massacres of the south-第20章

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〃The　undersigned　has　the　honour　to　point　out　humbly　to　His　Majesty：

〃That　the　severities　and　the　persecutions　which　have　been　employed　by
some　of　the　village　priests　have　caused　many　people　in　the　country
districts　to　take　up　arms；　and　that　the　suspicions　which　new　converts
excited　have　driven　a　great　many　of　them　to　join　the　insurgents。　　In
taking　this　step　they　were　also　impelled　by　the　desire　to　avoid
imprisonment　or　removal　from　their　homes；　which　were　the　remedies
chosen　to　keep　them　in　the　old　faith。　　This　being　the　case；　he　thinks
that　the　best　means　of　putting　an　end　to　this　state　of　things　would
be　to　take　measures　exactly　the　contrary　of　those　which　produced　it；
such　as　putting　an　end　to　the　persecutions　and　permitting　a　certain
number　of　those　of　the　Reformed　religion　to　bear　arms；　that　they
might　go　to　the　rebels　and　tell　them　that　far　from　approving　of　their
actions　the　Protestants　as　a　whole　wished　to　bring　them　back　to　the
right　way　by　setting　them　a　good　example；　or　to　fight　against　them　in
order　to　show　the　king　and　France；　at　the　risk　of　their　lives；　that
they　disapproved　of　the　conduct　of　their　co…religionists；　and　that
the　priests　had　been　in　the　wrong　in　writing　to　the　court　that　all
those　of　the　Reformed　religion　were　in　favour　of　revolt。〃

D'Aygaliers　hoped　that　the　court　would　adopt　this　plan；　for　if　they
did；　one　of　two　things　must　happen：　either　the　Camisards；　by　refusing
to　accept　the　terms　offered　to　them；　would　make　themselves　odious　to
their　brethren　（for　d'Aygaliers　intended　to　take　with　him　on　his
mission　of　persuasion　only　men　of　high　reputation　among　the
Reformers；　who　would　be　repelled　by　the　Camisards　if　they　refused　to
submit）；　or　else；　by　laying　down　their　arms　and　submitting；　they
would　restore　peace　to　the　South　of　France；　obtain　liberty　of
worship；　set　free　their　brethren　from　the　prisons　and　galleys；　and
come　to　the　help　of　the　king　in　his　war　against　the　allied　powers；　by
supplying　him　in　a　moment　with　a　large　body　of　disciplined　troops
ready　to　take　the　field　against　his　enemies；　for　not　only　would　the
Camisards；　if　they　were　supplied　with　officers；　be　available　for　this
purpose；　but　also　those　troops　which　were　at　the　moment　employed　in
hunting　down　the　Camisards　would　be　set　free　for　this　important　duty。

This　proposition　was　so　clear　and　promised　to　produce　such　useful
results；　that　although　the　prejudice　against　the　Reformers　was　very
strong；　Baron　d'Aygaliers　found　supporters　who　were　at　once
intelligent　and　genuine　in　the　Duke　de　Chevreuse　and　the　Duke　de
Montfort；　his　son。　　These　two　gentlemen　brought　about　a　meeting
between　the　baron　and　Chamillard；　and　the　latter　presented　him　to　the
Marechal　de　Villars；　to　whom　he　showed　his　petition；　begging　him　to
bring　it　to　the　notice　of　the　king；　but　M；　de　Villars；　who　was　well
acquainted　with　the　obstinacy　of　Louis；　who；　as　Baron　de　Peken　says；
〃only　saw　the　Reformers　through　the　spectacles　of　Madame　de
Maintenon；〃　told　d'Aygaliers　that　the　last　thing　he　should　do　would
be　to　give　the　king　any　hint　of　his　plans；　unless　he　wished　to　see
them　come　to　nothing；　on　the　contrary；　he　advised　him　to　go　at　once
to　Lyons　and　wait　there　for　him；　M。　de　Villars；　for　he　would　probably
be　passing　through　that　town　in　a　few　days；　being　almost　certain　to
be　appointed　governor　of　Languedoc　in　place　of　M。　de　Montrevel；　who
had　fallen　under　the　king's　displeasure　and　was　about　to　be　recalled。
In　the　course　of　the　three　interviews　which　d'Aygaliers　had　had　with
M。　de　Villars；　he　had　become　convinced　that　de　Villars　was　a　man
capable　of　understanding　his　object；　he　therefore　followed　his
advice；　as　he　believed　his　knowledge　of　the　king　to　be　correct；　and
left　Paris　for　Lyons。

The　recall　of　M。　de　Montrevel　had　been　brought　about　in　the　following
manner：M。　de　Montrevel　having　just　come　to　Uzes；　learned　that
Cavalier　and　his　troops　were　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Sainte…Chatte；
he　immediately　sent　M。　de　La　Jonquiere；　with　six　hundred　picked
marines　and　some　companies　of　dragoons　from　the　regiment　of　Saint…
Sernin；　but　half　an　hour　later；　it　having　occurred　to　him　that　these
forces　were　not　sufficient；　he　ordered　M。　de　Foix；　lieutenant　of　the
dragoons　of　Fimarqon；　to　join　M。　de　La　Jonquiere　at　Sainte…Chatte
with　a　hundred　soldiers　of　his　regiment；　and　to　remain　with　him　if　he
were　wanted；　if　not；　to　return　the　same　night。

M。　de　Foix　gave　the　necessary　orders；　chose　a　hundred　of　his　bravest
men；　put　himself　at　their　head；　and　joined　M。　de　La　Jonquiere；
showing　him　his　orders；　but　the　latter；　confiding　in　the　courage　of
his　soldiers　and　unwilling　to　share　with　anyone　the　glory　of　a
victory　of　which　he　felt　assured；　not　only　sent　away　M。　de　Foix；　but
begged　him　to　go　back　to　Uzes；　declaring　to　him　that　he　had　enough
troops　to　fight　and　conquer　all　the　Camisards　whom　he　might
encounter；　consequently　the　hundred　dragoons　whom　the　lieutenant　had
brought　with　him　were　quite　useless　at　Sainte…Chatte；　while　on　the
contrary　they　might　be　very　necessary　somewhere　else。　　M。　de　Foix　did
not　consider　that　it　was　his　duty　to　insist　on　remaining　under　these
circumstances；　and　returned　to　Uzes；　while　M。　de　La　Jonquiere
continued　his　route　in　order　to　pass　the　night　at　Moussac。　　Cavalier
left　the　town　by　one　gate　just　as　M。　de　La　Jonquiere　entered　at　the
other。　　The　wishes　of　the　young　Catholic　commander　were　thus　in　a
fair　way　to　be　fulfilled；　for　in　all　probability　he　would　come　up
with　his　enemy　the　next　day。

As　the　village　was　inhabited　for　the　most　part　by　new　converts；　the
night　instead　of　being　spent　in　repose　was　devoted　to　pillage。

The　next　day　the　Catholic　troops　reached　Moussac；　which　they　found
deserted；　so　they　went　on　to　Lascours…de…Gravier；　a　little　village
belonging　to　the　barony　of　Boucairan；　which　M。　de　La　Jonquiere　gave
up　to　pillage；　and　where　he　had　four　Protestants　shota　man；　a
woman；　and　two　young　girls。　　He　then　resumed　his　route。　　As　it　had
rained；　he　soon　came　on　the　trail　of　the　Camisards；　the　terrible　game
which　he　was　hunting　down。　　For　three　hours　he　occupied　himself　in
this　pursuit；　marching　at　the　head　of　his　troops；　lest　someone　else
less　careful　than　he　should　make　some　mistake；　when；　suddenly　raising
his　eyes；　he　perceived　the　Camisards　on　a　small　eminence　called　Les
Devois　de　Maraignargues。　　This　was　the　spot　they　had　chosen　to　await
attack　in；　being　eager　for　the　approaching　combat。

As　soon　as　Cavalier　saw　the　royals　advancing；　he　ordered　his　men；
according　to　custom；　to　offer　up　prayers　to　God；　and　when　these　were
finished　he　disposed　his　troops　for　battle。　　His　plan　was　to　take　up
position　with　the　greater　part　of　his　men　on　the　other　side　of　a
ravine；　which　would　thus　form　a　kind　of　moat　between　him　and　the
king's　soldiers；　he　also　ordered　about　thirty　horsemen　to　make　a
great　round；　thus　reaching　unseen　a　little　wood　about　two　hundred
yards　to　his　left；　where　they　could　conceal　themselves；　and　lastly；
he　sent　to　a　point　on　the　right　sixty　foot…soldiers　chosen　from　his
best　marksmen；　whom　he　ordered　not　to　fire　until　the　royal　forces
were　engaged　in　the　struggle　with　him。

M。　de　La　Jonquiere　having　approached　to　within　a　certain　distance；
halted；　and　sent　one　of　his　lieutenants　named　de　Sainte…Chatte　to
make　a　reconnaissance；　which　he　did；　advancing　beyond　the　men　in
ambush；　who　gave　no　sign　of　their　existence；　while　the　officer
quietly　examined　the　ground。　　But　Sainte…Chatte　was　an　old　soldier　of
fortune　and　not　easily　taken　in；　so　on　his　return；　while　explaining
the　plan　of　the　ground　chosen　by　Cavalier　for　the　disposition　of　his
troops　to　M。　de　La　Jonquiere；　he　added　that　he　should　be　very　much
astonished　if　the　young　Camisard　had　not　employed　the　little　wood　on
his　left　and　the　lie　of　the　ground　on　his　right　as　cover　for　soldiers
in　ambush；　but　M。　de　La　Jonquiere　returned　that　the　only　thing　of
importance　was　to　know　the　position　of　the　principal　body　of　troops
in　order　to　attack　it　at　once。　　Sainte…Chatte　told　him　that　the
principal　body　was　that　which　was　before　his　eyes；　and　that　on　this
subject　there　could　be　no　mistake；　for　he　had　approached　near　enough
to　recognise　Cavalier　himself　in　the　front　rank。