an accursed race-第2章

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priest　standing　on　one　side　of　the　boundary；　and　giving　the　pieces　of

bread　on　a　long　wooden　fork　to　each　person　successively。



When　the　Cagot　died；　he　was　interred　apart；　in　a　plot　burying…ground

on　the　north　side　of　the　cemetery。　　Under　such　laws　and　prescriptions

as　I　have　described；　it　is　no　wonder　that　he　was　generally　too　poor

to　have　much　property　for　his　children　to　inherit；　but　certain

descriptions　of　it　were　forfeited　to　the　commune。　　The　only

possession　which　all　who　were　not　of　his　own　race　refused　to　touch；

was　his　furniture。　　That　was　tainted；　infectious；　uncleanfit　for

none　but　Cagots。



When　such　were；　for　at　least　three　centuries；　the　prevalent　usages

and　opinions　with　regard　to　this　oppressed　race；　it　is　not　surprising

that　we　read　of　occasional　outbursts　of　ferocious　violence　on　their

part。　　In　the　Basses…Pyrenees；　for　instance　it　is　only　about　a

hundred　years　since；　that　the　Cagots　of　Rehouilhes　rose　up　against

the　inhabitants　of　the　neighbouring　town　of　Lourdes；　and　got　the

better　of　them；　by　their　magical　powers　as　it　is　said。　　The　people　of

Lourdes　were　conquered　and　slain；　and　their　ghastly；　bloody　heads

served　the　triumphant　Cagots　for　balls　to　play　at　ninepins　with！　　The

local　parliaments　had　begun；　by　this　time；　to　perceive　how　oppressive

was　the　ban　of　public　opinion　under　which　the　Cagots　lay；　and　were

not　inclined　to　enforce　too　severe　a　punishment。　　Accordingly；　the

decree　of　the　parliament　of　Toulouse　condemned　only　the　leading

Cagots　concerned　in　this　affray　to　be　put　to　death；　and　that

henceforward　and　for　ever　no　Cagot　was　to　be　permitted　to　enter　the

town　of　Lourdes　by　any　gate　but　that　called　Capdet…pourtet：　　they

were　only　to　be　allowed　to　walk　under　the　rain…gutters；　and　neither

to　sit；　eat；　nor　drink　in　the　town。　　If　they　failed　in　observing　any

of　these　rules；　the　parliament　decreed；　in　the　spirit　of　Shylock；

that　the　disobedient　Cagots　should　have　two　strips　of　flesh；　weighing

never　more　than　two　ounces　a…piece；　cut　out　from　each　side　of　their

spines。



In　the　fourteenth；　fifteenth；　and　sixteenth　centuries　it　was

considered　no　more　a　crime　to　kill　a　Cagot　than　to　destroy　obnoxious

vermin。　　A　〃nest　of　Cagots；〃　as　the　old　accounts　phrase　it；　had

assembled　in　a　deserted　castle　of　Mauvezin；　about　the　year　sixteen

hundred；　and；　certainly；　they　made　themselves　not　very　agreeable

neighbours；　as　they　seemed　to　enjoy　their　reputation　of　magicians；

and；　by　some　acoustic　secrets　which　were　known　to　them；　all　sorts　of

moanings　and　groanings　were　heard　in　the　neighbouring　forests；　very

much　to　the　alarm　of　the　good　people　of　the　pure　race；　who　could　not

cut　off　a　withered　branch　for　firewood；　but　some　unearthly　sound

seemed　to　fill　the　air；　nor　drink　water　which　was　not　poisoned；

because　the　Cagots　would　persist　in　filling　their　pitchers　at　the

same　running　stream。　　Added　to　these　grievances；　the　various

pilferings　perpetually　going　on　in　the　neighbourhood　made　the

inhabitants　of　the　adjacent　towns　and　hamlets　believe　that　they　had　a

very　sufficient　cause　for　wishing　to　murder　all　the　Cagots　in　the

Chateau　de　Mauvezin。　　But　it　was　surrounded　by　a　moat；　and　only

accessible　by　a　drawbridge；　besides　which；　the　Cagots　were　fierce　and

vigilant。　　Some　one；　however；　proposed　to　get　into　their　confidence；

and　for　this　purpose　he　pretended　to　fall　ill　close　to　their　path；　so

that　on　returning　to　their　stronghold　they　perceived　him；　and　took

him　in；　restored　him　to　health；　and　made　a　friend　of　him。　　One　day；

when　they　were　all　playing　at　ninepins　in　the　woods；　their

treacherous　friend　left　the　party　on　pretence　of　being　thirsty；　and

went　back　into　the　castle；　drawing　up　the　bridge　after　he　had　passed

over　it；　and　so　cutting　off　their　means　of　escape　into　safety。　　Them；

going　up　to　the　highest　part　of　the　castle；　he　blew　a　horn；　and　the

pure　race；　who　were　lying　in　wait　on　the　watch　for　some　such　signal；

fell　upon　the　Cagots　at　their　games；　and　slew　them　all。　　For　this

murder　I　find　no　punishment　decreed　in　the　parliament　of　Toulouse；　or

elsewhere。



As　any　intermarriage　with　the　pure　race　was　strictly　forbidden；　and

as　there　were　books　kept　in　every　commune　in　which　the　names　and

habitations　of　the　reputed　Cagots　were　written；　these　unfortunate

people　had　no　hope　of　ever　becoming　blended　with　the　rest　of　the

population。　　Did　a　Cagot　marriage　take　place；　the　couple　were

serenaded　with　satirical　songs。　　They　also　had　minstrels；　and　many　of

their　romances　are　still　current　in　Brittany；　but　they　did　not

attempt　to　make　any　reprisals　of　satire　or　abuse。　　Their　disposition

was　amiable；　and　their　intelligence　great。　　Indeed；　it　required　both

these　qualities；　and　their　great　love　of　mechanical　labour；　to　make

their　lives　tolerable。



At　last；　they　began　to　petition　that　they　might　receive　some

protection　from　the　laws；　and；　towards　the　end　of　the　seventeenth

century；　the　judicial　power　took　their　side。　　But　they　gained　little

by　this。　　Law　could　not　prevail　against　custom：　　and；　in　the　ten　or

twenty　years　just　preceding　the　first　French　revolution；　the

prejudice　in　France　against　the　Cagots　amounted　to　fierce　and

positive　abhorrence。



At　the　beginning　of　the　sixteenth　century；　the　Cagots　of　Navarre

complained　to　the　Pope；　that　they　were　excluded　from　the　fellowship

of　men；　and　accursed　by　the　Church；　because　their　ancestors　had　given

help　to　a　certain　Count　Raymond　of　Toulouse　in　his　revolt　against　the

Holy　See。　　They　entreated　his　holiness　not　to　visit　upon　them　the

sins　of　their　fathers。　　The　Pope　issued　a　bull　on　the　thirteenth　of

May；　fifteen　hundred　and　fifteenordering　them　to　be　well…treated

and　to　be　admitted　to　the　same　privileges　as　other　men。　　He　charged

Don　Juan　de　Santa　Maria　of　Pampeluna　to　see　to　the　execution　of　this

bull。　　But　Don　Juan　was　slow　to　help；　and　the　poor　Spanish　Cagots

grew　impatient；　and　resolved　to　try　the　secular　power。　　They

accordingly　applied　to　the　Cortes　of　Navarre；　and　were　opposed　on　a

variety　of　grounds。　　First；　it　was　stated　that　their　ancestors　had

had　nothing　to　do　with　Raymond　Count　of　Toulouse；　or　with　any　such

knightly　personage；　that　they　were　in　fact　descendants　of　Gehazi；

servant　of　Elisha　（second　book　of　Kings；　fifth　chapter；　twenty…

seventh　verse）；　who　had　been　accursed　by　his　master　for　his　fraud

upon　Naaman；　and　doomed；　he　and　his　descendants；　to　be　lepers　for

evermore。　　Name；　Cagots　or　Gahets；　Gahets；　Gehazites。　　What　can　be

more　clear？　　And　if　that　is　not　enough；　and　you　tell　us　that　the

Cagots　are　not　lepers　now；　we　reply　that　there　are　two　kinds　of

leprosy；　one　perceptible　and　the　other　imperceptible；　even　to　the

person　suffering　from　it。　　Besides；　it　is　the　country　talk；　that

where　the　Cagot　treads；　the　grass　withers；　proving　the　unnatural　heat

of　his　body。　　Many　credible　and　trustworthy　witnesses　will　also　tell

you　that；　if　a　Cagot　holds　a　freshly…gathered　apple　in　his　hand；　it

will　shrivel　and　wither　up　in　an　hour's　time　as　much　as　if　it　had

been　kept　for　a　whole　winter　in　a　dry　room。　　They　are　born　with

tails；　although　the　parents　are　cunning　enough　to　pinch　them　off

immediately。　　Do　you　doubt　this？　　If　it　is　not　true；　why　do　the

children　of　the　pure　race　delight　in　sewing　on　sheep's　tails　to　the

dress　of　any　Cagot　who　is　so　absorbed　in　his　work　as　not　to　perceive

them？　　And　their　bodily　smell　is　so　horrible　and　detestable　that　it

shows　that　they　must　be　heretics　of　some　vile　and　pernicious

description；　for　do　we　not　read　of　the　incense　of　good　workers；　and

the　fragrance　of　holiness？〃



Such　were　literally　the　arguments　by　which　the　Cagots　were　thrown

back　into　a　worse　position　than　ever；　as　far　as　regarded　their　rights

as　citizens。　　The　Pope　insisted　that　they　should　receive　all　their

ecclesiastical　privileges。　　The　Spanish　priests　said　nothing；　but

tacitly　refused　to　allow　the　Cagots　to　mingle　with　the　rest　of　the

faithful；　either　dead　or　alive。　　The　accursed　race　obtained　laws　in

th