Page:A history of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, volume 2.djvu/283

 THE WALDENSES OP PIEDMONT. 267 gences, and to deprive of their office and dignities all, whether ecclesmstics or laymen, who refused to obey his commands. From February to May, 1488, he duly issued his citations to the heretics and as they were contumacious, he condemned them accordinc^ly and abandoned them in mass to the secular arm. Meanwhile a force est.mated at eighteen thousand crusaders had been raised n France and Piedmont, which advanced in four columns so as to block every avenue of escape. The slaughter in Val Louise has already been alluded to. The Val d'Angrogna was more fort unate, and m the attack upon it the crusading army was v rtu and m 1490 Carlo I. mvited them to a conference at Pignerol where he granted them peace and confirmed their privileges. In 1498 they were visited by Lucas of Prague and Thomas Ger manus, envoys of the Unita., Frairum of Bohemia. Through these they addressed a letter to the Bohemian King Ladislas°and h ! nobles, boasting that they did not frequent the Cathoh churched hercely denouncmg the vices of the priesthood, and arguing that the benediction of such men was rather a malediction. EviLtlv the spirit of the persecuted saints was unbroken, and it was soon after put to the test in the valley of the Po, where whole Xes were founxl to consist of Waldenses. Marguerite de Foix Mar chioness of Saluces, put troops at the comm^and of the CuiSr Angelo Eicciardmo, who had found his ordinary machiner b-f mot o?Vhf ^r ?f "^"'^^"' ^^^^^^^^*^' '^' «--« --idt. • most of the inhabitants succeeded in escaping to Luserna but rrsiTTr" ^' '^^ ^"^'^ -tencedVbe burned Mac, 24 1510. A heavy snow-storm delayed the execution, and durino- rades. The inquisitor, however, was not to be balked of his ex hibition, and replaced the fugitives with three prisoners to whom" he had promised pardon in consideration of the fulness of the^ confessions, and who were duly burned. The deserted Slat we e confiscated and made over to good Catholics, but the refugee mercy, till no one dared to dwell there. Finally the bigoted marchioness yielded, and for a round sum of money i ISlfner mitted the exiles to return and dwell in peace. The r umph «f toleration thus won by the sword was bilt local and teZraiy