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without　exception；　and　all　the　peasants　killed　to　the　last　man。

So　it　came　to　pass　that　M。　de　Villars　arrived　at　Beaucaire　placed
like　Don　Juan　between　the　spirits　of　good　and　evil；　the　one　advising
clemency　and　the　other　murder。　　M。　de　Villars　not　being　able　to　make
up　his　mind；　on　reaching　Nimes；　d'Aygaliers　assembled　the　principal
Protestants　of　the　town；　told　them　of　his　plan；　showing　them　its
practicability；　so　that　　also　joined　in　the　good　work；　and　drew　up　a
document　in　which　they　asked　the　marechal　to　allow　them　to　take　up
arms　and　march　against　the　rebels；　as　they　were　determined　either　to
bring　them　back　into　the　good　way　by　force　of　example　or　to　fight
them　as　a　proof　of　their　loyalty。

This　petition；　which　was　signed　by　several　nobles　and　by　almost　all
the　lawyers　and　merchants　of　the　city　of　Nimes；　was　presented　to　M。
de　Villars　on　Tuesday；　22nd　April；　1704；　by　M。　de　Albenas；　at　the
head　of　seven　or　eight　hundred　persons　of　the　Reformed　religion。
M。　de　Villars　received　the　request　kindly；　thanked　its　bearer　and
those　who　accompanied　him；　assuring　them　that　he　had　no　doubt　of　the
sincerity　of　their　professions；　and　that　if　he　were　in　want　of　help
he　would　have　recourse　to　them　with　as　much　confidence　as　if　they
were　old　Catholics。　　He　hoped；　however；　to　win　the　rebels　back　by
mildness；　and　he　begged　them　to　second　his　efforts　in　this　direction
by　spreading　abroad　the　fact　that　an　amnesty　was　offered　to　all　those
who　would　lay　down　arms　and　return　to　their　houses　within　a　week。
The　very　next　day　but　one；　M。　de　Villars　set　out　from　Nimes　to　visit
all　the　principal　towns；　in　order　to　make　himself　acquainted　with
men；　things；　and　places。

Although　the　answer　to　the　petition　had　been　a　delicate　refusal；
d'Aygaliers　was　not　discouraged；　but　followed　M。　de　Villars
everywhere。　　When　the　latter　arrived　at　Alais；　the　new　governor　sent
for　MM。　de　Lalande　and　de　Baville；　in　order　to　consult　them　as　to　the
best　means　of　inducing　the　Camisards　to　lay　down　their　arms。　　Baron
d'Aygaliers　was　summoned　to　this　consultation；　and　described　his　plan
to　the　two　gentlemen。　　As　he　expected；　both　were　opposed　to　it；
however；　he　tried　to　bring　them　over　to　his　side　by　presenting　to
them　what　seemed　to　him　to　be　cogent　reasons　for　its　adoption。　　But
de　Lalande　and　de　Baville　made　light　of　all　his　reasons；　and　rejected
his　proposals　with　such　vehemence；　that　the　marechal；　however　much
inclined　to　the　side　of　d'Aygaliers；　did　not　venture　to　act　quite
alone；　and　said　he　would　not　decide　on　any　course　until　he　reached
Uzes。

D'Aygaliers　saw　clearly　that　until　he　had　obtained　the　approbation　of
either　the　general　or　the　intendant；　he　would　get　nothing　from　the
marechal。　　He　therefore　considered　which　of　the　two　he　should　try　to
persuade；　and　although　de　Baville　was　his　personal　enemy；　having
several　times　shown　his　hatred　for　him　and　his　family；　he　decided　to
address　himself　to　him。

In　consequence；　the　next　day；　to　the　great　astonishment　of　M。　de
Baville；　d'Aygaliers　paid　him　a　visit。　　The　intendant　received　him
coldly　but　politely；　asked　him　to　sit　down；　and　when　he　was　seated
begged　to　know　the　motive　which　had　brought　him。　　〃Sir；〃　replied　the
baron；　〃you　have　given　my　family　and　me　such　cause　of　offence　that　I
had　come　to　the　firm　resolution　never　to　ask　a　favour　of　you；　and　as
perhaps　you　may　have　remarked　during　the　journey　we　have　taken　with
M。　le　marechal；　I　would　rather　have　died　of　thirst　than　accept　a
glass　of　water　from　you。　　But　I　have　come　here　to…day　not　upon　any
private　matter；　to　obtain　my　own　ends；　but　upon　a　matter　which
concerns　the　welfare　of　the　State。　　I　therefore　beg　you　to　put　out　of
your　mind　the　dislike　which　you　have　to　me　and　mine；　and　I　do　this
the　more　earnestly　that　your　dislike　can　only　have　been　caused　by　the
fact　that　our　religion　is　different　from　yoursa　thing　which　could
neither　have　been　foreseen　nor　prevented。　　My　entreaty　is　that　you　do
not　try　to　set　M。　le　marechal　against　the　course　which　I　have
proposed　to　him；　which　I　am　convinced　would　bring　the　disorders　in
our　province　to　an　end；　stop　the　occurrence　of　the　many　unfortunate
events　which　I　am　sure　you　look　on　with　regret；　and　spare　you　much
trouble　and　embarrassment。〃

The　intendant　was　much　touched　by　this　calm　speech；　and　above　all　by
the　confidence　which　M。　d'Aygaliers　had　shown　him；　and　replied　that
he　had　only　offered　opposition　to　the　plan　of　pacification　because　he
believed　it　to　be　impracticable。　　M。　d'Aygaliers　then　warmly　pressed
him　to　try　it　before　rejecting　it　for　ever；　and　in　the　end　M。　　de
Baville　withdrew　his　opposition。

M；　d'Aygaliers　hastened　to　the　marechal；　who　finding　himself　no
longer　alone　in　his　favourable　opinion；　made　no　further　delay；　but
told　the　baron　to　call　together　that　very　day　all　the　people　whom　he
thought　suitable　for　the　required　service；　and　desired　that　they
should　be　presented　to　him　the　next　morning　before　he　set　out　for
Nimes。

The　next　day；　instead　of　the　fifty　men　whom　the　marachal　had　thought
could　be　gathered　together；　d'Aygaliers　came　to　him　followed　by
eighty；　who　were　almost　all　of　good　and　many　of　noble　family。　　The
meeting　took　place；　by　the　wish　of　the　baron；　in　the　courtyard　of　the
episcopal　palace。　　〃This　palace；〃　says　the　baron　in　his　Memoirs；
〃which　was　of　great　magnificence；　surrounded　by　terraced　gardens　and
superbly　furnished；　was　occupied　by　Monseigneur　Michel　Poncet　de　La
Riviere。　　He　was　a　man　passionately　devoted　to　pleasures　of　all
kinds；　especially　to　music；　women；　and　good　cheer。　　There　were　always
to　be　found　in　his　house　good　musicians；　pretty　women；　and　excellent
wines。　　These　latter　suited　him　so　well　that　he　never　left　the　table
without　being　in　a　pleasant　humour；　and　at　such　a　moment　if　it　came
into　his　head　that　anyone　in　his　diocese　was　not　as　good　a　Christian
as　himself；　he　would　sit　down　and　write　to　M。　de　Baville；　urging　that
the　delinquent　ought　to　be　sent　into　exile。　　He　often　did　this　honour
to　my　late　father。〃　　M。　d'Aygaliers　goes　on　to　say　that　〃on　seeing
such　a　great　number　of　Huguenots　in　the　court　who　were　all　declaring
that　they　were　better　servants　of　the　king　than　the　Catholics；　he
almost　fell　from　his　balcony　with　vexation　and　surprise。　　This
vexation　increased　when　he　saw　M。　de　Villars　and　M。　de　Baville；　who
had　apartments　in　the　palace；　come　down　into　the　court　and　talk　to
these　people。　　One　hope　still　remained　to　him：　it　was　that　the
marechal　and　the　intendant　had　come　down　to　send　them　away；　but　this
last　hope　was　cruelly　disappointed　when　he　heard　M。　de　Villars　say
that　he　accepted　their　service　and　expected　them　to　obey　d'Aygaliers
in　all　matters　concerning　the　service　of　the　king。〃

But　this　was　not　all　that　had　to　be　accomplished　arms　were　necessary
for　the　Protestants；　and　though　their　number　was　not　great；　there　was
a　difficulty　in　finding　them　weapons。　　The　unfortunate　Calvinists　had
been　disarmed　so　often　that　even　their　table…knives　had　been　carried
off；　so　it　was　useless　to　search　their　houses　for　guns　and　sabres。
D'Aygaliers　proposed　that　they　should　take　the　arms　of　the
townspeople；　but　M。　de　Villars　considered　that　it　would　offend　the
Catholics　to　have　their　arms　taken　from　them　and　given　to　the
Protestants。　　In　the　end；　however；　this　was　the　course　that　had　to　be
adopted：　M。　de　Paratte　was　ordered　to　give　fifty　muskets　and　the　same
number　of　bayonets　to　M。　d'Aygaliers；　who　also　received；　as　the
reward　of　his　long　patience；　from　M。　de　Villars；　before　the　latter
left　for　Nimes；　the　following　commission：

〃We；　Marechal　de　Villars；　general　in　the　armies　of　the　king；　etc。；
etc。；　have　given　permission　to　M。　d'Aygaliers；　nobleman　and
Protestant　of　the　town　of　Uzes；　and　to　fifty　men　chosen　by　him；　to
make　war　on　the　Camisards。

（Signed）　〃VILLARS

（Countersigned）　〃MORETON

〃Given　at　Uzes；　the　4th　of　May　1704〃


Hardly　had　M。　de　Villars　set　out　for　Nimes　than　d'Aygaliers　met　with
fresh　difficulties。　　The　bishop；　who　could　not　forget　that　his
episcopal　palace　had　been　turned　into　barracks　for　Huguenots；　went
from　house　to　house　threatening　those　who　had　promised　to　countenance
d'Aygaliers'　plans；　and　strictly　forbidding　the　captains　of　the　town
troops　to　deliver　any　weapons　to　the　Protestants。　　Fortunately；
d'Aygaliers　had　not　accomplished　so　much。　without　having　learned　not
to　draw　back　when　the　road　grew　rough；　so　he　also　on　his　side　went
about　confirming　the　strong　and　encouraging　the　feeble；　and　called　on
M。　de　Paratte　to　beg　him　to　carry　out　the　orders　of　M。　de　Villars。
De　Paratte　was　happily　an　old　soldier；　whose　one　idea　was　that
discipline　should　be　maintained；　so　that　he　gave　the　guns　and
bayonets　to　d'Aygaliers　on　the　spot；　without　a　word　of　objection；　and
thus　enabled　the　latter　to　start　at　five　o'clock　next　morning　with
his　little　band。

Meantime　de　Baville　and　de　Lalande　had　been　reflecting　what　great
influence　d'Aygaliers　would　gain　in　the　province　should　he　succeed　in
his　aims；　and　their　jealousy　had　made　them　resolve　to　forestall　him
in　his　work；　by　themselves　inducing　Cavalier　to　abandon　his　present
course。　　They　did　not　conceal　from　themselves　that　this　would　be
difficult；　but　as　they　could　co