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Protestantism in the Waldensian Valleys - James Aitken Wylie

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Chapter 15<br />

F<strong>in</strong>al Re-establishment <strong>in</strong><br />

Their <strong>Valleys</strong><br />

THE Vaudois had entered <strong>the</strong> land, but <strong>the</strong>y<br />

had not yet got possession of it. They were a mere<br />

handful; <strong>the</strong>y would have to face <strong>the</strong> large and<br />

well-appo<strong>in</strong>ted army of Piedmont, aided by <strong>the</strong><br />

French. But <strong>the</strong>ir great leader to his courage added<br />

faith. The "cloud" which had guided <strong>the</strong>m over <strong>the</strong><br />

great mounta<strong>in</strong>s, with <strong>the</strong>ir snows and abysses,<br />

would cover <strong>the</strong>ir camp, and lead <strong>the</strong>m forth to<br />

battle, and br<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>m <strong>in</strong> with victory. It was not<br />

surely that <strong>the</strong>y might die <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> land, that <strong>the</strong>y had<br />

been able to make so marvellous a march back to<br />

it. Full of <strong>the</strong>se courageous hopes, <strong>the</strong> "seven<br />

hundred" now addressed <strong>the</strong>mselves to <strong>the</strong>ir great<br />

task.<br />

They began to climb <strong>the</strong> Col Julten, which<br />

separates Prali from <strong>the</strong> fertile and central valley of<br />

<strong>the</strong> Waldenses, that of Lucerna. As <strong>the</strong>y toiled up<br />

275

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