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diff --git a/2743-8.txt b/2743-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 272d6f5..0000000 --- a/2743-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,9338 +0,0 @@ - MASSACRES OF THE SOUTH--1551-1815 - - -This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online at -http://www.gutenberg.org/license. If you are not located in the United -States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you are -located before using this ebook. - - - -Title: Massacres of the South -Author: Alexandre Dumas, Pere -Release Date: September 22, 2004 [EBook #2743] -Reposted: November 27, 2016 [corrections made] -Language: English -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MASSACRES OF THE SOUTH *** - - - - -Produced by David Widger. - - - *MASSACRES OF THE SOUTH* - - _By_ - - *Alexandre Dumas, Pere* - - _From "Celebrated Crimes" In Eight Volumes_ - - - 1910 - - - - -CONTENTS - - - *MASSACRES OF THE SOUTH--1551-1815* - CHAPTER I - CHAPTER II - CHAPTER III - CHAPTER IV - CHAPTER V - CHAPTER VI - CHAPTER VII - CHAPTER VIII - CHAPTER IX - - - - -*MASSACRES OF THE SOUTH--1551-1815* - - - - -CHAPTER I - - -It is possible that our reader, whose recollections may perhaps go back -as far as the Restoration, will be surprised at the size of the frame -required for the picture we are about to bring before him, embracing as -it does two centuries and a half; but as everything, has its precedent, -every river its source, every volcano its central fire, so it is that -the spot of earth on which we are going to fix our eyes has been the -scene of action and reaction, revenge and retaliation, till the -religious annals of the South resemble an account-book kept by double -entry, in which fanaticism enters the profits of death, one side being -written with the blood of Catholics, the other with that of Protestants. - -In the great political and religious convulsions of the South, the -earthquake-like throes of which were felt even in the capital, Nimes has -always taken the central place; Nimes will therefore be the pivot round -which our story will revolve, and though we may sometimes leave it for a -moment, we shall always return thither without fail. - -Nimes was reunited to France by Louis VIII, the government being taken -from its vicomte, Bernard Athon VI, and given to consuls in the year -1207. During the episcopate of Michel Briconnet the relics of St. -Bauzile were discovered, and hardly were the rejoicings over this event -at an end when the new doctrines began to spread over France. It was in -the South that the persecutions began, and in 1551 several persons were -publicly burnt as heretics by order of the Seneschal's Court at Nimes, -amongst whom was Maurice Secenat, a missionary from the Cevennes, who -was taken in the very act of preaching. Thenceforth Nimes rejoiced in -two martyrs and two patron saints, one revered by the Catholics, and one -by the Protestants; St. Bauzile, after reigning as sole protector for -twenty-four years, being forced to share the honours of his guardianship -with his new rival. - -Maurice Secenat was followed as preacher by Pierre de Lavau; these two -names being still remembered among the crowd of obscure and forgotten -martyrs. He also was put to death on the Place de la Salamandre, all the -difference being that the former was burnt and the latter hanged. - -Pierre de Lavau was attended in his last moments by Dominique Deyron, -Doctor of Theology; but instead of, as is usual, the dying man being -converted by the priest, it was the priest who was converted by de -Lavau, and the teaching which it was desired should be suppressed burst -forth again. Decrees were issued against Dominique Deyron; he was -pursued and tracked down, and only escaped the gibbet by fleeing to the -mountains. - -The mountains are the refuge of all rising or decaying sects; God has -given to the powerful on earth city, plain, and sea, but the mountains -are the heritage of the oppressed. - -Persecution and proselytism kept pace with each other, but the blood -that was shed produced the usual effect: it rendered the soil on which -it fell fruitful, and after two or three years of struggle, during which -two or three hundred Huguenots had been burnt or hanged, Nimes awoke one -morning with a Protestant majority. In 1556 the consuls received a sharp -reprimand on account of the leaning of the city towards the doctrines of -the Reformation; but in 1557, one short year after this admonition, -Henri II was forced to confer the office of president of the Presidial -Court on William de Calviere, a Protestant. At last a decision of the -senior judge having declared that it was the duty of the consuls to -sanction the execution of heretics by their presence, the magistrates of -the city protested against this decision, and the power of the Crown was -insufficient to carry it out. - -Henri II dying, Catherine de Medicis and the Guises took possession of -the throne in the name of Francois II. There is a moment when nations -can always draw a long breath, it is while their kings are awaiting -burial; and Nimes took advantage of this moment on the death of Henri -II, and on September 29th, 1559, Guillaume Moget founded the first -Protestant community. - -Guillaume Moget came from Geneva. He was the spiritual son of Calvin, -and came to Nimes with the firm purpose of converting all the remaining -Catholics or of being hanged. As he was eloquent, spirited, and wily, -too wise to be violent, ever ready to give and take in the matter of -concessions, luck was on his side, and Guillaume Moget escaped hanging. - -The moment a rising sect ceases to be downtrodden it becomes a queen, -and heresy, already mistress of three-fourths of the city, began to hold -up its head with boldness in the streets. A householder called Guillaume -Raymond opened his house to the Calvinist missionary, and allowed him to -preach in it regularly to all who came, and the wavering were thus -confirmed in the new faith. Soon the house became too narrow to contain -the crowds which flocked thither to imbibe the poison of the -revolutionary doctrine, and impatient glances fell on the churches. - -Meanwhile the Vicomte de Joyeuse, who had just been appointed governor -of Languedoc in the place of M. de Villars, grew uneasy at the rapid -progress made by the Protestants, who so far from trying to conceal it -boasted of it; so he summoned the consuls before him, admonished them -sharply in the king's name, and threatened to quarter a garrison in the -town which would soon put an end to these disorders. The consuls -promised to stop the evil without the aid of outside help, and to carry -out their promise doubled the patrol and appointed a captain of the town -whose sole duty was to keep order in the streets. Now this captain whose -office had been created solely for the repression of heresy, happened to -be Captain Bouillargues, the most inveterate Huguenot who ever existed. - -The result of this discriminating choice was that Guillaume Moget began -to preach, and once when a great crowd had gathered in a garden to hear -him hold forth, heavy rain came on, and it became necessary for the -people either to disperse or to seek shelter under a roof. As the -preacher had just reached the most interesting part of his sermon, the -congregation did not hesitate an instant to take the latter alternative. -The Church of St. Etienne du Capitole was quite near: someone present -suggested that this building, if not the most suitable, as at least the -most spacious for such a gathering. - -The idea was received with acclamation: the rain grew heavier, the crowd -invaded the church, drove out the priests, trampled the Holy Sacrament -under foot, and broke the sacred images. This being accomplished, -Guillaume Moget entered the pulpit, and resumed his sermon with such -eloquence that his hearers' excitement redoubled, and not satisfied with -what had already been done, rushed off to seize on the Franciscan -monastery, where they forthwith installed Moget and the two women, who, -according to Menard the historian of Languedoc, never left him day or -night; all which proceedings were regarded by Captain Bouillargues with -magnificent calm. - -The consuls being once more summoned before M. de Villars, who had again -become governor, would gladly have denied the existence of disorder; but -finding this impossible, they threw themselves on his mercy. He being -unable to repose confidence in them any longer, sent a garrison to the -citadel of Nimes, which the municipality was obliged to support, -appointed a governor of the city with four district captains under him, -and formed a body of military police which quite superseded the -municipal constabulary. Moget was expelled from Nimes, and Captain -Bouillargues deprived of office. - -Francis II dying in his turn, the usual effect was produced,--that is, -the persecution became less fierce,--and Moget therefore returned to -Nimes. This was a victory, and every victory being a step forward, the -triumphant preacher organised a Consistory, and the deputies of Nimes -demanded from the States-General of Orleans possession of the churches. -No notice was taken of this demand; but the Protestants were at no loss -how to proceed. On the 21st December 1561 the churches of Ste. Eugenie, -St. Augustin, and the Cordeliers were taken by assault, and cleared of -their images in a hand's turn; and this time Captain Bouillargues was -not satisfied with looking on, but directed the operations. - -The cathedral was still safe, and in it were entrenched the remnant of -the Catholic clergy; but it was apparent that at the earliest -opportunity it too would be turned into a meeting-house; and this -opportunity was not long in coming. - -One Sunday, when Bishop Bernard d'Elbene had celebrated mass, just as -the regular preacher was about to begin his sermon, some children who -were playing in the close began to hoot the 'beguinier' [a name of -contempt for friars]. Some of the faithful being disturbed in their -meditations, came out of the church and chastised the little Huguenots, -whose parents considered themselves in consequence to have been insulted -in the persons of their children. A great commotion ensued, crowds began -to form, and cries of "To the church! to the church!" were heard. -Captain Bouillargues happened to be in the neighbourhood, and being very -methodical set about organising the insurrection; then putting himself -at its head, he charged the cathedral, carrying everything before him, -in spite of the barricades which had been hastily erected by the -Papists. The assault was over in a few moments; the priests and their -flock fled by one door, while the Reformers entered by another. The -building was in the twinkling of an eye adapted to the new form of -worship: the great crucifix from above the altar was dragged about the -streets at the end of a rope and scourged at every cross-roads. In the -evening a large fire was lighted in the place before the cathedral, and -the archives of the ecclesiastical and religious houses, the sacred -images, the relics of the saints, the decorations of the altar, the -sacerdotal vestments, even the Host itself, were thrown on it without -any remonstrance from the consuls; the very wind which blew upon Nimes -breathed heresy. - -For the moment Nimes was in full revolt, and the spirit of organisation -spread: Moget assumed the titles of pastor and minister of the Christian -Church. Captain Bouillargues melted down the sacred vessels of the -Catholic churches, and paid in this manner the volunteers of Nimes and -the German mercenaries; the stones of the demolished religious houses -were used in the construction of fortifications, and before anyone -thought of attacking it the city was ready for a siege. It was at this -moment that Guillaume Calviere, who was at the head of the Presidial -Court, Moget being president of the Consistory, and Captain Bouillargues -commander-in-chief of the armed forces, suddenly resolved to create a -new authority, which, while sharing the powers hitherto vested solely in -the consuls, should be, even more than they, devoted to Calvin: thus the -office of les Messieurs came into being. This was neither more nor less -than a committee of public safety, and having been formed in the stress -of revolution it acted in a revolutionary spirit, absorbing the powers -of the consuls, and restricting the authority of the Consistory to -things spiritual. In the meantime the Edict of Amboise, was promulgated, -and it was announced that the king, Charles IX, accompanied by Catherine -de Medicis, was going to visit his loyal provinces in the South. - -Determined as was Captain Bouillargues, for once he had to give way, so -strong was the party against him; therefore, despite the murmurs of the -fanatics, the city of Nimes resolved, not only to open its gates to its -sovereign, but to give him such a reception as would efface the bad -impression which Charles might have received from the history of recent -events. The royal procession was met at the Pont du Gare, where young -girls attired as nymphs emerged from a grotto bearing a collation, which -they presented to their Majesties, who graciously and heartily partook -of it. The repast at an end, the illustrious travellers resumed their -progress; but the imagination of the Nimes authorities was not to be -restrained within such narrow bounds: at the entrance to the city the -king found the Porte de la Couronne transformed into a mountain-side, -covered with vines and olive trees, under which a shepherd was tending -his flock. As the king approached the mountain parted as if yielding to -the magic of his power, the most beautiful maidens and the most noble -came out to meet their sovereign, presenting him the keys of the city -wreathed with flowers, and singing to the accompaniment of the -shepherd's pipe. Passing through the mountain, Charles saw chained to a -palm tree in the depths of a grotto a monster crocodile from whose jaws -issued flames: this was a representation of the old coat of arms granted -to the city by Octavius Caesar Augustus after the battle of Actium, and -which Francis I had restored to it in exchange for a model in silver of -the amphitheatre presented to him by the city. Lastly, the king found in -the Place de la Salamandre numerous bonfires, so that without waiting to -ask if these fires were made from the remains of the faggots used at the -martyrdom of Maurice Secenat, he went to bed very much pleased with the -reception accorded him by his good city of Nimes, and sure that all the -unfavourable reports he had heard were calumnies. - -Nevertheless, in order that such rumours, however slight their -foundation, should not again be heard, the king appointed Damville -governor of Languedoc, installing him himself in the chief city of his -government; he then removed every consul from his post without -exception, and appointed in their place Guy-Rochette, doctor and lawyer; -Jean Beaudan, burgess; Francois Aubert, mason; and Cristol Ligier, farm -labourer--all Catholics. He then left for Paris, where a short time -after he concluded a treaty with the Calvinists, which the people with -its gift of prophecy called "The halting peace of unsure seat," and -which in the end led to the massacre of St. Bartholomew. - -Gracious as had been the measures taken by the king to secure the peace -of his good city of Nimes, they had nevertheless been reactionary; -consequently the Catholics, feeling the authorities were now on their -side, returned in crowds: the householders reclaimed their houses, the -priests their churches; while, rendered ravenous by the bitter bread of -exile, both the clergy and the laity pillaged the treasury. Their return -was not, however; stained by bloodshed, although the Calvinists were -reviled in the open street. A few stabs from a dagger or shots from an -arquebus might, however, have been better; such wounds heal while -mocking words rankle in the memory. - -On the morrow of Michaelmas Day--that is, on the 31st September 1567--a -number of conspirators might have been seen issuing from a house and -spreading themselves through the streets, crying "To arms! Down with the -Papists!" Captain Bouillargues was taking his revenge. - -As the Catholics were attacked unawares, they did not make even a show -of resistance: a number of Protestants--those who possessed the best -arms--rushed to the house of Guy-Rochette, the first consul, and seized -the keys of the city. Guy Rochette, startled by the cries of the crowds, -had looked out of the window, and seeing a furious mob approaching his -house, and feeling that their rage was directed against himself, had -taken refuge with his brother Gregoire. There, recovering his courage -and presence of mind, he recalled the important responsibilities -attached to his office, and resolving to fulfil them whatever might -happen, hastened to consult with the other magistrates, but as they all -gave him very excellent reasons for not meddling, he soon felt there was -no dependence to be placed on such cowards and traitors. He next -repaired to the episcopal palace, where he found the bishop surrounded -by the principal Catholics of the town, all on their knees offering up -earnest prayers to Heaven, and awaiting martyrdom. Guy-Rochette joined -them, and the prayers were continued. - -A few instants later fresh noises were heard in the street, and the -gates of the palace court groaned under blows of axe and crowbar. -Hearing these alarming sounds, the bishop, forgetting that it was his -duty to set a brave example, fled through a breach in the wall of the -next house; but Guy-Rochette and his companions valiantly resolved not -to run away, but to await their fate with patience. The gates soon -yielded, and the courtyard and palace were filled with Protestants: at -their head appeared Captain Bouillargues, sword in hand. Guy-Rochette -and those with him were seized and secured in a room under the charge of -four guards, and the palace was looted. Meantime another band of -insurgents had attacked the house of the vicar-general, John Pebereau, -whose body pierced by seven stabs of a dagger was thrown out of a -window, the same fate as was meted out to Admiral Coligny eight years -later at the hands of the Catholics. In the house a sum of 800 crowns -was found and taken. The two bands then uniting, rushed to the -cathedral, which they sacked for the second time. - -Thus the entire day passed in murder and pillage: when night came the -large number of prisoners so imprudently taken began to be felt as an -encumbrance by the insurgent chiefs, who therefore resolved to take -advantage of the darkness to get rid of them without causing too much -excitement in the city. They were therefore gathered together from the -various houses in which they had been confined, and were brought to a -large hall in the Hotel de Ville, capable of containing from four to -five hundred persons, and which was soon full. An irregular tribunal -arrogating to itself powers of life and death was formed, and a clerk -was appointed to register its decrees. A list of all the prisoners was -given him, a cross placed before a name indicating that its bearer was -condemned to death, and, list in hand, he went from group to group -calling out the names distinguished by the fatal sign. Those thus sorted -out were then conducted to a spot which had been chosen beforehand as -the place of execution. - -This was the palace courtyard in the middle of which yawned a well -twenty-four feet in circumference and fifty deep. The fanatics thus -found a grave ready-digged as it were to their hand, and to save time, -made use of it. - -The unfortunate Catholics, led thither in groups, were either stabbed -with daggers or mutilated with axes, and the bodies thrown down the -well. Guy-Rochette was one of the first to be dragged up. For himself he -asked neither mercy nor favour, but he begged that the life of his young -brother might be spared, whose only crime was the bond of blood which -united them; but the assassins, paying no heed to his prayers, struck -down both man and boy and flung them into the well. The corpse of the -vicar-general, who had been killed the day before, was in its turn -dragged thither by a rope and added to the others. All night the -massacre went on, the crimsoned water rising in the well as corpse after -corpse was thrown in, till, at break of day, it overflowed, one hundred -and twenty bodies being then hidden in its depths. - -Next day, October 1st, the scenes of tumult were renewed: from early -dawn Captain Bouillargues ran from street to street crying, "Courage, -comrades! Montpellier, Pezenas, Aramon, Beaucaire, Saint-Andeol, and -Villeneuve are taken, and are on our side. Cardinal de Lorraine is dead, -and the king is in our power." This aroused the failing energies of the -assassins. They joined the captain, and demanded that the houses round -the palace should be searched, as it was almost certain that the bishop, -who had, as may be remembered, escaped the day before, had taken refuge -in one of them. This being agreed to, a house-to-house visitation was -begun: when the house of M. de Sauvignargues was reached, he confessed -that the bishop was in his cellar, and proposed to treat with Captain -Bouillargues for a ransom. This proposition being considered reasonable, -was accepted, and after a short discussion the sum of 120 crowns was -agreed on. The bishop laid down every penny he had about him, his -servants were despoiled, and the sum made up by the Sieur de -Sauvignargues, who having the bishop in his house kept him caged. The -prelate, however, made no objection, although under other circumstances -he would have regarded this restraint as the height of impertinence; but -as it was he felt safer in M. de Sauvignargues' cellar than in the -palace. - -But the secret of the worthy prelate's hiding place was but badly kept -by those with whom he had treated; for in a few moments a second crowd -appeared, hoping to obtain a second ransom. Unfortunately, the Sieur de -Sauvignargues, the bishop, and the bishop's servants had stripped -themselves of all their ready money to make up the first, so the master -of the house, fearing for his own safety, having barricaded the doors, -got out into a lane and escaped, leaving the bishop to his fate. The -Huguenots climbed in at the windows, crying, "No quarter! Down with the -Papists!" The bishop's servants were cut down, the bishop himself -dragged out of the cellar and thrown into the street. There his rings -and crozier were snatched from him; he was stripped of his clothes and -arrayed in a grotesque and ragged garment which chanced to be at hand; -his mitre was replaced by a peasant's cap; and in this condition he was -dragged back to the palace and placed on the brink of the well to be -thrown in. One of the assassins drew attention to the fact that it was -already full. "Pooh!" replied another, "they won't mind a little -crowding for a bishop." Meantime the prelate, seeing he need expect no -mercy from man, threw himself on his knees and commended his soul to -God. Suddenly, however, one of those who had shown himself most -ferocious during the massacre, Jean Coussinal by name, was touched as if -by miracle with a feeling of compassion at the sight of so much -resignation, and threw himself between the bishop and those about to -strike, and declaring that whoever touched the prelate must first -overcome himself, took him under his protection, his comrades retreating -in astonishment. Jean Coussinal raising the bishop, carried him in his -arms into a neighbouring house, and drawing his sword, took his stand on -the threshold. - -The assassins, however, soon recovered from their surprise, and -reflecting that when all was said and done they were fifty to one, -considered it would be shameful to let themselves be intimidated by a -single opponent, so they advanced again on Coussinal, who with a -back-handed stroke cut off the head of the first-comer. The cries upon -this redoubled, and two or three shots were fired at the obstinate -defender of the poor bishop, but they all missed aim. At that moment -Captain Bouillargues passed by, and seeing one man attacked by fifty, -inquired into the cause. He was told of Coussinal's odd determination to -save the bishop. "He is quite right," said the captain; "the bishop has -paid ransom, and no one has any right to touch him." Saying this, he -walked up to Coussinal, gave him his hand, and the two entered the -house, returning in a few moments with the bishop between them. In this -order they crossed the town, followed by the murmuring crowd, who were, -however, afraid to do more than murmur; at the gate the bishop was -provided with an escort and let go, his defenders remaining there till -he was out of sight. - -The massacres went on during the whole of the second day, though towards -evening the search for victims relaxed somewhat; but still many isolated -acts of murder took place during the night. On the morrow, being tired -of killing, the people began to destroy, and this phase lasted a long -time, it being less fatiguing to throw stones about than corpses. All -the convents, all the monasteries, all the houses of the priests and -canons were attacked in turn; nothing was spared except the cathedral, -before which axes and crowbars seemed to lose their power, and the -church of Ste. Eugenie, which was turned into a powder-magazine. The day -of the great butchery was called "La Michelade," because it took place -the day after Michaelmas, and as all this happened in the year 1567 the -Massacre of St. Bartholomew must be regarded as a plagiarism. - -At last, however, with the help of M. Damville; the Catholics again got -the upper hand, and it was the turn of the Protestants to fly. They took -refuge in the Cevennes. From the beginning of the troubles the Cevennes -had been the asylum of those who suffered for the Protestant faith; and -still the plains are Papist, and the mountains Protestant. When the -Catholic party is in the ascendant at Nimes, the plain seeks the -mountain; when the Protestants come into power, the mountain comes down -into the plain. - -However, vanquished and fugitive though they were, the Calvinists did -not lose courage: in exile one day, they felt sure their luck would turn -the next; and while the Catholics were burning or hanging them in effigy -for contumacy, they were before a notary, dividing the property of their -executioners. - -But it was not enough for them to buy or sell this property amongst each -other, they wanted to enter into possession; they thought of nothing -else, and in 1569--that is, in the eighteenth month of their exile--they -attained their wish in the following manner: - -One day the exiles perceived a carpenter belonging to a little village -called Cauvisson approaching their place of refuge. He desired to speak -to M. Nicolas de Calviere, seigneur de St. Cosme, and brother of the -president, who was known to be a very enterprising man. To him the -carpenter, whose name was Maduron, made the following proposition: - -In the moat of Nimes, close to the Gate of the Carmelites, there was a -grating through which the waters from the fountain found vent. Maduron -offered to file through the bars of this grating in such a manner that -some fine night it could be lifted out so as to allow a band of armed -Protestants to gain access to the city. Nicolas de Calviere approving of -this plan, desired that it should be carried out at once; but the -carpenter pointed out that it would be necessary to wait for stormy -weather, when the waters swollen by the rain would by their noise drown -the sound of the file. This precaution was doubly necessary as the box -of the sentry was almost exactly above the grating. M. de Calviere tried -to make Maduron give way; but the latter, who was risking more than -anyone else, was firm. So whether they liked it or not, de Calviere and -the rest had to await his good pleasure. - -Some days later rainy weather set in, and as usual the fountain became -fuller; Maduron seeing that the favourable moment had arrived, glided at -night into the moat and applied his file, a friend of his who was hidden -on the ramparts above pulling a cord attached to Maduron's arm every -time the sentinel, in pacing his narrow round, approached the spot. -Before break of day the work was well begun. Maduron then obliterated -all traces of his file by daubing the bars with mud and wax, and -withdrew. For three consecutive nights he returned to his task, taking -the same precautions, and before the fourth was at an end he found that -by means of a slight effort the grating could be removed. That was all -that was needed, so he gave notice to Messire Nicolas de Calviere that -the moment had arrived. - -Everything was favourable to the undertaking: as there was no moon, the -next night was chosen to carry out the plan, and as soon as it was dark -Messire Nicolas de Calviere set out with his men, who, slipping down -into the moat without noise, crossed, the water being up to their belts, -climbed up the other side, and crept along at the foot of the wall till -they reached the grating without being perceived. There Maduron was -waiting, and as soon as he caught sight of them he gave a slight blow to -the loose bars; which fell, and the whole party entered the drain, led -by de Calviere, and soon found themselves at the farther end--that is to -say, in the Place de la Fontaine. They immediately formed into companies -twenty strong, four of which hastened to the principal gates, while the -others patrolled the streets shouting, "The city taken! Down with the -Papists! A new world!" Hearing this, the Protestants in the city -recognised their co-religionists, and the Catholics their opponents: but -whereas the former had been warned and were on the alert, the latter -were taken by surprise; consequently they offered no resistance, which, -however, did not prevent bloodshed. M. de St. Andre, the governor of the -town, who during his short period of office had drawn the bitter hatred -of the Protestants on him, was shot dead in his bed, and his body being -flung out of the window, was torn in pieces by the populace. The work of -murder went on all night, and on the morrow the victors in their turn -began an organised persecution, which fell more heavily on the Catholics -than that to which they had subjected the Protestants; for, as we have -explained above, the former could only find shelter in the plain, while -the latter used the Cevennes as a stronghold. - -It was about this time that the peace, which was called, as we have -said, "the insecurely seated," was concluded. Two years later this name -was justified by the Massacre of St. Bartholomew. - -When this event took place, the South, strange as it may seem, looked -on: in Nimes both Catholics and Protestants, stained with the other's -blood, faced each other, hand on hilt, but without drawing weapon. It -was as if they were curious to see how the Parisians would get through. -The massacre had one result, however, the union of the principal cities -of the South and West: Montpellier, Uzes, Montauban, and La Rochelle, -with Nimes at their head, formed a civil and military league to last, as -is declared in the Act of Federation, until God should raise up a -sovereign to be the defender of the Protestant faith. In the year 1775 -the Protestants of the South began to turn their eyes towards Henri IV -as the coming defender. - -At that date Nimes, setting an example to the other cities of the -League, deepened her moats, blew up her suburbs, and added to the height -of her ramparts. Night and day the work of perfecting the means of -defence went on; the guard at every gate was doubled, and knowing how -often a city had been taken by surprise, not a hole through which a -Papist could creep was left in the fortifications. In dread of what the -future might bring, Nimes even committed sacrilege against the past, and -partly demolished the Temple of Diana and mutilated the amphitheatre--of -which one gigantic stone was sufficient to form a section of the wall. -During one truce the crops were sown, during another they were garnered -in, and so things went on while the reign of the Mignons lasted. At -length the prince raised up by God, whom the Huguenots had waited for so -long, appeared; Henri IV ascended the, throne. - -But once seated, Henri found himself in the same difficulty as had -confronted Octavius fifteen centuries earlier, and which confronted -Louis Philippe three centuries later--that is to say, having been raised -to sovereign power by a party which was not in the majority, he soon -found himself obliged to separate from this party and to abjure his -religious beliefs, as others have abjured or will yet abjure their -political beliefs; consequently, just as Octavius had his Antony, and -Louis Philippe was to have his Lafayette, Henri IV was to have his -Biron. When monarchs are in this position they can no longer have a will -of their own or personal likes and dislikes; they submit to the force of -circumstances, and feel compelled to rely on the masses; no sooner are -they freed from the ban under which they laboured than they are obliged -to bring others under it. - -However, before having recourse to extreme measures, Henri IV with -soldierly frankness gathered round him all those who had been his -comrades of old in war and in religion; he spread out before them a map -of France, and showed them that hardly a tenth of the immense number of -its inhabitants were Protestants, and that even that tenth was shut up -in the mountains; some in Dauphine, which had been won for them by their -three principal leaders, Baron des Adrets, Captain Montbrun, and -Lesdiguieres; others in the Cevennes, which had become Protestant -through their great preachers, Maurice Secenat and Guillaume Moget; and -the rest in the mountains of Navarre, whence he himself had come. He -recalled to them further that whenever they ventured out of their -mountains they had been beaten in every battle, at Jarnac, at -Moncontour, and at Dreux. He concluded by explaining how impossible it -was for him, such being the case, to entrust the guidance of the State -to their party; but he offered them instead three things, viz., his -purse to supply their present needs, the Edict of Nantes to assure their -future safety, and fortresses to defend themselves should this edict one -day be revoked, for with profound insight the grandfather divined the -grandson: Henri IV feared Louis XIV. - -The Protestants took what they were offered, but of course like all who -accept benefits they went away filled with discontent because they had -not been given more. - -Although the Protestants ever afterwards looked on Henri IV as a -renegade, his reign nevertheless was their golden age, and while it -lasted Nines was quiet; for, strange to say, the Protestants took no -revenge for St. Bartholomew, contenting themselves with debarring the -Catholics from the open exercise of their religion, but leaving them -free to use all its rites and ceremonies in private. They even permitted -the procession of the Host through the streets in case of illness, -provided it took place at night. Of course death would not always wait -for darkness, and the Host was sometimes carried to the dying during the -day, not without danger to the priest, who, however, never let himself -be deterred thereby from the performance of his duty; indeed, it is of -the essence of religious devotion to be inflexible; and few soldiers, -however brave, have equalled the martyrs in courage. - -During this time, taking advantage of the truce to hostilities and the -impartial protection meted out to all without distinction by the -Constable Damville, the Carmelites and Capuchins, the Jesuits and monks -of all orders and colours, began by degrees to return to Nines; without -any display, it is true, rather in a surreptitious manner, preferring -darkness to daylight; but however this may be, in the course of three or -four years they had all regained foothold in the town; only now they -were in the position in which the Protestants had been formerly, they -were without churches, as their enemies were in possession of all the -places of worship. It also happened that a Jesuit high in authority, -named Pere Coston, preached with such success that the Protestants, not -wishing to be beaten, but desirous of giving word for word, summoned to -their aid the Rev. Jeremie Ferrier, of Alais, who at the moment was -regarded as the most eloquent preacher they had. Needless to say, Alais -was situated in the mountains, that inexhaustible source of Huguenot -eloquence. At once the controversial spirit was aroused; it did not as -yet amount to war, but still less could it be called peace: people were -no longer assassinated, but they were anathematised; the body was safe, -but the soul was consigned to damnation: the days as they passed were -used by both sides to keep their hand in, in readiness for the moment -when the massacres should again begin. - - - - -CHAPTER II - - -The death of Henri IV led to new conflicts, in which although at first -success was on the side of the Protestants it by degrees went over to -the Catholics; for with the accession of Louis XIII Richelieu had taken -possession of the throne: beside the king sat the cardinal; under the -purple mantle gleamed the red robe. It was at this crisis that Henri de -Rohan rose to eminence in the South. He was one of the most illustrious -representatives of that great race which, allied as it was to the royal -houses of Scotland, France, Savoy, and Lorraine; had taken as their -device, "Be king I cannot, prince I will not, Rohan I am." - -Henri de Rohan was at this time about forty years of age, in the prime -of life. In his youth, in order to perfect his education, he had visited -England, Scotland, and Italy. In England Elizabeth had called him her -knight; in Scotland James VI had asked him to stand godfather to his -son, afterwards Charles I; in Italy he had been so deep in the -confidence of the leaders of men, and so thoroughly initiated into the -politics of the principal cities, that it was commonly said that, after -Machiavel, he was the greatest authority in these matters. He had -returned to France in the lifetime of Henry IV, and had married the -daughter of Sully, and after Henri's death had commanded the Swiss and -the Grison regiments--at the siege of Juliers. This was the man whom the -king was so imprudent as to offend by refusing him the reversion of the -office of governor of Poitou, which was then held by Sully, his -father-in-law. In order to revenge himself for the neglect he met with -at court, as he states in his Memoires with military ingenuousness, he -espoused the cause of Conde with all his heart, being also drawn in this -direction by his liking for Conde's brother and his consequent desire to -help those of Conde's religion. - -From this day on street disturbances and angry disputes assumed another -aspect: they took in a larger area and were not so readily appeased. It -was no longer an isolated band of insurgents which roused a city, but -rather a conflagration which spread over the whole South, and a general -uprising which was almost a civil war. - -This state of things lasted for seven or eight years, and during this -time Rohan, abandoned by Chatillon and La Force, who received as the -reward of their defection the field marshal's baton, pressed by Conde, -his old friend, and by Montmorency, his consistent rival, performed -prodigies of courage and miracles of strategy. At last, without -soldiers, without ammunition, without money, he still appeared to -Richelieu to be so redoubtable that all the conditions of surrender he -demanded were granted. The maintenance of the Edict of Nantes was -guaranteed, all the places of worship were to be restored to the -Reformers, and a general amnesty granted to himself and his partisans. -Furthermore, he obtained what was an unheard-of thing until then, an -indemnity of 300,000 livres for his expenses during the rebellion; of -which sum he allotted 240,000 livres to his co-religionists--that is to -say, more than three-quarters of the entire amount--and kept, for the -purpose of restoring his various chateaux and setting his domestic -establishment, which had been destroyed during the war, again on foot, -only 60,000 livres. This treaty was signed on July 27th, 1629. - -The Duc de Richelieu, to whom no sacrifice was too great in order to -attain his ends, had at last reached the goal, but the peace cost him -nearly 40,000,000 livres; on the other hand, Saintonge, Poitou, and -Languedoc had submitted, and the chiefs of the houses of La Tremouille, -Conde, Bouillon, Rohan, and Soubise had came to terms with him; -organised armed opposition had disappeared, and the lofty manner of -viewing matters natural to the cardinal duke prevented him from noticing -private enmity. He therefore left Nimes free to manage her local affairs -as she pleased, and very soon the old order, or rather disorder, reigned -once more within her walls. At last Richelieu died, and Louis XIII soon -followed him, and the long minority of his successor, with its -embarrassments, left to Catholics and Protestants in the South more -complete liberty than ever to carry on the great duel which down to our -own days has never ceased. - -But from this period, each flux and reflux bears more and more the -peculiar character of the party which for the moment is triumphant; when -the Protestants get the upper hand, their vengeance is marked by -brutality and rage; when the Catholics are victorious, the retaliation -is full of hypocrisy and greed. The Protestants pull down churches and -monasteries, expel the monks, burn the crucifixes, take the body of some -criminal from the gallows, nail it on a cross, pierce its side, put a -crown of thorns round its temples and set it up in the market-place--an -effigy of Jesus on Calvary. The Catholics levy contributions, take back -what they had been deprived of, exact indemnities, and although ruined -by each reverse, are richer than ever after each victory. The -Protestants act in the light of day, melting down the church bells to -make cannon to the sound of the drum, violate agreements, warm -themselves with wood taken from the houses of the cathedral clergy, -affix their theses to the cathedral doors, beat the priests who carry -the Holy Sacrament to the dying, and, to crown all other insults, turn -churches into slaughter-houses and sewers. - -The Catholics, on the contrary, march at night, and, slipping in at the -gates which have been left ajar for them, make their bishop president of -the Council, put Jesuits at the head of the college, buy converts with -money from the treasury, and as they always have influence at court, -begin by excluding the Calvinists from favour, hoping soon to deprive -them of justice. - -At last, on the 31st of December, 1657, a final struggle took place, in -which the Protestants were overcome, and were only saved from -destruction because from the other side of the Channel, Cromwell exerted -himself in their favour, writing with his own hand at the end of a -despatch relative to the affairs of Austria, "I Learn that there have -been popular disturbances in a town of Languedoc called Nimes, and I beg -that order may be restored with as much mildness as possible, and -without shedding of blood." As, fortunately for the Protestants, Mazarin -had need of Cromwell at that moment, torture was forbidden, and nothing -allowed but annoyances of all kinds. These henceforward were not only -innumerable, but went on without a pause: the Catholics, faithful to -their system of constant encroachment, kept up an incessant persecution, -in which they were soon encouraged by the numerous ordinances issued by -Louis XIV. The grandson of Henri IV could not so far forget all ordinary -respect as to destroy at once the Edict of Nantes, but he tore off -clause after clause. - -In 1630--that is, a year after the peace with Rohan had been signed in -the preceding reign--Chalons-sur-Saone had resolved that no Protestant -should be allowed to take any part in the manufactures of the town. - -In 1643, six months after the accession of Louis XIV, the laundresses of -Paris made a rule that the wives and daughters of Protestants were -unworthy to be admitted to the freedom of their respectable guild. - -In 1654, just one year after he had attained his majority, Louis XIV -consented to the imposition of a tax on the town of Nimes of 4000 francs -towards the support of the Catholic and the Protestant hospitals; and -instead of allowing each party to contribute to the support of its own -hospital, the money was raised in one sum, so that, of the money paid by -the Protestants, who were twice as numerous as the Catholics, two-sixths -went to their enemies. On August 9th of the same year a decree of the -Council ordered that all the artisan consuls should be Catholics; on the -16th September another decree forbade Protestants to send deputations to -the king; lastly, on the 20th of December, a further decree declared -that all hospitals should be administered by Catholic consuls alone. - -In 1662 Protestants were commanded to bury their dead either at dawn or -after dusk, and a special clause of the decree fixed the number of -persons who might attend a funeral at ten only. - -In 1663 the Council of State issued decrees prohibiting the practice of -their religion by the Reformers in one hundred and forty-two communes in -the dioceses of Nimes, Uzes, and Mendes; and ordering the demolition of -their meetinghouses. - -In 1664 this regulation was extended to the meeting-houses of Alencon -and Montauban, as Well as their small place of worship in Nimes. On the -17th July of the same year the Parliament of Rouen forbade the -master-mercers to engage any more Protestant workmen or apprentices when -the number already employed had reached the proportion of one -Protestant, to fifteen Catholics; on the 24th of the same month the -Council of State declared all certificates of mastership held by a -Protestant invalid from whatever source derived; and in October reduced -to two the number of Protestants who might be employed at the mint. - -In 1665 the regulation imposed on the mercers was extended to the -goldsmiths. - -In 1666 a royal declaration, revising the decrees of Parliament, was -published, and Article 31 provided that the offices of clerk to the -consulates, or secretary to a guild of watchmakers, or porter in a -municipal building, could only be held by Catholics; while in Article 33 -it was ordained that when a procession carrying the Host passed a place -of worship belonging to the so-called Reformers, the worshippers should -stop their psalm-singing till the procession had gone by; and lastly, in -Article 34 it was enacted that the houses and other buildings belonging -to those who were of the Reformed religion might, at the pleasure of the -town authorities, be draped with cloth or otherwise decorated on any -religious Catholic festival. - -In 1669 the Chambers appointed by the Edict of Nantes in the Parliaments -of Rouen and Paris were suppressed, as well as the articled clerkships -connected therewith, and the clerkships in the Record Office; and in -August of the same year, when the emigration of Protestants was just -beginning, an edict was issued, of which the following is a clause: - -"Whereas many of our subjects have gone to foreign countries, where they -continue to follow their various trades and occupations, even working as -shipwrights, or taking service as sailors, till at length they feel at -home and determine never to return to France, marrying abroad and -acquiring property of every description: We hereby forbid any member of -the so-called Reformed Church to leave this kingdom without our -permission, and we command those who have already left France to return -forthwith within her boundaries." - -In 1670 the king excluded physicians of the Reformed faith from the -office of dean of the college of Rouen, and allowed only two Protestant -doctors within its precincts. In 1671 a decree was published commanding -the arms of France to be removed from all the places of worship -belonging to the pretended Reformers. In 1680 a proclamation from the -king closed the profession of midwife to women of the Reformed faith. In -1681 those who renounced the Protestant religion were exempted for two -years from all contributions towards the support of soldiers sent to -their town, and were for the same period relieved from the duty of -giving them board and lodging. In the same year the college of Sedan was -closed--the only college remaining in the entire kingdom at which -Calvinist children could receive instruction. In 1682 the king commanded -Protestant notaries; procurators, ushers, and serjeants to lay down -their offices, declaring them unfit for such professions; and in -September of the same year three months only were allowed them for the -sale of the reversion of the said offices. In 1684 the Council of State -extended the preceding regulations to those Protestants holding the -title of honorary secretary to the king, and in August of the same year -Protestants were declared incapable of serving on a jury of experts. - -In 1685 the provost of merchants in Paris ordered all Protestant -privileged merchants in that city to sell their privileges within a -month. And in October of the same year the long series of persecutions, -of which we have omitted many, reached its culminating point--the: -Revocation of the Edict of Nantes. Henri IV, who foresaw this result, -had hoped that it would have occurred in another manner, so that his -co-religionists would have been able to retain their fortresses; but -what was actually done was that the strong places were first taken away, -and then came the Revocation; after which the Calvinists found -themselves completely at the mercy of their mortal enemies. - -From 1669, when Louis first threatened to aim a fatal blow at the civil -rights of the Huguenots, by abolishing the equal partition of the -Chambers between the two parties, several deputations had been sent to -him praying him to stop the course of his persecutions; and in order not -to give him any fresh excuse for attacking their party, these -deputations addressed him in the most submissive manner, as the -following fragment from an address will prove: - -"In the name of God, sire," said the Protestants to the king, "listen to -the last breath of our dying liberty, have pity on our sufferings, have -pity on the great number of your poor subjects who daily water their -bread with their tears: they are all filled with burning zeal and -inviolable loyalty to you; their love for your august person is only -equalled by their respect; history bears witness that they contributed -in no small degree to place your great and magnanimous ancestor on his -rightful throne, and since your miraculous birth they have never done -anything worthy of blame; they might indeed use much stronger terms, but -your Majesty has spared their modesty by addressing to them on many -occasions words of praise which they would never have ventured to apply -to themselves; these your subjects place their sole trust in your -sceptre for refuge and protection on earth, and their interest as well -as their duty and conscience impels them to remain attached to the -service of your Majesty with unalterable devotion." - -But, as we have seen, nothing could restrain the triumvirate which held -the power just then, and thanks to the suggestions of Pere Lachaise and -Madame de Maintenon, Louis XIV determined to gain heaven by means of -wheel and stake. - -As we see, for the Protestants, thanks to these numerous decrees, -persecution began at the cradle and followed them to the grave. - -As a boy, a Huguenot could--enter no public school; as a youth, no -career was open to him; he could become neither mercer nor concierge, -neither apothecary nor physician, neither lawyer nor consul. As a man, -he had no sacred house, of prayer; no registrar would inscribe his -marriage or the birth of his children; hourly his liberty and his -conscience were ignored. If he ventured to worship God by the singing of -psalms, he had to be silent as the Host was carried past outside. When a -Catholic festival occurred, he was forced not only to swallow his rage -but to let his house be hung with decorations in sign of joy; if he had -inherited a fortune from his fathers, having neither social standing nor -civil rights, it slipped gradually out of his hands, and went to support -the schools and hospitals of his foes. Having reached the end of his -life, his deathbed was made miserable; for dying in the faith of his -fathers, he could not be laid to rest beside them, and like a pariah he -would be carried to his grave at night, no more than ten of those near -and dear to him being allowed to follow his coffin. - -Lastly, if at any age whatever he should attempt to quit the cruel soil -on which he had no right to be born, to live, or to die, he would be -declared a rebel, his goads would be confiscated, and the lightest -penalty that he had to expect, if he ever fell into the hands of his -enemies, was to row for the rest of his life in the galleys of the king, -chained between a murderer and a forger. - -Such a state of things was intolerable: the cries of one man are lost in -space, but the groans of a whole population are like a storm; and this -time, as always, the tempest gathered in the mountains, and the -rumblings of the thunder began to be heard. - -First there were texts written by invisible hands on city walls, on the -signposts and cross-roads, on the crosses in the cemeteries: these -warnings, like the 'Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin' of Belshazzar, even -pursued the persecutors into the midst of their feasts and orgies. - -Now it was the threat, "Jesus came not to send peace, but a sword." Then -this consolation, "For where two or three are gathered together in My -name, there am I in the midst of them." Or perhaps it was this appeal -for united action which was soon to become a summons to revolt, "That -which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have -fellowship with us." - -And before these promises, taken from the New Testament, the persecuted -paused, and then went home inspired by faith in the prophets, who spake, -as St. Paul says in his First Epistle to the Thessalonians, "not the -word of men but the word of God." - -Very soon these words became incarnate, and what the prophet Joel -foretold came to pass: "Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, -your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions,... -and I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood and -fire,... and it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call on the name -of the Lord shall be delivered." - -In 1696 reports began to circulate that men had had visions; being able -to see what was going on in the most distant parts, and that the heavens -themselves opened to their eyes. While in this ecstatic state they were -insensible to pain when pricked with either pin or blade; and when, on -recovering consciousness, they were questioned they could remember -nothing. - -The first of these was a woman from Vivarais, whose origin was unknown. -She went about from town to town, shedding tears of blood. M. de -Baville, intendant of Languedoc, had her arrested and brought to -Montpellier. There she was condemned to death and burnt at the stake, -her tears of blood being dried by fire. - -After her came a second fanatic, for so these popular prophets were -called. He was born at Mazillon, his name was Laquoite, and he was -twenty years of age. The gift of prophecy had come to him in a strange -manner. This is the story told about him:--"One day, returning from -Languedoc, where he had been engaged in the cultivation of silkworms, on -reaching the bottom of the hill of St. Jean he found a man lying on the -ground trembling in every limb. Moved by pity, he stopped and asked what -ailed him. The man replied, 'Throw yourself on your knees, my son, and -trouble not yourself about me, but learn how to attain salvation and -save your brethren. This can only be done by the communion of the Holy -Ghost, who is in me, and whom by the grace of God I can bestow on you. -Approach and receive this gift in a kiss.' At these words the unknown -kissed the young man on the mouth, pressed his hand and disappeared, -leaving the other trembling in his turn; for the spirit of God was in -him, and being inspired he spread the word abroad." - -A third fanatic, a prophetess, raved about the parishes of St. Andeol de -Clerguemont and St. Frazal de Vantalon, but she addressed herself -principally to recent converts, to whom she preached concerning the -Eucharist that in swallowing the consecrated wafer they had swallowed a -poison as venomous as the head of the basilisk, that they had bent the -knee to Baal, and that no penitence on their part could be great enough -to save them. These doctrines inspired such profound terror that the -Rev. Father Louvreloeil himself tells us that Satan by his efforts -succeeded in nearly emptying the churches, and that at the following -Easter celebrations there were only half as many communicants as the -preceding year. - -Such a state of licence, which threatened to spread farther and farther, -awoke the religious solicitude of Messire Francois Langlade de Duchayla, -Prior of Laval, Inspector of Missions of Gevaudan, and Arch-priest of -the Cevennes. He therefore resolved to leave his residence at Mende and -to visit the parishes in which heresy had taken the strongest hold, in -order to oppose it by every mean's which God and the king had put in his -power. - -The Abbe Duchayla was a younger son of the noble house of Langlade, and -by the circumstances of his birth, in spite of his soldierly instincts, -had been obliged to leave epaulet and sword to his elder brother, and -himself assume cassock and stole. On leaving the seminary, he espoused -the cause of the Church militant with all the ardour of his temperament. -Perils to encounter; foes to fight, a religion to force on others, were -necessities to this fiery character, and as everything at the moment was -quiet in France, he had embarked for India with the fervent resolution -of a martyr. - -On reaching his destination, the young missionary had found himself -surrounded by circumstances which were wonderfully in harmony with his -celestial longings: some of his predecessors had been carried so far by -religious zeal that the King of Siam had put several to death by torture -and had forbidden any more missionaries to enter his dominions; but -this, as we can easily imagine, only excited still more the abbe's -missionary fervour; evading the watchfulness of the military, and -regardless of the terrible penalties imposed by the king, he crossed the -frontier, and began to preach the Catholic religion to the heathen, many -of whom were converted. - -One day he was surprised by a party of soldiers in a little village in -which he had been living for three months, and in which nearly all the -inhabitants had abjured their false faith, and was brought before the -governor of Bankan, where instead of denying his faith, he nobly -defended Christianity and magnified the name of God. He was handed over -to the executioners to be subjected to torture, and suffered at their -hands with resignation everything that a human body can endure while yet -retaining life, till at length his patience exhausted their rage; and -seeing him become unconscious, they thought he was dead, and with -mutilated hands, his breast furrowed with wounds, his limbs half warn -through by heavy fetters, he was suspended by the wrists to a branch of -a tree and abandoned. A pariah passing by cut him down and succoured -him, and reports of his martyrdom having spread, the French ambassador -demanded justice with no uncertain voice, so that the King of Siam, -rejoicing that the executioners had stopped short in time, hastened to -send back to M. de Chaumont, the representative of Louis XIV, a -mutilated though still living man, instead of the corpse which had been -demanded. - -At the time when Louis XIV was meditating the Revocation of the Edict of -Nantes he felt that the services of such a man would be invaluable to -him, so about 1632, Abbe Duchayla was recalled from India, and a year -later was sent to Mende, with the titles of Arch-priest of the Cevennes -and Inspector of Missions. - -Soon the abbe, who had been so much persecuted, became a persecutor, -showing himself as insensible to the sufferings of others as he had been -inflexible under his own. His apprenticeship to torture stood him in -such good stead that he became an inventor, and not only did he enrich -the torture chamber by importing from India several scientifically -constructed machines, hitherto unknown in Europe, but he also designed -many others. People told with terror of reeds cut in the form of -whistles which the abbe pitilessly forced under the nails of malignants; -of iron pincers for tearing out their beards, eyelashes, and eyebrows; -of wicks steeped in oil and wound round the fingers of a victim's hands, -and then set on fire so as to form a pair of five-flamed candelabra; of -a case turning on a pivot in which a man who refused to be converted was -sometimes shut up, the case being then made to revolve rapidly till the -victim lost consciousness; and lastly of fetters used when taking -prisoners from one town to another, and brought to such perfection, that -when they were on the prisoner could neither stand nor sit. - -Even the most fervent panegyrists of Abbe Duchayla spoke of him with -bated breath, and, when he himself looked into his own heart and -recalled how often he had applied to the body the power to bind and -loose which God had only given him over the soul, he was seized with -strange tremors, and falling on his knees with folded hands and bowed -head he remained for hours wrapt in thought, so motionless that were it -not for the drops of sweat which stood on his brow he might have been -taken for a marble statue of prayer over a tomb. - -Moreover, this priest by virtue of the powers with which he was -invested, and feeling that he had the authority of M. de Baville, -intendant of Languedoc, and M. de Broglie, commander of the troops, -behind him, had done other terrible things. - -He had separated children from father and mother, and had shut them up -in religious houses, where they had been subjected to such severe -chastisement, by way of making them do penance for the heresy of their -parents, that many of them died under it. - -He had forced his way into the chamber of the dying, not to bring -consolation but menaces; and bending over the bed, as if to keep back -the Angel of Death, he had repeated the words of the terrible decree -which provided that in case of the death of a Huguenot without -conversion, his memory should be persecuted, and his body, denied -Christian burial, should be drawn on hurdles out of the city, and cast -on a dungheap. - -Lastly, when with pious love children tried to shield their parents in -the death-agony from his threats, or dead from his justice, by carrying -them, dead or dying, to some refuge in which they might hope to draw -their last breath in peace or to obtain Christian burial, he declared -that anyone who should open his door hospitably to such disobedience was -a traitor to religion, although among the heathen such pity would have -been deemed worthy of an altar. - -Such was the man raised up to punish, who went on his way, preceded by -terror, accompanied by torture, and followed by death, through a country -already exhausted by long and bloody oppression, and where at every step -he trod on half repressed religious hate, which like a volcano was ever -ready to burst out afresh, but always prepared for martyrdom. Nothing -held him back, and years ago he had had his grave hollowed out in the -church of St. Germain, choosing that church for his last long sleep -because it had been built by Pope Urban IV when he was bishop of Mende. - -Abbe Duchayla extended his visitation over six months, during which -every day was marked by tortures and executions: several prophets were -burnt at the stake; Francoise de Brez, she who had preached that the -Host contained a more venomous poison than a basilisk's head, was -hanged; and Laquoite, who had been confined in the citadel of -Montpellier, was on the point of being broken on the wheel, when on the -eve of his execution his cell was found empty. No one could ever -discover how he escaped, and consequently his reputation rose higher -than ever, it being currently believed that, led by the Holy Spirit as -St. Peter by the angel, he had passed through the guards invisible to -all, leaving his fetters behind. - -This incomprehensible escape redoubled the severity of the Arch-priest, -till at last the prophets, feeling that their only chance of safety lay -in getting rid of him, began to preach against him as Antichrist, and -advocate his death. The abbe was warned of this, but nothing could abate -his zeal. In France as in India, martyrdom was his longed-for goal, and -with head erect and unfaltering step he "pressed toward the mark." - -At last, on the evening of the 24th of July, two hundred conspirators -met in a wood on the top of a hill which overlooked the bridge of -Montvert, near which was the Arch-priest's residence. Their leader was a -man named Laporte, a native of Alais, who had become a master-blacksmith -in the pass of Deze. He was accompanied by an inspired man, a former -wool-carder, born at Magistavols, Esprit Seguier by name. This man was, -after Laquoite, the most highly regarded of the twenty or thirty -prophets who were at that moment going up and down the Cevennes in every -direction. The whole party was armed with scythes, halberts, and swords; -a few had even pistols and guns. - -On the stroke of ten, the hour fixed for their departure, they all knelt -down and with uncovered heads began praying as fervently as if they were -about to perform some act most pleasing to God, and their prayers ended, -they marched down the hill to the town, singing psalms, and shouting -between the verses to the townspeople to keep within their homes, and -not to look out of door or window on pain of death. - -The abbe was in his oratory when he heard the mingled singing and -shouting, and at the same moment a servant entered in great alarm, -despite the strict regulation of the Arch-priest that he was never to be -interrupted at his prayers. This man announced that a body of fanatics -was coming down the hill, but the abbe felt convinced that it was only -an unorganised crowd which was going to try and carry off six prisoners, -at that moment in the 'ceps.' [ A terrible kind of stocks--a beam split -in two, no notches being made for the legs: the victim's legs were -placed between the two pieces of wood, which were then, by means of a -vice at each end, brought gradually together. Translators Note.] - -These prisoners were three young men and three girls in men's clothes, -who had been seized just as they were about to emigrate. As the abbe was -always protected by a guard of soldiers, he sent for the officer in -command and ordered him to march against, the fanatics and disperse -them. But the officer was spared the trouble of obeying, for the -fanatics were already at hand. On reaching the gate of the courtyard he -heard them outside, and perceived that they were making ready to burst -it in. Judging of their numbers by the sound of their voices, he -considered that far from attacking them, he would have enough to do in -preparing for defence, consequently he bolted and barred the gate on the -inside, and hastily erected a barricade under an arch leading to the -apartments of the abbe. Just as these preparations were complete, Esprit -Seguier caught sight of a heavy beam of wood lying in a ditch; this was -raised by a dozen men and used as a battering-ram to force in the gate, -which soon showed a breach. Thus encouraged, the workers, cheered by the -chants of their comrades, soon got the gate off the hinges, and thus the -outside court was taken. The crowd then loudly demanded the release of -the prisoners, using dire threats. - -The commanding officer sent to ask the abbe what he was to do; the abbe -replied that he was to fire on the conspirators. This imprudent order -was carried out; one of the fanatics was killed on the spot, and two -wounded men mingled their groans with the songs and threats of their -comrades. - -The barricade was next attacked, some using axes, others darting their -swords and halberts through the crevices and killing those behind; as -for those who had firearms, they climbed on the shoulders of the others, -and having fired at those below, saved themselves by tumbling down -again. At the head of the besiegers were Laporte and Esprit Seguier, one -of whom had a father to avenge and the other a son, both of whom had -been done to death by the abbe. They were not the only ones of the party -who were fired by the desire of vengeance; twelve or fifteen others were -in the same position. - -The abbe in his room listened to the noise of the struggle, and finding -matters growing serious, he gathered his household round him, and making -them kneel down, he told them to make their confession, that he might, -by giving them absolution, prepare them for appearing before God. The -sacred words had just been pronounced when the rioters drew near, having -carried the barricade, and driven the soldiers to take refuge in a hall -on the ground floor just under the Arch-priest's room. - -But suddenly, the assault was stayed, some of the men going to surround -the house, others setting out on a search for the prisoners. These were -easily found, for judging by what they could hear that their brethren -had come to their rescue, they shouted as loudly as they could. - -The unfortunate creatures had already passed a whole week with their -legs caught and pressed by the cleft beams which formed these -inexpressibly painful stocks. When the unfortunate victims were -released, the fanatics screamed with rage at the sight of their swollen -bodies and half-broken bones. None of the unhappy people were able to -stand. The attack on the soldiers was renewed, and these being driven -out of the lower hall, filled the staircase leading to the abbe's -apartments, and offered such determined resistance that their assailants -were twice forced to fall back. Laporte, seeing two of his men killed -and five or six wounded, called out loudly, "Children of God, lay down -your arms: this way of going to work is too slow; let us burn the abbey -and all in it. To work! to work!" The advice was good, and they all -hastened to follow it: benches, chairs, and furniture of all sorts were -heaped up in the hall, a palliasse thrown on the top, and the pile -fired. In a moment the whole building was ablaze, and the Arch-priest, -yielding to the entreaties of his servants, fastened his sheets to the -window-bars, and by their help dropped into the garden. The drop was so -great that he broke one of his thigh bones, but dragging himself along -on his hands and one knee, he, with one of his servants, reached a -recess in the wall, while another servant was endeavouring to escape -through the flames, thus falling into the hands of the fanatics, who -carried him before their captain. Then cries of "The prophet! the -prophet!" were heard on all sides. Esprit Seguier, feeling that -something fresh had taken place, came forward, still holding in his hand -the blazing torch with which he had set fire to the pile. - -"Brother," asked Laporte, pointing to the prisoner, "is this man to -die?" - -Esprit Seguier fell on his knees and covered his face with his mantle, -like Samuel, and sought the Lord in prayer, asking to know His will. - -In a short time he rose and said, "This man is not to die; for inasmuch -as he has showed mercy to our brethren we must show mercy to him." - -Whether this fact had been miraculously revealed to Seguier, or whether -he had gained his information from other sources, the newly released -prisoners confirmed its truth, calling out that the man had indeed -treated them with humanity. Just then a roar as of a wild beast was -heard: one of the fanatics, whose brother had been put to death by the -abbe, had just caught sight of him, the whole neighbourhood being lit up -by the fire; he was kneeling in an angle of the wall, to which he had -dragged himself. - -"Down with the son of Belial!" shouted the crowd, rushing towards the -priest, who remained kneeling and motionless like a marble statue. His -valet took advantage of the confusion to escape, and got off easily; for -the sight of him on whom the general hate was concentrated made the -Huguenots forget everything else: - -Esprit Seguier was the first to reach the priest, and spreading his -hands over him, he commanded the others to hold back. "God desireth not -the death of a sinner,'" said he, "'but rather that he turn from his -wickedness and live.'" - -"No, no!" shouted a score of voices, refusing obedience for the first -time, perhaps, to an order from the prophet; "let him die without mercy, -as he struck without pity. Death to the son of Belial, death!" - -"Silence!" exclaimed the prophet in a terrible voice, "and listen to the -word of God from my mouth. If this man will join us and take upon him -the duties of a pastor, let us grant him his life, that he may -henceforward devote it to the spread of the true faith." - -"Rather a thousand deaths than apostasy!" answered the priest. - -"Die, then!" cried Laporte, stabbing him; "take that for having burnt my -father in Nimes." - -And he passed on the dagger to Esprit Seguier. - -Duchayla made neither sound nor gesture: it would have seemed as if the -dagger had been turned by the priest's gown as by a coat of mail were it -not that a thin stream of blood appeared. Raising his eyes to heaven, he -repeated the words of the penitential psalm: "Out of the depths have I -cried unto Thee, O Lord! Lord, hear my voice!" - -Then Esprit Seguier raised his arm and struck in his turn, saying, "Take -that for my son, whom you broke on the wheel at Montpellier." - -And he passed on the dagger. - -But this blow also was not mortal, only another stream of blood -appeared, and the abbe said in a failing voice, "Deliver me, O my -Saviour, out of my well-merited sufferings, and I will acknowledge their -justice; far I have been a man of blood." - -The next who seized the dagger came near and gave his blow, saying, -"Take that for my brother, whom you let die in the 'ceps.'" - -This time the dagger pierced the heart, and the abbe had only time to -ejaculate, "Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy!" -before he fell back dead. - -But his death did not satisfy the vengeance of those who had not been -able to strike him living; one by one they drew near and stabbed, each -invoking the shade of some dear murdered one and pronouncing the same -words of malediction. - -In all, the body of the abbe received fifty-two dagger thrusts, of which -twenty-four would have been mortal. - -Thus perished, at the age of fifty-five, Messire Francois de Langlade -Duchayla, prior of Laval, inspector of missions in Gevaudan, and -Arch-priest of the Cevennes and Mende. - -Their vengeance thus accomplished, the murderers felt that there was no -more safety for them in either city or plain, and fled to the mountains; -but in passing near the residence of M. de Laveze, a Catholic nobleman -of the parish of Molezon, one of the fugitives recollected that he had -heard that a great number of firearms was kept in the house. This seemed -a lucky chance, for firearms were what the Huguenots needed most of all. -They therefore sent two envoys to M. de Laveze to ask him to give them -at, least a share of his weapons; but he, as a good Catholic, replied -that it was quite true that he had indeed a store of arms, but that they -were destined to the triumph and not to the desecration of religion, and -that he would only give them up with his life. With these words, he -dismissed the envoys, barring his doors behind them. - -But while this parley was going on the conspirators had approached the -chateau, and thus received the valiant answer to their demands sooner -than M. de Laveze had counted on. Resolving not to leave him time to -take defensive measures, they dashed at the house, and by standing on -each other's shoulders reached the room in which M. de Laveze and his -entire family had taken refuge. In an instant the door was forced, and -the fanatics, still reeking with the life-blood of Abbe Duchayla, began -again their work of death. No one was spared; neither the master of the -house, nor his brother, nor his uncle, nor his sister, who knelt to the -assassins in vain; even his old mother, who was eighty years of age, -having from her bed first witnessed the murder of all her family, was at -last stabbed to the heart, though the butchers might have reflected that -it was hardly worth while thus to anticipate the arrival of Death, who -according to the laws of nature must have been already at hand. - -The massacre finished, the fanatics spread over the castle, supplying -themselves with arms and under-linen, being badly in need of the latter; -for when they left their homes they had expected soon to return, and had -taken nothing with them. They also carried off the copper kitchen -utensils, intending to turn them into bullets. Finally, they seized on a -sum of 5000 francs, the marriage-portion of M. de Laveze's sister, who -was just about to be married, and thus laid the foundation of a war -fund. - -The news of these two bloody events soon reached not only Nimes but all -the countryside, and roused the authorities to action. M. le Comte de -Broglie crossed the Upper Cevennes, and marched down to the bridge of -Montvert, followed by several companies of fusiliers. From another -direction M. le Comte de Peyre brought thirty-two cavalry and three -hundred and fifty infantry, having enlisted them at Marvejols, La -Canourgue, Chiac, and Serverette. M. de St. Paul, Abbe Duchayla's -brother, and the Marquis Duchayla, his nephew, brought eighty horsemen -from the family estates. The Count of Morangiez rode in from St. Auban -and Malzieu with two companies of cavalry, and the town of Mende by -order of its bishop despatched its nobles at the head of three companies -of fifty men each. - -But the mountains had swallowed up the fanatics, and nothing was ever -known of their fate, except that from time to time a peasant would -relate that in crossing the Cevennes he had heard at dawn or dusk, on -mountain peak or from valley depths, the sound going up to heaven of -songs of praise. It was the fanatic assassins worshipping God. - -Or occasionally at night, on the tops of the lofty mountains, fires -shone forth which appeared to signal one to another, but on looking the -next night in the same direction all was dark. - -So M. de Broglie, concluding that nothing could be done against enemies -who were invisible, disbanded the troops which had come to his aid, and -went back to Montpellier, leaving a company of fusiliers at Collet, -another at Ayres, one at the bridge of Montvert, one at Barre, and one -at Pompidon, and appointing Captain Poul as their chief. - -This choice of such a man as chief showed that M. de Broglie was a good -judge of human nature, and was also perfectly acquainted with the -situation, for Captain Poul was the very man to take a leading part in -the coming struggle. "He was," says Pere Louvreloeil, priest of the -Christian doctrine and cure of Saint-Germain de Calberte, "an officer of -merit and reputation, born in Ville-Dubert, near Carcassonne, who had -when young served in Hungary and Germany, and distinguished himself in -Piedmont in several excursions against the Barbets, [ A name applied -first to the Alpine smugglers who lived in the valleys, later to the -insurgent peasants in the Cevennes.--Translator's Note.] notably in one -of the later ones, when, entering the tent of their chief, Barbanaga, he -cut off his head. His tall and agile figure, his warlike air, his love -of hard work, his hoarse voice, his fiery and austere character, his -carelessness in regard to dress, his mature age, his tried courage, his -taciturn habit, the length and weight of his sword, all combined to -render him formidable. Therefore no one could have been chosen more -suitable for putting down the rebels, for forcing their entrenchments, -and for putting them to flight." - -Hardly had he taken up a position in the market town of Labarre, which -was to be his headquarters, than he was informed that a gathering of -fanatics had been seen on the little plain of Fondmorte, which formed a -pass between two valleys. He ordered out his Spanish steed, which he was -accustomed to ride in the Turkish manner--that is, with very short -stirrups, so that he could throw himself forward to the horse's ears, or -backward to the tail, according as he wished to give or avoid a mortal -blow. Taking with him eighteen men of his own company and twenty-five -from the town, he at once set off for the place indicated, not -considering any larger number necessary to put to rout a band of -peasants, however numerous. - -The information turned out to be correct: a hundred Reformers led by -Esprit Seguier had encamped in the plain of Fondmorte, and about eleven -o'clock in the morning one of their sentinels in the defile gave the -alarm by firing off his gun and running back to the camp, shouting, "To -arms!" But Captain Poul, with his usual impetuosity, did not give the -insurgents time to form, but threw himself upon them to the beat of the -drum, not in the least deterred by their first volley. As he had -expected, the band consisted of undisciplined peasants, who once -scattered were unable to rally. They were therefore completely routed. -Poul killed several with his own hand, among whom were two whose heads -he cut off as cleverly as the most experienced executioner could have -done, thanks to the marvellous temper of his Damascus blade. At this -sight all who had till then stood their ground took to flight, Poul at -their heels, slashing with his sword unceasingly, till they disappeared -among the mountains. He then returned to the field of battle, picked up -the two heads, and fastening them to his saddlebow, rejoined his -soldiers with his bloody trophies,--that is to say, he joined the -largest group of soldiers he could find; for the fight had turned into a -number of single combats, every soldier fighting for himself. Here he -found three prisoners who were about to be shot; but Poul ordered that -they should not be touched: not that he thought for an instant of -sparing their lives, but that he wished to reserve them for a public -execution. These three men were Nouvel, a parishioner of Vialon, Moise -Bonnet of Pierre-Male, and Esprit Seguier the prophet. - -Captain Poul returned to Barre carrying with him his two heads and his -three prisoners, and immediately reported to M. Just de Baville, -intendant of Languedoc, the important capture he had made. The prisoners -were quickly tried. Pierre Nouvel was condemned to be burnt alive at the -bridge of Montvert, Molise Bonnet to be broken on the wheel at Deveze, -and Esprit Seguier to be hanged at Andre-de-Lancise. Thus those who were -amateurs in executions had a sufficient choice. - -However, Moise Bonnet saved himself by becoming Catholic, but Pierre -Nouvel and Esprit Seguier died as martyrs, making profession of the new -faith and praising God. - -Two days after the sentence on Esprit Seguier had been carried out, the -body disappeared from the gallows. A nephew of Laporte named Roland had -audaciously carried it off, leaving behind a writing nailed to the -gibbet. This was a challenge from Laporte to Poul, and was dated from -the "Camp of the Eternal God, in the desert of Cevennes," Laporte -signing himself "Colonel of the children of God who seek liberty of -conscience." Poul was about to accept the challenge when he learned that -the insurrection was spreading on every side. A young man of Vieljeu, -twenty-six years of age, named Solomon Couderc, had succeeded Esprit -Seguier in the office of prophet, and two young lieutenants had joined -Laporte. One of these was his nephew Roland, a man of about thirty, -pock-marked, fair, thin, cold, and reserved; he was not tall, but very -strong, and of inflexible courage. The other, Henri Castanet of -Massevaques, was a keeper from the mountain of Laygoal, whose skill as a -marksman was so well known that it was said he never missed a shot. Each -of these lieutenants had fifty men under him. - -Prophets and prophetesses too increased apace, so that hardly a day -passed without reports being heard of fresh ones who were rousing whole -villages by their ravings. - -In the meantime a great meeting of the Protestants of Languedoc had been -held in the fields of Vauvert, at which it had been resolved to join -forces with the rebels of the Cevennes, and to send a messenger thither -to make this resolution known. - -Laporte had just returned from La Vaunage, where he had been making -recruits, when this good news arrived; he at once sent his nephew Roland -to the new allies with power to pledge his word in return for theirs, -and to describe to them, in order to attract them, the country which he -had chosen as the theatre of the coming war, and which, thanks to its -hamlets, its woods, its defiles, its valleys, its precipices, and its -caves, was capable of affording cover to as many bands of insurgents as -might be employed, would be a good rallying-ground after repulse, and -contained suitable positions for ambuscades. Roland was so successful in -his mission that these new "soldiers of the Lord," as they called -themselves, on learning that he had once been a dragoon, offered him the -post of leader, which he accepted, and returned to his uncle at the head -of an army. - -Being thus reinforced, the Reformers divided themselves into three -bands, in order to spread abroad their beliefs through the entire -district. One went towards Soustele and the neighbourhood of Alais, -another towards St. Privat and the bridge of Montvert, while the third -followed the mountain slope down to St. Roman le Pompidou, and Barre. - -The first was commanded by Castanet, the second by Roland, and the third -by Laporte. - -Each party ravaged the country as it passed, returning deathblow for -deathblow and conflagration for conflagration, so that hearing one after -another of these outrages Captain Poul demanded reinforcements from M. -de Broglie and M. de Baville, which were promptly despatched. - -As soon as Captain Poul found himself at the head of a sufficient number -of troops, he determined to attack the rebels. He had received -intelligence that the band led by Laporte was just about to pass through -the valley of Croix, below Barre, near Temelague. In consequence of this -information, he lay in ambush at a favourable spot on the route. As soon -as the Reformers who were without suspicion, were well within the narrow -pass in which Poul awaited them, he issued forth at the head of his -soldiers, and charged the rebels with such courage and impetuosity that -they, taken by surprise, made no attempt at resistance, but, thoroughly -demoralised, spread over the mountain-side, putting a greater and -greater distance at, every instant between themselves and the enemy, -despite the efforts of Laporte to make them stand their ground. At last, -seeing himself deserted, Laporte began to think of his own safety. But -it was already too late, for he was surrounded by dragoons, and the only -way of retreat open to him lay over a large rock. This he successfully -scaled, but before trying to get down the other side he raised his hands -in supplication to Heaven; at that instant a volley was fired, two -bullets struck him, and he fell head foremost down the precipice. - -When the dragoons reached the foot of the rock, they found him dead. As -they knew he was the chief of the rebels, his body was searched: sixty -Louis was found in his pockets, and a sacred chalice which he was in the -habit of using as an ordinary drinking-cup. Poul cut off his head and -the heads of twelve other Reformers found dead on the field of battle, -and enclosing them in a wicker basket, sent them to M. Just de Baville. - -The Reformers soon recovered from this defeat and death, joined all -their forces into one body, and placed Roland at their head in the place -of Laporte. Roland chose a young man called Couderc de Mazel-Rozade, who -had assumed the name of Lafleur, as his lieutenant, and the rebel forces -were not only quickly reorganised, but made complete by the addition of -a hundred men raised by the new lieutenant, and soon gave a sign that -they were again on the war-path by burning down the churches of -Bousquet, Cassagnas, and Prunet. - -Then first it was that the consuls of Mende began to realise that it was -no longer an insurrection they had on hand but a war, and Mende being -the capital of Gevaudan and liable to be attacked at any moment, they -set themselves to bring into repair their counterscarps, ravelins, -bastions, gates, portcullises, moats, walls, turrets, ramparts, -parapets, watchtowers, and the gear of their cannon, and having laid in -a stock of firearms, powder and ball, they formed eight companies each -fifty strong, composed of townsmen, and a further band of one hundred -and fifty peasants drawn from the neighbouring country. Lastly, the -States of the province sent an envoy to the king, praying him graciously -to take measures to check the plague of heresy which was spreading from -day to day. The king at once sent M. Julien in answer to the petition. -Thus it was no longer simple governors of towns nor even chiefs of -provinces who were engaged in the struggle; royalty itself had come to -the rescue. - -M de Julien, born a Protestant, was a, member of the nobility of Orange, -and in his youth had served against France and borne arms in England and -Ireland when William of Orange succeeded James II as King of England, -Julien was one of his pages, and received as a reward for his fidelity -in the famous campaign of 1688 the command of a regiment which was sent -to the aid of the Duke of Savoy, who had begged both England and Holland -to help him. He bore himself so gallantly that it was in great part due -to him that the French were forced to raise the siege of Cony. - -Whether it was that he expected too much from this success, or that the -Duke of Savoy did not recognise his services at their worth, he withdrew -to Geneva, where Louis XIV hearing of his discontent, caused overtures -to be made to him with a view to drawing him into the French service. He -was offered the same rank in the French army as he had held in the -English, with a pension of 3000 livres. - -M de Julien accepted, and feeling that his religious belief would be in -the way of his advancement, when he changed his master he changed his -Church. He was given the command of the valley of Barcelonnette, whence -he made many excursions against the Barbets; then he was transferred to -the command of the Avennes, of the principality of Orange, in order to -guard the passes, so that the French Protestants could not pass over the -frontier for the purpose of worshipping with their Dutch Protestant -brethren; and after having tried this for a year, he went to Versailles -to report himself to the king. While he was there, it chanced that the -envoy from Gevaudan arrived, and the king being satisfied with de -Julien's conduct since he had entered his service, made him -major-general, chevalier of the military order of St. Louis; and -commander-in-chief in the Vivarais and the Cevennes. - -M de Julien from the first felt that the situation was very grave, and -saw that his predecessors had felt such great contempt for the heretics -that they had not realised the danger of the revolt. He immediately -proceeded to inspect in person the different points where M. de Broglie -had placed detachments of the Tournon and Marsily regiments. It is true -that he arrived by the light of thirty burning village churches. - -M de Broglie, M. de Baville, M. de Julien, and Captain Poul met together -to consult as to the best means of putting an end to these disorders. It -was agreed that the royal troops should be divided into two bodies, one -under the command of M. de Julien to advance on Alais, where it was -reported large meetings of the rebels were taking place, and the other -under M. de Brogue, to march about in the neighbourhood of Nimes. - -Consequently, the two chiefs separated. M. le Comte de Broglie at the -head of sixty-two dragoons and some companies of foot, and having under -him Captain Poul and M. de Dourville, set out from Cavayrac on the 12th -of January at 2 a. m., and having searched without finding anything the -vineyards of Nimes and La Garrigue de Milhau, took the road to the -bridge of Lunel. There he was informed that those he was in search of -had been seen at the chateau of Caudiac the day before; he therefore at -once set out for the forest which lies around it, not doubting to find -the fanatics entrenched there; but, contrary to his expectations, it was -vacant. He then pushed on to Vauvert, from Vauvert to Beauvoisin, from -Beauvoisin to Generac, where he learned that a troop of rebels had -passed the night there, and in the morning had left for Aubore. Resolved -to give them no rest, M. de Broglie set out at once for this village. - -When half-way there, a member of his staff thought he could distinguish -a crowd of men near a house about half a league distant; M. de Broglie -instantly ordered Sieur de Gibertin, Captain Paul's lieutenant, who was -riding close by, at the head of his company, to take eight dragoons and -make a reconnaissance, in order to ascertain who these men were, while -the rest of the troops would make a halt. - -This little band, led by its officer, crossed a clearing in the wood, -and advanced towards the farmhouse, which was called the Mas de Gafarel, -and which now seemed deserted. But when they were within half a gun-shot -of the wall the charge was sounded behind it, and a band of rebels -rushed towards them, while from a neighbouring house a second troop -emerged, and looking round, he perceived a third lying on their faces in -a small wood. These latter suddenly stood up and approached him, singing -psalms. As it was impossible for M. de Gibertin to hold his ground -against so large a force, he ordered two shots to be fired as a warning -to de Brogue to advance to meet him, and fell back on his comrades. -Indeed, the rebels had only pursued him till they had reached a -favourable position, on which they took their stand. - -M de Brogue having surveyed the whole position with the aid of a -telescope, held a council of war, and it was decided that an attack -should be made forthwith. They therefore advanced on the rebels in line: -Captain Poul on the right, M. de Dourville on the left, and Count -Broglie in the centre. - -As they got near they could see that the rebels had chosen their ground -with an amount of strategical sagacity they had never till then -displayed. This skill in making their dispositions was evidently due to -their having found a new leader whom no one knew, not even Captain Poul, -although they could see him at the head of his men, carbine in hand. - -However, these scientific preparations did not stop M. de Brogue: he -gave the order to charge, and adding example to precept, urged his horse -to a gallop. The rebels in the first rank knelt on one knee, so that the -rank behind could take aim, and the distance between the two bodies of -troops disappeared rapidly, thanks to the impetuosity of the dragoons; -but suddenly, when within thirty paces of the enemy, the royals found -themselves on the edge of a deep ravine which separated them from the -enemy like a moat. Some were able to check their horses in time, but -others, despite desperate efforts, pressed upon by those behind, were -pushed into the ravine, and rolled helplessly to the bottom. At the same -moment the order to fire was given in a sonorous voice, there was a -rattle of musketry, and several dragoons near M. de Broglie fell. - -"Forward!" cried Captain Poul, "forward!" and putting his horse at a -part of the ravine where the sides were less steep, he was soon -struggling up the opposite side, followed by a few dragoons. - -"Death to the son of Belial!" cried the same voice which had given the -order to fire. At that moment a single shot rang out, Captain Poul threw -up his hands, letting his sabre go, and fell from his horse, which -instead of running away, touched his master with its smoking nostrils, -then lifting its head, neighed long and low. The dragoons retreated. - -"So perish all the persecutors of Israel!" cried the leader, brandishing -his carbine. He then dashed down into the ravine, picked up Captain -Poul's sabre and jumped upon his horse. The animal, faithful to its old -master, showed some signs of resistance, but soon felt by the pressure -of its rider's knees that it had to do with one whom it could not -readily unseat. Nevertheless, it reared and bounded, but the horseman -kept his seat, and as if recognising that it had met its match, the -noble animal tossed its head, neighed once more, and gave in. While this -was going on, a party of Camisards [Name given to the insurgent -Calvinists after the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes.--Translator's -Note.] and one of the dragoons had got down into the ravine, which had -in consequence been turned into a battlefield; while those who remained -above on either side took advantage of their position to fire down at -their enemies. M. de Dourville, in command of the dragoons, fought among -the others like a simple soldier, and received a serious wound in the -head; his men beginning to lose ground, M. de Brogue tried to rally -them, but without avail, and while he was thus occupied his own troop -ran away; so seeing there was no prospect of winning the battle, he and -a few valiant men who had remained near him dashed forward to extricate -M. Dourville, who, taking advantage of the opening thus made, retreated, -his wound bleeding profusely. On the other hand, the Camisards -perceiving at some distance bodies of infantry coming up to reinforce -the royals, instead of pursuing their foes, contented themselves with -keeping up a thick and well-directed musketry-fire from the position in -which they had won such a quick and easy victory. - -As soon as the royal forces were out of reach of their weapons, the -rebel chief knelt down and chanted the song the Israelites sang when, -having crossed the Red Sea in safety, they saw the army of Pharaoh -swallowed up in the waters, so that although no longer within reach of -bullets the defeated troops were still pursued by songs of victory. -Their thanksgivings ended, the Calvinists withdrew into the forest, led -by their new chief, who had at his first assay shown the great extent of -his knowledge, coolness, and courage. - -This new chief, whose superiors were soon to become his lieutenants, was -the famous Jean Cavalier. - -Jean Cavalier was then a young man of twenty-three, of less than medium -height, but of great strength. His face was oval, with regular features, -his eyes sparkling and beautiful; he had long chestnut hair falling on -his shoulders, and an expression of remarkable sweetness. He was born in -1680 at Ribaute, a village in the diocese of Alais, where his father had -rented a small farm, which he gave up when his son was about fifteen, -coming to live at the farm of St. Andeol, near Mende. - -Young Cavalier, who was only a peasant and the son of a peasant, began -life as a shepherd at the Sieur de Lacombe's, a citizen of Vezenobre, -but as the lonely life dissatisfied a young man who was eager for -pleasure, Jean gave it up, and apprenticed himself to a baker of Anduze. - -There he developed a great love for everything connected with the -military; he spent all his free time watching the soldiers at their -drill, and soon became intimate with some of them, amongst others with a -fencing-master who gave him lessons, and a dragoon who taught him to -ride. - -On a certain Sunday, as he was taking a walk with his sweetheart on his -arm, the young girl was insulted by a dragoon of the Marquis de Florae's -regiment. Jean boxed the dragoon's ears, who drew his sword. Cavalier -seized a sword from one of the bystanders, but the combatants were -prevented from fighting by Jean's friends. Hearing of the quarrel, an -officer hurried up: it was the Marquis de Florae himself, captain of the -regiment which bore his name; but when he arrived on the scene he found, -not the arrogant peasant who had dared to attack a soldier of the king, -but only the young girl, who had fainted, the townspeople having -persuaded her lover to decamp. - -The young girl was so beautiful that she was commonly called la belle -Isabeau, and the Marquis de Florac, instead of pursuing Jean Cavalier, -occupied himself in reviving Isabeau. - -As it was, however, a serious affair, and as the entire regiment had -sworn Cavalier's death, his friends advised him to leave the country for -a time. La belle Isabeau, trembling for the safety of her lover, joined -her entreaties to those of his friends, and Jean Cavalier yielded. The -young girl promised him inviolable fidelity, and he, relying on this -promise, went to Geneva. - -There he made the acquaintance of a Protestant gentleman called Du -Serre, who having glass-works at the Mas Arritas, quite near the farm of -St. Andeol, had undertaken several times, at the request of Jean's -father, Jerome, to convey money to Jean; for Du Serre went very often to -Geneva, professedly on business affairs, but really in the interests of -the Reformed faith. Between the outlaw and the apostle union was -natural. Du Serre found in Cavalier a young man of robust nature, active -imagination, and irreproachable courage; he confided to him his hopes of -converting all Languedoc and Vivarais. Cavalier felt himself drawn back -there by many ties, especially by patriotism and love. He crossed the -frontier once more, disguised as a servant, in the suite of a Protestant -gentleman; he arrived one night at Anduze, and immediately directed his -steps to the house of Isabeau. - -He was just about to knock, although it was one o'clock in the morning, -when the door was opened from within, and a handsome young man came out, -who took tender leave of a woman on the threshold. The handsome young -man was the Marquis de Florac; the woman was Isabeau. The promised wife -of the peasant had become the mistress of the noble. - -Our hero was not the man to suffer such an outrage quietly. He walked -straight up to the marquis and stood right in his way. The marquis tried -to push him aside with his elbow, but Jean Cavalier, letting fall the -cloak in which he was wrapped, drew his sword. The marquis was brave, -and did not stop to inquire if he who attacked him was his equal or not. -Sword answered sword, the blades crossed, and at the end of a few -instants the marquis fell, Jean's sword piercing his chest. - -Cavalier felt sure that he was dead, for he lay at his feet motionless. -He knew he had no time to lose, for he had no mercy to hope for. He -replaced his bloody sword in the scabbard, and made for the open -country; from the open country he hurried into the mountains, and at -break of day he was in safety. - -The fugitive remained the whole day in an isolated farmhouse whose -inmates offered him hospitality. As he very soon felt that he was in the -house of a co-religionist, he confided to his host the circumstances in -which he found himself, and asked where he could meet with an organised -band in which he could enrol himself in order to fight for the -propagation of the Reformed religion. The farmer mentioned Generac as -being a place in which he would probably find a hundred or so of the -brethren gathered together. Cavalier set out the same evening for this -village, and arrived in the middle of the Camisards at the very moment -when they had just caught sight of M. de Broglie and his troops in the -distance. The Calvinists happening to have no leader, Cavalier with -governing faculty which some men possess by nature, placed himself at -their head and took those measures for the reception of the royal forces -of which we have seen the result, so that after the victory to which his -head and arm had contributed so much he was confirmed in the title which -he had arrogated to himself, by acclamation. - -Such was the famous Jean Cavalier when the Royalists first learned of -his existence, through the repulse of their bravest troops and the death -of their most intrepid captain. - -The news of this victory soon spread through the Cevennes, and fresh -conflagrations lit up the mountains in sign of joy. The beacons were -formed of the chateau de la Bastide, the residence of the Marquis de -Chambonnas, the church of Samson, and the village of Grouppieres, where -of eighty houses only seven were left standing. - -Thereupon M. de Julien wrote to the king, explaining the serious turn -things had taken, and telling him that it was no longer a few fanatics -wandering through the mountains and flying at the sight of a dragoon -whom they had to put down, but organised companies well led and -officered, which if united would form an army twelve to fifteen hundred -strong. The king replied by sending M. le Comte de Montrevel to Nimes. -He was the son of the Marechal de Montrevel, chevalier of the Order of -the Holy Spirit, major-general, lieutenant of the king in Bresse and -Charolais, and captain of a hundred men-at-arms. - -In their struggle against shepherds, keepers, and peasants, M. de -Brogue, M. de Julien, and M. de Baville were thus joined together with -the head of the house of Beaune, which had already at this epoch -produced two cardinals, three archbishops, two bishops, a viceroy of -Naples, several marshals of France, and many governors of Savoy, -Dauphine, and Bresse. - -He was followed by twenty pieces of ordnance, five thousand bullets, -four thousand muskets, and fifty thousand pounds of powder, all of which -was carried down the river Rhone, while six hundred of the skilful -mountain marksmen called 'miquelets' from Roussillon came down into -Languedoc. - -M de Montrevel was the bearer of terrible orders. Louis XIV was -determined, no matter what it cost, to root out heresy, and set about -this work as if his eternal salvation depended on it. As soon as M. de -Baville had read these orders, he published the following proclamation: - -"The king having been informed that certain people without religion -bearing arms have been guilty of violence, burning down churches and -killing priests, His Majesty hereby commands all his subjects to hunt -these people down, and that those who are taken with arms in their hands -or found amongst their bands, be punished with death without any trial -whatever, that their houses be razed to the ground and their goods -confiscated, and that all buildings in which assemblies of these people -have been held, be demolished. The king further forbids fathers, -mothers, brothers, sisters, and other relations of the fanatics, or of -other rebels, to give them refuge, food, stores, ammunition, or other -assistance of any kind, under any pretext whatever, either directly or -indirectly, on pain of being reputed accessory to the rebellion, and he -commands the Sieur de Baville and whatever officers he may choose to -prosecute such and pronounce sentence of death on them. Furthermore, His -Majesty commands that all the inhabitants of Languedoc who may be absent -at the date of the issue of this proclamation, return home within a -week, unless their absence be caused by legitimate business, in which -case they shall declare the same to the commandant, the Sieur de -Montrevel, or to the intendant, the Sieur de Baville, and also to the -mayors and consuls of the places where they may be, receiving from the -latter certificates that there is a sufficient reason for their delay, -which certificates they shall forward to the above-mentioned commandant -or intendant. And His Majesty furthermore commands the said commandant -and intendant to admit no foreigner or inhabitant of any other province -into Languedoc for commercial purposes or for any other reason -whatsoever, unless provided with certificates from the commandants or -intendants of the provinces whence they come, or from the judges of the -royal courts in the places whence they come, or from the nearest place -containing such courts. Foreigners must be provided with passports from -the ambassadors or ministers of the king accredited to the countries to -which they belong, or from the commandants or intendants of the -provinces, or from the judges of the royal courts of the places in which -they may be at the date of this proclamation. Furthermore, it is His -Majesty's will that those who are found in the, aforesaid province of -Languedoc without such certificates be regarded as fanatics and rebels, -and that they be prosecuted as such, and punished with death, and that -they be brought for this purpose before the aforesaid Sieur de Baville -or the officers whom he may choose. - -"(Signed) "(Countersigned) "LOUIS PHILIPPEAU - -"Given at Versailles the 25th day, of the month of February 1703." - -M de Montrevel obeyed this proclamation to the letter. For instance, one -day--the 1st of April 1703--as he was seated at dinner it was reported -to him that about one hundred and fifty Reformers were assembled in a -mill at Carmes, outside Nimes, singing psalms. Although he was told at -the same time that the gathering was composed entirely of old people and -children, he was none the less furious, and rising from the table, gave -orders that the call to horse should be sounded. Putting himself at the -head of his dragoons, he advanced on the mill, and before the Huguenots -knew that they were about to be attacked they were surrounded on every -side. It was no combat which ensued, for the Huguenots were incapable of -resistance, it was simply a massacre; a certain number of the dragoons -entered the mill sword in hand, stabbing all whom they could reach, -whilst the rest of the force stationed outside before the windows -received those who jumped out on the points of their swords. But soon -this butchery tired the butchers, and to get over the business more -quickly, the marshal, who was anxious to return to his dinner, gave -orders that the mill should be set on fire. This being done, the -dragoons, the marshal still at their head, no longer exerted themselves -so violently, but were satisfied with pushing back into the flames the -few unfortunates who, scorched and burnt, rushed out, begging only for a -less cruel death. - -Only one victim escaped. A beautiful young girl of sixteen was saved by -the marshal's valet: both were taken and condemned to death; the young -girl was hanged, and the valet was on the point of being executed when -some Sisters of Mercy from the town threw themselves at the marshal's -feet end begged for his life: after long supplication, he granted their -prayer, but he banished the valet not only from his service, but from -Nimes. - -The very same evening at supper word was brought to the marshal that -another gathering had been discovered in a garden near the still smoking -mill. The indefatigable marshal again rose from table, and taking with -him his faithful dragoons, surrounded the garden, and caught and shot on -the spot all those who were assembled in it. The next day it turned out -that he had made a mistake: those whom he had shot were Catholics who -had gathered together to rejoice over the execution of the Calvinists. -It is true that they had assured the marshal that they were Catholics, -but he had refused to listen to them. Let us, however, hasten to assure -the reader that this mistake caused no further annoyance to the marshal, -except that he received a paternal remonstrance from the Bishop of -Nimes, begging him in future not to confound the sheep with the wolves. - -In requital of these bloody deeds, Cavalier took the chateau of Serras, -occupied the town of Sauve, formed a company of horse, and advancing to -Nimes, took forcible possession of sufficient ammunition for his -purposes. Lastly, he did something which in the eyes of the courtiers -seemed the most incredible thing of all, he actually wrote a long letter -to Louis XIV himself. This letter was dated from the "Desert, Cevennes," -and signed "Cavalier, commander of the troops sent by God"; its purpose -was to prove by numerous passages from Holy Writ that Cavalier and his -comrades had been led to revolt solely from a sense of duty, feeling -that liberty of conscience was their right; and it dilated on the -subject of the persecutions under which Protestants had suffered, and -asserted that it was the infamous measures put in force against them -which had driven them to take up arms, which they were ready to lay down -if His Majesty would grant them that liberty in matters of religion -which they sought and if he would liberate all who were in prison for -their faith. If this were accorded, he assured the king His Majesty -would have no more faithful subjects than themselves, and would -henceforth be ready to shed their last drop of blood in his service, and -wound up by saying that if their just demands were refused they would -obey God rather than the king, and would defend their religion to their -last breath. - -Roland, who, whether in mockery or pride, began now to call himself -"Comte Roland," did not lag behind his young brother either as warrior -or correspondent. He had entered the town of Ganges, where a wonderful -reception awaited him; but not feeling sure that he would be equally -well received at St. Germain and St. Andre, he had written the following -letters:-- - -"Gentlemen and officers of the king's forces, and citizens of St. -Germain, make ready to receive seven hundred troops who have vowed to -set Babylon on fire; the seminary and the houses of MM. de Fabregue, de -Sarrasin, de Moles, de La Rouviere, de Musse, and de Solier, will be -burnt to the ground. God, by His Holy Spirit, has inspired my brother -Cavalier and me with the purpose of entering your town in a few days; -however strongly you fortify yourselves, the children of God will bear -away the victory. If ye doubt this, come in your numbers, ye soldiers of -St. Etienne, Barre, and Florac, to the field of Domergue; we shall be -there to meet you. Come, ye hypocrites, if your hearts fail not. "COMTE -ROLAND." - -The second letter was no less violent. It was as follows:-- - -"We, Comte Roland, general of the Protestant troops of France assembled -in the Cevennes in Languedoc, enjoin on the inhabitants of the town of -St. Andre of Valborgne to give proper notice to all priests and -missionaries within it, that we forbid them to say mass or to preach in -the afore-mentioned town, and that if they will avoid being burnt alive -with their adherents in their churches and houses, they are to withdraw -to some other place within three days. "COMTE ROLAND." - -Unfortunately for the cause of the king, though the rebels met with some -resistance in the villages of the plain, such as St. Germain and St. -Andre, it was otherwise with those situated in the mountains; in those, -when beaten, the Protestants found cover, when victorious rest; so that -M. de Montrevel becoming aware that while these villages existed heresy -would never be extirpated, issued the following ordinance:-- - -"We, governor for His most Christian Majesty in the provinces of -Languedoc and Vivarais, do hereby make known that it has pleased the -king to command us to reduce all the places and parishes hereinafter -named to such a condition that they can afford no assistance to the -rebel troops; no inhabitants will therefore be allowed to remain in -them. His Majesty, however, desiring to provide for the subsistence of -the afore-mentioned inhabitants, orders them to conform to the following -regulations. He enjoins on the afore-mentioned inhabitants of the -hereinafter-mentioned parishes to repair instantly to the places -hereinafter appointed, with their furniture, cattle, and in general all -their movable effects, declaring that in case of disobedience their -effects will be confiscated and taken away by the troops employed to -demolish their houses. And it is hereby forbidden to any other commune -to receive such rebels, under pain of having their houses also razed to -the ground and their goods confiscated, and furthermore being regarded -and treated as rebels to the commands of His Majesty." - -To this proclamation were appended the following instructions:-- - -"I. The officers who may be appointed to perform the above task shall -first of all make themselves acquainted with the position of the -parishes and villages which are to be destroyed and depopulated, in -order to an effective disposition of the troops, who are to guard the -militia engaged in the work of destruction. - -"II. The attention of the officers is called to the following:--When two -or more villages or hamlets are so near together that they may be -protected at the same time by the same troops, then in order to save -time the work is to be carried on simultaneously in such villages or -hamlets. - -"III. When inhabitants are found still remaining in any of the -proscribed places, they are to be brought together, and a list made of -them, as well as an inventory taken of their stock and corn. - -"IV. Those inhabitants who are of the most consequence among them shall -be selected to guide the others to the places assigned. - -"V. With regard to the live stock, the persons who may be found in -charge of it shall drive it to the appointed place, save and except -mules and asses, which shall be employed in the transport of corn to -whatever places it may be needed in. Nevertheless, asses may be given to -the very old, and to women with child who may be unable to walk. - -"VI. A regular distribution of the militia is to be made, so that each -house to be destroyed may have a sufficient number, for the task; the -foundations of such houses may be undermined or any other method -employed which may be most convenient; and if the house can be destroyed -by no other means, it is to be set on fire. - -"VII. No damage is to be done to the houses of former Catholics until -further notice, and to ensure the carrying out of this order a guard is -to be placed in them, and an inventory of their contents taken and sent -to Marechal de Montrevel. - -"VIII. The order forbidding the inhabitants to return to their houses is -to be read to the inhabitants of each village; but if any do return they -shall not be harmed, but simply driven away with threats; for the king -does not desire that blood be shed; and the said order shall be affixed -to a wall or tree in each village. - -"IX. Where no inhabitants are found, the said order shall simply be -affixed as above-mentioned in each place. - -"(Signed) "MARECHAL DE MONTREVEL" - -Under these instructions the list of the villages to be destroyed was -given. It was as follows: - - 18 in the parish of Frugeres, - - 5 " " Fressinet-de-Lozere, - - 4 " " Grizac, - - 15 " " Castagnols, - - 11 " " Vialas, - - 6 " " Saint-Julien, - - 8 " " Saint-Maurice de Vantalon, - - 14 " " Frezal de Vantalon, - - 7 " " Saint-Hilaire de Laret, - - 6 " " Saint-Andeol de Clergues, - - 28 " " Saint-Privat de Vallongues, - - 10 " " Saint-Andre de Lancise, - - 19 " " Saint-Germain de Calberte, - - 26 " " Saint-Etienne de Valfrancesque, - - 9 " " parishes of Prunet and Montvaillant, - - 16 " " parish of Florac. - --- - 202 - -A second list was promised, and was shortly afterwards published: it -included the parishes of Frugeres, Pompidon, Saint-Martin, Lansuscle, -Saint-Laurent, Treves, Vebron, Ronnes, Barre, Montluzon, Bousquet, La -Barthes, Balme, Saint-Julien d'Aspaon Cassagnas, Sainte-Croix de -Valfrancesque, Cabriac, Moissac, Saint-Roman, Saint Martin de Robaux, La -Melouse, le Collet de Deze, Saint-Michel de Deze, and the villages of -Salieges, Rampon, Ruas, Chavrieres, Tourgueselle, Ginestous, Fressinet, -Fourques, Malbos, Jousanel, Campis, Campredon, Lous-Aubrez, La Croix de -Fer, Le Cap de Coste, Marquayres, Le Cazairal, and Le Poujal. - -In all, 466 market towns, hamlets, and villages, with 19,500 -inhabitants, were included. - -All these preparations made Marechal de Montrevel set out for Aix, -September 26th, 1703, in order that the work might be carried out under -his personal supervision. He was accompanied by MM. de Vergetot and de -Marsilly, colonels of infantry, two battalions of the Royal-Comtois, two -of the Soissonnais infantry, the Languedoc regiment of dragoons, and two -hundred dragoons from the Fimarcon regiment. M. de Julien, on his side, -set out for the Pont-de-Montvert at the same time with two battalions -from Hainault, accompanied by the Marquis of Canillac, colonel of -infantry, who brought two battalions of his own regiment, which was -stationed in Rouergue, with him, and Comte de Payre, who brought -fifty-five companies of militia from Gevaudan, and followed by a number -of mules loaded with crowbars, axes, and other iron instruments -necessary for pulling down houses. - -The approach of all these troops following close on the terrible -proclamations we have given above, produced exactly the contrary effect -to that intended. The inhabitants of the proscribed districts were -convinced that the order to gather together in certain places was given -that they might be conveniently massacred together, so that all those -capable of bearing arms went deeper into the mountains, and joined the -forces of Cavalier and Roland, thus reinforcing them to the number of -fifteen hundred men. Also hardly had M. de Julien set his hand to the -work than he received information from M. de Montrevel, who had heard -the news through a letter from Flechier, that while the royal troops -were busy in the mountains the Camisards had come down into the plain, -swarmed over La Camargue, and had been seen in the neighbourhood of -Saint-Gilles. At the same time word was sent him that two ships had been -seen in the offing, from Cette, and that it was more than probable that -they contained troops, that England and Holland were sending to help the -Camisards. - -M de Montrevel; leaving the further conduct of the expedition to MM. de -Julien and de Canillac, hastened to Cette with eight hundred men and ten -guns. The ships were still in sight, and were really, as had been -surmised, two vessels which had been detached from the combined fleets -of England and Holland by Admiral Schowel, and were the bearers of -money, arms, and ammunition to the Huguenots. They continued to cruise -about and signal, but as the rebels were forced by the presence of M. de -Montrevel to keep away from the coast, and could therefore make no -answer, they put off at length into the open, and rejoined the fleet. As -M. de Montrevel feared that their retreat might be a feint, he ordered -all the fishermen's huts from Aigues-Morte to Saint-Gilles to be -destroyed, lest they should afford shelter to the Camisards. At the same -time he carried off the inhabitants of the district of Guillan and shut -them up in the chateau of Sommerez, after having demolished their -villages. Lastly, he ordered all those who lived in homesteads, farms, -or hamlets, to quit them and go to some large town, taking with them all -the provisions they were possessed of; and he forbade any workman who -went outside the town to work to take more than one day's provisions -with him. - -These measures had the desired effect, but they were terrible in their -results; they deprived the Camisards of shelter indeed, but they ruined -the province. M. de Baville, despite his well-known severity tried -remonstrances, but they were taken in bad part by M. de Montrevel, who -told the intendant to mind his own business, which was confined to civil -matters, and to leave military matters in his, M. de Montrevel's, hands; -whereupon the commandant joined M. de Julien, who was carrying on the -work of destruction with indefatigable vigour. - -In spite of all the enthusiasm with which M. de Julien went to work to -accomplish his mission, and being a new convert, it was, of course, very -great. Material hindrances hampered him at every step. Almost all the -doomed houses were built on vaulted foundations, and were therefore -difficult to lay low; the distance of one house from another, too, their -almost inaccessible position, either on the peak of a high mountain or -in the bottom of a rocky valley, or buried in the depths of the forest -which hid then like a veil, made the difficulty still greater; whole -days were often lost by the workmen and militia in searching for the -dwellings they came to destroy. - -The immense size of the parishes also caused delay: that of -Saint-Germain de Calberte, for instance, was nine leagues in -circumference, and contained a hundred and eleven hamlets, inhabited by -two hundred and seventy-five families, of which only nine were Catholic; -that of Saint-Etienne de Valfrancesque was of still greater extent, and -its population was a third larger, so that obstacles to the work -multiplied in a remarkable manner. For the first few days the soldiers -and workmen found food in and around the villages, but this was soon at -an end, and as they could hardly expect the peasants to keep up the -supply, and the provisions they had brought with them being also -exhausted, they were soon reduced to biscuit and water; and they were -not even able to make it into a warm mess by heating the water, as they -had no vessels; moreover, when their hard day's work was at an end, they -had but a handful of straw on which to lie. These privations, added to -their hard and laborious life, brought on an endemic fever, which -incapacitated for work many soldiers and labourers, numbers of whom had -to be dismissed. Very soon the unfortunate men, who were almost as much -to be pitied as those whom they were persecuting, waited no longer to be -sent away, but deserted in numbers. - -M de Julien soon saw that all his efforts would end in failure if he -could not gain the king's consent to a slight change in the original -plan. He therefore wrote to Versailles, and represented to the king how -long the work would take if the means employed were only iron tools and -the human hand, instead of fire, the only true instrument employed by -Heaven in its vengeance. He quoted in support of his petition the case -of Sodom and Gomorrah--those cities accursed of the Lord. Louis XIV, -impressed by the truth of this comparison, sent him back a messenger -post-haste authorising him to employ the suggested means. - -"At once," says Pere Louvreloeil, "the storm burst, and soon of all the -happy homesteads nothing was left: the hamlets, with their barns and -outhouses, the isolated farmhouses, the single huts and cottages, every -species of building in short, disappeared before the swift advancing -flames as wild flowers, weeds, and roots fall before the ploughshare." - -This destruction was accompanied by horrible cruelty. For instance, -twenty-five inhabitants of a certain village took refuge in a chateau; -the number consisted of children and very old people, and they were all -that was left of the entire population. Palmerolle, in command of the -miquelets, hearing of this, hastened thither, seized the first eight he -could lay hold of, and shot them on the spot, "to teach them," as he -says in his report, "not to choose a shelter which was not on the list -of those permitted to them." - -The Catholics also of St. Florent, Senechas, Rousson, and other -parishes, becoming excited at seeing the flames which enveloped the -houses of their old enemies, joined together, and arming themselves with -everything that could be made to serve as an instrument of death, set -out to hunt the conscripts down; they carried off the flocks of Perolat, -Fontareche, and Pajolas, burned down a dozen houses at the -Collet-de-Deze, and from there went to the village of Brenoux, drunk -with the lust of destruction. There they massacred fifty-two persons, -among them mothers with unborn children; and with these babes, which -they tore from them, impaled on their pikes and halberts, they continued -their march towards the villages of St. Denis and Castagnols. - -Very soon these volunteers organised themselves into companies, and -became known under the name of Cadets de la Croix, from a small white -cross which they wore on their coats; so the poor Huguenots had a new -species of enemy to contend with, much more bloodthirsty than the -dragoons and the miquelets; for while these latter simply obeyed orders -from Versailles, Nimes, or Montpellier, the former gratified a personal -hate--a hate which had come down to them from their fathers, and which -they would pass on to their children. - -On the other hand, the young Huguenot leader, who every day gained more -influence over his soldiers, tried to make the dragoons and Cadets de la -Croix suffer in return everything they inflicted on the Huguenots, -except the murders. In the night from the 2nd to the 3rd October, about -ten o'clock, he came down into the plain and attacked Sommieres from two -different points, setting fire to the houses. The inhabitants seizing -their arms, made a sortie, but Cavalier charged them at the head of the -Cavalry and forced them to retreat. Thereupon the governor, whose -garrison was too small to leave the shelter of the walls, turned his -guns on them and fired, less in the hope of inflicting injury on them -than in that of being heard by the neighbouring garrisons. - -The Camisards recognising this danger, retired, but not before they had -burnt down the hotels of the Cheval-Blanc, the Croix-d'Or, the -Grand-Louis, and the Luxembourg, as well as a great number of other -houses, and the church and the presbytery of Saint-Amand. - -Thence the Camisards proceeded to Cayla and Vauvert, into which they -entered, destroying the fortifications. There they provided themselves -abundantly with provisions for man and beast. In Vauvert, which was -almost entirely inhabited by his co-religionists, Cavalier assembled the -inhabitants in the market-place, and made them join with him in prayer -to God, that He would prevent the king from following evil counsel; he -also exhorted his brethren to be ready to sacrifice their goods and -their lives for the re-establishment of their religion, affirming that -the Holy Spirit had revealed to him that the arm of the Lord, which had -always come to their aid, was still stretched out over them. - -Cavalier undertook these movements in the hope of interrupting the work -of destruction going on in Upper Cevennes; and partly obtained the -desired result; for M. de Julien received orders to come down into the -open country and disperse the Camisards. - -The troops tried to fulfil this task, but, thanks to the knowledge that -the rebels had of the country, it was impossible to come up with them, -so that Fleshier, who was in the thick of the executions, -conflagrations, and massacres, but who still found time to write Latin -verse and gallant letters, said, in speaking of them, "They were never -caught, and did all the damage they wished to do without let or -hindrance. We laid their mountains waste, and they laid waste our plain. -There are no more churches left in our dioceses, and not being able -either to plough or sow our lands, we have no revenues. We dread serious -revolt, and desire to avoid a religious civil war; so all our efforts -are relaxing, we let our arms fall without knowing why, and we are told, -'You must have patience; it is not possible to fight against phantoms.'" -Nevertheless, from time to time, these phantoms became visible. Towards -the end of October, Cavalier came down to Uzes, carried off two -sentinels who were guarding the gates, and hearing the call to arms -within, shouted that he would await the governor of the city, M. de -Vergetot, near Lussan. - -And indeed Cavalier, accompanied by his two lieutenants, Ravanel and -Catinat, took his way towards this little town, between Uzes and -Bargeac, which stands upon an eminence surrounded upon all sides by -cliffs, which serve it as ramparts and render it very difficult of -access. Having arrived within three gun-shots of Lussan, Cavalier sent -Ravanel to demand provisions from the inhabitants; but they, proud of -their natural ramparts, and believing their town impregnable, not only -refused to comply with the requisition, but fired several shots on the -envoy, one of which wounded in the arm a Camisard of the name of La -Grandeur, who had accompanied Ravanel. Ravanel withdrew, supporting his -wounded comrade, followed by shots and the hootings of the inhabitants. -When they rejoined Cavalier and made their report, the young commander -issued orders to his soldiers to make ready to take the town the next -morning; for, as night was already falling, he did not venture to start -in the dark. In the meantime the besieged sent post-haste to M. de -Vergetot to warn him of their situation; and resolving to defend -themselves as long as they could, while waiting for a response to their -message they set about barricading their gates, turned their scythes -into weapons, fastened large hooks on long poles, and collected all the -instruments they could find that could be used in attack or defence. As -to the Camisards, they encamped for the night near an old chateau called -Fan, about a gun-shot from Lussan. - -At break of day loud shouts from the town told the Camisards that the -expected relief was in sight, and looking out they saw in the distance a -troop of soldiers advancing towards them; it was M. de Vergetat at the -head of his regiment, accompanied by forty Irish officers. - -The Protestants prepared themselves, as usual, by reciting psalms and -prayers, notice without taking of the shouts and threats of any of the -townspeople, and having finished their invocations, they marched out to -meet the approaching column. The cavalry, commanded by Catinat, made a -detour, taking a sheltered way to an unguarded bridge over a small river -not far off, so as to outflank the royal forces, which they were to -attack in the rear as soon as Cavalier and Ravanel should have engaged -them in front. - -M de Vergetot, on his side, continued to advance, so that the Calvinists -and the Catholics were soon face to face. The battle began on both sides -by a volley; but Cavalier having seen his cavalry emerging from a -neighbouring wood, and counting upon their assistance, charged the enemy -at the double quick. Catinat judging by the noise of the firing that his -presence was necessary, charged also at a gallop, falling on the flank -of the Catholics. - -In this charge, one of M. de Vergetot's captains was killed by a bullet, -and the other by a sabre-cut, and the grenadiers falling into disorder, -first lost ground and then fled, pursued by Catinat and his horsemen, -who, seizing them by the hair, despatched them with their swords. Having -tried in vain to rally his men, M. de Vergetot, surrounded by a few -Irish, was forced in his turn to fly; he was hotly pursued, and on the -point of being taken, when by good luck he reached the height of Gamene, -with its walls of rock. Jumping off his horse, he entered the narrow -pathway which led to the top, and entrenched himself with about a -hundred men in this natural fort. Cavalier perceiving that further -pursuit would be dangerous, resolved to rest satisfied with his victory; -as he knew by his own experience that neither men nor horses had eaten -for eighteen hours, he gave the signal far retreat, and retired on -Seyne, where he hoped to find provisions. - -This defeat mortified the royal forces very deeply, and they resolved to -take their revenge. Having learnt by their spies that on a certain night -in November Cavalier and his band intended to sleep on a mountain called -Nages, they surrounded the mountain during the night, so that at dawn -Cavalier found himself shut in on every side. As he wished to see with -his own eyes if the investment was complete, he ordered his troops to -fall into rank on the top of the mountain, giving the command to Ravanel -and Catinat, and with a pair of pistols in his belt and his carbine on -his shoulder, he glided from bush to bush and rock to rock, determined, -if any weak spot existed, to discover it; but the information he had -received was perfectly correct, every issue was guarded. - -Cavalier now set off to rejoin his troops, passing through a ravine, but -he had hardly taken thirty steps when he found himself confronted by a -cornet and two dragoons who were lying in ambush. There was no time to -run away, and indeed such a thought never entered the young commander's -head; he walked straight up to them. On their side, the dragoons -advanced towards him, and the cornet covering him with his pistol, -called out, "Halt! you are Cavalier; I know you. It is not possible for -you to escape; surrender at discretion." Cavalier's answer was to blow -out the cornet's brains with a shot from his carbine, then throwing it -behind him as of no further use, he drew his two pistols from his belt, -walked up to the two dragoons, shot them both dead, and rejoined his -comrades unwounded. These, who had believed him lost, welcomed him with -cheers. - -But Cavalier had something else to do than to celebrate his return; -mounting his horse, he put himself at the head of his men, and fell upon -the royal troops with such impetuosity that they gave way at the first -onset. Then a strange incident occurred. About thirty women who had come -to the camp with provisions, carried away by their enthusiasm at the -sight of this success, threw themselves upon the enemy, fighting like -men. One young girl of about seventeen, Lucrese Guigon by name, -distinguished herself amongst the others by her great valour. Not -content with encouraging her brethren by the cry of "The sword of the -Lord and of Gideon!" she tore sabres from the hands of the dead dragoons -to despatch the dying. Catinat, followed by ten of his men, pursued the -flying troops as far as the plain of Calvisson. There they were able to -rally, thanks to the advance of the garrison to meet them. - -Eighty dragoons lay dead on the field of battle, while Cavalier had only -lost five men. - -As we shall see, Cavalier was not only a brave soldier and a skilful -captain, but also a just judge. A few days after the deed of arms which -we have just related, he learned that a horrible murder had been -committed by four Camisards, who had then retired into the forest of -Bouquet. He sent a detachment of twenty men with orders to arrest the -murderers and bring them before him. The following are the details of -the crime: - -The daughter of Baron Meyrargues, who was not long married to a -gentleman named M. de Miraman, had set out on the 29th November for -Ambroix to join her husband, who was waiting for her there. She was -encouraged to do this by her coachman, who had often met with Camisards -in the neighbourhood, and although a Catholic, had never received any -harm from them. She occupied her own carriage, and was accompanied by a -maid, a nurse, a footman, and the coachman who had persuaded her to -undertake the journey. Two-thirds of the way already lay safely behind -them, when between Lussan and Vaudras she was stopped by four, men, who -made her get out of her carriage and accompany them into the -neighbouring forest. The account of what then happened is taken from the -deposition of the maid. We copy it word for word: - -"These wretches having forced us," says she, "to walk into the forest -till we were at some distance from the high road, my poor mistress grew -so tired that she begged the man who walked beside her to allow her to -lean on his shoulder. He looking round and seeing that they had reached -a lonely spot, replied, 'We need hardly go any farther,' and made us sit -dawn on a plot of grass which was to be the scene of our martyrdom. My -poor mistress began to plead with the barbarians in the most touching -manner, and so sweetly that she would have softened the heart of a -demon. She offered them her purse, her gold waistband, and a fine -diamond which she drew from her finger; but nothing could move these -tigers, and one of them said, 'I am going to kill all the Catholics at -once, and shall be gin with you.' 'What will you gain by my death?' -asked my mistress. 'Spare my life.'--'No; shut up!' replied he. 'You -shall die by my hand. Say your prayers.' My good mistress threw herself -at once on her knees and prayed aloud that God would show mercy to her -and to her murderers, and while she was thus praying she received a -pistol-shot in her left breast, and fell; a second assassin cut her -across the face with his sword, and a third dropped a large stone on her -head, while the fourth killed the nurse with a shot from his pistol. -Whether it was that they had no more loaded firearms, or that they -wished to save their ammunition, they were satisfied with only giving me -several bayonet wounds. I pretended to be dead: they thought it was -really the case, and went away. Some time after, seeing that everything -had become quiet, and hearing no sound, I dragged myself, dying as I -was, to where my dear mistress lay, and called her. As it happened, she -was not quite dead, and she said in a faint voice, 'Stay with me, Suzon, -till I die.' She added, after a short pause, for she was hardly able to -speak, 'I die for my religion, and I hope that God will have pity on me. -Tell my husband that I confide our little one to his care.' Having said -this, she turned her thoughts from the world, praying to God in broken -and tender words, and drew her last breath as the night fell." - -In obedience to Cavalier's orders, the four criminals were taken and -brought before him. He was then with his troops near Saint-Maurice de -Casevielle; he called a council of war, and having had the prisoners -tried for their atrocious deed, he summed up the evidence in as clear a -manner as any lawyer could have done, and called upon the judges to -pronounce sentence. All the judges agreed that the prisoners should be -put to death, but just as the sentence was made known one of the -assassins pushed aside the two men who guarded him, and jumping down a -rock, disappeared in the forest before any attempt could be made to stop -him. The three others were shot. - -The Catholics also condemned many to be executed, but the trials -conducted by then were far from being as remarkable for honour and -justice as was that which we have just described. We may instance the -trial of a poor boy of fourteen, the son of a miller of Saint-Christol -who had been broken the wheel just a month before. For a moment the -judges hesitated to condemn so young a boy to death, but a witness -presented himself who testified that the little fellow was employed by -the fanatics to strangle Catholic children. Although no one believed the -evidence, yet it was seized-on as a pretext: the unfortunate boy was -condemned to death, and hanged without mercy an hour later. - -A great many people from the parishes devastated by M. de Julien had -taken refuge in Aussilargues, in the parish of St. Andre. Driven by -hunger and misery, they went beyond the prescribed limits in search of -means of subsistence. Planque hearing of this, in his burning zeal for -the Catholic faith resolved not to leave such a crime unpunished. He -despatched a detachment of soldiers to arrest the culprits: the task was -easy, for they were all once more inside the barrier and in their beds. -They were seized, brought to St. Andre's Church and shut in; then, -without trial of any kind,--they were taken, five at a time, and -massacred: some were shot and some cut down with sword or axe; all were -killed without exception--old and young women and children. One of the -latter, who had received three shots was still able to raise his head -and cry, "Where is father? Why doesn't he come and take me away." - -Four men and a young girl who had taken refuge in the town of Lasalle, -one of the places granted to the houseless villagers as an asylum, asked -and received formal permission from the captain of the Soissonais -regiment, by name Laplace, to go home on important private business, on -condition that they returned the same night. They promised, and in the -intention of keeping this promise they all met on their way back at a -small farmhouse. Just as they reached it a terrible storm came on. The -men were for continuing their way in spite of the weather, but the young -girl besought them to wait till daylight, as she did not dare to venture -out in the dark during such a storm, and would die of fright if left -alone at the farm. The men, ashamed to desert their companion, who was -related to one of them, yielded to her entreaties and remained, hoping -that the storm would be a sufficient excuse for the delay. As soon as it -was light, the five resumed their journey. But the news of their crime -had reached the ears of Laplace before they got back. They were -arrested, and all their excuses were of no avail. Laplace ordered the -men to be taken outside the town and shot. The young girl was condemned -to be hanged; and the sentence was to be carried out that very day, but -some nuns who had been sent for to prepare her for death, having vainly -begged Laplace to show mercy, entreated the girl to declare that she -would soon become a mother. She indignantly refused to save her life at -the cost of her good name, so the nuns took the lie on themselves and -made the necessary declaration before the captain, begging him if he had -no pity for the mother to spare the child at least, by granting a -reprieve till it should be born. The captain was not for a moment -deceived, but he sent for a midwife and ordered her to examine the young -girl. At the end of half an hour she declared that the assertion of the -nuns was true. - -"Very well," said the captain: "let them both be kept in prison for -three months; if by the end of that time the truth of this assertion is -not self-evident, both shall be hanged." When this decision was made -known to the poor woman, she was overcome by fear, and asked to see the, -captain again, to whom she confessed that, led away by the entreaties of -the nuns, she had told a lie. - -Upon this, the woman was sentenced to be publicly whipped, and the young -girl hanged on a gibbet round which were placed the corpses of the four -men of whose death she was the cause. - -As may easily be supposed, the "Cadets of the Cross" vied with both -Catholics and Protestants in the work of destruction. One of their bands -devoted itself to destroying everything belonging to the new converts -from Beaucaire to Nimes. They killed a woman and two children at -Campuget, an old man of eighty at a farm near Bouillargues, several -persons at Cicure, a young girl at Caissargues, a gardener at Nimes, and -many other persons, besides carrying off all the flocks, furniture, and -other property they could lay hands on, and burning down the farmhouses -of Clairan, Loubes, Marine, Carlot, Campoget Miraman, La Bergerie, and -Larnac--all near St. Gilies and Manduel. "They stopped travellers on the -highways," says Louvreloeil, "and by way of finding out whether they -were Catholic or not, made them say in Latin the Lord's Prayer, the Ave -Maria, the Symbol of the Faith, and the General Confession, and those -who were unable to do this were put to the sword. In Dions nine corpses -were found supposed to have been killed by their hands, and when the -body of a shepherd who had been in the service of the Sieur de -Roussiere, a former minister, was found hanging to a tree, no one -doubted who were the murderers. At last they went so far that one of -their bands meeting the Abbe de Saint Gilles on the road, ordered him to -deliver up to them one of his servants, a new convert, in order to put -him to death. It was in vain that the abbe remonstrated with them, -telling them it was a shame to put such an affront on a man of his birth -and rank; they persisted none the less in their determination, till at -last the abbe threw his arms round his servant and presented his own -body to the blows directed at the other." - -The author of The Troubles in the Cevennes relates something surpassing -all this which took place at Montelus on the 22nd February "There were a -few Protestants in the place," he says, "but they were far outnumbered -by the Catholics; these being roused by a Capuchin from Bergerac, formed -themselves into a body of 'Cadets of the Cross,' and hastened to serve -their apprenticeship to the work of assassination at the cost of their -countrymen. They therefore entered the house of one Jean Bernoin, cut -off his ears and further mutilated him, and then bled him to death like -a pig. On coming out of this house they met Jacques Clas, and shot him -in the abdomen, so that his intestines obtruded; pushing them back, he -reached his house in a terrible condition, to the great alarm of his -wife, who was near her confinement, and her children, who hastened to -the help of husband and father. But the murderers appeared on the -threshold, and, unmoved by the cries and tears of the unfortunate wife -and the poor little children, they finished the wounded man, and as the -wife made an effort to prevent them, they murdered her also, treating -her dead body, when they discovered her condition, in a manner too -revolting for description; while a neighbour, called Marie Silliot, who -tried to rescue the children, was shot dead; but in her case they did -not pursue their vengeance any further. They then went into the open -country and meeting Pierre and Jean Bernard, uncle and nephew, one aged -forty-five and the other ten, seized on them both, and putting a pistol -into the hands of the child, forced him to shoot his uncle. In the -meantime the boy's father had come up, and him they tried to constrain -to shoot his son; but finding that no threats had any effect, they ended -by killing both, one by the sword, the other by the bayonet. - -"The reason why they put an end to father and son so quickly was that -they had noticed three young girls of Bagnols going towards a grove of -mulberry trees, where they were raising silk-worms. The men followed -them, and as it was broad daylight and the girls were therefore not -afraid, they soon came up with them. Having first violated them, they -hung them by the feet to a tree, and put them to death in a horrible -manner." - -All this took place in the reign of Louis the Great, and for the greater -glory of the Catholic religion. - -History has preserved the names of the five wretches who perpetrated -these crimes: they were Pierre Vigneau, Antoine Rey, Jean d'Hugon, -Guillaume, and Gontanille. - - - - -CHAPTER III - - -Such crimes, of which we have only described a few, inspired horror in -the breasts of those who were neither maddened by fanaticism nor -devoured by the desire of vengeance. One of these, a Protestant, Baron -d'Aygaliers, without stopping to consider what means he had at his -command or what measures were the best to take to accomplish his object, -resolved to devote his life to the pacification of the Cevennes. The -first thing to be considered was, that if the Camisards were ever -entirely destroyed by means of Catholic troops directed by de Baville, -de Julien, and de Montrevel, the Protestants, and especially the -Protestant nobles who had never borne arms, would be regarded as -cowards, who had been prevented by fear of death or persecution from -openly taking the part of the Huguenots: He was therefore convinced that -the only course to pursue was to get, his co-religionists to put an end -to the struggle themselves, as the one way of pleasing His Majesty and -of showing him how groundless were the suspicions aroused in the minds -of men by the Catholic clergy. - -This plan presented, especially to Baron d'Aygaliers, two apparently -insurmountable difficulties, for it could only be carried out by -inducing the king to relax his rigorous measures and by inducing the -Camisards to submit. Now the baron had no connection with the court, and -was not personally acquainted with a single Huguenot chief. - -The first thing necessary to enable the baron to begin his efforts was a -passport for Paris, and he felt sure that as he was a Protestant neither -M. de Baville nor M. de Montrevel would give him one. A lucky accident, -however, relieved his embarrassment and strengthened his resolution, for -he thought he saw in this accident the hand of Providence. - -Baron d'Aygaliers found one day at the house of a friend a M. de -Paratte, a colonel in the king's army, and who afterwards became -major-general, but who at the time we are speaking of was commandant at -Uzes. He was of a very impulsive disposition, and so zealous in matters -relating to the Catholic religion and in the service of the king, that -he never could find himself in the presence of a Protestant without -expressing his indignation at those who had taken up arms against their -prince, and also those who without taking up arms encouraged the rebels -in their designs. M. d'Aygaliers understood that an allusion was meant -to himself, and he resolved to take advantage of it. - -So the next day he paid a visit to M. de Paratte, and instead of -demanding satisfaction, as the latter quite expected, for the rudeness -of his remarks on the previous day, he professed himself very much -obliged for what he had said, which had made such a deep impression on -him that he had made up his mind to give proof of his zeal and loyalty -by going to Paris and petitioning the king for a position at court. De -Paratte, charmed with what he had heard, and enchanted with his convert, -embraced d'Aygaliers, and gave him, says the chronicler, his blessing; -and with the blessing a passport, and wished him all the success that a -father could wish for his son. D'Aygaliers had now attained his object, -and furnished with the lucky safe-conduct, he set out for Paris, without -having communicated his intentions to anyone, not even to his mother. - -On reaching Paris he put up at a friend's house, and drew up a statement -of his plan: it was very short and very clear. - -"The undersigned has the honour to point out humbly to His Majesty: - -"That the severities and the persecutions which have been employed by -some of the village priests have caused many people in the country -districts to take up arms, and that the suspicions which new converts -excited have driven a great many of them to join the insurgents. In -taking this step they were also impelled by the desire to avoid -imprisonment or removal from their homes, which were the remedies chosen -to keep them in the old faith. This being the case, he thinks that the -best means of putting an end to this state of things would be to take -measures exactly the contrary of those which produced it, such as -putting an end to the persecutions and permitting a certain number of -those of the Reformed religion to bear arms, that they might go to the -rebels and tell them that far from approving of their actions the -Protestants as a whole wished to bring them back to the right way by -setting them a good example, or to fight against them in order to show -the king and France, at the risk of their lives, that they disapproved -of the conduct of their co-religionists, and that the priests had been -in the wrong in writing to the court that all those of the Reformed -religion were in favour of revolt." - -D'Aygaliers hoped that the court would adopt this plan; for if they did, -one of two things must happen: either the Camisards, by refusing to -accept the terms offered to them, would make themselves odious to their -brethren (for d'Aygaliers intended to take with him on his mission of -persuasion only men of high reputation among the Reformers, who would be -repelled by the Camisards if they refused to submit), or else; by laying -down their arms and submitting, they would restore peace to the South of -France, obtain liberty of worship, set free their brethren from the -prisons and galleys, and come to the help of the king in his war against -the allied powers, by supplying him in a moment with a large body of -disciplined troops ready to take the field against his enemies; for not -only would the Camisards, if they were supplied with officers, be -available for this purpose, but also those troops which were at the -moment employed in hunting down the Camisards would be set free for this -important duty. - -This proposition was so clear and promised to produce such useful -results, that although the prejudice against the Reformers was very -strong, Baron d'Aygaliers found supporters who were at once intelligent -and genuine in the Duke de Chevreuse and the Duke de Montfort, his son. -These two gentlemen brought about a meeting between the baron and -Chamillard, and the latter presented him to the Marechal de Villars, to -whom he showed his petition, begging him to bring it to the notice of -the king; but M. de Villars, who was well acquainted with the obstinacy -of Louis, who, as Baron de Peken says, "only saw the Reformers through -the spectacles of Madame de Maintenon," told d'Aygaliers that the last -thing he should do would be to give the king any hint of his plans, -unless he wished to see them come to nothing; on the contrary, he -advised him to go at once to Lyons and wait there for him, M. de -Villars; for he would probably be passing through that town in a few -days, being almost certain to be appointed governor of Languedoc in -place of M. de Montrevel, who had fallen under the king's displeasure -and was about to be recalled. In the course of the three interviews -which d'Aygaliers had had with M. de Villars, he had become convinced -that de Villars was a man capable of understanding his object; he -therefore followed his advice, as he believed his knowledge of the king -to be correct, and left Paris for Lyons. - -The recall of M. de Montrevel had been brought about in the following -manner:--M. de Montrevel having just come to Uzes, learned that Cavalier -and his troops were in the neighbourhood of Sainte-Chatte; he -immediately sent M. de La Jonquiere, with six hundred picked marines and -some companies of dragoons from the regiment of Saint-Sernin, but half -an hour later, it having occurred to him that these forces were not -sufficient, he ordered M. de Foix, lieutenant of the dragoons of -Fimarqon, to join M. de La Jonquiere at Sainte-Chatte with a hundred -soldiers of his regiment, and to remain with him if he were wanted; if -not, to return the same night. - -M de Foix gave the necessary orders, chose a hundred of his bravest men, -put himself at their head, and joined M. de La Jonquiere, showing him -his orders; but the latter, confiding in the courage of his soldiers and -unwilling to share with anyone the glory of a victory of which he felt -assured, not only sent away M. de Foix, but begged him to go back to -Uzes, declaring to him that he had enough troops to fight and conquer -all the Camisards whom he might encounter; consequently the hundred -dragoons whom the lieutenant had brought with him were quite useless at -Sainte-Chatte, while on the contrary they might be very necessary -somewhere else. M. de Foix did not consider that it was his duty to -insist on remaining under these circumstances, and returned to Uzes, -while M. de La Jonquiere continued his route in order to pass the night -at Moussac. Cavalier left the town by one gate just as M. de La -Jonquiere entered at the other. The wishes of the young Catholic -commander were thus in a fair way to be fulfilled, for in all -probability he would come up with his enemy the next day. - -As the village was inhabited for the most part by new converts, the -night instead of being spent in repose was devoted to pillage. - -The next day the Catholic troops reached Moussac, which they found -deserted, so they went on to Lascours-de-Gravier, a little village -belonging to the barony of Boucairan, which M. de La Jonquiere gave up -to pillage, and where he had four Protestants shot--a man, a woman, and -two young girls. He then resumed his route. As it had rained, he soon -came on the trail of the Camisards, the terrible game which he was -hunting down. For three hours he occupied himself in this pursuit, -marching at the head of his troops, lest someone else less careful than -he should make some mistake, when, suddenly raising his eyes, he -perceived the Camisards on a small eminence called Les Devois de -Maraignargues. This was the spot they had chosen to await attack in, -being eager for the approaching combat. - -As soon as Cavalier saw the royals advancing, he ordered his men, -according to custom, to offer up prayers to God, and when these were -finished he disposed his troops for battle. His plan was to take up -position with the greater part of his men on the other side of a ravine, -which would thus form a kind of moat between him and the king's -soldiers; he also ordered about thirty horsemen to make a great round, -thus reaching unseen a little wood about two hundred yards to his left, -where they could conceal themselves; and lastly, he sent to a point on -the right sixty foot-soldiers chosen from his best marksmen, whom he -ordered not to fire until the royal forces were engaged in the struggle -with him. - -M de La Jonquiere having approached to within a certain distance, -halted, and sent one of his lieutenants named de Sainte-Chatte to make a -reconnaissance, which he did, advancing beyond the men in ambush, who -gave no sign of their existence, while the officer quietly examined the -ground. But Sainte-Chatte was an old soldier of fortune and not easily -taken in, so on his return, while explaining the plan of the ground -chosen by Cavalier for the disposition of his troops to M. de La -Jonquiere, he added that he should be very much astonished if the young -Camisard had not employed the little wood on his left and the lie of the -ground on his right as cover for soldiers in ambush; but M. de La -Jonquiere returned that the only thing of importance was to know the -position of the principal body of troops in order to attack it at once. -Sainte-Chatte told him that the principal body was that which was before -his eyes, and that on this subject there could be no mistake; for he had -approached near enough to recognise Cavalier himself in the front rank. - -This was enough for M. de La Jonquiere: he put himself at the head of -his men and rode straight to the ravine, beyond which Cavalier and his -comrades awaited him in order of battle. Having got within a -pistol-shot, M. de La Jonquiere gave the order to fire, but he was so -near that Cavalier heard the words and saw the motion made by the men as -they made ready; he therefore gave a rapid sign to his men, who threw -themselves on their faces, as did their leader, and the bullets passed -over them without doing any harm M.M. de La Jonquiere, who believed them -all dead, was astonished when Cavalier and his Camisards rose up and -rushed upon the royal troops, advancing to the sound of a psalm. At a -distance of ten paces they fired, and then charged the enemy at the -point of the bayonet. At this moment the sixty men in ambush to the -right opened fire, while the thirty horsemen to the left, uttering loud -shouts, charged at a gallop. Hearing this noise, and seeing death -approach them in three different directions, the royals believed -themselves surrounded, and did not attempt to make a stand; the men, -throwing away their weapons, took to their heels, the officers alone and -a few dragoons whom they had succeeded in rallying making a desperate -resistance. - -Cavalier was riding over the field of battle, sabring all the fugitives -whom he met, when he caught sight of a group, composed of ten naval -officers; standing close together and back to back, spontoon in hand, -facing the Camisards, who surrounded them. He spurred up to them, -passing through the ranks of his soldiers, and not pausing till he was -within fifteen paces of them, although they raised their weapons to -fire. Then making a sign with his hand that he wished to speak to them, -he said, "Gentlemen, surrender. I shall give quarter, and in return for -the ten lives I now spare you, will ask that my father, who is in prison -at Nimes, be released." - -For sole answer, one of the officers fired and wounded the young chief's -horse in the head. Cavalier drew a pistol from his belt, took aim at the -officer and killed him, then turning again to the others, he asked, -"Gentlemen, are you as obstinate as your comrade, or do you accept my -offer?" A second shot was the reply, and a bullet grazed his shoulder. -Seeing that no other answer was to be hoped for, Cavalier turned to his -soldiers. "Do your duty," said he, and withdrew, to avoid seeing the -massacre. The nine officers were shot. - -M de La Jonquiere, who had received a slight wound in the cheek, -abandoned his horse in order to climb over a wall. On the other side he -made a dragoon dismount and give him his horse, on which he crossed the -river Gardon, leaving behind him on the battlefield twenty-five officers -and six hundred soldiers killed. This defeat was doubly disastrous to -the royal cause, depriving it of the flower of its officers, almost all -of those who fell belonging to the noblest families of France, and also -because the Camisards gained what they so badly needed, muskets, swords, -and bayonets in great quantities, as well as eighty horses, these latter -enabling Cavalier to complete the organisation of a magnificent troop of -cavalry. - -The recall of the Marechal de Montrevel was the consequence of this -defeat, and M. de Villars, as he had anticipated, was appointed in his -place. But before giving up his governorship Montrevel resolved to -efface the memory of the check which his lieutenant's foolhardiness had -caused, but for which, according to the rules of war, the general had to -pay the penalty. His plan was by spreading false rumours and making -feigned marches to draw the Camisards into a trap in which they, in -their turn, would be caught. This was the less difficult to accomplish -as their latest great victory had made Cavalier over confident both in -himself and his men. - -In fact, since the incident connected with the naval officers the troops -of Cavalier had increased enormously in numbers, everyone desiring to -serve under so brave a chief, so that he had now under him over one -thousand infantry and two hundred cavalry; they were furnished, besides, -just like regular troops, with a bugler for the cavalry, and eight drums -and a fife for the infantry. - -The marechal felt sure that his departure would be the signal for some -expedition into the level country under Cavalier, so it was given out -that he had left for Montpellier, and had sent forward some of his -baggage-waggons to that place. On April 15th he was informed that -Cavalier, deceived by the false news, had set out on the 16th April, -intending to pass the night at Caveyrac, a small town about a league -from Nimes, that he might be ready next day to make a descent on La -Vannage. This news was brought to M. de Montrevel by a village priest -called Verrien, who had in his pay vigilant and faithful spies in whom -he had every confidence. - -Montrevel accordingly ordered the commandant of Lunel, M. de Grandval, -to set out the next day, very early in the morning, with the Charolais -regiment and five companies of the Fimarcon and Saint-Sernin dragoons, -and to repair to the heights of Boissieres, where instructions would -await him. Sandricourt, governor of Nimes, was at the same time directed -to withdraw as many men as possible from the garrison, both Swiss and -dragoons, and send them by night towards Saint-Come and Clarensac; -lastly, he himself set out, as he had said, but instead of going on to -Montpellier, he stopped at Sommieres, whence he could observe the -movements of Cavalier. - -Cavalier, as M. de Montrevel already knew, was to sleep on the 15th at -Caveyrac. On this day Cavalier reached the turning-point in his -magnificent career. As he entered the town with his soldiers, drums -beating and flags flying, he was at the zenith of his power. He rode the -splendid horse M. de La Jonquiere had abandoned in his flight; behind -him, serving as page, rode his young brother, aged ten, followed by four -grooms; he was preceded by twelve guards dressed in red; and as his -colleague Roland had taken the title of Comte, he allowed himself to be -called Duke of the Cevennes. - -At his approach half of the garrison, which was commanded by M. de -Maillan, took possession of the church and half of the citadel; but as -Cavalier was more bent on obtaining food and rest for his soldiers than -of disturbing the town, he billeted his men on the townspeople, and -placed sentinels at the church and fortress, who exchanged shots all the -night through with the royal troops. The next morning, having destroyed -the fortifications, he marched out of the town again, drums beating and -flags flying as before. When almost in sight of Nimes he made his -troops, which had never before been so numerous or so brilliant, perform -a great many evolutions, and then continued his way towards Nages. - -M de Montrevel received a report at nine o'clock in the morning of the -direction Cavalier and his troops had taken, and immediately left -Sommieres, followed by six companies of Fimarqon dragoons, one hundred -Irish free-lances, three hundred rank and file of the Hainault regiment, -and one company each of the Soissonnais, Charolais, and Menon regiments, -forming in all a corps over nine hundred strong. They took the direction -of Vaunages, above Clarensac; but suddenly hearing the rattle of -musketry behind them, they wheeled and made for Langlade. - -They found that Grandval had already encountered the Camisards. These -being fatigued had withdrawn into a hollow between Boissieres and the -windmill at Langlade, in order to rest. The infantry lay down, their -arms beside them; the cavalry placed themselves at the feet of their -horses, the bridle on arm. Cavalier himself, Cavalier the indefatigable, -broken by the fatigues of the preceding days, had fallen asleep, with -his young brother watching beside him. Suddenly he felt himself shaken -by the arm, and rousing up, he heard on all sides cries of "Kill! Kill!" -and "To arms! To arms!" Grandval and his men, who had been sent to find -out where the Camisards were, had suddenly come upon them. - -The infantry formed, the cavalry sprang to their saddles, Cavalier -leaped on his horse, and drawing his sword, led his soldiers as usual -against the dragoons, and these, as was also usual, ran away, leaving -twelve of their number dead on the field. The Camisard cavalry soon gave -up the pursuit, as they found themselves widely separated from the -infantry and from their leader; for Cavalier had been unable to keep up -with them, his horse having received a bullet through its neck. - -Still they followed the flying dragoons for a good hour, from time to -time a wounded dragoon falling from his horse, till at last the Camisard -cavalry found itself confronted by the Charolais regiment, drawn up in -battle array, and behind them the royal dragoons, who had taken refuge -there, and were re-forming. - -Carried on by the rapidity of their course, the Camisards could not pull -up till they were within a hundred yards of the enemy; they fired once, -killing several, then turned round and retreated. - -When a third of the way, back had been covered, they met their chief, -who had found a fresh horse by the wayside standing beside its dead -master. He arrived at full gallop, as he was anxious to unite his -cavalry and infantry at once, as he had seen the forces of the marechal -advancing, who, as we have already said, had turned in the direction of -the firing. Hardly had Cavalier effected the desired junction of his -forces than he perceived that his retreat was cut off. He had the royal -troops both before and behind him. - -The young chief saw that a desperate dash to right or left was all that -remained to him, and not knowing this country as well as the Cevennes, -he asked a peasant the way from Soudorgues to Nages, that being the only -one by which he could escape. There was no time to inquire whether the -peasant was Catholic or Protestant; he could only trust to chance, and -follow the road indicated. But a few yards from the spot where the road -from Doudorgues to Nages joins the road to Nimes he found himself in -face of Marechal Montrevel's troops under the command of Menon. However, -as they hardly outnumbered the Camisards, these did not stop to look for -another route, but bending forward in their saddles, they dashed through -the lines at full gallop, taking the direction of Nages, hoping to reach -the plain round Calvisson. But the village, the approaches, the issues -were all occupied by royal troops, and at the same time Grandval and the -marechal joined forces, while Menon collected his men together and -pushed forward. Cavalier was completely surrounded: he gave the -situation a comprehensive glance--his foes, were five to one. - -Rising in his stirrups, so that he could see over every head, Cavalier -shouted so loud that not only his own men heard but also those of the -enemy: "My children, if our hearts fail us now, we shall be taken and -broken on the wheel. There is only one means of safety: we must cut our -way at full gallop through these people. Follow me, and keep close -order!" - -So speaking, he dashed on the nearest group, followed by all his men, -who formed a compact mass; round which the three corps of royal troops -closed. Then there was everywhere a hand-to-hand battle there was no -time to load and fire; swords flashed and fell, bayonets stabbed, the -royals and the Camisards took each other by the throat and hair. For an -hour this demoniac fight lasted, during which Cavalier lost five hundred -men and slew a thousand of the enemy. At last he won through, followed -by about two hundred of his troops, and drew a long breath; but finding -himself in the centre of a large circle of soldiers, he made for a -bridge, where alone it seemed possible to break through, it being only -guarded by a hundred dragoons. - -He divided his men into two divisions, one to force the bridge, the -other to cover the retreat. Then he faced his foes like a wild boar -driven to bay. - -Suddenly loud shouts behind him announced that the bridge was forced; -but the Camisards, instead of keeping the passage open for their leader, -scattered over the plain and sought safety in flight. But a child threw -himself before them, pistol in hand. It was Cavalier's young brother, -mounted on one of the small wild horses of Camargues of that Arab breed -which was introduced into Languedoc by the Moors from Spain. Carrying a -sword and carbine proportioned to his size, the boy addressed the flying -men. "Where are you going?" he cried, "Instead of running away like -cowards, line the river banks and oppose the enemy to facilitate my -brother's escape." Ashamed of having deserved such reproaches, the -Camisards stopped, rallied, lined the banks of the river, and by keeping -up a steady fire, covered Cavalier's retreat, who crossed without having -received a single wound, though his horse was riddled with bullets and -he had been forced to change his sword three times. - -Still the combat raged; but gradually Cavalier managed to retreat: a -plain cut by trenches, the falling darkness, a wood which afforded -cover, all combined to help him at last. Still his rearguard, harassed -by the enemy, dotted the ground it passed over with its dead, until at -last both victors and vanquished were swallowed up by night. The fight -had lasted ten hours, Cavalier had lost more than five hundred men, and -the royals about a thousand. - -"Cavalier," says M. de Villars, in his Memoirs, "acted on this day in a -way which astonished everyone. For who could help being astonished to -see a nobody, inexperienced in the art of warfare, bear himself in such -difficult and trying circumstances like some great general? At one -period of the day he was followed everywhere by a dragoon; Cavalier shot -at him and killed his horse. The dragoon returned the shot, but missed. -Cavalier had two horses killed under him; the first time he caught a -dragoon's horse, the second time he made one of his own men dismount and -go on foot." - -M de Montrevel also showed himself to be a gallant soldier; wherever -there was danger there was he, encouraging officers and soldiers by his -example: one Irish captain was killed at his side, another fatally -wounded, and a third slightly hurt. Grandval, on his part, had performed -miracles: his horse was shot under him, and M. de Montrevel replaced it -by one of great value, on which he joined in the pursuit of the -Camisards. After this affair M. de Montrevel gave up his place to M. de -Villars, leaving word for Cavalier that it was thus he took leave of his -friends. - -Although Cavalier came out of this battle with honour, compelling even -his enemies to regard him as a man worthy of their steel, it had -nevertheless destroyed the best part of his hopes. He made a halt-near -Pierredon to gather together the remnant of his troops, and truly it was -but a remnant which remained. Of those who came back the greater number -were without weapons, for they had thrown them away in their flight. -Many were incapacitated for service by their wounds; and lastly, the -cavalry could hardly be said to exist any longer, as the few men who -survived had been obliged to abandon their horses, in order to get -across the high ditches which were their only cover from the dragoons -during the flight. - -Meantime the royalists were very active, and Cavalier felt that it would -be imprudent to remain long at Pierredon, so setting out during the -night, and crossing the Gardon, he buried himself in the forest of -Hieuzet, whither he hoped his enemies would not venture to follow him. -And in fact the first two days were quiet, and his troops benefited -greatly by the rest, especially as they were able to draw stores of all -kinds--wheat, hay, arms, and ammunition--from an immense cave which the -Camisards had used for a long time as a magazine and arsenal. Cavalier -now also employed it as a hospital, and had the wounded carried there, -that their wounds might receive attention. - -Unfortunately, Cavalier was soon obliged to quit the forest, in spite of -his hopes of being left in peace; for one day on his way back from a -visit to the wounded in the cave, whose existence was a secret, he came -across a hundred miquelets who had penetrated thus far, and who would -have taken him prisoner if he had not, with his, accustomed presence of -mind and courage, sprung from a rock twenty feet high. The miquelets -fired at him, but no bullet reached him. Cavalier rejoined his troops, -but fearing to attract the rest of the royalists to the -place,--retreated to some distance from the cave, as it was of the -utmost importance that it should not be discovered, since it contained -all his resources. - -Cavalier had now reached one of those moments when Fortune, tired of -conferring favours, turns her back on the favourite. The royalists had -often noticed an old woman from the village of Hieuzet going towards the -forest, sometimes carrying a basket in her hand, sometimes with a hamper -on her head, and it occurred to them that she was supplying the hidden -Camisards with provisions. She was arrested and brought before General -Lalande, who began his examination by threatening that he would have her -hanged if she did not at once declare the object of her frequent -journeys to the forest without reserve. At first she made use of all -kinds of pretexts, which only strengthened the suspicions of Lalande, -who, ceasing his questions, ordered her to be taken to the gallows and -hanged. The old woman walked to the place of execution with such a firm -step that the general began to think he would get no information from -her, but at the foot of the ladder her courage failed. She asked to be -taken back before the general, and having been promised her life, she -revealed everything. - -M de Lalande put himself at once at the head of a strong detachment of -miquelets, and forced the woman to walk before them till they reached -the cavern, which they never would have discovered without a guide, so -cleverly was the entrance hidden by rocks and brushwood. On entering, -the first thing that met their eye was the wounded, about thirty in -number. The miquelets threw themselves upon them and slaughtered them. -This deed accomplished, they went farther into the cave, which to their -great surprise contained a thousand things they never expected to find -there--heaps of grain, sacks of flour, barrels of wine, casks of brandy, -quantities of chestnuts and potatoes; and besides all this, chests -containing ointments, drugs and lint, and lastly a complete arsenal of -muskets, swords, and bayonets, a quantity of powder ready-made, and -sulphur, saltpetre, and charcoal-in short, everything necessary for the -manufacture of more, down to small mills to be turned by hand. Lalande -kept his word: the life of an old woman was not too much to give in -return for such a treasure. - -Meantime M. de Villars, as he had promised, took up Baron d'Aygaliers in -passing through Lyons, so that during the rest of the journey the -peacemaker had plenty of time to expatiate on his plans. As M. de -Villars was a man of tact and a lover of justice, and desired above all -things to bring a right spirit to bear on the performance of the duties -of his new office, in which his two predecessors had failed, he promised -the baron "to keep," as he expressed himself, his "two ears open" and -listen to both sides, and as a first proof of impartiality--he refused -to give any opinion until he had heard M. de Julien, who was coming to -meet him at Tournon. - -When they arrived at Tournon, M. de Julien was there to receive them, -and had a very different story to tell from that which M. de Villars had -heard from d'Aygaliers. According to him, the only pacific ration -possible was the complete extermination of the Camisards. He felt -himself very hardly treated in that he had been allowed to destroy only -four hundred villages and hamlets in the Upper Cevennes,--assuring de -Villars with the confidence of a man who had studied the matter -profoundly, that they should all have been demolished without exception, -and all the peasants killed to the last man. - -So it came to pass that M. de Villars arrived at Beaucaire placed like -Don Juan between the spirits of good and evil, the one advising clemency -and the other murder. M. de Villars not being able to make up his mind, -on reaching Nimes, d'Aygaliers assembled the principal Protestants of -the town, told them of his plan, showing them its practicability, so -that also joined in the good work, and drew up a document in which they -asked the marechal to allow them to take up arms and march against the -rebels, as they were determined either to bring them back into the good -way by force of example or to fight them as a proof of their loyalty. - -This petition, which was signed by several nobles and by almost all the -lawyers and merchants of the city of Nimes, was presented to M. de -Villars on Tuesday, 22nd April, 1704, by M. de Albenas, at the head of -seven or eight hundred persons of the Reformed religion. M. de Villars -received the request kindly, thanked its bearer and those who -accompanied him, assuring them that he had no doubt of the sincerity of -their professions, and that if he were in want of help he would have -recourse to them with as much confidence as if they were old Catholics. -He hoped, however, to win the rebels back by mildness, and he begged -them to second his efforts in this direction by spreading abroad the -fact that an amnesty was offered to all those who would lay down arms -and return to their houses within a week. The very next day but one, M. -de Villars set out from Nimes to visit all the principal towns, in order -to make himself acquainted with men, things, and places. - -Although the answer to the petition had been a delicate refusal, -d'Aygaliers was not discouraged, but followed M. de Villars everywhere. -When the latter arrived at Alais, the new governor sent for MM. de -Lalande and de Baville, in order to consult them as to the best means of -inducing the Camisards to lay down their arms. Baron d'Aygaliers was -summoned to this consultation, and described his plan to the two -gentlemen. As he expected, both were opposed to it; however, he tried to -bring them over to his side by presenting to them what seemed to him to -be cogent reasons for its adoption. But de Lalande and de Baville made -light of all his reasons, and rejected his proposals with such -vehemence, that the marechal, however much inclined to the side of -d'Aygaliers, did not venture to act quite alone, and said he would not -decide on any course until he reached Uzes. - -D'Aygaliers saw clearly that until he had obtained the approbation of -either the general or the intendant, he would get nothing from the -marechal. He therefore considered which of the two he should try to -persuade, and although de Baville was his personal enemy, having several -times shown his hatred for him and his family, he decided to address -himself to him. - -In consequence, the next day, to the great astonishment of M. de -Baville, d'Aygaliers paid him a visit. The intendant received him coldly -but politely, asked him to sit down, and when he was seated begged to -know the motive which had brought him. "Sir," replied the baron, "you -have given my family and me such cause of offence that I had come to the -firm resolution never to ask a favour of you, and as perhaps you may -have remarked during the journey we have taken with M. le marechal, I -would rather have died of thirst than accept a glass of water from you. -But I have come here to-day not upon any private matter, to obtain my -own ends, but upon a matter which concerns the welfare of the State. I -therefore beg you to put out of your mind the dislike which you have to -me and mine, and I do this the more earnestly that your dislike can only -have been caused by the fact that our religion is different from -yours--a thing which could neither have been foreseen nor prevented. My -entreaty is that you do not try to set M. le marechal against the course -which I have proposed to him, which I am convinced would bring the -disorders in our province to an end, stop the occurrence of the many -unfortunate events which I am sure you look on with regret, and spare -you much trouble and embarrassment." - -The intendant was much touched by this calm speech, and above all by the -confidence which M. d'Aygaliers had shown him, and replied that he had -only offered opposition to the plan of pacification because he believed -it to be impracticable. M. d'Aygaliers then warmly pressed him to try it -before rejecting it for ever, and in the end M. de Baville withdrew his -opposition. - -M d'Aygaliers hastened to the marechal, who finding himself no longer -alone in his favourable opinion, made no further delay, but told the -baron to call together that very day all the people whom he thought -suitable for the required service, and desired that they should be -presented to him the next morning before he set out for Nimes. - -The next day, instead of the fifty men whom the marachal had thought -could be gathered together, d'Aygaliers came to him followed by eighty, -who were almost all of good and many of noble family. The meeting took -place, by the wish of the baron, in the courtyard of the episcopal -palace. "This palace," says the baron in his Memoirs, "which was of -great magnificence, surrounded by terraced gardens and superbly -furnished, was occupied by Monseigneur Michel Poncet de La Riviere. He -was a man passionately devoted to pleasures of all kinds, especially to -music, women, and good cheer. There were always to be found in his house -good musicians, pretty women, and excellent wines. These latter suited -him so well that he never left the table without being in a pleasant -humour, and at such a moment if it came into his head that anyone in his -diocese was not as good a Christian as himself, he would sit down and -write to M. de Baville, urging that the delinquent ought to be sent into -exile. He often did this honour to my late father." M. d'Aygaliers goes -on to say that "on seeing such a great number of Huguenots in the court -who were all declaring that they were better servants of the king than -the Catholics, he almost fell from his balcony with vexation and -surprise. This vexation increased when he saw M. de Villars and M. de -Baville, who had apartments in the palace, come down into the court and -talk to these people. One hope still remained to him: it was that the -marechal and the intendant had come down to send them away; but this -last hope was cruelly disappointed when he heard M. de Villars say that -he accepted their service and expected them to obey d'Aygaliers in all -matters concerning the service of the king." - -But this was not all that had to be accomplished arms were necessary for -the Protestants, and though their number was not great, there was a -difficulty in finding them weapons. The unfortunate Calvinists had been -disarmed so often that even their table-knives had been carried off, so -it was useless to search their houses for guns and sabres. D'Aygaliers -proposed that they should take the arms of the townspeople, but M. de -Villars considered that it would offend the Catholics to have their arms -taken from them and given to the Protestants. In the end, however, this -was the course that had to be adopted: M. de Paratte was ordered to give -fifty muskets and the same number of bayonets to M. d'Aygaliers, who -also received, as the reward of his long patience, from M. de Villars, -before the latter left for Nimes, the following commission: - -"We, Marechal de Villars, general in the armies of the king, etc., etc., -have given permission to M. d'Aygaliers, nobleman and Protestant of the -town of Uzes, and to fifty men chosen by him, to make war on the -Camisards. - -"(Signed) "VILLARS - -"Given at Uzes, the 4th of May 1704" - -Hardly had M. de Villars set out for Nimes than d'Aygaliers met with -fresh difficulties. The bishop, who could not forget that his episcopal -palace had been turned into barracks for Huguenots, went from house to -house threatening those who had promised to countenance d'Aygaliers' -plans, and strictly forbidding the captains of the town troops to -deliver any weapons to the Protestants. Fortunately, d'Aygaliers had not -accomplished so much without having learned not to draw back when the -road grew rough, so he also on his side went about confirming the strong -and encouraging the feeble, and called on M. de Paratte to beg him to -carry out the orders of M. de Villars. De Paratte was happily an old -soldier, whose one idea was that discipline should be maintained, so -that he gave the guns and bayonets to d'Aygaliers on the spot, without a -word of objection, and thus enabled the latter to start at five o'clock -next morning with his little band. - -Meantime de Baville and de Lalande had been reflecting what great -influence d'Aygaliers would gain in the province should he succeed in -his aims, and their jealousy had made them resolve to forestall him in -his work, by themselves inducing Cavalier to abandon his present course. -They did not conceal from themselves that this would be difficult, but -as they could command means of corruption which were not within the -power of d'Aygaliers, they did not despair of success. - -They therefore sent for a countryman called Lacombe, in order to enlist -him on their side; for Cavalier, when a boy, had been his shepherd for -two years, and both had remained friends ever since: this man undertook -to try and bring about a meeting between the two gentlemen and -Cavalier--an enterprise which would have been dangerous for anyone else. -He promised first of all to explain to Cavalier the offers of MM. de -Baville and de Lalande. - -Lacombe kept his word: he set off the same day, and two days later -appeared before Cavalier. The first feeling of the young chief was -astonishment, the second pleasure. Lacombe could not have chosen a -better moment to speak of peace to his former shepherd. - -"Indeed," says Cavalier in his Memoirs, "the loss which I had just -sustained at Nages was doubly painful to me because it was irreparable. -I had lost at one blow not only a great number of weapons, all my -ammunition, and all my money, but also a body of men, inured to danger -and fatigue, and capable of any undertaking;--besides all this, I had -been robbed of my stores--a loss which made itself felt more than all -the others put together, because as long as the secret of the cavern was -kept, in all our misfortunes we were never without resources; but from -the moment it got into the possession of our enemies we were quite -destitute. The country was ravaged, my friends had grown cold, their -purses were empty, a hundred towns had been sacked and burned, the -prisons were full of Protestants, the fields were uncultivated. Added to -all this, the long promised help from England had never arrived, and the -new marechal had appeared in the province accompanied by fresh troops." - -Nevertheless, in spite of his desperate position, Cavalier listened to -the propositions laid before him by Lacombe with cold and haughty front, -and his reply was that he would never lay down arms till the Protestants -had obtained the right to the free exercise of their religion. - -Firm as was this answer, Lalande did not despair of inducing Cavalier to -come to terms: he therefore wrote him a letter with his own hand, asking -him for an interview, and pledging his word that if they came to no -agreement Cavalier should be free to retire without any harm being done -him; but he added that, if he refused this request, he should regard him -as an enemy to peace, and responsible for all the blood which might be -shed in future. - -This overture, made with a soldier's frankness, had a great effect on -Cavalier, and in order that neither his friends nor his enemies should -have the least excuse for blaming him, he resolved to show everyone that -he was eager to seize the first chance of making peace on advantageous -terms. - -He therefore replied to Lalande, that he would come to the bridge of -Avene on that very day, the 12th May, at noon, and sent his letter by -Catinat, ordering him to deliver it into the hands of the Catholic -general himself. - -Catinat was worthy of his mission. He was a peasant from Cayla, whose -real name was Abdias Maurel. He had served under Marshal Catinat in -Italy, the same who had maintained so gallant a struggle against Prince -Eugene. When Maurel returned home he could talk of nothing but his -marshal and his campaigns, so that he soon went among his neighbours by -the name of "Catinat." He was, as we have seen, Cavalier's right hand, -who had placed him in command of his cavalry, and who now entrusted him -with a still more dangerous post, that of envoy to a man who had often -said that he would give 2000 livres to him who would bring him the head -of Cavalier, and 1000 livres each for the heads of his two lieutenants. -Catinat was quite well aware of this offer of Lalande's, yet he appeared -before the general perfectly cool and calm; only, either from a feeling -of propriety or of pride, he was dressed in full uniform. - -The bold and haughty expression of the man who presented Cavalier's -letter astonished the general, who asked him his name. - -"I am Catinat," he answered. - -"Catinat!" exclaimed Lalande in surprise. - -"Yes, Catinat, commander of the cavalry of Cavalier." - -"What!" said Lalande, "are you the Catinat who massacred so many people -in Beaucaire?" - -"Yes, I am. I did it, but it was my duty." - -"Well," exclaimed M. de Lalande, "you show great hardihood in daring to -appear before me." - -"I came," said Catinat proudly, "trusting to your honour and to the -promise that Brother Cavalier gave me that nothing should happen to me." - -"He was quite right," returned Lalande, taking the letter. Having read -it, he said, "Go back to Cavalier and assure him that I shall be at the -bridge of Avene at noon, accompanied only by a few officers and thirty -dragoons. I expect to find him there with a similar number of men." - -"But," answered Catinat, "it is possible that Brother Cavalier may not -wish-to come with so poor a following." - -"If so," returned Lalande, "then tell him that he may bring his whole -army if he likes, but that I shall not take a single man with me more -than I have said; as Cavalier has confidence in me, I have confidence in -him." - -Catinat reported Lalande's answer to his chief it was of a kind that he -understood and liked, so leaving the rest of his troops at Massanes, he -chose sixty men from his infantry, and eight horsemen as escort. On -coming in sight of the bridge, he saw Lalande approaching from the other -side. He at once ordered his sixty men to halt, went a few steps farther -with his eight horsemen, and then ordered them in their turn to stop, -and advanced alone towards the bridge. Lalande had acted in the same -manner with regard to his dragoons and officers, and now dismounting, -came towards Cavalier. - -The two met in the middle of the bridge, and saluted with the courtesy -of men who had learned to esteem each other on the field of battle. Then -after a short silence, during which they examined each other, Lalande -spoke. - -"Sir," said he, "the king in his clemency desires to put an end to the -war which is going on between his subjects, and which can only result in -the ruin of his kingdom. As he knows that this war has been instigated -and supported by the enemies of France, he hopes to meet no opposition -to his wishes among those of his subjects who were momentarily led -astray, but to whom he now offers pardon." - -"Sir," answered Cavalier, "the war not having been begun by the -Protestants, they are always ready for peace--but a real peace, without -restriction or reserve. They have no right, I know, to lay down -conditions, but I hope they will be permitted to discuss those which may -be laid down for them. Speak openly, sir, and let me know what the -offers are that you have been authorised to make to us, that I may judge -if we can accept them." - -"But how would it be," said Lalande, "if you were mistaken, and if the -king desired to know what conditions you would consider reasonable?" - -"If that is so," answered Cavalier, "I will tell you our conditions at -once, in order not to prolong the negotiations; for every minute's -delay, as you know, costs someone his life or fortune." - -"Then tell me what your conditions are," returned Lalande. - -"Well," said Cavalier, "our demands are three first, liberty of -conscience; secondly, the release of all prisoners who have been -condemned to imprisonment or the galleys because of their religion; and -thirdly, that if we are not granted liberty of conscience we may be at -least permitted to leave the kingdom." - -"As far as I can judge," replied Lalande, "I do not believe that the -king will accept the first proposition, but it is possible that he may -accede to the third. In that case, how many Protestants would you take -with you?" - -"Ten thousand of all ages and both sexes." - -"The number is excessive, sir. I believe that His Majesty is not -disposed to go beyond three thousand." - -"Then," replied Cavalier, "there is nothing more to be said, for I could -not accept passports for any smaller number, and I could accept for the -ten thousand only on condition that the king would grant us three months -in which to dispose of our possessions and withdraw from the country -without being molested. Should His Majesty, however, not be pleased to -allow us to leave the kingdom, then we beg that our edicts be re-enacted -and our privileges restored, whereupon we shall become once more, what -we were formerly, His Majesty's loyal and obedient servants." - -"Sir," said Lalande, "I shall lay your conditions before M. le Marechal, -and if no satisfactory conclusion can be arrived at, it will be to me a -matter of profound regret. And now, sir, will you permit me to inspect -more closely the gallant men with whose help you have done such -astounding deeds?" Cavalier smiled; for these "gallant men" when caught -had been broken on the wheel, burnt at the stake, or hanged like -brigands. His sole answer was an inclination of the head as he turned -and led the way to his little escort. M. de Lalande followed him with -perfect confidence, and, passing by the eight horsemen who were grouped -on the road, he walked up to the infantry, and taking out of his pocket -a handful of gold, he scattered it before them, saying: - -"There, my men! that is to drink the king's health with." - -Not a man stooped to pick the money up, and one of them said, shaking -his head, - -"It is not money we want, but liberty of conscience." - -"My men," answered Lalande, "it is unfortunately not in my power to -grant your demand, but I advise you to submit to the king's will and -trust in his clemency." - -"Sir," answered Cavalier, "we are all ready to obey him, provided that -he graciously grant us our just demands; if not, we shall die weapon in -hand, rather than expose ourselves once more to such outrages as have -already been inflicted on us." - -"Your demands shall be transmitted word for word to M. de Villars, who -will lay them before the king," said Lalande, "and you may be sure, sir, -that my most sincere wish is that His Majesty may not find them -exorbitant." - -With these words, M. de Lalande saluted Cavalier, and turned to rejoin -his escort; but Cavalier, wishing to return confidence with confidence, -crossed the bridge with him, and accompanied the general to where his -soldiers had halted. There, with another salute, the two chiefs parted, -M. de Lalande taking the road to Uzes, while Cavalier rejoined his -comrades. - -Meantime d'Aygaliers, who, as we have seen, had not left Uzes until the -5th May, in order to join Cavalier, did not come up with him until the -13th, that is to say, the day after his conference with Lalande. -D'Aygaliers gives us an account of their interview, and we cannot do -better than quote it. - -"Although it was the first time that we had met face to face, we -embraced each other as if we were old acquaintances. My little band -mixed with his and sang psalms together, while Cavalier and I talked. I -was very much pleased with what, he said, and convinced him without -difficulty that he should submit for the sake of the brethren, who could -then choose whichever course best suited them, and either leave the -kingdom or serve the king. I said that I believed the last course to be -the best, provided we were allowed to worship God according to our -consciences; because I hoped that, seeing their faithful service, His -Majesty would recognise that he had been imposed upon by those who had -described us as disloyal subjects, and that we should thus obtain for -the whole nation that liberty of conscience which had been granted to -us; that in no other way, as far as I could see, could our deplorable -condition be ameliorated, for although Cavalier and his men might be -able to exist for some time longer in the forests and mountains, they -would never be strong enough to save the inhabitants of towns and other -enclosed places from perishing. - -"Upon this he replied, that although the Catholics seldom kept a promise -made to those of our religion, he was willing to risk his life for the -welfare of his brethren and the province but that he trusted if he -confided in the clemency of the king for whom he had never ceased to -pray, no harm would happen him." - -Thereupon d'Aygaliers, delighted to find him so well inclined, begged -him to give him a letter for M. de Villars, and as Cavalier knew the -marechal to be loyal and zealous, and had great confidence in him, he -wrote without any hesitation the following letter: - -"MONSEIGNEUR,--Permit me to address your Excellency in order to beg -humbly for the favour of your protection for myself and for my soldiers. -We are filled with the most ardent desire to repair the fault which we -have committed by bearing arms, not against the king, as our enemies -have so falsely asserted, but to defend our lives against those who -persecuted us, attacking us so fiercely that we believed it was done by -order of His Majesty. We know that it was written by St. Paul that -subjects ought to submit themselves to their king, and if in spite of -these sincere protestations our sovereign should still demand our blood, -we shall soon be ready to throw ourselves on his justice or his mercy; -but we should, Monseigneur, regard ourselves as happy, if His Majesty, -moved by our repentance, would grant us his pardon and receive us into -his service, according to the example of the God of mercy whose -representative His Majesty is on earth. We trust, Monseigneur, by our -faithfulness and zeal to acquire the honour of your protection, and we -glory in the thought of being permitted, under the command of such an -illustrious and noble-minded general as yourself, to shed our blood for -the king; this being so, I hope that your Excellency will be pleased to -allow me to inscribe myself with profound respect and humility, -Monseigneur, your most humble and obedient servant, "CAVALIER." - -D'Aygaliers, as soon as he got possession of this letter, set out for -Nimes in the best of spirits; for he felt sure that he was bringing M. -de Villars more than he had expected. And, indeed, as soon as the -marechal saw how far things had gone, in spite of everything that -Lalande could say, who in his jealousy asserted that d'Aygaliers would -spoil everything, he sent him back to Cavalier with an invitation to -come to Nimes. D'Aygaliers set out at once, promising to bring the young -chief back with him, at which Lalande laughed loudly, pretending to be -very much amused at the baron's confident way of speaking, and -protesting that Cavalier would not come. - -In the meantime events were happening in the mountains which might -easily have changed the state of mind of the young chief. The Comte de -Tournan, who was in command at Florae, had encountered Roland's army in -the plain of Fondmortes, and had lost two hundred men, a considerable -sum of money, and eighty mules loaded with provisions. The anxiety which -this news caused to M. de Villars was soon relieved; for six days after -the defeat he received a letter from Cavalier by the hands of Lacombe, -the same who had brought about the interview on the bridge of Avenes. In -this letter Cavalier expressed the greatest regret for what had just -happened. - -D'Aygaliers therefore found Cavalier in the best of humours when he -joined him at Tarnac. The first feeling that the young chief felt on -receiving the invitation was one of stupefaction; for an interview with -the marechal was an honour so unexpected and so great, that his -impression was that some treason lay behind it; but he was soon -reassured when he recalled the character for loyalty which the marechal -bore, and how impossible it was that d'Aygaliers should lend himself to -treachery. So Cavalier sent back word that he would obey the marechal's -orders; and that he put himself entirely into his hands in what -concerned the arrangements for the interview. M. de Villars let him know -that he would expect him on the 16th in the garden of the convent of the -Recollets of Nimes, which lay just outside the city, between the gates -of Beaucaire and the Madeleine, and that Lalande would meet him beyond -Carayrac to receive him and to bring him hostages. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - - -On the 15th May Cavalier set out from Tarnac at the head of one hundred -and sixty foot-soldiers and fifty horse; he was accompanied by his young -brother and by d'Aygaliers and Lacombe. They all passed the night at -Langlade. - -The next day they set out for Nimes, and, as had been agreed upon, were -met by Lalande between Saint-Cesaire and Carayrac. Lalande advanced to -greet Cavalier and present the hostages to him. These hostages were M. -de La Duretiere, captain of the Fimarcon regiment, a captain of -infantry, several other officers, and ten dragoons. Cavalier passed them -over to his lieutenant, Ravanel, who was in command of the infantry, and -left them in his charge at Saint-Cesaire. The cavalry accompanied him to -within a musket-shot of Nimes, and encamped upon the heights. Besides -this, Cavalier posted sentinels and mounted orderlies at all the -approaches to the camp, and even as far off as the fountain of Diana and -the tennis-court. These precautions taken, he entered the city, -accompanied by his brother, d'Aygaliers, Lacombe, and a body-guard of -eighteen cavalry, commanded by Catinat. Lalande rode on before to -announce their arrival to the marechal, whom he found waiting with MM. -de Baville and Sandricourt, in the garden of the Recollets, dreading -every moment to receive word that Cavalier had refused to come; for he -expected great results from this interview. Lalande, however, reassured -him by telling him the young Huguenot was behind. - -In a few minutes a great tumult was heard: it was the people hastening -to welcome their hero. Not a Protestant, except paralytic old people and -infants in the cradle, remained indoors; for the Huguenots, who had long -looked on Cavalier as their champion, now considered him their saviour, -so that men and women threw themselves under the feet of his horse in -their efforts to kiss the skirts of his coat. It was more like a victor -making his entry into a conquered town than a rebel chief coming to beg -for an amnesty for himself and his adherents. M. de Villars heard the -outcry from the garden of Recollets, and when he learned its cause his -esteem for Cavalier rose higher, for every day since his arrival as -governor had showed him more and more clearly how great was the young -chief's influence. The tumult increased as Cavalier came nearer, and it -flashed through the marechal's mind that instead of giving hostages he -should have claimed them. At this moment Cavalier appeared at the gate, -and seeing the marechal's guard drawn up in line, he caused his own to -form a line opposite them. The memoirs of the time tell us that he was -dressed in a coffee-coloured coat, with a very full white muslin cravat; -he wore a cross-belt from which depended his sword, and on his head a -gold-laced hat of black felt. He was mounted on a magnificent bay horse, -the same which he had taken from M. de La Jonquiere on the bloody day of -Vergenne. - -The lieutenant of the guard met him at the gate. Cavalier quickly -dismounted, and throwing the bridle of his horse to one of his men, he -entered the garden, and advanced towards the expectant group, which was -composed, as we have said, of Villars, Baville, and Sandricourt. As he -drew near, M. de Villars regarded him with growing astonishment; for he -could not believe that in the young man, or rather boy, before him he -saw the terrible Cevenol chief, whose name alone made the bravest -soldiers tremble. Cavalier at this period had just completed his -twenty-fourth year, but, thanks to his fair hair which fell in long -locks over his shoulders, and to the gentle expression of his eyes he -did not appear more than eighteen. Cavalier was acquainted with none of -the men in whose presence he stood, but he noticed M. de Villars' rich -dress and air of command. He therefore saluted him first; afterwards, -turning towards the others, he bowed to each, but less profoundly, then -somewhat embarrassed and with downcast eyes he stood motionless and -silent. The marechal still continued to look at him in silent -astonishment, turning from time to time to Baville and Sandricourt, as -if to assure himself that there was no mistake and that it was really -the man whom they expected who stood before them. At last, doubting -still, in spite of the signs they made to reassure him, he asked-- - -"Are you really Jean Cavalier?" - -"Yes, monseigneur," was the reply, given in an unsteady voice. - -"But I mean Jean Cavalier, the Camisard general, he who has assumed the -title of Duke of the Cevennes." - -"I have not assumed that title, monseigneur, only some people call me so -in joke: the king alone has the right to confer titles, and I rejoice -exceedingly, monseigneur, that he has given you that of governor of -Languedoc." - -"When you are speaking of the king, why do you not say 'His Majesty'?" -said M. de Baville. "Upon my soul, the king is too good to treat thus -with a rebel." - -The blood rushed to Cavalier's head, his face flamed, and after a -moment's pause, fixing his eye boldly upon M. de Baville, and speaking -in a voice which was now as firm as it had been tremulous a moment -before, he said, "If you have only brought me here, sir, to speak to me -in such a manner, you might better have left me in my mountains, and -come there yourself to take a lesson in hospitality. If I am a rebel, it -is not I who am answerable, for it was the tyranny and cruelty of M. de -Baville which forced us to have recourse to arms; and if history takes -exception to anything connected with the great monarch for whose pardon -I sue to-day, it will be, I hope, not that he had foes like me, but -friends like him." - -M de Baville grew pale with anger; for whether Cavalier knew to whom he -was speaking or not, his words had the effect of a violent blow full in -his face; but before he could reply M. de Villars interposed. - -"Your business is only with me, sir," he said; "attend to me alone, I -beg: I speak in the name of the king; and the king, of his clemency, -wishes to spare his subjects by treating them with tenderness." - -Cavalier opened his mouth to reply, but the intendant cut him short. - -"I should hope that that suffices," he said contemptuously: "as pardon -is more than you could have hoped for, I suppose you are not going to -insist on the other conditions you laid down?" - -"But it is precisely those other conditions," said Cavalier, addressing -himself to M. de Villars, and not seeming to see that anyone else was -present, "for which we have fought. If I were alone, sir, I should give -myself up, bound hand and foot, with entire confidence in your good -faith, demanding no assurances and exacting no conditions; but I stand -here to defend the interests of my brethren and friends who trust me; -and what is more, things have gone so far that we must either die weapon -in hand, or obtain our rights." - -The intendant was about to speak, but the marechal stopped him with such -an imperative gesture that he stepped back as if to show that he washed -his hands of the whole matter. - -"What are those rights? Are they those which M. Lalande has transmitted -to me by word of mouth?" - -"Yes, sir." - -"It would be well to commit them to writing." - -"I have done so, monseigneur, and sent a copy to M. d'Aygaliers." - -"I have not seen it, sir; make me another copy and place it in my hands, -I beg." - -"I shall go and set about it directly, monseigneur," stepping back as if -about to withdraw. - -"One moment!" said the marechal, detaining him by a smile. "Is it true -that you are willing to enter the king's army?" - -"I am more than willing, I desire it with all my heart," exclaimed -Cavalier, with the frank enthusiasm natural to his age, "but I cannot do -so till our just demands are granted." - -"But if they were granted--?" - -"Then, sir," replied Cavalier, "the king has never had more loyal -subjects than we shall be." - -"Well, have a little patience and everything will be arranged, I hope." - -"May God grant it!" said Cavalier. "He is my witness that we desire -peace beyond everything." And he took another step backwards. - -"You will not go too far away, I hope," said the marechal. - -"We shall remain wherever your excellency may appoint," said Cavalier. - -"Very well," continued M. de Villars; "halt at Calvisson, and try all -you can to induce the other leaders to follow your example." - -"I shall do my best, monseigneur; but while we await His Majesty's reply -shall we be allowed to fulfil our religious duties unimpeded?" - -"Yes, I shall give orders that you are to have full liberty in that -respect." - -"Thanks, monseigneur." - -Cavalier bowed once more, and was about to go; but M. de Villars -accompanied him and Lalande, who had now joined them, and who stood with -his hand on Cavalier's shoulder, a few steps farther. Catinat seeing -that the conference was at an end, entered the garden with his men. -Thereupon M. de Villars took leave, saying distinctly, "Adieu, Seigneur -Cavalier," and withdrew, leaving the young chief surrounded by a dozen -persons all wanting to speak to him at once. For half an hour he was -detained by questions, to all of which he replied pleasantly. On one -finger was an emerald taken from a naval officer named Didier, whom he -had killed with his own hand in the action at Devois de Martignargues; -he kept time by a superb watch which had belonged to M. d'Acqueville, -the second in command of the marines; and he offered his questioners -from time to time perfumed snuff from a magnificent snuffbox, which he -had found in the holsters when he took possession of M. de La -Jonquiere's horse. He told everyone who wished to listen that he had -never intended to revolt against the king; and that he was now ready to -shed the last drop of his blood in his service; that he had several -times offered to surrender on condition that liberty of conscience was -granted to those of the new faith, but that M. de Montrevel had always -rejected his offers, so that he had been obliged to remain under arms, -in order to deliver those who were in prison, and to gain permission for -those who were free to worship God in their own way. - -He said these things in an unembarrassed and graceful manner, hat in -hand; then passing through the crowd which had gathered outside the -garden of the Recollets, he repaired to the Hotel de la Poste for lunch, -and afterwards walked along the Esplanade to the house of one Guy -Billard, a gardener, who was his head prophet's father. As he thus moved -about he was preceded by two Camisards with drawn swords, who made way -for him; and several ladies were presented to him who were happy to -touch his doublet. The visit over, he once again passed along the -Esplanade, still preceded by his two Camisards, and just as he passed -the Little Convent he and those with him struck up a psalm tune, and -continued singing till they reached Saint-Cesaire, where the hostages -were. These he at once sent back. - -Five hundred persons from Nimes were awaiting him; refreshments were -offered to him, which he accepted gratefully, thanking all those who had -gathered together to meet him. At last he went off to St. Denoise, where -he was to sup and sleep; but before going to bed he offered up -supplications in a loud voice for the king, for M. de Villars, for M. de -Lalande, and even for M. de Baville. - -The next morning, Cavalier, according to promise, sent a copy of his -demands to M. de Villars, who caused it to be laid before the king, -along with a full report of all that had passed at the interview at -Nimes. As soon as the young chief had sent off his missive, he rejoined -his troops at Tarnac, and related all that had passed to Roland, urging -him to follow his example. That night he slept at Sauves, having passed -through Durfort at the head of his men; a captain of dragoons named -Montgros, with twenty-five soldiers, accompanying him everywhere, by M. -de Villars' orders, and seeing that the villages through which they -passed furnished him with all that was needed. They left Sauves on May -16th very early in the morning, in order to get to Calvisson, which, as -our readers may remember, was the place appointed for the residence of -Cavalier during the truce. In passing through Quissac, where they -stopped for refreshments, they were joined by Castanet who delivered a -long sermon, at which all the Protestants of the neighbourhood were -present. - -The two battalions of the Charolais regiment which were quartered at -Calvisson had received orders on the evening of the 17th to march out -next morning, so as to make room for the Camisards. - -On the 18th the head of the commissary department, Vincel, ordered -suitable accommodation to be provided for Cavalier and his troops; the -muster roll being in the hands of M. d'Aygaliers, it would be sent by -him or brought in the course of the day. In the meantime, vans were -arriving filled with all sorts of provisions, followed by droves of -cattle, while a commissary and several clerks, charged with the -distribution of rations, brought up the rear. - -On the 19th, Catinat, accompanied by twelve Camisards, rode into the -town, and was met at the barrier by the commandant and eighty -townspeople. As soon as the little band came in sight the commandant -reiterated his orders that nothing should be said or done in the town, -on pain of corporal punishment, that could offend the Camisards. - -At one o'clock P. M. Baron d'Aygaliers arrived, followed in his turn by -the chief of the commissariat, Vincel, by Captain Cappon, two other -officers named Viala and Despuech, and six dragoons. These were the -hostages Cavalier had given. - -At six o'clock there was heard a great noise; and shouts of "Cavalier! -Cavalier!" resounded on all sides. The young Cevenol was in sight, and -the whole population hastened to meet him. He rode at the head of his -cavalry, the infantry following, and the whole number--about six hundred -men--sang psalms in a loud voice. - -When they reached the church, Cavalier drew up before it with all his -men in review order, and for some time the singing went on. When it -stopped, a long prayer was offered up, which was most edifying to all -the bystanders; and this being over, Cavalier went to the quarters -assigned him, which were in the best house in Calvisson. Arrived there, -he sent out for a dozen loaves that he might judge how his men were -going to be fed; not finding them white enough, he complained to M. -Vincel, whom he sent for, and who promised that in future the bread -should be of a better quality. Having received this assurance, Cavalier -gave orders that the loaves in hand should be distributed for that day, -but probably fearing poison, he first made M. de Vincel and his clerks -taste them in his presence. These duties accomplished, he visited in -person all the gates of the town, placed guards and posted sentinels at -all the entrances and along all the avenues, the most advanced being -three-quarters of a league from the town. Besides this, he placed guards -in the streets, and a sentinel at each door of the house he occupied; in -addition, thirty guards always slept outside the door of his bedroom, -and these accompanied him as an escort when he went out; not that he was -afraid, for he was not of a mistrustful character, but that he thought -it politic to give people an exalted idea of his importance. As to his -soldiers, they were billeted on the inhabitants, and received each as -daily rations a pound of meat, a quart of wine, and two and a half -pounds of bread. - -The same day a convocation was held on the site of the old meeting-house -which had been destroyed by the Catholics. It was a very numerous -assembly, to which crowds of people came from all parts; but on the -following days it was still more numerous; for, as the news spread, -people ran with great eagerness to hear the preaching of the word of -which they had been so long deprived. D'Aygaliers tells us in his -Memoirs that--"No one could help being touched to see a whole people -just escaped from fire and sword, coming together in multitudes to -mingle their tears and sighs. So famished were they for the manna -divine, that they were like people coming out of a besieged city, after -a long and cruel famine, to whom peace has brought food in abundance, -and who, first devouring it with their eyes, then throw themselves on -it, devouring it bodily--meat, bread, and fruit--as it comes to hand. So -it was with the unfortunate inhabitants of La Vannage, and even of -places more distant still. They saw their brethren assembling in the -meadows and at the gates of Calvisson, gathering in crowds and pressing -round anyone who started singing a psalm, until at last four or five -thousand persons, singing, weeping, and praying, were gathered together, -and remained there all day, supplicating God with a devotion that went -to every heart and made a deep impression. All night the same things -went on; nothing was to be heard but preaching, singing, praying, and -prophesying." - -But if it was a time of joy for the Protestants, it was a time of -humiliation for the Catholics. "Certainly," says a contemporary -historian, "it was a very surprising thing, and quite a novelty, to see -in a province like Languedoc, where so many troops were quartered, such -a large number of villains--all murderers, incendiaries, and guilty of -sacrilege--gathered together in one place by permission of those in -command of the troops; tolerated in their eccentricities, fed at the -public expense, flattered by everyone, and courteously, received by -people sent specially to meet them." - -One of those who was most indignant at this state of things was M. de -Baville. He was so eager to put an end to it that he went to see the -governor, and told him the scandal was becoming too great in his -opinion: the assemblies ought to be put an end to by allowing the troops -to fall upon them and disperse them; but the governor thought quite -otherwise, and told Baville that to act according to his advice would be -to set fire to the province again and to scatter for ever people whom -they had got together with such difficulty. In any case, he reminded -Baville that what he objected to would be over in a few days. His -opinion was that de Baville might stifle the expression of his -dissatisfaction for a little, to bring about a great good. "More than -that," added the marechal, "the impatience of the priests is most -ridiculous. Besides your remonstrances, of which I hope I have now heard -the last, I have received numberless letters full of such complaints -that it would seem as if the prayers of the Camisards not only grated on -the ears of the clergy but flayed them alive. I should like above -everything to find out the writers of these letters, in order to have -them flogged; but they have taken good care to put no signatures. I -regard it as a very great impertinence for those who caused these -disturbances to grumble and express their disapproval at my efforts to -bring them to an end." After this speech, M. de Baville saw there was -nothing for him to do but to let things take their course. - -The course that they took turned Cavalier's head more and more; for -thanks to the injunctions of M. de Villars, all the orders that Cavalier -gave were obeyed as if they had been issued by the governor himself. He -had a court like a prince, lieutenants like a general, and secretaries -like a statesman. It was the duty of one secretary to give leave of -absence to those Camisards who had business to attend to or who desired -to visit their relations. The following is a copy of the form used for -these passports: - -"We, the undersigned, secretary to Brother Cavalier, generalissimo of -the Huguenots, permit by this order given by him to absent himself on -business for three days. - -"(Signed) DUPONT. - -"Calvisson, this----" - -And these safe-conducts were as much respected as if they had been -signed "Marechal de Villars." - -On the 22nd M. de Saint-Pierre arrived from the court, bringing the -reply of the king to the proposals which Cavalier had submitted to M. de -Lalande. What this reply was did not transpire; probably it was not in -harmony with the pacific intentions of the marechal. At last, on the -25th, the answer to the demands which Cavalier had made to M. de Villars -himself arrived. The original paper written by the Camisard chief -himself had been sent to Louis XIV, and he returned it with notes in his -own writing; thus these two hands, to one of which belonged the -shepherd's crook and to the other the sceptre, had rested on the same -sheet of paper. The following is the text of the agreement as given by -Cavalier in his Memoirs: - - "THE HUMBLE PETITION OF THE REFORMERS OF - LANGUEDOC TO THE KING - -"1. That it may please the king to grant us liberty of conscience -throughout the province, and to permit us to hold religious meetings in -every suitable place, except fortified places and walled cities. - -'Granted, on condition that no churches be built. - -"2. That all those in prison or at the galleys who have been sent there -since the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, because of their religion, -be set at liberty within six weeks from the date of this petition. - -'Granted. - -"3. That all those who have left the kingdom because of their religion -be allowed to return in freedom and safety, and that their goods and -privileges be restored to them. - -'Granted on condition that they take the oath of fidelity to the king. - -"4. That the Parliament of Languedoc be reestablished on its ancient -footing, and with all its former privileges. - -'The king reserves decision on this point. - -"5. That the province of Languedoc be exempted from the poll tax for ten -years, this to apply, to Catholics and Protestants alike, both sides -having equally suffered. - -'Refused. - -"6. That the cities of Perpignan, Montpellier, Cette, and Aiguemortes be -assigned us as cities of refuge. - -'Refused. - -"7. That the inhabitants of the Cevennes whose houses were burnt or -otherwise destroyed during the war be exempt from taxes for seven years. - -'Granted. - -"8. That it may please His Majesty to permit Cavalier to choose 2000 -men, both from among his own troops and from among those who may be -delivered from the prisons and galleys, to form a regiment of dragoons -for the service of His Majesty, and that this regiment when formed may -at once be ordered to serve His Majesty in Portugal. - -'Granted: and on condition that all the Huguenots everywhere lay down -their arms, the king will permit them to live quietly in the free -exercise of their religion.'" - -"I had been a week at Calvisson," says Cavalier in his Memoirs, "when I -received a letter from M. le Marechal de Villars ordering me to repair -to Nimes, as he wished to see me, the answer to my demands having -arrived. I obeyed at once, and was very much displeased to find that -several of my demands, and in particular the one relating to the cities -of refuge, had been refused; but M. le marechal assured me that the -king's word was better than twenty cities of refuge, and that after all -the trouble we had given him we should regard it as showing great -clemency on his part that he had granted us the greater part of what we -had asked. This reasoning was not entirely convincing, but as there was -no more time for deliberation, and as I was as anxious for peace as the -king himself, I decided to accept gracefully what was offered." - -All the further advantage that Cavalier could obtain from M. de Villars -was that the treaty should bear the date of the day on which it had been -drawn up; in this manner the prisoners who were to be set at liberty in -six weeks gained one week. - -M de Villars wrote at the bottom of the treaty, which was signed the -same day by him and M. de Baville on the part of the king, and by -Cavalier and Daniel Billard on the part of the Protestants, the -following ratification: - -"In virtue of the plenary powers which we have received from the king, -we have granted to the Reformers of Languedoc the articles above made -known. - -"MARECHAL DE VILLARS J. CAVALIER "LAMOIGNON DE BAVILLE DANIEL BILLARD - -"Given at Nimes, the 17th of May 1704" - -These two signatures, all unworthy as they were to stand beside their -own, gave such great delight to MM. de Villars and de Baville, that they -at once sent off fresh orders to Calvisson that the wants of the -Camisards should be abundantly supplied until the articles of the treaty -were executed--that is to say, until the prisoners and the galley slaves -were set at liberty, which, according to article 2 of the treaty, would -be within the next six weeks. As to Cavalier, the marechal gave him on -the spot a commission as colonel, with a pension of 1200 livres -attached, and the power of nominating the subordinate officers in his -regiment, and at the same time he handed him a captain's commission for -his young brother. - -Cavalier drew up the muster-roll of the regiment the same day, and gave -it to the marechal. It was to consist of seven hundred and twelve men, -forming fifteen companies, with sixteen captains, sixteen lieutenants, a -sergeant-major, and a surgeon-major. - -While all this was happening, Roland, taking advantage of the suspension -of hostilities, was riding up and down the province as if he were -viceroy of the Cevennes, and wherever he appeared he had a magnificent -reception. Like Cavalier, he gave leave of absence and furnished -escorts, and held himself haughtily, sure that he too would soon be -negotiating treaties on terms of equality with marshals of France and -governors of provinces. But Roland was much mistaken: M. de Villars had -made great concessions to the popularity of Cavalier, but they were the -last he intended to make. So, instead of being in his turn summoned to -Nimes, or Uzes, to confer with M. de Villars, Roland merely received an -intimation from Cavalier that he desired to speak with him on important -business. - -They met near Anduze, and Cavalier, faithful to the promise given to M. -de Villars, neglected no argument that he could think of to induce -Roland to follow his example; but Roland would listen to nothing. Then, -when Cavalier saw that arguments and promises were of no avail, he -raised his voice in anger; but Roland, laying his hand on his shoulder, -told him that his head was turned, that he should remember that he, -Roland, was his senior in command, and therefore bound by nothing that -had been promised in his name by his junior, and that he had registered -a vow in Heaven that nothing would persuade him to make peace unless -complete liberty of conscience were granted to all. The young Cevenol, -who was unaccustomed to such language, laid his hand on the hilt of his -sword, Roland, stepping back, drew his, and the consultation would have -ended in a duel if the prophets had not thrown themselves between them, -and succeeded in getting Roland to consent to one of their number, a man -much esteemed among the Huguenots, named Salomon, going back to Nimes -with Cavalier to learn from M. de Villars' own mouth what the exact -terms were which Cavalier had accepted and now offered to Roland. - -In a couple of hours Cavalier and Salomon set out together, and arrived -at Nimes on the 27th May, escorted by twenty-five men; they halted at -the tower of Magne, and the Protestants of the city came out to meet -them, bringing refreshments; then, after prayers and a hasty meal, they -advanced to the barracks and crossed the courtyards. The concourse of -people and the enthusiasm was no whit less than on Cavalier's first -entry, more than three hundred persons kissing his hands and knees. -Cavalier was dressed on this occasion in a doublet of grey cloth, and a -beaver hat, laced with gold, and adorned with a white feather. - -Cavalier and his travelling-companion went direct to the garden of the -Recollets, and hardly had they got there than MM. de Villars and de -Baville, accompanied by Lalande and Sandricourt, came out to meet them: -the conference lasted three hours, but all that could be learned of the -result was that Salomon had declared that his brethren would never lay -down their arms till full liberty of conscience had been secured to -them. In consequence of this declaration, it was decided that Cavalier -and his regiment should be despatched to Spain without delay, in order -to weaken the Calvinist forces to that extent; meantime Salomon was sent -back to Roland with a positive promise that if he would surrender, as -Cavalier had done, he would be granted the same conditions--that is to -say, receive a commission as colonel, have the right to name the -officers of his regiment, and receive a pension of 1200 livres. On -quitting the garden of the Recollets, Cavalier found as great a crowd as -ever waiting for him, and so closely did they press on him that two of -his men were obliged to ride before him with drawn sabres to clear a way -for him till the Montpellier road was reached. He lay that night at -Langlade, in order to rejoin his troops early next morning. - -But during his absence things had happened among these men, who had -hitherto obeyed him blindly, which he little expected. He had left, as -usual, Ravanel in command; but hardly had he ridden away when Ravanel -began to take all kinds of precautions, ordering the men not to lay -aside their arms. The negotiations with M. de Villars had made him most -anxious; he looked upon all the promises given as snares, and he -regarded the compromise favoured by his chief as a defection on -Cavalier's part. He therefore called all the officers and men together, -told them of his fears, and ended by imbuing them with his suspicions. -This was all the more easily done, as it was very well known that -Cavalier had joined the Huguenots less from devotion to the cause than -to avenge a private wrong, and on many occasions had given rise to the -remark that he had more genius than religion. - -So, on getting back to Calvisson, the young chief found his principal -officers, Ravanel at their head, drawn up in the market-place, waiting -for him. As soon as he drew near they told him that they were determined -to know at once what were the conditions of the treaty he had signed -with the marechal; they had made up their minds to have a plain answer -without delay. Such a way of speaking to him was so strange and -unexpected, that Cavalier shrugged his shoulders and replied that such -matters were no business of theirs, being too high for their -intelligence; that it was his business to decide what course to take and -theirs to take it; it had always been so in the past, and with the help -of God and his own, Cavalier's, goodwill, it should still be so in -future; and having so spoken, he told them to disperse. Ravanel upon -this came forward, and in the name of all the others said they would not -go away until they knew what orders Cavalier was about to give the -troops, that they might consult among themselves whether they should -obey them or not. This insubordination was too much for Cavalier's -patience. - -"The orders are," he said, "to put on the uniforms that are being made -for you, and to follow me to Portugal." - -The effect of such words on men who were expecting nothing less than the -re-enactment of the Edict of Nantes, can be easily imagined; the words -"coward" and "traitor" could be distinguished above the murmurs, as -Cavalier noticed with increasing astonishment. Raising himself in his -stirrups, and glancing round with that look before which they had been -used to tremble, he asked in a voice as calm as if all the demons of -anger were not raging in his heart, "Who called Jean Cavalier traitor -and coward?" - -"I," said Ravanel, crossing his arms on his breast. - -Cavalier drew a pistol from his holsters, and striking those near him -with the butt end, opened a way towards his lieutenant, who drew his -sword; but at this moment the commissary-general, Vincel, and Captain -Cappon threw themselves between the two and asked the cause of the -quarrel. - -"The cause," said Ravanel, "is that the Cadets of the Cross, led by the -'Hermit,' have just knocked out the brains of two of our brethren, who -were coming to join us, and are hindering others front attending our -meetings to worship God: the conditions of the truce having been thus -broken, is it likely they will keep those of the treaty? We refuse to -accept the treaty." - -"Sir," said Vincel, "if the 'Hermit' has done what you say, it is -against the orders of the marachal, and the misdoer will be punished; -besides, the large number of strangers at present in Calvisson ought to -be sufficient proof that no attempt has been made to prevent the new -converts from coming to the town, and it seems to me that you have been -too easily led to believe everything that malicious people have told -you." - -"I believe what I choose to believe," said Ravanel impatiently; "but -what I know and say is, that I shall never lay down arms till the king -grants us full liberty of conscience, permission to rebuild our places -of worship, and sends us back all prisoners and exiles." - -"But, judging by your tone," said Cavalier, who had till now remained -silent while toying with his pistol, "you seem to be in command here; -have we changed, parts without my being aware?" - -"It is possible," said Ravanel. - -Cavalier burst out laughing. - -"It seems to astonish you," said Ravanel, "but it is true. Make peace -for yourself, lay down what conditions suit you, sell yourself for -whatever you will bring; my only reply is, You are a coward and a -traitor. But as to the troops, they will not lay down arms except on the -conditions formulated by me." - -Cavalier tried to get at Ravanel, but seeing from his paleness and his -smile that terrible things would happen if he reached his lieutenant, -Vincel and Cappon, backed by some Camisards, threw themselves before his -horse. Just then the whole band shouted with one voice, "No peace! no -peace! no reconciliation till our temples are restored!" Cavalier then -saw for the first time that things were more serious than he had -believed, but Vincel, Cappon, Berlie, and about twenty Camisards -surrounded the young chief and forced him to enter a house; it was the -house of Vincel. - -They had hardly got indoors when the 'generale' was sounded: resisting -all entreaties, Cavalier sprang to the door, but was detained by Berlie, -who said that the first thing he ought to do was to write M. de Villars -an account of what had happened, who would then take measures to put -things straight. - -"You are right," said Cavalier; "as I have so many enemies, the general -might be told if I were killed that I had broken my word. Give me pen -and ink." - -Writing materials were brought, and he wrote to M. de Villars. - -"Here," he said, giving the letter unsealed to Vincel, "set out for -Nimes and give this to the marechal, and tell him, if I am killed in the -attempt I am about to make, I died his humble servant." - -With these words, he darted out of the house and mounted his horse, -being met at the door by twelve to fifteen men who had remained faithful -to him. He asked them where Ravanel and his troops were, not seeing a -single Camisard in the streets; one of the soldiers answered that they -were probably still in town, but that they were moving towards Les -Garrigues de Calvisson. Cavalier set off at a gallop to overtake them. - -In crossing the market-place he met Catinat, walking between two -prophets, one called Moses and the other Daniel Guy; Catinat was just -back from a visit to the mountains, so that he had taken no part in the -scene of insubordination that had so lately been enacted. - -Cavalier felt a ray of hope; he was sure he could depend on Catinat as -on himself. He hurried to greet him, holding out his hand; but Catinat -drew back his. - -"What does this mean?" cried Cavalier, the blood mounting to his -forehead. - -"It means," answered Catinat, "that you are a traitor, and I cannot give -my hand to a traitor." - -Cavalier gave a cry of rage, and advancing on Catinat, raised his cane -to strike him; but Moses and Daniel Guy threw themselves between, so -that the blow aimed at Catinat fell on Moses. At the same moment -Catinat, seeing Cavalier's gesture, drew a pistol from his belt. As it -was at full cock, it went off in his hand, a bullet piercing Guy's hat, -without, however, wounding him. - -At the noise of the report shouts were heard about a hundred yards away. -It was the Camisards, who had been on the point of leaving the town, but -hearing the shot had turned back, believing that some of their brethren -were being murdered. On seeing them appear, Cavalier forgot Catinat, and -rode straight towards them. As soon as they caught sight of him they -halted, and Ravanel advanced before them ready for every danger. - -"Brethren," he cried, "the traitor has come once more to tempt us. -Begone, Judas! You have no business here." - -"But I have," exclaimed Cavalier. "I have to punish a scoundrel called -Ravanel, if he has courage to follow me." - -"Come on, then," cried Ravanel, darting down a small side-street, "and -let us have done with it." The Camisards made a motion as if to follow -them, but Ravanel turning towards them ordered them to remain where they -were. - -They obeyed, and thus Cavalier could see that, insubordinate as they had -been towards him, they were ready to obey another. - -Just at the moment as he turned into the narrow street where the dispute -was to be settled once for all, Moses and Guy came up, and seizing the -bridle of his horse stopped him, while the Camisards who were on the -side of Cavalier surrounded Ravanel and forced him to return to his -soldiers. The troops struck up a psalm, and resumed their march, while -Cavalier was held back by force. - -At last, however, the young Cevenol succeeded in breaking away from -those who surrounded him, and as the street by which the Camisards had -retired was blocked, he dashed down another. The two prophets suspecting -his intention, hurried after the troops by the most direct route, and -got up with them, just as Cavalier, who had made the circuit of the -town, came galloping across the plain to intercept their passage. The -troops halted, and Ravanel gave orders to fire. The first rank raised -their muskets and took aim, thus indicating that they were ready to -obey. But it was not a danger of this kind that could frighten Cavalier; -he continued to advance. Then Moses seeing his peril, threw himself -between the Camisards and him, stretching out his arms and shouting, -"Stop! stop! misguided men! Are you going to kill Brother Cavalier like -a highwayman and thief? You must pardon him, my brethren! you must -pardon him! If he has done wrong in the past, he will do better in -future." - -Then those who had taken aim at Cavalier grounded their muskets, and -Cavalier changing menace for entreaty, begged them not to break the -promise that he had made in their name; whereupon the prophets struck up -a psalm, and the rest of the soldiers joining in, his voice was -completely drowned. Nevertheless, Cavalier did not lose heart, but -accompanied them on their march to Saint-Esteve, about a league farther -on, unable to relinquish all hope. On reaching Saint-Esteve the singing -ceased for a moment, and he made another attempt to recall them to -obedience. Seeing, however, that it was all in vain, he gave up hope, -and calling out, "At least defend yourselves as well as you can, for the -dragoons will soon be on you," he set his horse's head towards the town. -Then turning to them for the last time, he said, "Brethren, let those -who love me follow me!" He pronounced these words in tones so full of -grief and affection that many were shaken in their resolution; but -Ravanel and Moses seeing the effect he had produced, began to shout, -"The sword of the Lord!" Immediately all the troops turned their back on -Cavalier except about forty men who had joined him on his first -appearance. - -Cavalier went into a house near by, and wrote another letter to M. de -Villars, in which he told him what had just taken place, the efforts he -had made to win back his troops, and the conditions they demanded. He -ended by assuring him that he would make still further efforts, and -promised the marechal that he would keep him informed of everything that -went on. He then withdrew to Cardet, not venturing to return to -Calvisson. - -Both Cavalier's letters reached M. de Villars at the same time; in the -first impulse of anger aroused by this unexpected check, he issued the -following order: - -"Since coming to this province and taking over the government by order -of the king, our sole thought has been how to put an end to the -disorders we found existing here by gentle measures, and to restore -peace and to preserve the property of those who had taken no part in the -disturbances. To that end we obtained His Majesty's pardon for those -rebels who had, by the persuasion of their chiefs, been induced to lay -down their arms; the only condition exacted being that they should throw -themselves on the king's clemency and beg his permission to expiate -their crime by adventuring their lives in his service. But, being -informed that instead of keeping the engagements they had made by -signing petitions, by writing letters, and by speaking words expressing -their intentions, some among them have been trying to delude the minds -of the people with false hopes of full liberty for the exercise of this -so-called Reformed religion, which there has never been any intention of -granting, but which we have always declared as clearly as we could, to -be contrary to the will of the king and likely to bring about great -evils for which it would be difficult to find a remedy, it becomes -necessary to prevent those who give belief to these falsehoods from -expecting to escape from well-deserved chastisement. We therefore -declare hereby that all religious assemblies are expressly forbidden -under the penalties proclaimed in the edicts and ordinances of His -Majesty, and that these will be more strictly enforced in the future -than in the past. - -"Furthermore, we order all the troops under our command to break up such -assemblies by force, as having been always illegal, and we desire to -impress on the new converts of this province that they are to give their -obedience where it is due, and we forbid them to give any credence to -the false reports which the enemies of their repose are spreading -abroad. If they let themselves be led astray, they will soon find -themselves involved in troubles and misfortunes, such as the loss of -their lands, the ruin of their families, and the desolation of their -country; and we shall take care that the true authors of these -misfortunes shall receive punishment proportioned to their crime. - -"MARECHAL DE VILLARS - -"Given at Nimes the 27th day of May 1704" - -This order, which put everything back upon the footing on which it had -been in the time of M. de Montrevel, had hardly been issued than -d'Aygaliers, in despair at seeing the result of so much labour destroyed -in one day, set off for the mountains to try and find Cavalier. He found -him at Cardet, whither, as we have said, he had retired after the day of -Calvisson. Despite the resolution which Cavalier had taken never to show -his face again to the marechal, the baron repeated to him so many times -that M. de Villars was thoroughly convinced that what had happened had -not been his fault, he having done everything that he could to prevent -it, that the young chief began to feel his self-confidence and courage -returning, and hearing that the marachal had expressed himself as very -much pleased with his conduct, to which Vincel had borne high testimony, -made up his mind to return to Nimes. They left Cardet at once, followed -by the forty men who had remained true to Cavalier, ten on horse and -thirty on foot, and arrived on the 31st May at Saint-Genies, whither M. -de Villars had come to meet them. - -The assurances of d'Aygaliers were justified. The marechal received -Cavalier as if he were still the chief of a powerful party and able to -negotiate with him on terms of equality. At Cavalier's request, in order -to prove to him that he stood as high in his good opinion as ever, the -marechal returned once more to gentle methods, and mitigated the -severity of his first proclamation by a second, granting an extension of -the amnesty: - -"The principal chiefs of the rebels, with the greater number of their -followers, having surrendered, and having received the king's pardon, we -declare that we give to all those who have taken up arms until next -Thursday, the 5th instant inclusive, the opportunity of receiving the -like pardon, by surrendering to us at Anduze, or to M. le Marquis de -Lalande at Alais, or to M. de Menon at Saint Hippolyte, or to the -commandants of Uzes, Nimes, and Lunel. But the fifth day passed, we -shall lay a heavy hand on all rebels, pillaging and burning all the -places which have given them refuge, provisions, or help of any kind; -and that they may not plead ignorance of this proclamation, we order it -to be publicly read and posted up in every suitable place. - -"MARECHAL DE VILLARS - -"At Saint-Genies, the 1st June 1704" - -The next day, in order to leave no doubt as to his good intentions, the -marechal had the gibbets and scaffolds taken down, which until then had -been permanent erections. - -At the same time all the Huguenots were ordered to make a last effort to -induce the Camisard chiefs to accept the conditions offered them by M. -de Villars. The towns of Alais, Anduze, Saint-Jean, Sauve, -Saint-Hippolyte, and Lasalle, and the parishes of Cros, Saint-Roman, -Manoblet, Saint-Felix, Lacadiere, Cesas, Cambo, Colognac, and Vabre were -ordered to send deputies to Durfort to confer as to the best means of -bringing about that peace which everyone desired. These deputies wrote -at once to M. de Villars to beg him to send them M. d'Aygaliers, and to -M. d'Aygaliers to request him to come. - -Both consented to do as they were asked, and M. d'Aygaliers arrived at -Durfort on the 3rd of June 1704. - -The deputies having first thanked him for the trouble which he had taken -to serve the common cause during the past year, resolved to divide their -assembly into two parts, one of which, was to remain permanently -sitting, while the other went to seek Roland and Ravanel to try and -obtain a cessation of hostilities. The deputies charged with this task -were ordered to make it quite clear to the two chiefs that if they did -not accept the proposals made by M. de Villars, the Protestants in -general would take up arms and hunt them down, and would cease to supply -them with the means of subsistence. - -On hearing this, Roland made reply that the deputies were to go back at -once to those who sent them, and threatened, should they ever show him -their faces again, to fire on them. - -This answer put an end to the assembly, the deputies dispersed, and -d'Aygaliers returned to the Marechal de Villars to make his report. - -Hardly had he done this when a letter from Roland arrived, in which the -Camisard chief asked M. de Villars to grant him an interview, such as he -had granted to Cavalier. This letter was addressed to d'Aygaliers, who -immediately communicated its contents to the marechal, from whom he -received orders to set out at once to find Roland and to spare no pains -to bring him round. - -D'Aygaliers, who was always indefatigable when working for his country, -started the same day, and went to a mountain about three-quarters of a -league from Anduze, where Roland awaited him. After a conference of two -hours, it was agreed that hostages should be exchanged and negotiations -entered upon. - -Consequently, M. de Villars on his side sent Roland M. de Montrevel, an -officer commanding a battalion of marines, and M. de la Maison-Blanche, -captain of the Froulay regiment; while Roland in return sent M. de -Villars four of his principal officers with the title of -plenipotentiaries. - -Unskilled in diplomacy as these envoys were, and laughable as they -appeared to contemporary historians, they received nevertheless the -marechal's consent to the following conditions: - - 1. That Cavalier and Roland should each be placed in charge of a - regiment serving abroad, and that each of them should be allowed a - minister. - 2. That all the prisoners should be released and the exiles recalled. - 3. That the Protestants should be permitted to leave the kingdom, - taking their effects with them. - 4. That those Camisards who desired to remain might do so, on giving - up their arms. - 5. That those who were abroad might return. - 6. That no one should be molested on account of his religion provided - everyone remained quietly at home. - 7. That indemnities should be borne by the whole province, and not - exacted specially from the Protestants. - 8. That a general amnesty should be granted to all without reserve. - -These articles were laid before Roland and Ravanel by d'Aygaliers. -Cavalier, who from the day he went back to Nimes had remained in the -governor's suite, asked leave to return with the baron, and was -permitted to do so. D'Aygaliers and he set out together in consequence -for Anduze, and met Roland and Ravanel about a quarter of a league from -the town, waiting to know the result of the negotiations. They were -accompanied by MM. de Montbel and de Maison-Blanche, the Catholic -hostages. - -As soon as Cavalier and Roland met they burst out into recriminations -and reproaches, but through the efforts of d'Aygaliers they soon became -more friendly, and even embraced on parting. - -But Ravanel was made of harder stuff: as soon as he caught sight of -Cavalier he called him "traitor," saying that for his part he would -never surrender till the Edict of Nantes was re-enacted; then, having -warned them that the governor's promises were not to be trusted, and -having predicted that a day would come when they would regret their too -great confidence in him, he left the conference and rejoined his troops, -which, with those of Roland, were drawn up on a mountain about -three-quarters of a league distant. - -The negotiators did not, however, despair. Ravanel had gone away, but -Roland had debated with them at some length, so they determined to speak -to "the brethren"--that is, to the troops under Roland and Ravanel, -whose headquarters at the moment were at Leuzies, in order that they -might know exactly what articles had been agreed on between Roland's -envoys and the marechal. Those who made up their minds to take this step -were, Cavalier, Roland, Moise, Saint-Paul, Laforet, Maille, and -d'Aygaliers. We take the following account of what happened in -consequence of this decision from d'Aygaliers' Memoirs: - -"We had no sooner determined on this plan, than, anxious to carry it -out, we set off. We followed a narrow mountain path on the face of the -cliff which rose up to our right; to our left flowed the Gardon. - -"Having gone about a league, we came in sight of the troops, about 3000 -strong; an advanced post barred our way. - -"Thinking it was placed there in our honour, I was advancing -unsuspiciously, when suddenly we found our road cut off by Camisards to -right and left, who threw themselves on Roland and forced him in among -their troops. Maille and Malplach were dragged from their horses. As to -Cavalier, who was somewhat behind, as soon as he saw people coming -towards him with uplifted sabres and shouting Traitor! he put spurs to -his horse and went off at full gallop, followed by some townspeople from -Anduze who had come with us, and who, now that they saw the reception we -met with, were ready to die with fear. - -"I was too far forward to escape: five or six muskets rested on my -breast and a pistol pressed each ear; so I made up my mind to be bold. I -told the troopers to fire; I was willing to die in the service of my -prince, my country, and my religion, as well as for themselves, whom I -was trying to benefit by procuring them the king's goodwill. - -"These words, which I repeated several times in the midst of the -greatest uproar, gave them pause. - -"They commanded me to retire, as they did not want to kill me. I said I -should do nothing of the kind: I was going into the middle of the troops -to defend Roland against the charge of treason, or be put to death -myself, unless I could convince them that what I had proposed to him and -Cavalier was for the good of the country, of our religion, and the -brethren; and having thus expostulated at the top of my voice against -thirty voices all trying to drown mine for about an hour, I offered to -fight the man who had induced them to oppose us. - -"At this offer they pointed their muskets at me once more; but Maille, -Malplach, and some others threw themselves before me, and although they -were unarmed, had enough influence to hinder my being insulted; I was -forced, however, to retreat. - -"In leaving, I warned them that they were about to bring great -misfortunes on the province, whereupon a man named Claris stepped out -from among the troops, and approaching me exclaimed, 'Go on, sir, and -God bless you! We know that you mean well, and were the first to be -taken in. But go on working for the good of the country, and God will -bless you.'" - -D'Aygaliers returned to the marechal, who, furious at the turn things -had taken, resolved instantly to break off all negotiations and have -recourse once more to measures of severity. However, before actually -carrying out this determination, he wrote the following letter to the -king: - -"SIRE,--It is always my glory to execute faithfully your Majesty's -orders, whatever those orders may be; but I should have been able, on -many occasions since coming here, to display my zeal for your Majesty's -service in other ways if I had not had to deal with madmen on whom no -dependence could be placed. As soon as we were ready to attack them, -they offered to submit, but a little later changed their minds again. -Nothing could be a greater proof of madness than their hesitation to -accept a pardon of which they were unworthy, and which was so generously -offered by your Majesty. If they do not soon make up their minds, I -shall bring them back to the paths of duty by force, and thus restore -this province to that state of peace which has been disturbed by these -fools." - -The day after writing this letter to the king, Roland sent Maille to M. -de Villars to beg him to wait till Saturday and Sunday the 7th and the -8th June were over, before resorting to severity, that being the end of -the truce. He gave him a solemn promise that he would, in the interval, -either bring in his troops to the last man, or would himself surrender -along with a hundred and fifty followers. The marechal consented to wait -till Saturday morning, but as soon as Saturday arrived he gave orders to -attack the Camisards, and the next day led a considerable body of troops -to Carnoulet, intending to take the Huguenots by surprise, as word had -been brought that they were all gathered there. They, however, received -intelligence of his plan, and evacuated the village during the night. - -The village had to pay dearly for its sin of hospitality; it was -pillaged and burnt down: the miquelets even murdered two women whom they -found there, and d'Aygaliers failed to obtain any satisfaction for this -crime. In this manner M. de Villars kept the fatal promise he had given, -and internecine war raged once more. - -Furious at having missed the Camisards, de Menon having heard from his -scouts that Roland was to sleep next night at the chateau de Prade, went -to M. de Villars and asked leave to conduct an expedition against the -chief. He was almost sure of taking Roland by surprise, having procured -a guide whose knowledge of the country was minute. The marechal gave him -carte blanche. In the evening Menon set out with two hundred grenadiers. -He had already put three-quarters of the way behind him without being -discovered, when an Englishman met them by chance. This man was serving -under Roland, but had been visiting his sweetheart in a neighbouring -village, and was on his way home when he fell among Menon's grenadiers. -Without a thought for his own safety, he fired off his gun, shouting, -"Fly! fly! The royals are upon you!" - -The sentinels took up the cry, Roland jumped out of bed, and, without -staying for clothes or horse, ran off in his shirt, escaping by a -postern gate which opened on the forest just as de Menon entered by -another. He found Roland's bed still warm, and took possession of his -clothes, finding in a coat pocket a purse containing thirty-five Louis, -and in the stables three superb horses. The Camisards answered this -beginning of hostilities by a murder. Four of them, thinking they had -reasons for displeasure against one of M. de Baville's subordinates, -named Daude, who was both mayor and magistrate; at Le Vigan, hid in a -corn-field which he had to pass on his way back from La Valette, his -country place. Their measures were successful: Daude came along just as -was expected, and as he had not the slightest suspicion of the impending -danger, he continued conversing with M. de Mondardier, a gentleman of -the neighbourhood who had asked for the; hand of Daude's daughter in -marriage that very day. Suddenly he found himself surrounded by four -men, who, upbraiding him for his exactions and cruelties, shot him twice -through the head with a pistol. They offered no violence to M. de -Mondardier except to deprive him of his laced hat and sword. The day on -which M. de Villars heard of its murder he set a price on the heads of -Roland, Ravanel, and Catinat. Still the example set by Cavalier, joined -to the resumption of hostilities, was not without influence on the -Camisards; every day letters arrived from single troopers offering to -lay down their arms, and in one day thirty rebels came in and put -themselves into Lalande's hands, while twenty surrendered to Grandval; -these were accorded not only pardon, but received a reward, in hopes -that they might be able to induce others to do like them; and on the -15th June eight of the troops which had abandoned Cavalier at Calvisson -made submission; while twelve others asked to be allowed to return to -their old chief to follow him wherever he went. This request was at once -granted: they were sent to Valabregues, where they found forty-two of -their old comrades, amongst whom were Duplan and Cavalier's young -brother, who had been ordered there a few days before. As they arrived -they were given quarters in the barracks, and received good pay--the -chiefs forty sous a day, and the privates ten. So they felt as happy as -possible, being well fed and well lodged, and spent their time -preaching, praying, and psalm-singing, in season and out of season. All -this, says La Baume, was so disagreeable to the inhabitants of the -place, who were Catholics, that if they had not been guarded by the -king's soldiers they would have been pitched into the Rhone. - - - - -CHAPTER V - - -Meantime the date of Cavalier's departure drew near. A town was to be -named in which he was to reside at a sufficient distance from the -theatre of war to prevent the rebels from depending on him any more; in -this town he was to organise his regiment, and as soon as it was -complete it was to go, under his command, to Spain, and fight for the -king. M. de Villars was still on the same friendly terms with him, -treating him, not like a rebel, but according to his new rank in the -French army. On the 21st June he told him that he was to get ready to -leave the next day, and at the same time he handed him an advance on -their future pay--fifty Louis for himself, thirty for Daniel Billard, -who had been made lieutenant-colonel in the place of Ravanel, ten for -each captain, five for each lieutenant, two for each sergeant, and one -for each private. The number of his followers had then reached one -hundred and fifty, only sixty of whom were armed. M. de Vassiniac, major -in the Fimarcn regiment, accompanied them with fifty dragoons and fifty -of the rank and file from Hainault. - -All along the road Cavalier and his men met with a courteous reception; -at Macon they found orders awaiting them to halt. Cavalier at once wrote -to M. de Chamillard to tell him that he had things of importance to -communicate to him, and the minister sent a courier of the Cabinet -called Lavallee to bring Cavalier to Versailles. This message more than -fulfilled all Cavalier's hopes: he knew that he had been greatly talked -about at court, and in spite of his natural modesty the reception he had -met with at Times had given him new ideas, if not of his own merit, at -least of his own importance. Besides, he felt that his services to the -king deserved some recognition. - -The way in which Cavalier was received by Chamillard did not disturb -these golden dreams: the minister welcomed the young colonel like a man -whose worth he appreciated, and told him that the great lords and ladies -of the court were not less favourably disposed towards him. The next day -Chamillard announced to Cavalier that the king desired to see him, and -that he was to keep himself prepared for a summons to court. Two days -later, Cavalier received a letter from the minister telling him to be at -the palace at four o'clock in the afternoon, and he would place him on -the grand staircase, up which the king would pass. - -Cavalier put on his handsomest clothes, for the first time in his life -perhaps taking trouble with his toilet. He had fine features, to which -his extreme youth, his long fair hair, and the gentle expression of his -eyes lent much charm. Two years of warfare had given him a martial air; -in short, even among the most elegant, he might pass as a beau cavalier. - -At three o'clock he reached Versailles, and found Chamillard waiting for -him; all the courtiers of every rank were in a state of great -excitement, for they had learned that the great Louis had expressed a -wish to meet the late Cevenol chief, whose name had been pronounced so -loud and so often in the mountains of Languedoc that its echoes had -resounded in the halls of Versailles. Cavalier had not been mistaken in -thinking that everyone was curious to see him, only as no one yet knew -in what light the king regarded him, the courtiers dared not accost him -for fear of compromising their dignity; the manner of his reception by -His Majesty would regulate the warmth of his reception by everyone else. - -Met thus by looks of curiosity and affected silence, the young colonel -felt some embarrassment, and this increased when Chamillard, who had -accompanied him to his appointed place, left him to rejoin the king. -However, in a few moments he did what embarrassed people so often do, -hid his shyness under an air of disdain, and, leaning on the balustrade, -crossed his legs and played with the feather of his hat. - -When half an hour had passed in this manner, a great commotion was -heard: Cavalier turned in the direction from which it came, and -perceived the king just entering the vestibule. It was the first time he -had seen him, but he recognized him at once. Cavalier's knees knocked -together and his face flushed. - -The king mounted the stairs step by step with his usual dignity, -stopping from time to time to say a word or make a sign with head or -hand. Behind him, two steps lower, came Chamillard, moving and stopping -as the king moved and stopped, and answering the questions which His -Majesty put to him in a respectful but formal and precise manner. - -Reaching the level on which Cavalier stood, the king stopped under -pretext of pointing out to Chamillard a new ceiling which Le Brun had -just finished, but really to have a good look at the singular man who -had maintained a struggle against two marshals of France and treated -with a third on equal terms. When he had examined him quite at his ease, -he turned to Chamillard, pretending he had only just caught sight of the -stranger, and asked: - -"Who is this young gentleman?" - -"Sire," answered the minister, stepping forward to present him to the -king, "this is Colonel Jean Cavalier." - -"Ah yes," said the king contemptuously, "the former baker of Anduze!" - -And shrugging his shoulders disdainfully, he passed on. - -Cavalier on his side had, like Chamillard, taken a step forward, when -the scornful answer of the great king changed him into a statue. For an -instant he stood motionless and pale as death, then instinctively he -laid his hand on his sword, but becoming conscious that he was lost if -he remained an instant longer among these people, whom not one of his -motions escaped, although they pretended to despise him too much to be -aware of his presence, he dashed down the staircase and through the -hall, upsetting two or three footmen who were in his way, hurried into -the garden, ran across it at full speed, and regaining his room at the -hotel, threw himself on the floor, where he rolled like a maniac, -uttering cries of rage, and cursing the hour when, trusting to the -promises of M. de Villars, he had abandoned the mountains where he was -as much a king as Louis XIV at Versailles. The same evening he received -orders to leave Paris and rejoin his regiment at Macon. He therefore set -out the next morning, without seeing M. de Chamillard again. - -Cavalier on arriving at Macon found that his comrades had had a visit -from M. d'Aygaliers, who had come again to Paris, in the hope of -obtaining more from the king than M. de Villars could or would grant. - -Cavalier, without telling his comrades of the strange manner in which -the king had received him, gave them to understand that he was beginning -to fear that not only would the promises they had received be broken, -but that some strange trick would be played upon them. - -Thereupon these men, whose chief and oracle he had been for so long, -asked him what they ought to do; Cavalier replied that if they would -follow him, their best course and his would be to take the first -opportunity of gaining the frontier and leaving the country. They all -declared themselves ready to follow him anywhere. This caused Cavalier a -new pang of regret, for he could not help recollecting that he had once -had under his command fifteen hundred men like these. - -The next day Cavalier and his comrades set out on their march without -knowing whither they were being taken, not having been able to obtain -any information as to their destination from their escort--a silence -which confirmed them in their resolution. As soon, therefore, as they -reached Onnan, Cavalier declared that he considered that the looked-for -opportunity had arrived, asking them if they were still in the same -mind: they returned that they would do whatever he advised. Cavalier -then ordered them to hold themselves in readiness, Daniel offered up a -prayer, and the prayer ended, the whole company deserted in a body, and, -crossing Mont Belliard, entered Porentruy, and took the road to -Lausanne. - -Meantime d'Aygaliers, in his turn, arrived at Versailles, with letters -from M. de Villars for the Duke of Beauvilliers, president of the king's -council, and for Chamillard. The evening of his arrival he delivered -these letters to those to whom they were addressed, and both gentlemen -promised to present him to the king. - -Four days later, Chamillard sent word to d'Aygaliers that he was to be -next day at the door of the king's chamber at the time when the council -entered. D'Aygaliers was punctual, the king appeared at the usual hour, -and as he paused before d'Aygaliers, Chamillard came forward and said: - -"Baron d'Aygaliers, sire." - -"I am very glad to see you, sir," said the king, "for I am very much -pleased with the zeal you have displayed in Languedoc in my -service--very much pleased indeed." - -"Sire," answered d'Aygaliers, "I consider myself most unfortunate in -that I have been able to accomplish nothing deserving of the gracious -words which your Majesty deigns to address me, and I pray God of His -grace to grant me in the future an opportunity of proving my zeal and -loyalty in your Majesty's service more clearly than hitherto." - -"Never mind, never mind," said the king. "I repeat, sir, that I am very -much pleased with what you have done." - -And he entered the room where the council was waiting. - -D'Aygaliers went away only half satisfied: he had not come so far only -to receive commendation from the king, but in the hope of obtaining some -concession for his brethren; but with Louis XIV it was impossible either -to intercede or complain, one could only wait. - -The same evening Chamillard sent for the baron, and told him that as -Marechal Villars had mentioned in his letter that the Camisards had -great confidence in him, d'Aygaliers, he wished to ask him if he were -willing to go once more to them and try and bring them back to the path -of duty. - -"Certainly I am willing; but I fear things have now got so far that -there will be great difficulty in calming the general perturbation of -mind." - -"But what can these people want?" asked Chamillard, as if he had just -heard them spoken of for the first time, "and by what means can we -pacify them?" - -"In my opinion," said the baron, "the king should allow to all his -subjects the free exercise of their religion." - -"What! legalise once more the exercise of the so-called Reformed -religion!" exclaimed the minister. "Be sure you never mention such a -thing again. The king would rather see his kingdom destroyed than -consent to such a measure." - -"Monseigneur," replied the baron, "if that is the case, then I must say -with great regret that I know of no other way to calm the discontent -which will ultimately result in the ruin of one of the fairest provinces -in France." - -"But that is unheard-of obstinacy," said the minister, lost in -astonishment; "these people will destroy themselves, and drag their -country down with them. If they cannot conform to our religion, why do -they not worship God in their own way at home? No one will disturb them -as long as they don't insist on public worship." - -"At first that was all they wanted, monseigneur; and I am convinced that -if people had not been dragged to confession and communion by force, it -would have been easy to keep them in that submissive frame of mind from -which they were only driven by despair; but at present they say that it -is not enough to pray at home, they want to be married, to have their -children baptised and instructed, and to die and be buried according to -the ordinances of their own faith." - -"Where may you have seen anyone who was ever made to communicate by -force?" asked Chamillard. - -D'Aygaliers looked at the minister in surprise, thinking he spoke in -joke; but seeing he was quite serious, he answered: - -"Alas, monseigneur, my late father and my mother, who is still living, -are both instances of people subjected to this indignity." - -"Are you, then, not a Catholic?" asked Chamillard. - -"No, monseigneur," replied d'Aygaliers. - -"Then how did you manage to return to France?" - -"To speak the truth, sir, I only came back to help my mother to escape; -but she never could make up her mind to leave France, as such a step was -surrounded by many difficulties which she feared she could never -surmount. So she asked my other relations to persuade me to remain. I -yielded to their importunities on condition that they would never -interfere with my beliefs. To accomplish this end they got a priest with -whom they were intimate to say that I had changed my views once more, -and I did not contradict the report. It was a great sin on my part, and -I deeply repent it. I must add, however, that whenever anyone has asked -me the question your Excellency asked me just now I have always given -the same reply." - -The minister did not seem to take the baron's frankness in bad part; -only he remarked, when dismissing him, that he hoped he would find out -some way of ridding the kingdom of those who refused to think in -religious matters as His Majesty commanded. - -D'Aygaliers replied that it was a problem to which he had given much -thought, but without ever being able to find a solution, but that he -would think about it more earnestly in future. He then withdrew. - -Some days later, Chamillard sent ward to d'Aygaliers that the king would -graciously give him a farewell audience. The baron relates what took -place at this second interview, as follows. - -"His Majesty," says he, "received me in the council chamber, and was so -good as to repeat once more in the presence of all his ministers that he -was very much pleased with my services, but that there was one thing -about me he should like to correct. I begged His Majesty to tell me what -the fault was, and I should try to get rid of it at, the peril of my -life." - -"'It is your religion,' said the king. 'I should like to have you become -a good Catholic, so that I might be able to grant you favours and enable -you to serve me better.' His Majesty added that I ought to seek -instruction, and that then I should one day recognise what a great -benefit he desired to bring within my reach. - -"I answered that I would esteem myself happy if at the cost of my life I -could prove the burning zeal with which I was filled for the service of -the greatest of earthly kings, but that I should be unworthy of the -least of his favours if I obtained it by hypocrisy or by anything of -which my conscience did not approve, but that I was grateful for the -goodness which made him anxious for my salvation. I told him also that I -had already taken every opportunity of receiving instruction, and had -tried to put aside the prejudices arising from my birth, such as often -hindered people from recognising the truth, with the result that I had -at one time almost lost all sense of religion, until God, taking pity on -me, had opened my eyes and brought me out of that deplorable condition, -making me see that the faith in which I had been born was the only one -for me. 'And I can assure your Majesty,' I added, 'that many of the -Languedoc bishops who ought, it seems to me, to try to make us -Catholics, are the instruments which Providence uses to prevent us from -becoming so. For instead of attracting us by gentleness and good -example, they ceaselessly subject us to all kinds of persecutions, as if -to convince us that God is punishing us for our cowardice in giving up a -religion which we know to be good, by delivering us up to pastors who, -far from labouring to assure our salvation, use all their efforts to -drive us to despair." - -"At this the king shrugged his shoulders and said, 'Enough, do not say -any more.' I asked for his blessing as the king and father of all his -subjects. The king burst out laughing, and told me that M. de Chamillard -would give me his orders." - -In virtue of this intimation d'Aygaliers went next day to the minister's -country house; for Chamillard had given him that address, and there he -learned that the king had granted him a pension of 800 livres. The baron -remarked that, not having worked for money, he had hoped for a better -reward; as far as money was concerned, he desired only the reimbursement -of the actual expenses of his journeys to and from, but Chamillard -answered that the king expected all that he offered and whatever he -offered to be accepted with gratitude. To this there was no possible -reply, so the same evening d'Aygaliers set out on his return to -Languedoc. - -Three months later, Chamillard forwarded him an order to leave the -kingdom, telling him that he was to receive a pension of four hundred -crowns per annum, and enclosing the first quarter in advance. - -As there was no means of evading this command, D'Aygaliers set out for -Geneva, accompanied by thirty-three followers, arriving there on the -23rd of September. Once rid of him, Louis the Magnificent thought that -he had done his part nobly and that he owed him nothing further, so that -d'Aygaliers waited a whole year in vain for the second quarter of his -pension. - -At the end of this time, as his letters to Chamillard remained -unanswered, and finding himself without resources in a foreign country, -he believed himself justified in returning to France and taking up his -residence on his family estate. Unfortunately, on his way through Lyons, -the provost of merchants, hearing of his return, had him arrested, and -sent word to the king, who ordered him to be taken to the chateau de -Loches. After a year's imprisonment, d'Aygaliers, who had just entered -on his thirty-fifth year, resolved to try and escape, preferring to die -in the attempt rather than remain a prisoner for life. He succeeded in -getting possession of a file with which he removed one of the bars of -his window, and by means of knotting his sheets together, he got down, -taking the loosened bar with him to serve, in case of need, as a weapon. -A sentinel who was near cried, "Who goes there?" but d'Aygaliers stunned -him with his bar. The cry, however, had given the alarm: a second -sentinel saw a man flying, fired at him, and killed him on the spot. - -Such was the reward of the devoted patriotism of Baron d'Aygaliers! - -Meantime Roland's troops had increased greatly in number, having been -joined by the main body of those who had once been commanded by -Cavalier, so that he had, about eight hundred men at his disposal. Some -distance away, another chief, named Joanny, had four hundred; Larose, to -whom Castanet had transferred his command, found himself at the head of -three hundred; Boizeau de Rochegude was followed by one hundred, Saltet -de Soustel by two hundred, Louis Coste by fifty, and Catinat by forty, -so that, in spite of the victory of Montrevel and the negotiations of M. -de Villars, the Camisards still formed an effective force of eighteen -hundred and ninety men, not to speak of many single troopers who owned -no commander but acted each for himself, and were none the less -mischievous for that. All these troops, except these latter, obeyed -Roland, who since the defection of Cavalier had been recognised as -generalissimo of the forces. M. de Villars thought if he could separate -Roland from his troops as he had separated Cavalier, his plans would be -more easy to carry out. - -So he made use of every means within his reach to gain over Roland, and -as soon as one plan failed he tried another. At one moment he was almost -sure of obtaining his object by the help of a certain Jourdan de Mianet, -a great friend of his, who offered his services as an intermediary, but -who failed like all the others, receiving from Roland a positive -refusal, so that it became evident that resort must be had to other -means than those of persuasion. A sum of 100 Louis had already been set -on Roland's head: this sum was now doubled. - -Three days afterwards, a young man from Uzes, by name Malarte, in whom -Roland had every confidence, wrote to M. de Paratte that the Camisard -general intended to pass the night of the 14th of August at the chateau -Castelnau. - -De Paratte immediately made his dispositions, and ordered Lacoste-Badie, -at the head of two companies of dragoons, and all the officers at Uzes -who were well mounted, to hold themselves in readiness to start on an -expedition at eight o'clock in the evening, but not revealing its object -to them till the time came. At eight o'clock, having been told what they -had to do, they set off at such a pace that they came in sight of the -chateau within an hour, and were obliged to halt and conceal themselves, -lest they should appear too soon, before Roland had retired for the -night. But they need not have been afraid; the Camisard chief, who was -accustomed to rely on all his men as on himself, had gone to bed without -any suspicion, having full confidence in the vigilance of one of his -officers, named Grimaud, who had stationed himself as sentinel on the -roof of the chateau. Led by Malarte, Lacoste-Badie and his dragoons took -a narrow covered way, which led them to the foot of the walls, so that -when Grimaud saw them it was already too late, the chateau being -surrounded on all sides. Firing off his gun, he cried, "To arms!" -Roland, roused by the cry and the shot, leaped out of bed, and taking -his clothes in one hand and his sword in the other, ran out of his room. -At the door he met Grimaud, who, instead of thinking of his own safety, -had come to watch over that of his chief. They both ran to the stables -to get horses, but three of their men--Marchand, Bourdalie, and -Bayos--had been before them and had seized on the best ones, and riding -them bare-backed had dashed through the front gates before the dragoons -could stop them. The horses that were left were so wretched that Roland -felt there was no chance of out-distancing the dragoons by their help, -so he resolved to fly on foot, thus avoiding the open roads and being -able to take refuge in every ravine and every bush as cover. He -therefore hastened with Grimaud and four other officers who had gathered -round him towards a small back gate which opened on the fields, but as -there was, besides the troops which entered the chateau, a ring of -dragoons round it, they fell at once into the hands of some men who had -been placed in ambush. Seeing himself surrounded, Roland let fall the -clothes which he had not yet had time to put on, placed his back against -a tree, drew his sword, and challenged the boldest, whether officer or -private, to approach. His features expressed such resolution, that when -he thus, alone and half naked, defied them all, there was a moment's -hesitation, during which no one ventured to take a forward step; but -this pause was broken by the report of a gun: the arm which Roland had -stretched out against his adversaries fell to his side, the sword with -which he had threatened them escaped from his hand, his knees gave way, -so that his body, which was only supported by the tree against which he -leaned, after remaining an instant erect, gradually sank to the ground. -Collecting all his strength, Roland raised his two hands to Heaven, as -if to call down the vengeance of God upon his murderers, then, without -having uttered a single word, he fell forward dead, shot through the -heart. The name of the dragoon who killed him was Soubeyrand. - -Maillie, Grimaud, Coutereau, Guerin, and Ressal, the five Camisard -officers, seeing their chief dead, let themselves be taken as if they -were children, without thinking of making any resistance. - -The dead body of Roland was carried back in triumph to Uzes, and from -there to Nimes, where it was put upon trial as if still alive. It was -sentenced to be dragged on hurdles and then burnt. The execution of this -sentence was carried out with such pomp as made it impossible for the -one party to forget the punishment and for the other to forget the -martyrdom. At the end the ashes of Roland were scattered to the four -winds of heaven. - -The execution of the five officers followed close on that of their -chief's body; they were condemned to be broken on the wheel, and the -sentence was carried out on all at once. But their death, instead of -inspiring the Calvinists with terror, gave them rather fresh courage, -for, as an eye-witness relates, the five Camisards bore their tortures -not only with fortitude, but with a light-heartedness which surprised -all present, especially those who had never seen a Camisard executed -before. - -Malarte received his 200 Louis, but to-day his name is coupled with that -of Judas in the minds of his countrymen. - -From this time on fortune ceased to smile on the Camisards. Genius had -gone with Cavalier, and, faith with Roland. The very day of the death of -the latter, one of their stores, containing more than eighty sacks of -corn, had been taken at Toiras. The next day, Catinat, who, with a dozen -men, was in hiding in a vineyard of La Vaunage, was surprised by a -detachment of Soissonnais; eleven of his men were killed, the twelfth -made prisoner, and he himself barely escaped with a severe wound. The -25th of the same month, a cavern near Sauve, which the rebels used as a -store, and which contained one hundred and fifty sacks of fine wheat, -was discovered; lastly, Chevalier de Froulay had found a third -hiding-place near Mailet. In this, which had been used not only as a -store but as a hospital, besides a quantity of salt beef, wine, and -flour, six wounded Camisards were found, who were instantly shot as they -lay. - -The only band which remained unbroken was Ravanel's, but since the -departure of Cavalier things had not gone well with his lieutenant. - -In consequence of this, and also on account of the successive checks -which the other bodies of Camisard troops had met with, Ravanel -proclaimed a solemn fast, in order to intercede with God to protect the -Huguenot cause. On Saturday, the 13th September, he led his entire force -to the wood of St. Benazet, intending to pass the whole of the next day -with them there in prayer. But treason was rife. Two peasants who knew -of this plan gave information to M. Lenoir, mayor of Le Vigan, and he -sent word to the marechal and M. de Saville, who were at Anduze. - -Nothing could have been more welcome to the governor than this important -information: he made the most careful disposition of his forces, hoping -to destroy the rebellion at one blow. He ordered M. de Courten, a -brigadier-colonel in command at Alais, to take a detachment of the -troops under him and patrol the banks of the Gardon between Ners and -Castagnols. He was of opinion that if the Camisards were attacked on the -other side by a body of soldiers drawn from Anduze, which he had -stationed during the night at Dommersargues, they would try to make good -their retreat towards the river. The force at Dommersargues might almost -be called a small army; for it was composed of a Swiss battalion, a -battalion of the Hainault regiment, one from the Charolais regiment, and -four companies of dragoons from Fimarcon and Saint-Sernin. - -Everything took place as the peasants had said: on Saturday the 13th, -the Camisards entered, as we have seen, the wood of St. Benazet, and -passed the night there. - -At break of day the royals from Dommersargues began their advance. The -Camisard outposts soon perceived the movement, and warned Ravanel, who -held his little council of war. Everyone was in favour of instant -retreat, so they retired towards Ners, intending to cross the Gardon -below that town: just as M. de Villars had foreseen, the Camisards did -everything necessary for the success of his plans, and ended by walking -right into the trap set for them. - -On emerging from the wood of St. Benazet, they caught sight of a -detachment of royals drawn up and waiting for them between Marvejols and -a mill called the Moulin-du-Pont. Seeing the road closed in this -direction, they turned sharp to the left, and gained a rocky valley -which ran parallel to the Gardon. This they followed till they came out -below Marvejols, where they crossed the river. They now thought -themselves out of danger, thanks to this manoeuvre, but suddenly they -saw another detachment of royals lying on the grass near the mill of La -Scie. They at once halted again, and then, believing themselves -undiscovered, turned back, moving as noiselessly as possible, intending -to recross the river and make for Cardet. But they only avoided one trap -to fall into another, for in this direction they were met by the -Hainault battalion, which swooped down upon them. A few of these -ill-fated men rallied at the sound of Ravanel's voice and made an effort -to defend themselves in spite of the prevailing confusion; but the -danger was so imminent, the foes so numerous, and their numbers -decreased so rapidly under the fierce assault, that their example failed -of effect, and flight became general: every man trusted to chance for -guidance, and, caring nothing for the safety of others, thought only of -his own. - -Then it ceased to be a battle and become a massacre, for the royals were -ten to one; and among those they encountered, only sixty had firearms, -the rest, since the discovery of their various magazines, having been -reduced to arm themselves with bad swords, pitchforks, and bayonets -attached to sticks. Hardly a man survived the fray. Ravanel himself only -succeeded in escaping by throwing himself into the river, where he -remained under water between two rocks for seven hours, only coming to -the surface to breathe. When night fell and the dragoons had retired, he -also fled. - -This was the last battle of the war, which had lasted four years. With -Cavalier and Roland, those two mountain giants, the power of the rebels -disappeared. As the news of the defeat spread, the Camisard chiefs and -soldiers becoming convinced that the Lord had hidden His face from them, -surrendered one by one. The first to set an example was Castanet. On -September 6th, a week after the defeat of Ravanel, he surrendered to the -marechal. On the 19th, Catinat and his lieutenant, Franqois Souvayre, -tendered their submission; on the 22nd, Amet, Roland's brother, came in; -on October 4th, Joanny; on the 9th, Larose, Valette, Salomon, Laforet, -Moulieres, Salles, Abraham and Marion; on the 20th, Fidele; and on the -25th, Rochegude. - -Each made what terms he could; in general the conditions were -favourable. Most of those who submitted received rewards of money, some -more, some less; the smallest amount given being 200 livres. They all -received passports, and were ordered to leave the kingdom, being sent, -accompanied by an escort and at the king's expense, to Geneva. The -following is the account given by Marion of the agreement he came to -with the Marquis Lalande; probably all the others were of the same -nature. - -"I was deputed," he says, "to treat with this lieutenant-general in -regard to the surrender of my own troops and those of Larose, and to -arrange terms for the inhabitants of thirty-five parishes who had -contributed to our support during the war. The result of the -negotiations was that all the prisoners from our cantons should be set -at liberty, and be reinstated in their possessions, along with all the -others. The inhabitants of those parishes which had been ravaged by fire -were to be exempt from land-tax for three years; and in no parish were -the inhabitants to be taunted with the past, nor molested on the subject -of religion, but were to be free to worship God in their own houses -according to their consciences." - -These agreements were fulfilled with such punctuality, that Larose was -permitted to open the prison doors of St. Hippolyte to forty prisoners -the very day he made submission. - -As we have said, the Camisards, according as they came in, were sent off -to Geneva. D'Aygaliers, whose fate we have anticipated, arrived there on -September 23rd, accompanied by Cavalier's eldest brother, Malpach, -Roland's secretary, and thirty-six Camisards. Catinat and Castanet -arrived there on the 8th October, along with twenty-two other persons, -while Larose, Laforet, Salomon, Moulieres, Salles, Marion, and Fidele -reached it under the escort of forty dragoons from Fimarcon in the month -of November. - -Of all the chiefs who had turned Languedoc for four years into a vast -arena, only Ravanel remained, but he refused either to surrender or to -leave the country. On the 8th October the marechal issued an order -declaring he had forfeited all right to the favour of an amnesty, and -offering a reward of 150 Louis to whoever delivered him up living, and -2400 livres to whoever brought in his dead body, while any hamlet, -village, or town which gave him refuge would be burnt to the ground and -the inhabitants put to the sword. - -The revolt seemed to be at an end and peace established. So the marechal -was recalled to court, and left Nimes on January the 6th. Before his -departure he received the States of Languedoc, who bestowed on him not -only the praise which was his due for having tempered severity with -mercy, but also a purse of 12,000 livres, while a sum of 8000 livres was -presented to his wife. But all this was only a prelude to the favours -awaiting him at court. On the day he returned to Paris the king -decorated him with all the royal orders and created him a duke. On the -following day he received him, and thus addressed him: "Sir, your past -services lead me to expect much of those you will render me in the -future. The affairs of my kingdom would be better conducted if I had -several Villars at my disposal. Having only one, I must always send him -where he is most needed. It was for that reason I sent you to Languedoc. -You have, while there, restored tranquillity to my subjects, you must -now defend them against their enemies; for I shall send you to command -my army on the Moselle in the next campaign." - -The, Duke of Berwick arrived at Montpellier on the 17th March to replace -Marechal Villars. His first care was to learn from M. de Baville the -exact state of affairs. M. de Baville told him that they were not at all -settled as they appeared to be on the surface. In fact, England and -Holland, desiring nothing so much as that an intestine war should waste -France, were making unceasing efforts to induce the exiles to return -home, promising that this time they would really support them by lending -arms, ammunition, and men, and it was said that some were already on -their way back, among the number Castanet. - -And indeed the late rebel chief, tired of inaction, had left Geneva in -the end of February, and arrived safely at Vivarais. He had held a -religious meeting in a cave near La Goree, and had drawn to his side -Valette of Vals and Boyer of Valon. Just as the three had determined to -penetrate into the Cevennes, they were denounced by some peasants before -a Swiss officer named Muller, who was in command of a detachment of -troops in the village of Riviere. Muller instantly mounted his horse, -and guided by the informers made his way into the little wood in which -the Camisards had taken refuge, and fell upon them quite unexpectedly. -Boyer was killed in trying to escape; Castanet was taken and brought to -the nearest prison, where he was joined the next day by Valette, who had -also been betrayed by some peasants whom he had asked for assistance. - -The first punishment inflicted on Castanet was, that he was compelled to -carry in his hand the head of Boyer all the way from La Goree to -Montpellier. He protested vehemently at first, but in vain: it was -fastened to his wrist by the hair; whereupon he kissed it on both -cheeks, and went through the ordeal as if it were a religious act, -addressing words of prayer to the head as he might have done to a relic -of a martyr. - -Arrived at Montpellier, Castanet was examined, and at first persisted in -saying that he had only returned from exile because he had not the -wherewithal to live abroad. But when put to the torture he was made to -endure such agony that, despite his courage and constancy, he confessed -that he had formed a plan to introduce a band of Huguenot soldiers with -their officers into the Cevennes by way of Dauphine or by water, and -while waiting for their arrival he had sent on emissaries in advance to -rouse the people to revolt; that he himself had also shared in this -work; that Catinat was at the moment in Languedoc or Vivarais engaged in -the same task, and provided with a considerable sum of money sent him by -foreigners for distribution, and that several persons of still greater -importance would soon cross the frontier and join him. - -Castanet was condemned to be broken on the wheel. As he was about to be -led to execution, Abbe Tremondy, the cure of Notre-Dame, and Abbe -Plomet, canon of the cathedral, came to his cell to make a last effort -to convert him, but he refused to speak. They therefore went on before, -and awaited him on the scaffold. There they appeared to inspire Castanet -with more horror than the instruments of torture, and while he addressed -the executioner as "brother," he called out to the priests, "Go away out -of my sight, imps from the bottomless pit! What are you doing here, you -accursed tempters? I will die in the religion in which I was born. Leave -me alone, ye hypocrites, leave me alone!" But the two abbes were -unmoved, and Castanet expired cursing, not the executioner but the two -priests, whose presence during his death-agony disturbed his soul, -turning it away from things which should have filled it. - -Valette was sentenced to be hanged, and was executed on the same day as -Castanet. - -In spite of the admissions wrung from Castanet in March, nearly a month -passed without any sign of fresh intrigues or any attempt at rebellion. -But on the 17th of April, about seven o'clock in the evening, M. de -Baville received intelligence that several Camisards had lately returned -from abroad, and were in hiding somewhere, though their retreat was not -known. This information was laid before the Duke of Berwick, and he and -M. de Baville ordered certain houses to be searched, whose owners were -in their opinion likely to have given refuge to the malcontents. At -midnight all the forces which they could collect were divided into -twelve detachments, composed of archers and soldiers, and at the head of -each detachment was placed a man that could be depended upon. Dumayne, -the king's lieutenant, assigned to each the districts they were to -search, and they all set out at once from the town hall, at half-past -twelve, marching in silence, and separating at signs from their leaders, -so anxious were they to make no noise. At first all their efforts were -of no avail, several houses being searched without any result; but at -length Jausserand, the diocesan provost, having entered one of the -houses which he and Villa, captain of the town troops, had had assigned -to them, they found three men sleeping on mattresses laid on the floor. -The provost roused them by asking them who they were, whence they came, -and what they were doing at Montpellier, and as they, still half asleep, -did not reply quite promptly, he ordered them to dress and follow him. - -These three men were Flessiere, Gaillard, and Jean-Louis. Flessiere was -a deserter from the Fimarcon regiment: he it was who knew most about the -plot. Gaillard had formerly served in the Hainault regiment; and -Jean-Louis, commonly called "the Genevois," was a deserter from the -Courten regiment. - -Flessiere, who was the leader, felt that it would be a great disgrace to -let themselves be taken without resistance; he therefore pretended to -obey, but in lifting up his clothes, which lay upon a trunk, he managed -to secure two pistols, which he cocked. At the noise made by the hammers -the provost's suspicions were aroused, and throwing himself on -Flessiere, he seized him round the waist from behind. Flessiere, unable -to turn, raised his arm and fired over his shoulder. The shot missed the -provost, merely burning a lock of his hair, but slightly wounded one of -his servants, who was carrying a lantern. He then tried to fire a second -shot, but Jausserand, seizing him by the wrist with one hand, blew out -his brains with the other. While Jausserand and Flessiere were thus -struggling, Gaillard threw himself on Villa, pinning his arms to his -sides. As he had no weapons, he tried to push him to the wall, in order -to stun him by knocking his head against it; but when the servant, being -wounded, let the lantern fall, he took advantage of the darkness to make -a dash for the door, letting go his hold of his antagonist. -Unfortunately for him, the doors, of which there were two, were guarded, -and the guards, seeing a half-naked man running away at the top of his -speed, ran after him, firing several shots. He received a wound which, -though not dangerous, impeded his flight, so that he was boon overtaken -and captured. They brought him back a prisoner to the town hall, where -Flessiere's dead body already lay. - -Meanwhile Jean-Louis had had better luck. While the two struggles as -related above were going on, he slipped unnoticed to an open window and -got out into the street. He ran round the corner of the house, and -disappeared like a shadow in the darkness before the eyes of the guards. -For a long time he wandered from street to street, running down one and -up another, till chance brought him near La Poissonniere. Here he -perceived a beggar propped against a post and fast asleep; he awoke him, -and proposed that they should exchange clothes. As Jean-Louis' suit was -new and the beggar's in rags, the latter thought at first it was a joke. -Soon perceiving, however, that the offer was made in all seriousness, he -agreed to the exchange, and the two separated, each delighted with his -bargain. Jean-Louis approached one of the gates of the town, in order to -be able to get out as soon as it was opened, and the beggar hastened off -in another direction, in order to get away from the man who had let him -have so good a bargain, before he had time to regret the exchange he had -made. - -But the night's adventures were far from being over. The beggar was -taken a prisoner, Jean-Louis' coat being recognised, and brought to the -town hall, where the mistake was discovered. The Genevois meantime got -into a dark street, and lost his way. Seeing three men approach, one of -whom carried a lantern, he went towards the light, in order to find out -where he was, and saw, to his surprise, that one of the men was the -servant whom Flessiere had wounded, and who was now going to have his -wound dressed. The Genevois tried to draw back into the shade, but it -was too late: the servant had recognised him. He then tried to fly; but -the wounded man soon overtook him, and although one of his hands was -disabled, he held him fast with the other, so that the two men who were -with him ran up and easily secured him. He also was brought to the town -hall, where he found the Duke of Berwick and M. de Baville, who were -awaiting the result of the affray. - -Hardly had the prisoner caught sight of them than, seeing himself -already hanged, which was no wonder considering the marvellous celerity -with which executions were conducted at that epoch, he threw himself on -his knees, confessed who he was, and related for what reason he had -joined the fanatics. He went on to say that as he had not joined them of -his own free will, but had been forced to do so, he would, if they would -spare his life, reveal important secrets to them, by means of which they -could arrest the principal conspirators. - -His offer was so tempting and his life of so little worth that the duke -and de Baville did not long hesitate, but pledged their word to spare -his life if the revelations he was about to make proved to be of real -importance. The bargain being concluded, the Genevois made the following -statement: - -"That several letters having arrived from foreign countries containing -promises of men and money, the discontented in the provinces had leagued -together in order to provoke a fresh rebellion. By means of these -letters and other documents which were scattered abroad, hopes were -raised that M. de Miremont, the last Protestant prince of the house of -Bourbon, would bring them reinforcements five or six thousand strong. -These reinforcements were to come by sea and make a descent on -Aigues-Mortes or Cette,--and two thousand Huguenots were to arrive at -the same time by way of Dauphine and join the others as they -disembarked. - -"That in this hope Catinat, Clary, and Jonquet had left Geneva and -returned to France, and having joined Ravanel had gone secretly through -those parts of the country known to be infected with fanaticism, and -made all necessary arrangements, such as amassing powder and lead, -munitions of war, and stores of all kinds, as well as enrolling the -names of all those who were of age to bear arms. Furthermore, they had -made an estimate of what each city, town, and village ought to -contribute in money or in kind to the--League of the Children of God, so -that they could count on having eight or ten thousand men ready to rise -at the first signal. They had furthermore resolved that there should be -risings in several places at the same time, which places were already -chosen, and each of those who were to take part in the movement knew his -exact duty. At Montpellier a hundred of the most determined amongst the -disaffected were to set fire in different quarters to the houses of the -Catholics, killing all who attempted to extinguish the fires, and with -the help of the Huguenot inhabitants were, to slaughter the garrison, -seize the citadel, and carry off the Duke of Berwick and M. de Baville. -The same things were to be done at Nimes, Uzes, Alais, Anduze, -Saint-Hippolyte, and Sommieres. Lastly, he said, this conspiracy had -been going on for more than three months, and the conspirators, in order -not to be found out, had only revealed their plans to those whom they -knew to be ready to join them: they had not admitted a single woman to -their confidence, or any man whom it was possible to suspect. Further, -they had only met at night and a few persons at a time, in certain -country houses, to which admittance was gained by means of a -countersign; the 25th of April was the day fixed for the general rising -and the execution of these projects." - -As may be seen, the danger was imminent, as there was only six days' -interval between the revelation and the expected outburst; so the -Genevois was consulted, under renewed promises of safety for himself, as -to the best means of seizing on the principal chiefs in the shortest -possible time. He replied that he saw no other way but to accompany them -himself to Nimes, where Catinat and Ravanel were in hiding, in a house -of which he did not know the number and in a street of which he did not -know the name, but which he was sure of recognising when he saw them. If -this advice were to be of any avail, there was no time to be lost, for -Ravanel and Catinat were to leave Nimes on the 20th or the 21st at -latest; consequently, if they did not set off at once, the chiefs would -no longer be there when they arrived. The advice seemed good, so the -marechal and the intendant hastened to follow it: the informer was sent -to Nimes guarded by six archers, the conduct of the expedition was given -to Barnier, the provost's lieutenant, a man of intellect and common -sense, and in whom the provost had full confidence. He carried letters -for the Marquis of Sandricourt. - -As they arrived late on the evening of the 19th, the Genevois was at -once led up and down the streets of Nimes, and, as he had promised, he -pointed out several houses in the district of Sainte-Eugenie. -Sandricourt at once ordered the garrison officers, as well as those of -the municipal and Courten regiments, to put all their soldiers under -arms and to station them quietly throughout the town so as to surround -that district. At ten o'clock, the Marquis of Sandricourt, having made -certain that his instructions had been carefully carried out, gave -orders to MM. de L'Estrade, Barnier, Joseph Martin, Eusebe, the major of -the Swiss regiment, and several other officers, along with ten picked -men, to repair to the house of one Alison, a silk merchant, this house -having been specially pointed out by the prisoner. This they did, but -seeing the door open, they had little hope of finding the chiefs of a -conspiracy in a place so badly guarded; nevertheless, determined to obey -their instructions, they glided softly into the hall. In a few moments, -during which silence and darkness reigned, they heard people speaking -rather loudly in an adjoining room, and by listening intently they -caught the following words: "It is quite sure that in less than three -weeks the king will be no longer master of Dauphine, Vivarais, and -Languedoc. I am being sought for everywhere, and here I am in Nimes, -with nothing to fear." - -It was now quite clear to the listeners that close at hand were some at -least of those for whom they were looking. They ran to the door, which -was ajar, and entered the room, sword in hand. They found Ravanel, -Jonquet, and Villas talking together, one sitting on a table, another -standing on the hearth, and the third lolling on a bed. - -Jonquet was a young man from Sainte-Chatte, highly thought of among the -Camisards. He had been, it may be remembered, one of Cavalier's -principal officers. Villas was the son of a doctor in Saint-Hippolyte; -he was still young, though he had seen ten years' service, having been -cornet in England in the Galloway regiment. As to Ravanel, he is -sufficiently known to our readers to make any words of introduction -unnecessary. - -De l'Estrade threw himself on the nearest of the three, and, without -using his sword, struck him with his fist. Ravanel (for it was he) being -half stunned, fell back a step and asked the reason of this violent -assault; while Barnier exclaimed, "Hold him fast, M. de l'Estrade; it is -Ravanel!" "Well, yes, I am Ravanel," said the Camisard, "but that is no -reason for making so much noise." As he said these words he made an -attempt to reach his weapons, but de l'Estrade and Barnier prevented him -by throwing themselves on him, and succeeded in knocking him down after -a fierce struggle. While, this was going on, his two companions were -secured, and the three were removed to the fort, where their guard never -left them night or day. - -The Marquis of Sandricourt immediately sent off a courier to the Duke of -Berwick and M. de Baville to inform them of the important capture he had -made. They were so delighted at the news that they came next day to -Nimes. - -They found the town intensely excited, soldiers with fixed bayonets at -every street corner, all the houses shut up, and the gates of the town -closed, and no one allowed to leave without written permission from -Sandricourt. On the 20th, and during the following night, more than -fifty persons were arrested, amongst whom were Alison, the merchant in -whose house Ravanel, Villas, and Jonquet were found; Delacroix, Alison's -brother-in-law, who, on hearing the noise of the struggle, had hidden on -the roof and was not discovered till next day; Jean Lauze, who was -accused of having prepared Ravanel's supper; Lauze's mother, a widow; -Tourelle, the maid-servant; the host of the Coupe d'Or, and a preacher -named La Jeunesse. - -Great, however, as was the joy felt by the duke, the marquis, and de -Baville, it fell short of full perfection, for the most dangerous man -among the rebels was still at large; in spite of every effort, Catinat's -hiding-place had not till now been discovered. - -Accordingly, the duke issued a proclamation offering a reward of one -hundred Louis-d'or to whoever would take Catinat, or cause him to be -taken prisoner, and granting a free pardon to anyone who had sheltered -him, provided that he was denounced before the house-to-house visitation -which was about to be made took place. After the search began, the -master of the house in which he might be found would be hung at his own -door, his family thrown into prison, his goods confiscated, his house -razed to the ground, without any form of trial whatever. - -This proclamation had the effect expected by the duke: whether the man -in whose house Catinat was concealed grew frightened and asked him to -leave, or whether Catinat thought his best course would be to try and -get away from the town, instead of remaining shut up in it, he dressed -himself one morning in suitable clothes, and went to a barber's, who -shaved him, cut his hair, and made up his face so as to give him as much -the appearance of a nobleman as possible; and then with wonderful -assurance he went out into the streets, and pulling his hat over his -eyes and holding a paper in his hand as if reading it, he crossed the -town to the gate of St. Antoine. He was almost through when Charreau, -the captain of the guard, having his attention directed to Catinat by a -comrade to whom he was talking, stopped him, suspecting he was trying to -escape. Catinat asked what he wanted with him, and Charreau replied that -if he would enter the guard-house he would learn; as under such -circumstances any examination was to be avoided, Catinat tried to force -his way out; whereupon he was seized by Charreau and his -brother-officer, and Catinat seeing that resistance would be not only -useless but harmful, allowed himself to be taken to the guard-room. - -He had been there about an hour without being recognised by any of those -who, drawn by curiosity, came to look at him, when one of the visitors -in going out said he bore a strong resemblance to Catinat; some children -hearing these words, began to shout, "Catinat is taken! Catinat is -taken!" This cry drew a large crowd to the guard-house, among others a -man whose name was Anglejas, who, looking closely at the prisoner, -recognised him and called him by name. - -Instantly the guard was doubled, and Catinat searched: a psalm-book with -a silver clasp and a letter addressed to "M. Maurel, called Catinat," -were found on him, leaving no doubt as to his identity; while he -himself, growing impatient, and desiring to end all these -investigations, acknowledged that he was Catinat and no other. - -He was at once taken to the palace, where the Presidial Court was -sitting, M. de Baville and the president being occupied in trying -Ravanel, Villas, and Jonquet. On hearing the news of this important -capture, the intendant, hardly daring to believe his ears, rose and went -out to meet the prisoner, in order to convince himself that it was -really Catinat. - -From the Presidial Court he was brought before the Duke of Berwick, who -addressed several questions to him, which Catinat answered; he then told -the duke he had something of importance to impart to him and to him -alone. The duke was not very anxious for a tete-a-tete with Catinat; -however, having ordered his hands to be securely bound, and telling -Sandricourt not to go away, he consented to hear what the prisoner had -to say. - -Catinat then, in the presence of the duke and Sandricourt, proposed that -an exchange of prisoners should be made, the Marechal de Tallard, who -was a prisoner of war in England, being accepted in his place. Catinat -added that if this offer was not accepted, the marechal would meet the -same treatment from the English as might be meted out to him, Catinat, -in France. The duke, full of the aristocratic ideas to which he was -born, found the proposal insolent, and said, "If that is all you have to -propose, I can assure you that your hours are numbered." - -Thereupon Catinat was promptly sent back to the palace, where truly his -trial did not occupy much time. That of the three others was already -finished, and soon his was also at an end, and it only remained to -pronounce sentence on all four. Catinat and Ravanel, as the most guilty, -were condemned to be burnt at the stake. Some of the councillors thought -Catinat should have been torn apart by four horses, but the majority -were for the stake, the agony lasting longer, being more violent and -more exquisite than in the of other case. - -Villars and Jonquet were sentenced to be broken on the wheel alive--the -only difference between them being that Jonquet was to be to taken while -still living and thrown into the fire lit round Catinat and Ravael. It -was also ordered that the four condemned men before their execution -should be put to the torture ordinary and extraordinary. Catinat, whose -temper was fierce, suffered with courage, but cursed his torturers. -Ravanel bore all the torments that could be inflicted on him with a -fortitude that was more than human, so that the torturers were exhausted -before he was. Jonquet spoke little, and the revelations he made were of -slight importance. Villas confessed that the conspirators had the -intention of carrying off the duke and M. de Baville when they were out -walking or driving, and he added that this plot had been hatched at the -house of a certain Boeton de Saint-Laurent-d'Aigozre, at Milhaud, in -Rouergue. - -Meanwhile all this torturing and questioning had taken so much time that -when the stake and the scaffold were ready it was almost dark, so that -the duke put off the executions until the next day, instead of carrying -them out by torchlight. Brueys says that this was done in order that the -most disaffected amongst the fanatics should not be able to say that it -was not really Catinat, Ravanel, Villas, and Jonquet who had been -executed but some other unknown men; but it is more probable that the -duke and Baville were afraid of riots, as was proved by their ordering -the scaffold and the stake to be erected at the end of the Cours and -opposite the glacis of the fortress, so that the garrison might be at -hand in case of any disturbance. - -Catinat was placed in a cell apart, and could be, heard cursing and -complaining all night through. Ravanel, Villas, and Jonquet were -confined together, and passed the night singing and praying. - -The next day, the 22nd April, 1705, they were taken from the prison and -drawn to the place of execution in two carts, being unable to walk, on -account of the severe torture to which they had been subjected, and -which had crushed the bones of their legs. A single pile of wood had -been prepared for Catinat and Ravanel, who were to be burnt together; -they were in one cart, and Villas and Jonquet, for whom two wheels had -been prepared, were in the other. - -The first operation was to bind Catinat and Ravanel back to back to the -same stake, care being taken to place Catinat with his face to windward, -so that his agony might last longer, and then the pile was lit under -Ravanel. - -As had been foreseen, this precaution gave great pleasure to those -people who took delight in witnessing executions. The wind being rather -high, blew the flames away from Catinat, so that at first the fire burnt -his legs only--a circumstance which, the author of the History of the -Camisards tells us, aroused Catinat's impatience. Ravanel, however, bore -everything to the end with the greatest heroism, only pausing in his -singing to address words of encouragement to his companion in suffering, -whom he could not see, but whose groans and curses he could hear; he -would then return to his psalms, which he continued to sing until his -voice was stifled in the flames. Just as he expired, Jonquet was removed -from the wheel, and carried, his broken limbs dangling, to the burning -pile, on which he was thrown. From the midst of the flames his voice was -heard saying, "Courage, Catinat; we shall soon meet in heaven." A few -moments later, the stake, being burnt through at the base, broke, and -Catinat falling into the flames, was quickly suffocated. That this -accident had not been forseen and prevented by proper precautions caused -great displeasure to spectators who found that the three-quarter of an -hour which the spectacle had lasted was much too brief a time. - -Villas lived three hours longer on his wheel, and expired without having -uttered a single complaint. - -Two days later, there was another trial, at which six persons were -condemned to death and one to the galleys; these were the two Alisons, -in whose house Villas, Ravanel, and Jonquet had been found; Alegre, who -was accused of having concealed Catinat, and of having been the Camisard -treasurer; Rougier, an armourer who was found guilty of having repaired -the muskets of the rebels; Jean Lauze, an innkeeper who had prepared -meals for Ravanel; La Jeunesse, a preacher, convicted of having preached -sermons and sung psalms; and young Delacroix, brother-in-law to one of -the Alisons. The first three were condemned to be broken on the wheel, -their houses demolished, and their goods confiscated. The next three -were to be hanged. Jean Delacroix, partly because of his youth, but more -because of the revelations he made, was only sent to the galleys. -Several years later he was liberated and returned to Arles, and was -carried off by the plague in 1720. - -All these sentences were carried out with the utmost rigour. - -Thus, as may be seen, the suppression of the revolt proceeded apace; -only two young Camisard chiefs were still at large, both of whom had -formerly served under Cavalier and Catinat. The name of the one was Brun -and of the other Francezet. Although neither of them possessed the -genius and influence of Catinat and Ravanel, yet they were both men to -be feared, the one on account of his personal strength, the other for -his skill and agility. Indeed, it was said of him that he never missed a -shot, and that one day being pursued by dragoons he had escaped by -jumping over the Gardon at a spot where it was twenty-two feet wide. - -For a long time all search was in vain, but one day the wife of a miller -named Semenil came into town ostensibly to buy provisions, but really to -denounce them as being concealed, with two other Camisards, in her -husband's house. - -This information was received with an eager gratitude, which showed the -importance which the governor of Nimes attached to their capture. The -woman was promised a reward of fifty Louis if they were taken, and the -Chevalier de la Valla, Grandidier, and fifty Swiss, the major of the -Saint-Sernin regiment, a captain, and thirty dragoons, were sent off to -make the capture. When they were within a quarter of a league of the -mill, La Valla, who was in command of the expedition, made the woman -give him all the necessary topographical information. - -Having learned that besides the door by which they hoped to effect an -entrance, the mill possessed only one other, which opened on a bridge -over the Vistre, he despatched ten dragoons and five Swiss to occupy -this bridge, whilst he and the rest of the troops bore down on the main -entrance. As soon as the four Camisards perceived the approach of the -soldiers, their first thought was to escape by the bridge, but one of -them having gone up to the roof to make sure that the way was clear, -came down exclaiming that the bridge was occupied. On hearing this, the -four felt that they were lost, but nevertheless resolved to defend -themselves as valiantly and to sell their lives as dearly as possible. -As soon as the royals were within musket range of the mill, four shots -were fired, and two dragoons, one Swiss, and one horse, fell. M. de -Valla thereupon ordered the troops to charge at full gallop, but before -the mill door was reached three other shots were heard, and two more men -killed. Nevertheless, seeing they could not long hold out against such -numbers, Francezet gave the signal for retreat, calling out, "Sauve qui -petit!" at the same instant he jumped out of a lattice window twenty -feet from the ground, followed by Brun. Neither of them being hurt, both -set off across country, one trusting to his strength and the other to -his fleetness of foot. The two other Camisards, who had tried to escape -by the door, were captured. - -The soldiers, horse and foot, being now free to give all their attention -to Brun and Francezet, a wonderful race began; for the two fugitives, -being strong and active, seemed to play with their pursuers, stopping -every now and then, when they had gained sufficient headway, to shoot at -the nearest soldiers; when Francezet, proving worthy of his reputation, -never missed a single shot. Then, resuming their flight and loading -their weapons as they ran, they leaped rivers and ditches, taking -advantage of the less direct road which the troops were obliged to -follow, to stop and take breath, instead of making for some cover where -they might have found safety. Two or three times Brun was on the point -of being caught, but each time the dragoon or Swiss who had got up to -him fell, struck by Francezet's unerring bullet. The chase lasted four -hours, during which time five officers, thirty dragoons, and fifty Swiss -were baffled by two men, one of whom Francezet was almost a boy, being -only twenty years old! Then the two Camisards, having exhausted their -ammunition, gave each other the name of a village as a rendezvous, and -each taking a different direction, bounded away with the lightness of a -stag. Francezet ran in the direction of Milhaud with such rapidity that -he gained on the dragoons, although they put their horses at full speed. -He was within an inch of safety, when a peasant named La Bastide, who -was hoeing in a field, whence he had watched the contest with interest -from the moment he had first caught sight of it, seeing the fugitive -make for an opening in a wall, ran along at the foot of the wall on the -other side, and, just as Francezet dashed through the opening like a -flash of lightning, struck him such a heavy blow on the head with his -hoe that the skull was laid open, and he fell bathed in blood. - -The dragoons, who had seen in the distance what had happened, now came -up, and rescued Francezet from the hands of his assailant, who had -continued to rain blows upon him, desiring to put an end to him. The -unconscious Camisard was carried to Milhaud, where his wounds were -bandaged, and himself revived by means of strong spirits forced into -mouth and nostrils. - -We now return to Brun. At first it seemed as if he were more fortunate -than his comrade; for, meeting with no obstacle, he was soon not only -out of reach, but out of sight of his enemies. He now, however, felt -broken by fatigue, and taught caution by the treachery to which he had -almost fallen a victim, he dared not ask for an asylum, so, throwing -himself down in a ditch, he was soon fast asleep. The dragoons, who had -not given up the search, presently came upon him, and falling on him as -he lay, overpowered him before he was well awake. - -When both Camisards met before the governor, Francezet replied to all -interrogations that since the death of brother Catinat his sole desire -had been to die a martyr's death like him; while Brun said that he was -proud and happy to die in the cause of the Lord along with such a brave -comrade as Francezet. This manner of defence led to the application of -the question both ordinary and extraordinary, and to the stake; and our -readers already know what such a double sentence meant. Francezet and -Brun paid both penalties on the 30th of April, betraying no secrets and -uttering no complaints. - -Boeton, who had been denounced by Villas when under torture (and who -thereby abridged his agony) as the person in whose house the plot to -carry off the Duke of Berwick and de Baville had been arranged, still -remained to be dealt with. - -He was moderate in his religious views, but firm and full of faith; his -principles resembled those of the Quakers in that he refused to carry -arms; he was, however, willing to aid the good cause by all other means -within his reach. He was at home waiting, with that calm which perfect -trust in God gives, for the day to come which had been appointed for the -execution of the plan, when suddenly his house was surrounded during the -night by the royals. Faithful to his principles, he offered no -resistance, but held out his hands to be bound. He was taken in triumph -to Nimes, and from there to the citadel of Montpellier. On the way he -encountered his wife and his son, who were going to the latter town to -intercede for him. When they met him, they dismounted from their horse, -for the mother was riding on a pillion behind the son, and kneeling on -the highroad, asked for Boeton's blessing. Unfeeling though the soldiers -were, they yet permitted their prisoner to stop an instant, while he, -raising his fettered hands to heaven, gave the double blessing asked -for. So touched was Baron Saint-Chatte by the scene (be it remarked in -passing that the baron and Boeton were cousins by marriage) that he -permitted them to embrace one another, so for a few moments they stood, -the husband and father clasped to the hearts of his dear ones; then, on -a sign from Boeton, they tore themselves away, Boeton commanding them to -pray for M. de Saint-Chatte, who had given them this consolation. As he -resumed his march the prisoner set them the example by beginning to sing -a psalm for the benefit of M. de Saint-Chatte. - -The next day, despite the intercession of his wife and son, Boeton was -condemned to torture both ordinary and extraordinary, and then to be -broken on the wheel. On hearing this cruel sentence, he said that he was -ready to suffer every ill that God might send him in order to prove the -steadfastness of his faith. - -And indeed he endured his torture with such firmness, that M. de -Baville, who was present in the hope of obtaining a confession, became -more impatient than the sufferer, and, forgetting his sacred office, the -judge struck and insulted the prisoner. Upon this Baeton raised his eyes -to heaven and cried, "Lord, Lord! how long shall the wicked triumph? How -long shall innocent blood be shed? How long wilt Thou not judge and -avenge our blood with cries to Thee? Remember Thy jealousy, O Lord, and -Thy loving-kindness of old!" Then M. de Baville withdrew, giving orders -that he was to be brought to the scaffold. - -The scaffold was erected on the Esplanade: being, as was usual when this -sort of death was to be inflicted, a wooden platform five or six feet -high, on which was fastened flat a St. Andrew's cross, formed of two -beams of wood in the form of an X. In each of the four arms two square -pieces were cut out to about half the depth of the beam, and about a -foot apart, so that when the victim was bound on the cross the -outstretched limbs were easy to break by a blow at these points, having -no support beneath. Lastly, near the cross, at one corner of the -scaffold an upright wooden post was fixed, on which was fastened -horizontally a small carriage wheel, as on a pivot, the projecting part -of the nave being sawn off to make it flat. On this bed of pain the -sufferer was laid, so that the spectators might enjoy the sight of his -dying convulsions when, the executioner having accomplished his part, -the turn of death arrived. - -Boeton was carried to execution in a cart, and drums were beaten that -his exhortations might not be heard. But above the roll of drums his -voice rose unfalteringly, as he admonished his brethren to uphold their -fellowship in Christ. - -Half-way to the Esplanade a friend of the condemned man, who happened to -be in the street, met the procession, and fearing that he could not -support the sight, he took refuge in a shop. When Boeton was opposite -the door, he stopped the cart and asked permission of the provost to -speak to his friend. The request being granted, he called him out, and -as he approached, bathed in tears, Boeton said, "Why do you run away -from me? Is it because you see me covered with the tokens of Jesus -Christ? Why do you weep because He has graciously called me to Himself, -and all unworthy though I be, permits me to seal my faith with my -blood?" Then, as the friend threw himself into Boeton's arms and some -signs of sympathetic emotion appeared among the crowd; the procession -was abruptly ordered to move on; but though the leave-taking was thus -roughly broken short, no murmur passed the lips of Boeton. - -In turning out of the first street, the scaffold came in sight; the -condemned man raised his hands towards heaven, and exclaimed in a -cheerful voice, while a smile lit up his face, "Courage, my soul! I see -thy place of triumph, whence, released from earthly bonds, thou shah -take flight to heaven." - -When he got to the foot of the scaffold, it was found he could not mount -without assistance; for his limbs, crushed in the terrible "boot," could -no longer sustain his weight. While they were preparing to carry him up, -he exhorted and comforted the Protestants, who were all weeping round -him. When he reached the platform he laid himself of his own accord on -the cross; but hearing from the executioner that he must first be -undressed, he raised himself again with a smile, so that the -executioner's assistant could remove his doublet and small-clothes. As -he wore no stockings, his legs being bandaged the man also unwound these -bandages, and rolled up Boeton's shirts-sleeves to the elbow, and then -ordered him to lay himself again on the cross. Boeton did so with -unbroken calm. All his limbs were then bound to the beams with cords at -every joint; this accomplished, the assistant retired, and the -executioner came forward. He held in his hand a square bar of iron, an -inch and a half thick, three feet long, and rounded at one end so as to -form a handle. - -When Boeton saw it he began singing a psalm, but almost immediately the -melody was interrupted by a cry: the executioner had broken a bone of -Boeton's right leg; but the singing was at once resumed, and continued -without interruption till each limb had been broken in two places. Then -the executioner unbound the formless but still living body from the -cross, and while from its lips issued words of faith in God he laid it -on the wheel, bending it back on the legs in such a manner that the -heels and head met; and never once during the completion of this -atrocious performance did the voice of the sufferer cease to sound forth -the praises of the Lord. - -No execution till then had ever produced such an effect on the crowd, so -that Abbe Massilla, who was present, seeing the general emotion, -hastened to call M. de Baville's attention to the fact that, far from -Boeton's death inspiring the Protestants with terror, they were only -encouraged to hold out, as was proved by their tears, and the praises -they lavished on the dying man. - -M de Baville, recognising the truth of this observation, ordered that -Boeton should be put out of misery. This order being conveyed to the -executioner, he approached the wheel to break in Boeton's chest with one -last blow; but an archer standing on the scaffold threw himself before -the sufferer, saying that the Huguenot had not yet suffered half enough. -At this, Boeton, who had heard the dreadful dispute going on beside him, -interrupted his prayers for an instant, and raising his head, which hung -down over the edge of the wheel, said, "Friend, you think I suffer, and -in truth I do; but He for whom I suffer is beside me and gives me -strength to bear everything joyfully." Just then M. de Baville's order -was repeated, and the archer, no longer daring to interfere, allowed the -executioner to approach. Then Boeton, seeing his last moment had come, -said, "My dear friends, may my death be an example to you, to incite you -to preserve the gospel pure; bear faithful testimony that I died in the -religion of Christ and His holy apostles." Hardly had these words passed -his lips, than the death-blow was given and his chest crushed; a few -inarticulate sounds, apparently prayers, were heard; the head fell back, -the martyrdom was ended. - -This execution ended the war in Languedoc. A few imprudent preachers -still delivered belated sermons, to which the rebels listened trembling -with fear, and for which the preachers paid on the wheel or gibbet. -There were disturbances in Vivarais, aroused by Daniel Billard, during -which a few Catholics were found murdered on the highway; there were a -few fights, as for instance at Sainte-Pierre-Ville, where the Camisards, -faithful to the old traditions which had come to them from Cavalier, -Catinat, and Ravenal, fought one to twenty, but they were all without -importance; they were only the last quiverings of the dying civil -strife, the last shudderings of the earth when the eruption of the -volcano is over. - -Even Cavalier understood that the end had come, for he left Holland for -England. There Queen Anne distinguished him by a cordial welcome; she -invited him to enter her service, an offer which he accepted, and he was -placed in command of a regiment of refugees; so that he actually -received in England the grade of colonel, which he had been offered in -France. At the battle of Almanza the regiment commanded by Cavalier -found itself opposed by a French regiment. The old enemies recognised -each other, and with a howl of rage, without waiting for the word of -command or executing any military evolutions, they hurled themselves at -each other with such fury that, if we may believe the Duke of Berwick, -who was present, they almost annihilated each other in the conflict. -Cavalier, however, survived the slaughter, in which he had performed his -part with energy; and for his courage was made general and governor of -the island of Jersey. He died at Chelsea in May 1740, aged sixty years. -"I must confess," says Malesherbes, "that this soldier, who without -training became a great general by means of his natural gifts; this -Camisard, who dared in the face of fierce troopers to punish a crime -similar to those by which the troopers existed; this rude peasant, who, -admitted into the best society; adopted its manners and gained its -esteem and love; this man, who though accustomed to an adventurous life, -and who might justly have been puffed up by success, had yet enough -philosophy to lead for thirty-five years a tranquil private existence, -appears to me to be one of the rarest characters to be met with in the -pages of history." - - - - -CHAPTER VI - - -At length Louis XIV, bowed beneath the weight of a reign of sixty years, -was summoned in his turn to appear before God, from whom, as some said, -he looked for reward, and others for pardon. But Nimes, that city with -the heart of fire, was quiet; like the wounded who have lost the best -part of their blood, she thought only, with the egotism of a -convalescent, of being left in peace to regain the strength which had -become exhausted through the terrible wounds which Montrevel and the -Duke of Berwick had dealt her. For sixty years petty ambition had taken -the place of sublime self-sacrifice, and disputes about etiquette -succeeded mortal combats. Then the philosophic era dawned, and the -sarcasms of the encyclopedists withered the monarchical intolerance of -Louis XIV and Charles IX. Thereupon the Protestants resumed their -preaching, baptized their children and buried their dead, commerce -flourished once more, and the two religions lived side by side, one -concealing under a peaceful exterior the memory of its martyrs, the -other the memory of its triumphs. Such was the mood on which the -blood-red orb of the sun of '89 rose. The Protestants greeted it with -cries of joy, and indeed the promised liberty gave them back their -country, their civil rights, and the status of French citizens. - -Nevertheless, whatever were the hopes of one party or the fears of the -other, nothing had as yet occurred to disturb the prevailing -tranquillity, when, on the 19th and 20th of July, 1789, a body of troops -was formed in the capital of La Gard which was to bear the name of the -Nimes Militia: the resolution which authorised this act was passed by -the citizens of the three orders sitting in the hall of the palace. - -It was as follows:-- - -"Article 10. The Nimes Legion shall consist of a colonel, a -lieutenant-colonel, a major, a lieutenant-major, an adjutant, -twenty-four captains, twenty-four lieutenants, seventy-two sergeants, -seventy-two corporals, and eleven hundred and fifty-two privates--in -all, thirteen hundred and forty-nine men, forming eighty companies. - -"Article 11. The place of general assembly shall be, the Esplanade. - -"Article 12. The eighty companies shall be attached to the four quarters -of the town mentioned below--viz., place de l'Hotel-de-Ville, place de -la Maison-Carree, place Saint-Jean, and place du Chateau. - -"Article 13. The companies as they are formed by the permanent council -shall each choose its own captain, lieutenant, sergeants and corporals, -and from the date of his nomination the captain shall have a seat on the -permanent council." - -The Nimes Militia was deliberately formed upon certain lines which -brought Catholics and Protestants closely together as allies, with -weapons in their hands; but they stood over a mine which was bound to -explode some day, as the slightest friction between the two parties -would produce a spark. - -This state of concealed enmity lasted for nearly a year, being augmented -by political antipathies; for the Protestants almost to man were -Republicans, and the Catholics Royalists. - -In the interval--that is to say, towards January, 1790--a Catholic -called Francois Froment was entrusted by the Marquis de Foucault with -the task of raising, organising, and commanding a Royalist party in the -South. This we learn from one of his own letters to the marquis, which -was printed in Paris in 1817. He describes his mode of action in the -following words:-- - -It is not difficult to understand that being faithful to my religion and -my king, and shocked at the seditious ideas which were disseminated on -all sides, I should try to inspire others with the same spirit with -which I myself was animated, so, during the year 1789, I published -several articles in which I exposed the dangers which threatened altar -and throne. Struck with the justice of my criticisms, my countrymen -displayed the most zealous ardor in their efforts to restore to the king -the full exercise of all his rights. Being anxious to take advantage of -this favourable state of feeling, and thinking that it would be -dangerous to hold communication with the ministers of Louis XVI, who -were watched by the conspirators, I went secretly to Turin to solicit -the approbation and support of the French princes there. At a -consultation which was held just after my arrival, I showed them that if -they would arm not only the partisans of the throne, but those of the -altar, and advance the interests of religion while advancing the -interests of royalty, it would be easy to save both. - -"My plan had for sole object to bind a party together, and give it as -far as I was able breadth and stability. - -"As the revolutionists placed their chief dependence on force, I felt -that they could only be met by force; for then as now I was convinced of -this great truth, that one strong passion can only be overcome by -another stronger, and that therefore republican fanaticism could only be -driven out by religious zeal. - -"The princes being convinced of the correctness of my reasoning and the -efficacy of my remedies, promised me the arms and supplies necessary to -stem the tide of faction, and the Comte d'Artois gave me letters of -recommendation to the chief nobles in Upper Languedoc, that I might -concert measures with them; for the nobles in that part of the country -had assembled at Toulouse to deliberate on the best way of inducing the -other Orders to unite in restoring to the Catholic religion its useful -influence, to the laws their power, and to the king his liberty and -authority. - -"On my return to Languedoc, I went from town to town in order to meet -those gentlemen to whom the Comte d'Artois had written, among whom were -many of the most influential Royalists and some members of the States of -Parliament. Having decided on a general plan, and agreed on a method of -carrying on secret correspondence with each other, I went to Nimes to -wait for the assistance which I had been promised from Turin, but which -I never received. While waiting, I devoted myself to awakening and -sustaining the zeal of the inhabitants, who at my suggestion, on the -20th April, passed a resolution, which was signed by 5,000 inhabitants." - -This resolution, which was at once a religious and political manifesto, -was drafted by Viala, M. Froment's secretary, and it lay for signature -in his office. Many of the Catholics signed it without even reading it, -for there was a short paragraph prefixed to the document which contained -all the information they seemed to desire. - -"GENTLEMEN,--The aspirations of a great number of our Catholic and -patriotic fellow-citizens are expressed in the resolution which we have -the honour of laying before you. They felt that under present -circumstances such a resolution was necessary, and they feel convinced -that if you give it your support, as they do not doubt you will, knowing -your patriotism, your religious zeal, and your love for our august -sovereign, it will conduce to the happiness of France, the maintenance -of the true religion, and the rightful authority of the king. - -"We are, gentlemen, with respect, your very humble and obedient -servants, the President and Commissioners of the Catholic Assembly of -Nimes. - -"(Signed): - - "FROMENT, Commissioner - LAPIERRE, President - FOLACHER, " - LEVELUT, Commissioner - FAURE, - MELCHIOND, " - ROBIN, " - VIGNE, " " - -At the same time a number of pamphlets, entitled Pierre Roman to the -Catholics of Nines, were distributed to the people in the streets, -containing among other attacks on the Protestants the following -passages: - -"If the door to high positions and civil and military honours were -closed to the Protestants, and a powerful tribunal established at Nimes -to see that this rule were strictly kept, you would soon see -Protestantism disappear. - -"The Protestants demand to share all the privileges which you enjoy, but -if you grant them this, their one thought will then be to dispossess you -entirely, and they will soon succeed. - -"Like ungrateful vipers, who in a torpid state were harmless, they will -when warmed by your benefits turn and kill you. - -"They are your born enemies: your fathers only escaped as by a miracle -from their blood-stained hands. Have you not often heard of the -cruelties practised on them? It was a slight thing when the Protestants -inflicted death alone, unaccompanied by the most horrible tortures. Such -as they were such they are." - -It may easily be imagined that such attacks soon embittered minds -already disposed to find new causes for the old hatred, and besides the -Catholics did not long confine themselves to resolutions and pamphlets. -Froment, who had already got himself appointed Receiver-General of the -Chapter and captain of one of the Catholic companies, insisted on being -present at the installation of the Town Council, and brought his company -with him armed with pitchforks, in spite of the express prohibition of -the colonel of the legion. These forks were terrible weapons, and had -been fabricated in a particular form for the Catholics of Nimes, Uzes, -and Alais. But Froment and his company paid no attention to the -prohibition, and this disobedience made a great impression on the -Protestants, who began to divine the hostility of their adversaries, and -it is very possible that if the new Town Council had not shut their eyes -to this act of insubordination, civil war might have burst forth in -Nimes that very day. - -The next day, at roll-call, a sergeant of another company, one Allien, a -cooper by trade, taunted one of the men with having carried a pitchfork -the day before, in disobedience to orders. He replied that the mayor had -permitted him to carry it; Allien not believing this, proposed to some -of the men to go with him to the mayor's and ask if it were true. When -they saw M. Marguerite, he said that he had permitted nothing of the -kind, and sent the delinquent to prison. Half an hour later, however, he -gave orders for his release. - -As soon as he was free he set off to find his comrades, and told them -what had occurred: they, considering that an insult to one was an insult -to the whole company, determined on having satisfaction at once, so -about eleven o'clock P.M. they went to the cooper's house, carrying with -them a gallows and ropes ready greased. But quietly as they approached, -Allien heard them, for his door being bolted from within had to be -forced. Looking out of the window, he saw a great crowd, and as he -suspected that his life was in danger, he got out of a back window into -the yard and so escaped. The militia being thus disappointed, wreaked -their vengeance on some passing Protestants, whose unlucky stars had led -them that way; these they knocked about, and even stabbed one of them -three times with a knife. - -On the 22nd April, 1790, the royalists--that is to say, the -Catholics--assumed the white cockade, although it was no longer the -national emblem, and on the 1st May some of the militia who had planted -a maypole at the mayor's door were invited to lunch with him. On the -2nd, the company which was on guard at the mayor's official residence -shouted several times during the day, "Long live the king! Up with the -Cross and down with the black throats!" (This was the name which they -had given to the Calvinists.) "Three cheers for the white cockade! -Before we are done, it will be red with the blood of the Protestants!" -However, on the 5th of May they ceased to wear it, replacing it by a -scarlet tuft, which in their patois they called the red pouf, which was -immediately adopted as the Catholic emblem. - -Each day as it passed brought forth fresh brawls and provocations: -libels were invented by the Capuchins, and spread abroad by three of -their number. Meetings were held every day, and at last became so -numerous that the town authorities called in the aid of the -militia-dragoons to disperse them. Now these gatherings consisted -chiefly of those tillers of the soil who are called cebets, from a -Provencal word cebe, which means "onion," and they could easily be -recognised as Catholics by their red pouf, which they wore both in and -out of uniform. On the other hand, the dragoons were all Protestants. - -However, these latter were so very gentle in their admonitions, that -although the two parties found themselves, so to speak, constantly face -to face and armed, for several days the meetings were dispersed without -bloodshed. But this was exactly what the cebets did not want, so they -began to insult the dragoons and turn them into ridicule. Consequently, -one morning they gathered together in great numbers, mounted on asses, -and with drawn swords began to patrol the city. - -At the same time, the lower classes, who were nearly all Catholics, -joined the burlesque patrols in complaining loudly of the dragoons, some -saying that their horses had trampled on their children, and others that -they had frightened their wives. - -The Protestants contradicted them, both parties grew angry, swords were -half drawn, when the municipal authorities came on the scene, and -instead of apprehending the ringleaders, forbade the dragoons to patrol -the town any more, ordering them in future to do nothing more than send -twenty men every day to mount guard at the episcopal palace and to -undertake no other duty except at the express request of the Town -Council. Although it was expected that the dragoons would revolt against -such a humiliation, they submitted, which was a great disappointment to -the cebets, who had been longing for a chance to indulge in new -outrages. For all that, the Catholics did not consider themselves -beaten; they felt sure of being able to find some other way of driving -their quarry to bay. - -Sunday, the 13th of June, arrived. This day had been selected by the -Catholics for a great demonstration. Towards ten o'clock in the morning, -some companies wearing the red tuft, under pretext of going to mass, -marched through the city armed and uttering threats. The few dragoons, -on the other hand, who were on guard at the palace, had not even a -sentinel posted, and had only five muskets in the guard-house. At two -o'clock P.M. there was a meeting held in the Jacobin church, consisting -almost exclusively of militia wearing the red tuft. The mayor pronounced -a panegyric on those who wore it, and was followed by Pierre Froment, -who explained his mission in much the same words as those quoted above. -He then ordered a cask of wine to be broached and distributed among the -cebets, and told them to walk about the streets in threes, and to disarm -all the dragoons whom they might meet away from their post. About six -o'clock in the evening a red-tuft volunteer presented himself at the -gate of the palace, and ordered the porter to sweep the courtyard, -saying that the volunteers were going to get up a ball for the dragoons. -After this piece of bravado he went away, and in a few moments a note -arrived, couched in the following terms: - -"The bishop's porter is warned to let no dragoon on horse or on foot -enter or leave the palace this evening, on pain of death. - -"13th June 1790." - -This note being brought to the lieutenant, he came out, and reminded the -volunteer that nobody but the town authorities could give orders to the -servants at the palace. The volunteer gave an insolent answer, the -lieutenant advised him to go away quietly, threatening if he did not to -put him out by force. This altercation attracted a great many of the -red-tufts from outside, while the dragoons, hearing the noise, came down -into the yard; the quarrel became more lively, stones were thrown, the -call to arms was heard, and in a few moments about forty cebets, who -were prowling around in the neighbourhood of the palace, rushed into the -yard carrying guns and swords. The lieutenant, who had only about a -dozen dragoons at his back, ordered the bugle to sound, to recall those -who had gone out; the volunteers threw themselves upon the bugler, -dragged his instrument from his hands, and broke it to pieces. Then -several shots were fired by the militia, the dragoons returned them, and -a regular battle began. The lieutenant soon saw that this was no mere -street row, but a deliberate rising planned beforehand, and realising -that very serious consequences were likely to ensue, he sent a dragoon -to the town hall by a back way to give notice to the authorities. - -M de Saint-Pons, major of the Nimes legion, hearing some noise outside, -opened his window, and found the whole city in a tumult: people were -running in every direction, and shouting as they ran that the dragoons -were being killed at the palace. The major rushed out into the streets -at once, gathered together a dozen to fifteen patriotic citizens without -weapons, and hurried to the town hall: There he found two officials of -the town, and begged them to go at once to the place de l'Eveche, -escorted by the first company, which was on guard at the town hall. They -agreed, and set off. On the way several shots were fired at them, but no -one was hit. When they arrived at the square, the cebets fired a volley -at them with the same negative result. Up the three principal streets -which led to the palace numerous red-tufts were hurrying; the first -company took possession of the ends of the streets, and being fired at -returned the fire, repulsing the assailants and clearing the square, -with the loss of one of their men, while several of the retreating -cebets were wounded. - -While this struggle was going on at the palace, the spirit of murder -broke loose in the town. - -At the gate of the Madeleine, M. de Jalabert's house was broken into by -the red-tufts; the unfortunate old man came out to meet them and asked -what they wanted. "Your life and the lives of all the other dogs of -Protestants!" was the reply. Whereupon he was seized and dragged through -the streets, fifteen insurgents hacking at him with their swords. - -At last he managed to escape from their hands, but died two days later -of his wounds. - -Another old man named Astruc, who was bowed beneath the weight of -seventy-two years and whose white hair covered his shoulders, was met as -he was on his way to the gate of Carmes. Being recognised as a -Protestant, he received five wounds from some of the famous pitchforks -belonging to the company of Froment. He fell, but the assassins picked -him up, and throwing him into the moat, amused themselves by flinging -stones at him, till one of them, with more humanity than his fellows, -put a bullet through his head. - -Three electors--M. Massador from near Beaucaire, M. Vialla from the -canton of Lasalle, and M. Puech of the same place-were attacked by -red-tufts on their way home, and all three seriously wounded. The -captain who had been in command of the detachment on guard at the -Electoral Assembly was returning to his quarters, accompanied by a -sergeant and three volunteers of his own company, when they were stopped -on the Petit-Cours by Froment, commonly called Damblay, who, pressing -the barrel of a pistol to the captain's breast, said, "Stand, you -rascal, and give up your arms." At the same time the red-tufts, seizing -the captain from behind by the hair, pulled him down. Froment fired his -pistol, but missed. As he fell the captain drew his sword, but it was -torn from his hands, and he received a cut from Froment's sword. Upon -this the captain made a great effort, and getting one of his arms free, -drew a pistol from his pocket, drove back his assassins, fired at -Froment, and missed him. One of the men by his side was wounded and -disarmed. - -A patrol of the regiment of Guienne, attached to which was M. Boudon, a -dragoon officer, was passing the Calquieres. M. Boudon was attacked by a -band of red-tufts and his casque and his musket carried off. Several -shots were fired at him, but none of them hit him; the patrol surrounded -him to save him, but as he had received two bayonet wounds, he desired -revenge, and, breaking through his protectors, darted forward to regain -possession of his musket, and was killed in a moment. One of his fingers -was cut off to get at a diamond ring which he wore, his pockets were -rifled of his purse and watch, and his body was thrown into the moat. - -Meantime the place-des-Recollets, the Cours, the place-des-Carmes, the -Grand-Rue, and rue de Notre Dame-de-l'Esplanade were filled with men -armed with guns, pitchforks, and swords. They had all come from -Froment's house, which overlooked that part of Nimes called Les -Calquieres, and the entrance to which was on the ramparts near the -Dominican Towers. The three leaders of the insurrection--Froment. -Folacher, and Descombiez--took possession of these towers, which formed -a part of the old castle; from this position the Catholics could sweep -the entire quay of Les Calquieres and the steps of the Salle de -Spectacle with their guns, and if it should turn out that the -insurrection they had excited did not attain the dimensions they -expected nor gain such enthusiastic adherents, it would be quite -feasible for them to defend themselves in such a position until relief -came. - -These arrangements were either the result of long meditation or were the -inspiration of some clever strategist. The fact is that everything leads -one to believe that it was a plan which had been formed with great care, -for the rapidity with which all the approaches to the fortress were -lined with a double row of militiamen all wearing the red tuft, the care -which was taken to place the most eager next the barracks in which the -park of artillery was stationed, and lastly, the manner in which the -approach to the citadel was barred by an entire company (this being the -only place where the patriots could procure arms), combine to prove that -this plan was the result of much forethought; for, while it appeared to -be only defensive, it enabled the insurrectionists to attack without -much, danger; it caused others to believe that they had been first -attacked. It was successfully carried out before the citizens were -armed, and until then only a part of the foot guard and the twelve -dragoons at the palace had offered any resistance to the conspirators. - -The red flag round which, in case of civil war, all good citizens were -expected to gather, and which was kept at the town hall, and which -should have been brought out at the first shot, was now loudly called -for. The Abbe de Belmont, a canon, vicar-general, and municipal -official, was persuaded, almost forced, to become standard-bearer, as -being the most likely on account of his ecclesiastical position to awe -rebels who had taken up arms in the name of religion. The abbe himself -gives the following account of the manner in which he fulfilled this -mandate: - -"About seven o'clock in the evening I was engaged with MM. Porthier and -Ferrand in auditing accounts, when we heard a noise in the court, and -going out on the lobby, we saw several dragoons coming upstairs, amongst -whom was M. Paris. They told us that fighting was going on in the place -de-l'Eveche, because some one or other had brought a note to the porter -ordering him to admit no more dragoons to the palace on pain of death. -At this point I interrupted their story by asking why the gates had not -been closed and the bearer of the letter arrested, but they replied to -me that it had not been possible; thereupon MM. Ferrand and Ponthier put -on their scarfs and went out. - -"A few instants later several dragoons, amongst whom I recognised none -but MM. Lezan du Pontet, Paris junior, and Boudon, accompanied by a -great number of the militia, entered, demanding that the red flag should -be brought out. They tried to open the door of the council hall, and -finding it locked, they called upon me for the key. I asked that one of -the attendants should be sent for, but they were all out; then I went to -the hall-porter to see if he knew where the key was. He said M. Berding -had taken it. Meanwhile, just as the volunteers were about to force an -entrance, someone ran up with the key. The door was opened, and the red -flag seized and forced into my hands. I was then dragged down into the -courtyard, and from thence to the square. - -"It was all in vain to tell them that they ought first to get authority, -and to represent to them that I was no suitable standard-bearer on -account of my profession; but they would not listen to any objection, -saying that my life depended upon my obedience, and that my profession -would overawe the disturbers of the public peace. So I went on, followed -by a detachment of the Guienne regiment, part of the first company of -the legion, and several dragoons; a young man with fixed bayonet kept -always at my side. Rage was depicted on the faces of all those who -accompanied me, and they indulged in oaths and threats, to which I paid -no attention. - -"In passing through the rue des Greffes they complained that I did not -carry the red flag high enough nor unfurl it fully. When we got to the -guardhouse at the Crown Gate, the guard turned out, and the officer was -commanded to follow us with his men. He replied that he could not do -that without a written order from a member of the Town Council. -Thereupon those around me told me I must write such an order, but I -asked for a pen and ink; everybody was furious because I had none with -me. So offensive were the remarks indulged in by the volunteers and some -soldiers of the Guienne regiment, and so threatening their gestures, -that I grew alarmed. I was hustled and even received several blows; but -at length M. de Boudon brought me paper and a pen, and I wrote:--'I -require the troops to assist us to maintain order by force if -necessary.' Upon this, the officer consented to accompany us. We had -hardly taken half a dozen steps when they all began to ask what had -become of the order I had just written, for it could not be found. They -surrounded me, saying that I had not written it at all, and I was on the -point of being trampled underfoot, when a militiaman found it all -crumpled up in his pocket. The threats grew louder, and once more it was -because I did not carry the flag high enough, everyone insisting that I -was quite tall enough to display it to better advantage. - -"However, at this point the militiamen with the red tufts made their -appearance, a few armed with muskets but the greater number with swords; -shots were exchanged, and the soldiers of the line and the National -Guard arranged themselves in battle order, in a kind of recess, and -desired me to go forward alone, which I refused to do, because I should -have been between two fires. - -"Upon this, curses, threats, and blows reached their height. I was -dragged out before the troops and struck with the butt ends of their -muskets and the flat of their swords until I advanced. One blow that I -received between the shoulders filled my mouth with blood. - -"All this time those of the opposite party were coming nearer, and those -with whom I was continued to yell at me to go on. I went on until I met -them. I besought them to retire, even throwing myself at their feet. But -all persuasion was in vain; they swept me along with them, making me -enter by the Carmelite Gate, where they took the flag from me and -allowed me to enter the house of a woman whose name I have never known. -I was spitting such a quantity of blood that she took pity on me and -brought me everything she could think of as likely to do me good, and as -soon as I was a little revived I asked to be shown the way to M. -Ponthier's." - -While Abbe de Belmont was carrying the red flag the militia forced the -Town Councillors to proclaim martial law. This had just been done when -word was brought that the first red flag had been carried off, so M. -Ferrand de Missol got out another, and, followed by a considerable -escort, took the same road as his colleague, Abbe de Belmont. When he -arrived at the Calquieres, the red-tufts, who still adorned the ramparts -and towers, began to fire upon the procession, and one of the militia -was disabled; the escort retreated, but M. Ferrand advanced alone to the -Carmelite Gate, like M. de Belmont, and like him, he too, was taken -prisoner. - -He was brought to the tower, where he found Froment in a fury, declaring -that the Council had not kept its promise, having sent no relief, and -having delayed to give up the citadel to him. - -The escort, however, had only retreated in order to seek help; they -rushed tumultuously to the barracks, and finding the regiment of Guienne -drawn up in marching order in command of Lieutenant-Colonel Bonne, they -asked him to follow them, but he refused without a written order from a -Town Councillor. Upon this an old corporal shouted, "Brave soldiers of -Guienne! the country is in danger, let us not delay to do our duty." -"Yes, yes," cried the soldiers; "let us march" The lieutenant colonel no -longer daring to resist, gave the word of command, and they set off for -the Esplanade. - -As they came near the rampart with drums beating, the firing ceased, but -as night was coming on the new-comers did not dare to risk attacking, -and moreover the silence of the guns led them to think that the rebels -had given up their enterprise. Having remained an hour in the square, -the troops returned to their quarters, and the patriots went to pass the -night in an inclosure on the Montpellier road. - -It almost seemed as if the Catholics were beginning to recognise the -futility of their plot; for although they had appealed to fanaticism, -forced the Town Council to do their will, scattered gold lavishly and -made wine flow, out of eighteen companies only three had joined them. -"Fifteen companies," said M. Alquier in his report to the National -Assembly, "although they had adopted the red tuft, took no part in the -struggle, and did not add to the number of crimes committed either on -that day or during the days that followed. But although the Catholics -gained few partisans among their fellow-citizens, they felt certain that -people from the country would rally to their aid; but about ten o'clock -in the evening the rebel ringleaders, seeing that no help arrived from -that quarter either, resolved to apply a stimulus to those without. -Consequently, Froment wrote the following letter to M. de Bonzols, -under-commandant of the province of Languedoc, who was living at Lunel: - -"SIR, Up to the present all my demands, that the Catholic companies -should be put under arms, have been of no avail. In spite of the order -that you gave at my request, the officials of the municipality were of -opinion that it would be more prudent to delay the distribution of the -muskets until after the meeting of the Electoral Assembly. This day the -Protestant dragoons have attacked and killed several of our unarmed -Catholics, and you may imagine the confusion and alarm that prevail in -the town. As a good citizen and a true patriot, I entreat you to send an -order to the regiment of royal dragoons to repair at once to Nimes to -restore tranquillity and put down all who break the peace. The Town -Council does not meet, none of them dares to leave his house; and if you -receive no requisition from them just now, it is because they go in -terror of their lives and fear to appear openly. Two red flags have been -carried about the streets, and municipal officers without guards have -been obliged to take refuge in patriotic houses. Although I am only a -private citizen, I take the liberty of asking for aid from you, knowing -that the Protestants have sent to La Vannage and La Gardonninque to ask -you for reinforcements, and the arrival of fanatics from these districts -would expose all good patriots to slaughter. Knowing as I do of your -kindness and justice, I have full trust that my prayer will receive your -favourable attention. - -"FROMENT, Captain of Company No. 39 - -"June 13, 1790, 11 o'c. p.m." - -Unfortunately for the Catholic party, Dupre and Lieutaud, to whom this -letter was entrusted for delivery, and for whom passports were made out -as being employed on business connected with the king and the State, -were arrested at Vehaud, and their despatches laid before the Electoral -Assembly. Many other letters of the same kind were also intercepted, and -the red-tufts went about the town saying that the Catholics of Nimes -were being massacred. - -The priest of Courbessac, among others, was shown a letter saying that a -Capuchin monk had been murdered, and that the Catholics were in need of -help. The agents who brought this letter to him wanted him to put his -name to it that they might show it everywhere, but were met by a -positive refusal. - -At Bouillargues and Manduel the tocsin was sounded: the two villages -joined forces, and with weapons in their hands marched along the road -from Beaucaire to Nimes. At the bridge of Quart the villagers of -Redressan and Marguerite joined them. Thus reinforced, they were able to -bar the way to all who passed and subject them to examination; if a man -could show he was a Catholic, he was allowed to proceed, but the -Protestants were murdered then and there. We may remind our readers that -the "Cadets de la Croix" pursued the same method in 1704. - -Meantime Descombiez, Froment, and Folacher remained masters of the -ramparts and the tower, and when very early one morning their forces -were augmented by the insurgents from the villages (about two hundred -men), they took advantage of their strength to force a way into the -house of a certain Therond, from which it was easy to effect an entrance -to the Jacobin monastery, and from there to the tower adjoining, so that -their line now extended from the gate at the bridge of Calquieres to -that at the end of College Street. From daylight to dusk all the -patriots who came within range were fired at whether they were armed or -not. - -On the 14th June, at four o'clock in the morning, that part of the -legion which was against the Catholics gathered together in the square -of the Esplanade, where they were joined by the patriots from the -adjacent towns and villages, who came in in small parties till they -formed quite an army. At five A.M. M. de St. Pons, knowing that the -windows of the Capuchin monastery commanded the position taken up by the -patriots, went there with a company and searched the house thoroughly, -and also the Amphitheatre, but found nothing suspicious in either. - -Immediately after, news was heard of the massacres that had taken place -during the night. - -The country-house belonging to M. and Mme. Noguies had been broken into, -the furniture destroyed, the owners killed in their beds, and an old man -of seventy who lived with them cut to pieces with a scythe. - -A young fellow of fifteen, named Payre, in passing near the guard placed -at the Pont des files, had been asked by a red-tuft if he were Catholic -or Protestant. On his replying he was Protestant, he was shot dead on -the spot. "That was like killing a lamb," said a comrade to the -murderer. "Pooh!" said he, "I have taken a vow to kill four Protestants, -and he may pass for one." - -M Maigre, an old man of eighty-two, head of one of the most respected -families in the neighbourhood, tried to escape from his house along with -his son, his daughter-in-law, two grandchildren, and two servants; but -the carriage was stopped, and while the rebels were murdering him and -his son, the mother and her two children succeeded in escaping to an -inn, whither the assassins pursued them, Fortunately, however, the two -fugitives having a start, reached the inn a few minutes before their -pursuers, and the innkeeper had enough presence of mind to conceal them -and open the garden gate by which he said they had escaped. The -Catholics, believing him, scattered over the country to look for them, -and during their absence the mother and children were rescued by the -mounted patrol. - -The exasperation of the Protestants rose higher and higher as reports of -these murders came in one by one, till at last the desire for vengeance -could no longer be repressed, and they were clamorously insisting on -being led against the ramparts and the towers, when without warning a -heavy fusillade began from the windows and the clock tower of the -Capuchin monastery. M. Massin, a municipal officer, was killed on the -spot, a sapper fatally wounded, and twenty-five of the National Guard -wounded more or less severely. The Protestants immediately rushed -towards the monastery in a disorderly mass; but the superior, instead of -ordering the gates to be opened, appeared at a window above the -entrance, and addressing the assailants as the vilest of the vile, asked -them what they wanted at the monastery. "We want to destroy it, we want -to pull it down till not one stone rests upon another," they replied. -Upon this, the reverend father ordered the alarm bells to be rung, and -from the mouths of bronze issued the call for help; but before it could -arrive, the door was burst in with hatchets, and five Capuchins and -several of the militia who wore the red tuft were killed, while all the -other occupants of the monastery ran away, taking refuge in the house of -a Protestant called Paulhan. During this attack the church was -respected; a man from Sornmieres, however, stole a pyx which he found in -the sacristy, but as soon as his comrades perceived this he was arrested -and sent to prison. - -In the monastery itself, however, the doors were broken in, the -furniture smashed, the library and the dispensary wrecked. The sacristy -itself was not spared, its presses being broken into, its chests -destroyed, and two monstrances broken; but nothing further was touched. -The storehouses and the small cloth-factory connected with the monastery -remained intact, like the church. - -But still the towers held out, and it was round them that the real -fighting took place, the resistance offered from within being all the -more obstinate that the besieged expected relief from moment to moment, -not knowing that their letters had been intercepted by the enemy. On -every side the rattling of shot was heard, from the Esplanade, from the -windows, from the roofs; but very little effect was produced by the -Protestants, for Descombiez had told his men to put their caps with the -red tufts on the top of the wall, to attract the bullets, while they -fired from the side. Meantime the conspirators, in order to get a better -command of the besiegers, reopened a passage which had been long walled -up between the tower Du Poids and the tower of the Dominicans. -Descombiez, accompanied by thirty men, came to the door of the monastery -nearest the fortifications and demanded the key of another door which -led to that part of the ramparts which was opposite the place des -Carmes, where the National Guards were stationed. In spite of the -remonstrances of the monks, who saw that it would expose them to great -danger, the doors were opened, and Froment hastened to occupy every post -of vantage, and the battle began in that quarter, too, becoming fiercer -as the conspirators remarked that every minute brought the Protestants -reinforcements from Gardonninque and La Vaunage. The firing began at ten -o'clock in the morning, and at four o'clock in the afternoon it was -going on with unabated fury. - -At four o'clock, however, a servant carrying a flag of truce appeared; -he brought a letter from Descombiez, Fremont, and Folacher, who styled -themselves "Captains commanding the towers of the Castle." It was -couched in the following words:-- - -"To the Commandant of the troops of the line, with the request that the -contents be communicated to the militia stationed in the Esplanade. - -"SIR,--We have just been informed that you are anxious for peace. We -also desire it, and have never done anything to break it. If those who -have caused the frightful confusion which at present prevails in the -city are willing to bring it to an end, we offer to forget the past and -to live with them as brothers. - -"We remain, with all the frankness and loyalty of patriots and -Frenchmen, your humble servants, - -"The Captains of the Legion of Nimes, in command of the towers of the -Castle, - -"FROMENT, DESCOMBIEZ, FOLACHER NIMES, the 14th June 1790, 4.00 P.M." - -On the receipt of this letter, the city herald was sent to the towers to -offer the rebels terms of capitulation. The three "captains in command" -came out to discuss the terms with the commissioners of the electoral -body; they were armed and followed by a great number of adherents. -However, as the negotiators desired peace before all things, they -proposed that the three chiefs should surrender and place themselves in -the hands of the Electoral Assembly. This offer being refused, the -electoral commissioners withdrew, and the rebels retired behind their -fortifications. About five o'clock in the evening, just as the -negotiations were broken off, M. Aubry, an artillery captain who had -been sent with two hundred men to the depot of field artillery in the -country, returned with six pieces of ordnance, determined to make a -breach in the tower occupied by the conspirators, and from which they -were firing in safety at the soldiers, who had no cover. At six o'clock, -the guns being mounted, their thunder began, first drowning the noise of -the musketry and then silencing it altogether; for the cannon balls did -their work quickly, and before long the tower threatened to fall. -Thereupon the electoral commissioners ordered the firing to cease for a -moment, in the hope that now the danger had become so imminent the -leaders would accept the conditions which they had refused one hour -before; and not desiring to drive them to desperation, the commissioners -advanced again down College Street, preceded by a bugler, and the -captains were once more summoned to a parley. Froment and Descombiez -came out to meet them, and seeing the condition of the tower, they -agreed to lay down their arms and send them for the palace, while they -themselves would proceed to the Electoral Assembly and place themselves -under its protection. These proposals being accepted, the commissioners -waved their hats as a sign that the treaty was concluded. - -At that instant three shots were fired from the ramparts, and cries of -"Treachery! treachery!" were heard on every side. The Catholic chiefs -returned to the tower, while the Protestants, believing that the -commissioners were being assassinated, reopened the cannonade; but -finding that it took too long to complete the breach, ladders were -brought, the walls scaled, and the towers carried by assault. Some of -the Catholics were killed, the others gained Froment's house, where, -encouraged by him, they tried to organise a resistance; but the -assailants, despite the oncoming darkness, attacked the place with such -fury that doors and windows were shattered in an instant. Froment and -his brother Pierre tried to escape by a narrow staircase which led to -the roof, but before they reached it Pierre was wounded in the hip and -fell; but Froment reached the roof, and sprang upon an adjacent -housetop, and climbing from roof to roof, reached the college, and -getting into it by a garret window, took refuge in a large room which -was always unoccupied at night, being used during the day as a study. - -Froment remained hidden there until eleven o'clock. It being then -completely dark, he got out of the window, crossed the city, gained the -open country, and walking all night, concealed himself during the day in -the house of a Catholic. The next night he set off again, and reached -the coast, where he embarked on board a vessel for Italy, in order to -report to those who had sent him the disastrous result of his -enterprise. - -For three whole days the carnage lasted. The Protestants losing all -control over themselves, carried on the work of death not only without -pity but with refined cruelty. More than five hundred Catholics lost -their lives before the 17th, when peace was restored. - -For a long time recriminations went on between Catholics and -Protestants, each party trying to fix on the other the responsibility -for those dreadful three days; but at last Franqois Froment put an end -to all doubt on the subject, by publishing a work from which are set -forth many of the details just laid before our readers, as well as the -reward he met with when he reached Turin. At a meeting of the French -nobles in exile, a resolution was passed in favour of M. Pierre Froment -and his children, inhabitants of Nimes. - -We give a literal reproduction of this historic document: - -"We the undersigned, French nobles, being convinced that our Order was -instituted that it might become the prize of valour and the -encouragement of virtue, do declare that the Chevalier de Guer having -given us proof of the devotion to their king and the love of their -country which have been displayed by M. Pierre Froment, receiver of the -clergy, and his three sons, Mathieu Froment citizen, Jacques Froment -canon, Francois Froment advocate, inhabitants of Nimes, we shall -henceforward regard them and their descendants as nobles and worthy to -enjoy all the distinctions which belong to the true nobility. Brave -citizens, who perform such distinguished actions as fighting for the -restoration of the monarchy, ought to be considered as the equals of -those French chevaliers whose ancestors helped to found it. Furthermore, -we do declare that as soon as circumstances permit we shall join -together to petition His Majesty to grant to this family, so illustrious -through its virtue, all the honours and prerogatives which belong to -those born noble. - -"We depute the Marquis de Meran, Comte d'Espinchal, the Marquis -d'Escars, Vicomte de Pons, Chevalier de Guer, and the Marquis de la -Feronniere to go to Mgr. le Comte d'Artois, Mgr. le Duc d'Angouleme, -Mgr. le Duc de Berry, Mgr. le Prince de Conde, Mgr. le Due de Bourbon, -and Mgr. le Duc d'Enghien, to beg them to put themselves at our head -when we request His Majesty to grant to MM. Froment all the distinctions -and advantages reserved for the true nobility. - -"At TURIN, 12th September 1790." - -The nobility of Languedoc learned of the honours conferred on their -countryman, M. Froment, and addressed the following letter to him: - -"LORCH, July 7, 1792 - -"MONSIEUR, The nobles of Languedoc hasten to confirm the resolution -adopted in your favour by the nobles assembled at Turin. They appreciate -the zeal and the courage which have distinguished your conduct and that -of your family; they have therefore instructed us to assure you of the -pleasure with which they will welcome you among those nobles who are -under the orders of Marshal de Castries, and that you are at liberty to -repair to Lorch to assume your proper rank in one of the companies. - -"We have the honour to be, monsieur, your humble and obedient servants, - -"COMTE DE TOULOUSE-LAUTREC - -"MARQUIS DE LA JONQUIERE "ETC." - - - - -CHAPTER VII - - -The Protestants, as we have said, hailed the golden dawn of the -revolution with delight; then came the Terror, which struck at all -without distinction of creed. A hundred and thirty-eight heads fell on -the scaffold, condemned by the revolutionary tribunal of the Gard. -Ninety-one of those executed were Catholic, and forty-seven Protestants, -so that it looked as if the executioners in their desire for -impartiality had taken a census of the population. - -Then came the Consulate: the Protestants being mostly tradesmen and -manufacturers, were therefore richer than the Catholics, and had more to -lose; they seemed to see more chance of stability in this form of -government than in those preceding it, and it was evident that it had a -more powerful genius at its head, so they rallied round it with -confidence and sincerity. The Empire followed, with its inclination to -absolutism, its Continental system, and its increased taxation; and the -Protestants drew back somewhat, for it was towards them who had hoped so -much from him that Napoleon in not keeping the promises of Bonaparte was -most perjured. - -The first Restoration, therefore, was greeted at Nimes with a universal -shout of joy; and a superficial-observer might have thought that all -trace of the old religious leaven had disappeared. In fact, for -seventeen years the two faiths had lived side by side in perfect peace -and mutual good-will; for seventeen years men met either for business or -for social purposes without inquiring about each other's religion, so -that Nimes on the surface might have been held up as an example of union -and fraternity. - -When Monsieur arrived at Nimes, his guard of honour was drawn from the -city guard, which still retained its organisation of 1812, being -composed of citizens without distinction of creed. Six decorations were -conferred on it--three on Catholics, and three on Protestants. At the -same time, M. Daunant, M. Olivier Desmonts, and M. de Seine, the first -the mayor, the second the president of the Consistory, and the third a -member of the Prefecture, all three belonging to the Reformed religion, -received the same favour. - -Such impartiality on the part of Monsieur almost betrayed a preference, -and this offended the Catholics. They muttered to one another that in -the past there had been a time when the fathers of those who had just -been decorated by the hand of the prince had fought against his faithful -adherents. Hardly had Monsieur left the town, therefore, than it became -apparent that perfect harmony no longer existed. - -The Catholics had a favorite cafe, which during the whole time the -Empire lasted was also frequented by Protestants without a single -dispute caused by the difference of religion ever arising. But from this -time forth the Catholics began to hold themselves aloof from the -Protestants; the latter perceiving this, gave up the cafe by degrees to -the Catholics, being determined to keep the peace whatever it might -cost, and went to a cafe which had been just opened under the sign of -the "Isle of Elba." The name was enough to cause them to be regarded as -Bonapartists, and as to Bonapartists the cry "Long live the king!" was -supposed to be offensive, they were saluted at every turn with these -words, pronounced in a tone which became every day more menacing. At -first they gave back the same cry, "Long live the king!" but then they -were called cowards who expressed with their lips a sentiment which did -not come from their hearts. Feeling that this accusation had some truth -in it, they were silent, but then they were accused of hating the royal -family, till at length the cry which at first had issued from full -hearts in a universal chorus grew to be nothing but an expression of -party hatred, so that on the 21st February, 1815, M. Daunant the mayor, -by a decree, prohibited the public from using it, as it had become a -means of exciting sedition. Party feeling had reached this height at -Nimes when, on the 4th March, the news of the landing of Napoleon -arrived. - -Deep as was the impression produced, the city remained calm, but -somewhat sullen; in any case, the report wanted confirmation. Napoleon, -who knew of the sympathy that the mountaineers felt for him, went at -once into the Alps, and his eagle did not as yet take so high a flight -that it could be seen hovering above Mount Geneve. - -On the 12th, the Duc d'Angouleme arrived: two proclamations calling the -citizens to arms signalised his presence. The citizens answered the call -with true Southern ardour: an army was formed; but although Protestants -and Catholics presented themselves for enrolment with equal alacrity, -the Protestants were excluded, the Catholics denying the right of -defending their legitimate sovereign to any but themselves. - -This species of selection apparently went on without the knowledge of -the Duc d'Angouleme. During his stay in Nimes he received Protestants -and Catholics with equal cordiality, and they set at his table side by -side. It happened once, on a Friday, at dinner, that a Protestant -general took fish and a Catholic general helped himself to fowl. The -duke being amused, drew attention to this anomaly, whereupon the -Catholic general replied, "Better more chicken and less treason." This -attack was so direct, that although the Protestant general felt that as -far as he was concerned it had no point, he rose from table and left the -room. It was the brave General Gilly who was treated in this cruel -manner. - -Meanwhile the news became more disastrous every day: Napoleon was moving -about with the rapidity of his eagles. On the 24th March it was reported -in Nimes that Louis XVIII had left Paris on the 19th and that Napoleon -had entered on the 20th. This report was traced to its source, and it -was found that it had been spread abroad by M. Vincent de Saint-Laurent, -a councillor of the Prefecture and one of the most respected men in -Nimes. He was summoned at once before the authorities and asked whence -he had this information; he replied, "From a letter received from M. -Bragueres," producing the letter. But convincing as was this proof, it -availed him nothing: he was escorted from brigade to brigade till he -reached the Chateau d'If. The Protestants sided with M. Vincent de -Saint-Laurent, the Catholics took the part of the authorities who were -persecuting him, and thus the two factions which had been so long -quiescent found themselves once more face to face, and their dormant -hatred awoke to new life. For the moment, however, there was no -explosion, although the city was at fever heat, and everyone felt that a -crisis was at hand. - -On the 22nd March two battalions of Catholic volunteers had already been -enlisted at Nimes, and had formed part of the eighteen hundred men who -were sent to Saint-Esprit. Just before their departure fleurs-de-lys had -been distributed amongst them, made of red cloth; this change in the -colour of the monarchical emblem was a threat which the Protestants well -understood. - -The prince left Nimes in due course, taking with him the rest of the -royal volunteers, and leaving the Protestants practically masters of -Nimes during the absence of so many Catholics. The city, however, -continued calm, and when provocations began, strange to say they came -from the weaker party. - -On the 27th March six men met in a barn; dined together, and then agreed -to make the circuit of the town. These men were Jacques Dupont, who -later acquired such terrible celebrity under the name of Trestaillons, -Truphemy the butcher, Morenet the dog shearer, Hours, Servant, and -Gilles. They got opposite the cafe "Isle of Elba," the name of which -indicated the opinion of those who frequented it. This cafe was faced by -a guard-house which was occupied by soldiers of the 67th Regiment. The -six made a halt, and in the most insulting tones raised the cry of "Long -live the king!" The disturbance that ensued was so slight that we only -mention it in order to give an idea of the tolerance of the Protestants, -and to bring upon the stage the men mentioned above, who were three -months later to play such a terrible part. - -On April 1st the mayor summoned to a meeting at his official residence -the municipal council, the members of all the variously constituted -administrative bodies in Nimes, the officers of the city guards, the -priests, the Protestant pastors, and the chief citizens. At this -meeting, M. Trinquelague, advocate of the Royal Courts, read a powerful -address, expressing the love, of the citizens for their king and -country, and exhorting them to union and peace. This address was -unanimously adopted and signed by all present, and amongst the -signatures were those of the principal Protestants of Nimes. But this -was not all: the next day it was printed and published, and copies sent -to all the communes in the department over which the white flag still -floated. And all this happened, as we have said, on April and, eleven -days after Napoleon's return to Paris. - -The same day word arrived that the Imperial Government had been -proclaimed at Montpellier. - -The next day, April 3rd, all the officers on half-pay assembled at the -fountain to be reviewed by a general and a sub-inspector, and as these -officers were late, the order of the, day issued by General Ambert, -recognising the Imperial Government, was produced and passed along the -ranks, causing such excitement that one of the officers drew his sword -and cried, "Long live the emperor!" These magic words were re-echoed -from every side, and they all hastened to the barracks of the 63rd -Regiment, which at once joined the officers. At this juncture Marshal -Pelissier arrived, and did not appear to welcome the turn things had -taken; he made an effort to restrain the enthusiasm of the crowd, but -was immediately arrested by his own soldiers. The officers repaired in a -body to the headquarters of General Briche, commandant of the garrison, -and asked for the official copy of the order of the day. He replied that -he had received none, and when questioned as to which side he was on he -refused to answer. The officers upon this took him prisoner. Just as -they had consigned him to the barracks for confinement, a post-office -official arrived bringing a despatch from General Ambert. Learning that -General Briche was a prisoner, the messenger carried his packet to the -colonel of the 63rd Regiment, who was the next in seniority after the -general. In opening it, it was found to contain the order of the day. - -Instantly the colonel ordered the 'gineyale' to sound: the town guards -assumed arms, the troops left the barracks and formed in line, the -National Guards in the rear of the regular troops, and when they were -all thus drawn up; the order of the day was read; it was then snatched -out of the colonel's hands, printed on large placards, and in less time -than seemed possible it was posted up in every street and at every -street corner; the tricolour replaced the white cockade, everyone being -obliged to wear the national emblem or none at all, the city was -proclaimed in a state of seige, and the military officers formed a -vigilance committee and a police force. - -While the Duc d'Angouleme had been staying at Nimes, General Gilly had -applied for a command in that prince's army, but in spite of all his -efforts obtained nothing; so immediately after the dinner at which he -was insulted he had withdrawn to Avernede, his place in the country. He -was awoke in the night of the 5th-6th April by a courier from General -Ambert, who sent to offer him the command of the 2nd Subdivision. On the -6th, General Gilly went to Nimes, and sent in his acceptance, whereby -the departments of the Gard, the Lozere, and Ardeche passed under his -authority. - -Next day General Gilly received further despatches from General Ambert, -from which he learned that it was the general's intention, in order to -avoid the danger of a civil war, to separate the Duc d'Angouleme's army -from the departments which sympathised with the royal cause; he had -therefore decided to make Pont-Saint-Esprit a military post, and had -ordered the 10th Regiment of mounted chasseurs, the 13th artillery, and -a battalion of infantry to move towards this point by forced marches. -These troops were commanded by Colonel Saint-Laurent, but General Ambert -was anxious that if it could be done without danger, General Gilly -should leave Nimes, taking with him part of the 63rd Regiment, and -joining the other forces under the command of Colonel Saint-Laurent, -should assume the chief command. As the city was quite tranquil, General -Gilly did not hesitate to obey this order: he set out from Nimes on the -7th, passed the night at Uzes, and finding that town abandoned by the -magistrates, declared it in a state of siege, lest disturbances should -arise in the absence of authority. Having placed M. de Bresson in -command, a retired chief of battalion who was born in Uzes, and who -usually lived there, he continued his march on the morning of the 8th. - -Beyond the village of Conans, General Gilly met an orderly sent to him -by Colonel Saint-Laurent to inform him that he, the colonel, had -occupied Pont Saint-Esprit, and that the Duc d'Angouleme, finding -himself thus caught between two fires, had just sent General d'Aultanne, -chief of staff in the royal army, to him, to enter into negotiations for -a surrender. Upon this, General Gilly quickened his advance, and on -reaching Pont-Saint-Esprit found General d'Aultanne and Colonel -Saint-Laurent conferring together at the Hotel de la Poste. - -As Colonel Saint-Laurent had received his instructions directly from the -commander-in-chief, several points relating to the capitulation had -already been agreed upon; of these General Gilly slightly altered some, -and approved of the others, and the same day the following convention -was signed: - -"Convention concluded between General Gilly and Baron de Damas - -"S.A.R. Mgr. le Duc d'Angouleme, Commander-in-Chief of the royal army in -the South, and Baron de Gilly, General of Division and -Commander-in-Chief of the first corps of the Imperial Army, being most -anxiously desirous to prevent any further effusion of French blood, have -given plenary powers to arrange the terms of a convention to S.A.R. M. -le Baron de Damas, Field-Marshal and Under-Chief of Staff, and General -de Gilly and Adjutant Lefevre, Chevalier of the Legion of Honour, and -Chief of the Staff of the first Army Corps; who, having shown each other -their respective credentials, have agreed on the following terms:-- - -"Art. 1. The royal army is to be disbanded; and the National Guards -which are enrolled in it, under whatever name they may have been levied, -will return to their homes, after laying down their arms. Safe conducts -will be provided, and the general of division commanding-in-chief -guarantees that they shall never be molested for anything they may have -said or done in connection with the events preceding the present -convention. - -"The officers will retain their swords; the troops of the line who form -part of this army will repair to such garrisons as may be assigned to -them. - -"Art. 2. The general officers, superior staff officers and others of all -branches of the service, and the chiefs and subordinates of the -administrative departments, of whose names a list will be furnished to -the general-in-chief, will retire to their homes and there await the -orders of His Majesty the Emperor. - -"Art. 3. Officers of every rank who wish to resign their commissions are -competent to do so. They will receive passports for their homes. - -"Art. 4. The funds of the army and the lists of the paymaster-general -will be handed over at once to commissioners appointed for that purpose -by the commander-in-chief. - -"Art. 5. The above articles apply to the corps commanded by Mgr. le Duc -d'Angouleme in person, and also to those who act separately but under -his orders, and as forming part of the royal army of the South. - -"Art. 6. H.R.H. will post to Cette, where the vessels necessary for him -and his suite will be waiting to take him wherever he may desire. -Detachments of the Imperial Army will be placed at all the relays on the -road to protect His Royal Highness during the journey, and the honours -due to his rank will be everywhere paid him, if he so desire. - -"Art. 7. All the officers and other persons of His Royal Highness' suite -who desire to follow him will be permitted to do so, and they may either -embark with him at once or later, should their private affairs need time -for arrangement. - -"Art. 8. The present treaty will be kept secret until His Royal Highness -have quitted the limits of the empire. - -"Executed in duplicate and agreed upon between the above-mentioned -plenipotentiaries the 8th day of April in the year 1815, with the -approval of the general commanding-in-chief, and signed, - -"At the headquarters at Pont-Saint-Esprit on the day and year above -written. - -"(Signed) LEFEVRE Adjutant and Chief of Staff of the First Corps of the -Imperial Army of the South - -"(Signed) BARON DE DAMAS Field-Marshal and Under-Chief of Staff - -"The present convention is approved of by the General of Division -Commanding-in-Chief the Imperial Army of the South. - -"(Signed) GILLY" - -After some discussion between General Gilly and General Grouchy, the -capitulation was carried into effect. On the 16th April, at eight -o'clock in the morning, the Duc d'Angouleme arrived at Cette, and went -on board the Swedish vessel Scandinavia, which, taking advantage of a -favourable wind, set sail the same day. - -Early in the morning of the 9th an officer of high rank had been sent to -La Palud to issue safe-conducts to the troops, who according to Article -I of the capitulation were to return home "after laying down their -arms." But during the preceding day and night some of the royal -volunteers had evaded this article by withdrawing with their arms and -baggage. As this infraction of the terms led to serious consequences, we -propose, in order to establish the fact, to cite the depositions of -three royal volunteers who afterwards gave evidence. - -"On leaving the army of the Duc d'Angouleme after the capitulation," -says Jean Saunier, "I went with my officers and my corps to -Saint-Jean-des-Anels. From there we marched towards Uzes. In the middle -of a forest, near a village, the name of which I have forgotten, our -General M. de Vogue told us that we were all to return to our own homes. -We asked him where we should deposit the flag. Just then Commandant -Magne detached it from the staff and put it in his pocket. We then asked -the general where we should deposit our arms; he replied, that we had -better keep them, as we should probably find use for them before long, -and also to take our ammunition with us, to ensure our safety on the -road. - -"From that time on we all did what we thought best: sixty-four of us -remained together, and took a guide to enable us to avoid Uzes." - -Nicholas Marie, labourer, deposed as follows: - -"On leaving the army of the Duc d'Angouleme after the capitulation, I -went with my officers and my corps to Saint-Jean-des-Anels. We marched -towards Uzes, but when we were in the middle of a forest, near a village -the name of which I have forgotten, our general, M. de Vogue, told us -that we were to go to our own homes as soon as we liked. We saw -Commandant Magne loose the flag from its staff, roll it up and put it in -his pocket. We asked the general what we were to do with our arms; he -replied that we were to keep both them and our ammunition, as we should -find them of use. Upon this, our chiefs left us, and we all got away as -best we could." - -"After the capitulation of the Duc d'Angouleme I found myself," deposes -Paul Lambert, lace-maker of Nimes, "in one of several detachments under -the orders of Commandant Magne and General Vogue. In the middle of a -forest near a village, the name of which I do not know, M. de Vogue and -the other officer, told us we might go home. The flag was folded up, and -M. Magne put it in his pocket. We asked our chiefs what we were to do -with our arms. M. de Vogue told us that we had better keep them, as we -should need them before very long; and in any case it would be well to -have them with us on the road, lest anything should happen to us." - -The three depositions are too much alike to leave room for any doubt. -The royal volunteers contravened Article I of the convention. - -Being thus abandoned by their chiefs, without general and without flag, -M. de Vogue's soldiers asked no further counsel of anyone but -themselves, and, as one of them has already told us, sixty-four of them -joined together to hire a guide who was to show them how to get by Uzes -without going through it, for they were afraid of meeting with insult -there. The guide brought them as far as Montarem without anyone opposing -their passage or taking notice of their arms. - -Suddenly a coachman named Bertrand, a confidential servant of Abbe -Rafin, former Grand-Vicar of Alais, and of Baroness Arnaud-Wurmeser (for -the abbe administered the estate of Aureillac in his own name and that -of the baroness), galloped into the village of Arpaillargues, which was -almost entirely Protestant and consequently Napoleonist, announcing that -the miquelets (for after one hundred and ten years the old name given to -the royal troops was revived) were on the way from Montarem, pillaging -houses, murdering magistrates, outraging women, and then throwing them -out of the windows. It is easy to understand the effect of such a story. -The people gathered together in groups; the mayor and his assistant -being absent, Bertrand was taken before a certain Boucarut, who on -receiving his report ordered the generale to be beaten and the tocsin to -be rung. Then the consternation became general: the men seized their -muskets, the women and children stones and pitchforks, and everyone made -ready to face a danger which only existed in the imagination of -Bertrand, for there was not a shadow of foundation for the story he had -told. - -While the village was in this state of feverish excitement the royal -volunteers came in sight. Hardly were they seen than the cry, "There -they are! There they are!" arose on all sides, the streets were -barricaded with carts, the tocsin rang out with redoubled frenzy, and -everyone capable of carrying arms rushed to the entrance of the village. - -The volunteers, hearing the uproar and seeing the hostile preparations, -halted, and to show that their intentions were peaceful, put their -shakos on their musket stocks and waved them above their heads, shouting -that no one need fear, for they would do no harm to anyone. But alarmed -as they were by the terrible stories told by Bertrand, the villagers -shouted back that they could not trust to such assurances, and that if -they wanted to pass through the village they must first give up their -weapons. It may easily be imagined that men who had broken the -convention in order to keep their weapons were not likely to give them -up to these villagers--in fact, they obstinately refused to let them out -of their hands, and by doing so increased the suspicions of the people. -A parley of a very excited character took place between M. Fournier for -the royal guards and M. Boucarut, who was chosen spokesman by the -villagers. From words they came to deeds: the miquelets tried to force -their way through, some shots were fired, and two miquelets, Calvet and -Fournier, fell. The others scattered, followed by a lively discharge, -and two more miquelets were slightly wounded. Thereupon they all took to -flight through the fields on either side of the road, pursued for a -short distance by the villagers, but soon returned to examine the two -wounded men, and a report was drawn up by Antoine Robin, advocate and -magistrate of the canton of Uzes, of the events just related. - -This accident was almost the only one of its kind which happened during -the Hundred Days: the two parties remained face to face, threatening but -self-controlled. But let there be no mistake: there was no peace; they -were simply awaiting a declaration of war. When the calm was broken, it -was from Marseilles that the provocation came. We shall efface ourselves -for a time and let an eye-witness speak, who being a Catholic cannot be -suspected of partiality for the Protestants. - -"I was living in Marseilles at the time of Napoleon's landing, and I was -a witness of the impression which the news produced upon everyone. There -was one great cry; the enthusiasm was universal; the National Guard -wanted to join him to the last man, but Marshal Massena did not give his -consent until it was too late, for Napoleon had already reached the -mountains, and was moving with such swiftness that it would have been -impossible to overtake him. Next we heard of his triumphal entry into -Lyons, and of his arrival in Paris during the night. Marseilles -submitted like the rest of France; Prince d'Essling was recalled to the -capital, and Marshal Brune, who commanded the 6th corps of observation, -fixed his headquarters at Marseilles. - -"With quite incomprehensible fickleness, Marseilles, whose name during -the Terror had been, as one may say, the symbol of the most advanced -opinions, had become almost entirely Royalist in 1815. Nevertheless, its -inhabitants saw without a murmur the tricolour flag after a year's -absence floating once more above the walls. No arbitrary interference on -the part of the authorities, no threats, and no brawling between the -citizens and the soldiers, troubled the peace of old Phocea; no -revolution ever took place with such quietness and facility. - -"It must, however, be said, that Marshal Brune was just the man to -accomplish such a transformation without friction; in him the frankness -and loyalty of an old soldier were combined with other qualities more -solid than brilliant. Tacitus in hand, he looked on at modern -revolutions as they passed, and only interfered when the, voice of his -country called him to her defence. The conqueror of Harlem and Bakkun -had been for four years forgotten in retirement, or rather in exile, -when the same voice which sent him away recalled him, and at the summons -Cincinnatus left his plough and grasped his weapons. Physically he was -at this period a man of about fifty-five, with a frank and open face -framed by large whiskers; his head was bald except for a little grizzled -hair at the temples; he was tall and active, and had a remarkably -soldierly bearing. - -"I had been brought into contact with him by a report which one of my -friends and I had drawn up on the opinions of the people of the South, -and of which he had asked to have a copy. In a long conversation with -us, he discussed the subject with the impartiality of a man who brings -an open mind to a debate, and he invited us to come often to see him. We -enjoyed ourselves so much in his society that we got into the habit of -going to his house nearly every evening. - -"On his arrival in the South an old calumny which had formerly pursued -him again made its appearance, quite rejuvenated by its long sleep. A -writer whose name I have forgotten, in describing the Massacres of the -Second of September and the death of the unfortunate Princesse de -Lamballe, had said, 'Some people thought they recognised in the man who -carried her head impaled on a pike, General Brune in disguise,' and this -accusation; which had been caught up with eagerness under the Consulate, -still followed him so relentlessly in 1815, that hardly a day passed -without his receiving an anonymous letter, threatening him with the same -fate which had overtaken the princess. One evening while we were with -him such a letter arrived, and having read it he passed it on to us. It -was as follows: - -"'Wretch,--We are acquainted with all your crimes, for which you will -soon receive the chastisement you well deserve. It was you who during -the revolution brought about the death of the Princesse de Lamballe; it -was you who carried her head on a pike, but your head will be impaled on -something longer. If you are so rash as to be present at the review of -the Allies it is all up with you, and your head will be stuck on the -steeple of the Accoules. Farewell, SCOUNDREL!' - -"We advised him to trace this calumny to its source, and then to take -signal vengeance on the authors. He paused an instant to reflect, and -then lit the letter at a candle, and looking at it thoughtfully as it -turned to ashes in his hand, said,--Vengeance! Yes, perhaps by seeking -that I could silence the authors of these slanders and preserve the -public tranquillity which they constantly imperil. But I prefer -persuasion to severity. My principle is, that it is better to bring -men's heads back to a right way of thinking than to cut them off, and to -be regarded as a weak man rather than as a bloodthirsty one.' - -"The essence of Marshal Brune's character was contained in these words. - -"Public tranquillity was indeed twice endangered at Marseilles during -the Hundred Days, and both times in the same manner. The garrison -officers used to gather at a coffee-house in the place Necker, and sing -songs suggested by passing events. This caused an attack by the -townspeople, who broke the windows by throwing stones, some of which -struck the officers. These rushed out, crying, 'To arms!' The -townspeople were not slow to respond, but the commandant ordered the -'geneydle' to beat, sent out numerous patrols, and succeeded in calming -the excitement and restoring quietness without any casualties. - -"The day of the Champ du Mai orders for a general illumination were -given, and that the tricolour flag should be displayed from the windows. -The greater number of the inhabitants paid no attention to the desires -of the authorities, and the officers being annoyed at this neglect, -indulged in reprehensible excesses, which, however, resulted in nothing -mare serious than some broken windows belonging to houses which had not -illuminated, and in some of the householders being forced to illuminate -according to order. - -"In Marseilles as in the rest of France, people began to despair of the -success of the royal cause, and those who represented this cause, who -were very numerous at Marseilles, gave up annoying the military and -seemed to resign themselves to their fate. Marshal Brune had left the -city to take up his post on the frontier, without any of the dangers -with which he was threatened having come across his path. - -"The 25th of June arrived, and the news of the successes obtained at -Fleurus and at Ligny seemed to justify the hopes of the soldiers, when, -in the middle of the day, muttered reports began to spread in the town, -the distant reverberations of the cannon of Waterloo. The silence of the -leaders, the uneasiness of the soldiers, the delight of the Royalists, -foretold the outbreak of a new struggle, the, results of which it was -easy to anticipate. About four o'clock in the afternoon, a man, who had -probably got earlier information than his fellow-townspeople, tore off -his tricoloured cockade and trampled it under foot, crying, "Long live -the king!" The angry soldiers seized him and were about to drag him to -the guard-house, but the National Guards prevented them, and their -interference led to a fight. Shouts were heard on all sides, a large -ring was formed round the soldiers, a few musket shots heard, others -answered, three or four men fell, and lay there weltering in their -blood. Out of this confused uproar the word "Waterloo" emerged distinct; -and with this unfamiliar name pronounced for the first time in the -resounding voice of history, the news of the defeat of the French army -and the triumph of the Allies spread apace. Then General Verdier, who -held the chief command in the absence of Marshal Brune, tried to -harangue the people, but his voice was drowned by the shouts of the mob -who had gathered round a coffee-house where stood a bust of the emperor, -which they insisted should be given up to them. Verdier, hoping to calm, -what he took to be a simple street row, gave orders that the bust should -be brought out, and this concession, so significant on the part of a -general commanding in the emperor's name, convinced the crowd that his -cause was lost. The fury of the populace grew greater now that they felt -that they could indulge it with impunity; they ran to the Town Hall, and -tearing down and burning the tricoloured, raised the white flag. The -roll of the generale, the clang of the tocsin were heard, the -neighbouring villages poured in their populations and increased the -throng in the streets; single acts of violence began to occur, wholesale -massacres were approaching. I had arrived in the town with my friend -M____ the very beginning of the tumult, so we had seen the dangerous -agitation and excitement grow under our eyes, but we were still ignorant -of its true cause, when, in the rue de Noailles, we met an acquaintance, -who, although his political opinions did not coincide with ours, had -always shown himself very friendly to us. 'Well,' said I, 'what news?' -'Good for me and bad for you,' he answered;' I advise you to go away at -once.' Surprised and somewhat alarmed at these words, we begged him to -explain. 'Listen,' said he; 'there are going to be riots in the town; it -is well known that you used to go to Brune's nearly every evening, and -that you are in consequence no favourite with your neighbours; seek -safety in the country.' I addressed some further question to him, but, -turning his back on me, he left me without another word. - -"M______ and I were still looking at each other in stupefaction, when -the increasing uproar aroused us to a sense that if we desired to follow -the advice just given we had not a moment to lose. We hastened to my -house, which was situated in the Allees de Meilhan. My wife was just -going out, but I stopped her. - -"'We are not safe here,' I said; 'we must get away into the country.' - -"'But where can we go?' - -"'Wherever luck takes us. Let us start.' - -"She was going to put on her bonnet, but I told her to leave it behind; -for it was most important that no one should think we suspected -anything, but were merely going for a stroll. This precaution saved us, -for we learned the next day that if our intention to fly had been -suspected we should have been stopped. - -"We walked at random, while behind us we heard musket shots from every -part of the town. We met a company of soldiers who were hurrying to the -relief of their comrades, but heard later that they had not been allowed -to pass the gate. - -"We recollected an old officer of our acquaintance who had quitted the -service and withdrawn from the world some years before, and had taken a -place in the country near the village of Saint-Just; we directed our -course towards his house. - -"'Captain,' said I to him, 'they are murdering each other in the town, -we are pursued and without asylum, so we come to you.' 'That's right, my -children,' said he; 'come in and welcome. I have never meddled with -political affairs, and no one can have anything against me. No one will -think of looking for you here.' - -"The captain had friends in the town, who, one after another, reached -his house, and brought us news of all that went on during that dreadful -day. Many soldiers had been killed, and the Mamelukes had been -annihilated. A negress who had been in the service of these unfortunates -had been taken on the quay. 'Cry "Long live the king!' shouted the mob. -'No,' she replied. 'To Napoleon I owe my daily bread; long live -Napoleon!' A bayonet-thrust in the abdomen was the answer. 'Villains!' -said she, covering the wound with her hand to keep back the protruding -entrails. 'Long live Napoleon!' A push sent her into the water; she -sank, but rose again to the surface, and waving her hand, she cried for -the last time, 'Long live Napoleon!' a bullet shot putting an end to her -life. - -"Several of the townspeople had met with shocking deaths. For instance, -M. Angles, a neighbour of mine, an old man and no inconsiderable -scholar, having unfortunately, when at the palace some days before, -given utterance before witnesses to the sentiment that Napoleon was a -great man, learned that for this crime he was about to be arrested. -Yielding to the prayers of his family, he disguised himself, and, -getting into a waggon, set off to seek safety in the country. He was, -however, recognised and brought a prisoner to the place du Chapitre, -where, after being buffeted about and insulted for an hour by the -populace, he was at last murdered. - -"It may easily be imagined that although no one came to disturb us we -did not sleep much that night. The ladies rested on sofas or in -arm-chairs without undressing, while our host, M______ and myself took -turns in guarding the door, gun in hand. - -"As soon as it was light we consulted what course we should take: I was -of the opinion that we ought to try to reach Aix by unfrequented paths; -having friends there, we should be able to procure a carriage and get to -Nimes, where my family lived. But my wife did not agree with me. 'I must -go back to town for our things,' said she; 'we have no clothes but those -on our backs. Let us send to the village to ask if Marseilles is quieter -to-day than yesterday.' So we sent off a messenger. - -"The news he brought back was favourable; order was completely restored. -I could not quite believe this, and still refused to let my wife return -to the town unless I accompanied her. But in that everyone was against -me: my presence would give rise to dangers which without me had no -existence. Where were the miscreants cowardly enough to murder a woman -of eighteen who belonged to no-party and had never injured anyone? As -for me, my opinions were well known. Moreover, my mother-in-law offered -to accompany her daughter, and both joined in persuading me that there -was no danger. At last I was forced to consent, but only on one -condition. - -"'I cannot say,' I observed, 'whether there is any foundation for the -reassuring tidings we have heard, but of one thing you may be sure: it -is now seven o'clock in the morning, you can get to Marseilles in an -hour, pack your trunks in another hour, and return in a third; let us -allow one hour more for unforeseen delays. If you are not back by eleven -o'clock, I shall believe something has happened, and take steps -accordingly.' 'Very well,' said my wife; 'if I am not back by then, you -may think me dead, and do whatever you think best.' And so she and her -mother left me. - -"An hour later, quite different news came to hand. Fugitives, seeking -like ourselves safety in the country, told us that the rioting, far from -ceasing, had increased; the streets were encumbered with corpses, and -two people had been murdered with unheard-of cruelty. - -"An old man named Bessieres, who had led a simple and blameless life, -and whose only crime was that he had served under the Usurper, -anticipating that under existing circumstances this would be regarded as -a capital crime, made his will, which was afterwards found among his -papers. It began with the following words: - -"'As it is possible that during this revolution I may meet my death, as -a partisan of Napoleon, although I have never loved him, I give and -bequeath, etc., etc. - -"The day before, his brother-in-law, knowing he had private enemies, had -come to the house and spent the night trying to induce him to flee, but -all in vain. But the next morning, his house being attacked, he yielded, -and tried to escape by the back door. He was stopped by some of the -National Guard, and placed himself under their protection. - -"They took him to the Cours St. Louis, where, being hustled by the crowd -and very ineffectually defended by the Guards, he tried to enter the -Cafe Mercantier, but the door was shut in his face. Being broken by -fatigue, breathless, and covered with dust and sweat, he threw himself -on one of the benches placed against the wall, outside the house. Here -he was wounded by a musket bullet, but not killed. At the sight of his -blood shrieks of joy were heard, and then a young man with a pistol in -each hand forced his way through the throng and killed the old man by -two shots fired point blank in his face. - -"Another still more atrocious murder took place in the course of the -same morning. A father and son, bound back to back, were delivered over -to the tender mercies of the mob. Stoned and beaten and covered with -each other's blood, for two long hours their death-agony endured, and -all the while those who could not get near enough to strike were dancing -round them. - -"Our time passed listening to such stories; suddenly I saw a friend -running towards the house. I went to meet him. He was so pale that I -hardly dared to question him. He came from the city, and had been at my -house to see what had become of me. There was no one in it, but across -the door lay two corpses wrapped in a blood-stained sheet which he had -not dared to lift. - -"At these terrible words nothing could hold me back. I set off for -Marseilles. M______ who would not consent to let me return alone, -accompanied me. In passing through the village of Saint-Just we -encountered a crowd of armed peasants in the main street who appeared to -belong to the free companies. Although this circumstance was rather -alarming, it would have been dangerous to turn back, so we continued our -way as if we were not in the least uneasy. They examined our bearing and -our dress narrowly, and then exchanged some sentences in a low, voice, -of which we only caught the word austaniers. This was the name by which -the Bonapartists were called by the peasants, and means 'eaters of -chestnuts,' this article of food being brought from Corsica to France. -However, we were not molested in any way, for as we were going towards -the city they did not think we could be fugitives. A hundred yards -beyond the village we came up with a crowd of peasants, who were, like -us, on the way to Marseilles. It was plain to see that they had just -been pillaging some country house, for they were laden with rich stuffs, -chandeliers and jewels. It proved to be that of M. R____, inspector of -reviews. Several carried muskets. I pointed out to my companion a stain -of blood on the trousers of one of the men, who began to laugh when he -saw what we were looking at. Two hundred yards outside the city I met a -woman who had formerly been a servant in my house. She was very much -astonished to see me, and said, 'Go away at once; the massacre is -horrible, much worse than yesterday.' - -"'But my wife,' I cried, 'do you know anything about her?' - -"'No, sir,' she replied; 'I was going to knock at the door, but some -people asked me in a threatening manner if I could tell them where the -friend of that rascal Brine was, as they were going to take away his -appetite for bread. So take my advice,' she continued, 'and go back to -where you came from.' - -"This advice was the last I could make up my mind to follow, so we went -on, but found a strong guard at the gate, and saw that it would be -impossible to get through without being recognised. At the same time, -the cries and the reports of firearms from within were coming nearer; it -would therefore have been to court certain death to advance, so we -retraced our steps. In passing again through the village of Saint-Just -we met once more our armed peasants. But this time they burst out into -threats on seeing us, shouting, 'Let us kill them! Let us kill them!' -Instead of running away, we approached them, assuring them that we were -Royalists. Our coolness was so convincing that we got through safe and -sound. - -"On getting back to the captain's I threw myself on the sofa, quite -overcome by the thought that only that morning my wife had been beside -me under my protection, and that I had let her go back to the town to a -cruel and inevitable death. I felt as if my heart would break, and -nothing that our host and my friend could say gave me the slightest -comfort. I was like a madman, unconscious of everything round me. - -"M______ went out to try to pick up some news, but in an instant we -heard him running back, and he dashed into the room, calling out: - -"'They are coming! There they are!' - -"'Who are coming?' we asked. - -"'The assassins!' - -"My first feeling, I confess, was one of joy. I pounced upon a pair of -double-barrelled pistols, resolved not to let myself be slaughtered like -a sheep. Through the window I could see some men climbing over the wall -and getting down into the garden. We had just sufficient time to escape -by a back staircase which led to a door, through which we passed, -shutting it behind us. We found ourselves on a road, at the other side -of which was a vineyard. We crossed the road and crept under the vines, -which completely concealed us. - -"As we learned later, the captain's house had been denounced as a -Bonapartist nest, and the assassins had hoped to take it by surprise; -and, indeed, if they had come a little sooner we had been lost, for -before we had been five minutes in our hiding-place the murderers rushed -out on the road, looking for us in every direction, without the -slightest suspicion that we were not six yards distant. Though they did -not see us I could see them, and I held my pistols ready cocked, quite -determined to kill the first who came near. However, in a short time -they went away. - -"As soon as they were out of hearing we began to consider our situation -and weigh our chances. There was no use in going back to the captain's, -for he was no longer there, having also succeeded in getting away. If we -were to wander about the country we should be recognised as fugitives, -and the fate that awaited us as such was at that moment brought home to -us, for a few yards away we suddenly heard the shrieks of a man who was -being murdered. They were the first cries of agony I had ever heard, and -for a few moments, I confess, I was frozen with terror. But soon a -violent reaction took place within me, and I felt that it would be -better to march straight to meet peril than to await its coming, and -although I knew the danger of trying to go through Saint-Just again, I -resolved to risk it, and to get to Marseilles at all costs. So, turning -to M____, I said: - -"'You can remain here without danger until the evening, but I am going -to Marseilles at once; for I cannot endure this uncertainty any longer. -If I find Saint-Just clear, I shall come back and rejoin you, but if not -I shall get away as best I can alone.' - -"Knowing the danger that we were running, and how little chance there -was that we should ever see each other again, he held out his hand to -me, but I threw myself into his arms and gave him a last embrace. - -"I started at once: when I reached Saint-Just I found the freebooters -still there; so I walked up to them, trolling a melody, but one of them -seized me by the collar and two others took aim at me with their -muskets. - -"If ever in my life I shouted 'Long live the king!' with less enthusiasm -than the cry deserves, it was then: to assume a rollicking air, to laugh -with cool carelessness when there is nothing between you and death but -the more or less strong pressure of a highwayman's finger on the trigger -of a musket, is no easy task; but all this I accomplished, and once more -got through the village with a whole skin indeed, but with the -unalterable resolution to blow my brains out rather than again try such -an experiment. - -"Having now a village behind me which I had vowed never to re-enter, and -there being no road available by which I could hope to get round -Marseilles, the only course open to me was to make my way into the city. -At that moment this was a thing of difficulty, for many small bodies of -troops, wearing the white cockade, infested the approaches. I soon -perceived that the danger of getting in was as great as ever, so I -determined to walk up and down till night, hoping the darkness would -come to my aid; but one of the patrols soon gave me to understand that -my prowling about had aroused suspicion, and ordered me either to go on -to the city, in which by all accounts there was small chance of safety -for me, or back to the village; where certain death awaited me. A happy -inspiration flashed across my mind, I would get some refreshment, and -seeing an inn near by, I went in and ordered a mug of beer, sitting down -near the window, faintly hoping that before the necessity for a final -decision arrived, someone who knew me would pass by. After waiting half -an hour, I did indeed see an acquaintance--no other than M______, whom I -had left in the vineyard. I beckoned him, and he joined me. He told me -that, being too impatient to await my return, he had soon made up his -mind to follow me, and by joining a band of pillagers was lucky enough -to get safely through Saint-Just. We consulted together as to what we -had better do next, and having applied to our host, found he could -supply us with a trusty messenger, who would carry the news of our -whereabouts to my brother-in-law. After an anxious wait of three hours, -we saw him coming. I was about to run out to meet him, but M____ held me -back, pointing out the danger of such a step; so we sat still our eyes -fixed on the approaching figure. But when my brother-in-law reached the -inn, I could restrain my impatience no longer, but rushing out of the -room met him on the stairs. - -"'My wife?' I cried. 'Have you seen my wife?' - -"'She is at my house,' was the reply, and with a cry of joy I threw -myself into his arms. - -"My wife, who had been threatened, insulted, and roughly treated because -of my opinions, had indeed found safety at my brother-in-law's. - -"Night was coming on. My brother-in-law, who wore the uniform of the -National Guard, which was at that moment a safeguard, took us each by an -arm, and we passed the barrier without anyone asking us who we were. -Choosing quiet streets, we reached his house unmolested; but in fact the -whole city was quiet, for the carnage was practically at an end. - -"My wife safe! this thought filled my heart with joy almost too great to -bear. - -"Her adventures were the following: - -"My wife and her mother had gone to our house, as agreed upon, to pack -our trunks. As they left their rooms, having accomplished their task, -they found the landlady waiting on the staircase, who at once -overwhelmed my wife with a torrent of abuse. - -"The husband, who until then had known nothing of their tenant's return, -hearing the noise, came out of his room, and, seizing his wife by the -arm, pulled her in and shut the door. She, however, rushed to the -window, and just as my wife and her mother reached the street, shouted -to a free band who were on guard across the way, 'Fire! they are -Bonapartists!' Fortunately the men, more merciful than the woman, seeing -two ladies quite alone, did not hinder their passage, and as just then -my brother-in-law came by, whose opinions were well known and whose -uniform was respected, he was allowed to take them under his protection -and conduct them to his house in safety. - -"A young man, employed at the Prefecture, who had called at my house the -day before, I having promised to help him in editing the Journal des -Bouches-du-Rhone, was not so lucky. His occupation and his visit to me -laid him under suspicion of possessing dangerous opinions, and his -friends urged him to fly; but it was too late. He was attacked at the -corner of the rue de Noailles, and fell wounded by a stab from a dagger. -Happily, however, he ultimately recovered. - -"The whole day was passed in the commission of deeds still more bloody -than those of the day before; the sewers ran blood, and every hundred -yards a dead body was to be met. But this sight, instead of satiating -the thirst for blood of the assassins, only seemed to awaken a general -feeling of gaiety. In the evening the streets resounded with song and -roundelay, and for many a year to come that which we looked back on as -'the day of the massacre' lived in the memory of the Royalists as 'the -day of the farce.' - -"As we felt we could not live any longer in the midst of such scenes, -even though, as far as we were concerned, all danger was over, we set -out for Nimes that same evening, having been offered the use of a -carriage. - -"Nothing worthy of note happened on the road to Orgon, which we reached -next day; but the isolated detachments of troops which we passed from -time to time reminded us that the tranquillity was nowhere perfect. As -we neared the town we saw three men going about arm in arm; this -friendliness seemed strange to us after our recent experiences, for one -of them wore a white cockade, the second a tricolour, and the third none -at all, and yet they went about on the most brotherly terms, each -awaiting under a different banner the outcome of events. Their wisdom -impressed me much, and feeling I had nothing to fear from such -philosophers, I went up to them and questioned them, and they explained -their hopes to me with the greatest innocence, and above all, their firm -determination to belong to what ever party got the upper hand. As we -drove into Orgon we saw at a glance that the whole town was simmering -with excitement. Everybody's face expressed anxiety. A man who, we were -told, was the mayor, was haranguing a group. As everyone was listening, -with the greatest attention, we drew near and asked them the cause of -the excitement. - -"'Gentlemen,' said he, 'you ought to know the news: the king is in his -capital, and we have once more hoisted the white flag, and there has not -been a single dispute to mar the tranquillity of the day; one party has -triumphed without violence, and the other has submitted with -resignation. But I have just learned that a band of vagabonds, numbering -about three hundred, have assembled on the bridge over the Durance, and -are preparing to raid our little town to-night, intending by pillage or -extortion to get at what we possess. I have a few guns left which I am -about to distribute, and each man will watch over the safety of all.' - -"Although he had not enough arms to go round, he offered to supply us, -but as I had my double-barrelled pistols I did not deprive him of his -weapons. I made the ladies go to bed, and, sitting at their door, tried -to sleep as well as I could, a pistol in each hand. But at every instant -the noise of a false alarm sounded through the town, and when day dawned -my only consolation was that no one else in Orgon had slept any better -than I. - -"The next day we continued our journey to Tarascon, where new -excitements awaited us. As we got near the town we heard the tocsin -clanging and drums beating the generale. We were getting so accustomed -to the uproar that we were not very much astonished. However, when we -got in we asked what was going on, and we were told that twelve thousand -troops from Nimes had marched on Beaucaire and laid it waste with fire -and sword. I insinuated that twelve thousand men was rather a large -number for one town to furnish, but was told that that included troops -from the Gardonninque and the Cevennes. Nimes still clung to the -tricolour, but Beaucaire had hoisted the white flag, and it was for the -purpose of pulling it down and scattering the Royalists who were -assembling in numbers at Beaucaire that Nimes had sent forth her troops -on this expedition. Seeing that Tarascon and Beaucaire are only -separated by the Rhone, it struck me as peculiar that such quiet should -prevail on one bank, while such fierce conflict was raging on the other. -I did not doubt that something had happened, but not an event of such -gravity as was reported. We therefore decided to push on to Beaucaire, -and when we got there we found the town in the most perfect order. The -expedition of twelve thousand men was reduced to one of two hundred, -which had been easily repulsed, with the result that of the assailants -one had been wounded and one made prisoner. Proud of this success, the -people of Beaucaire entrusted us with a thousand objurgations to deliver -to their inveterate enemies the citizens of Nimes. - -"If any journey could give a correct idea of the preparations for civil -war and the confusion which already prevailed in the South, I should -think that without contradiction it would be that which we took that -day. Along the four leagues which lie between Beaucaire and Nimes were -posted at frequent intervals detachments of troops displaying -alternately the white and the tricoloured cockade. Every village upon -our route except those just outside of Nimes had definitely joined -either one party or the other, and the soldiers, who were stationed at -equal distances along the road, were now Royalist and now Bonapartist. -Before leaving Beaucaire we had all provided ourselves, taking example -by the men we had seen at Orgon, with two cockades, one white, and one -tricoloured, and by peeping out from carriage windows we were able to -see which was worn by the troops we were approaching in time to attach a -similar one to our hats before we got up to them, whilst we hid the -other in our shoes; then as we were passing we stuck our heads, -decorated according to circumstances, out of the windows, and shouted -vigorously, 'Long live the king!' or 'Long live the emperor!' as the -case demanded. Thanks to this concession to political opinions on the -highway, and in no less degree to the money which we gave by way of tips -to everybody everywhere, we arrived at length at the barriers of Nimes, -where we came up with the National Guards who had been repulsed by the -townspeople of Beaucaire. - -"This is what had taken place just before we arrived in the city: - -"The National Guard of Nimes and the troops of which the garrison was -composed had resolved to unite in giving a banquet on Sunday, the 28th -of June, to celebrate the success of the French army. The news of the -battle of Waterloo travelled much more quickly to Marseilles than to -Nimes, so the banquet took place without interruption. A bust of -Napoleon was carried in procession all over the town, and then the -regular soldiers and the National Guard devoted the rest of the day to -rejoicings, which were followed by no excess. - -"But the day was not quite finished before news came that numerous -meetings were taking place at Beaucaire, so although the news of the -defeat at Waterloo reached Nimes on the following Tuesday, the troops -which we had seen returning at the gates of the city had been despatched -on Wednesday to disperse these assemblies. Meantime the Bonapartists, -under the command of General Gilly, amongst whom was a regiment of -chasseurs, beginning to despair of the success of their cause, felt that -their situation was becoming very critical, especially as they learnt -that the forces at Beaucaire had assumed the offensive and were about to -march upon Nimes. As I had had no connection with anything that had -taken place in the capital of the Gard, I personally had nothing to -fear; but having learned by experience how easily suspicions arise, I -was afraid that the ill-luck which had not spared either my friends or -my family might lead to their being accused of having received a refugee -from Marseilles, a word which in itself had small significance, but -which in the mouth of an enemy might be fatal. Fears for the future -being thus aroused by my recollections of the past, I decided to give up -the contemplation of a drama which might become redoubtable, asked to -bury myself in the country with the firm intention of coming back to -Nimes as soon as the white flag should once more float from its towers. - -"An old castle in the Cevennes, which from the days when the Albigenses -were burnt, down to the massacre of La Bagarre, had witnessed many a -revolution and counter revolution, became the asylum of my wife, my -mother, M______, and myself. As the peaceful tranquillity of our life -there was unbroken by any event of interest, I shall not pause to dwell -on it. But at length we grew weary, for such is man, of our life of -calm, and being left once for nearly a week without any news from -outside, we made that an excuse for returning to Nimes in order to see -with our own eyes how things were going on. - -"When we were about two leagues on our way we met the carriage of a -friend, a rich landed proprietor from the city; seeing that he was in -it, I alighted to ask him what was happening at Nimes. 'I hope you do -not think of going there,' said he, 'especially at this moment; the -excitement is intense, blood has already flowed, and a catastrophe is -imminent.' So back we went to our mountain castle, but in a few days -became again a prey to the same restlessness, and, not being able to -overcome it, decided to go at all risks and see for ourselves the -condition of affairs; and this time, neither advice nor warning having -any effect, we not only set out, but we arrived at our destination the -same evening. - -"We had not been misinformed, frays having already taken place in the -streets which had heated public opinion. One man had been killed on the -Esplanade by a musket shot, and it seemed as if his death would be only -the forerunner of many. The Catholics were awaiting with impatience the -arrival of those doughty warriors from Beaucaire on whom they placed -their chief reliance. The Protestants went about in painful silence, and -fear blanched every face. At length the white flag was hoisted and the -king proclaimed without any of the disorders which had been dreaded -taking place, but it was plainly visible that this calm was only a pause -before a struggle, and that on the slightest pretext the pent-up -passions would break loose again. - -"Just at this time the memory of our quiet life in the mountains -inspired us with a happy idea. We had learned that the obstinate -resolution of Marshal Brune never to acknowledge Louis XVIII as king had -been softened, and that the marshal had been induced to hoist the white -flag at Toulon, while with a cockade in his hat he had formally resigned -the command of that place into the hands of the royal authorities. - -"Henceforward in all Provence there was no spot where he could live -unmarked. His ultimate intentions were unknown to us, indeed his -movements seemed to show great hesitation on his part, so it occurred to -us to offer him our little country house as a refuge where he could -await the arrival of more peaceful times. We decided that M____ and -another friend of ours who had just arrived from Paris should go to him -and make the offer, which he would at once accept all the more readily -because it came from the hearts which were deeply devoted to him. They -set out, but to my great surprise returned the same day. They brought us -word that Marshal Brune had been assassinated at Avignon. - -"At first we could not believe the dreadful news, and took it for one of -those ghastly rumours which circulate with such rapidity during periods -of civil strife; but we were not left long in uncertainty, for the -details of the catastrophe arrived all too soon." - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - - -For some days Avignon had its assassins, as Marseilles had had them, and -as Nimes was about to have them; for some days all Avignon shuddered at -the names of five men--Pointu, Farges, Roquefort, Naudaud, and Magnan. - -Pointu was a perfect type of the men of the South, olive-skinned and -eagle-eyed, with a hook nose, and teeth of ivory. Although he was hardly -above middle height, and his back was bent from bearing heavy burdens, -his legs bowed by the pressure of the enormous masses which he daily -carried, he was yet possessed of extraordinary strength and dexterity. -He could throw over the Loulle gate a 48-pound cannon ball as easily as -a child could throw its ball. He could fling a stone from one bank of -the Rhone to the other where it was two hundred yards wide. And lastly, -he could throw a knife backwards while running at full speed with such -strength and precision of aim that this new kind of Parthian arrow would -go whistling through the air to hide two inches of its iron head in a -tree trunk no thicker than a man's thigh. When to these accomplishments -are added an equal skill with the musket, the pistol, and the -quarter-staff, a good deal of mother wit, a deep hatred for Republicans, -against whom he had vowed vengeance at the foot of the scaffold on which -his father and mother had perished, an idea can be formed of the -terrible chief of the assassins of Avignon, who had for his lieutenants, -Farges the silk-weaver, Roquefort the porter, Naudaud the baker, and -Magnan the secondhand clothes dealer. - -Avignon was entirely in the power of these five men, whose brutal -conduct the civil and military authorities would not or could not -repress, when word came that Marshal Brune, who was at Luc in command of -six thousand troops, had been summoned to Paris to give an account of -his conduct to the new Government. - -The marshal, knowing the state of intense excitement which prevailed in -the South, and foreseeing the perils likely to meet him on the road, -asked permission to travel by water, but met with an official refusal, -and the Duc de Riviere, governor of Marseilles, furnished him with a -safe-conduct. The cut-throats bellowed with joy when they learned that a -Republican of '89, who had risen to the rank of marshal under the -Usurper, was about to pass through Avignon. At the same time sinister -reports began to run from mouth to mouth, the harbingers of death. Once -more the infamous slander which a hundred times had been proved to be -false, raised its voice with dogged persistence, asserting that Brune, -who did not arrive at Paris until the 5th of September, 1792, had on the -2nd, when still at Lyons, carried the head of the Princesse de Lamballe -impaled on a pike. Soon the news came that the marshal had just escaped -assassination at Aix, indeed he owed his safety to the fleetness of his -horses. Pointu, Forges, and Roquefort swore that they would manage -things better at Avignon. - -By the route which the marshal had chosen there were only two ways open -by which he could reach Lyons: he must either pass through Avignon, or -avoid it by taking a cross-road, which branched off the Pointet highway, -two leagues outside the town. The assassins thought he would take the -latter course, and on the 2nd of August, the day on which the marshal -was expected, Pointu, Magnan, and Naudaud, with four of their creatures, -took a carriage at six o'clock in the morning, and, setting out from the -Rhone bridge, hid themselves by the side of the high road to Pointet. - -When the marshal reached the point where the road divided, having been -warned of the hostile feelings so rife in Avignon, he decided to take -the cross-road upon which Pointu and his men were awaiting him; but the -postillion obstinately refused to drive in this direction, saying that -he always changed horses at Avignon, and not at Pointet. One of the -marshal's aides-de-camp tried, pistol in hand, to force him to obey; but -the marshal would permit no violence to be offered him, and gave him -orders to go on to Avignon. - -The marshal reached the town at nine o'clock in the morning, and -alighted at the Hotel du Palais Royal, which was also the post-house. -While fresh horses were being put to and the passports and safe-conduct -examined at the Loulle gate, the marshal entered the hotel to take a -plate of soup. In less than five minutes a crowd gathered round the -door, and M. Moulin the proprietor noticing the sinister and threatening -expression many of the faces bore, went to the marshal's room and urged -him to leave instantly without waiting for his papers, pledging his word -that he would send a man on horseback after him, who would overtake him -two or three leagues beyond the town, and bring him his own safe-conduct -and the passports of his aides-de-camp. The marshal came downstairs, and -finding the horses ready, got into the carriage, on which loud murmurs -arose from the populace, amongst which could be distinguished the -terrible word 'zaou!' that excited cry of the Provencal, which according -to the tone in which it is uttered expresses every shade of threat, and -which means at once in a single syllable, "Bite, rend, kill, murder!" - -The marshal set out at a gallop, and passed the town gates unmolested, -except by the howlings of the populace, who, however, made no attempt to -stop him. He thought he had left all his enemies behind, but when he -reached the Rhone bridge he found a group of men armed with muskets -waiting there, led by Farges and Roquefort. They all raised their guns -and took aim at the marshal, who thereupon ordered the postillion to -drive back. The order was obeyed, but when the carriage had gone about -fifty yards it was met by the crowd from the "Palais Royal," which had -followed it, so the postillion stopped. In a moment the traces were cut, -whereupon the marshal, opening the door, alighted, followed by his -valet, and passing on foot through the Loulle gate, followed by a second -carriage in which were his aides-de-camp, he regained the "Palais -Royal," the doors of which were opened to him and his suite, and -immediately secured against all others. - -The marshal asked to be shown to a room, and M. Moulin gave him No. 1, -to the front. In ten minutes three thousand people filled the square; it -was as if the population sprang up from the ground. Just then the -carriage, which the marshal had left behind, came up, the postillion -having tied the traces, and a second time the great yard gates were -opened, and in spite of the press closed again and barricaded by the -porter Vernet, and M. Moulin himself, both of whom were men of colossal -strength. The aides-de-camp, who had remained in the carriage until -then, now alighted, and asked to be shown to the marshal; but Moulin -ordered the porter to conceal them in an outhouse. Vernet taking one in -each hand, dragged them off despite their struggles, and pushing them -behind some empty barrels, over which he threw an old piece of carpet, -said to them in a voice as solemn as if he were a prophet, "If you move, -you are dead men," and left them. The aides-de-camp remained there -motionless and silent. - -At that moment M. de Saint-Chamans, prefect of Avignon, who had arrived -in town at five o'clock in the morning, came out into the courtyard. By -this time the crowd was smashing the windows and breaking in the street -door. The square was full to overflowing, everywhere threatening cries -were heard, and above all the terrible zaou, which from moment to moment -became more full of menace. M. Moulin saw that if they could not hold -out until the troops under Major Lambot arrived, all was lost; he -therefore told Vernet to settle the business of those who were breaking -in the door, while he would take charge of those who were trying to get -in at the window. Thus these two men, moved by a common impulse and of -equal courage, undertook to dispute with a howling mob the possession of -the blood for which it thirsted. - -Both dashed to their posts, one in the hall, the other in the -dining-room, and found door and windows already smashed, and several men -in the house. At the sight of Vernet, with whose immense strength they -were acquainted, those in the hall drew back a step, and Vernet, taking -advantage of this movement, succeeded in ejecting them and in securing -the door once more. Meantime M. Moulin, seizing his double-barrelled -gun, which stood in the chimney-corner, pointed it at five men who had -got into the dining-room, and threatened to fire if they did not -instantly get out again. Four obeyed, but one refused to budge; -whereupon Moulin, finding himself no longer outnumbered, laid aside his -gun, and, seizing his adversary round the waist, lifted him as if he -were a child and flung him out of the window. The man died three weeks -later, not from the fall but from the squeeze. - -Moulin then dashed to the window to secure it, but as he laid his hand -on it he felt his head seized from behind and pressed violently down on -his left shoulder; at the same instant a pane was broken into splinters, -and the head of a hatchet struck his right shoulder. M. de -Saint-Chamans, who had followed him into the room, had seen the weapon -thrown at Moulin's head, and not being able to turn aside the iron, had -turned aside the object at which it was aimed. Moulin seized the hatchet -by the handle and tore it out of the hands of him who had delivered the -blow, which fortunately had missed its aim. He then finished closing the -window, and secured it by making fast the inside shutters, and went -upstairs to see after the marshal. - -Him he found striding up and down his room, his handsome and noble face -as calm as if the voices of all those shouting men outside were not -demanding his death. Moulin made him leave No. 1 for No. 3, which, being -a back room and looking out on the courtyard, seemed to offer more -chances of safety than the other. The marshal asked for writing -materials, which Moulin brought, whereupon the marshal sat down at a -little table and began to write. - -Just then the cries outside became still more uproarious. M. de -Saint-Chamans had gone out and ordered the crowd to disperse, whereupon -a thousand people had answered him with one voice, asking who he was -that he should give such an order. He announced his rank and authority, -to which the answer was, "We only know the prefect by his clothes." Now -it had unfortunately happened that M. de Chamans having sent his trunks -by diligence they had not yet arrived, and being dressed in a green -coat; nankeen trousers, and a pique vest, it could hardly be expected -that in such a suit he should overawe the people under the -circumstances; so, when he got up on a bench to harangue the populace, -cries arose of "Down with the green coat! We have enough of charlatans -like that!" and he was forced to get down again. As Vernet opened the -door to let him in, several men took advantage of the circumstance to -push in along with him; but Vernet let his fist fall three times, and -three men rolled at his feet like bulls struck by a club. The others -withdrew. A dozen champions such as Vernet would have saved the marshal. -Yet it must not be forgotten that this man was a Royalist, and held the -same opinions as those against whom he fought; for him as for them the -marshal was a mortal enemy, but he had a noble heart, and if the marshal -were guilty he desired a trial and not a murder. Meantime a certain -onlooker had heard what had been said to M. de Chamans about his -unofficial costume, and had gone to put on his uniform. This was M. de -Puy, a handsome and venerable old man, with white hair, pleasant -expression, and winning voice. He soon came back in his mayor's robes, -wearing his scarf and his double cross of St. Louis and the Legion of -Honour. But neither his age nor his dignity made the slightest -impression on these people; they did not even allow him to get back to -the hotel door, but knocked him down and trampled him under foot, so -that he hardly escaped with torn clothes and his white hair covered with -dust and blood. The fury of the mob had now reached its height. - -At this juncture the garrison of Avignon came in sight; it was composed -of four hundred volunteers, who formed a battalion known as the Royal -Angouleme. It was commanded by a man who had assumed the title of -Lieutenant-General of the Emancipating Army of Vaucluse. These forces -drew up under the windows of the "Palais Royal." They were composed -almost entirely of Provenceaux, and spoke the same dialect as the people -of the lower orders. The crowd asked the soldiers for what they had -come, why they did not leave them to accomplish an act of justice in -peace, and if they intended to interfere. "Quite the contrary," said one -of the soldiers; "pitch him out of the window, and we will catch him on -the points of our bayonets." Brutal cries of joy greeted this answer, -succeeded by a short silence, but it was easy to see that under the -apparent calm the crowd was in a state of eager expectation. Soon new -shouts were heard, but this time from the interior of the hotel; a small -band of men led by Forges and Roquefort had separated themselves from -the throng, and by the help of ladders had scaled the walls and got on -the roof of the house, and, gliding down the other side, had dropped -into the balcony outside the windows of the rooms where the marshal was -writing. - -Some of these dashed through the windows without waiting to open them, -others rushed in at the open door. The marshal, thus taken by surprise, -rose, and not wishing that the letter he was writing to the Austrian -commandant to claim his protection should fall into the hands of these -wretches, he tore it to pieces. Then a man who belonged to a better -class than the others, and who wears to-day the Cross of the Legion of -Honour, granted to him perhaps for his conduct on this occasion, -advanced towards the marshal, sword in hand, and told him if he had any -last arrangements to make, he should make them at once, for he had only -ten minutes to live. - -"What are you thinking of?" exclaimed Forges. "Ten minutes! Did he give -the Princesse de Lamballe ten minutes?" and he pointed his pistol at the -marshal's breast; but the marshal striking up the weapon, the shot -missed its aim and buried itself in the ceiling. - -"Clumsy fellow!" said the marshal, shrugging his shoulders, "not to be -able to kill a man at such close range." - -"That's true," replied Roquefort in his patois. "I'll show you how to do -it"; and, receding a step, he took aim with his carbine at his victim, -whose back was partly towards him. A report was heard, and the marshal -fell dead on the spot, the bullet which entered at the shoulder going -right through his body and striking the opposite wall. - -The two shots, which had been heard in the street, made the howling mob -dance for joy. One cowardly fellow, called Cadillan, rushed out on one -of the balconies which looked on the square, and, holding a loaded -pistol in each hand, which he had not dared to discharge even into the -dead body of the murdered man, he cut a caper, and, holding up the -innocent weapons, called out, "These have done the business!" But he -lied, the braggart, and boasted of a crime which was committed by braver -cutthroats than he. - -Behind him came the general of the "Emancipating Army of Vaucluse," who, -graciously saluting the crowd, said, "The marshal has carried out an act -of justice by taking his own life." Shouts of mingled joy, revenge, and -hatred rose from the crowd, and the king's attorney and the examining -magistrate set about drawing up a report of the suicide. - -Now that all was over and there was no longer any question of saving the -marshal, M. Moulin desired at least to save the valuables which he had -in his carriage. He found in a cash box 40,000 francs, in the pockets a -snuff-box set with diamonds, and a pair of pistols and two swords; the -hilt of one of these latter was studded with precious stones, a gift -from the ill-starred Selim. M. Moulin returned across the court, -carrying these things. The Damascus blade was wrenched from his hands, -and the robber kept it five years as a trophy, and it was not until the -year 1820 that he was forced to give it up to the representative of the -marshal's widow. Yet this man was an officer, and kept his rank all -through the Restoration, and was not dismissed the army till 1830. When -M. Moulin had placed the other objects in safety, he requested the -magistrate to have the corpse removed, as he wished the crowds to -disperse, that he might look after the aides-de camp. While they were -undressing the marshal, in order to certify the cause of death, a -leathern belt was found on him containing 5536 francs. The body was -carried downstairs by the grave-diggers without any opposition being -offered, but hardly had they advanced ten yards into the square when -shouts of "To the Rhone! to the Rhone!" resounded on all sides. A police -officer who tried to interfere was knocked down, the bearers were -ordered to turn round; they obeyed, and the crowd carried them off -towards the wooden bridge. When the fourteenth arch was reached, the -bier was torn from the bearers' hands, and the corpse was flung into the -river. "Military honours!" shouted some one, and all who had guns fired -at the dead body, which was twice struck. "Tomb of Marshal Brune" was -then written on the arch, and the crowd withdrew, and passed the rest of -the day in holiday-making. - -Meanwhile the Rhone, refusing to be an accomplice in such a crime, bore -away the corpse, which the assassins believed had been swallowed up for -ever. Next day it was found on the sandy shore at Tarascon, but the news -of the murder had preceded it, and it was recognised by the wounds, and -pushed back again into the waters, which bore it towards the sea. - -Three leagues farther on it stopped again, this time by a grassy bank, -and was found by a man of forty and another of eighteen. They also -recognised it, but instead of shoving it back into the current, they -drew it up gently on the bank and carried it to a small property -belonging to one of them, where they reverently interred it. The elder -of the two was M. de Chartruse, the younger M. Amedee Pichot. - -The body was exhumed by order of the marshal's widow, and brought to her -castle of Saint-Just, in Champagne; she had it embalmed, and placed in a -bedroom adjoining her own, where it remained, covered only by a veil, -until the memory of the deceased was cleansed from the accusation of -suicide by a solemn public trial and judgment. Then only it was finally -interred, along with the parchment containing the decision of the Court -of Riom. - -The ruffians who killed Marshal Brune, although they evaded the justice -of men, did not escape the vengeance of God: nearly every one of them -came to a miserable end. Roquefort and Farges were attacked by strange -and hitherto unknown diseases, recalling the plagues sent by God on the -peoples whom He desired to punish in bygone ages. In the case of Farges, -his skin dried up and became horny, causing him such intense irritation, -that as the only means of allaying it he had to be kept buried up to the -neck while still alive. The disease under which Roquefort suffered -seemed to have its seat in the marrow, for his bones by degrees lost all -solidity and power of resistance, so that his limbs refused to bear his -weight, and he went about the streets crawling like a serpent. Both died -in such dreadful torture that they regretted having escaped the -scaffold, which would have spared them such prolonged agony. - -Pointu was condemned to death, in his absence, at the Assizes Court of -La Drome, for having murdered five people, and was cast off by his own -faction. For some time his wife, who was infirm and deformed, might be -seen going from house to house asking alms for him, who had been for two -months the arbiter of civil war and assassination. Then came a day when -she ceased her quest, and was seen sitting, her head covered by a black -rag: Pointu was dead, but it was never known where or how. In some -corner, probably, in the crevice of a rock or in the heart of the -forest, like an old tiger whose talons have been clipped and his teeth -drawn. - -Naudaud and Magnan were sentenced to the galleys for ten years. Naudaud -died there, but Magnan finished his time and then became a scavenger, -and, faithful to his vocation as a dealer of death, a poisoner of stray -dogs. - -Some of these cut-throats are still living, and fill good positions, -wearing crosses and epaulets, and, rejoicing in their impunity, imagine -they have escaped the eye of God. - -We shall wait and see! - - - - -CHAPTER IX - - -It was on Saturday that the white flag was hoisted at Nimes. The next -day a crowd of Catholic peasants from the environs marched into the -city, to await the arrival of the Royalist army from Beaucaire. -Excitement was at fever heat, the desire of revenge filled every breast, -the hereditary hatred which had slumbered during the Empire again awoke -stronger than ever. Here I may pause to say that in the account which -follows of the events which took place about this time, I can only -guarantee the facts and not the dates: I relate everything as it -happened; but the day on which it happened may sometimes have escaped my -memory, for it is easier to recollect a murder to which one has been an -eye-witness, than to recall the exact date on which it happened. - -The garrison of Nimes was composed of one battalion of the 13th Regiment -of the line, and another battalion of the 79th Regiment, which not being -up to its full war-strength had been sent to Nimes to complete its -numbers by enlistment. But after the battle of Waterloo the citizens had -tried to induce the soldiers to desert, so that of the two battalions, -even counting the officers, only about two hundred men remained. - -When the news of the proclamation of Napoleon II reached Nimes, -Brigadier-General Malmont, commandant of the department, had him -proclaimed in the city without any disturbance being caused thereby. It -was not until some days later that a report began to be circulated that -a royal army was gathering at Beaucaire, and that the populace would -take advantage of its arrival to indulge in excesses. In the face of -this two-fold danger, General Malmont had ordered the regular troops, -and a part of the National Guard of the Hundred Days, to be drawn up -under arms in the rear of the barracks upon an eminence on which he had -mounted five pieces of ordnance. This disposition was maintained for two -days and a night, but as the populace remained quiet, the troops -returned to the barracks and the Guards to their homes. - -But on Monday a concourse of people, who had heard that the army from -Beaucaire would arrive the next day, made a hostile demonstration before -the barracks, demanding with shouts and threats that the five cannons -should be handed over to them. The general and the officers who were -quartered in the town, hearing of the tumult, repaired at once to the -barracks, but soon came out again, and approaching the crowd tried to -persuade it to disperse, to which the only answer they received was a -shower of bullets. Convinced by this, as he was well acquainted with the -character of the people with whom he had to deal, that the struggle had -begun in earnest and must be fought out to the bitter end, the general -retreated with his officers, step by step, to the barracks, and having -got inside the gates, closed and bolted them. - -He then decided that it was his duty to repulse force by force, for -everyone was determined to defend, at no matter what cost, a position -which, from the first moment of revolt, was fraught with such peril. So, -without waiting for orders, the soldiers, seeing that some of their -windows had been broken by shots from without, returned the fire, and, -being better marksmen than the townspeople, soon laid many low. Upon -this the alarmed crowd retired out of musket range, and entrenched -themselves in some neighbouring houses. - -About nine o'clock in the evening, a man bearing something resembling a -white flag approached the walls and asked to speak to the general. He -brought a message inquiring on what terms the troops would consent to -evacuate Nimes. The general sent back word that the conditions were, -that the troops should be allowed to march out fully armed and with all -their baggage; the five guns alone would be left behind. When the forces -reached a certain valley outside the city they would halt, that the men -might be supplied with means sufficient to enable them either to rejoin -the regiments to which they belonged, or to return to their own homes. - -At two o'clock A. M. the same envoy returned, and announced to the -general that the conditions had been accepted with one alteration, which -was that the troops, before marching out, should lay down their arms. -The messenger also intimated that if the offer he had brought were not -quickly accepted--say within two hours--the time for capitulation would -have gone by, and that he would not be answerable for what the people -might then do in their fury. The general accepted the conditions as -amended, and the envoy disappeared. - -When the troops heard of the agreement, that they should be disarmed -before being allowed to leave the town, their first impulse was to -refuse to lay down their weapons before a rabble which had run away from -a few musket shots; but the general succeeded in soothing their sense of -humiliation and winning their consent by representing to them that there -could be nothing dishonourable in an action which prevented the children -of a common fatherland from shedding each other's blood. - -The gendarmerie, according to one article of the treaty, were to close -in at, the rear of the evacuating column; and thus hinder the populace -from molesting the troops of which it was composed. This was the only -concession obtained in return for the abandoned arms, and the farce in -question was already drawn up in field order, apparently waiting to -escort the troops out of the city. - -At four o'clock P.M. the troops got ready, each company stacking its -arms in the courtyard before: marching out; but hardly had forty or -fifty men passed the gates than fire was opened on them at such close -range that half of them were killed or disabled at the first volley. -Upon this, those who were still within the walls closed the courtyard -gates, thus cutting off all chance of retreat from their comrades. In -the event; however, it turned out that several of the latter contrived -to escape with their lives and that they lost nothing through being -prevented from returning; for as soon as the mob saw that ten or twelve -of their victims had slipped through their hands they made a furious -attack on the barracks, burst in the gates, and scaled the walls with -such rapidity, that the soldiers had no time to repossess themselves of -their muskets, and even had they succeeded in seizing them they would -have been of little use, as ammunition was totally wanting. The barracks -being thus carried by assault, a horrible massacre ensued, which lasted -for three hours. Some of the wretched men, being hunted from room to -room, jumped out of the first window they could reach, without stopping -to measure its height from the ground, and were either impaled on the -bayonets held in readiness below, or, falling on the pavement, broke -their limbs and were pitilessly despatched. - -The gendarmes, who had really been called out to protect the retreat of -the garrison, seemed to imagine they were there to witness a judicial -execution, and stood immovable and impassive while these horrid deeds -went on before their eyes. But the penalty of this indifference was -swiftly exacted, for as soon as the soldiers were all done with, the -mob, finding their thirst for blood still unslacked, turned on the -gendarmes, the greater number of whom were wounded, while all lost their -horses, and some their lives. - -The populace was still engaged at its bloody task when news came that -the army from Beaucaire was within sight of the town, and the murderers, -hastening to despatch some of the wounded who still showed signs of -life, went forth to meet the long expected reinforcements. - -Only those who saw the advancing army with their own eyes can form any -idea of its condition and appearance, the first corps excepted. This -corps was commanded by M. de Barre, who had put himself at its head with -the noble purpose of preventing, as far as he could, massacre and -pillage. In this he was seconded by the officers under him, who were -actuated by the same philanthropic motives as their general in -identifying themselves with the corps. Owing to their exertions, the men -advanced in fairly regular order, and good discipline was maintained. -All the men carried muskets. - -But the first corps was only a kind of vanguard to the second, which was -the real army, and a wonderful thing to see and hear. Never were brought -together before or since so many different kinds of howl, so many -threats of death, so many rags; so many odd weapons, from the matchlock -of the time of the Michelade to the steel-tipped goad of the bullock -drovers of La Camargue, so that when the Nimes mob; which in all -conscience was howling and ragged enough, rushed out to offer a -brotherly welcome to the strangers, its first feeling was one of -astonishment and dismay as it caught sight of the motley crew which held -out to it the right hand of fellowship. - -The new-comers soon showed that it was through necessity and not choice -that their outer man presented such a disreputable appearance; for they -were hardly well within the gates before demanding that the houses of -the members of the old Protestant National Guard should be pointed out -to them. - -This being done, they promptly proceeded to exact from each household a -musket, a coat, a complete kit, or a sum of money, according to their -humour, so that before evening those who had arrived naked and penniless -were provided with complete uniforms and had money in their pockets. -These exactions were levied under the name of a contribution, but before -the day was ended naked and undisguised pillage began. - -Someone asserted that during the assault on the barracks a certain -individual had fired out of a certain house on the assailants. The -indignant people now rushed to the house indicated, and soon left -nothing of it in existence but its walls. A little later it was clearly -proved that the individual accused was quite innocent of the crime laid -to his charge. - -The house of a rich merchant lay in the path of the advancing army. A -cry arose that the owner was a Bonapartist, and nothing more was needed. -The house was broken into and pillaged, and the furniture thrown out of -the windows. - -Two days later it turned out that not only was the merchant no -Bonapartist, but that his son had been one of those who had accompanied -the Duc d'Angouleme to Cette when he left the country. The pillagers -excused themselves by saying they had been misled by a resemblance -between two names, and this excuse, as far as appears, was accepted as -valid by the authorities. - -It was not long before the populace of Nimes began to think they might -as well follow the example set them by their brothers from Beaucaire. In -twenty-four hours free companies were formed, headed by Trestaillons, -Trupheny, Graffan, and Morinet. These bands arrogated to themselves the -title of National Guard, and then what took place at Marseilles in the -excitement of the moment was repeated at Nimes with deliberation and -method, inspired by hate and the desire of vengeance. A revolt broke out -which followed the ordinary course: first pillage, then fire, then -murder, laid waste the city. - -M V______'s house, which stood in the middle of the town, was sacked and -then burnt to the ground, without a hand being raised to prevent the -crime. - -M T______'s house, on the road to Montpellier, was sacked and wrecked -and a bonfire made of the furniture, round which the crowd danced; as if -it had been an occasion of public rejoicing. Then cries were raised for -the proprietor, that he might be killed, and as he could not be found -the baffled fury of the mob vented itself on the dead. A child three -months buried was dragged from its grave, drawn by the feet through the -sewers and wayside puddles, and then flung on a dung-heap; and, strange -to say, while incendiarism and sacrilege thus ran riot, the mayor of the -place slept so sound that when he awoke he was "quite astonished," to -use his own expression, to hear what had taken place during the night. - -This expedition completed, the same company which had brought this -expedition to a successful issue next turned their attention to a small -country house occupied by a widow, whom I had often begged to take -refuge with us. But, secure in her insignificance, she had always -declined our offers, preferring to live solitary and retired in her own -home. But the freebooters sought her out, burst in her doors, drove her -away with blows and insults, destroyed her house and burnt her -furniture. They then proceeded to the vault in which lay the remains of -her family, dragged them out of their coffins and scattered them about -the fields. The next day the poor woman-ventured back, collected the -desecrated remains with pious care, and replaced them in the vault. But -this was counted to her as a crime; the company returned, once more cast -forth the contents of the coffins, and threatened to kill her should she -dare to touch them again. She was often seen in the days that followed -shedding bitter tears and watching over the sacred relics as they lay -exposed on the ground. - -The name of this widow was Pepin, and the scene of the sacrilege was a -small enclosure on the hill of the Moulins-a-Vent. - -Meantime the people in the Faubourg des Bourgades had invented a new -sort of game, or rather, had resolved to vary the serious business of -the drama that was being enacted by the introduction of comic scenes. -They had possessed themselves of a number of beetles such as washerwomen -use, and hammered in long nails, the points of which projected an inch -on the other side in the form of a fleur-de-lis. Every Protestant who -fell into their hands, no matter what his age or rank, was stamped with -the bloody emblem, serious wounds being inflicted in many cases. - -Murders were now becoming common. Amongst other names of victims -mentioned were Loriol, Bigot, Dumas, Lhermet, Heritier, Domaison, Combe, -Clairon, Begomet, Poujas, Imbert, Vigal, Pourchet, Vignole. Details more -or less shocking came to light as to the manner in which the murderers -went to work. A man called Dalbos was in the custody of two armed men; -some others came to consult with them. Dalbos appealed for mercy to the -new-comers. It was granted, but as he turned to go he was shot dead. -Another of the name of Rambert tried to escape by disguising himself as -a woman, but was recognised and shot down a few yards outside his own -door. A gunner called Saussine was walking in all security along the -road to Uzes, pipe in mouth, when he was met by five men belonging to -Trestaillon's company, who surrounded him and stabbed him to the heart -with their knives. The elder of two brothers named Chivas ran across -some fields to take shelter in a country house called Rouviere, which, -unknown to him, had been occupied by some of the new National Guard. -These met him on the threshold and shot him dead. - -Rant was seized in his own house and shot. Clos was met by a company, -and seeing Trestaillons, with whom he had always been friends, in its -ranks, he went up to him and held out his hand; whereupon Trestaillons -drew a pistol from his belt and blew his brains out. Calandre being -chased down the rue des Soeurs-Grises, sought shelter in a tavern, but -was forced to come out, and was killed with sabres. Courbet was sent to -prison under the escort of some men, but these changed their minds on -the way as to his punishment, halted, and shot him dead in the middle of -the street. - -A wine merchant called Cabanot, who was flying from Trestaillons, ran -into a house in which there was a venerable priest called Cure Bonhomme. -When the cut-throat rushed in, all covered with blood, the priest -advanced and stopped him, crying: - -"What will happen, unhappy man, when you come to the confessional with -blood-stained hands?" - -"Pooh!" replied Trestaillons, "you must put on your wide gown; the -sleeves are large enough to let everything pass." - -To the short account given above of so many murders I will add the -narrative of one to which I was an eye-witness, and which made the most -terrible impression on me of, anything in my experience. - -It was midnight. I was working beside my wife's bed; she was just -becoming drowsy, when a noise in the distance caught our attention. It -gradually became more distinct, and drums began to beat the 'generale' -in every direction. Hiding my own alarm for fear of increasing hers, I -answered my wife, who was asking what new thing was about to happen, -that it was probably troops marching in or out of garrison. But soon -reports of firearms, accompanied by an uproar with which we were so -familiar that we could no longer mistake its meaning, were heard -outside. Opening my window, I heard bloodcurdling imprecations, mixed -with cries of "Long live the king!" going on. Not being able to remain -any longer in this uncertainty, I woke a captain who lived in the same -house. He rose, took his arms, and we went out together, directing our -course towards the point whence the shouts seemed to come. The moon -shone so bright that we could see everything almost as distinctly as in -broad daylight. - -A concourse of people was hurrying towards the Cours yelling like -madmen; the greater number of them, half naked, armed with muskets, -swords, knives, and clubs, and swearing to exterminate everything, waved -their weapons above the heads of men who had evidently been torn from -their houses and brought to the square to be put to death. The rest of -the crowd had, like ourselves, been drawn thither by curiosity, and were -asking what was going on. "Murder is abroad," was the answer; "several -people have been killed in the environs, and the patrol has been fired -on." While this questioning was going on the noise continued to -increase. As I had really no business to be on a spot where such things -were going on, and feeling that my place was at my wife's side, to -reassure her for the present and to watch over her should the rioters -come our way, I said good-bye to the captain, who went on to the -barracks, and took the road back to the suburb in which I lived. - -I was not more than fifty steps from our house when I heard loud talking -behind me, and, turning, saw gun barrels glittering in the moonlight. As -the speakers seemed to be rapidly approaching me, I kept close in the -shadow of the houses till I reached my own door, which I laid softly to -behind me, leaving myself a chink by which I could peep out and watch -the movements of the group which was drawing near. Suddenly I felt -something touch my hand; it was a great Corsican dog, which was turned -loose at night, and was so fierce that it was a great protection to our -house. I felt glad to have it at my side, for in case of a struggle it -would be no despicable ally. - -Those approaching turned out to be three armed men leading a fourth, -disarmed and a prisoner. They all stopped just opposite my door, which I -gently closed and locked, but as I still wished to see what they were -about, I slipped into the garden, which lay towards the street, still -followed by my dog. Contrary to his habit, and as if he understood the -danger, he gave a low whine instead of his usual savage growl. I climbed -into a fig tree the branches of which overhung the street, and, hidden -by the leaves, and resting my hands on the top of the wall, I leaned far -enough forward to see what the men were about. - -They were still on the same spot, but there was a change in their -positions. The prisoner was now kneeling with clasped hands before the -cut-throats, begging for his life for the sake of his wife and children, -in heartrending accents, to which his executioners replied in mocking -tones, "We have got you at last into our hands, have we? You dog of a -Bonapartist, why do you not call on your emperor to come and help you -out of this scrape?" The unfortunate man's entreaties became more -pitiful and their mocking replies more pitiless. They levelled their -muskets at him several times, and then lowered them, saying; "Devil take -it, we won't shoot yet; let us give him time to see death coming," till -at last the poor wretch, seeing there was no hope of mercy, begged to be -put out of his misery. - -Drops of sweat stood on my forehead. I felt my pockets to see if I had -nothing on me which I could use as a weapon, but I had not even a knife. -I looked at my dog; he was lying flat at the foot of the tree, and -appeared to be a prey to the most abject terror. The prisoner continued -his supplications, and the assassins their threats and mockery. I -climbed quietly down out of the fig tree, intending to fetch my pistols. -My dog followed me with his eyes, which seemed to be the only living -things about him. Just as my foot touched the ground a double report -rang out, and my dog gave a plaintive and prolonged howl. Feeling that -all was over, and that no weapons could be of any use, I climbed up -again into my perch and looked out. The poor wretch was lying face -downwards writhing in his blood; the assassins were reloading their -muskets as they walked away. - -Being anxious to see if it was too late to help the man whom I had not -been able to save, I went out into the street and bent over him. He was -bloody, disfigured, dying, but was yet alive, uttering dismal groans. I -tried to lift him up, but soon saw that the wounds which he had received -from bullets fired at close range were both mortal, one being in the -head, and the other in the loins. Just then a patrol, of the National -Guard turned round the corner of the street. This, instead of being a -relief, awoke me to a sense of my danger, and feeling I could do nothing -for the wounded man, for the death rattle had already begun, I entered -my house, half shut the door, and listened. - -"Qui vive?" asked the corporal. - -"Idiot!" said someone else, "to ask 'Qui vive?' of a dead man!" - -"He is not dead," said a third voice; "listen to him singing"; and -indeed the poor fellow in his agony was giving utterance to dreadful -groans. - -"Someone has tickled him well," said a fourth, "but what does it matter? -We had better finish the job." - -Five or six musket shots followed, and the groans ceased. - -The name of the man who had just expired was Louis Lichaire; it was not -against him, but against his nephew, that the assassins had had a -grudge, but finding the nephew out when they burst into the house, and a -victim being indispensable, they had torn the uncle from the arms of his -wife, and, dragging him towards the citadel, had killed him as I have -just related. - -Very early next morning I sent to three commissioners of police, one -after the other, for permission to have the corpse carried to the -hospital, but these gentlemen were either not up or had already gone -out, so that it was not until eleven o'clock and after repeated -applications that they condescended to give me the needed authorisation. - -Thanks to this delay, the whole town came to see the body of the -unfortunate man. Indeed, the day which followed a massacre was always -kept as a holiday, everyone leaving his work undone and coming out to -stare at the slaughtered victims. In this case, a man wishing to amuse -the crowd took his pipe out of his mouth and put it between the teeth of -the corpse--a joke which had a marvellous success, those present -shrieking with laughter. - -Many murders had been committed during the night; the companies had -scoured the streets singing some doggerel, which one of the bloody -wretches, being in poetic vein, had composed, the chorus of which was: - - "Our work's well done, - We spare none!" - -Seventeen fatal outrages were committed, and yet neither the reports of -the firearms nor the cries of the victims broke the peaceful slumbers of -M. le Prefet and M. le Commissaire General de la Police. But if the -civil authorities slept, General Lagarde, who had shortly before come to -town to take command of the city in the name of the king, was awake. He -had sprung from his bed at the first shot, dressed himself, and made a -round of the posts; then sure that everything was in order, he had -formed patrols of chasseurs, and had himself, accompanied by two -officers only, gone wherever he heard cries for help. But in spite of -the strictness of his orders the small number of troops at his -disposition delayed the success of his efforts, and it was not until -three o'clock in the morning that he succeeded in securing Trestaillons. -When this man was taken he was dressed as usual in the uniform of the -National Guard, with a cocked hat and captain's epaulets. General -Lagarde ordered the gens d'armes who made the capture to deprive him of -his sword and carbine, but it was only after a long struggle that they -could carry out this order, for Trestaillons protested that he would -only give up his carbine with his life. However, he was at last obliged -to yield to numbers, and when disarmed was removed to the barracks; but -as there could be no peace in the town as long as he was in it, the -general sent him to the citadel of Montpellier next morning before it -was light. - -The disorders did not, however, cease at once. At eight o'clock A.M. -they were still going on, the mob seeming to be animated by the spirit -of Trestaillons, for while the soldiers were occupied in a distant -quarter of the town a score of men broke into the house of a certain -Scipion Chabrier, who had remained hidden from his enemies for a long -time, but who had lately returned home on the strength of the -proclamations published by General Lagarde when he assumed the position -of commandant of the town. He had indeed been sure that the disturbances -in Nimes were over, when they burst out with redoubled fury on the 16th -of October; on the morning of the 17th he was working quietly at home at -his trade of a silk weaver, when, alarmed by the shouts of a parcel of -cut-throats outside his house, he tried to escape. He succeeded in -reaching the "Coupe d'Or," but the ruffians followed him, and the first -who came up thrust him through the thigh with his bayonet. In -consequence of this wound he fell from top to bottom of the staircase, -was seized and dragged to the stables, where the assassins left him for -dead, with seven wounds in his body. - -This was, however, the only murder committed that day in the town, -thanks to the vigilance and courage of General Lagarde. - -The next day a considerable crowd gathered, and a noisy deputation went -to General Lagarde's quarters and insolently demanded that Trestaillons -should be set at liberty. The general ordered them to disperse, but no -attention was paid to this command, whereupon he ordered his soldiers to -charge, and in a moment force accomplished what long-continued -persuasion had failed to effect. Several of the ringleaders were -arrested and taken to prison. - -Thus, as we shall see, the struggle assumed a new phase: resistance to -the royal power was made in the name of the royal power, and both those -who broke or those who tried to maintain the public peace used the same -cry, "Long live the king!" - -The firm attitude assumed by General Lagarde restored Nimes to a state -of superficial peace, beneath which, however, the old enmities were -fermenting. An occult power, which betrayed itself by a kind of passive -resistance, neutralised the effect of the measures taken by the military -commandant. He soon became cognisant of the fact that the essence of -this sanguinary political strife was an hereditary religious animosity, -and in order to strike a last blow at this, he resolved, after having -received permission from the king, to grant the general request of the -Protestants by reopening their places of worship, which had been closed -for more than four months, and allowing the public exercise of the -Protestant religion, which had been entirely suspended in the city for -the same length of time. - -Formerly there had been six Protestant pastors resident in Nimes, but -four of them, had fled; the two who remained were MM. Juillerat and -Olivier Desmonts, the first a young man, twenty-eight years of age, the -second an old man of seventy. - -The entire weight of the ministry had fallen during this period of -proscription on M. Juillerat, who had accepted the task and religiously -fulfilled it. It seemed as if a special providence had miraculously -protected him in the midst of the many perils which beset his path. -Although the other pastor, M. Desmonts, was president of the Consistory, -his life was in much less danger; for, first, he had reached an age -which almost everywhere commands respect, and then he had a son who was -a lieutenant in, one of the royal corps levied at Beaucaire, who -protected him by his name when he could not do so by his presence. M. -Desmonts had therefore little cause for anxiety as to his safety either -in the streets of Nimes or on the road between that and his country -house. - -But, as we have said, it was not so with M. Juillerat. Being young and -active, and having an unfaltering trust in God, on him alone devolved -all the sacred duties of his office, from the visitation of the sick and -dying to the baptism of the newly born. These latter were often brought -to him at night to be baptized, and he consented, though unwillingly, to -make this concession, feeling that if he insisted on the performance of -the rite by day he would compromise not only his own safety but that of -others. In all that concerned him personally, such as consoling the -dying or caring for the wounded, he acted quite openly, and no danger -that he encountered on his way ever caused him to flinch from the path -of duty. - -One day, as M. Juillerat was passing through the rue des Barquettes on -his way to the prefecture to transact some business connected with his -ministry, he saw several men lying in wait in a blind alley by which he -had to pass. They had their guns pointed at him. He continued his way -with tranquil step and such an air of resignation that the assassins -were overawed, and lowered their weapons as he approached, without -firing a single shot. When M. Juillerat reached the prefecture, thinking -that the prefect ought to be aware of everything connected with the -public order, he related this incident to M. d'Arbaud-Jouques, but the -latter did not think the affair of enough importance to require any -investigation. - -It was, as will be seen, a difficult enterprise to open once again the -Protestant places of worship, which had been so long closed, in present -circumstances, and in face of the fact that the civil authorities -regarded such a step with disfavour, but General Lagarde was one of -those determined characters who always act up to their convictions. -Moreover, to prepare people's minds for this stroke of religious policy, -he relied on the help of the Duc d'Angouleme, who in the course of a -tour through the South was almost immediately expected at Nimes. - -On the 5th of November the prince made his entry into the city, and -having read the reports of the general to the King Louis XVIII, and -having received positive injunctions from his uncle to pacify the -unhappy provinces which he was about to visit, he arrived full of the -desire to displays whether he felt it or not, a perfect impartiality; so -when the delegates from the Consistory were presented to him, not only -did he receive them most graciously, but he was the first to speak of -the interests of their faith, assuring them that it was only a few days -since he had learned with much regret that their religious services had -been; suspended since the 16th of July. The delegates replied that in -such a time of agitation the closing of their places of worship was, a -measure of prudence which they had felt ought to be borne, and which had -been borne, with resignation. The prince expressed his approval of this -attitude with regard to the past, but said that his presence was a -guarantee for the future, and that on Thursday the 9th inst. the two -meeting-houses should be reopened and restored to their proper use. The -Protestants were alarmed at, having a favour accorded to them which was -much more than they would have dared to ask and for which they were -hardly prepared. But the prince reassured them by saying that all -needful measures would be taken to provide against any breach of the -public peace, and at the same time invited M. Desmonts, president, and -M. Roland-Lacoste, member of the Consistory, to dine with him. - -The next deputation to arrive was a Catholic one, and its object was to -ask that Trestaillons might be set at liberty. The prince was so -indignant at this request that his only answer was to turn his back on -those who proffered it. - -The next day the duke, accompanied by General Lagarde, left for -Montpellier; and as it was on the latter that the Protestants placed -their sole reliance for the maintenance of those rights guaranteed for -the future by the word of the prince, they hesitated to take any new -step in his absence, and let the 9th of November go by without -attempting to resume public worship, preferring to wait for the return -of their protector, which took place on Saturday evening the 11th of -November. - -When the general got back, his first thought was to ask if the commands -of the prince had been carried out, and when he heard that they had not, -without waiting to hear a word in justification of the delay, he sent a -positive order to the president of the Consistory to open both places of -worship the next morning. - -Upon this, the president carrying self-abnegation and prudence to their -extreme limits, went to the general's quarters, and having warmly -thanked him, laid before him the dangers to which he would expose -himself by running counter to the opinions of those who had had their -own way in the city for the last four months. But General Lagarde -brushed all these considerations aside: he had received an order from -the prince, and to a man of his military cast of mind no course was open -but to carry that order out. - -Nevertheless, the president again expressed his doubts and fears. - -"I will answer with my head," said the general, "that nothing happens." -Still the president counselled prudence, asking that only one place of -worship at first be opened, and to this the general gave his consent. - -This continued resistance to the re-establishment of public worship on -the part of those who most eagerly desired it enabled the general at -last to realise the extent of the danger which would be incurred by the -carrying out of this measure, and he at once took all possible -precautions. Under the pretext that he was going to-have a general -review, he brought the entire civil and military forces of Nimes under -his authority, determined, if necessary, to use the one to suppress the -other. As early as eight o'clock in the morning a guard of gens d'armes -was stationed at the doors of the meeting-house, while other members of -the same force took up their positions in the adjacent streets. On the -other hand, the Consistory had decided that the doors were to be opened -an hour sooner than usual, that the bells were not to be rung, and that -the organ should be silent. - -These precautions had both a good and a bad side. The gens d'armes at -the door of the meetinghouse gave if not a promise of security at least -a promise of support, but they showed to the citizens of the other party -what was about to be done; so before nine o'clock groups of Catholics -began to form, and as it happened to be Sunday the inhabitants of the -neighbouring villages arriving constantly by twos and threes soon united -these groups into a little army. Thus the streets leading to the church -being thronged, the Protestants who pushed their way through were -greeted with insulting remarks, and even the president of the -Consistory, whose white, hair and dignified expression had no effect -upon the mob, heard the people round him saying, "These brigands of -Protestants are going again to their temple, but we shall soon give them -enough of it." - -The anger of the populace soon grows hot; between the first bubble and -the boiling-point the interval is short. Threats spoken in a low voice -were soon succeeded by noisy objurgations. Women, children, and men -brake out into yells, "Down with the broilers!" (for this was one of the -names by which the Protestants were designated). "Down with the -broilers! We do not want to see them using our churches: let them give -us back our churches; let them give us back our churches, and go to the -desert. Out with them! Out with them! To the desert! To the desert!" - -As the crowd did not go beyond words, however insulting, and as the -Protestants were long inured to much worse things, they plodded along to -their meeting-house, humble and silent, and went in, undeterred by the -displeasure they aroused, whereupon the service commenced. - -But some Catholics went in with them, and soon the same shouts which had -been heard without were heard also within. The general, however, was on -the alert, and as soon as the shouts arose inside the gens d'armes -entered the church and arrested those who had caused the disturbance. -The crowds tried to rescue them on their way to prison, but the general -appeared at the head of imposing forces, at the sight of which they -desisted. An apparent cam succeeded the tumult, and the public worship -went on without further interruption. - -The general, misled by appearances, went off himself to attend a -military mass, and at eleven o'clock returned to his quarters for lunch. -His absence was immediately perceived and taken advantage of. In the: -twinkling of an eye, the crowds, which had dispersed, gathered together -in even greater numbers and the Protestants, seeing themselves once more -in danger, shut the doors from within, while the gens d'armes guarded -them without. The populace pressed so closely round the gens d'armes, -and assumed such a threatening attitude, that fearing he and his men -would not be able to hold their own in such a throng, the captain -ordered M. Delbose, one of his officers, to ride off and warn the -general. He forced his way through the crowd with great trouble, and -went off at a gallop. On seeing this, the people felt there was no time -to be lost; they knew of what kind the general was, and that he would be -on the spot in a quarter of an hour. A large crowd is invincible through -its numbers; it has only to press forward, and everything gives way, -men, wood, iron. At this moment the crowd, swayed by a common impulse, -swept forward, the gens d'armes and their horses were crushed against -the wall, doors gave way, and instantly with a tremendous roar a living -wave flooded the church. Cries of terror and frightful imprecations were -heard on all sides, everyone made a weapon of whatever came to hand, -chairs and benches were hurled about, the disorder was at its height; it -seemed as if the days of the Michelade and the Bagarre were about to -return, when suddenly the news of a terrible event was spread abroad, -and assailants and assailed paused in horror. General Lagarde had just -been assassinated. - -As the crowd had foreseen, no sooner did the messenger deliver his -message than the general sprang on his horse, and, being too brave, or -perhaps too scornful, to fear such foes, he waited for no escort, but, -accompanied by two or three officers, set off at full gallop towards the -scene of the tumult. He had passed through the narrow streets which led -to the meeting-house by pushing the crowd aside with his horse's chest, -when, just as he got out into the open square, a young man named -Boisson, a sergeant in the Nimes National Guard, came up and seemed to -wish to speak to him. The general seeing a man in uniform, bent down -without a thought of danger to listen to what he had to say, whereupon -Boisson drew a pistol out and fired at him. The ball broke the -collar-bone and lodged in the neck behind the carotid artery, and the -general fell from his horse. - -The news of this crime had a strange and unexpected effect; however -excited and frenzied the crowd was, it instantly realised the -consequences of this act. It was no longer like the murder of Marshal -Brune at Avignon or General Ramel at Toulouse, an act of vengeance on a -favourite of Napoleon, but open and armed rebellion against the king. It -was not a simple murder, it was high treason. - -A feeling of the utmost terror spread through the town; only a few -fanatics went on howling in the church, which the Protestants, fearing -still greater disasters, had by this time resolved to abandon. The first -to come out was President Olivier Desmonts, accompanied by M. -Vallongues, who had only just arrived in the city, but who had -immediately hurried to the spot at the call of duty. - -M Juillerat, his two children in his arms, walked behind them, followed -by all the other worshippers. At first the crowd, threatening and -ireful, hooted and threw stones at them, but at the voice of the mayor -and the dignified aspect of the president they allowed them to pass. -During this strange retreat over eighty Protestants were wounded, but -not fatally, except a young girl called Jeannette Cornilliere, who had -been so beaten and ill-used that she died of her injuries a few days -later. - -In spite of the momentary slackening of energy which followed the -assassination of General Lagarde, the Catholics did not remain long in a -state of total inaction. During the rest of the day the excited populace -seemed as if shaken by an earthquake. About six o'clock in the evening, -some of the most desperate characters in the town possessed themselves -of a hatchet, and, taking their way to the Protestant church, smashed -the doors, tore the pastors' gowns, rifled the poor-box, and pulled the -books to pieces. A detachment of troops arrived just in time to prevent -their setting the building on fire. - -The next day passed more quietly. This time the disorders were of too -important a nature for the prefect to ignore, as he had ignored so many -bloody acts in the past; so in due time a full report was laid before -the king. It became know the same evening that General Lagarde was still -living, and that those around him hoped that the wound would not prove -mortal. Dr. Delpech, who had been summoned from Montpellier, had -succeeded in extracting the bullet, and though he spoke no word of hope, -he did not expressly declare that the case was hopeless. - -Two days later everything in the town had assumed its ordinary aspect, -and on the 21st of November the king issued the following edict:-- - -"Louis, by the grace of God, King of France and of Navarre, - -"To all those to whom these presents shall come, greeting: - -"An abominable crime has cast a stain on Our city of Nimes. A seditious -mob has dared to oppose the opening of the Protestant place of worship, -in contempt of the constitutional charter, which while it recognises the -Catholic religion as the religion of the State, guarantees to the other -religious bodies protection and freedom of worship. Our military -commandant, whilst trying to disperse these crowds by gentle means -before having resort to force, was shot down, and his assassin has till -now successfully evaded the arm of the law. If such an outrage were to -remain unpunished, the maintenance of good government and public order -would be impossible, and Our ministers would be guilty of neglecting the -law. - -"Wherefore We have ordered and do order as follows: - -"Art. 1. Proceedings shall be commenced without delay by Our attorney, -and the attorney-general, against the perpetrator of the murderous -attack on the person of Sieur Lagarde, and against the authors, -instigators, and accomplices of the insurrection which took place in the -city of Nimes on the 12th of the present month. - -"Art. 2. A sufficient number of troops shall be quartered in the said -city, and shall remain there at the cost of the inhabitants, until the -assassin and his accomplices have been produced before a court of law. - -"Art. 3. All those citizens whose names are not entitled to be on the -roll of the National Guard shall be disarmed. - -"Our Keeper of the Seals, Our Minister of War, Our Minister of the -Interior, and Our Minister of Police, are entrusted with the execution -of this edict. - -"Given at Paris at Our Castle of the Tuileries on the 21st of November -in the year of grace 1815, and of Our reign the 21st. - -"(Signed) Louis" - -Boissin was acquitted. - -This was the last crime committed in the South, and it led fortunately -to no reprisals. - -Three months after the murderous attempt to which he had so nearly -fallen a victim, General Lagarde left Nimes with the rank of ambassador, -and was succeeded as prefect by M. d'Argont. - -During the firm, just, and independent administration of the latter, the -disarming of the citizens decreed by the royal edict was carried out -without bloodshed. - -Through his influence, MM. Chabot-Latour, Saint-Aulaire, and Lascour -were elected to the Chamber of Deputies in place of MM. De Calviere, De -Vogue, and De Trinquelade. - -And down to the present time the name of M. d'Argont is held in -veneration at Nimes, as if he had only quitted the city yesterday. - - - - - ---- - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MASSACRES OF THE SOUTH *** - - - - -A Word from Project Gutenberg - - -We will update this book if we find any errors. - -This book can be found under: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2743 - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, so -the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright royalties. -Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this -license, apply to copying and distributing Project Gutenberg(tm) -electronic works to protect the Project Gutenberg(tm) concept and -trademark. 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