When Marcus Aurelius Rorenco, grand-prior of St. Roch, was sent by Duke Charles Emmanuel, about the middle of the 17th century, to make inquiries concerning the Vaudois, he reported that " these Apoa tolicaLs, as they call themselves, were of an origin of which nothing certain could be said, furthermore than that Bishop Claudius might have detached them from the church in the 8th century, and that they were not a new sect in the 9th and IOth centuries." And the monk Belvidere, who went to the valleys of the Cottian Alps on a similar inquiry, reported "that heretics have been found in the valley of Angrogna in all periods of history." Claude Seissel, archbishop of Turin, A.D. 1500, spoke of them as " tho Vaudois sect, which originated with one Leoo, a devout man, in the time of Constantine the Great." From all the above testimonies it is contended, with considerable show of argument, by the Vaudois, that they are not a sect that sprung up in the 12th century, or was introduced by emigrants from abroad, but that they are an aboriginal Alpine community, the offspring of early Christianity implanted in these remote districts. The earlier edicts of the dukes of Savoy speak of the "men of the valleys" and their "ancient faith," which "it had been found impossible to eradicate from thence, and which the dukes had been constrained to tolerate." Au edict of 1584 speaks of privileges granted by former dukes, and cites edicts of 1443 and 1452. In the Theatrum Statuum R. C. Sabaudias Ducis,' published in 1682, it is stated that treaties four hundred years old secured personal and religious freedom to the Vaudois.
It is an historical fact that, some time in the 14th century, a colony of emigrants from North Italy, professing the tenets of the Vaudois, settled in Calabria, where they cleared the ground of whole districts, and became thriving tenants of the great landlords. They built the towns of La Guardia (which is still called Guardia Lombarda), San Sisto, La Rocco, and others, not far from Cosenza, where they lived in peace and unnoticed for about three centuries. But after the spreading of the Reformation in the 16th century they begau to correspond with Geneva and other places, and invited some Protestant divines to come among them. This excited the attention of the local authorities ; and the Duke of Alcala, viceroy of Naples, sent commissioners and monks with troops to convert or destroy them. They resisted, and were destroyed with circumstances of great barbarity, in 1561. (Botta, Storia d'Italia,' book x.) At one time the valleys of the Vaudois were subject to the marquises of Saluzzo ; and the Vaudois have repeatedly asserted, without being contradicted, that " their ancestors professed their ancient faith long before the dynasty of Savoy was established in Piedmont." Their religious community extended then over many other valleys on both sides of the Alpe; to the southward beyond the Po over part of the marquisate of Saluzzo, westwards in the valley of the Durance as far as Enabrun and Briancon, and northwards to the banks of the Dora. Tho valleys of Queirm and FrassinRre in Franco, and that of Preget\ in the province of Sum, at the foot of Mount Gel:here, professed their Ct111110union till within comparatively recent times. In the two former valleys there are still scatte.red evangelical congregations, In the villages of Dorm'sIleum, Frusainire, and Violin.
Concerning the persecutions which the Vaudois have sustained, and which fill up a large portion of their history, we must not trustlimpli chip either to Leger and the other Vaudois writers, who were them selves actors or suilerent in these occurrence., nor to the accounts of ,their persecutors. Wo prefer following a modern historian, Botta, a Piedmont:es° and a Homan Catholic, but a temperate, discriminating writer, far removed from those scenes of strife, and from the passions which excited them or were the consequence of them. The earlier persecutions of the Vaudois were the work of the inquisitors sent by Rome. Pope John XXII. issued a bull against them in 1332. Walter Lolianl, who was burnt at Cologne in 1350, was a Vaudois clergyman. 'About the year 1400 a persecution is recorded against the inhabitants of Pragelh and the valley of Perosa, in which many perished. In 1487 Innocent VIII. issued a bull to Alberto do papal nuncio and conunissioner for the dominions of the Duke of Savoy on both sides of the mountains, enjoining " him to extirpate the pernicious sect of malignant men called the ` poor people of Lyon,' or the 1Valdenses, who have long endeavoured in Piedmont and other neigh bouring parts to ensnare the sheep belonging unto God, under a feigned pretense of holiness," &c., and if expedient "to preach the crusade against them." Bnt it was not until the following century that a general proscription took place. When Luther, Zwingli, and Calvin began preaching their reformed doctrines, the Valdenses acknowledged them to be similar to their own. Francis 1. of France, who was also possessed of Piedmont, persecuted all heretics indiscriminately, whether of the new Reformed faith, or of the old Waldensis or Vaudois com munion, and determined on extirpating them. The massacres of 1)auphin6 and Proveuce, especially at Merindol and Cabriere, are recorded in history. He at the same Limo wrote to the parliament of Turin, enjoining it to enforce religious conformity within its juris diction. The 'Vaudois of Piedmont then drew up a list of their articles of faith and laid it before King Francis,begging to be allowed to retain their ancient form of worship; to which Francis replied, that as he was putting to death the heretics in France, ho could not tolerate them on the other aide of the Alps. The parliament of Turin commanded the Vaudois to drive away their barbel, or pastors, and to receive Roman Catholic priests, who would be sent to instruct them. The Vaudois refused, and persecution followed. Several Vaudois who refused to renounce their faith were burned alive. (Botta, b. iv. : ads 1511-4.) Still their communion was not extirpated; and years after, Piedmont having been restored to the house of Savoy, Duke Emmanuel Philibert, after being repeatedly urged by the inquisitor Giacomello, sent by Pope Paul IV., ordered, in 1560, the Vaudois to attend the Roman Catholio service, and forbade them the exercise of their own form of worship under penalty of 100 golden "scudi" for the first transgression, and of the perpetual galleys in case of relapse. The' Vaudois wrote an humble supplication with an apology for their faith to the duke, who, being little conversant with theological controversy, proposed a con ference between the Vaudois and Roman Catholic divines. But Pope Paul IV. disapproved of this; and at Last, being importuned by the inquisitor and the nuncio, and the court of Spain, the duke resorted to arms to enforce obedience. He sent into the valleys 7000 men under the Count of La Trinith, to whom the French king joined two regi ments on the aide of France. The Freuch court at that time was
persecuting the Huguenots, who were numerous in Dauphin6, and who were disposed to make common cause with the Vaudois. The Vaudois defended themselves bravely, and in one instance defeated the ducal troops at lira di Torre. Many atrocities were committed in this deaub ' tory warfare, and women and children were not spared. Sonic of the prisoners were burnt alive at Carignan°, Sues, and Pihorola. At last Duke Emmanuel l'hilibert, disgusted with this war, into which he had been pressed against his wish, and urged by the intercession of his wife, Margaret of France, who pitied the Vaudois, granteethene in Juno, 1561, peace and an amnesty, with the exercise of their religion, within certain stated limits, in the valleys of Lucerne and San Martino, on condition that the Roman Catholic service should also be performed simultaneously, in churches appropriated to the purpose iu the various This edict was signed by Philip of Savoy, lord of Racconigi on one part, and by two of the principal pastors of the Vaudois on the other. The court of Homo and the monks ha Piedmont declaimed loudly against these conceadons of Duke Emmanuel Philibert, and almost called him a heretic. (Botta, b. x.) In 1601 and 1602 Charles Emmanuel 1. confirmed to the Vaudois their religious immunities, but the Inquisition was molesting them at the Pa m n time, and even imprisoned seine individuals, and when re monstrances wore made to the ducal ministers, they replied, " Thom matters do not concern his highness." (Bette, b. xv.) The duke how ever issued two re:scripts, dated 1603 and 1620, guaranteeing to the Vaudois the exorcise of their religion within the limits prescribed in the three valleys of Lucerne, Perces, and H. Martino. The Vaudois had asked the same favour for their co-religionists In the Marquieato of Saluzzo, but this was refused. Charles 1. of England sent twice an embassy to the duke to intercede for the Vaudois, in 1627 and 1629. (Appendix to Gilly's 'First Excursion to the Mountains of Piedmont In 1323?) Viotor Amadeus I., who succeeded Charles Emmanuel, published an edict enjoining the non-conformists of the Marquisate of Saluzzo, who were chiefly in the communes of Plesana, Previgliohno, Bioleto, Bro tonni, and Croezzo, to embrace the Roman Catholic: religion, under penalty of death and confiscation of property ; and this edict was so strictly enforced, that not one non-conformist remained in those parts. But at the same time the duke issued an edict to protect the Vaudois of the valleys of Piherola, who have always been held distinct from the others, and to check the prevailing practice among the Roman Catholic priesta and laity of kidnapping the childreu of the Voudois in order to bring them up in the Roman faith. (Botta, b. xxi.) After the death of Victor Amadeus, and during the civil war which raged in Piedmont, the Vaudois remained faithful to their lawful duke, and opposed by arms the factious inorganics of Lueerua and Angrogna, who sided with l'rinee Thomas and the other pretender. to the Regency, and they wore accordingly continued in their privileges by the Duchess Regent, and by the young Duke Charles Emmanuel 11. But the same Charles . Emmanuel afterwards directed a most fierce persecution against the Vaudois. Botta attributes the origin of this fresh storm to the turbu lent disposition of Jean lager, a pastor of seine name among the Valdenses, who had more zeal than prudence. In March, 1653, the inhabitants of Villaro, in the valley of Lucerne, rose in a tumult, and drove away the Capuchins from their convent, to which they set fire. The ducal troops repaired to the spot, and, after some bloodshed,peace was re-established. But this affair led to further investigations, when the ducal government found out that the Vaudois had transgressed against their engagements by purchasing property and establishing schools and places of worship beyond the limits fixed by former edicts. In January, 1655, the duke caused his auditor Andrea Gastallu to proceed to Lucerne, when he issued a manifesto ordering all Vaudois families to evacuate within three days the communes of Lucerne, San Giovanni, La Torre, Bibbiana, Fenile, Qunpiglione, Bricherasco, and San Second() in the lower part of the valley of the l'elice, and retire to the higher part of the valley, to the communes of Villaro, Bobbin, Rorie, Angrogna, and Boneti. Within twenty days they were either to sell their property situated in the former districts or to embrace the Roman Catholic faith. The Vaudois resisted this command, and the duke sent the marquis of Piauezza with a body of regulars and some militia in the following April. The Vaudois deserted their villages, carrying their provisions to the mountains. The marquis followed them there, but he could not subdue them ; and his soldiers, finding nothing to cat, withdrew. The Vaudois then issuing from their recesses, under two determined leaders, Jayer and Janavel, fell upon several Roman Catholic villages, and plundered and burnt them. They then entered La Torre, but being surprised by Pianezza, they fought desperately and meet of them fell, but not without killing numbers of the ducal troops. In this warfare cruelties woro committed by both parties, but the Vaudois, being the losing party, were, with their families, the greatest sufferers. Many atrocities were committed against the women and children by the Piedmonteso soldiers, but still more by the mercenary French and Irish soldiers in the service of the duke, which horrors Jean Leger, who was an actor in the struggle, has detailed at length, and, Botta thinks, has exaggerated in his Narrative.' But there is a document in the University Library at Cambridge which tells strongly against the marquis of Pianezze himself. It is a declaration by Captain Du Petit Bourg, who was serving in a French corps under Pianezza, proteating re,gainst the cruelties which he saw committed, and for which he retired and quitted his corps. He says that the marquis ordered to give uo quarter, saying that his highness was determined to have none of their religion in his dominions. This protest, a copy of which la given by Gilly in his first work, is dated Pifierola, 25th November, 1655, and is attested by other officers. It appears, however, that l'ianezza ordered the women and children to be spared, and he rescued many from the hands of the brutal soldiers, and distributed them in the neighbouring dis tricts of Piedmont. A number of Vaudois took refuge across the mountains in the French valley of Quciras, and returned after the fury of the massacre had abated. Others perished in tiro snow, and others lurked fur a time in the recesses of the mountains, under their chief Janavel, who carried on a partisan warfare until ho was killed some years after.