eners at
court,[475] it was impossible to resist the favorable impression made by
the viceroy's letter. Consequently, on the eighth of February, 1541,
Francis signed a letter granting pardon not only to the persons who by
their failure to appear before the Parliament of Aix had furnished the
pretext for the proscriptive decree, but to all others, meantime
commanding them to abjure their errors within the space of three months.
At the same time the over-zealous judges were directed henceforth to use
less severity against these subjects of his Majesty.[476]

[Sidenote: Parliament issues a new summons.]

[Sidenote: The Vaudois publish a confession.]

[Sidenote: Bishop Sadolet's kindness.]

Little inclined to relinquish the pursuit, however, parliament seized
upon the king's command to abjure within three months, as an excuse for
issuing a new summons to the Waldenses. Two deputies from Merindol
accordingly presented themselves, and offered, on the part of the
inhabitants, to abandon their peculiar tenets, so soon as these should
be refuted from the Holy Scriptures--the course which, as they believed,
the king himself had intended that they should take. As it was no part
of the plan to grant so reasonable a request, the sole reply vouchsafed
was a declaration that all who recanted would receive the benefit of
the king's pardon, but all others would be reputed guilty of heresy
without further inquiry. Whereupon the Waldenses of Merindol, in 1542,
drew up a full confession of their faith, in order that the excellence
of the doctrines they held might be known to all men.[477] The important
document was submitted not merely to parliament, but to Cardinal
Sadolet, Bishop of Carpentras. The prelate was a man of a kindly
disposition, and did not hesitate, in reply to a petition of the
Waldenses of Cabrieres, to acknowledge the falsity of the accusations
laid to their charge.[478] Not long after, he successfully exerted his
influence with the vice-legate to induce him to abandon an expedition he
had organized against the last-mentioned village; while, in an interview
which he purposely sought with the inhabitants, he assured them that he
firmly intended, in a coming visit to Rome, to secure the reformation of
some incontestable abuses.[479]

[Sidenote: Intercession of the Germans.]

The Merindol confession is said to have found its way even to Paris, and
to have been read to the king by Chatellain, Bishop of Macon, and a
fav