Note C
The interest which Cromwell took in the cause of the suffering Protestants, forms a redeeming quality in his character, and would almost seem to account, in some degree, for the smiles which Providence cast upon him in his extraordinary career. During the barbarous persecution of the Waldenses which took place in 1655, thirty years previous to that which we have described, he shone conspicuous among their benefactors. Milton, whose beautiful sonnet “on the massacre of the Vaudois,” is prefixed to the first chapter, had at this time great influence at court; and letters written by his classical pen, in behalf of the persecuted, were despatched from the English throne to the monarchs of France, Sweden, Denmark, the Duke of Savoy, and the States-General of the United Provinces. One only of these we shall here transcribe, as a specimen. It was sent in 1655 from Cromwell to the Duke of Savoy.
“MOST SERENE PRINCE —
“We are informed by letters received from several places in the vicinity of your. dominions, that the subjects of your royal highness professing the reformed religion, have been commanded by an edict, published by your authority, to quit their habitations and lands, within three days after the promulgation of the said edict, under pain of death, and the confiscation of their property, unless they shall enter into an engagement to abjure their own, and to embrace the Roman Catholic faith, before the end of twenty days. We have learned also, that, regardless of their humble petitions to your highness, praying that you would be pleased to revoke the said edict, and to grant the same privileges, which were anciently conceded by your serene ancestors, your army fell upon them, cruelly slaughtered great numbers, imprisoned others, and drove the rest to flee for refuge to desolate places, and to mountains covered with snow, where hundreds of families are reduced to such extremity, that, it is to be feared, they will all shortly perish with cold and hunger. Upon receiving intelligence of the melancholy condition of this oppressed people, it was impossible not to feel the greatest commiseration and grief; for we not only consider ourselves united to them by common ties of humanity, but by those of the same religion. Feeling, therefore, that we are invoked by the sacred voice of brotherly love, we declare that we should fail in our duty to ourselves, to God, to our brethren, and to the religion we profess, if we were not deeply moved by a sense of their calamities, and if we did not employ every means in our power, to obtain an alleviation of their unparalleled sufferings. It is on this account that we most earnestly entreat, and conjure your highness, in the first place, to call to mind the enactments of your serene ancestors, and the concessions which they made and confirmed from time to time in favour of the Waldenses; which concessions were granted, no doubt, in obedience to the will of God, who desires that liberty of conscience should be the inviolable right of every man, and in consideration of the merits of these their subjects, who have ever been found valiant and faithful in war, and obedient in time of peace. And as your serene highness has graciously and nobly trodden in the steps of your predecessors in all other things, we again and again beseech you, that you will not depart from them in this instance, but that you will revoke this edict, and any other that is oppressive to your subjects, in consequence of their professing the reformed religion; that you will restore them to their paternal habitations and property; that you will confirm their ancient rights and privileges; that you will cause reparation to be made for their injuries; and order an end to be put to all vexatious proceedings against them. If your highness will comply with this request, you will do what is most acceptable to God; you will comfort and support the minds of those unhappy sufferers, and you will be conferring a favour upon the neighbouring Protestant states, and especially upon us, who will ever consider such clemency as the effect of our intercession; which will constrain us to do every kind office in return, and will be the means not only of strengthening, but of renewing and increasing the relations and friendship which has subsisted between this commonwealth and your dominions. Promising ourselves much from your justice and moderation, we heartily pray God to direct your mind and thoughts, and so to grant you and your people the blessings of peace and truth, and to prosper all your undertakings.
“Given at our Court at Westminster, the 25th day of May 1655.
“OLIVER, PROTECTOR.”
It is delightful to mark the deep sympathy which was felt at this time by all the Protestant states of Christendom, for the sufferings of these innocent mountaineers. We find the Swiss cantons ordering a day for public humiliation, and recommending a general subscription for their relief. This example was followed in England and Ireland; Cromwell proclaimed a national fast; a vivid delineation of their distresses was, by his orders, printed and circulated, and the sum of L.38,241, Is. 6d. was raised, headed by a contribution of L.2000 from the privy purse.
Not contented with these preliminary measures, the Protector deputed Sir Samuel Morland to proceed as an envoy to the Court at Turin, and demand a public audience of the Duke of Savoy, to remonstrate with him on his cruel policy towards his unoffending subjects. The conference took place at Eivoli, in presence of the royal family and the whole court. The address of the young diplomatist is characterised throughout by deep feeling. We can only afford space for a quotation.
“The most serene Protector of England hath been informed, that part of these most miserable people have been cruelly massacred by your forces, part driven out by violence, and forced to leave their native habitations; and so, without house or shelter, poor and destitute of all relief, do wander up and down, with their wives and children, in craggy and uninhabitable places, and mountains covered with snow. Oh! the fired houses which are yet smoking, the torn limbs, and ground defiled with blood!
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“Some men, an hundred years old, decrepit with age and bedrid, have been burned in their beds. Some infants have been dashed against the rocks, others have had their throats cut, whose brains have, with more than Cyclopean cruelty, been boiled and eaten by the murderers! What need I mention more, although I could reckon up very many cruelties of the same kind, if I were not astonished at the very thought of them. If all the tyrants of all times and ages were alive again, (which I would speak without any offence to your highness, seeing we believe none of these things were done through any default of yours,) certainly they would be ashamed when they should find that they had contrived nothing in comparison with these things, that might be reputed barbarous and inhuman.
“In the mean time, the angels are surprised with horror; men are amazed; heaven itself seems to be astonished with the cries of dying men; and the very earth to blush, being discoloured with the gore and blood of so many innocent persons! Do not thou, 0 thou Most High God, do not thou take that revenge, which is due to so great wickednesses, and horrible villanies! Let thy blood, O Christ, wash away this blood!”