special mission to the Duke of Savoy on the business of the
Piedmontese Massacre of April 1655, had taken up his abode in
Geneva to superintend the distributing of the money collected for
the Piedmontese Protestants. That massacre had been ominous to the
Swiss, and had complicated the strife between the Popish and the
Evangelical Cantons. In the Popish Cantons, especially that of
Schwytz, there had been severe persecutions of Protestant
Dissenters; the union of these Cantons among themselves and their
Anti-Protestant temper had become stronger; and altogether the news
from Switzerland was bad. Application had been made by the
Evangelical Cantons, through Pell, for help from Cromwell, similar
application being made at the same time to the Dutch; and the
following is Cromwell's answer:--"Both from your public acts
transmitted to us by our Commissioners at Geneva [Pell and
Morland], and from your letter dated at Zuerich, Dec. 27, we
understand abundantly in what condition your affairs are.--too
abundantly, since it is none of the best. Wherein, though we grieve
to find your peace at an end and so lasting a Confederacy ruptured,
yet, as it appears that this has happened by no fault on your part,
we trust that hence, from the very iniquity and obstinacy of your
adversaries, there is again being furnished you only so much new
occasion for displaying your courage and your long-known constancy
in the Evangelical Faith. For what the Schwytz Cantoners are
driving at in their resolution to make it a capital offence in any
one to embrace our Religion, and who they are that have instigated
them to proceedings of such a hostile spirit to the Orthodox Faith,
no one can avoid knowing who has not yet forgotten that foul
slaughter of our brethren in Piedmont. Wherefore, well-beloved
friends, as you always have been, be still, by God's help, brave;
do not yield your rights and federate privileges, nay, Liberty of
Conscience and Religion itself, to be trampled on by worshippers of
idols; and so prepare yourselves that you may not only appear the
champions of your own liberty and safety, but may be able also to
succour and stand by your neighbouring brethren by all means in
your power, especially those most sorrow-stricken Piedmontese:
firmly persuaded of this, that the intention was to have opened a
passage to your persons over their bodies and deaths. For my part,