11.03.2019 Views

Protestantism in the Waldensian Valleys - James Aitken Wylie

  • No tags were found...

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

ignorant of <strong>the</strong> commotion it had excited, and <strong>the</strong><br />

bustle of preparation it had called forth, were those<br />

poor men on whom this terrible tempest was about<br />

to burst.<br />

The jo<strong>in</strong>t army numbered about 18,000 regular<br />

soldiers. This force was swelled by <strong>the</strong> thousands<br />

of ruffians, already mentioned, drawn toge<strong>the</strong>r by<br />

<strong>the</strong> spiritual and temporal rewards to be earned <strong>in</strong><br />

this work of comb<strong>in</strong>ed piety and pillage. The<br />

Piedmontese division of this host directed <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

course towards <strong>the</strong> "<strong>Valleys</strong>" proper, on <strong>the</strong> Italian<br />

side of <strong>the</strong> Alps. The French division, march<strong>in</strong>g<br />

from <strong>the</strong> north, advanced to attack <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>habitants<br />

of <strong>the</strong> Dauph<strong>in</strong>ese Alps, where <strong>the</strong> Albigensian<br />

heresy, recover<strong>in</strong>g somewhat its terrible excision<br />

by Innocent III, had begun aga<strong>in</strong> to take root. Two<br />

storms, from opposite po<strong>in</strong>ts, or ra<strong>the</strong>r from all<br />

po<strong>in</strong>ts, were approach<strong>in</strong>g those mighty mounta<strong>in</strong>s,<br />

<strong>the</strong> sanctuary and citadel of <strong>the</strong> primitive faith.<br />

That lamp is about to be ext<strong>in</strong>guished at last, which<br />

has burned here dur<strong>in</strong>g so many ages, and survived<br />

so many tempests. The mailed band of <strong>the</strong> Pope is<br />

uplifted, and we wait to see <strong>the</strong> blow fall.<br />

19

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!