sts were forbidden to leave
the kingdom on pain of the galleys for the men and confiscation of person
and property for the women. "The will of the king," said superintendent
Marillac at Rouen, "is, that there be no more than one religion in this
kingdom; it is for the glory of God and the well-being of the state."
Two hours were allowed the Reformers of Rouen for making their
abjuration.

One clause, at the end of the edict of October 15, seemed to extenuate
its effect. "Those of our subjects of the religion styled Reformed who
shall persist in their errors, pending the time when it may please God to
enlighten them like the rest, shall be allowed to remain in the kingdom,
country, and lands, which obey the king, there to continue their trade
and enjoy their property without being liable to be vexed or hindered on
pretext of prayer or worship of the said religion of whatsoever nature
they may be." "Never was there illusion more cruel than that which this
clause caused people," says Benoit, in his _Histoire de l'Edit de
Nantes_." It was believed that the king meant only to forbid special
exercises, but that he intended to leave conscience free, since he
granted this grace to all those who were still Reformers, pending the
time when it should please God to enlighten them. Many gave up the
measures they had taken for leaving the country with their families, many
voluntarily returned from the retreats where they had hitherto been
fortunate enough to lie hid. The most mistrustful dared not suppose that
so solemn a promise was only made to be broken on the morrow. They were
all, nevertheless, mistaken; and those who were imprudent enough to
return to their homes were only just in time to receive the dragoons
there." A letter from Louvois to the Duke of Noailles put a stop to all
illusion. "I have no doubt," he wrote, "that some rather heavy billets
upon the few amongst the nobility and third estate still remaining of the
religionists will undeceive them as to the mistake they are under about
the edict M. de Chateauneuf drew up for us. His Majesty desires that you
should explain yourself very sternly, and that extreme severity should be
employed against those who are not willing to become of his religion;
those who have the silly vanity to glory in holding out to the last must
be driven to extremity." The pride of Louis XIV. was engaged in the
struggle; those of his subjects who refused to sacrifice their religion
to