1630. The one was in consequence of a terrible plague, which swept off three fourths, or certainly not less than two thirds, of the inhabitants; and spared two only, out of their thirteen pastors. Upon the venerable ministers, Gilles and Gros, who were already worn down by years and infirmities, devolved the care of all the churches of the Vaudois. They were obliged to have recourse to France and Geneva for a supply of Protestant clergy; but none could be found who were able to administer divine service in the Italian tongue, which had hitherto been the language of their Liturgy, although the patois of the country still continued to be spoken. It was necessary, then, either to be without pastors, or to have the service performed in French; and as the ancient language of the Vaudois is a sort of dialect between French and Italian, the people soon became accustomed to the new formulary. This accounts for the first adoption of the Liturgy of Geneva. "The other change was the annexation of the Valleys to the crown of France in the same year. The new government and the new clergy produced many innovations, contrary to the spirit of the former discipline of the church, and among others was the neglect of the moderator's annual visitation. "After we had been some little time with M. Peyrani, he produced a packet of papers and parchments, which he opened in a sort of fidgetty haste, and appeared anxious to submit to our inspection. Dust, damp, and mould, had discoloured, and almost obliterated, the characters in many of them; but they proved to be family memorials, and he at length succeeded in selecting those which he was most solicitous to lay before us. One paper contained the letters of orders of his maternal grandfather, who was ordained by Dr. Robinson, Bishop of London, in the year 1707, or 1717, I forget which, and licensed by the same prelate as tutor in a nobleman's family. The others were some letters from a mercantile family of the first distinction in London, to whom he thought himself distantly related. He was interested, he said, in these documents, not on his own account, because time was advancing rapidly with an old man like himself, but for his children's sake they were what they might carry into the world, as proofs of their connection with England. "I cannot forget, nor must I omit to notice, the evident satisfaction M. Peyrani felt in explaining how closely the doctrines of the Vaudois Church assimilate to those of the Church of England. He pointed to the works of Tillotson, Barrow, and Taylor, which still enriched his book case, and declared that every time he read them, he was more and more gratified by the light which these English divines CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 300. But had thrown upon truths, for their adherence to which his poor brethren had been so often obliged to conceal themselves in their mountain fastnesses. remember,' said the old man, with conscious and becoming pride, remember that you are indebted to us for your emancipation from papal thraldom. We led the way. We stood in the front rank, and against us the first thunderbolts of Rome were fulminated. The baying of the blood-hounds of the Inquisition was heard in our valleys before you knew its name. They hunted down some of our ancestors, and pursued others from glen to glen, and over rock and mountain, till they obliged them to take refuge in foreign countries. A few of these wan. derers penetrated as far as Provence and Languedoc, and from them were derived the Albigenses, or heretics of Albi. The province of Guienne afforded shelter to the persecuted Albigenses. Guienne was then in your possession. From an English province our doctrines found their way into England itself; and your Wickliffe preached nothing more than what had been advanced by the ministers of our valleys, four hundred years before his time.' Whence,' continued my aged informant, with increased animation, 'came your term Lollards, but from a Waldensian Pastor, Walter Lollard, who flourished about the middle of the thirteenth century? And the Wolloons of the Low Countries were nothing more than a sect, whose name is easily found in the corruption of our own. As for ourselves, we have been called heretics, and Arians, and Manicheans, and Cathari; but we are, like yourselves, a church built up in Christ, a church with the discipline and regular administration of Divine ser vice which constitute a church. We have adhered to the pure tenets of the Apostolic age, and the Roman Catholics have separated from us. Ours is the Apostolical succession, from which the Roman hierarchy has departed rather than ourselves. We are not only a' church by name and outward forms, but a church actually interested by faith in Jesus Christ the corner-stone. "I ventured to ask M. Peyrani if the Vaudois clergy urged the doctrine of absolute predestination and election. He replied that these nice points of controversy were not often discussed in their pulpits, and that for his own part he had never given his assent to the belief in absolute predestination. "I also took the liberty of observing to M. Peyrani, that the close intercourse between the Vaudois students and candidates for holy orders, and the ministers of the Genevan Church, rendered it an object of apprehension, lest they might become tainted with the Socinian infection of Geneva. He rejected the idea 5 E with considerable energy, assured me that the doctrine of the Trinity was still preserved in all its purity by the whole of his community, and shewed me an old catechism, which he trusted would always form the basis of their belief. Some few of the questions and answers on this head are very simple. "You say that you believe God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost to be three persons. You have three Gods then? 666 No, I have not three. "But you have named three. "Yes, as far as relates to the distinction of the Persons, but not in regard to the essence of the Divinity.'-' Ma non per rason de la essentia de la Divinità,' are the words in the ancient language of the Vaudois. "Upon a question as to the learning and acquirements of the Vaudois clergy, M. Peyrani lamented that, not being able to finish their education at home, the youth, who were intended for holy orders, were obliged to submit to the inconvenience and expense of going to Switzerland, but said that they returned in general well stored with scholastic and useful information. His own son, he said, would shortly go there, if he could raise the funds necessary to support the charges of so distant a journey. "Talking of the present and late government of Piemont, the good old moderator drew no comparisons to the disadvantage of the former, but only remarked that Napoleon had done the poor Protestants good and harm; good, in that he had placed them upon a footing with the Romanists, and equalized their condition in the state with the rest of the subjects of the empire; and harm, in that the privileges, then extended to them, only served now to make them more sensible of their present grievances. This subject led to a mention of the audience which M. Peyrani had with the late Emperor of France, when he formed part of a deputation who were charged with an address to him. Bonaparte noticed M. Peyrani immediately, and accosted him in a style of unusual condescension, and even respect. "In consequence of the Emperor's order, the Vaudois clergy were enrolled with the clergy of the empire, and lands were allotted for their provision. At the restoration of his Sardinian majesty they were deprived of these payments; and in failure of these resources, the families of several of the pastors were reduced for a time to such extreme necessity, as to depend upon the charity of their neighbours for subsistence. The sufferings of one of the clergy and his seven children, were such as the veriest pauper in England does not experience. "In consequence of the urgent application of the Prussian and Belgian mini sters, the king was, after a while, persuaded to take into consideration the very distressed state of these exemplary men, and to allow them a pension. Thus 1040 francs a-year, with the use of the presbytery, or parsonage-house, is the utmost fixed and certain income, upon which any of these poor ministers have to depend. They have no fees for burials, baptisms, or marriages. If it were not for the occasional bounty which they receive from Switzerland, Prussia, and the Netherlands, it would be impossible for the ministerial office to be supplied. "M. Peyrani himself, and afterwards M. Bert, the pastor of La Torre, searched all their accounts in my presence, to see what succours had been rendered to the Vaudois on the part of England, independent of the pension arising from the national grant. Every benefaction and service is carefully recorded in books kept by the moderator, the moderator adjoint, and the secretary; but some Bibles from the Bible Society, some books from a few generous individuals, and two hundred pounds from the Baptist Society, were all that appeared under the head of British bounty. "Of the royal pension, to which Napoleon alluded in his conference with M. Peyrani, no part whatever has been received since the year 1797: it was suppressed by the British government when Piedmont became subject to France, and has not been restored with the legitimate dynasty. I was shewn, by M. Peyrani, a copy of an order in council, held at Westminster, under the protectorate of Oliver Cromwell, a transcript of which is in the hands of almost every pastor in the three valleys; and, upon the strength of which, they partly found their claim to the pension in question. The collection alluded to, amounted to more than 38,000. of which upwards of 16,000%. was put out to interest. "It was with extreme regret we witnessed the approach of the hour which told us we must take leave of the venerable Peyrani. The good humour, cheerfulness, and resignation of the old man, his perfect recollection of events and conversations which took place years ago, his profound erudition and general information, lent a deep and peculiar interest to his discourse. My young companions were rivetted with attention. He appeared to them like a being of a different order to what they had been used to see all that they heard and saw had more the air of romance than reality. The little window of the room opened upon the wild mountain scenery of Pomaretto; the roar of the distant torrents was heard through the casement; and the impression left by the whole scene was so much the greater, from the con • This pension, we are happy to remind our readers, has just been restored. trast between the elevated character of the noble old man, and the circumstances in which he was placed. Poverty within, and desolation without, formed a dark and striking back-ground to the portrait of the philosophic minister, whose lips teemed with eloquence, and whose mind was stored with all the riches of the most intellectual society. "Before we parted, I looked several times earnestly round the room, that I might carry away with me every possible recollection of the chamber, in which Rodolphe Peyrani was likely to finish his days. The ordinary and antique furniture, and the prints which hung upon the walls, were all objects of interest; and some of them illustrated the character of the man. In the centre, and directly over the fire-place, was the moderator's diploma, presented to him by the royal academy of Turin. On one side of the diploma was George the Fourth, taken when he was Prince of Wales: on the other, the King of Sardinia; for no sufferings or injustice done to him could efface the loyal principles of M. Peyrani. Several kings of Prussia, Isaac Newton, Luther, and Calvin, occupied another place; and the duke of Wellington, and Lord William Bentinck, were in a very conspicuous situation. The good man pointed to the latter, and spoke of him with much gratitude. If any thing could have been done for the Vaudois, Lord William would have effected it,' he said; but the restored king was deaf to his intercessions.' "As M. Peyrani followed us feebly down stairs, he shewed us the door of an apartment, which had never been opened, he told us, since the day on which his brother had been carried out of it to be consigned to the grave. I asked what brother, and the answer was a momentary shock. It was Ferdinand Peyrani, the pastor of Pramol. It was like hearing the knell of a dear friend. Ferdinand Peyrani was the first person who interested me in the history of the Vaudois. It was his letter, addressed to the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge, which directed my attention to them, and occasioned this excursion to their Alpine retreats. He was one of the pastors to whom I felt so anxious to be introduced, and this was the first news of his being no more. His death was hastened by the scurvy, a disorder increased by poverty and want. "At the door of his humble presbytery the aged moderator wrung our hands, and said farewell, with every symptom of regret at parting. He stood at the threshhold, watching our departing steps; and the last sight that I had of his long grey locks, floating in the wind, left an impression that will not soon be removed. I am sure nobody could take leave, as we did, of M. Peyrani, with the certainty of see ing him no more, without being sensibly affected. His son accompanied us to the edge of the torrent, and there we said adieu to him. "Such was our visit to the successor of the bishops of the purest church in Italy, whose necessities were such that we felt bound, by a sacred sense of duty, to run the hazard of wounding those feelings of pride which every man of sensibility must retain, even amid the most urgent poverty, by pressing upon his acceptance a heart-offering for the purchase of a few of those comforts, which his age and infirmities required. I have had many struggles, before I could make up my mind as to the propriety of stating this circumstance; and nothing could have induced me to do it, but the persuasion that it will put the case in the strongest light, and shew at once the deplorable situation to which many of these excellent pastors are reduced. We could not have presumed to proffer, nor would the venerable moderator have condescended to accept, the assistance of private individuals like ourselves, if it had not been a very timely succour and certainly the circumstance never could have appeared in print, but with the object of drawing attention to the wants of a people who have been too much overlooked by those who have the means of aiding them. : "Reader, the sufferings of Rodolphe Peyrani are at an end. He died about three months after our interview with him. His spirit could no longer bear up against a complication of maladies and sorrows; and now all that I remember of him is literally like a dream that is past, or a tale that is told. "The father is happily gone to his rest; but it is painful to speak of his son, of that excellent young man whom we were all so disposed to esteem. He is now studying, preparatory to taking orders, at Lausanne, and existing upon a pittance which is not enough for the necessaries of life. The author is most happy in having the opportunity of reporting, that several unsolicited donations have been remitted to him, to enable this good young man to pursue his studies more comfort. ably at Lausanne. He has written his acknowledgments of this succour, which, however, is only temporary, in a strain of piety worthy of his venerable father. 66 "A few years ago a Roman-Catholic Cure of Geneva wrote a pamphlet in defence of the adoration of saints, and image-worship. It was much admired, had a great sale, and was thought by the friends of the Cure to be unanswerable. The Protestants of Geneva were burning to see a reply to this able tract; but none appeared, to the disappointment and mortification of every good Lutheran and Calvinist. Just at the crisis of its popularity, Mr. Lowther, the author of Brief Observations on the present State of the Wal denses,' happened to be on his visit to the Valleys, and, in an interview with M. Peyrani, expressed his regret that no answer had been made to this redoubtable pamphlet. The moderator drew some papers from his desk, and shewed Mr. Lowther that he himself had drawn up a reply. "But why have you not published it?' it was asked. "Because I have not the means. I cannot print it at my own expense, and know of nobody who will undertake it.' Mr. Lowther begged, and obtained consent to take charge of the MS. and to send it to the press. "It was printed, had a rapid run; and was so admirably well written, was so convincing, so keen and cutting, that the popish polemic bought up all the remaining unsold pamphlets of his own, out of shame. Mr. Lowther assured me, that he was unable to buy a single impression, though he offered a louis for one, when he wanted to have it inserted in a volume of miscellaneous articles, and that he was obliged to borrow one, and to have it written out in the place of a printed copy." Gilly, pp. 67-99. This pamphlet is given in Mr. Sims's volume. The editor appears to have given it from Peyrani's MSS., without stating that it had ever been published. Having thus laid before our readers an account of the present condition of the Vaudois, and the plans in progress for their benefit, and particularly introduced them to the venerable moderator Peyrani, we postpone the remarks which suggest themselves to our minds, till our resumption of the subject. We were, however, unwilling to defer again calling the attention of our readers to the benevolent objects contemplated by the friends who have particularly interested themselves in the welfare of this once fruitful vine, which an Almighty hand brought from amidst the desolations of the papal Egypt, and preserved through so many storms; but whose branches have been plucked by the spoiler, and whose once fertile clusters need the fostering care of Protestant benevolence again to mature them to their wonted luxuriance. LITERARY AND PHILOSOPHICAL INTELLIGENCE, GREAT BRITAIN. &c. &c. PREPARING for publication :-Memoirs of Mr. Robert Spence; by R. Burdekin ;—A History of the Council of Trent;-Practical Sermons, on the Life and Character of David, King of Israel; by the Rev. H. Thompson ;-A Guide to the Study of History; by I. Taylor, jun. ;- Selections from the Works of Bishop Hopkins, in 1 vol.; by the Rev. Dr. Wilson. In the press-An Account of Public Charities, digested from the Reports of the Commissioners on Charitable Foundations; with Notes and Comments ;Three Letters to the Archbishop of Cashel, on the recent Apocryphal Publication of his Grace; in which also are demonstrated, the late age of the ZOHOR; and the propriety of applying the Caba listic scheme of the Sepiroth to the illustration and confirmation of the Trinitarian hypothesis; by the Rev. John Oxlee. Cambridge.The subject for the Vice Chancellor's medal, is "The Druids."The members' prizes: For Bachelors, "Homerus" ;-for Undergraduates, "Græcia capta ferumvictorem cepit, et artes Intulit agresti Latio." Sir William Brown's medals: Greek Ode, "Sanctius his animal Deerat adhuc, et quod dominari in 66 Iphigenia in Aulide.” Epigrams, Παθήματα, μαθήματα The Porson prize, Shakspeare's As You Like It, Act II. Scene 3. The University has given 50%. towards rebuilding the English Church at Amsterdam. At a meeting held at Norwich, the chaplain of the county goal, in alluding to the connexion that exists between ignorance and crime, stated that, of 593 prisoners, 300 could not read at their commitment t; 68 could read a very little; 68 could read moderately well; and 157 could read and write. "The most common origin of crime," he says, "I have found to be the violation of the Sabbath: but I cannot forbear observing, that poaching leads more easily and rapidly to the perpetration of the higher crimes than any other incentive, and that the time and nature of the employment, and the desperate combinations that are entered into, create a greater ferocity of spirit than I have hitherto found in any other class of offenders." In consequence of the clause of the Copyright Act which enjoins the gift of eleven copies, of all published books, to various libraries, series of expensive engravings are often published without any letter-press to explain them. The king's architect has just published a twentyguinea work, entitled "the Pavilion at Brighton," in this defective manner. Robson's "Picturesque Views of all the English Cities" are appearing in the same form. once again praise! By the grace of God by the miracles of the prophet, our lord and saviour of the two worlds, and by the force of favouring fortune, and the influence of the fruit of justice of the monarch at the present time adorning the throne, overwhelming with felicity the earth placed under his protection-destroyer of the wicked who revolt against him-preserver of the most true of all religions, the most weak, the most inefficient of his servants, Massdariedschisade Seid Hussein, first assistant in the imperial academy of engineers, has fortunately discovered, &c. My most humble hope is, that it will please the high and just will of his majesty to cause the statement of this event to be inserted in the annals of the empire, that the mathematicians of Europe may not be able to appropriate this invention to themselves." INDIA. The last report of the Serampore College states, that the number of students in attendance is forty-five. The head student has made great progress in Sanscrit, and the next five have passed their annual examination in the most satisfactory manner. The Calcutta Agricultural Society has offered a premium for the earliest production of several European vegetables; and the Society propose to adopt measures for a regular supply of garden-seeds from Europe. Various leading members of the native community of Calcutta are beginning to take great interest in works of public advantage. A splendid instance of this liberal spirit has recently occurred in the case of the two sons of the late Maharaja Sookmoy, who have presented a lac and four thousand rupees for distribution amongst several of the principal institutions of Calcutta, founded for the purposes of charity or education. BURMAH. The foundation of a town to be called Amherst Town, and which bids fair to become a place of considerable political and mercantile importance, has been laid at Martaban, in the Burmese territories. The British commissioner addressed a proclamation to the natives, in which he says," The inhabitants of the towns and villages who wish to come, shall be free from molestation, extortion, and oppression. They shall be free to worship, as usual, temples, monasteries, priests, and holy men. There shall be no interruption of free trade; but people shall go and come, buy and sell, do and live as |