ARNAUD, HENRI (1641-1721), pastor and general of the Vaudois or Waldensians of Piedmont, was born at Embrun. About 165o his family returned to their native valley of Luserna, where Arnaud was educated at La Tour (the chief village), later visiting the college at Basel (1662 and 1668) and the academy at Geneva (1666) . He then returned home, and seems to have been pastor in several of the Vaudois valleys before attaining that position at La Tour (1685). He was thus the natural leader of his co-religionists after Victor Amadeus expelled them (1686) from their valleys. William of Orange gave him help and money.
Arnaud occupied himself with organizing his 3,00o countrymen who had taken refuge in Switzerland, and who twice (1687-88) attempted to regain their homes. The English revolution of 1688, and the election of William to the throne, encouraged the Vaudois to make yet another attempt. Furnished with detailed instructions from the veteran Josue Janavel (prevented by age from taking part in the expedition) Arnaud with about I,000 fol lowers started (Aug. 17 1689) from near Nyon on the Lake of Geneva for the glorieuse rentree. On Aug. 27 the valiant band after many hardships and dangers reached the Valley of St. Martin, having passed by Sallanches and crossed the Col de Very (6,506 ft.), the Enclave de la Fenetre (7,425 ft.), the Col du Bonhomme (8,147 ft.), the Col du Mont Iseran (9,085 ft.), the Grand Mont Cenis (6,893 f t.), the Petit Mont Cenis (7,166 f t.) , the Col de Clapier (8,173 ft.), the Col de Coteplane (7,589 ft.), and the Col du Piz (8,55o ft.). They soon took refuge in the lofty and secure rocky citadel of the Balsille, where they were besieged (Oct. 24 1689 to May 14 1690) by the troops (about 4,000 in number) of the king of France and the duke of Savoy. They maintained this natural fortress against many fierce attacks and during the whole of a winter. In particular, on May 2, one assault was defeated without the loss of a single man of Arnaud's small band. But another attack (May 14) was not so successful, so that Arnaud withdrew his force under cover of a thick mist and led them over the hills to the valley of Angrogna, above La Tour.
A month later the Vaudois were received into favour by the duke of Savoy, who had then abandoned his alliance with France for one with Great Britain and Holland. Hence for the next six years the Vaudois helped Savoy against France, though suffering much from the repeated attacks of the French troops. But by a clause in the treaty of peace of 1696, made public in 1698, Victor Amadeus again became hostile to the Vaudois, about 3,000 of whom, with Arnaud, found shelter in Protestant countries, mainly in Wurttemberg, where Arnaud became the pastor of Di rrmenz Schonenberg, N. W. of Stuttgart (1699).
Once again (1704-06) the Vaudois aided the duke against France. Arnaud, however, took no part in the military operations, though he visited England (1707) to obtain pecuniary aid from Queen Anne. He died at Schonenberg (which was the church hamlet of the parish of Durrmenz) in 1721. During his retire ment he compiled from various documents by other hands his Histoire de la glorieuse rentree des Vaudois dans leurs vallees, which was published (probably at Cassel) in 1710, with a dedica tion to Queen Anne. It was translated into English (182 7) by H. Dyke Acland, and has also appeared in German and Dutch versions. A part of the original ms. is preserved in the Royal Library in Berlin.
(W. A. B. C.)