The French king's decree against Protestants, prohibiting them the exercise of their religion, &c. to which is added a brief and true account of the cruel persecution and inhumane oppressions of those of the reformed religion to make them abjure and apostatize : together with the form of abjuration the revolting Protestants are to subscribe and swear to, and a declaration of his Electoral Highness of Brandenburgh ... : also a letter from Father La Chese ... to Father Petre ... / newly translated from the French.

An Extract of a Letter, containing some more Instances of the Cruel and Barbarous Ʋsage of the Protestants in France.

BUt this, Sir, is not the thing which troubles me most, at this time; there's another cause of my Grief, which is but too just, and even pierceth my Heart with Sorrow; and that is, The Cruel Persecution, which the Poor Protestants of France do suffer, amongst whom I have so many near and dear Relations: The Torments they are put to, are almost Incredible; and the Heavenly Courage, wherewith some of them are strengthned by their Great Captain and Leader, to undergo them, is no less amazing and wonderful: I shall give for Instance one or two of these Champions, that by them you may judge of the rest.

A Young Woman was brought before the Council, in order to oblige her to abjure the Truth of the Gospel; which she boldly and manfully refusing, was commanded back again to Prison; where they shaved her Head, and sing'd off the Hair of her Privities; and having stript her Stark-Naked, in this manner led her through the Streets of the City; where many a blow was given her, and Stones flung at her. After this, they set her up to the Neck in a Tub full of Water; where after she had been for a while, they took her out, and put upon her a Shift dipt in Wine, which as it dry'd, and fluck to her Sore and Bruised Body, they snatch'd off again; and then had another ready, dipt in Wine to clap upon her: This they repeated six several times; and when by this Inhumane usage, her Body was become very Raw and Tender, they demanded of her, Whether she did not now find her self disposed to Embrace the Catholick Faith? for so they are pleased to term their Religion: But she, be∣ing strengthned by the Spirit and Love of Him, for whose Names sake she suffered all these Extremities, undauntedly answer'd; That she had before declared her Resolution to them, which she would never al∣ter; and that, though they had her Body in their Power, she was resol∣ved not to yield her Soul to them; but keep it pure and undefiled for her Heavenly Lover; as knowing, that a little while would put an end to all her Sufferings, and give a Beginning to her Enjoyment of Everlasting Bliss: Which Words of hers, adding Fuel of their Rage, who now despaired of making her a Convert, they took and fastned her by her

Feet, to something that served the turn of a Gibbet, and there let her hang in that Ignominious Posture, with her head downwards till she expired.

The other Person I would instance in, and whom I pity the more, because (for ought I know) he may yet survive, and still continue under the Tormentor's Hands, is an Old Man; who having, for a great while, been kept close Prisoner (upon the same account as the former) in a deep Dungeon, where his Companions were Darkness and Horror, and filthy Creeping things, was brought before his Judges, with Vermin and Snails crawling upon his Mouldred Gar∣ment; who seeing him in that loathsom condition, said to him: How now Old Man, does not your Heart begin to Relent? and are not you willing to Abjure your Heresie? To which he answer'd: As for Heresie, I profess none; but if by that Word you mean my Religion, you may assure your selves, that as I have thus long Lived, so, I hope, and am resolved by the Grace of God, to Die in it: With which answer they being little pleased, but furiously incensed, bespoke him in a rougher Tone: Dost thou not see, that the Worms are about to devour thee? Well, since thou art so resolved, we will send thee back again, to the loathsom Place from whence thou camest, that they may make an end of thee, and consume thy obdurate Heart: To which he reply'd, with the words of the holy patient Job; Novi postquam vermes confoderint (Corpus) istud, in carne mea me vissurum esse Deum. I know that af∣ter Worms have eaten this Body, that in my Flesh I shall see God. And having so said, he was sent back to his loathsom dark Abode; where if he be still, I pray God to give him patience and strength to hold out to the End, that so he may obtain the Crown of Life.

I should be too tedious, in giving you all the particulars of their Cruelty, and of the Sufferings of the Protestants; yet I cannot well forbear acquainting you with what lately I am most credibly inform'd of; which take as follows: Some Dragoons, who were Quartered with a Person, who they could by no means oblige to Renounce his Religion; upon a time, when they had well fill'd them∣selves with Wine, and broke their Glasses at every Health they drank; and so fill'd the Floor, where they were, with the Frag∣ments; and by often walking over, and treading upon them, re∣duced them to lesser Pieces and Fractions: And being now in a mer∣ry Humour, they must needs go to Dance; and told their Host, That he must be One of the Company; but withal, that he must

first pull off his Stockins and Shooes, that the might move the more nimbly: In a word, they forc'd him to Dance with them bare∣footed, upon the sharp Points of Glass; which when they had con∣tinued so long as they were able to keep him on his Legs, they laid him down on a Bed; and a while after stript him stark naked, and rolled his Body from one end of the Room to the other, upon the sharp Glass, as beforementioned; which having done, till his Skin was stuck full of the said little Fragments, they returned him again to his Bed, and sent for a Chyturgeon, to take out all the said pieces of Glass out of his Body; which you may easily conceive, could not be done without frequent Incisions, and horrible and most ex∣tream pain. Another Person being likewise troubled with the un∣welcom Company of these Dragoons, and having suffered extream∣ly at their hands, without the expected success of his Conversion; one of them on a time looking earnestly upon him, told him, That he disfigured himself, with letting his Beard grow so long: But he an∣swering, That they were the cause of it, who would not let him stir out of door, for to go to the Barber: The Dragoon reply'd, I can do that for you as well as the Barber; And with that told him, He must needs try his Skill upon him: And so fell to work; but instead of shaving him, flea'd all the Skin off his Face. One of his Companions coming in at the Cry of this poor Sufferer, and seeing what he had done, seemingly blam'd him for it, and said, He was a Bungler; and then to his Host, Come, your Hair wants Cutting too, and you shall see, I will do it much better than he hath shav'd you: And there∣upon begins, in a most cruel manner, to pluck the Hair, Skin, and all, off his Head, and flea'd that as the other had done his Chin. Thus making a Sport and Merriment of the extream Suffering of these miserable Wretches.

By these inhuman, and more than Barbarous means it is, that they endeavour to overcome the most resolved patience, and to drive People to Despair and Faint-heartedness, by their Devilish In∣ventions. They refuse to give them Death, which they desire; and only keep them alive to torment them, so long till they have vanquish'd their Perseverance; for the Names of Martyrs, and Re∣bels, are equally odious to their Enemies, who tell them, The King will have Obedient Subjects, but neither Martyrs nor Rebels; and that they have received Orders to Convert them, but not to Kill them.

Sir, I beg your Pardon, for having so long Entertain'd you with these more than Tragical Passages; and that you would not be want∣ing to recommend the Condition of these Poor, Destitute, Afflicted, and Tortured Persons, to the Bowels of Compassion of our Heaven∣ly Father, that He would be pleased not to suffer them to be Tem∣pted above what he shall give them Grace to bear: Which is the Hearty Prayer of,

Your Faithful Friend, T. G.