an accursed race-第2章

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pilferings　perpetually　going　on　in　the　neighbourhood　made　the

inhabitants　of　the　adjacent　towns　and　hamlets　believe　that　they　had　a

very　sufficient　cause　for　wishing　to　murder　all　the　Cagots　in　the

Chateau　de　Mauvezin。　　But　it　was　surrounded　by　a　moat；　and　only

accessible　by　a　drawbridge；　besides　which；　the　Cagots　were　fierce　and

vigilant。　　Some　one；　however；　proposed　to　get　into　their　confidence；

and　for　this　purpose　he　pretended　to　fall　ill　close　to　their　path；　so

that　on　returning　to　their　stronghold　they　perceived　him；　and　took

him　in；　restored　him　to　health；　and　made　a　friend　of　him。　　One　day；

when　they　were　all　playing　at　ninepins　in　the　woods；　their

treacherous　friend　left　the　party　on　pretence　of　being　thirsty；　and

went　back　into　the　castle；　drawing　up　the　bridge　after　he　had　passed

over　it；　and　so　cutting　off　their　means　of　escape　into　safety。　　Them；

going　up　to　the　highest　part　of　the　castle；　he　blew　a　horn；　and　the

pure　race；　who　were　lying　in　wait　on　the　watch　for　some　such　signal；

fell　upon　the　Cagots　at　their　games；　and　slew　them　all。　　For　this

murder　I　find　no　punishment　decreed　in　the　parliament　of　Toulouse；　or

elsewhere。



As　any　intermarriage　with　the　pure　race　was　strictly　forbidden；　and

as　there　were　books　kept　in　every　commune　in　which　the　names　and

habitations　of　the　reputed　Cagots　were　written；　these　unfortunate

people　had　no　hope　of　ever　becoming　blended　with　the　rest　of　the

population。　　Did　a　Cagot　marriage　take　place；　the　couple　were

serenaded　with　satirical　songs。　　They　also　had　minstrels；　and　many　of

their　romances　are　still　current　in　Brittany；　but　they　did　not

attempt　to　make　any　reprisals　of　satire　or　abuse。　　Their　disposition

was　amiable；　and　their　intelligence　great。　　Indeed；　it　required　both

these　qualities；　and　their　great　love　of　mechanical　labour；　to　make

their　lives　tolerable。



At　last；　they　began　to　petition　that　they　might　receive　some

protection　from　the　laws；　and；　towards　the　end　of　the　seventeenth

century；　the　judicial　power　took　their　side。　　But　they　gained　little

by　this。　　Law　could　not　prevail　against　custom：　　and；　in　the　ten　or

twenty　years　just　preceding　the　first　French　revolution；　the

prejudice　in　France　against　the　Cagots　amounted　to　fierce　and

positive　abhorrence。



At　the　beginning　of　the　sixteenth　century；　the　Cagots　of　Navarre

complained　to　the　Pope；　that　they　were　excluded　from　the　fellowship

of　men；　and　accursed　by　the　Church；　because　their　ancestors　had　given

help　to　a　certain　Count　Raymond　of　Toulouse　in　his　revolt　against　the

Holy　See。　　They　entreated　his　holiness　not　to　visit　upon　them　the

sins　of　their　fathers。　　The　Pope　issued　a　bull　on　the　thirteenth　of

May；　fifteen　hundred　and　fifteenordering　them　to　be　well…treated

and　to　be　admitted　to　the　same　privileges　as　other　men。　　He　charged

Don　Juan　de　Santa　Maria　of　Pampeluna　to　see　to　the　execution　of　this

bull。　　But　Don　Juan　was　slow　to　help；　and　the　poor　Spanish　Cagots

grew　impatient；　and　resolved　to　try　the　secular　power。　　They

accordingly　applied　to　the　Cortes　of　Navarre；　and　were　opposed　on　a

variety　of　grounds。　　First；　it　was　stated　that　their　ancestors　had

had　nothing　to　do　with　Raymond　Count　of　Toulouse；　or　with　any　such

knightly　personage；　that　they　were　in　fact　descendants　of　Gehazi；

servant　of　Elisha　（second　book　of　Kings；　fifth　chapter；　twenty…

seventh　verse）；　who　had　been　accursed　by　his　master　for　his　fraud

upon　Naaman；　and　doomed；　he　and　his　descendants；　to　be　lepers　for

evermore。　　Name；　Cagots　or　Gahets；　Gahets；　Gehazites。　　What　can　be

more　clear？　　And　if　that　is　not　enough；　and　you　tell　us　that　the

Cagots　are　not　lepers　now；　we　reply　that　there　are　two　kinds　of

leprosy；　one　perceptible　and　the　other　imperceptible；　even　to　the

person　suffering　from　it。　　Besides；　it　is　the　country　talk；　that

where　the　Cagot　treads；　the　grass　withers；　proving　the　unnatural　heat

of　his　body。　　Many　credible　and　trustworthy　witnesses　will　also　tell

you　that；　if　a　Cagot　holds　a　freshly…gathered　apple　in　his　hand；　it

will　shrivel　and　wither　up　in　an　hour's　time　as　much　as　if　it　had

been　kept　for　a　whole　winter　in　a　dry　room。　　They　are　born　with

tails；　although　the　parents　are　cunning　enough　to　pinch　them　off

immediately。　　Do　you　doubt　this？　　If　it　is　not　true；　why　do　the

children　of　the　pure　race　delight　in　sewing　on　sheep's　tails　to　the

dress　of　any　Cagot　who　is　so　absorbed　in　his　work　as　not　to　perceive

them？　　And　their　bodily　smell　is　so　horrible　and　detestable　that　it

shows　that　they　must　be　heretics　of　some　vile　and　pernicious

description；　for　do　we　not　read　of　the　incense　of　good　workers；　and

the　fragrance　of　holiness？〃



Such　were　literally　the　arguments　by　which　the　Cagots　were　thrown

back　into　a　worse　position　than　ever；　as　far　as　regarded　their　rights

as　citizens。　　The　Pope　insisted　that　they　should　receive　all　their

ecclesiastical　privileges。　　The　Spanish　priests　said　nothing；　but

tacitly　refused　to　allow　the　Cagots　to　mingle　with　the　rest　of　the

faithful；　either　dead　or　alive。　　The　accursed　race　obtained　laws　in

their　favour　from　the　Emperor　Charles　the　Fifth；　which；　however；

there　was　no　one　to　carry　into　effect。　　As　a　sort　of　revenge　for

their　want　of　submission；　and　for　their　impertinence　in　daring　to

complain；　their　tools　were　all　taken　away　from　them　by　the　local

authorities：　　an　old　man　and　all　his　family　died　of　starvation；　being

no　longer　allowed　to　fish。



They　could　not　emigrate。　　Even　to　remove　their　poor　mud　habitations；

from　one　spot　to　another；　excited　anger　and　suspicion。　　To　be　sure；

in　sixteen　hundred　and　ninety…five；　the　Spanish　government　ordered

the　alcaldes　to　search　out　all　the　Cagots；　and　to　expel　them　before

two　months　had　expired；　under　pain　of　having　fifty　ducats　to　pay　for

every　Cagot　remaining　in　Spain　at　the　expiration　of　that　time。　　The

inhabitants　of　the　villages　rose　up　and　flogged　out　any　of　the

miserable　race　who　might　be　in　their　neighbourhood；　but　the　French

were　on　their　guard　against　this　enforced　irruption；　and　refused　to

permit　them　to　enter　France。　　Numbers　were　hunted　up　into　the

inhospitable　Pyrenees；　and　there　died　of　starvation；　or　became　a　prey

to　wild　beasts。　　They　were　obliged　to　wear　both　gloves　and　shoes　when

they　were　thus　put　to　flight；　otherwise　the　stones　and　herbage　they

trod　upon　and　the　balustrades　of　the　bridges　that　they　handled　in

crossing；　would；　according　to　popular　belief；　have　become　poisonous。



And　all　this　time；　there　was　nothing　remarkable　or　disgusting　in　the

outward　appearance　of　this　unfortunate　people。　　There　was　nothing

about　them　to　countenance　the　idea　of　their　being　lepersthe　most

natural　mode　of　accounting　for　the　abhorrence　in　which　they　were

held。　　They　were　repeatedly　examined　by　learned　doctors；　whose

experiments；　although　singular　and　rude；　appear　to　have　been　made　in

a　spirit　of　humanity。　　For　instance；　the　surgeons　of　the　king　of

Navarre；　in　sixteen　hundred；　bled　twenty…two　Cagots；　in　order　to

examine　and　analyze　their　blood。　　They　were　young　and　healthy　people

of　both　sexes；　and　the　doctors　seem　to　have　expected　that　they　should

have　been　able　to　extract　some　new　kind　of　salt　from　their　blood

which　might　account　for　the　wonderful　heat　of　their　bodies。　　But

their　blood　was　just　like　that　of　other　people。　　Some　of　these

medical　men　have　left　us　a　description　of　the　general　appearance　of

this　unfortunate　race；　at　a　time　when　they　were　more　numerous　and

less　intermixed　than　they　are　now。　　The　families　existing　in　the

south　and　west　of　France；　who　are　reputed　to　be　of　Cagot　descent　at

this　day；　are；　like　their　ancestors；　tall；　largely　made；　and　powerful

in　frame；　fair　and　ruddy　in　complexion；　with　gray…blue　eyes；　in　which

some　observers　see　a　pensive　heaviness　of　look。　　Their　lips　are

thick；　but　well…formed。　　Some　of　the　reports　name　their　sad

expression　of　countenance　with　surprise　and　suspicion〃They　are　not

gay；　like　other　folk。〃　　The　wonder　would　be　if　they　were。　　Dr。　Guyon；

the　medical　man　of　the　last　century　who　has　left　the　clearest　report

on　the　health　of　the　Cagots；　speaks　of　the　vigorous　old　age　they

attain　to。　　In　one　family　alone；　he　found　a　man　of　seventy…four　years

of　age；　a　woman　as　old；　gathering　cherries；　and　another　woman；　aged

eighty…three；　was　lying　on　the　grass；　having　her　hair　combed　by　her

great…grandchildren。　　Dr。　Guyon　and　other　surgeons　examined　into　the

subject　of　the　horribly　infectious　smell　which　the　Cagots　were　said

to　leave　behind　them；　and　upon　everything　they　touched；　but　they

could　perceive　nothing　unusual　on　this　head。　　They　also　examined

their　ears；　which　according　to　common　belief　（a　belief　existing　to

this　day）；　were　differently　shaped　from　those　of　other　people；　being

round　and　gristly；　without　the　lobe　of　flesh　into　which　the　ear…ring

is　inserted。　　They　decided　that　most　of　the　Cagots　whom　they　examined

had　the　ears　of　this　round　shape；　but　they　gravely　added；　that　they

saw　no　reason　why　this　should　exclude　them　from　the　good…will　of　men；

and　from　the　power　of　holding　office　in　Church　and　State。　　They

recorded　the　fact；　that　the　children　of　the　towns　ran　baaing　after

any　Cagot　who　had　been　compelled　to　come　into　the　streets　to　make

purchases；　in　allusion　to　this　peculiarity　of　the　shape　of　the　ear；

which　bore　some　resemblance　to　the　ears　of　the　sheep　as　they　are　cut

by　the　shepherds　in　this　district。　　Dr。　Guyon　names　the　case　of　a

beautiful　Cagot　girl；　who　sang　most　sweetly；　and　prayed　to　be　allowed

to　sing　canticles　in　the　organ…loft。　　The　organist；　more　musician

than　bigot；　allowed　her　to　come；　but　the　indignant　congregation；

finding　out　whence　proceeded　that　clear；　fresh　voice；　rushed　up　to

the　organ…loft；　and　chased　the　girl　out；　bidding　her　〃remember　her

ears；〃　and　not　commit　the　sacrilege　of　singing　praises　to　God　along

with　the　pure　race。



But　this　medical　report　of　Dr。　Guyon'sbringing　facts　and　arguments

to　confirm　his　opinion；　that　there　was　no　physical　reason　why　the

Cagots　should　not　be　received　on　terms　of　social　equality　by　the　rest

of　the　worlddid　no　more　for　his　clients　than　the　legal　decrees

promulgated　two　centuries　before　had　done。　　The　French　proved　the

truth　of　the　saying　in　Hudibras　…





He　that's　convinced　against　his　will

Is　of　the　same　opinion　still。





And；　indeed；　the　being　convinced　by　Dr。　Guyon　that　they　ought　to

receive　Cagots　as　fellow…creatures；　only　made　them　more　rabid　in

declaring　that　they　would　not。　　One　or　two　little　occurrences　which

are　recorded；　show　that　the　bitterness　of　the　repugnance　to　the

Cagots　was　in　full　force　at　the　time　just　preceding　the　first　French

revolution。　　There　was　a　M。　d'Abedos；　the　curate　of　Lourbes；　and

brother　to　the　seigneur　of　the　neighbouring　castle；　who　was　living　in

seventeen　hundred　and　eighty；　he　was　well…educated　for　the　time；　a

travelled　man；　and　sensible　and　moderate　in　all　respects　but　that　of

his　abhorrence　of　the　Cagots：