments, hostages of the Prin∣cipal Inhabitants shall be put into the hands of those whom we shall please to Nominate, to the end the Officers of our Crown, or other de∣puted Commissioners, may execute the Contents abovemention'd ac∣cording to the Instructions that shall be given 'em. And our mean∣ing is, that all the Cities of the said Pretended Reformed Religi∣on, which in 15. days after Pub∣lication of these Presents, shall sub∣mit to our Obedience, and will∣ingly open their Gates to us, shall enjoy the Contents of this Decla∣ration. And we expresly forbid all our said Subjects of the said Pretended Reformed Religion, to hold any General or Provincial As∣semblies, Circles, abridg'd Synods, or any others of what quality or Title they be, under pain of High Treason, unless they have permission from us: Onely Assem∣blies of Consistories, Colloquies and Synods, meerely about Eccle∣siastical Affairs, are permitted 'em. Also our said Subjects of the Pre∣tended Reformed Religion, shall ••••and discharg'd from all Acts of Hostility, and from all Assemblies General and Provincial Circles, abridg'd and others, and from all other things whatever, generally contain'd in the 76th. and 77th. Articles of our Edict of Nantes, from the first of January, 1621. 'till this present Time; compre∣hending under this Title, the ex∣e••rable Cases, such as are speci∣fy'd and declar'd by the fourscore and sixteenth Article of the said Edict, into which search may be made before the Judges who have Cognizance of it. And as for what happen'd at Privas, we will have a particular Amnesty of it expedited for the Inhabita••••s of that Place, as also for the Sieur de Brisson. And for the Accompt∣ables and other Officers, as to what concerns the Trusts of their Management, the 78th. and 79th. of the said Edict of Nantes shall be faithfully kept and observ'd. In like manner, for the Judge∣ments, Decrees and Sentences gi∣ven against those of the Religion who have born Arms, our Pleasure is that they shall be discharg'd of 'em, according to the 58th. 59th. and 60th. Articles of the said E∣dict. Also we have Corrobora∣ted and confirm'd, and by these Presents do Corroborate and con∣firm the Judgments given by the Establish'd Judges and Counsel∣lours, by the Chief Commanders in the Provinces, whether in Civil or Criminal matters and Executi∣ons happen'd between those of their Party; and the said Judges and Counsellours are discharg'd from all pursuits in that regard, imposing perpetual Silence upon our Advocate Generals, their Sub∣stitutes and all others pretending claim or Interest therein. In like manner our Pleasure is, that all Prisoners on both sides that have not pay'd their Ransoms,

shall be releas'd and set at Liber∣ty without paying any thing, and all Promises made in reference to Ransoms not fulfill'd upon the Day or Date of these Presents, are declar'd Null and of no Ef∣fect. In like manner all Persons of what Quality and Condition so∣ever they be, shall be restor'd to their Estates, Debts, Titles, Ac∣compts and Actions, Employ∣ments, Honours and Dignities, which they were depriv'd of du∣ring the present Troubles, notwith∣standing any Donations or Confis∣cations; excepting Military Em∣ployments, the care of which we will reserve to our selves. We also order that this Declaration be observ'd and kept by all our Subjects, according to the Form prescrib'd by the 82d. Article of our Edict of Nantes; and that Ca∣tholick and Pretended Reformed Commissioners, shall be sent into all the Provinces to look after the Execution of it according to our said Edict. So we Command our faithful and well beloved, &c. In Testimony, &c.

Given in the Camp before Mompellier, October 19. 1622. of our Reign the 13th.

Sign'd LEWIS.

By the King.

De Lomemie.

Read, publish'd and register'd &c. At Paris in Parlament No∣vember 21. 1622.

Sign'd Du Tillet