massacres of the south-第8章

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taken　the　strongest　hold；　in　order　to　oppose　it　by　every　mean's　which
God　and　the　king　had　put　in　his　power。

The　Abbe　Duchayla　was　a　younger　son　of　the　noble　house　of　Langlade；
and　by　the　circumstances　of　his　birth；　in　spite　of　his　soldierly
instincts；　had　been　obliged　to　leave　epaulet　and　sword　to　his　elder
brother；　and　himself　assume　cassock　and　stole。　　On　leaving　the
seminary；　he　espoused　the　cause　of　the　Church　militant　with　all　the
ardour　of　his　temperament。　　Perils　to　encounter；　foes　to　fight；　a
religion　to　force　on　others；　were　necessities　to　this　fiery
character；　and　as　everything　at　the　moment　was　quiet　in　France；　he
had　embarked　for　India　with　the　fervent　resolution　of　a　martyr。

On　reaching　his　destination；　the　young　missionary　had　found　himself
surrounded　by　circumstances　which　were　wonderfully　in　harmony　with
his　celestial　longings：　some　of　his　predecessors　had　been　carried　so
far　by　religious　zeal　that　the　King　of　Siam　had　put　several　to　death
by　torture　and　had　forbidden　any　more　missionaries　to　enter　his
dominions；　but　this；　as　we　can　easily　imagine；　only　excited　still
more　the　abbe's　missionary　fervour；　evading　the　watchfulness　of　the
military；　and　regardless　of　the　terrible　penalties　imposed　by　the
king；　he　crossed　the　frontier；　and　began　to　preach　the　Catholic
religion　to　the　heathen；　many　of　whom　were　converted。

One　day　he　was　surprised　by　a　party　of　soldiers　in　a　little　village
in　which　he　had　been　living　for　three　months；　and　in　which　nearly　all
the　inhabitants　had　abjured　their　false　faith；　and　was　brought　before
the　governor　of　Bankan；　where　instead　of　denying　his　faith；　he　nobly
defended　Christianity　and　magnified　the　name　of　God。　　He　was　handed
over　to　the　executioners　to　be　subjected　to　torture；　and　suffered　at
their　hands　with　resignation　everything　that　a　human　body　can　endure
while　yet　retaining　life；　till　at　length　his　patience　exhausted　their
rage；　and　seeing　him　become　unconscious；　they　thought　he　was　dead；
and　with　mutilated　hands；　his　breast　furrowed　with　wounds；　his　limbs
half　warn　through　by　heavy　fetters；　he　was　suspended　by　the　wrists　to
a　branch　of　a　tree　and　abandoned。　　A　pariah　passing　by　cut　him　down
and　succoured　him；　and　reports　of　his　martyrdom　having　spread；　the
French　ambassador　demanded　justice　with　no　uncertain　voice；　so　that
the　King　of　Siam；　rejoicing　that　the　executioners　had　stopped　short
in　time；　hastened　to　send　back　to　M。　　de　Chaumont；　the　representative
of　Louis　XIV；　a　mutilated　though　still　living　man；　instead　of　the
corpse　which　had　been　demanded。

At　the　time　when　Louis　XIV　was　meditating　the　Revocation　of　the　Edict
of　Nantes　he　felt　that　the　services　of　such　a　man　would　be　invaluable
to　him；　so　about　1632；　Abbe　Duchayla　was　recalled　from　India；　and　a
year　later　was　sent　to　Mende；　with　the　titles　of　Arch…priest　of　the
Cevennes　and　Inspector　of　Missions。

Soon　the　abbe；　who　had　been　so　much　persecuted；　became　a　persecutor；
showing　himself　as　insensible　to　the　sufferings　of　others　as　he　had
been　inflexible　under　his　own。　　His　apprenticeship　to　torture　stood
him　in　such　good　stead　that　he　became　an　inventor；　and　not　only　did
he　enrich　the　torture　chamber　by　importing　from　India　several
scientifically　constructed　machines；　hitherto　unknown　in　Europe；　but
he　also　designed　many　others。　　People　told　with　terror　of　reeds　cut
in　the　form　of　whistles　which　the　abbe　pitilessly　forced　under　the
nails　of　malignants；　of　iron　pincers　for　tearing　out　their　beards；
eyelashes；　and　eyebrows；　of　wicks　steeped　in　oil　and　wound　round　the
fingers　of　a　victim's　hands；　and　then　set　on　fire　so　as　to　form　a
pair　of　five…flamed　candelabra；　of　a　case　turning　on　a　pivot　in　which
a　man　who　refused　to　be　converted　was　sometimes　shut　up；　the　case
being　then　made　to　revolve　rapidly　till　the　victim　lost
consciousness；　and　lastly　of　fetters　used　when　taking　prisoners　from
one　town　to　another；　and　brought　to　such　perfection；　that　when　they
were　on　the　prisoner　could　neither　stand　nor　sit。

Even　the　most　fervent　panegyrists　of　Abbe　Duchayla　spoke　of　him　with
bated　breath；　and；　when　he　himself　looked　into　his　own　heart　and
recalled　how　often　he　had　applied　to　the　body　the　power　to　bind　and
loose　which　God　had　only　given　him　over　the　soul；　he　was　seized　with
strange　tremors；　and　falling　on　his　knees　with　folded　hands　and　bowed
head　he　remained　for　hours　wrapt　in　thought；　so　motionless　that　were
it　not　for　the　drops　of　sweat　which　stood　on　his　brow　he　might　have
been　taken　for　a　marble　statue　of　prayer　over　a　tomb。

Moreover；　this　priest　by　virtue　of　the　powers　with　which　he　was
invested；　and　feeling　that　he　had　the　authority　of　M。　de　Baville；
intendant　of　Languedoc；　and　M。　de　Broglie；　commander　of　the　troops；
behind　him；　had　done　other　terrible　things。

He　had　separated　children　from　father　and　mother；　and　had　shut　them
up　in　religious　houses；　where　they　had　been　subjected　to　such　severe
chastisement；　by　way　of　making　them　do　penance　for　the　heresy　of
their　parents；　that　many　of　them　died　under　it。

He　had　forced　his　way　into　the　chamber　of　the　dying；　not　to　bring
consolation　but　menaces；　and　bending　over　the　bed；　as　if　to　keep　back
the　Angel　of　Death；　he　had　repeated　the　words　of　the　terrible　decree
which　provided　that　in　case　of　the　death　of　a　Huguenot　without
conversion；　his　memory　should　be　persecuted；　and　his　body；　denied
Christian　burial；　should　be　drawn　on　hurdles　out　of　the　city；　and
cast　on　a　dungheap。

Lastly；　when　with　pious　love　children　tried　to　shield　their　parents
in　the　death…agony　from　his　threats；　or　dead　from　his　justice；　by
carrying　them；　dead　or　dying；　to　some　refuge　in　which　they　might　hope
to　draw　their　last　breath　in　peace　or　to　obtain　Christian　burial；　he
declared　that　anyone　who　should　open　his　door　hospitably　to　such
disobedience　was　a　traitor　to　religion；　although　among　the　heathen
such　pity　would　have　been　deemed　worthy　of　an　altar。

Such　was　the　man　raised　up　to　punish；　who　went　on　his　way；　preceded
by　terror；　accompanied　by　torture；　and　followed　by　death；　through　a
country　already　exhausted　by　long　and　bloody　oppression；　and　where　at
every　step　he　trod　on　half　repressed　religious　hate；　which　like　a
volcano　was　ever　ready　to　burst　out　afresh；　but　always　prepared　for
martyrdom。　　Nothing　held　him　back；　and　years　ago　he　had　had　his　grave
hollowed　out　in　the　church　of　St。　Germain；　choosing　that　church　for
his　last　long　sleep　because　it　had　been　built　by　Pope　Urban　IV　when
he　was　bishop　of　Mende。

Abbe　Duchayla　extended　his　visitation　over　six　months；　during　which
every　day　was　marked　by　tortures　and　executions：　several　prophets
were　burnt　at　the　stake；　Francoise　de　Brez；　she　who　had　preached　that
the　Host　contained　a　more　venomous　poison　than　a　basilisk's　head；　was
hanged；　and　Laquoite；　who　had　been　confined　in　the　citadel　of
Montpellier；　was　on　the　point　of　being　broken　on　the　wheel；　when　on
the　eve　of　his　execution　his　cell　was　found　empty。　No　one　could　ever
discover　how　he　escaped；　and　consequently　his　reputation　rose　higher
than　ever；　it　being　currently　believed　that；　led　by　the　Holy　Spirit
as　St。　Peter　by　the　angel；　he　had　passed　through　the　guards　invisible
to　all；　leaving　his　fetters　behind。

This　incomprehensible　escape　redoubled　the　severity　of　the
Arch…priest；　till　at　last　the　prophets；　feeling　that　their　only
chance　of　safety　lay　in　getting　rid　of　him；　began　to　preach　against
him　as　Antichrist；　and　advocate　his　death。　The　abbe　was　warned　of
this；　but　nothing　could　abate　his　zeal。　　In　France　as　in　India；
martyrdom　was　his　longed…for　goal；　and　with　head　erect　and
unfaltering　step　he　〃pressed　toward　the　mark。〃

At　last；　on　the　evening　of　the　24th　of　July；　two　hundred　conspirators
met　in　a　wood　on　the　top　of　a　hill　which　overlooked　the　bridge　of
Montvert；　near　which　was　the　Arch…priest's　residence。　　Their　leader
was　a　man　named　Laporte；　a　native　of　Alais；　who　had　become　a
master…blacksmith　in　the　pass　of　Deze。　　He　was　accompanied　by　an
inspired　man；　a　former　wool…carder；　born　at　Magistavols；　Esprit
Seguier　by　name。　　This　man　was；　after　Laquoite；　the　most　highly
regarded　of　the　twenty　or　thirty　prophets　who　were　at　that　moment
going　up　and　dow