Religion under the aforesaid Penalties and that of incurring our displeasure to keep for the future any School Publick or Private that their Children may henceforth be instructed by Catholick Schoolmasters As concerning those Ministers who during the said term shall embrace the Catholick Religion our Will is that during their lives and after their death their Widows shall during their Widowhood enjoy the same Exemptions and Immunities which they before had during the Exercise of their Charge And our further Pleasure is That to those Ecclesiasticks who shall in this manner be converted there be paid during their life a Pension which shall be a third part greater than the Wages which they had as Ministers of the said Religion and that after their death their Widows shall receive the Moiety of that Pension so long as they continue sole For what concerns the Children that shall be born of Parents of the said pretended Reformed Religion our Pleasure is That after the publication of this present Edict they be baptis'd by the Priests of the Parishes which are already established in the said Vallies or which shall be established hereafter We therefore Command their Fathers and Mothers that they either send or bring their Children to the Churches under the Penalty of the Father's serving Five years in the Gallies and the Mothers being publickly whipp'd and the said Children shall henceforward be brought up in the Roman Catholick Apostolick Religion We expresly Command all Judges Provosts Chatelains and other Officers to see that these Presents be duly executed We also confirm the Edict which we caused to be Publish'd the 4th of November last past concerning the Subjects of his Most Christian Majesty who profess the pretended Reformed Religion who are now in our Dominions or who have left in them any Merchandise Money or other Effects and for what concerns other Strangers of the said Religion who contrary to the tenour of our Predecessors Edicts have settled themselves in the Vallies without their consent shew'd in writing comprehending also their Descendants who have been born in it We Command that in case they do not within Fifteen days after the Publication of this Edict declare they will embrace the Roman Catholick Apostolick Religion they shall be obliged that term being expired to depart out of our Territories under pain of Death and Confiscation of their Goods And tho' by virtue of our Predecessors Edicts the Goods which such Strangers have gotten in our Dominions ought of right to be applyed to our Publick Treasury nevertheless intending in this case to shew our wonted Clemency we permit them to sell their Goods within the said term and to dispose of them as they please yet always with this condition that there shall be no sale of their Lands but to Roman Catholicks and if no such Buyers can be found the Goods shall be prized sold and annexed to our Demeans at a reasonable price Lastly we command all Magistrates establish'd by us all Ministers of State Officers Counsellors of Justice and War and all others who are concern'd to see that this Edict be inviolably observed and cause the Council of Piemont to Register it and give their entire approbation to every thing therein contain'd· And moreover our Will is That the Publication which shall be made of this Edict in all Places according to the usual form shall have the same force and virtue as if it had been notified to every particular Person and that as much credit be given to the Copy Printed by Sinibal our Printer as to the Original it self for such is our Will and Pleasure Given at Turin the 31 th of January 1686. Victor Amadeo V. Simione de St. Thomas By the Command of his Royal Highness The Evangelique Cantons having heard of this Edict a while after also knew that the Vaudois had in vain sought relief against it for they had presented Two Petitions to their Prince which were never answer'd By the First they desir'd a Revocation of this Edict and by the Second leave to depart out of his Dominions within such a term as might be necessary to find a settlement elsewhere The Cantons seeing that the ordinary means which had been used to stop the execution of this Edict had not been effectual they thought some extraordinary course was to be tryed They therefore at first wrote to the Duke of Savoy Praying that he would make good to his Subjects of the Vallies those Concessions which had been granted to them by his Predecessors But when they saw the Duke delay'd to give them any answer and that they knew he prepar'd to execute his Edict by force they resolv'd in a Diet held at Baden in the Month of February 1686 to dispatch two Ambassadours to him to endeavour the obtaining by their Representations that which they could not procure by their Letters The Persons pitched upon for this Embassie were Gaspard de Muralt and Bernard de Muralt both Councellours of State the First of the Republick of Zurich the other of Berne who had all qualities necessary to fit them for such an Employ either in respect of their Virtue and Piety or of their Prudence and Personal Abilities These Ambassadours were charged to use their best endeavours to oblige the Duke of Savoy to revoke the Edict which he had published against the Valley Churches And because they had reason to fear that his Royal Highness would continue firm in his Resolution of causing it to be executed in all points the Protestant Cantons after having maturely considered the state of the People that compos'd the Churches and the Alliances and Forces of the Prince who resolv'd totally to extirpate them if they refus'd to submit to his Will they thought in case their Ambassadours could not obtain a Revocation of the Edict that then it would be expedient for them to endeavour the procuring of liberty for those miserable People to retire into some other Country to sell their Goods and to carry with them all that they could get together of their shipwrack'd Fortune The Lords who were present in this Diet were too prudent and judicious to take any other course but this they saw on the one hand how few they were who could bear Arms in the Vallies for they were at most but Two Thousand Five Hundred Men the greatest part of them ill armed and had neither Commanders Provision or Ammunition and could not from any place expect Succours that they likewise who had Commanded in the Wars of 1655 and 1664 were now all dead But on the other hand when they considered the Prince's Forces who had resolved to abolish their Religion they saw that they infinitely exceeded those of his Subjects who were of a Religion contrary to his for the Duke had enjoy'd a long Peace he had a great many good Troops brave Captains and experienc'd Generals he had nothing to fear either from his Neighbours or any Prince in Europe More than all this the Duke of Savoy's
THE Negotiations OF THE EMBASSADORS Sent to the Duke of Savoy BY THE Protestant Swiss-Cantons In Favour of the Distressed Vaudois Wherein there are many things very Curious and some Letters never before Published Translated out of French LONDON Printed for R. Bentley in Russel-street in Covent-Garden 1691. A True Account of the NEGOTIATION c. THE Embassy which the Evangelick Swiss Cantons sent to the Duke of Savoy in the Year 1686 to intercede with his Royal Highness in favour of the Protestant Churches of the Vallies being a business of as much difficulty as importance and because it may give occasion to some persons of making different and quite contrary reflections I have thought fit to publish a true account of that Negotiation that unbyass'd Persons being rightly inform'd of what pass'd may according to Reason justly and equitably judge of it I will therefore relate the most considerable Passages of this Embassie and as I will make use of no Memoirs but what are good and authentick so neither Interest Hatred or Affection shall influence my Pen and then if the elegancy of my Stile do not please the Reader yet I hope he will be satisfied with the sincerity and truth of the Narration It is certain that of all Protestant States the Evangelique Cantons have shewed as much love to their Religion as any by their so zealously espousing the interest of the Reformed Churches for ever since the light of the Reformation first begun to shine in France they have to the utmost of their power endeavour'd to forward the work of God in that Kingdom and did send several Ambassadours to Francis the First and likewise to succeeding Kings to desire there might be a cessation of those Cruelties which were practised by the Romish Clergy against those Faithful People who made profession of the Truth And they have made the same Zeal appear in all the Persecutions which the Churches of Piemont have suffer'd for in those which were in the years 1655 and 1663 they sent Ambassadors to the Duke of Savoy to mediate with him in behalf of his Protestant Subjects and to support them in those Rights which by several Grants they had obtain'd from his Ancestors In 1686 as soon as they heard what was contain'd in the Edict which that Prince had published against their Brethren of Piemont it plainly appear'd how much they were troubled for when the miserable Vaudois were intolerably and most unjustly oppress'd and still threatned to be treated with all imaginable cruelties the Cantons resolv'd to do all they could to shelter and save those poor persecuted People In former times nothing more was design'd against them by their Enemies than to coop up those poor Protestants within certain bounds and limits and to take from them their right of living in the plain Country which formerly they had liberty to do but now a resolution was taken not only to deprive them of the exercise of their Religion in all places but also of the liberty of their Consciences so that now their condition did indeed deserve compassion and that People may the better judge of it 't is necessary here to insert a true Copy of the Duke's Edict faithfully translated Victor Amadeus by the Grace of God Duke of Savoy and Piemont and King of Cyprus CHristian Prudence and Policy do many times counsel Men in some manner to neglect those Sores and Vlcers which are not in a condition to be perfectly healed but may grow worse by too hosty a cure This course hath been taken in other Monarchies and by our most Serene Predecessors who indeed never had any other intention than to draw their Subjects who profess'd the pretended Reformed Religion out of the darkness of Heresy which by the unhappy vicissitude and fatal corruption of times hath from the centre of the Vallies of Luzerne spread it self so far as to enter into the very heart of Piemont And because those Religionists have had Succours from foreign Countries this good work could never be brought to its desired end so that we not being able to purge this Poison quite out of our Country we stopp'd and shut it up in the Vallies of Luzerne Angrogne St. Martin Ceruse St. Bartlemy Roccapiata and Perustin and by Toleration only suffer'd them to exercise their false Religion within certain prescrib'd limits complying with the necessity of the times till it should please God to afford us a more favourable opportunity to bring back these wandring Souls to the bosom of the Holy and only Catholick Apostolick Roman Religion But time having now discover'd the necessity of quite destroying this Serpent and many-headed Hydra since the aforesaid Hereticks instead of answering this favour with humble submission and thanks for our gracious Permission and Toleration have often with scandalous disobedience insolently rebelled against us And whereas the chief cause of granting such a Toleration now ceaseth by the Zeal and Piety of that Glorious Monarch the King of France who hath brought back again his Neighbour Hereticks to the true Faith we think the particular favours which we have received from the Divine Majesty and which we still enjoy may accuse us of great ingratitude if by our negligence we let slip the opportunity of perfecting this work according to the intention of our Glorious Predecessors For the causes aforesaid and for other pressing Reasons by virtue of this present Edict we of our certain knowledge by our absolute Sovereign Power and by the advice of our Privy Council have Decreed and Ordain'd and we do Order and Command by these Presents all our Subjects of the Pretended Reformed Religion for the time to come to forbear all Exercises of the said Religion and we forbid them henceforth to Assemble in any Place or private House to exercise the said Religion under any Title Pretext or Occasion whatever upon pain of Death and Confiscation of Goods In like manner we Ordain that the past pretended Toleration be utterly void and of no effect what colour or pretence soever may be alledged to the contrary Our Will and Pleasure also is That all Churches Granges and Houses wherein the said Religion is at present exercised be pull'd down and raz'd as also all other Places wherein for the future there may be any such Assemblies contrary to the Tenour of the preceding Article yea tho' the Persons to whom such Places belong know nothing of such Meetings We further Command all Ecclesiasticks all Ministers and Schoolmasters of the said pretended Reformed Religion who within Fifteen days after the Publication hereof shall not embrace the Catholick Religion to depart out of our Dominions at the expiration of the said term af Fifteen days under pain of Death and Confiscation of their Goods with express Command also under the same Penalties that during the said term before their departure they do not Preach any Sermons Exhort or do any other Acts of their said Religion Moreover we forbid all that profess the pretended Reformed
embrace the Catholick Religion Secondly All the Mediation and Intercession of the Protestant Princes and States had no other foundation but that of Religion and Conscience it was upon this very Principle they acted and their Ambassadors had not been heard or received but as they were concerned in a business relating to their Religion and it was for this Reason that your Highness's Predecessors by their Letters gave many assurances to their Excellencies the Evangelick Cantons that the Patents which they had granted aâ— their Intercession should be punctually and faithfully executed Now because your Royal Highness hath publish'd an Edict to take away all that was granted to them which forbids them the Exercise of their Religion in all the Vallies upon pain of Death orders all their Churches to be demolish'd banisheth their Ministers and Schoolmasters commands all their Children to be baptis'd and brought up in the Roman Religion and consequently deprives the People of the liberty of their Consciences Our Soveraign Lords who are united to those Valley-Churches by the bonds of the same Faith and Belief think themselves oblig'd to continue their Intercessions for them which we do in their name hoping that your Royal Highness will have some regard for our Superiours and some pity for your own Subjects The Ambassadors having deliver'd their Proposal and Memoir to the Marquess St. Thomas one of his Royal Highness's Ministers of State who had the direction of Forreign Affairs some few days after receiv'd an Answer to it very much to the following purpose That his Royal Highness was very sorry he could not yield to what they desired in their Masters name That he had much better Reasons to maintain his Edict than those which were offered to him to revoke it That he could not make it less strict in any particular That the Great Wheels moved and carried on the less That the Letter which the Cantons had written to him was not delivered till after the Publication of his Edict That having so near him a King no less powerful than jealous of his Authority he ought to be very circumspect That he was oblig'd to act according to the present juncture and state of Affairs That even in Switzerland there was according to the tendency of Affairs some times a necessity of taking resolutions contrary to those good intentions which otherwise Men might have That the Marquess St. Thomas had given good and safe Counsel to the two Deputies sent by the Vallies to his Highness and that instead of giving any signs of their submission and obedience to which they were bound they had committed all sorts of Hostilities against his other Subjects they had been guilty of a thousand insolencies they held Assemblies provided Victuals and Ammunition for War cut off Passes and intrench'd themselves all which they had done during the term of Twenty Five days given them for taking their last resolution That the Duke was now too far engag'd the Troops which he had been at great charge to levy were already on Foot that the Edict could not be recall'd without great dishonour to his Royal Highness and that he was obliged to cause it to be executed for very great and pressing Reasons which he left to the Ambassadours consideration That the Concessions of 1655 and 1664 amounted to no more than bare Tolerations and that the Vallies had no positive right to exercise their Religion That Soveraign Princes do nothing that can be counted unjust in not suffering any more than one Religion in their Dominions That the Cantons themselves did justifie his Royal Highness in that particular seeing they would suffer no Catholicks amongst them Moreover that the Concessions granted to those of the Vallies had been juridically examin'd and that the result of that examination was That the Priviledges and Favours which a Prince granted to his Subjects might at his Will and Pleasure be revoked That his Royal Highness did only forbid the Inhabitants of the Vallies to exercise their Religion but did not intend in any manner to offer violence to their Consciences But the Ambassadours by their Reply made it appear to the Marquess St. Thomas That how strong soever the Reasons were which had induced his Royal Highness to consent to his Edict of Januarâ— last yet they could not be of so great strength as those were which had positively engag'd his Highness to observe those Promises which were past before the said Edict and that no Considerations or Reasons of State could free a Prince from the Obligation of keeping his Word especially when he engag'd himself upon the interposition of some other Prince and that as the Patents and Priviledges granted to the Vaudois had been obtain'd by the Mediation of many Kings Princes and States particularly by the Intercession of their Excellencies the Evangelick Cantons and Confirm'd by his Royal Highness nothing could be alledg'd to discharge his Highness from his being oblig'd to cause them to be punctually observ'd and the rather because those Patents had been ratified by the Senate of Savoy and that the bare Confirmation of 'em in the Year 1620. had cost the Valley-Churches Six Thousand Crowns That if the changes which happen in States or the different Measures which according to the Rules of Policy may be taken should be valuable and sufficient Exceptions to elude the observation of Treaties there could be nothing certain in Soveraigns Promises Faith would be totally banish'd out of the World and there could never be any assurance that those things should be performed which had been solemnly stipulated and there could be no way of ending War or concluding Alliances So that the Concessions granted by his Royal Highness's Predecessors to the Vaudois did convey to them an indisputable right which they could never lose but by being guilty of some heinous Crime or downright Rebellion against their Soveraign But they are so far from being justly accus'd of having any way fail'd in their duty to him that they can produce a Letter from his Royal Highness dated the 2 d of September 1684 which is an authentick and manifest Proof of their Fidelity and their stedfast resolutions to serve him If since the Publication of your last Edict some particular Persons among them have taken Arms it was not against their Soveraign but only to defend themselves against those who abusing his Authority had fallen upon and assaulted them and if any disorder had been committed they only were to be chastised who had been the Authors of it and it ought not to be imputed to the Collective Body of the Valley-Churches who were no way guilty It could not be said That the Vallies had not acquired any Right by the Concessions of his Royal Highness's Predecessors or that those Concessions were but Favours and simple Tolerations since it is plain that they are Treaties past between the Prince and his Subjects and that these Treaties are perpetual and irrevocable and ought to be inviolably observed That a Prince is equally
which more displeas'd him was the news brought him that they had kill'd two French Men who belong'd to the Cittadel of Pignerol The Embassador of France who was extreamly impatient because his Royal Highness delay'd the execution of his Edict fail'd not to take advantage of this accident and by it to dispose his Highness to take vengeance on his Subjects who had committed this Crime in contempt of his Authority and to deal with these People like Rebels While the Enemies of the Vaudois were contriving their destruction the Deputies at Turin were in a sad Condition and not knowing what to resolve they took Counsel of the Embassadors to know what course they should take in this their present extremities the Embassadors hoping that the Deputy who was gone to Boby would speedily return and that he might bring back News which might appease his Royal Highness thought it best to stay for his coming before they took any particular Resolution But the Deputy staying a long time and his Royal Highness being continually sollicited by the French Embassador to put an end to this Affair otherwise the Troops which were in his Country would put him to excessive Charge his Highness being likewise inform'd that the Embassadors had dispatch'd a Courrier into Switzerland who might bring them new Orders resolved for these Reasons to put an end to the business and notwithstanding all the earnest and pressing Reasons which the Embassadors urged in favour of the Vaudois to incline the Duke to defer for some little time his last Resolution he caused the following Edict to be Published the 9 th Day of June DIvine Providence in setting up Soveraigns over the People gave to Princes the Power of distributing Rewards and Punishments that the hope of Reward might encourage the good to do their duty and the fear of Punishment might deter the wicked from doing evil tho' our Subjects of the Vallies of Lucerne who make profession of the pretended Reformed Religion deserve to be chastised by the hand of Vengeance because they have not only with great obstinacy disobey'd Our Edict of the 31th of January but have harden'd themselves in their wickedness and are fallen into notorious and horrible Rebellion yet our natural Clemency surpassing their Crimes We with fatherly forbearance have a long time in vain expected their Repentance and tho' they have hitherto follow'd ill Counsel We are still willing to leave them to their own Resolutions either to chuse a good or bad Condition We open to them a door of Grace that they may make advantage of it in the manner following wherewith if they do not comply by their ready obedience let them thank their own temerity for the Punishment they have deserved and shall receive without remission from Our injur'd Patience First therefore We confirm Our Order of the 31th of January in all things wherein it is not contrary to this and We by Vertue of this present Edict do of our own certain Knowledge full Power and absolute Authority by the Advice of Our Council Order and Command all Our Subjects of the Vallies of Lucerne professing the pretended Reformed Religion to lay down their Arms and retire to their Houses within the time hereafter limited We also command them not to have any Meetings or Assemblies in any manner whatever that according to Our intention the Judges of the places may have free access thither and that the Fathers Missionary and other Religions may return to the Churches they were forced to leave and that the Catholicks and those that have embraced the Catholick Religion may return unto the Houses which they quitted And seeing it is not reasonable that the Missionary Religious the Catholicks and such as have embraced the Catholick Religion should be at any loss for the many damages they have suffered from those of the pretended Reformed Religion We Intend Will and Ordain that there be Levied indistinctly and generally upon the Goods of those of the pretended Reformed Religion all such necessary Sums to indemnify them as shall be summarily proved before the Chevalier Monroux Chief Justice of the Vallies Declaring nevertheless that in case those of the said Religion do prove particular Persons were the cause of those damages then satisfaction shall be required of those particular Persons And to shew Our said Subjects how great Our Clemency is towards them we permit all who resolve to depart out of Our Dominions to do it within the term and upon the Conditions hereafter prescribed But because their evil intentions have been too well known by their past Behaviour and many may hide their wicked Designs under the Cloak of Obedience We reserve to Our selves Power of making such Laws concerning those who shall not voluntarily quit Our Dominions as We think good and most expedient to secure the peace of those that stay which Laws we expect shall be observed by them for the future And for an addition to Our Grace and Favour We grant as well to those that shall depart voluntarily as to those that shall retire by Our Command leave to carry with them what Necessaries Goods and Effects they please and to sell such Goods and Effects as they leave behind them but in the manner hereafter exprest The same is intended concerning Foreigners and those that are descended from them who are to conform themselves to the last Article of the above-mentioned Order Dated January the 31th The Sale of Goods aforesaid shall be made to Catholicks and to Persons that have embraced the Catholick Religion but because such buyers may not be found within the term hereafter exprest and because it is not our Will that the Religionists who shall depart out of Our Dominions should be deprived of the benefit of our present Concessions We grant them power to appoint four or six Persons with whom they may leave their Procurations and who shall with our permission stay three Months in Lucerne with free liberty to treat and negotiate with any Person for the selling the Goods of those that are gone who likewise may specifie in their Procurations upon what terms they would for their greater Security have their Goods sold and receive their price from their Proctors without Fraud or Imbezelment whereever they desire to have it remitted whereof the Chief Justice Monroux shall be charged to take care They that will retire shall be obliged to be ready at such days and places as are hereafter specified and to depart without Fire Arms by ways appointed either through Savoy or the Valley of Aoste to this purpose they shall have Pass-Ports from us that they may receive no ill usage or hindrance in our Dominions but on the contrary that all aid and assistance may be given to them and because their number being great they may be expos'd to inconveniencies in their passage and the places thro' which they pass overcharged they shall be divided into three Brigades or Companies the first to be compos'd of those of the Valley of
Troops were joyn'd with those of the King of France who was then so dreaded that his very Name made all the Potentates of Europe tremble whereas heretofore though the Subjects of France fought together with the Vaudois to assist and guard them from the oppression of their Sovereign yet notwithstanding their being so aided they were driven out of their Vallies and could not defend themselves against the single Forces of their Prince They farfarther considered that if by some unexpected chance the Vaudois should at first have the good luck to get some advantage over their Enemies yet in the end they must needs be overpower'd by the great number of those that attack'd them whose losses could be repaired by being recruited with new Troops but the Vaudois could make no new Levies to fill the places of those that must be flain in several Combats More than all this the Vaudois having to do with the King of France who was the proudest Prince in the World and who at that time had no Enemy upon his hands he would have armed all the People of his Kingdom against them rather than have fail'd to bring his design to pass wherein he thought consisted his chiefest Glory and by which he believ'd he should merit the highest Place among the greatest Saints in Paradise The Cantons had before their eyes the French Protestants whom they had receiv'd into their Territories and comparing their condition with that of their Brethren of Piemont they found that even in that miserable state to which they were reduced the Vaudois being still able to obtain free leave to go out of their Country were in that respect much happier than the French Protestants who were not only obliged to quit their Houses and their Country when all their Goods were taken from them but yet could not buy their Banishment without hazarding their Lives and their Liberty All things thus considered the Cantons at last concluded they could do nothing of more advantage for the Piemontois than to obtain for them that which they themselves had now and heretofore desired when they were persecuted concerning the exercise of their Religion for in former times they most humbly petition'd their Prince that they might seek a retreat in Foreign parts The Ambassadours furnished with these Instructions went into Piemont and being arrived at Turin and admitted to Audience by his Royal Highness they declar'd That seeing the mediation of their Masters the Evangelique Cantons with his Royal Highness in favour of his Protestant Subjects had been always acceptable and effectual their Sovereign Lords having with extreme grief heard that his Royal Highness had resolved to deprive his Protestant Subjects of the liberty of their Consciences and the exercise of their Religion which they had enjoy'd for many Ages their Sovereigns moved by Christian Charity by the strict union with those of their Communion and by the confidence they had in his Royal Highness's Clemency and Justice had presumed to intercede by their Letters of Recommendation in favour of their Brethren of the Vallies But having received no answer to those Letters their Masters had charged them with this Embassie to testifie the consideration they had for his Royal Highness and likewise to shew how much they were touched with the late Edict which had been published against his Highness's poor Subjects and had commanded them to assure his Highness how sincerely they regarded his Interests and with all possible instance to pray him to suffer the Inhabitants of the Vallies quietly and perpetually to enjoy the exercise of their Religion and that liberty of Conscience his Predecessors had granted to them upon the pressing Intercessions and Recommendations of many Princes and Protestant States and particularly upon the Interposition and Mediation of their Sovereigns And that which made them hope to obtain what they desired was that his Highness's Subjects had done nothing to render themselves unworthy of the continuance of the Favour and Affection of their Prince or that ought to deprive them of the right which they had acquired by his own concessions which ought to be inviolable because they were not bare and simple Tolerations but Authentick Treaties made with the Inhabitants of the Vallies and therefore ought to be perpetual and irrevocable as may be seen in the Twentieth Article of the Grant pass'd in the year 1655 and the Fourth Article of the Patent in 1664 which declares That they should be perpetually and irrevocably observed and that in effect they have been Ratify'd and Register'd by the Senate of Chambery to be Bona fide executed according to their Form and Tenour That their Lords were verily persuaded that his Highness in his own Reign full of Glory and Felicity would not suffer those Grants follow'd with many Declarations and solemn Promises to be made void and all the fruit of their Mediation Pains and Care come to nothing They hoped that his Highness would not have the World believe he had not the same esteem and regard for the Evangelique Cantons which his Predecessors had or that the perfect Amity and sincere Correspondence which hath always been between his Royal Highness and their Lords as good Neighbours and Friends was in any wise alter'd that his State would be expos'd to troubles and calamities that the Consciences of his Subjects which ought not to depend upon any but God alone would be forced by the fear of Death and Torments In a word the Inhabitants of the Vallies would be overwhelm'd with Misery and reduc'd to Despair They also earnestly pray'd his Royal Highness to receive favourably their Sovereign's Intercession in the behalf of his Subjects made their Brethren by Communion in one and the same Religion and that he would suffer himself to be moved by the Cries Tears and Groans of so many innocent Souls who did beseech him to suspend the Execution of his Edict and not to turn his Arms against his People who in rendering to God the Religious homage due to him desired with the loss of their Blood to seal the fidelity which they had vow'd to his Royal Highness That if their Mediation did produce the effect which their Superiours desired it would be the most convincing evidence his Royal Highness could give them that he no less valu'd their Mediation than his Predecessors of Glorious Memory had done and that on their part they would endeavour by all manner of ways to testifie their thanks and to render his Highness reciprocal Services upon all occasions and because in the Conference which the Ambassadours had with his Royal Highness's Ministers of State some of those Reasons had been declared which his Royal Highness had to publish the Edict whereof they desir'd the Revocation the Ambassadours judg'd it necessary to answer those Reasons to give others to back their own Demands contain'd in the following Memoir His Royal Highness's Ministers of State having declar'd to us when we discoursed privately with them that the Engagement into which by the