._ 4_d._ from her seven. Cromwell's own
donation of L2000 went at once to Geneva for immediate use; and
L10,000 followed on the 10th of July, as the first instalment of the
general subscription. There were similar subscriptions, it ought to
be added, in other Protestant countries.[1]

[Footnote 1: Letter from Thurloe to Pell at Geneva (Vaughan's
Protectorate, I. 158-159); Council Order Books, May 17, 18, 22, 23,
25, June 1 and July 8, 1655; Morland, 562-596. Morland gives an
interesting abstract of the Treasurer's Accounts of the Collection;
but the original accounts in a large folio book, entitled
_Committee for Piedmont_ &c., are in the Record Office. The
counties are arranged there alphabetically and the parishes
alphabetically under each county, with the sums which the
_parishes_ individually subscribed. Some parishes seem wholly
to have neglected the subscription, and there are blanks opposite
their names.]

At the time of the massacre Cromwell had two agents in Switzerland,
viz. Mr. JOHN PELL (Vol. IV. p. 449) and the ubiquitous JOHN DURIE.
They had been sent abroad early in 1654, to cultivate the friendly
intercourse already begun between the Evangelical Cantons and the
Commonwealth, and also to watch the progress of a struggle which had
just broken out between the Popish Cantons of the Confederacy and the
Evangelical Cantons. As the Evangelical Cantons were also astir
about the Vaudois, whose cause was so closely connected with their
own, the services of Pell and Durie were now available for that
business. Cromwell, however, had thought an express Commissioner
necessary, with instructions to negotiate directly with the Duke of
Savoy, and had selected for the purpose Mr, SAMUEL MORLAND, an able
and ingenious man, about thirty years of age, who had been with
Whitlocke in his Swedish Embassy, and had been taken into the Council
office on his return as assistant to Thurloe. On the 26th of May
Morland left London, carrying with him the letters addressed to Louis
XIV. and the Duke of Savoy. He was at La Fere in France on the 1st of
June, treating with the French King and Mazarin, and was able to
despatch thence a letter from the French King to Cromwell, expressing
willingness to do all that could be done for the Vaudois, and
explaining that he had already conveyed his views on the subject to
the Duke of Savoy. Thence Morland continued his journey to Rivoli,
near Turin, where he arrived on the 21st of June. He was r