“His enemies are in the land:  impious wretches—­who do not hesitate to wage war against His throne—­are endeavouring to destroy all that is good, and all that is holy in France.  Do you not know, my children, that they have murdered your King?—­and that they have imprisoned your Queen, and her son, who is now your King?  Would you be content to remain quiet in your homes, while your King is lying in a prison, in hourly danger of death?  They have excluded you from your churches, they have caused God’s holy houses to be closed; they have sent among you teachers who can only lead you astray—­whose teaching can only bring you to the gates of hell.  The enemies of the Lord are around you; and you are now required to take arms in your hands, to go out against them, and if needs be to give your blood—­nay your life for your country, your King, and your Church.

“I greatly rejoice, my children, that you are an obedient people; I know that you will now do your utmost, and I know that you will succeed.  The Lord will not desert His people when they combat for His glory, when they faithfully turn to Him for victory.  You have been taught how He chose the Israelites as an especial people—­how He loved and favoured them:  as long as they were faithful and obedient He never deserted them.  They conquered hosts ten times their numbers—­they were victorious against armed warriors, and mighty giants.  The Lord blinded their enemies so that they saw not; He blunted their weapons; He paralyzed their courage; chariots and horses did not avail them; nor strong walls, nor mighty men of battle.  The Lord loved the Israelites, and as long as they were faithful and obedient, they prevailed against all their enemies.

“You, my children, are now God’s people; if you are truly faithful, you shall assuredly prevail; if you go out to battle firmly, absolutely, entirely trusting in the strength of His right hand—­that right hand, that Almighty arm shall be on your side.  And who then shall stand against you?—­though tens, and hundreds of thousands swarm around you, they shall yield before you—­they shall fall before you as the giant Goliath fell before the shepherd David.

“Be not afraid, therefore, my children:  we will go together; we will remember that every man who falls on our side in this holy war, falls as he is doing Christ’s service, and that his death is to be envied, for it is a passport into Heaven.  We will remember this in the hour of battle, when our enemies are before us, when death is staring us in the face, and remembering it, we shall not be afraid.  If we die fighting truly in this cause, our immortal souls will be wafted off to paradise—­ to everlasting joy:  if we live, it will be to receive, here in our own dear fields, the thanks of a grateful King, to feel that we have done our duty as Christians and as men, and to hear our children bless the days, when the courage of La Vendee restored the honour of France.”