Excerpt from The Huguenot Element Among the Dutch

Thus far we have been busy with the Huguenot element in France itself, up to the point where its influence has manifestly diverged into Holland. Our work now is to trace it in connection with that country.

In 1565, despite persecution, we find the Reformed Church of France embracing a fourth part of the kingdom containing over two thousand churches, some of them with ten thousand mem bers; numbering among its members illustrious princes, lords, soldiers and men of letters - holding its National Synod even in Paris. But alliance with rank and greatness led to wars, partly religious and partly political - in which the white cloth uniform of the Huguenot soldiery, and the white velvet of their generals, were alike dyed with blood which was not the blood of martyr dom. They showed, however, their high qualities. They knelt in prayer on the' battle field. They were cool and steadfast even in defeat. They sought no concealment of flowing blood, as the ancient Spartans did, through a livery of scarlet. Amid the demoralization of war they maintained a high tone of virtue. No nobler soul has ever shone in the forefront of stirring times, no purer Christian than their leader, brave old Admiral Coligni. We pass over these times; and over the dire day of St. Bartholo. Mew, August 24, 1572, which witnessed Coligni's death; when the matins of the great bell of Notre Dame awoke in the streets of Paris that fearful sleuth hound cry, kill! Kill! 0 you Huguenots! 0 you Huguenots! The blood that France then tasted was that of her own children, torn to pieces because they w re Huguenots. But the thirst then communicated, although dormant for a while, will break out again in a mania a potu. Ultimately we shall see it during the Revolution, rending her sons and daughters with indiscriminate fury.

About the Publisher

Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com

This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.