"Dear friends," continued he, as he concluded his animated discourse, "God has restored the scattered sheep to the fold of their fathers,but where are the shepherds? A cloud of sorrow darkens this hour of joy, when I look, in vain, among the faces around me, for the aged patriarchs who were wont to dispense to us the bread of life, to comfort us in the hour of sorrow, to cheer us in the hour of death.-Alas, when I look to that humble spire," said he, pointing to the little sanctuary at Villar, "it reminds me of one, whose memory is too deep for tears. Yes," said the peasant warrior, his eye filling as he spoke," Rodolph Vinçon-the patriarch of the valleys, the kind parent, the faithful pastor, the affectionate friend, is now no more! Yonder cold mountain is the home of his body! To him who was worthy of the best grave in Lucerna, has been assigned the turf of an Alpine solitude! But he has gone to "the rest which remaineth for the people of God"-and never shall we again see him, till that day when the martyred dead shall appear with their risen Lord! Oh! that the thought of his being added to the cloud of witnesses, may animate us in our Christian conflict, to follow his steps and participate in his crown!

There is one here, upon whom the mantle of the patriarch's virtues, as well as his name, has fallen. One, whose pious spirit has borne up un

der many a dark hour,-and whose daring heroism has contributed in turning the tide of many a doubtful conflict;-and, methinks no voice will sound sweeter in the sanctuary which was wont to be hallowed by the piety of him who is now departed,-than that of -Herbert Vinçon !" A murmur of applause, from the attentive audience, expressed their joyful acquiescence in the proposal. After Arnaud had submitted to them some other measures, relative to their settlement in their ancient possessions, and exhorted them not to allow the wrongs and sufferings of the past to shake their loyalty and allegiance to their rightful sovereign, they united together, before separating, in singing the beautiful hymn of the returning captives from Babylon, whose exile was in many respects so similar to their own.

When Zion's bondage God turned back,

Like men that dreamed were we !

Then, filled with laughter was our mouth,

Our tongue with melody.

They 'mong the heathen said, the Lord

Great things for them hath wrought :
The Lord hath done great things for us,
Whence joy to us is brought !

As streams of water in the south,

Our bondage, Lord, recall,

Who sow in tears, a reaping time

Of joy, enjoy they shall !

That man, who, bearing precious seed,

In going forth doth mourn,

He, doubtless, bringing back his sheaves,
Rejoicing shall return.*

We have followed the Waldensian exiles in their adversity,—we must leave it to imagination to follow them in their prosperity. Arnaud felt himself bound to fulfil his promise of once more abandoning, for a short time, the quiet of domestic life, for the din of camps and the heat of battles, to assist his sovereign in humbling the haughty spirit of their common enemy. He marched at the head of a thousand men, to ravage the French frontier; opened the passes of Piedmont to the armies of Eugene, and, by his skilful manoeuvring, in detaining the French troops in the south, while the allied armies were collecting their strength in the Low Countries, he materially contributed to the laurels of Hochstett and Blenheim.

Only a few weeks elapsed, before the pastors who had survived the persecution, assembled together to appoint overseers for the bereaved flocks. Herbert Vinçon was solemnly set apart, by the laying

* See Appendix, note H.

on of the hands of the Presbytery, for the charge of his deceased parent; and Ferdinand Arnaud had allotted to him, the romantic commune of Rora.* The destinies of the two families had now been for long united, and their mutual friendships deepened into more tender attachments. Herbert received the hand of the companion of Alice in her exile,— while young Arnaud was united to the orphan sister of one, who, from his earliest years, in prosperity, as well as in adversity, had proved his unfailing friend.

In a humble cot, in the commune of Villar, surrounded with a little garden, and over-arched by a luxuriant vine, trellissed on poles, which supported the projecting roof, Albert and Mariette Peyrani spent their declining days. The evening of this aged Christian's life was without a cloud; he fell asleep, amid the tears of affectionate friends, exulting in the same hope which had gladdened him in his journey through this vale of sorrow, and of which, death ushered him into the full fruition. His longing wish was fulfilled :-His head was laid in the tomb by a beloved pastor, and his ashes were mingled with the honoured dust of his martyred forefathers, in the church-yard of Villar.

Thus did the light of truth again burn in the

* See Appendix, note G.

valleys of Piedmont, when it was on the point of being extinguished for ever;-the scattered flock once more were permitted to worship within the enclosures of their own fold," without any to make them afraid;" and while many desponding hearts had been sending up their complaint to Heaven, "Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars!-What said the answer of God unto them?—I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee unto Baal!"