massacres of the south-第14章

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Naples；　several　marshals　of　France；　and　many　governors　of　Savoy；
Dauphine；　and　Bresse。

He　was　followed　by　twenty　pieces　of　ordnance；　five　thousand　bullets；
four　thousand　muskets；　and　fifty　thousand　pounds　of　powder；　all　of
which　was　carried　down　the　river　Rhone；　while　six　hundred　of　the
skilful　mountain　marksmen　called　'miquelets'　from　Roussillon　came
down　into　Languedoc。

M。　de　Montrevel　was　the　bearer　of　terrible　orders。　　Louis　XIV　was
determined；　no　matter　what　it　cost；　to　root　out　heresy；　and　set　about
this　work　as　if　his　eternal　salvation　depended　on　it。　　As　soon　as　M。
de　Baville　had　read　these　orders；　he　published　the　following
proclamation：

〃The　king　having　been　informed　that　certain　people　without　religion
bearing　arms　have　been　guilty　of　violence；　burning　down　churches　and
killing　priests；　His　Majesty　hereby　commands　all　his　subjects　to　hunt
these　people　down；　and　that　those　who　are　taken　with　arms　in　their
hands　or　found　amongst　their　bands；　be　punished　with　death　without
any　trial　whatever；　that　their　houses　be　razed　to　the　ground　and
their　goods　confiscated；　and　that　all　buildings　in　which　assemblies
of　these　people　have　been　held；　be　demolished。　　The　king　further
forbids　fathers；　mothers；　brothers；　sisters；　and　other　relations　of
the　fanatics；　or　of　other　rebels；　to　give　them　refuge；　food；　stores；
ammunition；　or　other　assistance　of　any　kind；　under　any　pretext
whatever；　either　directly　or　indirectly；　on　pain　of　being　reputed
accessory　to　the　rebellion；　and　he　commands　the　Sieur　de　Baville　and
whatever　officers　he　may　choose　to　prosecute　such　and　pronounce
sentence　of　death　on　them。　　Furthermore；　His　Majesty　commands　that
all　the　inhabitants　of　Languedoc　who　may　be　absent　at　the　date　of　the
issue　of　this　proclamation；　return　home　within　a　week；　unless　their
absence　be　caused　by　legitimate　business；　in　which　case　they　shall
declare　the　same　to　the　commandant；　the　Sieur　de　Montrevel；　or　to　the
intendant；　the　Sieur　de　Baville；　and　also　to　the　mayors　and　consuls
of　the　places　where　they　may　be；　receiving　from　the　latter
certificates　that　there　is　a　sufficient　reason　for　their　delay；　which
certificates　they　shall　forward　to　the　above…mentioned　commandant　or
intendant。　　And　His　Majesty　furthermore　commands　the　said　commandant
and　intendant　to　admit　no　foreigner　or　inhabitant　of　any　other
province　into　Languedoc　for　commercial　purposes　or　for　any　other
reason　whatsoever；　unless　provided　with　certificates　from　the
commandants　or　intendants　of　the　provinces　whence　they　come；　or　from
the　judges　of　the　royal　courts　in　the　places　whence　they　come；　or
from　the　nearest　place　containing　such　courts。　　Foreigners　must　be
provided　with　passports　from　the　ambassadors　or　ministers　of　the　king
accredited　to　the　countries　to　which　they　belong；　or　from　the
commandants　or　intendants　of　the　provinces；　or　from　the　judges　of　the
royal　courts　of　the　places　in　which　they　may　be　at　the　date　of　this
proclamation。　　Furthermore；　it　is　His　Majesty's　will　that　those　who
are　found　in　the；　aforesaid　province　of　Languedoc　without　such
certificates　be　regarded　as　fanatics　and　rebels；　and　that　they　be
prosecuted　as　such；　and　punished　with　death；　and　that　they　be　brought
for　this　purpose　before　the　aforesaid　Sieur　de　Baville　or　the
officers　whom　he　may　choose。

（Signed）
（Countersigned）

LOUIS　PHILIPPEAU

〃Given　at　Versailles　the　25th　day；　of　the　month　of　February　1703。〃


M。　de　Montrevel　obeyed　this　proclamation　to　the　letter。　　For
instance；　one　daythe　1st　of　April　1703as　he　was　seated　at　dinner
it　was　reported　to　him　that　about　one　hundred　and　fifty　Reformers
were　assembled　in　a　mill　at　Carmes；　outside　Nimes；　singing　psalms。
Although　he　was　told　at　the　same　time　that　the　gathering　was　composed
entirely　of　old　people　and　children；　he　was　none　the　less　furious；
and　rising　from　the　table；　gave　orders　that　the　call　to　horse　should
be　sounded。　　Putting　himself　at　the　head　of　his　dragoons；　he　advanced
on　the　mill；　and　before　the　Huguenots　knew　that　they　were　about　to　be
attacked　they　were　surrounded　on　every　side。　It　was　no　combat　which
ensued；　for　the　Huguenots　were　incapable　of　resistance；　it　was　simply
a　massacre；　a　certain　number　of　the　dragoons　entered　the　mill　sword
in　hand；　stabbing　all　whom　they　could　reach；　whilst　the　rest　of　the
force　stationed　outside　before　the　windows　received　those　who　jumped
out　on　the　points　of　their　swords。　　But　soon　this　butchery　tired　the
butchers；　and　to　get　over　the　business　more　quickly；　the　marshal；　who
was　anxious　to　return　to　his　dinner；　gave　orders　that　the　mill　should
be　set　on　fire。　　This　being　done；　the　dragoons；　the　marshal　still　at
their　head；　no　longer　exerted　themselves　so　violently；　but　were
satisfied　with　pushing　back　into　the　flames　the　few　unfortunates　who；
scorched　and　burnt；　rushed　out；　begging　only　for　a　less　cruel　death。

Only　one　victim　escaped。　　A　beautiful　young　girl　of　sixteen　was　saved
by　the　marshal's　valet：　both　were　taken　and　condemned　to　death；　the
young　girl　was　hanged；　and　the　valet　was　on　the　point　of　being
executed　when　some　Sisters　of　Mercy　from　the　town　threw　themselves　at
the　marshal's　feet　end　begged　for　his　life：　after　long　supplication；
he　granted　their　prayer；　but　he　banished　the　valet　not　only　from　his
service；　but　from　Nimes。

The　very　same　evening　at　supper　word　was　brought　to　the　marshal　that
another　gathering　had　been　discovered　in　a　garden　near　the　still
smoking　mill。　　The　indefatigable　marshal　again　rose　from　table；　and
taking　with　him　his　faithful　dragoons；　surrounded　the　garden；　and
caught　and　shot　on　the　spot　all　those　who　were　assembled　in　it。　　The
next　day　it　turned　out　that　he　had　made　a　mistake：　those　whom　he　had
shot　were　Catholics　who　had　gathered　together　to　rejoice　over　the
execution　of　the　Calvinists。　　It　is　true　that　they　had　assured　the
marshal　that　they　were　Catholics；　but　he　had　refused　to　listen　to
them。　　Let　us；　however；　hasten　to　assure　the　reader　that　this　mistake
caused　no　further　annoyance　to　the　marshal；　except　that　he　received　a
paternal　remonstrance　from　the　Bishop　of　Nimes；　begging　him　in　future
not　to　confound　the　sheep　with　the　wolves。

In　requital　of　these　bloody　deeds；　Cavalier　took　the　chateau　of
Serras；　occupied　the　town　of　Sauve；　formed　a　company　of　horse；　and
advancing　to　Nimes；　took　forcible　possession　of　sufficient　ammunition
for　his　purposes。　　Lastly；　he　did　something　which　in　the　eyes　of　the
courtiers　seemed　the　most　incredible　thing　of　all；　he　actually　wrote
a　long　letter　to　Louis　XIV　himself。　　This　letter　was　dated　from　the
〃Desert；　Cevennes；〃　and　signed　〃Cavalier；　commander　of　the　troops
sent　by　God〃；　its　purpose　was　to　prove　by　numerous　passages　from　Holy
Writ　that　Cavalier　and　his　comrades　had　been　led　to　revolt　solely
from　a　sense　of　duty；　feeling　that　liberty　of　conscience　was　their
right；　and　it　dilated　on　the　subject　of　the　persecutions　under　which
Protestants　had　suffered；　and　asserted　that　it　was　the　infamous
measures　put　in　force　against　them　which　had　driven　them　to　take　up
arms；　which　they　were　ready　to　lay　down　if　His　Majesty　would　grant
them　that　liberty　in　matters　of　religion　which　they　sought　and　if　he
would　liberate　all　who　were　in　prison　for　their　faith。　　If　this　were
accorded；　he　assured　the　king　His　Majesty　would　have　no　more　faithful
subjects　than　themselves；　and　would　henceforth　be　ready　to　shed　their
last　drop　of　blood　in　his　service；　and　wound　up　by　saying　that　if
their　just　demands　were　refused　they　would　obey　God　rather　than　the
king；　and　would　defend　their　religion　to　their　last　breath。

Roland；　who；　whether　in　mockery　or　pride；　began　now　to　call　himself
〃Comte　Roland；〃　did　not　lag　behind　his　young　brother　either　as
warrior　or　correspondent。　　He　had　entered　the　town　of　Ganges；　where　a
wonderful　reception　awaited　him；　but　not　feeling　sure　that　he　would
be　equally　well　received　at　St。　Germain　and　St。　Andre；　he　had　written
the　following　letters：

〃Gentlemen　and　officers　of　the　king's　forces；　and　citizens　of　St。
Germain；　make　ready　to　receive　seven　hundred　troops　who　have　vowed　to
set　Babylon　on　fire；　the　seminary　and　the　houses　of　MM。　de　Fabregue；
de　Sarrasin；　de　Moles；　de　La　Rouvier