I answered, that I could not lull my conscience sufficiently to act in that way.
He then told me in confidence, that he was himself overwhelmed with grief at the state of things. He feared the just judgments of God would overtake the Catholics for forcing the Protestants to approach the altar without faith, and to partake of that Holy Sacrament which should only be received by the sincere in heart.
"I fear," said he, "War! Famine! and Pestilence!
"War!—What is more probable than that the princes with whom so many Huguenots have taken refuge, should be aroused to avenge them of their persecutors?
"Famine! For who will cultivate our fields? There will remain to us only old men, women, and children; all our young people are leaving us; and what an army may be raised for our adversaries, out of the brave young men whom we are driving away!
"Pestilence! Generally the last scourge, following upon the heels of famine. And who can say that we do not deserve such chastisement from the Almighty, for our profanation of his Holy Altar."
The Curé spoke with great force on the subject, and he really appeared to have the gift of prophecy, for what he anticipated all came literally to pass; but he only lived to see the commencement.
The veteran army of France, formidable to the whole world, had been every where victorious until it made war upon the Saints; and then it experienced the most gloomy reverses. The soldiers appeared shorn of their strength, and God took from them their ancient valor. We have seen this army of torturers and persecutors, fly from the face of an
