an accursed race-第3节

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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：　　he　would　insult　them　from　the　very

altar；　calling　out　to　them；　as　they　stood　afar　off；　〃Oh！　ye　Cagots；

damned　for　evermore！〃　　One　day；　a　half…blind　Cagot　stumbled　and

touched　the　censer　borne　before　this　Abbe　de　Lourbes。　　He　was

immediately　turned　out　of　the　church；　and　forbidden　ever　to　re…enter

it。　　One　does　not　know　how　to　account　for　the　fact；　that　the　very

brother　of　this　bigoted　abbe；　the　seigneur　of　the　village；　went　and

married　a　Cagot　girl；　but　so　it　was；　and　the　abbe　brought　a　legal

process　against　him；　and　had　his　estates　taken　from　him；　solely　on

account　of　his　marriage；　which　reduced　him　to　the　condition　of　a

Cagot；　against　whom　the　old　law　was　still　in　force。　　The　descendants

of　this　Seigneur　de　Lourbes　are　simple　peasants　at　this　very　day；

working　on　the　lands　which　belonged　to　their　grandfather。



This　prejudice　against　mixed　marriages　remained　prevalent　until　very

lately。　　The　tradition　of　the　Cagot　descent　lingered　among　the

people；　long　after　the　laws　against　the　accursed　race　were　abolished。

A　Breton　girl；　within　the　last　few　years；　having　two　lovers　each　of

reputed　Cagot　descent；　employed　a　notary　to　examine　their　pedigrees；

and　see　which　of　the　two　had　least　Cagot　in　him；　and　to　that　one　she

gave　her　hand。　　In　Brittany　the　prejudice　seems　to　have　been　more

virulent　than　anywhere　else。　　M。　Emile　Souvestre　records　proofs　of

the　hatred　borne　to　them　in　Brittany　so　recently　as　in　eighteen

hundred　and　thirty…five。　　Just　lately　a　baker　at　Hennebon；　having

married　a　girl　of　Cagot　descent；　lost　all　his　custom。　　The　godfather

and　godmother　of　a　Cagot　child　became　Cagots　themselves　by　the　Breton

laws；　unless；　indeed；　the　poor　little　baby　died　before　attaining　a

certain　number　of　days。　　They　had　to　eat　the　butchers'　meat　condemned

as　unhealthy；　but；　for　some　unknown　reason；　they　were　considered　to

have　a　right　to　every　cut　leaf　turned　upside　down；　with　its　cut　side

towards　the　door；　and　might　enter　any　house　in　which　they　saw　a　loaf

in　this　position；　and　carry　it　away　with　them。　　About　thirty　years

ago；　there　was　the　skeleton　of　a　hand　hanging　up　as　an　offering　in　a

Breton　church　near　Quimperle；　and　the　tradition　was；　that　it　was　the

hand　of　a　rich　Cagot　who　had　dared　to　take　holy　water　out　of　the

usual　benitier；　some　time　at　the　beginning　of　the　reign　of　Louis　the

Sixteenth；　which　an　old　soldier　witnessing；　he　lay　in　wait；　and　the

next　time　the　offender　approached　the　benitier　he　cut　off　his　hand；

and　hung　it　up；　dripping　with　blood；　as　an　offering　to　the　patron

saint　of　the　church。　　The　poor　Cagots　in　Brittany　petitioned　against

their　opprobrious　name；　and　begged　to　be　distinguished　by　the

appelation　of　Malandrins。　　To　English　ears　one　is　much　the　same　as

the　other；　as　neither　conveys　any　meaning；　but；　to　this　day；　the

descendants　of　the　Cagots　do　not　like　to　have　this　name　applied　to

them；　preferring　that　of　Malandrin。



The　French　Cagots　tried　to　destroy　all　the　records　of　their　pariah

descent；　in　the　commotions　of　seventeen　hundred　and　eighty…nine；　but

if　writings　have　disappeared；　the　tradition　yet　remains；　and　points

out　such　and　such　a　family　as　Cagot；　or　Malandrin；　or　Oiselier；

according　to　the　old　terms　of　abhorrence。



There　are　various　ways　in　which　learned　men　have　attempted　to　account

for　the　universal　repugnance　in　which　this　well…made；　powerful　race

are　held。　　Some　say　that　the　antipathy　to　them　took　its　rise　in　the

days　when　leprosy　was　a　dreadfully　prevalent　disease；　and　that　the

Cagots　are　more　liable　than　any　other　men　to　a　kind　of　skin　disease；

not　precisely　leprosy；　but　resembling　it　in　some　of　its　symptoms；

such　as　dead　whiteness　of　complexion；　and　swellings　of　the　face　and

extremities。　　There　was　also　some　resemblance　to　the　ancient　Jewish

custom　in　respect　to　lepers；　in　the　habit　of　the　people；　who　on

meeting　a　Cagot　called　out；　〃Cagote？　Cagote？〃　to　which　they　were

bound　to　reply；　〃Perlute！　perlute！〃　　Leprosy　is　not　properly　an

infectious　complaint；　in　spite　of　the　horror　in　which　the　Cagot

furniture；　and　the　cloth　woven　by　them；　are　held　in　some　places；　the

disorder　is　hereditary；　and　hence　（say　this　body　of　wise　men；　who

have　troubled　themselves　to　account　for　the　origin　of　Cagoterie）　the

reasonableness　and　the　justice　of　preventing　any　mixed　marriages；　by

which　this　terrible　tendency　to　leprous　complaints　might　be　spread

far　and　wide。　　Another　authority　says；　that　though　the　Cagots　are

fine…looking　men；　hard…working；　and　good　mechanics；　yet　they　bear　in

their　faces；　and　show　in　their　actions；　reasons　for　the　detestation

in　which　they　are　held：　　their　glance；　if　you　meet　it；　is　the

jettatura；　or　evil…eye；　and　they　are　spiteful；　and　cruel；　and

deceitful　above　all　other　men。　　All　these　qualities　they　derive　from

their　ancestor　Gehazi；　the　servant　of　Elisha；　together　with　their

tendency　to　leprosy。



Again；　it　is　said　that　they　are　descended　from　the　Arian　Goths　who

were　permitt