 Chapter 6, Part 2, of Fox's Book of Martyrs, Volume 1. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Morgan Scorpion. Fox's Book of Martyrs, Volume 1, by John Fox, edited by William Byron Forbush. Chapter 6. An Account of the Persecutions in Italy, under the Papacy, Part 2. Account of the Persecutions in the Valleys of Piedmont. Many of the Waldences, to avoid the persecutions to which they were continually subjected in France, went and settled in the Valleys of Piedmont, where they increased exceedingly and flourished very much for a considerable time. Though they were harmless in their behaviour, inoffensive in their conversation, and paid tithes to the Roman clergy, yet the latter could not be contented, but wished to give them some disturbance. They, accordingly, complained to the Archbishop of Turin that the Waldences of the Valleys of Piedmont were heretics for these reasons. Number one, that they did not believe in the doctrines of the Church of Rome. Number two, that they made no offerings or prayers for the dead. Number three, that they did not go to Mass. Number four, that they did not confess and receive absolution. Number five, that they did not believe in purgatory or pay money to get the souls of their friends out of it. On these charges the Archbishop ordered a persecution to be commenced, and many fell martyrs to the superstitious rage of the priests and monks. At Turin one of the reformed had his barrels torn out, and put in a basin before his face, where they remained in his view until he expired. At Revelle, Cate-Longeur, being at the stake, desired the executioner to give him a stone, which he refused, thinking that he meant to throw it at somebody. But Girard, assuring him that he had no such design, the executioner complied. When Girard, looking earnestly at the stone, said, When it is in the power of a man to eat and digest this solid stone, the religion for which I am about to suffer shall have an end, and not before. He then threw the stone on the ground, and submitted cheerfully to the flames. A great many more of the reformed were oppressed or put to death by various means, until the patience of the Waldences being tired out. They flew to arms in their own defence, and formed themselves into regular bodies. Exasperated at this, the Bishop of Turin procured a number of troops, and sent against them. But in most of the skirmishes and engagements the Waldences were successful, which partly arose from their being better acquainted with the passes of the Valleys of Piedmont than their adversaries, and partly from the desperation with which they fought, for they well knew if they were taken, they should not be considered as prisoners of war, but tortured to death as heretics. At length, Philip VII, Duke of Savoy and Supreme Lord of Piedmont determined to interpose his authority, and stop these bloody wars, which so greatly disturbed his dominions. He was not willing to disoblige the Pope, or affront an archbishop of Turin, nevertheless he sent them both messages, importing that he could not any longer tamely see his dominions overrun with troops, who were directed by priests instead of officers, and commanded by prelates instead of generals. Nor would he suffer his country to be depopulated, while he himself had not been even consulted upon the occasion. The priests, finding the resolution of the Duke, did all they could to prejudice his mind against the Waldences, but the Duke told them that though he was unacquainted with the religious tenants of these people, yet he had always found them quiet, faithful, and obedient, and therefore he determined they should no longer be persecuted. The priests now had recourse to the most palpable and absurd falsehoods. They assured the Duke that he was mistaken in the Waldences, for they were a wicked set of people, and highly addicted to intemperance, uncleanness, blasphemy, adultery, incest, and many other abominable crimes, and that they were even monsters in nature, for their children were born with black throats, with four rows of teeth, and bodies all over hairy. The Duke was not so devoid of common sense as to give credit to what the priests said, though they affirmed in the most solemn manner the truth of their assertions. He however sent twelve very learned and sensible gentlemen into the Piedmontese valleys to examine into the real character of the inhabitants. These gentlemen, after travelling through all their towns and villages, and conversing with people of every rank among the Waldences, returned to the Duke, and gave him the most favourable account of these people, affirming, before the faces of the priests who vilified them, that they were harmless, inoffensive, loyal, friendly, industrious, and pious, that they abhorred the crimes of which they were accused, and that, should any individual, through his depravity, fall into any of these crimes, he would, by their laws, be punished in the most exemplary manner. With respect to the children, the gentlemen said, the priests had told the most gross and ridiculous falsities, for they were neither born with black throats, teeth in their mouths, nor hair on their bodies, but were as fine children as could be seen. And to convince your highness of what we have said, continued one of the gentlemen, we have brought twelve of the principal male inhabitants, who have come to ask pardon in the name of the rest, for having taken up arms without your leave, though even in their own defence, and to preserve their lives from their merciless enemies. And we have likewise brought several women, with children of various ages, that your highness may have an opportunity of personally examining them as much as you please. The duke, after accepting the apology of the twelve delegates, conversing with the women and examining the children, graciously dismissed them. He then commanded the priests who had attempted to mislead him immediately to leave the court, and gave strict orders that the persecution should cease throughout his dominions. The Waldences had enjoyed peace many years, when Philip the Seventh Duke of Savoy died, and his successor happened to be a very bigoted papist. At the same time some of the principal Waldences proposed that their clarity should reach in public that everyone might know the purity of their doctrines, for hitherto they had preached only in private, and to such congregations as they well knew to consist of none but persons of the reformed religion. On hearing these proceedings the new duke was greatly exasperated, and sent a considerable body of troops into the valleys, swearing that if the people would not change their religion he would have them flayed alive. The commander of the troops soon found the impractic ability of conquering them with the number of men he had with him. He therefore sent word to the duke that the idea of subjugating the Waldences with so small a force was ridiculous, that those people were better acquainted with the country than any that were with him, that they had secured all the passes, were well armed, and resolutely determined to defend themselves, and with respect to flaying them alive he said, that every skin belonging to those people would cost him the lives of a dozen of his subjects. Terrified at this information the duke withdrew the troops, determining to act not by force but by stratagem. He therefore ordered rewards for the taking of any of the Waldences, who might be found straying from their places of security, and these, when taken, were either flayed alive or burnt. The Waldences had hitherto only had the New Testament and a few books of the old in the Waldencian tongue, but they determined now to have the sacred writings complete in their own language. They therefore employed a Swiss printer to furnish them with a complete edition of the old and New Testaments in the Waldencian tongue, which he did for the consideration of fifteen hundred crowns of gold, paid him by those pious people. Pope Paul III, a bigoted papist, ascending the Pontifical Chair, immediately solicited the Parliament of Turin to persecute the Waldences, as the most pernicious of all heretics. The Parliament readily agreed, when several were suddenly apprehended and burnt by their order. Among these was Bartholomew Hector, a bookseller and stationer of Turin, who was brought up a Roman Catholic, but having read some treatises written by the Reformed clergy was fully convinced of the errors of the Church of Rome, yet his mind was for some time wavering, and he hardly knew what persuasion to embrace. At length, however, he fully embraced the Reformed religion, and was apprehended, as we have already mentioned, and burnt by order of the Parliament of Turin. A consultation was now held by the Parliament of Turin, in which it was agreed to send deputies to the Valleys of Piedmont with the following propositions. 1. That if the Waldences would come to the bosom of the Church of Rome and embrace the Roman Catholic religion, they should enjoy their houses, properties, and lands, and live with their families without the least molestation. 2. That to prove their obedience, they should send twelve of their principal persons, with all their ministers and schoolmasters, to Turin, to be dealt with at discretion. 3. That the Pope, the King of France, and the Duke of Savoy, approved of and authorized the proceedings of the Parliament of Turin upon this occasion. 4. That if the Waldences of the Valleys of Piedmont refused to comply with these propositions, persecution should ensue, and certain deaths be their portion. To each of these propositions the Waldences nobly replied in the following manner, answering them respectably. 1. That no considerations whatever should make them renounce their religion. 2. That they would never consent to commit their best and most respectable friends to the custody and discretion of their worst and most inveterate enemies. 3. That they valued the approbation of the King of Kings who reigns in heaven more than any temple authority. 4. That their souls were more precious than their bodies. These pointed and spirited replies greatly exasperated the Parliament of Turin. They continued, with more avidity than ever, to kidnap such Waldences as did not out with proper precaution, who were sure to suffer the most cruel deaths. 5. Among these it unfortunately happened that they got hold of Geoffrey Barnagel, minister of Anguion, whom they committed to the flames as a heretic. They then solicited a considerable body of troops of the King of France, in order to exterminate the reformed entirely from the Valleys of Piedmont. But just as the troops were going to march, the Protestant Princes of Germany interposed and threatened to send troops to assist the Waldences if they should be attacked. The King of France, not caring to enter into a war, remanded the troops, and sent word to the Parliament of Turin that he could not spare any troops at present to act in Piedmont. The members of the Parliament were greatly vexed at this disappointment, and the persecution gradually seized, for as they could only put to death such a the reformed as they caught by chance, and as the Waldences daily grew more cautious, their cruelty was obliged to subside for want of objects on whom to exercise it. After the Waldences had enjoyed a few years tranquillity, they were again disturbed by the following means. The Pope's nunsio, coming to Turin to the Duke of Savoy upon business, told that Prince he was astonished he had not yet either rooted out the Waldences from the Valleys of Piedmont entirely, or compelled them to enter into the bosom of the church, that he could not help looking upon such conduct with a suspicious eye, and that he really thought him a favourite of those heretics, and should report the affair accordingly to his holiness the Pope. Stung by this reflection, and unwilling to be misrepresented to the Pope, the Duke determined to act with the greatest severity, in order to show his zeal, and to make amends form a neglect by future cruelty. He accordingly issued express orders for all of the Waldences to attend mass regularly on pain of death. This they absolutely refused to do, on which he entered the Piedmontese Valleys with a formidable body of troops, and began a most furious persecution, in which great numbers were hanged, drowned, ripped open, tied to trees, and pierced with prongs, thrown from precipices, burnt, stabbed, wracked to death, crucified with their heads downwards, worried by dogs, etc. Those who fled had their goods plundered, and the houses burnt to the ground. They were particularly cruel when they caught a minister or a schoolmaster, whom they put to such exquisite torches as are almost incredible to conceive. If any room they took seemed wavering in their faith, they did not put them to death, but sent them to the galleys, to be made converts by dint of hardships. The most cruel persecutors upon this occasion that attended the Duke were three in number, viz. One, Thomas Inchamel, an apostate, for he was brought up in the reformed religion, but renounced his faith, embraced the errors of potpourri, and turned monk. He was a great libertine, given to unnatural crimes, and sordidly solicitous for plunder of the wall-denses. Two, Corbis, a man of a very ferocious and cruel nature, whose business was to examine the prisoners. Three, the provost of justice, who was very anxious for the execution of the wall-denses, as every execution put money in his pocket. These three persons were unmerciful to the last degree, and wherever they came the blood of the innocent was sure to flow. Exclusive of these cruelty exercised by the Duke, by these three persons and the army in their different marches, many local barbarities were committed. At Pignuol, a town in the valleys, was a monastery, the monks of which, finding they might injure the reform with impunity, began to plunder the houses and pull down the churches of the wall-denses. Without meeting with any opposition, they seized upon the persons of those unhappy people, murdering the men, confining the women, and putting the children to Roman Catholic nurses. The Roman Catholic inhabitants of the Valley of St. Martin, likewise, did all they could to torment the laboring wall-denses. They destroyed their churches, burnt their houses, seized their properties, stole their cattle, converted their lands to their own use, committed their ministers to the flames, and drove the wall-denses to the woods, where they had nothing to subsist on but wild roots, the bark of trees, etc. Some Roman Catholic Ruffians having seized the minister as he was going to preach, determined to take him to a convenient place and burn him. His parishioners, having intelligence of this affair, the men armed themselves, pursued the Ruffians, and seemed determined to rescue their minister, which the Ruffians no sooner perceived than they stabbed the poor gentleman, and leaving him weltering in his blood, made a precipitate retreat. The astonished parishioners did all they could to recover him, but in vain, for the weapon had touched the vital parts, and he expired as they were carrying him home. The monks of Pignuol, having a great inclination to get the minister of a town in the valleys, called Saint Germain, into their power, hired a band of Ruffians for the purpose of apprehending him. These fellows were conducted by a treacherous person, who had formerly been a servant to the clergyman, and who perfectly well knew a secret way to the house, by which he could lead them without alarming the neighbourhood. The guide knocked at the door, and being asked who was there, answered in his own name. The clergyman, not expecting any injury from a person on whom he had heaped favours, immediately opened the door, but perceiving the Ruffians, he started back and fled to a back door, but they rushed in, followed and seized him. Having murdered all his family, they made him proceed towards Pignuol, goading him all the way with pikes, lances, swords, etc. He was kept a considerable time in prison, and then fastened to the stake to be burnt. When two women of the world entered, who had renounced their religion to save their lives, were ordered to carry faggots to the stake to burn him, and as they laid them down to say, Take these, thou wicked heretic, in recompense for the pernicious doctrines thou hast taught us. Those words they both repeated to him, to which he calmly replied, I formerly taught you well, but you have since learned ill. The fire was then put to the faggots, and he was speedily consumed, calling upon the name of the Lord, as long as his voice permitted. As the troops of Ruffians, belonging to the monks, did great mischief about the town of Sanjuman, murdering and plundering many of the inhabitants, the reformed of Lucerne and Anguon sent some bands of armed men to the assistance of the brethren of Sanjuman. These bodies of armed men frequently attacked the Ruffians, and often put them to rout, which so terrified the monks that they left the monastery of Pinual for some time, until they could procure a body of regular troops to guard them. The Duke, not thinking himself so successful as he at first imagined he should be, greatly augmented his forces. He ordered the bands of Ruffians belonging to the monks to join him, and commanded that a general jail delivery should take place, providing the persons released would bear arms and form themselves into light companies to assist in the extermination of the Woldenses. The Woldenses, being informed of the proceedings, secured as much of their properties as they could, and quitted the valleys, retired to the rocks and caves among the Alps, for it is to be understood that the valleys of Piedmont are situated at the foot of those prodigious mountains called the Alps, or the Alpine Hills. The army now began to plunder and burn the towns and villages wherever they came, but the troops could not force the passes to the Alps, which were gallantly defended by the Woldenses, who were always repulsed their enemies, but if any fell into the hands of the troops, they were sure to be treated with the most barbarous severity. A soldier, having caught one of the Woldenses, bit his right ear off, saying, I will carry this member of that wicked heretic with me into my own country, and preserve it as a verity. He then stabbed the man and threw him into a ditch. A party of the troops found a venerable man, upwards of a hundred years of age, together with his granddaughter, a maiden of about eighteen, in a cave. They butchered the poor old man in the most inhuman manner, and then attempted to ravish the girl, when she started away and fled from them, but they, pursuing her, she threw herself from a precipice and perished. In order, the more effectually to be able to repel force by force, entered into a league with the Protestant powers of Germany, and with the reformed of Dalfany and Pagela. These were respectively to furnish bodies of troops, and the Woldenses determined, when thus reinforced, to quit the mountains of the Alps, where they must soon have perished as the winter was coming on, and to force the Duke's army to evacuate their native valleys. The Duke of Savoy was now tired of the war. It had cost him great fatigue and anxiety of mind, a vast number of men, and very considerable sums of money. It had been much more tedious and bloody than he expected, as well as more expensive than he could at first have imagined, for he thought the plunder would have discharged the expenses of the expedition, but in this he was mistaken. For the Pope's nuncio, the bishops, monks, and other ecclesiastics who attended the army and encouraged the war, sunk the greatest part of the wealth that was taken under various pretenses. For these reasons, and the death of his duchess, of which he had just received intelligence, and fearing that the Woldenses, by the treaties they had entered into, would become more powerful than ever, he determined to return to Turin with his army, and to make peace with the Woldenses. This resolution he executed, though greatly against the will of the ecclesiastics who were the chief gainers, and the best pleased with revenge. Before the Articles of Peace could be ratified, the Duke himself died, soon after his return to Turin, but on his deathbed he strictly enjoined his son to perform what he intended, and to be as favourable as possible to the Woldenses. The Duke's son, Charles Emmanuel, succeeded to the dominions of Savoy, and gave a full ratification of peace to the Woldenses, according to the last injunctions of his father, though the ecclesiastics did all they could to persuade him to the contrary. CHAPTER 6 An Account of the Persecutions in Italy, under the Papacy, Part 3 An Account of the Persecutions in Venice While the State of Venice was free from inquisitors, a great number of Protestants fixed their residence there, and many converts were made by the purity of the doctrines they professed, and the inoffensiveness of the conversations they used. The Pope, being informed of the great increase of Protestantism in the year 1542, sent inquisitors to Venice to make an inquiry into the matter, and apprehend such as they might deem obnoxious persons. Hence a severe persecution began, and many worthy persons were martyred for serving God with purity, and scorning the trappings of idolatry. Various were the modes by which the Protestants were deprived of life, but one particular method which was first invented upon this occasion we shall describe. As soon as the sentence was passed the prisoner had an iron chain which ran through a great stone fastened to his body. He was then laid flat upon a plank with his face upwards, and rode between two boats to a certain distance at sea, when the two boats separated and he was sunk to the bottom by the weight of the stone. If any denied the jurisdiction of the inquisitors of Venice they were sent to Rome, where being committed purposely to damp prisons, I never called to a hearing their flesh mortified and they died miserably in jail. A citizen of Venice, Antonio Ricchetti, being apprehended as a Protestant, was sentenced to be drowned in the manner we have already described. A few days previous to the time appointed for his execution his son went to see him, and begged him to recant that his life might be saved, and himself not left fatherless. To which the father replied, a good Christian is bound to relinquish not only goods and children but life itself for the glory of his Redeemer. Therefore I am resolved to sacrifice everything in this transitory world for the sake of salvation in a world that will last to eternity. The lords of Venice likewise sent him word, that if he would embrace the Roman Catholic religion they would not only give him his life but redeem a considerable estate which he had mortgaged, and freely present him with it. This however he absolutely refused to comply with, sending word to the nobles that he valued his soul beyond all other considerations, and being told that a fellow prisoner named Francis Sega had recanted, he answered, if he has forsaken God I pity him, but I shall continue steadfast in my duty. Finding all endeavors to persuade him to renounce his faith ineffectual, he was executed according to his sentence, dying cheerfully, and recommending his soul fervently to the Almighty. What Riketti had been told concerning the apostasy of Francis Sega was absolutely false, for he had never offered to recant, but steadfastly persisted in his faith, and was executed a few days after Riketti in the very same manner. Francis Spinola, a Protestant gentleman of very great learning, being apprehended by order of the inquisitors, was carried before their tribunal. A treatise on the Lord's supper was then put into his hands, and he was asked if he knew the author of it. To which he replied, I confess myself to be the author of it, and at the same time solemnly affirm there's not a line in it but what is authorized by and consonant to the holy scriptures. On this confession he was committed close prisoner to a dungeon for several days. Being brought to a second examination he charged the Pope's legate and the inquisitors with being merciless barbarians, and then represented the superstitions and idolatry practiced by the Church of Rome in so glaring a light, that not being able to refute his arguments they sent him back to his dungeon, to make him repent of what he had said. On his third examination they asked him if he would recant his error, to which he answered that the doctrines he maintained were not erroneous, being purely the same as those which Christ and his apostles had taught, and which were handed down to us in the sacred writings. The inquisitors then sentenced him to be drowned, which was executed in the manner already described. He went to meet death with the utmost serenity, seemed to wish for the dissolution, and declaring that the prologation of his life did but tend to retard that real happiness which could only be expected in the world to come. An account of several different remarkable individuals were martyred in different parts of Italy on account of their religion. John Molius was born at Rome of reputable parents. At 12 years of age they placed him in the monastery of Gray Friars, where he made such a rapid progress in arts, sciences, and languages that at 18 years of age he was permitted to take priests' orders. He was then sent to Ferrara, where, after pursuing his studies six years longer, he was made theological reader in the university of that city. He now unhappily exerted his great talents to disguise the gospel truths, and to varnish over the error of the Church of Rome. After some years' residence in Ferrara he moved to the University of Bohonia, where he became a professor, having read some treatises written by ministers of the Reform Religion, he grew fully sensible of the errors of Popory, and soon became as Ellis Protestant in his heart. He now determined to expound, accordingly, to the purity of the gospel, St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans, in a regular course of sermons. The concourse of people that continually attended his preaching was surprising, but when the priests found the tenor of his doctrines they dispatched an account of the affair to Rome. When the Pope sent a monk named Cornelius to Bohonia to expound the same epistle according to the tenets of the Church of Rome, the people, however, found such a disparity between the two preachers that the audience of Molius increased, and Cornelius was forced to preach to empty benches. Cornelius wrote an account of his bad success to the Pope, who immediately sent an order to apprehend Molius, who was seized upon accordingly and kept in close confinement. The bishop of Bohonia sent him word that he must recant or be burnt, but he appealed to Rome and was removed hither. At Rome he begged to have a public trial, but that the Pope absolutely denied him, and commanded him to give an account of his opinions in writing, which he did under the following heads. Original sin, free will, the infallibility of the Church of Rome, the infallibility of the Pope, justification by faith, purgatory, transubstantiation, mass, oricular confession, prayers for the dead, the host, prayers for saints, going on pilgrimages, extreme unction, performing services in an unknown town, et cetera, et cetera. All these he confirmed from scripture authority. The Pope, upon this occasion, for political reasons, spared him for the present, but soon after had him apprehended and put to death. He being first hanged and his body burned to ashes, A.D. 1553. The year after Francis Gamba, a lombard of the Protestant persuasion, was apprehended and condemned to death by the Senate of Milan. At the place of execution a monk presented across to him, to whom he said, my mind is so full of the real merits and goodness of Christ, that I want not a piece of senseless stick to put me in mind of him. For this expression his tongue was bored through, and it was afterward burnt. A.D. 1555. Algirius, a student in the University of Padua, and a man of great learning, having embraced the reformed religion, did all he could to convert others. For these proceedings he was accused of heresy to the Pope, and being apprehended was commended to the prison at Venice. The Pope, being informed of Algirius' great learning, and surprising natural abilities, thought it would be of infinite service to the Church of Rome if he could induce him to forsake the Protestant cause. He therefore sent for him to Rome, and tried by the most profane promises, to win him to his purpose. But finding his endeavors ineffectual he ordered him to be burnt, which sentence was executed accordingly. A.D. 1559. John, Ellussoius, being sent from Geneva to preach in Calabria, was there apprehended as a Protestant, carried to Rome and burnt by order of the Pope. And James Vovellius, for the same reason, was burnt at Messina. A.D. 1560. Pope Pius IV ordered all the Protestants to be severely persecuted throughout the Italian states, when great numbers of every age, sex, and condition suffered martyrdom. Concerning the cruelty's practice upon this occasion, a learned and humane Roman Catholic thus spoke of them in a letter to a noble Lord. I cannot, my Lord, for bear disclosing my sentiments with respect to the persecution now carrying on. I think it cruel and unnecessary. I tremble at the manner of putting to death, as it resembles more the slaughter of calves and sheep than the execution of human beings. I will relate to your Lordship a dreadful scene, of which I was myself an eyewitness. Seventy Protestants were cooped up in one filthy dungeon together. The executioner went in among them, picked out one from among the rest, blindfolded him, led him to an open place before the prison and cut his throat with the greatest composure. He then calmly walked into the prison again, bloody as he was, and with a knife in his hand selected another, and dispatched him in the same manner. And this, my Lord, he repeated until the whole number was put to death. I leave it on your Lordship's feelings to judge of my sensations upon this occasion. My tears now wash the paper upon which I give you the recital. Another thing I must mention, the patience which they met death. They seemed all resignation and piety, fervently praying to God and cheerfully encountering their fate. I cannot reflect without shuddering how the executioner held the bloody knife between his teeth, what a dreadful figure he appeared, all covered with blood, and with what unconcern he executed his barbarous office. A young Englishman who happened to be at Rome was one day passing by a church when the procession of the host was just coming out. A bishop carried the host, which the young man perceiving. He snatched it from him, threw it upon the ground, and trampled it under his feet, crying out, you wretched idolaters, who neglect the true God to adore most of the bread. This action so provoked the people that they would have torn him to pieces on the spot. But the priest persuaded them to let him abide by the sentence of the pope. When the affair was presented to the pope, he was so greatly exasperated that he ordered the prisoner to be burnt immediately. But a cardinal dissuaded him from this hasty sentence, saying that it was better to punish him by slow degrees and to torture him, that they might find out if he'd been instigated by any particular person to commit, so atrocious an act. This being approved, he was tortured with the most exemplary severity, notwithstanding which they could only get these words from him. It was the will of God that I should do as I did. The pope then passed this sentence upon him. One, that he should be led by the executioner naked to the middle through the streets of Rome. Two, that he should wear the image of the devil upon his head. Three, that his breeches should be painted with the representation of flames. Four, that he should have his right hand cut off. Five, that after having been carried about thus in the procession, he should be burnt. When he heard this sentence pronounced, he implored God to give him strength and fortitude to go through it. As he passed through the streets, he was greatly derided by the people, to whom he said some severe things respecting the Romani superstition. But a cardinal who attended the procession overhearing him ordered him to be gagged. When he came to the church door where he trampled on the host, the hangman cut off his right hand and fixed it to a post. Then two tormentors with flaming torches scorched and burned his flesh all the rest of the way. At the place of execution, he kissed the chains that were to bind him to the stake. A monk presenting the figure of a saint to him, he struck it aside, and then being chained to the stake, fire was put to the faggots, and he was soon burnt to ashes. A little after the last mentioned execution, a venerable old man, who had long been a prisoner in the inquisition, was condemned to be burnt and brought out for execution. When he was fastened to the stake, a priest held a crucifix to him, on which he said, if you do not take that idol from my sight, you will constrain me to spit upon it. The priest rebuked him for this with great severity, but he bade him remember the first and second commandments and refrain from idolatry, as God himself had commanded. He was then gagged that he should not speak anymore. The fire being put to the faggots, he suffered martyrdom in the flames. An account of the persecutions in the Marquisate of Saluses. The Marquisate of Saluses on the south side of the valleys of Piedmont was in AD 1561, principally inhabited by Protestants. When the Marquis, who was proprietor of it, began a persecution against them at the instigation of the people, of the Pope, he began by banishing the ministers, and if any of them refused to leave their flocks, they were sure to be imprisoned and severely tortured. However, he did not proceed so far as to put them to death. Soon after the Marquisate fell into possession of the Duke of Savoy, who sent circular letters to all the towns and villages that he expected people should all conform to go to mass. The inhabitants of the Saluses, upon receiving this letter, returned a general epistle in answer. The Duke, after reading the letter, did not interrupt the Protestants for some time, but at length he sent them worried that they must either conform to the mass or leave his dominions in 15 days. The Protestants, upon this unexpected edict, sent a deputy the Duke to obtain his revocation, or at least have it moderated, but their remonstrances were in vain, and they were given to understand that the edict was absolute. Some were weak enough to go to mass in order to avoid banishment and preserve their property. Others removed with all their effects to different countries. And many neglected the time so long they were obliged to abandon all they were worth and leave the Marquisate in haste. Those who unhappily stayed behind were seized, plundered, and put to death. End of Chapter 6, Part 3, Recording by Vaughan Ollman v-o-n-s-t-a-k-e-s.blogspot.com Chapter 6, Part 4, of Fox's Book of Martyrs, Volume 1. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information, or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org, recording by Andrew Coleman. This is Book of Martyrs, Volume 1, by John Fox, edited by William Byron Forbush, Chapter 6, An Account of the Persecutions in Italy, under the Papacy, Part 4. An Account of the Persecutions in the Valleys of Piedmont in the 17th Century. Pope Clement VIII sent missionaries into the Valleys of Piedmont to induce the Protestants to renounce their religion, and these missionaries, having corrected monasteries in several parts of the Valleys, became exceedingly troublesome to those of the Reformed, where the monasteries appeared, not only as fortresses to curb, but as sanctuaries for all such to fly to, as had any ways injured them. The Protestants petitioned the Duke of Savoy against these missionaries, whose insolence and ill-usage were become intolerable. But instead of getting any redress, the interest of the missionaries so far prevailed that the Duke published a decree in which he declared that one witness should be sufficient in a court of law against a Protestant, and that any witness who convicted a Protestant of any crime whatever should be entitled to one hundred crowns. It may be easily imagined, upon the publication of a decree of this nature, that many Protestants fell martyrs to perjury and avarice, for several villainous papists would swear anything against the Protestants for the sake of the reward, and then fly to their own priests for absolution from their false oaths. If any Roman Catholic, of more conscience than the rest, claimed these fellows for their atrocious crimes, they themselves were in danger of being informed against and punished as favourers of heretics. The missionaries did all they could to get the books of the Protestants into their hands in order to burn them. When the Protestants doing their utmost endeavours to conceal their books, the missionaries wrote to the Duke of Savoy, who for the heinous crime of not surrendering their Bibles, prayer books and religious treatises, sent a number of troops to be courted on them. These military gentry did great mischief in the houses of the Protestants, and destroyed such quantities of provisions that many families were thereby ruined. To encourage as much as possible the apostasy of the Protestants, the Duke of Savoy published a proclamation wherein he said, to encourage the heretics to turn Catholics, it is our will and pleasure, and we do hereby expressly command, that all such as shall embrace the holy Roman Catholic faith, shall enjoy an exemption from all and every tax for the space of five years, commencing from the day of their conversion. The Duke of Savoy likewise established a court called the Council for Exterpating their Heretics. This court was to enter into inquiries concerning the ancient privileges of the Protestant churches, and the decrees which had been, from time to time, made in favour of the Protestants. But the investigation of these things was carried on with most manifest partiality. Old charters were arrested to a wrong sense, and sophistry was used to pervert the meaning of everything which tended to favour the Reformed. As if these severities were not sufficient, the Duke soon after published another edict, in which he strictly commanded that no Protestant should act as a schoolmaster or tutor, either in public or private, or dare to teach any art, science or language, directly or indirectly, to persons of any persuasion whatever. This edict was immediately followed by another, which decreed that no Protestant should hold any place of prophet, trust or honour, and to wind up the whole, the certain token of an approaching persecution came forth in a final edict, by which he was positively ordered that all Protestants should diligently attend mass. The publication of an edict containing such an injunction may be compared to unfurling the bloody flag, for murder and rapine were sure to follow. One of the first objects that attracted the notice of the Papists was Mr. Sebastian Bazan, a zealous Protestant, who was seized by the missionaries, confined, tormented for fifteen months, and then burnt. Previous to the persecution, the missionaries employed kidnappers to steal away the Protestant children, that they might privately be brought up Roman Catholics. But now they took away the children by open force, and if they met with any resistance, they murdered the parents. To give greater vigour to the persecution, the Duke of Savoy called a general assembly of the Roman Catholic nobility and gentry, when a solemn edict was published against the Reformed, containing many heads, and including several reasons for extirpating the Protestants, among which were the following. One, for the preservation of the papal authority. Two, that the church livings may be all under one mode of government. Three, to make a union among all parties. Four, in honour of all the saints, and of the ceremonies of the Church of Rome. This severe edict was followed by a most cruel order, published on January 25th, AD 1655, under the Duke Sanction, by Andrew Gasteldo, Doctor of Civil Laws. This order set forth that every head of a family, with the individuals of that family, of the Reformed religion, of what rank, degree, or condition so ever, none accepted, inhabiting and possessing estates in Lucerne, St. Giovanni, Bibiana, Campaglione, St. Secundo, Lucanetta, Latore, Finile, and Britcherasio, should, within three days after the publication thereof, withdraw and depart, and be withdrawn out of the said places, and translated into the places and limits tolerated by His Highness during His pleasure, particularly Bobbio, Angrogne, Vilario, Rorata, and the Countia Bonetti. And all this to be done on pain of death, and confiscation of house and goods, unless within the limited time they turned Roman Catholics. A flight with such speed, in the midst of winter, may be conceived as no agreeable task, especially in a country almost surrounded by mountains. The sudden order affected all, and things, which would have been scarcely noticed at another time, now appeared in the most conspicuous light. Women with child, or women just laying in, were not objects of pity on this order for sudden removal, for all were included in the command, and it unfortunately happened that the winter was remarkably severe and rigorous. The papists, however, drove the people from their habitations at the time appointed, without even suffering them to have sufficient clothes to cover them, and many perished in the mountains through the severity of the weather, or for want of food. Some, however, who remained behind after the decree was published, met with the severest treatment, being murdered by the Popish inhabitants, or shot by the troops who were quartered in the valleys. A particular description of these cruelties is given in a letter written by a Protestant, who was upon the spot, and who happily escaped the carnage. The army, says he, having got footing, became very numerous by the addition of a multitude of the neighbouring Popish inhabitants, who finding we were the destined prey of the plunderers, fell upon us with an impetuous fury. Exclusive of the Duke of Savoy's troops, and the Popish inhabitants, there were several regiments of French auxiliaries, some companies belonging to the Irish brigades, and several bands formed of outlaws, smugglers, and prisoners, who had been promised pardon and liberty in this world, and absolution in the next, for assisting to exterminate the Protestants from Piedmont. This armed multitude being encouraged by the Roman Catholic bishops and monks fell upon the Protestants in a most furious manner. Nothing now was to be seen, but the face of horror and despair, bloodstained the floors of the houses, dead bodies bestrew the streets, groans and cries were heard from all parts, some armed themselves, and skirmished with the troops, and many with their families fled to the mountains. In one village they cruelly tormented one hundred and fifty women and children after the men were fled, beheading the women, and dashing out the brains of the children. In the towns of Villario and Bobbio, most of those who refused to go to Mass, who were upwards of fifteen years of age, they crucified with their heads downwards, and the greatest number of those who were under that age were strangled. Sarah Ratiknoll Devine, a woman of sixty years of age, being seized by some soldiers, they ordered her to say a prayer to some saints, which she refusing, they thrust a sickle into her belly, ripped her up, and then cut off her head. Martha Constantine, a handsome young woman, was treated with great indecency and cruelty by several of the troops who first ravished, and then killed her by cutting off her breasts. These they fried, and set before some of their comrades who ate them without knowing what they were. When they had done eating, the others told them what they had made a meal of, in consequence of which a quarrel ensued, swords were drawn, and a battle took place. Several were killed in the fray, the greater part of whom were those concerned in the horrid massacre of the woman, and who had practised such an inhuman deception on their companions. Some of the soldiers seized a man of Thracenia, and ran the points of their swords through his ears and through his feet. They then tore off the nails of his fingers and toes with red-hot pincers, tied him to the tail of an ass, and dragged him above the streets. They finally fastened a cord around his head, which they twisted with a stick in so violent a manner as to wring it from his body. Peter Simmons, a Protestant, of about eighty years of age, was tied neck and heels, and then thrown down a precipice. In the fall the branch of a tree caught hold of the ropes that fastened him, and suspended him in the midway, so that he languished for several days, and at length miserably perished of hunger. Jose Garcino, refusing to renounce his religion, was cut into small pieces. The soldiers in ridicule saying they had minced him. A woman, named Armand, had every limb separated from each other, and then the respective parts were hung upon a hedge. Two old women were ripped open, and then left in the fields upon the snow where they perished, and a very old woman, who was deformed, had her nose and hands cut off, and was left to bleed to death in that manner. A great number of men, women and children, were flung from the rocks and dashed to pieces. Magdalen Bertino, a Protestant woman of Latore, was stripped stark naked, her head tied between her legs, and thrown down one of the precipices. At Mary Raymonde, of the same town, had the flesh sliced from her bones until she expired. Magdalen Pilate, of Vilario, was cut to pieces in the cave of Castellus. Anne Charbonnier had one end of her stake thrust up her body, and the other being fixed in the ground, she was left in that manner to perish. And Jacob Perrin, the elder of the Church of Vilario, and David, his brother, were flayed alive. An inhabitant of Latore, named Giovanni Andrea Michielm, was apprehended with four of his children. Three of them were hacked to pieces before him. The soldiers asking him at the death of every child if he would renounce his religion. This he constantly refused. One of the soldiers then took up the last and youngest by the legs, and putting the same question to the father, he replied as before, when the inhuman brute dashed out the child's brains. The father, however, at the same moment started from them and fled. The soldiers fired after him, but missed him. And he, by the swiftness of his heels, escaped and hid himself in the Alps. End of Chapter 6, Part 4 Chapter 6, Part 5 of Fox's Book of Martyrs, Volume 1 This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Andrew Coleman Fox's Book of Martyrs, Volume 1 by John Fox, edited by William Byron Forbush. Chapter 6, A Narrative of the Petmonty's War, Part 5 Further persecutions in the valleys of Petmont in the 17th century. Giovanni Pelancion, for refusing to turn papest, was tied by one leg to the tail of a mule and dragged through the streets of Lucerne, amidst the acclamations of an inhuman mob who kept stoning him and crying out, he is possessed with the devil so that neither stoning nor dragging him through the streets will kill him, for the devil keeps him alive. They then took him to the riverside, chopped off his head and left that and his body unburied upon the bank of the stream. Magdalene, the daughter of Peter Fontaine, a beautiful child of ten years of age, was ravished and murdered by the soldiers. Another girl of about the same age, they roasted alive at Villanova and a poor woman, hearing that the soldiers were coming toward her house, snatched up the creedle in which her infant son was asleep and fled toward the woods. The soldiers, however, saw and pursued her. When she lightened herself by putting down the creedle and child, which the soldiers no sooner came to, then they murdered the infant and continued the pursuit from the mother in a cave where they first ravished and then cut her to pieces. Jacob Michelino, chief elder of the Church of Bobbio and several other Protestants were hung up by means of hooks fixed in their bellies and left to expire in the most excruciating tortures. Giovanni Rastagnale, a venerable Protestant, upwards of four score years of age, had his nose and ears cut off and slices cut from the fleshy parts of his body until he bled to death. Seven persons, Viz Daniel Siliagio and his wife, Giovanni Durant, Lodwich Durant, Bartholomew Durant, Daniel Revelle and Paul Reno, had their mouths stuffed with gunpowder, which being set fire to, their heads were blown to pieces. Jacob Bironi, a schoolmaster of Rorata, for refusing to change his religion, was stripped quite naked and after having been very indecently exposed, had the nails of his toes and fingers torn off with red-hot pincers and holes bored through his hands with the point of a dagger. He then had a cord tied round his middle and was led through the streets with a soldier on each side of him. At every turning, the soldier on his right hand side cut a gash in his flesh and the soldier on his left hand side struck him with a bludgeon, both saying at the same instant, will you go to mass? Will you go to mass? He still replied in the negative to these interrogatories and being at length taken to the bridge, they cut off his head on the balustrades and threw both that and his body into the river. Paul Garnier, a very pious Protestant, had his eyes put out, was then fled alive and being divided into four parts, his quarters were placed on four of the principal houses of Lucerne. He bore all his sufferings with the most exemplary patience, praised God as long as he could speak and plainly evinced what confidence and resignation a good conscience can inspire. Daniel Cardone of Roca Piatta, being apprehended by some soldiers, they cut his head off and having fried his brains eight of them. Two poor old blind women of St. Giovanni were burnt alive at a widow of Latore with her daughter were driven into the river and their stoned to death. Paul Giles, on attempting to run away from some soldiers, was shot in the neck. They then slit his nose, sliced his chin, stabbed him, and gave his carcass to the dogs. Some of the Irish troops, having taken eleven men of Garchigliana prisoners, they made a furnace red hot and forced them to push each other in until they came to the last man, whom they pushed in themselves. Michael Gone, a man of ninety, was burnt to death. Baptista Udri, another old man, was stabbed and Bartholomew Frascia had holes made in his heels through which ropes were put. Then he was dragged by them to the jail where his wounds mortified and killed him. Magdalene de la Piaire, being pursued by some of the soldiers and taken, was thrown down a precipice and dashed to pieces. Margaret Revella and Mary Pravellerin, two very old women, were burnt alive and Michael Bellino, with Anne Bachardino, were beheaded. The son and the daughter of a counsellor of Giovanni were rolled down a steep hill together and suffered to perish in a deep pit at the bottom. A treatment's family, Viz himself, his wife and an infant in her arms, were cast from a rock and dashed to pieces and Joseph Cere and Porcaniero were fled alive. Cipriana Bustia, being asked if he would renounce his religion and turn Roman Catholic, replied, I would rather renounce life or turn dog, to which a priest answered, for that expression, you shall both renounce life and be given to the dogs. They accordingly dragged him to prison where he continued a considerable time without food until he was famished. After which they threw his corpse into the street before the prison and it was devoured by dogs in the most shocking manner. Margaret Saretta was stoned to death and then thrown into the river. Antonio Bartina had his head cleft asunder and Joseph Ponte was cut through the middle of his body. Daniel Maria and his whole family, being ill of a fever, several papist ruffians broke into his house telling him they were practical physicians and would give them all present ease which they did by knocking the whole family on the head. Three infant children of a Protestant named Peter Fine were covered with snow and stifled. An elderly widow named Judith was beheaded and a beautiful young woman was stripped naked and had a stake driven through her body of which she expired. Lucy, the wife of Peter Besson, a woman far gone in her pregnancy who lived in one of the villages of the Piedmontese valleys determined if possible to escape from such dreadful scenes as everywhere surrounded her. She accordingly took two young children, one in each hand and set off towards the Alps. But on the third day of the journey she was taken in labor among the mountains and delivered of an infant who perished through the extreme inclemency of the weather as did the two other children. Rule three were found dead by her and herself just expiring by the person to whom she related the above particulars. Francis Grohl, the son of the clergyman had his flesh slowly cut from his body into small pieces and put into a dish before him. Two of his children were minced before his sight and his wife was fastened to a post that she might behold all these cruelties practised on her husband and offspring. The tormentors at length, being tired of exercising their cruelties, cut off the heads of both husband and wife and then gave the flesh of the whole family to the dogs. The seer Thomas Marga fled to a cave when the soldiers shut up the mouth and he perished with famine. Judith Revelyn and seven children were barbarously murdered in their beds and a widow of near four-score years of age was hewn to pieces by soldiers. Jacob Rezino was ordered to pray to the saints which he absolutely refused to do. Some of the soldiers beat him violently with bludgeons to make him comply but he's still refusing. Several of them fired at him and lodged a great many balls in his body. As he was almost expiring they cried to him, will you call upon the saints? Will you pray to the saints? To which he answered, no, no, no. When one of the soldiers with a broadsword clove his head asunder and put an end to his sufferings in this world for which undoubtedly he is gloriously rewarded in the next. A soldier attempting to ravish a young woman named Susanna Gakwin, she made a stout resistance and in the struggle pushed him over a precipice when he was dashed to pieces by the fall. His comrades, instead of admiring the virtue of the young woman and applauding her for so nobly defendicat chastity, fell upon her with their swords and cut her to pieces. Giovanni Pulhos, a poor peasant of Latore being apprehended as a Protestant by the soldiers was ordered by the Marquess of Pianesta to be executed in a place near the Convent. When he came to the gallows, several monks attended and did all they could to persuade him to renounce his religion. But he told them he never would embrace idolatry and that he was happy at being thought worthy to suffer for the name of Christ. They then put him in mind of what his wife and children who depended upon his labour would suffer after his decease. To which he replied, I would have my wife and children as well as myself to consider their souls more than their bodies and the next world before this. And with respect to the distress I may leave them in, God is merciful and will provide for them while they are worthy of his protection. Finding the inflexibility of this poor man, the monks cried, turn him off, turn him off! Which the executioner did almost immediately and the body being afterward cut down was flung into the river. Paul Clement, an elder of the church of Versana being apprehended by the monks of a neighbouring monastery was carried to the market place of that town where some Protestants had just been executed by the soldiers. He was shown the dead bodies in order that the site might intimidate him. On beholding the shocking subjects, he said calmly, you may kill the body, but you cannot prejudice the soul of a true believer. But with respect to the dreadful spectacles which you have here shown me, you may rest assured that God's vengeance will overtake the murderers of those poor people and punish them for the innocent blood they have spilled. The monks were so exasperated at this reply that they ordered him to be hanged directly. And while he was hanging, the soldiers amused themselves in standing at a distance and shooting at the body as at a mark. Daniel Rambo of Vilario, the father of a numerous family was apprehended and with several others committed to prison in the jail of Pesana. Here he was visited by several priests who with continual importunities did all they could to persuade him to renounce the Protestant religion and turn papist. But this he peremptorily refused and the priests finding his resolution pretended to pity his numerous family and told him that he might yet have his life if he would subscribe to the belief of the following articles. One, the real presence of the host. Two, transubstantiation. Three, purgatory. Four, the pope's infallibility. Five, that masses said for the dead will release souls from purgatory. Six, that praying to saints will procure the remission of sins. Monsieur Rambo told the priests that neither his religion, his understanding nor his conscience would suffer him to subscribe to any of the articles for the following reasons. One, that to believe the real presence in the host is a shocking union of both blasphemy and idolatry. Two, that to fancy the words of consecration perform what the papists call transubstantiation by converting the wafer and wine into the real and identical body and blood of Christ which was crucified and which afterward ascended into heaven is too gross an absurdity for even a child to believe there was come to the least glimmering of reason and that nothing but the most blind superstition could make the Roman Catholics put a confidence in anything so completely ridiculous. Three, that the doctrine of purgatory was more inconsistent and absurd than a fairy tale. Four, that the pope's being infallible was an impossibility and the pope arrogantly laid claim to what could belong to God only as a perfect being. Five, that saying masses for the dead was ridiculous and only meant to keep up a belief in the fable of purgatory as the fate of all is finally decided on the departure of the soul from the body. Six, that praying to saints for the remission of sins is misplacing adoration as the saints themselves have occasioned for an intercessor in Christ. Therefore, as God only can pardon our errors we ought to sue to him alone for pardon. The priests were so highly offended of Monsieur Rambo's answers to the articles to which they would have had him subscribe that they determined to shake his resolution by the most cruel method imaginable. They ordered one joint of his finger to be cut off every day until all his fingers were gone. They then proceeded in the same manner with his toes. Afterward they alternately cut off daily a hand and a foot. But finding that he bore his sufferings for the most admirable patience increased both in fortitude and resignation and maintained his faith with steadfast resolution and unshaken constancy they stabbed him to the heart and then gave his body to be devoured by the dogs. Peter Gabriola, a Protestant gentleman of considerable eminence being seized by a troop of soldiers and refusing to renounce his religion they hung a great number of little bags of gunpowder about his body and then setting fire to them blew him up. Anthony, the son of Samuel Cataeris a poor dumb lad who was extremely inoffensive was cut to pieces by a party of the troops and soon after the same ruffians entered the house of Peter Moniriatt and cut off the legs of the whole family leaving them to bleed to death as they were unable to assist themselves or to help each other. Daniel Benech, being apprehended had his nose slit his ears cut off and was then divided into quarters each quarter being hung upon a tree and Mary Menino had her jawbones broke and was then left to anguish till she was famished. Mary Palantian, a handsome widow belonging to the town of Vilario was seized by a party of the Irish Brigades who having beat her cruelly and ravished her dragged her to a high bridge which crossed the river and stripped her naked in a most indecent manner hung her by the legs to the bridge with her head downwards towards the water and then going into boats they fired at her until she expired. Mary Negrino and her daughter who was an idiot were cut to pieces in the woods and their bodies left to be devoured by wild beasts. Susanna Bales, a widow of Vilario was immured until she perished through hunger and Susanna Calvio running away from some soldiers and hiding herself in a barn they set fire to the straw and burned her. Port Armand was hacked pieces. A child named Daniel Bertino was burnt. Daniel Michielino had his tongue plucked out and was left to perish in that condition and Andrea Bertino, a very old man who was lame was mangled in a most shocking manner and at length had his belly ripped open and his bowels carried about on the point of a whole butt. Constantia Bellione, a Protestant lady being apprehended on account of her faith was asked by a priest if she would renounce the devil and go to mass. To which she replied, I was brought up in a religion by which I was always taught to renounce the devil. But should I comply with your desire and go to mass, I should be sure to meet him there in a variety of shapes. The priest was highly incensed at what she said and told her to recant or she would suffer cruelly. The lady, however, boldly answered that she valued not any sufferings he could inflict and in spite of all the torments he could invent she would keep her conscience pure and her faith inviolate. The priest then ordered slices of her flesh to be cut off from several parts of her body which cruelty she bore with the most singular patience only saying to the priest, what horrid and lasting torments will you suffer in hell for her trifling and temporary pains which I now endure. Exasperated at this expression and willing to stop her tongue the priest ordered her file of musketeers to draw up and fire upon her by which she was soon dispatched and sealed her martyrdom with her blood. A young woman named Judith Mandon for refusing to change her religion and embrace papery was fastened to a stake and sticks thrown at her from a distance in the very same manner as that barbarous custom which was formally practised on Shrove Tuesday of shying at rocks as it was termed. By this inhuman proceeding the poor creature's limbs were beat and mangled in a terrible manner and her brains were at last dashed out by one of the bludgeons. David Paglia and Paul Genre attempting to escape to the Alps with each his son were pursued and overtaken by the soldiers in a large plain. Here they hunted them for their diversion goading them with their swords and making them run about until they dropped down with fatigue when they found that their spirits were quite exhausted and that they could not afford them any more barbarous sport by running the soldiers hacked them to pieces and left their mangled bodies on the spot. A young man of Bobbio named Michael Grieve was apprehended in the town of La Torre and being led to the bridge was thrown over into the river. As he could swim very well he swam down the stream thinking to escape but the soldiers and the mob followed on both sides of the river and kept stoning him until receiving a blow on one of his temples he was stunned and consequently sunk and was drowned. David Armand was ordered to lay his head down on a block when a soldier with a large hammer beat out his brains. David Baridona being apprehended at Villario was carried to La Torre where refusing to renounce his religion he was tormented by means of brimstone matches being tied between his fingers and toes and set fire to and afterward by having his flesh plucked off with red hot pincers until he expired and Giovanni Barolina with his wife were thrown into a pool of stagnant water and compelled by means of pitchforks and stones to duck down their heads until they were suffocated. A number of soldiers went to the house of Joseph Garniero and before they entered fired in at the window to give notice of their approach a musket ball entered one of Mrs. Garniero's breasts as she was suckling an infant with the other. On finding their intentions she begged hard that they would spare the life of the infant which they promised to do and sent it immediately to a Roman Catholic nurse. They then took the husband and hanged him at his own door and having shot the wife through the head they left her body weltering in its blood and her husband hanging on the gallows. Isaiah Mondon, an elderly man and a pious Protestant fled from the merciless persecutors to a cleft in a rock where he suffered the most dreadful hardships for in the midst of the winter he was forced to lie on the bare stone without any covering. His food was the roots he could scratch up near his miserable habitation and the only way by which he could procure drink was to put snow in his mouth until it melted. Here, however, some of the inhuman soldiers found him and after having beaten him unmercifully they drove him towards Lucerne goading him with the points of their swords. Being exceedingly weakened by his manner of living and his spirits exhausted by the blows he had received he fell down in the road. They again beat him to make him proceed. When on his knees he implored them to put him out of his misery by dispatching him. This they at last agreed to do and one of them stepping up to him shot him through the head with a pistol saying, there, heretic, take thy request. Mary Revol, a worthy Protestant, received a shot in her back as she was walking along the street. She dropped down with a wound but recovering sufficient strength she raised herself upon her knees and lifting her hands towards heaven she prayed in a most fervent manner to the Almighty when a number of soldiers who were near at hand fired a whole volley of shot at her many of which took effect and put an end to her miseries in an instant. Several men, women and children secreted themselves in a large cave where they continued for some weeks in safety. It was the custom for two of the men to go when it was necessary and by stealth procure provisions. These were, however, one day watched by which the cave was discovered and soon after a troop of Roman Catholics appeared before it. The papists that assembled upon this occasion were neighbours and intimate acquaintances of the Protestants in the cave and some were even related to each other. The Protestants therefore came out and implored them by the ties of hospitality by the ties of blood and as old acquaintances and neighbours not to murder them. But superstition overcomes every sensation of nature and humanity so that the papists blinded by bigotry told them they could not show any mercy to heretics and therefore bade them prepare to die. Hearing this and knowing the fatal obstinacy of the Roman Catholics the Protestants all fell prostrate lifted their hands and hearts to heaven freed with great sincerity and fervency and then bowing down put their faces close to the ground and patiently waited their fate which was soon decided. But the papists fell upon them with unremitting fury and having cut them to pieces left the mangled bodies and limbs in the cave. Giovanni Salvagio passing by a Roman Catholic church and not taking off his hat was followed by some of the congregation who fell upon and murdered him and Jacob Barrol and his wife having been taken prisoners by the Earl of Saint Secondo one of the Duke of Savoy's officers he delivered them up to the soldiery who cut off the woman's breasts and the man's nose and then shot them both through the head. Antony Guigal a Protestant of a wavering disposition went to Perriero with an intent to renounce his religion and embrace papery. This design he communicated to some priests who highly commended it and a day was fixed upon for his public recantation. In the meantime Antony grew fully sensible of his perfidy and his conscience tormented him so much night and day that he determined not to recant but to make his escape. This he effected but being soon missed and pursued he was taken. The troops on the way did all they could to bring him back to his design of recantation but finding their endeavours ineffectual they beat him violently on the road. When coming near a precipice he took an opportunity of leaping down it and was dashed to pieces. A Protestant gentleman of considerable fortune at Bobbio being nightly provoked by the insolence of a priest retorted with great severity and among other things said that the Pope was anti-Christ, mass idolatry, purgatory of farce and absolution at cheat. To be revenged the priest hired five desperate Ruffians who the same evening broke into the gentleman's house and seized upon him in a violent manner. The gentleman was terribly frightened, fell on his knees and implored mercy but the desperate Ruffians dispatched him without the least hesitation. End of Chapter 6, Part 5 Recording by Andrew Coleman. Chapter 6, Part 6 of Fox's Book of Martyrs, Volume 1. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Preston McConkie. Fox's Book of Martyrs, Volume 1 by John Fox. Edited by William Byron Forbush. Chapter 6, A Narrative of the Piedmontese War, Part 6. A Narrative of the Piedmontese War. The massacres and murders already mentioned to have been committed in the valleys of Piedmont nearly depopulated most of the towns and villages. One place only had not been assaulted and that was owing to the difficulty of approaching it. This was the little commonality of Rouris which was situated upon a rock. As the work of blood grew slack in other places the Earl of Christopal, one of the Duke of Savoy's officers determined if possible to make himself master of it and with that view detached 300 men to surprise it secretly. The inhabitants of Rouris, however, had intelligence of the approach of these troops when Captain Joshua Jeanavelle, a brave Protestant officer put himself at the head of a small body of the citizens and waited in ambush to attack the enemy in a small defile. When the troops appeared and had entered the defile which was the only place by which the town could be approached the Protestants kept up a smart and well-directed fire against them and still kept themselves concealed behind bushes from the side of the enemy. A great number of the soldiers were killed and the remainder receiving a continued fire and not seeing any to whom they might return it thought proper to retreat. The members of this little community then sent a memorial to the Marquis of Pionessa one of the Duke's general officers setting forth that they were sorry upon any occasion to be under the necessity of taking up arms but that the secret approach of a body of troops without any reason assigned or any previous notice sent for the purpose of their coming had greatly alarmed them. That as it was their custom never to suffer any of the military to enter their little community they had repelled force by force and should do so again but in all other respects they professed themselves dutiful, obedient and loyal subjects to their sovereign the Duke of Savoy. The Marquis of Pionessa that he might have the better opportunity of deluding and surprising the Protestants of Roris sent them word and answer that he was perfectly satisfied with their behavior for they had done right and even rendered a service to their country as the men who had attempted to pass the defile were not his troops or sent by him but a band of desperate robbers who had for some time infested those parts and been a terror to the neighboring country. To give a greater color to his treachery he then published an ambiguous proclamation seemingly favorable to the inhabitants. Yet the very day after this plausible proclamation and specious conduct the Marquis sent five hundred men to possess themselves of Roris while the people as he thought were lolled into perfect security by his specious behavior. Captain Johnneville however was not to be deceived so easily. He therefore laid an ambuscade for this body of troops as he had for the former and compelled them to retire with very considerable loss. Though foiled in these two attempts the Marquis of Pionessa determined on a third which should be still more formidable but first he imprudently published another proclamation disowning any knowledge of the second attempt. Soon after seven hundred chosen men were sent upon the expedition who in spite of the fire from the Protestants forced the defile, entered Roris and began to murder every person they met with without distinction of age or sex. The Protestant Captain Johnneville at the head of a small body though he had lost the defile determined to dispute their passage through a fortified pass that led to the richest and best part of the town. Here he was successful by keeping up a continual fire and by means of his men being all complete marksmen. The Roman Catholic commander was greatly staggered at this opposition as he imagined that he had surmounted all difficulties. He however did his endeavors to force the pass but being able to bring up only twelve men in front of the time and the Protestants being secured by a breastwork he found he should be baffled by the handful of men who opposed him and raged at the loss of so many of his troops and fearful of disgrace if he persisted in attempting what appeared so impracticable he thought it the wisest thing to retreat. Unwilling however to withdraw his men by the defile at which he had entered on account of the difficulty and danger of the enterprise he determined to retreat toward Valario by another pass called Piampera which though hard of access was easy of dissent but in this he met with disappointment for Captain Johnneville having posted his little band here greatly annoyed the troops as they passed and even pursued their rear until they entered the open country. The Marquis of Pionessa finding that all his attempts were frustrated and that every artifice he used was only an alarm signal to the inhabitants of Roris determined to act openly and therefore proclaimed that ample rewards should be given to anyone who would bear arms against the obstinate heretics of Roris as he called them and that any officer who would exterminate them should be rewarded in a princely manner this engaged Captain Mario a bickered Roman Catholic and a desperate Ruffian to undertake the enterprise he therefore obtained leave to raise a regiment in the following six towns Lucerne, Borgia, Fomula, Bobio, Begnal and Cabos having completed his regiment which consisted of 1,000 men he laid his plan not only to go by the defiles or the passes but to attempt gaining the summit of a rock once he imagined he could pour his troops into the town without much difficulty or opposition the Protestants suffered the Roman Catholic troops to gain almost the summit of the rock without giving them any opposition or ever appearing in their sight but when they had almost reached the top they made a most furious attack upon them one party keeping up a well-directed and constant fire and another party rolling down huge stones this stopped the career of the Papus troops many were killed by the musketry and more by the stones which beat them down the precipices several fell sacrifices to their hurry for by attempting a precipitate retreat they fell down and were dashed to pieces and Captain Mario himself narrowly escaped with his life for he fell from a craggy place into a river which washed the foot of the rock he was taken up senseless but afterward recovered though he was ill of the bruises for a long time and at length he fell into a decline at Lucerne where he died another body of troops was ordered from the camp at Velaryo to make an attempt upon Roris but these were likewise defeated by means of the Protestants' ambush fighting and compelled to retreat again to the camp at Velaryo after each of these signal victories Captain Johnnavel made a suitable discourse to his men causing them to kneel down and return thanks to the Almighty for his providential protection and usually concluded with the Eleventh Psalm where the subject is placing confidence in God the Marquis of Pinesa was greatly enraged at being so much baffled by the few inhabitants of Roris he therefore determined to attempt their expulsion in such a manner as could hardly fail of success with this view he ordered all the Roman Catholic militia of Piedmont to be raised in discipline when these orders were completed he joined to the militia 8,000 regular troops and dividing the whole into three distinct bodies he designed that three formidable attacks should be made at the same time unless the people of Roris to whom he sent an account of his great preparations would comply with the following conditions number one, to ask pardon for taking up arms two, to pay the expenses of all the expeditions sent against them three, to acknowledge the infallibility of the pope number four, to go to Mass five, to pray to the saints six, to wear beards seven, to deliver up their ministers eight, to deliver up their school masters nine, to go to confession ten, to pay loans for the delivery of souls from Purgatory eleven, to give up Captain Johnneville at discretion twelve, to give up the elders of their church at discretion the inhabitants of Roris on being acquainted with these conditions were filled with an honest indignation and in answer sent word to the Marquis that sooner than comply with them they would suffer three things which, of all others were the most obnoxious to mankind, vis number one, their estates to be seized two, their houses to be burned three, themselves to be murdered exasperated at this message the Marquis sent them this laconic epistle to the obstinate heretics inhabiting Roris you shall have your request for the troops sent against you have strict injunctions to plunder, burn, and kill Pionessa the three armies were then put in motion and the attacks ordered to be made thus the first by the rocks of Villario the second by the pass of Bagnol and the third by the defile of Lucerne the troops forced their way by the superiority of numbers and having gained the rocks, pass, and defile began to make the most horrid depredations and exercise the greatest cruelties men they hanged, burned, racked to death, or cut to pieces women they ripped open, crucified, drowned, or threw from the precipices and children they tossed upon spears, minced, cut their throats, or dashed out their brains one hundred and twenty-six suffered in this manner on the first day of their gaining the town agreeable to the Marquis of Pionessa's orders, they likewise plundered the estates and burned the houses of the people several Protestants, however, made their escape under the conduct of Captain Junneville whose wife and children were unfortunately made prisoners and sent under a strong guard to Turin the Marquis of Pionessa wrote a letter to Captain Junneville and released a Protestant prisoner that he might carry it to him the contents were that if the captain would embrace the Roman Catholic religion he should be indemnified for all his losses since the commencement of the war his wife and children should be immediately released and himself honorably promoted in the Duke of Savoy's army but if he refused to accede to the proposals made him his wife and children should be put to death and so large a reward should be given to take him dead or alive that even some of his own confidential friends should be tempted to betray him from the greatness of the some to this epistle the brave Junneville sent the following answer my lord Marquis there is no torment so great or death so cruel but what I would prefer the abjuration of my religion so that promises lose their effects and menaces only strengthen me in my faith with respect to my wife and children my lord nothing can be more afflicting to me than the thought of their confinement or more dreadful to my imagination than their suffering of violent and cruel death I keenly feel all the tender sensations of husband and parent my heart is replete with every sentiment of humanity I would suffer any torment to rescue them from danger I would die to preserve them but having said this much my lord I assure you that the purchase of their lives must not be the price of my salvation you have them in your power it is true but my consolation is that your power is only a temporary authority over their bodies you may destroy the mortal part but their immortal souls are out of your reach and will live here after to bear testimony against you for your cruelties I therefore recommend them and myself to God and pray for a reformation in your heart Joshua Johnneville this brave Protestant officer after writing the above letter retired to the Alps with his followers and being joined by a great number of other fugitive Protestants he harassed the enemy by continual skirmishes meeting one day with a body of Papus troops near Bibiana he, though inferior in numbers, attacked them with great fury and put them to the route without the loss of a man though himself was shot through the leg in the engagement by a soldier who had hid himself behind a tree but Johnneville perceiving whence the shot came pointed his gun to the place and dispatched the person who had wounded him Captain Johnneville, hearing that a Captain Jahir had collected together a considerable body of Protestants, wrote him a letter proposing a junction of their forces Captain Jahir immediately agreed to the proposal and marched directly to meet Johnneville the junction being formed it was proposed to attack a town inhabited by Roman Catholics called Garcigliana the assault was given with great spirit but a reinforcement of horse and foot having lately entered the town which the Protestants knew nothing of they were repulsed yet made a masterly retreat and only lost one man in the action the next attempt of the Protestant forces was upon St. Secondo which they attacked with great vigor but met with a strong resistance from the Roman Catholic troops who had fortified the streets and planted themselves in the houses from whence they poured musket balls in prodigious numbers the Protestants however advanced undercover of a great number of planks which some held over their heads to secure them from the shots of the enemy from the houses while others kept up a well directed fire so that the houses and entrenchments were soon forced and the town taken in the town they found a prodigious quantity of plunder which had been taken from Protestants at various times and different places and which were stored up in the warehouses churches dwelling houses etc this they removed to a place of safety to be distributed with as much justice as possible among the sufferers this successful attack was made with such skill and spirit that it cost very little to the conquering party the Protestants having only 17 killed and 26 wounded while the papus suffered a loss of no less than 450 killed and 511 wounded five Protestant officers vis Genovel, Jahir, Laurentio, Genele, and Benet laid a plan to surprise Bacchera to this end they marched in five respective bodies and by agreement were to make the attack at the same time the captains Jahir and Laurentio passed through two defiles in the woods and came to the place in safety undercover but the other three bodies made their approaches through an open country and consequently were more exposed to an attack the Roman Catholics taking the alarm a great number of troops were sent to relieve Bacchera from Kavor, Bibiana, Fellini, Compilione, and some other neighboring places when these were united they determined to attack the three Protestant parties that were marching through the open country the Protestant officers perceiving the intent of the enemy and not being at a great distance from each other joined forces with the utmost expedition and formed themselves in order of battle in the meantime the captains Jahir and Laurentio had assaulted the town of Bacchera and burnt all the outhouses to make their approaches with the greater ease but not being supported as they expected by the other three Protestant captains they sent a messenger on a swift horse toward the open country to inquire the reason the messenger soon returned and informed them that it was not in the power of the three Protestant captains to support their proceedings as they were themselves attacked by a very superior force in the plain and could scarce sustain the unequal conflict the captains Jahir and Laurentio on receiving this intelligence determined to discontinue the assault on Bacchera and to proceed with all possible expedition to the relief of their friends on the plain this design proved to be of the most essential service for just as they arrived at the spot where the two armies were engaged the Papus troops began to prevail and were on the point of flanking the left wing commanded by Captain Jeanneville the arrival of these troops turned the scale in favor of the Protestants and the Papus forces though they fought with the most obstinate interpidity were totally defeated a great number were killed and wounded on both sides and the baggage military stores etc taken by the Protestants were very considerable Captain Jeanneville having information that three hundred of the enemy were to convoy a great quantity of stores provisions etc from Latour to the castle of Mirabakh determined to attack them on the way he accordingly began the assault at Malbec though with a very inadequate force the contest was long and bloody but the Protestants that length were obliged to yield to the superiority of numbers and compelled to make a retreat which they did with great regularity and but little loss Captain Jeanneville advanced to an advantageous post situated near the town of Vilario and then sent the following information and commands to the inhabitants number one that he should attack the town in twenty four hours number two that with respect to the Roman Catholics who had born arms whether they belong to the army or not he should act by the law of retaliation and put them to death for they had numerous depredations and many cruel murders they had committed number three that all women and children whatever their religion might be should be safe number four that he commanded all male Protestants to leave the town and join him number five that all apostates who had through weakness abjured their religion should be deemed enemies unless they renounce their abjuration number six that all who return to their duty to God and themselves should be received as friends the Protestants in general immediately left the town and joined Captain Jeanneville with great satisfaction and the few who through weakness or fear had abjured their faith recanted their abjuration and were received into the bosom of the church as the Marquis of Pionessa had removed the army and encamped in quite a different part of the country the Roman Catholics of Vilario thought it would be folly to attempt to defend the place with the small force they had they therefore fled with the utmost precipitation leaving the town and most of their property to the discretion of the Protestants the Protestant commanders having called a council of war resolved to make an attempt upon the town of Latour the papists being apprised of the design detached some troops to defend a defile through which the Protestants must make their approach but these were defeated compelled to abandon the pass and forced to retreat to Latour Protestants proceeded on their march and the troops of Latour on their approach made a furious sally but were repulsed with great loss and compelled to seek shelter in the town the governor now only thought of defending the place which the Protestants began to attack in form but after many brave attempts and furious assaults the commanders determined to abandon the enterprise for several reasons particularly because they found the place itself too strong their own number too weak and their cannon not adequate to the task of battering down the walls this resolution taken the Protestant commanders began a masterly retreat and conducted it with such regularity that the enemy did not choose to pursue them or molest their rear which they might have done as they passed the defiles the next day they mustered reviewed the army and found the hole to amount to 495 men they then held a council of war and planned an easier enterprise this was to make an attack on the commonality of Cressot a place inhabited by a number of the most bigoted Roman Catholics and who had exercised during the persecutions the most unheard of cruelties on the Protestants the people of Cressot hearing of the design against them fled to a neighboring fortress situated on a rock where the Protestants could not come to them for a very few men could render it inaccessible to a numerous army thus they secured their persons but were in too much hurry to secure their property the principal part of which indeed had been plundered from the Protestants and now luckily fell again to the possession of the right owners it consisted of many rich and valuable articles and what at that time was of much more consequence is a great quantity of military stores the day after the Protestants were gone with their booty 800 troops arrived to the assistance of the people of Cressot having been dispatched from Lucerne, Bicara, Cavour etc but finding themselves too late and that pursuit would be vain not to return empty handed they began to plunder the neighboring villages though what they took was from their friends after collecting a tolerable booty they began to divide it but disagreeing about the different shares they fell from words to blows did a great deal of mischief and then plundered each other on the very same day in which the Protestants were so successful at Cressot some papists marched with a design to plunder and burn the little Protestant village of Rocapiata but by the way they were met with the Protestant forces belonging to the captains Jeheir and Laurentio who were posted on the Hill of Aronia a trivial engagement ensued for the Roman Catholics on the very first attack retreated in great confusion and were pursued with much slaughter after the pursuit was over some struggling papus troops meeting with a poor peasant who was a Protestant tied a cord round his head and strained it until his skull was quite crushed Captain Jean-Avelle and Captain Jeheir concerted a design together to make an attack upon Lucerne but Captain Jeheir not bringing up his forces at the time appointed Captain Jean-Avelle determined to attempt the enterprise himself he therefore by a forced march proceeded towards that place during the whole and was close to it by break of day his first care was to cut the pipes that conveyed water into the town and then to break down the bridge by which alone provisions from the country could enter he then assaulted the place and speedily possessed himself of two of the outposts but finding he could not make himself master of the place he prudently retreated with very little loss blaming however Captain Jeheir for the failure of the enterprise the papists being informed that Captain Jean-Avelle was at Angronia with only his own company determined if possible to surprise him with this view a great number of troops were detached from the tour and other places one party of these got on top of a mountain beneath which he was posted and the other party intended to possess themselves with the gate of Saint Bartholomew the papists thought themselves sure of taking Captain Jean-Avelle and every one of his men as they consisted but of three hundred and their own force was two thousand five hundred their design however was providentially frustrated for one of the popish soldiers imprudently blowing a trumpet before the signal for attack was given Captain Jean-Avelle took the alarm and posted his little company so advantageously at the gate of Saint Bartholomew and at the defile by which the enemy must descend from the mountains that the Roman Catholic troops failed in both attacks and were repulsed with very considerable loss end of chapter six part six recording by Preston McConkey Annabella Utah