Letters of State, Letters 2 · Letter 9 – Letter 10
Oliver Protector of the Republick of England, to the moſt Serene Prince of Tranſilvania, Greeting.
Moſt Serene Prince,
BY your Letters of the 16th. of Nov. 1654. you have made us ſenſible of your ſingular good-will and affection toward us; and your Envoy, who deliver'd thoſe Letters to us, more amply declar'd your deſire of contracting Alliance and Friendſhip with us. Certainly for our parts, we do not a little rejoyce at this Opportunity offer'd us to declare and make manifeſt our Affection to your Highneſs, and how great a value we juſtly ſet upon your Perſon. But after Fame had reported to us your egregious Merits and Labours undertaken in behalf of the Chriſtian Republick, when you were pleas'd that all theſe things, and what you have farther in your thoughts to do in the defence and for promoting the Chriſtian Intereſt, ſhould be in Friendly manner imparted to us by Letters from your ſelf, this afforded us a more plentiful occaſion of Joy and Satisfaction, to hear, that God, in thoſe remoter Regions, had rais'd up to himſelf ſo Potent and Renowned a Miniſter of his Glory and Providence: And that this great Miniſter of Heaven ſo fam'd for his Courage and Succeſs, ſhould be deſirous to aſſociate with us in the common Defence of the Proteſtant Religion, at this time wickedly aſſail'd by Words and Deeds. Nor is it to be queſtion'd but that God, who has infus'd into us both, though ſeparated by ſuch a ſpacious interval of many Climates, the ſame deſires and thoughts of defending the Orthodox Religion, will be our Inſtructor and Author of the ways and means whereby we may be aſſiſtant and uſeful to our ſelves and the reſt of the Reformed Cities, provided we watch all opportunities that God ſhall put into our hands, and be not wanting to lay hold of 'em. In the mean time we cannot without an extream and penetrating ſorrow forbear putting your Highneſs in mind how unmercifully the Duke of Savoy has Perſecuted his own Subjects, Profeſſing the Orthodox Faith, in certain Valleys at the feet of the Alps. Whom he has not only conſtrain'd by a moſt ſevere Edict as many as refuſe to embrace the Catholick Religion, to forſake their Native Habitations, Goods and Eſtates, but has fall'n upon 'em with his Army, put ſeveral moſt Cruelly to the Sword, others more Barbarouſly Tormented to Death, and driven the greateſt number to the Mountains, there to be conſum'd with Cold and Hunger, expoſing their Houſes to the Fury, and their Goods to the Plunder of his Executioners. Theſe things as they have already bin related to your Highneſs, ſo we readily aſſure our ſelves, that ſo much cruelty cannot but be grievouſly diſpleaſing to your ears, and that you will not be wanting to afford your Aid and Succour to thoſe miſerable Wretches, if there be any that ſurvive ſo many Slaughters and Calamities. For our parts we have Written to the Duke of Savoy, beſeeching him to remove his inſenc'd Anger from his Subjects; as alſo to the King of France, that he would vouchſafe to do the ſame; and laſtly to the Princes of the Reformed Religion, to the end they might underſtand our ſentiments concerning ſo fell and ſavage a piece of Cruelty. Which though firſt begun upon thoſe poor and helpleſs People, however threatens all that Profeſs the ſame Religion, and therefore impoſes upon all a greater neceſſity of providing for themſelves in general, and conſulting the common Safety; which is the courſe that we ſhall always follow, as God ſhall be pleas'd to direct us. Of which your Highneſs may be aſſur'd, as alſo of our ſincerity and affection to your Serenity, whereby we are engag'd to wiſh all proſperous ſucceſs to your Affairs, and a happy iſſue of all your Enterprizes and Endeavours, in aſſerting the Liberty of the Goſpel and the Worſhippers of it.
White-Hall, May—1655.
Oliver Protector, to the moſt Serene Prince, Charles Guſtavus Adolphus, King of the Swedes, Greeting.
WE make no queſtion but that the ſame of that moſt rigid Edict has reach'd your Dominions, whereby the Duke of Savoy has totally Ruin'd his Proteſtant Subjects Inhabiting the Alpine Valleys, and commanded 'em to be extirminated from their Native Seats and Habitations, unleſs they will give ſecurity to renounce their Religion receiv'd from their Forefathers, in exchange for the Roman Catholick Superſtition, and that within Twenty days at fartheſt; ſo that many being kill'd, the reſt Strip to their Skins and expos'd to moſt certain deſtruction, are now forc'd to wander over deſert Mountains and through perpetual Winter, together with their Wives and Children, half dead with Cold and Hunger; and that your Majeſty has laid it to heart with a Pious ſorrow and compaſſionate conſideration we as little doubt. For that the Proteſtant Name and Cauſe, although they differ among themſelves in ſome things of little Conſequence, is nevertheleſs the ſame in general and united in one common Intereſt, the hatred of our Adverſaries, alike inſenc'd againſt Proteſtants, very eaſily demonſtrates. Now there is no body can be ignorant, that the Kings of the Swedes have always joyn'd with the Reformed, carrying their Victorious Arms into Germany in Defence of the Proteſtants without diſtinction. Therefore we make it our chief requeſt, and that in a more eſpecial manner to your Majeſty, that you would ſolicit the Duke of Savoy by Letters, and by interpoſing your intermediating Authority, endeavour to avert the horrid Cruelty of this Edict, if poſſible, from People no leſs Innocent then Religious. For we think it ſuperfluous to admoniſh your Majeſty, whither theſe rigorous begininnings tend, and what they threaten to all the Proteſtants in general. But if he rather chuſe to liſten to his Anger then to our joynt Intreaties and Interceſſions, if there be any Tye, any Charity or Communion of Religion to be Believ'd and Worſhipp'd, upon Conſultations duly firſt communicated to your Majeſty and the chief of the Proteſtant Princes, ſome other courſe is to be ſpeedily taken, that ſuch a numerous multitude of our Innocent Brethren may not miſerably Periſh for want of Succour and Aſſiſtance. Which in regard we make no queſtion but that it is your Majeſties Opinion and Determination, there can be nothing in our opinion more prudently reſolv'd, then to joyn our Reputation, Authority, Councels, Forces, and whatever elſe is needful, with all the ſpeed that may be, in purſuance of ſo Pious a deſign. In the mean time we beſeech Almighty God to Bleſs your Majeſty.