ny was not persevered in. Still, when the Waldenses
asked to see their king, he denied them audience in the following terms:
"Tell them they only want one thing; that is, to be Catholics." Their
loyalty, indeed, was conspicuous; for they stood almost alone in 1821, when
the rest of Piedmont was wavering in its fidelity to the house of Savoy. In
1831 Carlo Alberto ascended the throne. Although greatly under the
influence of the Church of Rome, he yet showed a spirit of justice towards
his Vaudois subjects. For instance, he not only removed the disability by
which they were denied an officer's commission in the Sardinian army, but
on the occasion of the death of Major Bonnet, a Vaudois in his service, who
had been buried without the honours due to his rank, he commanded that the
body should be exhumed and removed to La Torre at his expense, and there be
interred with all the respect due to the aged soldier. He further settled
an annuity upon the major's children. Something of this same alternation
between subjection to Rome and the aspirations of justice showed itself in
another transaction of his reign, namely, that of the erection of a church
and priory for the accommodation of eight missionary fathers of the order
of St. Maurice and Lazarus at La Torre. These buildings stand at the very
entrance of the town as you approach from Giovanni. I confess their
presence suggested disagreeable thoughts to my mind. They seemed so out of
harmony with the spirit of the new era of justice and freedom, and to
awaken so many memories of past oppressions. But these thoughts were as
nothing to the gloomy apprehensions which actually filled the minds of the
Vaudois at the date of their erection. They were not a little perplexed,
beside, as to the way in which they should act on the occasion of the visit
of their king to attend the ceremonial of this church consecration.
However, a gracious Providence interposed on their behalf, and showed the
character of their sovereign in an assuring light. First of all he sent
back the troops of the line which were proposed as his escort. Instead of
these he consented to be received by the militia of the valleys, stating,
in reply to those who urged a guard of regular troops, "I require no guard
in the midst of the Vaudois." The king was most cordially welcomed, and,
being deeply touched by his reception, ordered each company of the militia
to pass before him according to their communes, and with their r