At home, Cromwell had signified his intention of postponing the signature of the treaty with France till he was acquainted with the opinion of Louis on the subject of the troubles in Piedmont.  Bordeaux remonstrated[c] against this new pretext for delay; he maintained that the question bore no relation to the matter of the treaty; that the king of France would never interfere with the internal administration of an independent state; that the duke of Savoy had as good a right to make laws for his Protestant subjects, as the English government for the Catholics of the three kingdoms; and that the Vaudois were in reality rebels who had justly incurred the resentment of their sovereign.  But Cromwell was not to be diverted[d] from his purpose.  It was in vain that the ambassador asked for a final answer; that he demanded[e] an audience of leave preparatory to his departure.  At last he was relieved from his perplexity by an order[f] to announce that the duke, at the request of the king of France, had granted an amnesty to the Vaudois, and confirmed their ancient privileges; that the boon had been gratefully received by the insurgents; and that

[Footnote 1:  Thurloe iii. 528, 608, 636, 656, 672.  Siri, ibid.  Vaugh. 248.]

[Sidenote a:  A.D. 1656.  May 22.] [Sidenote b:  A.D. 1656.  June 21.] [Sidenote c:  A.D. 1656.  May 24.] [Sidenote d:  A.D. 1656.  June 18.] [Sidenote e:  A.D. 1656.  June 21. [Sidenote f:  A.D. 1656.  August 20.]

the natives of the valleys, Protestants and Catholics had met, embraced each other with tears, and sworn to live in perpetual amity together.  The unexpected intelligence was received by Cromwell with a coldness which betrayed his disappointment.[1] But, if the pacification broke the new projects which he meditated,[2] it served to raise his fame in the estimation of Europe; for it was evident that the Vaudois owed the favourable conditions which they obtained,[a] not so much to the good-will of Louis, as to his anxiety that no pretext should remain for the future interference of the protector.[3]

But though tranquillity was restored in Piedmont, Cromwell was still unwilling to conclude the treaty till he had ascertained what impression had been made on the king of Spain by the late attempt on Hispaniola.  To Philip, already engaged in war with France, it was painful to add so powerful an adversary to the number

[Footnote 1:  Thurloe, iii. 469, 470, 475, 535, 568, 706, 724, 742, 745.  Siri, xv. 843.]

[Footnote 2:  The Protestant cantons of Switzerland had sent Colonel Mey to England, offering to raise an army in aid of the Vaudois, if Cromwell would furnish a subsidy of ten thousand pounds per month.—­Siri, Mercurio, xv. 472.  In consequence Downing was despatched as envoy to these cantons; but the pacification was already concluded; and on his arrival at Geneva, he received orders, dated Aug. 30, to return immediately.—­Thurloe, iii. 692, 694; iv. 31.  Still the design was not abandoned, but intrusted to Morland, who remained at Geneva, to distribute the money from England.  What were his secret instructions may be seen, ibid. p. 326.]