The young commander first cast a lengthened look of astonishment on
Edmond, then approached nearer and kindly offered him his hand. "You
are one of us," exclaimed he, "the Lord had so ordained, accept the
assurance of my brotherly love."--
Edmond seized the hand of the young man, held it long between his own,
and then said with great emotion: "What have I not to thank you for at
a time, when I neither knew, nor loved you; you it was who saved our
house, myself, my sister and my beloved father! The veil has fallen
from my eyes, and I shall now honour and love you, and all these heroes
of the faith, as brothers."
A circle had been formed and Roland now stepped with solemn demeanour
into the middle of it. "We are assembled," commenced he, greatly
affected, "in order to pass judgment upon a friend, who is to me one of
the dearest among the most valiant of the fraternity, and in the work
of the Lord a distinguished zealot. Here stands Catinat, the man at
whose name all our foes tremble. You are all here present, Cavalier,
thou Ravanel, Castanet, Duplant, and Salomon, Clary, Abraham Mazel is
also arrived here. I have often spoken on this point already, my dear
friends, and wished to make known to you my opinion, and my sentiments,
that in this war, in which we are fighting for the Lord, we should
refrain from shedding blood as much as possible. No, my beloved
friends, we will not therein follow the example of our adversaries,
that we may excel them in their emulation for murder, incendiarism and
all their works of darkness. Let the enemy, who comes armed against us,
be given up to the sword, the villain, who betrays us and belies the
Lord, let him fall a sacrifice to his own malice, but the harmless
labourer, the helpless priest, the defenceless woman, the child under
age, let them be spared, what have they done to us? what can they
accomplish against us? we have certainly always struggled to put our
enemies to shame and to convince them by Christian charity, that our
course is a just one; but here, Catinat has again acted in opposition
to my express command, in his expedition he has set fire to three
churches with his own hands, he has massacred two priests, his troop
according to his orders has reduced villages to ashes, and women and
children have been murdered and burned in the most terrible manner.
Their lamentations, the cries of the orphans, the wailings of the
parents rise up to heaven, and arouse and call upon the enduring
goodness of the Lord to thrust and to fling us in his wrath far away
from him, like useless vessels. If we ourselves act in this manner,
wherefore should we complain, when the enemies open wide the jaws of
cruelty and show less compassion than the wolf in the wilderness, or
the beast of prey of the mountains, then, with justice, their stakes
blaze threateningly to meet us! why are we angered, when their
barbarous executioners, with greedy looks, grin up towards our
mountains, and in malicious joy whet their instruments of death? then
fight brute against brute, and devil against Belzebub! By what then
shall the good cause be recognised? I will also remind you, my beloved
brethren, that these deeds alienate the best people in the country from
us; not only the Catholic, but such as are in their hearts our
brothers, will desert us, as well as those newly converted ones, who
would willingly help us. Have you then forgotten, how pious men of
foreign lands, priests and leaders of armies, have warned us not to
stain our hands with innocent blood, and our holy cause with firebrands
and cruelty? all pious minds in distant lands who turn looks of love
upon us will be mistaken, and will surely think, that innate cruelty
and savage nature must be alleged for these proceedings, and not our
conscience and the cause of the Lord that we fight for. It is
misfortune enough, that we should be compelled to stand in arms against
our lawful king, who wanted to rob us of our God; let this misfortune
suffice, let us do no more than our conscience demands. Finally, I will
remind you, that by your unanimous consent I am your leader since the
glorious death of my uncle, my command must be held inviolable, and
therefore, he whom I send out and who wilfully and maliciously
transgresses my orders, must be considered a rebel to me, yourselves,
and your holy undertaking. You know, that a like fault would be
punished with death yonder among the royal party; far be it from me to
wish to punish so severely a brother and hero of the faith on account
of his disobedience to me, a weak and miserable instrument of the Lord,
but I propose depriving him of his command, because none should command
who cannot also obey. Now take counsel among yourselves, my valiant and
enlightened friends, whether you will confirm my sentence? once more I
repeat my fear, that by these transgressions of individuals, our great
cause will go to ruin."
Roland retired from the circle and all were silent. "We will hear what
Catinat says for himself," said the broad, stout Mazel, and Ravanel, a
little swarthy man with dark looks and wild appearance advanced towards
the gigantic man and cried: "speak brother, you know how I love you, I
am yours, unto death, and do not believe that you can ever be in the
wrong, for in your fist is the sword of the Lord!"
Catinat shook him by the hand, then raised his eyes and glanced with a
calm and penetrating look round the circle, and said: "My valiant
brethren, my fault is evident and undeniable, it consists in
transgression against subordination, and as I have been as good a
soldier as brother Roland, I know well that nothing can be said to
extenuate it. If you speak in accordance with the letter of the law, I
am then condemned, and I will lay down my command as obediently as I
accepted it from Roland. But I again ask you here openly, as I have
already expressed my opinion privately on this point, can we, the
immediate instruments of the Most High, penetrated with his spirit,
measure commands and quietly follow them? shall we, are we permitted to
pursue this war as with men like ourselves, and may we obstinately
withdraw the holy zeal, when the spirit descends upon us, and rules the
sword in our hand, and hurls the burning brand into the idolatrous
temples? Where then is truth, confidence, and faith, if I am not
allowed to do what the Lord himself designs to exact from me. No my
friends, my inspired brethren! let other self-sufficient, self-willed
men then, who fight without heaven be your soldiers, I can never be
such. Roland and Cavalier pardon the prisoners we make, send them back
comforted, refresh and succour their wounded, and hope by their
well-meaning kindness to arouse the hearts of the villains, that they
may feel humane and brotherly towards us. But no such thing! they mock
at this our weakness and call it folly, nay, they publicly term it
cowardice and say, that we dare not act otherwise, for we are only
rebels and outlaws. Assuredly we are a reproach to men, and when they
catch, or wound us, they show us less compassion than they would
testify to a dog, even if it had torn their dearest child to pieces. Is
it then necessary to remind you of the barbarities they have practised
upon our brethren, who have struggled and died for the faith? I will
only recall to your recollection the holy father Brusson, who
gloriously won the crown of martyrdom at Montpellier, the pious man,
who preached the gospel to us poor abandoned flocks in the wilderness,
and then took leave of us, drew no sword, lighted no torch, lived and
died in the spirit of peace, and who only came once more to take a last
farewell of the old mountains, and of the brethren, whom the faith had
collected around him as his own children, with the gospel in his
pocket, and with the bread of tears he wished to return to the strange
land, which had become to him as his native country; and when they
caught him, of what avail was his quiet, peaceable spirit to him? Under
martyrdom, at which the imagination shudders, he was forced to resign
his soul into the hands of the Creator. Need I remind you of the noble
spirit of Seguier, how heroically he died and only scorned the cruel
ingenuity of the executioner? But how then do you forget the wholly
innocent people, who often assembled in the fields to worship God in
secret and were put down by the faithful, as they call themselves, or,
as it often happened, massacred, women and children not excepted? And
you no longer remember, how parents who were suspected had their
children torn from them to be brought up as Catholics, how the mothers
never saw them more and how those under age, who then remained faithful
to the Gospel, were ill-used, suffered martyrdom, or were doomed to
languish in a dungeon? All then has escaped your recollection, what
those priests of the pulpit and the altar have uttered against us, and
the ban and the curse, and that we are no men and unworthy of
commiseration, when we were still constrained to attend their mass? and
is it even permitted that gentleness, virtue, consideration, humanity
and pity, should be observed towards these bloodhounds? No, verily, we
are ruined if we do not pay them in their own coin, return evil for
evil, blood for blood, death for death, rage and fury for their
inflexibility and severity. As they have been mild and compassionate
towards us, let us respond to it; let the Christianity that they
preach, fall burning down upon their own heads, let us dive into their
hearts and entrails, to see where they have concealed pity and the
feelings of humanity. Wherever our name resounds, they must turn pale,
and when we set all against all, we shall then be able to know whether
we lose, or win, we shall extirpate them, or they us; and if we cease
to exist, so may the wasted wilderness, the depopulated land, the
ruined palaces, and burnt-down temples and horror and desolation,
announce to the after-world what we have suffered and done. What are a
priest, country or king in comparison to my faith, in comparison to the
fire that kindles through all my veins and burns in every fibre? Do you
think you are permitted to reason and be men of the ordinary world?
This is precisely what makes our adversaries strong and prepares so
many defeats for us, because we still turn our looks back upon the
world and its wisdom. Here stand our prophets, arrest then the spirit,
exorcise it when it rushes through your souls like a hurricane, like a
flash of lightening and burst forth from their consecrated mouths the
words of the Eternal on the wings of the spirit. You know that this
miraculous gift is denied to me, to Roland and to many, as in our
Duplant, Cavalier, or Salomon, when all recollection vanishes and every
ordinary human feeling becomes extinct, in the same manner does it
happen to me, when we at length fight in the tumult, or pass by
triumphantly the churches of our foes: from every dumb brick their
scorn grins at me, from every beam the blood of our martyrs so
arrogantly shed cries out to me; then, when the malignant followers of
their priests sneak up to me with feigned supplications, then indeed,
something roars within me for revenge, like a lion if he has once
tasted blood, the sword and dagger pierce through their breasts as they
kneel before me, my whole heart bounds, when the laughing flames rise
up triumphantly through the edifice, when in the blaze the beams are
consumed and fall down and bury women and children in the red glow.
This then is no human fancy that gladdened me, but the true spirit of
the Almighty that impels me onward, and the bishop, the king himself,
even our prophets may advance threateningly and imploringly towards me
in vain in these highly consecrated moments, nay should an angel
descend from heaven and call out to me to desist, I would not listen to
it. Thus I am brethren, and I neither can nor will be otherwise, this I
swear here, by the Eternal God!"
With these last words, he lifted his ponderous sword towards heaven,
and then struck it so forcibly against the rocky ground, that it
clattered loudly, Ravanel exclaimed as if possessed: "An Elias! an
Elias!" and threw himself upon the breast of the ferocious man; the
rest were silent, and Roland again came forward with a calm
countenance, and as if embarrassed. "What is your decision my
brethren?" demanded he with a deep sigh.
"The decision is difficult," said Constant, a robust, fair young man.
"Let our prophets decide." The deadly pale Duplant immediately came
forward, gave a hollow sigh and fell down; on the other side appeared
Salomon, a diminutive man, he folded his hands, knelt and threw himself
upon the rock. Duplant cried with that peculiarly deep voice: "I tell
you the Hero Catinat has only fulfilled my orders!"--scarcely however
had he uttered these words, than Salomon already groaned forth; "Follow
my servant Roland, for he is my chosen instrument, you know that the
blood of the innocent is an abomination to me."
The circle now drew closer together, and in the greatest excitement the
pale and swarthy faces were looking over one another's heads, and
between the shoulders of the foremost. Every eye was glowing, and
Ravanel exclaimed: "To me also was given the gift of prophecy, listen
to me, brethren, for perhaps the Spirit may now come over me." "Stop!"
screamed out Abraham Mazel, "I am one of the oldest here, I have a
right to speak before any of you, through me I can boast that this holy
war arose, but here, I think prophecy cannot avail." He had with these
words taken fast hold of the little thing, Ravanel, by the shoulders,
but the latter darted like lightening out of his grasp, threw himself
down by the side of Duplant, who still lay in ecstasy, and cried: "this
is our greatest prophet, for thou hast only two degrees, and him must
we follow."
"Is not Salomon," said Roland earnestly, "as almighty as he? Here the
word of the Lord contradicts itself: how shall we interpret it?"
"Not certainly," interrupted Edmond, who could no longer restrain
himself, "As wild passion demands, where doubt exists, mildness and
compassion are the designs of the Lord." He had not yet finished these
words, when he felt the stroke of a sword between his neck and
shoulders, which the wrathful Ravanel aimed at him. The youth tottered
backwards and Cavalier received him in his arms. "How?" exclaimed
several voices, "one brother against another?" many swords were bared,
a wild shout flew over the mountains and all was confusion. "The spirit
moves me: he is a traitor!" said Ravanel. "stop! peace!" cried Roland's
powerful voice in the midst, "brother Duplant has just now prophesied
that he means us fairly, and that he is inspired with the faith!"
Ravanel turned surlily away and spoke to Duplant, who had in the mean
while awakened.
A tall, slight man, whose clear brown eyes sparkled brightly, had in
the interim been busied with Edmond: he had quickly torn off his
clothes, examined and bound up the wound, which did not appear to be
dangerous, and had supported him nearly fainting from loss of blood,
between his knees. Cavalier with his kindly, childlike eyes was bending
over him, and the youth fancied that he was again in his father's
house, and that the strange guest was come to seek a reconciliation
with him. "You are my angel," said he in a feeble voice, "you are
indeed Gabriel, as my sister there has just said: take then also
Christine as well as my father under your protection, pious boy, we
shall all see one another cheerfully and happily again, but shine less
brightly." Then he lost all consciousness.
"He is dying! brother Clary!" exclaimed Cavalier. "No," replied he, who
had bound up his wound, "he will soon revive again; yet Ravanel does
him injustice, for I know by my spirit that this youth is religious,
and will follow our cause with zeal; but the wrathful fire of these
fierce heroes will ruin us all."
Roland in the meanwhile was going through the assembled groups with
commanding grace, seeking to appease these excited minds. All were
standing in order, as his glance had commanded; Ravanel alone,
conscious of guilt had retired. Cavalier now stepped in among them, and
in his own amiable manner, said, "Brethren, the tie that binds the
whole world, the source of all miracles, the strength of the weak, the
immediate presence of our most holy father, is love, love alone. I am
apprehensive, that we, the oppressed, whose unity is so necessary, may
in this manner be divided, should we forget that we are brethren? Does
not something more exalted than an oath bind us to a holy work? Ravanel
has without doubt grossly sinned against our new brother, but the pious
youth will forgive the enthusiast and Roland and Catinat as brethren
must also shake hands. Forgive the impetuous man, brother Roland, and
pardon him ye remaining friends, who censure his conduct; on his side,
he will promise you to regulate his mind, to restrain himself, and,
except in cases of the greatest emergency, to refrain from giving way
to the impulse of his feelings. When you are once more united, I have
something to report to you that is well worth consideration."
Catinat went slowly up to Roland; the latter wiped a tear from his eye,
extended his arms, embraced him and cried: "Welcome to me my brother!
thou wouldst dwell entirely in my soul, if thou couldst mix a few drops
of the mind's tranquility with thy burning zeal." Catinat promised to
restrain himself and peace was again restored.
"My friends," commenced Cavalier anew, "As I a short time since
descended into the plains and valley of Nage, it appeared to me
singularly enigmatical, that in so many places I met with coldness,
disapprobation, and a strange backwardness in the best and most
faithful. Unheard of and wilful barbarities were spoken of, said to
have been practised by our party. I enquired who were the leaders, but
they could not name them to me. Our most devoted friends told me,
however, that this was not the right manner, or the way to fight
through our, besides this, perilous cause. I shuddered when forced to
listen to these accounts. Our enemies have hardly acted towards us with
so much cruelty. I could not avoid shedding tears at the barbarous
manner in which the Marchioness of Miramon has been murdered. You all
know that she was a secret friend to our cause, and that we have
enjoyed many succours from her kindness. This lady frequently
travelled, often met with our people who were all acquainted with her,
and who besides never wilfully injured the peaceable and defenceless
inhabitants, but let them pass freely. Now she intended to quit Usez,
in order to visit her husband at St. Ambroise. She was advised to take
with her an escort, or at least armed servants, but confiding in our
friendship, she refused both. She had already nearly reached the place
of destination, when her carriage was surrounded by dark-looking men;
she and her maids were bound, and neither entreaties, nor tears, nor
the costly jewels that she carried with her, nor promise of much gold
could save these hapless beings from the most disgraceful death. I
contradicted all the exasperated people, that no troop of our party
could have done this, but only a few believed me. Fortunately I have
discovered who these wretches are, who also call themselves Camisards
and dishonour our cause; it is a band of highwaymen and incendiaries
who have come from Provence. Advance friend Degran, and relate to the
brethren how you came up with the villains, and how you escaped from
them."
A ragged, half-starved looking man with a long beard came forward, whom
some recognised and others examined with surprise. What a change a
period of a few weeks had effected in him! He began in a feeble voice:
"It may now be about a month ago, that I was sent by brother Cavalier
with three of my comrades against Montpellier to watch the enemy, to
purchase ammunition and to summon the attendance of some young men in
the mountains. In order to avoid observation, we set out in the evening
twilight, and just as a storm overtook us in the wood, we were suddenly
surrounded by a number of black-looking men, and commanded to offer no
resistance, the attempt too would have been vain among such a
multitude, the tallest of them advanced towards us and said: 'I see
then before me, some of the brave and valiant Camisards! You are
welcome!' We could not make out who they were, they had not the
appearance of the militia of the country, and were even more fearful
than the madcaps, whom the fierce hermit formerly headed. After we had
examined one another closer, he, who seemed to be the leader said:
'What a miserable perilous life such brave fellows lead, and none to
acknowledge their value; and the sacrifice they make. You are forbidden
to plunder, what do you gain by all your exertions? as we are told, you
are not allowed under penalty of death to plunder even the demolished
churches, and carry off the gold and silver vessels; no, you suffer all
to melt in the flames. We think differently, we are not, it is true,
your companions in faith, but you must make common cause with us.
Behold our party consists of fifty, all united together by solemn
oaths, you can never escape from us again, if you will not join us, you
must die, you know the country and the inhabitants, name to us then the
rich catholics, that we may direct our visits thither, and you shall
have a fair portion of the booty which falls to us.'--What could we do?
we were compelled to conduct them about, as they kept strict watch over
us. I cannot bear to think on the horrors we were forced to witness;
but one, more frightful than the rest, was committed against one of my
comrades, who attempted to escape from them, for our consciences
tortured us day and night. The horrible ill-treatment which had
preceded the murder of our brother, bound us still more firmly to these
highwaymen. The country was soon filled with rumours respecting these
black Camisards, as they were called. Under this mask they were,
however, by no means scrupulous about plundering merely their brothers
in the faith, but they also attacked the houses of the newly converted,
and whose families were known as zealous reformers. One evening when
they surrounded a country house and had dispatched me to inspect the
place more closely, we were surprised and compelled to make a hasty
retreat, and I availed myself of the opportunity to escape into a
garden, and from thence into the wood. They have now however a long
list of wealthy people, whom they intend to rob and murder; the Lord of
Beauvais stands at the head of it, and as his house is rather retired,
it is almost impossible for them not to succeed."
"Enough, my friend," cried Cavalier, "now Catinat will you accompany me
in order to catch these assassins? This time, I will take only fifty
men with me, and shall return shortly to receive your orders, brother
Roland."
He made a sign, quickly mounted a little horse, and those, who were
already acquainted with his will, followed him accompanied by Catinat.
The man, who had escaped from the robbers, was also of the party in
order to trace the villains. Edmond in the mean while had been removed.
He lay in a hut formed of plaited branches upon a couch of moss,
Abraham Mazel had followed to take care of him. The other leaders had
also retired deeper into the wood with their troops. Roland, now nearly
alone, walked up and down on the mountain plain, gave out orders,
appointed new posts, and dispatched a troop under Valmal to procure
provisions. Soon afterwards, Roland received intelligence through the
centinels of the outposts, that they perceived in the direction of
Rouergue a great number of men that, from their appearance, might be
taken for the country militia. "These," said Roland, "will not be so
unwise as to attack us in this strong place." A messenger came to
announce that the approaching people had raised a great cry, and were
not marching but advancing without order, and in tumultuous crowds. The
noise was now heard ascending nearer from the rear of the mountain.
"They are peasants," exclaimed Roland, as he came down from the
eminence which he had ascended. "What can they want? Wherefore this
commotion?" the procession drew near; men, women, even children and old
men in the midst of them, all fluried, most of them in tears, each one
would speak first, each presenting a hand to the commander. Those who
were the most exhausted, laid themselves down on the ground, the
younger men placed themselves in order, some had old fowling pieces,
others sides, many were armed with short or long swords, several
carried hatchets and axes. The fighting men amounted at least to two
hundred in number, and when the tumult at length subsided, and Roland
again asked from whence they came and what they required, one of the
oldest among the armed men stepped forward and said, "Roland, you must
know me and my father yonder, as well as many here from the commune of
Meliere, we, who have often lent you our help, all in secret attached
to you, and who have daily put up our prayers for you to heaven. You
also know our persecutors; why need I name them to you. But our
calamity is still new to you, and truly one must live in our days to
deem it possible. It is now some months ago, that the Intendant and the
Marshal caused whole communities to be carried off from the middle of
the Cevennes, as well as from Mialet; women, children, and fathers were
thrown into their prisons, merely because they were suspected by them.
Out of one-and-twenty parishes, three hundred young men were seized
from the district of Nismes alone, besides whole families and are shut
up in the dungeons and fortresses of the level country and of the
mountains. The inhuman Intendant trusts no one, and how can the
subject be tranquil and faithful to the king, when the tyrant in his
cold-blooded intrigues only meditates how to make the people wretched?
The terrible man has been heard to say with his own lips, that the best
and the safest method would be to extirpate from the face of the earth
all who are converted, as well as the rebels. The Marshal himself, it
is said, is shocked at these ideas, God and the king have not so far
forgotten us ever to permit such infamy. But since the day before
yesterday----Yes, weep, mourn, ye unfortunate, banished, houseless
people!" And as in chorus there arose a sobbing and lamentation, but
the speaker continued thus, "Early the day before yesterday, as we were
going forth to our field labours, we heard the beating of drums, we
took it for the usual marching of the royal troops through the country,
but they soon drew near, we ascended the mountain and saw that the
extensive mountain district, valley, and ravine, as far as the eye
could reach, were surrounded. They did not leave us long in suspense,
we were summoned to the square of our large village. Thence they
published to our magistrates and to us, that in Nismes a decree had
been pronounced to entirely depopulate our district, and many others,
two-and-thirty parishes, including more than eighty villages and farms,
to send the inhabitants to the open country, to other provinces, to
islands, and to pull down and set fire to all the houses, stables, and
farms without exception. Four regiments are encamped in the district to
accomplish this devilish work. All uttered screams and lamentations,
but they were disregarded, like ill-fated cattle, destined for
slaughter, the wretched creatures suffered themselves, to be driven
forth; and from the neighbouring mountain we already beheld the houses
demolished; the axes resounded, the cattle lowed, and the mountains
groaningly repeated the melancholy echo. As it proceeded too slowly for
the monsters, we soon saw flames too flaring up; like greedy jaws, like
thirsty tongues, did the fire lick up our beloved old dwellings and
swallowed them in flames. The trees before the houses were consumed
with them. Yes, Roland, the district, the dear villages, the hospitable
houses, which so often and so amicably received you and yours, these
are in a brief space reduced to a desert, and in future I shall not be
able perhaps to find a trace of where I lived with my parents, where I
sat with them before the door, and played in the spring, where I became
acquainted with my wife, where she bore me her first son. The stork
will never again familiarly and confidingly take up his lodging on the
roof of my barn, no swallow will again announce to me there the warmth
of spring, and twitter with her young before my window. Oh! and my own
children. Man indeed has no childhood, when he is deprived of his
country. The poor women! how well known to us, how dear was each bush
and running brook. Now we know, for the first time, how we loved our
old cottages and the seats inherited from our great grandfathers. All
that we there in devotion, thought, and prayed, all the delightful
Easter and Whitsuntide festivals, the pleasing solitude of the long
winter evenings, and the exemplary conversations of the old men, all,
all is vanished in this hideous fire."
"No more! no more!" shrieked the women, and the children wept aloud.
"All this," continued the speaker, "happened to us, dear Roland, on
your account alone, for they know well, the persecutors! that we have
in our hearts been with you, so many of your bravest men are from among
us. They extirpate us, especially because our valleys and mountains
border on the district of Vivares, and through our country Catinat and
Cavalier attempted to penetrate. Friend, brother! here we are now, and
assuredly many more active men from other districts will run to you,
for they will not suffer what will be required of them. Come, lead us
on, thrust us into the thicket of the fight, when thousands stand close
in front of their cannons, and with swords, sicles, hatchets, and
cudgels we will fall upon them, nay without weapons, with these hands,
with these teeth we will tear them to pieces! Life and pleasure now
consist only in death and destruction; if they only feel how we hate
and abhor them, if but one and then another, and a third be made to
acknowledge to us, struggling in agonising death, and with closing
eyes, that this happens to them for their evil doings." All the men
pressed forward brandishing their weapons and gnashing their teeth. A
smothered cry of rage suddenly burst from every lip. "Controul
yourselves my friends," said Roland, "As well as you can; you,
Bertrand, with your horrifying account have filled my soul with sorrow,
for your woe concerns us altogether and your loss admits of no
restitution. Repose and refresh yourselves here with all that I can
offer you; then follow my counsel, and let the old men, women, and
children return peaceably, for here there is neither shelter nor help
for them. God will ordain, that all shall turn for the best, that the
proprietors find their own again and that your cottages shall rise once
more from their ruins. Only do not despair, bear your calamity with
pain and sorrow, but do not despair, for that belies God, opposes
itself to him, nay, mocks his inscrutable decrees, and in its hellish
dictates, would even annihilate him. Do not give yourselves up to this
feeling, which is unworthy of men. We have all indeed been long since
innured to misery by the hand of the Lord. Shew now that you are
obedient, well conducted children, who though he may look upon you with
a severe and reproving countenance, will not mistake the father."
All shewed themselves more quiet and the younger men exclaimed, "Give
us weapons! weapons! Roland!" "Those that I have left," replied the
latter, "you shall have; such as cannot obtain any, must wait for the
first combat, and take them from the enemy, for it has been arranged
thus from the beginning. The troops must bring us arms up into the
mountains, and a gun which oneself has wrested from a strange foe is
quite a different arm to what one buys. Pooh! who would give money for
iron and arms, as long as the Marshal will still so kindly give himself
the trouble to send out his people in heat and rain, that they may
laboriously enough provide us very conveniently with arms, which he
himself with his Intendant and his baton will have reason to fear. Thus
thinks a true Camisard. Clothing also shall they deliver up to you,
shoes and boots, but you must learn to be courteous and assist them, my
countrymen, a little to undress. With a hundred such valets, Cavalier
was here a short time since; they were all most gallantly equipped
without being indebted a single denier to draper, or tailor."
Bertrand, who was resting upon his fowling piece, and whose tears still
trickled down his cheeks, and over his weapon, could not avoid laughing
aloud, and the younger lads joined him. "Yes," cried young Francois,
"we will peel them like red and yellow apples, only serve us up a dish
of them soon."
"Shake them bravely out of their uniforms, the season for nut shaking
is near."
"I will shake them out," cried Francois "so that they shall fall
rattling at my feet and each one shall shew himself so hollow and
worm-eaten, that I would not seek for his kernel!"--The mother rose
from the ground and embraced her young son, who had just entered into
manhood. "I, and several of us," said another lad, "have already served
many a time under you, Roland; but then we returned afterwards to our
village."
"This is the best method to carry on the war," replied Roland, "for we
thus sometimes save provisions, and our troops remain fresh and ready
for battle. I know you well Adam, and also that little shoemaker Anton
yonder."
Anton came forward; "Yes, dear brother, I am so glad that he shoes,
which I made for you hold out still."--He fell down and wished to
embrace his knees, but Roland raised him up. "Look Roland; I love and
honour you so much, that I should like to be your footstool upon which
your tired legs might repose. I formerly fought bravely, but now, it
shall go on quite differently. It shall be stab on stab, and my awl and
thong shall be drawn through their hearts and entrails, so that the
soul shall pipe like an imprisoned rat."
All appeared seated at the frugal meal more comforted and quiet; at
least the distorted and despairing faces with which they had at first
appeared before the commander, were no longer to be seen.