Foxe - The Book of Martyrs

Foxe’s Book of Martyrs
to torment the neighboring Waldenses: 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 Waldenses to the woods, where they had nothing
to subsist on but wild fruits, roots, the bark of trees, etc.
Some Roman Catholic ruffians having seized a 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 Pignerol having a great inclination to get the minister of a town in the
valleys, called St. 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 neighborhood. 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 Pignerol, 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 Waldenses, who had renounced their religion to save their lives, were ordered to carry
fagots 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." These 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 fagots, 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
St. Germain, murdering and plundering many of the inhabitants, the reformed of Lucerne
and Angrogne, sent some bands of armed men to the assistance of their brethren of St.
Germain. These bodies of armed men frequently attacked the ruffians, and often put them to
the rout, which so terrified the monks, that they left the monastery of Pignerol 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, provided the persons released
would bear arms, and form themselves into light companies, to assist in the extermination of
the Waldenses.
The Waldenses, 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
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