HUGUENOTS, a term of contempt, first given to the French protestants in the year 1560. The origin of this term is much involved in obscurity; and various attempts have been made to account for it, and for its application to the friends of the reformed church in France. Some suppose the appellation of Huguenots was derived from Huguon, a word used in Tourain; signifying persons that walk du ring the night season in the streets, and that it was applied to the French Protes tants in consequence of their making choice of that season, in order to avoid persecution, in which to perform public worship. Others, again, believe, that this term owes its origin to the name of a sup posed hobgoblin, called king Hugon, that was said to wander about the streets of Tours during the night-time, and that the reformed where the disciples of this noc turnal monarch. But the most probable conjecture seems to be, that this term owes its origin to an erroneous pronuncia tion by the French of the German word Eidgnossen, which signifies sworn-fellows, or confederates. This had been originally the name of that part of the inhabitants of Geneva, who entered into an alliance with the Swiss cantons, in order to main tain their liberties against the tyrannical attempts of Charles III. Duke of Savoy. These valiant confederates were called Eignots, and from thence it is not at all unlikely was derived the word Hugue nots.
To whatever cause this term owes its origin, it is .certain that the Christians of the French Protestants churches, which it was made to designate, suffered most se verely from the persecutions which at that time, and after the revocation of the edict of Nantes, raged with desolating fury both.in France and other countries. The countenance and support of many princes of the royal blood, and of several of the nobility, could not save the Hugue nots from suffering the most unparalleled persecution. Peace itself, which had been granted them by Henry III, in the year 1576, proved the foundation of a most terrible civil war. The profligate House of Guise, urged by the wicked and cruel suggestions of the Roman Pontiffs, did whatever lay in its power to destroy the royal family, and totally ruin the Protestant reformation ; while the Hugue nots, inspired with the spirit of loyalty, and a noble religious enthusiasm, fought in defence of their faith and their sove reigns with various success. The deeds of horror, which these commotions pro duced, are scarcely exceeded by any thing we find recorded in the annals of murder and persecution. The civil war to which we are here alluding raged nearly sixty years, during which there were destroyed, according to Puffendorf, a million of people : one hundred and fifty millions of money were spent : nine cities, four hundred villages, twenty thousand churches, two thousand monasteries, and ten thousand houses, were burnt, or laid level with the ground. These terrible devastations were at length stopped by the hand of Providence, which placed Henry IV. on the throne of France. This prince, who, though he had so many outrages to avenge, so many crimes to punish, thought only of burying all ani mosity in oblivion, and of healing aU wounds. Then absolute power was em ployed only in promoting 'prosperity in the state, and the felicity of every in dividual. The Roman Catholic religion remained dominant ; but the famous edict of Nantes effaced intolerance, and sooth ed the irritation of the conqured party, to whom liberty of conscience and a poli tical existence were secured.
The edict of Nantes confirmed to the Protestants all the favours that had ever been granted to them by Henry 111. To these privileges others were also added ; such as a free admission to all employ ments of trust, honour and profit. These wise and politic regulations were per fectly satisfactory to good sense and equi ty : they were, however, not enough for fanaticism : it made several attempts on the saviour of France. and at length suc
ceeded in assassinating him. From this melancholy day (May 14, 1610) the trou bles of the iHuguenots began to be re newed. Alarmed at the intrigues that were perpetually working against their rights and .liberties, they again took up arms, but were successfully opposed by Richelieu. The government succeeded in rendering its authority absolute; and factions and discontents agitated and dis turbed the two parties in no small degree. These discontents continued to increase until the reign of Louis XIV. This ambi tions, weak, and credulous prince was persuaded wholly to revoke the edict of Nantes, which had been long openly vio lated. This was a deplorable epocha for the. Huguenots. They were not only ex pelled the parliament, and deprived of all their civil and religious liberties, but multitudes of the most industrious fami lies in France were reduced to beggary. They were harrased in all manner of ways. Eight hundred thousand persons (Voltaire says five hundred thousand) left the kingdom, and fled into other countries, where their descendants are still to be met with, and where they have carried prosperity, to the prejudice of their own unjust country. Such of these unfortunate people asremained in France lost all civil existence, were pursued without remission, without pity, and like wild beasts; their blood frequently stream ed under the steel of the executioner or of the soldiery. This last explosion, how ever, at length ceased. The unfortunate Louis the XVI. whatever were his weak nesses and failings in other respects, had not been rendered inhuman by a large share of Catholicism ; but laboured to heal all their wounds, when the storm arose, of which he was one of the first and the most illustrious of the victims. It ought ever to be remembered, to the honour of this unhappy monarch, that he paid no attention to the intolerant and dis graceful "Memoire de I' Assemblee ge nerale du clorge," in 1780, against the reformed. During his reign a law was past, which gave to his non-Roman Ca tholic subjects,as they were denominated, all the civil advantages and privileges of their Roman Catholic brethren. From that period the situation of the French Protestants (for the obnoxious term Hu guenots seems to have been almost laid aside) has. been tolerably happy. But what seems to have given a stability and respectability to the French Protestants, are the decrees which have been passed in their favour by the present Emperor of France. On Sunday the 9th of August, 1807, the consistory of the Protestant church being admitted to an audience, their president, M. Marron, addressed the Emperor in a speech of considerable eloquence, in which he gratefully ac knowledged his protection and care of them as a religious body; and declared that the roofs of their temples shall evy resound with praises for such signal Fa vours as they enjoy under his auspices. His speech was answered in the most gracious and cordial manner. The fol lowing expressions in it are temarkable : "I accept the blessing and the congratu lation of the consistory. You owe me no obligation : I wish not men to think them Selves indebted to me,because I have been merely lust. Conscience is not within the jurisdiction of human laws. I guarantee to you, for myself and my successors, not only the intendance, but also the perfect freedom and inviolability of your worship. The Protestants have always proved themselves to be good citizens, and faithful subjects of the law. Though I do not profess their religion, tell them that I place them in the circle of my best friends !" Thus are the once despised and perse cuted Huguenots raised fromsituations of suffering and wretchedness, to that rank in society, which is the unalienable right of every honest man, be his religious principles what they may.