massacres of the south-第12章

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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　and　Ireland　when　William　of　Orange　succeeded　James　II　as　King
of　England；　Julien　was　one　of　his　pages；　and　received　as　a　reward　for
his　fidelity　in　the　famous　campaign　of　1688　the　command　of　a　regiment
which　was　sent　to　the　aid　of　the　Duke　of　Savoy；　who　had　begged　both
England　and　Holland　to　help　him。　He　bore　himself　so　gallantly　that　it
was　in　great　part　due　to　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
the　Duke　of　Savoy　did　not　recognise　his　services　at　their　worth；　he
withdrew　to　Geneva；　where　Louis　XIV　hearing　of　his　discontent；　caused
overtures　to　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　the　English；　with　a　pension　of　3000　livres。

M。　de　Julien　accepted；　and　feeling　that　his　religious　belief　would　be
in　the　way　of　his　advancement；　when　he　changed　his　master　he　changed
his　Church。　　He　was　given　the　command　of　the　valley　of　Barcelonnette；
whence　he　made　many　excursions　against　the　Barbets；　then　he　was
transferred　to　the　command　of　the　Avennes；　of　the　principality　of
Orange；　in　order　to　guard　the　passes；　so　that　the　French　Protestants
could　not　pass　over　the　frontier　for　the　purpose　of　worshipping　with
their　Dutch　Protestant　brethren；　and　after　having　tried　this　for　a
year；　he　went　to　Versailles　to　report　himself　to　the　king。　　While　he
was　there；　it　chanced　that　the　envoy　from　Gevaudan　arrived；　and　the
king　being　satisfied　with　de　Julien's　conduct　since　he　had　entered
his　service；　made　him　major…general；　chevalier　of　the　military　order
of　St。　Louis；　and　commander…in…chief　in　the　Vivarais　and　the
Cevennes。

M。　de　Julien　from　the　first　felt　that　the　situation　was　very　grave；
and　saw　that　his　predecessors　had　felt　such　great　contempt　for　the
heretics　that　they　had　not　realised　the　danger　of　the　revolt。　　He
immediately　proceeded　to　inspect　in　person　the　different　points　where
M。　de　Broglie　had　placed　detachments　of　the　Tournon　and　Marsily
regiments。　　It　is　true　that　he　arrived　by　the　light　of　thirty　burning
village　churches。

M。　de　Broglie；　M。　de　Baville；　M。　de　Julien；　and　Captain　Poul　met
together　to　consult　as　to　the　best　means　of　putting　an　end　to　these
disorders。　　It　was　agreed　that　the　royal　troops　should　be　divided
into　two　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　of　Nimes。

Consequently；　the　two　chiefs　separated。　　M。　le　Comte　de　Broglie　at
the　head　of　sixty…two　dragoons　and　some　companies　of　foot；　and　having
under　him　Captain　Poul　and　M。　de　Dourville；　set　out　from　Cavayrac　on
the　12th　of　January　at　2　a。　m。；　and　having　searched　without　finding
anything　the　vineyards　of　Nimes　and　La　Garrigue　de　Milhau；　took　the
road　to　the　bridge　of　Lunel。　　There　he　was　informed　that　those　he　was
in　search　of　had　been　seen　at　the　chateau　of　Caudiac　the　day　before；
he　therefore　at　once　set　out　for　the　forest　which　lies　around　it；　not
doubting　to　find　the　fanatics　entrenched　there；　but；　contrary　to　his
expectations；　it　was　vacant。　　He　then　pushed　on　to　Vauvert；　from
Vauvert　to　Beauvoisin；　from　Beauvoisin　to　Generac；　where　he　learned
that　a　troop　of　rebels　had　passed　the　night　there；　and　in　the　morning
had　left　for　Aubore。　　Resolved　to　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
distinguish　a　crowd　of　men　near　a　house　about　half　a　league　distant；
M。　de　Broglie　instantly　ordered　Sieur　de　Gibertin；　Captain　Paul's
lieutenant；　who　was　riding　close　by；　at　the　head　of　his　company；　to
take　eight　dragoons　and　make　a　reconnaissance；　in　order　to　ascertain
who　these　men　were；　while　the　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…shot　of　the　wall　the　charge　was　sounded　behind　it；　and　a
band　of　rebels　rushed　towards　them；　while　from　a　neighbouring　house　a
second　troop　emerged；　and　looking　round；　he　perceived　a　third　lying
on　their　faces　in　a　small　wood。　　These　latter　suddenly　stood　up　and
approached　him；　singing　psalms。　　As　it　was　impossible　for　M。　de
Gibertin　to　hold　his　ground　against　so　large　a　force；　he　ordered　two
shots　to　be　fired　as　a　warning　to　de　Brogue　to　advance　to　meet　him；
and　fell　back　on　his　comrades。　　Indeed；　the　rebels　had　only　pursued
him　till　they　had　reached　a　favourable　position；　on　which　they　took
their　stand。

M。　de　Brogue　having　surveyed　the　whole　position　with　the　aid　of　a
telescope；　held　a　council　of　war；　and　it　was　decided　that　an　attack
should　be　made　forthwith。　　They　therefore　advanced　on　the　rebels　in
line：　Captain　Poul　on　the　right；　M。　de　Dourville　on　the　left；　and
Count　Broglie　in　the　centre。

As　they　got　near　they　could　see　that　the　rebels　had　chosen　their
ground　with　an　amount　of　strategical　sagacity　they　had　never　till
then　displayed。　　This　skill　in　making　their　dispositions　was
evidently　due　to　their　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：　he
gave　the　order　to　charge；　and　adding　example　to　precept；　urged　his
horse　to　a　gallop。　　The　rebels　in　the　first　rank　knelt　on　one　knee；
so　that　the　rank　behind　could　take　aim；　and　the　distance　between　the
two　bodies　of　troops　disappeared　rapidly；　thanks　to　the　impetuosity
of　the　dragoons；　but　suddenly；　when　within　thirty　paces　of　the　enemy；
the　royals　found　themselves　on　the　edge　of　a　deep　ravine　which
separated　them　from　the　enemy　like　a　moat。　　Some　were　able　to　check
their　horses　in　time；　but　others；　despite　desperate　efforts；　pressed
upon　by　those　behind；　were　pushed　into　the　ravine；　and　rolled
helplessly　to　the　bottom。　At　the　same　moment　the　order　to　fire　was
given　in　a　sonorous　voice；　there　was　a　rattle　of　musketry；　and
several　dragoons　near　M。　de　Broglie　fell。

〃Forward！〃　cried　Captain　Poul；　〃forward！〃　and　putting　his　horse　at　a
part　of　the　ravine　where　the　sides　were　less　steep；　he　was　soon
struggling　up　the　opposite　side；　followed　by　a　few　dragoons。

〃Death　to　the　son　of　Belial！〃　cried　the　same　voice　which　had　given
the　order　to　fire。　　At　that　moment　a　single　shot　rang　out；　Captain
Poul　threw　up　his　hands；　letting　his　sabre　go；　and　fell　from　his
horse；　which　instead　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；
brandishing　his　carbine。　　He　then　dashed　down　into　the　ravine；　picked
up　Captain　Poul's　sabre　and　jumped　upon　his　horse。　　The　animal；
faithful　to　its　old　master；　showed　some　signs　of　resistance；　but　soon
felt　by　the　pressure　of　its　rider's　knees　that　it　had　to　do　with　one
whom　it　could　not　readily　unseat。　　Nevertheless；　it　reared　and
bounded；　but　the　horseman　kept　his　seat；　and　as　if　recognising　that
it　had　met　its　match；　the　noble　animal　tossed　its　head；　neighed　once
more；　and　gave　in。　　While　this　was　going　on；　a　party　of　Camisards
＇Name　given　to　the　insurgent　Calvinists　after　the　Revocation　of　the
Edict　of　Nantes。Translator's　Note。＇　and　one　of　the　dragoons　had　got
down　into　the　ravine；　which　had　in　consequence　been　turned　into　a
battlefield；　while　those　who　remained　above　on　either　side　took
advantage　of　their　position　to　fire　down　at　their　enemies。　　M。　de
Dourville；　in　command　of　the　dragoons；　fought　among　the　others　like　a
simple　soldier；　and　received　a　serious　wound　in　the　head；　his　men
beginning　to　lose　ground；　M。　de　Brogue　tried　to　rally　them；　but
without　avail；　and　while　he　was　thus　occupied　his　own　troop　ran　away；
so　seeing　there　was　no　prospect　of　winning　th