Huguenot

R. James G. P.

Description

British novelist G. P. R. James gained acclaim on the strength of his sprawling historical epics that present a detailed account of what it was like to live during various tumultuous eras beset by conflict and change. In The Huguenot, James delves into the religious upheaval that gripped France in the 16th and 17th centuries as growing numbers of the population spurned the Catholic Church and embraced Protestantism.

Sujets

• Historical fiction

Informations

• Publié par: The Floating Press
• Date de parution: 01 juillet 2014
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781776583010
• Langue: English

Extrait

THE HUGUENOT
A TALE OF THE FRENCH PROTESTANTS
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G. P. R. JAMES
 
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The Huguenot A Tale of the French Protestants First published in 1839 Epub ISBN 978-1-77658-301-0 Also available: PDF ISBN 978-1-77658-302-7 © 2013 The Floating Press and its licensors. All rights reserved. While every effort has been used to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information contained in The Floating Press edition of this book, The Floating Press does not assume liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in this book. The Floating Press does not accept responsibility for loss suffered as a result of reliance upon the accuracy or currency of information contained in this book. Do not use while operating a motor vehicle or heavy equipment. Many suitcases look alike. Visit www.thefloatingpress.com
Contents
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Dedication VOLUME ONE Chapter I - The Hero, His Friend, and His Dwelling in the Seventeenth Century Chapter II - The Valet—The Townspeople—The Proclamation Chapter III - The Pastor Chapter IV - Unexpected Companions Chapter V - The Journey, and Some of its Events Chapter VI - The Lady and Her Lovers Chapter VII - The Growth of Love Chapter VIII - The Meeting and the Chase Chapter IX - The Discovery Chapter X - The Recall VOLUME TWO Chapter I - The Explanations Chapter II - The Return Chapter III - New Acquaintances Chapter IV - The Preaching in the Desert Chapter V - The Revenge Chapter VI - The Court Chapter VII - The Clouds and the Sunshine Chapter VIII - The Hour of Happiness Chapter IX - The Unknown Peril Chapter X - The Decision Chapter XI - The King's Closet VOLUME THREE Chapter I - The Unforeseen Blow Chapter II - The Conspirators Chapter III - The Execution Chapter IV - The Woman's Judgment Chapter V - The Escape Chapter VI - The Pastor's Prison Chapter VII - The Death of the Persecuted Chapter VIII - The Discovery of Error Chapter IX - The Battle and the Retreat Chapter X - The Lover's Reunion Chapter XI - The Night Attack Chapter XII - The Royalist Camp Chapter XIII - The Last Efforts Chapter XIV - The Bitter Parting Chapter XV - The End Endnotes
Dedication
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TO
CHARLES RUDOLPHE
LORD CLINTON,
&c. &c. &c.
My Lord,
Although I, of course, look upon the book, which I now venture todedicate to one whom I so much esteem and respect, with those parentalprejudices which make us often overlook all defects, and magnify anygood qualities in our offspring, yet, believe me, I feel that it isvery far inferior to that which I could wish to present to you. Donot, then, measure my regard by the value of the work, but accept itonly as a very slight testimony of great esteem; and, at the sametime, allow me, even in my Dedication, to say a few words concerningthe book itself.
I will not trouble you or the public with any reasoning upon thegeneral conduct of the story—why I suddenly changed the scene here,or flew off to another character there,—why I gave but a glimpse ofsuch a personage, or dwelt long and minutely upon another. I believeand trust that those who read the work attentively will discoverstrong reasons for all such proceedings, and I am quite sure that muchthought and care was bestowed on each step of the kind before it wastaken. Your own good taste will decide whether I was right or wrong,and blame or approve, I know, whatever I might plead. The public willdo so also; and, as a general rule, I think it best to conceal, as faras possible, in all cases, the machinery of a composition of thiskind, suffering the wheels to produce their effect without beingpublicly exhibited.
I have heard many authors blamed, however, and, doubtless, have beenso myself, for frequently changing the scene or character before thereader's eyes. There are people who read a romance only for the story,and these are always displeased with anything that interrupts theirstraightforward progress. But nature does not tell her stories insuch a way as these readers desire; and, in the course of human life,there are always little incidents occurring, which seem of no earthlyimportance at the time, but which, in years long after, affect personsand produce events where no one could imagine that such a connexion islikely to be brought about.
I have always in this respect, as in all others, endeavoured to thebest of my abilities to copy nature; and those readers who pass overlittle incidents, because they seem at the time irrelevant, or run onto follow the history of one character whenever a less interestingpersonage is brought upon the scene, will derive little either ofprofit or pleasure from any well constructed work of fiction. I have,as far as possible, avoided in all my works bringing prominentlyforward any character or any scene which has not a direct influenceupon the progress and end of the tales; but I have equally avoidedpointing out to the superficial reader, by any flourish of trumpets,that the personage he thinks of no importance is "to turn out a greatman in the end," or that the scene which seems unconnected andirrelevant will be found not without results.
Besides these considerations, however, I trust every romance-writer inthe present day proposes to himself greater objects than the meretelling of a good story. He who, in the course of a well-conceived andinteresting tale, excites our good passions to high and nobleaspirations; depicts our bad passions so as to teach us to abhor andgovern them; arrays our sympathies on the side of virtue, benevolence,and right; expands our hearts, and makes the circle of our feelingsand affections more comprehensive; stores our imaginations with imagesbright, and sweet, and beautiful; makes us more intimately andphilosophically acquainted with the characters of our fellow-men; and,in short, causes the reader to rise wiser and with a higherappreciation of all that is good and great,—attains the grand objectat which every man should aim, and deserves the thanks and admirationof mankind. Even he who makes the attempt, though without suchsuccess, does something, and never can write altogether in vain.
That you, to whom I inscribe this work, can appreciate such purposes,and will encourage the attempt, even where, as in these pages, it goeslittle beyond endeavour, is no slight pleasure to me: nor is it anunmeaning or insincere compliment when I say, that though I yield myown opinions to no man, yet I have often thought of you and yourswhile I have been writing these volumes. I know not whether youremember saying one day, after we had visited together the schoolinstituted by our noble acquaintance Guicciardini, "that whether itsucceeded or failed, the endeavour to do good ought to immortalizehim." Perhaps you have forgotten the words, but I have not.
Allow me, ere I end this long epistle, to add something in regard tothe truth of the representations made in the work, and the foundationon which the story rests. If you will look into the curious "MémoiresHistoriques sur la Bastille," published in 1789 (vol. i., page 203),you will find some of the bare facts, as they are stated in the GreatRegister of the Bastille, on which the plot of the tale that followsentirely hinges.
Of course I cannot forestall my story by alluding more particularly tothose facts; and I have only further to say on that subject, that formany reasons I have altered the names inserted in the Great Register.I have also taken the same liberty with regard to the scenes of manyevents which really occurred, placing in Poitou what sometimes tookplace in Dauphiny, sometimes in Provence. Nor have I felt myself boundin all instances to respect the exact dates, having judged itexpedient to bring many events within a short compass which werespread over a greater space of time. I have endeavoured, however, torepresent most accurately, without prejudice or favour, the conduct ofthe French Catholics to French Protestants, and of Protestants toCatholics, during the persecutions of the seventeenth century. Mylove and esteem for many excellent Catholics—priests as well aslaity—would prevent me, I believe, from viewing the question of therevocation of the edict of Nantes, and the consequences thereof, witha prejudiced eye; and when I read the following passages in thewritings, not of a Protestant, but of a sincere Catholic, I am onlyinclined to doubt whether I have not softened the picture ofpersecution.
"Il restait peu à faire pour exciter le zèle du roi contre unereligion solemnellement frappée des plus éclatans anathèmes parl'église universelle, et qui s'en était elle-même frappée la premièreen se séparant de tout l'antiquité sur des points de foi fondamentaux.
"Le roi était devenu dévot, et dévot dans la dernière ignorance. A ladévotion se joignit la politique. On voulut lui plaire par lesendroits qui le touchaient le plus sensiblement, la dévotion etl'autorité. On lui peignit les Huguenots avec les plus noirescouleurs; un état dans un état, parvenu à ce point de licence à forcede désordres, de révoltes, de guerres civiles, d'alliances étrangères,de résistance à force ouverte contre les rois ses prédécesseurs, etjusqu'à lui-même réduit à vivre en traité avec eux. Mais on se gardabien de lui apprendre la source de tant de maux, les origines de leursdivers dégrès et de leurs progrès, pourquoi et par qui les Huguenotsfurent premièrement armés, puis soutenus, et surtout de lui dire unseul mot des projets de si longue main pourpensés, des horreurs et desattentats de la ligue contre sa couronne, contre sa maison, contre sonpère, son aïeul, et tous les siens.
"On lui voila avec autant de soin ce que l'évangile, et d'après cettedivine loi les apôtres, et tous les pères et leur suite, enseignent lamanière de prêcher Jésus Christ, de convertir les infidèles et leshérétiques, et de se conduire en ce qui regarde la religion. On touchaun dévot de la douceur de faire, aux dépens d'autrui, une pénitencefacile qu'on lui persuada sure pour l'autre monde. ....
"Les grands ministres n'étaient plus alors. Le Tellier au lit de lamort