artiality; old charters were wrested to a wrong
sense, and sophistry was used to pervert the meaning of every thing,
which tended to favour the reformed.

As if these severities were not sufficient, the duke, soon after,
published another edict, in which he strictly commanded, that no
protestant should act as a schoolmaster, or tutor, either in public or
private, or dare to teach any art, science, or language, directly or
indirectly, to persons of any persuasion whatever.

This edict was immediately followed by another, which decreed, that no
protestant should hold any place of profit, trust, or honour; and to
wind up the whole, the certain token of an approaching persecution came
forth in a final edict, by which it was positively ordered, that all
protestants should diligently attend mass.

The publication of an edict, containing such an injunction, may be
compared to unfurling the bloody flag; for murder and rapine were sure
to follow. One of the first objects that attracted the notice of the
papists, was Mr. Sebastian Basan, a zealous protestant, who was seized
by the missionaries, confined, tormented for fifteen months, and then
burnt.

Previous to the persecution, the missionaries employed kidnappers to
steal away the protestants' children, that they might privately be
brought up Roman catholics; but now they took away the children by open
force, and if they met with any resistance, murdered the parents.

To give greater vigour to the persecution, the duke of Savoy called a
general assembly of the Roman catholic nobility and gentry when a
solemn edict was published against the reformed, containing many heads,
and including several reasons for extirpating the protestants among
which were the following:

1. For the preservation of the papal authority.

2. That the church livings may be all under one mode of government.

3. To make a union among all parties.

4. In honour of all the saints, and of the ceremonies of the church of
Rome.

This severe edict was followed by a most cruel order, published on
January 25, A. D. 1655, under the duke's sanction, by Andrew Gastaldo,
doctor of civil laws. This order set forth, "That every head of a
family, with the individuals of that family, of the reformed religion,
of what rank, degree, or condition soevor, none excepted inhabiting and
possessing estates in Lucerne, St. Giovanni, Bibiana, Campiglione, St.
Secondo, Lucernetta, La Torre, Fenile, and Bricherassio, shou