A tale of the Huguenots : or, memoirs of a French refugee family : translated and compiled from the original manuscripts of James Fontaine

Front matter

LI

Arrington

Brigham Young University Library

Dedication

To the two thousand descendants of the exemplary Christian whose eventful life forms the chief suhject of the following pages, and who are now living in the United States of America, this work is affec tionately inscribed by their kinswoman.

Introduction

The lilstory of the little work now in the reader's hands, is briefly this. Among the private documents, belonging to one of the most respectable families under the parochial charge of the present writer, there has long been preserved, with pious care, a manuscript autobiography of one of its ancestors, who, as a persecuted Huguenot, endured much for the sake of his faith. It was the labour of his latter days to prepare for his descendants the record alluded to, as a memorial of his gratitude for the Providence that had sustained him in many dangers and trials, and as an admonition to his posterity to adhere to the faith for which their forefathers hazarded life. The work, which extended to several hundred pages, was written in the French language, and without any view to publication.

In the friendly confidence growing out of parochial relations, the existence of this manuscript became known to the writer of this introduction. Curiosity led to its examination ; the strange and interesting nature of the incidents it recorded, related as they were with unpretending simplicity, soon fixed his attention. It struck him as being a vivid picture of by-gone times sketched by an honest eye iK^itness ; and the page of past history thus illustrated was not the least interesting in the records of Protestantism.

There was also, as it sedTned to the writer, many an useful lesson to be gathered from the leading

VI INTRODUCTION.

events of the story. Independent of the spirit of piety that pervaded the book, and of the testimony it afforded to the doctrine of God's providential care of the clu'istian, who in humble faith cast all his care upon Him, there were valuable lessons of wisdom, apphcable to "the life that now is;" and it was thought that youth might here find an example w^orthy of its imitation.

Here was the spectacle of a man, accustomed in his early days to the enjoyments of a competent estate, and educated accordingly, who, for conscience sake, resisting the oppression and persecution of himself and his countrymen with indomitable courage, was at last stripped of all, and obliged to abandon his country. An exile in a strange land, ignorant of its language, unaccustomed to manual labour, and with the refinement of feeling belonging to his education and former rank in society ; he felt that he was thrown upon his energies as a man, and nobly girding himself to the work before him, he trusted in his Maker, and proved that, if true to God and true to himself, man need never despair.

He who had enjoyed the ease of affluence, and found occupation and delight in the pursuit of letters, accommodating himself to his altered situation becomes an artizan and works at his trade ; and soon by his science, observation and industry, distances all his companions of the same craft. Persecuted out of his calling, because he had been guilty of success in it ; with a perseverance accustomed to remove obstacles, he finds another occupation, and again directing all his faculties to his business, he again sueceeds. More than once losing his all, he yet never desponds, but sets about retrieving his losses with the willing industry of one who never knew a reverse of

INTRODUCTION. Vll

fortune. In the midst of all this, he finds time to train his family in the fear of God, devises means to educate them for respectable callings, and lives to see some of them among the first and most esteemed ministers of the Gospel in Virginia.

The example of such a man is surely a lesson for youth. Now a scholar, and now a manufacturer ; now a civilian, and now a soldier, he may be seen, at one time enjoying letters, and at another, labouring with his hands for bread ; on one day he w4il be found asserting the rights of the oppressed before the courts of the oppressors ; and on another he is withstanding a siege. In all situations, he bears himself with the noble spirit that becomes a man, for he never loses his great trust in God, nor his proper confidence in himself.

It has been remarked more than once that this country has never had better citizens in it than the Huoruenots and their descendants. The instances are rare indeed in which one of that stock, has been charged with crime before the tribunals of the land. The descendants of the man, a sketch of whose biography is in the reader's hands, only confirm the truth of these observations. Many hundreds of them are now among our countrymen. Some of them have been, some now are, clergymen of worth and usefulness, some have been at the bar, some in the halls of legislation, some in important public offices, and we have yet to learn the name of that one who has disgraced himself, his ancestry, or his country.

These, and kindred reflections passing through the writer's mind induced him to believe that extracts might be made from the manuscript before him, worthy of publication, and he made a suggestion to one of the members of the family to prepare the work.

Vlll INTRODUCTION.

In proposing the measure, he had in view chiefly the benefit of the young, though he thought the book would have interest for all. His suggestion was adopted, upon the condition that he would explain the circumstances connected with the publication, and would assure its readers of the authenticity of the story. Having done the first, he has only to state further that it is a veritable narrative, and as such has long been preserved in the family of one of our worthiest countrymen. If in its perusal, some of the events related, should appear to others, as they did to the writer, of an unusual character, let it be remembered that their truth makes their strangeness more striking still ; and serves to show that real life sometimes imbodies adventures, little, if at all, inferior to those found on the pages of fictitious narrative.

F. L. Hawks.

Rectory of St. Tliomas N. Y.

August, 1st. 1838.

Chapter I

Reasons for writing tliese memoirs — Noble origin of our family — John de la Fontaine born — Obtains a commission in the household of Francis I. — Embraces Protestantism — Persecution of Protestants — ^.January Edict — ^John de la Fontaine resigns his commission — His assassination — Flight of his three sons — Arrival at Rochelle — Charitable reception — Marriage of James de la Fontaine — Attempt to poison him — Application for pardon to Henry IV. . . 13

Chapter II

James Fontaine — Fond of study — Travels as tutor to a yomig nobleman — Called to the churches of Vaux and Royan — Marries an English lady — Second marriage — His personal appearance— Habits — Labors in the ministry — Capuchins and Jesuits come to hear him preach — Summoned to appear before the governor for preaching on the ruins of the Church — A second summons — Anticipation of future persecution — Death. ..... 25

Chapter III

My birth — Lameness — Imitation of my fathers prayers — Meditations upon the heavenly bodies — Sent to school — Disgusted with study — Letter to sister — Mr. de la Bussiere — Admirable preceptor — Eccentric man — Enter college — Take degree of Master of Arts — My mother's death — Division of property. . . . . . 32

Chapter IV

Study with Mr. Forestier — His persecutions — His wife's firmness— ^Return home — Pray with neighbours — Leave the neighbourhood at Easter — Poor people assemble in the

X CONTENTS.

woods — A spy watches them — Warrants issued — A mason taken up — lie recants — His repentance — My return home-^- Warrant against me — Determine to remain and wait the issue— Grand Provost and archers appear — Conducted to prison— Obtain permission to pray night and morning in prison. ....,, 40

Chapter V

Provost and archers make another tour — Firmness of the poor country people — Twenty brought to prison — Supplied with necessaries by Protestants of Saintes-^- Attempt to shake their faith — Precaution in anticipation of separation — Indictment against mc — Confrontation — Recollemcnt — Examination of witnesses — Agoust — Two criminals — Gaoler— Gaoler's wife — Apply to the seneschal for enlagement — Accusation of King's advocate — Placed in a dungeon — Removed to the Town Hall — Proposal to regain freedom by bribery. ..... 55

Chapter VI

Trial before the Presidency — A digression-^My defence — Angry discussion ./ith the President — Query — My reply — Sentence. . . . . . 71

Chapter VII

Appeal to Parliament — Copy of factum — President's observa tion u]yon it — Sentence reversed — Register refuses copy of tho decree — Apply for redress — Return home. . 80

Chapter VIII

Persecution of 1685 — Meeting of ministers and elders — My opinion opposed to the majority — Meeting of Protestants at Royan — Mr. Certani dissuades numbers from emigration — Interview with him — Gloomy forebodings — Departure of many persons — Dragoons appear — I<.eave home — Visit

CONTENTS. XI

sisters Traverse the country Place betrothed in

Chapter IX

Revocation of Edict of Nantes — Preparations for flight — Difficulties and dangers — Land in England — Cheap bread — Speculate in grain — Cruelty of a ship Captain. . 105

Chapter X

Singular proposal from a lady — Marriage — Mode of living — Remove to Bridgwater — Assistance from Committee — ^Why discontinued — Application for relief — Unkind treatment — Receive Holy Orders — Attempt to recover property in France. ..... 121

Chapter XI

Remove to Taunton — Keep a shop — Manufactory — Very prosperous — Summoned before the Mayor — Defence — Recorder's speech — Discharge. . . . 137

Chapter XII

Revolution of 1688 — Landing of the Dutch — Unexpected visitor— Soldiers billeted upon me — Retire from business — Endeavour to make calimancoes — Profit upon them — Instruct a crippled weaver — Secret discovered — Visit Dublin and Cork — Shipwreck — Place sons in Holland — Increase of family 148

Chapter XIII

Arrival at Cork — Enter upon pastoral duties — Manufactory— Great happiness — Dissension in the church — Resignation— Copy of certificate — Remarkable warning by a dream — ^Visit fishing stations — Death of Aaron — Turn fisherman— Remove to Bear Haven — Loss of the Robert- Bad season — Trading voyage — Success in fishing — Loss by

Xll CONTENTS.

mismanagement of partners — Troublesome Irish neighbours. ..... r 164

Chapter XIV

Attacked by a French Privateer — Defence — Letter to the Duke of Ormond — Ammunition furnished by government — Build a small fort — Visit Dublin — London — Obtain a pension— Copy of warrant — Return home. . 191

Chapter XV

Attacked by a second Privateer — Outhouses fired — Breach in the wall — Wounded — Surrender — Carried away as a prisoner— Expostulate with captain — Ransomed — Peter left as a hostage — His deportment. . . . 210

Chapter XVI

Affidavit before Magistrates — Retaliation on French prisoners— Removal to Dublin — Hire a haunted house — Claim compensation from the county of Cork — Disturbance in haunted house--School — Education of children — Peter goes to College — John obtains a commission in the army — Moses and Francis enter college — Moses studies law — Emigration to America — Marriage of children — My wife's deathr— Failure of health — Conclusion. • • 233

TALE OF

THE

HUGUENOTS.

Chapter I

Reasons for writing these memoirs — Noble origin of our family — John de la Fontaine born — Obtains a commission in the household of Francis I. — Embraces Protestantism — Persecution of Protestants — Juanary Edict — John de la Fontaine resigns his commission — His assassination — Flight of his three sons — Arrival at Rochelle — Charitable reception — Marriage of James de la Fontaine — Attempt to poison him — ^Application for pardon to Henry IV.

My dear children, Having observed the deep interest you have taken in all that has befallen your ancestors, when I have related their adventures to you, I am induced to write down their history for your use, to the end that the pious examples of those from whom we derive our origin may not be lost to you, or those who succeed you.

14 A TAL3 OF

I trust that it may be the means of engaging you to dedicate yourselves wholly and unreservedly to the service of that God whom they worshipped at the risk of their lives, and to be stedfast in the profession of that pure faith for which they suffered the severest hardships with unshaken constancy. And also that you may admire the watchful and wonderful providences of God exerted in supporting and preserving them through every trial. Indeed, without looking beyond the compass of your own memories, you may recall numberless instances of the providential care of that same God " whose hand is not shortened."

For my own part, I trust that the making of this retrospect may be attended with, great benefit, bring, ing before me the frailties and sins of each age and condition of my past life, and making me humble myself before the throne of grace, and with trembling pray for pardon through the mediation of my Blessed Saviour : and by the assistance of the Holy Spirit, I may hope for more watchfulness and circumspection for the time to come. And when I review the uncommon, innumerable, and unmerited mercies I have received through the whole course of my life, I hope my gratitude will be increased towards my Almighty benefactor, and surely I sliall be encouraged

^^ put my whole trust in him for the future. If I

f owe such a debt of gratitude for the things of this life, its comforts and conveniences, how incalculably great must it be for his mercy to my immortal soul, shedding the blood of his only begotten Son for my redemption. Oh my God ! I entreat thee to continue thy goodness during the few days that may yet remain to me, and at last receive my soul. Arnen.

Before proceeding to the history, I should mention that our name was originally De la Fontaine, and not Fontaine. My father, from motives of humility, was the first to cut off the De la, an indication of nobility ; my older brothers wished to resume it, but he would not consent, having a large family and little property ; for you must know that in France no one of noble family can engage in trade or the mechanic arts without forfeiting his claim to nobility.

The father of my great-grandfather, who was a nobleman, could not bear the thought of bringing up his children without employment, according to the usual custom, and therefore placed his son in the King's service.

It is with this John De la Fontaine that I commence these annals, he being the first of whom I have any accurate knowledge.

He was born in the province of Maine, about the year 1500, and as soon as he was old enough to bear arms, his father procured him a commission in what was then called " Les ordonnances du Roi" in the household of Francis I. It was in the tenth or twelfth year of this monarch's reign that he entered his service, and he conducted himself so honourably and uprightly, that even after his father and himself had embraced Protestantism at its first preaching in 1535, he remained in the same situation, and continued there during the reigns of Henry II., Francis II., and until the second year of Charles IX. He married, and had at least four sons, when he retired from a service in which he had remained so long, only as a sort of safe-guard from persecution. The king's officers v/ere protected by right of their office ; and our ancestor, it would appear, was much beloved by all his juniors in the service, which made the Roman Catholic party afraid to meddle with him, though at the same time they thirsted for his blood, not only on account of his examplary piet}*-, but of the exercise of a power his office conferred upon him, and which he had freely used, of assisting the poor Protestants, many of whom he had shielded from persecution.

From the year 1534 to April 1598, when Henry IV. granted the edict of Nantes, the professors of the pure faith were continually subjected to every variety of injustice and cruelty, as you have read in the history of France.*"

* Open hostilities were occasioned by an event which occurred at the little tov/n of Vassy, in Champagne, in the year 1562. The Protestants were engaged in prayer outside the walls, in conformity with the king's edict, when the Duke of Guise approached. Some of his suite insulted the worshippers, and from insults they proceeded to blows, and the Duke himself was accidentally wounded in the cheek. The sight of his blood enraged his followers, and a general massacre of the inhabitants of Vassy ensued ; the report of this roused the suffering Huguenots throughout the kingdom, and a savage and bloody war followed, during which, Anthony of Bourbon, king of Navarre fell fighting in the Catholic ranks, leaving a son eight years old, the future Henry IV., that great supporter of the Protestant cause. The constable Montmorency was taken prisoner, and the Duke of Guise slain; thus tlie Catholics were without a leader. The Prince of Conde being also a prisoner, and the Protestant Coligny the only chief remaining on either side, an accommodation appeared indispensable, and in March, 1563 an edict was granted which allowed the Huguenots to worship within the towns they were possessed of up to that day. This permission led some of the Bishops and other clergy who had embraced Protestantism, to celebrate divine worship in the cathedrals, according to the rites of the Reformed Church ; such an extension of the meaning of the edict had never been contemplated, and it was soon modified by a declaration that ancient cathedrals should in no case be ulsed as Protestant churches.

2*

These persecutions were carried on with some of the forms of law, but the gallows were erected and the fires were kindled, not to support the law, but in

Another edict was passed very shortly, which imposed greater restrictions, and the Huguenots, finding that they were likely to lose by edicts all that they had wrested from the king by the sword, prepared to take up arms again, and in 1567 another struggle commenced, which, with a very short interval of j^cace, lasted until 1570, when a treaty was concluded upon terms so favourable to the Huguenots as to excite some suspicion in their minds that all was not right. They were to have liberty of conscience, and their worship was allowed in all the towns they had held during the war, and they were permitted to retain and garrison Rochclle, Montauban, Cognac, and La Charity, as guaranties for the observance of the treaty.

All had now the appearance of peace, but it was the delusive calm which precedes a storm ; vengeance was preparing, and the massacre of St. Bartholomew's day followed, with all its horrors, which are too well known to need repetition. The number of Huguenots slaughtered, has been estimated at 50,000, those who survived were for a moment paralysed by the blow, and the Catholics themselves seemed stupified with shame and remorse. Charles was as one struck by avenging retribution, he became restless, sullen, and dejected, and laboured under a slow fever to the day of his death. He tried to excuse his perfidy on the plea of its having been necessary for self-preservation, and he sent instructions to his ambassa dor in England to give such an explanation to queen Elizabeth. Hume speaking of this interview, says, ** Nothing

THE KUGUEI\OTS. 19

order to extinguish, if possible, the very name of Protestant. Tlic means adopted, howevei, had frequent-

could be more awful and affecting than his audience. A melancholy sorrow sat on every face : silence as ki the dead of night, reigned through all the chambers of the royal apartment ; the courtiers and ladies clad in deep mourning were ranged on each side, and allowed him to pass without affording him one salute or favourable look, till he was admitted to the queen herself."

The lives of the young Prince of Conde and Henry of Navarre had been spared, on condition of becoming Catholics, a condition to which they merely pretended to accede, as both attempted to escape from Paris immediately afterwards ; Conde alone was successful, and placed himself at the head of the Huguenots ; and this sect which Charles had hoped to exterminate at one blov/ soon mustered an army of 18,000 men, and they had kept possession of Rochclle and Montauban, befsides many castles, fortresses, and smaller towns. Thus Charles, and Catharine his mother, gained nothing by their infamous treachery, but a character for perfidy and cruelty which has been unequalled in the annals of history.

After the death of Charles IX. the condition of the Huguenots was ever changing ; the}'^ were frequently in thcj field, and when successful obtained favourable edicts, which were broken as soon as they laid down their arms, and then they would resume them, and tight until their success gained fresh concessions.

In 1576 the Catholic League was formed, having for its main object the exclusion from the tlirone of France of Henry ly an opposite effect, and increased the followers of tlie true faith. The martyrs by their constancy, proved, in many cases, the instruments which God made use of to open the eyes of the papists, and it was no uncommon occurrence to see those who had aided in the destruction of others rush to the same martyrdom themselves.

In some provinces, iho Protestants irritated beyond endurance took up arms, not against their monarch, but their persecutors ; and this led to an Edict of Pacification, granted on the 17th of Janua-

of Narvarre, who was next heir to Henry III., the reigning monarch. War was carried on betvv^een the League and the Huguenots until 1594, five years after the death of Henry III. when Henry IV. from motives of pohcy united himself to the Catholic Church, and v/as thereupon generally recognised as the legitimate monarch. He still felt favourably disposed towards his old friends, and in 1598 gi anted the celebrated edict of Nantes, which allowed them to worsliip in freedom in all towns w^here their creed was the prevailing one. They were to pay the regular tithe to the established Church, but were permitted to raise money for their own clergy, and to hold meetings of their representatives for church-government. In all law-suits Protestants were to have the privilege of one half the judges being of their own faith, and several towns were left in their possession for a limited time as a surety. The parliament objected to registering tliis edict, but th? king was resolute, and finally overcame their obstinacy.

ry 1562, commonly called the January Edict,* Charles IX. being yet in his minority. The Protestants believing this to be in good faith very generally laid down their arms ; and John De la Fontaine resigned his commission, seeing himself now protected by law in the exercise of his religion, he felt that he had no more occasion for his military profession than for a buckler in time of profound peace. He made a great mistake in arriving at this conclusion ; the change was decidedly for the worse ; whereas, heretofore proceedings had been open, and with a shadow of justice founded upon the king's proclamation against Heretics, now all was secret, no use was made of judge or prison, every miserable wretch who pleased, became at once judge and executioner. Armed miscreants broke into the houses of the Protestants at midnight, committing robbery and murder, and they were encouraged in their atrocities by priests, monks, and bigots, who made them much the same promise that the Sanhedrin of Jerusalem did to the city watch. " If this comes to the governor's ears, we will persuade him and secure 3"ou." No enquiry or examination was ever made into these

* The famous January edict granted tolerance to the Huguenots so far as to permit them to assemble outside the walls of towns.

acts, and thus the Protestants were again obliged to resort to arms to repel nocturnal insult, and guard against treachery.

Some of the sworn enemies of God and his Gospel who had long watched John De la Fontaine, and conceived a deep hatred against him, thought the time had now arrived, (he having laid down his commission,) when they might safely put him out of the way ; and such a man being got rid of, that it would be comparatively easy to disperse the rest of the congregation to W'hich he belonged.

It was in the year 1563 that some of these ruffians were despatched from the city of Le Mans in search of him ; and in the night time, when he least expected such a fate, he was dragged out of doors and his throat cut ; his wife, within a few weeks of her confinement, had followed him, hoping by her entreaties to save his life, but she shared the same fate, as did also a valet, who strove to assist his master. Oh my children ! let us never forget that the blood of martyrs flows in our veins ! And God in his infinite mercy grant that the remembrance may enliven our faith, so that we prove not unworthy scions from so noble a stock.

The goodness of God, whose providence generally bestows especial favours upon the children of those who freely shed their blood in his service, preserved the lives of three sons of these glorious martyrs.

James De la Fontaine, my grandfather, then about thirteen or fourteen years old, w^ith Abraham, two years his junior, and another brother still younger, fled from the bloody scene, full of horror and consternation, virithout a guide save the providence of God, and no aim but to get as far as possible from the barbarians, who had in one moment deprived them of both father and mother. They did not stop until they reached Rocheile, then a very safe place for Protestants, containing as it did, within its walls, many faithful servants of the living God. These poor lads v/ere actually begging their bread when they arrived there, and were without any recommendation but their appearance. They were fair and handsome, as I have been told ; and appeared to have had good breeding. Some of the inhabitants were moved with compassion, and gave them food and shelter for the little services they were capable of porforming. A charitable shoemaker, who feared God and was in easy circumstances, received James into his house, and into his affections also, and taught him his trade. This you will observe was no time for pride, or to stand upon titles to nobility, but rather to return thanks to God who had given him the power to earn liis bread by the labor of his hands. It was not long before he was in receipt of sufficient wages to support his younger brothers. They all three lived poorly enough, until James reached manhood ; he then entered upon commercial pursuits, and his career afterwards was comparatively prosperous. In the year 1603 he married, and had two daughters and one son, (my father,) who was named James, after himself. He married again, but had no addition to his family ; and better would it have been for him had he remained a widower, for his last wife attempted to poison him, and though unsuccessful, medical aid being promptly obtained, the affair became too notorious to be hushed up, and she was carried to prison, tried, and condemned to death. It so happened that Henry IV. was then at Rochelle, and application Was made to him for a pardon ; he said, before he granted it, he must see the husband she had been so anxious to get rid of, (I suppose to judge from his appearance whether there was any excuse for her,) and when my grandfather appeared before him, he cried out, " Let her be hanged, let her be hanged, ventre saint gris !* he is the handsomest man in my kingdom." I have seen his picture, and it certainly did represent him as a handsome man. He died in the year 1633, and left his family some 9000 livres.

* The accustomed oath of Henry IV.

CHAFl'ER, 11.

James Fontaine — Fond of study — Travels as tutor to a young nobleman — Called to the churches of Vaux and Royan — Marries an English lady — Second marriage — His personal appearance — Habits — Labors in the ministry — Capuchins and Jesuits come to hear him preach — Summoned to appear before the governor for preaching on the ruins of the church — A second summons — Anticipation of future persecution — Death.

I NOW proceed to my own father, who at an early age discovered great aptitude for study, and a very serious turn of mind. He was fortunate in gaining the friendship of Mr. Merlin, a minister at Rochelle, and this worthy servant of God assisted him greatly in his education, and recommended him as tutor to a near relation of the Countess of Royan, in which station he accompanied his pupil to the College of Saumur, and while superintending his studies there, completed his own preparation for the ministry.