Chap. III. through S w i s 
them to corrupt all tlieir Magiftrates. Upon this they 
were fo on Fire, that it was generally thought there 
Vv'ould have been many Sacrifices made : But the Gentry 
happened to be then fo much united, that there was 
none of them engaged among the Peafants, or that 
direfted their Rage. A Chamber of juftice was grant- 
ed, but the Matter was fo ordered, that it did not ap- 
pear that any was guilty : Yet fome that had dealt in 
that Tranfaftion were fined, not fo much for any Fault, 
as to raife a Fund to pay the Expences of the Cham- 
ber. And becaufe they could not find Colour to raife 
fo much out of the Fines, there was a Fine of five 
hundred Livres laid on every one of the Spanijh 
Companies. 
In the Year 1618, there was a Report that the Spa- 
niards had a Treaty on Foot to take away the Valteline 
from the LiCagues. This was fupported in Credit by the 
Fort Fuentes^ that the Governor of Milan was building 
upon the Lake of Como. Near the Valteline there was 
one Ganaiz a Minifter, but a bloody and perfidious 
Man, that managed the Rage of the Peafants ; and 
there was great Reafon to furpeft fome under-hand Deal- 
ing, though he threw it which Way he pleafed. A 
Chamber of Juftice was appointed to fit at Tojfane, 
which is a confiderable Town, twelve Miles from Coire, 
on the Road to Italy., near Alta Rhetia^ which is an 
high but fmall Hill, to which there is no Accefs but on 
one Side, where there are the Ruins of a Caftle and a 
Church, and which they believe was the Palace of Rhe- 
tus, the firft Prince of the Country. There was fevere 
Juftice done in this Chamber ; a Prieft was put to the 
Queftion, and fo ill ufed, that he died in it, which is a 
crying Thing among them. The chief Sufpicion lay 
upon one Pianta^ who being of one of the beft Families 
of the Grifons., was then one of the Captains in the Spa- 
nijh Regiment : He wfithdrew himfelf from the Storm ; 
but the Peafants, led on by Ganatz, purfued him fo clofe, 
that at laft they found him, and hewed him in Pieces, 
Ganatz himfelf ftriking the firft Stroke with an Ax, 
which was taken up, and preferved by his Friends ; and 
four and twenty Years after, fifty or fixty of this Gen- 
tleman’s Friends fell upon Ganatz in Coire., -and killed 
him with the fame Axe. Ganatz had, during the Wars, 
abandon’d both his Religion and his ProfelTion, being 
a Difgrace to both, and had ferved firft in the Venetian., 
and then in the Spanijh Troops. After the Peace was 
made, he became fo confiderable, being fupported by 
the Spanijh Fadion, that he was chofen Governor of 
Chavennes^ and was come over to Coire to a Diet, being 
then in fo important a Charge. • Yet he was fo much 
hated, that though the Murthering of a Magiftrate in 
Office, and at a publick Affembly, in fo terrible a Man- 
ner, ought to have been feverely punifli’d ; yet no En- 
quiry was made into the Crime, nor was any Man fo 
much as queftioned for it. In that Chamber many that 
were put to the Queftion confefled enough to hang 
them fome endured the Queftion, and efcaped with 
the Lofs of the Ufe of their Arms. Thofe of the 
Valteline have pretended this Severity was that which 
gave the Rife to the Maflacre ; and it is very probable 
this might have drawn in fome that would have been 
otherwife more moderate, and that it did likewife pre- 
cipitate that barbarous Adion. But it was afterwards 
difcovered, that the Plot had been formed long before ; 
fo that the Induftry and Rage of the Priefts, managed 
by Spanijh Emifiaries, working upon the Bigottry of 
the People, was the real Caufe ; and this only made 
Ufe of as a Pretext to give fome Colour to the Maf- 
facre, which was executed fome Months after this Cham- 
ber was diffolved. It began while the Proteftants were 
at Church : There were fome Hundreds deftroyed, the 
reft got all up into the Mountains, and fo efcaped into 
the Country of the Grifons ; and thofe of Chavennes 
got likewife up to the Hills, for they are fituated juft at 
the Bottom of them. 
I fhall not profecute the reft of that War •, the French 
fav/ of what Advantage it was to them, not to Jet this 
Pafs from Italy into Germany fall into the Hands of 
the Spaniards ; fo BaJJompiere was fent to Madrid^ and 
obtained a Promife, that Things fhould be put into the 
S E R L A N D, dog 
fame State in which they were before the Year i 6 i 8 , 
But when that Order was fent to the Governor of MV 
Ian., it was plain he had fecret Inftrudions to the con- 
trary, for he refufed to execute it. So a War followed, 
in which the Grijons found it was not eafy for them to 
fupport the Charge of it, without having Recourfe to 
the Afliftance of the French. But the Spaniards preten- 
ded to have no other Intereft in the Affairs of the VaU 
teline^ than the Prefervation of the Catholick Religion ; 
and to Ihew their Sincerity, they put the Country into 
the Pope’s Hands, knowing that he could not preferve 
it but bv their Afliftance, or reftore it without fecuring 
It from all Change of Religion. The French willingly 
undertook the Caufe of the Grifons., and becaufe the 
Duke of Rohan Was like to be the molt favoured General, 
as being of their Religion, he Was fent to Command 
fome Forces that march’d thither. But he faw, that 
if the French once made themfelves Mafters of the 
Paffes of the Country, it would turn to their Ruin ; and 
finding the Grifons repofed an entire Confidence in him, 
he thought it unbecoming him to be an Inftrument in 
that he faw muft be fatal to them. The Spaniards fee- 
ing the French engage in the Quarrel, and fearing they 
fhould poffefs themfelves of the Paffes, offered to re- 
ftore all the Territory in Italy, for Chavennes and Rcr- 
mio had likewife revolted, only the Proteftants got away 
fo quick upon the Diforders in the Valteline, that they 
prevented the Rage of the Priefts. The Spaniards flood 
upon thefe Conditions *, That an Amnefty fhould be 
granted for what was paft : That there fhould be no 
Exercife of the Proteftant Religion tolerated in the 
Country ; And that the Bailiffs and other Magiftrates 
of that Religion, who were to be fent into the Valteline, 
fhould not openly pradlife their Religion : And as for 
other Perfons, that none of that Religion might flay 
above fix Weeks at a Time in the Country. The Duke 
of Rohan, feeing that Conditions of fo much Advantao-e 
to the Leagues were offered to them, did under-hand 
advife thofe of that Religion to accept of them, at the 
fame Time that he feem’d openly to oppofe the Treaty 
fet on Foot on thofe Terms ; and that he might get out 
of this Employment with the lefs Difhonour, he advifed 
their clapping him up in Prifon, till they had finifh’d 
their Treaty with the Spaniards. So that they very 
gratefully to this Day own, that they owe the Prefer- 
vation or their Country to the Advices of that great 
Man. Many that were of that Religion returned to 
their Houfes and Eftates ; but the greateft Parc have 
fince changed their Religion, others fold their Eftates, 
and left the Country ; fome flay ftill, and go two or 
three Hours Journey to fome of the Proteftant Com- 
munities, where they Have the Exercife of their Reli- 
gion j and though they may not flay in the Valteline 
above fix Weeks at a Time, yet they avoid that by go- 
ing for a Day or two out of the Country once within 
that Time j nor is that Matter at prefent fo feverely 
examined, becaufe there is a Calm among them as to 
thofe Matters. But when it comes to the Turn of the 
Proteftant Communities to fend one of their Religion 
to thofe Employments, he is often much embarraffed by 
the Bifhop of Como, to whofe Diocefe thofe Territories 
belong : For if the Bifliop fancies that they do any 
Thing contrary to the Ecclefiaftical Immunities, he ex- 
communicates them. And tho’ this may appear a ri- 
diculous Thing, fince they are in a worfe State by being 
Hereticks, yet it produces a very fenfible Effedl ; for 
the People, who are extremely fuperftitious, will not 
come near fuch Magiftrates : So that about three Years 
ago, a Bailiff found himfelf obliged to defire to be re- 
called, though his Time Was not out, fince being ex- 
communicated, he could no longer maintain the Go- 
vernment. 
Among the Grifons the Roman Law prevails, mode- 
lled a little by their Cuftoms : One a little particular 
was executed when I was there. A Man, that hath an 
Eftate by his Wife, enjoys it after her Death as long as 
he continues a Widower ; but when he marries again, 
he is bound to divide it among the Children he had by 
her. The Juftice is fhort, but it is thought that Bribes 
go here, though but mean in proportion' to their Po- 
verty, 
