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Protestantism in France From Death of Henry IV to the Revolution - James Aitken Wylie

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<strong>the</strong>m <strong>to</strong> <strong>in</strong>quire and reason, it awoke <strong>the</strong>m from <strong>the</strong><br />

<strong>to</strong>rpor and emancipated <strong>the</strong>m from <strong>the</strong> stiffness that<br />

weighed upon o<strong>the</strong>rs, and this greater versatility<br />

and Power <strong>the</strong>y easily transferred <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> avocations<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir daily life. The young Huguenot not<br />

<strong>in</strong>frequently visited foreign countries, sometimes <strong>in</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> character <strong>of</strong> a traveler impelled by thirst for<br />

knowledge, and sometimes <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> character <strong>of</strong> an<br />

exile whom <strong>the</strong> s<strong>to</strong>rms <strong>of</strong> persecution had cast on<br />

an alien shore; but <strong>in</strong> whatever capacity he m<strong>in</strong>gled<br />

with foreigners, he always carried with him a m<strong>in</strong>d<br />

keen <strong>to</strong> observe, and open <strong>to</strong> :receive new ideas.<br />

On his return he improved or perfected <strong>the</strong><br />

manufactures <strong>of</strong> his own land, by graft<strong>in</strong>g upon<br />

<strong>the</strong>m <strong>the</strong> better methods he had seen abroad. Thus,<br />

partly by study<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> foreign schools, partly by<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir own undoubted <strong>in</strong>ventive powers, <strong>the</strong> French<br />

Protestants carried <strong>the</strong> arts and manufactures <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>France</strong> <strong>to</strong> a pitch <strong>of</strong> perfection which few countries<br />

have reached, perhaps none excelled, and <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

numbers, <strong>the</strong>ir wealth, and <strong>the</strong>ir importance<br />

<strong>in</strong>creased despite all <strong>the</strong> efforts <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Government<br />

<strong>to</strong> degrade and even <strong>to</strong> exterm<strong>in</strong>ate <strong>the</strong>m. As an<br />

additional element <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir prosperity, we must add<br />

46

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