came in their way, and plundering the town, they rush into the garden adjoining the castle, whither the women and girls had fled in great consternation, and there treat them with such barbarous indecency and cruelty, during the next day and night, that numbers of them shortly after died.-While these things were going on in that quarter, such of the people of Merindol, and others who wandered with them through the woods and over the rocks, as were taken, were either sent to the galleys, or put to death, and many of them died of want.-Not far from the town of Mussi, some five and twenty men had concealed themselves in a cave hollowed out in a rock: but, being betrayed, they were all suffocated with smoke or burned to death. So that no kind of cruelty was abstained from towards these poor people. Some of them, however, who had escaped the massacre, arrived at Geneva and the neighbouring places. "When the news of these sad events reached Germany, it raised great indignation. Those of the Swiss also, who were not of the popish religion, interceded with the French king to shew clemency to such as had fled their country: but he returned them for answer, that he 'had just cause for what he had done; and that what he did within his own territories, or how he punished the guilty, it no more concerned them to inquire, than it did him to intermeddle in their affairs.' "The preceding year, the Waldenses had sent to the king a written confession of their faith, that he might perceive the innocency of their tenets." 1 1 Sleid. lib. xvi. 345-348. Seck. iii. 579. The heads of the confession of faith are given by Sleidan.-Thuanus, who gives (vi. 16.) the same account of this massacre that Sleidan VOL. I. 2 G A. D. 1545. CHAP. Reforma tion of the Palatinate. of the Rhine, On such a scene as this, I will not trust myself to make any observations: they must be superfluous to every reader of common reflection. A period like that of which we are writing was not one in which many accessions to the protestant body could be expected. Some, however, are recorded; and, from their taking place under such circumstances, they are entitled to be mentioned with singular honour. We have before related the reformation of the Upper Palatinate, or that of Bavaria. In the year 1545, the Lower Palatinate, or Palatinate of the Rhine, which is of much superior importance, its prince enjoying the electoral dignity, followed the example. Frederic the present elector had married the emperor's niece, the daughter of Christiern king of Denmark. He was a great favourite with the emperor, and had been repeatedly employed by him in his transactions with the protestants: the consequence of which was, very contrary to what had been intended, that he became strongly impressed in favour of their principles. He succeeded his brother Lewis in the year 1544. Like many others, he had indulged the hope that a general reformation, or at least a legal establishment of the reformed religion, would be the result of so many conferences and so much discussion; and he was willing to wait for this happy event. Finding all these, however, issue in nothing, he thought himself called, at length, to countenance by his authority the does, says that twenty-two towns and villages were destroyed. He adds, that Francis I. was reported to have given it in charge, a little before his death, to his son Henry to call the parliament of Aix to account for the proceeding; and that one person was put to death for the part he had taken in it. system which he approved, and to gratify the wishes of his subjects, who, by their intercourse with the protestant states, had universally imbibed their opinions." In all this he was materially assisted by his relation and destined successor, Otto Henry, of whom mention has been made in speaking of the other Palatinate, and who, being much harassed by the duke of Bavaria in his own territory, had now taken up his residence at Heidelberg, the capital of Frederic's dominions. Though Frederic, however, adopted the religious principles of the protestants, he did not accede to the league of Smalkald. A. D. 1545. city of The case of Leutkirk, a free imperial city of and of the Suabia, is still more honourable, because its Leutkirk. avowal of the principles of the reformation was made in still more perilous times, and notwithstanding formidable opposition, both from persons possessing civil authority in the city, and from powerful ecclesiastical establishments in the neighbourhood. The thirst after evangelical truth appears to have been first excited here by the publication of the Confession of Augsburg, in the year 1530: but it was strenuously resisted by Faber, a native of the place the same who was afterwards raised to the see of Vienna for his opposition to Luther. By his influence a faction was kept up in the city, which effectually withstood the public reception of the reformation till the year 1546, when the opposition was overborne, not, it must be confessed, without some disorders taking place. Protestantism was then introduced, and, notwithstanding many conflicts and some reverses, has been maintained there to this day.2 1 Seck. iii. 616. Sleid. 356. Seck. iii. 664. CHAP. Account of P. P. Vergerio. We now turn again to individual history. We have before intimated that Peter Paul Vergerio, who was for many years a confidential agent of the court of Rome, and for his services was made bishop of Capo d'Istria, in the territory of Venice, eventually became a protestant, and suffered for his religion. The account given of his conversion and subsequent conduct deserves to be here recited, though perhaps his character, and certainly his attainments appear to have been somewhat overrated in our common English biographies.1 The last service in which Vergerio was employed by the pope, though under the assumed character of a delegate from the French king, was at the conferences held at Worms in 1540-41,-to frustrate their design, and procure their dissolution; in which objects he succeeded. On his return to Rome, the pope designed to make him a cardinal: but at this time a suspicion was revived, which cardinal Aleander had three years before insinuated, that, by long intercourse with the Germans, Vergerio had become too favourably disposed to the Lutheran heresy. Vergerio, being informed by one of the cardinals what had obstructed his advancement, was both surprised and indignant; and, to clear himself of the injurious suspicion, retired to the seat of his own bishopric, to write a book which should bear this title, "Against the Apostates of Germany." But, in order to refute the Lutherans, it was necessary to read their books: and, in doing this, an effect was produced, as we may assuredly believe, under the influence of divine grace, which Vergerio had little anticipated; 1 Middletons's Biographia Evangelica, &c. 2 Sleid. 272. he became convinced that the principles he was opposing were true, and founded in scripture. "Laying aside, therefore," says the historian, "all hopes of a cardinal's hat, he went to consult with his own brother, John Baptista, bishop of the neigbouring city of Pola. His brother, alarmed, at first bewailed his condition; but, having at his earnest entreaty applied himself to search the holy scriptures with him, particularly on the great point of justification, he also yielded to conviction, and concluded the popish doctrine to be false. Whereupon, rejoicing in one another, they began to teach the people of Istria, (as the office of a bishop requires,) and to preach up the benefit of Christ to mankind-pointing out at the same time, what works God requires of us; that so they might bring men over to the true worship of their Maker." But many adversaries arose against them; among whom was especially Annibale Grisone, the chief of the inquisition. This man coming to Pola and Capo d'Istria, rushed into the houses of the citizens, and searched for prohibited books. He then mounted the pulpit, and pronounced all excommunicated who did not inform of persons suspected of Lutheranism, threatening those who did not repent and submit themselves, that they should be burned at the stake. He further openly incited the people to stone Vergerio and his heretical associates, as the true cause of the calamities which they had of late years suffered in their olives, their corn, their vines, their 1 "He denounced his threats from door to door every where....Soon after nothing was seen but accusations: every one engaged in them, without regard to consanguinity or gratitude the wife did not spare her husband, the son his father, or the client his patron." Bayle, Art. Vergerio. A. D. 1545. |