Pastor Gilles Carries the Remonstrance to the Duke--No Tidings for Three Months--The Monks of Pinerolo begin the Persecution--Raid in San Martino--Philip of Savoy’s Attempt at Conciliation--A Monk’s Sermon--The Duke Declares War against the Vaudois--Dreadful Character of his Army--The Waldenses hold a Fast, &c.--Skirmishing in Angrogna--Night Panic--La Trinita Occupies the Val di Lucerna--An Intrigue--Fruitless Concessions--Affecting Incidents--La Trinita Demands 20,000 Crowns from the Men of the Valleys--He Retires into Winter Quarters--Outrages of his Soldiers. Where was the Vaudois who would put his life in his hand, and carry this remonstrance to the Duke? The dangerous service was undertaken by M. Gilles, Pastor of Bricherasio, a devoted and courageous man. A companion was associated with him, but wearied out with the rebuffs and insults he met with, he abandoned the mission, and left its conduct to Gilles alone. The duke then lived at Nice, for Turin, his capital, was still in the hands of the French, and the length of the journey very considerably increased its risks. Gilles reached Nice in safety, however, and after many difficulties and delays he had an interview with Queen Margaret, who undertook to place the representations of which he was the bearer in the hands of her husband, the duke. The deputy had an interview also with Philip of Savoy, the duke’s brother, and one of the commissioners under the Act for the purgation of the Valleys. The Waldensian pastor was, on the whole, well received by him. Unequally yoked with the cruel and bigoted Count La Trinita, Philip of Savoy soon became disgusted, and left the bloody business wholly in the hands of his fellow-commissioner.[54] As regarded the queen, her heart was in the Valleys; the cause of the poor Vaudois was her cause also. But she stood alone as their intercessor with the duke; her voice was drowned by the solicitations and threats of the prelates, the King of Spain, and the Pope.[55] For three months there came neither letter nor edict from the court at Nice. If the men of the Valleys were impatient to know the fate that awaited them, their enemies, athirst for plunder and blood, were still more so. The latter, unable longer to restrain their passions, began persecution on their own account. They thought they knew their sovereign’s intentions, and made bold to anticipate them.