A General Martyrology, Chapter 43
CHAP. XLIII. The Artifices and wicked practices used to consume and destroy the Faithful in the Valleys of Piedmont.
THe Popish Clergy have several persons under pay, whose business it is to kindle strifes and quarrels amongst the Protestants, and to engage them in suits of Law one against another:Popish subtilty. and when they see them reduced to poverty and despair, they secretly offer them all the favour imaginable, provided that they will either openly revolt, or remain as Spies amongst their brethren to betray them: and the better to dispose them hereto, they assure them that they shall get a full victory over their Enemies, in case they will imploy some Churchmen to recommend their affairs to the Judges, who in all publick imployments are preferred before the Protestants, and made their superiours, that so they may over-rule them as they list.
The Popish Clergy also knowing that young men are apt to be in love, which captivates reason, they propound to them by their Emissaries, a match with some Papist, whose portion and other advantages they amplifie by officious lyes, and so they inveigle some poor souls, sometimes without, and sometimes against the consent of their Parents, and friends: and if any amongst the Protestants be so wicked as not to regard the admonitions of their Ministers and Elders, so that they are forced to excommunicate them, these Monks and Priests perswade them to embrace the Romish Religion, where they shall be protected against such as pursue them for their crimes: yea they promise that they shall be set over them in all publick Offices, by which means they may have power in their hands to be revenged of them. This was the practice of the Monks in the year 1640, 1641, &c. even towards some who were manifestly convicted of Witchcraft, who, revolting to Popery, had their lives spared, and were set at liberty: yea they have often rewarded them with money, merchandizes and other things; withall exempting them from all manner of Taxes: and when the Protestants complained hereof, the Duke of Savoy indeed gave them a favourable answer by his Edict, dated in June 1649. but they could never obtain the putting of it in execution.
But of all the means used for these last sixty years to root out, and ruine the Protestant Churches in the Valleys of Piedmont, there hath been none like that of the Missionaries established by Pope Clement the 8th, Anno Christi 1596. For the Monasteries of these firebrands have ever been as so many Citadels in the Valleys, wherein very many wicked instruments have been harbored, who never ceased to contrive mischief by their lyes, calumnies and slanders wherewith they have filled the ears of the Magistrates and Princes, who have alwayes given more credit to them, than to the true complaints of these poor people in their own just defence, whereupon they have published many bloody Edicts against them: and though the Protestants reiterated their humble supplications to his Highness, and therein declared their own innocency, and the boldness of those Missionaries, which was grown to such a heighth as was altogether intolerable, yet have they prevailed nothing: and that which makes these Monks the more confident, is, that they know they are not to be punished by any Magistrate for whatsoever they say or do against the Protestants; no not when they steale away their Children from them: whereas the Protestants are put to death if they speak but the least word against these Missionary Priests, or but go about to disswade any, though of their own families from turning Papist. Yea by the Dukes Edict any one witness is sufficient against a Protestant, and a reward of an hundred Crowns is promised to any that will come and witness against them, whereby all those are encouraged, who either out of revenge, envy, or covetousness, shall report such false things against them as by the Romish Friars they shall be directed to.
By vertue of this Edict the Monks have made bold upon all occasions both in the streets, yea in the very Curches, and that in the Sermon time to set upon the Protestant Ministers, with all the most base, vile, and unsufferable speeches they could possibly devise, knowing that no man durst either censure their zeale, or witness against them for what they said or did against the Protestants, for fear of the severe penalties ordained against the favourers of Hereticks. Nay, if their abusive carriage could but draw any word out of the Ministers, or out of any other mans mouth that did not please them, they had their hired witnesse in a readinesse to bring the Minister, or other Protestant to the stake, and that without redemption.
These men got an Edict from Madam Royal, of Jan. 16. 1642. having made her believe that the Papists were compelled to contribute towards the maintenance of the Protestant Ministers, with some other such like fictions; upon which they obtained an Order for the Officers called Castellani, to give the Missionaries all the Writings they should demand of them; by means whereof they usurped power over the said Castellani, and so over the poor Protestants, compelling the Castellani to make most unjust Ordinances against these poor people: As for example; when the question is concerning their habitation, the Missioners do perswade them that come to witnesse the truth, that so to do is to favour the Hereticks, whereby they will fall irrevocably under the censure of Excommunication; whereas its a meritorious work to witnesse against them by such officious lies as are suggested to them by the Popish Clergy: Nay, the Judges themselves durst not passe a righteous sentence, when it reflected in the least upon the Catholick party. And that they may have the opportunity of negotiating with the Protestants, they procure of his Highnesse every year,Popish subtilty. the Assignations of Grain, and other Impositions, that so they of the Reformed Religion, being obliged to make their payments to these Publicans, they may have the advantage to shew favour, and give ample rewards to such as will comply with their superstitious Idolatry, and to lay heavy burdens upon the backs of those that are true to their Principles.
Mention might here be made of their frequent falling into the said Valleys with Troops of Armed men, under pretence of quartering them there; whereby they have miserably surprized, and made a prey of them: As likewise the cunning stratagems which they have used in all their Treaties, which have been as full of Jesuitical Equivocations, as of lines and sentences, following therein their old Maxime, that Faith is not to be kept with Hereticks.
To this may be added their diligent search, and strict enquiry after all Protestant Books and Writings, which they commit to the fire with much devotion, lest they should discover their rotten principles, and the wickednesse of their actions to the world.
Another stratagem they have to allure men to revolt, wherein are proffers of great rewards made, and published in the Princes name; as may be seen in the Dukes own letter, wherein are these words. To encourage the Hereticks to turn Catholicks, it is our pleasure, and we do hereby expresly command, that all such as shall embrace the Holy Romane Faith, shall enjoy an exemption from all, and every tax for the space of five years commencing from the day of their conversion, &c. Which term of five years he hath sometimes lengthned out to ten or fifteen years; whereas indeed the burden that they took off from these Revolters, they laid upon the backs of those that persevered in their Religion, the better to break and destroy them.
But as if all this were too little to compass their ends, the Duke erected a Congregation for extirpating the Hereticks, who were to judge concerning the rights of the Protestants. Their meeting place was in the Arch-bishops house, the Bishop himself being President, together with the Dukes Confessor, and divers others, every one of them hired by the Court of Rome, to undermine the liberties of the Protestant Churches, by robbing them of their Ancient Priviledges under sundry pretences, and upon false Informations. And the better to disguise their proceedings, they usually incense the Duke by grievous accusations, and so procure grievous Edicts from him against the poor Protestants. These were they who procured from Charles Emanuel, Anno Christi 1602. An Edict, wherein he enjoyns the Protestants upon pain of death to banish from amongst them all manner of Schools both publick and private, (as Julian the Apostate had formerly done to extirpate the Christian Religion) And by another Edict of Decemb. 18. 1622. he forbade them to receive any strangers amongst them that should be either Ministers or Schoolmasters, as also from sending their youth into Forreign Schools suspected of Heresie. He also debarred all manner of Protestants from publick Offices, either great or small. In another Edict, all Protestants were commanded either to go to Masse, or to depart within two moneths after the publication thereof: And by another Edict the same was commanded, and but fifteen dayes given them.
Another order was given out, Novemb. 18. 1634. enjoyning the Protestants of Campiglione, to leave that place within twenty foure houres, and that upon pain of death, which was executed without mercy. The same was done Anno Christi 1655. by Gastaldo, who gave no longer than twenty foure houres to those of the Valleys of Saint Martino and Perosa, to depart upon pain of death; and to those that lived beyond Pelice, but three days.
Many times when these Missionary Fathers could not possibly perswade his Royal Highnesse to an open Persecution against the generality of the Protestants, then they usually tormented them one by one upon sundry false pretences, whom they delivered up to the Inquisitors, who contrary to all Forms of Justice, forthwith condemned them, without so much as hearing them, or letting them know their accusers.
Anno Christi 1622. They took one Mr. Sebastian Basan, and after the Inquisitors had cruelly tempted and tormented him for the space of fifteen months, they burned him alive at Turin, Novemb. 23. 1623. where he dyed, singing the praises of God in the midst of the flames.
Anno 1655. These Missionary Fathers stole away very many of the Protestants children in the time of the Massacre; whom they would not afterwards restore, though his Highness had promised it by his Patent; which practice is the most execrable of all the Turkish tyrannies: Yet there is this difference, that the Turks do so only to their own Subjects, whereas the Popes Ministers do it to those over whom they have no right at all. Two instances may be given (amongst many others) of the subtile insinuations of the Jesuites to withdraw men from the truth; There were two Ministers, the one Mr. Peter Gros, the other Mr. Francis Aguit, with whom they had thus prevailed: But the Lord in mercy shewing them the greatnesse of their sin,Humane frailty. they made a publick Recantation in a full Congregation, August. 28. & 29. 1655. at Pinache in the Valley of Perouse, wherein they testified their extream sorrow for their defection through infirmity, from the true Religion, during the time of their Imprisonment at Turin, together with their abjuration of Popery, which they conclude thus.
Do not think us unworthy your holy communion, although we have been an occasion of offence: Repentance.Suffer us to poure into your bosomes a torrent of tears to deplore our condition, and to assure you in the anguish of our souls, that our grief is greater than we can expresse: Help us by your holy prayers to the Lord, and publish our repentance in all places where you conceive our sin hath been, or shall bee known, that so it may be evident to all the world, that from the very bottome of our souls we grieve, and sorrow for it, and that in the presence of God, and of his holy Angels, and in the sight of those who have been witnesses of our conversion, we do abjure, and detest the Masse, the authority of the Pope, and in general, all sorts of beliefs, and worships dependent upon them; we recant whatsoever we may have pronounced to the prejudice of the Evangelical Truth, and promise for the future, through the Grace of God, to persevere in the profession of the Reformed Religion to the last moment of our life, and rather to suffer Death, and Torments than to renounce that holy Doctrine that is taught in our Church according unto the word of God: even as we swear, and promise, with our bended knees upon the earth, and our hands lifted up to the Eternal, our Almighty God and Father, Sonne, and Holy Spirit. As we desire his assistance to do this, even so help us God. Amen.
The Motives of the late Persecution in the Valleys of Piemont, Anno Christi 1655. with the publication of that bloody Order of Gastaldo, and the flight of the Protestants in the middest of Winter.
THe chief Officers, and Gentry of Savoy are moved to endeavour the extirpation of the Reformed party,Reason▪ why they persecuted the Protestants. chiefly for these Causes: 1. That by evil entreating the Reformed Churches, they may conserve the Papal authority, of which they have oft-times so much need, to cover and cloke their Incestuous marriages contracted by Dispensations from the Pope: and thus they become engaged to maintaine Popery, for fear of being declared guilty of Incest. 2. Because the Courtiers for persecuting the Reformed party are rewarded with Prebendaries, Bishopricks, Abbies, and Priories, especially such as are members of the Council for extirpating of Hereticks. 3. Under this pretext, the poor people of the Valleys become a prey to the said Courtiers, who daily rob, and spoil them, extorting the best part of their livelishood by sundry subtile devices. 4. The Gentry of Lucerna (who are very poor) promote this work all they can by perpetual calumnies against them, rendring themselves by such good Offices capable of meriting, and receiving those pensions which are assigned them by the Court of Rome for the same purpose. 5. For this end of late they have made the Gentlemen of the respective Valleys subordinate to the Monks, and Masse-Priests, who teach and appoint them what to do, as to the bearing of false-witnesse against their Neighbours, sowing discord amongst them, murthering of some, procuring the Assasination of others, stealing, and carrying away their children, &c. without the performance whereof they refuse to pay them their yearly Pensions. 6. But the chief ground of all why the Court of Savoy strives so much to extirpate this poor people, is, the Designe that they have to wrest Pignorolio out of the hands of the King of France, to which the habitation, and liberty of those people are a great hindrance: For they, inhabiting the neighbouring parts of Pignorolio, both in the Plaine and Mountains, cannot, upon the account of conscience, be brought to make any agreement with the Spanish party for assaulting, and surprizing that place: Hence the Court of Savoy seeks all manner of occasions to root them out, especially those of Lucerne, Fenile, Bobio, Campiglione, Bricheras, and Saint Secondo, which are near Pignorolio, and to deprive it thereby of all sorts of commodities which it receives from the Valleys, which alone doth furnish it with more than all the neighbouring Valleys which belong to the Duke. Now if these people were extirpated, and others put in their places, men forward to execute their Designes, they might easily seize on Malange, a narrow passage above Pignorolio, on that side which looks towards France, where a very few persons would be able to hinder the French Armies from relieving Pignorolio.
Upon these, and the like grounds the Court of Savoy hath sought their destruction, though its true, that in all the persecutions which they have raised against them, especially in this last, 1655. those ravening wolves approached in sheeps cloathing, the better to deceive, and destroy the innocent Lambs of Christ. For these Evangelical Churches had, long before that fatal year, cleared themselves of all those calumnies which the Council for the extirpation of Hereticks, to the end that they might enjoy their promised Pensions, had cast upon them. Yea, his Royal Highnesse had now given an ample testimony of his being fully satisfied in this point, and by an authentick Decree published Anno Christi 1649. had confirmed all former Confessions; which confirmation was again renewed Anno 1653. confirming the Grants made to them in the years 1603. and 1620. without any addition, or diminution, amplification, or restriction whatsoever.
Now as these poor people sought for an Interination of these Grants, His Royal Highness, knowing that the delay thereof proceeded not from any negligence of their part, but was occasioned by the multitude of Troops that were then quartered upon them, whereby they could not possibly have the convenience of assembling, &c. out of his goodness towards them, he declared by an Edict, of May 19. 1654. that his intention was that they should enjoy the Concessions as effectually as if they had been again interinated, upon condition that they did procure the Interination thereof within three moneths following. So that till this time of May 19. 1654. none can say that those of the Reformed Religion had committed any thing whereby to be deprived of the benefit of their Concessions; yet contrary to all their expectations, shortly after, viz. January 25. 1655. this infamous Order was published by Andrew Gastaldo, Doctor of the Civil Law,A bloody Order. Mr. Auditor Ordinary, &c. That every Head of a Family, with its members of the Reformed Religion, of what rank, degree or condition soever, none excepted, inhabiting and possessing estates in the places of Lucerna, Lucernetta, St. Giovanni, La Torre, Bubbiana, and Fenile, Campiglione, Bricherassio, and S. Secondo, within three days after the publication therof should withdraw and depart, and to be with their families withdrawn out of the said places, and translated into the places and limits tolerated by his Highness, during his pleasure, as namely Bobbio, Villaro, Angrogna, Rorata, and the Country of Bonetti, under pain of death, and confiscation of houses and goods, situated or being out of the said limits; Provided, if they make it not appear to us within twenty days following that they are turned Catholicks, or that they have sold their goods to the Catholicks. And that it was not the mind of his Royal Highness by any Act whatsoever to enlarge the said limits: But on the contrary, he declares by these presents, that the said Acts are meer usurpations, contrary to the intention as well of his Orders, as of his Magistrates, published to that end; and that therefore the transgressors have incurred the punishment therein contained: Besides, in the aforesaid places favorably tolerated, he wills that in every one of them shall be celebrated the holy Mass, forbidding those of the pretended Reformed Religion any ways to molest, either by deed or word, the Missionary Fathers, or their Attendants, much less to disswade any that would turn Catholicks, under the same pain of death, giving it in charge particularly to the Ministers of the said pretended Religion, inviolably to observe the same, upon pain of answering it in their proper names, &c.
It's easie to conjecture the miserable inconveniencies of a flight in the midst of winter, especially to such a people amongst whom were many aged and decrepit, many sick and diseased, besides a multitude of women big with childe, or newly brought to bed, together with a number of tender Infants, yet all forced to flye, and none being in capacity to succor another. Yet did these bloody beasts in the most violent and rigorous winter-season chase and drive out of their houses all on a sudden those poor people, who scarce had clothes to cover their nakedness, much less were they provided to resist the extremities of cold, and hunger; thinking hereby either to force them to change their Religion,Popish cruelty or to cause them to dye in the craggy Rocks and snowy Mountains; yea, they were so subtilly malicious as to chuse those very days, when by reason of the multitude of violent waters in the Plain, and of snow upon the Mountains, they judged it impossible for those silly sheep ever to escape.
But these poor people considering that the Apostacy propounded was the way to eternal damnation, chose rather to follow Christ in bearing his cross, and to hazard their temporary lives, rather than to lose their souls for ever; yet that they might leave no lawful means unattempted, they presently dispatched their Deputies to the Governor, to represent to him the strangeness of this command, to force them with their Families to abandon their antient habitations; as also that it was impossible for so many souls as there were in number to subsist in the said place, to which by the Edict they were confined, they being scarce sufficient to supply in any sort those that inhabited them: As likewise, that this command was contrary to all their former Concessions, upon which account they protested and appealed to his Royal Highness. But the Governor knowing well the intention of the Council for the extirpating of Hereticks, would neither admit of the one or of the other. Hereupon the poor people, seeing they could obtain nothing of him, entreated him to grant them at least some time to have recourse to the Duke by humble supplications; but this also was denied, unless they would draw up their Petition by a model which he should prescribe, which indeed was prejudicial both to their just Rights and Consciences. These poor people (I say) seeing this, to the end that they might remove all pretext for accusing them of Rebellion, under that colour to ruine and destroy them; hoping also that at last they might finde some means to lay their griefs at the feet of his Royal Highness, and that his Clemency and Justice would in the end re-establish them in their ancient habitations,They go into banishment. they chose rather to suffer this violence; and therefore recalling their Protestation, thereby to testifie their profound respect to their Prince, they quitted their houses, and goods, and retired with their Familes, their Wives and Children, great and small, young and old, whole and sick; yea, halt, lame and blind; draging after them such as were infirm by sickness or age through Rain, Snow, Ice, Waters, and a thousand difficulties.
Oh think with your selves, what bitter tears, what wringing of hands, what smitting upon the breasts, what mournings, sighings, and lamentations there were in the families of these miserable and distressed Creatures, who were now reduced to the utmost of extremities; before them were a multitude of violent and roaring waters, on each hand most barbarous and snowy mountains; behinde them, men sevenfold worse than the Egyptians, ready to butcher and destroy them; yet recommending themselves, Souls and Bodies to Gods protection, they are resolved to undergo the worst of temporary miseries, rather than by denying their Religion,Constancy. to damn their Souls.
This their Constancy and Resolution was no small comfort to other Churches, and a matter of great astonishment to their Persecutors; the rather considering the great advantages they might have purchased by quitting their Religion; as Pardon for all crimes, Liberty if in Prisons, exemption from all manner of Taxes, &c.
They were no sooner departed from their houses, but a number of Thieves and Robbers entred them, spoiling and pillaging whatever the people had left behinde them, pulling down their houses, cuting down all their trees, and turning their habitation into a desolate wilderness; of which violence the poor people complained to the Duke, and received from him such an answer, that they apprehended his intentions were not that they should wholly quit their houses till their cause might be heard and judged; in confidence hereof, they sometimes returned to their houses to guard them from these Robbers, and to husband their ground, that so they might have wherewithal to pay their Taxes; yet for this they were branded with Rebellion, though they had neither taken up arms, nor acted any other hostility, every one living peaceably without giving any cause of offence.
Gastaldo having thus driven these poor people from their antient inheritance, without legal citing them, hearing their plea,Popish cruelty or giving them the least time to provide for so sad a flight; their last refuge was to have recourse to the Lord by fervent prayers, and to their Prince by humble supplications; which was done not only by those that were driven from their houses, but by the other Churches of the Reforned Religion, the cause being common to them all. But alas! they found both his and all other his Ministers ears stopped to their wosull crys; neither could they obtain so much as admittance into the presence of his Royal Highness.
Amongst other cunning Artifices used by their malicious Adversaries to imbitter the spirits of his Highness, and the Dutchess his Mother against these poor Protestants, this was one; John Ressan, President of the Province of Pignorolio, having for many years born a deadly spleen against the popish Priest of Fenile, hired one to assassinate him; and then by his Secretary, he spread it abroad all over the Country that the Protestants were the Authors of the murther, who yet five days before were driven out of Fenile, which report flew far and near, being entertained as an undoubted truth by those Papists who lived far off, encreasing also with carriage, though upon the place the author of this murther was well known, so that by all their reports they were not able to fasten any blemish in the minds of the dead Priests friends and Kindred, nor to hinder them from apprehending both the Master and his Secretary; by which means the innocency of the Reformed party was so cleared to the world, that the Marquess of Pionessa, in his Letters, wherein he sought all the devices he could to lay something to their charge, never mentions this for fear of blemishing the credit of all the rest.
Shortly after one Berru basely murdered Peter Rovier Consul of Mean; and then fled to Pignorolio, where he was met by the aforesaid Rissan, who was lately returned from Turin, where he had been imprisoned for the former murther, and now had his liberty no otherwise than upon good security, because the said Berru and some others had taken their oathes against his Secretary [D. Agot] and himself, for being guilty of the aforementioned assassination; but after some private conferences had between them Rissan, so wrought upon that wretched Berru, by gifts and promises, that he was perswaded to return back with him to Turin, and there not only to retract his former oath, but to swear that he had been sollicited thereto by the two Pastors Leger and Mechelin, as also by Antonio, and Francis Danna, chief Elders of the Church of S. Giovanni; by means of this devilish retractation and calumnie, Rissan and his Secretary were discharged in the very heat of the War between the Papists and Protestants, so that they had the opportunity of forging what lies they pleased against the Protestants, both at Lucerna and Turin, without the least contradiction, which accordingly they did to the purpose; for at Lucerna there were published at the same time two personal Citations against the said Leger, Mechelin, and Danna; and as for Berru, he was also at the same time, as a recompence for his perjury, discharged, and set at liberty, though he had been convicted of two murders, the one the afore-mentioned, and the other at S. Giovanni, upon one Giovanni Bertot, a Protestant. After this base action, he came to the said Leger, and many other Pastors of the Valleys,Popish dissimulation. and chief men, and leaning upon his staff, and bemoaning his condition, he protested to them that he could scarce stand upright, by reason of the many blows which he had received from the Papists to force him to forswear himself against the said Leger and the rest; but as he could not in conscience do so wicked an act, so he had withstood them to the utmost; telling them plainly, who so urged him, that he would rather be torn with wilde horses than do it; and that they thereupon seeing his constancy, had beaten him most unmercifully, and then cast him out into the open streets, where he had miserably perished, had not a certain Jew pitied him, and took him up, as he was grovelling on the ground, and ready to give up the ghost.
In the mean time the Treaty of Peace being concluded at Pignerolio, Aug. 1655. Mr. Leger and the rest against whom the Process had been made, as against Criminals, staying a while at Pignorolio, chanced to hear of it, and thereupon went presently to the Prefect Rissan, entreating him to tell them if it were true that Berru had thus accused them; Rissan made them such a doubtful answer, that they judged it high time to have immediate recourse to the Senator Prerrastino, beseeching him to declare to them the truth of the whole matter, and to appoint them a set time and place to make their justification: Hereupon he told them plainly that Berru had accused them for suborning him to swear falsly against De Agot; and his Master; and withal he shewed them a copy of the Citation against the said Leger, and the rest of his Complices, which was to banish them out of the Dukes Dominions, if they did not appear personally at Turin to answer to such interrogatories as should be proposed to them about that business. Upon this Sieur Leger, by the assistance of David Leger, a Minister, handled the matter so, that the said Berru was shortly after apprehended, as he was lurking in the Highways, with a purpose to murther the said Leger upon the first opportunity. This wretch being thus apprehended, used all the devices imaginable to have got out of their hands; though they assured him, that all that they intended was only to make him verifie what he had already confessed before a full Assembly of their Ministers and others. Leger being assured that Berru was in safe custody, went and declared the whole matter to the Senator Perichvini, and to Referendano Tarquin, yea and to Rissan himself, who was on a sudden not a little surprised at it; afterwards he told it to the French Ambassador, and to the Ambassadors of the Evangelical Cantons, and with much ado he got leave to bring the said perjured person to Pignorolio; where he hoped to obtain leave of coming face to face against him in open Justice, importuning all the Dukes Ministers of Justice, and the French and Switzers Ambassadors for their intercession, the last whereof openly protested, that in case of refusal, they would complain that Justice was denied them; yet could they prevail no further,Popish injustice. but that there should be a letter written to Turin about it: from whence after a while they had an answer, that nothing could be done in it; and so Leger was fain to content himself, that he and the rest that had been accused were declared as persons altogether innocent, and clearly acquitted from the accusation that Berru had made against them.
Upon this and the like feigned accusations, the Deputies of these poor people and their Supplications were miserably rejected at the Court of Savoy: For when they instantly beseeched the chief Ministers of State at Turin, that they might be admitted into the Dukes presence, there to cast themselves at his feet, the Council for extirpating of Hereticks would not suffer them to have audience of his Highness, and contrary to all equity they usurped the cognisance of this business, which belonged not to them, they being of the adverse party; nay, they were not suffered to come in personally before them to plead their own cause, but were forced to send in their Procurator Gibellino, a Papist, who, knowing that Excommunication is the certain punishment of all those that any way favored the Hereticks, durst not speak a word till he had fallen down on his knees and begged leave of the Archbishop, who was President of that Council; and the conclusion was, that those of the Valleys were commanded to make no more requests to his Royal Highness, unless they would send Deputies with procuration, and power to accept and promise all that should be ordered them; yet they (like the importunate widow) sent again their Deputies to Turin, with their requests, and with order to endeavor to get audience of his Royal Highness; they also, beside other intercessions, instantly requested Madam Royal to have pity on them, and to procure the same for them; they wrote also other Letters to divers Princes of the blood to mediate for them about the same; but all in vain, for they could get no answer from any of them; and the Marquess of Pionessa slighted their supplications, thirsting violently after the blood of these poor creatures; yet that he might not openly discover the black design of the Council for extirpating of Hereticks, Popish subtilty.before the hour of its execution, he disguised his answers to them in such doubtful terms, that though he gave them but cold comfort, yet he left them not without some glimmering hopes at least of a day of audience for the hearing of their complaints, that so during this interval of time all things might be in a better readiness for the day of slaughter, as you shall hear in the next Chapter.