potism called BISHOPS of France, was to be executed. In May the clergy held an assembly at Versailles. Their deputies, as usual, harangued BAJAZET,* congratulated him for the success of his design to extirpate heresy, extolled the glory he had acquired by oppressing the reformed, above all the victories that he had ever obtained. In de- ' fiance of all the blood flowing in the Cevennes, and in all the distant provinces, and in spite of all the groans, that issued from gallies, banishments and dungeons, they assured the tyrant, he had raised the church to the highest pitch of glory, and filled it with joy because he had done the great work without fire or sword. However, to make neat, fashionable work, they added eight and twenty little articles more, all despotick and penal, which were yet to be done to finish off the exploit. This kind of orators have a patent for lying, and death and the devil have a commission, the first from Lewis, and the last from the pope, to silence all who dare contradict them.

The old chancellor, Father Le Tellier, perceiving he should die before the session of parliament, obtained of the king by frequent importunities,

Dr.

* I allude to Mr. Rowe's Tragedy of Tamerlane. Welwood says, in this play he aimed at a parallel between William III, and Tamerlane, and Bajazet and Lewis XIV. and, he adds, since nothing could be more calculated for raising in the minds of the audience a true passion for liberty, and a just abhorrence of slavery, he wonders how this play came to be discouraged next to a prohibition in the latter end of Queen Anne's reign. The Dr. did not think proper to assign the reason; indeed it was unnecessary, all the world knew it.

that the grand affair, THE REVOCATION OF THE EDICT OF NANTZ, should be put off no longer; but that he might have the honour to put the seal to it before he expired. He was indulged, the edict was prepared, the seal was put to it Oct. 18th, and four days after it was registered in the chamber of vacations. This superannuated old sinner was so infatuated as to adopt Simeon's words, when he sealed the instrument. It was the last act of his chancellorship, and he died soon after with these words in his mouth, I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever. His panegyrist says, " he went on singing the rest of the psalm when he got to heaven." I am not sure of that. I only know, all the bishops attended his funeral in their habits, and archbishop Flechier, a very good man when he was not ordered to be wicked, preached the funeral oration, said all the fine things he could invent, and declared that to be a PIOUS edict, a triumph of RELIGION, a most glorious monument of the PIETY of the king;* that edict, I say, which condemned two millions of rational beings to ruin for exercising their own reason in matters of religion, and did so in direct violation of oaths, and publick instruments, and all the ties, that usually bind mankind.

The edict was not yet published under the seal, and the church at Charenton obtained an order of council for the continuance of their publick wor

*Ce pieux edit. Triomphe de la foi. La piete du Roi. Flech. Orais. fun. pour Le Tellier

ship till it should be so. They obtained the favour, and spent their time in fasting, praying, preaching, settling their affairs, as well as they could, and deliberating whither to flee, and what to do. What oceans of sorrow for Claude at Paris, while Le Tellier was singing the eighty-ninth psalm in heaven !

The merciless bishops, loth to do the devil's work by halves, artfully set one snare more for Mr. Claude. They procured a publication of the edict under the seal on Thursday, Dec. 18th, and they took care to give the consistory at Charenton legal notice of it. They knew the edict could not be registered in parliament till the next week, and they hoped the protestants would meet on the intervening Lord's day for publick worship. In such a case, they intended to come into the church, speak to the people, and embroil them with the civil powers. Between the king and the parliament, prerogative and law, they intended, as between two milstones, to grind the reformed to powder. The better to succeed, they concealed their treachery; and, as they took no steps on the publication of the edict toward seizing the church, the good people supposed, compassion had for once entered the heart of a bishop, and that the small consolation of one, last, farewell Lord's-day worship, was a favour intended them. Mr. Claude knew the men too well not to distrust a favour coming from such suspected hands. He, therefore, dissuaded the ministers from preaching, and the people from assembling; they agreed, and the

church at Charenton was shut on the Lord's day. Some thought Mr. Claude took a hasty step; but others better informed said, it was a masterly stroke. It was a turn given to the rudder of a great ship, that was going to be wrecked; it came from the hand of a skilful pilot, whom God enabled to save the passengers, when he could not prevent the wreck of the vessel.

The ecclesiasticks, seeing their design defeated, and knowing by long experience that Claude must be the man, who had rendered their scheme abortive, were enraged beyond their usual measure; and declared, with true episcopal heroism, they would prevent, his future over officious care of his flock, and spare him the pain of seeing their dispersion. They made their threatening good. On Monday, Dec. 22, the edict was registered in parliament. Fifteen days were allowed the ministers to depart the kingdom. The bishops found means to abridge this time in regard to Mr. Claude, and at ten o'clock on Monday forenoon he received orders to quit the kingdom within twenty four hours. One of the king's footmen was appointed to attend him to the frontiers of France. Mr. Claude was prepared for the event, and received the order as became a christian.

When God created John Claude, he laid him under the fatal necessity of committing the unpar donable sin in the account of those despotic hypocrites, popish prelates. These men never forgive the man, who has penetration enough to discover the true springs of their actions, and rectitude and

benevolence enough to abhor and expose them. Such men as Claude are not made up to their mind. An ignorant monk, who does not know the world, a needy spendthrift in distress for fear of his creditors, a dastardly cringing creature, who dare not call his soul his own, a lover of ease, a slave to praise, these, and others like them, are formed for servitude, and lick the feet of their lords the prelates, who, in great wisdom and piety, in pure love to their souls, and in a primitive laudable zeal for the glory of God, condescend to lead them through life in episcopal chains.

On Tuesday morning, Dec. 23, the man of God took coach at Paris for Brussels, intending to go and reside with his only son, who was then pastor of the Walloon church at the Hague. The king's footman treated him with all possible civility, his merit commanding the man's respect. At every stage he was complimented by persons of distinction. He slept one night at Cambray. The father rector of the Jesuits did him the honour of a visit, and the house presented him with what was in season. At length he arrived at the Hague, and in receiving and returning the embraces of his family for that evening, forgot his perils, and the remains of a fit of sickness, which he had before he left Paris.

A few days after his arrival, he had the honour of paying his respects to the prince and princess of Orange, and to the chief persons of the state. He was received in a manner, that overwhelmed his soul with joy; and he often declared, he could not