Page:Memoirs of a Huguenot Family.djvu/479

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EDICT OF NANTES.
471

gion presented to the Judges, Registrars or Clerks, executors of the sentences and judgments shall have the same force as if presented by Royal Letters.

61st.—In all inquiries which shall be made for any use in civil suits, if the Examiner or Commissioner be a Catholic, the parties shall be required to agree upon an associate, and where they cannot agree upon one, the aid Examiner or Commissioner shall select one himself of the said pretended Reformed religion: and the same practice shall be pursued, when the Examiner or Commissioner is of the said religion, with regard to the selection of an associate, who shall then be a Catholic.

62d.—It is our will and command that our Judges take cognizance of the validity of Wills, in which those of the said religion are interested, if they require it, and appeals from said judgments may be made, notwithstanding all custom to the contrary, even in Bretagne.

63d.—To obviate all differences which might arise between our Courts of Parliament and the Chambers of those Courts ordered by our present Edict, good and sufficient regulations shall be made by us for the government of said Courts and Chambers, such as shall secure to those of the said pretended Reformed religion, the full benefit of said Edict: which regulations shall be recorded in our Courts of Parliament, and kept and observed without regard to precedents.

64th.—We prohibit and forbid all our sovereign and other Courts of this kingdom to take cognizance and try any civil or criminal causes of those of said religion, the cognizance of which by this our Edict belongs to the said Chambers, provided that the reference be demanded as is said in XL. [1] article aforesaid.

65th.—We desire also in the meanwhile and until otherwise ordered, that in all suits commenced and intended to be commenced in which any of said religion shall be plaintiff or defendant, principal or security, in civil matters in which our officers and Presidial Courts have the power of final judgment, the privilege shall be granted to them of requiring that two of the Chamber where the suit is tried shall refrain from judging, which, without giving any reason, shall restrain said two from judging, the Ordinance to the contrary notwithstanding, which provides that judges shall not be

  1. It mast be a misprint, and intended for Article LX— Translator's Note.