an accursed race-第3章

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

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

their　favour　from　the　Emperor　Charles　the　Fifth；　which；　however；

there　was　no　one　to　carry　into　effect。　　As　a　sort　of　revenge　for

their　want　of　submission；　and　for　their　impertinence　in　daring　to

complain；　their　tools　were　all　taken　away　from　them　by　the　local

authorities：　　an　old　man　and　all　his　family　died　of　starvation；　being

no　longer　allowed　to　fish。



They　could　not　emigrate。　　Even　to　remove　their　poor　mud　habitations；

from　one　spot　to　another；　excited　anger　and　suspicion。　　To　be　sure；

in　sixteen　hundred　and　ninety…five；　the　Spanish　government　ordered

the　alcaldes　to　search　out　all　the　Cagots；　and　to　expel　them　before

two　months　had　expired；　under　pain　of　having　fifty　ducats　to　pay　for

every　Cagot　remaining　in　Spain　at　the　expiration　of　that　time。　　The

inhabitants　of　the　villages　rose　up　and　flogged　out　any　of　the

miserable　race　who　might　be　in　their　neighbourhood；　but　the　French

were　on　their　guard　against　this　enforced　irruption；　and　refused　to

permit　them　to　enter　France。　　Numbers　were　hunted　up　into　the

inhospitable　Pyrenees；　and　there　died　of　starvation；　or　became　a　prey

to　wild　beasts。　　They　were　obliged　to　wear　both　gloves　and　shoes　when

they　were　thus　put　to　flight；　otherwise　the　stones　and　herbage　they

trod　upon　and　the　balustrades　of　the　bridges　that　they　handled　in

crossing；　would；　according　to　popular　belief；　have　become　poisonous。



And　all　this　time；　there　was　nothing　remarkable　or　disgusting　in　the

outward　appearance　of　this　unfortunate　people。　　There　was　nothing

about　them　to　countenance　the　idea　of　their　being　lepersthe　most

natural　mode　of　accounting　for　the　abhorrence　in　which　they　were

held。　　They　were　repeatedly　examined　by　learned　doctors；　whose

experiments；　although　singular　and　rude；　appear　to　have　been　made　in

a　spirit　of　humanity。　　For　instance；　the　surgeons　of　the　king　of

Navarre；　in　sixteen　hundred；　bled　twenty…two　Cagots；　in　order　to

examine　and　analyze　their　blood。　　They　were　young　and　healthy　people

of　both　sexes；　and　the　doctors　seem　to　have　expected　that　they　should

have　been　able　to　extract　some　new　kind　of　salt　from　their　blood

which　might　account　for　the　wonderful　heat　of　their　bodies。　　But

their　blood　was　just　like　that　of　other　people。　　Some　of　these

medical　men　have　left　us　a　description　of　the　general　appearance　of

this　unfortunate　race；　at　a　time　when　they　were　more　numerous　and

less　intermixed　than　they　are　now。　　The　families　existing　in　the

south　and　west　of　France；　who　are　reputed　to　be　of　Cagot　descent　at

this　day；　are；　like　their　ancestors；　tall；　largely　made；　and　powerful

in　frame；　fair　and　ruddy　in　complexion；　with　gray…blue　eyes；　in　which

some　observers　see　a　pensive　heaviness　of　look。　　Their　lips　are

thick；　but　well…formed。　　Some　of　the　reports　name　their　sad

expression　of　countenance　with　surprise　and　suspicion〃They　are　not

gay；　like　other　folk。〃　　The　wonder　would　be　if　they　were。　　Dr。　Guyon；

the　medical　man　of　the　last　century　who　has　left　the　clearest　report

on　the　health　of　the　Cagots；　speaks　of　the　vigorous　old　age　they

attain　to。　　In　one　family　alone；　he　found　a　man　of　seventy…four　years

of　age；　a　woman　as　old；　gathering　cherries；　and　another　woman；　aged

eighty…three；　was　lying　on　the　grass；　having　her　hair　combed　by　her

great…grandchildren。　　Dr。　Guyon　and　other　surgeons　examined　into　the

subject　of　the　horribly　infectious　smell　which　the　Cagots　were　said

to　leave　behind　them；　and　upon　everything　they　touched；　but　they

could　perceive　nothing　unusual　on　this　head。　　They　also　examined

their　ears；　which　according　to　common　belief　（a　belief　existing　to

this　day）；　were　differently　shaped　from　those　of　other　people；　being

round　and　gristly；　without　the　lobe　of　flesh　into　which　the　ear…ring

is　inserted。　　They　decided　that　most　of　the　Cagots　whom　they　examined

had　the　ears　of　this　round　shape；　but　they　gravely　added；　that　they

saw　no　reason　why　this　should　exclude　them　from　the　good…will　of　men；

and　from　the　power　of　holding　office　in　Church　and　State。　　They

recorded　the　fact；　that　the　children　of　the　towns　ran　baaing　after

any　Cagot　who　had　been　compelled　to　come　into　the　streets　to　make

purchases；　in　allusion　to　this　peculiarity　of　the　shape　of　the　ear；

which　bore　some　resemblance　to　the　ears　of　the　sheep　as　they　are　cut

by　the　shepherds　in　this　district。　　Dr。　Guyon　names　the　case　of　a

beautiful　Cagot　girl；　who　sang　most　sweetly；　and　prayed　to　be　allowed

to　sing　canticles　in　the　organ…loft。　　The　organist；　more　musician

than　bigot；　allowed　her　to　come；　but　the　indignant　congregation；

finding　out　whence　proceeded　that　clear；　fresh　voice；　rushed　up　to

the　organ…loft；　and　chased　the　girl　out；　bidding　her　〃remember　her

ears；〃　and　not　commit　the　sacrilege　of　singing　praises　to　God　along

with　the　pure　race。



But　this　medical　report　of　Dr。　Guyon'sbringing　facts　and　arguments

to　confirm　his　opinion；　that　there　was　no　physical　reason　why　the

Cagots　should　not　be　received　on　terms　of　social　equality　by　the　rest

of　the　worlddid　no　more　for　his　clients　than　the　legal　decrees

promulgated　two　centuries　before　had　done。　　The　French　proved　the

truth　of　the　saying　in　Hudibras　…





He　that's　convinced　against　his　will

Is　of　the　same　opinion　still。





And；　indeed；　the　being　convinced　by　Dr。　Guyon　that　they　ought　to

receive　Cagots　as　fellow…creatures；　only　made　them　more　rabid　in

declaring　that　they　would　not。　　One　or　two　little　occurrences　which

are　recorded；　show　that　the　bitterness　of　the　repugnance　to　the

Cagots　was　in　full　force　at　the　time　just　preceding　the　first　French

revolution。　　There　was　a　M。　d'Abedos；　the　curate　of　Lourbes；　and

brother　to　the　seigneur　of　the　neighbouring　castle；　who　was　living　in

seventeen　hundred　and　eighty；　he　was　well…educated　for　the　time；　a

travelled　man；　and　sensible　and　moderate　in　all　respects　but　that　of

his　abhorrence　of　the　Cagots：　　he　would　insult　them　from　the　very

altar；　calling　out　to　them；　as　they　stood　afar　off；　〃Oh！　ye　Cagots；

damned　for　evermore！〃　　One　day；　a　half…blind　Cagot　stumbled　and

touched　the　censer　borne　before　this　Abbe　de　Lourbes。　　He　was

immediately　turned　out　of　the　church；　and　forbidden　ever　to　re…enter

it。　　One　does　not　know　how　to　account　for　the　fact；　that　the　very

brother　of　this　bigoted　abbe；　the　seigneur　of　the　village；　went　and

married　a　Cagot　girl；　but　so　it　was；　and　the　abbe　brought　a　legal

process　against　him；　and　had　his　estates　taken　from　him；　solely　on

account　of　his　marriage；　which　reduced　him　to　the　condition　of　a

Cagot；　against　whom　the　old　law　was　still　in　force。　　The　descendants

of　this　Seigneur　de　Lourbes　are　simple　peasants　at　this　very　day；

working　on　the　lands　which　belonged　to　their　grandfather。



This　prejudice　against　mixed　marriages　remained　prevalent　until　very

lately。　　The　tradition　of　the　Cagot　descent　lingered　among　the

people；　long　after　the　laws　against　the　accursed　race　were　abolished。

A　Breton　girl；　within　the　last　few　years；　having　two　lovers　each　of

reputed　Cagot　descent；　employed　a　notary　to　examine　their　pedigrees；

and　see　which　of　the　two　had　least　Cagot　in　him；　and　to　that　one　she

gave　her　hand。　　In　Brittany　the　prejudice　seems　to　have　been　more

virulent　than　anywhere　else。　　M。　Emile　Souvestre　records　proofs　of

the　hatred　borne　to　them　in　Brittany　so　recently　as　in　eighteen

hundred　and　thirty…five。　　Just　lately　a　baker　at　Hennebon；　having

married　a　girl　of　Cagot　descent；　lost　all　his　custom。　　The　godfather

and　godmother　of　a　Cagot　child　became　Cagots　themselves　by　the　Breton

laws；　unless；　indeed；　the　poor　little　baby　died　before　attaining　a

certain　number　of　days。　　They　had　to　eat　the　butchers'　meat　condemned

as　unhealthy；　but；　for　some　unknown　reason；　they　were　considered　to

have　a　right　to　every　cut　leaf　turned　upside　down；　with　its　cut　side

towards　the　door；　and　might　enter　any　house　in　whi