A Dreadful Relation, of the Cruel, Bloudy, and most Inhumane Mas-
sacre and Butchery, committed on the poor Protestants, in the Dominions of the Duke of Savoy,
by his Souldiers, with some French and bloudy Irish joyned together: Where they destroyed
thousands, both men, women and children, without mercy; tearing little sucking infants limb
from limb before their mothers faces, and dashing their brains out against the rocks; and after-
wards ripping up the bowels of the mothers, cutting off their breasts, and turning women with
childe, and some lying in, out of dores, in the midst of winter in frost and snow, who perished by
cold in the Mountains. Cutting off the ears, then the nose, fingers and toes; then the legs, arms
and privie members of men, some being aged above fourscore years, and so torturing them to
death, because they would not forsake their Religion and turn Papists: the like cruelties were ne-
ver known nor heard of before. The truth of this sad story was sent to his Highness the Lord
Protector, who appointed a general Fast throughout this Nation, and ordered relief to be gathe-
red, and sent to those that escaped the hands of these bloudy wretches, and are ready to perish for
want, in the mountains.
To the Tune of, The Bleeding Heart.
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WIth bleeding heart & mournful tear
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I am enforced to declare:
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A sadder story nere was told,
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Then here to you I will unfold.
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Good Christians all pray listen well,
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Unto this news that I shall tell;
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The truth of which will surely make,
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Your very hearts with fear to quake.
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This subject strange unto our sight,
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May cause lamenting day and night;
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Then mourn with me all you that hear,
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The cruelties I shall declare.
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Under the Duke of Savoy now,
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There lived many Christians good;
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Who constantly profest the truth,
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And seal'd it with their precious blood.
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Gods holy Word they did obey,
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Which was the onely cause that they;
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Thus cruelly by bloudy men,
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Did suffer glorious Martyrdom.
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A bloudy crew of wicked men,
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Both French and Irish, all in arms,
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Did fall upon these Christians good,
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Who never did them any harm.
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But all of them were quite undone,
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And eke bereaved of their wealth;
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Some lost their limbs, and some their lives,
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And others they were starved to death.
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Some others there were burn'd alive,
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And others tortured grievously;
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And others put into hot flames,
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'Cause they would not their Faith deny.
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Heaven knows how many thousands there,
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Of Christian people far and near;
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Most cruelly their lives did lose,
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Because the Mass they would not use.
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Young Children that were newly born,
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Whose harmles harts thought no man harm
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Before their Mothers faces dear,
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They did in pieces pull and tear.
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Their brains against the Rocks and stones,
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They dashed out, whose hideous groans,
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Would daunt the stoutest man with fears,
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And melt a flinty heart with tears.
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To hear the cries and grievous mones,
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Of Mothers for their little ones;
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'Twas very sad for to behold,
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Yet nothing mov'd these wretches bold.
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And when these Babes were dead and gon,
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And bloudily bereav'd of life;
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Those wicked wretches then began,
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To execute both man and wife.
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The men they flung into the Flame,
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And ript up women void of shame;
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And for no other cause at all,
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But that they would not bow and fall,
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To Idol gods, but would profess,
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Their faith in Christ, and not forsake,
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The same in any wise at all,
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The Popish faith up for to take.
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And some they tyed up in trees,
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Binding their heads between their knees:
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And others they did boyl also,
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And of their brains made sawce thereto.
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And men of fourscore years of age,
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They made the subjects of their rage;
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For mighty stakes did these bloud-hounds
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Drive through their bodies into the ground.
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And some of them immediately,
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By fire were scorched grievously;
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And after raked and slasht with knives,
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Whereby they lost their precious lives.
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The reason why this same was done,
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No man alive can justly tell:
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But sure the Actors of the same,
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Their bloudy hearts were void of shame.
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Then mourn all people far and near,
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At this sad news which now you hear;
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To doleful pity it will move,
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Your hearts if you the Lord do love.
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Unto the Lord let's cry and call,
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From Papists he would keep us all;
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And from their bloudy cruel hands,
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To keep us safe in these our lands.
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And let us on our bended knees,
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Desire of God that he would please;
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Both evening, morning, noon and night,
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To keep us from their power and might.
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Thus have you heard a tragedy,
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Of woful men in misery.
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Whose faith and zeal their hearts did move,
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To suffer for their God above.
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Who unto death the love did show,
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That unto God their hearts did owe;
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And with such heavenly grace they dy'de,
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That now in heaven they do reside.
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