and liberal contribution towards their succour and support: for the management of which collection, certain instructions were also agreed upon, and annexed to the said declaration and for the more effectually promoting of the work, his highness appointed a committee, consisting of persons of known honour, fidelity, and integrity, to consider and advise, from time to time, how the money that should be thereupon raised, might be employed most advantageously, for the certain supply of those poor distressed members of Christ, corresponding with the real intentions of the givers; amongst whom likewise there were two select persons of very considerable estate and reputation, appointed to be treasurers for the receiving in of the said monies, whose names, together with the number and names of the aforesaid committee, for the reader's better satisfaction, are here inserted," &c.

It must afford pleasure to every benevolent mind to reflect upon the interest that was now taken in the fate of the Waldenses by all the Protestant states of Europe; at the same time that it gives us a satisfactory pledge of the high estimation in which that particular class of Christians was universally held. The Elector Palatine of the Rhine, the Elector of Brandenburgh, the Duke of Wirtemburgh, and almost every Protestant prince and state upon the continent, wrote letters to the Duke of Savoy, declaring their abhorrence of that sanguinary massacre, and interceding for his persecuted subjects. Sir Samuel Morland has preserved faithful copies of most of these letters; but none of them is more pointed or deserving of the reader's attention than that of THE LANDGRAVE OF HESSE, and as it is concise, I here subjoin it.

SIR!

Having lately received the news of that cruel massacre, committed upon the Protestants, who are commonly VOL. II.

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known by the name of Waldenses, inhabiting your vallies of Angrogne and Pragela, in Piedmont, I could not easily be brought at first to give credit to such a dismal story, as not being once able to imagine, that even their adversaries had been so audacious as to exercise such barbarous cruelties upon poor innocent people, who lived peaceably under the government of your highnesss, and in entire obedience, without giving the least offence to any, and who, for so long a time together, have obtained protection and security from both you and your ancestors. And, indeed, I so much the less imagined this, from the persuasion I had, that their enemies had learned, by the experience of so many ages, that persecutions and butche ries are not the means to suppress our religion, but rather to preserve and spread the same abroad. But this news having been written and confirmed to me from so many places, and that with circumstances so wholly deplorable, as that I could no longer remain in doubt, it has seized me with horror; and, consequently, being moved with pity and compassion towards so many thousands of souls in such extreme distress, who have been most cruelly robbed and spoiled of their lives and estates, by the cruelty of their furious and sworn enemies, and this without distinction either of sex or age, I have thought it my duty as a Christian prince, interested in the preservation of those of my religion, to write this present letter to your highness, and to beseech you not only to command and allow that the remainder of those poor innocent people who have escaped the violence of their persecutors, be established in their lands, goods, and possessions, which are yet left them after this great desolation, but also that they may find the effects of this powerful protection; and that you will be pleased, for that purpose henceforward to favour them, by patiently hearing their complaints, and taking cognizance of them yourself, as a good and righteous prince,

from whom they ought to expect all the effects of justice, clemency, and bounty: whereas those who term themselves " of the congregation for the propagation of the faith, and for the extirpation of heretics," are their declared enemies; and instead of turning souls to righteousness by "the sword of the word," have employed the temporal sword, the fire, and the rope, and all the barbarons cruelties which outrageous men could possibly invent for (tormenting) the bodies of those poor creatures, and to destroy them from off the face of the earth. I most earnestly beseech your highness to grant the aforesaid requests, and to be assured of my inviolable affection for your interests and service, and that I shall account it an happiness to have an opportunity of giving you real testimonies of the same; as being, &c. WILLIAM, Landgrave of Hesse Cassel.

July 23, 1655.

The annals of Europe scarcely afford an instance of such a state of cordial harmony and mutual consent, among the different states and nations in any affair of religion as, at this juncture, appeared in behalf of the poor Waldenses. Their case was clearly understood, and generally and deeply felt. It was purely a case of persecution for conscience' sake; and taking all the circumstances into account, it was an instance of such atrocious and brutal outrage, as the world had rarely seen paralleled. It came home to the breasts of all the Protestants in Europe, and they took a lively interest in it. Men's expectations were raised to a very high pitch, and their attention fixed upon the Protestant princes, anxiously waiting to see whether they would tamely put up with such an open and diabolical attack upon their general cause, for such they regarded this; or whether by a joint co-operation of power and influence they would at once relieve and re-establish their distressed friends.

At this eventful moment the Swiss Cantons, who cer

tainly lay the most contiguous to the vallies of Piedmont finding that they were ably supported by all the Protestant states of Europe, undertook to mediate with the Duke of Savoy in behalf of the exiled Waldenses, and sent four of their leading men as commissioners to the court of the latter, authorized with powers to negotiate a treaty of accommodation; and the rest of the European princes had such confidence in them, that they unanimously agreed to relinquish the affair into their hands. The names of these commissioners were, Solomon Hirtzel, Charles von Bonstetten, Benedict Socin, and James Stockar.

It would be uninteresting and tiresome to the reader, to trace minutely the progress of this negociation. And it but too plainly appears from the result, that the Swiss commissioners were by no means a match for the jesuitical casuistry of the court of Savoy. A treaty, however, was at length agreed upon and ratified between the parties; but "when it came to be published to the world," says Sir S. Morland," and accurately examined by wise and sober men, it was found to resemble a leper arrayed in rich clothing and gay attire! It was a treaty as full of grievances as poor Lazarus was of sores! The greater part of the articles of which it consisted, clashing with the people's interests and ancient privileges, and the remainder made up of expressions which looked as many ways as the mariner's compass. In short, it cannot be more fitly compared to any thing than to Ezekiel's roll, which, though it were as sweet as honey in the people's mouths, yet there was written within nothing but lamentation, and mourning, and woe." And such it proved in the issue, for no sooner had the Swiss commissioners taken their departure for their own country, than an infinite number of difficulties and grievances came crawling out of the said treaty, like so many hornets out of a hollow tree, and they continued to sting the poor Waldenses to death.

An effort was certainly made by those that were in

exile, to avail themselves of the conditions of this treaty, of which, as it was intended for their benefit, they were disposed at first to think very favourably. But a little experience convinced them that it was not in reality what their friends wished for them. On the 29th of March, 1656, a general meeting of the churches of the vallies of Piedmont took place, at which they drew up a paper intituled, "THE GRIEVANCES OF THE TREATY MADE AT PIGNEROL." It is truly an affecting document, and that the reader may form some judgment of it, I shall subjoin the first paragraph. They complain that in the preamble to the treaty, they are recognized as rebels, and disobedient persons who had taken arms against his royal highness, their natural prince and sovereign, and thereby, as persons who were guilty and deserving of his indignation, they are described as asking pardon for those outrages which, it was pretended, they had committed; and thus, say they," we are plainly involved in the crime of rebellion, against which we do now, and always have protested; having never done any one act that can justly subject us to that imputation-no, not even when the whole state was in an uproar-nor even when they came to destroy us, as they did last year; for although we had very great cause of suspicion, as is but too manifest from the event, having granted for the most part to the squadron of Savoy their winter quarters, yet no sooner had the Marquis of Pionessa charged us, in the name of his royal highness, to receive his forces, than, without making the least resistance, we permitted them to enter and do whatever they chose." This is the first of fifteen articles of grievance which they enumerate.

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This melancholy catalogue of their grievances was drawn with a view of making an appeal concerning them to the King of France, and imploring his interposition to get them redressed. Accordingly having specified these defects in the