earlier French chapel had been erected
on Marketfield street, then called Petticoat Lane, near the Battery. It
was an humble edifice, but hither, every Lord's day, the Huguenots from
the city, Staten Island, the Wallabagh, and New-Rochelle, by wagons, in
which they lodged, were wont to assemble to worship God, without the
fear of royal, persecuting edicts, or armed bands. _L'Eglise
Saint-Esprit_ was founded in the year 1704, with a cemetery adjoining.
It was a plain, neat, stone building, and nearly square--its bell the
gift of Sir Henry Ashurst, of London. On its tablet in front was
inscribed: AEDES SACRA GALLOR PROT. REFORM. FONDA. 1704. PENITUS REPAR.
1741. In our day its sacred walls have been taken down, the dead
removed, and the venerable spot, like many others in our busy city, is
now devoted to Mammon. The successors of _Saint-Esprit_ long since
united with the Episcopalians, and erected the beautiful marble church
in Leonard street, where the doctrines of the ever-blessed Reformation
continue to be declared in the same language in which they were so
eloquently preached two centuries ago, by Claude, Laurin, and other
Reformed French Ministers.

The Rev. James Laboire was the first pastor of the _Saint-Esprit_, which
soon numbered a flourishing congregation. Some of its members would walk
from New-Rochelle, on Saturday night, to worship God in this place, and
thus spending the holy day, would return home again in the evening,
joyfully singing Marot's old French hymns to cheer them by the way. The
Staten-Island Huguenots would make the same pious journey in their light
skiffs and boats. For some years Mr. Laboire, the pastor, toward his
support was 'allowed a yearly sallary of twenty pounds per ann. out of
ye Revenue of this Province.' The religious services were here
performed in the primitive manner of the French Calvinistic churches;
but after the sovereignty of the English was established over the Dutch,
the forms of their church worship were gradually introduced, until at
length the Huguenot congregation united with the Protestant Episcopal,
in this diocese.

In the _Documentary History of New-York_, vol iii. p. 427, may be found
an old curious article, entitled, 'A Full and Just Discovery of the weak
and slender foundation of a most Pernicious SLANDER, raised
against the FRENCH PROTESTANT REFUGEES, inhabiting the Province
of New-York, generally, but more particularly affecting Captain
BENJAMIN FANUEL, a pe