i4o Mr . planta’s Account of 
natives in feveral expeditions into Italy and Palefline, in 
which they Hill voluntarily accompanied the emperors. 
The repeated a£ts of tyranny exercifed by thole arbi- 
trary defpots, who had now fhaken off all manner of re- 
flraint, at length exafperated the people into a general 
revolt, and brought on the confederacy; in which the 
bifhop and moll of the nobles were glad to join, in order 
to fcreen themlelves from the fury of the infurgents. 
The firft ftep towards this happy revolution was made 
by fome venerable old men drejjed in the coarfe grey cloth 
of the country, who in the year 1424 met privately in a 
wood near a place called Truns, in the Upper League; 
where, imprejfed zvith a fenfe of their former liber- 
ties (O, they determined to remonfir ate againff, and op- 
pofe, the violent proceedings of their oppreffors. The 
abbot of Diffentis was the fhiF who countenanced their 
meafures; their joint influence gradually prevailed over 
feveral of the moll moderate among the nobles; and 
hence arofe the League which, from the colour of its 
fir If promoters, was ever after called the Grey League ; 
which, from its being the firft in the bold attempt tolhake 
off the yoke of wanton tyranny, hath ever fince retained 
the pre-eminence in rank before the two other leagues ; 
and which hath even given its name to the whole country, 
whole inhabitants, from the circumftances of their de- 
liverance, pride themlelves in the appellation of Grifons , 
(e) Canitie grifeoqnc ami£tu vcnerantli. — Memorcs aclinic anticjux libcrtatis. 
SPR ECU. p. 1S9. 
or 
