David Carnegie Andrew Agnew

“ The news of the death of the Marquis De Ruvigny did not affect him otherwise than most sensibly, even though that nobleman had, in years, passed the bounds which Moses assigned to the most vigorous. Du Bosc had received kind offices from him, and he did him the justice to believe that if he had not at all times done all that the Churches of France expected from a Deputy-General, the reason was that he knew the spirit of his master, and that he could never have obtained access to him, if he had not studied him with very careful observation. ”

“ As most do, she died as she lived. As her body grew weak her faith and hope grew strong, comforting her comforters, and edifying all about her: even magnifying the goodness of God that she died in a country where she could in peace give up her soul to Him that made it. What a glorious thing, doctor, ’tis to live and die as sure as she did! ”

“ You must manage people who embarass you when you see that you may require them. They will not fail you when you confide anything to them, and so they establish a claim to incommode you when you have nothing to confide. Monsieur De Ruvigny’s probity, while quite as strict as theirs for matters of confidence, has nothing in its train but what is unassuming and goodnatured in society. ”

“ Ruvigny was sent to London to see if the inevitable peace between England and Holland could yet be prevented. Burnet says, that he was “a man of great practice in business and in all intrigues; he was still a firm Protestant, but in all other respects a very dexterous courtier, and one of the greatest statesmen in Europe. He had the appointment of an ambassador, but would not take the character, that he might not have a chapel, or mass said in it.” It is much to be deplored that the excellent Marquis was mixed up with the dirty work of bribery. ”

“ Accordingly the Cardinal, escorted by the Marshal d’Hocquincourt with 6000 men, joined the king in spite of the rebels. Turenne had returned to loyalty, and was installed in the chief command of the royal army. It was the glory of Condé that he nearly made Louis, Mazarin, and the whole court his prisoners in April 1652. But Turenne coming to the relief of Hocquincourt, the prince’s squadrons were defeated at Blesneau. Ruvigny fought under Turenne in this spirited and skilful action, and in the engagements that rapidly ensued. ”

“ Like the present French House of Commons or Chamber of Deputies, Protestant assemblies in France, being representative institutions, necessarily consisted of deputies, or members (as we would call them) . But the office of Deputy-General was a novelty ordered by the king in 1601, when Henry IV., considering that a “political assembly” had sat too long, commanded them to separate. ”

“ I may add in connection with the first of these excuses, that Ruvigny at this date did not despair of the French Protestants obtaining the lasting protection of Louis XIV. He was in the habit of warning the king that the furious and blind zeal of his confessor and of the provincial magistrates would drive out of him the generosity and equity which were natural to him. The odium of frequent oppressions and persecutions was always imputed to priests and bigoted advisers, and not to the king, who was believed to be tolerant and humane. ”

“ It is true that she loves her son more than herself, and that she often imagines that fatal accidents are sure to befal him when no one is near him. Such fancies are the affections of a mother, which sometimes go too far, yet there is a qualified and lenient judgment concerning them to which judicious people can bring themselves, — such people as both Lord Sunderland and yourself eminently are ”

“ Though a very strong Protestant in religion, he differed from the Huguenots of La Rochelle in politics, but practically agreed with the majority of his co-religionists, who for several years had declined to take up arms against Louis XIII. Ruvigny’s principle was that the king as his master should be obeyed, and should as a man be conciliated. ”

“ There were two vacancies in the pastorate of the Temple of Charenton, and the court had been anxious to fill them with latitudinarian divines. Ruvigny, a member of the congregation (for that was the only temple allowed to Parisian Protestants) , made great efforts to obtain the appointment of Pastor Du Bosc, and his advocacy met with much sympathy at court. The reason of its failure was very flattering to Du Bosc, namely, that the Archbishop of Paris took the trouble of seeking an audience from the king, whom he prevailed upon to veto such a formidable nomination. ”

“ He is a trusty and agreeable friend, whose alliance is firm, whose intimacy is refreshing, whose conversation is uniformly sensible and satisfactory.”
England having latterly been regarded as a first-rate Protestant power, and Charles having been viewed with suspicion in his native country as half a Romanist, the French government resolved to send a Protestant envoy to compliment the king on his restoration. The Marquis De Ruvigny was selected as a most eligible nobleman, and brother-in-law of the Earl of Southampton. ”

“ In 1658 the Provincial Synods, by correspondence with one another, concocted a Memorial and sent a deputation to the king. It was Ruvigny’s business to obtain an audience, and with great difficulty he succeeded. On the 18th February, the Marquis de la Forêt (of the province of Poitou) , as the head of the deputation, was permitted to address His Majesty, and to put into his hand the Cahier or portfolio of grievances. The Cardinal, who gave a separate audience, would receive only two deputies, of whom the spokesman was Pastor De L’Angle of Rouen ”

“ At the same time, she laid proofs of his paternity and legitimacy before the Parliament of Paris. While the case was pending, the Protestant community was ready to believe Tancred to be the ducal heir, while all the Roman Catholics sided with the heiress. It clearly appeared that the late Duke considered his daughter to be an only child, and had never been aware of the existence of a son: and the Duchess’s apology for her alleged concealment of his birth being considered frivolous and unreal, the Parliament decided in favour of the daughter. ”

“ In 1671 it is stated that the desolation of Protestant temples would have been even worse than it was, had it not been for Ruvigny’s frequent interpositions, in which all his own popularity at court, and all the influence of English fraternal sentiments towards the Huguenots were urged by him in pleading for justice and clemency towards Protestant worshippers. This year he presented a new representation and petition regarding the Edict of Nantes, being the second requéte-general. ”

“ On Ruvigny’s recommendation he was installed at Althorpe in the spring of 1678 as tutor to Lord Spencer and his sister, while the parents, the Earl and Countess of Sunderland, statedly resided in London. A few months afterwards the Earl’s residence was at Paris, he having been appointed Ambassador. The father, thinking only of learning and accomplishments, was highly satisfied with Rou. But the mother, unwilling to hear any complaints against her son, and being chiefly anxious as to his bodily safety in play-hours, seemed to wish Rou to act as a nurse more than as a tutor ”

“ One of the Lords constantly resident at the Court of Louis XIV. was called the Deputy-General of the Reformed Churches, or Agent for the Huguenots. He was the representative of the Protestants. All their requests and complaints were presented to the king by his hands, unless at his request he was permitted to introduce an occasional deputation. A salary of 1000 pistoles per annum (£458, 6s. 8d. sterling) [6] was attached to the office. In the summer of 1653 it became vacant by the death of the Marquis d’Arzilliers, who had discharged its duties for nine years with much dignity and efficiency. ”

“ A canon was framed forthwith, enacting and declaring that a National Synod should be called every three years by express warrant from the king, and that a political assembly should be convened in anticipation of each of those triennial spiritual courts, at which assembly the business should be to collect and arrange appeals and complaints concerning the churches’ temporalities, and to elect two Lords Deputies General to be residents at court. ”

“ But in those days most persons expected to be paid for everything they did; as Ralph Montague said to him, “In this world nobody does anything for nothing.” Money with other persons was the price of their abstaining from doing mischief; and this view suggests a more plausible defence of the corrupt system, which may have been Ruvigny’s defence. ”

“ If I could travel with the post I would soon be in London. I am buying horses, and I will make every exertion which my age will allow. May God console you and fortify you.
“Ruvigny.” The Marquis’s journey did not take place. Barillon, the French Ambassador in England, undertook the duty of requesting for him an audience with the English king. The reply of Charles was first printed by Sir John Dalrymple, and it has been verified by Guizot, [18] — “I do not wish to prevent Monsieur De Ruvigny from coming here, but my Lord Russell’s head will be off before he arrives.” ”

“ Then Ruvigny ventured to ask, if there was no sealed order to be issued. The king replied, “No; there is none, and there shall be none. Tell Du Bosc to put his mind at rest.”
In the service of their churches the importunity of the Protestant Deputies drove Lord de la Vrillière out of all temper and patience. He declared that the Pastor of Caen was not a Lord Deputy-General, and yet that he was the real author of the petitions concerning grievances. He said further, that such a number of ecclesiastical deputies crowding into Paris was like a Synod — a political assembly met without license ”

“ These are very innocent desires; and you will clearly see that a people, who have their all at stake, ought to be studied more than they have hitherto been, and at least ought not to be driven to the extremity of desperation. Such will indubitably be the result if the king abandons them to the rigour and violence of enemies who are literally pitiless, and resemble the grave which is always receiving and never says, It is enough. I hope much better things from the equity and clemency of His Majesty ”

“ The Marquis continued to hold communications with the English Court during this and the following year. In 1668, Claud Roux, Sieur de Marcilli, went to the Protestant courts of Europe, detailing all the injustice done to the Protestants of France, and declaring that Louis XIV. had vowed the ruin of the Huguenots. Unfortunately for himself, and for Ruvigny also, his visit to Charles II. was during the Marquis’s embassy in England. Marcilli made a great impression on Charles and on many Members of Parliament, and was allowed to leave England without molestation. ”

“ Nevertheless, fairness requires that two things should be said in his favour:— first, that his deputation fell to him in times so vexatious, that it was impossible for him to acquit himself to the taste of every one ; and that any other man, gifted with the same power of being agreeable to the court, would probably have been more unhappy in the discharge of the office ”

“ It was his great boast that he saved the French king’s money, and that a less dexterous ambassador would have spent three times more.
The Marquis, on his arrival in England, finding that the minds of Members of Parliament were made up, spent most of his time at court. One evening King Charles called him aside, and told him, with the strongest expressions of regret, that he had just signed a peace with the Dutch. “Sire,” replied Ruvigny, “what is done cannot be helped. ”

“ We have not yet spoken of the domestic circle of the old Marquis and Marquise de Ruvigny. The children born to them were three sons and two daughters; but the daughters and the youngest son died in infancy or childhood. Two sons grew up, both of them soldiers, Henri, the young Marquis De Ruvigny, and Pierre, tin: Sicur de La Caillemotte. When these sons had to quit the parental roof, the Marquise adopted an orphan niece, Mademoiselle de Ciré. Rou gave much valued assistance in directing the more advanced portion of this young lady’s education. ”

“ Although Mazarin, not to hinder the pacification, again retired, and was formally excluded from the king’s councils, yet that Prime Minister, without either negotiation or opposition, came back in February 1653, and coolly resuming the reins of government, held them without molestation till his death. On the 10th of the preceding July, Ruvigny had been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-General. The Prince of Condé joined the enemies of his country, and served in Flanders in 1653 as generalissimo of the Spaniards. Ruvigny served there under Turenne and Le Ferté. ”

“ The old Marquis accordingly waited on his Majesty, and the celebrated interview took place, which has been recorded by Burnet. [16] The audience lasted several hours. He told the king how happy France had been for fifty years, as contrasted with former times, the toleration of the Protestants producing this internal tranquillity. Such relations with native Protestants prevented the Court of Rome from tyrannizing over France. The Protestants were a large part of the population, wealthy, industrious, and always ready to contribute to the revenue. ”

“ All England is against your interests; and there is only the King and the Duke of York who embrace them with affection.” In May of that year a new French Ambassador was sent. Burnet says, “Ruvigny stayed but two years in England. ”