massacres of the south-第3章

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resignation；　and　threw　himself　between　the　bishop　and　those　about　to
strike；　and　declaring　that　whoever　touched　the　prelate　must　first
overcome　himself；　took　him　under　his　protection；　his　comrades
retreating　in　astonishment。　　Jean　Coussinal　raising　the　bishop；
carried　him　in　his　arms　into　a　neighbouring　house；　and　drawing　his
sword；　took　his　stand　on　the　threshold。

The　assassins；　however；　soon　recovered　from　their　surprise；　and
reflecting　that　when　all　was　said　and　done　they　were　fifty　to　one；
considered　it　would　be　shameful　to　let　themselves　be　intimidated　by　a
single　opponent；　so　they　advanced　again　on　Coussinal；　who　with　a
back…handed　stroke　cut　off　the　head　of　the　first…comer。　　The　cries
upon　this　redoubled；　and　two　or　three　shots　were　fired　at　the
obstinate　defender　of　the　poor　bishop；　but　they　all　missed　aim。　　At
that　moment　Captain　Bouillargues　passed　by；　and　seeing　one　man
attacked　by　fifty；　inquired　into　the　cause。　　He　was　told　of
Coussinal's　odd　determination　to　save　the　bishop。　　〃He　is　quite
right；〃　said　the　captain；　〃the　bishop　has　paid　ransom；　and　no　one　has
any　right　to　touch　him。〃　　Saying　this；　he　walked　up　to　Coussinal；
gave　him　his　hand；　and　the　two　entered　the　house；　returning　in　a　few
moments　with　the　bishop　between　them。　　In　this　order　they　crossed　the
town；　followed　by　the　murmuring　crowd；　who　were；　however；　afraid　to
do　more　than　murmur；　at　the　gate　the　bishop　was　provided　with　an
escort　and　let　go；　his　defenders　remaining　there　till　he　was　out　of
sight。

The　massacres　went　on　during　the　whole　of　the　second　day；　though
towards　evening　the　search　for　victims　relaxed　somewhat；　but　still
many　isolated　acts　of　murder　took　place　during　the　night。　　On　the
morrow；　being　tired　of　killing；　the　people　began　to　destroy；　and　this
phase　lasted　a　long　time；　it　being　less　fatiguing　to　throw　stones
about　than　corpses。　　All　the　convents；　all　the　monasteries；　all　the
houses　of　the　priests　and　canons　were　attacked　in　turn；　nothing　was
spared　except　the　cathedral；　before　which　axes　and　crowbars　seemed　to
lose　their　power；　and　the　church　of　Ste。　Eugenie；　which　was　turned
into　a　powder…magazine。　　The　day　of　the　great　butchery　was　called
〃La　Michelade；〃　because　it　took　place　the　day　after　Michaelmas；　and
as　all　this　happened　in　the　year　1567　the　Massacre　of　St。
Bartholomew　must　be　regarded　as　a　plagiarism。

At　last；　however；　with　the　help　of　M。　Damville；　the　Catholics　again
got　the　upper　hand；　and　it　was　the　turn　of　the　Protestants　to　fly。
They　took　refuge　in　the　Cevennes。　　From　the　beginning　of　the　troubles
the　Cevennes　had　been　the　asylum　of　those　who　suffered　for　the
Protestant　faith；　and　still　the　plains　are　Papist；　and　the　mountains
Protestant。　　When　the　Catholic　party　is　in　the　ascendant　at　Nimes；
the　plain　seeks　the　mountain；　when　the　Protestants　come　into　power；
the　mountain　comes　down　into　the　plain。

However；　vanquished　and　fugitive　though　they　were；　the　Calvinists　did
not　lose　courage：　in　exile　one　day；　they　felt　sure　their　luck　would
turn　the　next；　and　while　the　Catholics　were　burning　or　hanging　them
in　effigy　for　contumacy；　they　were　before　a　notary；　dividing　the
property　of　their　executioners。

But　it　was　not　enough　for　them　to　buy　or　sell　this　property　amongst
each　other；　they　wanted　to　enter　into　possession；　they　thought　of
nothing　else；　and　in　1569that　is；　in　the　eighteenth　month　of　their
exilethey　attained　their　wish　in　the　following　manner：

One　day　the　exiles　perceived　a　carpenter　belonging　to　a　little
village　called　Cauvisson　approaching　their　place　of　refuge。　　He
desired　to　speak　to　M。　Nicolas　de　Calviere；　seigneur　de　St。　Cosme；
and　brother　of　the　president；　who　was　known　to　be　a　very　enterprising
man。　　To　him　the　carpenter；　whose　name　was　Maduron；　made　the
following　proposition：

In　the　moat　of　Nimes；　close　to　the　Gate　of　the　Carmelites；　there　was
a　grating　through　which　the　waters　from　the　fountain　found　vent。
Maduron　offered　to　file　through　the　bars　of　this　grating　in　such　a
manner　that　some　fine　night　it　could　be　lifted　out　so　as　to　allow　a
band　of　armed　Protestants　to　gain　access　to　the　city。　　Nicolas　de
Calviere　approving　of　this　plan；　desired　that　it　should　be　carried
out　at　once；　but　the　carpenter　pointed　out　that　it　would　be　necessary
to　wait　for　stormy　weather；　when　the　waters　swollen　by　the　rain　would
by　their　noise　drown　the　sound　of　the　file。　　This　precaution　was
doubly　necessary　as　the　box　of　the　sentry　was　almost　exactly　above
the　grating。　　M。　de　Calviere　tried　to　make　Maduron　give　way；　but　the
latter；　who　was　risking　more　than　anyone　else；　was　firm。　　So　whether
they　liked　it　or　not；　de　Calviere　and　the　rest　had　to　await　his　good
pleasure。

Some　days　later　rainy　weather　set　in；　and　as　usual　the　fountain
became　fuller；　Maduron　seeing　that　the　favourable　moment　had　arrived；
glided　at　night　into　the　moat　and　applied　his　file；　a　friend　of　his
who　was　hidden　on　the　ramparts　above　pulling　a　cord　attached　to
Maduron's　arm　every　time　the　sentinel；　in　pacing　his　narrow　round；
approached　the　spot。　　Before　break　of　day　the　work　was　well　begun。
Maduron　then　obliterated　all　traces　of　his　file　by　daubing　the　bars
with　mud　and　wax；　and　withdrew。　　For　three　consecutive　nights　he
returned　to　his　task；　taking　the　same　precautions；　and　before　the
fourth　was　at　an　end　he　found　that　by　means　of　a　slight　effort　the
grating　could　be　removed。　　That　was　all　that　was　needed；　so　he　gave
notice　to　Messire　Nicolas　de　Calviere　that　the　moment　had　arrived。

Everything　was　favourable　to　the　undertaking：　as　there　was　no　moon；
the　next　night　was　chosen　to　carry　out　the　plan；　and　as　soon　as　it
was　dark　Messire　Nicolas　de　Calviere　set　out　with　his　men；　who；
slipping　down　into　the　moat　without　noise；　crossed；　the　water　being
up　to　their　belts；　climbed　up　the　other　side；　and　crept　along　at　the
foot　of　the　wall　till　they　reached　the　grating　without　being
perceived。　　There　Maduron　was　waiting；　and　as　soon　as　he　caught　sight
of　them　he　gave　a　slight　blow　to　the　loose　bars；　which　fell；　and　the
whole　party　entered　the　drain；　led　by　de　Calviere；　and　soon　found
themselves　at　the　farther　endthat　is　to　say；　in　the　Place　de　la
Fontaine。　　They　immediately　formed　into　companies　twenty　strong；　four
of　which　hastened　to　the　principal　gates；　while　the　others　patrolled
the　streets　shouting；　〃The　city　taken！　　Down　with　the　Papists！　　A　new
world！　　〃Hearing　this；　the　Protestants　in　the　city　recognised　their
co…religionists；　and　the　Catholics　their　opponents：　but　whereas　the
former　had　been　warned　and　were　on　the　alert；　the　latter　were　taken
by　surprise；　consequently　they　offered　no　resistance；　which；　however；
did　not　prevent　bloodshed。　　M。　de　St。　Andre；　the　governor　of　the
town；　who　during　his　short　period　of　office　had　drawn　the　bitter
hatred　of　the　Protestants　on　him；　was　shot　dead　in　his　bed；　and　his
body　being　flung　out　of　the　window；　was　torn　in　pieces　by　the
populace。　　The　work　of　murder　went　on　all　night；　and　on　the　morrow
the　victors　in　their　turn　began　an　organised　persecution；　which　fell
more　heavily　on　the　Catholics　than　that　to　which　they　had　subjected
the　Protestants；　for；　as　we　have　explained　above；　the　former　could
only　find　shelter　in　the　plain；　while　the　latter　used　the　Cevennes　as
a　stronghold。

It　was　about　this　time　that　the　peace；　which　was　called；　as　we　have
said；　〃the　insecurely　seated；〃　was　concluded。　　Two　years　later　this
name　was　justified　by　the　Massacre　of　St。　Bartholomew。

When　this　event　took　place；　the　South；　strange　as　it　may　seem；　looked
on：　in　Nimes　both　Catholics　and　Protestants；　stained　with　the　other's
blood；　faced　each　other；　hand　on　hilt；　but　without　drawing　weapon。
It　was　as　if　they　were　curious　to　see　how　the　Parisians　would　get
through。　　The　massacre　had　one　result；　however；　the　union　of　the
principal　cities　of　the　South　and　West：　Montpellier；　Uzes；　Montauban；
and　La　Rochelle；　with　Nimes　at　their　head；　formed　a　civil　and
military　league　to　last；　as　is　declared　in　the　Act　of　Federation；
until　God　should　raise　up　a　sovereign　to　be　the　defender　of　the
Protestant　faith。　　In　the　year　1775　the　Protestants　of　the　South
began　to　turn　their　eyes　towards　Henri　IV　as　the　coming　defender。

At　that　date　Nimes；　setting　an　example　to　the　other　cities　of　the
League；　deepened　her　moats；　blew　up　her　suburbs；　and　added　to　the
height　of　her　ramparts。　　Night　and　day　the　work　of　perfecting　the
means　of　defence　went　on；　the　guard　at　every　gate　was　doubled；　and
knowing　how　often　a　city　had　been　taken　by　surprise；　not　a　hole
through　which　a　Papist　could　creep　was　left　in　the　fortifications。
In　dread　of　what　the　future　might　bring；　Nimes　even　committed
sacrilege　against　the　past；　and　partly　demolished　the　Temple　of　Diana
and　mutilated　the　amphitheatreof　which　one　gigantic　stone　was
sufficient　to　form　a　section　of　the　wall。　　During　one　truce　the　crops
were　sown；　during　another　they　were　garnered　in；　and　so　things　went
on　while　the　reign　of　the　Mignons　lasted。　　At　length　the　prince
raised　up　by　God；　whom　the　Huguenots　had　waited　for　so　long；
appeared；　Henri　IV　ascended　the；　throne。

But　once　seated；　Henri　found　himself　in　the　same　difficulty　as　had
confronted　Octavius　fifteen　centuries　earlier；　and　which　confronted
Louis　Philippe　three　centuries　laterthat　is　to　say；　having　been
raised　to　sovereign　power　by　a　party　which　was　not　in　the　majority；
he　soon　found　himself　obliged　to　separate　from　this　party　and　to
abjure　his　religious　beliefs；　as　others　have　abjured　or　will　yet
abjure　their　political　beliefs；　consequently；　just　as　Octavius　had
his　Antony；　and　Louis　Philippe　was　to　have　his　Lafayette；　Henri　IV
was　to　have　his　Biron。　　When　monarchs　are　in　this　position　they　can
no　longer　have　a　will　of　their　own　or　personal　likes　and　dislikes；
they　submit　to　the　force　of　circumstances；　and　feel　compelled　to　rely
on　the　masses；　no　sooner　are　they　freed　from　the　ban　under　which　they
laboured　than　they　are　obliged　to　bring　others　under　it。

However；　before　having　recourse　to　extreme　measures；　Henri　IV　with
soldierly　frankness　gathered　round　him　all　those　who　had　been　his
comrades　of　old　in　war　and　in　religion；　he　spread　out　before　them　a
map　of　France；　and　showed　them　that　hardly　a　tenth　of　the　immense
number　of　its　inhabitants　were　Protestants；　and　that　even　that　tenth
was　shut　up　in　the　mountains；　some　in　Dauphine；　which　had　been　won
for　them　by　their　three　principal　leaders；　Baron　des　Adrets；　Captain
Montbrun；　and　Lesdiguieres；　others　in　the　Cevennes；　which　had　become
Protestant　through　their　great　preachers；　Maurice　Secenat　and
Guillaume　Moget；　and　the　rest　in　the　mountains　of　Navarre；　whence　he
himself　had　come。　　He　recalled　to　them　further　that　whenever　they
ventured　out　of　their　mountains　they　had　been　beaten　in　every　battle；
at　Jarnac；　at　Moncontour；　and　at　Dreux。　　He　concluded　by　explaining
how　impossible　it　was　for　him；　such　being　the　case；　to　entrust　the
guidance　of　the　State　to　their　party；　but　he　offered　them　instead
three　things；　viz。；　his　purse　to　supply　their　present　needs；　the
Edict　of　Nantes　to　assure　their　future　safety；　and　fortresses　to
defend　themselves　should　this　edict　one　day　be　revoked；　for　with
profound　insight　the　grandfather　divined　the　grandson：　Henri