massacres of the south-第24章

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proposed　to　him；　which　I　am　convinced　would　bring　the　disorders　in
our　province　to　an　end；　stop　the　occurrence　of　the　many　unfortunate
events　which　I　am　sure　you　look　on　with　regret；　and　spare　you　much
trouble　and　embarrassment。〃

The　intendant　was　much　touched　by　this　calm　speech；　and　above　all　by
the　confidence　which　M。　d'Aygaliers　had　shown　him；　and　replied　that
he　had　only　offered　opposition　to　the　plan　of　pacification　because　he
believed　it　to　be　impracticable。　　M。　d'Aygaliers　then　warmly　pressed
him　to　try　it　before　rejecting　it　for　ever；　and　in　the　end　M。　　de
Baville　withdrew　his　opposition。

M；　d'Aygaliers　hastened　to　the　marechal；　who　finding　himself　no
longer　alone　in　his　favourable　opinion；　made　no　further　delay；　but
told　the　baron　to　call　together　that　very　day　all　the　people　whom　he
thought　suitable　for　the　required　service；　and　desired　that　they
should　be　presented　to　him　the　next　morning　before　he　set　out　for
Nimes。

The　next　day；　instead　of　the　fifty　men　whom　the　marachal　had　thought
could　be　gathered　together；　d'Aygaliers　came　to　him　followed　by
eighty；　who　were　almost　all　of　good　and　many　of　noble　family。　　The
meeting　took　place；　by　the　wish　of　the　baron；　in　the　courtyard　of　the
episcopal　palace。　　〃This　palace；〃　says　the　baron　in　his　Memoirs；
〃which　was　of　great　magnificence；　surrounded　by　terraced　gardens　and
superbly　furnished；　was　occupied　by　Monseigneur　Michel　Poncet　de　La
Riviere。　　He　was　a　man　passionately　devoted　to　pleasures　of　all
kinds；　especially　to　music；　women；　and　good　cheer。　　There　were　always
to　be　found　in　his　house　good　musicians；　pretty　women；　and　excellent
wines。　　These　latter　suited　him　so　well　that　he　never　left　the　table
without　being　in　a　pleasant　humour；　and　at　such　a　moment　if　it　came
into　his　head　that　anyone　in　his　diocese　was　not　as　good　a　Christian
as　himself；　he　would　sit　down　and　write　to　M。　de　Baville；　urging　that
the　delinquent　ought　to　be　sent　into　exile。　　He　often　did　this　honour
to　my　late　father。〃　　M。　d'Aygaliers　goes　on　to　say　that　〃on　seeing
such　a　great　number　of　Huguenots　in　the　court　who　were　all　declaring
that　they　were　better　servants　of　the　king　than　the　Catholics；　he
almost　fell　from　his　balcony　with　vexation　and　surprise。　　This
vexation　increased　when　he　saw　M。　de　Villars　and　M。　de　Baville；　who
had　apartments　in　the　palace；　come　down　into　the　court　and　talk　to
these　people。　　One　hope　still　remained　to　him：　it　was　that　the
marechal　and　the　intendant　had　come　down　to　send　them　away；　but　this
last　hope　was　cruelly　disappointed　when　he　heard　M。　de　Villars　say
that　he　accepted　their　service　and　expected　them　to　obey　d'Aygaliers
in　all　matters　concerning　the　service　of　the　king。〃

But　this　was　not　all　that　had　to　be　accomplished　arms　were　necessary
for　the　Protestants；　and　though　their　number　was　not　great；　there　was
a　difficulty　in　finding　them　weapons。　　The　unfortunate　Calvinists　had
been　disarmed　so　often　that　even　their　table…knives　had　been　carried
off；　so　it　was　useless　to　search　their　houses　for　guns　and　sabres。
D'Aygaliers　proposed　that　they　should　take　the　arms　of　the
townspeople；　but　M。　de　Villars　considered　that　it　would　offend　the
Catholics　to　have　their　arms　taken　from　them　and　given　to　the
Protestants。　　In　the　end；　however；　this　was　the　course　that　had　to　be
adopted：　M。　de　Paratte　was　ordered　to　give　fifty　muskets　and　the　same
number　of　bayonets　to　M。　d'Aygaliers；　who　also　received；　as　the
reward　of　his　long　patience；　from　M。　de　Villars；　before　the　latter
left　for　Nimes；　the　following　commission：

〃We；　Marechal　de　Villars；　general　in　the　armies　of　the　king；　etc。；
etc。；　have　given　permission　to　M。　d'Aygaliers；　nobleman　and
Protestant　of　the　town　of　Uzes；　and　to　fifty　men　chosen　by　him；　to
make　war　on　the　Camisards。

（Signed）　〃VILLARS

（Countersigned）　〃MORETON

〃Given　at　Uzes；　the　4th　of　May　1704〃


Hardly　had　M。　de　Villars　set　out　for　Nimes　than　d'Aygaliers　met　with
fresh　difficulties。　　The　bishop；　who　could　not　forget　that　his
episcopal　palace　had　been　turned　into　barracks　for　Huguenots；　went
from　house　to　house　threatening　those　who　had　promised　to　countenance
d'Aygaliers'　plans；　and　strictly　forbidding　the　captains　of　the　town
troops　to　deliver　any　weapons　to　the　Protestants。　　Fortunately；
d'Aygaliers　had　not　accomplished　so　much。　without　having　learned　not
to　draw　back　when　the　road　grew　rough；　so　he　also　on　his　side　went
about　confirming　the　strong　and　encouraging　the　feeble；　and　called　on
M。　de　Paratte　to　beg　him　to　carry　out　the　orders　of　M。　de　Villars。
De　Paratte　was　happily　an　old　soldier；　whose　one　idea　was　that
discipline　should　be　maintained；　so　that　he　gave　the　guns　and
bayonets　to　d'Aygaliers　on　the　spot；　without　a　word　of　objection；　and
thus　enabled　the　latter　to　start　at　five　o'clock　next　morning　with
his　little　band。

Meantime　de　Baville　and　de　Lalande　had　been　reflecting　what　great
influence　d'Aygaliers　would　gain　in　the　province　should　he　succeed　in
his　aims；　and　their　jealousy　had　made　them　resolve　to　forestall　him
in　his　work；　by　themselves　inducing　Cavalier　to　abandon　his　present
course。　　They　did　not　conceal　from　themselves　that　this　would　be
difficult；　but　as　they　could　command　means　of　corruption　which　were
not　within　the　power　of　d'Aygaliers；　they　did　not　despair　of　success。

They　therefore　sent　for　a　countryman　called　Lacombe；　in　order　to
enlist　him　on　their　side；　for　Cavalier；　when　a　boy；　had　been　his
shepherd　for　two　years；　and　both　had　remained　friends　ever　since：
this　man　undertook　to　try　and　bring　about　a　meeting　between　the　two
gentlemen　and　Cavalieran　enterprise　which　would　have　been　dangerous
for　anyone　else。　　He　promised　first　of　all　to　explain　to　Cavalier　the
offers　of　MM。　de　Baville　and　de　Lalande。

Lacombe　kept　his　word：　he　set　off　the　same　day；　and　two　days　later
appeared　before　Cavalier。　　The　first　feeling　of　the　young　chief　was
astonishment；　the　second　pleasure。　　Lacombe　could　not　have　chosen　a
better　moment　to　speak　of　peace　to　his　former　shepherd。

〃Indeed；〃　says　Cavalier　in　his　Memoirs；　〃the　loss　which　I　had　just
sustained　at　Nages　was　doubly　painful　to　me　because　it　was
irreparable。　　I　had　lost　at　one　blow　not　only　a　great　number　of
weapons；　all　my　ammunition；　and　all　my　money；　but　also　a　body　of　men；
inured　to　danger　and　fatigue；　and　capable　of　any　undertaking；
besides　all　this；　I　had　been　robbed　of　my　storesa　loss　which　made
itself　felt　more　than　all　the　others　put　together；　because　as　long　as
the　secret　of　the　cavern　was　kept；　in　all　our　misfortunes　we　were
never　without　resources；　but　from　the　moment　it　got　into　the
possession　of　our　enemies　we　were　quite　destitute。　　The　country　was
ravaged；　my　friends　had　grown　cold；　their　purses　were　empty；　a
hundred　towns　had　been　sacked　and　burned；　the　prisons　were　full　of
Protestants；　the　fields　were　uncultivated。　　Added　to　all　this；　the
long　promised　help　from　England　had　never　arrived；　and　the　new
marechal　had　appeared　in　the　province　accompanied　by　fresh　troops。〃

Nevertheless；　in　spite　of　his　desperate　position；　Cavalier　listened
to　the　propositions　laid　before　him　by　Lacombe　with　cold　and　haughty
front；　and　his　reply　was　that　he　would　never　lay　down　arms　till　the
Protestants　had　obtained　the　right　to　the　free　exercise　of　their
religion。

Firm　as　was　this　answer；　Lalande　did　not　despair　of　inducing　Cavalier
to　come　to　terms：　he　therefore　wrote　him　a　letter　with　his　own　hand；
asking　him　for　an　interview；　and　pledging　his　word　that　if　they　came
to　no　agreement　Cavalier　should　be　free　to　retire　without　any　harm
being　done　him；　but　he　added　that；　if　he　refused　this　request；　he
should　regard　him　as　an　enemy　to　peace；　and　responsible　for　all　the
blood　which　might　be　shed　in　future。

This　overture；　made　with　a　soldier's　frankness；　had　a　great　effect　on
Cavalier；　and　in　order　that　neither　his　friends　nor　his　enemies
should　have　the　least　excuse　for　blaming　him；　he　resolved　to　show
everyone　that　he　was　eager　to　seize　the　first　chance　of　making　peace
on　advantageous　terms。

He　therefore　replied　to　Lalande；　that　he　would　come　to　the　bridge　of
Avene　on　that　very　day；　the　12th　May；　at　noon；　and　sent　his　letter　by
Catinat；　ordering　him　to　de