The secret history of White-Hall, from the restoration of Charles II down to the abdication of the late K. James writ at the request of a noble lord, and conveyed to him in letters, by ̲̲̲late secretary-interpreter to the Marquess of Louvois, who by that means had the perusal of all the private minutes between England and France for many years : the whole consisting of secret memoirs, which have hitherto lain conceal'd, as not being discoverable by any other hand / publish'd from the original papers, by D. Jones, gent.

LETTER XIV. (Book 16)

Containing some Observations upon the French King's Edict in Octob. 1685. for the re∣vocation of the Edict of Nants, made in fa∣vour of the Reformed in the Reign of Henry the Fourth.

My Lord,

I Have very lately given your Lordship an ac∣count of the Death of Monsieur le Tellier, soon after the revocation of the Edict of Nants; I am apt to believe your Lordship has not seen the said Revocation, and therefore, to keep my Hand in ure, and for want of better matter to gratifie your Honour's Expectations, I shall de∣scant a little upon the Particulars of it: After the Prefatory part of it, it's asserted as a con∣stant Truth, That the Edict of Nants was not given, but with a Prospect to revoke it; That not only the King himself, since his accession to the Throne, but even his Father and Grandfa∣ther Henry IV. had a Design to bring the Re∣formed back to the Communion of the Roman-Catholick Church; and that civil and foreign Wars have been the only Cause that had re∣tarded the execution of that Design; That be∣fore the conclusion of the Truce in 1684, Af∣fairs were not brought to a fit disposition to bring it about, and that till now they had been content to suppress the places of their Worship,

and to abolish some of their Privileges; and that in order to make way for the accomplishing of this great Work, the King was the more easily brought to conclude the said Truce: this being prefaced, the rest contains twelve Articles, im∣porting in general, That all Edicts made in fa∣vour of the Reformed are null; That the Reformed Religion shall be no more exerci∣sed in the Kingdom; That all the Ministers shall be hanish'd, yet with Promises, that if they became Converts in a limited time, viz. in fifteen days, they and their Widows after them should be provided for, &c. That no Reformed Schools shall be kept in the Kingdom; That all Children, for the future, shall be brought up in the Roman-Catholick Religion; That those might return into the Kingdom in four months who were out of it, else to have their Goods confiscate; That none, for the future, shall dare to go out of the Kingdom, under Penalty of the Galleys, &c. That such Decla∣rations as have been made against those that re∣lapsed, shall be in force; but, last of all, it g••ants the Reformed liberty to remain where they please, in the Kingdom; to continue their Trade, enjoy their Goods, without any molesta∣tion or trouble, under pretence of their Reli∣gion; upon condition notwithstanding that they shall not exercise the same, nor keep any Assem∣blies under pretence of Prayers or any other Worship whatsoever. But how specious soever this Article may seem, it's already apparent, that 'tis but a meer Illusion, and that there is much Cruelty couched under it: It would insi∣nuate to us, that the King had no design to for∣bid domestick Worship, and to enforce Mens Consciences, since this expression, Till such time

as God shall be pleased to enlighten them, has been added, as one fine spun Thread to the rest of the Net: but the Court and Clergy have made it already appear, that this was the least of their Thoughts, since they have actually caused the Troops to march towards the Provinces that have not yet been ravaged; tho'at the same time the chief Magistrate of this City has assembled the principal Merchants here together, to con∣firm to them, by word of Mouth, what was contain'd in the Edict, and to assure them, they had nothing to fear upon that account. And this has had a very pernicious effect already, for it has sent many home into their Houses again, who had taken measures to be gone, with their Families, out of the Kingdom; for the most distrustful persons could not perswade themselves, that so solemn a Promise could be made with an intention to break it the next op∣portunity; but Experience has very quickly taught them, that the Imprudence to return was to no other effect, than to receive the Dra∣goons into their Houses; and now, when 'tis too late, they come to know, that the Mar∣quess de Chateauneuf had no other design, than to lay a Snare for the credulous, by a base equi∣vocating Phrase, and such as the Jesuites usual∣ly have made use of in forming the Orders and Declarations concerning Religion, which have passed thro' their Hands; and that by adding to those words, waiting till the Lord shall be pleased to enlighten them, these same, as others; he meant no other, than that the Dragoons, who had enlightned the first Converts, should also be the Dispensers of the same Light to those who continued still stiff and opinionative. But I shall, in my next, give your Lordship further

Information of this base and double-dealing, so much to the Dishonour of this Court, and the Ministers of it, from whom, as in the Litany,—I commend your Lordship to the Divine Protection, and shall ever while I live do so, and remain,

My Lord,

Your Lordship's most devoted Servant.

Paris. Dec. 10. 168••. N S.