upon the road to enjoy the spectacle! They were in such numbers that I may say they were literally piled up by the way-side; and they were uttering the most horrible maledictions and imprecations, and throwing stones at those who accompanied him to the prison-door. I say, if you had seen them, you would have concluded the prisoner could have been guilty of no less a crime than murdering his father, committing violence on his mother, or attempting the life of the king.
Oh! my God! to what a horrid pitch of barbarity can mankind be borne by the blind zeal of superstition and idolatry.
Through her many severe trials my sister was always resigned to the will of her Heavenly Father, who, she felt assured, ordered all things for the best.
Mr. Forestier had a tedious imprisonment, which was attended with great loss and inconvenience to him, because it obliged him to give up his school. At length he appealed to the Parliament[1] of Paris, and obtained an acquittal.
The church of St Mesme soon shared the fate of others, and was condemned. The Synod then removed him to Coses, in Saintonge; and though it is rather anticipating events, I think I had better proceed with his history, before returning to the memoirs of my own life.
The church at Coses had its turn, and was condemned before long. The Papists in the neighborhood had not patience to wait for the day appointed for its demolition, but desired
- ↑ There were ten Parliaments in the kingdom of France. They were superior courts of judicature, to which appeal was made from the decision of inferior tribunals. They had no legislative functions but that of registering and publishing the Royal Decrees, to which they very rarely raised any objection.
