(June to September, 1655.)
The adversaries of the Vaudois exulted over the death of Jahier and the loss of Janavel, whose wound they regarded as mortal. The hopes which had been formed of an accommodation vanished once more. The army of the persecutors, which had for a moment been held in restraint, assumed the offensive with new vigour. But during this time also, public opinion had declared itself with greater energy in favour of the Vaudois. The fame of the exploits of Jahier and Janavel advanced their cause in a military point of view, as the sufferings of their martyrs had already exalted it in its religious aspect.
Men of arms, from different countries,[2] came to offer their services to this heroic people, whom their enemies had thought to destroy. The French Lieutenant-General Descombies and the Swiss Colonel Andrion were of the number. The latter had already distinguished himself in Sweden, in France, and in Germany. There remained also amongst the Vaudois certain captains of merit; amongst others, Bertin and Podio of Bobi, Albarea of Le Villar, Laurens of Val St. Martin, and Revel and Costabelle, the lieutenants of Janavel and Jahier.
The moderator, Léger, had also returned to the valleys. On the first day after his arrival he thought it proper to pass to Angrogna, where his compatriots were assembled. He repaired thither with Colonel Andrion, who had likewise just arrived. The Vaudois were encamped on the Vachère. During the night they sent soldiers in the direction of La Tour to reconnoitre the positions of the enemy. These soldiers, having come to the hamlet of St. Laurent, there discovered a detachment of Piedmontese troops, who awaited the dawning of the day to ascend higher and attack the Vaudois. These troops were scattered as in a halt; the darkness of night was still thick; and the two Vaudois soldiers mingled with them and conversed with them in their own language. They thus learned the designs of M. De Marolles, their commander; and, quitting the tents at break of day, hastened to inform their comrades of what they had learned.
Some musket shots were fired after them in vain to arrest their flight; and the enemy, finding themselves discovered, seized their arms and followed on their track. The Vaudois got in advance so far as to forewarn their companions. Léger then took refuge with all haste behind the barricades which had been erected. The enemy divided themselves into four battalions; and from five o'clock in the morning till three o'clock in the afternoon, ceased not to attack the barricades of the Vachère upon three different sides. They were defended only by a few hundred Vaudois.
After this long and unequal combat, the lower barricades, called the Cases [Les Casses] were carried, and the Vaudois retired to a more elevated spot called the Keep [Le Donjon]. The Piedmontese army raised a shout of victory, and came forward to the assault, exclaiming, "Come on! Come on! Ye remains of Jahier!" But from the summit of this keep, down steeper and higher slopes than those of their first fortifications, the Vaudois rolled stones, or rather rocks, which came with thundering rapidity, and made chasms in the ranks of the enemy, dashing them to pieces or crushing them into the earth. The army paused, "Come on! Ye remains of St. Segont!" cried the Vaudois then in their turn.
Many of the Piedmontese soldiers and talismans, such as relics and medals dedicated to the Virgin Mary--so many amulets, to which they ascribed the power of turning the balls of the heretics. Those who still survived attributed their preservation to these precious safeguards. They had not seen at what distance from them the balls passed; and danger unseen sometimes seems to have no existence. But in view of these rocks bounding so furiously down, and seeing their companions in the attack falling on their right hand and on their left, the soldiers recoiled for fear of death. They came in contact with each other, jostled upon each other, and impeded each other's movements; disorder got into their ranks, and the Vaudois took advantage of it to rush upon them cutlass in hand. The rout was now complete; the army was defeated and fled, leaving a hundred dead on the field of battle, and bearing off almost as many corpses, with twice that number of wounded.
The syndic of Lucerna seeing these deplorable remains of the army enter the town, it drew from him a saying, whose point cannot easily be perceived except in Italian,[3] "The wolves used to eat the barbets, but now it seems that the barbets[4] have devoured the wolves."
A few days after, the garrison of La Tour again revisited the valley of Angrogna, to waste the little that remained of crops in the fields, and to burn the miserable cottages which had escaped the previous burnings; but they were repulsed by Captain Bellin, who pursued them to the very entry of the town. The disorder with which they rushed in caused so great a panic, that the Vaudois captain might have made himself master of the place, if he had known how to make the most of his advantage.
An attempt was made a few days afterwards to accomplish this object; but the opportunity was past, and the attempt was not crowned with success. The enterprise was, however, conducted by an experienced officer, M. Descombies, a native of Languedoc, who had arrived in the valleys on the 17th of July, and had almost immediately been named commander-in-chief of the Vaudois. The Vaudois at the same time equipped a little squadron of cavalry, of which the command was intrusted to another French refugee, named Charles Feautrier. Whilst the adversaries of the Vaudois were gradually weakened, the defenders of the valleys became more and more numerous; they had at this time almost 1800 men in active service. Moreover, Janavel had recovered of his wound and returned to join his brethren.
The whole of these forces being assembled together, advanced by night to the hill of Le Chiabas, distant scarcely ten minutes' walk from La Tour. There the Vaudois halted until the day broke. "Certainly," says Léger,[5] "if, according to the advice of those who belonged to the valleys, the attack had been immediately commenced, it would have been all over both with the town and the fortress; but the fatal prudence of M. Descombies was the cause of the fort not being taken." This general not having yet seen the Vaudois engaged in action, not knowing the localities, and not daring to rely upon what was told him, sent Frenchmen, who had come with him; to reconnoitre the approaches of the Châtelard; for so the fort of St. Mary or citadel of La Tour was called. These emissaries described it to him as impregnable; and Descombies then gave orders for a retreat, that he might not throw away, in this first affair, the lives of the men who had intrusted themselves to his command. However, the presence of the Vaudois had by this time been telegraphed, and M. De Marolles issued from Lucerna at the head of his regiment. Descombies was going to conduct his troops and his cavalry to the Vachère, when two Vaudois captains, Bellin and Peironnel, exclaimed, "Those who love me, follow me!" The troops hesitated; the officers rushed forward; 100 men followed--the rest fell back. "I will remain here to sound a retreat," exclaimed Janavel, who was still too ill to fight. The half of the Vaudois army then abandoned its commander-in-chief; and even a few Frenchmen joining them, they made an assault upon La Tour. Upon this occasion Captain Fonjuliane performed prodigies of valour. The Vaudois, who knew the weak places in the fortifications of La Tour, made their assault near the convent of the Capuchins. A shower of halls was poured down upon them from the fort and convent. Nevertheless they demolished the wall, penetrated into the interior, seized the cloister, set it on fire, rushed into the town, occupied all the outlets, and made themselves masters of it in a few moments. The slaughter was great; but the conquerors spared all who sought mercy. The Capuchins were of this number, and remained prisoners. The intrepid assailants then mounted to attack the citadel, sheltering themselves, as they had already done at St. Segont, behind casks either empty or stuffed with hay, which they rolled before them, and in which the balls safely spent their strength.
The garrison, seeing the convent lost, the town on fire, and the bastions of the fort scaled on all sides, began to capitulate, and asked only to retire with their lives. But just then the regiment of M. De Marolles arrived from Lucerna. The garrison seeing it approach, persisted in resistance. Presently the cavalry of Savoy surrounded the place, to cut off the escape of the attacking party. If the Vaudois had only had a small body of cavalry on their side to guard the approaches of the town, they would have been able to have completed their conquest; but M. Descombies had led his cavalry back to the Vachère. Janavel, seeing his brave compatriots almost surrounded, sounded a retreat from the top of the hill of Chiabas. He was a man so intrepid and so experienced that they could not but regard his orders with confidence. The Vaudois therefore retired. It was full time: the pursuit was hot; but Janavel had calculated so justly that they were all saved. "What a loss it was," said they to Descombies, "that your troops were not there to support us!" "I regret it more than you do," he replied, "for my honour is compromised. Ah! If I had seen you fight before! I knew very well that the Vaudois were brave soldiers; but I did not think that they were lions, and more than lions." It was his desire then to find an opportunity, as soon as possible, of showing that his bravery was not unworthy of theirs; but again the opportunity once lost never returned.
The report of the Easter massacres spread over indignant Europe. The representations made by European sovereigns to the court of Savoy became stronger and stronger. Cromwell, in particular, manifested extraordinary zeal and activity in favour of the Vaudois; not contented with addressing Charles Emmanuel himself, he solicited the other powers to follow his example. Louis XIV replied to him as follows:[6]--"Most Serene Protector... To show that I nowise approved their turning aside my troops for this business, although under pretext of quartering them in the valley of Lucerna, I immediately sent several of my officers to the Duke of Savoy to put a stop to the proceedings [against the Vaudois] which were still being carried on under his authority... And I even gave orders to the Duke De Lesdignières, governor of Dauphiny, to receive them, treat them humanely, and assure them of my protection. And as I am informed by your letters of the 25th ult.,[7] that you are touched with the calamity of this miserable people, I am very happy to have anticipated you in your desire; and I will continue to address myself to that prince for their consolation and re-establishment. I have gone so far as to make myself answerable for their obedience and loyalty, so that I have good hopes that my mediation will not be ineffectual."[8]
The French ambassador in Piedmont, M. De Servient, received orders to act according to the spirit of this letter. Holland and Switzerland also sent to Turin mediators for the Vaudois. Morland, the youthful plenipotentiary of Cromwell, arrived on the 21st of June at Rivoli, where the court was. On the 24th he was admitted to a public audience; and after the customary compliments he added, "The Most Serene Protector himself adjures you to have compassion on your own subjects in the valleys, so cruelly maltreated. Misery has followed the massacres; they wander upon the mountains; they suffer from hunger and from cold; their wives and children drag out their lives in destitution and consuming affliction. And of what barbarities have they been the victims! Their houses burned, their members torn, scattered about, mutilated, sometimes even devoured by the murderers! Heaven and Earth shudder at it with horror! Were all the Neros of past and future times to view these fields of carnage, infamy, and inexpressible atrocities (let it not wound your royal highness), they would conclude that they had never seen anything but what was good and humane in comparison with these things! I say it without offence to your majesty. O God! Sovereign ruler of Heaven and Earth, avert from the heads of the guilty the just vengeance which so much bloodshed calls for!" Such was the harangue of Morland.
This speech, characterized by Puritan energy and unction, pronounced with the manly assurance of youth and courage, more like the severe accents of the prophets than the complaisance of diplomacy, produced a profound sensation. Never had prince been so boldly found fault with to his face. Charles Emmanuel made no reply: but the Duchess spoke. The Jesuits had moulded her mind. "I am very sensible," she said, "of the interest which your master testifies in my subjects. Only I am astonished that he should have lent an ear to the inaccurate reports of which your address gives evidence. The distance at which he resides can alone excuse them; for it is impossible to represent as barbarities, chastisements so mild and paternal, inflicted upon rebellious subjects, whose revolt no sovereign could excuse. Nevertheless, I am well contented to pardon them, in order to show to the Most Serene Protector the desire which I feel to please him."
Morland left Turin on the 19th of July, promising to return in order to assist the Vaudois in the negotiations which were to be opened with regard to them. But the government made haste to have them concluded in his absence, in order that they might be more free to grant less. On the 18th of August, 1655, in presence of the Swiss ambassadors[9] who had arrived at Turin after Morland's departure, and under the influence of Servient, the ambassador of France, was concluded at Pignerol the treaty named the Patents of Grace, which re-established the Vaudois in part of their privileges, and by its perfidious reservations became the occasion of incessant vexations to them. It cannot be doubted that if the return of Morland had been awaited, this treaty would have been much more advantageous; for about the end of July Cromwell had sent a new ambassador, Mr. Downing, with orders to take with him from Geneva the Chevalier Pelh, his resident ambassador to the Helvetic body. They were then both to join Morland, and all together to repair to Turin, to act in concert with the ambassador of the United Provinces (Holland). But the treaty of Pignerol was unfortunately signed before the arrival of these influential personages, and was thenceforth to afford too evident proofs of their absence. The following were its principal provisions:--
"The Vaudois, having taken up arms against their sovereign, deserved to be punished; however, through clemency they will be pardoned; and the Duke of Savoy wishing to make known to the world with how much tenderness he loves his people,[10] consents to accord to them:--
"I.--The confirmation of their privileges. (Liberty of conscience, of trade, and of transit.)
"II.--An amnesty for the excesses committed during the troubles.
"III.--The annulling of the prosecutions commenced, and of the decrees of outlawry issued against Léger, Janavel, Michelin, Le-preux, and other outlawed persons" (on whose heads a price had been set).
"IV.--The Protestants are prohibited from dwelling henceforth on the right bank of the Pélis, below Lucerna, and at Lucernette, Bubiano, Campillon, Fenil, Garsiliano, Briqueras, and St. Segont." (This clause would assuredly not have been admitted by the repre sentatives of Great Britain and the United Provinces, since it was expressly contrary to the treaty of Cavour, 1561.)
"V.--The possessions of the Vaudois, lying within the districts where they are prohibited from dwelling, shall be sold within three months, in default of which they shall be paid for by the exchequer to their proprietors, according to the price which they cost.
"VI.--The Vaudois may inhabit the commune of St. John, but they are prohibited from practising any public religious service there.
"VII.--They shall be exempted from divers taxes for the space of five years (because," adds the patent, "they are not in a condition to pay them, by reason of the losses which they have suffered).
"VIII.--Mass shall be celebrated in all the va1leys; but the Vaudois shall not be required to attend.
"IX.--Those who, having abjured their religion during the late troubles, shall think that they have been constrained thereto by violence, and wish to return to Protestantism, shall not be punished as relapsed.[11]
"X.--The prisoners on both sides, including women and children, shall be restored as soon as they shall be demanded." (In virtue of this article, the wife and daughters of Janavel were delivered up. But these words, apparently so precise, The prisoners shall be restored as soon as they shall be demanded, were the cloak for hitter deceptions; for the greater part of the children carried off during the war had been dispersed in Piedmont, had been passes from hand to hand, from castle to castle, from monastery to monastery, so that their parents knew not whither to go to seek them; and the authorities responded to their complaints, "Tell us where your child is and we will secure your obtaining it." Thus Jesuitism triumphed still by its crooked policy, even under the protective provisions of an official edict.)
Some clauses of a mere temporary interest terminate this treaty, consisting in all of twenty articles.[12]
The plenipotentiaries had, it is true, demanded more solid guarantees for the repose of the Vaudois; amongst others, the demolition of the fort of La Tour, but they were refused or eluded; and, as we shall very soon see, the want of them became the source of new difficulties and misfortunes.
Notes: