WHen their Plots were ripe for execution, we find their first proceedings against the English various; some of the Irish only stripping and expelling them; others murdering men, women, and children without mercy; all resolving universally to root out all the Protestants out of Ireland; so deeply malitious were they against the English Prote­stants, that they would not so much as endure the sound of their Language.

The Priests gave the Sacrament unto divers of the Irish, upon conditi­on they should neither spare man, woman, nor child of the Protestants. One Halligan, a Priest, read an Excommunication against all those, that from thenceforth should relieve or harbour any English, Scotish, or Welch man, or give them almes, whereby many were famished to death. The Friars exhorted them with tears, not to spare any of the English; they boasted that when they had destroyed them in Ireland, they would go over into England and not leave the memorial of an English man under heaven.

They openly professed, that they held it as lawful to kill a Protestant, as to kill a Dog. One of their Priests said, That it was no more pitty to take their Lives from them, then it was to take a Bone out of a Dogs mouth.

The day before this Massacre began, the Priests gave the People a dis­miss at Mass, with liberty to go out, and take possession of all their Lands, as also to strip, rob, and despoyle them of all their goods and cattel; the Protestants being, as they told them, worse than Doggs, for they were De­vils, and therefore the killing of such was a Meritorious Act, and a rare Preservative against the pains of Purgatory; and this caused some of these murderers to boast, after they had slain many of the English, That they knew, that if they should dye presently, they should go straight to Hea­ven.

The Irish, when the Massacre began, perswaded many of their Protest­ant Neighbours to bring their Goods to them, and they would secure them; and hereby they got abundance peaceably into their hands, whereof they [Page 4] cheated the Protestants, refusing to restore them again; yet so confident were the Protestants at first of them, that they gave them Inventories of all they had; and digged up their best things that were hidden in the ground, and deposited them in their custody. They also got much into their hands by fair Promises, deep Oaths and Engagements, that if they would deliver them their goods, they would suffer them, with their Wives and Children, quietly to depart the Country; and when they had got what they could, they afterwards murdered them.

Having thus seized upon their goods and cattel, ransack't their houses, got their persons, stript Man, Woman, and Child naked, and so turned them out of doors, strictly prohibiting the Irish under great penalties, not to give them any relief; by means hereof many miserably perisht through cold, nakedness and hunger.

In the Town of Coleraine, many of these poor people that fled thither for succour, many thousands dyed in two dayes, so that the living could not bury the dead, but layd their Carcasses in ranks in waste and wide holes, pyling them up as if they had been Herrings.

One Magdalen Redman deposeth, that she, and divers other Protestants, amongst whom were two and twenty Widows, were first robbed, and then stript naked, and when they had covered themselves with straw, the bloody Papists threw in burning straw amongst them, on purpose to burn them; then they drove them out into the Woods in Frost and Snow, where ma­ny of them dyed with extream cold, and those that survived, lived mise­rably by reason of their many wants.

Yet though these bloody Villains exercised such inhumame cruelties towards the poor Protestants, they would commonly boast, That these were but the beginnings of their sorrows, for indeed they made it good; for ha­ving disarmed the English, robbed them of their goods, stript them of their cloathes, and having their persons in their power, they furiously broke out into all manner of abominable Cruelties, horrid Massacres, and exe­crable Murders.

For there were multitudes murdered in cold blood, some as they were at Plough, others in their Houses, others in the high Wayes; all without any provocation, were suddenly destroyed.

In the Castle of Lisgool, were about one hundred and fifty Men, Women and Children consumed with fire. At the Castle of Moneah, were one hundred slain. At the Castle of Tullah, which was delivered to Mac Guire, upon composition, and faithful promises of fair quarter, as soon as he and his entred, they began to strip the People, and most cruel­ly put them to the sword, murdering them all without mercy.

At Lissenskeath, they hanged and killed above one hundred of the Scot­tish [Page 5] Protestants. In the Counties of Armagh and Tyrone, where the Pro­testants were more numerous, their murthers were more multiplied, and with greater cruelty.

Mac Guire coming to the Castle of Lissenskeath, desired to speak with Mr. Middleton, who admitted him in, he first burnt the Records of the County, then demanded One thousand pounds which was in his custody of Sir William Balfor [...]s, which as soon as he had, he caused Mr. Middleton to hear Mass, and to swear that he would never alter from it, and then hanged him up with his Wife and Children: hanging and murthering above one hundred persons besides in that place.

At Portendown Bridge, there were one thousand Men, Women and Children carried in several Companies, and all unmercifully drowned in the River. Yea in that Country there were four thousand persons drown­ed in several places.

In one place one hundred and forty English were taken and driven like Cattle for many miles together. Other companies they carried out to a place fit for execution, and then murthered them. One hundred and fifteen Men, Women and Children, they sent with Sir Philem Oneals pass till they came to Portendowne Bridge, and there drowned them.

At another time one hundred and fourty Protestants, being thrown in at the same place, as any of them swam to the shore, the bloody Villains, with the Butt-ends of their Muskets knockt out their brains.

At Armagh, O Cane got together all the Protestants thereabouts, pre­tending to conduct them to Coleraine; but before they were a dayes jour­ney, they were all murthered, and so were many others, though they had Protections from Sir Philem Oneale. The Aged people in Armagh were carried to Charlemont, and there murthered.

Presently after, the Town of Armagh was burnt, and five hundred per­sons murthered and drowned. In Killoman, were forty eight families murthered. In one house twenty two Protestants were burned. In Kilmore all the Inhabitants were stript and Massacred, being two hundred Fami­lies: the whole County was a common Butchery; many thousands perish­ed by sword, famine, fire, water, and all other cruel deaths that rage and malice could invent.

At Casel they put all the Protestants into a loathsome Dungeon, kept them twelve weeks in great misery. Some they barbarously mangled, and left them languishing; some they hanged up twice or thrice, others they buried alive.

In Queens County, an English man, his Wife, five Children and a Maid, were all hanged together. At Clowns, seventeen men were buried alive; some were wounded and hanged upon Tenter-hooks.

In Castle-Cumber two Boyes wounded, and hung upon Butchers Ten­ters. Some hanged up, and taken down to confess money, and then mur­thered. Some had their Bellyes ript up, and so left with their Gutts about their heels.

In Kilkenny an English Woman beaten into a ditch where she died; her Child about six years old, they ript up her Belly, and let out her Gutts. One they forced to Mass, then they wounded him, ript his Belly, took out his Gutts, and so left him alive.

A Scottish man they stript, and hewed to pieces, ript up his Wifes Bel­ly, so that her Child dropt out; many other Women they hung up with Child, ript their Bellies, and let their Infants fall out; some of the Children they gave to Doggs.

In the County of Armagh, they robbed, stripped, and murthered abundance of Protestants, whereof some they burned, some they slew with the Sword, some they hanged, some they starved to death; and meeting Mistris Howard, and Mistris Frankland with six of their Children, and themselves both with Child, they murdered them all, ript open the Gen­tle womens Bellies, took out their Children, and threw them into a ditch. A young Scotish Womans Child they took by the heels and dasht out its brains against a tree; the like they did to many other Children.

Anne Hill going with a young Child on her back, and four more by her side, they pulled the Child off her back, trod on it till it died, stripped her and the other four Children naked, whereby they died of cold.

Some others they met with, hanged them up upon a Windmil, and be­fore they were half dead, cut them in pieces with their Skeins.

Many other Protestants, especially Women and Children, they pricked and stabbed with Skeins, Forks, and Swords, slashing, cutting and mang­ling them in their Heads, Faces, Breasts, Armes, and other parts, yet killed them not, but left them wallowing in their blood, to languish, starve and pine to death.

The Castle of Lisgoole, being set on fire by these merciless Papists, a Woman lept out at a Window to save her self from burning, whom they presently murthered; many fled to Vaults and Cellars, where they were all murthered. One Joan Addis they stabbed, and then put her Child of a quarter old to her Breast, and bid it Suck English Bastard, and so left it to perish.

One Mary Barlow had her husband hanged, her self with six Children st [...]ipt naked, in Frost and Snow, after which, sheltring themselves in a Cave, they had nothing to eat for three weeks, but two old Calves skins, which they beat with stones, and so eat them hair and all.

In the cold weather many thousands of Protestants of all ranks, ages, [Page 7] and Sexes, being turned out naked, perished of cold and hunger; thou­sands of others were drowned, cast into Ditches, Bogs, and Turf-pits; multitudes miserably burnt in houses; some that lay sick of Feavers they hanged up; some men, women, and children, they drove into Boggy Pits, and knock't them on the heads.

Some Aged men and women these barbarous Papists enforced their own children to drown them; yea, some children were compelled unnaturally to execute their own Parents, Wives forced to hang their own Husbands, and Mothers to cast their own Children into the Waters, after which themselves were murthered. In Sligo they forced a young man to kill his Father, and then hanged him up. In another place they forced a Wo­man to kill her Husband, then caused her Son to kill her, and then hanged the Son: Yea such was their malice against the English, that they taught their Children to kill English Children.

The Irish Women that followed the Camp, cryed out, Kill them all, spare neither Man, Woman, nor Child. They took the Child of Thomas Stratton, being about twelve years old, and boiled him in a Cauldron. One good-wife Lin, and her Daughter, they carried into a Wood, first hanged the Mother, and then the Daughter in the hair of her Mothers head.

In some places they plucked out the Eyes, and cut off the Hands of the Protestants, and turned them into the Fields, where they perished. The Women, in some places, stoned the English Women and Children to death. One man they shot through his Thighs, digged a hole in the ground, set him in upon his feet, fill'd up the hole, left out onely his head, where he languished to death. Another man they held his feet in the fire till he was burnt to death.

In Munster they hanged up many Ministers in a most barbarous man­ner. One Minister they stripped naked, and drove him through the Town, pricking him with Darts and Rapiers, till he fell down dead.

These barbarous Villains vowed, That if any Parents digged Graves to bury their Children in, they should be buried therein themselves. They stripped one William Loverden naked, then killed him before his Wife and Children. Divers Ministers bones that had been buried some years be­fore, they digged up, because they were, as they say, Patrons of He­resie.

Poor Children that went out into the fields to eat Weeds and Grass, they killed without all pitty.

A poor Woman, whose Husband was taken by them, went to them with two Children at her feet, and one at her breast, hoping to beg her Husband, but they slew her, and her sucking Child, brake the neck of [Page 8] another, and the third hardly escaped; and all this wickedness they ex­ercised upon the English, without any provocation given them. Alas, who can comprehend the fears, terrors, anguish, bitterness, and per­plexity that seized upon the poor Protestants, finding themselves so sud­denly surprised without remedy, and wrapt up in all kind of outward mi­series which could possibly by man be inflicted upon humane Creatures? What sighs and groans, trembling and astonishment, what shricks, cries, and bitter lamentations of Wives, Children, Servants and Friends, howling and weeping, finding themselves without all hope of delive­rance from their present miseries. How inexorable were their barbarous Tormentors, that compassed them in on every side, without all bowels of Compassion, or the least commiseration or pitty: Yea, they boasted upon their success, That the day was their own, and that ere long they would not leave one Protestant Rogue living, but would utterly destroy every one that had but a drop of English blood in them. Their Women crying out, Slay them all, the English are fit meat for Dogs, and their Children are Ba­stards.

These merciless Papists having set a Castle on fire, wherein were many Protestants, they rejoycingly said, O how sweetly do they fry.

At Kilkenny, when they had committed many cruel murthers, they brought seven Protestants Heads, one the Head of a Reverend Minister, all which they set upon the Market-cross, on a Market day, tryumphing, slashing and mangling them; they put a Gag in the Ministers mouth, slit up his Cheeks to his Ears, and laid a leaf of a Bible upon it, and bid him Preach, for his mouth was wide enough.

At Kilmore they put many Protestants, men, women, and children, into a Thatched House, and there burnt them. They threw Mrs. Max­wel into the River, when in Labour, the Child being half born when the mo [...]h [...]r was drowned.

In one place they burnt two Protestant Bibles, and then said, It was Hell fire they burnt. Other Bibles they took, cut in pieces, and then burnt them, saying, They would do the like to all Puritane Bibles. They took the Bible of a Minister, called Mr. Edward Slack, and opening it, they laid it in a puddle of Water, and then stamped upon it, saying, A plague on it, this Bible hath bred all the Quarrel.

At Glastow, a Priest, with some others, drew about forty English and Scottish Protestants to be reconciled to the Church of Rome, and then told them They were in a good Faith, and for fear they should fall from it and turn Hereticks, he with his Companions presently cut all their Throats.

In the County of Tipperary, near the Silver Works, some of these Bar­barous Papists met with eleven English men, ten women, some children, [Page 9] whom they first stript, and then with Stones, Poleaxes, Skeins, Swords, &c. they most barbarously massacred them all.

In the County of Mayo, about sixty Protestants, whereof fifteen were Ministers, were upon Covenant to be safely conveyed to Galway by one Edmond Burk, and his Souldiers; but by the way, this Burk and hi Company began to massacre these poor Protestants, some they shot to death, some they stab'd with Skeins, some they thrust through with their Pikes, some they drowned; the Women they stript naked, who lying upon their Husbands to save them, were run through with Pikes, so that very few of them escaped with life.

In the Town of Sligo, forty Protestants were stript, and locked up in a Celler, and about midnight a Butcher provided for the purpose, was sent in amongst them, who with his Ax butchered them all.

In Tirawly, thirty or forty English, who had yeelded to go to Mass, were put to their choice Whether they would die by the Sword, or be drowned? They chose the latter; and so being driven to the Sea side, these barba­rous Villains, with their naked Swords forced them into the Sea; the Mothers with their Children in their Arms, wading to the Chin, were o­vercome by the Waves, where they all perished.

The Son of Mr. Montgomery a Minister, Aged about fifteen years, met with his School-master, who drew his Skein at him, whereupon the Boy said, Good Master whip me as much as you will, but do not kill me. Yet this merciless Tyger barbarously murthered him without all pitty.

In the Town of Sligo, all the Protestants were first robbed of their E­states, then cast into Goal, and about midnight were all stript naked, and were there most cruelly and barbarously murthered with Swords, Axes, Skeins, &c. some of them being Women great with Child, their Infants thrust out their Arms and Legs at their Wounds; after which execrable murthers, these Hell-hounds laid the dead naked Bodies of the men up­on the naked Bodies of the women, in a most immodest posture, where they left them till the next day to be looked upon by the Irish, who be­held it with great delight. Also Isabel Beard, great with Child, hearing the lamentable cries of those that were murthering, ran out into the streets, where she was murthered, and the next day was found with the Childs feet coming out of the Wounds in her sides: many others were murthered in the houses and streets.

About Dungannon were three hundred and sixteen Protestants in the like barbarous manner murthered: about Charlemont above four hundred: a­bout Tyrone two hundred and six.

One Mac Crew, murthered thirty one in one morning.

Two young Villains, murdered 140. poor Women and Chil­dren [Page 10] that could make no resistance. An Irish woman with her own hands murthered forty five.

At Portendowne Bridge were drowned above three hundred. At Lawgh were drowned above two hundred. In another place were drowned three hundred in one day. In the Parish of Killamen, there were murthered one thousand and two hundred Protestants.

Many young Children they cut in quarters; Eighteen Scottish Infants they hanged upon a Clothiers Tenter-hooks; One fat man they mur­thered, and made Candles of his Grease; Another Scottish man they ript up his Belly, took one end of his small Guts, tied it to a Tree, and for­ced him round about it, till they had drawn them all out of his Body, saying, That they would try whether a Dogs or a Scottish mans Guts were the longer.

By the command of Sir Philem O Neale, Master James Maxwel was drawn out of his Bed, being sick of a Feaver, and murthered, his Wife being in Child birth, the Child being half born, they stript naked, drove her about a flight shot, and drowned her in the black Water; The like, or worse, they did to another English Woman in the same Town. One Mr. Watson they roasted alive. A Scottish Woman, great with Child, they ript up her Belly, cut the Child out of her Womb, and so left it crawling on her Body.

Mr. Starkey, Schoolmaster at Armagh, being above one hundred years old, they stript him naked, then took his two Daughters, being Virgins, whom they also stript naked, and then forced them to lead their Aged Father to a Turf-pit, where they drowned them all three.

To one Henry Cowel, a gallant Gentleman, they prosfered his life, if he would marry one of their Truls, or go to Mass, but he chose death ra­ther than to consent to either.

Many of the Protestants they buried alive, sollacing themselves, whilst they were digging down old Ditches upon them.

They brake the Back-bone of a Youth, and left him in the Fields; some dayes after he was found, having eaten the Grass round about him; nei­ther then would they kill him out-right, but removed him to better Pa­sture, wherein was fulfilled that saying, The tender mercies of the wicked are cruelty.

In the County of Antrim, they murthered nine hundred fifty four Protestants in one morning; and afterwards about twelve hundred more in that County. Near Lisnegarry, they forced twenty four Protestants in­to a house, and burnt them all.

Sir Philem O Neale boasted, That he had slain above six hundred at Garvagh, and that he had left neither man, woman, nor child alive in the [Page 11] Barony of Munterlong. In other places he murthered above two thou­sand Persons in their houses, so that many houses were filled with dead Bodies.

Above twelve thousand were slain in the high wayes, as they fled to­wards Downe. Many died of Famine; many died for want of Cloaths, being stript naked in a cold season; some thousands were drowned, so that in the Province of Ulster, there were about one hundred and fifty thousand murthered by sundry kinds of torments and deaths.

The Popish English were no whit inferiour, yea rather exceeded the na­tural Irish in their cruelty against the Protestants that lived amongst them, within the Pale, being not satisfied with their blood, till they had seen the last drop thereof.

Ann Kinnard testified, That fifteen Protestants being Imprisoned, and their Feet in the Stocks, a Popish Boy, being not above fourteen years old, slew them all in one night with his skein.

An English Woman, who was newly delivered of two Children, some of these Villains violently compelled her, in her great pain and sickness, to rise out of her Bed, and took one of the Infants that was living, and dashed his Brains against the Stones, and then threw him into the River of Barrow; The like they did by many other Infants. Many others they hanged up without all pitty.

The Lord Mont Garrit, caused divers English Souldiers, that he taken about Kilkenny, to be hanged, hardly suffering them to pray before their death.

One Fitz Patrick, an Irish Papist, enticed a rich Merchant, that was a Protestant, to bring all his Goods to his house, promising safely to keep them, and to re-deliver them to him; but when he had gotten them into his possession, he took the Merchant and his Wife and hanged them both. The like he did by divers others.

Some English mens heads they cut off, and carried them to Kilkenny, and on the Market day, set them on the Cross, where many, especially the Women, stab'd, cut and slashed them.

A poor Protestant Woman, with her two Children, going to Kilkenny, these bloody Miscreants baited them with Dogs, stabbed them with Skeins, and pulled out the Guts of one of the Children, whereby they died; and not far off they took divers men, women, and children, and hanged them up; one of the Women being great with Child, they ripped up her Belly as she hanged, so that the Child fell out in the Cawl alive. Some after they were hanged, they drew up and down till their Bowels were torn out.

How many thousands of Protestants were thus inhumanely butchered [Page 12] by sundry kindes of deaths, we cannot ascertain.

In the Province of Ulster, we find about 150000. murthered, as b [...]fore; what the number of the slain was in the three other Provinces, I find not upon Record, but certainly it was very great, for you have these passages in a general Remonstrance of the distressed Protestants in the Province of Munster. We may (say they) compare our woe to the saddest Parallel of any Story; Our Churches are prophaned by Sacrifices to Idols; Our Habitations are become ruinous heaps: No quality, Age or Sex, privi­ledged from Massacres and lingring deaths, by being robbed, stript naked, and so exposed to cold and famine. The famished Infants of murthered Parents swarm in our Streets, and for want of food, perish before our faces, &c. And all this cruelty that is exercised upon us, we know not for what cause, of­fence, or seeming provocation it is inflicted on us, (sin excepted) saving that we were Protestants, &c. We can make it manifest, that the depopulations in this Province of Munster, do well near equal those of the whole Kingdom, &c.

And thus in part you have heard of the merciless cruelties which the bloody Papists exercised towards the Protestants: Let us now consider, at least, some of God's Judgments upon the Irish, whereby he hath not left the Innocent blood of his Servants to be altogether unrevenged.

These bloody Hell-hounds, themselves confessed, That the Ghosts of divers of the Protestants, which they had drowned at Portendowne Bridg, were daily seen to walk upon the River, sometimes singing of Psalms, some­times brandishing naked Swords, sometimes shreeking in a most hideous and fearful manner. So that many of the Popish Irish which dwelt near there­abouts, being afrighted therewith, were forced to remove their Habitati­ons further off into the Countrey.

Katherine Cook testified upon Oath, That when the Irish had barbarously drowned one hundred and eighty Protestants, men, women, and children, at Portendowne Bridge, about nine dayes after, she saw the apparition of a Man bolt upright in the River, standing breast high, with his hands lifted up to Heaven; and continu [...]d in that pasture from December to the end of Lent, at which time some of the English Army passing that way, saw it also, after which it vanished away.

Elizabeth Price, testified upon Oath, That she, and other women, whose Husbands and Children were drowned in that place, hearing of these Appari­tions, went thither one evening, at which time they saw one like a Woman rise out of the River, breast high, her hair hanging down, which with her skin, was as white as Snow, often crying out, Revenge, Revenge, Re­venge, which so afrighted them, that they went their way.

Divers Protestants were thrown into the River of Belterbert, and when [Page 13] any of them offered to swim to the Land, they were knocked on the head with Poles, after which their Bodies were not seen of six weeks; but after the end thereof, the murtherers coming again that way, the Bodies came floating up to the very Bridge where they were.

Sir Con Mac Gennis with his Company, slew Mr. Turge, Minister of the Newry, with divers other Protestants, after which the said Mac Gen­nis was so afrighted with the Apprehension of the said Mr. Turge, his be­ing continually in his presence, that he commanded his Souldiers not to slay any more of them, but such as should be slain in Battel.

A young Woman being stript almost naked, there came a Rogue to her, bidding her, Give him her money, or he would run her through with his Sword. Her answer was, You cannot kill me, except God give you leave; Whereupon he ran three times at her naked body with his drawn Sword, and yet never pierced her skin; whereat he being confounded, went his way and left her. This was attested by divers Women that were present and saw it.

As for the Protestant Ministers whom they surprized, their manner was first to strip them, and after bind them to a Tree or post, where they pleased, and then to ravish their Wives and Daughters before their faces (in sight of all their merciless rabble) with the basest Villains they could pick out, after they hanged up their husbands and parents before their faces, and then cut them down before they were half dead, then quarter'd them, after dismember'd them, and stopped their mouths therewith.

They basely abused one Mr. Trafford, a Minister in the North of Ireland, who being assaulted by these bloody Wolves of Romes brood, that know not God, nor any bowels of mercy. This distressed Minister desired but so much time as to call upon God before he went out of the world: but these merciless wretches would admit no time, but instantly fell upon him, hackt and hewed him to pieces.

Sir Patrick Dunstan's Wife ravished before him, slew his Servants, spurned his Children till they dyed, bound him with Match to a board that his eyes burst out, cut off his ears and nose, teared off both his cheeks, after cut off h [...]s arms and legs, cut out his tongue, and after run a red hot Iron into him.

These Particulars with many more were Attested before the Commissioners appointed for that purpose.

WHereas we are forewarned by the Word of God, That the Rage and Cruelty of the infernal Dragon, towards the latter end of the World, would be in no wise abated; but seeing his time of Perse­cuting the Saints to be but short, would be the more vehemently in­sensed against them; The Reformed Churches in several parts, especially those next unto us in Piedmont, have very often heretofore, as well as now, had sad experience of the Truth of this Particular. For, notwithstanding that the Duke of Savoy, who is Soveraign Prince of the Vallyes of Pied­mont, after a most tedious and chargable Application made unto him, did by an Edict expresly promise, That he would confirm unto them an enjoy­ment of the Liberty of Religion, and of those Priviledges granted to them by his Predecessors, Dukes of Savoy: Yet through the powerful perswasion of the Congregation (as it is called) for Propagation of the Faith, and Extir­pating of Hereticks, erected at Turin; Or rather by virtue of that Autho­rity which they Usurp over Princes, he soon forgot his Promise, and be­yond all mens expectations, one Gastald was sent with a Commission, who calls himself, Conservator General of the Catholick Faith against the Reformed Professors; affirming that he hath received Instructions from the Prince, whereby command is given touching all the Reformed Profession, within the several Towns and Precincts of Lucerne, Lusernette, St. John, La Tour, Campiglion, Fenill, Bobiane, Bricheras, and St. Second, both In­habitants and Strangers, That in case they will not within Three Dayes em­brace the Popish Religion, they must for ever bid farwel to their Native Coun­try, Houses, Lands and Possessions; adding moreover, That it should be Death without mercy, if after that space of time, any of them were taken in those places.

Hereupon, no sooner was the time limited overpast, but immediate­ly the Missionary Monks and Popish Priests sent in upon them a world of Cut-throats and Villains, who not only gape after the Prey like Hounds, and hunt for the precious Lives of those miserable Exiles, but also dis­charge [Page 15] their rage and fury against their Houses and Lands, by cutting down and rooting up the very Trees.

In the mean time these poor Protestants knew not where to complain of their Injuries, being deprived of all possibility of making any address to the Prince; and if any did but offer to present Petitions in their behalfs, they were presently snapt, and sent away to the Congregation for Propaga­ting the Faith, and Extirpation of Hereticks; that is, to their Adversaries, the Archbishop of Turin, the Prince's Confessor, the Abbot de la Monta, the Prior of Rorene, and some others, who are Politick Pensioners to the Pope.

Now, as touching this Persecution against the Protestants, whereby they are made to depart within three dayes upon pain of Death, into such de­solate places as are hardly sufficient to receive or sustain the native In­habitants; the Iniquity and Injustice of the proceeding appears even in this, that the poor Protestants, through the influence of their Adversaries, and Accusers, upon the Magistrate, were without hearing, or the least sum­mons, sentenced to Banishment upon pain of Death, without giving them any Respit, or admitting them to make any Protestation or Appeal, unless their Petitions were drawn in such form as might please the Com­missioner, who is the great Protector of this Persecution; and according to the mind of their Adversaries, in such Tearms as they should prescribe, whereby they must necessarily betray Themselves and their Cause; and then after execution of the aforesaid penalty, they have been pleased to give some of the poor Exiles a hearing, and permitted them to plead their Cause, and that only by a Popish Advocate, who had been so charmed by the Clergy, that before he entred upon the Cause, he was faine to crave pardon upon his knees for undertaking to plead it.

And as for the pleading, it was not mannaged before competent and lawful Judges, but the Protestants chiefest Adversaries sate in Judgement; the Archbishop of Turin, the Dukes Confessor, the Abbot de la Monta, the Prior of Rorene, and some others, devoted to the Court of Rome, yea, and in the Archbishops own house.

Moreover, Whereas, according to certain Grants made by the Prince, leave was given to the Protestants to dwell in their wonted Habitations, where they had a Tolleration, and it remains on their part to be proved, that those were the accustomed places of their Habitation, the matter was so handled by the Romish Clergie, that they endeavoured as much as in them lay, [...]o hinder the Papists from giving any Testimony on the behalf of their Neighbours of the Protestant Religion, concerning this their Ha­bitation, which at length the Protestants made a hard shift to wrest out of them, to the exceeding regret and indignation of the Clergy, and so [Page 16] proved at last by those Authentick Testimonials under the hands of their Popish Neighbours, that all those places out of which they were driven, have been places Inhabited by Protestants time out of mind.

But to the end that it may more fully and clearly appear, upon what ac­count of right or wrong the Popish Adversaries do incite their Soveraign, the Duke of Savoy, who is yet but young, to the driving of the poor Pro­testants out of their ancient Patrimonies and places of Abode, in the midst of a sharp and terrible Winter, and this upon pain of Death, unless with­in three dayes of Publication of that Decree of perpetual Banishment, they immediately quit their native Country, or else Abjure the true, and devote themselves and their families to the Romish Religion.

It is to be observed (omitting the mention of their more ancient Rights and Priviledges, the long possession which they have held beyond the memory of man) That in the Edicts set forth by the Dukes of Savoy, They are to be seen in the History of the Martyrs, set forth in French, to the year 1561. and the Agreements made for the Protestants enjoying a Liberty of Reli­gion, the Limits appointed for the publick preaching of the Reformed Religion, do not extend so far as the dwellings of those men that profess it, nor are the Limits of their Dwelling to be contracted into so narrow a compass, as the Places limited for Preaching. But that the Reformed Professors have a right of Habitation in those places out of which they are now expelled, is evident, not only by an ancient Pre­scription of many Ages, seeing their Fathers, Grandfathers, and other their Ancestors, have inhabited there before them, but also by those very Grants and Concessions confirmed by Duke Charles Emanuel, wherein it was acknowledged by publick Edict, that this Habitation was derived to them from their Fathers. For when he, through the Instigation of the Court of Rome, had by a surreptitious Decree commanded them to de­part thence towards the later end of the year 1602. afterward, being well informed of their Right, he by an authentick Charter, gave them leave to dwell there again; for the confirmation of which Charter, they paid 6000. Ducatoons into the Dukes Exchequer, upon August, 17. Anno, 1620. and it was confirmed again by the Prince now raigning, upon the 29^th of December, Anno 1655. And yet now, contrary to Faith given upon the 25^th of January following, in the depth of Winter, not sparing even Women with Child, near delivery, nor those that had Infants hang­ing on their Breasts, they were all without distinction, both Men, Wo­men, and Children, driven out to wander through Frost and Snow in a most bitter season, without the least warning or delay. And no sooner had these Old Inhabitants quitted their ancient Inheritances for the sa­ving of their Lives, but those savage Theeves that gaped after the prey, [Page 17] presently fell to plundring and spoyling their Houses, driving away their Cattel, felling and cutting down Trees, or else rooting them up.

In a word, they destroyed all, and by this means attempted to drive them to the utmost point of Desperation; and if any man endeavoured to withstand or oppose them, they immediately cryed out, He is a Traytor.

UPon Saturday, April 17. 1655. whilst the Deputies of the Pro­testants were, by the subtilties of the Marquess of Pianessa, detained at Turin, a great Army arrived at St. Giovanny, and fell in the dusk of the evening into La Torre; the next day they ranged about through the Communalties of La Torre, and St. Gio­vanny, plundering and pillaging all before them; and the day after, their number being encreased to about fifteen thousand, they set upon the Pro­testants in several Quarters.

Wednesday the 21th. the Marquess of Pianessa held the Deputies of the Vally of Lucerna in parley til noon, & then entertained them with a large Dinner, and sent them away with many fair promises, That there should be no hurt done to any, except those of St. Giovanny and La Torre, as be­ing the places specified in the Order of Gastaldo; but for the rest, if they would but quarter a few Troops as a token of their obedience, and that but for a short time, they might be fearless of the least inconvenience. Hereupon the Agents of Angrogna bestirred themselves to perswade their own par­ty from making the least resistance. The same did the Agents of Villa­ro and Bobio. But no sooner were those Troops entred, but they put all to Fire and Sword, slaying all they met with, and that in the most bar­barous manner they could possibly devise; as you may see by this Ex­tract of a Letter written by some of those poor Protestants, wherein they thus write.