that you would cast your eyes upon the sad remains of our desolate church; that you would have pity on the very many Protestants who groan in the galleys and in prisons; that you would restore their light to the many lamps which the storm has extinguished; and that you would establish Gospel liberty [in France] by your powerful intercession. That, Madame, would be to enhance the value of the great things which Your Majesty has already done. . . . . Your Majesty’s most humble, most obedient, and most faithful Subject,
“Claude Groteste De La Mothe.”
In 1713 we find him busy in raising funds for the released sufferers. From the generous Earl of Galhvay he received the following letter:—
“Straton, le 13e Juillet.
“Je vous suis infiniment oblige, Monsieur, de la peine que vous avez prise de me faire savoir ce qui se passe par rapport a nos Confesseurs par votre lettre du 19e Juin. J’ai eu le soin de l’envoyer a Mile. Caillard comme vous le souhaitiez. J’ai vue depuis ce tems la copie de celle qui a été ecrite de Marseille du 17e Juin, par laquelle je vois qu’on a fait embarquer une partie de nos pauvres frères (apparament pour leur faire trouver plus de difficultés dans leur voyage), et qu’ils espèrent qu’on mettra aussi la reste en liberté. Je vois par la même lettre qu’ils croyent que ces Pauvres Confesseurs auront grand besoin de secours en arrivant à Genève; c’est de quoi je n’ai pas douté. Si vous prenez le parti de leur envoyer, je vous prie de me le faire savoir à temps, et ce que vous avez besoin, et je vous ferai donner ce que vous me demanderez jusqu’â Cent Livres Sterlings; mais il est bon que je le sache le plutôt qu’il se pourra, afin de les tenir prêtes. Nous attendons My Lady Colladon tous les jours, je lui parlerai sur ce sujet, mais je dependerai absolument de ce que vous aurez la bonté de m’écrire. Je vous prie d’être persuadé, Monsieur, que je suis toujours avec beaucoup d’estime et de sincerité Votre très-humble Serviteur,
“Gallway.”
The general and active sympathy for the French Protestants he commemorated in a book entitled, “Charitas Anglicana,” consisting of a number of interesting documents. This was printed in 1712, or about that date.
Before the close of his life he was afflicted with a long and severe illness, from which he recovered, to the great joy of his colleagues in the Savoy, and of his congregation. The Christian duties connected with convalescence engaged his thoughts and were the theme of several sermons. These he published in 1713 under the title of, “Le Devoir du Chrétien Convalescent, en quatre sermons sur les paroles du Pseaume 116, v. 8 and 9; et les quatre sentiments du Roi Ezéchias sur sa maladie, sa convalescence, and sur sa chute après sa convalescence. Comme aussi les Pensées d’un Chrétien convalescent, avec un prière sur ce sujet.” One remarkable sentence in his prayer was, “J’ai besoin du secours de Ta grace; sans cela j’oublierois bientôt que j’ai été à deux doigts de la mort.”
His convalescence was of short duration. Me died in the same year, 19-30th September 1713, aged sixty-six.[1]
He bequeathed £1200 to Robethon, subject to Madame De la Mothe’s liferent. That lady survived her nephew as well as her husband. The following is the learned Divine’s entire will, “translated from the French”: —
In the name of God, I underwritten, Claudius Groteste De la Mothe, living at London, in the parish of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, in the county of Westminster, being, thanks be to God, of a free and disposing mind, I thought I ought to revoke all the wills which I may have heretofore made, and make this.
Imprimis, I commit my soul to God, in whose mercy I put my confidence through the merits of Jesus Christ, my Saviour, blessing Him for having granted me His knowledge, and for having done me the honour to call me to instruct others, which I have done with a great deal of weakness, but with great sincerity.
Then, to dispose of the goods which God hath given me out of France, I give £100 sterling to the poor of the French Church of the Savoy of which I am one of the ministers. More, — to the poor of the Charity House near Soho, £20. More, — to the poor of the parish where I shall die, £10. More, — to the Society for Propagating the Gospel, £15, and the like sum to the Society which meets at Mr. Shute’s, minister, in Bartlet’s Buildings. More, — to Mrs. Anne Caillard, to Mrs. Louisa Guide, my two cousins-german, to Mr. Dubuisson my cousin, and to Mdlle. Naudin, daughter of Mr. Naudin, my cousin, living in Holland, to each a ring of the value of £25, which I beg them to accept of as a proof of the esteem which I have for them.
I give and bequeath to my dear spouse the overplus of the effects which I have out of France, to enjoy the same during her life, intending that after her decease there be taken out of the said effects the sum of £100, which I give to Mr. Claudius Guide, my godson, as also- ↑ Therefore he died during the reign of Queen Anne, and had no share in the discussions which took place in the following reign. Another pastor, Rev. Gedeon Delamotte (the surnames have the same sound in pronunciation), then officiated in the West Street French Chapel, St. Giles’s, and [?] was the author of “The Usefulness and Necessity of Confessions of Faith.”
