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Protestantism in the Waldensian Valleys - James Aitken Wylie

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carpet<strong>in</strong>g of delicious sword. Trees, vast of girth,<br />

part, with <strong>the</strong>ir over-arch<strong>in</strong>g branches, <strong>the</strong> bright<br />

sunlight. Higher up are fields of maize and forests<br />

of chestnut; and higher still is seen <strong>the</strong> rock-lov<strong>in</strong>g<br />

birch, with its silvery stem and graceful tresses.<br />

Along <strong>the</strong> spl<strong>in</strong>tered rocks a-top runs a bristl<strong>in</strong>g<br />

l<strong>in</strong>e of firs, form<strong>in</strong>g a mighty chevaux-de-frise.<br />

Toward <strong>the</strong> head of <strong>the</strong> valley, near <strong>the</strong> vast<br />

perpendicular cliff already mentioned, which shuts<br />

it <strong>in</strong> on <strong>the</strong> west, is seen a glorious assemblage of<br />

mounta<strong>in</strong>s. One mighty cone uplifts itself above<br />

and beh<strong>in</strong>d ano<strong>the</strong>r mighty cone, till <strong>the</strong> last and<br />

highest buries its top <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> roll<strong>in</strong>g masses of cloud,<br />

which are seen usually hang<strong>in</strong>g like a canopy<br />

above this part of <strong>the</strong> valley. These noble aiguilles,<br />

four <strong>in</strong> number, rise fea<strong>the</strong>ry with firs, and rem<strong>in</strong>d<br />

one of <strong>the</strong> fretted p<strong>in</strong>nacles of some colossal<br />

ca<strong>the</strong>dral. This is La Balsiglia. It was on <strong>the</strong><br />

terraces of this mounta<strong>in</strong> that Henri Arnaud, with<br />

his patriot-warriors, pitched his camp, amid <strong>the</strong><br />

dark tempests of w<strong>in</strong>ter, and <strong>the</strong> yet darker<br />

tempests of a furious and armed bigotry. The<br />

Balsiglia shoots its gigantic pyramids heavenward,<br />

280

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