EXPERIENCES OF AN EXILED FAMILY 365 



Rochelle, where Jaqiies de la Fontaine, grandfather of 

 James the aiitobiographer, held some command in the 

 Tower. From motives of humility the father of James 

 cut off De la, the indication of the ancient nobility of the 

 family. This commonly happened among the French 

 refugees in the foreign parts. John de la Fontaine, great- 

 grandfather of James, was born in 1500 in the province 

 of Maine, near the borders of Normandy. His father 

 procured him a commission in the household of Francis 

 I, and he became conspicuous in the king's service. He 

 became a convert to Protestantism on the first preaching 

 of the Reformed religion in France, about 1535. He re- 

 mained in royal service for a time because this was a safe- 

 guard from persecution on account of his religion. Be- 

 sides, he was thus able to show much kindness to his 

 Protestant brethren, whom he often shielded from op- 

 pression. He had four sons. When Charles IX issued 

 the Edict of Pacification in 1561, the Protestants, believ- 

 ing this to be in good faith, generally laid down their 

 arms, and at this time John de la Fontaine resigned his 

 commission, thinking himself protected by the Edict in 

 the exercise of his religion. He retired to his paternal 

 estates, hoping to end his days peacefully in the bosom 

 of his family, worshipping God according to the dictates 

 of his conscience. 



But the change was for the worse, instead of better, 

 after the Edict ; now all was secrecy, and any wretched 

 vagabond, imbued with the spirit of bigotry, could at 

 once exercise the functions of judge and executioner. 

 Armed miscreants broke into the houses of the Protes- 

 tants at midnight, robbed and murdered their inmates 

 with a cruelty at which humanity shudders, and were en- 

 coui'aged in their atrocities by priests, monks and bigots. 

 The Protestants were again driven to recourse to arms. 

 John de la Fontaine was hated because of his piety and 

 zeal for the pure worship of God. In 1563 his house was 

 attacked at night, he was surprised, dragged out of doors, 



Erasing Sign 

 of Nobility 



Protestant in 

 1535 



Persecution 



