more reaſonable, when I diſcourſed with you the other day. 'Truly madam,' replied he, 'as for my being in my right ſenſes, I bleſs Almighty God, he has in his mercy hitherto continued them to me; and for my being a heretic, pardon me, if St. Paul anſwers for me, when he was accuſed before Felix, ſaying, But this I confeſs unto thee, after the way which they call hereſy, ſo worſhip I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and the prophets.' Upon this, Deidamia, who by nature was all goodneſs, gentleneſs, and affableneſs, began to moderate her anger, and to conſider a little what he had ſaid, yet her zeal for the religion ſhe profeſſed made her mildly rebuke him, and lay before him the danger he was in, if his opinion was diſcovered; bidding him be cautious and wife in what he did; tho', for her part, he need not fear, but ſhe would lock up what ſhe had diſcovered, in her breaſt, and it ſhould paſs no farther; and ſo departing, left him in ſome confuſion.
Deidamia, retiring to her chamber, began to conſider what had paſſed, and remembered ſhe had often wept in her tender years, when ſhe heard the cruelties the Roman Catholics uſed towards the Hugonots or Proteſtants in France; and diſapproving of their perſecuting fpirit, as not of God, whoſe chief attributes are mercy, tender compaſſion, and forgiveneſs; when, on the contrary, ſhe found thoſe who made religion ſo much their boaſt, ſo very cruel, that, far from the inſtance of our Saviour's refuſing to call for fire from heaven, to conſume theſe that had injuriouſly and deſpitefully uſed him, they made their very worſhip and devotions a ſnare, to bring thoſe under their cruel handlings, who
