Page:Life in the Old World - Vol. I.djvu/415

Rh king, beseeching of him not to permit it. The king replied, “What can I do? I must maintain the Constitution. The Waldenses are acting according to their rights.” And Monsignore Charvaz, the most violent opponent of the Waldenses, resigned his office.

From the time of their Glorieuse rentré into their valleys, the Waldenses experienced manifold sympathy and support from foreign brethren of their faith. Above twenty schools have been established, a college built for the studies of the young, and a fund provided for the payment of teachers. The noble Scottish veteran, Colonel Beckwith, whose portrait I have seen in many houses, deserves, for his active interest in their behalf, and his rich gifts, especially to be designated the benefactor of the valleys. By these means, the Waldenses have been able, in many respects, to keep pace, in intelligence and humane institutions, with the development of the evangelical community. They are now able, in peace, to carry out the work which God confided to them,—that of testifying of the light and the gospel of truth amongst a people yet dwelling in darkness.

Monday, September 28th.—After five days of incessantly pouring rain, which I spent very agreeably at my good hotel, The Bear, in La Torre, in reading various works relative to the history of the valleys, and writing the foregoing little sketch, the sky cleared up yesterday afternoon, and I went out upon the handsome stone bridge over the Angrogna river, where I, with some other curious people, noticed how the little mountain-stream, which, a few days since, leaped