massacres of the south-第4节

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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　IV
feared　Louis　XIV。

The　Protestants　took　what　they　were　offered；　but　of　course　like　all
who　accept　benefits　they　went　away　filled　with　discontent　because
they　had　not　been　given　more。

Although　the　Protestants　ever　afterwards　looked　on　Henri　IV　as　a
renegade；　his　reign　nevertheless　was　their　golden　age；　and　while　it
lasted　Nines　was　quiet；　for；　strange　to　say；　the　Protestants　took　no
revenge　for　St。　Bartholomew；　contenting　themselves　with　debarring　the
Catholics　from　the　open　exercise　of　their　religion；　but　leaving　them
free　to　use　all　its　rites　and　ceremonies　in　private。　　They　even
permitted　the　procession　of　the　Host　through　the　streets　in　case　of
illness；　provided　it　took　place　at　night。　　Of　course　death　would　not
always　wait　for　darkness；　and　the　Host　was　sometimes　carried　to　the
dying　during　the　day；　not　without　danger　to　the　priest；　who；　however；
never　let　himself　be　deterred　thereby　from　the　performance　of　his
duty；　indeed；　it　is　of　the　essence　of　religious　devotion　to　be
inflexible；　and　few　soldiers；　however　brave；　have　equalled　the
martyrs　in　courage。

During　this　time；　taking　advantage　of　the　truce　to　hostilities　and
the　impartial　protection　meted　out　to　all　without　distinction　by　the
Constable　Damville；　the　Carmelites　and　Capuchins；　the　Jesuits　and
monks　of　all　orders　and　colours；　began　by　degrees　to　return　to　Nines；
without　any　display；　it　is　true；　rather　in　a　surreptitious　manner；
preferring　darkness　to　daylight；　but　however　this　may　be；　in　the
course　of　three　or　four　years　they　had　all　regained　foothold　in　the
town；　only　now　they　were　in　the　position　in　which　the　Protestants　had
been　formerly；　they　were　without　churches；　as　their　enemies　were　in
possession　of　all　the　places　of　worship。　　It　also　happened　that　a
Jesuit　high　in　authority；　named　Pere　Coston；　preached　with　such
success　that　the　Protestants；　not　wishing　to　be　beaten；　but　desirous
of　giving　word　for　word；　summoned　to　their　aid　the　Rev。　Jeremie
Ferrier；　of　Alais；　who　at　the　moment　was　regarded　as　the　most
eloquent　preacher　they　had。　　Needless　to　say；　Alais　was　situated　in
the　mountains；　that　inexhaustible　source　of　Huguenot　eloquence。　　At
once　the　controversial　spirit　was　aroused；　it　did　not　as　yet　amount
to　war；　but　still　less　could　it　be　called　peace：　people　were　no
longer　assassinated；　but　they　were　anathematised；　the　body　was　safe；
but　the　soul　was　consigned　to　damnation：　the　days　as　they　passed　were
used　by　both　sides　to　keep　their　hand　in；　in　readiness　for　the　moment
when　the　massacres　should　again　begin。




CHAPTER　II

The　death　of　Henri　IV　led　to　new　conflicts；　in　which　although　at
first　success　was　on　the　side　of　the　Protestants　it　by　degrees　went
over　to　the　Catholics；　for　with　the　accession　of　Louis　XIII　Richelieu
had　taken　possession　of　the　throne：　beside　the　king　sat　the　cardinal；
under　the　purple　mantle　gleamed　the　red　robe。　　It　was　at　this　crisis
that　Henri　de　Rohan　rose　to　eminence　in　the　South。　　He　was　one　of　the
most　illustrious　representatives　of　that　great　race　which；　allied　as
it　was　to　the　roya