The Huguenot Bartholomew Dupuy and his descendants

HUGUENOT STRUGGLES. 79
strategy, and worn out with the siege himself, i°trod.
was glad to propose liberal terms of surrender.
He promised amnesty, free exercise of the
Reformed religion, and the restoration of all
property to the citizens. The terms were ^aiiof
accepted, and on the 28th of October, 1628, Rocheiie.
Richelieu rode into the city with King Louis '^=^8-
XIII. at his side, followed by the royal army.
An Edict was promulgated, declaring the
independence and privileges of La Rocheiie
ended; Catholicism was made the official
religion; the great church was seized for a
cathedral; the fortifications of the city, excepting
those towards the coast, were all
erased, every ditch was to be filled up, and not
a wall was to be left even for a garden. The
fall of La Rocheiie was the death blow to
the Huguenots as a political power. All
their other strongholds — Nismes, Montauban,
Castres, etc., soon fell and they were left
defenseless.
Richelieu, however, manifested a tolerant
spirit and did not oppress them.
In 1629, the Edict of Pardon was issued, ^^'^^^^^^
of the Edict of Pardon.
granting the same privileges
Nantes, with the exception of the strongholds
which had been destroyed.
The Huguenots now ceased to wield political
influence, and became distinguished as a
party only by their religion. At no other
period were they more intellectually active.
Charenton, which was near Paris, became the
center of a powerful religious and philosophical
influence that made itself felt in the
capital, and at the royal court. The number
of their eminent writers and preachers was
great. In different parts of the kingdom not
less than six theological schools had been