CELEBRATED CRIMES, COMPLETE

BY ALEXANDRE DUMAS, PERE

IN EIGHT VOLUMES

MASSACRES OF THE SOUTH--1551-1815

CHAPTER I

It is possible that our reader, whose recollections may perhaps go backas far as the Restoration, will be surprised at the size of the framerequired for the picture we are about to bring before him, embracing asit does two centuries and a half; but as everything, has its precedent, every river its source, every volcano its central fire, so it is thatthe spot of earth on which we are going to fix our eyes has beenthe scene of action and reaction, revenge and retaliation, till thereligious annals of the South resemble an account-book kept by doubleentry, in which fanaticism enters the profits of death, one side beingwritten with the blood of Catholics, the other with that of Protestants. 

In the great political and religious convulsions of the South, theearthquake-like throes of which were felt even in the capital, Nimes hasalways taken the central place; Nimes will therefore be the pivot roundwhich our story will revolve, and though we may sometimes leave it for amoment, we shall always return thither without fail. 

Nimes was reunited to France by Louis VIII, the government being takenfrom its vicomte, Bernard Athon VI, and given to consuls in the year1207. During the episcopate of Michel Briconnet the relics of St. Bauzile were discovered, and hardly were the rejoicings over this eventat an end when the new doctrines began to spread over France. It was inthe South that the persecutions began, and in 1551 several persons werepublicly burnt as heretics by order of the Seneschal's Court at Nimes, amongst whom was Maurice Secenat, a missionary from the Cevennes, whowas taken in the very act of preaching. Thenceforth Nimes rejoiced intwo martyrs and two patron saints, one revered by the Catholics, and oneby the Protestants; St. Bauzile, after reigning as sole protector fortwenty-four years, being forced to share the honours of his guardianshipwith his new rival. 

Maurice Secenat was followed as preacher by Pierre de Lavau; these twonames being still remembered among the crowd of obscure and forgottenmartyrs. He also was put to death on the Place de la Salamandre, all thedifference 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 beingconverted by the priest, it was the priest who was converted by deLavau, and the teaching which it was desired should be suppressedburst forth again. Decrees were issued against Dominique Deyron; he waspursued and tracked down, and only escaped the gibbet by fleeing to themountains. 

The mountains are the refuge of all rising or decaying sects; God hasgiven to the powerful on earth city, plain, and sea, but the mountainsare the heritage of the oppressed. 

Persecution and proselytism kept pace with each other, but the bloodthat was shed produced the usual effect: it rendered the soil on whichit fell fruitful, and after two or three years of struggle, during whichtwo or three hundred Huguenots had been burnt or hanged, Nimes awoke onemorning with a Protestant majority. In 1556 the consuls received a sharpreprimand on account of the leaning of the city towards the doctrinesof the Reformation; but in 1557, one short year after this admonition, Henri II was forced to confer the office of president of the PresidialCourt on William de Calviere, a Protestant. At last a decision of thesenior judge having declared that it was the duty of the consuls tosanction the execution of heretics by their presence, the magistrates ofthe city protested against this decision, and the power of the Crown wasinsufficient to carry it out. 

Henri II dying, Catherine de Medicis and the Guises took possession ofthe throne in the name of Francois II. There is a moment when nationscan always draw a long breath, it is while their kings are awaitingburial; and Nimes took advantage of this moment on the death of HenriII, and on September 29th, 1559, Guillaume Moget founded the firstProtestant 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 remainingCatholics 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 ofconcessions, 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 holdup its head with boldness in the streets. A householder called GuillaumeRaymond opened his house to the Calvinist missionary, and allowed himto preach in it regularly to all who came, and the wavering were thusconfirmed in the new faith. Soon the house became too narrow tocontain the crowds which flocked thither to imbibe the poison of therevolutionary doctrine, and impatient glances fell on the churches. 

Meanwhile the Vicomte de Joyeuse, who had just been appointed governorof Languedoc in the place of M. De Villars, grew uneasy at the rapidprogress made by the Protestants, who so far from trying to conceal itboasted of it; so he summoned the consuls before him, admonished themsharply in the king's name, and threatened to quarter a garrison inthe town which would soon put an end to these disorders. The consulspromised to stop the evil without the aid of outside help, and to carryout their promise doubled the patrol and appointed a captain of the townwhose sole duty was to keep order in the streets. Now this captain whoseoffice had been created solely for the repression of heresy, happened tobe Captain Bouillargues, the most inveterate Huguenot who ever existed. 

The result of this discriminating choice was that Guillaume Moget beganto preach, and once when a great crowd had gathered in a garden to hearhim hold forth, heavy rain came on, and it became necessary for thepeople either to disperse or to seek shelter under a roof. As thepreacher had just reached the most interesting part of his sermon, thecongregation did not hesitate an instant to take the latter alternative. The Church of St. Etienne du Capitole was quite near: someone presentsuggested that this building, if not the most suitable, as at least themost spacious for such a gathering. 

The idea was received with acclamation: the rain grew heavier, the crowdinvaded the church, drove out the priests, trampled the Holy Sacramentunder foot, and broke the sacred images. This being accomplished, Guillaume Moget entered the pulpit, and resumed his sermon with sucheloquence that his hearers' excitement redoubled, and not satisfiedwith what had already been done, rushed off to seize on the Franciscanmonastery, where they forthwith installed Moget and the two women, who, according to Menard the historian of Languedoc, never left him day ornight; all which proceedings were regarded by Captain Bouillargues withmagnificent calm. 

The consuls being once more summoned before M. De Villars, who had againbecome governor, would gladly have denied the existence of disorder; butfinding this impossible, they threw themselves on his mercy. He beingunable to repose confidence in them any longer, sent a garrison tothe citadel of Nimes, which the municipality was obliged to support, appointed a governor of the city with four district captains underhim, and formed a body of military police which quite superseded themunicipal constabulary. Moget was expelled from Nimes, and CaptainBouillargues 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 toNimes. This was a victory, and every victory being a step forward, thetriumphant preacher organised a Consistory, and the deputies of Nimesdemanded from the States-General of Orleans possession of the churches. No notice was taken of this demand; but the Protestants were at no losshow to proceed. On the 21st December 1561 the churches of Ste. Eugenie, St. Augustin, and the Cordeliers were taken by assault, and cleared oftheir images in a hand's turn; and this time Captain Bouillargues wasnot satisfied with looking on, but directed the operations. 

The cathedral was still safe, and in it were entrenched the remnantof the Catholic clergy; but it was apparent that at the earliestopportunity it too would be turned into a meeting-house; and thisopportunity was not long in coming. 

One Sunday, when Bishop Bernard d'Elbene had celebrated mass, just asthe regular preacher was about to begin his sermon, some children whowere playing in the close began to hoot the 'beguinier' [a name ofcontempt for friars]. Some of the faithful being disturbed in theirmeditations, came out of the church and chastised the little Huguenots, whose parents considered themselves in consequence to have been insultedin the persons of their children. A great commotion ensued, crowdsbegan to form, and cries of "To the church! to the church!" were heard. Captain Bouillargues happened to be in the neighbourhood, and being verymethodical set about organising the insurrection; then putting himselfat its head, he charged the cathedral, carrying everything beforehim, in spite of the barricades which had been hastily erected by thePapists. The assault was over in a few moments; the priests and theirflock fled by one door, while the Reformers entered by another. Thebuilding was in the twinkling of an eye adapted to the new form ofworship: the great crucifix from above the altar was dragged about thestreets at the end of a rope and scourged at every cross-roads. In theevening a large fire was lighted in the place before the cathedral, and the archives of the ecclesiastical and religious houses, the sacredimages, the relics of the saints, the decorations of the altar, thesacerdotal vestments, even the Host itself, were thrown on it withoutany remonstrance from the consuls; the very wind which blew upon Nimesbreathed heresy. 

For the moment Nimes was in full revolt, and the spirit of organisationspread: Moget assumed the titles of pastor and minister of the ChristianChurch. Captain Bouillargues melted down the sacred vessels of theCatholic churches, and paid in this manner the volunteers of Nimes andthe German mercenaries; the stones of the demolished religious houseswere used in the construction of fortifications, and before anyonethought of attacking it the city was ready for a siege. It was at thismoment that Guillaume Calviere, who was at the head of the PresidialCourt, Moget being president of the Consistory, and Captain Bouillarguescommander-in-chief of the armed forces, suddenly resolved to create anew authority, which, while sharing the powers hitherto vested solely inthe consuls, should be, even more than they, devoted to Calvin: thus theoffice of les Messieurs came into being. This was neither more nor lessthan a committee of public safety, and having been formed in the stressof revolution it acted in a revolutionary spirit, absorbing the powersof the consuls, and restricting the authority of the Consistory tothings spiritual. In the meantime the Edict of Amboise, was promulgated, and it was announced that the king, Charles IX, accompanied by Catherinede Medicis, was going to visit his loyal provinces in the South. 

Determined as was Captain Bouillargues, for once he had to give way, sostrong was the party against him; therefore, despite the murmurs of thefanatics, the city of Nimes resolved, not only to open its gates toits sovereign, but to give him such a reception as would efface the badimpression which Charles might have received from the history of recentevents. The royal procession was met at the Pont du Gare, where younggirls attired as nymphs emerged from a grotto bearing a collation, whichthey presented to their Majesties, who graciously and heartily partookof it. The repast at an end, the illustrious travellers resumed theirprogress; but the imagination of the Nimes authorities was not to berestrained within such narrow bounds: at the entrance to the city theking found the Porte de la Couronne transformed into a mountain-side, covered with vines and olive trees, under which a shepherd was tendinghis flock. As the king approached the mountain parted as if yielding tothe magic of his power, the most beautiful maidens and the most noblecame out to meet their sovereign, presenting him the keys of thecity wreathed with flowers, and singing to the accompaniment of theshepherd's pipe. Passing through the mountain, Charles saw chained to apalm tree in the depths of a grotto a monster crocodile from whose jawsissued flames: this was a representation of the old coat of arms grantedto the city by Octavius Caesar Augustus after the battle of Actium, andwhich Francis I had restored to it in exchange for a model in silver ofthe amphitheatre presented to him by the city. Lastly, the king found inthe Place de la Salamandre numerous bonfires, so that without waiting toask if these fires were made from the remains of the faggots used at themartyrdom of Maurice Secenat, he went to bed very much pleased with thereception accorded him by his good city of Nimes, and sure that all theunfavourable reports he had heard were calumnies. 

Nevertheless, in order that such rumours, however slight theirfoundation, should not again be heard, the king appointed Damvillegovernor of Languedoc, installing him himself in the chief city ofhis government; he then removed every consul from his post withoutexception, and appointed in their place Guy-Rochette, doctor and lawyer;Jean Beaudan, burgess; Francois Aubert, mason; and Cristol Ligier, farmlabourer--all Catholics. He then left for Paris, where a short timeafter he concluded a treaty with the Calvinists, which the people withits gift of prophecy called "The halting peace of unsure seat, " andwhich in the end led to the massacre of St. Bartholomew. 

Gracious as had been the measures taken by the king to secure the peaceof his good city of Nimes, they had nevertheless been reactionary;consequently the Catholics, feeling the authorities were now on theirside, returned in crowds: the householders reclaimed their houses, thepriests their churches; while, rendered ravenous by the bitter bread ofexile, both the clergy and the laity pillaged the treasury. Their returnwas not, however; stained by bloodshed, although the Calvinists werereviled in the open street. A few stabs from a dagger or shots froman arquebus might, however, have been better; such wounds heal whilemocking words rankle in the memory. 

On the morrow of Michaelmas Day--that is, on the 31st September 1567--anumber of conspirators might have been seen issuing from a house andspreading themselves through the streets, crying "To arms! Down with thePapists!" Captain Bouillargues was taking his revenge. 

As the Catholics were attacked unawares, they did not make even a showof resistance: a number of Protestants--those who possessed the bestarms--rushed to the house of Guy-Rochette, the first consul, and seizedthe 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 hishouse, and feeling that their rage was directed against himself, hadtaken refuge with his brother Gregoire. There, recovering his courageand presence of mind, he recalled the important responsibilitiesattached to his office, and resolving to fulfil them whatever mighthappen, hastened to consult with the other magistrates, but as they allgave him very excellent reasons for not meddling, he soon felt therewas no dependence to be placed on such cowards and traitors. He nextrepaired to the episcopal palace, where he found the bishop surroundedby the principal Catholics of the town, all on their knees offering upearnest prayers to Heaven, and awaiting martyrdom. Guy-Rochette joinedthem, and the prayers were continued. 

A few instants later fresh noises were heard in the street, and thegates of the palace court groaned under blows of axe and crowbar. Hearing these alarming sounds, the bishop, forgetting that it was hisduty to set a brave example, fled through a breach in the wall of thenext house; but Guy-Rochette and his companions valiantly resolvednot to run away, but to await their fate with patience. The gates soonyielded, and the courtyard and palace were filled with Protestants: attheir head appeared Captain Bouillargues, sword in hand. Guy-Rochetteand those with him were seized and secured in a room under the chargeof four guards, and the palace was looted. Meantime another band ofinsurgents had attacked the house of the vicar-general, John Pebereau, whose body pierced by seven stabs of a dagger was thrown out of awindow, the same fate as was meted out to Admiral Coligny eight yearslater at the hands of the Catholics. In the house a sum of 800crowns was found and taken. The two bands then uniting, rushed to thecathedral, which they sacked for the second time. 

Thus the entire day passed in murder and pillage: when night came thelarge number of prisoners so imprudently taken began to be felt as anencumbrance by the insurgent chiefs, who therefore resolved to takeadvantage of the darkness to get rid of them without causing too muchexcitement in the city. They were therefore gathered together from thevarious houses in which they had been confined, and were brought to alarge hall in the Hotel de Ville, capable of containing from four tofive hundred persons, and which was soon full. An irregular tribunalarrogating to itself powers of life and death was formed, and a clerkwas appointed to register its decrees. A list of all the prisoners wasgiven him, a cross placed before a name indicating that its bearerwas condemned to death, and, list in hand, he went from group to groupcalling out the names distinguished by the fatal sign. Those thus sortedout were then conducted to a spot which had been chosen beforehand asthe place of execution. 

This was the palace courtyard in the middle of which yawned a welltwenty-four feet in circumference and fifty deep. The fanatics thusfound 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 stabbedwith daggers or mutilated with axes, and the bodies thrown down thewell. Guy-Rochette was one of the first to be dragged up. For himself heasked neither mercy nor favour, but he begged that the life of his youngbrother might be spared, whose only crime was the bond of blood whichunited them; but the assassins, paying no heed to his prayers, struckdown both man and boy and flung them into the well. The corpse of thevicar-general, who had been killed the day before, was in its turndragged thither by a rope and added to the others. All night themassacre went on, the crimsoned water rising in the well as corpse aftercorpse was thrown in, till, at break of day, it overflowed, one hundredand twenty bodies being then hidden in its depths. 

Next day, October 1st, the scenes of tumult were renewed: from earlydawn Captain Bouillargues ran from street to street crying, "Courage, comrades! Montpellier, Pezenas, Aramon, Beaucaire, Saint-Andeol, andVilleneuve 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 theassassins. They joined the captain, and demanded that the houses roundthe palace should be searched, as it was almost certain that the bishop, who had, as may be remembered, escaped the day before, had taken refugein one of them. This being agreed to, a house-to-house visitation wasbegun: when the house of M. De Sauvignargues was reached, he confessedthat the bishop was in his cellar, and proposed to treat with CaptainBouillargues for a ransom. This proposition being considered reasonable, was accepted, and after a short discussion the sum of 120 crowns wasagreed on. The bishop laid down every penny he had about him, his servants were despoiled, and the sum made up by the Sieur deSauvignargues, who having the bishop in his house kept him caged. Theprelate, however, made no objection, although under other circumstanceshe would have regarded this restraint as the height of impertinence;but as it was he felt safer in M. De Sauvignargues' cellar than in thepalace. 

But the secret of the worthy prelate's hiding place was but badly keptby those with whom he had treated; for in a few moments a second crowdappeared, hoping to obtain a second ransom. Unfortunately, the Sieurde Sauvignargues, the bishop, and the bishop's servants had strippedthemselves of all their ready money to make up the first, so the masterof the house, fearing for his own safety, having barricaded the doors, got out into a lane and escaped, leaving the bishop to his fate. TheHuguenots climbed in at the windows, crying, "No quarter! Down withthe Papists!" The bishop's servants were cut down, the bishop himselfdragged out of the cellar and thrown into the street. There his ringsand crozier were snatched from him; he was stripped of his clothes andarrayed 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 wasdragged back to the palace and placed on the brink of the well to bethrown in. One of the assassins drew attention to the fact that itwas already full. "Pooh!" replied another, "they won't mind a littlecrowding for a bishop. " Meantime the prelate, seeing he need expect nomercy from man, threw himself on his knees and commended his soulto God. Suddenly, however, one of those who had shown himself mostferocious during the massacre, Jean Coussinal by name, was touched asif by miracle with a feeling of compassion at the sight of so muchresignation, and threw himself between the bishop and those aboutto strike, and declaring that whoever touched the prelate must firstovercome himself, took him under his protection, his comrades retreatingin astonishment. Jean Coussinal raising the bishop, carried him in hisarms into a neighbouring house, and drawing his sword, took his stand onthe threshold. 

The assassins, however, soon recovered from their surprise, andreflecting that when all was said and done they were fifty to one, considered it would be shameful to let themselves be intimidated bya single opponent, so they advanced again on Coussinal, who with aback-handed stroke cut off the head of the first-comer. The cries uponthis redoubled, and two or three shots were fired at the obstinatedefender of the poor bishop, but they all missed aim. At that momentCaptain Bouillargues passed by, and seeing one man attacked by fifty, inquired into the cause. He was told of Coussinal's odd determination tosave the bishop. "He is quite right, " said the captain; "the bishop haspaid ransom, and no one has any right to touch him. " Saying this, hewalked up to Coussinal, gave him his hand, and the two entered thehouse, returning in a few moments with the bishop between them. In thisorder they crossed the town, followed by the murmuring crowd, who were, however, afraid to do more than murmur; at the gate the bishop wasprovided with an escort and let go, his defenders remaining there tillhe was out of sight. 

The massacres went on during the whole of the second day, though towardsevening the search for victims relaxed somewhat; but still many isolatedacts of murder took place during the night. On the morrow, being tiredof killing, the people began to destroy, and this phase lasted a longtime, it being less fatiguing to throw stones about than corpses. Allthe convents, all the monasteries, all the houses of the priests andcanons were attacked in turn; nothing was spared except the cathedral, before which axes and crowbars seemed to lose their power, and thechurch of Ste. Eugenie, which was turned into a powder-magazine. The dayof the great butchery was called "La Michelade, " because it took placethe day after Michaelmas, and as all this happened in the year 1567 theMassacre of St. Bartholomew must be regarded as a plagiarism. 

At last, however, with the help of M. Damville; the Catholics again gotthe upper hand, and it was the turn of the Protestants to fly. They tookrefuge in the Cevennes. From the beginning of the troubles the Cevenneshad been the asylum of those who suffered for the Protestant faith;and still the plains are Papist, and the mountains Protestant. Whenthe Catholic party is in the ascendant at Nimes, the plain seeks themountain; when the Protestants come into power, the mountain comes downinto the plain. 

However, vanquished and fugitive though they were, the Calvinists didnot lose courage: in exile one day, they felt sure their luck would turnthe next; and while the Catholics were burning or hanging them in effigyfor contumacy, they were before a notary, dividing the property of theirexecutioners. 

But it was not enough for them to buy or sell this property amongst eachother, they wanted to enter into possession; they thought of nothingelse, and in 1569--that is, in the eighteenth month of their exile--theyattained their wish in the following manner:

One day the exiles perceived a carpenter belonging to a little villagecalled Cauvisson approaching their place of refuge. He desired to speakto M. Nicolas de Calviere, seigneur de St. Cosme, and brother of thepresident, who was known to be a very enterprising man. To him thecarpenter, whose name was Maduron, made the following proposition:

In the moat of Nimes, close to the Gate of the Carmelites, there was agrating through which the waters from the fountain found vent. Maduronoffered to file through the bars of this grating in such a manner thatsome fine night it could be lifted out so as to allow a band of armedProtestants to gain access to the city. Nicolas de Calviere approvingof this plan, desired that it should be carried out at once; but thecarpenter pointed out that it would be necessary to wait for stormyweather, when the waters swollen by the rain would by their noise drownthe sound of the file. This precaution was doubly necessary as the boxof the sentry was almost exactly above the grating. M. De Calviere triedto make Maduron give way; but the latter, who was risking more thananyone else, was firm. So whether they liked it or not, de Calviere andthe rest had to await his good pleasure. 

Some days later rainy weather set in, and as usual the fountain becamefuller; Maduron seeing that the favourable moment had arrived, glided atnight into the moat and applied his file, a friend of his who was hiddenon the ramparts above pulling a cord attached to Maduron's arm everytime the sentinel, in pacing his narrow round, approached the spot. Before break of day the work was well begun. Maduron then obliteratedall traces of his file by daubing the bars with mud and wax, andwithdrew. For three consecutive nights he returned to his task, takingthe same precautions, and before the fourth was at an end he found thatby means of a slight effort the grating could be removed. That was allthat was needed, so he gave notice to Messire Nicolas de Calviere thatthe moment had arrived. 

Everything was favourable to the undertaking: as there was no moon, thenext night was chosen to carry out the plan, and as soon as it was darkMessire Nicolas de Calviere set out with his men, who, slipping downinto 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 tillthey reached the grating without being perceived. There Maduron waswaiting, and as soon as he caught sight of them he gave a slight blow tothe loose bars; which fell, and the whole party entered the drain, ledby de Calviere, and soon found themselves at the farther end--that is tosay, in the Place de la Fontaine. They immediately formed into companiestwenty strong, four of which hastened to the principal gates, while theothers patrolled the streets shouting, "The city taken! Down withthe Papists! A new world!" Hearing this, the Protestants in the cityrecognised their co-religionists, and the Catholics their opponents:but whereas the former had been warned and were on the alert, the latterwere taken by surprise; consequently they offered no resistance, which, however, did not prevent bloodshed. M. De St. Andre, the governor of thetown, who during his short period of office had drawn the bitter hatredof the Protestants on him, was shot dead in his bed, and his body beingflung out of the window, was torn in pieces by the populace. The workof murder went on all night, and on the morrow the victors in their turnbegan an organised persecution, which fell more heavily on the Catholicsthan that to which they had subjected the Protestants; for, as we haveexplained above, the former could only find shelter in the plain, whilethe latter used the Cevennes as a stronghold. 

It was about this time that the peace, which was called, as we havesaid, "the insecurely seated, " was concluded. Two years later this namewas justified by the Massacre of St. Bartholomew. 

When this event took place, the South, strange as it may seem, lookedon: in Nimes both Catholics and Protestants, stained with the other'sblood, faced each other, hand on hilt, but without drawing weapon. Itwas as if they were curious to see how the Parisians would get through. The massacre had one result, however, the union of the principal citiesof 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 asovereign to be the defender of the Protestant faith. In the year 1775the Protestants of the South began to turn their eyes towards Henri IVas the coming defender. 

At that date Nimes, setting an example to the other cities of theLeague, deepened her moats, blew up her suburbs, and added to the heightof her ramparts. Night and day the work of perfecting the means ofdefence went on; the guard at every gate was doubled, and knowing howoften a city had been taken by surprise, not a hole through which aPapist could creep was left in the fortifications. In dread of what thefuture might bring, Nimes even committed sacrilege against the past, andpartly demolished the Temple of Diana and mutilated the amphitheatre--ofwhich one gigantic stone was sufficient to form a section of the wall. During one truce the crops were sown, during another they were garneredin, and so things went on while the reign of the Mignons lasted. Atlength the prince raised up by God, whom the Huguenots had waited for solong, appeared; Henri IV ascended the throne. 

But once seated, Henri found himself in the same difficulty as hadconfronted Octavius fifteen centuries earlier, and which confrontedLouis Philippe three centuries later--that is to say, having been raisedto sovereign power by a party which was not in the majority, he soonfound himself obliged to separate from this party and to abjure hisreligious beliefs, as others have abjured or will yet abjure theirpolitical beliefs; consequently, just as Octavius had his Antony, andLouis Philippe was to have his Lafayette, Henri IV was to have hisBiron. When monarchs are in this position they can no longer have a willof their own or personal likes and dislikes; they submit to the force ofcircumstances, and feel compelled to rely on the masses; no sooner arethey freed from the ban under which they laboured than they are obligedto bring others under it. 

However, before having recourse to extreme measures, Henri IV withsoldierly frankness gathered round him all those who had been hiscomrades of old in war and in religion; he spread out before them a mapof France, and showed them that hardly a tenth of the immense number ofits inhabitants were Protestants, and that even that tenth was shut upin the mountains; some in Dauphine, which had been won for them bytheir three principal leaders, Baron des Adrets, Captain Montbrun, and Lesdiguieres; others in the Cevennes, which had become Protestantthrough their great preachers, Maurice Secenat and Guillaume Moget; andthe rest in the mountains of Navarre, whence he himself had come. He recalled to them further that whenever they ventured out oftheir mountains they had been beaten in every battle, at Jarnac, atMoncontour, and at Dreux. He concluded by explaining how impossible itwas for him, such being the case, to entrust the guidance of the Stateto their party; but he offered them instead three things, viz. , hispurse to supply their present needs, the Edict of Nantes to assure theirfuture safety, and fortresses to defend themselves should this edict oneday be revoked, for with profound insight the grandfather divined thegrandson: Henri IV feared Louis XIV. 

The Protestants took what they were offered, but of course like all whoaccept benefits they went away filled with discontent because they hadnot been given more. 

Although the Protestants ever afterwards looked on Henri IV as arenegade, his reign nevertheless was their golden age, and while itlasted Nines was quiet; for, strange to say, the Protestants took norevenge for St. Bartholomew, contenting themselves with debarring theCatholics from the open exercise of their religion, but leaving themfree to use all its rites and ceremonies in private. They even permittedthe procession of the Host through the streets in case of illness, provided it took place at night. Of course death would not always waitfor darkness, and the Host was sometimes carried to the dying during theday, not without danger to the priest, who, however, never let himselfbe deterred thereby from the performance of his duty; indeed, it is ofthe 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 andthe impartial protection meted out to all without distinction by theConstable Damville, the Carmelites and Capuchins, the Jesuits and monksof all orders and colours, began by degrees to return to Nines; withoutany display, it is true, rather in a surreptitious manner, preferringdarkness to daylight; but however this may be, in the course of threeor four years they had all regained foothold in the town; only now theywere in the position in which the Protestants had been formerly, theywere without churches, as their enemies were in possession of all theplaces of worship. It also happened that a Jesuit high in authority, named Pere Coston, preached with such success that the Protestants, notwishing to be beaten, but desirous of giving word for word, summonedto their aid the Rev. Jeremie Ferrier, of Alais, who at the moment wasregarded as the most eloquent preacher they had. Needless to say, Alaiswas situated in the mountains, that inexhaustible source of Huguenoteloquence. At once the controversial spirit was aroused; it did not asyet amount to war, but still less could it be called peace: people wereno longer assassinated, but they were anathematised; the body was safe, but the soul was consigned to damnation: the days as they passed wereused by both sides to keep their hand in, in readiness for the momentwhen the massacres should again begin. 

CHAPTER II

The death of Henri IV led to new conflicts, in which although at firstsuccess was on the side of the Protestants it by degrees went over tothe Catholics; for with the accession of Louis XIII Richelieu had takenpossession of the throne: beside the king sat the cardinal; under thepurple mantle gleamed the red robe. It was at this crisis that Henri deRohan rose to eminence in the South. He was one of the most illustriousrepresentatives of that great race which, allied as it was to the royalhouses of Scotland, France, Savoy, and Lorraine; had taken as theirdevice, "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 primeof life. In his youth, in order to perfect his education, he had visitedEngland, Scotland, and Italy. In England Elizabeth had called him herknight; in Scotland James VI had asked him to stand godfather tohis son, afterwards Charles I; in Italy he had been so deep in theconfidence of the leaders of men, and so thoroughly initiated into thepolitics of the principal cities, that it was commonly said that, after Machiavel, he was the greatest authority in these matters. Hehad returned to France in the lifetime of Henry IV, and had married thedaughter of Sully, and after Henri's death had commanded the Swiss andthe Grison regiments--at the siege of Juliers. This was the man whom theking was so imprudent as to offend by refusing him the reversion ofthe office of governor of Poitou, which was then held by Sully, hisfather-in-law. In order to revenge himself for the neglect he met withat court, as he states in his Memoires with military ingenuousness, heespoused the cause of Conde with all his heart, being also drawn in thisdirection by his liking for Conde's brother and his consequent desire tohelp those of Conde's religion. 

From this day on street disturbances and angry disputes assumed anotheraspect: they took in a larger area and were not so readily appeased. Itwas no longer an isolated band of insurgents which roused a city, butrather a conflagration which spread over the whole South, and a generaluprising which was almost a civil war. 

This state of things lasted for seven or eight years, and during thistime Rohan, abandoned by Chatillon and La Force, who received as thereward of their defection the field marshal's baton, pressed by Conde, his old friend, and by Montmorency, his consistent rival, performedprodigies of courage and miracles of strategy. At last, withoutsoldiers, without ammunition, without money, he still appeared toRichelieu to be so redoubtable that all the conditions of surrenderhe demanded were granted. The maintenance of the Edict of Nanteswas guaranteed, all the places of worship were to be restored to theReformers, and a general amnesty granted to himself and his partisans. Furthermore, he obtained what was an unheard-of thing until then, anindemnity of 300, 000 livres for his expenses during the rebellion; ofwhich sum he allotted 240, 000 livres to his co-religionists--that is tosay, more than three-quarters of the entire amount--and kept, for thepurpose of restoring his various chateaux and setting his domesticestablishment, 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 toattain his ends, had at last reached the goal, but the peace cost himnearly 40, 000, 000 livres; on the other hand, Saintonge, Poitou, andLanguedoc 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 ofviewing matters natural to the cardinal duke prevented him from noticingprivate enmity. He therefore left Nimes free to manage her local affairsas she pleased, and very soon the old order, or rather disorder, reignedonce more within her walls. At last Richelieu died, and Louis XIIIsoon followed him, and the long minority of his successor, with itsembarrassments, left to Catholics and Protestants in the South morecomplete liberty than ever to carry on the great duel which down to ourown days has never ceased. 

But from this period, each flux and reflux bears more and more thepeculiar character of the party which for the moment is triumphant;when the Protestants get the upper hand, their vengeance is marked bybrutality and rage; when the Catholics are victorious, the retaliationis full of hypocrisy and greed. The Protestants pull down churches andmonasteries, expel the monks, burn the crucifixes, take the body of somecriminal from the gallows, nail it on a cross, pierce its side, put acrown of thorns round its temples and set it up in the market-place--aneffigy of Jesus on Calvary. The Catholics levy contributions, take backwhat they had been deprived of, exact indemnities, and althoughruined by each reverse, are richer than ever after each victory. TheProtestants act in the light of day, melting down the church bellsto make cannon to the sound of the drum, violate agreements, warmthemselves with wood taken from the houses of the cathedral clergy, affix their theses to the cathedral doors, beat the priests who carrythe Holy Sacrament to the dying, and, to crown all other insults, turnchurches into slaughter-houses and sewers. 

The Catholics, on the contrary, march at night, and, slipping in at thegates which have been left ajar for them, make their bishop president ofthe Council, put Jesuits at the head of the college, buy converts withmoney from the treasury, and as they always have influence at court, begin by excluding the Calvinists from favour, hoping soon to deprivethem 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 fromdestruction because from the other side of the Channel, Cromwell exertedhimself in their favour, writing with his own hand at the end of adespatch relative to the affairs of Austria, "I Learn that there havebeen popular disturbances in a town of Languedoc called Nimes, and Ibeg that order may be restored with as much mildness as possible, andwithout shedding of blood. " As, fortunately for the Protestants, Mazarinhad need of Cromwell at that moment, torture was forbidden, and nothingallowed but annoyances of all kinds. These henceforward were not onlyinnumerable, but went on without a pause: the Catholics, faithful totheir system of constant encroachment, kept up an incessant persecution, in which they were soon encouraged by the numerous ordinances issued byLouis XIV. The grandson of Henri IV could not so far forget all ordinaryrespect as to destroy at once the Edict of Nantes, but he tore offclause after clause. 

In 1630--that is, a year after the peace with Rohan had been signed inthe preceding reign--Chalons-sur-Saone had resolved that no Protestantshould be allowed to take any part in the manufactures of the town. 

In 1643, six months after the accession of Louis XIV, the laundressesof Paris made a rule that the wives and daughters of Protestants wereunworthy to be admitted to the freedom of their respectable guild. 

In 1654, just one year after he had attained his majority, Louis XIVconsented to the imposition of a tax on the town of Nimes of 4000 francstowards the support of the Catholic and the Protestant hospitals; andinstead of allowing each party to contribute to the support of its ownhospital, the money was raised in one sum, so that, of the money paid bythe Protestants, who were twice as numerous as the Catholics, two-sixthswent to their enemies. On August 9th of the same year a decree of theCouncil ordered that all the artisan consuls should be Catholics; on the16th September another decree forbade Protestants to send deputationsto the king; lastly, on the 20th of December, a further decree declaredthat all hospitals should be administered by Catholic consuls alone. 

In 1662 Protestants were commanded to bury their dead either at dawnor after dusk, and a special clause of the decree fixed the number ofpersons who might attend a funeral at ten only. 

In 1663 the Council of State issued decrees prohibiting the practice oftheir religion by the Reformers in one hundred and forty-two communes inthe dioceses of Nimes, Uzes, and Mendes; and ordering the demolition oftheir meetinghouses. 

In 1664 this regulation was extended to the meeting-houses of Alenconand Montauban, as Well as their small place of worship in Nimes. Onthe 17th July of the same year the Parliament of Rouen forbade themaster-mercers to engage any more Protestant workmen or apprenticeswhen the number already employed had reached the proportion of oneProtestant, to fifteen Catholics; on the 24th of the same month theCouncil of State declared all certificates of mastership held by aProtestant invalid from whatever source derived; and in October reducedto two the number of Protestants who might be employed at the mint. 

In 1665 the regulation imposed on the mercers was extended to thegoldsmiths. 

In 1666 a royal declaration, revising the decrees of Parliament, waspublished, and Article 31 provided that the offices of clerk to theconsulates, or secretary to a guild of watchmakers, or porter in amunicipal building, could only be held by Catholics; while in Article 33it was ordained that when a procession carrying the Host passed a placeof worship belonging to the so-called Reformers, the worshippers shouldstop their psalm-singing till the procession had gone by; and lastly, inArticle 34 it was enacted that the houses and other buildings belongingto those who were of the Reformed religion might, at the pleasure ofthe town authorities, be draped with cloth or otherwise decorated on anyreligious Catholic festival. 

In 1669 the Chambers appointed by the Edict of Nantes in the Parliamentsof Rouen and Paris were suppressed, as well as the articled clerkshipsconnected therewith, and the clerkships in the Record Office; and inAugust of the same year, when the emigration of Protestants was justbeginning, an edict was issued, of which the following is a clause:

"Whereas many of our subjects have gone to foreign countries, where theycontinue to follow their various trades and occupations, even working asshipwrights, or taking service as sailors, till at length they feelat home and determine never to return to France, marrying abroad andacquiring property of every description: We hereby forbid any memberof the so-called Reformed Church to leave this kingdom without ourpermission, and we command those who have already left France to returnforthwith within her boundaries. "

In 1670 the king excluded physicians of the Reformed faith from theoffice of dean of the college of Rouen, and allowed only two Protestantdoctors within its precincts. In 1671 a decree was published commandingthe arms of France to be removed from all the places of worshipbelonging to the pretended Reformers. In 1680 a proclamation from theking closed the profession of midwife to women of the Reformed faith. In1681 those who renounced the Protestant religion were exempted for twoyears from all contributions towards the support of soldiers sent totheir town, and were for the same period relieved from the duty ofgiving them board and lodging. In the same year the college of Sedanwas closed--the only college remaining in the entire kingdom at whichCalvinist children could receive instruction. In 1682 the king commandedProtestant notaries; procurators, ushers, and serjeants to lay downtheir offices, declaring them unfit for such professions; and inSeptember of the same year three months only were allowed them for thesale of the reversion of the said offices. In 1684 the Council of Stateextended the preceding regulations to those Protestants holding thetitle of honorary secretary to the king, and in August of the same yearProtestants were declared incapable of serving on a jury of experts. 

In 1685 the provost of merchants in Paris ordered all Protestantprivileged merchants in that city to sell their privileges within amonth. And in October of the same year the long series of persecutions, of which we have omitted many, reached its culminating point--theRevocation of the Edict of Nantes. Henri IV, who foresaw this result, had hoped that it would have occurred in another manner, so that hisco-religionists would have been able to retain their fortresses; butwhat was actually done was that the strong places were first takenaway, and then came the Revocation; after which the Calvinists foundthemselves completely at the mercy of their mortal enemies. 

From 1669, when Louis first threatened to aim a fatal blow at thecivil rights of the Huguenots, by abolishing the equal partition of theChambers between the two parties, several deputations had been sent tohim praying him to stop the course of his persecutions; and in ordernot to give him any fresh excuse for attacking their party, thesedeputations addressed him in the most submissive manner, as thefollowing fragment from an address will prove:

"In the name of God, sire, " said the Protestants to the king, "listen tothe last breath of our dying liberty, have pity on our sufferings, havepity on the great number of your poor subjects who daily water theirbread with their tears: they are all filled with burning zeal andinviolable loyalty to you; their love for your august person is onlyequalled by their respect; history bears witness that they contributedin no small degree to place your great and magnanimous ancestor on hisrightful throne, and since your miraculous birth they have never doneanything worthy of blame; they might indeed use much stronger terms, but your Majesty has spared their modesty by addressing to them on manyoccasions words of praise which they would never have ventured toapply to themselves; these your subjects place their sole trust in yoursceptre for refuge and protection on earth, and their interest as wellas their duty and conscience impels them to remain attached to theservice of your Majesty with unalterable devotion. "

But, as we have seen, nothing could restrain the triumvirate which heldthe power just then, and thanks to the suggestions of Pere Lachaise andMadame de Maintenon, Louis XIV determined to gain heaven by means ofwheel 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, nocareer 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 hismarriage or the birth of his children; hourly his liberty and hisconscience were ignored. If he ventured to worship God by the singing ofpsalms, he had to be silent as the Host was carried past outside. Whena Catholic festival occurred, he was forced not only to swallow his ragebut to let his house be hung with decorations in sign of joy; if he hadinherited a fortune from his fathers, having neither social standing norcivil rights, it slipped gradually out of his hands, and went to supportthe schools and hospitals of his foes. Having reached the end of hislife, his deathbed was made miserable; for dying in the faith of hisfathers, he could not be laid to rest beside them, and like a pariah hewould be carried to his grave at night, no more than ten of those nearand dear to him being allowed to follow his coffin. 

Lastly, if at any age whatever he should attempt to quit the cruel soilon which he had no right to be born, to live, or to die, he would bedeclared a rebel, his goads would be confiscated, and the lightestpenalty that he had to expect, if he ever fell into the hands of hisenemies, 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 inspace, but the groans of a whole population are like a storm; andthis time, as always, the tempest gathered in the mountains, and therumblings of the thunder began to be heard. 

First there were texts written by invisible hands on city walls, onthe signposts and cross-roads, on the crosses in the cemeteries: thesewarnings, like the 'Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin' of Belshazzar, evenpursued the persecutors into the midst of their feasts and orgies. 

Now it was the threat, "Jesus came not to send peace, but a sword. " Thenthis consolation, "For where two or three are gathered together in Myname, there am I in the midst of them. " Or perhaps it was this appealfor united action which was soon to become a summons to revolt, "Thatwhich we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may havefellowship with us. "

And before these promises, taken from the New Testament, the persecutedpaused, and then went home inspired by faith in the prophets, who spake, as St. Paul says in his First Epistle to the Thessalonians, "not theword of men but the word of God. "

Very soon these words became incarnate, and what the prophet Joelforetold came to pass: "Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. . . AndI 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 theLord shall be delivered. "

In 1696 reports began to circulate that men had had visions; being ableto see what was going on in the most distant parts, and that the heavensthemselves opened to their eyes. While in this ecstatic state they wereinsensible to pain when pricked with either pin or blade; and when, on recovering consciousness, they were questioned they could remembernothing. 

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. DeBaville, intendant of Languedoc, had her arrested and brought toMontpellier. 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 werecalled. He was born at Mazillon, his name was Laquoite, and he wastwenty years of age. The gift of prophecy had come to him in a strangemanner. This is the story told about him:--"One day, returning fromLanguedoc, where he had been engaged in the cultivation of silkworms, onreaching the bottom of the hill of St. Jean he found a man lying on theground trembling in every limb. Moved by pity, he stopped and asked whatailed him. The man replied, 'Throw yourself on your knees, my son, andtrouble not yourself about me, but learn how to attain salvation andsave your brethren. This can only be done by the communion of the HolyGhost, 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 unknownkissed the young man on the mouth, pressed his hand and disappeared, leaving the other trembling in his turn; for the spirit of God was inhim, and being inspired he spread the word abroad. "

A third fanatic, a prophetess, raved about the parishes of St. Andeolde Clerguemont and St. Frazal de Vantalon, but she addressed herselfprincipally to recent converts, to whom she preached concerning theEucharist that in swallowing the consecrated wafer they had swallowed apoison as venomous as the head of the basilisk, that they had bent theknee to Baal, and that no penitence on their part could be great enoughto save them. These doctrines inspired such profound terror that theRev. Father Louvreloeil himself tells us that Satan by his effortssucceeded in nearly emptying the churches, and that at the followingEaster celebrations there were only half as many communicants as thepreceding 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 ofthe Cevennes. He therefore resolved to leave his residence at Mende andto visit the parishes in which heresy had taken the strongest hold, inorder to oppose it by every mean's which God and the king had put in hispower. 

The Abbe Duchayla was a younger son of the noble house of Langlade, andby the circumstances of his birth, in spite of his soldierly instincts, had been obliged to leave epaulet and sword to his elder brother, andhimself assume cassock and stole. On leaving the seminary, he espousedthe cause of the Church militant with all the ardour of his temperament. Perils to encounter; foes to fight, a religion to force on others, werenecessities to this fiery character, and as everything at the moment wasquiet in France, he had embarked for India with the fervent resolutionof a martyr. 

On reaching his destination, the young missionary had found himselfsurrounded by circumstances which were wonderfully in harmony with hiscelestial longings: some of his predecessors had been carried so far byreligious zeal that the King of Siam had put several to death by tortureand had forbidden any more missionaries to enter his dominions; butthis, as we can easily imagine, only excited still more the abbe'smissionary fervour; evading the watchfulness of the military, andregardless of the terrible penalties imposed by the king, he crossed thefrontier, and began to preach the Catholic religion to the heathen, manyof whom were converted. 

One day he was surprised by a party of soldiers in a little village inwhich he had been living for three months, and in which nearly all theinhabitants had abjured their false faith, and was brought beforethe governor of Bankan, where instead of denying his faith, he noblydefended Christianity and magnified the name of God. He was handed overto the executioners to be subjected to torture, and suffered at theirhands with resignation everything that a human body can endure while yetretaining life, till at length his patience exhausted their rage;and seeing him become unconscious, they thought he was dead, and withmutilated hands, his breast furrowed with wounds, his limbs half warnthrough by heavy fetters, he was suspended by the wrists to a branchof a tree and abandoned. A pariah passing by cut him down and succouredhim, and reports of his martyrdom having spread, the French ambassadordemanded justice with no uncertain voice, so that the King of Siam, rejoicing that the executioners had stopped short in time, hastenedto send back to M. De Chaumont, the representative of Louis XIV, amutilated though still living man, instead of the corpse which had beendemanded. 

At the time when Louis XIV was meditating the Revocation of the Edictof Nantes he felt that the services of such a man would be invaluableto him, so about 1632, Abbe Duchayla was recalled from India, and a yearlater was sent to Mende, with the titles of Arch-priest of the Cevennesand 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 beeninflexible under his own. His apprenticeship to torture stood him insuch good stead that he became an inventor, and not only did he enrichthe torture chamber by importing from India several scientificallyconstructed machines, hitherto unknown in Europe, but he also designedmany others. People told with terror of reeds cut in the form ofwhistles 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; ofa case turning on a pivot in which a man who refused to be converted wassometimes shut up, the case being then made to revolve rapidly tillthe victim lost consciousness; and lastly of fetters used when takingprisoners from one town to another, and brought to such perfection, thatwhen they were on the prisoner could neither stand nor sit. 

Even the most fervent panegyrists of Abbe Duchayla spoke of him withbated breath, and, when he himself looked into his own heart andrecalled how often he had applied to the body the power to bind andloose which God had only given him over the soul, he was seized withstrange tremors, and falling on his knees with folded hands and bowedhead he remained for hours wrapt in thought, so motionless that were itnot for the drops of sweat which stood on his brow he might have beentaken for a marble statue of prayer over a tomb. 

Moreover, this priest by virtue of the powers with which he wasinvested, 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 themup in religious houses, where they had been subjected to such severechastisement, by way of making them do penance for the heresy of theirparents, that many of them died under it. 

He had forced his way into the chamber of the dying, not to bringconsolation but menaces; and bending over the bed, as if to keep backthe Angel of Death, he had repeated the words of the terrible decreewhich provided that in case of the death of a Huguenot withoutconversion, his memory should be persecuted, and his body, deniedChristian burial, should be drawn on hurdles out of the city, and caston a dungheap. 

Lastly, when with pious love children tried to shield their parents inthe death-agony from his threats, or dead from his justice, by carryingthem, dead or dying, to some refuge in which they might hope to drawtheir last breath in peace or to obtain Christian burial, he declaredthat anyone who should open his door hospitably to such disobedience wasa traitor to religion, although among the heathen such pity would havebeen deemed worthy of an altar. 

Such was the man raised up to punish, who went on his way, preceded byterror, accompanied by torture, and followed by death, through a countryalready exhausted by long and bloody oppression, and where at every stephe trod on half repressed religious hate, which like a volcano was everready to burst out afresh, but always prepared for martyrdom. Nothingheld him back, and years ago he had had his grave hollowed out in thechurch of St. Germain, choosing that church for his last long sleepbecause it had been built by Pope Urban IV when he was bishop of Mende. 

Abbe Duchayla extended his visitation over six months, during whichevery day was marked by tortures and executions: several prophets wereburnt at the stake; Francoise de Brez, she who had preached that theHost contained a more venomous poison than a basilisk's head, was hanged; and Laquoite, who had been confined in the citadel ofMontpellier, was on the point of being broken on the wheel, when onthe eve of his execution his cell was found empty. No one could everdiscover how he escaped, and consequently his reputation rose higherthan ever, it being currently believed that, led by the Holy Spirit asSt. Peter by the angel, he had passed through the guards invisible toall, 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 layin getting rid of him, began to preach against him as Antichrist, andadvocate his death. The abbe was warned of this, but nothing could abatehis zeal. In France as in India, martyrdom was his longed-for goal, andwith head erect and unfaltering step he "pressed toward the mark. "

At last, on the evening of the 24th of July, two hundred conspiratorsmet in a wood on the top of a hill which overlooked the bridge ofMontvert, near which was the Arch-priest's residence. Their leader was aman named Laporte, a native of Alais, who had become a master-blacksmithin the pass of Deze. He was accompanied by an inspired man, a formerwool-carder, born at Magistavols, Esprit Seguier by name. This manwas, after Laquoite, the most highly regarded of the twenty or thirtyprophets who were at that moment going up and down the Cevennes in everydirection. 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 kneltdown and with uncovered heads began praying as fervently as if they wereabout to perform some act most pleasing to God, and their prayers ended, they marched down the hill to the town, singing psalms, and shoutingbetween the verses to the townspeople to keep within their homes, andnot to look out of door or window on pain of death. 

The abbe was in his oratory when he heard the mingled singing andshouting, and at the same moment a servant entered in great alarm, despite the strict regulation of the Arch-priest that he was never to beinterrupted at his prayers. This man announced that a body of fanaticswas coming down the hill, but the abbe felt convinced that it was onlyan 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 splitin two, no notches being made for the legs: the victim's legs wereplaced between the two pieces of wood, which were then, by means of avice 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 abbewas always protected by a guard of soldiers, he sent for the officerin command and ordered him to march against, the fanatics and dispersethem. But the officer was spared the trouble of obeying, for thefanatics were already at hand. On reaching the gate of the courtyard heheard them outside, and perceived that they were making ready toburst it in. Judging of their numbers by the sound of their voices, heconsidered that far from attacking them, he would have enough to do inpreparing for defence, consequently he bolted and barred the gate onthe inside, and hastily erected a barricade under an arch leading to theapartments of the abbe. Just as these preparations were complete, EspritSeguier caught sight of a heavy beam of wood lying in a ditch; this wasraised 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 thechants of their comrades, soon got the gate off the hinges, and thus theoutside court was taken. The crowd then loudly demanded the release ofthe prisoners, using dire threats. 

The commanding officer sent to ask the abbe what he was to do; the abbereplied that he was to fire on the conspirators. This imprudent orderwas carried out; one of the fanatics was killed on the spot, and twowounded men mingled their groans with the songs and threats of theircomrades. 

The barricade was next attacked, some using axes, others darting theirswords and halberts through the crevices and killing those behind; asfor those who had firearms, they climbed on the shoulders of the others, and having fired at those below, saved themselves by tumbling downagain. 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 hadbeen done to death by the abbe. They were not the only ones of the partywho were fired by the desire of vengeance; twelve or fifteen others werein the same position. 

The abbe in his room listened to the noise of the struggle, and findingmatters growing serious, he gathered his household round him, and makingthem kneel down, he told them to make their confession, that he might, by giving them absolution, prepare them for appearing before God. Thesacred words had just been pronounced when the rioters drew near, havingcarried the barricade, and driven the soldiers to take refuge in a hallon the ground floor just under the Arch-priest's room. 

But suddenly, the assault was stayed, some of the men going to surroundthe house, others setting out on a search for the prisoners. These wereeasily found, for judging by what they could hear that their brethrenhad come to their rescue, they shouted as loudly as they could. 

The unfortunate creatures had already passed a whole week withtheir legs caught and pressed by the cleft beams which formed theseinexpressibly painful stocks. When the unfortunate victims werereleased, the fanatics screamed with rage at the sight of their swollenbodies and half-broken bones. None of the unhappy people were able tostand. The attack on the soldiers was renewed, and these being drivenout of the lower hall, filled the staircase leading to the abbe'sapartments, and offered such determine resistance that their assailantswere twice forced to fall back. Laporte, seeing two of his men killedand five or six wounded, called out loudly, "Children of God, lay downyour arms: this way of going to work is too slow; let us burn the abbeyand all in it. To work! to work!" The advice was good, and they allhastened to follow it: benches, chairs, and furniture of all sortswere heaped up in the hall, a palliasse thrown on the top, and the pilefired. In a moment the whole building was ablaze, and the Arch-priest, yielding to the entreaties of his servants, fastened his sheets to thewindow-bars, and by their help dropped into the garden. The drop was sogreat that he broke one of his thigh bones, but dragging himself alongon his hands and one knee, he, with one of his servants, reached arecess in the wall, while another servant was endeavouring to escapethrough the flames, thus falling into the hands of the fanatics, whocarried him before their captain. Then cries of "The prophet! theprophet!" were heard on all sides. Esprit Seguier, feeling thatsomething fresh had taken place, came forward, still holding in his handthe blazing torch with which he had set fire to the pile. 

"Brother, " asked Laporte, pointing to the prisoner, "is this man todie?"

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 inasmuchas he has showed mercy to our brethren we must show mercy to him. "

Whether this fact had been miraculously revealed to Seguier, or whetherhe had gained his information from other sources, the newly releasedprisoners confirmed its truth, calling out that the man had indeedtreated them with humanity. Just then a roar as of a wild beast washeard: one of the fanatics, whose brother had been put to death by theabbe, had just caught sight of him, the whole neighbourhood being litup by the fire; he was kneeling in an angle of the wall, to which he haddragged himself. 

"Down with the son of Belial!" shouted the crowd, rushing towards thepriest, who remained kneeling and motionless like a marble statue. Hisvalet took advantage of the confusion to escape, and got off easily;for the sight of him on whom the general hate was concentrated made theHuguenots forget everything else:

Esprit Seguier was the first to reach the priest, and spreading hishands over him, he commanded the others to hold back. "God desireth notthe death of a sinner, '" said he, "'but rather that he turn from hiswickedness and live. '"

"No, no!" shouted a score of voices, refusing obedience for the firsttime, 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 theword of God from my mouth. If this man will join us and take uponhim the duties of a pastor, let us grant him his life, that he mayhenceforward 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 myfather in Nimes. "

And he passed on the dagger to Esprit Seguier. 

Duchayla made neither sound nor gesture: it would have seemed as if thedagger had been turned by the priest's gown as by a coat of mail were itnot that a thin stream of blood appeared. Raising his eyes to heaven, herepeated the words of the penitential psalm: "Out of the depths have Icried unto Thee, O Lord! Lord, hear my voice!"

Then Esprit Seguier raised his arm and struck in his turn, saying, "Takethat 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 bloodappeared, and the abbe said in a failing voice, "Deliver me, O mySaviour, out of my well-merited sufferings, and I will acknowledge theirjustice; 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 toejaculate, "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 beenable to strike him living; one by one they drew near and stabbed, eachinvoking the shade of some dear murdered one and pronouncing the samewords of malediction. 

In all, the body of the abbe received fifty-two dagger thrusts, of whichtwenty-four would have been mortal. 

Thus perished, at the age of fifty-five, Messire Francois de LangladeDuchayla, prior of Laval, inspector of missions in Gevaudan, andArch-priest of the Cevennes and Mende. 

Their vengeance thus accomplished, the murderers felt that there was nomore 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 noblemanof the parish of Molezon, one of the fugitives recollected that he hadheard that a great number of firearms was kept in the house. This seemeda 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 themat, least a share of his weapons; but he, as a good Catholic, repliedthat it was quite true that he had indeed a store of arms, but that theywere 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, hedismissed the envoys, barring his doors behind them. 

But while this parley was going on the conspirators had approached thechateau, and thus received the valiant answer to their demands soonerthan M. De Laveze had counted on. Resolving not to leave him time totake defensive measures, they dashed at the house, and by standing oneach other's shoulders reached the room in which M. De Laveze and hisentire family had taken refuge. In an instant the door was forced, andthe fanatics, still reeking with the life-blood of Abbe Duchayla, beganagain their work of death. No one was spared; neither the master of thehouse, nor his brother, nor his uncle, nor his sister, who knelt to theassassins 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 atlast stabbed to the heart, though the butchers might have reflected thatit was hardly worth while thus to anticipate the arrival of Death, whoaccording to the laws of nature must have been already at hand. 

The massacre finished, the fanatics spread over the castle, supplyingthemselves with arms and under-linen, being badly in need of the latter;for when they left their homes they had expected soon to return, andhad taken nothing with them. They also carried off the copper kitchenutensils, intending to turn them into bullets. Finally, they seized ona 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 warfund. 

The news of these two bloody events soon reached not only Nimes but allthe countryside, and roused the authorities to action. M. Le Comte deBroglie crossed the Upper Cevennes, and marched down to the bridgeof Montvert, followed by several companies of fusiliers. From anotherdirection M. Le Comte de Peyre brought thirty-two cavalry and threehundred and fifty infantry, having enlisted them at Marvejols, LaCanourgue, Chiac, and Serverette. M. De St. Paul, Abbe Duchayla'sbrother, and the Marquis Duchayla, his nephew, brought eighty horsemenfrom the family estates. The Count of Morangiez rode in from St. Aubanand Malzieu with two companies of cavalry, and the town of Mende byorder of its bishop despatched its nobles at the head of three companiesof fifty men each. 

But the mountains had swallowed up the fanatics, and nothing was everknown of their fate, except that from time to time a peasant wouldrelate that in crossing the Cevennes he had heard at dawn or dusk, onmountain peak or from valley depths, the sound going up to heaven ofsongs of praise. It was the fanatic assassins worshipping God. 

Or occasionally at night, on the tops of the lofty mountains, firesshone forth which appeared to signal one to another, but on looking thenext night in the same direction all was dark. 

So M. De Broglie, concluding that nothing could be done against enemieswho 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 oneat Pompidon, and appointing Captain Poul as their chief. 

This choice of such a man as chief showed that M. De Broglie was agood judge of human nature, and was also perfectly acquainted with thesituation, for Captain Poul was the very man to take a leading partin the coming struggle. "He was, " says Pere Louvreloeil, priest of theChristian doctrine and cure of Saint-Germain de Calberte, "an officerof merit and reputation, born in Ville-Dubert, near Carcassonne, who hadwhen young served in Hungary and Germany, and distinguished himself inPiedmont in several excursions against the Barbets, [ A name appliedfirst to the Alpine smugglers who lived in the valleys, later to theinsurgent peasants in the Cevennes. --Translator's Note. ] notably in oneof the later ones, when, entering the tent of their chief, Barbanaga, hecut off his head. His tall and agile figure, his warlike air, his loveof hard work, his hoarse voice, his fiery and austere character, hiscarelessness in regard to dress, his mature age, his tried courage, his taciturn habit, the length and weight of his sword, all combinedto render him formidable. Therefore no one could have been chosen moresuitable 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, whichwas to be his headquarters, than he was informed that a gathering offanatics had been seen on the little plain of Fondmorte, which formed apass between two valleys. He ordered out his Spanish steed, which hewas accustomed to ride in the Turkish manner--that is, with very shortstirrups, so that he could throw himself forward to the horse's ears, orbackward to the tail, according as he wished to give or avoid a mortalblow. Taking with him eighteen men of his own company and twenty-fivefrom the town, he at once set off for the place indicated, notconsidering any larger number necessary to put to rout a band ofpeasants, however numerous. 

The information turned out to be correct: a hundred Reformers led byEsprit Seguier had encamped in the plain of Fondmorte, and about eleveno'clock in the morning one of their sentinels in the defile gave thealarm by firing off his gun and running back to the camp, shouting, "Toarms!" But Captain Poul, with his usual impetuosity, did not give theinsurgents time to form, but threw himself upon them to the beat ofthe drum, not in the least deterred by their first volley. As hehad expected, the band consisted of undisciplined peasants, who oncescattered were unable to rally. They were therefore completely routed. Poul killed several with his own hand, among whom were two whose headshe cut off as cleverly as the most experienced executioner could havedone, thanks to the marvellous temper of his Damascus blade. At thissight all who had till then stood their ground took to flight, Poul attheir heels, slashing with his sword unceasingly, till they disappearedamong the mountains. He then returned to the field of battle, pickedup the two heads, and fastening them to his saddlebow, rejoined hissoldiers with his bloody trophies, --that is to say, he joined thelargest group of soldiers he could find; for the fight had turned intoa number of single combats, every soldier fighting for himself. Here hefound three prisoners who were about to be shot; but Poul orderedthat they should not be touched: not that he thought for an instant ofsparing their lives, but that he wished to reserve them for a publicexecution. These three men were Nouvel, a parishioner of Vialon, MoiseBonnet of Pierre-Male, and Esprit Seguier the prophet. 

Captain Poul returned to Barre carrying with him his two heads andhis three prisoners, and immediately reported to M. Just de Baville, intendant of Languedoc, the important capture he had made. The prisonerswere quickly tried. Pierre Nouvel was condemned to be burnt alive at thebridge 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 wereamateurs in executions had a sufficient choice. 

However, Moise Bonnet saved himself by becoming Catholic, but PierreNouvel and Esprit Seguier died as martyrs, making profession of the newfaith and praising God. 

Two days after the sentence on Esprit Seguier had been carried out, thebody disappeared from the gallows. A nephew of Laporte named Rolandhad audaciously carried it off, leaving behind a writing nailed to thegibbet. This was a challenge from Laporte to Poul, and was dated fromthe "Camp of the Eternal God, in the desert of Cevennes, " Laportesigning himself "Colonel of the children of God who seek liberty ofconscience. " Poul was about to accept the challenge when he learned thatthe insurrection was spreading on every side. A young man of Vieljeu, twenty-six years of age, named Solomon Couderc, had succeeded EspritSeguier in the office of prophet, and two young lieutenants had joinedLaporte. One of these was his nephew Roland, a man of about thirty, pock-marked, fair, thin, cold, and reserved; he was not tall, butvery strong, and of inflexible courage. The other, Henri Castanet ofMassevaques, was a keeper from the mountain of Laygoal, whose skill as amarksman was so well known that it was said he never missed a shot. Eachof these lieutenants had fifty men under him. 

Prophets and prophetesses too increased apace, so that hardly a daypassed without reports being heard of fresh ones who were rousing wholevillages by their ravings. 

In the meantime a great meeting of the Protestants of Languedoc had beenheld in the fields of Vauvert, at which it had been resolved to joinforces with the rebels of the Cevennes, and to send a messenger thitherto make this resolution known. 

Laporte had just returned from La Vaunage, where he had been makingrecruits, when this good news arrived; he at once sent his nephew Rolandto 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 hehad chosen as the theatre of the coming war, and which, thanks to itshamlets, its woods, its defiles, its valleys, its precipices, and itscaves, was capable of affording cover to as many bands of insurgents asmight be employed, would be a good rallying-ground after repulse, andcontained suitable positions for ambuscades. Roland was so successfulin his mission that these new "soldiers of the Lord, " as they calledthemselves, on learning that he had once been a dragoon, offered him thepost of leader, which he accepted, and returned to his uncle at the headof an army. 

Being thus reinforced, the Reformers divided themselves into threebands, in order to spread abroad their beliefs through the entiredistrict. One went towards Soustele and the neighbourhood of Alais, another towards St. Privat and the bridge of Montvert, while the thirdfollowed the mountain slope down to St. Roman le Pompidou, and Barre. 

The first was commanded by Castanet, the second by Roland, and the thirdby Laporte. 

Each party ravaged the country as it passed, returning deathblow fordeathblow and conflagration for conflagration, so that hearing one afteranother 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 sufficientnumber of troops, he determined to attack the rebels. He had receivedintelligence that the band led by Laporte was just about to pass throughthe valley of Croix, below Barre, near Temelague. In consequence of thisinformation, he lay in ambush at a favourable spot on the route. As soonas the Reformers who were without suspicion, were well within the narrowpass in which Poul awaited them, he issued forth at the head of hissoldiers, and charged the rebels with such courage and impetuosity thatthey, taken by surprise, made no attempt at resistance, but, thoroughlydemoralised, spread over the mountain-side, putting a greater andgreater 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. Butit was already too late, for he was surrounded by dragoons, and the onlyway of retreat open to him lay over a large rock. This he successfullyscaled, but before trying to get down the other side he raised hishands in supplication to Heaven; at that instant a volley was fired, twobullets struck him, and he fell head foremost down the precipice. 

When the dragoons reached the foot of the rock, they found him dead. Asthey knew he was the chief of the rebels, his body was searched: sixtyLouis was found in his pockets, and a sacred chalice which he was in thehabit of using as an ordinary drinking-cup. Poul cut off his head andthe 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 alltheir forces into one body, and placed Roland at their head in the placeof Laporte. Roland chose a young man called Couderc de Mazel-Rozade, whohad assumed the name of Lafleur, as his lieutenant, and the rebel forceswere not only quickly reorganised, but made complete by the addition ofa hundred men raised by the new lieutenant, and soon gave a signthat they were again on the war-path by burning down the churches ofBousquet, Cassagnas, and Prunet. 

Then first it was that the consuls of Mende began to realise that it wasno longer an insurrection they had on hand but a war, and Mende beingthe capital of Gevaudan and liable to be attacked at any moment, theyset 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 ina stock of firearms, powder and ball, they formed eight companies eachfifty strong, composed of townsmen, and a further band of one hundredand fifty peasants drawn from the neighbouring country. Lastly, theStates of the province sent an envoy to the king, praying him graciouslyto take measures to check the plague of heresy which was spreading fromday 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 ofprovinces who were engaged in the struggle; royalty itself had come tothe 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 andIreland when William of Orange succeeded James II as King of England, Julien was one of his pages, and received as a reward for his fidelityin the famous campaign of 1688 the command of a regiment which was sentto the aid of the Duke of Savoy, who had begged both England and Hollandto help him. He bore himself so gallantly that it was in great part dueto 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 theDuke of Savoy did not recognise his services at their worth, he withdrewto Geneva, where Louis XIV hearing of his discontent, caused overturesto 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 theEnglish, with a pension of 3000 livres. 

M. De Julien accepted, and feeling that his religious belief would bein the way of his advancement, when he changed his master he changed hisChurch. He was given the command of the valley of Barcelonnette, whencehe made many excursions against the Barbets; then he was transferred tothe command of the Avennes, of the principality of Orange, in order toguard the passes, so that the French Protestants could not pass overthe frontier for the purpose of worshipping with their Dutch Protestantbrethren; and after having tried this for a year, he went to Versaillesto report himself to the king. While he was there, it chanced thatthe envoy from Gevaudan arrived, and the king being satisfied withde Julien's conduct since he had entered his service, made himmajor-general, chevalier of the military order of St. Louis; andcommander-in-chief in the Vivarais and the Cevennes. 

M. De Julien from the first felt that the situation was very grave, andsaw that his predecessors had felt such great contempt for the hereticsthat they had not realised the danger of the revolt. He immediatelyproceeded to inspect in person the different points where M. De Brogliehad placed detachments of the Tournon and Marsily regiments. It is truethat he arrived by the light of thirty burning village churches. 

M. De Broglie, M. De Baville, M. De Julien, and Captain Poul mettogether to consult as to the best means of putting an end to thesedisorders. It was agreed that the royal troops should be divided intotwo 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 ofNimes. 

Consequently, the two chiefs separated. M. Le Comte de Broglie at thehead of sixty-two dragoons and some companies of foot, and having underhim Captain Poul and M. De Dourville, set out from Cavayrac on the 12thof January at 2 a. M. , and having searched without finding anythingthe vineyards of Nimes and La Garrigue de Milhau, took the road to thebridge of Lunel. There he was informed that those he was in search ofhad been seen at the chateau of Caudiac the day before; he therefore atonce set out for the forest which lies around it, not doubting to findthe fanatics entrenched there; but, contrary to his expectations, it wasvacant. He then pushed on to Vauvert, from Vauvert to Beauvoisin, fromBeauvoisin to Generac, where he learned that a troop of rebels hadpassed the night there, and in the morning had left for Aubore. Resolvedto 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 distinguisha crowd of men near a house about half a league distant; M. De Broglieinstantly ordered Sieur de Gibertin, Captain Paul's lieutenant, who wasriding close by, at the head of his company, to take eight dragoons andmake a reconnaissance, in order to ascertain who these men were, whilethe 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-shotof the wall the charge was sounded behind it, and a band of rebelsrushed towards them, while from a neighbouring house a second troopemerged, and looking round, he perceived a third lying on their faces ina small wood. These latter suddenly stood up and approached him, singingpsalms. As it was impossible for M. De Gibertin to hold his groundagainst so large a force, he ordered two shots to be fired as a warningto de Brogue to advance to meet him, and fell back on his comrades. Indeed, the rebels had only pursued him till they had reached afavourable position, on which they took their stand. 

M. De Brogue having surveyed the whole position with the aid of atelescope, held a council of war, and it was decided that an attackshould be made forthwith. They therefore advanced on the rebels inline: Captain Poul on the right, M. De Dourville on the left, and CountBroglie in the centre. 

As they got near they could see that the rebels had chosen theirground with an amount of strategical sagacity they had never till thendisplayed. This skill in making their dispositions was evidently due totheir 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: hegave the order to charge, and adding example to precept, urged his horseto a gallop. The rebels in the first rank knelt on one knee, so that therank behind could take aim, and the distance between the two bodies oftroops disappeared rapidly, thanks to the impetuosity of the dragoons;but suddenly, when within thirty paces of the enemy, the royals foundthemselves on the edge of a deep ravine which separated them from theenemy like a moat. Some were able to check their horses in time, butothers, despite desperate efforts, pressed upon by those behind, werepushed into the ravine, and rolled helplessly to the bottom. At thesame moment the order to fire was given in a sonorous voice, there was arattle of musketry, and several dragoons near M. De Broglie fell. 

"Forward!" cried Captain Poul, "forward!" and putting his horse ata part of the ravine where the sides were less steep, he was soonstruggling up the opposite side, followed by a few dragoons. 

"Death to the son of Belial!" cried the same voice which had given theorder to fire. At that moment a single shot rang out, Captain Poulthrew up his hands, letting his sabre go, and fell from his horse, whichinstead 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, brandishinghis carbine. He then dashed down into the ravine, picked up CaptainPoul's sabre and jumped upon his horse. The animal, faithful to its oldmaster, showed some signs of resistance, but soon felt by the pressureof its rider's knees that it had to do with one whom it could notreadily unseat. Nevertheless, it reared and bounded, but the horsemankept his seat, and as if recognising that it had met its match, thenoble animal tossed its head, neighed once more, and gave in. Whilethis was going on, a party of Camisards [Name given to the insurgentCalvinists after the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes. --Translator'sNote. ] and one of the dragoons had got down into the ravine, which hadin consequence been turned into a battlefield; while those who remainedabove on either side took advantage of their position to fire down attheir enemies. M. De Dourville, in command of the dragoons, fought amongthe others like a simple soldier, and received a serious wound in thehead; his men beginning to lose ground, M. De Brogue tried to rallythem, but without avail, and while he was thus occupied his own troopran away; so seeing there was no prospect of winning the battle, he anda few valiant men who had remained near him dashed forward to extricateM. Dourville, who, taking advantage of the opening thus made, retreated, his wound bleeding profusely. On the other hand, the Camisardsperceiving at some distance bodies of infantry coming up to reinforcethe royals, instead of pursuing their foes, contented themselves withkeeping up a thick and well-directed musketry-fire from the position inwhich they had won such a quick and easy victory. 

As soon as the royal forces were out of reach of their weapons, therebel chief knelt down and chanted the song the Israelites sang when, having crossed the Red Sea in safety, they saw the army of Pharaohswallowed up in the waters, so that although no longer within reachof bullets the defeated troops were still pursued by songs of victory. Their thanksgivings ended, the Calvinists withdrew into the forest, ledby their new chief, who had at his first assay shown the great extent ofhis knowledge, coolness, and courage. 

This new chief, whose superiors were soon to become his lieutenants, wasthe famous Jean Cavalier. 

Jean Cavalier was then a young man of twenty-three, of less than mediumheight, but of great strength. His face was oval, with regular features, his eyes sparkling and beautiful; he had long chestnut hair falling onhis shoulders, and an expression of remarkable sweetness. He was born in1680 at Ribaute, a village in the diocese of Alais, where his father hadrented 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, beganlife 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 forpleasure, Jean gave it up, and apprenticed himself to a baker of Anduze. 

There he developed a great love for everything connected with themilitary; he spent all his free time watching the soldiers at theirdrill, and soon became intimate with some of them, amongst others witha fencing-master who gave him lessons, and a dragoon who taught him toride. 

On a certain Sunday, as he was taking a walk with his sweetheart on hisarm, the young girl was insulted by a dragoon of the Marquis de Florae'sregiment. Jean boxed the dragoon's ears, who drew his sword. Cavalierseized a sword from one of the bystanders, but the combatants wereprevented from fighting by Jean's friends. Hearing of the quarrel, anofficer hurried up: it was the Marquis de Florae himself, captain of theregiment 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 theking, but only the young girl, who had fainted, the townspeople havingpersuaded her lover to decamp. 

The young girl was so beautiful that she was commonly called la belleIsabeau, 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 hadsworn Cavalier's death, his friends advised him to leave the country fora time. La belle Isabeau, trembling for the safety of her lover, joinedher entreaties to those of his friends, and Jean Cavalier yielded. Theyoung girl promised him inviolable fidelity, and he, relying on thispromise, went to Geneva. 

There he made the acquaintance of a Protestant gentleman called DuSerre, who having glass-works at the Mas Arritas, quite near the farmof St. Andeol, had undertaken several times, at the request of Jean'sfather, Jerome, to convey money to Jean; for Du Serre went very often toGeneva, professedly on business affairs, but really in the interestsof the Reformed faith. Between the outlaw and the apostle union wasnatural. Du Serre found in Cavalier a young man of robust nature, activeimagination, and irreproachable courage; he confided to him his hopes ofconverting all Languedoc and Vivarais. Cavalier felt himself drawn backthere by many ties, especially by patriotism and love. He crossed thefrontier once more, disguised as a servant, in the suite of a Protestantgentleman; he arrived one night at Anduze, and immediately directed hissteps 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 youngman was the Marquis de Florac; the woman was Isabeau. The promised wifeof the peasant had become the mistress of the noble. 

Our hero was not the man to suffer such an outrage quietly. He walkedstraight up to the marquis and stood right in his way. The marquis triedto push him aside with his elbow, but Jean Cavalier, letting fall thecloak 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 ornot. Sword answered sword, the blades crossed, and at the end of a fewinstants 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 opencountry; from the open country he hurried into the mountains, and atbreak of day he was in safety. 

The fugitive remained the whole day in an isolated farmhouse whoseinmates offered him hospitality. As he very soon felt that he was in thehouse of a co-religionist, he confided to his host the circumstances inwhich he found himself, and asked where he could meet with an organisedband in which he could enrol himself in order to fight for thepropagation of the Reformed religion. The farmer mentioned Generac asbeing a place in which he would probably find a hundred or so of thebrethren gathered together. Cavalier set out the same evening for thisvillage, and arrived in the middle of the Camisards at the very momentwhen they had just caught sight of M. De Broglie and his troops in thedistance. The Calvinists happening to have no leader, Cavalier withgoverning faculty which some men possess by nature, placed himself attheir head and took those measures for the reception of the royal forcesof which we have seen the result, so that after the victory to which hishead and arm had contributed so much he was confirmed in the title whichhe had arrogated to himself, by acclamation. 

Such was the famous Jean Cavalier when the Royalists first learned ofhis existence, through the repulse of their bravest troops and the deathof their most intrepid captain. 

The news of this victory soon spread through the Cevennes, and freshconflagrations lit up the mountains in sign of joy. The beacons wereformed of the chateau de la Bastide, the residence of the Marquis deChambonnas, the church of Samson, and the village of Grouppieres, whereof eighty houses only seven were left standing. 

Thereupon M. De Julien wrote to the king, explaining the serious turnthings had taken, and telling him that it was no longer a few fanaticswandering through the mountains and flying at the sight of a dragoonwhom they had to put down, but organised companies well led andofficered, which if united would form an army twelve to fifteen hundredstrong. 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 ofthe Holy Spirit, major-general, lieutenant of the king in Bresse andCharolais, and captain of a hundred men-at-arms. 

In their struggle against shepherds, keepers, and peasants, M. DeBrogue, M. De Julien, and M. De Baville were thus joined togetherwith the head of the house of Beaune, which had already at this epochproduced two cardinals, three archbishops, two bishops, a viceroyof 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 ofwhich was carried down the river Rhone, while six hundred of the skilfulmountain marksmen called 'miquelets' from Roussillon came down intoLanguedoc. 

M. De Montrevel was the bearer of terrible orders. Louis XIV wasdetermined, no matter what it cost, to root out heresy, and set aboutthis work as if his eternal salvation depended on it. As soon as M. DeBaville had read these orders, he published the following proclamation:

"The king having been informed that certain people without religionbearing arms have been guilty of violence, burning down churches andkilling priests, His Majesty hereby commands all his subjects to huntthese people down, and that those who are taken with arms in their handsor found amongst their bands, be punished with death without any trialwhatever, that their houses be razed to the ground and their goodsconfiscated, and that all buildings in which assemblies of thesepeople have been held, be demolished. The king further forbids fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, and other relations of the fanatics, or ofother rebels, to give them refuge, food, stores, ammunition, or otherassistance of any kind, under any pretext whatever, either directly orindirectly, on pain of being reputed accessory to the rebellion, andhe commands the Sieur de Baville and whatever officers he may choose toprosecute such and pronounce sentence of death on them. Furthermore, HisMajesty commands that all the inhabitants of Languedoc who may be absentat the date of the issue of this proclamation, return home within aweek, unless their absence be caused by legitimate business, in whichcase they shall declare the same to the commandant, the Sieur deMontrevel, or to the intendant, the Sieur de Baville, and also to themayors and consuls of the places where they may be, receiving from thelatter certificates that there is a sufficient reason for their delay, which certificates they shall forward to the above-mentioned commandantor intendant. And His Majesty furthermore commands the said commandantand intendant to admit no foreigner or inhabitant of any otherprovince into Languedoc for commercial purposes or for any other reasonwhatsoever, unless provided with certificates from the commandants orintendants of the provinces whence they come, or from the judges of theroyal courts in the places whence they come, or from the nearest placecontaining such courts. Foreigners must be provided with passports fromthe ambassadors or ministers of the king accredited to the countriesto which they belong, or from the commandants or intendants of theprovinces, or from the judges of the royal courts of the places in whichthey may be at the date of this proclamation. Furthermore, it is HisMajesty's will that those who are found in the aforesaid province ofLanguedoc without such certificates be regarded as fanatics and rebels, and that they be prosecuted as such, and punished with death, and thatthey be brought for this purpose before the aforesaid Sieur de Bavilleor 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 wasreported to him that about one hundred and fifty Reformers wereassembled in a mill at Carmes, outside Nimes, singing psalms. Althoughhe was told at the same time that the gathering was composed entirely ofold people and children, he was none the less furious, and rising fromthe table, gave orders that the call to horse should be sounded. Puttinghimself at the head of his dragoons, he advanced on the mill, andbefore the Huguenots knew that they were about to be attacked theywere surrounded on every side. It was no combat which ensued, for theHuguenots were incapable of resistance, it was simply a massacre; acertain number of the dragoons entered the mill sword in hand, stabbingall whom they could reach, whilst the rest of the force stationedoutside before the windows received those who jumped out on the pointsof their swords. But soon this butchery tired the butchers, and to getover the business more quickly, the marshal, who was anxious to returnto his dinner, gave orders that the mill should be set on fire. Thisbeing done, the dragoons, the marshal still at their head, no longerexerted themselves so violently, but were satisfied with pushing backinto the flames the few unfortunates who, scorched and burnt, rushedout, begging only for a less cruel death. 

Only one victim escaped. A beautiful young girl of sixteen was saved bythe marshal's valet: both were taken and condemned to death; the younggirl was hanged, and the valet was on the point of being executed whensome Sisters of Mercy from the town threw themselves at the marshal'sfeet end begged for his life: after long supplication, he granted theirprayer, but he banished the valet not only from his service, but fromNimes. 

The very same evening at supper word was brought to the marshal thatanother gathering had been discovered in a garden near the still smokingmill. The indefatigable marshal again rose from table, and taking withhim his faithful dragoons, surrounded the garden, and caught and shot onthe spot all those who were assembled in it. The next day it turned outthat he had made a mistake: those whom he had shot were Catholics whohad 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 assurethe reader that this mistake caused no further annoyance to the marshal, except that he received a paternal remonstrance from the Bishop ofNimes, 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 advancingto Nimes, took forcible possession of sufficient ammunition for hispurposes. Lastly, he did something which in the eyes of the courtiersseemed the most incredible thing of all, he actually wrote a long letterto Louis XIV himself. This letter was dated from the "Desert, Cevennes, "and signed "Cavalier, commander of the troops sent by God"; its purposewas to prove by numerous passages from Holy Writ that Cavalier and hiscomrades had been led to revolt solely from a sense of duty, feelingthat liberty of conscience was their right; and it dilated on thesubject of the persecutions under which Protestants had suffered, andasserted that it was the infamous measures put in force against themwhich had driven them to take up arms, which they were ready to laydown if His Majesty would grant them that liberty in matters of religionwhich they sought and if he would liberate all who were in prison fortheir faith. If this were accorded, he assured the king His Majestywould have no more faithful subjects than themselves, and wouldhenceforth be ready to shed their last drop of blood in his service, andwound up by saying that if their just demands were refused they wouldobey God rather than the king, and would defend their religion to theirlast breath. 

Roland, who, whether in mockery or pride, began now to call himself"Comte Roland, " did not lag behind his young brother either as warrioror correspondent. He had entered the town of Ganges, where a wonderfulreception awaited him; but not feeling sure that he would be equallywell received at St. Germain and St. Andre, he had written the followingletters:--

"Gentlemen and officers of the king's forces, and citizens of St. Germain, make ready to receive seven hundred troops who have vowed toset 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 beburnt to the ground. God, by His Holy Spirit, has inspired my brotherCavalier and me with the purpose of entering your town in a few days;however strongly you fortify yourselves, the children of God will bearaway the victory. If ye doubt this, come in your numbers, ye soldiersof St. Etienne, Barre, and Florac, to the field of Domergue; we shall bethere 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 assembledin the Cevennes in Languedoc, enjoin on the inhabitants of the townof St. Andre of Valborgne to give proper notice to all priests andmissionaries within it, that we forbid them to say mass or to preach inthe afore-mentioned town, and that if they will avoid being burnt alivewith their adherents in their churches and houses, they are to withdrawto some other place within three days. 

"COMTE ROLAND. "

Unfortunately for the cause of the king, though the rebels met with someresistance 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 thatM. De Montrevel becoming aware that while these villages existed heresywould never be extirpated, issued the following ordinance:--

"We, governor for His most Christian Majesty in the provinces ofLanguedoc and Vivarais, do hereby make known that it has pleased theking to command us to reduce all the places and parishes hereinafternamed to such a condition that they can afford no assistance to therebel troops; no inhabitants will therefore be allowed to remain inthem. His Majesty, however, desiring to provide for the subsistence ofthe afore-mentioned inhabitants, orders them to conform to the followingregulations. He enjoins on the afore-mentioned inhabitants of thehereinafter-mentioned parishes to repair instantly to the placeshereinafter appointed, with their furniture, cattle, and in generalall their movable effects, declaring that in case of disobedience theireffects will be confiscated and taken away by the troops employed todemolish their houses. And it is hereby forbidden to any other communeto receive such rebels, under pain of having their houses also razed tothe ground and their goods confiscated, and furthermore being regardedand 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 shallfirst of all make themselves acquainted with the position of theparishes and villages which are to be destroyed and depopulated, inorder to an effective disposition of the troops, who are to guard themilitia engaged in the work of destruction. 

"II. The attention of the officers is called to the following:--Whentwo or more villages or hamlets are so near together that they may beprotected at the same time by the same troops, then in order to savetime the work is to be carried on simultaneously in such villages orhamlets. 

"III. When inhabitants are found still remaining in any of theproscribed places, they are to be brought together, and a list made ofthem, as well as an inventory taken of their stock and corn. 

"IV. Those inhabitants who are of the most consequence among them shallbe selected to guide the others to the places assigned. 

"V. With regard to the live stock, the persons who may be found incharge of it shall drive it to the appointed place, save and exceptmules and asses, which shall be employed in the transport of corn towhatever places it may be needed in. Nevertheless, asses may be given tothe 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 eachhouse to be destroyed may have a sufficient number, for the task;the foundations of such houses may be undermined or any other methodemployed which may be most convenient; and if the house can be destroyedby no other means, it is to be set on fire. 

"VII. No damage is to be done to the houses of former Catholics untilfurther notice, and to ensure the carrying out of this order a guard isto be placed in them, and an inventory of their contents taken and sentto Marechal de Montrevel. 

"VIII. The order forbidding the inhabitants to return to their houses isto be read to the inhabitants of each village; but if any do return theyshall not be harmed, but simply driven away with threats; for the kingdoes not desire that blood be shed; and the said order shall be affixedto a wall or tree in each village. 

"IX. Where no inhabitants are found, the said order shall simply beaffixed as above-mentioned in each place. 

"(Signed) MARECHAL DE MONTREVEL"

Under these instructions the list of the villages to be destroyed wasgiven. 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: itincluded 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 deValfrancesque, Cabriac, Moissac, Saint-Roman, Saint Martin de Robaux, La Melouse, le Collet de Deze, Saint-Michel de Deze, and the villages ofSalieges, Rampon, Ruas, Chavrieres, Tourgueselle, Ginestous, Fressinet, Fourques, Malbos, Jousanel, Campis, Campredon, Lous-Aubrez, La Croix deFer, Le Cap de Coste, Marquayres, Le Cazairal, and Le Poujal. 

In all, 466 market towns, hamlets, and villages, with 19, 500inhabitants, 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 underhis personal supervision. He was accompanied by MM. De Vergetot and deMarsilly, colonels of infantry, two battalions of the Royal-Comtois, twoof the Soissonnais infantry, the Languedoc regiment of dragoons, and twohundred dragoons from the Fimarcon regiment. M. De Julien, on his side, set out for the Pont-de-Montvert at the same time with two battalionsfrom Hainault, accompanied by the Marquis of Canillac, colonel ofinfantry, who brought two battalions of his own regiment, which wasstationed in Rouergue, with him, and Comte de Payre, who broughtfifty-five companies of militia from Gevaudan, and followed by anumber of mules loaded with crowbars, axes, and other iron instrumentsnecessary for pulling down houses. 

The approach of all these troops following close on the terribleproclamations we have given above, produced exactly the contrary effectto that intended. The inhabitants of the proscribed districts wereconvinced that the order to gather together in certain places was giventhat they might be conveniently massacred together, so that all thosecapable of bearing arms went deeper into the mountains, and joined theforces of Cavalier and Roland, thus reinforcing them to the number offifteen hundred men. Also hardly had M. De Julien set his hand to thework than he received information from M. De Montrevel, who had heardthe news through a letter from Flechier, that while the royal troopswere busy in the mountains the Camisards had come down into the plain, swarmed over La Camargue, and had been seen in the neighbourhood ofSaint-Gilles. At the same time word was sent him that two ships had beenseen in the offing, from Cette, and that it was more than probable thatthey contained troops, that England and Holland were sending to help theCamisards. 

M. De Montrevel; leaving the further conduct of the expedition to MM. DeJulien and de Canillac, hastened to Cette with eight hundred men andten guns. The ships were still in sight, and were really, as had beensurmised, two vessels which had been detached from the combined fleetsof England and Holland by Admiral Schowel, and were the bearers ofmoney, arms, and ammunition to the Huguenots. They continued to cruiseabout 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 noanswer, they put off at length into the open, and rejoined the fleet. AsM. De Montrevel feared that their retreat might be a feint, he orderedall the fishermen's huts from Aigues-Morte to Saint-Gilles to bedestroyed, lest they should afford shelter to the Camisards. At the sametime he carried off the inhabitants of the district of Guillan andshut them up in the chateau of Sommerez, after having demolished theirvillages. Lastly, he ordered all those who lived in homesteads, farms, or hamlets, to quit them and go to some large town, taking with them allthe provisions they were possessed of; and he forbade any workman whowent outside the town to work to take more than one day's provisionswith him. 

These measures had the desired effect, but they were terrible in theirresults; they deprived the Camisards of shelter indeed, but they ruinedthe province. M. De Baville, despite his well-known severity triedremonstrances, but they were taken in bad part by M. De Montrevel, whotold the intendant to mind his own business, which was confined to civilmatters, and to leave military matters in his, M. De Montrevel's, hands;whereupon the commandant joined M. De Julien, who was carrying on thework of destruction with indefatigable vigour. 

In spite of all the enthusiasm with which M. De Julien went to work toaccomplish his mission, and being a new convert, it was, of course, verygreat. Material hindrances hampered him at every step. Almost all thedoomed houses were built on vaulted foundations, and were thereforedifficult to lay low; the distance of one house from another, too, theiralmost inaccessible position, either on the peak of a high mountain orin the bottom of a rocky valley, or buried in the depths of the forestwhich hid then like a veil, made the difficulty still greater; wholedays were often lost by the workmen and militia in searching for thedwellings they came to destroy. 

The immense size of the parishes also caused delay: that ofSaint-Germain de Calberte, for instance, was nine leagues incircumference, and contained a hundred and eleven hamlets, inhabited bytwo 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 workmultiplied in a remarkable manner. For the first few days the soldiersand workmen found food in and around the villages, but this was soonat an end, and as they could hardly expect the peasants to keep upthe supply, and the provisions they had brought with them being alsoexhausted, they were soon reduced to biscuit and water; and they werenot even able to make it into a warm mess by heating the water, as theyhad no vessels; moreover, when their hard day's work was at an end, theyhad but a handful of straw on which to lie. These privations, addedto their hard and laborious life, brought on an endemic fever, whichincapacitated for work many soldiers and labourers, numbers of whom hadto be dismissed. Very soon the unfortunate men, who were almost as muchto be pitied as those whom they were persecuting, waited no longer to besent away, but deserted in numbers. 

M. De Julien soon saw that all his efforts would end in failure if hecould not gain the king's consent to a slight change in the originalplan. He therefore wrote to Versailles, and represented to the king howlong the work would take if the means employed were only iron tools andthe human hand, instead of fire, the only true instrument employed byHeaven in its vengeance. He quoted in support of his petition the caseof Sodom and Gomorrah--those cities accursed of the Lord. Louis XIV, impressed by the truth of this comparison, sent him back a messengerpost-haste authorising him to employ the suggested means. 

"At once, " says Pere Louvreloeil, "the storm burst, and soon of all thehappy homesteads nothing was left: the hamlets, with their barns andouthouses, the isolated farmhouses, the single huts and cottages, everyspecies of building in short, disappeared before the swift advancingflames 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 allthat was left of the entire population. Palmerolle, in command of themiquelets, hearing of this, hastened thither, seized the first eighthe could lay hold of, and shot them on the spot, "to teach them, " as hesays in his report, "not to choose a shelter which was not on the listof those permitted to them. "

The Catholics also of St. Florent, Senechas, Rousson, and otherparishes, becoming excited at seeing the flames which enveloped thehouses of their old enemies, joined together, and arming themselves witheverything that could be made to serve as an instrument of death, setout to hunt the conscripts down; they carried off the flocks ofPerolat, Fontareche, and Pajolas, burned down a dozen houses at theCollet-de-Deze, and from there went to the village of Brenoux, drunkwith the lust of destruction. There they massacred fifty-two persons, among them mothers with unborn children; and with these babes, whichthey tore from them, impaled on their pikes and halberts, they continuedtheir march towards the villages of St. Denis and Castagnols. 

Very soon these volunteers organised themselves into companies, andbecame known under the name of Cadets de la Croix, from a small whitecross which they wore on their coats; so the poor Huguenots had anew species of enemy to contend with, much more bloodthirsty than thedragoons and the miquelets; for while these latter simply obeyed ordersfrom Versailles, Nimes, or Montpellier, the former gratified a personalhate--a hate which had come down to them from their fathers, and whichthey would pass on to their children. 

On the other hand, the young Huguenot leader, who every day gained moreinfluence over his soldiers, tried to make the dragoons and Cadets dela Croix suffer in return everything they inflicted on the Huguenots, except the murders. In the night from the 2nd to the 3rd October, aboutten o'clock, he came down into the plain and attacked Sommieres from twodifferent points, setting fire to the houses. The inhabitants seizingtheir arms, made a sortie, but Cavalier charged them at the head ofthe Cavalry and forced them to retreat. Thereupon the governor, whosegarrison was too small to leave the shelter of the walls, turned hisguns on them and fired, less in the hope of inflicting injury on themthan in that of being heard by the neighbouring garrisons. 

The Camisards recognising this danger, retired, but not before theyhad burnt down the hotels of the Cheval-Blanc, the Croix-d'Or, theGrand-Louis, and the Luxembourg, as well as a great number of otherhouses, and the church and the presbytery of Saint-Amand. 

Thence the Camisards proceeded to Cayla and Vauvert, into which theyentered, destroying the fortifications. There they provided themselvesabundantly with provisions for man and beast. In Vauvert, which wasalmost entirely inhabited by his co-religionists, Cavalier assembled theinhabitants in the market-place, and made them join with him in prayerto God, that He would prevent the king from following evil counsel;he also exhorted his brethren to be ready to sacrifice their goods andtheir lives for the re-establishment of their religion, affirming thatthe Holy Spirit had revealed to him that the arm of the Lord, which hadalways come to their aid, was still stretched out over them. 

Cavalier undertook these movements in the hope of interrupting thework of destruction going on in Upper Cevennes; and partly obtained thedesired result; for M. De Julien received orders to come down into theopen country and disperse the Camisards. 

The troops tried to fulfil this task, but, thanks to the knowledge thatthe rebels had of the country, it was impossible to come up withthem, so that Fleshier, who was in the thick of the executions, conflagrations, and massacres, but who still found time to write Latinverse and gallant letters, said, in speaking of them, "They werenever caught, and did all the damage they wished to do without let orhindrance. We laid their mountains waste, and they laid waste our plain. There are no more churches left in our dioceses, and not being ableeither to plough or sow our lands, we have no revenues. We dread seriousrevolt, and desire to avoid a religious civil war; so all our effortsare 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 offtwo sentinels who were guarding the gates, and hearing the call to armswithin, shouted that he would await the governor of the city, M. DeVergetot, near Lussan. 

And indeed Cavalier, accompanied by his two lieutenants, Ravaneland Catinat, took his way towards this little town, between Uzes andBargeac, which stands upon an eminence surrounded upon all sides bycliffs, which serve it as ramparts and render it very difficult ofaccess. Having arrived within three gun-shots of Lussan, Cavalier sentRavanel to demand provisions from the inhabitants; but they, proud oftheir natural ramparts, and believing their town impregnable, not onlyrefused to comply with the requisition, but fired several shots on theenvoy, one of which wounded in the arm a Camisard of the name of LaGrandeur, who had accompanied Ravanel. Ravanel withdrew, supporting hiswounded comrade, followed by shots and the hootings of the inhabitants. When they rejoined Cavalier and made their report, the young commanderissued orders to his soldiers to make ready to take the town the nextmorning; for, as night was already falling, he did not venture to startin the dark. In the meantime the besieged sent post-haste to M. DeVergetot to warn him of their situation; and resolving to defendthemselves as long as they could, while waiting for a response to theirmessage they set about barricading their gates, turned their scythesinto weapons, fastened large hooks on long poles, and collected all theinstruments they could find that could be used in attack or defence. Asto the Camisards, they encamped for the night near an old chateau calledFan, about a gun-shot from Lussan. 

At break of day loud shouts from the town told the Camisards that theexpected relief was in sight, and looking out they saw in the distancea troop of soldiers advancing towards them; it was M. De Vergetat at thehead of his regiment, accompanied by forty Irish officers. 

The Protestants prepared themselves, as usual, by reciting psalms andprayers, notice without taking of the shouts and threats of any of thetownspeople, and having finished their invocations, they marched out tomeet the approaching column. The cavalry, commanded by Catinat, made adetour, taking a sheltered way to an unguarded bridge over a small rivernot far off, so as to outflank the royal forces, which they were toattack in the rear as soon as Cavalier and Ravanel should have engagedthem in front. 

M. De Vergetot, on his side, continued to advance, so that theCalvinists and the Catholics were soon face to face. The battle beganon both sides by a volley; but Cavalier having seen his cavalry emergingfrom a neighbouring wood, and counting upon their assistance, chargedthe enemy at the double quick. Catinat judging by the noise of thefiring 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. Havingtried in vain to rally his men, M, de Vergetot, surrounded by a fewIrish, was forced in his turn to fly; he was hotly pursued, and on thepoint 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 narrowpathway which led to the top, and entrenched himself with about ahundred men in this natural fort. Cavalier perceiving that furtherpursuit would be dangerous, resolved to rest satisfied with his victory;as he knew by his own experience that neither men nor horses had eatenfor eighteen hours, he gave the signal far retreat, and retired onSeyne, where he hoped to find provisions. 

This defeat mortified the royal forces very deeply, and they resolved totake their revenge. Having learnt by their spies that on a certain nightin November Cavalier and his band intended to sleep on a mountain calledNages, they surrounded the mountain during the night, so that at dawnCavalier found himself shut in on every side. As he wished to see withhis own eyes if the investment was complete, he ordered his troops tofall into rank on the top of the mountain, giving the command to Ravaneland Catinat, and with a pair of pistols in his belt and his carbine onhis shoulder, he glided from bush to bush and rock to rock, determined, if any weak spot existed, to discover it; but the information he hadreceived was perfectly correct, every issue was guarded. 

Cavalier now set off to rejoin his troops, passing through a ravine, buthe had hardly taken thirty steps when he found himself confronted by acornet and two dragoons who were lying in ambush. There was no time torun away, and indeed such a thought never entered the young commander'shead; he walked straight up to them. On their side, the dragoonsadvanced towards him, and the cornet covering him with his pistol, called out, "Halt! you are Cavalier; I know you. It is not possible foryou to escape; surrender at discretion. " Cavalier's answer was to blowout the cornet's brains with a shot from his carbine, then throwing itbehind 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 hiscomrades unwounded. These, who had believed him lost, welcomed him withcheers. 

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 uponthe royal troops with such impetuosity that they gave way at the firstonset. Then a strange incident occurred. About thirty women who had cometo the camp with provisions, carried away by their enthusiasm at thesight of this success, threw themselves upon the enemy, fightinglike men. One young girl of about seventeen, Lucrese Guigon by name, distinguished herself amongst the others by her great valour. Notcontent with encouraging her brethren by the cry of "The sword of theLord and of Gideon!" she tore sabres from the hands of the dead dragoonsto despatch the dying. Catinat, followed by ten of his men, pursued theflying troops as far as the plain of Calvisson. There they were able torally, thanks to the advance of the garrison to meet them. 

Eighty dragoons lay dead on the field of battle, while Cavalier had onlylost five men. 

As we shall see, Cavalier was not only a brave soldier and a skilfulcaptain, but also a just judge. A few days after the deed of armswhich we have just related, he learned that a horrible murder had beencommitted by four Camisards, who had then retired into the forest ofBouquet. He sent a detachment of twenty men with orders to arrest themurderers and bring them before him. The following are the details ofthe crime:

The daughter of Baron Meyrargues, who was not long married to agentleman named M. De Miraman, had set out on the 29th November forAmbroix to join her husband, who was waiting for her there. She wasencouraged to do this by her coachman, who had often met with Camisardsin the neighbourhood, and although a Catholic, had never received anyharm from them. She occupied her own carriage, and was accompanied bya maid, a nurse, a footman, and the coachman who had persuaded her toundertake the journey. Two-thirds of the way already lay safely behindthem, when between Lussan and Vaudras she was stopped by four, men, who made her get out of her carriage and accompany them into theneighbouring forest. The account of what then happened is taken from thedeposition of the maid. We copy it word for word:

"These wretches having forced us, " says she, "to walk into the foresttill we were at some distance from the high road, my poor mistress grewso tired that she begged the man who walked beside her to allow her tolean on his shoulder. He looking round and seeing that they had reacheda lonely spot, replied, 'We need hardly go any farther, ' and made us sitdawn on a plot of grass which was to be the scene of our martyrdom. Mypoor mistress began to plead with the barbarians in the most touchingmanner, and so sweetly that she would have softened the heart of ademon. She offered them her purse, her gold waistband, and a finediamond which she drew from her finger; but nothing could move thesetigers, and one of them said, 'I am going to kill all the Catholicsat 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. 'Youshall die by my hand. Say your prayers. ' My good mistress threw herselfat once on her knees and prayed aloud that God would show mercy to herand to her murderers, and while she was thus praying she received apistol-shot in her left breast, and fell; a second assassin cut heracross the face with his sword, and a third dropped a large stone onher 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 theywished to save their ammunition, they were satisfied with only givingme several bayonet wounds. I pretended to be dead: they thought it wasreally the case, and went away. Some time after, seeing that everythinghad become quiet, and hearing no sound, I dragged myself, dying as Iwas, to where my dear mistress lay, and called her. As it happened, shewas 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 tospeak, '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 saidthis, she turned her thoughts from the world, praying to God in brokenand tender words, and drew her last breath as the night fell. "

In obedience to Cavalier's orders, the four criminals were taken andbrought before him. He was then with his troops near Saint-Maurice deCasevielle; he called a council of war, and having had the prisonerstried for their atrocious deed, he summed up the evidence in as cleara manner as any lawyer could have done, and called upon the judges topronounce sentence. All the judges agreed that the prisoners shouldbe put to death, but just as the sentence was made known one of theassassins pushed aside the two men who guarded him, and jumping down arock, disappeared in the forest before any attempt could be made to stophim. The three others were shot. 

The Catholics also condemned many to be executed, but the trialsconducted by then were far from being as remarkable for honour andjustice as was that which we have just described. We may instance thetrial of a poor boy of fourteen, the son of a miller of Saint-Christolwho had been broken the wheel just a month before. For a moment thejudges hesitated to condemn so young a boy to death, but a witnesspresented himself who testified that the little fellow was employed bythe fanatics to strangle Catholic children. Although no one believedthe evidence, yet it was seized-on as a pretext: the unfortunate boy wascondemned to death, and hanged without mercy an hour later. 

A great many people from the parishes devastated by M. De Julien hadtaken refuge in Aussilargues, in the parish of St. Andre. Driven byhunger and misery, they went beyond the prescribed limits in search ofmeans of subsistence. Planque hearing of this, in his burning zeal forthe Catholic faith resolved not to leave such a crime unpunished. Hedespatched a detachment of soldiers to arrest the culprits: the task waseasy, 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, andmassacred: some were shot and some cut down with sword or axe; all werekilled without exception--old and young women and children. One of thelatter, who had received three shots was still able to raise his headand 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 Soissonaisregiment, by name Laplace, to go home on important private business, oncondition that they returned the same night. They promised, and in theintention of keeping this promise they all met on their way back at asmall farmhouse. Just as they reached it a terrible storm came on. Themen were for continuing their way in spite of the weather, but the younggirl besought them to wait till daylight, as she did not dare to ventureout in the dark during such a storm, and would die of fright if leftalone at the farm. The men, ashamed to desert their companion, who wasrelated to one of them, yielded to her entreaties and remained, hopingthat the storm would be a sufficient excuse for the delay. As soon as itwas light, the five resumed their journey. But the news of theircrime had reached the ears of Laplace before they got back. They werearrested, and all their excuses were of no avail. Laplace ordered themen to be taken outside the town and shot. The young girl was condemnedto be hanged; and the sentence was to be carried out that very day, butsome nuns who had been sent for to prepare her for death, having vainlybegged Laplace to show mercy, entreated the girl to declare that shewould soon become a mother. She indignantly refused to save her life atthe cost of her good name, so the nuns took the lie on themselves andmade the necessary declaration before the captain, begging him if hehad no pity for the mother to spare the child at least, by grantinga reprieve till it should be born. The captain was not for a momentdeceived, but he sent for a midwife and ordered her to examine the younggirl. At the end of half an hour she declared that the assertion of thenuns was true. 

"Very well, " said the captain: "let them both be kept in prison forthree months; if by the end of that time the truth of this assertionis not self-evident, both shall be hanged. " When this decision was madeknown to the poor woman, she was overcome by fear, and asked to see thecaptain again, to whom she confessed that, led away by the entreaties ofthe nuns, she had told a lie. 

Upon this, the woman was sentenced to be publicly whipped, and the younggirl hanged on a gibbet round which were placed the corpses of the fourmen of whose death she was the cause. 

As may easily be supposed, the "Cadets of the Cross" vied with bothCatholics and Protestants in the work of destruction. One of their bandsdevoted itself to destroying everything belonging to the new convertsfrom Beaucaire to Nimes. They killed a woman and two children atCampuget, an old man of eighty at a farm near Bouillargues, severalpersons at Cicure, a young girl at Caissargues, a gardener at Nimes, andmany other persons, besides carrying off all the flocks, furniture, andother property they could lay hands on, and burning down the farmhousesof Clairan, Loubes, Marine, Carlot, Campoget Miraman, La Bergerie, andLarnac--all near St. Gilies and Manduel. "They stopped travellers onthe highways, " says Louvreloeil, "and by way of finding out whether theywere Catholic or not, made them say in Latin the Lord's Prayer, the AveMaria, the Symbol of the Faith, and the General Confession, and thosewho were unable to do this were put to the sword. In Dions nine corpseswere found supposed to have been killed by their hands, and whenthe body of a shepherd who had been in the service of the Sieur deRoussiere, a former minister, was found hanging to a tree, no onedoubted who were the murderers. At last they went so far that one oftheir bands meeting the Abbe de Saint Gilles on the road, ordered him todeliver up to them one of his servants, a new convert, in order toput 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 birthand rank; they persisted none the less in their determination, till atlast the abbe threw his arms round his servant and presented his ownbody to the blows directed at the other. "

The author of The Troubles in the Cevennes relates something surpassingall this which took place at Montelus on the 22nd February "There werea few Protestants in the place, " he says, "but they were far outnumberedby the Catholics; these being roused by a Capuchin from Bergerac, formedthemselves into a body of 'Cadets of the Cross, ' and hastened to servetheir apprenticeship to the work of assassination at the cost of theircountrymen. They therefore entered the house of one Jean Bernoin, cutoff his ears and further mutilated him, and then bled him to death likea pig. On coming out of this house they met Jacques Clas, and shot himin the abdomen, so that his intestines obtruded; pushing them back, hereached his house in a terrible condition, to the great alarm of hiswife, who was near her confinement, and her children, who hastenedto the help of husband and father. But the murderers appeared on thethreshold, and, unmoved by the cries and tears of the unfortunate wifeand the poor little children, they finished the wounded man, and as thewife made an effort to prevent them, they murdered her also, treatingher dead body, when they discovered her condition, in a manner toorevolting for description; while a neighbour, called Marie Silliot, whotried to rescue the children, was shot dead; but in her case they didnot pursue their vengeance any further. They then went into the opencountry and meeting Pierre and Jean Bernard, uncle and nephew, one agedforty-five and the other ten, seized on them both, and putting a pistolinto the hands of the child, forced him to shoot his uncle. In themeantime the boy's father had come up, and him they tried to constrainto shoot his son; but finding that no threats had any effect, they endedby 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 thatthey had noticed three young girls of Bagnols going towards a grove ofmulberry trees, where they were raising silk-worms. The men followedthem, and as it was broad daylight and the girls were therefore notafraid, they soon came up with them. Having first violated them, theyhung them by the feet to a tree, and put them to death in a horriblemanner. "

All this took place in the reign of Louis the Great, and for the greaterglory of the Catholic religion. 

History has preserved the names of the five wretches who perpetratedthese 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 horrorin the breasts of those who were neither maddened by fanaticism nordevoured by the desire of vengeance. One of these, a Protestant, Barond'Aygaliers, without stopping to consider what means he had at hiscommand or what measures were the best to take to accomplish his object, resolved to devote his life to the pacification of the Cevennes. Thefirst thing to be considered was, that if the Camisards were everentirely destroyed by means of Catholic troops directed by de Baville, de Julien, and de Montrevel, the Protestants, and especially theProtestant nobles who had never borne arms, would be regarded ascowards, who had been prevented by fear of death or persecution fromopenly taking the part of the Huguenots: He was therefore convinced thatthe only course to pursue was to get, his co-religionists to put an endto the struggle themselves, as the one way of pleasing His Majesty andof showing him how groundless were the suspicions aroused in the mindsof men by the Catholic clergy. 

This plan presented, especially to Baron d'Aygaliers, two apparentlyinsurmountable difficulties, for it could only be carried out byinducing the king to relax his rigorous measures and by inducing theCamisards to submit. Now the baron had no connection with the court, andwas not personally acquainted with a single Huguenot chief. 

The first thing necessary to enable the baron to begin his efforts was apassport for Paris, and he felt sure that as he was a Protestant neitherM. De Baville nor M. De Montrevel would give him one. A lucky accident, however, relieved his embarrassment and strengthened his resolution, forhe thought he saw in this accident the hand of Providence. 

Baron d'Aygaliers found one day at the house of a friend a M. DeParatte, a colonel in the king's army, and who afterwards becamemajor-general, but who at the time we are speaking of was commandant atUzes. He was of a very impulsive disposition, and so zealous in mattersrelating to the Catholic religion and in the service of the king, thathe never could find himself in the presence of a Protestant withoutexpressing his indignation at those who had taken up arms against theirprince, and also those who without taking up arms encouraged the rebelsin their designs. M. D'Aygaliers understood that an allusion was meantto himself, and he resolved to take advantage of it. 

So the next day he paid a visit to M. De Paratte, and instead ofdemanding satisfaction, as the latter quite expected, for the rudenessof his remarks on the previous day, he professed himself very muchobliged for what he had said, which had made such a deep impression onhim that he had made up his mind to give proof of his zeal and loyaltyby going to Paris and petitioning the king for a position at court. DeParatte, 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 afather could wish for his son. D'Aygaliers had now attained his object, and furnished with the lucky safe-conduct, he set out for Paris, withouthaving 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 statementof 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 employedby some of the village priests have caused many people in the countrydistricts to take up arms, and that the suspicions which new convertsexcited have driven a great many of them to join the insurgents. In taking this step they were also impelled by the desire to avoidimprisonment or removal from their homes, which were the remedies chosento keep them in the old faith. This being the case, he thinks that thebest means of putting an end to this state of things would be to takemeasures exactly the contrary of those which produced it, such asputting an end to the persecutions and permitting a certain number ofthose of the Reformed religion to bear arms, that they might go tothe rebels and tell them that far from approving of their actions theProtestants as a whole wished to bring them back to the right way bysetting them a good example, or to fight against them in order to showthe king and France, at the risk of their lives, that they disapprovedof the conduct of their co-religionists, and that the priests had beenin the wrong in writing to the court that all those of the Reformedreligion were in favour of revolt. "

D'Aygaliers hoped that the court would adopt this plan; for if theydid, one of two things must happen: either the Camisards, by refusing toaccept the terms offered to them, would make themselves odious to theirbrethren (for d'Aygaliers intended to take with him on his mission ofpersuasion only men of high reputation among the Reformers, who would berepelled by the Camisards if they refused to submit), or else; by layingdown their arms and submitting, they would restore peace to the Southof France, obtain liberty of worship, set free their brethren from theprisons and galleys, and come to the help of the king in his war againstthe allied powers, by supplying him in a moment with a large body ofdisciplined troops ready to take the field against his enemies; fornot only would the Camisards, if they were supplied with officers, beavailable for this purpose, but also those troops which were at themoment employed in hunting down the Camisards would be set free for thisimportant duty. 

This proposition was so clear and promised to produce such usefulresults, that although the prejudice against the Reformers was verystrong, Baron d'Aygaliers found supporters who were at once intelligentand genuine in the Duke de Chevreuse and the Duke de Montfort, hisson. These two gentlemen brought about a meeting between the baron andChamillard, and the latter presented him to the Marechal de Villars, towhom he showed his petition, begging him to bring it to the notice ofthe king; but M, de Villars, who was well acquainted with the obstinacyof Louis, who, as Baron de Peken says, "only saw the Reformers throughthe spectacles of Madame de Maintenon, " told d'Aygaliers that the lastthing 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, headvised him to go at once to Lyons and wait there for him, M. DeVillars; for he would probably be passing through that town in a fewdays, being almost certain to be appointed governor of Languedoc inplace of M. De Montrevel, who had fallen under the king's displeasureand was about to be recalled. In the course of the three interviewswhich d'Aygaliers had had with M. De Villars, he had become convincedthat de Villars was a man capable of understanding his object; hetherefore followed his advice, as he believed his knowledge of the kingto be correct, and left Paris for Lyons. 

The recall of M. De Montrevel had been brought about in the followingmanner:--M. De Montrevel having just come to Uzes, learned thatCavalier and his troops were in the neighbourhood of Sainte-Chatte; heimmediately sent M. De La Jonquiere, with six hundred picked marines andsome companies of dragoons from the regiment of Saint-Sernin, but halfan hour later, it having occurred to him that these forces were notsufficient, he ordered M. De Foix, lieutenant of the dragoons ofFimarqon, to join M. De La Jonquiere at Sainte-Chatte with a hundredsoldiers of his regiment, and to remain with him if he were wanted; ifnot, to return the same night. 

M. De Foix gave the necessary orders, chose a hundred of his bravestmen, put himself at their head, and joined M. De La Jonquiere, showinghim his orders; but the latter, confiding in the courage of his soldiersand unwilling to share with anyone the glory of a victory of which hefelt assured, not only sent away M. De Foix, but begged him to go backto Uzes, declaring to him that he had enough troops to fight and conquerall the Camisards whom he might encounter; consequently the hundreddragoons whom the lieutenant had brought with him were quite uselessat Sainte-Chatte, while on the contrary they might be very necessarysomewhere else. M. De Foix did not consider that it was his duty toinsist on remaining under these circumstances, and returned to Uzes, while M. De La Jonquiere continued his route in order to pass thenight at Moussac. Cavalier left the town by one gate just as M. DeLa Jonquiere entered at the other. The wishes of the young Catholiccommander were thus in a fair way to be fulfilled, for in allprobability he would come up with his enemy the next day. 

As the village was inhabited for the most part by new converts, thenight instead of being spent in repose was devoted to pillage. 

The next day the Catholic troops reached Moussac, which they founddeserted, so they went on to Lascours-de-Gravier, a little villagebelonging to the barony of Boucairan, which M. De La Jonquiere gave upto pillage, and where he had four Protestants shot--a man, a woman, andtwo young girls. He then resumed his route. As it had rained, he sooncame on the trail of the Camisards, the terrible game which he washunting down. For three hours he occupied himself in this pursuit, marching at the head of his troops, lest someone else less carefulthan he should make some mistake, when, suddenly raising his eyes, he perceived the Camisards on a small eminence called Les Devois deMaraignargues. 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 werefinished he disposed his troops for battle. His plan was to take upposition with the greater part of his men on the other side of aravine, which would thus form a kind of moat between him and the king'ssoldiers; 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 onthe right sixty foot-soldiers chosen from his best marksmen, whom heordered not to fire until the royal forces were engaged in the strugglewith him. 

M. De La Jonquiere having approached to within a certain distance, halted, and sent one of his lieutenants named de Sainte-Chatte to makea reconnaissance, which he did, advancing beyond the men in ambush, whogave no sign of their existence, while the officer quietly examined theground. But Sainte-Chatte was an old soldier of fortune and not easilytaken in, so on his return, while explaining the plan of the groundchosen by Cavalier for the disposition of his troops to M. De LaJonquiere, he added that he should be very much astonished if the youngCamisard had not employed the little wood on his left and the lie ofthe ground on his right as cover for soldiers in ambush; but M. De LaJonquiere returned that the only thing of importance was to know theposition 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 beforehis eyes, and that on this subject there could be no mistake; for he hadapproached near enough to recognise Cavalier himself in the front rank. 

This was enough for M. De La Jonquiere: he put himself at the head ofhis men and rode straight to the ravine, beyond which Cavalier andhis comrades awaited him in order of battle. Having got within apistol-shot, M. De La Jonquiere gave the order to fire, but he was sonear that Cavalier heard the words and saw the motion made by the menas they made ready; he therefore gave a rapid sign to his men, who threwthemselves on their faces, as did their leader, and the bullets passedover them without doing any harm M. M. De La Jonquiere, who believed themall dead, was astonished when Cavalier and his Camisards rose up andrushed upon the royal troops, advancing to the sound of a psalm. Ata distance of ten paces they fired, and then charged the enemy at thepoint of the bayonet. At this moment the sixty men in ambush to theright opened fire, while the thirty horsemen to the left, utteringloud shouts, charged at a gallop. Hearing this noise, and seeingdeath approach them in three different directions, the royals believedthemselves surrounded, and did not attempt to make a stand; the men, throwing away their weapons, took to their heels, the officers alone anda few dragoons whom they had succeeded in rallying making a desperateresistance. 

Cavalier was riding over the field of battle, sabring all the fugitiveswhom he met, when he caught sight of a group, composed of ten navalofficers; 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 waswithin fifteen paces of them, although they raised their weapons tofire. 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 forthe ten lives I now spare you, will ask that my father, who is in prisonat Nimes, be released. "

For sole answer, one of the officers fired and wounded the young chief'shorse in the head. Cavalier drew a pistol from his belt, took aim atthe officer and killed him, then turning again to the others, he asked, "Gentlemen, are you as obstinate as your comrade, or do you accept myoffer?" 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 hissoldiers. "Do your duty, " said he, and withdrew, to avoid seeing themassacre. 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 hemade a dragoon dismount and give him his horse, on which he crossed theriver Gardon, leaving behind him on the battlefield twenty-five officersand six hundred soldiers killed. This defeat was doubly disastrous tothe royal cause, depriving it of the flower of its officers, almost allof those who fell belonging to the noblest families of France, and alsobecause the Camisards gained what they so badly needed, muskets, swords, and bayonets in great quantities, as well as eighty horses, these latterenabling Cavalier to complete the organisation of a magnificent troop ofcavalry. 

The recall of the Marechal de Montrevel was the consequence of thisdefeat, and M. De Villars, as he had anticipated, was appointed inhis place. But before giving up his governorship Montrevel resolved toefface the memory of the check which his lieutenant's foolhardiness hadcaused, but for which, according to the rules of war, the general hadto pay the penalty. His plan was by spreading false rumours and makingfeigned marches to draw the Camisards into a trap in which they, intheir turn, would be caught. This was the less difficult to accomplishas their latest great victory had made Cavalier over confident both inhimself and his men. 

In fact, since the incident connected with the naval officers the troopsof Cavalier had increased enormously in numbers, everyone desiring toserve under so brave a chief, so that he had now under him over onethousand infantry and two hundred cavalry; they were furnished, besides, just like regular troops, with a bugler for the cavalry, and eight drumsand a fife for the infantry. 

The marechal felt sure that his departure would be the signal for someexpedition into the level country under Cavalier, so it was given outthat he had left for Montpellier, and had sent forward some of hisbaggage-waggons to that place. On April 15th he was informed thatCavalier, deceived by the false news, had set out on the 16th April, intending to pass the night at Caveyrac, a small town about a leaguefrom Nimes, that he might be ready next day to make a descent on LaVannage. This news was brought to M. De Montrevel by a village priestcalled Verrien, who had in his pay vigilant and faithful spies in whomhe 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 Charolaisregiment and five companies of the Fimarcon and Saint-Sernin dragoons, and to repair to the heights of Boissieres, where instructions wouldawait him. Sandricourt, governor of Nimes, was at the same time directedto withdraw as many men as possible from the garrison, both Swiss anddragoons, and send them by night towards Saint-Come and Clarensac;lastly, he himself set out, as he had said, but instead of going onto Montpellier, he stopped at Sommieres, whence he could observe themovements of Cavalier. 

Cavalier, as M. De Montrevel already knew, was to sleep on the 15that Caveyrac. On this day Cavalier reached the turning-point in hismagnificent career. As he entered the town with his soldiers, drumsbeating and flags flying, he was at the zenith of his power. He rode thesplendid horse M. De La Jonquiere had abandoned in his flight; behindhim, serving as page, rode his young brother, aged ten, followed byfour grooms; he was preceded by twelve guards dressed in red; and as hiscolleague Roland had taken the title of Comte, he allowed himself to becalled Duke of the Cevennes. 

At his approach half of the garrison, which was commanded by M. DeMaillan, took possession of the church and half of the citadel; but asCavalier was more bent on obtaining food and rest for his soldiers thanof disturbing the town, he billeted his men on the townspeople, andplaced sentinels at the church and fortress, who exchanged shots all thenight through with the royal troops. The next morning, having destroyedthe fortifications, he marched out of the town again, drums beatingand flags flying as before. When almost in sight of Nimes he made histroops, which had never before been so numerous or so brilliant, performa great many evolutions, and then continued his way towards Nages. 

M. De Montrevel received a report at nine o'clock in the morning ofthe direction Cavalier and his troops had taken, and immediately leftSommieres, followed by six companies of Fimarqon dragoons, one hundredIrish 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 directionof Vaunages, above Clarensac; but suddenly hearing the rattle ofmusketry behind them, they wheeled and made for Langlade. 

They found that Grandval had already encountered the Camisards. Thesebeing fatigued had withdrawn into a hollow between Boissieres and thewindmill at Langlade, in order to rest. The infantry lay down, theirarms beside them; the cavalry placed themselves at the feet of theirhorses, the bridle on arm. Cavalier himself, Cavalier the indefatigable, broken by the fatigues of the preceding days, had fallen asleep, withhis young brother watching beside him. Suddenly he felt himself shakenby 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 findout where the Camisards were, had suddenly come upon them. 

The infantry formed, the cavalry sprang to their saddles, Cavalierleaped on his horse, and drawing his sword, led his soldiers as usualagainst the dragoons, and these, as was also usual, ran away, leavingtwelve of their number dead on the field. The Camisard cavalry soongave up the pursuit, as they found themselves widely separated from theinfantry and from their leader; for Cavalier had been unable to keep upwith them, his horse having received a bullet through its neck. 

Still they followed the flying dragoons for a good hour, from time totime a wounded dragoon falling from his horse, till at last the Camisardcavalry found itself confronted by the Charolais regiment, drawn up inbattle array, and behind them the royal dragoons, who had taken refugethere, and were re-forming. 

Carried on by the rapidity of their course, the Camisards could not pullup 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 deadmaster. He arrived at full gallop, as he was anxious to unite hiscavalry and infantry at once, as he had seen the forces of the marechaladvancing, who, as we have already said, had turned in the directionof the firing. Hardly had Cavalier effected the desired junction of hisforces than he perceived that his retreat was cut off. He had the royaltroops both before and behind him. 

The young chief saw that a desperate dash to right or left was all thatremained 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 onlyone by which he could escape. There was no time to inquire whether thepeasant was Catholic or Protestant; he could only trust to chance, andfollow the road indicated. But a few yards from the spot where the roadfrom Doudorgues to Nages joins the road to Nimes he found himself inface of Marechal Montrevel's troops under the command of Menon. However, as they hardly outnumbered the Camisards, these did not stop to look foranother route, but bending forward in their saddles, they dashed throughthe lines at full gallop, taking the direction of Nages, hoping to reachthe plain round Calvisson. But the village, the approaches, the issueswere all occupied by royal troops, and at the same time Grandval andthe marechal joined forces, while Menon collected his men togetherand pushed forward. Cavalier was completely surrounded: he gave thesituation a comprehensive glance--his foes, were five to one. 

Rising in his stirrups, so that he could see over every head, Cavaliershouted so loud that not only his own men heard but also those of theenemy: "My children, if our hearts fail us now, we shall be taken andbroken on the wheel. There is only one means of safety: we must cutour way at full gallop through these people. Follow me, and keep closeorder!"

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 troopsclosed. Then there was everywhere a hand-to-hand battle there was notime to load and fire; swords flashed and fell, bayonets stabbed, theroyals and the Camisards took each other by the throat and hair. For anhour this demoniac fight lasted, during which Cavalier lost five hundredmen and slew a thousand of the enemy. At last he won through, followedby about two hundred of his troops, and drew a long breath; but findinghimself in the centre of a large circle of soldiers, he made for abridge, where alone it seemed possible to break through, it being onlyguarded by a hundred dragoons. 

He divided his men into two divisions, one to force the bridge, theother to cover the retreat. Then he faced his foes like a wild boardriven 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 threwhimself before them, pistol in hand. It was Cavalier's young brother, mounted on one of the small wild horses of Camargues of that Arab breedwhich was introduced into Languedoc by the Moors from Spain. Carrying asword and carbine proportioned to his size, the boy addressed the flyingmen. "Where are you going?" he cried, "Instead of running away likecowards, line the river banks and oppose the enemy to facilitate mybrother's escape. " Ashamed of having deserved such reproaches, theCamisards stopped, rallied, lined the banks of the river, and by keepingup a steady fire, covered Cavalier's retreat, who crossed without havingreceived a single wound, though his horse was riddled with bullets andhe 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 affordedcover, all combined to help him at last. Still his rearguard, harassedby the enemy, dotted the ground it passed over with its dead, until atlast both victors and vanquished were swallowed up by night. The fighthad lasted ten hours, Cavalier had lost more than five hundred men, andthe royals about a thousand. 

"Cavalier, " says M. De Villars, in his Memoirs, "acted on this day ina way which astonished everyone. For who could help being astonished tosee a nobody, inexperienced in the art of warfare, bear himself insuch difficult and trying circumstances like some great general? At oneperiod of the day he was followed everywhere by a dragoon; Cavalier shotat him and killed his horse. The dragoon returned the shot, but missed. Cavalier had two horses killed under him; the first time he caught adragoon's horse, the second time he made one of his own men dismount andgo on foot. "

M. De Montrevel also showed himself to be a gallant soldier; whereverthere was danger there was he, encouraging officers and soldiers byhis example: one Irish captain was killed at his side, another fatallywounded, and a third slightly hurt. Grandval, on his part, had performedmiracles: his horse was shot under him, and M. De Montrevel replacedit by one of great value, on which he joined in the pursuit of theCamisards. After this affair M, de Montrevel gave up his place to M. DeVillars, leaving word for Cavalier that it was thus he took leave of hisfriends. 

Although Cavalier came out of this battle with honour, compellingeven his enemies to regard him as a man worthy of their steel, it hadnevertheless destroyed the best part of his hopes. He made a halt-nearPierredon to gather together the remnant of his troops, and truly it wasbut a remnant which remained. Of those who came back the greater numberwere without weapons, for they had thrown them away in their flight. Many were incapacitated for service by their wounds; and lastly, thecavalry could hardly be said to exist any longer, as the few men whosurvived had been obliged to abandon their horses, in order to getacross the high ditches which were their only cover from the dragoonsduring the flight. 

Meantime the royalists were very active, and Cavalier felt that it wouldbe imprudent to remain long at Pierredon, so setting out during thenight, and crossing the Gardon, he buried himself in the forest ofHieuzet, whither he hoped his enemies would not venture to follow him. And in fact the first two days were quiet, and his troops benefitedgreatly by the rest, especially as they were able to draw stores of allkinds--wheat, hay, arms, and ammunition--from an immense cave which theCamisards had used for a long time as a magazine and arsenal. Cavaliernow 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 spiteof his hopes of being left in peace; for one day on his way back from avisit to the wounded in the cave, whose existence was a secret, he cameacross a hundred miquelets who had penetrated thus far, and who wouldhave taken him prisoner if he had not, with his, accustomed presenceof mind and courage, sprung from a rock twenty feet high. The miqueletsfired at him, but no bullet reached him. Cavalier rejoined histroops, but fearing to attract the rest of the royalists to theplace, --retreated to some distance from the cave, as it was of theutmost importance that it should not be discovered, since it containedall his resources. 

Cavalier had now reached one of those moments when Fortune, tired ofconferring favours, turns her back on the favourite. The royalists hadoften noticed an old woman from the village of Hieuzet going towards theforest, sometimes carrying a basket in her hand, sometimes with a hamperon her head, and it occurred to them that she was supplying the hiddenCamisards with provisions. She was arrested and brought before GeneralLalande, who began his examination by threatening that he would haveher hanged if she did not at once declare the object of her frequentjourneys to the forest without reserve. At first she made use of allkinds of pretexts, which only strengthened the suspicions of Lalande, who, ceasing his questions, ordered her to be taken to the gallows andhanged. The old woman walked to the place of execution with such a firmstep that the general began to think he would get no information fromher, but at the foot of the ladder her courage failed. She asked to betaken back before the general, and having been promised her life, sherevealed everything. 

M. De Lalande put himself at once at the head of a strong detachment ofmiquelets, and forced the woman to walk before them till they reachedthe cavern, which they never would have discovered without a guide, socleverly was the entrance hidden by rocks and brushwood. On entering, the first thing that met their eye was the wounded, about thirty innumber. The miquelets threw themselves upon them and slaughtered them. This deed accomplished, they went farther into the cave, which to theirgreat surprise contained a thousand things they never expected to findthere--heaps of grain, sacks of flour, barrels of wine, casks of brandy, quantities of chestnuts and potatoes; and besides all this, chestscontaining ointments, drugs and lint, and lastly a complete arsenalof muskets, swords, and bayonets, a quantity of powder ready-made, andsulphur, saltpetre, and charcoal-in short, everything necessary for themanufacture of more, down to small mills to be turned by hand. Lalandekept his word: the life of an old woman was not too much to give inreturn for such a treasure. 

Meantime M. De Villars, as he had promised, took up Baron d'Aygaliersin passing through Lyons, so that during the rest of the journey thepeacemaker had plenty of time to expatiate on his plans. As M. DeVillars was a man of tact and a lover of justice, and desired above allthings to bring a right spirit to bear on the performance of the dutiesof his new office, in which his two predecessors had failed, he promisedthe baron "to keep, " as he expressed himself, his "two ears open" andlisten to both sides, and as a first proof of impartiality--he refusedto give any opinion until he had heard M, de Julien, who was coming tomeet 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 Villarshad heard from d'Aygaliers. According to him, the only pacific rationpossible was the complete extermination of the Camisards. He felthimself very hardly treated in that he had been allowed to destroy onlyfour hundred villages and hamlets in the Upper Cevennes, --assuringde Villars with the confidence of a man who had studied the matterprofoundly, 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 likeDon Juan between the spirits of good and evil, the one advising clemencyand the other murder. M. De Villars not being able to make up his mind, on reaching Nimes, d'Aygaliers assembled the principal Protestants ofthe town, told them of his plan, showing them its practicability, sothat also joined in the good work, and drew up a document in which theyasked the marechal to allow them to take up arms and march against therebels, as they were determined either to bring them back into the goodway 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 allthe lawyers and merchants of the city of Nimes, was presented to M. DeVillars on Tuesday, 22nd April, 1704, by M. De Albenas, at the head ofseven or eight hundred persons of the Reformed religion. M. DeVillars received the request kindly, thanked its bearer and those whoaccompanied him, assuring them that he had no doubt of the sincerityof their professions, and that if he were in want of help he would haverecourse to them with as much confidence as if they were old Catholics. He hoped, however, to win the rebels back by mildness, and he beggedthem to second his efforts in this direction by spreading abroad thefact that an amnesty was offered to all those who would lay down armsand 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 orderto 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. DeLalande and de Baville, in order to consult them as to the best meansof inducing the Camisards to lay down their arms. Baron d'Aygalierswas summoned to this consultation, and described his plan to the twogentlemen. As he expected, both were opposed to it; however, he tried tobring them over to his side by presenting to them what seemed to him tobe cogent reasons for its adoption. But de Lalande and de Bavillemade light of all his reasons, and rejected his proposals with suchvehemence, that the marechal, however much inclined to the side ofd'Aygaliers, did not venture to act quite alone, and said he would notdecide on any course until he reached Uzes. 

D'Aygaliers saw clearly that until he had obtained the approbationof either the general or the intendant, he would get nothing from themarechal. He therefore considered which of the two he should try topersuade, and although de Baville was his personal enemy, having severaltimes shown his hatred for him and his family, he decided to addresshimself to him. 

In consequence, the next day, to the great astonishment of M. DeBaville, d'Aygaliers paid him a visit. The intendant received him coldlybut politely, asked him to sit down, and when he was seated begged toknow the motive which had brought him. "Sir, " replied the baron, "youhave given my family and me such cause of offence that I had come tothe firm resolution never to ask a favour of you, and as perhaps you mayhave remarked during the journey we have taken with M. Le marechal, Iwould 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 myown ends, but upon a matter which concerns the welfare of the State. Itherefore beg you to put out of your mind the dislike which you have tome and mine, and I do this the more earnestly that your dislike canonly have been caused by the fact that our religion is different fromyours--a thing which could neither have been foreseen nor prevented. Myentreaty is that you do not try to set M. Le marechal against the coursewhich I have proposed to him, which I am convinced would bring thedisorders in our province to an end, stop the occurrence of the manyunfortunate events which I am sure you look on with regret, and spareyou much trouble and embarrassment. "

The intendant was much touched by this calm speech, and above all by theconfidence which M. D'Aygaliers had shown him, and replied that he hadonly offered opposition to the plan of pacification because he believedit to be impracticable. M. D'Aygaliers then warmly pressed him to try itbefore rejecting it for ever, and in the end M. De Baville withdrew hisopposition. 

M, d'Aygaliers hastened to the marechal, who finding himself no longeralone in his favourable opinion, made no further delay, but told thebaron to call together that very day all the people whom he thoughtsuitable for the required service, and desired that they should bepresented to him the next morning before he set out for Nimes. 

The next day, instead of the fifty men whom the marachal had thoughtcould be gathered together, d'Aygaliers came to him followed by eighty, who were almost all of good and many of noble family. The meeting tookplace, by the wish of the baron, in the courtyard of the episcopalpalace. "This palace, " says the baron in his Memoirs, "which wasof great magnificence, surrounded by terraced gardens and superblyfurnished, was occupied by Monseigneur Michel Poncet de La Riviere. Hewas a man passionately devoted to pleasures of all kinds, especially tomusic, women, and good cheer. There were always to be found in his housegood musicians, pretty women, and excellent wines. These latter suitedhim so well that he never left the table without being in a pleasanthumour, and at such a moment if it came into his head that anyone in hisdiocese was not as good a Christian as himself, he would sit down andwrite to M. De Baville, urging that the delinquent ought to be sent intoexile. He often did this honour to my late father. " M. D'Aygaliers goeson to say that "on seeing such a great number of Huguenots in the courtwho were all declaring that they were better servants of the kingthan the Catholics, he almost fell from his balcony with vexation andsurprise. This vexation increased when he saw M. De Villars and M. DeBaville, who had apartments in the palace, come down into the court andtalk to these people. One hope still remained to him: it was that themarechal and the intendant had come down to send them away; but thislast hope was cruelly disappointed when he heard M. De Villars say thathe accepted their service and expected them to obey d'Aygaliers in allmatters concerning the service of the king. "

But this was not all that had to be accomplished arms were necessaryfor the Protestants, and though their number was not great, there was adifficulty in finding them weapons. The unfortunate Calvinists had beendisarmed so often that even their table-knives had been carried off, soit was useless to search their houses for guns and sabres. D'Aygaliersproposed that they should take the arms of the townspeople, but M. DeVillars considered that it would offend the Catholics to have their armstaken from them and given to the Protestants. In the end, however, thiswas the course that had to be adopted: M. De Paratte was ordered to givefifty muskets and the same number of bayonets to M. D'Aygaliers, whoalso 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 ofthe town of Uzes, and to fifty men chosen by him, to make war on theCamisards. 

"(Signed) VILLARS

"(Countersigned) MORETON

"Given at Uzes, the 4th of May 1704"

Hardly had M. De Villars set out for Nimes than d'Aygaliers met withfresh difficulties. The bishop, who could not forget that his episcopalpalace had been turned into barracks for Huguenots, went from house tohouse threatening those who had promised to countenance d'Aygaliers'plans, and strictly forbidding the captains of the town troops todeliver any weapons to the Protestants. Fortunately, d'Aygaliers had notaccomplished so much without having learned not to draw back when theroad grew rough, so he also on his side went about confirming the strongand encouraging the feeble, and called on M. De Paratte to beg him tocarry out the orders of M. De Villars. De Paratte was happily an oldsoldier, whose one idea was that discipline should be maintained, sothat he gave the guns and bayonets to d'Aygaliers on the spot, without aword of objection, and thus enabled the latter to start at five o'clocknext morning with his little band. 

Meantime de Baville and de Lalande had been reflecting what greatinfluence d'Aygaliers would gain in the province should he succeed inhis aims, and their jealousy had made them resolve to forestall him inhis work, by themselves inducing Cavalier to abandon his present course. They did not conceal from themselves that this would be difficult, butas they could command means of corruption which were not within thepower of d'Aygaliers, they did not despair of success. 

They therefore sent for a countryman called Lacombe, in order to enlisthim on their side; for Cavalier, when a boy, had been his shepherd fortwo years, and both had remained friends ever since: this man undertookto try and bring about a meeting between the two gentlemen andCavalier--an enterprise which would have been dangerous for anyone else. He promised first of all to explain to Cavalier the offers of MM. DeBaville and de Lalande. 

Lacombe kept his word: he set off the same day, and two days laterappeared before Cavalier. The first feeling of the young chief wasastonishment, the second pleasure. Lacombe could not have chosen abetter moment to speak of peace to his former shepherd. 

"Indeed, " says Cavalier in his Memoirs, "the loss which I had justsustained 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 myammunition, and all my money, but also a body of men, inured to dangerand fatigue, and capable of any undertaking;--besides all this, I hadbeen robbed of my stores--a loss which made itself felt more than allthe others put together, because as long as the secret of the cavern waskept, in all our misfortunes we were never without resources; but fromthe moment it got into the possession of our enemies we were quitedestitute. The country was ravaged, my friends had grown cold, theirpurses were empty, a hundred towns had been sacked and burned, theprisons were full of Protestants, the fields were uncultivated. Added toall this, the long promised help from England had never arrived, and thenew marechal had appeared in the province accompanied by fresh troops. "

Nevertheless, in spite of his desperate position, Cavalier listened tothe propositions laid before him by Lacombe with cold and haughty front, and his reply was that he would never lay down arms till the Protestantshad obtained the right to the free exercise of their religion. 

Firm as was this answer, Lalande did not despair of inducing Cavalier tocome to terms: he therefore wrote him a letter with his own hand, askinghim for an interview, and pledging his word that if they came to noagreement Cavalier should be free to retire without any harm being donehim; but he added that, if he refused this request, he should regard himas an enemy to peace, and responsible for all the blood which might beshed in future. 

This overture, made with a soldier's frankness, had a great effect onCavalier, and in order that neither his friends nor his enemies shouldhave the least excuse for blaming him, he resolved to show everyone thathe was eager to seize the first chance of making peace on advantageousterms. 

He therefore replied to Lalande, that he would come to the bridge ofAvene on that very day, the 12th May, at noon, and sent his letterby Catinat, ordering him to deliver it into the hands of the Catholicgeneral himself. 

Catinat was worthy of his mission. He was a peasant from Cayla, whosereal name was Abdias Maurel. He had served under Marshal Catinat inItaly, the same who had maintained so gallant a struggle against PrinceEugene. When Maurel returned home he could talk of nothing but hismarshal and his campaigns, so that he soon went among his neighbours bythe 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 himwith a still more dangerous post, that of envoy to a man who had oftensaid that he would give 2000 livres to him who would bring him the headof 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 appearedbefore the general perfectly cool and calm; only, either from a feelingof propriety or of pride, he was dressed in full uniform. 

The bold and haughty expression of the man who presented Cavalier'sletter 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 peoplein Beaucaire?"

"Yes, I am. I did it, but it was my duty. "

"Well, " exclaimed M. De Lalande, "you show great hardihood in daring toappear before me. "

"I came, " said Catinat proudly, "trusting to your honour and to thepromise that Brother Cavalier gave me that nothing should happen to me. "

"He was quite right, " returned Lalande, taking the letter. Having readit, he said, "Go back to Cavalier and assure him that I shall be at thebridge of Avene at noon, accompanied only by a few officers and thirtydragoons. I expect to find him there with a similar number of men. "

"But, " answered Catinat, "it is possible that Brother Cavalier may notwish-to come with so poor a following. "

"If so, " returned Lalande, "then tell him that he may bring his wholearmy if he likes, but that I shall not take a single man with me morethan I have said; as Cavalier has confidence in me, I have confidence inhim. "

Catinat reported Lalande's answer to his chief it was of a kind that heunderstood and liked, so leaving the rest of his troops at Massanes, he chose sixty men from his infantry, and eight horsemen as escort. Oncoming in sight of the bridge, he saw Lalande approaching from the otherside. He at once ordered his sixty men to halt, went a few steps fartherwith his eight horsemen, and then ordered them in their turn to stop, and advanced alone towards the bridge. Lalande had acted in the samemanner 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 courtesyof men who had learned to esteem each other on the field of battle. Thenafter a short silence, during which they examined each other, Lalandespoke. 

"Sir, " said he, "the king in his clemency desires to put an end to thewar which is going on between his subjects, and which can only result inthe ruin of his kingdom. As he knows that this war has been instigatedand supported by the enemies of France, he hopes to meet no oppositionto his wishes among those of his subjects who were momentarily ledastray, but to whom he now offers pardon. "

"Sir, " answered Cavalier, "the war not having been begun by theProtestants, they are always ready for peace--but a real peace, without restriction or reserve. They have no right, I know, to lay downconditions, but I hope they will be permitted to discuss those whichmay be laid down for them. Speak openly, sir, and let me know what theoffers are that you have been authorised to make to us, that I may judgeif we can accept them. "

"But how would it be, " said Lalande, "if you were mistaken, and if theking desired to know what conditions you would consider reasonable?"

"If that is so, " answered Cavalier, "I will tell you our conditionsat once, in order not to prolong the negotiations; for every minute'sdelay, 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 ofconscience; secondly, the release of all prisoners who have beencondemned to imprisonment or the galleys because of their religion; andthirdly, that if we are not granted liberty of conscience we may be atleast permitted to leave the kingdom. "

"As far as I can judge, " replied Lalande, "I do not believe that theking will accept the first proposition, but it is possible that he mayaccede to the third. In that case, how many Protestants would you takewith you?"

"Ten thousand of all ages and both sexes. "

"The number is excessive, sir. I believe that His Majesty is notdisposed to go beyond three thousand. "

"Then, " replied Cavalier, "there is nothing more to be said, for I couldnot accept passports for any smaller number, and I could accept for theten thousand only on condition that the king would grant us three monthsin which to dispose of our possessions and withdraw from the countrywithout being molested. Should His Majesty, however, not be pleased toallow us to leave the kingdom, then we beg that our edicts be re-enactedand our privileges restored, whereupon we shall become once more, whatwe 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 amatter of profound regret. And now, sir, will you permit me to inspectmore closely the gallant men with whose help you have done suchastounding deeds?" Cavalier smiled; for these "gallant men" whencaught had been broken on the wheel, burnt at the stake, or hanged likebrigands. His sole answer was an inclination of the head as he turnedand led the way to his little escort. M. De Lalande followed him withperfect confidence, and, passing by the eight horsemen who were groupedon the road, he walked up to the infantry, and taking out of his pocketa 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, shakinghis head, "It is not money we want, but liberty of conscience. "

"My men, " answered Lalande, "it is unfortunately not in my power togrant your demand, but I advise you to submit to the king's will andtrust in his clemency. "

"Sir, " answered Cavalier, "we are all ready to obey him, provided thathe graciously grant us our just demands; if not, we shall die weapon inhand, rather than expose ourselves once more to such outrages as havealready been inflicted on us. "

"Your demands shall be transmitted word for word to M. De Villars, whowill 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 themexorbitant. "

With these words, M. De Lalande saluted Cavalier, and turned to rejoinhis escort; but Cavalier, wishing to return confidence with confidence, crossed the bridge with him, and accompanied the general to where hissoldiers had halted. There, with another salute, the two chiefs parted, M. De Lalande taking the road to Uzes, while Cavalier rejoined hiscomrades. 

Meantime d'Aygaliers, who, as we have seen, had not left Uzes until the5th May, in order to join Cavalier, did not come up with him untilthe 13th, that is to say, the day after his conference with Lalande. D'Aygaliers gives us an account of their interview, and we cannot dobetter than quote it. 

"Although it was the first time that we had met face to face, weembraced each other as if we were old acquaintances. My little bandmixed with his and sang psalms together, while Cavalier and I talked. I was very much pleased with what, he said, and convinced him withoutdifficulty that he should submit for the sake of the brethren, who couldthen choose whichever course best suited them, and either leave thekingdom or serve the king. I said that I believed the last course tobe the best, provided we were allowed to worship God according to ourconsciences; because I hoped that, seeing their faithful service, HisMajesty would recognise that he had been imposed upon by those who haddescribed us as disloyal subjects, and that we should thus obtain forthe whole nation that liberty of conscience which had been granted tous; that in no other way, as far as I could see, could our deplorablecondition be ameliorated, for although Cavalier and his men might beable to exist for some time longer in the forests and mountains, theywould never be strong enough to save the inhabitants of towns and otherenclosed places from perishing. 

"Upon this he replied, that although the Catholics seldom kept a promisemade to those of our religion, he was willing to risk his life forthe welfare of his brethren and the province but that he trusted if heconfided in the clemency of the king for whom he had never ceased topray, no harm would happen him. "

Thereupon d'Aygaliers, delighted to find him so well inclined, beggedhim to give him a letter for M. De Villars, and as Cavalier knew themarechal to be loyal and zealous, and had great confidence in him, hewrote without any hesitation the following letter:

"MONSEIGNEUR, --Permit me to address your Excellency in order to beghumbly 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 wehave committed by bearing arms, not against the king, as our enemieshave so falsely asserted, but to defend our lives against those whopersecuted us, attacking us so fiercely that we believed it was doneby order of His Majesty. We know that it was written by St. Paul thatsubjects ought to submit themselves to their king, and if in spite ofthese 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 usinto his service, according to the example of the God of mercy whoserepresentative His Majesty is on earth. We trust, Monseigneur, by ourfaithfulness and zeal to acquire the honour of your protection, and weglory in the thought of being permitted, under the command of such anillustrious and noble-minded general as yourself, to shed our blood forthe king; this being so, I hope that your Excellency will be pleasedto 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 forNimes in the best of spirits; for he felt sure that he was bringingM. De Villars more than he had expected. And, indeed, as soon as themarechal saw how far things had gone, in spite of everything thatLalande could say, who in his jealousy asserted that d'Aygaliers wouldspoil everything, he sent him back to Cavalier with an invitation tocome to Nimes. D'Aygaliers set out at once, promising to bring the youngchief back with him, at which Lalande laughed loudly, pretending tobe very much amused at the baron's confident way of speaking, andprotesting that Cavalier would not come. 

In the meantime events were happening in the mountains which mighteasily have changed the state of mind of the young chief. The Comte deTournan, who was in command at Florae, had encountered Roland's army inthe plain of Fondmortes, and had lost two hundred men, a considerablesum of money, and eighty mules loaded with provisions. The anxiety whichthis news caused to M. De Villars was soon relieved; for six days afterthe 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 justhappened. 

D'Aygaliers therefore found Cavalier in the best of humours when hejoined him at Tarnac. The first feeling that the young chief felt onreceiving the invitation was one of stupefaction; for an interviewwith the marechal was an honour so unexpected and so great, thathis impression was that some treason lay behind it; but he was soonreassured when he recalled the character for loyalty which the marechalbore, and how impossible it was that d'Aygaliers should lend himself totreachery. So Cavalier sent back word that he would obey the marechal'sorders; and that he put himself entirely into his hands in whatconcerned the arrangements for the interview. M. De Villars let him knowthat he would expect him on the 16th in the garden of the convent of theRecollets of Nimes, which lay just outside the city, between the gatesof Beaucaire and the Madeleine, and that Lalande would meet him beyondCarayrac to receive him and to bring him hostages. 

CHAPTER IV

On the 15th May Cavalier set out from Tarnac at the head of one hundredand sixty foot-soldiers and fifty horse; he was accompanied by his youngbrother and by d'Aygaliers and Lacombe. They all passed the night atLanglade. 

The next day they set out for Nimes, and, as had been agreed upon, weremet by Lalande between Saint-Cesaire and Carayrac. Lalande advanced togreet Cavalier and present the hostages to him. These hostages wereM. De La Duretiere, captain of the Fimarcon regiment, a captain ofinfantry, several other officers, and ten dragoons. Cavalier passed themover to his lieutenant, Ravanel, who was in command of the infantry, andleft them in his charge at Saint-Cesaire. The cavalry accompanied himto within a musket-shot of Nimes, and encamped upon the heights. Besides this, Cavalier posted sentinels and mounted orderlies at all theapproaches to the camp, and even as far off as the fountain of Dianaand the tennis-court. These precautions taken, he entered the city, accompanied by his brother, d'Aygaliers, Lacombe, and a body-guardof eighteen cavalry, commanded by Catinat. Lalande rode on before toannounce their arrival to the marechal, whom he found waiting with MM. De Baville and Sandricourt, in the garden of the Recollets, dreadingevery moment to receive word that Cavalier had refused to come; for heexpected great results from this interview. Lalande, however, reassuredhim by telling him the young Huguenot was behind. 

In a few minutes a great tumult was heard: it was the people hasteningto welcome their hero. Not a Protestant, except paralytic old people andinfants in the cradle, remained indoors; for the Huguenots, who had longlooked on Cavalier as their champion, now considered him their saviour, so that men and women threw themselves under the feet of his horse intheir efforts to kiss the skirts of his coat. It was more like a victormaking his entry into a conquered town than a rebel chief coming to begfor an amnesty for himself and his adherents. M. De Villars heard theoutcry from the garden of Recollets, and when he learned its cause hisesteem for Cavalier rose higher, for every day since his arrival asgovernor had showed him more and more clearly how great was the youngchief's influence. The tumult increased as Cavalier came nearer, and itflashed through the marechal's mind that instead of giving hostages heshould 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 toform a line opposite them. The memoirs of the time tell us that he wasdressed 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 agold-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 ofVergenne. 

The lieutenant of the guard met him at the gate. Cavalier quicklydismounted, and throwing the bridle of his horse to one of his men, heentered the garden, and advanced towards the expectant group, which wascomposed, as we have said, of Villars, Baville, and Sandricourt. As hedrew near, M. De Villars regarded him with growing astonishment; for hecould not believe that in the young man, or rather boy, before himhe saw the terrible Cevenol chief, whose name alone made the bravestsoldiers tremble. Cavalier at this period had just completed histwenty-fourth year, but, thanks to his fair hair which fell in longlocks over his shoulders, and to the gentle expression of his eyes hedid not appear more than eighteen. Cavalier was acquainted with none ofthe men in whose presence he stood, but he noticed M. De Villars' richdress and air of command. He therefore saluted him first; afterwards, turning towards the others, he bowed to each, but less profoundly, thensomewhat embarrassed and with downcast eyes he stood motionlessand silent. The marechal still continued to look at him in silentastonishment, turning from time to time to Baville and Sandricourt, asif to assure himself that there was no mistake and that it was reallythe man whom they expected who stood before them. At last, doubtingstill, 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 thetitle of Duke of the Cevennes. "

"I have not assumed that title, monseigneur, only some people call meso in joke: the king alone has the right to confer titles, and I rejoiceexceedingly, monseigneur, that he has given you that of governor ofLanguedoc. "

"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 thuswith a rebel. "

The blood rushed to Cavalier's head, his face flamed, and after amoment's pause, fixing his eye boldly upon M. De Baville, and speakingin a voice which was now as firm as it had been tremulous a momentbefore, he said, "If you have only brought me here, sir, to speak tome in such a manner, you might better have left me in my mountains, andcome there yourself to take a lesson in hospitality. If I am a rebel, itis not I who am answerable, for it was the tyranny and cruelty of M. DeBaville which forced us to have recourse to arms; and if history takesexception to anything connected with the great monarch for whose pardonI sue to-day, it will be, I hope, not that he had foes like me, butfriends like him. "

M. De Baville grew pale with anger; for whether Cavalier knew to whom hewas speaking or not, his words had the effect of a violent blow full inhis face; but before he could reply M. De Villars interposed. 

"Your business is only with me, sir, " he said; "attend to me alone, Ibeg: 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 pardonis more than you could have hoped for, I suppose you are not going toinsist on the other conditions you laid down?"

"But it is precisely those other conditions, " said Cavalier, addressinghimself to M. De Villars, and not seeming to see that anyone else waspresent, "for which we have fought. If I were alone, sir, I should givemyself up, bound hand and foot, with entire confidence in your goodfaith, demanding no assurances and exacting no conditions; but I standhere 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 weaponin hand, or obtain our rights. "

The intendant was about to speak, but the marechal stopped him with suchan imperative gesture that he stepped back as if to show that he washedhis hands of the whole matter. 

"What are those rights? Are they those which M. Lalande has transmittedto 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 ifabout to withdraw. 

"One moment!" said the marechal, detaining him by a smile. "Is it truethat you are willing to enter the king's army?"

"I am more than willing, I desire it with all my heart, " exclaimedCavalier, with the frank enthusiasm natural to his age, "but I cannot doso till our just demands are granted. "

"But if they were granted--?"

"Then, sir, " replied Cavalier, "the king has never had more loyalsubjects 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 desirepeace 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 allyou can to induce the other leaders to follow your example. "

"I shall do my best, monseigneur; but while we await His Majesty's replyshall we be allowed to fulfil our religious duties unimpeded?"

"Yes, I shall give orders that you are to have full liberty in thatrespect. "

"Thanks, monseigneur. "

Cavalier bowed once more, and was about to go; but M. De Villarsaccompanied him and Lalande, who had now joined them, and who stood withhis hand on Cavalier's shoulder, a few steps farther. Catinat seeingthat the conference was at an end, entered the garden with his men. Thereupon M. De Villars took leave, saying distinctly, "Adieu, SeigneurCavalier, " and withdrew, leaving the young chief surrounded by a dozenpersons all wanting to speak to him at once. For half an hour he wasdetained by questions, to all of which he replied pleasantly. On onefinger was an emerald taken from a naval officer named Didier, whom hehad 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 questionersfrom time to time perfumed snuff from a magnificent snuffbox, whichhe had found in the holsters when he took possession of M. De LaJonquiere's horse. He told everyone who wished to listen that he hadnever intended to revolt against the king; and that he was now readyto shed the last drop of his blood in his service; that he had severaltimes offered to surrender on condition that liberty of conscience wasgranted to those of the new faith, but that M. De Montrevel had alwaysrejected 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 forthose who were free to worship God in their own way. 

He said these things in an unembarrassed and graceful manner, hat inhand; then passing through the crowd which had gathered outside thegarden of the Recollets, he repaired to the Hotel de la Poste forlunch, and afterwards walked along the Esplanade to the house of one GuyBillard, a gardener, who was his head prophet's father. As he thus movedabout he was preceded by two Camisards with drawn swords, who made wayfor him; and several ladies were presented to him who were happy totouch his doublet. The visit over, he once again passed along theEsplanade, still preceded by his two Camisards, and just as he passedthe Little Convent he and those with him struck up a psalm tune, andcontinued singing till they reached Saint-Cesaire, where the hostageswere. These he at once sent back. 

Five hundred persons from Nimes were awaiting him; refreshments wereoffered to him, which he accepted gratefully, thanking all those who hadgathered 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 upsupplications in a loud voice for the king, for M. De Villars, for M. DeLalande, and even for M. De Baville. 

The next morning, Cavalier, according to promise, sent a copy of hisdemands 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 atNimes. As soon as the young chief had sent off his missive, he rejoinedhis troops at Tarnac, and related all that had passed to Roland, urginghim to follow his example. That night he slept at Sauves, having passedthrough Durfort at the head of his men; a captain of dragoons namedMontgros, with twenty-five soldiers, accompanying him everywhere, byM. De Villars' orders, and seeing that the villages through which theypassed furnished him with all that was needed. They left Sauves on May16th very early in the morning, in order to get to Calvisson, which, asour readers may remember, was the place appointed for the residenceof Cavalier during the truce. In passing through Quissac, where theystopped for refreshments, they were joined by Castanet who delivereda long sermon, at which all the Protestants of the neighbourhood werepresent. 

The two battalions of the Charolais regiment which were quartered atCalvisson had received orders on the evening of the 17th to march outnext morning, so as to make room for the Camisards. 

On the 18th the head of the commissary department, Vincel, orderedsuitable accommodation to be provided for Cavalier and his troops; themuster roll being in the hands of M. D'Aygaliers, it would be sent byhim or brought in the course of the day. In the meantime, vans werearriving filled with all sorts of provisions, followed by drovesof cattle, while a commissary and several clerks, charged with thedistribution of rations, brought up the rear. 

On the 19th, Catinat, accompanied by twelve Camisards, rode intothe town, and was met at the barrier by the commandant and eightytownspeople. As soon as the little band came in sight the commandantreiterated 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 turnby the chief of the commissariat, Vincel, by Captain Cappon, two otherofficers named Viala and Despuech, and six dragoons. These were thehostages 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, andthe whole population hastened to meet him. He rode at the head of hiscavalry, the infantry following, and the whole number--about six hundredmen--sang psalms in a loud voice. 

When they reached the church, Cavalier drew up before it with all hismen in review order, and for some time the singing went on. When itstopped, a long prayer was offered up, which was most edifying to allthe bystanders; and this being over, Cavalier went to the quartersassigned 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 weregoing to be fed; not finding them white enough, he complained to M. Vincel, whom he sent for, and who promised that in future the breadshould be of a better quality. Having received this assurance, Cavaliergave orders that the loaves in hand should be distributed for that day, but probably fearing poison, he first made M. De Vincel and his clerkstaste them in his presence. These duties accomplished, he visited inperson all the gates of the town, placed guards and posted sentinelsat all the entrances and along all the avenues, the most advanced beingthree-quarters of a league from the town. Besides this, he placed guardsin 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 wasafraid, for he was not of a mistrustful character, but that he thoughtit politic to give people an exalted idea of his importance. As to hissoldiers, they were billeted on the inhabitants, and received eachas daily rations a pound of meat, a quart of wine, and two and a halfpounds of bread. 

The same day a convocation was held on the site of the old meeting-housewhich had been destroyed by the Catholics. It was a very numerousassembly, to which crowds of people came from all parts; but on thefollowing days it was still more numerous; for, as the news spread, people ran with great eagerness to hear the preaching of the wordof which they had been so long deprived. D'Aygaliers tells us in hisMemoirs that--"No one could help being touched to see a whole peoplejust escaped from fire and sword, coming together in multitudes tomingle their tears and sighs. So famished were they for the mannadivine, that they were like people coming out of a besieged city, aftera long and cruel famine, to whom peace has brought food in abundance, and who, first devouring it with their eyes, then throw themselves onit, devouring it bodily--meat, bread, and fruit--as it comes to hand. So it was with the unfortunate inhabitants of La Vannage, and even ofplaces more distant still. They saw their brethren assembling in themeadows and at the gates of Calvisson, gathering in crowds and pressinground anyone who started singing a psalm, until at last four or fivethousand persons, singing, weeping, and praying, were gathered together, and remained there all day, supplicating God with a devotion that wentto every heart and made a deep impression. All night the same thingswent on; nothing was to be heard but preaching, singing, praying, andprophesying. "

But if it was a time of joy for the Protestants, it was a time ofhumiliation for the Catholics. "Certainly, " says a contemporaryhistorian, "it was a very surprising thing, and quite a novelty, to seein a province like Languedoc, where so many troops were quartered, sucha large number of villains--all murderers, incendiaries, and guiltyof sacrilege--gathered together in one place by permission of those incommand of the troops; tolerated in their eccentricities, fed at thepublic expense, flattered by everyone, and courteously, received bypeople sent specially to meet them. "

One of those who was most indignant at this state of things was M. DeBaville. He was so eager to put an end to it that he went to seethe governor, and told him the scandal was becoming too great in hisopinion: the assemblies ought to be put an end to by allowing the troopsto fall upon them and disperse them; but the governor thought quiteotherwise, and told Baville that to act according to his advice wouldbe to set fire to the province again and to scatter for ever people whomthey had got together with such difficulty. In any case, he remindedBaville that what he objected to would be over in a few days. Hisopinion was that de Baville might stifle the expression of hisdissatisfaction for a little, to bring about a great good. "More thanthat, " added the marechal, "the impatience of the priests is mostridiculous. Besides your remonstrances, of which I hope I have now heardthe last, I have received numberless letters full of such complaintsthat it would seem as if the prayers of the Camisards not only gratedon the ears of the clergy but flayed them alive. I should like aboveeverything to find out the writers of these letters, in order to havethem flogged; but they have taken good care to put no signatures. I regard it as a very great impertinence for those who caused thesedisturbances to grumble and express their disapproval at my efforts tobring them to an end. " After this speech, M, de Baville saw there wasnothing for him to do but to let things take their course. 

The course that they took turned Cavalier's head more and more; forthanks to the injunctions of M. De Villars, all the orders that Cavaliergave were obeyed as if they had been issued by the governor himself. Hehad a court like a prince, lieutenants like a general, and secretarieslike a statesman. It was the duty of one secretary to give leave ofabsence to those Camisards who had business to attend to or who desiredto visit their relations. The following is a copy of the form used forthese passports:

"We, the undersigned, secretary to Brother Cavalier, generalissimo ofthe Huguenots, permit by this order given by him to absent himself onbusiness for three days. 

"(Signed) DUPONT. 

"Calvisson, this----"

And these safe-conducts were as much respected as if they had beensigned "Marechal de Villars. "

On the 22nd M. De Saint-Pierre arrived from the court, bringing thereply of the king to the proposals which Cavalier had submitted to M. DeLalande. What this reply was did not transpire; probably it was not inharmony with the pacific intentions of the marechal. At last, on the25th, the answer to the demands which Cavalier had made to M. De Villarshimself arrived. The original paper written by the Camisard chiefhimself had been sent to Louis XIV, and he returned it with notes inhis own writing; thus these two hands, to one of which belonged theshepherd's crook and to the other the sceptre, had rested on the samesheet of paper. The following is the text of the agreement as given byCavalier 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 consciencethroughout the province, and to permit us to hold religious meetings inevery 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 theresince 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 religionbe allowed to return in freedom and safety, and that their goods andprivileges 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 ancientfooting, 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 forten years, this to apply, to Catholics and Protestants alike, both sideshaving equally suffered. 

'Refused. 

"6. That the cities of Perpignan, Montpellier, Cette, and Aiguemortes beassigned us as cities of refuge. 

'Refused. 

"7. That the inhabitants of the Cevennes whose houses were burnt orotherwise destroyed during the war be exempt from taxes for seven years. 

'Granted. 

"8. That it may please His Majesty to permit Cavalier to choose 2000men, both from among his own troops and from among those who may bedelivered from the prisons and galleys, to form a regiment of dragoonsfor the service of His Majesty, and that this regiment when formed mayat once be ordered to serve His Majesty in Portugal. 

'Granted: and on condition that all the Huguenots everywhere lay downtheir arms, the king will permit them to live quietly in the freeexercise of their religion. '"

"I had been a week at Calvisson, " says Cavalier in his Memoirs, "when Ireceived a letter from M. Le Marechal de Villars ordering me to repairto Nimes, as he wished to see me, the answer to my demands havingarrived. I obeyed at once, and was very much displeased to find thatseveral of my demands, and in particular the one relating to the citiesof refuge, had been refused; but M. Le marechal assured me that theking's word was better than twenty cities of refuge, and that afterall the trouble we had given him we should regard it as showing greatclemency on his part that he had granted us the greater part of what wehad asked. This reasoning was not entirely convincing, but as there wasno more time for deliberation, and as I was as anxious for peace as theking himself, I decided to accept gracefully what was offered. "

All the further advantage that Cavalier could obtain from M. De Villarswas that the treaty should bear the date of the day on which it had beendrawn up; in this manner the prisoners who were to be set at liberty insix weeks gained one week. 

M. De Villars wrote at the bottom of the treaty, which was signedthe same day by him and M. De Baville on the part of the king, andby Cavalier and Daniel Billard on the part of the Protestants, thefollowing 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 madeknown. 

"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 theirown, gave such great delight to MM. De Villars and de Baville, thatthey at once sent off fresh orders to Calvisson that the wants of theCamisards should be abundantly supplied until the articles of the treatywere executed--that is to say, until the prisoners and the galley slaveswere set at liberty, which, according to article 2 of the treaty, wouldbe within the next six weeks. As to Cavalier, the marechal gave himon the spot a commission as colonel, with a pension of 1200 livresattached, and the power of nominating the subordinate officers in hisregiment, and at the same time he handed him a captain's commission forhis young brother. 

Cavalier drew up the muster-roll of the regiment the same day, and gaveit to the marechal. It was to consist of seven hundred and twelve men, forming fifteen companies, with sixteen captains, sixteen lieutenants, asergeant-major, and a surgeon-major. 

While all this was happening, Roland, taking advantage of the suspensionof hostilities, was riding up and down the province as if he wereviceroy of the Cevennes, and wherever he appeared he had a magnificentreception. Like Cavalier, he gave leave of absence and furnishedescorts, and held himself haughtily, sure that he too would soon benegotiating treaties on terms of equality with marshals of France andgovernors of provinces. But Roland was much mistaken: M. De Villars hadmade great concessions to the popularity of Cavalier, but they were thelast he intended to make. So, instead of being in his turn summoned toNimes, or Uzes, to confer with M. De Villars, Roland merely received anintimation from Cavalier that he desired to speak with him on importantbusiness. 

They met near Anduze, and Cavalier, faithful to the promise given toM. De Villars, neglected no argument that he could think of to induceRoland to follow his example; but Roland would listen to nothing. Then, when Cavalier saw that arguments and promises were of no avail, heraised 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 thathad been promised in his name by his junior, and that he had registereda vow in Heaven that nothing would persuade him to make peace unlesscomplete liberty of conscience were granted to all. The young Cevenol, who was unaccustomed to such language, laid his hand on the hilt of hissword, Roland, stepping back, drew his, and the consultation would haveended 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 manmuch esteemed among the Huguenots, named Salomon, going back to Nimeswith Cavalier to learn from M. De Villars' own mouth what the exactterms were which Cavalier had accepted and now offered to Roland. 

In a couple of hours Cavalier and Salomon set out together, and arrivedat Nimes on the 27th May, escorted by twenty-five men; they halted atthe tower of Magne, and the Protestants of the city came out to meetthem, bringing refreshments; then, after prayers and a hasty meal, theyadvanced to the barracks and crossed the courtyards. The concourse ofpeople and the enthusiasm was no whit less than on Cavalier's firstentry, more than three hundred persons kissing his hands and knees. Cavalier was dressed on this occasion in a doublet of grey cloth, and abeaver hat, laced with gold, and adorned with a white feather. 

Cavalier and his travelling-companion went direct to the garden of theRecollets, and hardly had they got there than MM. De Villars and deBaville, accompanied by Lalande and Sandricourt, came out to meet them:the conference lasted three hours, but all that could be learned of theresult was that Salomon had declared that his brethren would never laydown their arms till full liberty of conscience had been secured tothem. In consequence of this declaration, it was decided that Cavalierand his regiment should be despatched to Spain without delay, in orderto weaken the Calvinist forces to that extent; meantime Salomon was sentback to Roland with a positive promise that if he would surrender, asCavalier had done, he would be granted the same conditions--that isto say, receive a commission as colonel, have the right to name theofficers of his regiment, and receive a pension of 1200 livres. Onquitting the garden of the Recollets, Cavalier found as great a crowd asever waiting for him, and so closely did they press on him that two ofhis men were obliged to ride before him with drawn sabres to clear away for him till the Montpellier road was reached. He lay that night atLanglade, in order to rejoin his troops early next morning. 

But during his absence things had happened among these men, who hadhitherto obeyed him blindly, which he little expected. He had left, asusual, Ravanel in command; but hardly had he ridden away when Ravanelbegan to take all kinds of precautions, ordering the men not to layaside their arms. The negotiations with M. De Villars had made himmost anxious; he looked upon all the promises given as snares, andhe regarded the compromise favoured by his chief as a defection onCavalier'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 thatCavalier had joined the Huguenots less from devotion to the cause thanto avenge a private wrong, and on many occasions had given rise to theremark that he had more genius than religion. 

So, on getting back to Calvisson, the young chief found his principalofficers, Ravanel at their head, drawn up in the market-place, waitingfor him. As soon as he drew near they told him that they were determinedto know at once what were the conditions of the treaty he had signedwith the marechal; they had made up their minds to have a plainanswer without delay. Such a way of speaking to him was so strange andunexpected, that Cavalier shrugged his shoulders and replied thatsuch matters were no business of theirs, being too high for theirintelligence; that it was his business to decide what course to take andtheirs to take it; it had always been so in the past, and with thehelp of God and his own, Cavalier's, goodwill, it should still be soin future; and having so spoken, he told them to disperse. Ravanel uponthis came forward, and in the name of all the others said they wouldnot go away until they knew what orders Cavalier was about to give thetroops, that they might consult among themselves whether they shouldobey them or not. This insubordination was too much for Cavalier'spatience. 

"The orders are, " he said, "to put on the uniforms that are being madefor you, and to follow me to Portugal. "

The effect of such words on men who were expecting nothing less than there-enactment of the Edict of Nantes, can be easily imagined; the words"coward" and "traitor" could be distinguished above the murmurs, asCavalier noticed with increasing astonishment. Raising himself in hisstirrups, and glancing round with that look before which they had beenused to tremble, he asked in a voice as calm as if all the demons ofanger were not raging in his heart, "Who called Jean Cavalier traitorand coward?"

"I, " said Ravanel, crossing his arms on his breast. 

Cavalier drew a pistol from his holsters, and striking those near himwith the butt end, opened a way towards his lieutenant, who drew hissword; but at this moment the commissary-general, Vincel, and CaptainCappon threw themselves between the two and asked the cause of thequarrel. 

"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, whowere coming to join us, and are hindering others front attending ourmeetings to worship God: the conditions of the truce having been thusbroken, is it likely they will keep those of the treaty? We refuse toaccept the treaty. "

"Sir, " said Vincel, "if the 'Hermit' has done what you say, it isagainst the orders of the marachal, and the misdoer will be punished;besides, the large number of strangers at present in Calvisson oughtto be sufficient proof that no attempt has been made to prevent the newconverts from coming to the town, and it seems to me that you have beentoo easily led to believe everything that malicious people have toldyou. "

"I believe what I choose to believe, " said Ravanel impatiently; "butwhat I know and say is, that I shall never lay down arms till the kinggrants us full liberty of conscience, permission to rebuild our placesof worship, and sends us back all prisoners and exiles. "

"But, judging by your tone, " said Cavalier, who had till now remainedsilent 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 peacefor yourself, lay down what conditions suit you, sell yourself forwhatever you will bring; my only reply is, You are a coward and atraitor. But as to the troops, they will not lay down arms except on theconditions formulated by me. "

Cavalier tried to get at Ravanel, but seeing from his paleness and hissmile that terrible things would happen if he reached his lieutenant, Vincel and Cappon, backed by some Camisards, threw themselves before hishorse. Just then the whole band shouted with one voice, "No peace! nopeace! no reconciliation till our temples are restored!" Cavalierthen saw for the first time that things were more serious than hehad believed, but Vincel, Cappon, Berlie, and about twenty Camisardssurrounded the young chief and forced him to enter a house; it was thehouse of Vincel. 

They had hardly got indoors when the 'generale' was sounded: resistingall 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 Villarsan account of what had happened, who would then take measures to putthings straight. 

"You are right, " said Cavalier; "as I have so many enemies, the generalmight be told if I were killed that I had broken my word. Give me penand ink. "

Writing materials were brought, and he wrote to M. De Villars. 

"Here, " he said, giving the letter unsealed to Vincel, "set out forNimes and give this to the marechal, and tell him, if I am killed in theattempt 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 faithfulto him. He asked them where Ravanel and his troops were, not seeing asingle Camisard in the streets; one of the soldiers answered that theywere probably still in town, but that they were moving towards LesGarrigues de Calvisson. Cavalier set off at a gallop to overtake them. 

In crossing the market-place he met Catinat, walking between twoprophets, one called Moses and the other Daniel Guy; Catinat was justback from a visit to the mountains, so that he had taken no part in thescene of insubordination that had so lately been enacted. 

Cavalier felt a ray of hope; he was sure he could depend on Catinat ason himself. He hurried to greet him, holding out his hand; but Catinatdrew back his. 

"What does this mean?" cried Cavalier, the blood mounting to hisforehead. 

"It means, " answered Catinat, "that you are a traitor, and I cannot givemy hand to a traitor. "

Cavalier gave a cry of rage, and advancing on Catinat, raised his caneto strike him; but Moses and Daniel Guy threw themselves between, so that the blow aimed at Catinat fell on Moses. At the same momentCatinat, seeing Cavalier's gesture, drew a pistol from his belt. As itwas 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, buthearing the shot had turned back, believing that some of their brethrenwere being murdered. On seeing them appear, Cavalier forgot Catinat, and rode straight towards them. As soon as they caught sight of him theyhalted, 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 calledRavanel, if he has courage to follow me. "

"Come on, then, " cried Ravanel, darting down a small side-street, "andlet us have done with it. " The Camisards made a motion as if to followthem, but Ravanel turning towards them ordered them to remain where theywere. 

They obeyed, and thus Cavalier could see that, insubordinate as they hadbeen towards him, they were ready to obey another. 

Just at the moment as he turned into the narrow street where the disputewas to be settled once for all, Moses and Guy came up, and seizing thebridle of his horse stopped him, while the Camisards who were on theside of Cavalier surrounded Ravanel and forced him to return to hissoldiers. The troops struck up a psalm, and resumed their march, whileCavalier was held back by force. 

At last, however, the young Cevenol succeeded in breaking away fromthose who surrounded him, and as the street by which the Camisards hadretired was blocked, he dashed down another. The two prophets suspectinghis intention, hurried after the troops by the most direct route, andgot up with them, just as Cavalier, who had made the circuit of thetown, came galloping across the plain to intercept their passage. Thetroops halted, and Ravanel gave orders to fire. The first rank raisedtheir muskets and took aim, thus indicating that they were ready toobey. But it was not a danger of this kind that could frighten Cavalier;he continued to advance. Then Moses seeing his peril, threw himselfbetween the Camisards and him, stretching out his arms and shouting, "Stop! stop! misguided men! Are you going to kill Brother Cavalierlike a highwayman and thief? You must pardon him, my brethren! youmust pardon him! If he has done wrong in the past, he will do better infuture. "

Then those who had taken aim at Cavalier grounded their muskets, andCavalier changing menace for entreaty, begged them not to break thepromise that he had made in their name; whereupon the prophets struckup a psalm, and the rest of the soldiers joining in, his voice wascompletely drowned. Nevertheless, Cavalier did not lose heart, butaccompanied them on their march to Saint-Esteve, about a league fartheron, unable to relinquish all hope. On reaching Saint-Esteve the singingceased for a moment, and he made another attempt to recall them toobedience. 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 thedragoons 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 thosewho love me follow me!" He pronounced these words in tones so fullof grief and affection that many were shaken in their resolution; butRavanel and Moses seeing the effect he had produced, began to shout, "The sword of the Lord!" Immediately all the troops turned their backon Cavalier except about forty men who had joined him on his firstappearance. 

Cavalier went into a house near by, and wrote another letter to M. DeVillars, in which he told him what had just taken place, the efforts hehad made to win back his troops, and the conditions they demanded. Heended by assuring him that he would make still further efforts, andpromised the marechal that he would keep him informed of everythingthat went on. He then withdrew to Cardet, not venturing to return toCalvisson. 

Both Cavalier's letters reached M. De Villars at the same time; in thefirst impulse of anger aroused by this unexpected check, he issued thefollowing order:

"Since coming to this province and taking over the government byorder of the king, our sole thought has been how to put an end to thedisorders we found existing here by gentle measures, and to restorepeace and to preserve the property of those who had taken no part inthe disturbances. To that end we obtained His Majesty's pardon for thoserebels who had, by the persuasion of their chiefs, been induced to laydown their arms; the only condition exacted being that they should throwthemselves on the king's clemency and beg his permission to expiatetheir crime by adventuring their lives in his service. But, beinginformed that instead of keeping the engagements they had made bysigning petitions, by writing letters, and by speaking words expressingtheir intentions, some among them have been trying to delude the mindsof the people with false hopes of full liberty for the exercise of thisso-called Reformed religion, which there has never been any intention ofgranting, 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 greatevils for which it would be difficult to find a remedy, it becomesnecessary to prevent those who give belief to these falsehoods fromexpecting to escape from well-deserved chastisement. We thereforedeclare hereby that all religious assemblies are expressly forbiddenunder the penalties proclaimed in the edicts and ordinances of HisMajesty, and that these will be more strictly enforced in the futurethan in the past. 

"Furthermore, we order all the troops under our command to break up suchassemblies by force, as having been always illegal, and we desire toimpress on the new converts of this province that they are to give theirobedience where it is due, and we forbid them to give any credenceto the false reports which the enemies of their repose are spreadingabroad. If they let themselves be led astray, they will soon findthemselves involved in troubles and misfortunes, such as the loss oftheir lands, the ruin of their families, and the desolation oftheir country; and we shall take care that the true authors of thesemisfortunes 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 ithad been in the time of M. De Montrevel, had hardly been issued thand'Aygaliers, in despair at seeing the result of so much labour destroyedin one day, set off for the mountains to try and find Cavalier. He foundhim at Cardet, whither, as we have said, he had retired after the day ofCalvisson. Despite the resolution which Cavalier had taken never to showhis face again to the marechal, the baron repeated to him so many timesthat M. De Villars was thoroughly convinced that what had happened hadnot been his fault, he having done everything that he could to preventit, that the young chief began to feel his self-confidence and couragereturning, and hearing that the marachal had expressed himself as verymuch pleased with his conduct, to which Vincel had borne high testimony, made up his mind to return to Nimes. They left Cardet at once, followedby the forty men who had remained true to Cavalier, ten on horse andthirty 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 receivedCavalier as if he were still the chief of a powerful party and able tonegotiate with him on terms of equality. At Cavalier's request, in orderto prove to him that he stood as high in his good opinion as ever, the marechal returned once more to gentle methods, and mitigated theseverity of his first proclamation by a second, granting an extension ofthe amnesty:

"The principal chiefs of the rebels, with the greater number of theirfollowers, having surrendered, and having received the king's pardon, we declare that we give to all those who have taken up arms until nextThursday, the 5th instant inclusive, the opportunity of receiving thelike pardon, by surrendering to us at Anduze, or to M. Le Marquisde Lalande at Alais, or to M. De Menon at Saint Hippolyte, or to thecommandants of Uzes, Nimes, and Lunel. But the fifth day passed, weshall lay a heavy hand on all rebels, pillaging and burning all theplaces which have given them refuge, provisions, or help of any kind;and that they may not plead ignorance of this proclamation, we order itto 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, themarechal had the gibbets and scaffolds taken down, which until then hadbeen permanent erections. 

At the same time all the Huguenots were ordered to make a last effort toinduce the Camisard chiefs to accept the conditions offered them byM. 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 wereordered to send deputies to Durfort to confer as to the best means ofbringing about that peace which everyone desired. These deputies wroteat once to M. De Villars to beg him to send them M. D'Aygaliers, and toM. D'Aygaliers to request him to come. 

Both consented to do as they were asked, and M. D'Aygaliers arrived atDurfort on the 3rd of June 1704. 

The deputies having first thanked him for the trouble which he had takento serve the common cause during the past year, resolved to dividetheir assembly into two parts, one of which, was to remain permanentlysitting, while the other went to seek Roland and Ravanel to try andobtain a cessation of hostilities. The deputies charged with this taskwere ordered to make it quite clear to the two chiefs that if theydid not accept the proposals made by M. De Villars, the Protestants ingeneral would take up arms and hunt them down, and would cease to supplythem with the means of subsistence. 

On hearing this, Roland made reply that the deputies were to go back atonce to those who sent them, and threatened, should they ever show himtheir faces again, to fire on them. 

This answer put an end to the assembly, the deputies dispersed, andd'Aygaliers returned to the Marechal de Villars to make his report. 

Hardly had he done this when a letter from Roland arrived, in which theCamisard chief asked M. De Villars to grant him an interview, such as hehad granted to Cavalier. This letter was addressed to d'Aygaliers, whoimmediately communicated its contents to the marechal, from whom hereceived orders to set out at once to find Roland and to spare no painsto 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 aleague from Anduze, where Roland awaited him. After a conference of twohours, it was agreed that hostages should be exchanged and negotiationsentered upon. 

Consequently, M. De Villars on his side sent Roland M. De Montrevel, anofficer 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 ofplenipotentiaries. 

Unskilled in diplomacy as these envoys were, and laughable as theyappeared to contemporary historians, they received nevertheless themarechal's consent to the following conditions:

1. That Cavalier and Roland should each be placed in charge of aregiment serving abroad, and that each of them should be allowed aminister. 

2. That all the prisoners should be released and the exiles recalled. 

3. That the Protestants should be permitted to leave the kingdom, takingtheir effects with them. 

4. That those Camisards who desired to remain might do so, on giving uptheir arms. 

5. That those who were abroad might return. 

6. That no one should be molested on account of his religion providedeveryone remained quietly at home. 

7. That indemnities should be borne by the whole province, and notexacted 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 inthe governor's suite, asked leave to return with the baron, and waspermitted to do so. D'Aygaliers and he set out together in consequencefor Anduze, and met Roland and Ravanel about a quarter of a league fromthe town, waiting to know the result of the negotiations. They wereaccompanied by MM. De Montbel and de Maison-Blanche, the Catholichostages. 

As soon as Cavalier and Roland met they burst out into recriminationsand reproaches, but through the efforts of d'Aygaliers they soon becamemore friendly, and even embraced on parting. 

But Ravanel was made of harder stuff: as soon as he caught sight ofCavalier he called him "traitor, " saying that for his part he wouldnever surrender till the Edict of Nantes was re-enacted; then, havingwarned them that the governor's promises were not to be trusted, andhaving predicted that a day would come when they would regret their toogreat confidence in him, he left the conference and rejoined histroops, which, with those of Roland, were drawn up on a mountain aboutthree-quarters of a league distant. 

The negotiators did not, however, despair. Ravanel had gone away, butRoland had debated with them at some length, so they determined to speakto "the brethren"--that is, to the troops under Roland and Ravanel, whose headquarters at the moment were at Leuzies, in order that theymight know exactly what articles had been agreed on between Roland'senvoys and the marechal. Those who made up their minds to take thisstep were, Cavalier, Roland, Moise, Saint-Paul, Laforet, Maille, and d'Aygaliers. We take the following account of what happened inconsequence of this decision from d'Aygaliers' Memoirs:

"We had no sooner determined on this plan, than, anxious to carry itout, we set off. We followed a narrow mountain path on the face of thecliff 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 3000strong; an advanced post barred our way. 

"Thinking it was placed there in our honour, I was advancingunsuspiciously, when suddenly we found our road cut off by Camisards toright and left, who threw themselves on Roland and forced him in amongtheir troops. Maille and Malplach were dragged from their horses. Asto Cavalier, who was somewhat behind, as soon as he saw people comingtowards him with uplifted sabres and shouting Traitor! he put spurs tohis horse and went off at full gallop, followed by some townspeople fromAnduze who had come with us, and who, now that they saw the reception wemet with, were ready to die with fear. 

"I was too far forward to escape: five or six muskets rested on mybreast 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 myprince, my country, and my religion, as well as for themselves, whom Iwas trying to benefit by procuring them the king's goodwill. 

"These words, which I repeated several times in the midst of thegreatest uproar, gave them pause. 

"They commanded me to retire, as they did not want to kill me. I said Ishould do nothing of the kind: I was going into the middle of the troopsto defend Roland against the charge of treason, or be put to deathmyself, unless I could convince them that what I had proposed to himand Cavalier was for the good of the country, of our religion, and thebrethren; and having thus expostulated at the top of my voice againstthirty voices all trying to drown mine for about an hour, I offered tofight 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 theywere unarmed, had enough influence to hinder my being insulted; I wasforced, however, to retreat. 

"In leaving, I warned them that they were about to bring greatmisfortunes on the province, whereupon a man named Claris stepped outfrom among the troops, and approaching me exclaimed, 'Go on, sir, andGod bless you! We know that you mean well, and were the first to betaken in. But go on working for the good of the country, and God willbless you. '"

D'Aygaliers returned to the marechal, who, furious at the turn thingshad taken, resolved instantly to break off all negotiations and haverecourse once more to measures of severity. However, before actuallycarrying out this determination, he wrote the following letter to theking:

"SIRE, --It is always my glory to execute faithfully your Majesty'sorders, whatever those orders may be; but I should have been able, onmany occasions since coming here, to display my zeal for your Majesty'sservice in other ways if I had not had to deal with madmen on whom nodependence 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 toaccept a pardon of which they were unworthy, and which was so generouslyoffered by your Majesty. If they do not soon make up their minds, Ishall bring them back to the paths of duty by force, and thus restorethis province to that state of peace which has been disturbed by thesefools. "

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 the8th June were over, before resorting to severity, that being the end ofthe 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 surrenderalong with a hundred and fifty followers. The marechal consented to waittill Saturday morning, but as soon as Saturday arrived he gave orders toattack the Camisards, and the next day led a considerable body of troopsto Carnoulet, intending to take the Huguenots by surprise, as word hadbeen brought that they were all gathered there. They, however, receivedintelligence of his plan, and evacuated the village during the night. 

The village had to pay dearly for its sin of hospitality; it waspillaged and burnt down: the miquelets even murdered two women whom theyfound there, and d'Aygaliers failed to obtain any satisfaction for thiscrime. 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 hisscouts that Roland was to sleep next night at the chateau de Prade, wentto M. De Villars and asked leave to conduct an expedition against thechief. He was almost sure of taking Roland by surprise, having procureda guide whose knowledge of the country was minute. The marechal gave himcarte blanche. In the evening Menon set out with two hundred grenadiers. He had already put three-quarters of the way behind him without beingdiscovered, when an Englishman met them by chance. This man was servingunder Roland, but had been visiting his sweetheart in a neighbouringvillage, 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, withoutstaying for clothes or horse, ran off in his shirt, escaping by apostern gate which opened on the forest just as de Menon entered byanother. He found Roland's bed still warm, and took possession of hisclothes, finding in a coat pocket a purse containing thirty-five Louis, and in the stables three superb horses. The Camisards answered thisbeginning of hostilities by a murder. Four of them, thinking they hadreasons for displeasure against one of M. De Baville's subordinates, named Daude, who was both mayor and magistrate; at Le Vigan, hid in acorn-field which he had to pass on his way back from La Valette, hiscountry place. Their measures were successful: Daude came along just aswas expected, and as he had not the slightest suspicion of the impendingdanger, he continued conversing with M, de Mondardier, a gentleman ofthe neighbourhood who had asked for the hand of Daude's daughter inmarriage that very day. Suddenly he found himself surrounded by fourmen, who, upbraiding him for his exactions and cruelties, shot himtwice through the head with a pistol. They offered no violence to M. DeMondardier except to deprive him of his laced hat and sword. The day onwhich M. De Villars heard of its murder he set a price on the heads ofRoland, Ravanel, and Catinat. Still the example set by Cavalier, joinedto the resumption of hostilities, was not without influence on theCamisards; every day letters arrived from single troopers offeringto lay down their arms, and in one day thirty rebels came in and putthemselves into Lalande's hands, while twenty surrendered to Grandval;these were accorded not only pardon, but received a reward, in hopesthat they might be able to induce others to do like them; and on the15th June eight of the troops which had abandoned Cavalier at Calvissonmade submission; while twelve others asked to be allowed to return totheir old chief to follow him wherever he went. This request was at oncegranted: they were sent to Valabregues, where they found forty-twoof their old comrades, amongst whom were Duplan and Cavalier's youngbrother, who had been ordered there a few days before. As they arrivedthey were given quarters in the barracks, and received good pay--thechiefs forty sous a day, and the privates ten. So they felt as happyas possible, being well fed and well lodged, and spent their timepreaching, praying, and psalm-singing, in season and out of season. All this, says La Baume, was so disagreeable to the inhabitants of theplace, who were Catholics, that if they had not been guarded by theking's soldiers they would have been pitched into the Rhone. 

CHAPTER V

Meantime the date of Cavalier's departure drew near. A town was tobe named in which he was to reside at a sufficient distance from thetheatre 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 wascomplete it was to go, under his command, to Spain, and fight for theking. 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 theFrench army. On the 21st June he told him that he was to get ready toleave the next day, and at the same time he handed him an advance ontheir future pay--fifty Louis for himself, thirty for Daniel Billard, who had been made lieutenant-colonel in the place of Ravanel, ten foreach captain, five for each lieutenant, two for each sergeant, andone for each private. The number of his followers had then reached onehundred and fifty, only sixty of whom were armed. M. De Vassiniac, majorin the Fimarcn regiment, accompanied them with fifty dragoons and fiftyof 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 wroteto M. De Chamillard to tell him that he had things of importance tocommunicate to him, and the minister sent a courier of the Cabinetcalled Lavallee to bring Cavalier to Versailles. This message more thanfulfilled all Cavalier's hopes: he knew that he had been greatly talkedabout at court, and in spite of his natural modesty the reception he hadmet with at Times had given him new ideas, if not of his own merit, atleast of his own importance. Besides, he felt that his services to theking deserved some recognition. 

The way in which Cavalier was received by Chamillard did not disturbthese golden dreams: the minister welcomed the young colonel like a manwhose worth he appreciated, and told him that the great lords and ladiesof the court were not less favourably disposed towards him. The next dayChamillard announced to Cavalier that the king desired to see him, andthat he was to keep himself prepared for a summons to court. Two dayslater, Cavalier received a letter from the minister telling him to be atthe palace at four o'clock in the afternoon, and he would place him onthe grand staircase, up which the king would pass. 

Cavalier put on his handsomest clothes, for the first time in his lifeperhaps taking trouble with his toilet. He had fine features, to whichhis extreme youth, his long fair hair, and the gentle expression of hiseyes 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 waitingfor him; all the courtiers of every rank were in a state of greatexcitement, for they had learned that the great Louis had expressed awish to meet the late Cevenol chief, whose name had been pronouncedso loud and so often in the mountains of Languedoc that its echoes hadresounded in the halls of Versailles. Cavalier had not been mistaken inthinking that everyone was curious to see him, only as no one yet knewin what light the king regarded him, the courtiers dared not accost himfor fear of compromising their dignity; the manner of his reception byHis Majesty would regulate the warmth of his reception by everyone else. 

Met thus by looks of curiosity and affected silence, the young colonelfelt some embarrassment, and this increased when Chamillard, who hadaccompanied 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 washeard: Cavalier turned in the direction from which it came, andperceived the king just entering the vestibule. It was the first timehe had seen him, but he recognized him at once. Cavalier's knees knockedtogether 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 orhand. Behind him, two steps lower, came Chamillard, moving and stoppingas the king moved and stopped, and answering the questions which HisMajesty put to him in a respectful but formal and precise manner. 

Reaching the level on which Cavalier stood, the king stopped underpretext of pointing out to Chamillard a new ceiling which Le Brun hadjust finished, but really to have a good look at the singular man whohad maintained a struggle against two marshals of France and treatedwith 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 thestranger, and asked:

"Who is this young gentleman?"

"Sire, " answered the minister, stepping forward to present him to theking, "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, whenthe scornful answer of the great king changed him into a statue. Foran instant he stood motionless and pale as death, then instinctively helaid his hand on his sword, but becoming conscious that he was lost ifhe remained an instant longer among these people, whom not one of hismotions escaped, although they pretended to despise him too much tobe aware of his presence, he dashed down the staircase and through thehall, upsetting two or three footmen who were in his way, hurried intothe garden, ran across it at full speed, and regaining his room atthe hotel, threw himself on the floor, where he rolled like a maniac, uttering cries of rage, and cursing the hour when, trusting to thepromises of M. De Villars, he had abandoned the mountains where he wasas much a king as Louis XIV at Versailles. The same evening he receivedorders to leave Paris and rejoin his regiment at Macon. He therefore setout the next morning, without seeing M. De Chamillard again. 

Cavalier on arriving at Macon found that his comrades had had a visitfrom M. D'Aygaliers, who had come again to Paris, in the hope ofobtaining more from the king than M. De Villars could or would grant. 

Cavalier, without telling his comrades of the strange manner in whichthe king had received him, gave them to understand that he was beginningto 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 wouldfollow him, their best course and his would be to take the firstopportunity of gaining the frontier and leaving the country. They alldeclared themselves ready to follow him anywhere. This caused Cavalier anew pang of regret, for he could not help recollecting that he had oncehad under his command fifteen hundred men like these. 

The next day Cavalier and his comrades set out on their march withoutknowing whither they were being taken, not having been able to obtainany information as to their destination from their escort--a silencewhich confirmed them in their resolution. As soon, therefore, as theyreached Onnan, Cavalier declared that he considered that the looked-foropportunity had arrived, asking them if they were still in the samemind: they returned that they would do whatever he advised. Cavalierthen ordered them to hold themselves in readiness, Daniel offered up aprayer, and the prayer ended, the whole company deserted in a body, and, crossing Mont Belliard, entered Porentruy, and took the road toLausanne. 

Meantime d'Aygaliers, in his turn, arrived at Versailles, with lettersfrom M. De Villars for the Duke of Beauvilliers, president of the king'scouncil, and for Chamillard. The evening of his arrival he deliveredthese letters to those to whom they were addressed, and both gentlemenpromised to present him to the king. 

Four days later, Chamillard sent word to d'Aygaliers that he was to benext day at the door of the king's chamber at the time when the councilentered. 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 verymuch pleased with the zeal you have displayed in Languedoc in myservice--very much pleased indeed. "

"Sire, " answered d'Aygaliers, "I consider myself most unfortunate inthat I have been able to accomplish nothing deserving of the graciouswords which your Majesty deigns to address me, and I pray God of Hisgrace to grant me in the future an opportunity of proving my zeal andloyalty in your Majesty's service more clearly than hitherto. "

"Never mind, never mind, " said the king. "I repeat, sir, that I am verymuch 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 onlyto receive commendation from the king, but in the hope of obtaining someconcession for his brethren; but with Louis XIV it was impossible eitherto intercede or complain, one could only wait. 

The same evening Chamillard sent for the baron, and told him that asMarechal Villars had mentioned in his letter that the Camisards hadgreat confidence in him, d'Aygaliers, he wished to ask him if he werewilling to go once more to them and try and bring them back to the pathof duty. 

"Certainly I am willing; but I fear things have now got so far thatthere will be great difficulty in calming the general perturbation ofmind. "

"But what can these people want?" asked Chamillard, as if he had justheard them spoken of for the first time, "and by what means can wepacify them?"

"In my opinion, " said the baron, "the king should allow to all hissubjects the free exercise of their religion. "

"What! legalise once more the exercise of the so-called Reformedreligion!" exclaimed the minister. "Be sure you never mention sucha thing again. The king would rather see his kingdom destroyed thanconsent to such a measure. "

"Monseigneur, " replied the baron, "if that is the case, then I must saywith great regret that I know of no other way to calm the discontentwhich will ultimately result in the ruin of one of the fairest provincesin France. "

"But that is unheard-of obstinacy, " said the minister, lost inastonishment; "these people will destroy themselves, and drag theircountry down with them. If they cannot conform to our religion, why dothey not worship God in their own way at home? No one will disturb themas long as they don't insist on public worship. "

"At first that was all they wanted, monseigneur; and I am convinced thatif people had not been dragged to confession and communion by force, itwould have been easy to keep them in that submissive frame of mind fromwhich they were only driven by despair; but at present they say that itis not enough to pray at home, they want to be married, to have theirchildren baptised and instructed, and to die and be buried according tothe ordinances of their own faith. "

"Where may you have seen anyone who was ever made to communicate byforce?" asked Chamillard. 

D'Aygaliers looked at the minister in surprise, thinking he spoke injoke; 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 stepwas surrounded by many difficulties which she feared she could neversurmount. So she asked my other relations to persuade me to remain. I yielded to their importunities on condition that they would neverinterfere with my beliefs. To accomplish this end they got a priest withwhom 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, andI deeply repent it. I must add, however, that whenever anyone has askedme the question your Excellency asked me just now I have always giventhe 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 findout some way of ridding the kingdom of those who refused to think inreligious matters as His Majesty commanded. 

D'Aygaliers replied that it was a problem to which he had given muchthought, but without ever being able to find a solution, but that hewould think about it more earnestly in future. He then withdrew. 

Some days later, Chamillard sent ward to d'Aygaliers that the king wouldgraciously give him a farewell audience. The baron relates what tookplace at this second interview, as follows. 

"His Majesty, " says he, "received me in the council chamber, and was sogood as to repeat once more in the presence of all his ministers thathe was very much pleased with my services, but that there was one thingabout me he should like to correct. I begged His Majesty to tell me whatthe fault was, and I should try to get rid of it at, the peril of mylife. "

"'It is your religion, ' said the king. 'I should like to have you becomea good Catholic, so that I might be able to grant you favours andenable you to serve me better. ' His Majesty added that I ought to seekinstruction, and that then I should one day recognise what a greatbenefit he desired to bring within my reach. 

"I answered that I would esteem myself happy if at the cost of my life Icould prove the burning zeal with which I was filled for the serviceof the greatest of earthly kings, but that I should be unworthy of theleast of his favours if I obtained it by hypocrisy or by anything ofwhich my conscience did not approve, but that I was grateful for thegoodness which made him anxious for my salvation. I told him also thatI had already taken every opportunity of receiving instruction, and hadtried to put aside the prejudices arising from my birth, such as oftenhindered people from recognising the truth, with the result that I hadat one time almost lost all sense of religion, until God, taking pity onme, 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 onefor me. 'And I can assure your Majesty, ' I added, 'that many ofthe Languedoc bishops who ought, it seems to me, to try to make usCatholics, are the instruments which Providence uses to prevent usfrom becoming so. For instead of attracting us by gentleness and goodexample, they ceaselessly subject us to all kinds of persecutions, as ifto convince us that God is punishing us for our cowardice in giving upa 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 todrive us to despair. "

"At this the king shrugged his shoulders and said, 'Enough, do not sayany more. ' I asked for his blessing as the king and father of all hissubjects. The king burst out laughing, and told me that M. De Chamillardwould give me his orders. "

In virtue of this intimation d'Aygaliers went next day to the minister'scountry house; for Chamillard had given him that address, and there helearned that the king had granted him a pension of 800 livres. The baronremarked that, not having worked for money, he had hoped for a betterreward; as far as money was concerned, he desired only the reimbursementof the actual expenses of his journeys to and from, but Chamillardanswered that the king expected all that he offered and whatever heoffered to be accepted with gratitude. To this there was no possiblereply, so the same evening d'Aygaliers set out on his return toLanguedoc. 

Three months later, Chamillard forwarded him an order to leave thekingdom, telling him that he was to receive a pension of four hundredcrowns per annum, and enclosing the first quarter in advance. 

As there was no means of evading this command, D'Aygaliers set out forGeneva, accompanied by thirty-three followers, arriving there on the23rd of September. Once rid of him, Louis the Magnificent thought thathe had done his part nobly and that he owed him nothing further, so thatd'Aygaliers waited a whole year in vain for the second quarter of hispension. 

At the end of this time, as his letters to Chamillard remainedunanswered, and finding himself without resources in a foreign country, he believed himself justified in returning to France and taking up hisresidence on his family estate. Unfortunately, on his way through Lyons, the provost of merchants, hearing of his return, had him arrested, andsent word to the king, who ordered him to be taken to the chateau deLoches. After a year's imprisonment, d'Aygaliers, who had just enteredon his thirty-fifth year, resolved to try and escape, preferring to diein the attempt rather than remain a prisoner for life. He succeeded ingetting possession of a file with which he removed one of the bars ofhis 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 stunnedhim with his bar. The cry, however, had given the alarm: a secondsentinel 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, havingbeen joined by the main body of those who had once been commanded byCavalier, so that he had, about eight hundred men at his disposal. Somedistance away, another chief, named Joanny, had four hundred; Larose, towhom Castanet had transferred his command, found himself at the head ofthree hundred; Boizeau de Rochegude was followed by one hundred, Saltetde Soustel by two hundred, Louis Coste by fifty, and Catinat by forty, so that, in spite of the victory of Montrevel and the negotiations ofM. De Villars, the Camisards still formed an effective force of eighteenhundred and ninety men, not to speak of many single troopers whoowned no commander but acted each for himself, and were none the lessmischievous for that. All these troops, except these latter, obeyedRoland, who since the defection of Cavalier had been recognised asgeneralissimo of the forces. M. De Villars thought if he could separateRoland from his troops as he had separated Cavalier, his plans would bemore easy to carry out. 

So he made use of every means within his reach to gain over Roland, andas soon as one plan failed he tried another. At one moment he was almostsure 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 positiverefusal, so that it became evident that resort must be had to othermeans than those of persuasion. A sum of 100 Louis had already been seton Roland's head: this sum was now doubled. 

Three days afterwards, a young man from Uzes, by name Malarte, in whomRoland had every confidence, wrote to M. De Paratte that the Camisardgeneral intended to pass the night of the 14th of August at the chateauCastelnau. 

De Paratte immediately made his dispositions, and ordered Lacoste-Badie, at the head of two companies of dragoons, and all the officers at Uzeswho were well mounted, to hold themselves in readiness to start on anexpedition at eight o'clock in the evening, but not revealing its objectto them till the time came. At eight o'clock, having been told what theyhad to do, they set off at such a pace that they came in sight of thechateau within an hour, and were obliged to halt and conceal themselves, lest they should appear too soon, before Roland had retired for thenight. But they need not have been afraid; the Camisard chief, who wasaccustomed to rely on all his men as on himself, had gone to bed withoutany suspicion, having full confidence in the vigilance of one of hisofficers, named Grimaud, who had stationed himself as sentinel on theroof of the chateau. Led by Malarte, Lacoste-Badie and his dragoons tooka narrow covered way, which led them to the foot of the walls, sothat when Grimaud saw them it was already too late, the chateau beingsurrounded on all sides. Firing off his gun, he cried, "To arms!"Roland, roused by the cry and the shot, leaped out of bed, and takinghis 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 stablesto get horses, but three of their men--Marchand, Bourdalie, andBayos--had been before them and had seized on the best ones, and ridingthem bare-backed had dashed through the front gates before the dragoonscould stop them. The horses that were left were so wretched that Rolandfelt there was no chance of out-distancing the dragoons by their help, so he resolved to fly on foot, thus avoiding the open roads andbeing able to take refuge in every ravine and every bush as cover. Hetherefore hastened with Grimaud and four other officers who had gatheredround him towards a small back gate which opened on the fields, butas there was, besides the troops which entered the chateau, a ring ofdragoons round it, they fell at once into the hands of some men who hadbeen placed in ambush. Seeing himself surrounded, Roland let fall theclothes which he had not yet had time to put on, placed his back againsta tree, drew his sword, and challenged the boldest, whether officer orprivate, to approach. His features expressed such resolution, that whenhe thus, alone and half naked, defied them all, there was a moment'shesitation, during which no one ventured to take a forward step; butthis pause was broken by the report of a gun: the arm which Roland hadstretched out against his adversaries fell to his side, the sword withwhich 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 heleaned, after remaining an instant erect, gradually sank to the ground. Collecting all his strength, Roland raised his two hands to Heaven, asif to call down the vengeance of God upon his murderers, then, withouthaving uttered a single word, he fell forward dead, shot through theheart. The name of the dragoon who killed him was Soubeyrand. 

Maillie, Grimaud, Coutereau, Guerin, and Ressal, the five Camisardofficers, seeing their chief dead, let themselves be taken as if theywere children, without thinking of making any resistance. 

The dead body of Roland was carried back in triumph to Uzes, and fromthere to Nimes, where it was put upon trial as if still alive. It wassentenced to be dragged on hurdles and then burnt. The execution of thissentence was carried out with such pomp as made it impossible for theone party to forget the punishment and for the other to forget themartyrdom. At the end the ashes of Roland were scattered to the fourwinds of heaven. 

The execution of the five officers followed close on that of theirchief's body; they were condemned to be broken on the wheel, and thesentence was carried out on all at once. But their death, instead ofinspiring the Calvinists with terror, gave them rather fresh courage, for, as an eye-witness relates, the five Camisards bore their torturesnot only with fortitude, but with a light-heartedness which surprisedall present, especially those who had never seen a Camisard executedbefore. 

Malarte received his 200 Louis, but to-day his name is coupled with thatof Judas in the minds of his countrymen. 

From this time on fortune ceased to smile on the Camisards. Genius hadgone with Cavalier, and, faith with Roland. The very day of the deathof the latter, one of their stores, containing more than eighty sacks ofcorn, had been taken at Toiras. The next day, Catinat, who, with adozen men, was in hiding in a vineyard of La Vaunage, was surprised bya detachment of Soissonnais; eleven of his men were killed, the twelfthmade prisoner, and he himself barely escaped with a severe wound. The25th of the same month, a cavern near Sauve, which the rebels used asa store, and which contained one hundred and fifty sacks of finewheat, was discovered; lastly, Chevalier de Froulay had found a thirdhiding-place near Mailet. In this, which had been used not only as astore but as a hospital, besides a quantity of salt beef, wine, andflour, six wounded Camisards were found, who were instantly shot as theylay. 

The only band which remained unbroken was Ravanel's, but since thedeparture of Cavalier things had not gone well with his lieutenant. 

In consequence of this, and also on account of the successive checkswhich the other bodies of Camisard troops had met with, Ravanelproclaimed a solemn fast, in order to intercede with God to protect theHuguenot cause. On Saturday, the 13th September, he led his entire forceto the wood of St. Benazet, intending to pass the whole of the next daywith them there in prayer. But treason was rife. Two peasants who knewof this plan gave information to M. Lenoir, mayor of Le Vigan, and hesent word to the marechal and M. De Saville, who were at Anduze. 

Nothing could have been more welcome to the governor than this importantinformation: he made the most careful disposition of his forces, hopingto destroy the rebellion at one blow. He ordered M. De Courten, abrigadier-colonel in command at Alais, to take a detachment of thetroops under him and patrol the banks of the Gardon between Ners andCastagnols. He was of opinion that if the Camisards were attacked onthe other side by a body of soldiers drawn from Anduze, which he hadstationed during the night at Dommersargues, they would try to make goodtheir retreat towards the river. The force at Dommersargues might almostbe called a small army; for it was composed of a Swiss battalion, abattalion of the Hainault regiment, one from the Charolais regiment, andfour 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, andpassed the night there. 

At break of day the royals from Dommersargues began their advance. TheCamisard outposts soon perceived the movement, and warned Ravanel, who held his little council of war. Everyone was in favour of instantretreat, so they retired towards Ners, intending to cross the Gardonbelow that town: just as M. De Villars had foreseen, the Camisards dideverything necessary for the success of his plans, and ended by walkingright into the trap set for them. 

On emerging from the wood of St. Benazet, they caught sight of adetachment of royals drawn up and waiting for them between Marvejolsand a mill called the Moulin-du-Pont. Seeing the road closed in thisdirection, they turned sharp to the left, and gained a rocky valleywhich ran parallel to the Gardon. This they followed till they cameout below Marvejols, where they crossed the river. They now thoughtthemselves out of danger, thanks to this manoeuvre, but suddenly theysaw another detachment of royals lying on the grass near the mill ofLa Scie. They at once halted again, and then, believing themselvesundiscovered, turned back, moving as noiselessly as possible, intendingto recross the river and make for Cardet. But they only avoided onetrap to fall into another, for in this direction they were met bythe Hainault battalion, which swooped down upon them. A few of theseill-fated men rallied at the sound of Ravanel's voice and made an effortto defend themselves in spite of the prevailing confusion; but thedanger was so imminent, the foes so numerous, and their numbersdecreased so rapidly under the fierce assault, that their example failedof effect, and flight became general: every man trusted to chance forguidance, and, caring nothing for the safety of others, thought only ofhis own. 

Then it ceased to be a battle and become a massacre, for the royals wereten to one; and among those they encountered, only sixty had firearms, the rest, since the discovery of their various magazines, having beenreduced to arm themselves with bad swords, pitchforks, and bayonetsattached to sticks. Hardly a man survived the fray. Ravanel himselfonly succeeded in escaping by throwing himself into the river, where heremained under water between two rocks for seven hours, only coming tothe surface to breathe. When night fell and the dragoons had retired, healso fled. 

This was the last battle of the war, which had lasted four years. WithCavalier and Roland, those two mountain giants, the power of the rebelsdisappeared. As the news of the defeat spread, the Camisard chiefs andsoldiers becoming convinced that the Lord had hidden His face from them, surrendered one by one. The first to set an example was Castanet. OnSeptember 6th, a week after the defeat of Ravanel, he surrendered to themarechal. 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 the25th, Rochegude. 

Each made what terms he could; in general the conditions werefavourable. Most of those who submitted received rewards of money, somemore, some less; the smallest amount given being 200 livres. They allreceived passports, and were ordered to leave the kingdom, being sent, accompanied by an escort and at the king's expense, to Geneva. Thefollowing is the account given by Marion of the agreement he came towith the Marquis Lalande; probably all the others were of the samenature. 

"I was deputed, " he says, "to treat with this lieutenant-general inregard to the surrender of my own troops and those of Larose, andto arrange terms for the inhabitants of thirty-five parishes whohad contributed to our support during the war. The result of thenegotiations was that all the prisoners from our cantons should be setat liberty, and be reinstated in their possessions, along with all theothers. The inhabitants of those parishes which had been ravaged by firewere to be exempt from land-tax for three years; and in no parish werethe inhabitants to be taunted with the past, nor molested on the subjectof religion, but were to be free to worship God in their own housesaccording to their consciences. "

These agreements were fulfilled with such punctuality, that Larose waspermitted to open the prison doors of St. Hippolyte to forty prisonersthe very day he made submission. 

As we have said, the Camisards, according as they came in, were sent offto Geneva. D'Aygaliers, whose fate we have anticipated, arrived thereon September 23rd, accompanied by Cavalier's eldest brother, Malpach, Roland's secretary, and thirty-six Camisards. Catinat and Castanetarrived there on the 8th October, along with twenty-two other persons, while Larose, Laforet, Salomon, Moulieres, Salles, Marion, and Fidelereached it under the escort of forty dragoons from Fimarcon in the monthof November. 

Of all the chiefs who had turned Languedoc for four years into a vastarena, only Ravanel remained, but he refused either to surrender orto leave the country. On the 8th October the marechal issued an orderdeclaring he had forfeited all right to the favour of an amnesty, andoffering 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 andthe inhabitants put to the sword. 

The revolt seemed to be at an end and peace established. So the marechalwas recalled to court, and left Nimes on January the 6th. Before hisdeparture he received the States of Languedoc, who bestowed on him notonly the praise which was his due for having tempered severity withmercy, but also a purse of 12, 000 livres, while a sum of 8000 livres waspresented to his wife. But all this was only a prelude to the favoursawaiting him at court. On the day he returned to Paris the kingdecorated him with all the royal orders and created him a duke. On thefollowing day he received him, and thus addressed him: "Sir, your pastservices lead me to expect much of those you will render me in thefuture. The affairs of my kingdom would be better conducted if I hadseveral Villars at my disposal. Having only one, I must always send himwhere he is most needed. It was for that reason I sent you to Languedoc. You have, while there, restored tranquillity to my subjects, you mustnow defend them against their enemies; for I shall send you to commandmy army on the Moselle in the next campaign. "

The Duke of Berwick arrived at Montpellier on the 17th March to replaceMarechal Villars. His first care was to learn from M. De Baville theexact state of affairs. M. De Baville told him that they were not atall settled as they appeared to be on the surface. In fact, England andHolland, desiring nothing so much as that an intestine war should wasteFrance, were making unceasing efforts to induce the exiles to returnhome, promising that this time they would really support them by lendingarms, ammunition, and men, and it was said that some were already ontheir way back, among the number Castanet. 

And indeed the late rebel chief, tired of inaction, had left Genevain the end of February, and arrived safely at Vivarais. He had held areligious meeting in a cave near La Goree, and had drawn to his sideValette of Vals and Boyer of Valon. Just as the three had determined topenetrate into the Cevennes, they were denounced by some peasants beforea Swiss officer named Muller, who was in command of a detachment oftroops in the village of Riviere. Muller instantly mounted his horse, and guided by the informers made his way into the little wood in whichthe Camisards had taken refuge, and fell upon them quite unexpectedly. Boyer was killed in trying to escape; Castanet was taken and brought tothe nearest prison, where he was joined the next day by Valette, who hadalso been betrayed by some peasants whom he had asked for assistance. 

The first punishment inflicted on Castanet was, that he was compelledto carry in his hand the head of Boyer all the way from La Goree toMontpellier. He protested vehemently at first, but in vain: it wasfastened to his wrist by the hair; whereupon he kissed it on bothcheeks, 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 relicof a martyr. 

Arrived at Montpellier, Castanet was examined, and at first persistedin saying that he had only returned from exile because he had not thewherewithal to live abroad. But when put to the torture he was made toendure such agony that, despite his courage and constancy, he confessedthat he had formed a plan to introduce a band of Huguenot soldiers withtheir officers into the Cevennes by way of Dauphine or by water, andwhile waiting for their arrival he had sent on emissaries in advanceto rouse the people to revolt; that he himself had also shared in thiswork; that Catinat was at the moment in Languedoc or Vivarais engaged inthe same task, and provided with a considerable sum of money sent him byforeigners for distribution, and that several persons of still greaterimportance would soon cross the frontier and join him. 

Castanet was condemned to be broken on the wheel. As he was about tobe led to execution, Abbe Tremondy, the cure of Notre-Dame, and AbbePlomet, canon of the cathedral, came to his cell to make a last effortto convert him, but he refused to speak. They therefore went on before, and awaited him on the scaffold. There they appeared to inspire Castanetwith more horror than the instruments of torture, and while he addressedthe executioner as "brother, " he called out to the priests, "Go away outof my sight, imps from the bottomless pit! What are you doing here, youaccursed tempters? I will die in the religion in which I was born. Leave me alone, ye hypocrites, leave me alone!" But the two abbes wereunmoved, and Castanet expired cursing, not the executioner but thetwo 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 asCastanet. 

In spite of the admissions wrung from Castanet in March, nearly a monthpassed 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. DeBaville received intelligence that several Camisards had lately returnedfrom abroad, and were in hiding somewhere, though their retreat was notknown. This information was laid before the Duke of Berwick, and he andM. De Baville ordered certain houses to be searched, whose owners werein their opinion likely to have given refuge to the malcontents. Atmidnight all the forces which they could collect were divided intotwelve detachments, composed of archers and soldiers, and at the head ofeach detachment was placed a man that could be depended upon. Dumayne, the king's lieutenant, assigned to each the districts they were tosearch, and they all set out at once from the town hall, at half-pasttwelve, marching in silence, and separating at signs from their leaders, so anxious were they to make no noise. At first all their efforts wereof no avail, several houses being searched without any result; butat length Jausserand, the diocesan provost, having entered one of thehouses which he and Villa, captain of the town troops, had had assignedto 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 wasa deserter from the Fimarcon regiment: he it was who knew most aboutthe plot. Gaillard had formerly served in the Hainault regiment; andJean-Louis, commonly called "the Genevois, " was a deserter from theCourten regiment. 

Flessiere, who was the leader, felt that it would be a great disgraceto let themselves be taken without resistance; he therefore pretended toobey, but in lifting up his clothes, which lay upon a trunk, he managedto secure two pistols, which he cocked. At the noise made by thehammers the provost's suspicions were aroused, and throwing himself onFlessiere, he seized him round the waist from behind. Flessiere, unableto turn, raised his arm and fired over his shoulder. The shot missed theprovost, merely burning a lock of his hair, but slightly wounded one ofhis servants, who was carrying a lantern. He then tried to fire a secondshot, but Jausserand, seizing him by the wrist with one hand, blew outhis brains with the other. While Jausserand and Flessiere were thusstruggling, Gaillard threw himself on Villa, pinning his arms to hissides. As he had no weapons, he tried to push him to the wall, in orderto stun him by knocking his head against it; but when the servant, beingwounded, let the lantern fall, he took advantage of the darkness tomake 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 hisspeed, ran after him, firing several shots. He received a wound which, though not dangerous, impeded his flight, so that he was boon overtakenand captured. They brought him back a prisoner to the town hall, whereFlessiere's dead body already lay. 

Meanwhile Jean-Louis had had better luck. While the two struggles asrelated above were going on, he slipped unnoticed to an open windowand got out into the street. He ran round the corner of the house, anddisappeared like a shadow in the darkness before the eyes of the guards. For a long time he wandered from street to street, running down oneand up another, till chance brought him near La Poissonniere. Here heperceived a beggar propped against a post and fast asleep; he awoke him, and proposed that they should exchange clothes. As Jean-Louis' suit wasnew 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, heagreed to the exchange, and the two separated, each delighted with hisbargain. Jean-Louis approached one of the gates of the town, in order tobe able to get out as soon as it was opened, and the beggar hastened offin another direction, in order to get away from the man who had let himhave so good a bargain, before he had time to regret the exchange he hadmade. 

But the night's adventures were far from being over. The beggar wastaken a prisoner, Jean-Louis' coat being recognised, and brought to thetown hall, where the mistake was discovered. The Genevois meantime gotinto a dark street, and lost his way. Seeing three men approach, one ofwhom carried a lantern, he went towards the light, in order to findout where he was, and saw, to his surprise, that one of the men was theservant whom Flessiere had wounded, and who was now going to have hiswound dressed. The Genevois tried to draw back into the shade, but itwas too late: the servant had recognised him. He then tried to fly; butthe wounded man soon overtook him, and although one of his hands wasdisabled, he held him fast with the other, so that the two men who werewith him ran up and easily secured him. He also was brought to the townhall, where he found the Duke of Berwick and M. De Baville, who wereawaiting the result of the affray. 

Hardly had the prisoner caught sight of them than, seeing himselfalready hanged, which was no wonder considering the marvellous celeritywith which executions were conducted at that epoch, he threw himselfon his knees, confessed who he was, and related for what reason he hadjoined the fanatics. He went on to say that as he had not joined them ofhis own free will, but had been forced to do so, he would, if they wouldspare his life, reveal important secrets to them, by means of which theycould arrest the principal conspirators. 

His offer was so tempting and his life of so little worth that the dukeand de Baville did not long hesitate, but pledged their word to sparehis life if the revelations he was about to make proved to be of realimportance. The bargain being concluded, the Genevois made the followingstatement:

"That several letters having arrived from foreign countries containingpromises of men and money, the discontented in the provinces had leaguedtogether in order to provoke a fresh rebellion. By means of theseletters and other documents which were scattered abroad, hopes wereraised that M. De Miremont, the last Protestant prince of the house ofBourbon, would bring them reinforcements five or six thousand strong. These reinforcements were to come by sea and make a descent onAigues-Mortes or Cette, --and two thousand Huguenots were to arriveat the same time by way of Dauphine and join the others as theydisembarked. 

"That in this hope Catinat, Clary, and Jonquet had left Geneva andreturned to France, and having joined Ravanel had gone secretly throughthose parts of the country known to be infected with fanaticism, andmade all necessary arrangements, such as amassing powder and lead, munitions of war, and stores of all kinds, as well as enrolling thenames of all those who were of age to bear arms. Furthermore, theyhad made an estimate of what each city, town, and village ought tocontribute in money or in kind to the--League of the Children of God, sothat they could count on having eight or ten thousand men ready to riseat the first signal. They had furthermore resolved that there should berisings in several places at the same time, which places were alreadychosen, and each of those who were to take part in the movement knew hisexact duty. At Montpellier a hundred of the most determined amongst thedisaffected were to set fire in different quarters to the houses of theCatholics, killing all who attempted to extinguish the fires, and withthe help of the Huguenot inhabitants were, to slaughter the garrison, seize the citadel, and carry off the Duke of Berwick and M. DeBaville. The same things were to be done at Nimes, Uzes, Alais, Anduze, Saint-Hippolyte, and Sommieres. Lastly, he said, this conspiracy hadbeen going on for more than three months, and the conspirators, in ordernot to be found out, had only revealed their plans to those whom theyknew to be ready to join them: they had not admitted a single woman totheir 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 certaincountry houses, to which admittance was gained by means of acountersign; the 25th of April was the day fixed for the general risingand 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 theGenevois was consulted, under renewed promises of safety for himself, as to the best means of seizing on the principal chiefs in the shortestpossible time. He replied that he saw no other way but to accompany themhimself to Nimes, where Catinat and Ravanel were in hiding, in a houseof which he did not know the number and in a street of which he did notknow the name, but which he was sure of recognising when he saw them. Ifthis 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 atlatest; consequently, if they did not set off at once, the chiefs wouldno longer be there when they arrived. The advice seemed good, so themarechal and the intendant hastened to follow it: the informer was sentto Nimes guarded by six archers, the conduct of the expedition was givento Barnier, the provost's lieutenant, a man of intellect and commonsense, and in whom the provost had full confidence. He carried lettersfor the Marquis of Sandricourt. 

As they arrived late on the evening of the 19th, the Genevois was atonce 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 ofthe municipal and Courten regiments, to put all their soldiers underarms and to station them quietly throughout the town so as to surroundthat district. At ten o'clock, the Marquis of Sandricourt, having madecertain that his instructions had been carefully carried out, gaveorders to MM. De L'Estrade, Barnier, Joseph Martin, Eusebe, the majorof the Swiss regiment, and several other officers, along with ten pickedmen, to repair to the house of one Alison, a silk merchant, this househaving been specially pointed out by the prisoner. This they did, butseeing the door open, they had little hope of finding the chiefs of aconspiracy in a place so badly guarded; nevertheless, determined to obeytheir instructions, they glided softly into the hall. In a few moments, during which silence and darkness reigned, they heard people speakingrather loudly in an adjoining room, and by listening intently theycaught the following words: "It is quite sure that in less than threeweeks the king will be no longer master of Dauphine, Vivarais, andLanguedoc. 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 atleast of those for whom they were looking. They ran to the door, whichwas ajar, and entered the room, sword in hand. They found Ravanel, Jonquet, and Villas talking together, one sitting on a table, anotherstanding on the hearth, and the third lolling on a bed. 

Jonquet was a young man from Sainte-Chatte, highly thought of amongthe Camisards. He had been, it may be remembered, one of Cavalier'sprincipal officers. Villas was the son of a doctor in Saint-Hippolyte;he was still young, though he had seen ten years' service, havingbeen cornet in England in the Galloway regiment. As to Ravanel, he issufficiently known to our readers to make any words of introductionunnecessary. 

De l'Estrade threw himself on the nearest of the three, and, withoutusing his sword, struck him with his fist. Ravanel (for it was he) beinghalf stunned, fell back a step and asked the reason of this violentassault; while Barnier exclaimed, "Hold him fast, M. De l'Estrade; it isRavanel!"

"Well, yes, I am Ravanel, " said the Camisard, "but that is no reasonfor making so much noise. " As he said these words he made an attemptto reach his weapons, but de l'Estrade and Barnier prevented him bythrowing themselves on him, and succeeded in knocking him down aftera fierce struggle. While, this was going on, his two companions weresecured, and the three were removed to the fort, where their guard neverleft them night or day. 

The Marquis of Sandricourt immediately sent off a courier to the Duke ofBerwick and M. De Baville to inform them of the important capture hehad made. They were so delighted at the news that they came next day toNimes. 

They found the town intensely excited, soldiers with fixed bayonets atevery street corner, all the houses shut up, and the gates of the townclosed, and no one allowed to leave without written permission fromSandricourt. On the 20th, and during the following night, more thanfifty persons were arrested, amongst whom were Alison, the merchant inwhose house Ravanel, Villas, and Jonquet were found; Delacroix, Alison'sbrother-in-law, who, on hearing the noise of the struggle, had hiddenon the roof and was not discovered till next day; Jean Lauze, who wasaccused of having prepared Ravanel's supper; Lauze's mother, a widow;Tourelle, the maid-servant; the host of the Coupe d'Or, and a preachernamed La Jeunesse. 

Great, however, as was the joy felt by the duke, the marquis, and deBaville, it fell short of full perfection, for the most dangerous manamong the rebels was still at large; in spite of every effort, Catinat'shiding-place had not till now been discovered. 

Accordingly, the duke issued a proclamation offering a reward of onehundred Louis-d'or to whoever would take Catinat, or cause him to betaken prisoner, and granting a free pardon to anyone who had shelteredhim, provided that he was denounced before the house-to-house visitationwhich was about to be made took place. After the search began, themaster of the house in which he might be found would be hung at his owndoor, his family thrown into prison, his goods confiscated, his houserazed to the ground, without any form of trial whatever. 

This proclamation had the effect expected by the duke: whether the manin whose house Catinat was concealed grew frightened and asked him toleave, or whether Catinat thought his best course would be to try andget away from the town, instead of remaining shut up in it, he dressedhimself one morning in suitable clothes, and went to a barber's, whoshaved him, cut his hair, and made up his face so as to give him asmuch the appearance of a nobleman as possible; and then with wonderfulassurance he went out into the streets, and pulling his hat over hiseyes and holding a paper in his hand as if reading it, he crossed thetown to the gate of St. Antoine. He was almost through when Charreau, the captain of the guard, having his attention directed to Catinat by acomrade to whom he was talking, stopped him, suspecting he was trying toescape. Catinat asked what he wanted with him, and Charreau repliedthat if he would enter the guard-house he would learn; as under suchcircumstances any examination was to be avoided, Catinat tried toforce his way out; whereupon he was seized by Charreau and hisbrother-officer, and Catinat seeing that resistance would be not onlyuseless but harmful, allowed himself to be taken to the guard-room. 

He had been there about an hour without being recognised by any of thosewho, drawn by curiosity, came to look at him, when one of the visitorsin going out said he bore a strong resemblance to Catinat; some childrenhearing these words, began to shout, "Catinat is taken! Catinat istaken!" This cry drew a large crowd to the guard-house, among othersa 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 witha silver clasp and a letter addressed to "M. Maurel, called Catinat, "were found on him, leaving no doubt as to his identity; whilehe himself, growing impatient, and desiring to end all theseinvestigations, acknowledged that he was Catinat and no other. 

He was at once taken to the palace, where the Presidial Court wassitting, M. De Baville and the president being occupied in tryingRavanel, Villas, and Jonquet. On hearing the news of this importantcapture, the intendant, hardly daring to believe his ears, rose andwent out to meet the prisoner, in order to convince himself that it wasreally Catinat. 

From the Presidial Court he was brought before the Duke of Berwick, whoaddressed several questions to him, which Catinat answered; he thentold the duke he had something of importance to impart to him and tohim alone. The duke was not very anxious for a tete-a-tete with Catinat;however, having ordered his hands to be securely bound, and tellingSandricourt not to go away, he consented to hear what the prisoner hadto say. 

Catinat then, in the presence of the duke and Sandricourt, proposed thatan exchange of prisoners should be made, the Marechal de Tallard, whowas a prisoner of war in England, being accepted in his place. Catinatadded that if this offer was not accepted, the marechal would meet thesame treatment from the English as might be meted out to him, Catinat, in France. The duke, full of the aristocratic ideas to which he wasborn, found the proposal insolent, and said, "If that is all you have topropose, I can assure you that your hours are numbered. "

Thereupon Catinat was promptly sent back to the palace, where truly histrial did not occupy much time. That of the three others was alreadyfinished, and soon his was also at an end, and it only remained topronounce sentence on all four. Catinat and Ravanel, as the most guilty, were condemned to be burnt at the stake. Some of the councillors thoughtCatinat should have been torn apart by four horses, but the majoritywere for the stake, the agony lasting longer, being more violent andmore exquisite than in the of other case. 

Villars and Jonquet were sentenced to be broken on the wheel alive--theonly difference between them being that Jonquet was to be to taken whilestill living and thrown into the fire lit round Catinat and Ravael. It was also ordered that the four condemned men before their executionshould be put to the torture ordinary and extraordinary. Catinat, whosetemper was fierce, suffered with courage, but cursed his torturers. Ravanel bore all the torments that could be inflicted on him with afortitude that was more than human, so that the torturers were exhaustedbefore he was. Jonquet spoke little, and the revelations he made wereof slight importance. Villas confessed that the conspirators had theintention of carrying off the duke and M. De Baville when they were outwalking or driving, and he added that this plot had been hatched at thehouse of a certain Boeton de Saint-Laurent-d'Aigozre, at Milhaud, inRouergue. 

Meanwhile all this torturing and questioning had taken so much time thatwhen the stake and the scaffold were ready it was almost dark, so thatthe duke put off the executions until the next day, instead of carryingthem out by torchlight. Brueys says that this was done in order that themost disaffected amongst the fanatics should not be able to say thatit was not really Catinat, Ravanel, Villas, and Jonquet who had beenexecuted but some other unknown men; but it is more probable that theduke and Baville were afraid of riots, as was proved by their orderingthe scaffold and the stake to be erected at the end of the Cours andopposite the glacis of the fortress, so that the garrison might be athand in case of any disturbance. 

Catinat was placed in a cell apart, and could be, heard cursing andcomplaining all night through. Ravanel, Villas, and Jonquet wereconfined together, and passed the night singing and praying. 

The next day, the 22nd April, 1705, they were taken from the prison anddrawn to the place of execution in two carts, being unable to walk, on account of the severe torture to which they had been subjected, andwhich had crushed the bones of their legs. A single pile of wood hadbeen prepared for Catinat and Ravanel, who were to be burnt together;they were in one cart, and Villas and Jonquet, for whom two wheels hadbeen prepared, were in the other. 

The first operation was to bind Catinat and Ravanel back to back to thesame 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 underRavanel. 

As had been foreseen, this precaution gave great pleasure to thosepeople who took delight in witnessing executions. The wind being ratherhigh, blew the flames away from Catinat, so that at first the fire burnthis legs only--a circumstance which, the author of the History of theCamisards tells us, aroused Catinat's impatience. Ravanel, however, boreeverything to the end with the greatest heroism, only pausing in hissinging to address words of encouragement to his companion in suffering, whom he could not see, but whose groans and curses he could hear; hewould then return to his psalms, which he continued to sing until hisvoice was stifled in the flames. Just as he expired, Jonquet was removedfrom the wheel, and carried, his broken limbs dangling, to the burningpile, on which he was thrown. From the midst of the flames his voice washeard saying, "Courage, Catinat; we shall soon meet in heaven. " A fewmoments later, the stake, being burnt through at the base, broke, andCatinat falling into the flames, was quickly suffocated. That thisaccident had not been forseen and prevented by proper precautions causedgreat displeasure to spectators who found that the three-quarter of anhour which the spectacle had lasted was much too brief a time. 

Villas lived three hours longer on his wheel, and expired without havinguttered a single complaint. 

Two days later, there was another trial, at which six persons werecondemned to death and one to the galleys; these were the two Alisons, in whose house Villas, Ravanel, and Jonquet had been found; Alegre, whowas accused of having concealed Catinat, and of having been the Camisardtreasurer; Rougier, an armourer who was found guilty of having repairedthe muskets of the rebels; Jean Lauze, an innkeeper who had preparedmeals for Ravanel; La Jeunesse, a preacher, convicted of having preachedsermons and sung psalms; and young Delacroix, brother-in-law to one ofthe Alisons. The first three were condemned to be broken on the wheel, their houses demolished, and their goods confiscated. The next threewere to be hanged. Jean Delacroix, partly because of his youth, butmore because of the revelations he made, was only sent to the galleys. Several years later he was liberated and returned to Arles, and wascarried 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 hadformerly served under Cavalier and Catinat. The name of the one wasBrun and of the other Francezet. Although neither of them possessed thegenius and influence of Catinat and Ravanel, yet they were both men tobe feared, the one on account of his personal strength, the other forhis skill and agility. Indeed, it was said of him that he never misseda shot, and that one day being pursued by dragoons he had escaped byjumping 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 millernamed Semenil came into town ostensibly to buy provisions, but reallyto denounce them as being concealed, with two other Camisards, in herhusband's house. 

This information was received with an eager gratitude, which showed theimportance which the governor of Nimes attached to their capture. Thewoman was promised a reward of fifty Louis if they were taken, and theChevalier de la Valla, Grandidier, and fifty Swiss, the major of theSaint-Sernin regiment, a captain, and thirty dragoons, were sent offto make the capture. When they were within a quarter of a league of themill, La Valla, who was in command of the expedition, made the womangive him all the necessary topographical information. 

Having learned that besides the door by which they hoped to effect anentrance, the mill possessed only one other, which opened on a bridgeover the Vistre, he despatched ten dragoons and five Swiss to occupythis bridge, whilst he and the rest of the troops bore down on the mainentrance. As soon as the four Camisards perceived the approach of thesoldiers, their first thought was to escape by the bridge, but one ofthem 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 defendthemselves as valiantly and to sell their lives as dearly as possible. As soon as the royals were within musket range of the mill, four shotswere fired, and two dragoons, one Swiss, and one horse, fell. M. DeValla thereupon ordered the troops to charge at full gallop, but beforethe mill door was reached three other shots were heard, and two more menkilled. Nevertheless, seeing they could not long hold out against suchnumbers, Francezet gave the signal for retreat, calling out, "Sauve quipetit!" at the same instant he jumped out of a lattice window twentyfeet from the ground, followed by Brun. Neither of them being hurt, bothset off across country, one trusting to his strength and the other tohis fleetness of foot. The two other Camisards, who had tried to escapeby the door, were captured. 

The soldiers, horse and foot, being now free to give all their attentionto Brun and Francezet, a wonderful race began; for the two fugitives, being strong and active, seemed to play with their pursuers, stoppingevery now and then, when they had gained sufficient headway, to shoot atthe nearest soldiers; when Francezet, proving worthy of his reputation, never missed a single shot. Then, resuming their flight and loadingtheir weapons as they ran, they leaped rivers and ditches, takingadvantage of the less direct road which the troops were obliged tofollow, to stop and take breath, instead of making for some cover wherethey might have found safety. Two or three times Brun was on the pointof being caught, but each time the dragoon or Swiss who had got up tohim fell, struck by Francezet's unerring bullet. The chase lasted fourhours, during which time five officers, thirty dragoons, and fifty Swisswere baffled by two men, one of whom Francezet was almost a boy, beingonly twenty years old! Then the two Camisards, having exhausted theirammunition, gave each other the name of a village as a rendezvous, andeach taking a different direction, bounded away with the lightness of astag. Francezet ran in the direction of Milhaud with such rapidity thathe 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, whowas hoeing in a field, whence he had watched the contest with interestfrom the moment he had first caught sight of it, seeing the fugitivemake for an opening in a wall, ran along at the foot of the wall on theother side, and, just as Francezet dashed through the opening like aflash of lightning, struck him such a heavy blow on the head with hishoe that the skull was laid open, and he fell bathed in blood. 

The dragoons, who had seen in the distance what had happened, now cameup, and rescued Francezet from the hands of his assailant, who hadcontinued to rain blows upon him, desiring to put an end to him. Theunconscious Camisard was carried to Milhaud, where his wounds werebandaged, and himself revived by means of strong spirits forced intomouth and nostrils. 

We now return to Brun. At first it seemed as if he were more fortunatethan his comrade; for, meeting with no obstacle, he was soon not onlyout of reach, but out of sight of his enemies. He now, however, feltbroken by fatigue, and taught caution by the treachery to which he hadalmost fallen a victim, he dared not ask for an asylum, so, throwinghimself down in a ditch, he was soon fast asleep. The dragoons, who hadnot given up the search, presently came upon him, and falling on him ashe lay, overpowered him before he was well awake. 

When both Camisards met before the governor, Francezet replied to allinterrogations that since the death of brother Catinat his sole desirehad been to die a martyr's death like him; while Brun said that he wasproud and happy to die in the cause of the Lord along with such a bravecomrade as Francezet. This manner of defence led to the application ofthe question both ordinary and extraordinary, and to the stake; and ourreaders already know what such a double sentence meant. Francezet andBrun paid both penalties on the 30th of April, betraying no secrets anduttering no complaints. 

Boeton, who had been denounced by Villas when under torture (and whothereby abridged his agony) as the person in whose house the plot tocarry off the Duke of Berwick and de Baville had been arranged, stillremained to be dealt with. 

He was moderate in his religious views, but firm and full of faith; hisprinciples resembled those of the Quakers in that he refused to carryarms; he was, however, willing to aid the good cause by all other meanswithin his reach. He was at home waiting, with that calm which perfecttrust in God gives, for the day to come which had been appointed for theexecution of the plan, when suddenly his house was surrounded duringthe night by the royals. Faithful to his principles, he offered noresistance, but held out his hands to be bound. He was taken in triumphto Nimes, and from there to the citadel of Montpellier. On the way heencountered his wife and his son, who were going to the latter town tointercede for him. When they met him, they dismounted from their horse, for the mother was riding on a pillion behind the son, and kneeling onthe highroad, asked for Boeton's blessing. Unfeeling though the soldierswere, they yet permitted their prisoner to stop an instant, while he, raising his fettered hands to heaven, gave the double blessing askedfor. So touched was Baron Saint-Chatte by the scene (be it remarkedin passing that the baron and Boeton were cousins by marriage) that hepermitted 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, ona sign from Boeton, they tore themselves away, Boeton commanding them topray for M. De Saint-Chatte, who had given them this consolation. As heresumed his march the prisoner set them the example by beginning to singa psalm for the benefit of M. De Saint-Chatte. 

The next day, despite the intercession of his wife and son, Boeton wascondemned to torture both ordinary and extraordinary, and then to bebroken on the wheel. On hearing this cruel sentence, he said that he wasready to suffer every ill that God might send him in order to prove thesteadfastness of his faith. 

And indeed he endured his torture with such firmness, that M. DeBaville, who was present in the hope of obtaining a confession, becamemore impatient than the sufferer, and, forgetting his sacred office, thejudge struck and insulted the prisoner. Upon this Baeton raised his eyesto heaven and cried, "Lord, Lord! how long shall the wicked triumph?How long shall innocent blood be shed? How long wilt Thou not judge andavenge our blood with cries to Thee? Remember Thy jealousy, O Lord, andThy loving-kindness of old!" Then M. De Baville withdrew, giving ordersthat he was to be brought to the scaffold. 

The scaffold was erected on the Esplanade: being, as was usual when thissort of death was to be inflicted, a wooden platform five or six feethigh, on which was fastened flat a St. Andrew's cross, formed of twobeams of wood in the form of an X. In each of the four arms two squarepieces were cut out to about half the depth of the beam, and abouta foot apart, so that when the victim was bound on the cross theoutstretched limbs were easy to break by a blow at these points, having no support beneath. Lastly, near the cross, at one corner ofthe scaffold an upright wooden post was fixed, on which was fastenedhorizontally a small carriage wheel, as on a pivot, the projecting partof the nave being sawn off to make it flat. On this bed of pain thesufferer was laid, so that the spectators might enjoy the sight of hisdying 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 thathis exhortations might not be heard. But above the roll of drums hisvoice rose unfalteringly, as he admonished his brethren to uphold theirfellowship in Christ. 

Half-way to the Esplanade a friend of the condemned man, who happenedto be in the street, met the procession, and fearing that he could notsupport the sight, he took refuge in a shop. When Boeton was oppositethe door, he stopped the cart and asked permission of the provost tospeak to his friend. The request being granted, he called him out, andas he approached, bathed in tears, Boeton said, "Why do you run awayfrom me? Is it because you see me covered with the tokens of JesusChrist? 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 myblood?" Then, as the friend threw himself into Boeton's arms and somesigns of sympathetic emotion appeared among the crowd; the processionwas abruptly ordered to move on; but though the leave-taking was thusroughly broken short, no murmur passed the lips of Boeton. 

In turning out of the first street, the scaffold came in sight; thecondemned man raised his hands towards heaven, and exclaimed in acheerful voice, while a smile lit up his face, "Courage, my soul! I seethy place of triumph, whence, released from earthly bonds, thou shahtake flight to heaven. "

When he got to the foot of the scaffold, it was found he could not mountwithout assistance; for his limbs, crushed in the terrible "boot, " couldno longer sustain his weight. While they were preparing to carry him up, he exhorted and comforted the Protestants, who were all weeping roundhim. When he reached the platform he laid himself of his own accordon the cross; but hearing from the executioner that he must firstbe undressed, he raised himself again with a smile, so that theexecutioner's assistant could remove his doublet and small-clothes. Ashe wore no stockings, his legs being bandaged the man also unwound thesebandages, and rolled up Boeton's shirts-sleeves to the elbow, andthen ordered him to lay himself again on the cross. Boeton did so withunbroken calm. All his limbs were then bound to the beams with cordsat every joint; this accomplished, the assistant retired, and theexecutioner came forward. He held in his hand a square bar of iron, aninch and a half thick, three feet long, and rounded at one end so as toform a handle. 

When Boeton saw it he began singing a psalm, but almost immediately themelody was interrupted by a cry: the executioner had broken a bone ofBoeton's right leg; but the singing was at once resumed, and continuedwithout interruption till each limb had been broken in two places. Thenthe executioner unbound the formless but still living body from thecross, and while from its lips issued words of faith in God he laidit on the wheel, bending it back on the legs in such a manner thatthe heels and head met; and never once during the completion of thisatrocious performance did the voice of the sufferer cease to sound forththe 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 fromBoeton's death inspiring the Protestants with terror, they were onlyencouraged to hold out, as was proved by their tears, and the praisesthey lavished on the dying man. 

M, de Baville, recognising the truth of this observation, ordered thatBoeton should be put out of misery. This order being conveyed to theexecutioner, he approached the wheel to break in Boeton's chest with onelast blow; but an archer standing on the scaffold threw himself beforethe 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 hungdown 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 mestrength to bear everything joyfully. " Just then M. De Baville's orderwas repeated, and the archer, no longer daring to interfere, allowed theexecutioner to approach. Then Boeton, seeing his last moment had come, said, "My dear friends, may my death be an example to you, to incite youto preserve the gospel pure; bear faithful testimony that I died in thereligion of Christ and His holy apostles. " Hardly had these words passedhis lips, than the death-blow was given and his chest crushed; a fewinarticulate sounds, apparently prayers, were heard; the head fell back, the martyrdom was ended. 

This execution ended the war in Languedoc. A few imprudent preachersstill delivered belated sermons, to which the rebels listened tremblingwith fear, and for which the preachers paid on the wheel or gibbet. There were disturbances in Vivarais, aroused by Daniel Billard, duringwhich a few Catholics were found murdered on the highway; there were afew 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 withoutimportance; they were only the last quiverings of the dying civilstrife, the last shudderings of the earth when the eruption of thevolcano is over. 

Even Cavalier understood that the end had come, for he left Holland forEngland. There Queen Anne distinguished him by a cordial welcome; sheinvited him to enter her service, an offer which he accepted, and hewas placed in command of a regiment of refugees; so that he actuallyreceived in England the grade of colonel, which he had been offeredin France. At the battle of Almanza the regiment commanded by Cavalierfound itself opposed by a French regiment. The old enemies recognisedeach other, and with a howl of rage, without waiting for the word ofcommand or executing any military evolutions, they hurled themselves ateach 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 hispart with energy; and for his courage was made general and governor ofthe island of Jersey. He died at Chelsea in May 1740, aged sixty years. "I must confess, " says Malesherbes, "that this soldier, who withouttraining became a great general by means of his natural gifts; thisCamisard, who dared in the face of fierce troopers to punish a crimesimilar to those by which the troopers existed; this rude peasant, who, admitted into the best society; adopted its manners and gained itsesteem and love; this man, who though accustomed to an adventurous life, and who might justly have been puffed up by success, had yet enoughphilosophy 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 thepages 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 withthe heart of fire, was quiet; like the wounded who have lost thebest part of their blood, she thought only, with the egotism of aconvalescent, of being left in peace to regain the strength which hadbecome exhausted through the terrible wounds which Montrevel and theDuke of Berwick had dealt her. For sixty years petty ambition hadtaken the place of sublime self-sacrifice, and disputes about etiquettesucceeded mortal combats. Then the philosophic era dawned, and thesarcasms of the encyclopedists withered the monarchical intoleranceof Louis XIV and Charles IX. Thereupon the Protestants resumed theirpreaching, baptized their children and buried their dead, commerceflourished once more, and the two religions lived side by side, oneconcealing under a peaceful exterior the memory of its martyrs, theother the memory of its triumphs. Such was the mood on which theblood-red orb of the sun of '89 rose. The Protestants greeted it withcries of joy, and indeed the promised liberty gave them back theircountry, their civil rights, and the status of French citizens. 

Nevertheless, whatever were the hopes of one party or the fears ofthe other, nothing had as yet occurred to disturb the prevailingtranquillity, when, on the 19th and 20th of July, 1789, a body of troopswas formed in the capital of La Gard which was to bear the name of theNimes Militia: the resolution which authorised this act was passed bythe 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, alieutenant-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--inall, 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 quartersof the town mentioned below--viz. , place de l'Hotel-de-Ville, place dela Maison-Carree, place Saint-Jean, and place du Chateau. 

"Article 13. The companies as they are formed by the permanent councilshall each choose its own captain, lieutenant, sergeants and corporals, and from the date of his nomination the captain shall have a seat on thepermanent council. "

The Nimes Militia was deliberately formed upon certain lines whichbrought Catholics and Protestants closely together as allies, withweapons in their hands; but they stood over a mine which was bound toexplode some day, as the slightest friction between the two partieswould produce a spark. 

This state of concealed enmity lasted for nearly a year, being augmentedby political antipathies; for the Protestants almost to man wereRepublicans, and the Catholics Royalists. 

In the interval--that is to say, towards January, 1790--a Catholiccalled Francois Froment was entrusted by the Marquis de Foucault withthe task of raising, organising, and commanding a Royalist party in theSouth. This we learn from one of his own letters to the marquis, whichwas printed in Paris in 1817. He describes his mode of action in thefollowing words:--

It is not difficult to understand that being faithful to my religion andmy king, and shocked at the seditious ideas which were disseminatedon all sides, I should try to inspire others with the same spirit withwhich I myself was animated, so, during the year 1789, I publishedseveral articles in which I exposed the dangers which threatened altarand throne. Struck with the justice of my criticisms, my countrymendisplayed the most zealous ardor in their efforts to restore to the kingthe full exercise of all his rights. Being anxious to take advantageof this favourable state of feeling, and thinking that it would bedangerous to hold communication with the ministers of Louis XVI, whowere watched by the conspirators, I went secretly to Turin tosolicit the approbation and support of the French princes there. At aconsultation which was held just after my arrival, I showed them thatif they would arm not only the partisans of the throne, but those ofthe altar, and advance the interests of religion while advancing theinterests of royalty, it would be easy to save both. 

"My plan had for sole object to bind a party together, and give it asfar as I was able breadth and stability. 

"As the revolutionists placed their chief dependence on force, I feltthat they could only be met by force; for then as now I was convincedof this great truth, that one strong passion can only be overcome byanother stronger, and that therefore republican fanaticism could only bedriven out by religious zeal. 

"The princes being convinced of the correctness of my reasoning and theefficacy of my remedies, promised me the arms and supplies necessaryto stem the tide of faction, and the Comte d'Artois gave me lettersof recommendation to the chief nobles in Upper Languedoc, that I mightconcert measures with them; for the nobles in that part of the countryhad assembled at Toulouse to deliberate on the best way of inducing theother Orders to unite in restoring to the Catholic religion its usefulinfluence, to the laws their power, and to the king his liberty andauthority. 

"On my return to Languedoc, I went from town to town in order to meetthose gentlemen to whom the Comte d'Artois had written, among whom weremany of the most influential Royalists and some members of the States ofParliament. Having decided on a general plan, and agreed on a method ofcarrying on secret correspondence with each other, I went to Nimes towait for the assistance which I had been promised from Turin, but whichI never received. While waiting, I devoted myself to awakening andsustaining the zeal of the inhabitants, who at my suggestion, on the20th 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 signaturein his office. Many of the Catholics signed it without even reading it, for there was a short paragraph prefixed to the document which containedall the information they seemed to desire. 

"GENTLEMEN, --The aspirations of a great number of our Catholic andpatriotic fellow-citizens are expressed in the resolution which wehave the honour of laying before you. They felt that under presentcircumstances such a resolution was necessary, and they feel convincedthat if you give it your support, as they do not doubt you will, knowingyour patriotism, your religious zeal, and your love for our augustsovereign, it will conduce to the happiness of France, the maintenanceof the true religion, and the rightful authority of the king. 

"We are, gentlemen, with respect, your very humble and obedientservants, the President and Commissioners of the Catholic Assembly ofNimes. 

"(Signed)

"FROMENT, Commissioner LAPIERRE, President FOLACHER, " LEVELUT, Commissioner FAURE, MELCHIOND, " ROBIN, " VIGNE, " "

At the same time a number of pamphlets, entitled Pierre Roman to theCatholics of Nines, were distributed to the people in the streets, containing among other attacks on the Protestants the followingpassages:

"If the door to high positions and civil and military honours wereclosed to the Protestants, and a powerful tribunal established atNimes to see that this rule were strictly kept, you would soon seeProtestantism disappear. 

"The Protestants demand to share all the privileges which you enjoy, butif you grant them this, their one thought will then be to dispossess youentirely, and they will soon succeed. 

"Like ungrateful vipers, who in a torpid state were harmless, they willwhen warmed by your benefits turn and kill you. 

"They are your born enemies: your fathers only escaped as by a miraclefrom their blood-stained hands. Have you not often heard of thecruelties practised on them? It was a slight thing when the Protestantsinflicted death alone, unaccompanied by the most horrible tortures. Suchas they were such they are. "

It may easily be imagined that such attacks soon embittered mindsalready disposed to find new causes for the old hatred, and besides theCatholics did not long confine themselves to resolutions and pamphlets. Froment, who had already got himself appointed Receiver-General of theChapter and captain of one of the Catholic companies, insisted on beingpresent at the installation of the Town Council, and brought his companywith him armed with pitchforks, in spite of the express prohibition ofthe colonel of the legion. These forks were terrible weapons, and hadbeen fabricated in a particular form for the Catholics of Nimes, Uzes, and Alais. But Froment and his company paid no attention tothe prohibition, and this disobedience made a great impression on theProtestants, who began to divine the hostility of their adversaries, andit is very possible that if the new Town Council had not shut theireyes to this act of insubordination, civil war might have burst forth inNimes that very day. 

The next day, at roll-call, a sergeant of another company, one Allien, acooper by trade, taunted one of the men with having carried a pitchforkthe day before, in disobedience to orders. He replied that the mayor hadpermitted him to carry it; Allien not believing this, proposed to someof the men to go with him to the mayor's and ask if it were true. Whenthey saw M. Marguerite, he said that he had permitted nothing of thekind, and sent the delinquent to prison. Half an hour later, however, hegave orders for his release. 

As soon as he was free he set off to find his comrades, and told themwhat had occurred: they, considering that an insult to one was an insultto the whole company, determined on having satisfaction at once, soabout eleven o'clock P. M. They went to the cooper's house, carrying withthem a gallows and ropes ready greased. But quietly as they approached, Allien heard them, for his door being bolted from within had to beforced. Looking out of the window, he saw a great crowd, and as hesuspected that his life was in danger, he got out of a back window intothe yard and so escaped. The militia being thus disappointed, wreakedtheir vengeance on some passing Protestants, whose unlucky stars had ledthem that way; these they knocked about, and even stabbed one of themthree times with a knife. 

On the 22nd April, 1790, the royalists--that is to say, theCatholics--assumed the white cockade, although it was no longer thenational emblem, and on the 1st May some of the militia who had planteda maypole at the mayor's door were invited to lunch with him. On the2nd, the company which was on guard at the mayor's official residenceshouted several times during the day, "Long live the king! Up with theCross and down with the black throats!" (This was the name which theyhad 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 ascarlet tuft, which in their patois they called the red pouf, which wasimmediately 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 threeof their number. Meetings were held every day, and at last becameso numerous that the town authorities called in the aid of themilitia-dragoons to disperse them. Now these gatherings consistedchiefly of those tillers of the soil who are called cebets, from aProvencal word cebe, which means "onion, " and they could easily berecognised as Catholics by their red pouf, which they wore both in andout of uniform. On the other hand, the dragoons were all Protestants. 

However, these latter were so very gentle in their admonitions, thatalthough the two parties found themselves, so to speak, constantly faceto face and armed, for several days the meetings were dispersed withoutbloodshed. But this was exactly what the cebets did not want, so theybegan 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, somesaying that their horses had trampled on their children, and others thatthey had frightened their wives. 

The Protestants contradicted them, both parties grew angry, swordswere half drawn, when the municipal authorities came on the scene, andinstead of apprehending the ringleaders, forbade the dragoons to patrolthe town any more, ordering them in future to do nothing more thansend twenty men every day to mount guard at the episcopal palace andto undertake no other duty except at the express request of the TownCouncil. Although it was expected that the dragoons would revolt againstsuch a humiliation, they submitted, which was a great disappointmentto the cebets, who had been longing for a chance to indulge in newoutrages. For all that, the Catholics did not consider themselvesbeaten; they felt sure of being able to find some other way of drivingtheir quarry to bay. 

Sunday, the 13th of June, arrived. This day had been selected by theCatholics 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 asentinel posted, and had only five muskets in the guard-house. At twoo'clock P. M. There was a meeting held in the Jacobin church, consistingalmost exclusively of militia wearing the red tuft. The mayor pronounceda 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 thecebets, and told them to walk about the streets in threes, and to disarmall the dragoons whom they might meet away from their post. About sixo'clock in the evening a red-tuft volunteer presented himself at thegate 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 notearrived, couched in the following terms:

"The bishop's porter is warned to let no dragoon on horse or on footenter 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 thevolunteer that nobody but the town authorities could give orders tothe servants at the palace. The volunteer gave an insolent answer, thelieutenant advised him to go away quietly, threatening if he did notto put him out by force. This altercation attracted a great many of thered-tufts from outside, while the dragoons, hearing the noise, came downinto the yard; the quarrel became more lively, stones were thrown, thecall to arms was heard, and in a few moments about forty cebets, whowere prowling around in the neighbourhood of the palace, rushed intothe yard carrying guns and swords. The lieutenant, who had only about adozen dragoons at his back, ordered the bugle to sound, to recall thosewho had gone out; the volunteers threw themselves upon the bugler, dragged his instrument from his hands, and broke it to pieces. Thenseveral shots were fired by the militia, the dragoons returned them, anda regular battle began. The lieutenant soon saw that this was no merestreet row, but a deliberate rising planned beforehand, and realisingthat very serious consequences were likely to ensue, he sent a dragoonto 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 wererunning in every direction, and shouting as they ran that the dragoonswere being killed at the palace. The major rushed out into the streetsat once, gathered together a dozen to fifteen patriotic citizens withoutweapons, and hurried to the town hall: There he found two officialsof 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. Theyagreed, and set off. On the way several shots were fired at them, but noone was hit. When they arrived at the square, the cebets fired a volleyat them with the same negative result. Up the three principal streetswhich led to the palace numerous red-tufts were hurrying; the firstcompany took possession of the ends of the streets, and being fired atreturned the fire, repulsing the assailants and clearing the square, with the loss of one of their men, while several of the retreatingcebets were wounded. 

While this struggle was going on at the palace, the spirit of murderbroke loose in the town. 

At the gate of the Madeleine, M. De Jalabert's house was broken into bythe red-tufts; the unfortunate old man came out to meet them and askedwhat they wanted. "Your life and the lives of all the other dogs ofProtestants!" was the reply. Whereupon he was seized and dragged throughthe streets, fifteen insurgents hacking at him with their swords. 

At last he managed to escape from their hands, but died two days laterof his wounds. 

Another old man named Astruc, who was bowed beneath the weight ofseventy-two years and whose white hair covered his shoulders, was metas he was on his way to the gate of Carmes. Being recognised as aProtestant, he received five wounds from some of the famous pitchforksbelonging to the company of Froment. He fell, but the assassins pickedhim up, and throwing him into the moat, amused themselves by flingingstones 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 thecanton of Lasalle, and M. Puech of the same place-were attacked byred-tufts on their way home, and all three seriously wounded. Thecaptain who had been in command of the detachment on guard at theElectoral Assembly was returning to his quarters, accompanied by asergeant and three volunteers of his own company, when they were stoppedon the Petit-Cours by Froment, commonly called Damblay, who, pressingthe barrel of a pistol to the captain's breast, said, "Stand, yourascal, and give up your arms. " At the same time the red-tufts, seizingthe captain from behind by the hair, pulled him down. Froment fired hispistol, but missed. As he fell the captain drew his sword, but it wastorn from his hands, and he received a cut from Froment's sword. Uponthis the captain made a great effort, and getting one of his armsfree, drew a pistol from his pocket, drove back his assassins, firedat Froment, and missed him. One of the men by his side was wounded anddisarmed. 

A patrol of the regiment of Guienne, attached to which was M. Boudon, adragoon officer, was passing the Calquieres. M. Boudon was attacked bya band of red-tufts and his casque and his musket carried off. Severalshots were fired at him, but none of them hit him; the patrol surroundedhim to save him, but as he had received two bayonet wounds, he desiredrevenge, and, breaking through his protectors, darted forward to regainpossession of his musket, and was killed in a moment. One of his fingerswas cut off to get at a diamond ring which he wore, his pockets wererifled of his purse and watch, and his body was thrown into the moat. 

Meantime the place-des-Recollets, the Cours, the place-des-Carmes, theGrand-Rue, and rue de Notre Dame-de-l'Esplanade were filled withmen armed with guns, pitchforks, and swords. They had all come fromFroment's house, which overlooked that part of Nimes called LesCalquieres, and the entrance to which was on the ramparts near theDominican Towers. The three leaders of the insurrection--Froment. Folacher, and Descombiez--took possession of these towers, which formeda part of the old castle; from this position the Catholics couldsweep the entire quay of Les Calquieres and the steps of the Sallede Spectacle with their guns, and if it should turn out that theinsurrection they had excited did not attain the dimensions theyexpected nor gain such enthusiastic adherents, it would be quitefeasible for them to defend themselves in such a position until reliefcame. 

These arrangements were either the result of long meditation or were theinspiration of some clever strategist. The fact is that everything leadsone 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 werelined with a double row of militiamen all wearing the red tuft, the carewhich was taken to place the most eager next the barracks in which thepark of artillery was stationed, and lastly, the manner in which theapproach to the citadel was barred by an entire company (this being theonly place where the patriots could procure arms), combine to prove thatthis plan was the result of much forethought; for, while it appearedto be only defensive, it enabled the insurrectionists to attack withoutmuch, danger; it caused others to believe that they had been firstattacked. It was successfully carried out before the citizens werearmed, and until then only a part of the foot guard and the twelvedragoons at the palace had offered any resistance to the conspirators. 

The red flag round which, in case of civil war, all good citizens wereexpected to gather, and which was kept at the town hall, and whichshould have been brought out at the first shot, was now loudly calledfor. The Abbe de Belmont, a canon, vicar-general, and municipalofficial, was persuaded, almost forced, to become standard-bearer, asbeing the most likely on account of his ecclesiastical position to awerebels who had taken up arms in the name of religion. The abbe himselfgives the following account of the manner in which he fulfilled thismandate:

"About seven o'clock in the evening I was engaged with MM. Porthier andFerrand in auditing accounts, when we heard a noise in the court, andgoing out on the lobby, we saw several dragoons coming upstairs, amongstwhom was M. Paris. They told us that fighting was going on in the placede-l'Eveche, because some one or other had brought a note to the porterordering 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 notbeen closed and the bearer of the letter arrested, but they replied tome that it had not been possible; thereupon MM. Ferrand and Ponthier puton their scarfs and went out. 

"A few instants later several dragoons, amongst whom I recognised nonebut MM. Lezan du Pontet, Paris junior, and Boudon, accompanied by agreat number of the militia, entered, demanding that the red flag shouldbe brought out. They tried to open the door of the council hall, andfinding it locked, they called upon me for the key. I asked that one ofthe attendants should be sent for, but they were all out; then I went tothe hall-porter to see if he knew where the key was. He said M. Berdinghad taken it. Meanwhile, just as the volunteers were about to force anentrance, someone ran up with the key. The door was opened, and the redflag seized and forced into my hands. I was then dragged down into thecourtyard, 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 onaccount of my profession; but they would not listen to any objection, saying that my life depended upon my obedience, and that my professionwould overawe the disturbers of the public peace. So I went on, followedby a detachment of the Guienne regiment, part of the first company ofthe legion, and several dragoons; a young man with fixed bayonet keptalways at my side. Rage was depicted on the faces of all those whoaccompanied me, and they indulged in oaths and threats, to which I paidno attention. 

"In passing through the rue des Greffes they complained that I did notcarry the red flag high enough nor unfurl it fully. When we got to theguardhouse at the Crown Gate, the guard turned out, and the officer wascommanded to follow us with his men. He replied that he could notdo 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 Iasked for a pen and ink; everybody was furious because I had none withme. So offensive were the remarks indulged in by the volunteers and somesoldiers 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:--'Irequire the troops to assist us to maintain order by force ifnecessary. ' Upon this, the officer consented to accompany us. We hadhardly taken half a dozen steps when they all began to ask what hadbecome of the order I had just written, for it could not be found. Theysurrounded me, saying that I had not written it at all, and I was onthe point of being trampled underfoot, when a militiaman found it allcrumpled up in his pocket. The threats grew louder, and once more it wasbecause I did not carry the flag high enough, everyone insisting that Iwas quite tall enough to display it to better advantage. 

"However, at this point the militiamen with the red tufts made theirappearance, a few armed with muskets but the greater number with swords;shots were exchanged, and the soldiers of the line and the NationalGuard arranged themselves in battle order, in a kind of recess, anddesired me to go forward alone, which I refused to do, because I shouldhave been between two fires. 

"Upon this, curses, threats, and blows reached their height. I wasdragged out before the troops and struck with the butt ends of theirmuskets and the flat of their swords until I advanced. One blow that Ireceived between the shoulders filled my mouth with blood. 

"All this time those of the opposite party were coming nearer, and thosewith whom I was continued to yell at me to go on. I went on until I metthem. I besought them to retire, even throwing myself at their feet. But all persuasion was in vain; they swept me along with them, makingme enter by the Carmelite Gate, where they took the flag from me andallowed 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 andbrought me everything she could think of as likely to do me good, andas 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 theTown Councillors to proclaim martial law. This had just been done whenword was brought that the first red flag had been carried off, so M. Ferrand de Missol got out another, and, followed by a considerableescort, took the same road as his colleague, Abbe de Belmont. When hearrived at the Calquieres, the red-tufts, who still adorned the rampartsand towers, began to fire upon the procession, and one of the militiawas disabled; the escort retreated, but M. Ferrand advanced alone tothe Carmelite Gate, like M. De Belmont, and like him, he too, was takenprisoner. 

He was brought to the tower, where he found Froment in a fury, declaringthat the Council had not kept its promise, having sent no relief, andhaving delayed to give up the citadel to him. 

The escort, however, had only retreated in order to seek help; theyrushed tumultuously to the barracks, and finding the regiment of Guiennedrawn up in marching order in command of Lieutenant-Colonel Bonne, theyasked him to follow them, but he refused without a written order from aTown Councillor. Upon this an old corporal shouted, "Brave soldiers ofGuienne! the country is in danger, let us not delay to do our duty. ""Yes, yes, " cried the soldiers; "let us march" The lieutenant colonel nolonger daring to resist, gave the word of command, and they set off forthe Esplanade. 

As they came near the rampart with drums beating, the firing ceased, butas 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 rebelshad given up their enterprise. Having remained an hour in the square, the troops returned to their quarters, and the patriots went to pass thenight in an inclosure on the Montpellier road. 

It almost seemed as if the Catholics were beginning to recognise thefutility of their plot; for although they had appealed to fanaticism, forced the Town Council to do their will, scattered gold lavishly andmade wine flow, out of eighteen companies only three had joined them. "Fifteen companies, " said M. Alquier in his report to the NationalAssembly, "although they had adopted the red tuft, took no part in thestruggle, and did not add to the number of crimes committed either onthat day or during the days that followed. But although the Catholicsgained few partisans among their fellow-citizens, they felt certain thatpeople from the country would rally to their aid; but about ten o'clockin the evening the rebel ringleaders, seeing that no help arrived fromthat 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 companiesshould be put under arms, have been of no avail. In spite of the orderthat you gave at my request, the officials of the municipality were ofopinion that it would be more prudent to delay the distribution of themuskets until after the meeting of the Electoral Assembly. This daythe Protestant dragoons have attacked and killed several of our unarmedCatholics, and you may imagine the confusion and alarm that prevail inthe town. As a good citizen and a true patriot, I entreat you to sendan order to the regiment of royal dragoons to repair at once to Nimesto restore tranquillity and put down all who break the peace. The TownCouncil does not meet, none of them dares to leave his house; and ifyou receive no requisition from them just now, it is because they go interror of their lives and fear to appear openly. Two red flags have beencarried about the streets, and municipal officers without guards havebeen obliged to take refuge in patriotic houses. Although I am only aprivate citizen, I take the liberty of asking for aid from you, knowingthat the Protestants have sent to La Vannage and La Gardonninque to askyou for reinforcements, and the arrival of fanatics from these districtswould expose all good patriots to slaughter. Knowing as I do of yourkindness and justice, I have full trust that my prayer will receive yourfavourable 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 thisletter was entrusted for delivery, and for whom passports were made outas being employed on business connected with the king and the State, were arrested at Vehaud, and their despatches laid before the ElectoralAssembly. Many other letters of the same kind were also intercepted, and the red-tufts went about the town saying that the Catholics of Nimeswere being massacred. 

The priest of Courbessac, among others, was shown a letter saying that aCapuchin monk had been murdered, and that the Catholics were in need ofhelp. The agents who brought this letter to him wanted him to puthis name to it that they might show it everywhere, but were met by apositive refusal. 

At Bouillargues and Manduel the tocsin was sounded: the two villagesjoined forces, and with weapons in their hands marched along theroad from Beaucaire to Nimes. At the bridge of Quart the villagers ofRedressan and Marguerite joined them. Thus reinforced, they were able tobar the way to all who passed and subject them to examination; if aman could show he was a Catholic, he was allowed to proceed, but theProtestants were murdered then and there. We may remind our readers thatthe "Cadets de la Croix" pursued the same method in 1704. 

Meantime Descombiez, Froment, and Folacher remained masters of theramparts and the tower, and when very early one morning their forceswere augmented by the insurgents from the villages (about two hundredmen), they took advantage of their strength to force a way into thehouse of a certain Therond, from which it was easy to effect an entranceto the Jacobin monastery, and from there to the tower adjoining, so thattheir line now extended from the gate at the bridge of Calquieresto that at the end of College Street. From daylight to dusk all thepatriots who came within range were fired at whether they were armed ornot. 

On the 14th June, at four o'clock in the morning, that part of thelegion which was against the Catholics gathered together in the squareof the Esplanade, where they were joined by the patriots from theadjacent towns and villages, who came in in small parties till theyformed quite an army. At five A. M. M. De St. Pons, knowing that thewindows of the Capuchin monastery commanded the position taken up by thepatriots, 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 placeduring 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 manof seventy who lived with them cut to pieces with a scythe. 

A young fellow of fifteen, named Payre, in passing near the guard placedat the Pont des files, had been asked by a red-tuft if he were Catholicor Protestant. On his replying he was Protestant, he was shot deadon the spot. "That was like killing a lamb, " said a comrade to themurderer. "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 respectedfamilies in the neighbourhood, tried to escape from his house along withhis son, his daughter-in-law, two grandchildren, and two servants; butthe carriage was stopped, and while the rebels were murdering him andhis son, the mother and her two children succeeded in escaping to aninn, whither the assassins pursued them, Fortunately, however, the twofugitives having a start, reached the inn a few minutes before theirpursuers, and the innkeeper had enough presence of mind to concealthem and open the garden gate by which he said they had escaped. TheCatholics, believing him, scattered over the country to look for them, and during their absence the mother and children were rescued by themounted patrol. 

The exasperation of the Protestants rose higher and higher as reports ofthese murders came in one by one, till at last the desire for vengeancecould no longer be repressed, and they were clamorously insisting onbeing led against the ramparts and the towers, when without warninga heavy fusillade began from the windows and the clock tower of theCapuchin monastery. M. Massin, a municipal officer, was killed on thespot, a sapper fatally wounded, and twenty-five of the National Guardwounded more or less severely. The Protestants immediately rushedtowards the monastery in a disorderly mass; but the superior, insteadof ordering the gates to be opened, appeared at a window above theentrance, and addressing the assailants as the vilest of the vile, askedthem what they wanted at the monastery. "We want to destroy it, we wantto pull it down till not one stone rests upon another, " they replied. Upon this, the reverend father ordered the alarm bells to be rung, andfrom the mouths of bronze issued the call for help; but before it couldarrive, the door was burst in with hatchets, and five Capuchins andseveral of the militia who wore the red tuft were killed, while all theother occupants of the monastery ran away, taking refuge in the houseof a Protestant called Paulhan. During this attack the church wasrespected; a man from Sornmieres, however, stole a pyx which he found inthe sacristy, but as soon as his comrades perceived this he was arrestedand sent to prison. 

In the monastery itself, however, the doors were broken in, thefurniture smashed, the library and the dispensary wrecked. The sacristyitself was not spared, its presses being broken into, its chestsdestroyed, and two monstrances broken; but nothing further was touched. The storehouses and the small cloth-factory connected with the monasteryremained intact, like the church. 

But still the towers held out, and it was round them that the realfighting took place, the resistance offered from within being all themore obstinate that the besieged expected relief from moment to moment, not knowing that their letters had been intercepted by the enemy. Onevery side the rattling of shot was heard, from the Esplanade, fromthe windows, from the roofs; but very little effect was produced by theProtestants, for Descombiez had told his men to put their caps with thered tufts on the top of the wall, to attract the bullets, while theyfired from the side. Meantime the conspirators, in order to get a bettercommand of the besiegers, reopened a passage which had been longwalled up between the tower Du Poids and the tower of the Dominicans. Descombiez, accompanied by thirty men, came to the door of the monasterynearest the fortifications and demanded the key of another door whichled to that part of the ramparts which was opposite the place desCarmes, where the National Guards were stationed. In spite of theremonstrances of the monks, who saw that it would expose them to greatdanger, the doors were opened, and Froment hastened to occupy every postof vantage, and the battle began in that quarter, too, becoming fierceras the conspirators remarked that every minute brought the Protestantsreinforcements from Gardonninque and La Vaunage. The firing began atten o'clock in the morning, and at four o'clock in the afternoon it wasgoing 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 styledthemselves "Captains commanding the towers of the Castle. " It wascouched in the following words:--

"To the Commandant of the troops of the line, with the request that thecontents be communicated to the militia stationed in the Esplanade. 

"SIR, --We have just been informed that you are anxious for peace. Wealso desire it, and have never done anything to break it. If those whohave caused the frightful confusion which at present prevails in thecity are willing to bring it to an end, we offer to forget the past andto live with them as brothers. 

"We remain, with all the frankness and loyalty of patriots andFrenchmen, your humble servants, "The Captains of the Legion of Nimes, in command of the towers of theCastle, "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 tooffer the rebels terms of capitulation. The three "captains in command"came out to discuss the terms with the commissioners of the electoralbody; they were armed and followed by a great number of adherents. However, as the negotiators desired peace before all things, theyproposed that the three chiefs should surrender and place themselvesin the hands of the Electoral Assembly. This offer being refused, theelectoral commissioners withdrew, and the rebels retired behindtheir fortifications. About five o'clock in the evening, just as thenegotiations were broken off, M. Aubry, an artillery captain who hadbeen sent with two hundred men to the depot of field artillery in thecountry, returned with six pieces of ordnance, determined to make abreach in the tower occupied by the conspirators, and from which theywere 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 ofthe musketry and then silencing it altogether; for the cannon ballsdid their work quickly, and before long the tower threatened to fall. Thereupon the electoral commissioners ordered the firing to cease fora moment, in the hope that now the danger had become so imminent theleaders would accept the conditions which they had refused one hourbefore; and not desiring to drive them to desperation, the commissionersadvanced again down College Street, preceded by a bugler, and thecaptains were once more summoned to a parley. Froment and Descombiezcame out to meet them, and seeing the condition of the tower, theyagreed to lay down their arms and send them for the palace, while theythemselves would proceed to the Electoral Assembly and place themselvesunder its protection. These proposals being accepted, the commissionerswaved 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 chiefsreturned to the tower, while the Protestants, believing that thecommissioners were being assassinated, reopened the cannonade; butfinding that it took too long to complete the breach, ladders werebrought, the walls scaled, and the towers carried by assault. Some ofthe Catholics were killed, the others gained Froment's house, where, encouraged by him, they tried to organise a resistance; but theassailants, despite the oncoming darkness, attacked the place with suchfury that doors and windows were shattered in an instant. Froment andhis brother Pierre tried to escape by a narrow staircase which led tothe roof, but before they reached it Pierre was wounded in the hipand fell; but Froment reached the roof, and sprang upon an adjacenthousetop, and climbing from roof to roof, reached the college, andgetting into it by a garret window, took refuge in a large room whichwas always unoccupied at night, being used during the day as a study. 

Froment remained hidden there until eleven o'clock. It being thencompletely dark, he got out of the window, crossed the city, gained theopen country, and walking all night, concealed himself during the dayin the house of a Catholic. The next night he set off again, and reachedthe coast, where he embarked on board a vessel for Italy, in orderto report to those who had sent him the disastrous result of hisenterprise. 

For three whole days the carnage lasted. The Protestants losing allcontrol over themselves, carried on the work of death not only withoutpity but with refined cruelty. More than five hundred Catholics losttheir lives before the 17th, when peace was restored. 

For a long time recriminations went on between Catholics andProtestants, each party trying to fix on the other the responsibilityfor those dreadful three days; but at last Franqois Froment put an endto all doubt on the subject, by publishing a work from which are setforth many of the details just laid before our readers, as well as thereward he met with when he reached Turin. At a meeting of the Frenchnobles in exile, a resolution was passed in favour of M. Pierre Fromentand his children, inhabitants of Nimes. 

We give a literal reproduction of this historic document:

"We the undersigned, French nobles, being convinced that our Orderwas instituted that it might become the prize of valour and theencouragement of virtue, do declare that the Chevalier de Guer havinggiven us proof of the devotion to their king and the love of theircountry which have been displayed by M. Pierre Froment, receiver of theclergy, and his three sons, Mathieu Froment citizen, Jacques Fromentcanon, Francois Froment advocate, inhabitants of Nimes, we shallhenceforward regard them and their descendants as nobles and worthyto enjoy all the distinctions which belong to the true nobility. Bravecitizens, who perform such distinguished actions as fighting for therestoration of the monarchy, ought to be considered as the equals ofthose French chevaliers whose ancestors helped to found it. Furthermore, we do declare that as soon as circumstances permit we shall jointogether to petition His Majesty to grant to this family, so illustriousthrough its virtue, all the honours and prerogatives which belong tothose born noble. 

"We depute the Marquis de Meran, Comte d'Espinchal, the Marquisd'Escars, Vicomte de Pons, Chevalier de Guer, and the Marquis de laFeronniere 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 headwhen we request His Majesty to grant to MM. Froment all the distinctionsand advantages reserved for the true nobility. 

"At TURIN, 12th September 1790. "

The nobility of Languedoc learned of the honours conferred on theircountryman, M. Froment, and addressed the following letter to him:

"LORCH, July 7, 1792

"MONSIEUR, The nobles of Languedoc hasten to confirm the resolutionadopted in your favour by the nobles assembled at Turin. They appreciatethe zeal and the courage which have distinguished your conduct and thatof your family; they have therefore instructed us to assure you of thepleasure with which they will welcome you among those nobles who areunder the orders of Marshal de Castries, and that you are at liberty torepair 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 therevolution with delight; then came the Terror, which struck at allwithout distinction of creed. A hundred and thirty-eight heads fellon 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 forimpartiality had taken a census of the population. 

Then came the Consulate: the Protestants being mostly tradesmen andmanufacturers, were therefore richer than the Catholics, and had moreto lose; they seemed to see more chance of stability in this form ofgovernment than in those preceding it, and it was evident that it hada more powerful genius at its head, so they rallied round it withconfidence and sincerity. The Empire followed, with its inclination toabsolutism, its Continental system, and its increased taxation; and theProtestants drew back somewhat, for it was towards them who had hoped somuch from him that Napoleon in not keeping the promises of Bonaparte wasmost perjured. 

The first Restoration, therefore, was greeted at Nimes with a universalshout of joy; and a superficial-observer might have thought thatall trace of the old religious leaven had disappeared. In fact, forseventeen years the two faiths had lived side by side in perfect peaceand mutual good-will; for seventeen years men met either for businessor for social purposes without inquiring about each other's religion, sothat Nimes on the surface might have been held up as an example of unionand fraternity. 

When Monsieur arrived at Nimes, his guard of honour was drawn fromthe city guard, which still retained its organisation of 1812, beingcomposed of citizens without distinction of creed. Six decorations wereconferred on it--three on Catholics, and three on Protestants. At thesame time, M. Daunant, M. Olivier Desmonts, and M. De Seine, the firstthe mayor, the second the president of the Consistory, and the third amember 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 inthe past there had been a time when the fathers of those who had justbeen decorated by the hand of the prince had fought against his faithfuladherents. Hardly had Monsieur left the town, therefore, than it becameapparent that perfect harmony no longer existed. 

The Catholics had a favorite cafe, which during the whole time theEmpire lasted was also frequented by Protestants without a singledispute caused by the difference of religion ever arising. But fromthis time forth the Catholics began to hold themselves aloof from theProtestants; the latter perceiving this, gave up the cafe by degreesto the Catholics, being determined to keep the peace whatever it mightcost, and went to a cafe which had been just opened under the sign ofthe "Isle of Elba. " The name was enough to cause them to be regarded asBonapartists, and as to Bonapartists the cry "Long live the king!" wassupposed to be offensive, they were saluted at every turn with thesewords, pronounced in a tone which became every day more menacing. Atfirst they gave back the same cry, "Long live the king!" but then theywere called cowards who expressed with their lips a sentiment which didnot come from their hearts. Feeling that this accusation had some truthin it, they were silent, but then they were accused of hating the royalfamily, till at length the cry which at first had issued from fullhearts in a universal chorus grew to be nothing but an expression ofparty 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 ameans of exciting sedition. Party feeling had reached this heightat Nimes when, on the 4th March, the news of the landing of Napoleonarrived. 

Deep as was the impression produced, the city remained calm, butsomewhat sullen; in any case, the report wanted confirmation. Napoleon, who knew of the sympathy that the mountaineers felt for him, went atonce into the Alps, and his eagle did not as yet take so high a flightthat it could be seen hovering above Mount Geneve. 

On the 12th, the Duc d'Angouleme arrived: two proclamations calling thecitizens to arms signalised his presence. The citizens answered the callwith true Southern ardour: an army was formed; but although Protestantsand Catholics presented themselves for enrolment with equal alacrity, the Protestants were excluded, the Catholics denying the right ofdefending their legitimate sovereign to any but themselves. 

This species of selection apparently went on without the knowledge ofthe Duc d'Angouleme. During his stay in Nimes he received Protestantsand Catholics with equal cordiality, and they set at his table sideby side. It happened once, on a Friday, at dinner, that a Protestantgeneral took fish and a Catholic general helped himself to fowl. The duke being amused, drew attention to this anomaly, whereupon theCatholic general replied, "Better more chicken and less treason. " Thisattack was so direct, that although the Protestant general felt that asfar as he was concerned it had no point, he rose from table and leftthe room. It was the brave General Gilly who was treated in this cruelmanner. 

Meanwhile the news became more disastrous every day: Napoleon was movingabout with the rapidity of his eagles. On the 24th March it was reportedin Nimes that Louis XVIII had left Paris on the 19th and that Napoleonhad entered on the 20th. This report was traced to its source, and itwas 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 inNimes. He was summoned at once before the authorities and asked whencehe had this information; he replied, "From a letter received from M. Bragueres, " producing the letter. But convincing as was this proof, itavailed him nothing: he was escorted from brigade to brigade till hereached the Chateau d'If. The Protestants sided with M. Vincent deSaint-Laurent, the Catholics took the part of the authorities whowere persecuting him, and thus the two factions which had been so longquiescent found themselves once more face to face, and their dormanthatred awoke to new life. For the moment, however, there was noexplosion, although the city was at fever heat, and everyone felt that acrisis was at hand. 

On the 22nd March two battalions of Catholic volunteers had already beenenlisted at Nimes, and had formed part of the eighteen hundred men whowere sent to Saint-Esprit. Just before their departure fleurs-de-lyshad been distributed amongst them, made of red cloth; this change in thecolour of the monarchical emblem was a threat which the Protestants wellunderstood. 

The prince left Nimes in due course, taking with him the rest of theroyal volunteers, and leaving the Protestants practically mastersof Nimes during the absence of so many Catholics. The city, however, continued calm, and when provocations began, strange to say they camefrom the weaker party. 

On the 27th March six men met in a barn; dined together, and then agreedto make the circuit of the town. These men were Jacques Dupont, wholater acquired such terrible celebrity under the name of Trestaillons, Truphemy the butcher, Morenet the dog shearer, Hours, Servant, andGilles. They got opposite the cafe "Isle of Elba, " the name of whichindicated the opinion of those who frequented it. This cafe was faced bya guard-house which was occupied by soldiers of the 67th Regiment. Thesix made a halt, and in the most insulting tones raised the cry of "Longlive the king!" The disturbance that ensued was so slight that we onlymention 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 threemonths later to play such a terrible part. 

On April 1st the mayor summoned to a meeting at his official residencethe municipal council, the members of all the variously constitutedadministrative bodies in Nimes, the officers of the city guards, the priests, the Protestant pastors, and the chief citizens. At thismeeting, M. Trinquelague, advocate of the Royal Courts, read a powerfuladdress, expressing the love, of the citizens for their king andcountry, and exhorting them to union and peace. This address wasunanimously adopted and signed by all present, and amongst thesignatures were those of the principal Protestants of Nimes. But thiswas not all: the next day it was printed and published, and copies sentto all the communes in the department over which the white flag stillfloated. And all this happened, as we have said, on April and, elevendays after Napoleon's return to Paris. 

The same day word arrived that the Imperial Government had beenproclaimed at Montpellier. 

The next day, April 3rd, all the officers on half-pay assembled at thefountain to be reviewed by a general and a sub-inspector, and as theseofficers were late, the order of the day issued by General Ambert, recognising the Imperial Government, was produced and passed along theranks, causing such excitement that one of the officers drew his swordand cried, "Long live the emperor!" These magic words were re-echoedfrom every side, and they all hastened to the barracks of the 63rdRegiment, which at once joined the officers. At this juncture MarshalPelissier arrived, and did not appear to welcome the turn things hadtaken; he made an effort to restrain the enthusiasm of the crowd, butwas immediately arrested by his own soldiers. The officers repaired in abody to the headquarters of General Briche, commandant of the garrison, and asked for the official copy of the order of the day. He replied thathe had received none, and when questioned as to which side he was onhe refused to answer. The officers upon this took him prisoner. Just asthey had consigned him to the barracks for confinement, a post-officeofficial arrived bringing a despatch from General Ambert. Learning thatGeneral Briche was a prisoner, the messenger carried his packet to thecolonel of the 63rd Regiment, who was the next in seniority after thegeneral. In opening it, it was found to contain the order of the day. 

Instantly the colonel ordered the 'gineyale' to sound: the town guardsassumed arms, the troops left the barracks and formed in line, theNational Guards in the rear of the regular troops, and when they wereall thus drawn up; the order of the day was read; it was then snatchedout of the colonel's hands, printed on large placards, and in lesstime than seemed possible it was posted up in every street and at everystreet corner; the tricolour replaced the white cockade, everyonebeing obliged to wear the national emblem or none at all, the citywas proclaimed in a state of seige, and the military officers formed avigilance committee and a police force. 

While the Duc d'Angouleme had been staying at Nimes, General Gilly hadapplied for a command in that prince's army, but in spite of all hisefforts obtained nothing; so immediately after the dinner at which hewas insulted he had withdrawn to Avernede, his place in the country. Hewas awoke in the night of the 5th-6th April by a courier from GeneralAmbert, who sent to offer him the command of the 2nd Subdivision. On the6th, General Gilly went to Nimes, and sent in his acceptance, wherebythe departments of the Gard, the Lozere, and Ardeche passed under hisauthority. 

Next day General Gilly received further despatches from General Ambert, from which he learned that it was the general's intention, in order toavoid the danger of a civil war, to separate the Duc d'Angouleme's armyfrom the departments which sympathised with the royal cause; he hadtherefore decided to make Pont-Saint-Esprit a military post, and hadordered the 10th Regiment of mounted chasseurs, the 13th artillery, anda battalion of infantry to move towards this point by forced marches. These troops were commanded by Colonel Saint-Laurent, but General Ambertwas anxious that if it could be done without danger, General Gillyshould leave Nimes, taking with him part of the 63rd Regiment, andjoining the other forces under the command of Colonel Saint-Laurent, should assume the chief command. As the city was quite tranquil, GeneralGilly did not hesitate to obey this order: he set out from Nimes on the7th, passed the night at Uzes, and finding that town abandoned by themagistrates, declared it in a state of siege, lest disturbances shouldarise in the absence of authority. Having placed M. De Bresson incommand, a retired chief of battalion who was born in Uzes, and whousually lived there, he continued his march on the morning of the 8th. 

Beyond the village of Conans, General Gilly met an orderly sent tohim by Colonel Saint-Laurent to inform him that he, the colonel, hadoccupied Pont Saint-Esprit, and that the Duc d'Angouleme, findinghimself thus caught between two fires, had just sent General d'Aultanne, chief of staff in the royal army, to him, to enter into negotiationsfor a surrender. Upon this, General Gilly quickened his advance, andon reaching Pont-Saint-Esprit found General d'Aultanne and ColonelSaint-Laurent conferring together at the Hotel de la Poste. 

As Colonel Saint-Laurent had received his instructions directly fromthe commander-in-chief, several points relating to the capitulation hadalready been agreed upon; of these General Gilly slightly altered some, and approved of the others, and the same day the following conventionwas signed:

"Convention concluded between General Gilly and Baron de Damas

"S. A. R. Mgr. Le Duc d'Angouleme, Commander-in-Chief of the royal armyin the South, and Baron de Gilly, General of Division andCommander-in-Chief of the first corps of the Imperial Army, being mostanxiously desirous to prevent any further effusion of French blood, havegiven 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 Generalde Gilly and Adjutant Lefevre, Chevalier of the Legion of Honour, andChief of the Staff of the first Army Corps; who, having shown each othertheir respective credentials, have agreed on the following terms:--

"Art. 1. The royal army is to be disbanded; and the National Guardswhich are enrolled in it, under whatever name they may have been levied, will return to their homes, after laying down their arms. Safe conductswill be provided, and the general of division commanding-in-chiefguarantees that they shall never be molested for anything they mayhave said or done in connection with the events preceding the presentconvention. 

"The officers will retain their swords; the troops of the line who formpart of this army will repair to such garrisons as may be assigned tothem. 

"Art. 2. The general officers, superior staff officers and others ofall branches of the service, and the chiefs and subordinates of theadministrative departments, of whose names a list will be furnished tothe general-in-chief, will retire to their homes and there await theorders of His Majesty the Emperor. 

"Art. 3. Officers of every rank who wish to resign their commissions arecompetent to do so. They will receive passports for their homes. 

"Art. 4. The funds of the army and the lists of the paymaster-generalwill be handed over at once to commissioners appointed for that purposeby the commander-in-chief. 

"Art. 5. The above articles apply to the corps commanded by Mgr. Le Ducd'Angouleme in person, and also to those who act separately but underhis 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 forhim 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 theroad to protect His Royal Highness during the journey, and the honoursdue to his rank will be everywhere paid him, if he so desire. 

"Art. 7. All the officers and other persons of His Royal Highness' suitewho desire to follow him will be permitted to do so, and they may eitherembark with him at once or later, should their private affairs need timefor arrangement. 

"Art. 8. The present treaty will be kept secret until His Royal Highnesshave quitted the limits of the empire. 

"Executed in duplicate and agreed upon between the above-mentionedplenipotentiaries the 8th day of April in the year 1815, with theapproval of the general commanding-in-chief, and signed, "At the headquarters at Pont-Saint-Esprit on the day and year abovewritten. 

"(Signed) LEFEVRE Adjutant and Chief of Staff of the First Corps of theImperial 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 DivisionCommanding-in-Chief the Imperial Army of the South. 

"(Signed) GILLY. "

After some discussion between General Gilly and General Grouchy, thecapitulation was carried into effect. On the 16th April, at eighto'clock in the morning, the Duc d'Angouleme arrived at Cette, and wenton board the Swedish vessel Scandinavia, which, taking advantage of afavourable wind, set sail the same day. 

Early in the morning of the 9th an officer of high rank had been sent toLa Palud to issue safe-conducts to the troops, who according to ArticleI of the capitulation were to return home "after laying down theirarms. " But during the preceding day and night some of the royalvolunteers had evaded this article by withdrawing with their arms andbaggage. As this infraction of the terms led to serious consequences, we propose, in order to establish the fact, to cite the depositions ofthree 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 toSaint-Jean-des-Anels. From there we marched towards Uzes. In the middleof a forest, near a village, the name of which I have forgotten, ourGeneral 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 CommandantMagne detached it from the staff and put it in his pocket. We then askedthe general where we should deposit our arms; he replied, that we hadbetter 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 theroad. 

"From that time on we all did what we thought best: sixty-four of usremained 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, Iwent with my officers and my corps to Saint-Jean-des-Anels. We marchedtowards Uzes, but when we were in the middle of a forest, near a villagethe name of which I have forgotten, our general, M. De Vogue, toldus that we were to go to our own homes as soon as we liked. We sawCommandant Magne loose the flag from its staff, roll it up and put itin his pocket. We asked the general what we were to do with our arms; hereplied that we were to keep both them and our ammunition, as we shouldfind them of use. Upon this, our chiefs left us, and we all got away asbest we could. "

"After the capitulation of the Duc d'Angouleme I found myself, " deposesPaul Lambert, lace-maker of Nimes, "in one of several detachments underthe orders of Commandant Magne and General Vogue. In the middle of aforest near a village, the name of which I do not know, M. De Vogue andthe other officer, told us we might go home. The flag was folded up, andM. Magne put it in his pocket. We asked our chiefs what we were to dowith our arms. M. De Vogue told us that we had better keep them, as weshould need them before very long; and in any case it would be well tohave 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 withoutflag, M. De Vogue's soldiers asked no further counsel of anyone butthemselves, and, as one of them has already told us, sixty-four of themjoined together to hire a guide who was to show them how to get by Uzeswithout going through it, for they were afraid of meeting with insultthere. The guide brought them as far as Montarem without anyone opposingtheir passage or taking notice of their arms. 

Suddenly a coachman named Bertrand, a confidential servant of AbbeRafin, former Grand-Vicar of Alais, and of Baroness Arnaud-Wurmeser (forthe abbe administered the estate of Aureillac in his own name and thatof the baroness), galloped into the village of Arpaillargues, which wasalmost entirely Protestant and consequently Napoleonist, announcing thatthe miquelets (for after one hundred and ten years the old name given tothe royal troops was revived) were on the way from Montarem, pillaginghouses, murdering magistrates, outraging women, and then throwing themout of the windows. It is easy to understand the effect of such a story. The people gathered together in groups; the mayor and his assistantbeing absent, Bertrand was taken before a certain Boucarut, who onreceiving his report ordered the generale to be beaten and the tocsinto be rung. Then the consternation became general: the men seized theirmuskets, the women and children stones and pitchforks, and everyonemade ready to face a danger which only existed in the imagination ofBertrand, for there was not a shadow of foundation for the story he hadtold. 

While the village was in this state of feverish excitement the royalvolunteers came in sight. Hardly were they seen than the cry, "Therethey are! There they are!" arose on all sides, the streets werebarricaded with carts, the tocsin rang out with redoubled frenzy, andeveryone 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 theirshakos on their musket stocks and waved them above their heads, shoutingthat no one need fear, for they would do no harm to anyone. But alarmedas they were by the terrible stories told by Bertrand, the villagersshouted back that they could not trust to such assurances, and that ifthey wanted to pass through the village they must first give uptheir weapons. It may easily be imagined that men who had broken theconvention in order to keep their weapons were not likely to give themup to these villagers--in fact, they obstinately refused to let them outof their hands, and by doing so increased the suspicions of the people. A parley of a very excited character took place between M. Fournierfor the royal guards and M. Boucarut, who was chosen spokesman by thevillagers. From words they came to deeds: the miquelets tried to forcetheir way through, some shots were fired, and two miquelets, Calvet andFournier, fell. The others scattered, followed by a lively discharge, and two more miquelets were slightly wounded. Thereupon they all tookto flight through the fields on either side of the road, pursued for ashort distance by the villagers, but soon returned to examine the twowounded men, and a report was drawn up by Antoine Robin, advocate andmagistrate of the canton of Uzes, of the events just related. 

This accident was almost the only one of its kind which happened duringthe Hundred Days: the two parties remained face to face, threatening butself-controlled. But let there be no mistake: there was no peace; theywere simply awaiting a declaration of war. When the calm was broken, itwas from Marseilles that the provocation came. We shall efface ourselvesfor a time and let an eye-witness speak, who being a Catholic cannot besuspected of partiality for the Protestants. 

"I was living in Marseilles at the time of Napoleon's landing, and I wasa witness of the impression which the news produced upon everyone. Therewas one great cry; the enthusiasm was universal; the National Guardwanted to join him to the last man, but Marshal Massena did not givehis consent until it was too late, for Napoleon had already reached themountains, and was moving with such swiftness that it would have beenimpossible to overtake him. Next we heard of his triumphal entryinto Lyons, and of his arrival in Paris during the night. Marseillessubmitted like the rest of France; Prince d'Essling was recalled to thecapital, and Marshal Brune, who commanded the 6th corps of observation, fixed his headquarters at Marseilles. 

"With quite incomprehensible fickleness, Marseilles, whose name duringthe Terror had been, as one may say, the symbol of the most advancedopinions, had become almost entirely Royalist in 1815. Nevertheless, its inhabitants saw without a murmur the tricolour flag after a year'sabsence floating once more above the walls. No arbitrary interferenceon the part of the authorities, no threats, and no brawling betweenthe citizens and the soldiers, troubled the peace of old Phocea; norevolution ever took place with such quietness and facility. 

"It must, however, be said, that Marshal Brune was just the man toaccomplish such a transformation without friction; in him the franknessand loyalty of an old soldier were combined with other qualitiesmore solid than brilliant. Tacitus in hand, he looked on at modernrevolutions as they passed, and only interfered when the voice of hiscountry called him to her defence. The conqueror of Harlem and Bakkunhad been for four years forgotten in retirement, or rather in exile, when the same voice which sent him away recalled him, and at the summonsCincinnatus left his plough and grasped his weapons. Physically he wasat this period a man of about fifty-five, with a frank and open faceframed by large whiskers; his head was bald except for a little grizzledhair at the temples; he was tall and active, and had a remarkablysoldierly bearing. 

"I had been brought into contact with him by a report which one of myfriends 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 withus, he discussed the subject with the impartiality of a man who bringsan open mind to a debate, and he invited us to come often to see him. Weenjoyed ourselves so much in his society that we got into the habit ofgoing to his house nearly every evening. 

"On his arrival in the South an old calumny which had formerly pursuedhim again made its appearance, quite rejuvenated by its long sleep. Awriter whose name I have forgotten, in describing the Massacres ofthe Second of September and the death of the unfortunate Princesse deLamballe, had said, 'Some people thought they recognised in the man whocarried her head impaled on a pike, General Brune in disguise, ' and thisaccusation; which had been caught up with eagerness under the Consulate, still followed him so relentlessly in 1815, that hardly a day passedwithout his receiving an anonymous letter, threatening him with the samefate which had overtaken the princess. One evening while we were withhim such a letter arrived, and having read it he passed it on to us. Itwas as follows:

"'Wretch, --We are acquainted with all your crimes, for which you willsoon receive the chastisement you well deserve. It was you who duringthe revolution brought about the death of the Princesse de Lamballe; itwas you who carried her head on a pike, but your head will be impaled onsomething longer. If you are so rash as to be present at the review ofthe Allies it is all up with you, and your head will be stuck on thesteeple of the Accoules. Farewell, SCOUNDREL!'

"We advised him to trace this calumny to its source, and then to takesignal vengeance on the authors. He paused an instant to reflect, andthen lit the letter at a candle, and looking at it thoughtfully as itturned to ashes in his hand, said, --Vengeance! Yes, perhaps by seekingthat I could silence the authors of these slanders and preservethe public tranquillity which they constantly imperil. But I preferpersuasion to severity. My principle is, that it is better to bringmen's heads back to a right way of thinking than to cut them off, and tobe 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 duringthe Hundred Days, and both times in the same manner. The garrisonofficers used to gather at a coffee-house in the place Necker, andsing songs suggested by passing events. This caused an attack by thetownspeople, who broke the windows by throwing stones, some ofwhich struck the officers. These rushed out, crying, 'To arms!' Thetownspeople were not slow to respond, but the commandant ordered the'geneydle' to beat, sent out numerous patrols, and succeeded in calmingthe excitement and restoring quietness without any casualties. 

"The day of the Champ du Mai orders for a general illumination weregiven, and that the tricolour flag should be displayed from the windows. The greater number of the inhabitants paid no attention to the desiresof the authorities, and the officers being annoyed at this neglect, indulged in reprehensible excesses, which, however, resulted in nothingmare serious than some broken windows belonging to houses which had notilluminated, and in some of the householders being forced to illuminateaccording to order. 

"In Marseilles as in the rest of France, people began to despair of thesuccess of the royal cause, and those who represented this cause, whowere very numerous at Marseilles, gave up annoying the military andseemed to resign themselves to their fate. Marshal Brune had left thecity to take up his post on the frontier, without any of the dangerswith which he was threatened having come across his path. 

"The 25th of June arrived, and the news of the successes obtained atFleurus 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 theleaders, the uneasiness of the soldiers, the delight of the Royalists, foretold the outbreak of a new struggle, the results of which it waseasy to anticipate. About four o'clock in the afternoon, a man, who hadprobably got earlier information than his fellow-townspeople, tore offhis tricoloured cockade and trampled it under foot, crying, 'Long livethe king!' The angry soldiers seized him and were about to drag himto the guard-house, but the National Guards prevented them, and theirinterference led to a fight. Shouts were heard on all sides, a largering was formed round the soldiers, a few musket shots heard, othersanswered, three or four men fell, and lay there weltering in theirblood. Out of this confused uproar the word 'Waterloo' emerged distinct;and with this unfamiliar name pronounced for the first time in theresounding voice of history, the news of the defeat of the French armyand the triumph of the Allies spread apace. Then General Verdier, who held the chief command in the absence of Marshal Brune, tried toharangue the people, but his voice was drowned by the shouts of the mobwho 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 shouldbe brought out, and this concession, so significant on the part of ageneral commanding in the emperor's name, convinced the crowd that hiscause was lost. The fury of the populace grew greater now that they feltthat 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, theneighbouring villages poured in their populations and increased thethrong in the streets; single acts of violence began to occur, wholesalemassacres were approaching. I had arrived in the town with my friendM____ the very beginning of the tumult, so we had seen the dangerousagitation and excitement grow under our eyes, but we were still ignorantof its true cause, when, in the rue de Noailles, we met an acquaintance, who, although his political opinions did not coincide with ours, hadalways 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 atonce. ' Surprised and somewhat alarmed at these words, we begged him toexplain. 'Listen, ' said he; 'there are going to be riots in the town; itis well known that you used to go to Brune's nearly every evening, andthat you are in consequence no favourite with your neighbours; seeksafety 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, whenthe increasing uproar aroused us to a sense that if we desired to followthe advice just given we had not a moment to lose. We hastened to myhouse, which was situated in the Allees de Meilhan. My wife was justgoing 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 itbehind; for it was most important that no one should think we suspectedanything, but were merely going for a stroll. This precaution savedus, for we learned the next day that if our intention to fly had beensuspected we should have been stopped. 

"We walked at random, while behind us we heard musket shots from everypart of the town. We met a company of soldiers who were hurrying to therelief of their comrades, but heard later that they had not been allowedto pass the gate. 

"We recollected an old officer of our acquaintance who had quitted theservice and withdrawn from the world some years before, and had takena place in the country near the village of Saint-Just; we directed ourcourse 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 withpolitical affairs, and no one can have anything against me. No one willthink of looking for you here. '

"The captain had friends in the town, who, one after another, reachedhis house, and brought us news of all that went on during thatdreadful day. Many soldiers had been killed, and the Mamelukes had beenannihilated. A negress who had been in the service of these unfortunateshad been taken on the quay. 'Cry "Long live the king!" shouted themob. 'No, ' she replied. 'To Napoleon I owe my daily bread; long liveNapoleon!' A bayonet-thrust in the abdomen was the answer. 'Villains!'said she, covering the wound with her hand to keep back the protrudingentrails. 'Long live Napoleon!' A push sent her into the water; shesank, but rose again to the surface, and waving her hand, she cried forthe last time, 'Long live Napoleon!' a bullet shot putting an end to herlife. 

"Several of the townspeople had met with shocking deaths. For instance, M. Angles, a neighbour of mine, an old man and no inconsiderablescholar, having unfortunately, when at the palace some days before, given utterance before witnesses to the sentiment that Napoleon wasa 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 thepopulace, he was at last murdered. 

"It may easily be imagined that although no one came to disturb uswe did not sleep much that night. The ladies rested on sofas or inarm-chairs without undressing, while our host, M______ and myself tookturns in guarding the door, gun in hand. 

"As soon as it was light we consulted what course we should take: I wasof 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 toNimes, where my family lived. But my wife did not agree with me. 'I mustgo back to town for our things, ' said she; 'we have no clothes but thoseon our backs. Let us send to the village to ask if Marseilles is quieterto-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 returnto the town unless I accompanied her. But in that everyone was againstme: my presence would give rise to dangers which without me had noexistence. Where were the miscreants cowardly enough to murder a womanof eighteen who belonged to no-party and had never injured anyone? Asfor me, my opinions were well known. Moreover, my mother-in-law offeredto accompany her daughter, and both joined in persuading me thatthere was no danger. At last I was forced to consent, but only on onecondition. 

"'I cannot say, ' I observed, 'whether there is any foundation for thereassuring tidings we have heard, but of one thing you may be sure: itis now seven o'clock in the morning, you can get to Marseilles in anhour, pack your trunks in another hour, and return in a third; let usallow one hour more for unforeseen delays. If you are not back byeleven o'clock, I shall believe something has happened, and take stepsaccordingly. ' 'Very well, ' said my wife; 'if I am not back by then, youmay think me dead, and do whatever you think best. ' And so she and hermother left me. 

"An hour later, quite different news came to hand. Fugitives, seekinglike ourselves safety in the country, told us that the rioting, far fromceasing, had increased; the streets were encumbered with corpses, andtwo people had been murdered with unheard-of cruelty. 

"An old man named Bessieres, who had led a simple and blamelesslife, and whose only crime was that he had served under the Usurper, anticipating that under existing circumstances this would be regardedas a capital crime, made his will, which was afterwards found among hispapers. 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 andbequeath, etc. , etc. 

"The day before, his brother-in-law, knowing he had private enemies, hadcome to the house and spent the night trying to induce him to flee, butall 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 theNational Guard, and placed himself under their protection. 

"They took him to the Cours St. Louis, where, being hustled by the crowdand very ineffectually defended by the Guards, he tried to enter theCafe Mercantier, but the door was shut in his face. Being broken byfatigue, breathless, and covered with dust and sweat, he threw himselfon one of the benches placed against the wall, outside the house. Herehe was wounded by a musket bullet, but not killed. At the sight of hisblood shrieks of joy were heard, and then a young man with a pistol ineach hand forced his way through the throng and killed the old man bytwo shots fired point blank in his face. 

"Another still more atrocious murder took place in the course of thesame morning. A father and son, bound back to back, were delivered overto the tender mercies of the mob. Stoned and beaten and covered witheach other's blood, for two long hours their death-agony endured, andall the while those who could not get near enough to strike were dancinground them. 

"Our time passed listening to such stories; suddenly I saw a friendrunning towards the house. I went to meet him. He was so pale that Ihardly dared to question him. He came from the city, and had been at myhouse to see what had become of me. There was no one in it, but acrossthe door lay two corpses wrapped in a blood-stained sheet which he hadnot dared to lift. 

"At these terrible words nothing could hold me back. I set off forMarseilles. M______ who would not consent to let me return alone, accompanied me. In passing through the village of Saint-Just weencountered a crowd of armed peasants in the main street who appearedto belong to the free companies. Although this circumstance was ratheralarming, it would have been dangerous to turn back, so we continued ourway as if we were not in the least uneasy. They examined our bearing andour dress narrowly, and then exchanged some sentences in a low, voice, of which we only caught the word austaniers. This was the name by whichthe Bonapartists were called by the peasants, and means 'eaters ofchestnuts, ' this article of food being brought from Corsica to France. However, we were not molested in any way, for as we were going towardsthe city they did not think we could be fugitives. A hundred yardsbeyond the village we came up with a crowd of peasants, who were, likeus, on the way to Marseilles. It was plain to see that they had justbeen pillaging some country house, for they were laden with rich stuffs, chandeliers and jewels. It proved to be that of M. R____, inspector ofreviews. Several carried muskets. I pointed out to my companion a stainof blood on the trousers of one of the men, who began to laugh when hesaw what we were looking at. Two hundred yards outside the city I meta woman who had formerly been a servant in my house. She was verymuch astonished to see me, and said, 'Go away at once; the massacre ishorrible, 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 somepeople asked me in a threatening manner if I could tell them where thefriend of that rascal Brine was, as they were going to take away hisappetite for bread. So take my advice, ' she continued, 'and go back towhere you came from. '

"This advice was the last I could make up my mind to follow, so wewent on, but found a strong guard at the gate, and saw that it would beimpossible 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 weretraced our steps. In passing again through the village of Saint-Justwe met once more our armed peasants. But this time they burst out intothreats on seeing us, shouting, 'Let us kill them! Let us kill them!'Instead of running away, we approached them, assuring them that we wereRoyalists. Our coolness was so convincing that we got through safe andsound. 

"On getting back to the captain's I threw myself on the sofa, quiteovercome by the thought that only that morning my wife had been besideme under my protection, and that I had let her go back to the town toa cruel and inevitable death. I felt as if my heart would break, andnothing that our host and my friend could say gave me the slightestcomfort. I was like a madman, unconscious of everything round me. 

"M______ went out to try to pick up some news, but in an instant weheard 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 ofdouble-barrelled pistols, resolved not to let myself be slaughtered likea sheep. Through the window I could see some men climbing over the walland getting down into the garden. We had just sufficient time to escapeby 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 sideof 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 aBonapartist nest, and the assassins had hoped to take it by surprise;and, indeed, if they had come a little sooner we had been lost, forbefore we had been five minutes in our hiding-place the murderersrushed out on the road, looking for us in every direction, without theslightest suspicion that we were not six yards distant. Though they didnot see us I could see them, and I held my pistols ready cocked, quitedetermined to kill the first who came near. However, in a short timethey went away. 

"As soon as they were out of hearing we began to consider our situationand 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 wewere 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 tous, for a few yards away we suddenly heard the shrieks of a man who wasbeing 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 soona violent reaction took place within me, and I felt that it would bebetter to march straight to meet peril than to await its coming, andalthough I knew the danger of trying to go through Saint-Just again, Iresolved to risk it, and to get to Marseilles at all costs. So, turningto M____, I said:

"'You can remain here without danger until the evening, but I am goingto 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 notI shall get away as best I can alone. '

"Knowing the danger that we were running, and how little chance therewas that we should ever see each other again, he held out his hand tome, 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 freebootersstill there; so I walked up to them, trolling a melody, but one ofthem seized me by the collar and two others took aim at me with theirmuskets. 

"If ever in my life I shouted 'Long live the king!' with less enthusiasmthan the cry deserves, it was then: to assume a rollicking air, to laughwith cool carelessness when there is nothing between you and death butthe more or less strong pressure of a highwayman's finger on the triggerof a musket, is no easy task; but all this I accomplished, and oncemore got through the village with a whole skin indeed, but with theunalterable resolution to blow my brains out rather than again try suchan 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 roundMarseilles, 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 bodiesof troops, wearing the white cockade, infested the approaches. I soonperceived that the danger of getting in was as great as ever, so Idetermined to walk up and down till night, hoping the darkness wouldcome to my aid; but one of the patrols soon gave me to understand thatmy prowling about had aroused suspicion, and ordered me either to go onto the city, in which by all accounts there was small chance of safetyfor me, or back to the village; where certain death awaited me. A happyinspiration flashed across my mind, I would get some refreshment, andseeing an inn near by, I went in and ordered a mug of beer, sitting downnear the window, faintly hoping that before the necessity for a finaldecision arrived, someone who knew me would pass by. After waiting halfan hour, I did indeed see an acquaintance--no other than M______, whomI had left in the vineyard. I beckoned him, and he joined me. He toldme that, being too impatient to await my return, he had soon made up hismind to follow me, and by joining a band of pillagers was lucky enoughto get safely through Saint-Just. We consulted together as to whatwe had better do next, and having applied to our host, found he couldsupply us with a trusty messenger, who would carry the news of ourwhereabouts 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 meback, pointing out the danger of such a step; so we sat still our eyesfixed on the approaching figure. But when my brother-in-law reached theinn, I could restrain my impatience no longer, but rushing out of theroom 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 threwmyself into his arms. 

"My wife, who had been threatened, insulted, and roughly treated becauseof 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 theNational Guard, which was at that moment a safeguard, took us each byan arm, and we passed the barrier without anyone asking us who we were. Choosing quiet streets, we reached his house unmolested; but in fact thewhole city was quiet, for the carnage was practically at an end. 

"My wife safe! this thought filled my heart with joy almost too great tobear. 

"Her adventures were the following:

"My wife and her mother had gone to our house, as agreed upon, to packour trunks. As they left their rooms, having accomplished theirtask, they found the landlady waiting on the staircase, who at onceoverwhelmed 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 bythe arm, pulled her in and shut the door. She, however, rushed to thewindow, and just as my wife and her mother reached the street, shoutedto a free band who were on guard across the way, 'Fire! they areBonapartists!' Fortunately the men, more merciful than the woman, seeingtwo ladies quite alone, did not hinder their passage, and as just thenmy brother-in-law came by, whose opinions were well known and whoseuniform was respected, he was allowed to take them under his protectionand conduct them to his house in safety. 

"A young man, employed at the Prefecture, who had called at my housethe day before, I having promised to help him in editing the Journal desBouches-du-Rhone, was not so lucky. His occupation and his visit tome laid him under suspicion of possessing dangerous opinions, and hisfriends urged him to fly; but it was too late. He was attacked at thecorner 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 bloodythan those of the day before; the sewers ran blood, and every hundredyards a dead body was to be met. But this sight, instead of satiatingthe thirst for blood of the assassins, only seemed to awaken a generalfeeling of gaiety. In the evening the streets resounded with song androundelay, 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 'theday 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, weset out for Nimes that same evening, having been offered the use of acarriage. 

"Nothing worthy of note happened on the road to Orgon, which we reachednext day; but the isolated detachments of troops which we passed fromtime to time reminded us that the tranquillity was nowhere perfect. As we neared the town we saw three men going about arm in arm; thisfriendliness seemed strange to us after our recent experiences, for oneof them wore a white cockade, the second a tricolour, and the thirdnone at all, and yet they went about on the most brotherly terms, eachawaiting under a different banner the outcome of events. Theirwisdom impressed me much, and feeling I had nothing to fear from suchphilosophers, I went up to them and questioned them, and they explainedtheir hopes to me with the greatest innocence, and above all, their firmdetermination to belong to what ever party got the upper hand. As wedrove into Orgon we saw at a glance that the whole town was simmeringwith excitement. Everybody's face expressed anxiety. A man who, we weretold, was the mayor, was haranguing a group. As everyone was listening, with the greatest attention, we drew near and asked them the cause ofthe excitement. 

"'Gentlemen, ' said he, 'you ought to know the news: the king is in hiscapital, and we have once more hoisted the white flag, and there has notbeen a single dispute to mar the tranquillity of the day; one partyhas triumphed without violence, and the other has submitted withresignation. But I have just learned that a band of vagabonds, numberingabout three hundred, have assembled on the bridge over the Durance, andare preparing to raid our little town to-night, intending by pillage orextortion to get at what we possess. I have a few guns left which I amabout 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 hisweapons. I made the ladies go to bed, and, sitting at their door, triedto sleep as well as I could, a pistol in each hand. But at every instantthe noise of a false alarm sounded through the town, and when day dawnedmy only consolation was that no one else in Orgon had slept any betterthan I. 

"The next day we continued our journey to Tarascon, where newexcitements awaited us. As we got near the town we heard the tocsinclanging and drums beating the generale. We were getting so accustomedto the uproar that we were not very much astonished. However, when wegot in we asked what was going on, and we were told that twelve thousandtroops from Nimes had marched on Beaucaire and laid it waste with fireand sword. I insinuated that twelve thousand men was rather a largenumber for one town to furnish, but was told that that included troopsfrom the Gardonninque and the Cevennes. Nimes still clung to thetricolour, but Beaucaire had hoisted the white flag, and it was forthe purpose of pulling it down and scattering the Royalists who wereassembling in numbers at Beaucaire that Nimes had sent forth hertroops on this expedition. Seeing that Tarascon and Beaucaire are onlyseparated by the Rhone, it struck me as peculiar that such quiet shouldprevail 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 suchgravity 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. Theexpedition of twelve thousand men was reduced to one of two hundred, which had been easily repulsed, with the result that of the assailantsone had been wounded and one made prisoner. Proud of this success, thepeople of Beaucaire entrusted us with a thousand objurgations to deliverto their inveterate enemies the citizens of Nimes. 

"If any journey could give a correct idea of the preparations for civilwar and the confusion which already prevailed in the South, I shouldthink that without contradiction it would be that which we took thatday. Along the four leagues which lie between Beaucaire and Nimeswere posted at frequent intervals detachments of troops displayingalternately the white and the tricoloured cockade. Every village uponour route except those just outside of Nimes had definitely joinedeither one party or the other, and the soldiers, who were stationed atequal distances along the road, were now Royalist and now Bonapartist. Before leaving Beaucaire we had all provided ourselves, taking exampleby the men we had seen at Orgon, with two cockades, one white, and onetricoloured, and by peeping out from carriage windows we were able tosee which was worn by the troops we were approaching in time to attacha similar one to our hats before we got up to them, whilst we hidthe other in our shoes; then as we were passing we stuck our heads, decorated according to circumstances, out of the windows, and shoutedvigorously, 'Long live the king!' or 'Long live the emperor!' as thecase demanded. Thanks to this concession to political opinions on thehighway, and in no less degree to the money which we gave by way of tipsto everybody everywhere, we arrived at length at the barriers of Nimes, where we came up with the National Guards who had been repulsed by thetownspeople 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 wascomposed had resolved to unite in giving a banquet on Sunday, the 28thof June, to celebrate the success of the French army. The news of thebattle of Waterloo travelled much more quickly to Marseilles thanto Nimes, so the banquet took place without interruption. A bust ofNapoleon was carried in procession all over the town, and then theregular soldiers and the National Guard devoted the rest of the day torejoicings, which were followed by no excess. 

"But the day was not quite finished before news came that numerousmeetings were taking place at Beaucaire, so although the news of thedefeat at Waterloo reached Nimes on the following Tuesday, the troopswhich we had seen returning at the gates of the city had been despatchedon Wednesday to disperse these assemblies. Meantime the Bonapartists, under the command of General Gilly, amongst whom was a regiment ofchasseurs, beginning to despair of the success of their cause, felt thattheir situation was becoming very critical, especially as they learntthat the forces at Beaucaire had assumed the offensive and were aboutto march upon Nimes. As I had had no connection with anything that hadtaken place in the capital of the Gard, I personally had nothing tofear; but having learned by experience how easily suspicions arise, Iwas afraid that the ill-luck which had not spared either my friends ormy family might lead to their being accused of having received a refugeefrom Marseilles, a word which in itself had small significance, butwhich in the mouth of an enemy might be fatal. Fears for the futurebeing thus aroused by my recollections of the past, I decided to giveup the contemplation of a drama which might become redoubtable, askedto bury myself in the country with the firm intention of coming back toNimes 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 Albigenseswere burnt, down to the massacre of La Bagarre, had witnessed many arevolution and counter revolution, became the asylum of my wife, mymother, M______, and myself. As the peaceful tranquillity of our lifethere was unbroken by any event of interest, I shall not pause to dwellon it. But at length we grew weary, for such is man, of our life ofcalm, and being left once for nearly a week without any news fromoutside, we made that an excuse for returning to Nimes in order to seewith our own eyes how things were going on. 

"When we were about two leagues on our way we met the carriage of afriend, a rich landed proprietor from the city; seeing that he was init, I alighted to ask him what was happening at Nimes. 'I hope you donot think of going there, ' said he, 'especially at this moment; theexcitement is intense, blood has already flowed, and a catastrophe isimminent. ' So back we went to our mountain castle, but in a few daysbecame again a prey to the same restlessness, and, not being ableto overcome it, decided to go at all risks and see for ourselves thecondition of affairs; and this time, neither advice nor warning havingany effect, we not only set out, but we arrived at our destination thesame evening. 

"We had not been misinformed, frays having already taken place in thestreets which had heated public opinion. One man had been killed on theEsplanade by a musket shot, and it seemed as if his death would be onlythe forerunner of many. The Catholics were awaiting with impatience thearrival of those doughty warriors from Beaucaire on whom they placedtheir chief reliance. The Protestants went about in painful silence, andfear blanched every face. At length the white flag was hoisted and theking proclaimed without any of the disorders which had been dreadedtaking place, but it was plainly visible that this calm was only apause before a struggle, and that on the slightest pretext the pent-uppassions would break loose again. 

"Just at this time the memory of our quiet life in the mountainsinspired us with a happy idea. We had learned that the obstinateresolution of Marshal Brune never to acknowledge Louis XVIII as king hadbeen softened, and that the marshal had been induced to hoist the whiteflag at Toulon, while with a cockade in his hat he had formally resignedthe command of that place into the hands of the royal authorities. 

"Henceforward in all Provence there was no spot where he could liveunmarked. His ultimate intentions were unknown to us, indeed hismovements seemed to show great hesitation on his part, so it occurredto us to offer him our little country house as a refuge where he couldawait the arrival of more peaceful times. We decided that M____ andanother friend of ours who had just arrived from Paris should go to himand make the offer, which he would at once accept all the more readilybecause it came from the hearts which were deeply devoted to him. Theyset out, but to my great surprise returned the same day. They brought usword that Marshal Brune had been assassinated at Avignon. 

"At first we could not believe the dreadful news, and took it for one ofthose ghastly rumours which circulate with such rapidity during periodsof civil strife; but we were not left long in uncertainty, for thedetails of the catastrophe arrived all too soon. "

CHAPTER VIII

For some days Avignon had its assassins, as Marseilles had had them, andas Nimes was about to have them; for some days all Avignon shuddered atthe names of five men--Pointu, Farges, Roquefort, Naudaud, and Magnan. 

Pointu was a perfect type of the men of the South, olive-skinned andeagle-eyed, with a hook nose, and teeth of ivory. Although he was hardlyabove middle height, and his back was bent from bearing heavy burdens, his legs bowed by the pressure of the enormous masses which he dailycarried, he was yet possessed of extraordinary strength and dexterity. He could throw over the Loulle gate a 48-pound cannon ball as easily asa child could throw its ball. He could fling a stone from one bank ofthe 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 suchstrength and precision of aim that this new kind of Parthian arrow wouldgo whistling through the air to hide two inches of its iron head in atree trunk no thicker than a man's thigh. When to these accomplishmentsare added an equal skill with the musket, the pistol, and thequarter-staff, a good deal of mother wit, a deep hatred for Republicans, against whom he had vowed vengeance at the foot of the scaffold onwhich his father and mother had perished, an idea can be formed of theterrible chief of the assassins of Avignon, who had for his lieutenants, Farges the silk-weaver, Roquefort the porter, Naudaud the baker, andMagnan the secondhand clothes dealer. 

Avignon was entirely in the power of these five men, whose brutalconduct the civil and military authorities would not or could notrepress, when word came that Marshal Brune, who was at Luc in commandof six thousand troops, had been summoned to Paris to give an account ofhis conduct to the new Government. 

The marshal, knowing the state of intense excitement which prevailedin 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 asafe-conduct. The cut-throats bellowed with joy when they learned thata Republican of '89, who had risen to the rank of marshal under theUsurper, was about to pass through Avignon. At the same time sinisterreports began to run from mouth to mouth, the harbingers of death. Oncemore the infamous slander which a hundred times had been proved to befalse, raised its voice with dogged persistence, asserting that Brune, who did not arrive at Paris until the 5th of September, 1792, had on the2nd, when still at Lyons, carried the head of the Princesse de Lamballeimpaled on a pike. Soon the news came that the marshal had just escapedassassination at Aix, indeed he owed his safety to the fleetness ofhis horses. Pointu, Forges, and Roquefort swore that they would managethings better at Avignon. 

By the route which the marshal had chosen there were only two ways openby which he could reach Lyons: he must either pass through Avignon, oravoid it by taking a cross-road, which branched off the Pointet highway, two leagues outside the town. The assassins thought he would take thelatter course, and on the 2nd of August, the day on which the marshalwas expected, Pointu, Magnan, and Naudaud, with four of their creatures, took a carriage at six o'clock in the morning, and, setting out from theRhone bridge, hid themselves by the side of the high road to Pointet. 

When the marshal reached the point where the road divided, having beenwarned of the hostile feelings so rife in Avignon, he decided to takethe cross-road upon which Pointu and his men were awaiting him; but thepostillion obstinately refused to drive in this direction, saying thathe always changed horses at Avignon, and not at Pointet. One of themarshal'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 himorders to go on to Avignon. 

The marshal reached the town at nine o'clock in the morning, andalighted at the Hotel du Palais Royal, which was also the post-house. While fresh horses were being put to and the passports and safe-conductexamined at the Loulle gate, the marshal entered the hotel to take aplate of soup. In less than five minutes a crowd gathered round thedoor, and M. Moulin the proprietor noticing the sinister and threateningexpression many of the faces bore, went to the marshal's room and urgedhim to leave instantly without waiting for his papers, pledging his wordthat he would send a man on horseback after him, who would overtake himtwo or three leagues beyond the town, and bring him his own safe-conductand the passports of his aides-de-camp. The marshal came downstairs, andfinding the horses ready, got into the carriage, on which loud murmursarose from the populace, amongst which could be distinguished theterrible word 'zaou!' that excited cry of the Provencal, which accordingto the tone in which it is uttered expresses every shade of threat, andwhich 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 attemptto stop him. He thought he had left all his enemies behind, but whenhe reached the Rhone bridge he found a group of men armed with musketswaiting there, led by Farges and Roquefort. They all raised their gunsand took aim at the marshal, who thereupon ordered the postillion todrive back. The order was obeyed, but when the carriage had gone aboutfifty yards it was met by the crowd from the "Palais Royal, " which hadfollowed it, so the postillion stopped. In a moment the traces werecut, whereupon the marshal, opening the door, alighted, followed by hisvalet, and passing on foot through the Loulle gate, followed by asecond carriage in which were his aides-de-camp, he regained the"Palais Royal, " the doors of which were opened to him and his suite, andimmediately 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 thecarriage, which the marshal had left behind, came up, the postillionhaving tied the traces, and a second time the great yard gates wereopened, and in spite of the press closed again and barricaded by theporter Vernet, and M. Moulin himself, both of whom were men of colossalstrength. The aides-de-camp, who had remained in the carriage untilthen, now alighted, and asked to be shown to the marshal; but Moulinordered the porter to conceal them in an outhouse. Vernet taking one ineach hand, dragged them off despite their struggles, and pushing thembehind 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 youmove, you are dead men, " and left them. The aides-de-camp remained theremotionless and silent. 

At that moment M. De Saint-Chamans, prefect of Avignon, who had arrivedin town at five o'clock in the morning, came out into the courtyard. Bythis time the crowd was smashing the windows and breaking in the streetdoor. The square was full to overflowing, everywhere threatening crieswere heard, and above all the terrible zaou, which from moment to momentbecame more full of menace. M. Moulin saw that if they could not holdout until the troops under Major Lambot arrived, all was lost; hetherefore told Vernet to settle the business of those who were breakingin the door, while he would take charge of those who were trying to getin at the window. Thus these two men, moved by a common impulse and ofequal courage, undertook to dispute with a howling mob the possession ofthe blood for which it thirsted. 

Both dashed to their posts, one in the hall, the other in thedining-room, and found door and windows already smashed, and several menin the house. At the sight of Vernet, with whose immense strength theywere acquainted, those in the hall drew back a step, and Vernet, takingadvantage of this movement, succeeded in ejecting them and in securingthe door once more. Meantime M. Moulin, seizing his double-barrelledgun, which stood in the chimney-corner, pointed it at five men whohad got into the dining-room, and threatened to fire if they didnot instantly get out again. Four obeyed, but one refused to budge;whereupon Moulin, finding himself no longer outnumbered, laid aside hisgun, and, seizing his adversary round the waist, lifted him as if hewere a child and flung him out of the window. The man died three weekslater, not from the fall but from the squeeze. 

Moulin then dashed to the window to secure it, but as he laid his handon it he felt his head seized from behind and pressed violently down onhis left shoulder; at the same instant a pane was broken intosplinters, and the head of a hatchet struck his right shoulder. M. DeSaint-Chamans, who had followed him into the room, had seen the weaponthrown at Moulin's head, and not being able to turn aside the iron, hadturned aside the object at which it was aimed. Moulin seized the hatchetby the handle and tore it out of the hands of him who had delivered theblow, which fortunately had missed its aim. He then finished closingthe window, and secured it by making fast the inside shutters, and wentupstairs to see after the marshal. 

Him he found striding up and down his room, his handsome and noble faceas calm as if the voices of all those shouting men outside were notdemanding his death. Moulin made him leave No. 1 for No. 3, which, being a back room and looking out on the courtyard, seemed to offermore chances of safety than the other. The marshal asked for writingmaterials, which Moulin brought, whereupon the marshal sat down at alittle table and began to write. 

Just then the cries outside became still more uproarious. M. DeSaint-Chamans had gone out and ordered the crowd to disperse, whereupona thousand people had answered him with one voice, asking who he wasthat 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. " Nowit had unfortunately happened that M. De Chamans having sent his trunksby diligence they had not yet arrived, and being dressed in a greencoat; nankeen trousers, and a pique vest, it could hardly beexpected that in such a suit he should overawe the people under thecircumstances; so, when he got up on a bench to harangue the populace, cries arose of "Down with the green coat! We have enough of charlatanslike that!" and he was forced to get down again. As Vernet opened thedoor to let him in, several men took advantage of the circumstance topush in along with him; but Vernet let his fist fall three times, andthree men rolled at his feet like bulls struck by a club. The otherswithdrew. 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 thesame opinions as those against whom he fought; for him as for them themarshal was a mortal enemy, but he had a noble heart, and if the marshalwere guilty he desired a trial and not a murder. Meantime a certainonlooker had heard what had been said to M. De Chamans about hisunofficial costume, and had gone to put on his uniform. This was M. De Puy, a handsome and venerable old man, with white hair, pleasantexpression, and winning voice. He soon came back in his mayor's robes, wearing his scarf and his double cross of St. Louis and the Legionof Honour. But neither his age nor his dignity made the slightestimpression on these people; they did not even allow him to get back tothe hotel door, but knocked him down and trampled him under foot, sothat he hardly escaped with torn clothes and his white hair covered withdust and blood. The fury of the mob had now reached its height. 

At this juncture the garrison of Avignon came in sight; it was composedof four hundred volunteers, who formed a battalion known as the RoyalAngouleme. It was commanded by a man who had assumed the title ofLieutenant-General of the Emancipating Army of Vaucluse. These forcesdrew up under the windows of the "Palais Royal. " They were composedalmost entirely of Provenceaux, and spoke the same dialect as the peopleof the lower orders. The crowd asked the soldiers for what they hadcome, why they did not leave them to accomplish an act of justice inpeace, and if they intended to interfere. "Quite the contrary, " said oneof the soldiers; "pitch him out of the window, and we will catch him onthe points of our bayonets. " Brutal cries of joy greeted this answer, succeeded by a short silence, but it was easy to see that under theapparent calm the crowd was in a state of eager expectation. Soon newshouts were heard, but this time from the interior of the hotel; a smallband of men led by Forges and Roquefort had separated themselves fromthe throng, and by the help of ladders had scaled the walls and got onthe roof of the house, and, gliding down the other side, had droppedinto the balcony outside the windows of the rooms where the marshal waswriting. 

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 Austriancommandant to claim his protection should fall into the hands of thesewretches, he tore it to pieces. Then a man who belonged to a betterclass than the others, and who wears to-day the Cross of the Legionof Honour, granted to him perhaps for his conduct on this occasion, advanced towards the marshal, sword in hand, and told him if he had anylast arrangements to make, he should make them at once, for he had onlyten minutes to live. 

"What are you thinking of?" exclaimed Forges. "Ten minutes! Did he givethe Princesse de Lamballe ten minutes?" and he pointed his pistol atthe marshal's breast; but the marshal striking up the weapon, the shotmissed its aim and buried itself in the ceiling. 

"Clumsy fellow!" said the marshal, shrugging his shoulders, "not to beable to kill a man at such close range. "

"That's true, " replied Roquefort in his patois. "I'll show you how to doit"; 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 marshalfell dead on the spot, the bullet which entered at the shoulder goingright through his body and striking the opposite wall. 

The two shots, which had been heard in the street, made the howling mobdance for joy. One cowardly fellow, called Cadillan, rushed out onone of the balconies which looked on the square, and, holding a loadedpistol in each hand, which he had not dared to discharge even intothe dead body of the murdered man, he cut a caper, and, holding up theinnocent weapons, called out, "These have done the business!" But helied, the braggart, and boasted of a crime which was committed by bravercutthroats 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 actof justice by taking his own life. " Shouts of mingled joy, revenge, andhatred rose from the crowd, and the king's attorney and the examiningmagistrate set about drawing up a report of the suicide. 

Now that all was over and there was no longer any question of saving themarshal, M. Moulin desired at least to save the valuables which he hadin his carriage. He found in a cash box 40, 000 francs, in the pockets asnuff-box set with diamonds, and a pair of pistols and two swords; thehilt of one of these latter was studded with precious stones, a giftfrom 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 theyear 1820 that he was forced to give it up to the representative ofthe marshal's widow. Yet this man was an officer, and kept his rank allthrough the Restoration, and was not dismissed the army till 1830. When M. Moulin had placed the other objects in safety, he requestedthe magistrate to have the corpse removed, as he wished the crowds todisperse, that he might look after the aides-de camp. While they wereundressing the marshal, in order to certify the cause of death, aleathern belt was found on him containing 5536 francs. The body wascarried downstairs by the grave-diggers without any opposition beingoffered, but hardly had they advanced ten yards into the square whenshouts of "To the Rhone! to the Rhone!" resounded on all sides. Apolice officer who tried to interfere was knocked down, the bearerswere ordered to turn round; they obeyed, and the crowd carried them offtowards the wooden bridge. When the fourteenth arch was reached, thebier was torn from the bearers' hands, and the corpse was flung into theriver. "Military honours!" shouted some one, and all who had guns firedat the dead body, which was twice struck. "Tomb of Marshal Brune" wasthen written on the arch, and the crowd withdrew, and passed the rest ofthe day in holiday-making. 

Meanwhile the Rhone, refusing to be an accomplice in such a crime, boreaway the corpse, which the assassins believed had been swallowed up forever. Next day it was found on the sandy shore at Tarascon, but the newsof the murder had preceded it, and it was recognised by the wounds, andpushed 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 alsorecognised it, but instead of shoving it back into the current, theydrew it up gently on the bank and carried it to a small propertybelonging to one of them, where they reverently interred it. The elderof 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 hercastle of Saint-Just, in Champagne; she had it embalmed, and placed ina bedroom adjoining her own, where it remained, covered only by a veil, until the memory of the deceased was cleansed from the accusation ofsuicide by a solemn public trial and judgment. Then only it was finallyinterred, along with the parchment containing the decision of the Courtof Riom. 

The ruffians who killed Marshal Brune, although they evaded the justiceof men, did not escape the vengeance of God: nearly every one of themcame to a miserable end. Roquefort and Farges were attacked by strangeand hitherto unknown diseases, recalling the plagues sent by God on thepeoples 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 tothe neck while still alive. The disease under which Roquefort sufferedseemed to have its seat in the marrow, for his bones by degrees lost allsolidity and power of resistance, so that his limbs refused to bear hisweight, and he went about the streets crawling like a serpent. Bothdied in such dreadful torture that they regretted having escaped thescaffold, which would have spared them such prolonged agony. 

Pointu was condemned to death, in his absence, at the Assizes Court ofLa Drome, for having murdered five people, and was cast off by his ownfaction. For some time his wife, who was infirm and deformed, might beseen going from house to house asking alms for him, who had been for twomonths the arbiter of civil war and assassination. Then came a day whenshe ceased her quest, and was seen sitting, her head covered by a blackrag: Pointu was dead, but it was never known where or how. In somecorner, probably, in the crevice of a rock or in the heart of theforest, like an old tiger whose talons have been clipped and his teethdrawn. 

Naudaud and Magnan were sentenced to the galleys for ten years. Naudauddied there, but Magnan finished his time and then became a scavenger, and, faithful to his vocation as a dealer of death, a poisoner of straydogs. 

Some of these cut-throats are still living, and fill good positions, wearing crosses and epaulets, and, rejoicing in their impunity, imaginethey 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 nextday a crowd of Catholic peasants from the environs marched intothe 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 awokestronger than ever. Here I may pause to say that in the account whichfollows of the events which took place about this time, I can onlyguarantee the facts and not the dates: I relate everything as ithappened; but the day on which it happened may sometimes have escaped mymemory, for it is easier to recollect a murder to which one has been aneye-witness, than to recall the exact date on which it happened. 

The garrison of Nimes was composed of one battalion of the 13th Regimentof the line, and another battalion of the 79th Regiment, which notbeing up to its full war-strength had been sent to Nimes to complete itsnumbers by enlistment. But after the battle of Waterloo the citizens hadtried 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 himproclaimed in the city without any disturbance being caused thereby. Itwas not until some days later that a report began to be circulated thata royal army was gathering at Beaucaire, and that the populace wouldtake advantage of its arrival to indulge in excesses. In the face ofthis two-fold danger, General Malmont had ordered the regular troops, and a part of the National Guard of the Hundred Days, to be drawn upunder arms in the rear of the barracks upon an eminence on which he hadmounted five pieces of ordnance. This disposition was maintained fortwo days and a night, but as the populace remained quiet, the troopsreturned to the barracks and the Guards to their homes. 

But on Monday a concourse of people, who had heard that the army fromBeaucaire would arrive the next day, made a hostile demonstration beforethe barracks, demanding with shouts and threats that the five cannonsshould be handed over to them. The general and the officers who werequartered in the town, hearing of the tumult, repaired at once to thebarracks, but soon came out again, and approaching the crowd tried topersuade it to disperse, to which the only answer they received was ashower of bullets. Convinced by this, as he was well acquainted with thecharacter of the people with whom he had to deal, that the struggle hadbegun in earnest and must be fought out to the bitter end, the generalretreated with his officers, step by step, to the barracks, and havinggot inside the gates, closed and bolted them. 

He then decided that it was his duty to repulse force by force, foreveryone was determined to defend, at no matter what cost, a positionwhich, from the first moment of revolt, was fraught with such peril. So, without waiting for orders, the soldiers, seeing that some of theirwindows had been broken by shots from without, returned the fire, and, being better marksmen than the townspeople, soon laid many low. Uponthis the alarmed crowd retired out of musket range, and entrenchedthemselves in some neighbouring houses. 

About nine o'clock in the evening, a man bearing something resemblinga white flag approached the walls and asked to speak to the general. Hebrought a message inquiring on what terms the troops would consent toevacuate Nimes. The general sent back word that the conditions were, that the troops should be allowed to march out fully armed and with alltheir baggage; the five guns alone would be left behind. When the forcesreached a certain valley outside the city they would halt, that the menmight be supplied with means sufficient to enable them either to rejointhe 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 thegeneral that the conditions had been accepted with one alteration, whichwas that the troops, before marching out, should lay down their arms. The messenger also intimated that if the offer he had brought were notquickly accepted--say within two hours--the time for capitulation wouldhave gone by, and that he would not be answerable for what the peoplemight then do in their fury. The general accepted the conditions asamended, and the envoy disappeared. 

When the troops heard of the agreement, that they should be disarmedbefore being allowed to leave the town, their first impulse was torefuse to lay down their weapons before a rabble which had run away froma few musket shots; but the general succeeded in soothing their sense ofhumiliation and winning their consent by representing to them that therecould be nothing dishonourable in an action which prevented the childrenof a common fatherland from shedding each other's blood. 

The gendarmerie, according to one article of the treaty, were to closein at, the rear of the evacuating column; and thus hinder the populacefrom molesting the troops of which it was composed. This was the onlyconcession obtained in return for the abandoned arms, and the farcein question was already drawn up in field order, apparently waiting toescort the troops out of the city. 

At four o'clock P. M. The troops got ready, each company stacking itsarms in the courtyard before: marching out; but hardly had forty orfifty men passed the gates than fire was opened on them at such closerange that half of them were killed or disabled at the first volley. Upon this, those who were still within the walls closed the courtyardgates, thus cutting off all chance of retreat from their comrades. Inthe event; however, it turned out that several of the latter contrivedto escape with their lives and that they lost nothing through beingprevented from returning; for as soon as the mob saw that ten or twelveof their victims had slipped through their hands they made a furiousattack on the barracks, burst in the gates, and scaled the walls withsuch rapidity, that the soldiers had no time to repossess themselves oftheir muskets, and even had they succeeded in seizing them they wouldhave been of little use, as ammunition was totally wanting. The barracksbeing thus carried by assault, a horrible massacre ensued, which lastedfor three hours. Some of the wretched men, being hunted from room toroom, jumped out of the first window they could reach, without stoppingto measure its height from the ground, and were either impaled on thebayonets held in readiness below, or, falling on the pavement, broketheir limbs and were pitilessly despatched. 

The gendarmes, who had really been called out to protect the retreat ofthe garrison, seemed to imagine they were there to witness a judicialexecution, and stood immovable and impassive while these horrid deedswent on before their eyes. But the penalty of this indifference wasswiftly exacted, for as soon as the soldiers were all done with, themob, finding their thirst for blood still unslacked, turned on thegendarmes, the greater number of whom were wounded, while all lost theirhorses, and some their lives. 

The populace was still engaged at its bloody task when news came thatthe army from Beaucaire was within sight of the town, and the murderers, hastening to despatch some of the wounded who still showed signs oflife, went forth to meet the long expected reinforcements. 

Only those who saw the advancing army with their own eyes can form anyidea of its condition and appearance, the first corps excepted. Thiscorps was commanded by M. De Barre, who had put himself at its headwith the noble purpose of preventing, as far as he could, massacre andpillage. In this he was seconded by the officers under him, whowere actuated by the same philanthropic motives as their general inidentifying themselves with the corps. Owing to their exertions, the menadvanced 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 wasthe real army, and a wonderful thing to see and hear. Never were broughttogether before or since so many different kinds of howl, so manythreats of death, so many rags; so many odd weapons, from the matchlockof the time of the Michelade to the steel-tipped goad of the bullockdrovers of La Camargue, so that when the Nimes mob; which in allconscience was howling and ragged enough, rushed out to offer abrotherly welcome to the strangers, its first feeling was one ofastonishment and dismay as it caught sight of the motley crew which heldout to it the right hand of fellowship. 

The new-comers soon showed that it was through necessity and not choicethat their outer man presented such a disreputable appearance; for theywere hardly well within the gates before demanding that the houses ofthe members of the old Protestant National Guard should be pointed outto them. 

This being done, they promptly proceeded to exact from each householda musket, a coat, a complete kit, or a sum of money, according to theirhumour, so that before evening those who had arrived naked and pennilesswere provided with complete uniforms and had money in their pockets. These exactions were levied under the name of a contribution, but beforethe day was ended naked and undisguised pillage began. 

Someone asserted that during the assault on the barracks a certainindividual had fired out of a certain house on the assailants. Theindignant people now rushed to the house indicated, and soon leftnothing of it in existence but its walls. A little later it was clearlyproved that the individual accused was quite innocent of the crime laidto his charge. 

The house of a rich merchant lay in the path of the advancing army. Acry arose that the owner was a Bonapartist, and nothing more was needed. The house was broken into and pillaged, and the furniture thrown out ofthe windows. 

Two days later it turned out that not only was the merchant noBonapartist, but that his son had been one of those who had accompaniedthe Duc d'Angouleme to Cette when he left the country. The pillagersexcused themselves by saying they had been misled by a resemblancebetween two names, and this excuse, as far as appears, was accepted asvalid by the authorities. 

It was not long before the populace of Nimes began to think they mightas 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 thetitle of National Guard, and then what took place at Marseilles in theexcitement of the moment was repeated at Nimes with deliberation andmethod, inspired by hate and the desire of vengeance. A revolt brokeout which followed the ordinary course: first pillage, then fire, thenmurder, laid waste the city. 

M. V----'s house, which stood in the middle of the town, was sacked andthen burnt to the ground, without a hand being raised to prevent thecrime. 

M. T----'s house, on the road to Montpellier, was sacked and wrecked anda bonfire made of the furniture, round which the crowd danced; as if ithad been an occasion of public rejoicing. Then cries were raised for theproprietor, that he might be killed, and as he could not be found thebaffled fury of the mob vented itself on the dead. A child three monthsburied was dragged from its grave, drawn by the feet through the sewersand wayside puddles, and then flung on a dung-heap; and, strange to say, while incendiarism and sacrilege thus ran riot, the mayor of the placeslept so sound that when he awoke he was "quite astonished, " to use hisown expression, to hear what had taken place during the night. 

This expedition completed, the same company which had brought thisexpedition to a successful issue next turned their attention to a smallcountry house occupied by a widow, whom I had often begged to takerefuge with us. But, secure in her insignificance, she had alwaysdeclined our offers, preferring to live solitary and retired in her ownhome. But the freebooters sought her out, burst in her doors, droveher away with blows and insults, destroyed her house and burnt herfurniture. They then proceeded to the vault in which lay the remains ofher family, dragged them out of their coffins and scattered them aboutthe fields. The next day the poor woman-ventured back, collected thedesecrated remains with pious care, and replaced them in the vault. Butthis was counted to her as a crime; the company returned, once more castforth the contents of the coffins, and threatened to kill her should shedare to touch them again. She was often seen in the days that followedshedding bitter tears and watching over the sacred relics as they layexposed on the ground. 

The name of this widow was Pepin, and the scene of the sacrilege was asmall enclosure on the hill of the Moulins-a-Vent. 

Meantime the people in the Faubourg des Bourgades had invented a newsort of game, or rather, had resolved to vary the serious business ofthe drama that was being enacted by the introduction of comic scenes. They had possessed themselves of a number of beetles such as washerwomenuse, and hammered in long nails, the points of which projected an inchon the other side in the form of a fleur-de-lis. Every Protestant whofell into their hands, no matter what his age or rank, was stamped withthe bloody emblem, serious wounds being inflicted in many cases. 

Murders were now becoming common. Amongst other names of victimsmentioned were Loriol, Bigot, Dumas, Lhermet, Heritier, Domaison, Combe, Clairon, Begomet, Poujas, Imbert, Vigal, Pourchet, Vignole. Details moreor less shocking came to light as to the manner in which the murdererswent 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 thenew-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 asa woman, but was recognised and shot down a few yards outside his owndoor. A gunner called Saussine was walking in all security along theroad to Uzes, pipe in mouth, when he was met by five men belonging toTrestaillon's company, who surrounded him and stabbed him to the heartwith their knives. The elder of two brothers named Chivas ran acrosssome 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 itsranks, he went up to him and held out his hand; whereupon Trestaillonsdrew a pistol from his belt and blew his brains out. Calandre beingchased down the rue des Soeurs-Grises, sought shelter in a tavern, butwas forced to come out, and was killed with sabres. Courbet was sent toprison under the escort of some men, but these changed their minds onthe way as to his punishment, halted, and shot him dead in the middle ofthe street. 

A wine merchant called Cabanot, who was flying from Trestaillons, raninto a house in which there was a venerable priest called Cure Bonhomme. When the cut-throat rushed in, all covered with blood, the priestadvanced and stopped him, crying:

"What will happen, unhappy man, when you come to the confessional withblood-stained hands?"

"Pooh!" replied Trestaillons, "you must put on your wide gown; thesleeves are large enough to let everything pass. "

To the short account given above of so many murders I will add thenarrative of one to which I was an eye-witness, and which made the mostterrible impression on me of, anything in my experience. 

It was midnight. I was working beside my wife's bed; she was justbecoming drowsy, when a noise in the distance caught our attention. Itgradually 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 soonreports of firearms, accompanied by an uproar with which we wereso familiar that we could no longer mistake its meaning, were heardoutside. Opening my window, I heard bloodcurdling imprecations, mixedwith cries of "Long live the king!" going on. Not being able to remainany longer in this uncertainty, I woke a captain who lived in the samehouse. He rose, took his arms, and we went out together, directing ourcourse towards the point whence the shouts seemed to come. The moonshone so bright that we could see everything almost as distinctly as inbroad daylight. 

A concourse of people was hurrying towards the Cours yelling likemadmen; the greater number of them, half naked, armed with muskets, swords, knives, and clubs, and swearing to exterminate everything, wavedtheir weapons above the heads of men who had evidently been torn fromtheir houses and brought to the square to be put to death. The rest ofthe crowd had, like ourselves, been drawn thither by curiosity, and wereasking what was going on. "Murder is abroad, " was the answer; "severalpeople have been killed in the environs, and the patrol has beenfired on. " While this questioning was going on the noise continued toincrease. As I had really no business to be on a spot where such thingswere going on, and feeling that my place was at my wife's side, toreassure her for the present and to watch over her should the rioterscome our way, I said good-bye to the captain, who went on to thebarracks, 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 talkingbehind me, and, turning, saw gun barrels glittering in the moonlight. As the speakers seemed to be rapidly approaching me, I kept close in theshadow of the houses till I reached my own door, which I laid softly tobehind me, leaving myself a chink by which I could peep out and watchthe movements of the group which was drawing near. Suddenly I feltsomething touch my hand; it was a great Corsican dog, which was turnedloose at night, and was so fierce that it was a great protection to ourhouse. I felt glad to have it at my side, for in case of a struggle itwould 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, whichI gently closed and locked, but as I still wished to see what they wereabout, I slipped into the garden, which lay towards the street, stillfollowed by my dog. Contrary to his habit, and as if he understood thedanger, he gave a low whine instead of his usual savage growl. I climbedinto a fig tree the branches of which overhung the street, and, hiddenby the leaves, and resting my hands on the top of the wall, I leaned farenough forward to see what the men were about. 

They were still on the same spot, but there was a change in theirpositions. The prisoner was now kneeling with clasped hands before thecut-throats, begging for his life for the sake of his wife and children, in heartrending accents, to which his executioners replied in mockingtones, "We have got you at last into our hands, have we? You dog of aBonapartist, why do you not call on your emperor to come and helpyou out of this scrape?" The unfortunate man's entreaties became morepitiful and their mocking replies more pitiless. They levelled theirmuskets at him several times, and then lowered them, saying; "Devil takeit, we won't shoot yet; let us give him time to see death coming, " tillat last the poor wretch, seeing there was no hope of mercy, begged to beput out of his misery. 

Drops of sweat stood on my forehead. I felt my pockets to see if I hadnothing 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, andappeared to be a prey to the most abject terror. The prisoner continuedhis supplications, and the assassins their threats and mockery. Iclimbed 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 livingthings about him. Just as my foot touched the ground a double reportrang out, and my dog gave a plaintive and prolonged howl. Feeling thatall was over, and that no weapons could be of any use, I climbed upagain into my perch and looked out. The poor wretch was lying facedownwards writhing in his blood; the assassins were reloading theirmuskets as they walked away. 

Being anxious to see if it was too late to help the man whom I had notbeen able to save, I went out into the street and bent over him. He wasbloody, disfigured, dying, but was yet alive, uttering dismal groans. Itried to lift him up, but soon saw that the wounds which he had receivedfrom bullets fired at close range were both mortal, one being in thehead, and the other in the loins. Just then a patrol, of the NationalGuard turned round the corner of the street. This, instead of being arelief, awoke me to a sense of my danger, and feeling I could do nothingfor the wounded man, for the death rattle had already begun, I enteredmy 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"; andindeed the poor fellow in his agony was giving utterance to dreadfulgroans. 

"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 wasnot against him, but against his nephew, that the assassins had had agrudge, but finding the nephew out when they burst into the house, and avictim being indispensable, they had torn the uncle from the arms of hiswife, and, dragging him towards the citadel, had killed him as I havejust related. 

Very early next morning I sent to three commissioners of police, oneafter the other, for permission to have the corpse carried to thehospital, but these gentlemen were either not up or had alreadygone out, so that it was not until eleven o'clock and after repeatedapplications that they condescended to give me the needed authorisation. 

Thanks to this delay, the whole town came to see the body of theunfortunate man. Indeed, the day which followed a massacre was alwayskept as a holiday, everyone leaving his work undone and coming out tostare at the slaughtered victims. In this case, a man wishing to amusethe crowd took his pipe out of his mouth and put it between the teethof the corpse--a joke which had a marvellous success, those presentshrieking with laughter. 

Many murders had been committed during the night; the companies hadscoured the streets singing some doggerel, which one of the bloodywretches, 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 ofthe firearms nor the cries of the victims broke the peaceful slumbersof M, le Prefet and M. Le Commissaire General de la Police. But if thecivil authorities slept, General Lagarde, who had shortly before come totown to take command of the city in the name of the king, was awake. Hehad sprung from his bed at the first shot, dressed himself, and madea round of the posts; then sure that everything was in order, hehad formed patrols of chasseurs, and had himself, accompanied by twoofficers only, gone wherever he heard cries for help. But in spiteof the strictness of his orders the small number of troops at hisdisposition delayed the success of his efforts, and it was not untilthree o'clock in the morning that he succeeded in securing Trestaillons. When this man was taken he was dressed as usual in the uniform ofthe National Guard, with a cocked hat and captain's epaulets. GeneralLagarde ordered the gens d'armes who made the capture to deprive him ofhis sword and carbine, but it was only after a long struggle that theycould carry out this order, for Trestaillons protested that he wouldonly give up his carbine with his life. However, he was at last obligedto 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, thegeneral sent him to the citadel of Montpellier next morning before itwas 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 spiritof Trestaillons, for while the soldiers were occupied in a distantquarter of the town a score of men broke into the house of a certainScipion Chabrier, who had remained hidden from his enemies for along time, but who had lately returned home on the strength of theproclamations published by General Lagarde when he assumed the positionof commandant of the town. He had indeed been sure that the disturbancesin Nimes were over, when they burst out with redoubled fury on the 16thof October; on the morning of the 17th he was working quietly at home athis trade of a silk weaver, when, alarmed by the shouts of a parcelof cut-throats outside his house, he tried to escape. He succeeded inreaching the "Coupe d'Or, " but the ruffians followed him, and thefirst who came up thrust him through the thigh with his bayonet. Inconsequence of this wound he fell from top to bottom of the staircase, was seized and dragged to the stables, where the assassins left him fordead, 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 wentto General Lagarde's quarters and insolently demanded that Trestaillonsshould be set at liberty. The general ordered them to disperse, but noattention was paid to this command, whereupon he ordered his soldiersto charge, and in a moment force accomplished what long-continuedpersuasion had failed to effect. Several of the ringleaders werearrested and taken to prison. 

Thus, as we shall see, the struggle assumed a new phase: resistance tothe royal power was made in the name of the royal power, and both thosewho broke or those who tried to maintain the public peace used the samecry, "Long live the king!"

The firm attitude assumed by General Lagarde restored Nimes to a stateof superficial peace, beneath which, however, the old enmities werefermenting. An occult power, which betrayed itself by a kind of passiveresistance, neutralised the effect of the measures taken by the militarycommandant. He soon became cognisant of the fact that the essence ofthis sanguinary political strife was an hereditary religious animosity, and in order to strike a last blow at this, he resolved, after havingreceived permission from the king, to grant the general request of theProtestants by reopening their places of worship, which had been closedfor more than four months, and allowing the public exercise of theProtestant religion, which had been entirely suspended in the city forthe same length of time. 

Formerly there had been six Protestant pastors resident in Nimes, butfour of them, had fled; the two who remained were MM. Juillerat andOlivier Desmonts, the first a young man, twenty-eight years of age, thesecond an old man of seventy. 

The entire weight of the ministry had fallen during this period ofproscription on M. Juillerat, who had accepted the task and religiouslyfulfilled it. It seemed as if a special providence had miraculouslyprotected 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 agewhich almost everywhere commands respect, and then he had a son whowas a lieutenant in, one of the royal corps levied at Beaucaire, whoprotected 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 eitherin the streets of Nimes or on the road between that and his countryhouse. 

But, as we have said, it was not so with M. Juillerat. Being young andactive, and having an unfaltering trust in God, on him alone devolvedall the sacred duties of his office, from the visitation of the sick anddying to the baptism of the newly born. These latter were often broughtto him at night to be baptized, and he consented, though unwillingly, tomake this concession, feeling that if he insisted on the performance ofthe rite by day he would compromise not only his own safety but thatof others. In all that concerned him personally, such as consoling thedying or caring for the wounded, he acted quite openly, and no dangerthat he encountered on his way ever caused him to flinch from the pathof duty. 

One day, as M. Juillerat was passing through the rue des Barquettes onhis way to the prefecture to transact some business connected with hisministry, he saw several men lying in wait in a blind alley by which hehad to pass. They had their guns pointed at him. He continued his waywith tranquil step and such an air of resignation that the assassinswere overawed, and lowered their weapons as he approached, withoutfiring a single shot. When M. Juillerat reached the prefecture, thinkingthat the prefect ought to be aware of everything connected with thepublic order, he related this incident to M. D'Arbaud-Jouques, but thelatter did not think the affair of enough importance to require anyinvestigation. 

It was, as will be seen, a difficult enterprise to open once again theProtestant places of worship, which had been so long closed, in presentcircumstances, and in face of the fact that the civil authoritiesregarded such a step with disfavour, but General Lagarde was one ofthose 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 atour through the South was almost immediately expected at Nimes. 

On the 5th of November the prince made his entry into the city, andhaving read the reports of the general to the King Louis XVIII, andhaving received positive injunctions from his uncle to pacify theunhappy provinces which he was about to visit, he arrived full of thedesire to displays whether he felt it or not, a perfect impartiality; sowhen the delegates from the Consistory were presented to him, not onlydid he receive them most graciously, but he was the first to speak ofthe interests of their faith, assuring them that it was only a few dayssince he had learned with much regret that their religious services hadbeen; suspended since the 16th of July. The delegates replied that insuch a time of agitation the closing of their places of worship was, ameasure of prudence which they had felt ought to be borne, and which hadbeen borne, with resignation. The prince expressed his approval ofthis attitude with regard to the past, but said that his presence wasa guarantee for the future, and that on Thursday the 9th inst. The twomeeting-houses should be reopened and restored to their proper use. TheProtestants were alarmed at, having a favour accorded to them whichwas much more than they would have dared to ask and for which theywere hardly prepared. But the prince reassured them by saying that allneedful measures would be taken to provide against any breach of thepublic peace, and at the same time invited M. Desmonts, president, andM. Roland-Lacoste, member of the Consistory, to dine with him. 

The next deputation to arrive was a Catholic one, and its object wasto ask that Trestaillons might be set at liberty. The prince was soindignant at this request that his only answer was to turn his back onthose who proffered it. 

The next day the duke, accompanied by General Lagarde, left forMontpellier; and as it was on the latter that the Protestants placedtheir sole reliance for the maintenance of those rights guaranteed forthe future by the word of the prince, they hesitated to take anynew step in his absence, and let the 9th of November go by withoutattempting to resume public worship, preferring to wait for the returnof their protector, which took place on Saturday evening the 11th ofNovember. 

When the general got back, his first thought was to ask if the commandsof 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 apositive order to the president of the Consistory to open both places ofworship the next morning. 

Upon this, the president carrying self-abnegation and prudence totheir extreme limits, went to the general's quarters, and having warmlythanked him, laid before him the dangers to which he would exposehimself by running counter to the opinions of those who had had theirown way in the city for the last four months. But General Lagardebrushed all these considerations aside: he had received an order fromthe prince, and to a man of his military cast of mind no course was openbut 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 ofworship at first be opened, and to this the general gave his consent. 

This continued resistance to the re-establishment of public worship onthe part of those who most eagerly desired it enabled the general atlast to realise the extent of the danger which would be incurred bythe carrying out of this measure, and he at once took all possibleprecautions. Under the pretext that he was going to-have a generalreview, he brought the entire civil and military forces of Nimes underhis authority, determined, if necessary, to use the one to suppress theother. As early as eight o'clock in the morning a guard of gens d'armeswas stationed at the doors of the meeting-house, while other members ofthe same force took up their positions in the adjacent streets. On theother hand, the Consistory had decided that the doors were to be openedan hour sooner than usual, that the bells were not to be rung, and thatthe organ should be silent. 

These precautions had both a good and a bad side. The gens d'armes atthe door of the meetinghouse gave if not a promise of security at leasta promise of support, but they showed to the citizens of the other partywhat was about to be done; so before nine o'clock groups of Catholicsbegan to form, and as it happened to be Sunday the inhabitants of theneighbouring villages arriving constantly by twos and threes soon unitedthese groups into a little army. Thus the streets leading to the churchbeing thronged, the Protestants who pushed their way through weregreeted with insulting remarks, and even the president of theConsistory, whose white, hair and dignified expression had no effectupon the mob, heard the people round him saying, "These brigands ofProtestants are going again to their temple, but we shall soon give themenough of it. "

The anger of the populace soon grows hot; between the first bubble andthe boiling-point the interval is short. Threats spoken in a low voicewere soon succeeded by noisy objurgations. Women, children, and menbrake out into yells, "Down with the broilers!" (for this was one ofthe names by which the Protestants were designated). "Down with thebroilers! We do not want to see them using our churches: let them giveus back our churches; let them give us back our churches, and go to thedesert. Out with them! Out with them! To the desert! To the desert!"

As the crowd did not go beyond words, however insulting, and as theProtestants were long inured to much worse things, they plodded along totheir meeting-house, humble and silent, and went in, undeterred by thedispleasure they aroused, whereupon the service commenced. 

But some Catholics went in with them, and soon the same shouts which hadbeen heard without were heard also within. The general, however, wason the alert, and as soon as the shouts arose inside the gens d'armesentered the church and arrested those who had caused the disturbance. The crowds tried to rescue them on their way to prison, but the generalappeared at the head of imposing forces, at the sight of which theydesisted. An apparent cam succeeded the tumult, and the public worshipwent on without further interruption. 

The general, misled by appearances, went off himself to attend amilitary mass, and at eleven o'clock returned to his quarters for lunch. His absence was immediately perceived and taken advantage of. In thetwinkling of an eye, the crowds, which had dispersed, gathered togetherin even greater numbers and the Protestants, seeing themselves once morein danger, shut the doors from within, while the gens d'armes guardedthem without. The populace pressed so closely round the gens d'armes, and assumed such a threatening attitude, that fearing he and his menwould not be able to hold their own in such a throng, the captainordered M. Delbose, one of his officers, to ride off and warn thegeneral. He forced his way through the crowd with great trouble, andwent off at a gallop. On seeing this, the people felt there was no timeto be lost; they knew of what kind the general was, and that he would beon the spot in a quarter of an hour. A large crowd is invincible throughits 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 againstthe wall, doors gave way, and instantly with a tremendous roar a livingwave flooded the church. Cries of terror and frightful imprecations wereheard 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 toreturn, when suddenly the news of a terrible event was spread abroad, and assailants and assailed paused in horror. General Lagarde had justbeen assassinated. 

As the crowd had foreseen, no sooner did the messenger deliver hismessage than the general sprang on his horse, and, being too brave, orperhaps too scornful, to fear such foes, he waited for no escort, but, accompanied by two or three officers, set off at full gallop towards thescene of the tumult. He had passed through the narrow streets which ledto the meeting-house by pushing the crowd aside with his horse'schest, when, just as he got out into the open square, a young man namedBoisson, a sergeant in the Nimes National Guard, came up and seemed towish to speak to him. The general seeing a man in uniform, bent downwithout a thought of danger to listen to what he had to say, whereuponBoisson drew a pistol out and fired at him. The ball broke thecollar-bone and lodged in the neck behind the carotid artery, and thegeneral fell from his horse. 

The news of this crime had a strange and unexpected effect; howeverexcited and frenzied the crowd was, it instantly realised theconsequences of this act. It was no longer like the murder of MarshalBrune at Avignon or General Ramel at Toulouse, an act of vengeance on afavourite of Napoleon, but open and armed rebellion against the king. Itwas not a simple murder, it was high treason. 

A feeling of the utmost terror spread through the town; only a fewfanatics went on howling in the church, which the Protestants, fearingstill greater disasters, had by this time resolved to abandon. Thefirst to come out was President Olivier Desmonts, accompanied byM. Vallongues, who had only just arrived in the city, but who hadimmediately hurried to the spot at the call of duty. 

M. Juillerat, his two children in his arms, walked behind them, followedby all the other worshippers. At first the crowd, threatening andireful, hooted and threw stones at them, but at the voice of the mayorand the dignified aspect of the president they allowed them to pass. During this strange retreat over eighty Protestants were wounded, butnot fatally, except a young girl called Jeannette Cornilliere, who hadbeen so beaten and ill-used that she died of her injuries a few dayslater. 

In spite of the momentary slackening of energy which followed theassassination of General Lagarde, the Catholics did not remain long in astate of total inaction. During the rest of the day the excited populaceseemed as if shaken by an earthquake. About six o'clock in the evening, some of the most desperate characters in the town possessed themselvesof a hatchet, and, taking their way to the Protestant church, smashedthe doors, tore the pastors' gowns, rifled the poor-box, and pulled thebooks to pieces. A detachment of troops arrived just in time to preventtheir setting the building on fire. 

The next day passed more quietly. This time the disorders were of tooimportant a nature for the prefect to ignore, as he had ignored so manybloody acts in the past; so in due time a full report was laid beforethe king. It became know the same evening that General Lagarde was stillliving, and that those around him hoped that the wound would notprove mortal. Dr. Delpech, who had been summoned from Montpellier, hadsucceeded 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 seditiousmob has dared to oppose the opening of the Protestant place of worship, in contempt of the constitutional charter, which while it recognises theCatholic religion as the religion of the State, guarantees to theother religious bodies protection and freedom of worship. Our militarycommandant, whilst trying to disperse these crowds by gentle meansbefore having resort to force, was shot down, and his assassin has tillnow successfully evaded the arm of the law. If such an outrage were toremain unpunished, the maintenance of good government and public orderwould be impossible, and Our ministers would be guilty of neglecting thelaw. 

"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 murderousattack on the person of Sieur Lagarde, and against the authors, instigators, and accomplices of the insurrection which took place in thecity of Nimes on the 12th of the present month. 

"Art. 2. A sufficient number of troops shall be quartered in the saidcity, and shall remain there at the cost of the inhabitants, until theassassin and his accomplices have been produced before a court of law. 

"Art. 3. All those citizens whose names are not entitled to be on theroll of the National Guard shall be disarmed. 

"Our Keeper of the Seals, Our Minister of War, Our Minister of theInterior, and Our Minister of Police, are entrusted with the executionof this edict. 

"Given at Paris at Our Castle of the Tuileries on the 21st of Novemberin 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 fortunatelyto no reprisals. 

Three months after the murderous attempt to which he had so nearlyfallen 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 outwithout bloodshed. 

Through his influence, MM. Chabot-Latour, Saint-Aulaire, and Lascourwere elected to the Chamber of Deputies in place of MM. De Calviere, DeVogue, and De Trinquelade. 

And down to the present time the name of M. D'Argont is held inveneration at Nimes, as if he had only quitted the city yesterday.