massacres of the south-第28章

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Five　hundred　persons　from　Nimes　were　awaiting　him；　refreshments　were
offered　to　him；　which　he　accepted　gratefully；　thanking　all　those　who
had　gathered　together　to　meet　him。　　At　last　he　went　off　to　St。
Denoise；　where　he　was　to　sup　and　sleep；　but　before　going　to　bed　he
offered　up　supplications　in　a　loud　voice　for　the　king；　for　M。　de
Villars；　for　M。　de　Lalande；　and　even　for　M。　de　Baville。

The　next　morning；　Cavalier；　according　to　promise；　sent　a　copy　of　his
demands　to　M。　de　Villars；　who　caused　it　to　be　laid　before　the　king；
along　with　a　full　report　of　all　that　had　passed　at　the　interview　at
Nimes。　　As　soon　as　the　young　chief　had　sent　off　his　missive；　he
rejoined　his　troops　at　Tarnac；　and　related　all　that　had　passed　to
Roland；　urging　him　to　follow　his　example。　　That　night　he　slept　at
Sauves；　having　passed　through　Durfort　at　the　head　of　his　men；　a
captain　of　dragoons　named　Montgros；　with　twenty…five　soldiers；
accompanying　him　everywhere；　by　M。　de　Villars'　orders；　and　seeing
that　the　villages　through　which　they　passed　furnished　him　with　all
that　was　needed。　　They　left　Sauves　on　May　16th　very　early　in　the
morning；　in　order　to　get　to　Calvisson；　which；　as　our　readers　may
remember；　was　the　place　appointed　for　the　residence　of　Cavalier
during　the　truce。　　In　passing　through　Quissac；　where　they　stopped　for
refreshments；　they　were　joined　by　Castanet　who　delivered　a　long
sermon；　at　which　all　the　Protestants　of　the　neighbourhood　were
present。

The　two　battalions　of　the　Charolais　regiment　which　were　quartered　at
Calvisson　had　received　orders　on　the　evening　of　the　17th　to　march　out
next　morning；　so　as　to　make　room　for　the　Camisards。

On　the　18th　the　head　of　the　commissary　department；　Vincel；　ordered
suitable　accommodation　to　be　provided　for　Cavalier　and　his　troops；
the　muster　roll　being　in　the　hands　of　M。　d'Aygaliers；　it　would　be
sent　by　him　or　brought　in　the　course　of　the　day。　　In　the　meantime；
vans　were　arriving　filled　with　all　sorts　of　provisions；　followed　by
droves　of　cattle；　while　a　commissary　and　several　clerks；　charged　with
the　distribution　of　rations；　brought　up　the　rear。

On　the　19th；　Catinat；　accompanied　by　twelve　Camisards；　rode　into　the
town；　and　was　met　at　the　barrier　by　the　commandant　and　eighty
townspeople。　　As　soon　as　the　little　band　came　in　sight　the　commandant
reiterated　his　orders　that　nothing　should　be　said　or　done　in　the
town；　on　pain　of　corporal　punishment；　that　could　offend　the
Camisards。

At　one　o'clock　P。　M。　Baron　d'Aygaliers　arrived；　followed　in　his　turn
by　the　chief　of　the　commissariat；　Vincel；　by　Captain　Cappon；　two
other　officers　named　Viala　and　Despuech；　and　six　dragoons。　　These
were　the　hostages　Cavalier　had　given。

At　six　o'clock　there　was　heard　a　great　noise；　and　shouts　of
〃Cavalier！　　Cavalier！〃　resounded　on　all　sides。　　The　young　Cevenol　was
in　sight；　and　the　whole　population　hastened　to　meet　him。　　He　rode　at
the　head　of　his　cavalry；　the　infantry　following；　and　the　whole
numberabout　six　hundred　mensang　psalms　in　a　loud　voice。

When　they　reached　the　church；　Cavalier　drew　up　before　it　with　all　his
men　in　review　order；　and　for　some　time　the　singing　went　on。　　When　it
stopped；　a　long　prayer　was　offered　up；　which　was　most　edifying　to　all
the　bystanders；　and　this　being　over；　Cavalier　went　to　the　quarters
assigned　him；　which　were　in　the　best　house　in　Calvisson。　　Arrived
there；　he　sent　out　for　a　dozen　loaves　that　he　might　judge　how　his　men
were　going　to　be　fed；　not　finding　them　white　enough；　he　complained　to
M。　Vincel；　whom　he　sent　for；　and　who　promised　that　in　future　the
bread　should　be　of　a　better　quality。　　Having　received　this　assurance；
Cavalier　gave　orders　that　the　loaves　in　hand　should　be　distributed
for　that　day；　but　probably　fearing　poison；　he　first　made　M。　de　Vincel
and　his　clerks　taste　them　in　his　presence。　　These　duties
accomplished；　he　visited　in　person　all　the　gates　of　the　town；　placed
guards　and　posted　sentinels　at　all　the　entrances　and　along　all　the
avenues；　the　most　advanced　being　three…quarters　of　a　league　from　the
town。　　Besides　this；　he　placed　guards　in　the　streets；　and　a　sentinel
at　each　door　of　the　house　he　occupied；　in　addition；　thirty　guards
always　slept　outside　the　door　of　his　bedroom；　and　these　accompanied
him　as　an　escort　when　he　went　out；　not　that　he　was　afraid；　for　he　was
not　of　a　mistrustful　character；　but　that　he　thought　it　politic　to
give　people　an　exalted　idea　of　his　importance。　　As　to　his　soldiers；
they　were　billeted　on　the　inhabitants；　and　received　each　as　daily
rations　a　pound　of　meat；　a　quart　of　wine；　and　two　and　a　half　pounds
of　bread。

The　same　day　a　convocation　was　held　on　the　site　of　the　old
meeting…house　which　had　been　destroyed　by　the　Catholics。　　It　was　a
very　numerous　assembly；　to　which　crowds　of　people　came　from　all
parts；　but　on　the　following　days　it　was　still　more　numerous　；　for；　as
the　news　spread；　people　ran　with　great　eagerness　to　hear　the
preaching　of　the　word　of　which　they　had　been　so　long　deprived。
D'Aygaliers　tells　us　in　his　Memoirs　that〃No　one　could　help　being
touched　to　see　a　whole　people　just　escaped　from　fire　and　sword；
coming　together　in　multitudes　to　mingle　their　tears　and　sighs。　　So
famished　were　they　for　the　manna　divine；　that　they　were　like　people
coming　out　of　a　besieged　city；　after　a　long　and　cruel　famine；　to　whom
peace　has　brought　food　in　abundance；　and　who；　first　devouring　it　with
their　eyes；　then　throw　themselves　on　it；　devouring　it　bodilymeat；
bread；　and　fruitas　it　comes　to　hand。　　So　it　was　with　the
unfortunate　inhabitants　of　La　Vannage；　and　even　of　places　more
distant　still。　　They　saw　their　brethren　assembling　in　the　meadows　and
at　the　gates　of　Calvisson；　gathering　in　crowds　and　pressing　round
anyone　who　started　singing　a　psalm；　until　at　last　four　or　five
thousand　persons；　singing；　weeping；　and　praying；　were　gathered
together；　and　remained　there　all　day；　supplicating　God　with　a
devotion　that　went　to　every　heart　and　made　a　deep　impression。　　All
night　the　same　things　went　on；　nothing　was　to　be　heard　but　preaching；
singing；　praying；　and　prophesying。〃

But　if　it　was　a　time　of　joy　for　the　Protestants；　it　was　a　time　of
humiliation　for　the　Catholics。　　〃Certainly；〃　says　a　contemporary
historian；　〃it　was　a　very　surprising　thing；　and　quite　a　novelty；　to
see　in　a　province　like　Languedoc；　where　so　many　troops　were
quartered；　such　a　large　number　of　villainsall　murderers；
incendiaries；　and　guilty　of　sacrilegegathered　together　in　one　place
by　permission　of　those　in　command　of　the　troops；　tolerated　in　their
eccentricities；　fed　at　the　public　expense；　flattered　by　everyone；　and
courteously；　received　by　people　sent　specially　to　meet　them。〃

One　of　those　who　was　most　indignant　at　this　state　of　things　was　M。　de
Baville。　　He　was　so　eager　to　put　an　end　to　it　that　he　went　to　see　the
governor；　and　told　him　the　scandal　was　becoming　too　great　in　his
opinion：　the　assemblies　ought　to　be　put　an　end　to　by　allowing　the
troops　to　fall　upon　them　and　disperse　them；　but　the　governor　thought
quite　otherwise；　and　told　Baville　that　to　act　according　to　his　advice
would　be　to　set　fire　to　the　province　again　and　to　scatter　for　ever
people　whom　they　had　got　together　with　such　difficulty。　　In　any　case；
he　reminded　Baville　that　what　he　objected　to　would　be　over　in　a　few
days。　　His　opinion　was　that　de　Baville　might　stifle　the　expression　of
his　dissatisfaction　for　a　little；　to　bring　about　a　great　good。　　〃More
than　that；〃　added　the　marechal；　〃the　impatience　of　the　priests　is
most　ridiculous。　　Besides　your　remonstrances；　of　which　I　hope　I　have
now　heard　the　last；　I　have　received　numberless　letters　full　of　such
complaints　that　it　would　seem　as　if　the　prayers　of　the　Camisards　not
only　grated　on　the　ears　of　the　clergy　but　flayed　them　alive。　　I
should　like　above　everything　to　find　out　the　writers　of　these
letters；　in　order　to　have　them　flogged；　but　they　have　taken　good　care
to　put　no　signatures。　　I　regard　it　as　a　very　great　impertinence　for
those　who　caused　these　disturbances　to　grumble　and　express　their
disapproval　at　my　efforts　to　bring　them　to　an　end。〃　　After　this
speech；　M；　de　Baville　saw　there　was　nothing　for　him　to　do　but　to　let
things　take　their　course。

The　course　that