uch a speech," said Lecos, a constitutional bishop, "is to
propose the printing of a code of atheism. It is impossible that a
society can exist, if it have not an immutable morality derived from the
idea of a God." Derisive sneers and murmurings hailed this religious
protest. The decree against the priests, presented by Francois de
Neufchateau, and adopted by the legislative committee, was couched in
these terms:--"Every ecclesiastic not taking the oaths is required to
present himself before the expiration of the week at his municipality,
and there take the civil oath.

"Those who shall refuse are not entitled in future to receive any
allowance or pension from the public treasury.

"Every year there shall be an aggregate made of those pensions which the
priests have forfeited, and this sum shall be divided amongst the
eighty-three departments, to be employed in charitable works, and in
giving succour to the indigent.

"These priests shall be, moreover, from their simple refusal of the
oath, reputed as suspected of rebellion and specially _surveilles_.

"They may in consequence thereof be sent from their domicile, and
another be assigned to them.

"If they refuse to change their domicile when called upon to do so, they
shall be imprisoned.

"The churches employed for the paid worship of the state, cannot be
devoted to any other service. Citizens may hire other churches or
chapels, and exercise their worship therein. But this permission is
forbidden to nonjuring priests suspected of revolt."

XI.

This decree, which created more fanaticism than it repressed, and which
accorded freedom of worship not as a right but as a favour, saddened
the heart of the faithful; and the revolt in La Vendee, and persecution
every where, followed. Suspended as a fearful weapon over the conscience
of the king, it was sent for his assent.

The Girondists were delighted at thus keeping the wretched monarch
between their law and his own faith--schismatic if he recognised the
decree, and a traitor to the nation if he refused it. Conquerors in this
victory, they advanced towards another.

After having forced the king to strike at the religion of his
conscience, they wished to force him to deal a blow at the nobility and
his own brothers. They renewed the question of the emigrants. The king
and his ministers had anticipated them. Immediately after the acceptance
of the constitution, Louis XVI. had formally renounced all conspiracy,