Louis,
by the grace of God king of France and Navarre, to all present
and to come, greeting: King Henry the Great, our grandfather
of glorious memory, being desirous that the peace which he had
procured for his subjects after the grievous losses they had
sustained in the course of domestic and foreign wars, should
not be troubled on account of the R.P.R. (Religion Pretendu Reforme), as had happened in
the reigns of the kings, his predecessors, by his edict, granted
at Nantes in the month of April, 1598, regulated the procedure
to be adopted with regard to those of the said religion, and
the places in which they might meet for public worship, established
extraordinary judges to administer justice to them, and, in fine,
provided in particular articles for whatever could be thought
necessary for maintaining the tranquillity of his kingdom
and for diminishing mutual aversion between the members of the
two religions, so as to put himself in a better position to labor,
as he had resolved to do, for the reunion to the Church of those
who had so lightly withdrawn from it.
As
the intention of the king, our grandfather, was frustrated
by his sudden death, and as the execution of the said edict
was interrupted during the minority of the late king, our most
honored lord and father of glorious memory, by new encroachments
on the part of the adherents of the said R.P.R., which gave
occasion for their being deprived of divers advantages accorded
to them by the said edict; nevertheless the king, our late
lord and father, in the exercise of his usual clemency, granted
them yet another edict at Nimes, in July, 1629, by means of
which, tranquillity being established
anew, the said late king, animated by the same spirit and the
same zeal for religion as the king, our said grandfather, had
resolved to take advantage of this repose to attempt to put
his said pious design into execution. But foreign wars having
supervened soon after, so that the kingdom was seldom tranquil
from 1635 to the truce concluded in 1684 with the powers of
Europe, nothing more could be done for the advantage of religion
beyond diminishing the number of places for the public exercise
of the R.P.R., interdicting such places as were found established
to the prejudice of the dispositions made by the edicts, and
suppressing of the bi-partisan courts, these having been appointed
provisionally only.
God
having at last permitted that our people should enjoy perfect
peace, we, no longer absorbed in protecting them from our enemies,
are able to profit by this truce (which we have ourselves facilitated),
and devote our whole attention to the means of accomplishing
the designs of our said grandfather and father, which we have
consistently kept before us since our succession to the crown.
And
now we perceive, with thankful acknowledgment of God's aid, that
our endeavors have attained their proposed end, inasmuch as the
better and the greater part of our subjects of the said R.P.R.
have embraced the Catholic faith. And since by this fact the
execution of the Edict of Nantes and of all that has ever been
ordained in favor of the said R.P.R. has been rendered nugatory,
we have determined that we can do nothing better, in order wholly
to obliterate the memory of the troubles, the confusion, and
the evils which the progress of this false religion has caused
in this kingdom, and which furnished occasion for the said edict
and for so many previous and subsequent edicts and declarations,
than entirely to revoke the said Edict of Nantes, with the special
articles granted as a sequel to it, as well as all that has since
been done in favor of the said religion.
I.
Be it known that for these causes and others us hereunto moving,
and of our certain knowledge, full power, and royal authority,
we have, by this present perpetual and irrevocable edict, suppressed
and revoked, and do suppress and revoke, the edict of our said
grandfather, given at Nantes in April, 1598, in its whole extent,
together with the particular articles agreed upon in the month
of May following, and the letters patent issued upon the same
date; and also the edict given at Nimes in July, 1629; we declare
them null and void, together with all concessions, of whatever
nature they may be, made by them as well as by other edicts,
declarations, and orders, in favor of the said persons of the
R.P.R., the which shall remain in like manner as if they had
never been granted; and in consequence we desire, and it is our
pleasure, that all the temples of those of the said R.P.R. situate
in our kingdom, countries, territories, and the lordships under
our crown, shall be demolished without delay.
II.
We forbid our subjects of the R.P.R. to meet any more for the
exercise of the said religion in any place or private house,
under any pretext whatever, . . .
III.
We likewise forbid all noblemen, of what condition soever, to
hold such religious exercises in their houses or fiefs, under
penalty to be inflicted upon all our said subjects who shall
engage in the said exercises, of imprisonment and confiscation.
lV.
We enjoin all ministers of the said R.P.R., who do not choose
to become converts and to embrace the Catholic, apostolic, and
Roman religion, to leave our kingdom and the territories subject
to us within a fortnight of the publication of our present edict,
without leave to reside therein beyond that period, or, during
the said fortnight, to engage in any preaching, exhortation,
or any other function, on pain of being sent to the galleys.
. . .
VII.
We forbid private schools for the instruction of children of
the said R.P.R., and in general all things what ever which can
be regarded as a concession of any kind in favor of the said
religion.
VIII.
As for children who may be born of persons of the said R.P.R.,
we desire that from henceforth they be baptized by the parish
priests. We enjoin parents to send them to the churches for that
purpose, under penalty of five hundred livres fine, to be increased
as circumstances may demand; and thereafter the children shall
be brought up in the Catholic, apostolic, and Roman religion,
which we expressly enjoin the local magistrates to see done.
IX.
And in the exercise of our clemency towards our subjects of the
said R.P.R. who have emigrated from our kingdom, lands, and territories
subject to us, previous to the publication of our present edict,
it is our will and pleasure that in case of their returning within
the period of four months from the day of the said publication,
they may, and it shall be lawful for them to, again take possession
of their property, and to enjoy the same as if they had all along
remained there: on the contrary, the property abandoned by those
who, during the specified period of four months, shall not have
returned into our kingdom, lands, and territories subject to
us, shall remain and be confiscated in consequence of our declaration
of the 20th of August last.
X.
We repeat our most express prohibition to all our subjects of
the said R.P.R., together with their wives and children, against
leaving our kingdom, lands, and territories subject to us, or
transporting their goods and effects therefrom under penalty,
as respects the men, of being sent to the galleys, and as respects
the women, of imprisonment and confiscation.
XI.
It is our will and intention that the declarations rendered against
the relapsed shall be executed according to their form and tenor.
XII.
As for the rest, liberty is granted to the said persons of the
R.P.R., pending the time when it shall please God to enlighten
them as well as others, to remain in the cities and places of
our kingdom, lands, and territories subject to us, and there
to continue their commerce, and to enjoy their possessions, without
being subjected to molestation or hindrance on account of the
said R.P.R., on condition of not engaging in the exercise of
the said religion, or of meeting under pretext of prayers or
religious services, of whatever nature these may be, under the
penalties above mentioned of imprisonment and confiscation.1
This do we give in charge to our trusty and well-beloved counselors,
etc.
"Given
at Fontainebleau in the month of October, in the year of grace
1685, and of our reign the forty-third."