of the amnesty above referred to, which had been granted by
the Duke of Savoy.

The French king, when he found his Huguenot subjects flying in all
directions rather than remain in France and be "converted" to Roman
Catholicism, next tried to block up the various avenues of escape, and
to prevent the rulers of the adjoining countries from giving the
fugitives asylum. Great was his displeasure when he heard of the
flight of the Vaudois of Perouse and Pragela into the adjoining
valleys. He directed the French ambassador at Turin to call upon the
Duke of Savoy, and require him to prevent their settlement within his
dominions. At the same time, he called upon the Duke to take steps to
compel the conversion of his people from the pretended reformed faith,
and offered the aid of his troops to enforce their submission, "at
whatever cost."

The Duke was irritated at the manner in which he was approached. Louis
XIV. was treating him as a vassal of France rather than as an
independent sovereign. But he felt himself to be weak, and
comparatively powerless to resent the insult. So he first temporised,
then vacillated, and being again pressed by the French king, he
eventually yielded. The amnesty was declared to be at an end, and the
Vaudois were ordered forthwith to become members of the Church of
Rome. An edict was issued on the 31st of January, 1686, forbidding the
exercise by the Vaudois of their religion, abolishing their ancient
privileges, and ordering the demolition of all their places of
worship. Pastors and schoolmasters who refused to be converted were
ordered to quit the country within fifteen days, on pain of death and
confiscation of their goods. All refugee Protestants from France were
ordered to leave under the same penalty. All children born of
Protestant parents were to be compulsorily educated as Roman
Catholics. This barbarous measure was merely a repetition by the Duke
of Savoy in Piedmont of what his master Louis XIV. had already done in
France.

The Vaudois expostulated with their sovereign, but in vain. They
petitioned, but there was no reply. They requested the interposition
of the Swiss Government as before, but the Duke took no notice of
their memorial. The question of resistance was then discussed; but the
people were without leaders. Javanel was living in banishment at
Geneva--old and worn out, and unable to lead them. Besides, the
Vaudois, before taking up arms, wished to exhaust every means of
con