justly robbed mankind. A light shone in the midst of this gloom, our fourth Henry stepped forward and extended the olive-branch of peace over all his dominions. By the edict of Nantes liberty of conscience was ensured by a royal oath, and by the unanimous consent of the parliament, and confirmed by all the states and provinces: his successor renewed this oath, and our ruler, Louis XIV, could not be recognised king, before he agreed to reign over Evangelical as well as Roman Catholic subjects: thus was the oath which he took for himself and his posterity ratified to us; he has reigned many years with happiness and renown, but now in his old age, surrounded by ambitious and superstitious minds, now that his bright star has long set, now that his country is impoverished and exhausted; that his armies are defeated; that enemies threaten his frontiers, and even his very capital,—now that Germany, England, and Holland, here in the neighbourhood, Savoy, menace us with the most dire mis-
