massacres of the south-第14章

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taken　outside　the　town　and　shot。　　The　young　girl　was　condemned　to　be
hanged；　and　the　sentence　was　to　be　carried　out　that　very　day；　but
some　nuns　who　had　been　sent　for　to　prepare　her　for　death；　having
vainly　begged　Laplace　to　show　mercy；　entreated　the　girl　to　declare
that　she　would　soon　become　a　mother。　　She　indignantly　refused　to　save
her　life　at　the　cost　of　her　good　name；　so　the　nuns　took　the　lie　on
themselves　and　made　the　necessary　declaration　before　the　captain；
begging　him　if　he　had　no　pity　for　the　mother　to　spare　the　child　at
least；　by　granting　a　reprieve　till　it　should　be　born。　　The　captain
was/not　for　a　moment　deceived；　but　he　sent　for　a　midwife　and　ordered
her　to　examine　the　young　girl。　　At　the　end　of　half　an　hour　she
declared　that　the　assertion　of　the　nuns　was　true。

〃Very　well；〃　said　the　captain：　〃let　them　both　be　kept　in　prison　for
three　months；　if　by　the　end　of　that　time　the　truth　of　this　assertion
is　not　self…evident；　both　shall　be　hanged。〃　　When　this　decision　was
made　known　to　the　poor　woman；　she　was　overcome　by　fear；　and　asked　to
see　the；　captain　again；　to　whom　she　confessed　that；　led　away　by　the
entreaties　of　the　nuns；　she　had　told　a　lie。

Upon　this；　the　woman　was　sentenced　to　be　publicly　whipped；　and　the
young　girl　hanged　on　a　gibbet　round　which　were　placed　the　corpses　of
the　four　men　of　whose　death　she　was　the　cause。

As　may　easily　be　supposed；　the　〃Cadets　of　the　Cross〃　vied　with　both
Catholics　and　Protestants　in　the　work　of　destruction。　　One　of　their
bands　devoted　itself　to　destroying　everything　belonging　to　the　new
converts　from　Beaucaire　to　Nimes。　　They　killed　a　woman　and　two
children　at　Campuget；　an　old　man　of　eighty　at　a　farm　near
Bouillargues；　several　persons　at　Cicure；　a　young　girl　at　Caissargues；
a　gardener　at　Nimes；　and　many　other　persons；　besides　carrying　off　all
the　flocks；　furniture；　and　other　property　they　could　lay　hands　on；
and　burning　down　the　farmhouses　of　Clairan；　Loubes；　Marine；　Carlot；
Campoget　Miraman；　La　Bergerie；　and　Larnacall　near　St。　Gilies　and
Manduel。　　〃They　stopped　travellers　on　the　highways；〃　says
Louvreloeil；　〃and　by　way　of　finding　out　whether　they　were　Catholic　or
not；　made　them　say　in　Latin　the　Lord's　Prayer；　the　Ave　Maria；　the
Symbol　of　the　Faith；　and　the　General　Confession；　and　those　who　were
unable　to　do　this　were　put　to　the　sword。　　In　Dions　nine　corpses　were
found　supposed　to　have　been　killed　by　their　hands；　and　when　the　body
of　a　shepherd　who　had　been　in　the　service　of　the　Sieur　de　Roussiere；
a　former　minister；　was　found　hanging　to　a　tree；　no　one　doubted　who
were　the　murderers。　　At　last　they　went　so　far　that　one　of　their　bands
meeting　the　Abbe　de　Saint　Gilles　on　the　road；　ordered　him　to　deliver
up　to　them　one　of　his　servants；　a　new　convert；　in　order　to　put　him　to
death。　　It　was　in　vain　that　the　abbe　remonstrated　with　them；　telling
them　it　was　a　shame　to　put　such　an　affront　on　a　man　of　his　birth　and
rank；　they　persisted　none　the　less　in　their　determination；　till　at
last　the　abbe　threw　his　arms　round　his　servant　and　presented　his　own
body　to　the　blows　directed　at　the　other。〃

The　author　of　The　Troubles　in　the　Cevennes　relates　something
surpassing　all　this　which　took　place　at　Montelus　on　the　22nd　February
〃There　were　a　few　Protestants　in　the　place；〃　he　says；　〃but　they　were
far　outnumbered　by　the　Catholics；　these　being　roused　by　a　Capuchin
from　Bergerac；　formed　themselves　into　a　body　of　'Cadets　of　the
Cross；'　and　hastened　to　serve　their　apprenticeship　to　the　work　of
assassination　at　the　cost　of　their　countrymen。　　They　therefore
entered　the　house　of　one　Jean　Bernoin；　cut　off　his　ears　and　further
mutilated　him；　and　then　bled　him　to　death　like　a　pig。　　On　coming　out
of　this　house　they　met　Jacques　Clas；　and　shot　him　in　the　abdomen；　so
that　his　intestines　obtruded；　pushing　them　back；　he　reached　his　house
in　a　terrible　condition；　to　the　great　alarm　of　his　wife；　who　was　near
her　confinement；　and　her　children；　who　hastened　to　the　help　of
husband　and　father。　　But　the　murderers　appeared　on　the　threshold；
and；　unmoved　by　the　cries　and　tears　of　the　unfortunate　wife　and　the
poor　little　children；　they　finished　the　wounded　man；　and　as　the　wife
made　an　effort　to　prevent　them；　they　murdered　her　also；　treating　her
dead　body；　when　they　discovered　her　condition；　in　a　manner　too
revolting　for　description；　while　a　neighbour；　called　Marie　Silliot；
who　tried　to　rescue　the　children；　was　shot　dead；　but　in　her　case　they
did　not　pursue　their　vengeance　any　further。　　They　then　went　into　the
open　country　and　meeting　Pierre　and　Jean　Bernard；　uncle　and　nephew；
one　aged　forty…five　and　the　other　ten；　seized　on　them　both；　and
putting　a　pistol　into　the　hands　of　the　child；　forced　him　to　shoot　his
uncle。　　In　the　meantime　the　boy's　father　had　come　up；　and　him　they
tried　to　constrain　to　shoot　his　son；　but　finding　that　no　threats　had
any　effect；　they　ended　by　killing　both；　one　by　the　sword；　the　other
by　the　bayonet。

〃The　reason　why　they　put　an　end　to　father　and　son　so　quickly　was　that
they　had　noticed　three　young　girls　of　Bagnols　going　towards　a　grove
of　mulberry　trees；　where　they　were　raising　silk…worms。　　The　men
followed　them；　and　as　it　was　broad　daylight　and　the　girls　were
therefore　not　afraid；　they　soon　came　up　with　them。　　Having　first
violated　them；　they　hung　them　by　the　feet　to　a　tree；　and　put　them　to
death　in　a　horrible　manner。〃

All　this　took　place　in　the　reign　of　Louis　the　Great；　and　for　the
greater　glory　of　the　Catholic　religion。

History　has　preserved　the　names　of　the　five　wretches　who　perpetrated
these　crimes：　they　were　Pierre　Vigneau；　Antoine　Rey；　Jean　d'Hugon；
Guillaume；　and　Gontanille。




CHAPTER　III

Such　crimes；　of　which　we　have　only　described　a　few；　inspired　horror
in　the　breasts　of　those　who　were　neither　maddened　by　fanaticism　nor
devoured　by　the　desire　of　vengeance。　　One　of　these；　a　Protestant；
Baron　d'Aygaliers；　without　stopping　to　consider　what　means　he　had　at
his　command　or　what　measures　were　the　best　to　take　to　accomplish　his
object；　resolved　to　devote　his　life　to　the　pacification　of　the
Cevennes。　　The　first　thing　to　be　considered　was；　that　if　the
Camisards　were　ever　entirely　destroyed　by　means　of　Catholic　troops
directed　by　de　Baville；　de　Julien；　and　de　Montrevel；　the　Protestants；
and　especially　the　Protestant　nobles　who　had　never　borne　arms；　would
be　regarded　as　cowards；　who　had　been　prevented　by　fear　of　death　or
persecution　from　openly　taking　the　part　of　the　Huguenots：　He　was
therefore　convinced　that　the　only　course　to　pursue　was　to　get；　his
co…religionists　to　put　an　end　to　the　struggle　themselves；　as　the　one
way　of　pleasing　His　Majesty　and　of　showing　him　how　groundless　were
the　suspicions　aroused　in　the　minds　of　men　by　the　Catholic　clergy。

This　plan　presented；　especially　to　Baron　d'Aygaliers；　two　apparently
insurmountable　difficulties；　for　it　could　only　be　carried　out　by
inducing　the　king　to　relax　his　rigorous　measures　and　by　inducing　the
Camisards　to　submit。　　Now　the　baron　had　no　connection　with　the　court；
and　was　not　personally　acquainted　with　a　single　Huguenot　chief。

The　first　thing　necessary　to　enable　the　baron　to　begin　his　efforts
was　a　passport　for　Paris；　and　he　felt　sure　that　as　he　was　a
Protestant　neither　M。　de　Baville　nor　M。　de　Montrevel　would　give　him
one。　　A　lucky　accident；　however；　relieved　his　embarrassment　and
strengthened　his　resolution；　for　he　thought　he　saw　in　this　accident
the　hand　of　Providence。

Baron　d'Aygaliers　found　one　day　at　the　house　of　a　friend　a　M。　de
Paratte；　a　colonel　in　the　king's　army；　and　who　afterwards　became
major…general；　but　who　at　the　time　we　are　speaking　of　was　commandant
at　Uzes。　　He　was　of　a　very　impulsive　disposition；　and　so　zealous　in
matters　relating　to　the　Catholic　religion　and　in　the　service　of　the
king；　that　he　never　could　find　himself　in　the　presence　of　a
Protestant　without　expressing　his　indignation　at　those　who　had　taken
up　arms　against　their　prince；　and　also　those　who　without　taking　up
arms　encouraged　the　rebels　in　their　designs。　　M。　d'Aygaliers
understood　that　an　allusion　was　meant　to　himself；　and　he　resolved　to
take　advantage　of　it。

So　the　next　day　he　paid　a　visit　to　M。　de　Paratte；　and　instead　of
demanding　satisfaction；　as　the　latter　quite　expected；　for　the
rudeness　of　his　remarks　on　the　previous　day；　he　professed　himself
very　much　obliged　for　what　he　had　said；　which　had　made　such　a　deep
impression　on　him　that　he　had　made　up　his　mind　to　give　proof　of　his
zeal　and　loyalty　by　going　to　Paris　and　petitioning　the　king　for　a
position　at　court。　　De　Paratte；　charmed　with　what　he　had　heard；　and
enchanted　with　his　convert；　embraced　d'Aygaliers；　and　gave　him；　says
the　chronicler；　his　blessing；　and　with　the　blessing　a　passport；　and
wished　him　all　the　success　that　a　father　could　wish　for　his　son。
D'Aygaliers　had　now　attained　his　object；　and　furnished　with　the　lucky
safe…conduct；　he　set　out　for　Paris；　without　having　communicated　his
intentions　to　anyone；　not　even　to　his　mother。

On　reaching　Paris　he　put　up　at　a　friend's　house；　and　drew　up　a
statement　of　his　plan：　it　was　very　short　and　very　clear。

〃The　undersigned　has　the　honour　to　point　out　humbly　to　His　Majesty：

〃That　the　severities　and　the　persecutions　which　have　been　employed　by
some　of　the　village　priests　have　caused　many　people　in　the　country
districts　to　take　up　arms；　and　that　the　suspicions　which　new　converts
excited　have　driven　a　great　many　of　them　to　join　the　insurgents。　　In
taking　this　step　they　were　also　impelled　by　the　desire　to　avoid
imprisonment　or　removal　from　their　homes；　which　were　the　remedies
chosen　to　keep　them　in　the　old　faith。　　This　being　the　case；　he　thinks
that　the　best　means　of　putting　an　end　to　this　state　of　things　would
be　to　take　measures　exactly　the　contrary　of　those　which　produced　it；
such　as　putting　an　end　to　the　persecutions　and　permitting　a　certain
number　of　those　of　the　Reformed　religion　to　bear　arms；　that　they
might　go　to　the　rebels　and　tell　them　that　far　from　approving　of　their
actions　the　Protestants　as　a　whole　wished　to　bring　them　back　to　the
right　way　by　setting　them　a　good　example；　or　to　fight　against　them　in
order　to　show　the　king　and　France；　at　the　risk　of　their　lives；　that
they　disapproved　of　the　conduct　of　their　co…religionists；　and　that
the　priests　had　been　in　the　wrong　in　writing　to　the　court　that　all
those　of　the　Reformed　religion　were　in　favour　of　revolt。〃

D'Aygaliers　hoped　that　the　court　would　adopt　this　plan；　for　if　they
did；　one　of　two　things　must　happen：　either　the　Camisards；　by　refusing
to　accept　the　terms　offered　to　them；　would　make　themselves　odious　to
their　brethren　（for　d'Aygaliers　intended　to　take　with　him　on　his
mission　of　persuasion　only　men　of　high　reputation　among　the
Reformers；　who　would　be　repelled　by　the　Camisards　if　they　refused　to
submit）；　or　else；　by　laying　down　their　arms　and　submitting；　they
would　restore　peace　to　the　South　of　France；　obtain　liberty　of
worship；　set　free　their　brethren　from　the　prisons　and　galleys；　and
come　to　the　help　of　the　king　in　his　war　against　the　allied　powers；　by
supplying　him　in　a　moment　with　a　large　body　of　disciplined　troops
ready　to　take　the　field　against　his　enemies；　for　not　only　would　the
Camisards；　if　they　were　supplied　with　of