The next morning we rose at 4, to leave by an early train for Rome, but our stay there was a short one only. That evening Mr. Müller preached at Mr. Wall's Chapel to a large congregation, and the following evening held a meeting at the American Episcopal Church. On Sunday morning, April 27th, he gave an address at the Brethren's Hall, and preached at the Sala Cristiana in the evening from Heb. xi. 24, 25, 26—a solemn farewell sermon.
On the 28th we went again to Florence, and when he had held six meetings in that city (including a service at Dr. Comandi's Institution, where, on May 2nd, he addressed the children of the various evangelical schools in Florence), on the morning of the 5th we left, and, after crossing the Appenines, reached Bologna in the afternoon. There he preached in French, with Italian translation, that evening and the next, at Monsieur Roland's Church to crowded congregations.
On May 8th we went on to Venice; passed through Ferrara, Padua, and other places on the way; and, after travelling by rail through the watery district by which the city is surrounded, reached our destination in the evening, where, instead of an omnibus, a gondola was waiting for passengers, in which we were rowed along several canals, to the Hotel Danieli. That evening, at 8 o'clock, Mr. Müller preached at the Vaudois Church, and at the Methodist Episcopal Church the next evening. He held two other meetings also, whilst we remained at Venice, one of which was in English at the American Consul's house; but his labours in this city were shortened considerably, in consequence of the inability of Monsieur Meille, the Italian pastor (who was suffering seriously from a throat affection), to translate.
Venice, from being full of canals and nearly surrounded by the sea, is one of the most extraordinary cities in the world. During our brief sojourn there, two or three little voyages in gondolas enabled us to form some idea of the place. "This city is built upon piles, on three large and 114 small islands, formed by 150 narrow canals, and crossed by 380 short bridges. The islands and city upon them are in a shallow lagune of the Adriatic. Palaces and houses, once magnificent, line the banks of the Grand Canal, which is two miles and a half in length, and the "Bridge of Sighs" connects the Palace of the Doges with the prisons that belong to it; but the whole city bears marks of a grandeur that has passed away, and its fame and glory are of a bygone character. Venice is divided into two unequal parts by the Grand Canal, which is crossed near the middle of its course by the Ponte di Rialto, a marble bridge of one single, spacious arch. The city contains upwards of 4,000 gondolas. From the top of the Campanile (a square tower 316 feet in height) an extensive prospect is obtained, embracing the Alps, the Adriatic, the Istrian Mountains, and Monti Euganei, near Padua."
On May 15th, early in the morning, we left for Breschia, and, after passing through Padua, Vicenza, and Verona, reached Peschiera, close to Lago Garda, one of the beautiful lakes in northern Italy. After our arrival at Breschia, Mr. Müller preached that evening at the Vaudois Church, from John i. 29. Amongst his hearers were several Roman Catholics, and some officers and soldiers belonging to a regiment in the city. He held another meeting, also, the following evening at the same church, and after the service we distributed little Italian books amongst the people, which were gratefully accepted.
On May 17th we left for Milan, and from there proceeded by an evening train to Como, where, at the Vaudois Church, he preached four times, with translation into Italian. Here the congregation consisted of poor country people; and great was the interest with which they listened to a preacher, who told them that he was a poor man himself. Everything he needs (they were told) is obtained by prayer and faith, and his wants are made known to his Heavenly Father only. On May 20th we spent a few hours at Bellagio, 16 miles distant, one of the most beautiful places on the Lake of Como; and the next day returned to Milan, where Mr. Müller preached at the Wesleyan Church, with Italian interpretation, in the evening. During our stay, he held meetings also at the Italian Free Church, the Brethren's Room, the Vaudois Church, at an Italian Church in Place Charles Beccaria, and at a Protestant Church in Rue Agnello. On the 28th (by invitation) he held a drawing-room meeting at the British Chaplain's house, and the next evening preached in German at the Vaudois Church, not being able to address the Germans in their own place of worship, because their pastor was a neologian. On our way to and from the meetings, we passed Milan Cathedral (built of white marble from the Simplon) repeatedly. Next to St. Peter's at Rome, and Seville Cathedral, it is the largest church in Europe. These splendid Cathedrals, however, are all Popish, and the religious services carried on in them are full of the grossest idolatry and superstition.
On May 31st, we left Milan for Turin; and after Mr. Müller had conducted three services in that city, on Tuesday, June 3rd, set off for an excursion through the Waldensian Valleys, which contain a Protestant population of about 26,000, whereas Turin has only between 800 and 900 Protestant inhabitants. The journey from Turin to Pignerola was performed by rail; but at the latter place we took an open carriage, and drove to Villa Sèche, a village inhabited principally by Protestants. During the drive, we passed several mountain torrents, saw the distant Alps, and drove for miles close to the river Chison, which was rushing over its rocky bed with a loud noise, down a steep incline into the Valley. The whole of this district is extremely interesting, because for hundreds of years it has been inhabited by the Waldenses, who, in the 16th and 17th centuries, on account of their faithfulness to Christ, were cruelly persecuted by the Papists; and, as their attachment to the reformed faith brought many sufferings upon them, they were compelled to flee from their beloved homes to any hiding place that afforded them a refuge. The two principal Waldensian Valleys are St. Martin and Luzerne, which contain 15 parishes; but the houses in them are scattered, and being at a great distance from each other, the members of the little Churches are obliged to walk many miles in order to attend the meetings. These Waldensian Christians are generally very poor, and many of them live in houses roofed with rough, flat stones loosely put together, instead of slates or tiles. In the windows, too, of a few of their abodes, paper occupied the place of glass. At Pomaret some of the people were standing at their doors to gaze at us, because our visit was expected; and as we drove along "Monsieur le pasteur Georges Müller" had many respectful bows and salutations. At five o'clock we reached the house of the pastor at Villa Sèche, and in the evening accompanied him to his Church, a very ancient Vaudois place of worship, situated at a great height upon a mountain, many hundreds of feet above his residence. A steep, rugged, winding pathway, covered in places with loose stones, led up this mountain towards the Church; and as some rivulets streamed over the ascent, it was difficult to avoid getting ankle-deep in water. The silence and solitude of the whole region, too, were striking. At length, warm, tired, and almost breathless, we reached the Church, a large, old-fashioned building, which was crowded with a rustic congregation, who (the meeting having been announced for 5 o'clock, though circumstances did not allow of our getting there till 7) had been sitting there two hours, patiently waiting our arrival. The service, which was in French, was opened with singing and prayer, after which Mr. Müller addressed the audience for an hour, throwing himself heart and soul into their circumstances. At the close of the meeting we distributed little French and Italian books amongst the people; shook hands with many of them; and soon after 9 reached the pastor's cottage down below, a Swiss châlet, with a projecting roof, and two wooden galleries outside. In this mountain home the domestic arrangements were of the simplest, most frugal character possible, many of the comforts and conveniences of life (often considered indispensable) being wanting; but we were most kindly entertained, and greatly enjoyed our little visit.
The next morning we took a drive to Perrier, two miles further up the Valley, and called upon the village pastor. Underneath his house were two "souterrains," or caverns where, in the last century, some Vaudois Christians were imprisoned, and left to starve, by their bitter enemies the Papists. By the light of a candle we explored these subterranean cavities; but as the ground was covered with water, it was necessary to step carefully on blocks of wood. Some snow covered mountains were afterwards pointed out, where, during the last century, 80 Vaudois women with their infants were obliged to pass the night whilst escaping from their cruel foes; but, when morning came, they were discovered in a semi-frozen state, and most of them perished eventually through the severity of the cold.
In the afternoon we drove to La Perouse, where a night's lodging was proposed for us at the Hospital; we decided, however, upon going to the "Hôtel National," a little Italian public-house, but found the accommodation most uncomfortable, and that no one understood a word of French. At 4 o'clock a meeting was held at the Vaudois Church, Pomaret, when Mr. Müller preached in French to a large, attentive audience. On the morning of June 5th we visited St. Germain, seven miles from La Perouse, at which place he addressed a large congregation of poor people in French at 10 o'clock for three quarters of an hour. At one we set off again in the little open carriage; and, after a drive of eleven miles, reached La Tour, the largest Vaudois settlement, and the principal Protestant station in the Valleys. In the evening, at St. Jean (three miles from La Tour), Mr. Müller preached at a schoolroom, belonging to the Church, in French, where a large congregation, including several gentlemen and ladies, had assembled. Here, at the close of the service, the pastor prayed—"Que le discours excellent de notre frère soit gravé sur nos c[oe]urs"; and another gentleman afterwards remarked—"Monsieur Müller nous a dit précisément ce qu'il nous faut; le sermon était admirable."
On the afternoon of June 7th, we visited the "Orphelinât des Vallées Vaudoises," a small Orphan Establishment for 50 girls, in a delightful situation, just outside La Tour. The Directrice conducted us through the various departments of the Institution, where cleanliness and order reigned supreme; for all the back, out-of-door premises, yards, courts, etc., were so beautifully neat and clean, as well as the schoolrooms and the dormitories, that we asked whether this was because visitors were expected. The reply, however, was: "Les départments sont tous les jours comme vous les voyez maintenant." The garden too was admirably kept. It contained an abundance of vegetables and fruit trees; vines were gracefully trained against a wooden paling surrounding the enclosure, and a few flowers were cultivated in beds. After visiting the different departments of the institution, the Directrice conducted us to a schoolroom, where all the girls were busily engaged with needlework. They rose as we entered, Mr. Müller spoke to them for a few minutes; and, when they had sung a hymn, we took leave of the interesting party.