very many other inftances which might be

men

(s) Morland, P575.

tained, he had audience of the duke of Savoy, in the prefence of Madame Royale, his mother. Here, in a very eloquent and pathetic fpeech, he lamented the unheard of cruelties inflicted on the duke's proteftant fubjects, and faid every thing to move him to compaffion. After this the protector's letter was delivered on the fame fubject. Madame Royale hereupon told the English envoy, That as on the one fide fhe could not but extreamly applaud the fingular goodness and charity of < his highnels the lord protector towards their fubjects, whofe condition had been reprefented to him fo exceeding fad and lamentable, as the perceived by that discourse of his; fo on the other fide fhe could not but extreamly admire, that the malice of men fhould ever proceed fo far, as to cloath fuch fatherlike and tender chaftisement of their moft rebellious and infolent fubjects, with fo black and ugly a character, to render them thereby odious to all neighbouring princes and ftates, with whom they fo much defired to keep a good understanding and friendship, especially with fo great and powerful a prince as his highness the Lord Protector; and withall, fhe did not doubt, but that when he fhould be particularly and clearly informed of the truth of all paffages, he would be fo fully satisfied with the duke's proceedings, that he would not give the leaft countenance to thofe his difobedient fubjects. But however, for his highness's fake, they would not only freely pardon their rebellious fubjects for those fo heinous crimes which they had committed, but also would accord to them fuch priviledges and graces, as could not but give the Lord Protector a fufficient evidence how great a refpect they bare both to his perfon and mediation (s).--In confequence of the Protector's application to the protestant princes and ftates, a general difpofition appeared to fa

6

The duke was young, and under the tuition of his mother.

your

mentioned of his concern for the proteftant intereft,

vour the Vaudois. And very probable 'tis, the court of Turin would have been obliged not only to have given them a pardon, but proper fecurity for the enjoyment of their religion and liberties. Unhappily, they were too hafty in procuring themselves a little eafe. For while the Dutch ambaffador was on his journey in their behalf, and Oliver had fent two perfons to join with Morland in negotiating a peace, a treaty was concluded by means of the French amballador Servient, and the ambaffadors of the Swiss Proteftant Cantons'; a treaty fpecious in appearance, but productive of many woes..

Cromwell, however, ceased not to take care of the intereft of those poor people. For understanding that they were still oppreffed in many inftances, though a ftop was put to the maffacres and other notorious acts of violence, he sent a letter to Leckhart, his ambaffador at the court of France, dated May 26, 1658, in which he defires him, To redouble his inftances with the French King, in fuch pathetick and affectionate expreffions, as may be in fome measure suitable to the greatness of their prefent fufferings and grievances, which (the truth is, fays he) are almost inexpreffible.'

-In this letter is contained a lift of their grievances, whereof Lockhart is ordered to make his Majesty thoroughly fenfible, and to perfwade him to give fpeedy and effectual orders to his ambaffador, who refides in (1) Morland, P. 697, & the duke's court, to a& vigoroufly in their behalf (t).— feq. This detail, plainly fhews the little exactnefs there is in the above-cited paffage from Burnet.'Tis not impoffible however, if Cromwell had lived a little longer, he would have fully carried his point with regard to these men; his connections and influence in France being about this time at their height. I will add one relation more on this fubject from Clarendon, a relation honourable indeed to Cromwell, though I am afraid not much to be depended on; as no traces, except of the tumult, are to be found in Lockhart's letters. In

• the

intereft, and the protection he always grant

ed

the city of Nifmes, which is one of the fairest in the province of Languedoc, and where thofe of the religion do most abound, there was a great faction at • that feafon when the confuls (who are the chief magiftrates) were to be chofen. Thofe of the reformed religion had the confidence to fet up one of themfelves for that magiftracy; which they of the Roman ⚫ religion refolved to oppofe with all their power. The • diffention between them made so much noise, that the • intendant of the province, who is the fupream minifter in all civil affairs throughout the whole province, went thither to prevent any diforder that might happen. When the day of election came, those of the religion poffeffed themfelves with many armed men of the Town-house, where the election was to be made: The magistrates fent to know what their meaning was; to which they answered, They were there to ⚫ give their voices for the choice of the new confuls, and to be fure that the election was fairly made.' The bishop of the city, the intendant of the province, with all the officers of the church, and the prefent magiftrates of the town, went together in their robes to be prefent at the election, without any fufpicion ⚫ that there would be any force used. When they came near the gate of the Town-houfe, which was fhut, and they fuppofed would be opened when they came, they within poured out a volley of musket-fhot upon them, by which the dean of the church, and two or three of the magiftrates of the town, were killed upon the place, and very many others wounded; whereof fome died fhortly after. In this confufion, the magiftrates put themselves into as good a pofture to defend themselves as they could, without any purpose of offending the others, till they fhould be better provided; in order to which they fent an exprefs to the court with a plain relation of the whole matter of fact; and that there appeared to be no manner of

ed it) yielded juft matter of praife to his

ad

combination with thofe of the religion in other places of the province, but that it was an infolence in thofe of the place, upon the presumption of their great numbers, which were little inferiour to those of the catholics.' The court was glad of the occafion, and refolved that this provocation, in which other places * were not involved, and which nobody could excuse, fhould warrant all kinds of feverity in that city, even to the pulling down their temples, and expelling many of them for ever out of the city; which, with the • execution and forfeiture of many of the principal perfons, would be a general mortification to all of the religion in France, with whom they were heartily ◄ offended; and a part of the army was forthwith ordered to march towards Nifmes, to fee this executed with the utmost rigour. Thofe of the religion in the town,, were quickly fenfible into what condition they had brought themfelves; and fent with all poffible fubmiffion, to the magiftrates to excufe themselves, and to impute what had been done to the rashness of particular men, who had no order for what they did.

The magiftrates anfwered, that they were glad they were fenfible of their mifcarriage; but that they could fay nothing upon the fubject, till the King's pleafure fhould be known; to whom they had fent a full relation of all that had paffed. The others very < well knew what the King's pleasure would be, and forthwith fent an exprefs, one Moulins, who had lived many years in that place; and in Montpelier, to Cromwell, to defire his protection and interpofition. The exprefs made fo much hafte, and found fo good a reception the first hour he came, that Cromwell, after he had received the whole account, bad him refresh himself after fo long a journey, and he would take fuch care of his bufinefs, that by the time he came to Paris he should find it difpatched; and that night, fent away another meffenger to his embaffador

• Lock

(u) Vol, vi. p. 651.

admirers (KKK), and has accordingly been

cele

Lockhart; who, by the time Moulins came thither, had fo far prevailed with the cardinal, that orders were fent to stop the troops, which were upon their march to Nifmes; and, within few days after, Moulins returned with a full pardon, and amnefty from the King, under the great feal of France, fo fully confirmed with all circumftances, that there was never ⚫ farther mention made of it, but all things paffed as if there had never been any fuch thing. So that no body can wonder, that his memory remains ftill in thofe parts, and with those people, in great veneration (u).'

-I will not vouch, as I hinted above, for the truth of this relation. 'Tis certain the behaviour of the proteftants is mifreprefented, as will appear from the following paffage of Lockhart's to Thurloe, dated Paris, January 12, 1658, N. S. Wee were yesterday. alarmed with ill news from Nifmes, one of the most confiderable cities of the proteftants. It was reported, that they and the Roman Catholicks had been by the ears, and that much blood had been fhed. Their courier arrived this morning, and informs, there hath been fome difpute upon the account, that the governor, by the inftigation of their bishops, would have deprived the citizens of their priviledge of choosing their magiftrates: the Catholicks, as well as the Pro • teftants oppofed the governor, who had armed the garrifon against this town. There is not above half a fcore killed of the garrifon, and the chief of the lue, vel. vi. proteftants faved the bifhops and governor's life (*)." How different this from Clarendon ! 'Tis ftrange he never could adhere to truth in his narratives!

(x) Thur

P. 727.

(KKK) This yielded just matter of praise to his admirers, &c.] Let us hear Mr. Morland, a gentleman, a fscholar, and a clofe obferver of the actions of the protector. In his dedication of the book, fo much made ufe of in the preceding note, addreffing himself to

Oliver, he fpeaks as follows. It is an obfervation of

• that