« PreviousContinue » one day in his rambles, he reached the top
of a hill, that overlooked the desert where the protestants were
assembled at worship. He was in his military uniform, and in
that hostile garb the most philanthropic of men was mistaken for
an enemy. The audience dispersed with precipitation, but M. de
Boufflers threw off his coat, flew down the hill, rallied the
fugitives, and placing himself by Paul Rabeau the preacher,
listened to an admirable sermon.* The edict of Louis XVI gave
the protestants the privilege of enregistering their marriages,
and legitimatized their children, leaving them, however, still
at a distance from all the rights of citizens. But the tide of
public opinion flowed already full in favour of religious
toleration. The mild and humane character of Louis XVI, -who
wished all within the pale of his dominion to be happy, was in
sympathy with the sublime lessons of Malesherbes. Voltaire had
also brought persecution into disgrace; the multitude had
adopted the opinions of the E