Of all the potentates who interested themselves for the Vaudois, Oliver
Cromwell showed the greatest zeal. He is known to have said, that
nothing ever so affected him as the news of the massacres of the 24th
of April; and to have declared to the Duke of Savoy, "that if he did not
discontinue his persecutions, he would cause a fleet to sail over the
Alps to defend the Vaudois."
It is certain, that as soon as he heard of the horrors of April and
May, 1655, he ordered a general fast, and collection for the Vaudois,
throughout England, Ireland, and Scotland, to which he personally
subscribed L2000. He also wrote to many princes in their favour,
particularly to the kings of Denmark, Sweden, and to the States General
of the United Provinces, and sent Morland as his envoy extraordinary
to the court of Turin, charged also to deliver a letter to the king of
France on the same subject.
In answer to this, Cromwell was assured that the French troops had been
employed without the orders of their court, which greatly disapproved of
their interference; and was well content with the fidelity of the French
Protestants.
Morland, on his presentation at the court of Turin, made a most eloquent
and ardent appeal to the Duke, boldly stating the horrible outrages
which had been committed, and the innocence of the sufferers. He was
well informed of all the facts from M. J. Leger, whom he had met at
Lyons. Yet the court, in the answer to Cromwell's letter, dared to
express its surprise, "that the malice of men had presumed so to
misrepresent the mild and paternal castigation of the rebels," as to
excite the odium of the other courts of Europe.
Besides Morland, Mr. Douning and Mr. Pell were sent from England to
assist at the negociations; but on finding that the treaty was already
concluded, while they had been consulting with the Swiss Protestants,
they returned to England and Sir Samuel Morland to Geneva.
It was owing to the absence of these gentlemen, as well as that of
the Dutch ambassador, that the terms granted to the Vaudois were so
unfavourable.
Morland, having been informed of the miserable poverty to which almost
all the Vaudois were reduced, the want of provisions, and particularly
the inability of the pastors to support themselves or to obtain a
salary, made such representations as to induce Cromwell to make an order
in council, dated Whitehall, May 18th, 1658,* stating, "That report
having been made to us by our commissioner and committee for the affairs
of the poor Vaudois churches, upon the information relative to the state
of the said valleys, given them by Sir S. Morland, &c. &c. it is ordered
that the money, which remains from a collection made for them, shall be
applied as an annual stipend, as under:
To M. J. Leger,
who has always supported the interests of the valleys, L100
To eight ministers in the territory of Savoy, L320
To three ditto in the territory of France L30
To one head schoolmaster L20
To thirteen other schoolmasters L69
To four students of theology and medicine L40
To a physician and surgeon L35
Annual amount Sterling L614"
These annual stipends, thus derived from the residue of the
subscriptions left in England, which amounted to upwards of L12,000.**
were paid very regularly until the restoration of Charles the Second;
when that prince declaring that he had nothing to do with the orders
of an usurper, or the payment of his debts, the valleys were entirely
deprived of them. It is needless to make any observation on this
injustice--injustice not only to the Vaudois, but to the British nation,
whose humane generosity was thus defeated in its purpose, and whose
contributions were seized without a shadow of reason.
* Three years after the first mission of Morland,
consequently a large sum had been paid out of the
collection, for present use. Of this large sum, it has been
asserted, that the government of Geneva possessed themselves
of a great part, to repair their fortifications.--T.
** Jones says, L38,241 1s. 6d.--T.