massacres of the south-第45章

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On　the　2nd；　the　company　which　was　on　guard　at　the　mayor's　official
residence　shouted　several　times　during　the　day；　〃Long　live　the　king！
Up　with　the　Cross　and　down　with　the　black　throats！〃　（This　was　the
name　which　they　had　given　to　the　Calvinists。）　〃Three　cheers　for　the
white　cockade！　　Before　we　are　done；　it　will　be　red　with　the　blood　of
the　Protestants！〃　　However；　on　the　5th　of　May　they　ceased　to　wear　it；
replacing　it　by　a　scarlet　tuft；　which　in　their　patois　they　called　the
red　pouf；　which　was　immediately　adopted　as　the　Catholic　emblem。

Each　day　as　it　passed　brought　forth　fresh　brawls　and　provocations：
libels　were　invented　by　the　Capuchins；　and　spread　abroad　by　three　of
their　number。　　Meetings　were　held　every　day；　and　at　last　became　so
numerous　that　the　town　authorities　called　in　the　aid　of　the
militia…dragoons　to　disperse　them。　　Now　these　gatherings　consisted
chiefly　of　those　tillers　of　the　soil　who　are　called　cebets；　from　a
Provencal　word　cebe；　which　means　〃onion；〃　and　they　could　easily　be
recognised　as　Catholics　by　their　red　pouf；　which　they　wore　both　in
and　out　of　uniform。　　On　the　other　hand；　the　dragoons　were　all
Protestants。

However；　these　latter　were　so　very　gentle　in　their　admonitions；　that
although　the　two　parties　found　themselves；　so　to　speak；　constantly
face　to　face　and　armed；　for　several　days　the　meetings　were　dispersed
without　bloodshed。　　But　this　was　exactly　what　the　cebets　did　not
want；　so　they　began　to　insult　the　dragoons　and　turn　them　into
ridicule。　　Consequently；　one　morning　they　gathered　together　in　great
numbers；　mounted　on　asses；　and　with　drawn　swords　began　to　patrol　the
city。

At　the　same　time；　the　lower　classes；　who　were　nearly　all　Catholics；
joined　the　burlesque　patrols　in　complaining　loudly　of　the　dragoons；
some　saying　that　their　horses　had　trampled　on　their　children；　and
others　that　they　had　frightened　their　wives。

The　Protestants　contradicted　them；　both　parties　grew　angry；　swords
were　half　drawn；　when　the　municipal　authorities　came　on　the　scene；
and　instead　of　apprehending　the　ringleaders；　forbade　the　dragoons　to
patrol　the　town　any　more；　ordering　them　in　future　to　do　nothing　more
than　send　twenty　men　every　day　to　mount　guard　at　the　episcopal　palace
and　to　undertake　no　other　duty　except　at　the　express　request　of　the
Town　Council。　　Although　it　was　expected　that　the　dragoons　would
revolt　against　such　a　humiliation；　they　submitted；　which　was　a　great
disappointment　to　the　cebets；　who　had　been　longing　for　a　chance　to
indulge　in　new　outrages。　　For　all　that；　the　Catholics　did　not
consider　themselves　beaten；　they　felt　sure　of　being　able　to　find　some
other　way　of　driving　their　quarry　to　bay。

Sunday；　the　13th　of　June；　arrived。　　This　day　had　been　selected　by　the
Catholics　for　a　great　demonstration。　　Towards　ten　o'clock　in　the
morning；　some　companies　wearing　the　red　tuft；　under　pretext　of　going
to　mass；　marched　through　the　city　armed　and　uttering　threats。　　The
few　dragoons；　on　the　other　hand；　who　were　on　guard　at　the　palace；　had
not　even　a　sentinel　posted；　and　had　only　five　muskets　in　the　guard…
house。　　At　two　o'clock　P。M。　there　was　a　meeting　held　in　the　Jacobin
church；　consisting　almost　exclusively　of　militia　wearing　the　red
tuft。　　The　mayor　pronounced　a　panegyric　on　those　who　wore　it；　and　was
followed　by　Pierre　Froment；　who　explained　his　mission　in　much　the
same　words　as　those　quoted　above。　　He　then　ordered　a　cask　of　wine　to
be　broached　and　distributed　among　the　cebets；　and　told　them　to　walk
about　the　streets　in　threes；　and　to　disarm　all　the　dragoons　whom　they
might　meet　away　from　their　post。　　About　six　o'clock　in　the　evening　a
red…tuft　volunteer　presented　himself　at　the　gate　of　the　palace；　and
ordered　the　porter　to　sweep　the　courtyard；　saying　that　the　volunteers
were　going　to　get　up　a　ball　for　the　dragoons。　　After　this　piece　of
bravado　he　went　away；　and　in　a　few　moments　a　note　arrived；　couched　in
the　following　terms：

〃The　bishop's　porter　is　warned　to　let　no　dragoon　on　horse　or　on　foot
enter　or　leave　the　palace　this　evening；　on　pain　of　death。

13th　June　1790。〃


This　note　being　brought　to　the　lieutenant；　he　came　out；　and　reminded
the　volunteer　that　nobody　but　the　town　authorities　could　give　orders
to　the　servants　at　the　palace。　　The　volunteer　gave　an　insolent
answer；　the　lieutenant　advised　him　to　go　away　quietly；　threatening　if
he　did　not　to　put　him　out　by　force。　　This　altercation　attracted　a
great　many　of　the　red…tufts　from　outside；　while　the　dragoons；　hearing
the　noise；　came　down　into　the　yard；　the　quarrel　became　more　lively；
stones　were　thrown；　the　call　to　arms　was　heard；　and　in　a　few　moments
about　forty　cebets；　who　were　prowling　around　in　the　neighbourhood　of
the　palace；　rushed　into　the　yard　carrying　guns　and　swords。　　The
lieutenant；　who　had　only　about　a　dozen　dragoons　at　his　back；　ordered
the　bugle　to　sound；　to　recall　those　who　had　gone　out；　the　volunteers
threw　themselves　upon　the　bugler；　dragged　his　instrument　from　his
hands；　and　broke　it　to　pieces。　　Then　several　shots　were　fired　by　the
militia；　the　dragoons　returned　them；　and　a　regular　battle　began。　　The
lieutenant　soon　saw　that　this　was　no　mere　street　row；　but　a
deliberate　rising　planned　beforehand；　and　realising　that　very　serious
consequences　were　likely　to　ensue；　he　sent　a　dragoon　to　the　town　hall
by　a　back　way　to　give　notice　to　the　authorities。

M。　de　Saint…Pons；　major　of　the　Nimes　legion；　hearing　some　noise
outside；　opened　his　window；　and　found　the　whole　city　in　a　tumult：
people　were　running　in　every　direction；　and　shouting　as　they　ran　that
the　dragoons　were　being　killed　at　the　palace。　　The　major　rushed　out
into　the　streets　at　once；　gathered　together　a　dozen　to　fifteen
patriotic　citizens　without　weapons；　and　hurried　to　the　town　hall：
There　he　found　two　officials　of　the　town；　and　begged　them　to　go　at
once　to　the　place　de　l'Eveche；　escorted　by　the　first　company；　which
was　on　guard　at　the　town　hall。　　They　agreed；　and　set　off。　　On　the　way
several　shots　were　fired　at　them；　but　no　one　was　hit。　　When　they
arrived　at　the　square；　the　cebets　fired　a　volley　at　them　with　the
same　negative　result。　　Up　the　three　principal　streets　which　led　to
the　palace　numerous　red…tufts　were　hurrying；　the　first　company　took
possession　of　the　ends　of　the　streets；　and　being　fired　at　returned
the　fire；　repulsing　the　assailants　and　clearing　the　square；　with　the
loss　of　one　of　their　men；　while　several　of　the　retreating　cebets　were
wounded。

While　this　struggle　was　going　on　at　the　palace；　the　spirit　of　murder
broke　loose　in　the　town。

At　the　gate　of　the　Madeleine；　M。　de　Jalabert's　house　was　broken　into
by　the　red…tufts；　the　unfortunate　old　man　came　out　to　meet　them　and
asked　what　they　wanted。　　〃Your　life　and　the　lives　of　all　the　other
dogs　of　Protestants！〃　was　the　reply。　　Whereupon　he　was　seized　and
dragged　through　the　streets；　fifteen　insurgents　hacking　at　him　with
their　swords。

At　last　he　managed　to　escape　from　their　hands；　but　died　two　days
later　of　his　wounds。

Another　old　man　named　Astruc；　who　was　bowed　beneath　the　weight　of
seventy…two　years　and　whose　white　hair　covered　his　shoulders；　was　met
as　he　was　on　his　way　to　the　gate　of　Carmes。　　Being　recognised　as　a
Protestant；　he　received　five　wounds　from　some　of　the　famous
pitchforks　belonging　to　the　company　of　Froment。　　He　fell；　but　the
assassins　picked　him　up；　and　throwing　him　into　the　moat；　amused
themselves　by　flinging　stones　at　him；　till　one　of　them；　with　more
humanity　than　his　fellows；　put　a　bullet　through　his　head。

Three　electorsM。　Massador　from　near　Beaucaire；　M。　Vialla　from　the
canton　of　Lasalle；　and　M。　Puech　of　the　same　place…were　attacked　by
red…tufts　on　their　way　home；　and　all　three　seriously　wounded。　The
captain　who　had　been　in　command　of　the　detachment　on　guard　at　the
Electoral　Assembly　was　returning　to　his　quarters；　accompanied　by　a
sergeant　and　three　volunteers　of　his　own　company；　when　they　were
stopped　on　the　Petit…Cours　by　Froment；　commonly　called　Damblay；　who；
pressing　the　barrel　of　a　pistol　to　the　captain's　breast；　said；
〃Stand；　you　rascal；　and　give　up　your　arms。〃　　At　the　same　time　the
red…tufts；　seizing　the　captain　from　behind　by　the　hair；　pulled　him
down。　　Froment　fired