an accursed race-第1章

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An　Accursed　Race



by　Elizabeth　Gaskell










We　have　our　prejudices　in　England。　　Or；　if　that　assertion　offends　any

of　my　readers；　I　will　modify　it：　　we　have　had　our　prejudices　in

England。　　We　have　tortured　Jews；　we　have　burnt　Catholics　and

Protestants；　to　say　nothing　of　a　few　witches　and　wizards。　　We　have

satirized　Puritans；　and　we　have　dressed…up　Guys。　　But；　after　all；　I

do　not　think　we　have　been　so　bad　as　our　Continental　friends。　　To　be

sure；　our　insular　position　has　kept　us　free；　to　a　certain　degree；

from　the　inroads　of　alien　races；　who；　driven　from　one　land　of　refuge；

steal　into　another　equally　unwilling　to　receive　them；　and　where；　for

long　centuries；　their　presence　is　barely　endured；　and　no　pains　is

taken　to　conceal　the　repugnance　which　the　natives　of　〃pure　blood〃

experience　towards　them。



There　yet　remains　a　remnant　of　the　miserable　people　called　Cagots　in

the　valleys　of　the　Pyrenees；　in　the　Landes　near　Bourdeaux；　and；

stretching　up　on　the　west　side　of　France；　their　numbers　become　larger

in　Lower　Brittany。　　Even　now；　the　origin　of　these　families　is　a　word

of　shame　to　them　among　their　neighbours；　although　they　are　protected

by　the　law；　which　confirmed　them　in　the　equal　rights　of　citizens

about　the　end　of　the　last　century。　　Before　then　they　had　lived；　for

hundreds　of　years；　isolated　from　all　those　who　boasted　of　pure　blood；

and　they　had　been；　all　this　time；　oppressed　by　cruel　local　edicts。

They　were　truly　what　they　were　popularly　called；　The　Accursed　Race。



All　distinct　traces　of　their　origin　are　lost。　　Even　at　the　close　of

that　period　which　we　call　the　Middle　Ages；　this　was　a　problem　which

no　one　could　solve；　and　as　the　traces；　which　even　then　were　faint　and

uncertain；　have　vanished　away　one　by　one；　it　is　a　complete　mystery　at

the　present　day。　　Why　they　were　accursed　in　the　first　instance；　why

isolated　from　their　kind；　no　one　knows。　　From　the　earliest　accounts

of　their　state　that　are　yet　remaining　to　us；　it　seems　that　the　names

which　they　gave　each　other　were　ignored　by　the　population　they　lived

amongst；　who　spoke　of　them　as　Crestiaa；　or　Cagots；　just　as　we　speak

of　animals　by　their　generic　names。　　Their　houses　or　huts　were　always

placed　at　some　distance　out　of　the　villages　of　the　country…folk；　who

unwillingly　called　in　the　services　of　the　Cagots　as　carpenters；　or

tilers；　or　slaterstrades　which　seemed　appropriated　by　this

unfortunate　racewho　were　forbidden　to　occupy　land；　or　to　bear　arms；

the　usual　occupations　of　those　times。　　They　had　some　small　right　of

pasturage　on　the　common　lands；　and　in　the　forests：　　but　the　number　of

their　cattle　and　live…stock　was　strictly　limited　by　the　earliest　laws

relating　to　the　Cagots。　　They　were　forbidden　by　one　act　to　have　more

than　twenty　sheep；　a　pig；　a　ram；　and　six　geese。　　The　pig　was　to　be

fattened　and　killed　for　winter　food；　the　fleece　of　the　sheep　was　to

clothe　them；　but　if　the　said　sheep　had　lambs；　they　were　forbidden　to

eat　them。　　Their　only　privilege　arising　from　this　increase　was；　that

they　might　choose　out　the　strongest　and　finest　in　preference　to

keeping　the　old　sheep。　　At　Martinmas　the　authorities　of　the　commune

came　round；　and　counted　over　the　stock　of　each　Cagot。　　If　he　had　more

than　his　appointed　number；　they　were　forfeited；　half　went　to　the

commune；　half　to　the　baillie；　or　chief　magistrate　of　the　commune。

The　poor　beasts　were　limited　as　to　the　amount　of　common　which　they

might　stray　over　in　search　of　grass。　　While　the　cattle　of　the

inhabitants　of　the　commune　might　wander　hither　and　thither　in　search

of　the　sweetest　herbage；　the　deepest　shade；　or　the　coolest　pool　in

which　to　stand　on　the　hot　days；　and　lazily　switch　their　dappled

sides；　the　Cagot　sheep　and　pig　had　to　learn　imaginary　bounds；　beyond

which　if　they　strayed；　any　one　might　snap　them　up；　and　kill　them；

reserving　a　part　of　the　flesh　for　his　own　use；　but　graciously

restoring　the　inferior　parts　to　their　original　owner。　　Any　damage

done　by　the　sheep　was；　however；　fairly　appraised；　and　the　Cagot　paid

no　more　for　it　than　any　other　man　would　have　done。



Did　a　Cagot　leave　his　poor　cabin；　and　venture　into　the　towns；　even　to

render　services　required　of　him　in　the　way　of　his　he　was　bidden；　by

all　the　municipal　laws；　to　stand　by　and　remember　his　rude　old　state。

In　all　the　towns　and　villages　the　large　districts　extending　on　both

sides　of　the　Pyreneesin　all　that　part　of　Spainthey　were　forbidden

to　buy　or　sell　anything　eatable；　to　walk　in　the　middle　（esteemed　the

better）　part　of　the　streets；　to　come　within　the　gates　before　sunrise；

or　to　be　found　after　sunset　within　the　walls　of　the　town。　　But　still；

as　the　Cagots　were　good…looking　men；　and　（although　they　bore　certain

natural　marks　of　their　caste；　of　which　I　shall　speak　by…and…by）　were

not　easily　distinguished　by　casual　passers…by　from　other　men；　they

were　compelled　to　wear　some　distinctive　peculiarity　which　should

arrest　the　eye；　and；　in　the　greater　number　of　towns；　it　was　decreed

that　the　outward　sign　of　a　Cagot　should　be　a　piece　of　red　cloth　sewed

conspicuously　on　the　front　of　his　dress。　　In　other　towns；　the　mark　of

Cagoterie　was　the　foot　of　a　duck　or　a　goose　hung　over　their　left

shoulder；　so　as　to　be　seen　by　any　one　meeting　them。　　After　a　time；

the　more　convenient　badge　of　a　piece　of　yellow　cloth　cut　out　in　the

shape　of　a　duck's　foot；　was　adopted。　　If　any　Cagot　was　found　in　any

town　or　village　without　his　badge；　he　had　to　pay　a　fine　of　five　sous；

and　to　lose　his　dress。　　He　was　expected　to　shrink　away　from　any

passer…by；　for　fear　that　their　clothes　should　touch　each　other；　or

else　to　stand　still　in　some　corner　or　by…place。　　If　the　Cagots　were

thirsty　during　the　days　which　they　passed　in　those　towns　where　their

presence　was　barely　suffered；　they　had　no　means　of　quenching　their

thirst；　for　they　were　forbidden　to　enter　into　the　little　cabarets　or

taverns。　　Even　the　water　gushing　out　of　the　common　fountain　was

prohibited　to　them。　　Far　away；　in　their　own　squalid　village；　there

was　the　Cagot　fountain；　and　they　were　not　allowed　to　drink　of　any

other　water。　　A　Cagot　woman　having　to　make　purchases　in　the　town；　was

liable　to　be　flogged　out　of　it　if　she　went　to　buy　anything　except　on

a　Mondaya　day　on　which　all　other　people　who　could；　kept　their

houses　for　fear　of　coming　in　contact　with　the　accursed　race。



In　the　Pays　Basque；　the　prejudicesand　for　some　time　the　lawsran

stronger　against　them　than　any　which　I　have　hitherto　mentioned。　　The

Basque　Cagot　was　not　allowed　to　possess　sheep。　　He　might　keep　a　pig

for　provision；　but　his　pig　had　no　right　of　pasturage。　　He　might　cut

and　carry　grass　for　the　ass；　which　was　the　only　other　animal　he　was

permitted　to　own；　and　this　ass　was　permitted；　because　its　existence

was　rather　an　advantage　to　the　oppressor；　who　constantly　availed

himself　of　the　Cagot's　mechanical　skill；　and　was　glad　to　have　him　and

his　tools　easily　conveyed　from　one　place　to　another。



The　race　was　repulsed　by　the　State。　　Under　the　small　local

governments　they　could　hold　no　post　whatsoever。　　And　they　were　barely

tolerated　by　the　Church；　although　they　were　good　Catholics；　and

zealous　frequenters　of　the　mass。　　They　might　only　enter　the　churches

by　a　small　door　set　apart　for　them；　through　which　no　one　of　the　pure

race　ever　passed。　　This　door　was　low；　so　as　to　compel　them　to　make　an

obeisance。　　It　was　occasionally　surrounded　by　sculpture；　which

invariably　represented　an　oak…branch　with　a　dove　above　it。　　When　they

were　once　in；　they　might　not　go　to　the　holy　water　used　by　others。

They　had　a　benitier　of　their　own；　nor　were　they　allowed　to　share　in

the　consecrated　bread　when　that　was　handed　round　to　the　believers　of

the　pure　race。　　The　Cagots　stood　afar　off；　near　the　door。　　There　were

certain　boundariesimaginary　lines　on　the　nave　and　in　the　isles

which　they　might　not　pass。　　In　one　or　two　of　the　more　tolerant　of　the

Pyrenean　villages；　the　blessed　bread　was　offered　to　the　Cagots；　the

priest　standing　on　one　side　of　th