valleys of the Alps, especially when the governors of that marquisate per-, secuted them by the command of the kings of France, who put to death all those who within their realms and dominions made profession of the Waldensian faith. Now King Henry IV. styled the Great, having granted to his subjects an edict of pacification, the Waldenses who dwelt in the marquisate, enjoyed the same privileges as his other subjects did. But when by the treaty made with the duke of Savoy, la Bresse was exchanged for the marquisate of Saluces, the Waldenses, within the extent and jurisdiction of the said marquisate, were deprived of the free exercise of their religion. At the instance and importunity of the nuncio of pope Clement VIII. they were not only interdicted the free exercise thereof; but by a new edict, all those were banished out of the marquisate, who made profession of any other religion than that of the church of Rome. To hasten their departure, a great number of monks and inquisitors were sent into that marquisate and the valleys, who went from house to house, examining every one of them concerning their faith. By which means upwards of five hundred families were driven into exile, who retired into the kingdom of France, and especially into Dauphiny. That they might not be reproached in the places where they came, that they were banished out of their country for any crimes or enormity that they had committed; but that it might be known it was their zeal for their religion alone, which caused them to become wanderers and pilgrims in the world, they made the following declaration in the year 1603.

Declaration of the Waldenses dwelling in the valleys of Maties and Meane, and the marquisate of Saluces, made in the year 1603.

Whereas time out of mind, and from generation to generation, our predecessors have been instructed and brought up in that same doctrine and religion which we from our infancy have openly and publicly professed, and in which we likewise have instructed our families as we have been taught by our ancestors; whereas also, when the Marquisate of Saluces was under the jurisdiction of the king of France, we were permitted to make profession thereof without trouble and molestation, as our brethren of the valleys of Lucerne, la Perouse, and others do, who by express treaty made with our sovereign Lord and Prince, have enjoyed to this day the free exercise of the reformed religion, yet his highness, instigated and pushed on by evil counsel, and by persons biassed by prejudice and passion, rather than of his own free will, resolved to disturb and molest us, having published an edict for that purpose. To the end therefore, that all men may know that it is not for any crime or misdemeanor perpetrated either against the person of our prince, or for rebellion and opposition against his edicts, or for murder or theft, that we are thus persecuted and spoiled of our goods and houses; we protest and declare, that being very well assured that the doctrine and religion taught and practised by the reformed churches of France, Switzerland, Germany, Geneva, England, Scotland, Denmark, Sweden, Poland and other kingdoms, countries and lordships, is the only true christian doctrine and religion approved of and established by God, who alone can make us acceptable to himself, and bring us to salvation, we are resolved to follow it at the expense of our lives and fortunes, and to continue therein to the end of our lives. But if any one pretends to say, that we are in an error, we desire that they would make us to see our error, promising immediately thereupon, to abjure and repent of it, and to follow

that better way which shall be shown unto us, desiring nothing more than with a sure and safe conscience to pay that true and lawful service and homage, which we poor creatures owe to our Creator, and by that means to attain true and everlasting happiness. But if any shall go about or attempt by mere force and compulsion, to constrain us to forsake and deviate from the true road to salvation, to follow the errors and superstitions and false doctrines invented by men, we had rather lose our houses and goods, and also our very lives. We therefore most humbly entreat his highness, whom we acknowledge to be our true and lawful lord and prince, not to suffer us to be troubled and molested without cause, but to permit us and our posterity after us, to continue to the end of our days in that obedience and service, which as his loyal and faithful subjects, we have hitherto rendered unto him. Since all that we desire of him is, as we are bound and obliged to do by the commandment of God, we may also have the liberty to render to God the homage and service due to him, and which he in his holy word requires of us.

"In the mean time we desire the reformed churches in the midst of our exile and calamity, to receive and look upon us as true members thereof, being ready, if it should please God so to order it, to seal the confession of faith by them made and published, with our blood, which we acknowledge to be every way conformable to the doctrine taught and written by the holy apostles, and consequently therefore truly apostolical. This we promise to live and die in, and if in so doing we suffer afflictions and persecutions, we return God thanks for them, who hath given us the honour to suffer for his name's sake: committing the issue of our affairs and the righteousness of our cause into the hands of his Divine Providence, trusting that he will deliver us when and how he pleases. We moreover most humbly beseech God, that as the hearts of kings and princes are in his hand, he would be pleased to mollify the heart of his highness and incline him to take pity upon those who never have, and are resolved that they never will offend him, and that he may perceive and acknowledge us to be more loyal and faithful unto him, than those who incite and push him on to such persecutions; and in the mean time, we pray that the Lord would be pleased to support us in the midst of such temptations, and to fortify us with patience and constancy that we and our surviving posterity may persevere in the profession of the truth to the end of our lives. Amen."

That persecution continued till 1620, at the instance of pope Paul V. and his nuncio, who continually have teazed and tormented those people by the monk's inquisitors. Some of them they induced to renounce their faith, who knew not how to part with their riches, so firmly were their affections linked and wedded to the world; but the greatest part of those Waldenses constantly persisted in the service of God, choosing rather to be banished from their native country upon earth than to be for ever deprived of life eternal; being indifferent to the place of their nativity, their possessions, and their houses, which they could not enjoy without denying Christ and his truth.

CHAPTER VI.

The Waldenses dwelling in the new lands, and their persecutions.

THE new lands, concerning which we are now to speak, are in the Alps, on the frontiers of Piedmont, Dauphiny and Provence, of which the metropolitan city is Barcelona or Barcelonette. In the said country there are certain villages which have long been peopled and inhabited by the Waldenses, situated in the best part of the said countries, among others in Josiers. Those people continued a long time without the regard or notice of the princes of Piedmont; but the priests rendered them odious to the world, because they got nothing by them, for they made no oblations for the living and the dead as other people did. So when his highness persecuted all those within the extent of his dominions, who had forsaken the laws of the church of Rome, they were not forgotten, especially when the governors of the said valleys were their enemies. These therefore among others, in the year 1570, were enjoined either to go to mass, or to quit his highness' country. In which strait they could find no other way to help themselves, than by joining themselves to some others, who being threatened with the like banishment had recourse to the protestant princes, intreating them to intercede with their prince for them, that he would be pleased not to trouble and molest them so for their religion, which from generation to generation they had professed for the space of several hundreds of years; during which time their princes never had more faithful and loyal subjects than they were, nor were they outdone by any in duty, submission, and paying taxes and contributions; which they have ever most readily and cheerfully rendered to their princes, as they continued always ready to pay obedience to their commands; desiring only that they might not be troubled for their conscience' sake. The prince Palatin of the Rhine sent one of his counsellors of state, ambassador to the prince of Piedmont, with certain other eminent and noble persons. Upon their arrival at Turin, they saluted his highness in the name of the said prince Palatin, and delivered their letters credential. The prince Emanuel Philibert gave him a very friendly audience. This counsellor gave him to understand that the sole charity of his master towards Christians and those of his own profession, had moved him to mediate and intercede for them that his highness would suffer them peaceably to enjoy the exercise of their religion without offering violence to their consciences.-That he should receive it as a favour done to himself, and that it would oblige all the protestant princes of Germany, who by them made the same requests unto him:-that God would be more propitious and his subjects more loyal and faithful, if he did not show himself relentless and inexorable-that the troubles and confusions which have happened within the realms and dominions of all those kings and princes who have attempted by force of arms to conquer and reclaim the hearts of their subjects, and to reduce them to obedience by violence, ought to caution and instruct all other princes who are not come to such extremities and that since those who have not made use of rigour and austerity have won the hearts of their subjects to a more strict fidelity and allegiance to them: this means being in his power, he intreated him to take pattern herein from the most gentle and merciful princes.

It appeared by the answer of his highness, that he was not pleased with 94

that mediation, but much more so by the effects which followed it. For he answered that although he did not inquire how the prince Palatin of the Rhine, and the other princes of Germany, ruled and governed their subjects, and that being a sovereign he had nothing to do to give an account of any of his actions and proceedings; nevertheless, he returned thanks to the said prince and all others who had expressed so much charity and good will towards himself, his state and subjects, as to desire their peace and tranquillity. But that the mischiefs and miseries, which by means of the diversity of religions have happened amongst them, have made him desirous to have but one religion in his dominions, that which he there found, and in which he had been brought up and educated, for fear least under this cloak of religion and liberty of conscience, he might be put to dispute those things with his subjects like an equal, which he had a right to determine as a sovereign, as had been the fate and condition of several other princes in Europe, who in this case, could not exercise a sovereign authority over their subjects. To show them that he loved peace, he had published an edict in favour of his Waldensian subjects dwelling in the valleys of the Alps, which he caused to be kept inviolable. But that if without the bounds of the said valleys, he found in his dominions any factious, busy spirits, affecting novelties, he caused them to be punished as rebels. That he thought as the said princes had compassion on his subjects, so as to endeavour that they might enjoy the exercise of their religion, so he was certain they could not take it amiss if he provided for the security and preservation of his state, by the punishment of seditious and rebellious persons. That out of regard to their intercession he would inquire more narrowly into the state of his subjects making profession of their religion, and give them some ease and refreshment.

And because he had made mention particularly of one Giles, a minister whom he kept confined in a dungeon, he caused him to be brought out, and put into a chamber, and after inquiry made into the crime of which he was accused, understanding that it was because he had written letters to Geneva, to the prejudice of his service, he set him at liberty, He reproved a certain captain of a castle of the valley of Meane, for something that he had done against the Waldenses of the said valley; but as to the rest, the said counsellor scarce got half way upon his return homeward, but the persecution grew much more violent than before. Amongst others the governor of the new lands about the end of November following, caused it to be proclaimed with sound of trumpet, that all those who would not go to mass within one month, were to quit his highness' territories within that space, upon pain of confiscation both of body and goods. Those poor people of the new lands could no whither direct their course, without running the risk of losing their lives. For in Provence the parliament of Aix committed to the fire those whom they called Lutherans. In the dominions of Honorat, earl of Tendes, they were delivered into the hands of the executioners. Gonsague, duke of Nevers, general to the king of France in the marquisate of Saluces, put them to death. In Dauphiny, the archbishop of Anbrun caused as many as he could apprehend of them, either to rot in the dungeons, or else to perish with cold and hunger at Tour-Brune. In Piedmont, they were banished. There was no other means left them, but in the midst of winter to pass by night over a high mountain almost inaccessible, covered over with frost and snow, to get if they could into the valley of Fraissiniere. They betook themselves therefore to the said mountain about Christmas, in the sharpest season of

all the year; but before they could reach the top thereof, the greatest part of the women and little children were benumbed with the cold, and night overtaking them at the top of the mountain, they were forced to lie upon the ice, where the larger part of them were found dead the next morning. Those who escaped that danger retired into the valley of Fraissiniere. Now after the houses of that poor people had for some time remained destitute of inhabitants, because no body would seize and take possession of their lands, much less till and cultivate them, the governors permitted the said Waldenses to dwell in them, and tolerated their religion; only they were obliged to go out of the territories of their prince for the exercise thereof, and so they repeopled the valley.

CHAPTER VII.

The Waldenses dwelling in Calabria, and the persecutions that they suffered.

ABOUT the year of our Lord 1370, the Waldenses of the valley of Pragels in Dauphiny, growing too numerous for their small country, were constrained to send out some of their youth to seek where they might inhabit by taking up the employ of tillage and husbandry. They found in Calabria certain wild and uncultivated lands, and thinly peopled, and yet very fertile, as they might judge by those parts that were adjacent. Seeing therefore, that the country was fit to bring forth corn, wine, oil, olive and chesnuts, and the hills were fit for pasture for their cattle and to furnish them with fuel and timber proper to build withal, they went to the proprietors of the said lands to treat with them about the conditions of dwelling therein. The said lords gave them a very kind and friendly reception, consented to their rules and laws to the great advantage of the new inhabitants, and made a compact and agreement with them about their rents, tithes, tolls and penalties, in case any quarrels, contests or misdemeanors should happen amongst them. Then having assigned to them certain parts or parcels of the country, the greatest part of them returned home to let their parents know what bargain they had struck in a rich and fruitful country, likely to abound with all manner of temporal blessings, so as to enable them to return what their parents and friends were pleased to give them towards house-keeping. Several of them married and returned with their wives into Calabria, where they built certain little towns, St. Cixt, la Garde, la Vicaricio, les Rousses, Argentine, St. Vincens, and Montolieu. The proprietors counted themselves happy in having met with such good subjects, who had peopled and fertilized their countries, making them to abound with all manner of fruit; but chiefly because they found them to be honest and conscientious men, paying them all the duty and respect that could be looked for at the hands of the best and most faithfnl subjects in the world. Only the priests and curates complained that they did not live like other people in the matter of religion, making none of their children either priests or nuns, nor caring for singing, tapers, lamps, bells, nor for the masses for the dead. They had erected certain temples without adorning them with any images, and never went on pilgrimages; they caused their children to be instructed by certain strange schoolmas