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 XVII. (Book 17)

The Reformed in France are prohibited to en∣tertain any other Servants than old Catho∣licks, &c.

My Lord,

THIS Kingdom swarms still, as it has done for some months backwards, with meer Edicts and Declarations; and that chiefly about the poor distressed Reformed, whom they think they can never depress low enough. It was in July last that they were forbidden to take any Domesticks into their Service that were of the Roman Communion; and now they are order'd to take none but old Romanists to be their do∣mestick Servants; and the same Injunctions reach also the new Converts. It's a sad and me∣lancholy Subject, I do confess, but were it of less importance, one could not forbear laugh∣ing, to consider, that what was pitched upon as highly useful and necessary, in the Month of July, for to obstruct the pervertion of Catho∣licks, could some five months after retard the Conversion of such as might have been of the Re∣formed Way in the Service of persons of the same Religion; as if in the Month of July, when al∣most half the Kingdom was over-run with Dra∣goons, and who did every where commit the terriblest Ravages imaginable, any one in his Wits could imagine that those of the Reformed Religion should think upon the perverting of

any of the Roman-Catholicks to their Way; or that in the Month of December the handful of the Reformed, who are accused by the King's Declaration to persevere still in their erroneous Opinions, are in a condition to take into their Service all the rest of the Reformed, who are brought to a state of serving other People to gain them an honest Livelihood, and by this way to hinder the efficacious means, which the King declares he doth make use of for the re∣ducing of this poor People to Obedience. It's impossible for me, my Lord, to decipher to you the daily Hardships put upon these forlorn People, whose Miseries daily have an appea∣rance of further aggravation and encrease, which, I know, must aggravate your Sorrow, and therefore I shall forbear any further en∣largements hereupon, and content my self to profess how ready I am to give your Lordship all the Satisfaction that lies in my power, and to continue,

My Lord,

Your Honour's most humble Servant.

Paris, Jan. 16. 1686. N. S.