as the English fleet came in sight, they gave in to the terms of their French oppressors, who proceeded, as usual, to violate them,-levelling the walls with the ground, and, as if in revenge, melting the very bell which had been used in summoning the Protestants together for civil and ecclesiastical purposes. It is impossible to believe, that had the British Government been really friendly, they would not have been able to render effective relief. Such was the sympathy of the British nation with the Rochellois (in Scotland collections were made for them in the parish churches), that the king and the Popish party could not prevent the sending forth of repeated expeditions, nominally, at least, in their behalf, but really for their overthrow. Nay, as we have seen, the king was willing rather that the lives of British sailors should be basely sacrificed, than that French Protestants should be successful. What could better prove the Popish thraldom to which he was enchained?

After the fall of Rochelle, the strength of the Protestants, as a political party, able to resist, was in a great measure gone. Hence there is comparative quiet down to the conclusion of the period of which I write (1660). Their outward defences were all swept away one after another. The very distraction of the country by political factions and cabals, in which the Protestants took no part, may have conduced to their repose. Perpetual conspiracies among Popish parties, doubtless operated as a diversion in their favour. Men had not time to quarrel among themselves, and to quarrel with others whom they no longer dreaded. But the old hatred to Protestantism was as keen as ever. In 1634, a man was liable to a fine of 500 livres, who called the Protestant places of worship "Churches;" and to a similar exaction, where, in speaking of the "Reformed" he forgot to prefix the word "Pretended." Eleven years later, the most annoying restrictions were added to those already in force. At Rouen, a Protestant youth could not become an apprentice to a goldsmith, unless this

were balanced by 14 Roman Catholic youths becoming apprentices at the same time. In the same city, Protestants were not allowed to act as apothecaries, as if thus there would be danger of their poisoning the members of the Church of Rome. In Paris, Protestant females were forbidden to be semstresses; and, while restricted in this and in many other ways, the whole Protestant population was subjected to the annoyance of a host of ignorant, self-appointed Popish missionaries, who seemed to think, that after the fall of Rochelle, nothing more was necessary to induce them to become Romanists, but their counsel; and who thrust themselves in upon all occasions into their houses, to the serious disturbance of the domestic peace of the unhappy Protestants. Still, now that the Roman Catholics had gained the complete mastery, all was tolerably quiet, and remained so for several years. There were even occasional acts of kindness shown to the Protestants by those in power, in testimony of gratitude for services. The first serious alarm was awakened in 1656, by finding that the French troops had been employed by the Duke of Savoy in a most bloody and unprovoked massacre of his Protestant subjects in Piedmont, on the borders of France. The French Protestants naturally interpreted this as a preparation, if not a signal, for a general extermination of themselves and their brethren on the Continent. And it is not improbable that this might have been the result, had it not been for the zeal and determination with which Oliver Cromwell, who then swayed the power of Britain, stood forward in their defence. If Charles I. acted a part most unworthy of a British monarch in his treatment of the French Protestants, the Protector redeemed the character of the throne. One of the most interesting passages in English history is composed of the ten or twelve letters which Milton, as the secretary of Cromwell, wrote to the leading Protestant powers of Europe, and also to the Duke of Savoy, and the king of France, -stirring up the former to a united interference in their behalf, and remonstrating with the two latter for the

share which they had in the horrible atrocities perpetrated on the Piedmontese. I would fain extract one or two of these letters; but my space does not allow. Let the following sentences, which bear the stamp of Milton, suffice; the sentiment of Cromwell is still finer than the style of his secretary.* "For my part," says he, " this is my opinion of myself, that I am now advanced to this degree in the Commonwealth, to the end I should consult, in the first place, and as much as in me lies, for the common peace of the Protestants." Again,-" Neither is there any thing which we account more sacred in our wishes, than that the whole Protestant name would knit and grow together in brotherly unity and concord. · In the meantime, most certain it is, that the common enemy of the Reformed rejoices at these our dissensions, and more haughtily every where exerts his fury." And again," Nor should we think any fruit of our labours, or of the dignity and supreme employment which we hold in our republic greater, than that we might be in a condition to be serviceable to the enlargement or the welfare, or which is more sacred-to the peace of the Reformed Church."

One of the addresses to the king of France (Louis XIV.) is striking :

"I most earnestly beseech and conjure ye most Christian king, by that right hand which signed the league and friendship between us, by that same goodly ornament of your title of MOST CHRISTIAN, by no means

* It is in connection with this massacre that Milton wrote the well known and beautiful lines:

"Avenge, O Lord, thy slaughtered saints, whose bones
Lie scattered on the Alpine mountains cold,

Ev'n them who kept the truth so pure of old,

When all our fathers worshipped stocks and stones,

Forget not. In thy book record their groans,

Who were thy sheep; and, in their ancient fold,
Slain by the bloody Piedmontese, that rolled
Mother with infant down the rocks. Their moans
The vales redoubled to the hills, and they

To heaven. Their martyred blood and ashes sow
O'er all the Italian fields, where still doth sway
The triple tyrant: that from these may grow
A hundredfold, who, having learned thy way,
Early may flee the Babylonian woe."

to suffer or to permit such liberty of rage and fury uncontrolled, we will not say in any prince (for certainly such barbarous severity could never enter the breast of any prince, much less so tender in years, nor into the female thoughts of his mother), but in those sanctified cut-throats who, professing themselves to be the servants and disciples of our Saviour, Christ, who came into the world to save sinners, abuse his meek and peaceful name and precepts, to the most cruel slaughter of the innocent. Rescue, you that are able, in your towering station-worthy to be able-rescue so many suppliants, prostrate at your feet, from the hands of ruffians who, lately drunk with blood, again thirst after it, and think it their safest way to throw the odium of their cruelty upon princes. But as for you, great prince, suffer not, while you reign, your titles nor the confines of your kingdom, to be contaminated with this same heavenoffering scandal, nor the peaceful Gospel of Christ to be defiled with such abominable cruelty."

Nor did Cromwell only remonstrate; he intimated his intention of making use of arms in defence of the Protestants; and it was this, doubtless, which checked the progress of the persecution. It was not a safe thing to come to an encounter with him, who declared, and succeeded in his declaration, that he would make the name of an Englishman as terrible in Europe as the name of an old Roman! Addressing the United States of Holland, which were decided Protestants, he says,"On the other side, if the duke (of Savoy) shall once permit himself to be atoned and won by our united applications, not only our afflicted brethren, but we ourselves shall reap the noble and abounding harvest and reward of this laborious undertaking. But if he still persist in the same obstinate resolutions of reducing to utmost extremity those people among whom our religion was either disseminated by the first doctors of the Gospel, and preserved from the defilement of superstition, or else restored to its pristine sincerity long before other nations obtained that felicity, and determines their utter

extirpation and destruction, we are ready to take such OTHER COURSE AND COUNCILS with yourselves, in common with the rest of our reformed friends and confederates, as may be most necessary for the preservation of just and good men upon the brink of inevitable ruin, and to make the duke himself sensible that we can no longer neglect the heavy oppressions and calamities of our orthodox brethren.-Farewell." The States of Holland fully concurred in these views, and expressed their readiness to co-operate in any way which was deemed most desirable.

Important as such steps were, Cromwell proceeded still farther. He obtained a collection through England and Wales in behalf of the suffering Piedmontese, which realized nearly £40,000,-a very large sum in those days. The Protector himself subscribed £2000. The distribution was intrusted to a number of leading men in the evangelical cities of Switzerland, who, from their vicinity to the Duke of Savoy, were supposed to be better acquainted with the people than those dwelling in this country. "Very many places and parts of Europe," we are informed by Moreland, who was commissioned as ambassador, by Cromwell, to Piedmont, sent letters, with large contributions, "to the poor distressed brethren in the valleys," such as Franckfort, Zurich, Hanaw, Flushing, Middleburgh, Clairac, Bergerac, and we may add, the Protestant Church of France. all her own poverty and oppression she contrived to contribute some relief to her more persecuted fellow-Christians. It is stated that there never was such unanimity known in the history of the world, among so many states and nations upon a matter relating to religion, as in the sympathy and liberality shown to the suffering Piedmontese. And what was the result of Cromwell's interposition? There is reason to think that it was only partially successful. It certainly checked the progress of active persecution, and that was an important matter. But three years after, we find the Protector still dealing with France and Savoy on the subject. The

Amid