The Sun.
London, England, 1812-03-05 00:00:00

Pi 0 ,11/11V CA7 170 L ICS.

The following historical Mernotial may be pro-
perly revived at present, in order to ahew the tem-
per of the Rom in Catholics towards Protestants,
and the unalterable charaaer Of their religion.

The tdiFi of Nanti, by Henry the IV. of France,
placed the Protestants in that country on the same
footing with the Catholies', and he hoped by -that
means to bring about a degree of harmony between
those persuasions. This Was regarded with a jea-
lous eye by the Catholics, but particularly the clergy,
who never ceased to inveigh bitterly against Go-
vernment for permitting Heretics to enjoy any ad-
vantages whatever, civil or military, or indeed the
indulgence of public worship ; at last, when LeNV is
the XIV. felt himself declining in years and health,
he begin- to think of reconciling himself to his
Creator by some great act MI devotion, and thereby
atone for thd Multitude of his sins and debaucheries;
on this occasion he consulted such persons as be-
thought best qualified to judge cOrreelly on a
matter of such importance,; the committee con-
sisted of the Chancellor. Tallier, and. the, Chan-
cellor's son, Marquis Louvois, Madam Maintenon;
the widow of old Scarron, the buffoon, and his
confessor, _Father La • Chaise, all of which com-
mittee, on the state of the soul of Lewis, unani-
mously agreed, that nothing could be so condo--
cive to his salvation as the total revocation of the
Edit' of,Nantz, and the extinaion of the Pro-
testant Religion in France. An Edict was acco,d-
iogly published, revoking that of Henry the IV.
and when the Chancellor Tallier signed it, he
cried out in extacy, now let thy servant depart in
peace, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation :" the
cruelties, confiscations, and persecutions that fol-
lowed, were of the most bat barons nature : in
shots, they even exceeded _the enormities of the
barn of Scullabogue, 'or the bridge of Wexford.
By this religious crusade, to rescue the soul of
Lewis from Purgatory, upwards of 500,000 Pro-
'events were driven out of France, but so zea-
lous were the committee above mentioned in the
blessed work they were engaged in, that it never oc-
curred to the n that those very persons composed
the chief proportion of the industrious, ingenious,
and exemplary part of the whole population of
France; At proved, however, a lucky circumstance
to the rest of Europe, for those binishrd Heretics
spread themselves over it, and were every where
received with kindness and hospitality : in Amster-
dam 1000 houses were built for their reception ;
and every country in which they settled, mire
sources of trade were opened by the arts and ma. 7
nufaalures introduced by those industrious pecele.--7-
England was particularly fortunate, for, by the
'greet encouragement given, she derived such ad-
vantages from those ingenious emigrants, as soon
gave her tnanufatlures a superiority over the whole
world. Several families came over to lieland, and
settled themselves in Dublin and Portarlington, and
were treated by Government with the greatest kind-
ness; many were put into civil and military em-
ployments, and the elegant manners, and good
conduct of those settlers, spewed they were de-
serving of the favours of Government. NoW,
'can it be believed, after what has been. detailed,
that one of those fimilies, forgetful of the history
of their ancestors, who suffered the most cruel per-
secutions and confiscations that Popish bigotry could
devise, should now be foremost to give power and
consequence to this cruel intolerant seat ? but an'
unfortunate notion prevails in the present .day
amone many stupid or unthinking Protestants, that
the Popish Religion is quite different from what it
was in the times above mentioned ; but when We
recolleCt the scenes that have passed in our Own
time, we cannot help believing the truth of DoEfor
Troy's assertion in one of his Pastoral Letters, « that
the Roinish Religion is unchangeable." When we
shall be such, liberal fools to afford that sea, an op-
portunity, we shall then have full proofs of the truth
of his doctrines.