of blood." As, fortunately for the Protestants, Mazarin had need of
Cromwell at that moment, torture was forbidden, and nothing allowed but
annoyances of all kinds. These henceforward were not only innumerable,
but went on without a pause: the Catholics, faithful to their system of
constant encroachment, kept up an incessant persecution, in which they
were soon encouraged by the numerous ordinances issued by Louis XIV. The
grandson of Henri IV could not so far forget all ordinary respect as to
destroy at once the Edict of Nantes, but he tore off clause after clause.

In 1630--that is, a year after the peace with Rohan had been signed in
the preceding reign--Chalons-sur-Saone had resolved that no Protestant
should be allowed to take any part in the manufactures of the town.

In 1643, six months after the accession of Louis XIV, the laundresses of
Paris made a rule that the wives and daughters of Protestants were
unworthy to be admitted to the freedom of their respectable guild.

In 1654, just one year after he had attained his majority, Louis XIV
consented to the imposition of a tax on the town of Nimes of 4000 francs
towards the support of the Catholic and the Protestant hospitals; and
instead of allowing each party to contribute to the support of its own
hospital, the money was raised in one sum, so that, of the money paid by
the Protestants, who were twice as numerous as the Catholics, two-sixths
went to their enemies. On August 9th of the same year a decree of the
Council ordered that all the artisan consuls should be Catholics; on the
16th September another decree forbade Protestants to send deputations to
the king; lastly, on the 20th of December, a further decree declared that
all hospitals should be administered by Catholic consuls alone.

In 1662 Protestants were commanded to bury their dead either at dawn or