massacres of the south-第56节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


who　made　the　capture　to　deprive　him　of　his　sword　and　carbine；　but　it
was　only　after　a　long　struggle　that　they　could　carry　out　this　order；
for　Trestaillons　protested　that　he　would　only　give　up　his　carbine
with　his　life。　　However；　he　was　at　last　obliged　to　yield　to　numbers；
and　when　disarmed　was　removed　to　the　barracks；　but　as　there　could　be
no　peace　in　the　town　as　long　as　he　was　in　it；　the　general　sent　him　to
the　citadel　of　Montpellier　next　morning　before　it　was　light。

The　disorders　did　not；　however；　cease　at　once。　　At　eight　o'clock　A。M。
they　were　still　going　on；　the　mob　seeming　to　be　animated　by　the
spirit　of　Trestaillons；　for　while　the　soldiers　were　occupied　in　a
distant　quarter　of　the　town　a　score　of　men　broke　into　the　house　of　a
certain　Scipion　Chabrier；　who　had　remained　hidden　from　his　enemies
for　a　long　time；　but　who　had　lately　returned　home　on　the　strength　of
the　proclamations　published　by　General　Lagarde　when　he　assumed　the
position　of　commandant　of　the　town。　　He　had　indeed　been　sure　that　the
disturbances　in　Nimes　were　over；　when　they　burst　out　with　redoubled
fury　on　the　16th　of　October；　on　the　morning　of　the　17th　he　was
working　quietly　at　home　at　his　trade　of　a　silk　weaver；　when；　alarmed
by　the　shouts　of　a　parcel　of　cut…throats　outside　his　house；　he　tried
to　escape。　　He　succeeded　in　reaching　the　〃Coupe　d'Or；〃　but　the
ruffians　followed　him；　and　the　first　who　came　up　thrust　him　through
the　thigh　with　his　bayonet。　　In　consequence　of　this　wound　he　fell
from　top　to　bottom　of　the　staircase；　was　seized　and　dragged　to　the
stables；　where　the　assassins　left　him　for　dead；　with　seven　wounds　in
his　body。

This　was；　however；　the　only　murder　committed　that　day　in　the　town；
thanks　to　the　vigilance　and　courage　of　General　Lagarde。

The　next　day　a　considerable　crowd　gathered；　and　a　noisy　deputation
went　to　General　Lagarde's　quarters　and　insolently　demanded　that
Trestaillons　should　be　set　at　liberty。　　The　general　ordered　them　to
disperse；　but　no　attention　was　paid　to　this　command；　whereupon　he
ordered　his　soldiers　to　charge；　and　in　a　moment　force　accomplished
what　long…continued　persuasion　had　failed　to　effect。　　Several　of　the
ringleaders　were　arrested　and　taken　to　prison。

Thus；　as　we　shall　see；　the　struggle　assumed　a　new　phase：　resistance
to　the　royal　power　was　made　in　the　name　of　the　royal　power；　and　both
those　who　broke　or　those　who　tried　to　maintain　the　public　peace　used
the　same　cry；　〃Long　live　the　king！〃

The　firm　attitude　assumed　by　General　Lagarde　restored　Nimes　to　a
state　of　superficial　peace；　beneath　which；　however；　the　old　enmities
were　fermenting。　　An　occult　power；　which　betrayed　itself　by　a　kind　of
passive　resistance；　neutralised　the　effect　of　the　measures　taken　by
the　military　commandant。　　He　soon　became　cognisant　of　the　fact　that
the　essence　of　this　sanguinary　political　strife　was　an　hereditary
religious　animosity；　and　in　order　to　strike　a　last　blow　at　this；　he
resolved；　after　having　received　permission　from　the　king；　to　grant
the　general　request　of　the　Protestants　by　reopening　their　places　of
worship；　which　had　been　closed　for　more　than　four　months；　and
allowing　the　public　exercise　of　the　Protestant　religion；　which　had
been　entirely　suspended　in　the　city　for　the　same　length　of　time。

Formerly　there　had　been　six　Protestant　pastors　resident　in　Nimes；　but
four　of　them；　had　fled；　the　two　who　remained　were　MM。　Juillerat　and
Olivier　Desmonts；　the　first　a　young　man；　twenty…eight　years　of　age；
the　second　an　old　man　of　seventy。

The　entire　weight　of　the　ministry　had　fallen　during　this　period　of
proscription　on　M。　Juillerat；　who　had　accepted　the　task　and
religiously　fulfilled　it。　　It　seemed　as　if　a　special　providence　had
miraculously　protected　him　in　the　midst　of　the　many　perils　which
beset　his　path。　　Although　the　other　pastor；　M。　Desmonts；　was
president　of　the　Consistory；　his　life　was　in　much　less　danger；　for；
first；　he　had　reached　an　age　which　almost　everywhere　commands
respect；　and　then　he　had　a　son　who　was　a　lieutenant　in；　one　of　the
royal　corps　levied　at　Beaucaire；　who　protected　him　by　his　name　when
he　could　not　do　so　by　his　presence。　　M。　Desmonts　had　therefore　little
cause　for　anxiety　as　to　his　safety　either　in　the　streets　of　Nimes　or
on　the　road　between　that　and　his　country　house。

But；　as　we　have　said；　it　was　not　so　with　M。　Juillerat。　　Being　young
and　active；　and　having　an　unfaltering　trust　in　God；　on　him　alone
devolved　all　the　sacred　duties　of　his　office；　from　the　visitation　of
the　sick　and　dying　to　the　baptism　of　the　newly　born。　　These　latter
were　often　brought　to　him　at　night　to　be　baptized；　and　he　consented；
though　unwillingly；　to　make　this　concession；　feeling　that　if　he
insisted　on　the　performance　of　the　rite　by　day　he　would　compromise
not　only　his　own　safety　but　that　of　others。　　In　all　that　concerned
him　personally；　such　as　consoling　the　dying　or　caring　for　the
wounded；　he　acted　quite　openly；　and　no　danger　that　he　encountered　on
his　way　ever　caused　him　to　flinch　from　the　path　of　duty。

One　day；　as　M。　Juillerat　was　passing　through　the　rue　des　Barquettes
on　his　way　to　the　prefecture　to　transact　some　business　connected　with
his　ministry；　he　saw　several　men　lying　in　wait　in　a　blind　alley　by
which　he　had　to　pass。　　They　had　their　guns　pointed　at　him。　　He
continued　his　way　with　tranquil　step　and　such　an　air　of　resignation
that　the　assassins　were　overawed；　and　lowered　their　weapons　as　he
approached；　without　firing　a　single　shot。　　When　M。　Juillerat　reached
the　prefecture；　thinking　that　the　prefect　ought　to　be　aware　of
everything　connected　with　the　public　order；　he　related　this　incident
to　M。　d'Arbaud…Jouques；　but　the　latter　did　not　think　the　affair　of
enough　importance　to　require　any　investigation。

It　was；　as　will　be　seen；　a　difficult　enterprise　to　open　once　again
the　Protestant　places　of　worship；　which　had　been　so　long　closed；　in
present　circumstances；　and　in　face　of　the　fact　that　the　civil
authorities　regarded　such　a　step　with　disfavour；　but　General　Lagarde
was　one　of　those　determined　characters　who　always　act　up　to　their
convictions。　　Moreover；　to　prepare　people's　minds　for　this　stroke　of
religious　policy；　he　relied　on　the　help　of　the　Duc　d'Angouleme；　who
in　the　course　of　a　tour　through　the　South　was　almost　immediately
expected　at　Nimes。

On　the　5th　of　November　the　prince　made　his　entry　into　the　city；　and
having　read　the　reports　of　the　general　to　the　King　Louis　XVIII；　and
having　received　positive　injunctions　from　his　uncle　to　pacify　the
unhappy　provinces　which　he　was　about　to　visit；　he　arrived　full　of　the
desire　to　displays　whether　he　felt　it　or　not；　a　perfect　impartiality；
so　when　the　delegates　from　the　Consistory　were　presented　to　him；　not
only　did　he　receive　them　most　graciously；　but　he　was　the　first　to
speak　of　the　interests　of　their　faith；　assuring　them　that　it　was　only
a　few　days　since　he　had　learned　with　much　regret　that　their　religious
services　had　been；　suspended　since　the　16th　of　July。　　The　delegates
replied　that　in　such　a　time　of　agitation　the　closing　of　their　places
of　worship　was；　a　measure　of　prudence　which　they　had　felt　ought　to　be
borne；　and　which　had　been　borne；　with　resignation。　　The　prince
expressed　his　approval　of　this　attitude　with　regard　to　the　past；　but
said　that　his　presence　was　a　guarantee　for　the　future；　and　that　on
Thursday　the　9th　inst。　the　two　meeting…houses　should　be　reopened　and
restored　to　their　proper　use。　　The　Protestants　were　alarmed　at；
having　a　favour　accorded　to　them　which　was　much　more　than　they　would
have　dared　to　ask　and　for　which　they　were　hardly　prepared。　　But　the
prince　reassured　them　by　saying　that　all　needful　measures　would　be
taken　to　provide　against　any　breach　of　the　public　peace；　and　at　the
same　time　invited　M。　Desmonts；　president；　and　M。　Roland…Lacoste；
member　of　the　Consistory；　to　dine　with　him。

The　next　deputation　to　arrive　was　a　Catholic　one；　and　its　object　was
to　ask　that　Trestaillons　might　be　set　at　liberty。　　The　prince　was　so
indignant　at　this　request　that　his　only　answer　was　to　turn　his　back
on　those　who　proffered　it。

The　next　day　the　duke；　accompanied　by　General　Lagarde；　left　for
Montpellier；　and　as　it　was　on　the　latter　that　the　Protestants　placed
their　sole　reliance　for　the　maintenance　of　those　rights　guaranteed
for　the　future　by　the　word　of　the　prince；　they　hesitated　to　take　any
new　step　in　his　absence；　and　let　the　9th　of　November　go　by　without
attempting　to　resume　public　worship；　preferring　to　wait　for　the
return　of　their　protector；　which　took　place　on　Saturday　evening　the
11th　of　November。

When　the　general　got　back；　his　first　thought　was　to　ask　if　the
commands　of　the　prince　had　been　carried　out；　and　when　he　heard　that
they　had　not；　without　waiting　to　hear　a　word　in　justification　of　the
delay；　he　sent　a　positive　order　to　the　president　of　the　Consistory　to
open　both　places　of　worship　the　next　morning。

Upon　this；　the　president　carrying　self…abnegation　and　prudence　to
their　extreme　limits；　went　to　the　general's　quarters；　and　having
warmly　thanked　him；　laid　before　him　the　dangers　to　which　he　would
expose　himself　by　running　counter　to　the　opinions　of　those　who　had
had　their　own　way　in　the　city　for　the　last　four　months。　　B