religion, unless they be such as have before turned Papists, and relapsed; these sometimes they prosecute. The number of Protestants in these latter years neither increases nor decreases much; those that go over to the Church of Rome are usually drawn away by fair promises, which most commonly fail them: the Protestant live not better than the Papist. Sent several sorts of vines to England, Muscat, Corinth, Marokin, St John's, Claret.

They seldom make red wine without the mixture of some sorts of white grapes, else it would be too thick and deepcoloured.

The States every morning go to Nôtre Dame to prayers, where mass is sung; while the priest is at the altar saying the mass, you cannot hear him a word; indeed the music is the pleasanter of the two. The Cardinal and the bishops are all on the right hand of the quire, that is, standing at the altar and looking to the west end of the church; and all the lay barons to the left, or south side: the Cardinal sat nearest the altar, and had a velvet cushion richly laced, the bishops had none: the Cardinal repeated part of the office with an unconcerned look, talking every now and then, and laughing with the bishops next him.

8th. This day the Assembly of the States was dissolved: they have all the solemnity and outward appearance of a Parliament: the King proposes, and they debate and resolve; here is all the difference, that they never do, and some say, dare not, refuse whatever the King demands; they gave the King this year, 2,100,000 livres, and for their liberality are promised no soldiers shall quarter in this country, which nevertheless sometimes happens. When soldiers are sent to quarter in Montpellier, as some Switz did here, that were going towards Catalonia, the magistrates of the town give them billets, and take care according to the billet that their landlords be paid eight sous per diem for each foot soldier, which is paid by the town. Beside the 2,100,000 given the King for this year, they gave him also for the canal 300,000 livres; and besides all this, they maintain 11,000 men in Catalonia raised and paid by this province. These taxes and all public charges come sometimes to eight, sometimes to twelve per cent. of the yearly value of estates.

The States being to break up to-day, the ceremony was

this: Te Deum was sung in the State-house; and that being done, the Cardinal, with a very good grace, gave the benediction, first putting on his cap; and at the latter end of the benediction he pulled off his cap, made a cross first towards the bishops, then towards the nobility, then straight forward towards the people, who were on their knees.

Mr Herbert's man enticed into a shop, and there fallen upon by three or four: a man shot dead by another in the street: the same happened at Lyons when I was there.

11th. At the Carmes' church this day was an end of their octave of open house, as one may say, upon the occasion of the canonization of St John de Croix, one of their Order lately canonized at Rome, dead eighty years ago. During the eight days of the celebration, there was plenary indulgence over the door, and a pavilion with emblems, and his picture in the middle; this being the close of the solemnity, there was a sermon, which was the recital of his life, virtues, and miracles he did: as preserving his baptismal grace and innocence to the end of his life, his driving out evil spirits of the possessed, &c. Music at the vespers; the Duc de Vernules present; the Duchess and her guard of musketeers with her. The usual rate of good oil here, is three to four livres a quartal of eight pots.

12th. I visited Mr Birto. The Protestants have not had a general synod these ten years: a provincial synod of Languedoc they have of course every year, but not without leave from the King, wherein they make ecclesiastical laws for this province, but suitable still to the laws made by the national synod. Their synod consists of about fifty pastors, and as many deacons or elders; they have power to reprehend or wholly displace any scandalous pastor; they also admit people to ordination, and to be pastors in certain churches, nobody being by them admitted into orders that hath not a place. The manner is this: when any church wants a pastor, as for example, Montpellier, if any of their four pastors is dead or gone, the candidates apply themselves to the consistory of that church: whom they like best, they appoint to preach before the congregation; if they approve, he presents himself at the next synod, and they appoint four pastors to examine him in the tongues, university learning, and divinity; especially he is to produce the testimonials of the university

where he studied, of his life and learning: he preaches a French and Latin sermon, and if all these are passable, they appoint two pastors to ordain him, who, after a sermon on the duties of a minister, come out of the pulpit and read several chapters to him out of the Epistles, wherein the minister's duty is considered; and then, after a prayer, they lay their hands upon him and make a declaration, that by authority of the synod, he has power to preach, to forgive sins, to bless marriages, and to administer the sacrament; after this, he is minister of the place. His allowance depends on the Consistory.

If any one hold tenets here contrary to their articles of faith, the King punishes him; so that you must here be either of the Romish or of their church. Not long since, it happened to one here, who was inclining to, and vented some Arian doctrines, the Governor complained to the King; he sent order that he should be tried, and so was sent to Thoulose, where, upon trial, he denying it utterly, he was permitted to escape out of prison; but had he owned it, he had been burnt as an heretic.

The State have given 400,000 livres for each of the next four years, having given 300,000 for the last six years, in all 3,400,000 for carrying on the canal, besides other taxes towards the war. Montpellier has 30,000 people in it, of whom there are 8000 communicants of the Protestant church. They tell me the number of Protestants within the last twenty or thirty years has manifestly increased here, and does daily, notwithstanding their loss every day of some privilege or other. Their consistories had power formerly to examine witnesses upon oath, which within these ten years has been taken from them.

Parasols, a pretty sort of cover for women riding in the sun, made of straw, something like the fashion of tin covers for dishes.

The Deputies of the State are all paid by their respective towns and countries fifty ecus per month, but the Bishops and Barons receive it not: of the twenty-two Bishops, seventeen have revenues, about £3000 sterling; the other five much more.

15th. Bought of a Genoese twelve orange and citron trees, at one livre a-piece.

All the power of church discipline is in the Consistory; that of Montpellier consists of their four pastors, and twenty-four ancients; these, by a majority of votes, order all the church affairs, public stock, censures, &c.; the majority of votes determines the matter, though there be no one of the pastors of that side. If there is any controversy of law amongst them, they refer it to some of the sober gentry of the town and lawyers that are Protestants; they have still six counsellors of their religion, and the advocates may be of what religion they please

The Church censures are managed thus: if any one live scandalously, they first reprove him in private; if he mends not, he is called before the Consistory, and admonished; if that works not, the same is done in the public congregation; if after all he stands incorrigible, he is excluded from the Eucharist.

18th. Shrove-day, the height and consummation of the Carnival: the town filled with masquerades for the last week; dancing in the streets in all manner of habits and disguises, to all sorts of music, brass kettles and frying-pans not excepted.

Grana kermes grow on a shrub of the size of the chene vert, called ilex coccifera, are a sort of oak apples with little insects in them.

Sent by Mr Waldo seeds for England.

:

19th. Ash Wednesday. Public admonitions happen seldom the last instances were, one for striking a cuff on the ear in the church, on a communion-day, for which he was hindered from receiving; the other for marrying his daughter to a Papist, for which he stood excommunicated six months. It reaches no further than exclusion from the Eucharist, not from church or sermons.

A

[Here follow accurate notes of weights and measures. detailed account of the Church of France, Archbishops, Bishops, Abbés, &c. Their revenue is estimated in toto at twenty-four millions sterling.]

21st. The King has made a law that persons of different religion shall not marry, which often causes the change of religion, especially sequioris sexus.

At church to-day abundance of coughing.

24th. The Province of Languedoc is thus governed: the

Duke of Vernule, the Governor, commands over the whole Province, and has a power somewhat like the King's, though he be more properly Lord-Lieutenant. I do not hear that he meddles at all in judicial causes, either civil or criminal: in his absence, the Province is divided into three districts, each having a Deputy-governor with the same power; every city also has its governor, whose power is much like the governor of a garrison. Montpellier has six Consuls, who have the government of the police of the town, look after weights and measures, determine causes under five livres; they had formerly a considerable authority, but now they are little more than servants of the governor of the town; they were formerly three Protestants and three Papists, but the Protestants are excluded the last year.

The civil causes are judged by the Court of Aides; the premier president, and eight presidents, and thirty counsellors; the cause determined by plurality of votes.

[Then follows an account of the several criminal courts, and of the taxes.]

From these taxes are exempted all noble land, which is to pay a year's value to the King every twenty years; but as they order the matter, they pay not above three-quarters of a year's value. All ancient privileged land of the Church is also exempt, but if any is given to the Church that hath been used to pay taxes, it pays it after the donation: besides this, excise is paid on several commodities.

25th. Very high wind.

OBLIGATION OF PENAL LAWS.

There are virtues and vices antecedent to, and abstract from, society, as love of God, unnatural lust: other virtues and vices there are which suppose society and laws, as obedience to magistrates, or dispossessing a man of his heritage; in both these the rule and obligation is antecedent to human laws, though the matter about which that rule is, may be consequent to them, as property in land, distinction, and power of persons. All things not commanded, or forbidden by the law of God, are indifferent, nor is it in the power of man to alter their nature; and so no human law can lay any obligation on the conscience, and therefore all human laws are purely penal, i. e. have no other obligation but to make the