Imatges de pàgina
PDF
EPUB

upon the appropriation of certain funds placed at my disposal, I should remit the sum of 4300 francs annually to the valleys, subject to fluctuations in exchange, and reductions of interest, and otherwise, for the purposes above mentioned, together with 5000 francs towards the building of the college, and 2000 francs for books, as soon as the preparatory steps should be taken to accomplish the objects in view. I also named the commission for the compilation of the liturgy: viz. M. Rostaing, Moderator; M. Muston, Moderatoradjoint; M. Vinçon, Secretary to the Table; M. Bert, late Moderator, and president of the hospital; and M. Bonjour, Pasteur-chapelain to the Protestant ambassadors at Turin. This letter, and the engagements therein contained, were witnessed and approved by the pastors, Muston, Vinçon, Bert, Gay, Peyrot, Bonjour, Timoleon Peyran, Monastier, Revel, and J. J. Bonjour, who happened to be present when it was written.

Much correspondence has since passed between the Table and myself, on the manner in which the plans are to be carried into execution; but I must reserve that which I have to add on this subject, till the conclusion of my narrative. I cannot, however, withhold the mention, in this place, of the disinterested conduct of the Officers of the Table. They have declined accepting the 500 francs offered towards defraying the expense of the annual visitations, and have begged that it

Ff

may be appropriated to some public object. The reduction of the four per cents., in which the money destined for the promotion of the plan was invested, has already reduced the annual amount of interest, and will still further reduce it. The saving of this sum of 500 francs will, however, prevent any diminution of the stipend of the head master, of the ten exhibitions, &c., for the present, at least.

CHAPTER XIII.

Traits of Character.-Pra del Tor, and the ancient College of the Vaudois.

THE effects of the accident on Mont Lazare obliged me to suspend my excursions for a week, and the time was spent agreeably, and beneficially, I hope, in sauntering about the immediate vicinity of La Torre, and in making acquaintance with the peasants, as I happened to find them in the fields or in their cottages. Some of these had never been far from their homes, others had served in the army under Napoleon, and the prejudices of my brother, a lieutenant in the navy, were terribly shocked by hearing the praises of the late Emperor of the French proclaimed by veterans, who had fought in campaigns under his banner. The Vaudois are naturally of a warlike turn, but they love their native haunts better than any thing in the world, and there are many instances of officers returning to the humble occupations of their forefathers, when they might have risen to distinction under foreign princes. The more I intermixed with these people, the greater reason did I find to be

pleased with the genuine simplicity of their character. The proofs of mutual kindness, and forbearance, which came under my observation, would fill many pages. I should say they are almost incapable of practising disguise or dissimulation.

I

When any of them came to state their complaints or wants to M. or Madame Bert, the tale was told at once without circumlocution or exaggeration. If it was to ask a favour, the request was made in the tone, and with the face of one who felt, that there is no shame in one human being making his distress known to another. select, as an instance, a poor woman who had incurred some small debts, during a long illness, which she could not pay. She stated her case to the pastor, and, at his desire, she did the same to me. Her open countenance, and frank explanation, without the least whining or weeping, were more persuasive than tears, and pleaded her cause successfully.

A grievous loss befel a peasant during this week, which gave me a still better opportunity of observing the Vaudois character under calamity. His corn had been cut and gathered, and the whole of it stacked near his cabin. By some carelessness, his wife, in heating her oven, set fire to some straw, which communicated with the stack, and very soon every sheaf was consumed, and with it a great part of the dwelling and its contents. This occurred in the hamlet of Copia, a

very short distance from M. Bert's, and I witnessed the whole scene, the burning premises, the ready assistance given to extinguish the flames, and the conduct of the husband and his faulty wife, during the progress of the fire, and the impending consumption of their little all. The woman was the picture of grief; her countenance expressed bitter self-condemnation; nobody, however, reproached her, and her sorrow did not paralyze her, she worked like the rest to put out the fire. The husband calmly directed others, and toiled himself, under the hope of saving part of his property; and as he stood on the roof, hurling water on that part of his cottage which had not yet become a prey to the flames, I looked in wondering admiration at the unagitated figure and countenance of the man, whose sum of earthly possession appeared to be perishing before his eyes. When he afterwards, at my desire, gave me an account of the amount of his loss, the estimate appeared to me to be below the mark, so little was he disposed to make the worst of his misfortune, or to magnify the damages.

July 22. To the Pra del Tor, under the hope of finding some vestiges of the college, or at least of examining whether there might yet remain any "veterum monumenta virorum," which should enable us to speak confidently as to the spot, where the ancient Vaudois Barbes trained their pupils in the doctrine of the first centuries, during the darkest

« AnteriorContinua »