evented Protestants from practising
before the courts; and, indeed, prevented them from following any
profession whatever. Immediately after the death of his father, Paul
de Rapin, accompanied by his younger brother Solomon, emigrated from
France and proceeded into England.

It was not without a profound feeling of sadness that Rapin-Thoyras
left his native country. He left his widowed mother in profound grief,
arising from the recent death of her husband. She was now exposed to
persecutions which were bitterer by far than the perils of exile. It
was at her express wish that Rapin left his native country and
emigrated to England. And yet it was for France that his fathers had
shed their blood and laid down their lives. But France now repelled
the descendants of her noblest sons from her bosom.

Shortly after his arrival in London, Rapin made the acquaintance of
the Abbe of Denbeck, nephew of the Bishop of Tournay. The Abbe was an
intimate friend of Rapin's uncle, Pelisson, a man notorious in those
times for buying up consciences with money. Louis XIV. consecrated to
this traffic one-third of the benefices which fell to the Crown during
their vacancy. They were left vacant for the purpose of paying for the
abjurations of the heretics. Pelisson had the administration of the
fund. He had been born a Protestant, but he abjured his religion, and
from a convert he became a converter. Voltaire says of him, in his
"Siecle de Louis XIV.," "Much more a courtier than a philosopher,
Pelisson changed his religion and made a fortune."

Pelisson wrote to his friend the Abbe of Denbeck, then in London at
the court of James II., to look after his nephew Rapin-Thoyras, and
endeavour to bring him over to the true faith. It is even said that
Pelisson offered Rapin the priory of Saint-Orens d'Auch if he would
change his religion. The Abbe did his best. He introduced Rapin to M.
de Barillon, then ambassador at the English court. James II. was then
the pensioner of France, and accordingly had many intimate
transactions with the French ambassador. M. de Barillon received the
young refugee with great kindness, and, at the recommendation of the
Abbe and Pelisson, offered to present him to the King. Their object
was to get Rapin appointed to some public office, and thereby help his
conversion.

But Rapin fled from the temptation. Though no great theologian, he
felt it to be wrong to be thus entrapped into a faith which was not
his own; and w