massacres of the south-第12章

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might　be　a　feint；　he　ordered　all　the　fishermen's　huts　from
Aigues…Morte　to　Saint…Gilles　to　be　destroyed；　lest　they　should　afford
shelter　to　the　Camisards。　　At　the　same　time　he　carried　off　the
inhabitants　of　the　district　of　Guillan　and　shut　them　up　in　the
chateau　of　Sommerez；　after　having　demolished　their　villages。　　Lastly；
he　ordered　all　those　who　lived　in　homesteads；　farms；　or　hamlets；　to
quit　them　and　go　to　some　large　town；　taking　with　them　all　the
provisions　they　were　possessed　of；　and　he　forbade　any　workman　who
went　outside　the　town　to　work　to　take　more　than　one　day's　provisions
with　him。

These　measures　had　the　desired　effect；　but　they　were　terrible　in
their　results；　they　deprived　the　Camisards　of　　shelter　indeed；　but
they　ruined　the　province。　　M。　de　Baville；　despite　his　well…known
severity　tried　remonstrances；　but　they　were　taken　in　bad　part　by　M。
de　Montrevel；　who　told　the　intendant　to　mind　his　own　business；　which
was　confined　to　civil　matters；　and　to　leave　military　matters　in　his；
M。　de　Montrevel's；　hands；　whereupon　the　commandant　joined　M。　de
Julien；　who　was　carrying　on　the　work　of　destruction　with
indefatigable　vigour。

In　spite　of　all　the　enthusiasm　with　which　M。　de　Julien　went　to　work
to　accomplish　his　mission；　and　being　a　new　convert；　it　was；　of
course；　very　great。　　Material　hindrances　hampered　him　at　every　step。
Almost　all　the　doomed　houses　were　built　on　vaulted　foundations；　and
were　therefore　difficult　to　lay　low；　the　distance　of　one　house　from
another；　too；　their　almost　inaccessible　position；　either　on　the　peak
of　a　high　mountain　or　in　the　bottom　of　a　rocky　valley；　or　buried　in
the　depths　of　the　forest　which　hid　then　like　a　veil；　made　the
difficulty　still　greater；　whole　days　were　often　lost　by　the　workmen
and　militia　in　searching　for　the　dwellings　they　came　to　destroy。

The　immense　size　of　the　parishes　also　caused　delay：　that　of
Saint…Germain　de　Calberte；　for　instance；　was　nine　leagues　in
circumference；　and　contained　a　hundred　and　eleven　hamlets；　inhabited
by　two　hundred　and　seventy…five　families；　of　which　only　nine　were
Catholic；　that　of　Saint…Etienne　de　Valfrancesque　was　of　still　greater
extent；　and　its　population　was　a　third　larger；　so　that　obstacles　to
the　work　multiplied　in　a　remarkable　manner。　　For　the　first　few　days
the　soldiers　and　workmen　found　food　in　and　around　the　villages；　but
this　was　soon　at　an　end；　and　as　they　could　hardly　expect　the　peasants
to　keep　up　the　supply；　and　the　provisions　they　had　brought　with　them
being　also　exhausted；　they　were　soon　reduced　to　biscuit　and　water；
and　they　were　not　even　able　to　make　it　into　a　warm　mess　by　heating
the　water；　as　they　had　no　vessels；　moreover；　when　their　hard　day's
work　was　at　an　end；　they　had　but　a　handful　of　straw　on　which　to　lie。
These　privations；　added　to　their　hard　and　laborious　life；　brought　on
an　endemic　fever；　which　incapacitated　for　work　many　soldiers　and
labourers；　numbers　of　whom　had　to　be　dismissed。　　Very　soon　the
unfortunate　men；　who　were　almost　as　much　to　be　pitied　as　those　whom
they　were　persecuting；　waited　no　longer　to　be　sent　away；　but　deserted
in　numbers。

M。　de　Julien　soon　saw　that　all　his　efforts　would　end　in　failure　if　he
could　not　gain　the　king's　consent　to　a　slight　change　in　the　original
plan。　　He　therefore　wrote　to　Versailles；　and　represented　to　the　king
how　long　the　work　would　take　if　the　means　employed　were　only　iron
tools　and　the　human　hand；　instead　of　fire；　the　only　true　instrument
employed　by　Heaven　in　its　vengeance。　　He　quoted　in　support　of　his
petition　the　case　of　Sodom　and　Gomorrahthose　cities　accursed　of　the
Lord。　　Louis　XIV；　impressed　by　the　truth　of　this　comparison；　sent　him
back　a　messenger　post…haste　authorising　him　to　employ　the　suggested
means。

〃At　once；〃　says　Pere　Louvreloeil；　〃the　storm　burst；　and　soon　of　all
the　happy　homesteads　nothing　was　left：　the　hamlets；　with　their　barns
and　outhouses；　the　isolated　farmhouses；　the　single　huts　and　cottages；
every　species　of　building　in　short；　disappeared　before　the　swift
advancing　flames　as　wild　flowers；　weeds；　and　roots　fall　before　the
ploughshare。〃

This　destruction　was　accompanied　by　horrible　cruelty。　　For　instance；
twenty…five　inhabitants　of　a　certain　village　took　refuge　in　a
chateau；　the　number　consisted　of　children　and　very　old　people；　and
they　were　all　that　was　left　of　the　entire　population。　　Palmerolle；　in
command　of　the　miquelets；　hearing　of　this；　hastened　thither；　seized
the　first　eight　he　could　lay　hold　of；　and　shot　them　on　the　spot；　〃to
teach　them；〃　as　he　says　in　his　report；　〃not　to　choose　a　shelter　which
was　not　on　the　list　of　those　permitted　to　them。〃

The　Catholics　also　of　St。　Florent；　Senechas；　Rousson；　and　other
parishes；　becoming　excited　at　seeing　the　flames　which　enveloped　the
houses　of　their　old　enemies；　joined　together；　and　arming　themselves
with　everything　that　could　be　made　to　serve　as　an　instrument　of
death；　set　out　to　hunt　the　conscripts　down；　they　carried　off　the
flocks　of　Perolat；　Fontareche；　and　Pajolas；　burned　down　a　dozen
houses　at　the　Collet…de…Deze；　and　from　there　went　to　the　village　of
Brenoux；　drunk　with　the　lust　of　destruction。　　There　they　massacred
fifty…two　persons；　among　them　mothers　with　unborn　children；　and　with
these　babes；　which　they　tore　from　them；　impaled　on　their　pikes　and
halberts；　they　continued　their　march　towards　the　villages　of　St。
Denis　and　Castagnols。

Very　soon　these　volunteers　organised　themselves　into　companies；　and
became　known　under　the　name　of　Cadets　de　la　Croix；　from　a　small　white
cross　which　they　wore　on　their　coats；　so　the　poor　Huguenots　had　a　new
species　of　enemy　to　contend　with；　much　more　bloodthirsty　than　the
dragoons　and　the　miquelets；　for　while　these　latter　simply　obeyed
orders　from　Versailles；　Nimes；　or　Montpellier；　the　former　gratified　a
personal　hatea　hate　which　had　come　down　to　them　from　their　fathers；
and　which　they　would　pass　on　to　their　children。

On　the　other　hand；　the　young　Huguenot　leader；　who　every　day　gained
more　influence　over　his　soldiers；　tried　to　make　the　dragoons　and
Cadets　de　la　Croix　suffer　in　return　everything　they　inflicted　on　the
Huguenots；　except　the　murders。　　In　the　night　from　the　2nd　to　the　3rd
October；　about　ten　o'clock；　he　came　down　into　the　plain　and　attacked
Sommieres　from　two　different　points；　setting　fire　to　the　houses。　　The
inhabitants　seizing　their　arms；　made　a　sortie；　but　Cavalier　charged
them　at　the　head　of　the　Cavalry　and　forced　them　to　retreat。　Thereupon
the　governor；　whose　garrison　was　too　small　to　leave　the　shelter　of
the　walls；　turned　his　guns　on　them　and　fired；　less　in　the　hope　of
inflicting　injury　on　them　than　in　that　of　being　heard　by　the
neighbouring　garrisons。

The　Camisards　recognising　this　danger；　retired；　but　not　before　they
had　burnt　down　the　hotels　of　the　Cheval…Blanc；　the　Croix…d'Or；　the
Grand…Louis；　and　the　Luxembourg；　as　well　as　a　great　number　of　other
houses；　and　the　church　and　the　presbytery　of　Saint…Amand。

Thence　the　Camisards　proceeded　to　Cayla　and　Vauvert；　into　which　they
entered；　destroying　the　fortifications。　　There　they　provided
themselves　abundantly　with　provisions　for　man　and　beast。　　In　Vauvert；
which　was　almost　entirely　inhabited　by　his　co…religionists；　Cavalier
assembled　the　inhabitants　in　the　market…place；　and　made　them　join
with　him　in　prayer　to　God；　that　He　would　prevent　the　king　from
following　evil　counsel；　he　also　exhorted　his　brethren　to　be　ready　to
sacrifice　their　goods　and　their　lives　for　the　re…establishment　of
their　religion；　affirming　that　the　Holy　Spirit　had　revealed　to　him
that　the　arm　of　the　Lord；　which　had　always　come　to　their　aid；　was
still　stretched　out　over　them。

Cavalier　undertook　these　movements　in　the　hope　of　interrupting　the
work　of　destruction　going　on　in　Upper　Cevennes；　and　partly　obtained
the　desired　result；　for　M。　de　Julien　received　orders　to　come　down
into　the　open　country　and　disperse　the　Camisards。

The　troops　tried　to　fulfil　this　task；　but；　thanks　to　the　knowledge
that　the　rebels　had　of　the　country；　it　was　impossible　to　come　up　with
them；　so　that　Fleshier；　who　was　in　the　thick　of　the　executions；
conflagrations；　and　massacres；　but　who　still　found　time　to　write
Latin　verse　and　gallant　letters；　said；　in　speaking　of　them；　〃They
were　never　caught；　and　did　all　the　damage　they　wished　to　do　without
let　or　hindrance。　　We　laid　their　mountains　waste；　and　they　laid　waste
our　plain。　　There　are　no　more　churches　left　in　our　dioceses；　and　not
being　able　either　to　plough　or　sow　our　lands；　we　have　no　revenues。
We　dread　serious　revolt；　and　desire　to　avoid　a　religious　civil　war；
so　all　our　efforts　are　relaxing；　we　let　our　arms　fall　without　knowing
why；　and　we　are　told；　'You　must　have　patience；　it　is　not　possible　to
fight　against　phantoms。'〃　　Nevertheless；　from　time　to　time；　these
phantoms　became　visible。　　Towards　the　end　of　October；　Cavalier　came
down　to　Uzes；　carried　off　two　sentinels　who　were　guarding　the　gates；
and　hearing　the　call　to　arms　within；　shouted　that　he　would　await　the
governor　of　the　city；　M。　de　Vergetot；　near　Lussan。

And　indeed　Cavalier；　accompanied　by　his　two　lieutenants；　Ravanel　and
Catinat；　took　his　way　towards　this　little　town；　between　Uzes　and
Bargeac；　which　stands　upon　an　eminence　surrounded　upon　all　sides　by
cliffs；　which　serve　it　as　ramparts　and　render　it　very　difficult　of
access。　　Having　arrived　within　three　gun…shots　of　Lussan；　Cavalier
sent　Ravanel　to　demand　provisions　from　the　inhabitants；　but　they；
proud　of　their　natural　ramparts；　and　believing　their　town
impregnable；　not　only　refused　to　comply　with　the　requisition；　but
fired　several　shots　on　the　envoy；　one　of　which　wounded　in　the　arm　a
Camisard　of　the　name　of　La　Grandeur；　who　had　accompanied　Ravanel。
Ravanel　withdrew；　supporting　his　wounded　comrade；　followed　by　shots
and　the　hootings　of　the　inhabitants。　　When　they　rejoined　Cavalier　and
made　their　report；　the　young　commander　issued　orders　to　his　soldiers
to　make　ready　to　take　the　town　the　next　morning；　for；　as　night　was
already　falling；　he　did　not　venture　to　start　in　the　dark。　　In　the
meantime　the　besieged　sent　post…haste　to　M。　de　Vergetot　to　warn　him
of　their　situation；　and　resolving　to　defend　themselves　as　long　as
they　could；　while　waiting　for　a　response　to　their　message　they　set
about　barricading　their　gates；　turned　their　scythes　into　weapons；
fastened　large　hooks　on　long　poles；　and　collected　all　the　instruments
they　could　find　that　could　be　used　in　attack　or　defence。　　As　to　the
Camisards；　they　encamped　for　the　night　near　an　old　chateau　called
Fan；　about　a　gun…shot　from　Lussan。

At　break　of　day　loud　shouts　from　the　town　told　the　Camisards　that　the
expected　relief　was　in　sight；　and　looking　out　they　saw　in　the
distance　a　troop　of　soldiers　advancing　towards　them；　it　was　M。　de
Vergetat　at　the　head　of　his　regiment；　accompanied　by　forty　Irish
officers。

The　Protestants　prepared　themselves；　as　usual；　by　reciting　psalms　and
prayers；　notice　without　taking　of　the　shouts　and　threats　of　any　of
the　townspeople；　and　having　finished　their　invocations；　they　marched
out　to　meet　the　approaching　column。　　The　cavalry；　commanded　by
Catinat；　made　a　detour；　taking　a　sheltered　way　to　an　unguarded　bridge
over　a　small　river　not　far　off；　so　as　to　outflank　the　ro