CHAP. VII.

Order of Gastaldo for the destruction of the Waldenses -great numbers of them forced to abandon their country dreadful persecution of 1655-cruelty of Gastaldo-multitudes of the Waldenses massacred, or perish in their flight-affecting statement of their miseries, in a letter written by some of the survivors -Bresse's account of the barbarities which were inflicted on them-the Protestant states of Europe express their horror at these massacres attestation of them by Du Petit Bourg-bravery of Gianavellosonnet by Milton on the sufferings of the Vaudoisletter from Oliver Cromwell to the Duke of Savoy on the news reaching England-contributions raised there in behalf of the Vaudois-Sir Samuel Morland's mission to Turin-his speech to the Duke of Savoy -treaty of Pignerol-affecting account by Morland of the condition of the Waldenses-persecution of the Waldenses in Poland.

ON the 25th of January 1655, the following iniquitous edict was issued against the Waldenses,

-an edict which was executed, as the sequel will show, to its very letter:

"Andrew Gastaldo, doctor of the civil law, &c. sitting in the most illustrious chamber of accounts of his royal highness, and conservator general of the holy faith, for the observation of the orders published against the pretended reformed religion of the valley of Lucerna, and S. Martino, and upon this account especially deputed by his said royal highness.

"We, by virtue of the authority which we hold of his royal highness, of the 13th instant, &c. command and enjoin every head of a family, with its members, of the pretended reformed religion, of what rank, degree, or condition soever, none excepted, inhabiting and possessing estates in the places of Lucerna, Lucernetta, S. Giovanni, La Torre, Bubbiana, and Fenile, Campiglione, Bricherassio, and S. Secondo, within three days after the publication of these presents, to withdraw and depart, and to be with their fa milies withdrawn out of the said places, and transported into the places and limits tolerated by his royal highness during his good pleasure-under pain of death, and confiscation of houses and goods,

Provided always they do not make it appear to us within twenty days following, that they are become Catholics, or that they have sold their goods to the Catholics. Furthermore, his royal highness intends and wills, that in the places favourably tolerated, (viz. where they were to transport themselves,) in every one of them the holy mass shall be celebrated, inhibiting those of the said pretended religion any ways to molest, either in deed or in word, the missionary fathers, and those that attend them, much less divert or dissuade any of the said religion who would turn Catholic, under the same pain of death," &c.

To comply with the terms of this decree, was to occasion inexpressible misery to the poor Waldenses. The middle of winter was the season chosen by their enemies for putting thousands of families, including the aged, the infirm, the helpless, and the siek, to flight over the rugged Alpine mountains, in traversing which it was. easy to foresee that multitudes must perish. In vain did they expostulate by their deputies, in the most heart-rending terms, against the cruelty of this edict. In vain did they supplicate the Duke for some mitigation of its terms. They

were forced to abandon their habitations and their property, and to retire with their wives and children, conducting the halt, the lame, and the blind, and carrying the helpless infants, through a mountainous country, amidst rain, snow, and ice, with a thousand difficulties still more formidable.

All this, however, was but the commencement of their sufferings. No sooner had they departed, than numerous lawless bands, under the sanction of Gastaldo, entered their houses, which they not only spoiled, but razed to the ground, and rendered the places adjacent a desolate wil derness. The Popish army next pursued the fugitives, or attacked those who imagined they were not within the limits of the places proscribed, when scenes of perfidy, injustice, vil lany, and cruelty, were exhibited, which, were it not for the credibility of the numerous historians by whom they are recorded, almost exceed belief. It is sufficient to say, that the innocent Waldenses, who were now in the power of, wê say not murderers, but literally cannibals, were not to be butchered in an ordinary way. They were not to be put to the sword as conquered enemies without quarter, nor to suffer by the hands

of the executioner as the most infamous of criminals; for massacres of this description would not have sufficiently signalized the Popish zeal of the Marquis of Pionessa, the general of the Catholic troops. "In these ordinary methods

of bloodshed there would not have been sufficient merit for the Bavarians who came so far to the execution, still less for the massacrers of Ireland, who had been similarly employed in their own country in 1642, nor for the banished, the thieves, and other execrable malefactors of Piedmont, who by these transactions were to acquire plenary indulgence. Having, therefore, left all the usual ways of putting Christians to death, they wished to distinguish themselves by new inventions, that should acquire for them glory in heaven, and should immortalize their memory on earth!"

The following mournful letter, which was written by some of the survivors of these dreadful persecutions, to their brethren in other countries, will however give the reader a more distinct idea, though still a very faint one, of the miseries, to which these faithful and humble Vaudois were subjected.