massacres of the south-第5章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


map　of　France；　and　showed　them　that　hardly　a　tenth　of　the　immense
number　of　its　inhabitants　were　Protestants；　and　that　even　that　tenth
was　shut　up　in　the　mountains；　some　in　Dauphine；　which　had　been　won
for　them　by　their　three　principal　leaders；　Baron　des　Adrets；　Captain
Montbrun；　and　Lesdiguieres；　others　in　the　Cevennes；　which　had　become
Protestant　through　their　great　preachers；　Maurice　Secenat　and
Guillaume　Moget；　and　the　rest　in　the　mountains　of　Navarre；　whence　he
himself　had　come。　　He　recalled　to　them　further　that　whenever　they
ventured　out　of　their　mountains　they　had　been　beaten　in　every　battle；
at　Jarnac；　at　Moncontour；　and　at　Dreux。　　He　concluded　by　explaining
how　impossible　it　was　for　him；　such　being　the　case；　to　entrust　the
guidance　of　the　State　to　their　party；　but　he　offered　them　instead
three　things；　viz。；　his　purse　to　supply　their　present　needs；　the
Edict　of　Nantes　to　assure　their　future　safety；　and　fortresses　to
defend　themselves　should　this　edict　one　day　be　revoked；　for　with
profound　insight　the　grandfather　divined　the　grandson：　Henri　IV
feared　Louis　XIV。

The　Protestants　took　what　they　were　offered；　but　of　course　like　all
who　accept　benefits　they　went　away　filled　with　discontent　because
they　had　not　been　given　more。

Although　the　Protestants　ever　afterwards　looked　on　Henri　IV　as　a
renegade；　his　reign　nevertheless　was　their　golden　age；　and　while　it
lasted　Nines　was　quiet；　for；　strange　to　say；　the　Protestants　took　no
revenge　for　St。　Bartholomew；　contenting　themselves　with　debarring　the
Catholics　from　the　open　exercise　of　their　religion；　but　leaving　them
free　to　use　all　its　rites　and　ceremonies　in　private。　　They　even
permitted　the　procession　of　the　Host　through　the　streets　in　case　of
illness；　provided　it　took　place　at　night。　　Of　course　death　would　not
always　wait　for　darkness；　and　the　Host　was　sometimes　carried　to　the
dying　during　the　day；　not　without　danger　to　the　priest；　who；　however；
never　let　himself　be　deterred　thereby　from　the　performance　of　his
duty；　indeed；　it　is　of　the　essence　of　religious　devotion　to　be
inflexible；　and　few　soldiers；　however　brave；　have　equalled　the
martyrs　in　courage。

During　this　time；　taking　advantage　of　the　truce　to　hostilities　and
the　impartial　protection　meted　out　to　all　without　distinction　by　the
Constable　Damville；　the　Carmelites　and　Capuchins；　the　Jesuits　and
monks　of　all　orders　and　colours；　began　by　degrees　to　return　to　Nines；
without　any　display；　it　is　true；　rather　in　a　surreptitious　manner；
preferring　darkness　to　daylight；　but　however　this　may　be；　in　the
course　of　three　or　four　years　they　had　all　regained　foothold　in　the
town；　only　now　they　were　in　the　position　in　which　the　Protestants　had
been　formerly；　they　were　without　churches；　as　their　enemies　were　in
possession　of　all　the　places　of　worship。　　It　also　happened　that　a
Jesuit　high　in　authority；　named　Pere　Coston；　preached　with　such
success　that　the　Protestants；　not　wishing　to　be　beaten；　but　desirous
of　giving　word　for　word；　summoned　to　their　aid　the　Rev。　Jeremie
Ferrier；　of　Alais；　who　at　the　moment　was　regarded　as　the　most
eloquent　preacher　they　had。　　Needless　to　say；　Alais　was　situated　in
the　mountains；　that　inexhaustible　source　of　Huguenot　eloquence。　　At
once　the　controversial　spirit　was　aroused；　it　did　not　as　yet　amount
to　war；　but　still　less　could　it　be　called　peace：　people　were　no
longer　assassinated；　but　they　were　anathematised；　the　body　was　safe；
but　the　soul　was　consigned　to　damnation：　the　days　as　they　passed　were
used　by　both　sides　to　keep　their　hand　in；　in　readiness　for　the　moment
when　the　massacres　should　again　begin。




CHAPTER　II

The　death　of　Henri　IV　led　to　new　conflicts；　in　which　although　at
first　success　was　on　the　side　of　the　Protestants　it　by　degrees　went
over　to　the　Catholics；　for　with　the　accession　of　Louis　XIII　Richelieu
had　taken　possession　of　the　throne：　beside　the　king　sat　the　cardinal；
under　the　purple　mantle　gleamed　the　red　robe。　　It　was　at　this　crisis
that　Henri　de　Rohan　rose　to　eminence　in　the　South。　　He　was　one　of　the
most　illustrious　representatives　of　that　great　race　which；　allied　as
it　was　to　the　royal　houses　of　Scotland；　France；　Savoy；　and　Lorraine；
had　taken　as　their　device；　〃Be　king　I　cannot；　prince　I　will　not；
Rohan　I　am。〃

Henri　de　Rohan　was　at　this　time　about　forty　years　of　age；　in　the
prime　of　life。　　In　his　youth；　in　order　to　perfect　his　education；　he
had　visited　England；　Scotland；　and　Italy。　　In　England　Elizabeth　had
called　him　her　knight；　in　Scotland　James　VI　had　asked　him　to　stand
godfather　to　his　son；　afterwards　Charles　I；　in　Italy　he　had　been　so
deep　in　the　confidence　of　the　leaders　of　men；　and　so　thoroughly
initiated　into　the　politics　of　the　principal　cities；　that　it　was
commonly　said　that；　after　Machiavel；　he　was　the　greatest　authority　in
these　matters。　　He　had　returned　to　France　in　the　lifetime　of
Henry　IV；　and　had　married　the　daughter　of　Sully；　and　after　Henri's
death　had　commanded　the　Swiss　and　the　Grison　regimentsat　the　siege
of　Juliers。　　This　was　the　man　whom　the　king　was　so　imprudent　as　to
offend　by　refusing　him　the　reversion　of　the　office　of　governor　of
Poitou；　which　was　then　held　by　Sully；　his　father…in…law。　　In　order　to
revenge　himself　for　the　neglect　he　met　with　at　court；　as　he　states　in
his　Memoires　with　military　ingenuousness；　he　espoused　the　cause　of
Conde　with　all　his　heart；　being　also　drawn　in　this　direction　by　his
liking　for　Conde's　brother　and　his　consequent　desire　to　help　those　of
Conde's　religion。

》From　this　day　on　street　disturbances　and　angry　disputes　assumed
another　aspect：　they　took　in　a　larger　area　and　were　not　so　readily
appeased。　　It　was　no　longer　an　isolated　band　of　insurgents　which
roused　a　city；　but　rather　a　conflagration　which　spread　over　the　whole
South；　and　a　general　uprising　which　was　almost　a　civil　war。

This　state　of　things　lasted　for　seven　or　eight　years；　and　during　this
time　Rohan；　abandoned　by　Chatillon　and　La　Force；　who　received　as　the
reward　of　their　defection　the　field　marshal's　baton；　pressed　by
Conde；　his　old　friend；　and　by　Montmorency；　his　consistent　rival；
performed　prodigies　of　courage　and　miracles　of　strategy。　　At　last；
without　soldiers；　without　ammunition；　without　money；　he　still
appeared　to　Richelieu　to　be　so　redoubtable　that　all　the　conditions　of
surrender　he　demanded　were　granted。　　The　maintenance　of　the　Edict　of
Nantes　was　guaranteed；　all　the　places　of　worship　were　to　be　restored
to　the　Reformers；　and　a　general　amnesty　granted　to　himself　and　his
partisans。　　Furthermore；　he　obtained　what　was　an　unheard…of　thing
until　then；　an　indemnity　of　300；000　livres　for　his　expenses　during
the　rebellion；　of　which　sum　he　allotted　240；000　livres　to　his
co…religioniststhat　is　to　say；　more　than　three…quarters　of　the
entire　amountand　kept；　for　the　purpose　of　restoring　his　various
chateaux　and　setting　his　domestic　establishment；　which　had　been
destroyed　during　the　war；　again　on　foot；　only　60；000　livres。　　This
treaty　was　signed　on　July　27th；　1629。

The　Duc　de　Richelieu；　to　whom　no　sacrifice　was　too　great　in　order　to
attain　his　ends；　had　at　last　reached　the　goal；　but　the　peace　cost　him
nearly　40；000；000　livres；　on　the　other　hand；　Saintonge；　Poitou；　and
Languedoc　had　submitted；　and　the　chiefs　of　the　houses　of　La
Tremouille；　Conde；　Bouillon；　Rohan；　and　Soubise　had　came　to　terms
with　him；　organised　armed　opposition　had　disappeared；　and　the　lofty
manner　of　viewing　matters　natural　to　the　cardinal　duke　prevented　him
from　noticing　private　enmity。　　He　therefore　left　Nimes　free　to　manage
her　local　affairs　as　she　pleased；　and　very　soon　the　old　order；　or
rather　disorder；　reigned　once　more　within　her　walls。　　At　last
Richelieu　died；　and　Louis　XIII　soon　followed　him；　and　the　long
minority　of　his　successor；　with　its　embarrassments；　left　to　Catholics
and　Protestants　in　the　South　more　complete　liberty　than　ever　to　carry
on　the　great　duel　which　down　to　our　own　days　has　never　ceased。

But　from　this　period；　each　flux　and　reflux　bears　more　and　more　the
peculiar　character　of　the　party　which　for　the　moment　is　triumphant；
when　the　Protestants　get　the　upper　hand；　their　vengeance　is　marked　by
brutality　and　rage；　when　the　Catholics　are　victorious；