Massacres Of The South

A >> Alexandre Dumas, Pere >> Massacres Of The South


"Upon this he replied, that although the Catholics seldom kept a promise
made to those of our religion, he was willing to risk his life for the
welfare of his brethren and the province but that he trusted if he
confided in the clemency of the king for whom he had never ceased to
pray, no harm would happen him."

Thereupon d'Aygaliers, delighted to find him so well inclined, begged him
to give him a letter for M. de Villars, and as Cavalier knew the marechal
to be loyal and zealous, and had great confidence in him, he wrote
without any hesitation the following letter:

"MONSEIGNEUR,--Permit me to address your Excellency in order to beg
humbly for the favour of your protection for myself and for my soldiers.
We are filled with the most ardent desire to repair the fault which we
have committed by bearing arms, not against the king, as our enemies have
so falsely asserted, but to defend our lives against those who persecuted
us, attacking us so fiercely that we believed it was done by order of His
Majesty. We know that it was written by St. Paul that subjects ought to
submit themselves to their king, and if in spite of these sincere
protestations our sovereign should still demand our blood, we shall soon
be ready to throw ourselves on his justice or his mercy; but we should,
Monseigneur, regard ourselves as happy, if His Majesty, moved by our
repentance, would grant us his pardon and receive us into his service,
according to the example of the God of mercy whose representative His
Majesty is on earth. We trust, Monseigneur, by our faithfulness and zeal
to acquire the honour of your protection, and we glory in the thought of
being permitted, under the command of such an illustrious and
noble-minded general as yourself, to shed our blood for the king; this
being so, I hope that your Excellency will be pleased to allow me to
inscribe myself with profound respect and humility, Monseigneur, your
most humble and obedient servant,

"CAVALIER."

D'Aygaliers, as soon as he got possession of this letter, set out for
Nimes in the best of spirits; for he felt sure that he was bringing M. de
Villars more than he had expected. And, indeed, as soon as the marechal
saw how far things had gone, in spite of everything that Lalande could
say, who in his jealousy asserted that d'Aygaliers would spoil
everything, he sent him back to Cavalier with an invitation to come to
Nimes. D'Aygaliers set out at once, promising to bring the young chief
back with him, at which Lalande laughed loudly, pretending to be very
much amused at the baron's confident way of speaking, and protesting that
Cavalier would not come.

In the meantime events were happening in the mountains which might easily
have changed the state of mind of the young chief. The Comte de Tournan,
who was in command at Florae, had encountered Roland's army in the plain
of Fondmortes, and had lost two hundred men, a considerable sum of money,
and eighty mules loaded with provisions. The anxiety which this news
caused to M. de Villars was soon relieved; for six days after the defeat
he received a letter from Cavalier by the hands of Lacombe, the same who
had brought about the interview on the bridge of Avenes. In this letter
Cavalier expressed the greatest regret for what had just happened.

D'Aygaliers therefore found Cavalier in the best of humours when he
joined him at Tarnac. The first feeling that the young chief felt on
receiving the invitation was one of stupefaction; for an interview with
the marechal was an honour so unexpected and so great, that his
impression was that some treason lay behind it; but he was soon reassured
when he recalled the character for loyalty which the marechal bore, and
how impossible it was that d'Aygaliers should lend himself to treachery.
So Cavalier sent back word that he would obey the marechal's orders; and
that he put himself entirely into his hands in what concerned the
arrangements for the interview. M. de Villars let him know that he would
expect him on the 16th in the garden of the convent of the Recollets of
Nimes, which lay just outside the city, between the gates of Beaucaire
and the Madeleine, and that Lalande would meet him beyond Carayrac to
receive him and to bring him hostages.




CHAPTER IV

On the 15th May Cavalier set out from Tarnac at the head of one hundred
and sixty foot-soldiers and fifty horse; he was accompanied by his young
brother and by d'Aygaliers and Lacombe. They all passed the night at
Langlade.

The next day they set out for Nimes, and, as had been agreed upon, were
met by Lalande between Saint-Cesaire and Carayrac. Lalande advanced to
greet Cavalier and present the hostages to him. These hostages were M. de
La Duretiere, captain of the Fimarcon regiment, a captain of infantry,
several other officers, and ten dragoons. Cavalier passed them over to
his lieutenant, Ravanel, who was in command of the infantry, and left
them in his charge at Saint-Cesaire. The cavalry accompanied him to
within a musket-shot of Nimes, and encamped upon the heights. Besides
this, Cavalier posted sentinels and mounted orderlies at all the
approaches to the camp, and even as far off as the fountain of Diana and
the tennis-court. These precautions taken, he entered the city,
accompanied by his brother, d'Aygaliers, Lacombe, and a body-guard of
eighteen cavalry, commanded by Catinat. Lalande rode on before to
announce their arrival to the marechal, whom he found waiting with MM. de
Baville and Sandricourt, in the garden of the Recollets, dreading every
moment to receive word that Cavalier had refused to come; for he expected
great results from this interview. Lalande, however, reassured him by
telling him the young Huguenot was behind.

In a few minutes a great tumult was heard: it was the people hastening to
welcome their hero. Not a Protestant, except paralytic old people and
infants in the cradle, remained indoors; for the Huguenots, who had long
looked on Cavalier as their champion, now considered him their saviour,
so that men and women threw themselves under the feet of his horse in
their efforts to kiss the skirts of his coat. It was more like a victor
making his entry into a conquered town than a rebel chief coming to beg
for an amnesty for himself and his adherents. M. de Villars heard the
outcry from the garden of Recollets, and when he learned its cause his
esteem for Cavalier rose higher, for every day since his arrival as
governor had showed him more and more clearly how great was the young
chief's influence. The tumult increased as Cavalier came nearer, and it
flashed through the marechal's mind that instead of giving hostages he
should have claimed them. At this moment Cavalier appeared at the gate,
and seeing the marechal's guard drawn up in line, he caused his own to
form a line opposite them. The memoirs of the time tell us that he was
dressed in a coffee-coloured coat, with a very full white muslin cravat;
he wore a cross-belt from which depended his sword, and on his head a
gold-laced hat of black felt. He was mounted on a magnificent bay horse,
the same which he had taken from M. de La Jonquiere on the bloody day of
Vergenne.

The lieutenant of the guard met him at the gate. Cavalier quickly
dismounted, and throwing the bridle of his horse to one of his men, he
entered the garden, and advanced towards the expectant group, which was
composed, as we have said, of Villars, Baville, and Sandricourt. As he
drew near, M. de Villars regarded him with growing astonishment; for he
could not believe that in the young man, or rather boy, before him he saw
the terrible Cevenol chief, whose name alone made the bravest soldiers
tremble. Cavalier at this period had just completed his twenty-fourth
year, but, thanks to his fair hair which fell in long locks over his
shoulders, and to the gentle expression of his eyes he did not appear
more than eighteen. Cavalier was acquainted with none of the men in whose
presence he stood, but he noticed M. de Villars' rich dress and air of
command. He therefore saluted him first; afterwards, turning towards the
others, he bowed to each, but less profoundly, then somewhat embarrassed
and with downcast eyes he stood motionless and silent. The marechal still
continued to look at him in silent astonishment, turning from time to
time to Baville and Sandricourt, as if to assure himself that there was
no mistake and that it was really the man whom they expected who stood
before them. At last, doubting still, in spite of the signs they made to
reassure him, he asked--

"Are you really Jean Cavalier?"

"Yes, monseigneur," was the reply, given in an unsteady voice.

"But I mean Jean Cavalier, the Camisard general, he who has assumed the
title of Duke of the Cevennes."

"I have not assumed that title, monseigneur, only some people call me so
in joke: the king alone has the right to confer titles, and I rejoice
exceedingly, monseigneur, that he has given you that of governor of
Languedoc."

"When you are speaking of the king, why do you not say 'His Majesty'?"
said M. de Baville. "Upon my soul, the king is too good to treat thus
with a rebel."

The blood rushed to Cavalier's head, his face flamed, and after a
moment's pause, fixing his eye boldly upon M. de Baville, and speaking in
a voice which was now as firm as it had been tremulous a moment before,
he said, "If you have only brought me here, sir, to speak to me in such a
manner, you might better have left me in my mountains, and come there
yourself to take a lesson in hospitality. If I am a rebel, it is not I
who am answerable, for it was the tyranny and cruelty of M. de Baville
which forced us to have recourse to arms; and if history takes exception
to anything connected with the great monarch for whose pardon I sue
to-day, it will be, I hope, not that he had foes like me, but friends
like him."

M. de Baville grew pale with anger; for whether Cavalier knew to whom he
was speaking or not, his words had the effect of a violent blow full in
his face; but before he could reply M. de Villars interposed.

"Your business is only with me, sir," he said; "attend to me alone, I
beg: I speak in the name of the king; and the king, of his clemency,
wishes to spare his subjects by treating them with tenderness."

Cavalier opened his mouth to reply, but the intendant cut him short.

"I should hope that that suffices," he said contemptuously: "as pardon is
more than you could have hoped for, I suppose you are not going to insist
on the other conditions you laid down?"

"But it is precisely those other conditions," said Cavalier, addressing
himself to M. de Villars, and not seeming to see that anyone else was
present, "for which we have fought. If I were alone, sir, I should give
myself up, bound hand and foot, with entire confidence in your good
faith, demanding no assurances and exacting no conditions; but I stand
here to defend the interests of my brethren and friends who trust me; and
what is more, things have gone so far that we must either die weapon in
hand, or obtain our rights."

The intendant was about to speak, but the marechal stopped him with such
an imperative gesture that he stepped back as if to show that he washed
his hands of the whole matter.

"What are those rights? Are they those which M. Lalande has transmitted
to me by word of mouth?"

"Yes, sir."

"It would be well to commit them to writing."

"I have done so, monseigneur, and sent a copy to M. d'Aygaliers."

"I have not seen it, sir; make me another copy and place it in my hands,
I beg."

"I shall go and set about it directly, monseigneur," stepping back as if
about to withdraw.

"One moment!" said the marechal, detaining him by a smile. "Is it true
that you are willing to enter the king's army?"

"I am more than willing, I desire it with all my heart," exclaimed
Cavalier, with the frank enthusiasm natural to his age, "but I cannot do
so till our just demands are granted."

"But if they were granted--?"

"Then, sir," replied Cavalier, "the king has never had more loyal
subjects than we shall be."

"Well, have a little patience and everything will be arranged, I hope."

"May God grant it!" said Cavalier. "He is my witness that we desire
peace beyond everything." And he took another step backwards.

"You will not go too far away, I hope," said the marechal.

"We shall remain wherever your excellency may appoint," said Cavalier.

"Very well," continued M. de Villars; "halt at Calvisson, and try all you
can to induce the other leaders to follow your example."

"I shall do my best, monseigneur; but while we await His Majesty's reply
shall we be allowed to fulfil our religious duties unimpeded?"

"Yes, I shall give orders that you are to have full liberty in that
respect."

"Thanks, monseigneur."

Cavalier bowed once more, and was about to go; but M. de Villars
accompanied him and Lalande, who had now joined them, and who stood with
his hand on Cavalier's shoulder, a few steps farther. Catinat seeing
that the conference was at an end, entered the garden with his men.
Thereupon M. de Villars took leave, saying distinctly, "Adieu, Seigneur
Cavalier," and withdrew, leaving the young chief surrounded by a dozen
persons all wanting to speak to him at once. For half an hour he was
detained by questions, to all of which he replied pleasantly. On one
finger was an emerald taken from a naval officer named Didier, whom he
had killed with his own hand in the action at Devois de Martignargues; he
kept time by a superb watch which had belonged to M. d'Acqueville, the
second in command of the marines; and he offered his questioners from
time to time perfumed snuff from a magnificent snuffbox, which he had
found in the holsters when he took possession of M. de La Jonquiere's
horse. He told everyone who wished to listen that he had never intended
to revolt against the king; and that he was now ready to shed the last
drop of his blood in his service; that he had several times offered to
surrender on condition that liberty of conscience was granted to those of
the new faith, but that M. de Montrevel had always rejected his offers,
so that he had been obliged to remain under arms, in order to deliver
those who were in prison, and to gain permission for those who were free
to worship God in their own way.

He said these things in an unembarrassed and graceful manner, hat in
hand; then passing through the crowd which had gathered outside the
garden of the Recollets, he repaired to the Hotel de la Poste for lunch,
and afterwards walked along the Esplanade to the house of one Guy
Billard, a gardener, who was his head prophet's father. As he thus moved
about he was preceded by two Camisards with drawn swords, who made way
for him; and several ladies were presented to him who were happy to touch
his doublet. The visit over, he once again passed along the Esplanade,
still preceded by his two Camisards, and just as he passed the Little
Convent he and those with him struck up a psalm tune, and continued
singing till they reached Saint-Cesaire, where the hostages were. These
he at once sent back.

Five hundred persons from Nimes were awaiting him; refreshments were
offered to him, which he accepted gratefully, thanking all those who had
gathered together to meet him. At last he went off to St. Denoise, where
he was to sup and sleep; but before going to bed he offered up
supplications in a loud voice for the king, for M. de Villars, for M. de
Lalande, and even for M. de Baville.

The next morning, Cavalier, according to promise, sent a copy of his
demands to M. de Villars, who caused it to be laid before the king, along
with a full report of all that had passed at the interview at Nimes. As
soon as the young chief had sent off his missive, he rejoined his troops
at Tarnac, and related all that had passed to Roland, urging him to
follow his example. That night he slept at Sauves, having passed through
Durfort at the head of his men; a captain of dragoons named Montgros,
with twenty-five soldiers, accompanying him everywhere, by M. de Villars'
orders, and seeing that the villages through which they passed furnished
him with all that was needed. They left Sauves on May 16th very early in
the morning, in order to get to Calvisson, which, as our readers may
remember, was the place appointed for the residence of Cavalier during
the truce. In passing through Quissac, where they stopped for
refreshments, they were joined by Castanet who delivered a long sermon,
at which all the Protestants of the neighbourhood were present.

The two battalions of the Charolais regiment which were quartered at
Calvisson had received orders on the evening of the 17th to march out
next morning, so as to make room for the Camisards.

On the 18th the head of the commissary department, Vincel, ordered
suitable accommodation to be provided for Cavalier and his troops; the
muster roll being in the hands of M. d'Aygaliers, it would be sent by him
or brought in the course of the day. In the meantime, vans were arriving
filled with all sorts of provisions, followed by droves of cattle, while
a commissary and several clerks, charged with the distribution of
rations, brought up the rear.

On the 19th, Catinat, accompanied by twelve Camisards, rode into the
town, and was met at the barrier by the commandant and eighty
townspeople. As soon as the little band came in sight the commandant
reiterated his orders that nothing should be said or done in the town, on
pain of corporal punishment, that could offend the Camisards.

At one o'clock P. M. Baron d'Aygaliers arrived, followed in his turn by
the chief of the commissariat, Vincel, by Captain Cappon, two other
officers named Viala and Despuech, and six dragoons. These were the
hostages Cavalier had given.

At six o'clock there was heard a great noise; and shouts of "Cavalier!
Cavalier!" resounded on all sides. The young Cevenol was in sight, and
the whole population hastened to meet him. He rode at the head of his
cavalry, the infantry following, and the whole number--about six hundred
men--sang psalms in a loud voice.

When they reached the church, Cavalier drew up before it with all his men
in review order, and for some time the singing went on. When it stopped,
a long prayer was offered up, which was most edifying to all the
bystanders; and this being over, Cavalier went to the quarters assigned
him, which were in the best house in Calvisson. Arrived there, he sent
out for a dozen loaves that he might judge how his men were going to be
fed; not finding them white enough, he complained to M. Vincel, whom he
sent for, and who promised that in future the bread should be of a better
quality. Having received this assurance, Cavalier gave orders that the
loaves in hand should be distributed for that day, but probably fearing
poison, he first made M. de Vincel and his clerks taste them in his
presence. These duties accomplished, he visited in person all the gates
of the town, placed guards and posted sentinels at all the entrances and
along all the avenues, the most advanced being three-quarters of a league
from the town. Besides this, he placed guards in the streets, and a
sentinel at each door of the house he occupied; in addition, thirty
guards always slept outside the door of his bedroom, and these
accompanied him as an escort when he went out; not that he was afraid,
for he was not of a mistrustful character, but that he thought it politic
to give people an exalted idea of his importance. As to his soldiers,
they were billeted on the inhabitants, and received each as daily rations
a pound of meat, a quart of wine, and two and a half pounds of bread.

The same day a convocation was held on the site of the old meeting-house
which had been destroyed by the Catholics. It was a very numerous
assembly, to which crowds of people came from all parts; but on the
following days it was still more numerous; for, as the news spread,
people ran with great eagerness to hear the preaching of the word of
which they had been so long deprived. D'Aygaliers tells us in his Memoirs
that--"No one could help being touched to see a whole people just escaped
from fire and sword, coming together in multitudes to mingle their tears
and sighs. So famished were they for the manna divine, that they were
like people coming out of a besieged city, after a long and cruel famine,
to whom peace has brought food in abundance, and who, first devouring it
with their eyes, then throw themselves on it, devouring it bodily--meat,
bread, and fruit--as it comes to hand. So it was with the unfortunate
inhabitants of La Vannage, and even of places more distant still. They
saw their brethren assembling in the meadows and at the gates of
Calvisson, gathering in crowds and pressing round anyone who started
singing a psalm, until at last four or five thousand persons, singing,
weeping, and praying, were gathered together, and remained there all day,
supplicating God with a devotion that went to every heart and made a deep
impression. All night the same things went on; nothing was to be heard
but preaching, singing, praying, and prophesying."

But if it was a time of joy for the Protestants, it was a time of
humiliation for the Catholics. "Certainly," says a contemporary
historian, "it was a very surprising thing, and quite a novelty, to see
in a province like Languedoc, where so many troops were quartered, such a
large number of villains--all murderers, incendiaries, and guilty of
sacrilege--gathered together in one place by permission of those in
command of the troops; tolerated in their eccentricities, fed at the
public expense, flattered by everyone, and courteously, received by
people sent specially to meet them."

One of those who was most indignant at this state of things was M. de
Baville. He was so eager to put an end to it that he went to see the
governor, and told him the scandal was becoming too great in his opinion:
the assemblies ought to be put an end to by allowing the troops to fall
upon them and disperse them; but the governor thought quite otherwise,
and told Baville that to act according to his advice would be to set fire
to the province again and to scatter for ever people whom they had got
together with such difficulty. In any case, he reminded Baville that
what he objected to would be over in a few days. His opinion was that de
Baville might stifle the expression of his dissatisfaction for a little,
to bring about a great good. "More than that," added the marechal, "the
impatience of the priests is most ridiculous. Besides your
remonstrances, of which I hope I have now heard the last, I have received
numberless letters full of such complaints that it would seem as if the
prayers of the Camisards not only grated on the ears of the clergy but
flayed them alive. I should like above everything to find out the
writers of these letters, in order to have them flogged; but they have
taken good care to put no signatures. I regard it as a very great
impertinence for those who caused these disturbances to grumble and
express their disapproval at my efforts to bring them to an end." After
this speech, M, de Baville saw there was nothing for him to do but to let
things take their course.

The course that they took turned Cavalier's head more and more; for
thanks to the injunctions of M. de Villars, all the orders that Cavalier
gave were obeyed as if they had been issued by the governor himself. He
had a court like a prince, lieutenants like a general, and secretaries
like a statesman. It was the duty of one secretary to give leave of
absence to those Camisards who had business to attend to or who desired
to visit their relations. The following is a copy of the form used for
these passports:

"We, the undersigned, secretary to Brother Cavalier, generalissimo of
the Huguenots, permit by this order given by him to absent himself on
business for three days.

"(Signed) DUPONT.

"Calvisson, this----"

And these safe-conducts were as much respected as if they had been signed
"Marechal de Villars."

On the 22nd M. de Saint-Pierre arrived from the court, bringing the reply
of the king to the proposals which Cavalier had submitted to M. de
Lalande. What this reply was did not transpire; probably it was not in
harmony with the pacific intentions of the marechal. At last, on the
25th, the answer to the demands which Cavalier had made to M. de Villars
himself arrived. The original paper written by the Camisard chief himself
had been sent to Louis XIV, and he returned it with notes in his own
writing; thus these two hands, to one of which belonged the shepherd's
crook and to the other the sceptre, had rested on the same sheet of
paper. The following is the text of the agreement as given by Cavalier
in his Memoirs:

"THE HUMBLE PETITION OF THE REFORMERS OF
LANGUEDOC TO THE KING

"1. That it may please the king to grant us liberty of conscience
throughout the province, and to permit us to hold religious meetings in
every suitable place, except fortified places and walled cities.