Matchlesse crueltie declared at large in the ensuing history of the Waldenses apparently manifesting unto the world the horrible persecutions which they have suffered by the papists, for the space of four hundred and fifty years : wherein is related their original and beginning, their piety and purity in religion, both for doctrine and discipline : likewise hereunto is added an exact narrative of the late bloody and barbarous massacres, murders and other unheard of cruelties committed on many thousands of the Protestants dwelling in the valleys of Piedmont, &c. by the Duke of Savoy's forces, joyned with the French army and several bloody Irish regiments / published by command of His Highness the Lord Protector.

A second Apology in the behalfe of the Reformed inhabiting the Valleys of Piedmont.

THe History of the Reformed Churches, whom God hath preserved in a corner of Italy, in the valleys of Piedmont, as miraculously as he did Moses his Bush in Horeb, not onely since the yeare 1100, when the poore Vaudois and Albigeois retired themselves thither, well knowing that the traditi∣ons of the Romish Church, namely, the modern, had no accesse there, but also time out of minde, that is alwaies, and from all time, as saith the Monk Bel∣vedere in his book intitled a Relation to the Con∣gregation de propagandâ fide, and as it is gathered out of Thuanus his History and many others, is at large described in several books written to that purpose by Mr. du Perrin, and lately by Master Giles Pastor in those quarters; and shall yet further be seen, God wil∣ling, by a second Edition which will come forth, with an exact addition of what hath happen∣ed since; and very suddenly by as ample a Mani∣fest as the case doth require it, that will be more particularly made manifest, which now in these few lines is but slightly touched, concerning their number, their extent, their fights, their deliveran∣ces, the Edicts, Priviledges and Concessions, by vertue whereof they have enjoyed the peaceable habitation, and the exercise of their Religion,

the disturbances, which from time to time the Romish Clergy hath raised unto them, and the deli∣verances the Lord hath vouchsafed them, until these latter dayes, wherein he hath broken down their hed∣ges, and the Boars of the wood have utterly wasted that Vineyard, and the Hawks have chased and torne to pieces that Dove even in the very clefts of the Rocks.

In the years 1560. and 1561. Emanuel Phile∣bert Duke of Savoy, and Prince of Piedmont, at the instigation of the Komish Clergy sent a mighty army to destroy the poore Reformed of the Valleys of Lucerne, Perouse and Saint Martin in the said Piedmont, hard by the Dauphinè, under the command of the Count de la Trinité. That Warre was long and bloody. After they grew weary of it, both parties came to an agreement, bearing, a∣mong several other heads, the permission unto all of the Reformed Religion to inhabit all places and lands of the aforesaid three Valleys, wherein were any afore the Warre begun. In consequence of which agreement and Concession they were restored into Lucerne, Lucernette, Saint John, la Tour, Fenil, Bobiane, and Saint Second, which places are lower towards the plaine about Turin and Pinerol, as well as into the more remote places towards the neighbouring Mountaines of Dauphiné, and they have been pre∣served there and protected by their Princes until the year 1602. Then Charles Emanuel Duke of Savoy and Prince of Piedmont of glorious memory, after the banishment of the reformed out of the Marqui∣sate of Salluces, gave leave to his Delegates to pub∣blish several Orders against the inhabitants of the

Valley of Lucerne, who dwelt towards the South of it, beyond the river called Pelice, viz. the Reform∣ed of the Borroughs of Lucerne, Bobiane, and Fenil, which are but small dependences of the Church of Saint John, but would not suffer them to touch the rest. And indeed it shall not be found, that during the former persecutions, any Duke of Savoy hath ever pretended that all the other places, nor any of them, of those marked in the Order, be out of the limits of the habitation granted to the Reformed.

It is very remarkable, that soon after, viz. in April 1603. he made a Decree, whereby he ordered to those of Lucerne, Bobiane and F••nil, who alone had beene turned out, to inhabite againe their houses, and enjoy their estates, recalling all orders to the contrary. He confirmed the same by a Decree of the 29th of September in the same yeare, in the first Article. And he kept them in the possession untill the year 1620, at which time yet they offe∣red to stirre against those of the same Lands of Lu∣cerne, Bobiane and Fenil; but the clemency and Ju∣stice of his said Royall Highnesse was yet such, that he no sooner had granted the order for their banishment, but presently he recalled it, and granted them againe a fine Decree, whereby he declared That he was willing, and intended that all the pretended Reformed (for such are his words) should peaceably enjoy their habitation, in all the places formerly granted and accustomed, such as the aforesaid were: Ordered that they should be no more molested therein, and even granted them the enjoyment of some Temples pre∣tended to be lower towards the plaine; then the li∣mits

of the preaching extended unto; and that he granted for a Sum of 6000 Ducatoons he exacted from them. All these have been confirmed by the Ducal Chamber and the Senate, and were observed during all the rest of the life of the same Charles E∣manuel. After him, Victorio Amedeo his successor of glorious memory, left them also in the full enjoy∣ment of whatsoever his Predecessors had granted un∣to them, and specially the free commerce in his Do∣minions, and the peaceable habitation in all the places which are questioned in the order which shall follow, having only deprived them, contrary to their anci∣ent Concessions, of bearing any publick Office, say∣ing, that if his Father and Granfather had granted them that priviledge, for his part he was not wil∣ling to continue it; or as now the Marquis of Pia∣ness doth speak, that graces of Princes are not unalterable.

Afterwards, Madam Royall during the time of her whole Regency, hath yet preserved them in the same state without disturbing them for their habitati∣on, and even in 1638. issued out a fine Decree, bearing an expresse promise of a confirmation and observation of their ancient Edicts.

Charles Emanuel now reigning, by the grace of God, being come to his Majority, the Reformed present∣ly after demanded of him in all humility the confir∣mation of their antient priviledges. He granted them the same in 1649. with some small restriction; yet the Reformed not having hoped any thing bet∣ter, were willing and desired to have the same con∣firmed by the Ducal Chamber. They had promise that so it should be done, having received the De∣cree, and agreed about the money, and kept the

whole businesse in suspence, untill his Royall High∣nesse (because the valleyes had refused him some hou∣ses to have the Masse said in them, in such Commonal∣ties, where there were no Romish Catholicks) should have seized on such as he pleased, ex Officio, as saith his order of 1650, as Master of the Lands. This being done, the said Chamber granted them in June and September, 1653 and in May, 1654 not one∣ly the confirmation of their antient Concessions, to be as they were in use, as speak the Decrees aforesaid former∣ly passed, but as they had been in use under his Predecessors, & as they were found in their Decrees, without adding or di∣minishing. And there by he restored them to the ability of bearing publick charges, and the right of habita∣tion of the Commonalty of Campiglion, and of the Bor∣rough of Bobiane, from whence they had been expel∣led: But when the confirmation of these new Decrees hath likewise been granted, and the money disbursed, at the time appointed, when they should have re∣ceived it, a Patrimonial Advocate was raised up, who alledged, that the Congregation de propagandâ side ought to be aquainted with it. The said Congrega∣tion then opposed the foresaid confirmation. The Re∣formed applied themselves again to his Royall Highnesse, who referred them to the said Congregati∣on, but they refused the same, as being their adversarie parties: They were referred to the Marquisse de Pian∣nesse, the head of the said Congregation; they appear∣ed before him, as being chief Ministers of State to his Royall Highnesse; but he declared unto them, that they should never expect audience, unlesse they should first passe a procuration, promising to accept and yield to whatsoever should be ordained. They

answered, that ever they had dealt with their Princes by humble requests and Petitions, and never by Pro∣curations: He replyed, that without such Procura∣tion no Petition would be received; therefore they dressed such a procuration unto two Deputies, where∣by they grant them full power to accept of, and to promise whatsoever should be ordained, saving only their Consciences and their Concessions. He refused to see the same, or to receive it with that restriction; and on the 13. of January of this present year 1655. he drew, or caused to be drawn an order by the Delegat Gastaldo, who published the same on the 25. of that Month, bea∣ring that those of Lucerne, Bobiane, and Fenil (who formerly had been molested) and S. John, la Tour, and S. Second, should within three daies forsake their houses, un∣der pain of death, unlesse within twenty daies they would go to the Masse.

That rigorous order much surprised them; yet those of the plaine to avoid the violence of their bad neighbours, presently obeyed the same, and altoge∣ther made their protestations before the Delegat, and demanded again, that they might apply themselves to his Royal Highnesse, and to have an act how they had appeared: It was denyed them & all the proofes they offered of their just title of habitation in those places, rejected, without being examined. In the mean while their neighbours pillaged, plunde∣red, and ruined their houses, pluckt up the young Trees, and cut off the tallest; They complained of it, and had this answer returned unto them, that if these exiled persons would watch, and give notice of those that were guilty, they would be brought to punishment

therupon some of them went down to keep their hou∣ses. Presently they were declared Rebels, and therefore not a word more of addresses, petitions, or supplicati∣ons must be heard of; they were left to sleep for a while. In the mean time, by meanes of the Auricular Con∣fession afore Easter, all the Piedmont is disposed to fall on them upon a day appointed. The Father knows nothing of the Son, nor the Brother of his Brother, and yet the twelfth of April, without any gathering of Souldiers, or any foregoing preparation, all is found ready; All men able to bear Armes in Piedmont, with all the Clergy, came to the Rendezvous: Printed Bils were distributed among them, bearing a plenia∣ry Indulgence all pardon, besides the booty to all those that would goe and fight against the pretended Here∣ticks. To the Army of Piedmont that of the French was presently joined, which before quartered in Dauphine, and was made to come over the Alpes. All these Troopes and Souldies did wholly waste and burn the Plain, where the interdicted places, mentioned in the aforesaid order, were situated.

That done, the Marquesse de Pianess quartered in the Monastery of the Franciscan Friers at la Tour, (who, as well as the rest of their Brothers in Piedmont, are all Spaniards.) There he called the Deputies of Angrogn, Villar, and Boby, of the Vale de Lucerne; he much flattered them, and told, that as to them, they were in the limits which his Royal Highnesse was resolved to tolerate; that no harm would be done unto them, if only they would receive a Regiment of Foot, and a Troop of Horse in each Commonalty, engaging his word, and with oath promising the word of his Royal Highnesse; But threatning them

in case of refusal, that they should be declared Re∣bels. The Deputies not having leave to confer about it, and seeing the French Forces, with all the Piedmont ready to fall on them, and hoping that the word en∣gaged to them would be performed, and that his Highness would not wholly destroy those places, they consented thereunto, came up with those Forces, and forbad the Reformed to shoot at them; But they were no sooner in those strong places, but the rest of the Army fell on on all sides, seized on the tops of the Mountaines, put to the sword and fire whatsoever they met in their way, and did practise there the cru∣elties, whereof the Pattern may be seen in the here an∣nexed papers.

Thus was Vale Lucerne destroyed. From thence they came to Vale Berouse and St. Martin, an Order was sent them either to go to Masse, or to be gone out of the Country within twenty four hours, under pain of death, and forfeiture of their estates. They thereupon forsook their houses, and fled into the King of France's Coun∣try, and thereby all gave obedience, except a very lit∣tle number of small people, who turned Papists; but notwithstanding their retreat, their houses were bur∣ned to ashes, and all the Country made waste, as the Vale Lucerne; having thereby wholly rooted out the Reformed Religion in the valley of Piedmont, not one Temple, nor one house, neither man nor beast having been left there, onely for the Romish Catholikes.