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Protestantism in the Waldensian Valleys - James Aitken Wylie

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decided advantage. Wearied with skirmish<strong>in</strong>g, both<br />

armies encamped for <strong>the</strong> night –<strong>the</strong> Vaudois on <strong>the</strong><br />

heights of Roccomaneot, and <strong>the</strong> Piedmontese,<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir camp-fires lighted, on <strong>the</strong> lower hills of La<br />

Cotiere.<br />

Suddenly <strong>the</strong> silence of <strong>the</strong> even<strong>in</strong>g was<br />

startled by a derisive shout that rose from <strong>the</strong><br />

Piedmontese host. What had happened to evoke<br />

<strong>the</strong>se sounds of contempt? They had descried,<br />

between <strong>the</strong>m and <strong>the</strong> sky, on <strong>the</strong> heights above<br />

<strong>the</strong>m, <strong>the</strong> bend<strong>in</strong>g figures of <strong>the</strong> Vaudois. On <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

knees <strong>the</strong> <strong>Waldensian</strong> warriors were supplicat<strong>in</strong>g<br />

<strong>the</strong> God of battles. Hardly had <strong>the</strong> scoffs with<br />

which <strong>the</strong> Piedmontese hailed <strong>the</strong> act died away,<br />

when a drum was heard to beat <strong>in</strong> a side valley. A<br />

child had got hold of <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>strument, and was<br />

amus<strong>in</strong>g itself with it. The soldiers of La Tr<strong>in</strong>ita<br />

saw <strong>in</strong> imag<strong>in</strong>ation a fresh body of <strong>Waldensian</strong>s<br />

advanc<strong>in</strong>g from this lateral defile to rush upon<br />

<strong>the</strong>m. They seized <strong>the</strong>ir arms <strong>in</strong> no little disorder.<br />

The Vaudois, see<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> movement of <strong>the</strong> foe,<br />

seized <strong>the</strong>irs also, and rushed downhill to anticipate<br />

<strong>the</strong> attack. The Piedmontese threw away <strong>the</strong>ir arms<br />

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