Page:Protestant Exiles from France Agnew vol 2.djvu/35

 Sir John Bramston added, “But this book, it seems (for I have not yet seen it) had in it expressions scandalous, as the Ambassador said, to his Majesty the King of France; and indeed, if so, it was fitly burned, for all kings ought to be careful of the honour and dignity of kings and princes.” To this his editor, the late Lord Braybrooke (1845) replies: “This remark might have been spared, as it is obvious that the king in this proceeding lost sight of the honour and dignity due to himself.”

The facts as to the long and pitiless persecutions of French Protestants, now proved to be historical, seemed so improbable to the logical mind of the benevolent Philip Henry, that he hesitated as to believing. He wrote in May 1686 to his son Matthew: “The Collection for y$e$ Fr. Prot. hath not reacht us yet, but I suppose is coming. I saw the Narrative, and could not chuse but think that things were made the worst of, for though 1 know what manner of spirit the (French Popish) people are of, there were some passages that would hardly consist with meer Humanity.” [He was, however, an admirer of the refugees, as to whom he said, “God hath given us a home, when so many better than we have not where to lay their head, having no certain dwelling-place.”]

The last translation of Claude’s Les Plaintcs des Protestans had a special preface, in which the pretence that after the Revocation persecution had ceased is refuted. At least three editions of this translation appeared. The third edition, printed in 1708, was remarkable for disclosing the name of the translator thus:— King James lavishly provided his printer, Henry Hills, with Papistical propagandist work, part of which was the issuing of translations of French pamphlets, denying the whole history of the sufferings of the Protestants of France. Bishop Bossuet’s contribution to the stock of lies was published with the title: “A Pastoral Letter from the Lord Bishop of Meaux to the New Catholics of his diocess, exhorting them to keep their Easter, and giving them necessary advertisements against the false pastoral letters of their ministers, with Reflections upon the .” This publication called forth two replies, one of which, as to disputed statements of fact, was very short, and was in these words: —

“There can be but two aims, as I apprehend, in dispersing this letter among us; one, to persuade us that there is no such persecution of Protestants in France as is pretended; the other, that the reasons upon which such multitudes are proselyted to the Church of Rome, or those at least which Monsieur Meaux gives in this letter, are so convincing as to oblige the rest of the world to follow their example.

“What he affirms in relation to the first, that not one among them had suffered violence either in person or goods, is so notorious a falsehood, that I must leave all those to believe him who can.” 