travels with a donkey in the cevennes-第15章

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and　sad　ways；　we　should　all　come　together　into　one　common　house；　I　

have　a　hope；　to　which　I　cling　dearly；　that　my　mountain　Plymouth　

Brother　will　hasten　to　shake　hands　with　me　again。



Thus；　talking　like　Christian　and　Faithful　by　the　way；　he　and　I　came　

down　upon　a　hamlet　by　the　Tarn。　　It　was　but　a　humble　place；　called　

La　Vernede；　with　less　than　a　dozen　houses；　and　a　Protestant　chapel　

on　a　knoll。　　Here　he　dwelt；　and　here；　at　the　inn；　I　ordered　my　

breakfast。　　The　inn　was　kept　by　an　agreeable　young　man；　a　stone…

breaker　on　the　road；　and　his　sister；　a　pretty　and　engaging　girl。　　

The　village　schoolmaster　dropped　in　to　speak　with　the　stranger。　　

And　these　were　all　Protestants　…　a　fact　which　pleased　me　more　than　

I　should　have　expected；　and；　what　pleased　me　still　more；　they　

seemed　all　upright　and　simple　people。　　The　Plymouth　Brother　hung　

round　me　with　a　sort　of　yearning　interest；　and　returned　at　least　

thrice　to　make　sure　I　was　enjoying　my　meal。　　His　behaviour　touched　

me　deeply　at　the　time；　and　even　now　moves　me　in　recollection。　　He　

feared　to　intrude；　but　he　would　not　willingly　forego　one　moment　of　

my　society；　and　he　seemed　never　weary　of　shaking　me　by　the　hand。



When　all　the　rest　had　drifted　off　to　their　day's　work；　I　sat　for　

near　half　an　hour　with　the　young　mistress　of　the　house；　who　talked　

pleasantly　over　her　seam　of　the　chestnut　harvest；　and　the　beauties　

of　the　Tarn；　and　old　family　affections；　broken　up　when　young　folk　

go　from　home；　yet　still　subsisting。　　Hers；　I　am　sure；　was　a　sweet　

nature；　with　a　country　plainness　and　much　delicacy　underneath；　and　

he　who　takes　her　to　his　heart　will　doubtless　be　a　fortunate　young　

man。



The　valley　below　La　Vernede　pleased　me　more　and　more　as　I　went　

forward。　　Now　the　hills　approached　from　either　hand；　naked　and　

crumbling；　and　walled　in　the　river　between　cliffs；　and　now　the　

valley　widened　and　became　green。　　The　road　led　me　past　the　old　

castle　of　Miral　on　a　steep；　past　a　battlemented　monastery；　long　

since　broken　up　and　turned　into　a　church　and　parsonage；　and　past　a　

cluster　of　black　roofs；　the　village　of　Cocures；　sitting　among　

vineyards；　and　meadows；　and　orchards　thick　with　red　apples；　and　

where；　along　the　highway；　they　were　knocking　down　walnuts　from　the　

roadside　trees；　and　gathering　them　in　sacks　and　baskets。　　The　

hills；　however　much　the　vale　might　open；　were　still　tall　and　bare；　

with　cliffy　battlements　and　here　and　there　a　pointed　summit；　and　

the　Tarn　still　rattled　through　the　stones　with　a　mountain　noise。　　I　

had　been　led；　by　bagmen　of　a　picturesque　turn　of　mind；　to　expect　a　

horrific　country　after　the　heart　of　Byron；　but　to　my　Scottish　eyes　

it　seemed　smiling　and　plentiful；　as　the　weather　still　gave　an　

impression　of　high　summer　to　my　Scottish　body；　although　the　

chestnuts　were　already　picked　out　by　the　autumn；　and　the　poplars；　

that　here　began　to　mingle　with　them；　had　turned　into　pale　gold　

against　the　approach　of　winter。



There　was　something　in　this　landscape；　smiling　although　wild；　that　

explained　to　me　the　spirit　of　the　Southern　Covenanters。　　Those　who　

took　to　the　hills　for　conscience'　sake　in　Scotland　had　all　gloomy　

and　bedevilled　thoughts；　for　once　that　they　received　God's　comfort　

they　would　be　twice　engaged　with　Satan；　but　the　Camisards　had　only　

bright　and　supporting　visions。　　They　dealt　much　more　in　blood；　both　

given　and　taken；　yet　I　find　no　obsession　of　the　Evil　One　in　their　

records。　　With　a　light　conscience；　they　pursued　their　life　in　these　

rough　times　and　circumstances。　　The　soul　of　Seguier；　let　us　not　

forget；　was　like　a　garden。　　They　knew　they　were　on　God's　side；　with　

a　knowledge　that　has　no　parallel　among　the　Scots；　for　the　Scots；　

although　they　might　be　certain　of　the　cause；　could　never　rest　

confident　of　the　person。



'We　flew；'　says　one　old　Camisard；　'when　we　heard　the　sound　of　

psalm…singing；　we　flew　as　if　with　wings。　　We　felt　within　us　an　

animating　ardour；　a　transporting　desire。　　The　feeling　cannot　be　

expressed　in　words。　　It　is　a　thing　that　must　have　been　experienced　

to　be　understood。　　However　weary　we　might　be；　we　thought　no　more　of　

our　weariness；　and　grew　light　so　soon　as　the　psalms　fell　upon　our　

ears。'



The　valley　of　the　Tarn　and　the　people　whom　I　met　at　La　Vernede　not　

only　explain　to　me　this　passage；　but　the　twenty　years　of　suffering　

which　those；　who　were　so　stiff　and　so　bloody　when　once　they　betook　

themselves　to　war；　endured　with　the　meekness　of　children　and　the　

constancy　of　saints　and　peasants。







FLORAC







ON　a　branch　of　the　Tarn　stands　Florac；　the　seat　of　a　sub…

prefecture；　with　an　old　castle；　an　alley　of　planes；　many　quaint　

street…corners；　and　a　live　fountain　welling　from　the　hill。　　It　is　

notable；　besides；　for　handsome　women；　and　as　one　of　the　two　

capitals；　Alais　being　the　other；　of　the　country　of　the　Camisards。



The　landlord　of　the　inn　took　me；　after　I　had　eaten；　to　an　adjoining　

cafe；　where　I；　or　rather　my　journey；　became　the　topic　of　the　

afternoon。　　Every　one　had　some　suggestion　for　my　guidance；　and　the　

sub…prefectorial　map　was　fetched　from　the　sub…prefecture　itself；　

and　much　thumbed　among　coffee…cups　and　glasses　of　liqueur。　　Most　of　

these　kind　advisers　were　Protestant；　though　I　observed　that　

Protestant　and　Catholic　intermingled　in　a　very　easy　manner；　and　it　

surprised　me　to　see　what　a　lively　memory　still　subsisted　of　the　

religious　war。　　Among　the　hills　of　the　south…west；　by　Mauchline；　

Cumnock；　or　Carsphairn；　in　isolated　farms　or　in　the　manse；　serious　

Presbyterian　people　still　recall　the　days　of　the　great　persecution；　

and　the　graves　of　local　martyrs　are　still　piously　regarded。　　But　in　

towns　and　among　the　so…called　better　classes；　I　fear　that　these　old　

doings　have　become　an　idle　tale。　　If　you　met　a　mixed　company　in　the　

King's　Arms　at　Wigton；　it　is　not　likely　that　the　talk　would　run　on　

Covenanters。　　Nay；　at　Muirkirk　of　Glenluce；　I　found　the　beadle's　

wife　had　not　so　much　as　heard　of　Prophet　Peden。　　But　these　Cevenols　

were　proud　of　their　ancestors　in　quite　another　sense；　the　war　was　

their　chosen　topic；　its　exploits　were　their　own　patent　of　nobility；　

and　where　a　man　or　a　race　has　had　but　one　adventure；　and　that　

heroic；　we　must　expect　and　pardon　some　prolixity　of　reference。　　

They　told　me　the　country　was　still　full　of　legends　hitherto　

uncollected；　I　heard　from　them　about　Cavalier's　descendants　…　not　

direct　descendants；　be　it　understood；　but　only　cousins　or　nephews　…　

who　were　still　prosperous　people　in　the　scene　of　the　boy…general's　

exploits；　and　one　farmer　had　seen　the　bones　of　old　combatants　dug　

up　into　the　air　of　an　afternoon　in　the　nineteenth　century；　in　a　

field　where　the　ancestors　had　fought；　and　the　great…grandchildren　

were　peaceably　ditching。



Later　in　the　day　one　of　the　Protestant　pastors　was　so　good　as　to　

visit　me：　　a　young　man；　intelligent　and　polite；　with　whom　I　passed　

an　hour　or　two　in　talk。　　Florac；　he　told　me；　is　part　Protestant；　

part　Catholic；　and　the　difference　in　religion　is　usually　doubled　by　

a　difference　in　politics。　　You　may　judge　of　my　surprise；　coming　as　

I　did　from　such　a　babbling　purgatorial　Poland　of　a　place　as　

Monastier；　when　I　learned　that　the　population　lived　together　on　

very　quiet　terms；　and　there　was　even　an　exchange　of　hospitalities　

between　households　thus　doubly　separated。　　Black　Camisard　and　White　

Camisard；　militiaman　and　Miquelet　and　dragoon；　Protestant　prophet　

and　Catholic　cadet　of　the　White　Cross；　they　had　all　been　sabring　

and　shooting；　burning；　pillaging；　and　murdering；　their　hearts　hot　

with　indignant　passion；　and　here；　after　a　hundred　and　seventy　

years；　Protestant　is　still　Protestant；　Catholic　still　Catholic；　in　

mutual　toleration　and　mild　amity　of　life。　　But　the　race　of　man；　

like　that　indomitable　nature　whence　it　sprang；　has　medicating　

virtues　of　its　own；　the　years　and　seasons　bring　various　harvests；　

the　sun　returns　after　the　rain；　and　mankind　outlives　secular　

animosities；　as　a　single　man　awakens　from　the　passions　of　a　day。　　

We　judge　our　ancestors　from　a　more　divine　position；　and　the　dust　

being　a　little　laid　with　several　centuries；　we　can　see　both　sides　

adorned　with　human　virtues　and　fighting　with　a　show　of　right。



I　have　never　thought　it　easy　to　be　just；　and　find　it　daily　even　

harder　than　I　thought。　　I　own　I　met　these　Protestants　with　a　

delight　and　a　sense　of　coming　home。　　I　was　accustomed　to　speak　

their　language；　in　another　and　deeper　sense　of　the　word　than　that　

which　distinguishes　between　French　and　English；　for　the　true　Babel　

is　a　divergence　upon　morals。　　And　hence　I　could　hold　more　free　

communication　with　the　Protestants；　and　judge　them　more　justly；　

than　the　Catholics。　　Father　Apollinaris　may　pair　off　with　my　

mountain　Plymouth　Brother　as　two　guileless　and　devout　old　men；　yet　

I　ask　myself　if　I　had　as　ready　a　feeling　for　the　virtues　of　the　

Trappist；　or；　had　I　been　a　Catholic；　if　I　should　have　felt　so　

warmly　to　the　dissenter　of　La　Vernede。　　With　the　first　I　was　on　

terms　of　mere　forbearance；　but　with　the　other；　although　only　on　a　

misunderstanding　and　by　keeping　on　selected　points；　it　was　still　

possible　to　hold　converse　and　exchange　some　honest　thoughts。　　In　

this　world　of　imperfection　we　gladly　welcome　even　partial　

intimacies。　　And　if　we　find　but　one　to　whom　we　can　speak　out　of　our　

heart　freely；　with　whom　we　can　walk　in　love　and　simplicity　without　

dissimulation；　we　have　no　ground　of　quarrel　with　the　world　or　God。







IN　THE　VALLEY　OF　THE　MIMENTE







ON　Tuesday；　1st　October；　we　left　Florac　late　in　the　afternoon；　a　

tired　donkey　and　tired　donkey…driver。　　A　little　way　up　the　Tarnon；　

a　covered　bridge　of　wood　introduced　us　into　the　valley　of　the　

Mimente。　　Steep　rocky　red　mountains　overhung　the　stream；　great　oaks　

and　chestnuts　grew　upon　the　slopes　or　in　stony　terraces；　here　and　

there　was　a　red　field　of　millet　or　a　few　apple…trees　studded　with　

red　apples；　and　the　road　passed　hard　by　two　black　hamlets；　one　with　

an　old　castle　atop　to　please　the　heart　of　the　tourist。



It　was　difficult　here　again　to　find　a　spot　fit　for　my　encampment。　　

Even　under　the　oaks　and　chestnuts　the　ground　had　not　only　a　very　

rapid　slope；　but　was　heaped　with　loose　stones；　and　where　there　was　

no　timber　the　hills　descended　to　the　stream　in　a　red　precipice　

tufted　with　heather。　　The　sun　had　left　the　highest　peak　in　front　of　

me；　and　the　valley　was　full　of　the　lowing　sound　of　herdsmen's　horns　

as　they　recalled　the　flocks　into　the　stable；　when　I　spied　a　bight　

of　meadow　some　way　below　the　roadway　in　an　angle　of　the　river。　　

Thither　I　descended；　and；　tying　Modestine　provisionally　to　a　tree；　

proceeded　to　investigate　the　neighbourhood。　　A　grey　pearly　evening　

shadow　filled　the　glen；　objects　at　a　little　distance　grew　

indistinct　and　melted　bafflingly　into　each　other；　and　the　darkness　

was　rising　steadily　like　an　exhalation。