which he writ assuring the Protestants of grace and clemency, giving them promises of equal liberty of conscience with his Papists in preferring unto offices and employments those whom he resolves to suppress and ruin. * * * *
“These matters of fact are self-evidences, and clearly show that our grievous oppressions by our king are the effects of the united councils of the Popish interest, whereof the French King is the Chief — that the conspiracy against true religion and liberties, that now appears in England, comprises all the Protestant Princes and States in Europe. England is only first attacked as the principal fortress of the Protestant profession. If the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland, can be reduced into the pattern of the French King in government and religion, and the strength of them be united against any single Protestant State or Prince they shall think fit to assault, (if they can by artifices keep the rest divided, which will not be hard for them), there is little hope of any long defence of such a State.
“The French King seems not unwilling to have it known that the Popish design is general against all profession of the Protestant religion, though especially against England. He hath allowed the Bishop of Cosnaes’ speech to him at Versailles in 1685 to be published, who was authorized to be the mouth of the clergy of that kingdom; he magnifies the King for suppressing the Protestants of his own kingdom, and asks, what they may not yet expect. England (saith he) is just offering to your Majesty one of the most glorious occasions that you can desire; the King of England, by the need which he will have of succour and of the support of your arms to maintain him in the Catholic Faith, will make you quickly find occasion to give a protection worthy of yourself. We knew very well, before the French clergy declared it by that bishop, that the same head that contrived the perversion or destruction of so many millions of the Protestants in that kingdom, designed the ruin of the English religion and liberty. But it surprised us to see that speech published by the French King’s authority, and that our King should suffer the translation of it to pass freely in England and through the world. We thought it beneath the majesty of a King of England to be content that his subjects should be told that he was to come under the protection of a King of France, over whose kings and kingdom his ancestors had so often triumphed. But it seems nothing is to be esteemed inglorious that may serve the general Popish design of extirpating the Protestant profession.
“We need not put your Highnesses in mind, that the same speech acknowledges that the Popish councils and conspiracy against England intend the like ruin to the religion and freedom of the United Provinces. That bishop tells the king that he hath undertook the conquest of new countries, there to re-establish the prelacy, the religious worship and the altars — that Holland and Germany have been the theatre of his victories, only that Christ might triumph there (that is, that the Papists might trample upon the Protestants and their religion) — and this he speaks (as he says) in the very spirit of the Church, and signifies their hopes of success against the poor Protestants to be unbounded, saying, What may we not yet expect?”
(Page 35.) This page begins with a translation of J. Michelet, the French historian’s, estimate of the serviceableness of the Huguenot officers and soldiers in William’s army. Next is the Order in Council encouraging the French Protestants to take refuge in Britain, being a declaration by the King and Queen. Among the Privy Councillors the name of the Duke of Schomberg occurs. Queen Mary, an eminent sympathizer with the persecuted, died in 1694.
(Page 36). Daniel De Foe’s testimony to the fidelity of the foreign refugees to King William, ending with the statement
“That foreigners have faithfully obey’d him,
And none but Englishmen have e’er betray’d him,”
is given at full length, and also the Prayer on behalf of “The Reformed Churches abroad,” used on 16th April 1696.
Section VII. extends from page 36 to page 58. As one great purpose of this volume is to supply accurate lists of the names of naturalized French Protestants from 1681 to the
