massacres of the south-第51部分

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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。　　But　General
Lagarde　brushed　all　these　considerations　aside：　he　had　received　an
order　from　the　prince；　and　to　a　man　of　his　military　cast　of　mind　no
course　was　open　but　to　carry　that　order　out。

Nevertheless；　the　president　again　expressed　his　doubts　and　fears。

〃I　will　answer　with　my　head；〃　said　the　general；　〃that　nothing
happens。〃　　Still　the　president　counselled　prudence；　asking　that　only
one　place　of　worship　at　first　be　opened；　and　to　this　the　general　gave
his　consent。

This　continued　resistance　to　the　re…establishment　of　public　worship
on　the　part　of　those　who　most　eagerly　desired　it　enabled　the　general
at　last　to　realise　the　extent　of　the　danger　which　would　be　incurred
by　the　carrying　out　of　this　measure；　and　he　at　once　took　all　possible
precautions。　　Under　the　pretext　that　he　was　going　to…have　a　general
review；　he　brought　the　entire　civil　and　military　forces　of　Nimes
under　his　authority；　determined；　if　necessary；　to　use　the　one　to
suppress　the　other。　　As　early　as　eight　o'clock　in　the　morning　a　guard
of　gens　d'armes　was　stationed　at　the　doors　of　the　meeting…house；
while　other　members　of　the　same　force　took　up　their　positions　in　the
adjacent　streets。　　On　the　other　hand；　the　Consistory　had　decided　that
the　doors　were　to　be　opened　an　hour　sooner　than　usual；　that　the　bells
were　not　to　be　rung；　and　that　the　organ　should　be　silent。

These　precautions　had　both　a　good　and　a　bad　side。　　The　gens　d'armes
at　the　door　of　the　meetinghouse　gave　if　not　a　promise　of　security　at
least　a　promise　of　support；　but　they　showed　to　the　citizens　of　the
other　party　what　was　about　to　be　done；　so　before　nine　o'clock　groups
of　Catholics　began　to　form；　and　as　it　happened　to　be　Sunday　the
inhabitants　of　the　neighbouring　villages　arriving　constantly　by　twos
and　threes　soon　united　these　groups　into　a　little　army。　　Thus　the
streets　leading　to　the　church　being　thronged；　the　Protestants　who
pushed　their　way　through　were　greeted　with　insulting　remarks；　and
even　the　president　of　the　Consistory；　whose　white；　hair　and　dignified
expression　had　no　effect　upon　the　mob；　heard　the　people　round　him
saying；　〃These　brigands　of　Protestants　are　going　again　to　their
temple；　but　we　shall　soon　give　them　enough　of　it。〃

The　anger　of　the　populace　soon　grows　hot；　between　the　first　bubble
and　the　boiling…point　the　interval　is　short。　　Threats　spoken　in　a　low
voice　were　soon　succeeded　by　noisy　objurgations。　　Women；　children；
and　men　brake　out　into　yells；　〃Down　with　the　broilers！〃　（for　this　was
one　of　the　names　by　which　the　Protestants　were　designated）。　　〃Down
with　the　broilers！　　We　do　not　want　to　see　them　using　our　churches：
let　them　give　us　back　our　churches；　let　them　give　us　back　our
churches；　and　go　to　the　desert。　　Out　with　them！　　Out　with　them！　To
the　desert！　　To　the　desert！〃

As　the　crowd　did　not　go　beyond　words；　however　insulting；　and　as　the
Protestants　were　long　inured　to　much　worse　things；　they　plodded　along
to　their　meeting…house；　humble　and　silent；　and　went　in；　undeterred　by
the　displeasure　they　aroused；　whereupon　the　service　commenced。

But　some　Catholics　went　in　with　them；　and　soon　the　same　shouts　which
had　been　heard　without　were　heard　also　within。　　The　general；　however；
was　on　the　alert；　and　as　soon　as　the　shouts　arose　inside　the　gens
d'armes　entered　the　church　and　arrested　those　who　had　caused　the
disturbance。　　The　crowds　tried　to　rescue　them　on　their　way　to　prison；
but　the　general　appeared　at　the　head　of　imposing　forces；　at　the　sight
of　which　they　desisted。　　An　apparent　cam　succeeded　the　tumult；　and
the　public　worship　went　on　without　further　interruption。

The　general；　misled　by　appearances；　went　off　himself　to　attend　a
military　mass；　and　at　eleven　o'clock　returned　to　his　quarters　for
lunch。　　His　absence　was　immediately　perceived　and　taken　advantage　of。
In　the：　twinkling　of　an　eye；　the　crowds；　which　had　dispersed；
gathered　together　in　even　greater　numbers　and　the　Protestants；　seeing
themselves　once　more　in　danger；　shut　the　doors　from　within；　while　the
gens　d'armes　guarded　them　without。　　The　populace　pressed　so　closely
round　the　gens　d'armes；　and　assumed　such　a　threatening　attitude；　that
fearing　he　and　his　men　would　not　be　able　to　hold　their　own　in　such　a
throng；　the　captain　ordered　M。　Delbose；　one　of　his　officers；　to　ride
off　and　warn　the　general。　　He　forced　his　way　through　the　crowd　with
great　trouble；　and　went　off　at　a　gallop。　　On　seeing　this；　the　people
felt　there　was　no　time　to　be　lost；　they　knew　of　what　kind　the　general
was；　and　that　he　would　be　on　the　spot　in　a　quarter　of　an　hour。　　A
large　crowd　is　invincible　through　its　numbers；　it　has　only　to　press
forward；　and　everything　gives　way；　men；　wood；　iron。　　At　this　moment
the　crowd；　swayed　by　a　common　impulse；　swept　forward；　the　gens
d'armes　and　their　horses　were　crushed　against　the　wall；　doors　gave
way；　and　instantly　with　a　tremendous　roar　a　living　wave　flooded　the
church。　　Cries　of　terror　and　frightful　imprecations　were　heard　on　all
sides；　everyone　made　a　weapon　of　whatever　came　to　hand；　chairs　and
benches　were　hurled　about；　the　disorder　was　at　its　height；　it　seemed
as　if　the　days　of　the　Michelade　and　the　Bagarre　were　about　to　return；
when　suddenly　the　news　of　a　terrible　event　was　spread　abroad；　and
assailants　and　assailed　paused　in　horror。　　General　Lagarde　had　just
been　assassinated。

As　the　crowd　had　foreseen；　no　sooner　did　the　messenger　deliver　his
message　than　the　general　sprang　on　his　horse；　and；　being　too　brave；
or　perhaps　too　scornful；　to　fear　such　foes；　he　waited　for　no　escort；
but；　accompanied　by　two　or　three　officers；　set　off　at　full　gallop
towards　the　scene　of　the　tumult。　　He　had　passed　through　the　narrow
streets　which　led　to　the　meeting…house　by　pushing　the　crowd　aside
with　his　horse's　chest；　when；　just　as　he　got　out　into　the　open
square；　a　young　man　named　Boisson；　a　sergeant　in　the　Nimes　National
Guard；　came　up　and　seemed　to　wish　to　speak　to　him。　　The　general
seeing　a　man　in　uniform；　bent　down　without　a　thought　of　danger　to
listen　to　what　he　had　to　say；　whereu