an accursed race-第5章

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steps；　say　the　oldest　inhabitants；　there　is　no　knowing　what　might

have　happened。



From　the　thirteenth　to　the　end　of　the　nineteenth　century；　there　are

facts　enough　to　prove　the　universal　abhorrence　in　which　this

unfortunate　race　was　held；　whether　called　Cagots；　or　Gahets　in

Pyrenean　districts；　Caqueaux　in　Brittany；　or　Yaqueros　Asturias。　　The

great　French　revolution　brought　some　good　out　of　its　fermentation　of

the　people：　　the　more　intelligent　among　them　tried　to　overcome　the

prejudice　against　the　Cagots。



In　seventeen　hundred　and　eighteen；　there　was　a　famous　cause　tried　at

Biarritz　relating　to　Cagot　rights　and　privileges。　　There　was　a

wealthy　miller；　Etienne　Arnauld　by　name；　of　the　race　of　Gotz；

Quagotz；　Bisigotz；　Astragotz；　or　Gahetz；　as　his　people　are　described

in　the　legal　document。　　He　married　an　heiress；　a　Gotte　（or　Cagot）　of

Biarritz；　and　the　newly…married　well…to…do　couple　saw　no　reason　why

they　should　stand　near　the　door　in　the　church；　nor　why　he　should　not

hold　some　civil　office　in　the　commune；　of　which　he　was　the　principal

inhabitant。　　Accordingly；　he　petitioned　the　law　that　he　and　his　wife

might　be　allowed　to　sit　in　the　gallery　of　the　church；　and　that　he

might　be　relieved　from　his　civil　disabilities。　　This　wealthy　white

miller；　Etienne　Arnauld；　pursued　his　rights　with　some　vigour　against

the　Baillie　of　Labourd；　the　dignitary　of　the　neighbourhood。

Whereupon　the　inhabitants　of　Biarritz　met　in　the　open　air；　on　the

eighth　of　May；　to　the　number　of　one　hundred　and　fifty；　approved　of

the　conduct　of　the　Baillie　in　rejecting　Arnauld；　made　a　subscription；

and　gave　all　power　to　their　lawyers　to　defend　the　cause　of　the　pure

race　against　Etienne　Arnauld〃that　stranger；〃　who；　having　married　a

girl　of　Cagot　blood；　ought　also　to　be　expelled　from　the　holy　places。

This　lawsuit　was　carried　through　all　the　local　courts；　and　ended　by

an　appeal　to　the　highest　court　in　Paris；　where　a　decision　was　given

against　Basque　superstitions；　and　Etienne　Arnauld　was　thenceforward

entitled　to　enter　the　gallery　of　the　church。



Of　course；　the　inhabitants　of　Biarritz　were　all　the　more　ferocious

for　having　been　conquered；　and；　four　years　later；　a　carpenter；　named

Miguel　Legaret；　suspected　of　Cagot　descent；　having　placed　himself　in

the　church　among　other　people；　was　dragged　out　by　the　abbe　and　two　of

the　jurets　of　the　parish。　　Legaret　defended　himself　with　a　sharp

knife　at　the　time；　and　went　to　law　afterwards；　the　end　of　which　was；

that　the　abbe　and　his　two　accomplices　were　condemned　to　a　public

confession　of　penitence；　to　be　uttered　while　on　their　knees　at　the

church　door；　just　after　high…mass。　　They　appealed　to　the　parliament

of　Bourdeaux　against　this　decision；　but　met　with　no　better　success

than　the　opponents　of　the　miller　Arnauld。　　Legaret　was　confirmed　in

his　right　of　standing　where　he　would　in　the　parish　church。　　That　a

living　Cagot　had　equal　rights　with　other　men　in　the　town　of　Biarritz

seemed　now　ceded　to　them；　but　a　dead　Cagot　was　a　different　thing。

The　inhabitants　of　pure　blood　struggled　long　and　hard　to　be　interred

apart　from　the　abhorred　race。　　The　Cagots　were　equally　persistent　in

claiming　to　have　a　common　burying…ground。　　Again　the　texts　of　the　Old

Testament　were　referred　to；　and　the　pure　blood　quoted　triumphantly

the　precedent　of　Uzziah　the　leper　（twenty…sixth　chapter　of　the　second

book　of　Chronicles）；　who　was　buried　in　the　field　of　the　Sepulchres　of

the　Kings；　not　in　the　sepulchres　themselves。　　The　Cagots　pleaded　that

they　were　healthy　and　able…bodied；　with　no　taint　of　leprosy　near

them。　　They　were　met　by　the　strong　argument　so　difficult　to　be

refuted；　which　I　quoted　before。　　Leprosy　was　of　two　kinds；

perceptible　and　imperceptible。　　If　the　Cagots　were　suffering　from　the

latter　kind；　who　could　tell　whether　they　were　free　from　it　or　not？

That　decision　must　be　left　to　the　judgment　of　others。



One　sturdy　Cagot　family　alone；　Belone　by　name；　kept　up　a　lawsuit；

claiming　the　privilege　of　common　sepulture；　for　forty…two　years；

although　the　cure　of　Biarritz　had　to　pay　one　hundred　livres　for　every

Cagot　not　interred　in　the　right　place。　　The　inhabitants　indemnified

the　curate　for　all　these　fines。



M。　de　Romagne；　Bishop　of　Tarbes；　who　died　in　seventeen　hundred　and

sixty…eight；　was　the　first　to　allow　a　Cagot　to　fill　any　office　in　the

Church。　　To　be　sure；　some　were　so　spiritless　as　to　reject　office　when

it　was　offered　to　them；　because；　by　so　claiming　their　equality；　they

had　to　pay　the　same　taxes　as　other　men；　instead　of　the　Rancale　or

pole…tax　levied　on　the　Cagots；　the　collector　of　which　had　also　a

right　to　claim　a　piece　of　bread　of　a　certain　size　for　his　dog　at

every　Cagot　dwelling。



Even　in　the　present　century；　it　has　been　necessary　in　some　churches

for　the　archdeacon　of　the　district；　followed　by　all　his　clergy；　to

pass　out　of　the　small　door　previously　appropriated　to　the　Cagots；　in

order　to　mitigate　the　superstition　which；　even　so　lately；　made　the

people　refuse　to　mingle　with　them　in　the　house　of　God。　　A　Cagot　once

played　the　congregation　at　Larroque　a　trick　suggested　by　what　I　have

just　named。　　He　slily　locked　the　great　parish…door　of　the　church；

while　the　greater　part　of　the　inhabitants　were　assisting　at　mass

inside；　put　gravel　into　the　lock　itself；　so　as　to　prevent　the　use　of

any　duplicate　key；and　had　the　pleasure　of　seeing　the　proud　pure…

blooded　people　file　out　with　bended　head；　through　the　small　low　door

used　by　the　abhorred　Cagots。



We　are　naturally　shocked　at　discovering；　from　facts　such　as　these；

the　causeless　rancour　with　which　innocent　and　industrious　people　were

so　recently　persecuted。　　The　moral　of　the　history　of　the　accursed

race　may；　perhaps；　be　best　conveyed　in　the　words　of　an　epitaph　on

Mrs。　Mary　Hand；　who　lies　buried　in　the　churchyard　of　Stratford…on…

Avon：…





What　faults　you　saw　in　me；

Pray　strive　to　shun；

And　look　at　home；　there's

Something　to　be　done。









End