268

MEMOIR OF

to the reform."* In private houses, and in various
towns, particularly in Faenza, within the papal terri-
tory, he describes preaching as going on against
the Romish Church, and the number of Lutherans
as daily increasing.
Charles V. was at Naples in the year 1536, and
put forth, in consequence of hearing of these pro-
ceedings, a rigorous edict, menacing with loss of
goods, and even of life, any who should consort
with persons infected by the German heresy; and
before his departure he charged his viceroy,
Toledo, strictly to guard against its further dis-
semination.
But in spite of these measures, the doctrines
gained ground, and had warm advocates and
promoters among many personages of rank and
education, who found the means of communicating
with each other, upon the questions they had raised,
without attracting public attention. Among these,
one of the most remarkable and influential was
John Valdez, or Valdesso, whose name must be
well known to those of our readers who are
* " In Italia vedendosi tanta corruatela de' costumi nell' or-
dine Ecclesiastico, e nella corte di Roma, credevano molti, che
fossero calamita, per esecuzione d' una sentenza Divina, vendi-
catrice di tanti abusi onde molte persone s' accostavano alla
Riforma: e nelle case private, in diverse citta, massime in Fa-
enza, Terra del Papa, si predicava contra la chiesa Romana, e
cresceva ogni giorno il numero de' Luterani, i quali si facevan
chiamare Evangelici." — Giannone, Istoria di Napoli, edit.
Haya, 4to., 1753, vol. iv. p. 81.