Monsieur de Maugiron with ten Companies of Foot and Monsieur de la Motte Gondren with other Troops all composed of pickt and expert Soldiers he says it was granted him and that the Troops were joyned to the Army commanded by Count de la Trinita the Vaudois in sight of this Army reinforced with the Troops of France confiding in the aid Heaven went to force the Fortress of the Borough of Villar in the middle of the Valley of Lucerne that the Duke a while before had built to cut that Pass from the Enemy The Count del a Trinita being strengthned with the Troops of France and some fresh ones sent by the Duke attempted several times to attacque them but in every one of them they were repulsed with considerable loss sometimes they lost 900. men when the Vaudois lost not above 15. The Army of the Duke being extreamly weakned what by continual losses what by desertion of Soldiers who seeing they got nothing but blows in this War deserted in great numbers The Duke sollicited by his Dutchess whom as we have said had some knowledge of the Truth and had a great deal of tenderness for the Vaudois gave them Peace with the free exercise of their Religion by his Letters Patents dated at Cavor the fifth of June 1561. their Goods being restored to them the Prisoners released and those that were condemned to Galleys for their Religion were set at liberty and they were reestablished in all their Rights and Priviledges In the year 1565. four years after this Edict was published at the earnest desire of the Pope a new Order was published through all these Valleys That all the Subjects of the D. of Savoy who within ten days after the publication of the said order did not declare before some of their Magistrates that they would go to Mass should within two months be gone out of all the Estates of the said Duke and at the same time the Magistrates received an express order to make an exact list of all those that would not obey the said Order and send it speedily to his Highness The Protestant Princes of Germany were extreamly sensible of this new Vexation and made by their Letters a great Complaint to the Duke of the bad entreatment of the Vaudois to the Prejudice and contrary to the Tenour of his Letter Patents and desired him to remedy it for the future that they might enjoy the Benefit of his generous Grant the Prince Palatine sent one of of his principal Counsellors in an Embassy to procure peace to these poor People Margerite of France wife of the Duke who was a pious and vertuous Princess and who was very tender of the Vaudois sweetned as much as she could the anger of her Husband who by false reports of the Enemies of the Gospel was much irritated against them The day of St. Bartholomew in the Year 1572. there was made a most cruel Massacre of the Protestants at Paris and in several other places of the Kingdom of France Castrocaro Governor of the Valleys threatned to do as much to the Vaudois of Piemont But whether it was that the Duke of Savoy did not approve of the cruel Butchery which was made of the Protestants of France or whether at the earnest Sollicitations of his Dutchess who as much as possible with her natural Sweetness gained and wrought upon him to shew Mercy and Clemency to the Vaudois he put forth a Manifesto and declared to all his Subjects of the Valleys who for Fear of the Governour were fled that they might return without any Fear or Danger to their own habitations he gave them likewise order that they might receive their Brethren of France assuring them they might live very securely there and he kept his word for even to his Death which hapned the 13th of August 1580. they were not molested but enjoyed a quiet Repose CHAP. IX Of the fifth War against the Vaudois under Charles Emanuel Duke of Savoy and chiefly of those of the Marquisate of Saluzzo CHarles Emanuel his Son succeeded him who a little time after the Decease of his Father seized upon the Marquisate of Saluzzo which belonged to the Duke of Savoy Monsieur Del ' Esdiguiers by way of reprisal seized upon the Valleys of Piemont and forced the Inhabitants of these Valleys to take the Oath of Fidelity to the then King of France The Enemies of the Vaudois were not wanting under this pretence to irritate the Duke of Savoy against these poor People to extirpate them when a fit opportunity should offer without considering that they were forced by the powerful arms of the King to take the Oath their Prince having given them no succor War being begun between Henry VI. King of France and Charles Emanuel Duke of Savoy about the Marquisate of Saluzzo the King made himself Master of all Savoy in one Campaign which the Emperor and the King of Spain seeing they desired the Pope who was about marrying his Neice to the King of France viz. Mary de Medicis to endeavour to make a peace between these two Princes which he did by the Articles of it the King of France restored to the Duke of Savoy all that he had taken from him excepting Bresse which was exchanged for the Marquisate of Saluzzo The Enemies of the Vaudois as soon as the Duke was at peace abroad were not wanting to sollicite him to make War upon the Vaudois but he considering that his Father had had but ill Success in the War he had made upon them although he was assisted by the Forces of Spain and France would not declare open War against them but permitted them to be disturbed in their Affairs and when the Inquisitors had put any of them in Prison for their Religion and that Application was made to him for their Enlargement he would answer that he did not intermeddle in those Affairs But he acted in another manner with the Vaudois of Saluzzo than with those of the Valleys against those of the Valleys he was content to let their Enemies act but against those of the Marquisate he declared himself an open Persecutor from the time he was absolute master of it for about the end of the Month of Iune 1601. he made an Edict by which he commanded that every one must declare before the ordinary Magistrate that within the term of 15 days that he was resolved to renounce his Religion and to go to Mass with which if he complyed he might not only enjoy his House and Goods but other great Priviledges but for those that were obstinate and resolved to continue in their Religion they absolutely commanded to be gone out of all his Dominions in two Months time and never to return again upon pain of Death and Confiscation of their Goods There were 8 flourishing Churches inthis Marquisate but this Edict being executed with a great deal of rigour all these poor Churches were dissipated for the Faithful seeing that the Duke would not
truth of his Gospel This was the true land of Goshen which only was enlightned with Celestial Light while the New Aegypt was all covered over with the thick and palpable darkness of Ignorance and Errors so they had for their Arms a Torch lighted surrounded with thick Darkness with this Inscription Lux lucet in Tenebris That which still more perswades us that these Valleys of Piemont was the place which God had prepared to keep his Church in is that first of all these Churches of the Valleys have enjoyed a continual peace and perfect repose after the beginning of the first age that the Papal Empire began to erect its Throne till towards the end of the fifteenth age viz. till the year 1487. that Pope Innocent the eighth made as they called it a Holy War against them to destroy them Secondly It was then when their Enemies would have destroyed them by force of Arms which they endeavoured several times but God gave them so great and signal Victories that it was visible that the God of Battle and the Lord of Hosts covered their Heads and fought with them and for them and in conclusion when under pretence of Treaties of Peace and Solemn Parole that was given them that they should fear nothing they were lulled asleep and surprized where cruel Massacres were made of these poor Innocents deceived by the perfidiousness and treachery of their Enemies notwithstanding all these Massacres Cruelties and Barbarities which were exercised on their Persons and ravaging of the Country burning and spoiling their houses and goods they could never destroy them they have always persisted in their holy Religion and continued firm in the Faith of Jesus Christ from Father to Son from Generation to Generation and as they were faithful to God God has always protected them and assisted them in their greatest miseries God by his infinite power has confounded the designs of their Enemies and rendred their strongest Efforts inefficacious We have told you that the Vaudois of of Piemont having lived in Peace and and Repose in their Valleys till the year 1487. which is very true notwithstanding the Inquisition of the Pope against them for although the Archbishops of Turin and Ambrun to whom the Pope had given commission to inform themselves of their State and Condition and to proceed by any manner of way to their Extirpation and went themselves into the Valleys and cited divers times their Pastors and the principal Inhabitants and took Informations against them proceeding against them even to Excommunication These proceedings notwithstanding did them no great harm nor troubled their repose for they never appeared before the Inquisitors and set light of their Excommunication and rather took it for a mark of Gods blessing upon them who had distinguished them from other people who followed the Beast and adored his Image since they themselves alone when all the world was in a manner lost followed and adored Jesus Christ. And this is very remarkable that they enjoyed a profound peace while their Brethren the Vaudois of France Germany England Spain and Italy were greatly persecuted by the Enemies of the truth of the Gospel and while the other Vaudois were dispersed by Wars and Persecutions which their Enemies raised against them the Vaudois of Piemont by a particular effect of the divine Goodness always were safe in their Valleys notwithstanding all Wars and Persecutions which were raised against them till the year 1686. that the two witnesses of the eleventh Chapter of the Apocalypse were entirely vanquished and slain CHAP. V. Of the first War against the Vaudois of Piemont and of the Croisade which was made against them by Pope Innocent VIII THE first War that was made against the Vaudois of Piemont was in the Year 1487. that Albert de Capitaneis Archdeacon of Cremona and Nuntio of Pope Innocent VIII having received Commission from his Master to make a Croisade or holy war for the utter Extirpation of these poor people This Papal Commissary excited by Vertue of his Bull the Duke of Savoy Prince of Piemont the King of France and all the Neighbouring Princes for to aid him and to lend their Troops for their Extirpation he mustered an army of 18. thousand men besides five or six thousand Voluntiers of Piemont who came in great bodies to joyn this Army for besides that the Pope promised all those that should go to this War a full and entire Indulgence and Remission of their Sins they were likewise made to hope they should have the pillage of these Valleys and the confiscation of all their Goods who should be dispossessed This great Army divided it self into several Bodies to attacque the Vaudois in different places which they did with great Fury But though the Vaudois were but few in number in respect of their Enemies and not so well experienc'd in warlike Affairs having lived many Ages in peace notwithstanding they sustained with an invincible courage the dangerous Efforts of the inraged Enemy and God who sought for them who most ardently invoked him struck their Enemies with a pannick Fear in such a manner that by the aid of Heaven this formidable Army was repulsed dispersed and almost intirely defeated The broken remains of this Army which stayed upon the Frontiers durst attacque them no more among their Rocks they contented themselves almost a whole year to make excursions into the open and plain Countries and to keep them always in an Alarm which was extreamly prejudicial to these poor people because they were obliged to be always ready armed to keep themselves from surprize so that they could not till the Earth from which they drew the subsistence of themselves and their Families Philip VII Duke of Savoy and Prince of Piemont considering that this war was little honourable to him seeing the bad success that did ensue and that it was very prejudicial to his Subjects and particularly those of the Roman Communion of which a great number perished in the war and that others were very much exhausted by the Troops which they had entertained and given Subsistence to was resolved to put an end to it and to this purpose he ordered that twelve of them should come to Pignerol the place where he then kept his abode which they having done he received them kindly and passed an Act of oblivion of all that had passed during the War and avowed to them that he acknowledged he had been ill informed not only of what related to their Persons but also of their Religion and declared publickly that he had none so good or so obedient Subjects as the Vaudois he confirmed all their Priviledges and Immunities and promised them that for the future he would take those measures that they should live in peace The Inquisitors established by the Pope being frustrated of their expectation of prevailing against the Vaudois by an open war take other measures to destroy them If they went out of their Country they made them be seized on and
the year 1559. EManuel Philibert Duke of Savoy and Successor of Charles having recovered his Estates by the General Peace in the year 1559. was spurred on by the Monks and Regulars of Pignerol to condemn the Vaudois to be burnt and their goods confiscated and given for a recompence to the Instruments of their ruine These poor people seeing themselves upon the brink of ruin and desolation after their recourse to him who has the heart of Kings in his hand by their Prayers Fastings and Humiliations they went and cast themselves at the feet of the Duke of Savoy their Prince and presented an Humble Petition to him tending to this that he would let them live and enjoy a free exercise of their Religion they presented another of the same tenure to the Dutchess his Wife who had a great share in the knowledge of truth and who always shewed a great tenderness for them But it was all to no purpose the Pope and the King of Spain to whom the Duke of Savoy was extreamly obliged because they had contributed their utmost endeavours to re-establish him in his Dominions sollicited this Prince very pressingly to destroy the Vaudois who contrary to his own interests was easily perswaded at the desire of the Monks who continually sollicited him to make War upon them While in the interim they endeavoured to sweeten their Prince and by their humble requests to turn off the storm which threatned them the Soldiers of the neighbouring Towns surprized the borough of St. German by the assistance of the darkness of the night the Protestants of this place in so dangerous a conjuncture thought of nothing but saving their persons the greatest part in their Shirts ran to the neighbouring Mountains except twenty five who being in the houses that were farthest off were by consequence the farthest from this retreat These seeing they had not time to fly cast themselves upon their Knees and making a short but ardent prayer to God in sight of their Enemies went to attaque them with that courage and resolution that they put them all to flight a great many were killed upon the spot and God striking the rest with a pannick fear a great many through their hasty flight fell into the River of Cluson and there perished miserably The Duke of Savoy assisted by the Pope Spain and France raised a powerful Army against the Vaudois and made General of it the Count De la Trinita who seeing this People weakned and shaken with so many furious shocks of Wars and Persecution did not doubt of bringing his designs speedily to his desired effect and to extirpate the Vaudois root and branch He had recourse to Politicks and Stratagems before he would make use of open force in short he sent for the Ministers and Guides of the Churches he exhorted them to lay down their Arms and to bring them to him on the one side he represented unto them the great dangers they were ready to be precipitated into if they did not submit themselves to the will of their Prince seeing the great forces which he had to compel them which it was impossible for them to withstand That the Pope the King of Spain the King of France had engaged the Duke in this War and did lend him their Troops that the General Peace being made they would employ all their forces to destroy them if they would not submit and obey On the other hand he made them specious and advantagious propositions giving them hopes that if they would submit to the will of their Prince they should enjoy peace and live in liberty with all their ancient priviledges Many were shaken and frighted by the treacherous discourse of this Lord who seeing them divided some being willing to submit to save their lives and fortunes to the will of their Prince others being of a different sentiment because of the dangerous consequences they foresaw this submission might draw after it In this dubious estate of their affairs he took his opportunity he laid ambushes for them in several places and having surprized them in small parties he made a cruel butchery without any resistance exercising all sorts of cruelties against these innocent Lambs who were betrayed by trusting to his sugared words This barbarous treachery cast these people into an inexpressible consternation but three hundred of those that escaped from the massacre being assembled together by the favour of the night and being fortified by little and little by their brethren who were diffident of the Counts promises and had saved themselves in the Mountains with this little Troop of the Vaudois God did such wonders as almost seem incredible if we had not seen what their Successors have done in the wars of the year 1655. and 1664. and the last year when seven or 800 Vaudois crossed all Savoy which was then all in Arms and forced several Passes kept by the Regular Troops of France and Savoy and in spight of their Enemies entred into their own Country and there have endured fifteen or sixteen bloody fights which fully perswades us that God is with this people and fought for them and with them without whose wonderful help it was impossible they should have performed such extraordinary exploits The day after this treachery the Count Del a Trinita employed his Army from morning till night in spoyling and ransacking all the places in the Valley of Lucerne of which he had made himself Master after which he marched with seven or eight thousand select men as high as Angrogne towards the place called the Meadow of the Tower where the greatest part of the Families of these poor Vaudois were retired as to the strongest Sanctuary or Azilum they could find in all the Valley of Lucerne He attacqued them in this place by three several ways and gave them no time of respite for four days one assault was no sooner repulsed but he gave another with fresh Troops without gaining any advantage In these assaults he lost two Collonels eight Captains and seven or eight hundred Soldiers The fifth day he being absolutely bent to carry the Post and to this end he made use of Spanish Troops which were fresh and as yet had never been engaged The Spanish Soldiers seeing â—…hey advanced nothing and that they â—…ell like hail mutined against their Officers that were obstinate to continue the attacque The Vaudois having observed the confusion that their Enemies were in fell upon them with so much courage and bravery that they put the whole Army to the rout and they were struck with so great a fear that many of them threw themselves off the rocks into the river of Angrogne and were drowned in its whirlpools they pursued their Enemies the space of two leagues and killed a great number of them To shew that France aided the Duke of Savoy in the War he had begun against the Vaudois D' Aubigni reports in his General History that this Prince having desired the King of France to lend him
defend themselves against so many subtilties and crafty policies of their Adversaries of the Propagation if God who holds the hearts of Princes and Kings in his hand had not changed the heart of Charles Emanuel the Second to favour the Vaudois This Prince having examined the conduct of all their doings began to know that it was without any good ground that the Vaudois were made so odious and calling to mind the great zeal they had testified on divers occasions for his service and particularly in 1638 and 1640 when the greatest part of his Estate was revolted against him and that the Cardinal of Savoy and Prince Thomas his Unkle had made themselves Heads of the Revolt being assisted by the Troops of Spain had seized almost all Piemont and even of the City of Turin it self and besieged Madam Royal his Mother in the Cittadel whither she had fled to save her self and that without the succours of Lewis the XIII his Unkle by the Mothers side and the help of the Vaudois it was probable that this Prince had been deprived of all his Principality In the year 1672. the Duke of Savoy made War upon the Genoeses and the Vaudois served him with so much zeal and courage that this Prince was not content only to praise their Conduct Courage and Fidelity by a Letter which he writ to them the fifth of November the same year but he gave them many sensible marks of his esteem and good-will towards them even to his death which hapned towards the end of the year 1678. Madam Royal his Widow treated them likewise not only with a great deal of sweetness and goodness but she also engaged her self to the Protestant Cantons by a Letter writ the 28th of Ianuary 1679. to maintain the Vaudois in the free exercise of their Religion and in all other priviledges and immunities CHAP. XX. The Ninth War against the Vaudois by Lewis the XIV King of France and Victor Amadeus II. Duke of Savoy with the perfidious treacheries of their Enemies which was the cause of the ruine and dispertion of these poor Churches THE sweetness of peace which the Vaudois enjoyed after the war against Genoua till the death of Charles Emanuel II. and after the death of this Prince under the Regency of Madam Royal his Widow till the year 1685. made them hope to enjoy a durable tranquility under the reign of Victor Amadeus II. who is at present Duke of Savoy and that which flattered them with this hopes was the considerable services they had done him in the year 1684. in the war against those of Mondovi in which they had signalized their courage and zeal for his service This very Prince had given them authentical assurances of his great satisfaction by a Letter that he writ to them on this occasion But they quickly lost their hopes when the Governour of the Valleys made Proclamation about the end of the year 1685 That no Stranger should come and stay in the Valleys above 3 days without his permission and that any that should entertain them any longer should be most severely punished The Vaudois had intelligence of the great violences that were made use of in France to force the Protestants there to change their Religion they had likewise news that that King had cancelled the Edict of Nants and they judged very well that the prohibition that was made them of giving a safe retreat to their Brethren of France was of a dangerous consequence but they did not foresee all the misery that hapned to them since nor all the evils that were prepared for them They were strangely surprized when there was published in the Valleys an order of the Duke of Savoy on the 31st of Ianuary 1686. which did generally forbid the exercise of the Protestant Religion under pain of death and confiscation of all their Goods and their Churches to be demolished and all their Ministers to be sent into banishment all Infants born hereafter to be baptised and brought up in the Roman Religion under penalty of condemning their Fathers to the Gallies it 's impossible to express the grief and fears of the Vaudois at the sight of so surprizing vigorous and unjust order so contrary to their rights and priviledges the forâ—…er orders only tended to the restraining them in narrower bounds but the Ordinance of the 31st of Ianuary entirely deprived them of the exercise of their Religion and liberty of Conscience In this sad condition into which they were plunged by the malice of their Enemies they had recourse to submissions and supplications according to their custom they addressed the Duke of Savoy four times to revoke the Order but they could obtain nothing but some delay that he might be the better prepared to execute the order they saw their misfortune was without remedy and of this they were the more certain when they understood that the King of France who for reasons of state and interest had always protected them and had declared himself the Warrantee of the Patents of 1655 and 1664. had now not only obliged the Duke to pass this Order but had also made his Troops advance towards Piemont for to see the execution of the Order performed The Protestant Cantons being informed of this Order and of the measures that were taken for the execution of it thought themselves obliged not to forsake a people persecuteâ—… upon the score of Religion and that they ought to appear on their behalf on this occasion as well as they had done on the former therefore they resolved in an Assembly held at Basil in the month of February 1686. to send a splendid Embassy to the Duke of Savoy to interceed for the Vaudois These Ambassadors arrived at Turin the beginning of March and made to the Duke their Proposals for the revoking of the late Orders of the 31st of January they shewed the Duke that they were interested in this affair not only as Brethren of the Vaudois making profession of the same Religion but because also the Patents of 1655 and 1664. which this last Order destroyed was the fruits of their former Mediation and they supported their demand with many strong and solid considerations The Court of Turin did not impugn these reasons but thought it was sufficient to tell the Ambassadors that the engagements that the Duke had entred into with the King of France opposed the success of their negotiation This Answer obliged the Ambassadors to give in a Memorial to the Duke to this purpose That the Predecessors of his Royal Highness having engaged their Royal Word to many Soveraign Princes and particularly to the Protestant Cantons for the due observing of the Patents granted the Vaudois such formal and authentical engagements ought to stand good for that the Patents were not meer tolleration for a time but perpetual grants and irrevocable Laws and besides the Patents were granted at the intercession of many Soveraign Princes and according to the Laws of Nations they are eternal
great body of Foot but at last after an obstinate and long fight they gained this pass as well as the rest the Marquess was mortally wounded many French Officers lost their lives and more than 200 Soldiers After having surmounted all these difficulties they entred into their Country chased out those that had seized upon their Lands and Houses and killed those that would not restore them and this was done with an inconsiderable loss on their side CHAP. XXV Where it 's shewn how the King of France and the Duke of Savoy leagued together to oppose their return as they had been leagned to drive them out in the year 1686. THE King of France and the Duke of Savoy having understood that the Vaudois were arrived in the Valleys and that they had made themselves masters of them presently gave orders to their Troops to march and to chace them out They constrained them to quit one of their Valleys and the Forâ—… of Bobbi after having defended it a long time and killed a great number of Savoyards who attacked this Fort after which they retreated to the Mountain of Sezarna where they entrenched themselves This Post was in the Valley of Lucerne but they had others in the Valley of St. Martin which were most advantagious and out of which their Enemies could not drive them though they did the utmost after eight battels or rather rencounters that they had maintained after their departure out of Switzerland till the month of December They had not as yet lost an hundred men and the enemy had lost above a thousand and in the places in which they were entrenched they wanted neither victuals nor any sort of ammunition About the end of month of December they entirely defeated a regiment of French Dragoons who had undertaken to drive them out of one of their Posts In the month of January 1690. the Marquess of Parelle who commanded the Army of the Duke being reinforced with some French Regiments attacked them several times but without any effect In the months of February and March this Marquess continued his attacks but he lost a great many of his men without being able to annoy much the Vaudois or chace them out again as he had promised the Duke his Master In the month of April the Court of France being informed that the Vaudois made excursions into the Delphinate and that the Allies prepared to send them succours that the Vaudois that were in Brandenburg and Wirtenburg were making preparations likewise to go and joyn their Brethren the Marquess of Feuquiers was sent with about five or six thousand Foot and Dragoons to joyn the Troops of His Royal Highness and chace them if possible out of the Valley before the Succours came the Marquess obliged them to quit some Posts but do what he could he was not able to drive them out of the Posts they had made themselves masters of in the High Mountains where they were strongly entrenched CHAP. XXVI Of the disunion and discord between the King of France and the Duke of Savoy which caused the re-establishment of the Vaudois in in their own Country by order of their Prince and of the wonders that God wrought for their re-establishment THE Duke of Savoy seeing that the Allies were in a condition to succour the Vaudois and that the Emperor and King of Spain did sollicit him to take their parts he thought that in declaring himself neuter he might hinder the intended succours but the Court of France which till then was Mistress of the Duke of Savoy and his Estate would not hear speak of neutrality and would have the Duke declare wholly for France and to oblige him to it the King demanded of him for the better assurance all his Troops and that he would put into his hands the Cittadel of Turin and Verceil that he might in them lay up magazins and all sorts of ammunition hoping that the Duke would rather declare for France than submit himself to so hard conditions but seeing that the Duke demurred and was dubious he made Catinat march with sixteen thousand men towards Piemont with orders to enter into it and constrain the Duke to do what was demanded The Duke of Savoy considering that if the King of France had Garrisons in the Cittadel of Turin and in Verceil and that if all his Troops were in the service of France that that King would not only be master of his Estate but also of his Person he desired time to give in his answer to the King He offered him at the same time three thousand men of his best Troops viz. a thousand Horse and two thousand Foot for an assurance of the neutrality and in the interim he sent to the Allies to be secure of their succours in case he were attacked by the French The Spaniards being his next Neighbours by reason of the Dutchy of Milan offered him eight thousand men in case the French fell upon him The haughtiness with which France treated him caused him to embrace the part of the Allies and he entred into divers treaties with them especially with the Emperour and the King of Spain and being reinforced with the Troops of Spain that were in the Dutchy of Milan he declared war against France and commanded Catinat who was General of the French Army to be gone out of his Dominions We are to consider that the Duke of Savoy is a Prince of the Empire that the Emperour and his Allies were powerful and his Neighbours above all Spain and that they might do him great harm in succouring the Vaudois as their interest obliged them because they were neighbours of France and that by their means they might make a great diversion by making excursions into the Delphinate which is a Province of France near the Valleys where there were great store of Protestants who would joyn with the Vaudois or at least favour them And to hinder these excursions the French would be obliged to keep on foot a powerful army in the Delphinate The Duke likewise knew that the Protestant Cantons kept a good correspondence with France and above all the Canton of Berne who had beheaded one of their Burghers for making levys in that Canton without their leave for to aid the Vaudois and so there was no probability that the Canton of Berne would give passage to those that should go to succour the Vaudois As for the Roman Catholick Cantons he was assured that neither the Vaudois nor any that had a mind to succour them would offer to pass through their Country because they had seized of the Vaudois that had attempted to pass that way and had delivered them up into his hands There were none but the Grisons that could favour their passage but that was not enough for to go from the Country of the Grisons into Piemont they must necessarily cross the whole Dutchy of Milan Now the Duke hoped that in declaring himself neuter he would hinder the Spaniards from giving passage to
the Vaudois through the Dutchy and that France would always assist him as she had done for the time past to chace out again the Vaudois that were entred Valleys It 's not to be doubted but that if France had been contented to leave the Duke in the state of neutrality that he demanded but that he would inviolably have kept it for it was his interest not to break with France This Prince had excellent Councellors who saw that the King of France had his foot upon the Neck of their Duke if I may so express my self Savoy lay open to the Troops of France by the Fort of Barraue which the King of France held and by divers other places and that there being but one strong place in Savoy which is Montmelian it was easie for the King in a short time to make himself Master of all Savoy and as to Piemont the King had Pignerol but eight leagues from Turin and at the entrance of Piemont and on the other side he had Cazal and all Monferrat and so the Dominions of this Prince were surrounded by the Territories and strong places of France and so by consequence he could not declare for the Allies without running an evident risque of being ruined If the Duke of Savoy had entred into treaty with the Allies before the French army had entred into Piemont it 's certain that this Prince who wants neither courage nor conduct nor good council would have precautioned himself against the attempts of France would have recalled his Troops out of the French service to employ them against the Vaudois or the Spaniards in case they had enterprized any thing in the Dutchy of Milan and their Arms being joyned against the Vaudois France would not have had the least umbrage of this demand But where are the treaties that the Duke made with the Emperour or with Spain Have any been produced All those that are publickly seen are after the French army was entred into Piemont and so all that is said to excuse France for her conduct towards His Most Serene Royal Highness are impostures and invented at leisure without any foundation That which has obliged or rather forced the Duke of Savoy to embrace the part of the Allies was the ill treatment of the King of France who treated him not as a Soveraign Prince but as a little Vassal This haughtiness of France so irritated the Duke that he chose rather to hazard all than to do those mean things and make those submissions that were exacted of him and in this estate he had recourse to the Allies and to his Neighbours as it 's manifest by the Letters that he wrote to them which have since been made publick The Duke of Savoy being forced to break with France by reason of the hardships that were imposed upon him this rupture was the cause of the liberty and deliverance of the Vaudois For having understood that France did sollicit them to embrace his part with offers of re-establishing them in the Valleys and giving them liberty of Conscience with free and publick exercise of their Religion which would have been very prejudicial to his interest for instead of one enemy he would have had two upon his back and would have been deprived of the succours that the Protestant Princes promised the Vaudois and of the considerable service that they might do him in keeping the Passes and hindring the communication of the Troops that were in the Delphinate with the Army commanded by Monsieur Catinat This Prince resolved to draw them to his own party and to this effect he set at liberty all the Vaudois that were in Prison as well Ministers as others he sent an act of Oblivion to all those that were in arms in the Valleys and gave to those that were in foreign Countries leave to return home with necessary passports with orders to all to turn their arms against the French whom they most look upon as their true persecutors and the cause of all their miseries He made be brought before him all those that were prisoners at Turin and told them that he was touched with a deep sense of their miseries and commanded them in his presence to be cloathed and to be furnished with all things necessary He excused himself that he had handled them so roughly and cast all upon the King of France as the true Author of all that had befallen them and because the number of the Vaudois was much diminished that there were scarce two thousand left after the last persecution the Duke of Savoy made proclamation that all those Protestants that were fled out of France that would come and dwell in the Valleys and joyn themselves with the Vaudois might do it and be safe under his protection and have necessary passports He ordered likewise that at their entrance into Savoy both the Vaudois and the French should be furnished with arms and all things necessary for to pass into the Valley which was punctually put in execution The return of the Vaudois into their Country their entrance into the Valleys and their subsisting there for eight months are so many wonders and miracles Is it not a miracle that eight or nine hundred should undertake to cross an enemies Country of 14 or 15 days journey where they must climb up high Mountains force divers strait passes where an hundred men might not only stop but beat three thousand and that which is most astonishing is that these Passes were guarded with great numbers and more expert Soldiers than the Vaudois they notwithstanding forced all those Passes with their Swords in their hands and routed them that guarded them killing a great number in gaining them with very little loss on their side It 's likewise another miracle that they got entrance into the Valleys the entrances being so difficult being peopled with Roman Catholicks who might have hindred their entrance being more in number than they or at least they might have possessed themselves of the most advantagious Posts which were in the Mountains and defend themselves easily till the succours of France and Savoy which were in readiness could come and second them but a dreadful fright from God fell upon them so that they had neither courage nor conduct to defend themselves against the Vaudois who without any trouble or resistance chased them out of the Valleys Is it not likewise a great miracle that a handful of people without any Commanders experienced in warlike affairs should subsist eight months in the Valleys and fight nine or ten battels against the Army of France and Savoy who were sometimes twenty but oftner thirty against one without being able to drive them out of their fastnesses having killed more than two thousand of their enemies So many happy successes makes it clear that the God of battel inspired them with the generous courage of returning into their own Country to kindle again the Candle of his Word that the Emissaries of Satan had extinguished there that
he marched before them and fought for them without which it had been impossible to have forced so many difficult Passes and gained such signal victories The King of England being informed of their design of returning unto their country blamed their enterprize as rash and ill grounded and looked upon those 900 Vaudois as lost men The States of Holland were of the same opinion and refused to assist them looking upon it as to no purpose but when they saw that contrary to the hopes of all the world that they subsisted in the Country last May 1690. they sent them Money and procured some of the French Protestants that were in Switzerland and the Elector of Brandenburgs Territories to go and assist them If the Vaudois had not been entred into their Country and had not generously defended themselves against their Enemies the D. of Savoy when he broke with France had not thought of setting at liberty those that were unjustly imprisoned nor of recalling those that were dispersed in Foreign Countries and the Allies would have contented themselves with the Dukes declaration for themselves and embracing their party without troubling their heads about establishing the Vaudois though driven out against all right and justice The conduct of God in the Re-establishment of the Vaudois is admirable and makes it evident that his divine providence has Judgment and ways incomprehensible surpassing all human understanding The King of France in the year 1686. pushed on the Duke of Savoy to compel the Vaudois to forsake their Religion and to take the same measures he had taken against the Protestants of France they joined their arms together to force them and to compass their design they violated not only the treaty made with the Predecessors of the Duke but likewise all Treaties Oaths and Promises made by their Generals took them Prisoners killed and massacred them violated their Wives and Daughters killed their little Children and made use of all sorts of Cruelty against these innocent people after they had laid down their arms and in the year 1690 God sent a Spirit of Division between the King of France and the Duke of Savoy insomuch that they strove who should first gain the Vaudois to their party and by this division the Duke of Savoy was forced to re-establish the Vaudois in their Rights and Priviledges and to set all at liberty that had been imprisoned and to recall all those that were dispersed in Foreign Countries And so the King of France who had been the principal cause of their ruine became against his will the cause of their Re-establishment by forcing the D. of Savoy by his Haughtiness to join with the Allies this shews that God mocks and derides the designs and councils of Princes when they are levelled against Jesus Christ and his Church and with the breath of his mouth makes all their enterprizes vanish in Smoak Oftentimes he makes use of the Enemies of his Church to protect and defend it Henry the 2d. King of France while he persecuted the Protestants of his own Kingdom succoured the Protestant Princes of Germany against the Emperor Charles the 5th Lewis the 13th did the same against the Emperor Ferdinand 2d. and Lewis the 14th while he did his best to ruine the Protestants in France succoured the Protestants of Hungary against the Emperor Leopold Henry the 3d. King of France when he was but Duke of Anjou gave advice in an Assembly that was held at St. Clou to commit the Massacre of St. Bartholomew and when he was King of France he emoloyed all his Forces to finish the destruction of those that remained after the Massacre but while he busied himself wholly and took the most probable measures to put in execution his wicked designs God stirred up the Duke of Guise against him who under the specious pretence of destroying the Protestants of France made a League against Henry and drove him out of Paris seized upon his Guards and constrained him to throw himself upon the Protestants and implore their aid and assistance without which he had been lost the Duke would have put him in a Cloister as Charles Martel did Chilperick the 3d. and seized upon his Crown Henry in acknowledgment of the Services that he had received of the Protestants began to be very favorable to them gave them places of security and many other Priviledges and appointed Henry de Borbon who was a Protestant his lawful Successor to the Crown And so God by a secret and unhop'd for way of a cruel and implacable Enemy of the Protestants made him against his will their Defender and Protector King Henry and the Duke of Guise were both in arms against the Protestants they jointly made war upon them and had equally sworn their ruin God permits they should be divided and by their division the one to destroy the other to deliver the Protestants who were sore oppressed and persecuted almost the same thing hapned in the delivery of the Vaudois God sent the Spirit of division between the King of France and the Duke of Savoy to punish them for the cruel persecution they had raised against the Protestants these two Princes were equally their Enemies and had resolved and vowed their destruction and when their malice was at the highest pitch against these poor innocent Creatures and all things seemed desperate God Almighty blasted their design and made them turn their arms the one against the other to destroy the one by the other as he destroyed the Duke of Guise by Henry whom he caused to be assassinated at Blois in the sight of all France assembled in the persons of those that composed the States general and after God had punished the Duke of Guise for the evils he had done to the Protestants he likewise punished Henry who was assassinated in the Castle of St. Cloy by a Fryer in the same Hall where the consult was held and the Massacre of St. Bartholomew was resolved on of which Henry and the Duke of Guise were the principal Counsellors and Ring-leaders of that horrible Butchery CHAP. XXVII Of the two Prophesies of the Scripture accomplished in the History of the Vaudois of Piemont the one contained in the 11th Chapter and the other in the 12th of the Revelation THE History of the Vaudois shews us clearly the accomplishment of two Prophesies of Scripture the one contained in the 11th and the other in the 12th Chapter of the Revelation of St. John We have made mention of the last when we shewed that the Churches of Piemont have conserved the Doctrine of the Apostles in its purity from the time of the Apostles even to our days and that the Roman Church was corrupted in adopting and receiving Pagan Doctrine and Ceremonies and communicated her Corruptions to the other Churches of the West only the Churches of Piemont were preserved pure and undefiled from whence it follows by a necessary consequence that these Mountains and Valleys were the places assigned by God Almighty
defended them If God had not given them a most singular Courage and had not confounded their Enemies and struck them with a pannick fear but that which is the fullest of miracles and the greatest cause of Astonishment is that neither so many wars raised by their Enemies during the space of 200 years nor so many Battels they have fought during those long and bloody wars nor the cruel Persecutions they have endured nor the diabolical artifices of the Emissaries of Antichrist have been able to destroy or to dissipate these poor Churches till the year 1686. when Perfidiousness and Treachery triumphed over their Innocence If the subsistence of the Vaudois in thâ—…sâ—… Valleys during so long a space of time and among so many obstacles be full of wonders their return and re-establishment is not less miraculous The King of France and the Duke of Savoy who were leagued together to destroy them and drive them out of the Valleys joyned together to oppose their return and re-establishment Nine hundred Vaudois and some Refugees of France pass the Lake of Geneva enter into Savoy cross an Enemies Country of 14 or 15 days journey force many difficult passes and defiles guarded with a Force far greater than theirs and in spight of all those rubs they repossessed themselves of their Country and while that these two Princes who are the bitterest and cruelest Enemies of the Vaudois and breathed nothing but their extirpation and ruine were joining their arms to execute their project God blasts their designs and reduces all into Smoak he sows a great division betwixt those two great Friends they become great Enemies and turn their arms one against the other In conclusion in despight of their intrigues God established the Vaudois in their own Country even by order of their Prince who excused himself to them for intreating them so ill and imputed the cause of it to the King of France and of those the Duke designed for destruction he has made his principal Rampart against France The surprising wonders that God has done for them and the surprising changes and chances that have hapned to them are in short and truly represented in this Book in which we speak first of all of their Original Secondly Of their Religion which they have preserved pure from the time of the Apostles even to our times Thirdly Of the great calm they enjoyed during many Ages even to the 15th Age. Fourthly Of the Croisade made by Innocent the 8th for to destroy them in the year 1488. Fifthly Of the wars of the Dukes of Savoy and the Princes of Piemont from Philip the 8th to Charles Emmanuel the 2d. Sixthly Of the Massacre which was made of them by surprize in our days and were not averred by eyâ—… witnesses of indubitable credit They are called Vaudois not that they are descended of Peter Valdo of Lyons as some Historians have thought but because they are original Inhabitants of the Valleys For the word Vaudois or Valdenses comes from the word Val which signifies a Valley So we see the Protestants of Bohemia were at first called Picards because they came out of Picardy the place of their ancient habitation The Taborites were likewise so called from the City Tabor the place of their ordinary residence and the Albigenses were so called because they inhabited the City of Albi which was full of Protestants against which the Pope declared as they most impiously phrased it a holy War to destroy them From the Vaudois of Piemont are descended the Vaudois of Province which is near Piemont Where some of them took up their habitation and sow'd their doctrine and from Province they spread themselves into Languedoc where they made a wonderful progress This shows that the Vandois of Piemont did not derive themselves from Peter Waldo for after that Valdo or Waldo was driven out of Lyons by the Archbishop according to the order he had received from the Pope he did not retire into Piemont but into Flanders where he sow'd the doctrine of the Gospel which spread it self into Picardy which joyns to Flanders These poor People being persecuted by the King of France retire into Bohemia and for that reason were called Picards because they came out of Picardy this we learn from D' Aubigni in his universal History where he says that those of the remnant of Waldo who fled into Picardy did so increase and multiply that to root them out or at least to weaken them Philip Augustus King of France quite destroyed three hundred Gentlemens houses And what is more and makes the thing evident beyond any doubt it 's proved by authentical Records and Acts that the Vaudois of Piemont had protested against the errors of the Church of Rome seventy Years bofore Waldo appeared in the world For Waldo did not begin to preach against the Roman Church till the Year 1175 but the Vaudois in their own Language produce divers acts and monuments of affairs relating to the Reformation done in the Year 1100 and others in the Year 1120. 70. or 75. Years before Waldo These Acts were saved from the Flames and lamentable Massacre committed upon these poor people in the Year 1655. and the originals were put in the hands of Mr Moreland the English Ambassador and after sent to be kept in the University of Cambridge One may find Copies of them in the general History of the Churches of the Vaudois written by J. Leger Minister of the Vallies printed at Lcyden 1669 and it 's not to be doubted but that the Vaudois of Piemont had more ancient Acts and Records of their doctrine which were buried in the ruines of their Churches by their Enemies In this Book we will only speak of the Vaudois of Piemont and not of the descendants of Peter Waldo CHAP. I. Of the Religion of the Vaudois of Piemont THE Vaudois or the Inhabitants of the Vallies of Piemont received the Doctrine of the Gospel in the time of the Apostles either from the Apostles themselves or by those who immediately succeeded them St. Paul being carried Prisoner to Rome in the Reign of Nero sojourned there two Years during which space he had the Liberty to go round the City from house to house dragging a Chain after him which was the Badge of a criminal Prisoner and there in the capital City Mistress of the world he preached the Gospel of Christ and laid the Foundation of a flourishing Church to which he writ from Corinth after his departure that excellent Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans during his Imprisonment he writ many other learned Epistles to Galatians Ephesians Philippians and Colossians His fame and doctrine sounded high in the Court of the Emperor as it 's clear from the Epistle that he then wrote from Rome to the Philippians where he says Phil. 1. 12. 13. that what hapned to him there proved the great advancement of the Gospel so that his Bonds in Christ were become famous through all the
them In another place we shall speak of these two Witnesses when we shall shew when it was that these poor people were driven out of their Country and when and how it was that they were re-established by the Duke of Savoy their Soveraign Prince The Vaudois in the second Article of their faith hold the Holy Scripture for their rule of faith and so do teach that nothing is to be believed as an Article of Faith that they do not prove by clear proofs of Scripture and so in the tenth and eleventh Articles they reject all humane traditions as abominations and they acknowledge only two Sacraments viz. Baptism and the Eucharist In the thirteenth Article they give us a scantling of their doctrine where they say thus The Sacraments according to St. Augustine in his City of God is an invisible grace represented by a visible thing and they say there is aâ—… great deal of difference between the sign and the thing signified The first Sacrament is called Baptism viz. a washing or sprinkling of Water which must be administred in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Behold here also that which is found in the Book of Antichrist relating to Baptism This Book was made in the year 1120 as we have said before Those things which are not necessary in the administration of Baptism are exorcisms insufflations the sign of the Cross upon the Head and Breast of the Infant Salt which is put in the Childs mouth Spittle into the Ears and Nose the Crysmatical unction upon the Head and all such like things consecrated by the Bishops They likewise say it's unnecessary to put a lighted Torch in the Childs hand and after Baptism to put on it a white garment or to bless the Water or to dip it thrice or to have Godfathers and Godmothers All these things done in the administration of the Sacraments they say are not of the substance of Baptism and by consequence unnecessary Behold likewise here what they say of the Supper of our Lord in the same Book of Antichrist as Baptism which is taken visibly and visibly administred is as it were an enrolling one in the company of the Faithful and obliges them to follow Jesus Christ and observe his Commandments and to live up to the rules of the Gospel so likewise the Holy Supper and the Holy Communion of our Saviour the breaking of Bread and the giving of thanks is a visible Communion performed by the members of Jesus Christ For those that take and break the same bread are one body and are members one of another planted in him to whom they protest and promise to persevere in his service even to the end without leaving the Faith of the Gospel or the Union that they have all promised to God through and by Jesus Christ. And in the same Book of Antichrist The eating of the Sacramental Bread is the eating of the Body of Christ in figure only as often as you shall do this do it in remembrance of me for if it were not a Spiritual Eating Christ would be obliged to be eaten continually and he in truth eats Christ who believes in him and Christ says That to eat him is to dwell in him From whence it follows that the Vaudois did not believe Transubstantiation nor the Oral and Corporal Eating of the Body of Christ but that the signs in the Supper of our Lord remained as they were before in substance before they were employed to this holy use and that as often as they received these visible signs by their mouth they received by faith the vertue and efficacy of the Body of Jesus Christ broke upon the Cross signified by the breaking of Bread and of his Blood that was spilt signified and represented by the pouring of the Wine into the Cup and that by this action they celebrated the memory of the death of Christ and obeyed his Commandment Do this in remembrance of me Words that St. Paul explains in this manner As often as you shall eat of this Bread and drink of this Cup you declare and commemorate the death of the Lord till he come If the Vaudois have conserved the purity of the Christian Religion from the time of the Apostles till the beginning of the Eleventh Age as we have shewn by their Confession of Faith which they made at the beginning of that Age they have not kept it less pure from that time till our days as we shall prove by another Confession of Faith which they made in the year 1655. After the Massacre which all Christendom has heard spoken of with horror and detestation and of which we shall speak hereafter A short Confession of the Faith of the Churches of Piemont published with their Manifesto after the dreadful Massacres of the Year 1655. ARTICLES We believe first That there is but one only God who is a Spiritual Essence Eternal Infinite all Mercy all Wisdom all Justice in a word every way perfect and that in this Infinite and Pure Essence there are three Persons the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost II. That this God has manifested himself to men by his glorious works as well by his Creation as his continual Providence and by his Word revealed at first by his Oracles in divers manners afterwards reduced by writing into Books which we call the Holy Scripture III. That these Holy Scriptures ought to be received as we receive them for Divine and Canonical viz. for the rule of our Faith and the direction of our Life as they are contained in the books of the old and new Testament and that in the old Testament there are only these books following to be received as of divine revelation and which God only approved of and consigned to the Church of the Jews viz. The five Books of Moses Joshua Judges Ruth the 1 and 2 of Samuel the 1 and 2 of Kings the 1 and 2 of Chronicles the 1 of Esdras Nehemiah Esther Job the Psalms the Proverbs of Solomon Ecclesiastes the Song of Songs the 4 greater Prophets and the 12 lesser The Books of the new Testament are The 4 Gospels the Acts of the Apostles the Epistles of St. Paul to the Romans 2 Epistles to the Corinthians 1 to the Galatians 1 to the Ephesians 1 to the Philippians 1 to the Colossians 2 to the Thessalonians 2 to Timothy 1 to to Timothy 1 to Titus 1 to Philemon 1 to the Hebrews 1 of St. James 1 of St. Peter 3 of St. John 1 of St. Jude the Apocalypse or the Revelations of St. John IV. That we acknowledge the Divinity of these sacred books not only by the Testimony of the Church but principally by the eternal and indubitable truth of the Doctrine contained in them and for the excellent and divine Majesty of them and by the operation of the holy Ghost which makes us receive with Reverence the Testimony which the Church gives on them which opens our Eyes to discover
put in Prison making use of the secular power to this end and when they had them there they either let them perish there or else condemned them to Death The Inquisitors likewise by threatnings forced Margarite de Foix Soveraign Lady of the Marquesate of Saluzzo to persecute the Vaudois that were in her Marquisate the Persecution was so great and so cruel that these poor Protestants were forced to leave house and home and to save themselves in the Valely of Lucerne without carrying any thing off but their precious Souls there they stayed five years in this miserable Condition during which time they perpetually plyed the Duke of Savoy with humble Supplications that he would be pleased to mediate for them that they might berestored to their own Country and that the unjust Usurpers of their Lands and Goods might be forced to restore But at last seeing all Prayers and Submissions did serve to no purpose because of the opposition of the Pope the Clergy and above all of the Inquisitors they resolved to take up Arms and to endeavour to repossess themselves of their Lands and Goods and that which gave them the greater courage and boldness to do it was because they were chased out by Force without any order of their Soveraign Lady This Enterprize was attended with a happy Success on a sudden they invaded the Usurpers of their Goods they chased them away and frighted them so that they never attempted more a return and these poor Vaudois after this happy Exploit for at least a hundred years after enjoyed a profound Peace and Liberty of their Religion through all the Marquisate CHAP. VI. Of the Second War against the Vaudois of Piemont by Charles I. Duke of Savoy PHilip VII Duke of Savoy being dead Charles his Son succeeded him This Prince was mightily importuned by the Archbishop and Inquisitor of Turin to deliver over to the secular power his Subjects of the reformed Religion he gave commission to Don Pentaleon Bressour Lord of Rocheplate to war against them in the Year 1534. This Nobleman having chosen 1500. select men out of all the Troops of the Duke when the Vaudois thought themselves most secure having not the least Suspition of their Enemies Intention he suddenly attacqued them surprizing killing and massacring all that came in his way without sparing Age or Sex which caused a great consternation in these Valleys but at last these people resuming their innate courage mustered together and put themselves in so good order that the day following as their Enemies thought of marching on and continuing their Butcheries all along the Valley of Lucerne they charged them so couragiously in the Rear and in the Front and in the Flank that a great number of these Massacrers were killed upon the field others saved themselves by flight leaving behind them the booty and the Prisoners they had taken from the Vaudois When the Duke of Savoy saw that the Skin of a Vaudois cost him twenty Roman Catholicks he would not permit they should be any more persecuted by open force of Arms but that more secret means should be taken as less dangerous to bring this about he established certain Troops of Highway-men and Assassins who laid in Ambuscado in places proper for their design and when the Vaudois descended from the Mountains or went out of the Valleys about their affairs they were presently seized on many for a long time fell into these Snares and became the Prey of those Villains who after they had ransomed them notwithstanding took away their lives by most exquisite torments Catalan Gerard of St. John in the Valley of Lucerne was one of those who fell into their hands he was burnt alive at Revel a City of Piemont and suffered death with an admirable constancy CHAP. VII Of the third War against the Vaudois of Piemont and the Persecution that they suffered from the Parliament of Turin FRancis the First King of France having made himself Master of Piemont and dispoiled the Duke of Savoy of his Principality in the year 1536. as well he as the Pope incited the Parliament of Turin to proceed against the Vaudois as against Pernicious Hereticks in obedience to whom they raised a great persecution imitating in that the Parliaments of France who persecuted those of the Reformed Religion These poor people had recourse to the King presenting him an Humble Petition hoping to obtain some favour from this their new Lord and Master and so much the more because it 's the custom among Princes to pretend a great kindness and tenderness for their new subjects to engage them the more in their service But this did but worsen their condition for the King commanded them to live according to the Laws of the Roman Church telling them that if they did not obey his Order he would severely punish them as obstinate Hereticks telling them that he did not burn them in France to suffer them in the Alpes The Parliament of Turin being encouraged by this severe Answer presently enjoyned the Vaudois to put away from them their Ministers and to receive in their places Priests who should come and say Mass to them They answered it was impossible to obey Orders so contrary to the Word of God that they were willing to give Caesar what appertained to Caesar as they had always done but that they would likewise give to God the things that belong to God and that in this case they were resolved according to the examples of the Apostles rather to obey God than man and rather hold themselves to the Word of God than the traditions of man The King then having many affairs upon his shoulders the Parliament judged it not proper to undertake an Open War against them but they contented themselves to give Orders to the Judges and Magistrates to assist vigorously the Monks and Inquisitors and to burn all the Vaudois that should fall into their hands many laid down their lives this way but with admirable constancy above all Bartholomew Hector who was publickly burnt at Turin in the year 1555. who by an edifying death drew a flood of tears even from the multitude of the Papists and not content only with tears they greatly murmured and made sharp invectives against the cruelty of the Monks and Inquisitors In the year 1557. Mr. Varaille an excellent Minister of Angrougne unfortunately falling into their hands was publickly burned in the Castle-yard singing with a loud voice the praises of God in the middle of the flames even to the last breath This same year Nicholas Sartoris Student in Divinity at Geneva having a mind to visit his Country was taken in the Valley of Auste and accused of Heresie and the enemies of the truth seeing they could not draw him by flattery nor shake him by threats ordered him to be burnt alive and so he died a glorious death CHAP. VIII Of the fourth War against the Vaudois of Piemont by Emanuel Philibert Duke of Savoy after the General Peace in
Lucernette St. Iohn de la Tour de Bubbian de Fenil de Campligon de Briguieras and of St. Secundus the Commssion was dispatched the 13th of January 1655. and the 25th day of the same Month Gastaldo gave Orders and a strict command to all the Protestants of the foresaid places to abandon them and to retire with their Families within three days after the publication into places which his royal Highness did tollerate which are Bobbi Villar Angrogne Roras and the Country of the Bonnets under the pain of Death and confiscation of all their Goods if they found them in the aforesaid Limits if within twenty days they do not make it appear to us that they are become Roman Catholicks or that they have sold their Goods to Catholicks Those that gave this pernicious Counsel to the Duke knew that the Protetestants were time out of mind established there even before the Dukes of Savoy were Princes of Piemont and the Predecessors of Charles Emanuel II. who had given this commission to Gastaldo had maintained them by divers declarations and grants but they belived that the Vaudois who were well established in those places that they were commanded to quit would not obey the unjust command of Gastaldo and that so they would take their disobedience for a pretence to destroy them or if they obeyed and they could not be destroyed or chased out of the rest of the Valleys the places they should quit would be enough to receive the Irish who being a people that had been long trained up in the wars would be a bridle upon the Vaudois and put them upon an impossibility of ever recovering their former habitations Although the Protestants well knew the injustice of this order and that they had sufficient reason not to obey it nevertheless to take away all pretence from their Enemies of rendring them odious to their Prince and to make them pass for Rebels they quitted the places named by Gastaldo and retired into those assigned in the Proclamation after which they sent Deputies to the Duke who should go and cast themselves at his Feet and by a most humble petition which they presented him they supplicated him with a most profound respect to revoke the Orders given to Gastaldo as being conrrary to their Priviledges and the Grants but their request was without any answer The Vaudois seeing that they had no compassion of their miseries had recourse to her royal Highness his Mother to whom they presented a petition full of Respect and Submission this Princess sent them back to the Council of the Propagation their sworn Enemies and most cruel Persecutors and this Council sent them back to the Marquess de Pianesse who long before had received ordets to go and massacre them as the event made most evidently appear CHAP. XII The sixth war against the Vaudois of Piemont by the Dutchess of Savoy ' and Charles Emmanuel her Son WHile the Vaudois laboured by their humble Supplications and Submissions to sweeten the Spirit of their Prince and to incline him to maintain their rights and priviledges having done nothing that could forfeit them their Enemies laboured with the Duke with all their power to destroy them they raised for this purpose an Army of 15000 men formed of all the Troops of the Duke of four Regiments of French of one Regiment of Germans and twelve hundred of the Irish they were all old Troops Prince Thomas who then commanded the army of the King in Italy sent to the Duke his Nephew four of the best Regimnets of the Army with the Irish the Duke of Bavaria his Brother in Law sent him one of his best Regiments the Army was ready the 15th of April 1655. and in a condition to execute their wicked design against these innocent people who seeing the Enemies army approach their Valleys began to stand upon their Guard In the interim the Marquess of Pianesse who commanded the army amused their Deputies at Turin till they were marched near the Valley and ready to enter them the sixteenth he departed incognito and gave orders before his departure to stop the Deputies till they had received advice that he with his Army was entred the Valleys which would have been executed if a Person of Quality who did not approve the Perfidiousuess and Treachery that was made use of to destroy these poor people had not whispered them in the ear to be gone quickly the Marquess is in the Valleys in short he got into the Valley of Lucerne the day after his departure which was the 17th of the Month of April the 18th the Army foraged and sacked all the Communities and Countrys of St. Iohn and de la Tour without any resistance the 18th the Army going about to force the Vaudois that were retired into the places limited by the order of Gastaldo after they had implored the aid and assistance of the God of battle defended themselves couragiously against all this great Army which attacked them in four several places they repulsed them vigorously and after having killed a great number of their Enemies they put them to the rout though they were an hundred against one CHAP. XIII Of the abominable means that the Marquess of Pianesse made use of to surprize the Vaudois of Piemont and to enter into the Valleys and of the cruel Massacre he made of these poor Innocents after his Entry in the year 1655. THE Marquess of Pianesse seeing that he could not destroy the Vaudois by force of arms had recourse to a most strange and detestable piece of Perfidiousness which Satan had suggested to him He sent a Trumpeter to them to tell them that they should send their Deputies and hear from his Mouth the will and pleasure of his royal Highness that all was for their good and advantage and that they might come with a full assurance the Vaudois desiring nothing more than peace were presently taken in this gin the the Marquess had laid for them they sent away their Deputies with the Trumpet and were received with all demonstrations of Kindness Monsieur de Pianesse entertained them splendidly at Dinner made a thousand protestations of Amity and most endearing Caresses but this was all to surprize them and betray them them as Iudas did with a kiss After he had cast a mist before their Eyes by his Peotestations and deceitful Caresses full of Snares he told them he had nothing to do but with the Inhabitants of those places forbid by the order of Gastaldo but as for other places they had nothing to fear if they would only in sign ofObedience and Fidelity receive and quarter for 2 or 3 days in every one of their Communities a Regiment of Foot and two Troops of Horse the Deputies who believed the protestations of the Marquess were sincere and far from all Treachery and Perfidiousness when they returned to those that had deputed them they so strongly perswaded them to do what the Marquess of Pianesse had counselled them that
to gain so many Victories over their enemies which were expert and tryed Souldiers as we have seen they have done to the 15th of July when they fought alone without the aid or assistance of any foreign help and that which is considerable they had to do with their Prince whom the emissaries of the Pope had armed against them only in hatred of their Religion Their Prince was assisted by the King of France and the D. of Bavaria of which the one was his Brother-in-law and the other his Cousin-geâ—…man The Vaudois were not the hundredth part of his Subjects and Estates The Prince and all his other Subjects were armed against them and notwithstanding they gained no advantage but on the contrary they were foyled and in most occasions most shamefully put to flight The Protestants of France hearing of the cruel Massacre that was committed upon their Brethren of Piemont made extraordinary prayers to God for them and large Collections to assist those that had escaped Some Provinces celebrated a Fast for them and that of Cevenne celebrated one by order of the Synod assembled at Sale in the month of June 1655. Upon the News that was divulged that those that had escaped the Massacre were re-entered into the Valley and defended themselves there couragiously many Officers and Soldiers of Cevenne and the lower Languedoc went to the succour of their Brethren who in little Companies by several ways got into the Valleys and so the Army of the Vaudois that had not been till the 14. or 15. of July above 600. men consisted of 1800. the 17th or 18th of July The Lord of Combies of the City of Anduse in Cevenne was of the number of those that went to succour their Brethren and because he had had considerable imploys in the Armys of the King of France he was by general consent chosen General of the Army after the example of those of the lower Languedoc and Cevenne many Soldiers out of the Delphinate came and joined them in the Vallies The Army being two thirds stronger than it was it was resolved in a council of War to go and force the Town and Fort of Tour they departed at night the 18th of Iuly for this expedition and they arrived the day following before day within a mile of Tour where they halted till day break and then Monsieur Combies sent some to view the Fortifications of the Fort and those that were sent made a report to the General that the place was impregnable against a greater Army upon which Monsieur Combies ordered to sound a retreat being apprehensive of ill success in his first design But Captain Bertin who was of a contrary opinion would not retreat with his Company but desperately assaulted the Town he was soon followed by the rest of the Vaudois and some two or three French men this Captain who was a Townsman of Tour knew all the weak places about it and presently broke through the Wall near the Convent of Capuchius before the Enemy took the Alarm made himself Master of the Borough and of the Convent which he burnt down to the Ground and there is no doubt to be made that if all the Army of the Vaudois had followed Captain Bertin but that they had taken the Fort notwithstanding the Succours that Maroles Governour of Lucerne brought as soon as he had News of the attempt Monsieur Combies having seen what Captain Bertin had done was much concerned that he had sounded a Retreat And here ends the War of the year 1655. which was followed by a cruel Massacre that was made of the Vaudois in the month of April in the same year but before we speak of Peace it 's necessary that we make some Reflections upon this War CHAP. XVI Reflections upon the War in the year 1655. and of the ensuing Peace made at Pignerol by the mediation of the Ambassador of France and the Ambassadors of the Protestant Cantons IT 's certain that the Duke of Savoy had no better nor more faithful Subjects than the Vuudois who always followed their Prince as well in his wars abroad as at home They never took up arms but when they would force their Consciences and deprive them of the free exercise of their Religion This appears in this that every time that war was made upon them they were commanded first to renounce their Religion and go to Mass and that they let alone in peace all those that obeyed and gave them several priviledges and immunities all the crime the Vaudois for which they were so severely handled was because they would not abandon their Religion which they had received from Father to Son from the time of the Apostles and was in every thing conformable to their Doctrine Those that escaped out of the Massacre had just reason to take up Arms the Enemies had unjustly murdered the Fathers and Mothers of some the Wives and Children of others some had lost their Brothers and Sisters and they would have done the same to them if they had fallen into the hands of these cruel Butchers So much Blood unjustly spilt cryed to Heaven for vengeance and God would make use of the hands of those that escaped to revenge it as the event shewed by the victories they gained over their Massacrers and by the great slaughter they made of them though they were inferior in number and that which is more they were driven from their own Houses Goods and Country against the Laws of Nature and Nations which orders that every one enjoy his own in quiet if he have committed no crimes that make him unworthy of it Now these poor people had committed no crime they were of the Religion they professed before the Dukes of Savoy had any thing to do with Piemont and besides it was confirmed to them by divers grants and priviledges If God had not been willing to re-establish them in their Country would he have given them courage to return without being recalled by their Prince after having been driven out by a cruel Massacre and a puissant Army When Captain Ianavel returned home which was about fifteen or twenty days after he was driven from Roras he had but about 200 men and they had established in the Valleys 1200 Irish all Soldiers there were besides that 3000 men of the old Troops of the Duke of Savoy and all the Inhabitants were Papists so that there were more than an hundred against one But though their Enemies were in so great a number and were Masters of the Country Ianavel notwithstanding returned and not barely content to make excursions but they carried away a good Booty from Lucernette which was a place full of the Enemies and scituate between the Towns of Lucerne and Bobiane where the Duke had strong Garrisons If God had not given the Vaudois courage how would they have undertaken the enterprize of St. Secundus where there were 800 Irish and 650 Piemonteses in garrison strongly fortified and intrenched and they were not
above 500 so small a number could they have forced the Town if God had not been with them and fought for them and delivered these Massacrers of their Brethren into their hands to revenge the blood they had so inhumanly and without cause spilt Although this war continued but three months it was nevertheless very bloody for the enemies of the Vaudois lost in the several rencounters and battels we have spoke of more than 4000 men of which the greatest part were of the number of the Massacrers who were sent to God in a short time to give an account of their barbarities and cruelties towards these poor Innocents The Vaudois during the whole war lost not above ninety five men reckoning in this number the forty who were killed with Captain Iayer by a signal piece of treachery of which we have spoke above And this is very remarkable that the enemies of the Vaudois never had any advantage over them but by their treachery and perfidiousness in violating the publick Faith and Treaties but when they were upon their guard and fought for the maintenance of their Religion they were always victorious over their enemies and as they maintained the celestial verity contained in the Holy Scriptures so Heaven took them under its protection and defended their Cause God covered them with his Buckler every where where they went and fought for them giving them courage and striking their enemies with confusion and terror otherwise they had never gained so many victories who as I said before were oftentimes more than an hundred to one The Duke of Savoy seeing that neither the Massacre he had made of the Vaudois nor the war that had followed the Massacre had answered his designs and the Consederates expectation was desirous of a peace and was very willing to be sollicited by the Protestant Princes and States to condescend to it for it was probable if he had continued the war three months more he would have been obliged to ask it of those he had been so unjust to His Army was very much weakned and that of the Vaudois was very well reinforced Of the 1200 Irish which in the beginning of the war were planted there 800 were cut off at St. Secundus and the rest either perished of Distempers or in other battels that they fought in afterwards the French Troops were retreated and the Lieutenant Collonel of the Regiment of Bararia and many of his best Officers and more than 200 common Soldiers were killed in this war and besides all this he had lost more than 3000 of his own Troops The Army of the Vaudois when the Peace was made consisted of 1800 men and encreased every day many famous Officers and Protestant Soldiers out of France joyning them in this Holy War and if the Vaudois when they were but between 500 and 600 always were victorious over their Enemies and in spight of all their opposition had recovered all they had lost it might reasonably be hoped that in three months more they might have quite destroyed the Enemies Army or at least have driven them out of the Valleys The Ambassadors of the Protestant Cantons had been a good while at Turin for to assist these poor people they offered their mediation for a lasting peace but the Duke excused himself saying That he had long ago reserred that affair to the King of France and that he durst not take it out of the hands of so great a King That which obliged the Duke to speak so was that he knew the King of France was perfectly linked to him by interest and that he had lent him his Troops and that he being the Umpire betwixt him and the Vaudois he would decide more for his advantage than for that of the Vaudois Monsieur de Servient the Ambassador of the King of France in that Court was the Mediator of peace and Monsieur de Servient knowing that the Ambassadors from Cromwell and the States of Holland were upon their journey to be employed upon that affair and that these two States had made great Collections for the Vaudois and that the Protector of England did very much interest himself in the business the better to please the zealous Protestants of England did precipitate the peace and conclude it before their arrival at Turin There is no doubt to be made but that if these Ambassadors had arrived before the conclusion of the peace that it would have been much more advantagious to the Vaudois than it was they would have obtained a restitution of all that had been unjustly taken from them by the order of Gastaldo and have forced them to demolish the Fort of Tour without suffering the Duke to build another 'T is true that by a private Article they were promised the Fort should be demolished and in effect it was done after the peace but it was but to build another more strong in the place where the Old first was which the Predecessors of the Vaudois had caused to be pulled down and even this was against the promise made to them that they should not build another The Duke gave them a Patent signed at Pignerol the 9th of August 1655. by which he pardoned the Vaudois for taking up Arms against him he established them in their Goods and Priviledges and in a free exercise of their Religion except in some places excepted in the Patent The Ambassador of France and the Ministers of the Duke drew the Patent so for to desend as they said the Honour of his Royal Highness but to defend the honour of their Prince they made innocent Subjects who had been unjustly Massacred and chased out of their Country to pass for Rebels and to be reputed Criminals and they deprived them of certain places which they had enjoyed from Father to Son many ages even before the Dukes of Savoy were Princes of Piemont and in which places they were confirmed by the Concessions and Declarations of the Predecessors of his Highness and which he himself had confirmed in the year 1653. CHAP. XVII Containing the wicked Artifices of which the Enemies of the Vaudois made use of for to compleat the destruction of those that had escaped the Massacre and War of 1655. With the breaking of the Peace of Pignerol THE Duke of Savoy and his Council not being able to destroy the Vaudois neither by the Massacre they had made of them nor by the cruel and continual war instead of letting them live in peace after the treaty of Pignerol as they had promised the Ambassadors the took more cunning and subtile ways but which were not less dangerous and diabolical for to destroy the remainder of these poor distressed Innocents The first artifice their enemies made use of to destroy them was to set them together by the ears about the Charitable Collections that were made for them in foreign Countries by spreading round about a report of a great abuse pretended to be committed in the distribution of the mony to this
Marquess of Fleuri had had ill Success in all his designs thought it was requisite to change the General and so the Mraquess was recalled to Court and the Marquess of St. Damian was put in his place who made a Levy of a greater Army than before but with worse Success The Soldiers seeing that in this War nothing could be got but blows the first having carried away all the Booty went only by force to this War and where they found any resistance they turned their backs and fled from the Vaudois their Officers being not able to stay their Flight CHAP. XIX The Second Peace made betwizt Charles Emanuel and the Vaudois by the mediation of the Protestant Cantons in the month of February 1664. which has continued till the year 1686. during which time the Vaudois did signal Service to the Duke of Savoy THE War of the year 1663. having had as ill Success as that of the year 1655. the Duke of Savoy would have been glad of Peace but he durst not ask it of the Vaudois for fear it should shew his weakness or at least he should be obliged to grant them more than he had done by his former Patent granted at Pignerol because of the Advantages they had gained over him For this Prince had drained his Revenues ruined by these Wars a part of his Dukedom lost more than 4000 men and the Vaudois but sixty They durst go no more into the Mountains to seek them and the Vaudois often descended into the Plains to attack their Enemies who being struck with a pannick Fear because of the many Victories of the Vaudois fled before them like a Flock of Sheep before a Troop of hungry enraged Wolfs The Suisse having private notice that the Duke was weary of the War sent an honourable Embassy to to sollicit a peace between the Vaudois and their Prince the Ambassadors came to Turin the 15th of December 1663 and were very well received by the Duke and the whole Court which was not so in the year 1655. after the Massacre nor in the year 1686. when the Duke was leagued with the King of France for the destruction of the Vaudois and to force them to go to Mass as he in the precedent year had forced the Protestants of France This good reception of the Ambassadors made it clear that the Duke was weary of the War and willing to make a Peace after they had had Audience they sent their Secretary to the Valleys to tell the Vaudois that they should send their Deputies to Turin who being arrived there a solemn Promise was made them that during the Treaty there should be no more Acts of Hostility done against the Vaudois The event made it apparent that this promise was only made them to lull them asleep that he might the better surprize them while the Treaty was on foot for by an unheard of Perfidiousness even among the most barbarous Nations notwithstanding this promise made in the presence of the Ambassadors the 21st of the same Month twelve hundred men of the lower Piemont were sent to reinforce the Army under the command of the Marquess of St. Damian and on the 25th at break of day they attacked Tillaret Angrogne Rocheplate and St. German without giving any notice that they would do any thing to the prejudice of the solemn Promise The first and strongest attack was at Tillaret where the Vaudois had like to have been born down with numbers but they of Angrogne sending them in the nick of time an hundred men this seasonable succour did so encourage them that they broke the Enemies Troops commanded by the Count of Bagnols and put them to flight and forced them to fly for safety to the Town and Cittadel of Tour in great disorder they pursued them with so much heat and vigour that many of the Vaudois entred with them pell mell into the Town and came out again without the least damage to the great astonishment of all the world and confusion of their Euemies On the side of Angrogne the Enemies could not make the Vaudois give back one foot of ground for all their furious Assaults but after having done their utmost to make them quit their post after having lost a great number of their men they most shamefully fled the Vaudois pursued them to the Plain and killed a great number of them and encamped afterwards near them upon the Plain where their Enemies durst not molest them All the harm the Vaudois suffered was on St. Germans side which was a very advantageous post and of great importance by the means of which they had till then kept clear the passage betwixt the Vallies of Lucerne and those of Perouse and St. Martin the Enemies unfortunately surprized this place which was not guarded because that Famine had obliged the Country people who believed there was no danger during the Treaty to go and seek victuals for themselves and their Families they killed there a man and two women the rest saved themselves miraculously they burnt likewise greatest part of the houses and cut down or pilled the Bark of all the Fruit Trees The Vaudois had great cause of Joy that day for that they happened to be dispersed in divers places and were not upon their Guard confiding in the solemn promise made at Turin but God not only delivered them out of the hand of their Enemies but gave them a signal victory The Enemies Army consisted of 18000 men viz. 6000 that the Marquess of St Damian had in his Army and 12000 Piemontese that had newly joined him and the Vaudois had but 700 men and on this day the latter lost but 6 men but the first according to their own relation lost fifteen hundred among whom were the Counts of St. Front and de la Trinita and many Officers of Note The Deputies of the Vaudois who were at Turin having received Intelligence of this perfidious dealing against the solemn promise desired the Lords Ambassadors from the Swisse Cantons to present their just complaints to the Duke which they did with a great deal of heat and resentment but that produced only a truce for twelve days which was at several times prolonged and renewed till the Lords Ambassadors had ended and fully concluded a peace and agreement contained in the Patent of the 14th of February 1664. by which the Vaudois were established in a full enjoyment of all their Goods and in the free exercise of their Religion in all places where it had been established by the treaty of Pignerol in the year 1655. But this Patent was no better executed and observed than the former although the Duke had engaged himself by his Letter to the Protestant Cantons the 28th of February 1664. to observe it punctually It 's no easie matter to represent here all the tricks that the Councel of the Propagation made use of to make this peace ineffectual as to the Vaudois it 's enough to say that it had been impossible for them to
not give out such an order without manifest Injustice and invading the Empire of God who alone is Soveraign of the Consciences of men The Vaudois were established in the Valleys when this order was made and possessed the same Estates and made profession of the same Religion that they had professed many ages before the Dukes of Savoy were Princes of Piemont for it was but in the year 1233. that Thomas Earl of Savoy made himself master of the Town of Pignerol under pretence that the race of the Princes of Piemont was extinct but the Vaudois have possessed these Valleys ever since they were first inhabited for it 's from these Valleys that they borrow their name as the Greeks from Greece and the Italians from Italy and as to their Religion we have shewed they have kept it from Father to Son even from the time of the Apostles if the people could not deprive their Soveraigns of their Rights and Priviledges for what reason can the Soveraigns deprive Subjects of their Liberties if they have not committed crimes that may justly forfeit them Soveraign Princes are established to govern and guide their Subjects and to hinder injustice not to destroy and dispoil them of their Goods and Priviledges but to defend and maintain all their Rights and Immunities The Edict was published in the Valleys the 11th of April and commanded that in 8 days they should demolish their Temples banish their Ministers baptize their Children after the Roman fashion instruct others in the Roman Religion lay down their arms exercise no Soldiers receive the Fryars and Missionaries and the old and new Catholicks and all the whole Enemies army they would give no assurance to the Ambassadors that their Troops should not enter the Valleys till the departure of the Vaudois For the army was ready to enter even before the Edict was published and some days after the publication of it was made the Duke of Savoy appeared himself in the Field the more to dishearten the Vaudois by his presence and the more easily oblige them to undergo their rigorous conditions imposed on them the 19th all that was commanded by the order of the 31st of January was to be put in execution and those of Lucerne were to depart the 21st those of Angrogne the 22d those of St. Martin and Perouse the 23d of April if they failed in the least tittle of the order they were to be seized on and deprived of the liberty of departing and condemned as most enormous and criminal Rebels for so says the Edict The Communities which were assembled at Rocheplate the 14th of the month after having maturely weighed the words and conditions of the Edict judged that their Enemies had nothing less in their intentions than to let them pass safe out of the Country and this Edict was only a Trap laid the more easily to take them and destroy them the result then was not to accept of the conditions for the reasons we have already mentioned which reasons they sent to the Ambassadors who did their utmost to procure the Vaudois more secure and more advantageous conditions than those contained in the Edict but neither their reasons nor sollicitations produced any Effect they were always answered that as long as the Vaudois were in arms nothing further should be granted them nor positively promised them The Vaudois being fully perswaded that they were not to be disarmed but in order to be destroyed the more easily and without resistance were resolved not to aid their own ruine they therefore persisted in the resolution of defending themselves if they were artacked That which confirmed them in this resolution was that two or three days after the publication of the Edict 15 or 16 Vaudois went to the Judge of the Valleys to tell him they and their Families designed to depart and desired him to give them a passport which he refused them under pretence that they must expect till others went and he was not only contented to deny them a passport which was necessary for them to obey the Edict but he sollicited them to change their Religion and because they would not do it he put them in prison where some of anguish of mind and other evils incident to imprisonments dyed and others were kept there 7 or 8 months till they were delivered with other Prisoners this shews that a plot was laid to destroy the Vaudois that would not confirm to the Romish superstition and forsake the antient Apostolical Faith And that which confirmed it the more was that one of the Directors of the Church of Villa secca in the Valley of St. Martin writ to the Ambassadors who were as yet at Turin just ready to depart a Letter on the 20th of April by which he declared in the name of himself and his Brethren of the Robe that they would put in execution the Edict and desired them to procure them a safe passport and some more time to make their departure and one of the Ambassadors took the pains to go to the Camp for to demand a passport but it was refused him upon pretence that it was not asked in time it was always too soon or too late and they never could find a proper time to grant their passports There were two armies that were to attack the Vaudois that of the Dukes was commanded by Don Gabriel of Savoy Uncle to the Duke and that of France was commanded by Monsieur Catinat Governour of Casal The Army of the Duke consisted of the Houshold of all the Cavalry and Infantry and of the Militia of Mondovi Barjes Bagnols and other places of Piemont That of France consisted of many Regiments of Cavalry and Dragoons of eight battalions of foot which had passed the Mountains and of a part of the Garrison of Casal and Pignerol The Duke before he left the Camp took a review as well of his own Troops as of those of France and put all things in order to attacque the Vaudois as soon as that short time he had given should be elapsed having designed one part of his Army to force the Valley of Lucerne and the Community of Angrogne and the Army of France to force the Valleys of St. Martin and Perouse The Vaudois had taken some measures to defend themselves they had but one part of the Valley of Lucerne and another part of the Community of Angrogne in the Valley of Perouse they only had some advantageous Passes that were in places belonging to the Duke of Savoy there being a part of this Valley that depended on the Crown of France but they were possessed of all the Valley of St. Martin the strongest of all by scituation they were fortified in every one of these Valleys with many retrenchments made of Turf and Stone and were about 2500 men in arms two thirds more than they were in the year 1655 and 1663. They had made their Commanders and Officers of the most considerable persons among themselves they had no strangers to assist
of the Prophecy It 's said in the same Prophecy that after these three days and an half the spirit of life coming from God shall enter into them and they shall live again and that great fear shall seize upon them that shall see them and that they shall hear a great voice from Heaven saying to them ascend hither and they shall ascend up to Heaven in a Cloud and their Enemies to their great confusion shall see them this was exactly fulfilled in respect of the Vaudois who after three years and an half were as it were revived again and freed from the miserable estate and condition into which they were reduced by the furious malice of their Enemies for the Prisoners were set at liberty the Banished were recalled home and all by order of their Prince re-established in their Country in a better condition than ever In the year 1686 the Duke of Savoy at the earnest entreaty of the Protestant Cantons freed out of Prison the greatest part of the Vaudois but it was only to send them into banishment in a strange Country but those whom he set at liberty the last Iune were sent home in peace and had greater priviledges and advantages given them than ever He promised to Cloath those that he set at liberty in the year 1686 which notwithstanding he did not but those that he freed after three years and an half he cloathed very well he excused himself to them was sorry for what had passed imputed the cause of all their suffering to the King of France The Duke of Savoy and his Predecessors these two hundred years past have applied themselves with all their power to dispeople these Valleys of Protestants as we have sufficiently related above But after the three years and an half there has been an extraordinary care taken to people them again with Protestants for the Duke has not only re-established the Vaudois as well Prisoners as Exiles but he has given free leave and encouragement to the Protestant Refugees of France to come and inhabit the Valleys The Duke of Savoy and his Councel made use of the wickedest methods imaginable to destroy the Protestant Religion in these Valleys but after the death of the Witnesses viz. after the three years and an half he did not only give free exercise of Religion in the Valleys but even in Turin it self the Capital City of his Dominions And this miraculous change happened almost in an instant to the great confusion of their Enemies who looked upon them as lost men This shews evidently that the re-establishment of the Vaudois was the work of Heaven and not of men for so the Prophecy says that the spirit of life shall enter into them and they shall live again The Author of the Fifth Empire Printed at the Hague by Meyndert Vytwert closes with our Opinion and discourses excellently to our purpose concerning the three years and an half of the death of the two Witnesses I hope it will not be troublesome to give them his own words out of the 13th Chapter of his Book The time says this excellent Author that the two Witnesses should remain in the state we have represent them in the precedent Chapter is limited to three days and an half after which they shall be revived These three days and an half are prophetical days as 1260 days are and every day must be taken for a year it 's not easie to determine whether the three years and an half after the death of the Witnesses should commence after that the Edict of Nants was cancelled and revoked and the Ministers of France condemned to perpetual banishment or when the Faithful of the Valleys of Piemont who from the time of the Apostles have maintained and concerted the truth among them were driven out of their Country after which the Author gives his sentiment in these words It 's probable that these three years and an half should commence when the Churches of Piemont were destroyed which were the visible conservers of the Truth that was always preached and professed among them and after three years and an half were most gloriously re-established for the Vaudois were not totally driven out of the Valleys till about the end of October 1686. Then those that were hid in the Caverns and Rocks and Woods coming out of their safe and hidden retreats after that the Army of France was retreated and that the Troops of Mondovy and other places of Piemont were returned into their own Country seized upon some advantagious Posts in the Valleys of Lucerne and St. Martin and made excursions upon their Enemies and forced them to furnish them with Provisions and all things necessary and their Enemies not being able to chace them out of those advantagious Posts granted them Letters of safe conduct to go into Switzerland Before the banishment of these we cannot say that the Vaudois were killed and dead for that they made their Enemies pay contribution Now they were established by order of their Prince in the beginning of Iune 1690. three years and an half after their total dissipation for this was only one month after the three years and an half that were past so the Prophecy speaks not of their re-establishment till this time be compleated and that which is to be considered more exactly is that in the month of May the Vaudois began to revive the spirit of God then entring into them for having this month received succours from the Allies as well of Men as Mony instead of their Enemies chasing them they chaced their Enemies out of their strong holds and so we see in them the Prophecy fulfilled of the 11th Chapter of the Revelation in the time set down by the Penman of that Holy Mysterious Book The Churches of Piemont being the root of the Protestant Churches they have been the first established the Churches of France Hungary and other places being but the branches shall be established in due time God will not stay to do his own work to the shame and confusion of his Enemies the thing will come to pass in the re-establishment of the Protestant Churches that hath been done in the re-establishment of the Churches of Israel those of Judah returned first out of Captivity though they were the last that were transported but God did not stay long to deliver the rest though at different times and on different occasions The same thing without doubt will come to pass in respect of the Christian Churches that groan under the captivity of Antichrist God will deliver them speedily he has already delivered the Mother and he will not long leave the Daughter behind he will finish what he has gloriously begun and not leave his work imperfect he will gather together the dispersed Churches and bring back to the Fold the Sheep that have gone astray then Israel and Judah shall dwell together in peace none shall be able to give them the least disturbance Since the Vaudois were re-established in the Valleys by order of their Prince they have chaced the French out of them have beaten the Marquess of Feuquiers and slain 1500 men of his Army among whom were two Colonels forty Captains and a great number of subalterne Officers They have sometimes defeated two hundred sometimes one hundred fifty Dragoons of the King of France taken several Conveys that were going to the Army commanded by Monsieur Catinat have made many excursions into the Delphinate and have carried away a good booty and several Prisoners one may say without any hyperbole that the Vaudois in one Campaign have endamaged the French more than all the Allies with their great Armies The great services that they have done the Duke of Savoy without doubt will oblige him to augment their priviledges and all the Allied Princes to make a firm and lasting treaty between the Duke and the Vaudois in case that peace be made between France and the Allies of which the Protestant Princes will be guarantee I have only extended the History of the Vaudois till the beginning of October 1690. If they perform any considerable action hereafter I will continue their History if God give me life and health to whom be all honour and glory world without end Amen FINIS
revoke his Edict though he was most earnestly sollicited to do it by the Protestant Princes retired out of the Marquisate with only what they could carry and went to dwell in Places where they might enjoy a free exercise of there Religion Victor Amadeus his Son and Successor did likewise make no open war upon the Vaudois of the Valleys he was hindered from it by the Wars he had with his Neighbouring Princes especially the Spaniard he notwithstanding permitted the Inquisitors of Rome and the Monks to persecute them under the colour and cloak of Justice and so many of them that fell into their hands either were put to Death or else condemned to the Galleys or perpetual Prison because they would not go to Mass and conform to the Romish Religion CHAP. X. Of the abominable methods that the Dutchess of Savoy and the Counsel of Propagation took to destroy the Vaudois of Piemont AFter the Death of Amadeus the Dutchess his Lady was left Regent of his Dominions because his Son Charles Emanuel II. was very young The Court of Rome having erected a Congregation as it was called for the Propagation of Faith and Extirpation of Heresy there were established such like Councils and Congregations in the Dominions of all Princes that professed the Roman Religion That of Turin was established in the Year 1650. and was divided into two Bodies the one was called the Council of men and the other the Council of women the Archbishop was President of the first and the Marchionesse de Pianesse of the second the women made great enquiry for all those that they called new Converts and made very much of them the men entertained Spies through all the Valleys to give them an account of the Vaudois that were poor or of those that had Suits at Law to the poor they offered exemption from Taxes and to free them from the quartering of Souldiers for many Years To those that had Suits at Law at Turin or other places they promised them good Success provided they would turn Roman Catholicks and by this traffick they gained several But the Council of the Propagation seeing that notwithstanding all the Care and Pains they and the religious Orders took for to convert the Vaudois to the Romish Religion that they could draw none but some poor or wicked people they bethought themselves of an abominable Stratagem to destroy them all at once and make their Throats be cut by the King of France's Army that was then in Italy and was commanded by the Marshal de St. Grance in the Year 1653. the King having assign'd for the winter-quarters of his Army the Provinces of Delphinate Province Languedoc and Burgundy these Provinces offered to the Marshal very considerable summs to exempt them from effectual quartering of Souldiers and he was the more contented with it because the Dutchess of Savoy proffered to quarter a part of the Army in Savoy for a share of the Money proffered The bargain being struck the Marshal marched his Army towards the Valleys which was the place that the Dutchess had assigned for their winter-quarters In the mean time although the Council of the propagation knew full well of the bargain made between the Dutchess and the Marshal they ordered the Capuchins and some Gentlemen of the Valleys and even some of the chief ministers of the Court to perswade the Vaudois and make them believe that it was not the intention of the Dutchess that those strangers should quarter there and by their artificial discourse full of malice and fraud they stirred up the Vaudois to take up Arms and oppose the Army of the King which was already entred into the Valley of Lucerne and in a condition to force these poor people to receive them threatning nothing but Fire and Sword and this had been done if a Minister of the Gospel had not gone and cast himself at the feet of the Marshal and discovered to him the diabolical malice of their Enemies and desired him to shew one billet for quartering and as soon as the billet of the Dutchess should be shown about he was certain that all the Inhabitents of the Valleys would submit without the least resistance To which proposition the Marshal accorded and at the same time sent to Turin to have the billet for quartering of Souldiers as the Minister desired and it coming in a short time the Vaudois submitted without the least difficulty We must consider that the Army of the King was very powerful and made up of expert Troops and that the Marshal was fully resolved to gain the great sum of Money that he was to draw from the foresaid Provinces and to have his bargain to the full of the Dutchess and that the Vaudois that were in arms had let his army enter into the Valley of Lucerne without any oppsition and that they were not prepared for a long defence neither had entrenched themselves in their usual Fastnesses and so it 's not to be doubted but that they must have been conquered by the French who being enraged at their Boldness and the at the Contempt of their great Army would have put all to the Sword without distinction of Sex or Age if God had not made use of the Zeal and Prudence of this Minister to frustrate the Designs and crafty Contrivances of those Enemies of God and his Church CHAP. XI Of another wicked Stratagem of the Dutchess of Savoy and her Son Charles Emanuel II. for the Destruction of the Vaudois of Piemont and establishing the Irish there that were driven out of their Country IN the year 1655. the Dutchess of Savoy and her Son the Duke being sollicited by the Court of Rome and the Council of Propagation to destroy the Protestants of the Valleys and to establish in their places the Irish who served the King of France in his Royal Army in Italy and were driven out of their Country by Cromwel these Irish were of the number of those that had plaid such pranks in Irelend against the poor Protestants in the year 1642. and the last that had laid down their Arms in that Kingdom after the Death of King Charles I. to give these Valleys to the Irish the Protestants who were the true and natural Inhabitants of these Valleys were all to be extirpated for so it was resolved in the Council of the Propagation and after in the Duke's which was for the greater part composed of the former To bring this wicked design to effect they must make use of some specious pretence they could not make their pretence to be the affair of the house of the Capuchins of Villar which some Protestants privately pushed on by their Enemies the Papists had burnt to the ground this affair had been accommodated many years and the Accomplices severely punished they took therefore another way they obtained from the Duke a Commission by Gastaldo his Counseller in his Chamber of accounts to drive out all the Protestants that were in the Valleys of Lucerne