massacres of the south-第3节

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Those　thus　sorted　out　were　then　conducted　to　a　spot　which　had　been
chosen　beforehand　as　the　place　of　execution。

This　was　the　palace　courtyard　in　the　middle　of　which　yawned　a　well
twenty…four　feet　in　circumference　and　fifty　deep。　　The　fanatics　thus
found　a　grave　ready…digged　as　it　were　to　their　hand；　and　to　save
time；　made　use　of　it。

The　unfortunate　Catholics；　led　thither　in　groups；　were　either　stabbed
with　daggers　or　mutilated　with　axes；　and　the　bodies　thrown　down　the
well。　　Guy…Rochette　was　one　of　the　first　to　be　dragged　up。　　For
himself　he　asked　neither　mercy　nor　favour；　but　he　begged　that　the
life　of　his　young　brother　might　be　spared；　whose　only　crime　was　the
bond　of　blood　which　united　them；　but　the　assassins；　paying　no　heed　to
his　prayers；　struck　down　both　man　and　boy　and　flung　them　into　the
well。　　The　corpse　of　the　vicar…general；　who　had　been　killed　the　day
before；　was　in　its　turn　dragged　thither　by　a　rope　and　added　to　the
others。　　All　night　the　massacre　went　on；　the　crimsoned　water　rising
in　the　well　as　corpse　after　corpse　was　thrown　in；　till；　at　break　of
day；　it　overflowed；　one　hundred　and　twenty　bodies　being　then　hidden
in　its　depths。

Next　day；　October　1st；　the　scenes　of　tumult　were　renewed：　from　early
dawn　Captain　Bouiilargues　ran　from　street　to　street　crying；　〃Courage；
comrades！　　Montpellier；　Pezenas；　Aramon；　Beaucaire；　Saint…Andeol；　and
Villeneuve　are　taken；　and　are　on　our　side。　　Cardinal　de　Lorraine　is
dead；　and　the　king　is　in　our　power。〃　　This　aroused　the　failing
energies　of　the　assassins。　　They　joined　the　captain；　and　demanded
that　the　houses　round　the　palace　should　be　searched；　as　it　was　almost

certain　that　the　bishop；　who　had；　as　may　be　remembered；　escaped　the
day　before；　had　taken　refuge　in　one　of　them。　　This　being　agreed　to；　a
house…to…house　visitation　was　begun：　when　the　house　of　M。　de
Sauvignargues　was　reached；　he　confessed　that　the　bishop　was　in　his
cellar；　and　proposed　to　treat　with　Captain　Bouillargues　for　a　ransom。
This　proposition　being　considered　reasonable；　was　accepted；　and　after
a　short　discussion　the　sum　of　120　crowns　was　agreed　on。　　The　bishop
laid　down　every　penny　he　had　about　him；　his　servants　were　despoiled；
and　the　sum　made　up　by　the　Sieur　de　Sauvignargues；　who　having　the
bishop　in　his　house　kept　him　caged。　　The　prelate；　however；　made　no
objection；　although　under　other　circumstances　he　would　have　regarded
this　restraint　as　the　height　of　impertinence；　but　as　it　was　he　felt
safer　in　M。　de　Sauvignargues'　cellar　than　in　the　palace。

But　the　secret　of　the　worthy　prelate's　hiding〃　place　was　but　badly
kept　by　those　with　whom　he　had　treated；　for　in　a　few　moments　a　second
crowd　appeared；　hoping　to　obtain　a　second　ransom。　　Unfortunately；　the
Sieur　de　Sauvignargues；　the　bishop；　and　the　bishop's　servants　had
stripped　themselves　of　all　their　ready　money　to　make　up　the　first；　so
the　master　of　the　house；　fearing　for　his　own　safety；　having
barricaded　the　doors；　got　out　into　a　lane　and　escaped；　leaving　the
bishop　to　his　fate。　　The　Huguenots　climbed　in　at　the　windows；　crying；
〃No　quarter！　　Down　with　the　Papists！　　〃The　bishop's　servants　were　cut
down；　the　bishop　himself　dragged　out　of　the　cellar　and　thrown　into
the　street。　　There　his　rings　and　crozier　were　snatched　from　him；　he
was　stripped　of　his　clothes　and　arrayed　in　a　grotesque　and　ragged
garment　which　chanced　to　be　at　hand；　his　mitre　was　replaced　by　a
peasant's　cap；　and　in　this　condition　he　was　dragged　back　to　the
palace　and　placed　on　the　brink　of　the　well　to　be　thrown　in。　　One　of
the　assassins　drew　attention　to　the　fact　that　it　was　already　full。
〃Pooh！〃　replied　another；　〃they　won't　mind　a　little　crowding　for　a
bishop。〃　　Meantime　the　prelate；　seeing　he　need　expect　no　mercy　from
man；　threw　himself　on　his　knees　and　commended　his　soul　to　God。
Suddenly；　however；　one　of　those　who　had　shown　himself　most　ferocious
during　the　massacre；　Jean　Coussinal　by　name；　was　touched　as　if　by
miracle　with　a　feeling　of　compassion　at　the　sight　of　so　much
resignation；　and　threw　himself　between　the　bishop　and　those　about　to
strike；　and　declaring　that　whoever　touched　the　prelate　must　first
overcome　himself；　took　him　under　his　protection；　his　comrades
retreating　in　astonishment。　　Jean　Coussinal　raising　the　bishop；
carried　him　in　his　arms　into　a　neighbouring　house；　and　drawing　his
sword；　took　his　stand　on　the　threshold。

The　assassins；　however；　soon　recovered　from　their　surprise；　and
reflecting　that　when　all　was　said　and　done　they　were　fifty　to　one；
considered　it　would　be　shameful　to　let　themselves　be　intimidated　by　a
single　opponent；　so　they　advanced　again　on　Coussinal；　who　with　a
back…handed　stroke　cut　off　the　head　of　the　first…comer。　　The　cries
upon　this　redoubled；　and　two　or　three　shots　were　fired　at　the
obstinate　defender　of　the　poor　bishop；　but　they　all　missed　aim。　　At
that　moment　Captain　Bouillargues　passed　by；　and　seeing　one　man
attacked　by　fifty；　inquired　into　the　cause。　　He　was　told　of
Coussinal's　odd　determination　to　save　the　bishop。　　〃He　is　quite
right；〃　said　the　captain；　〃the　bishop　has　paid　ransom；　and　no　one　has
any　right　to　touch　him。〃　　Saying　this；　he　walked　up　to　Coussinal；
gave　him　his　hand；　and　the　two　entered　the　house；　returning　in　a　few
moments　with　the　bishop　between　them。　　In　this　order　they　crossed　the
town；　followed　by　the　murmuring　crowd；　who　were；　however；　afraid　to
do　more　than　murmur；　at　the　gate　the　bishop　was　provided　with　an
escort　and　let　go；　his　defenders　remaining　there　till　he　was　out　of
sight。

The　massacres　went　on　during　the　whole　of　the　second　day；　though
towards　evening　the　search　for　victims　relaxed　somewhat；　but　still
many　isolated　acts　of　murder　took　place　during　the　night。　　On　the
morrow；　being　tired　of　killing；　the　people　began　to　destroy；　and　this
phase　lasted　a　long　time；　it　being　less　fatiguing　to　throw　stones
about　than　corpses。　　All　the　convents；　all　the　monasteries；　all　the
houses　of　the　priests　and　canons　were　attacked　in　turn；　nothing　was
spared　except　the　cathedral；　before　which　axes　and　crowbars　seemed　to
lose　their　power；　and　the　church　of　Ste。　Eugenie；　which　was　turned
into　a　powder…magazine。　　The　day　of　the　great　butchery　was　called
〃La　Michelade；〃　because　it　took　place　the　day　after　Michaelmas；　and
as　all　this　happened　in　the　year　1567　the　Massacre　of　St。
Bartholomew　must　be　regarded　as　a　plagiarism。

At　last；　however；　with　the　help　of　M。　Damville；　the　Catholics　again
got　the　upper　hand；　and　it　was　the　turn　of　the　Protestants　to　fly。
They　took　refuge　in　the　Cevennes。　　From　the　beginning　of　the　troubles
the　Cevennes　had　been　the　asylum　of　those　who　suffered　for　the
Protestant　faith；　and　still　the　plains　are　Papist；　and　the　mountains
Protestant。　　When　the　Catholic　party　is　in　the　ascendant　at　Nimes；
the　plain　seeks　the　mountain；　when　the　Protestants　come　into　power；
the　mountain　comes　down　into　the　plain。

However；　vanquished　and　fugitive　though　they　were；　the　Calvinists　did
not　lose　courage：　in　exile　one　day；　they　felt　sure　their　luck　would
turn　the　next；　and　while　the　Catholics　were　burning　or　hanging　them
in　effigy　for　contumacy；　they　were　before　a　notary；　dividing　the
property　of　their　executioners。

But　it　was　not　enough　for　them　to　buy　or　sell　this　property　amongst
each　other；　they　wanted　to　enter　into　possession；　they　thought　of
nothing　else；　and　in　1569that　is；　in　the　eighteenth　month　of　their
exilethey　attained　their　wish　in　the　following　manner：

One　day　the　exiles　perceived　a　carpenter　belonging　to　a　little
village　called　Cauvisson　approaching　their　place　of　refuge。　　He
desired　to　speak　to　M。　Nicolas　de　Calviere；　seigneur　de　St。　Cosme；
and　brother　of　the　president；　who　was　known　to　be　a　very　enterprising
man。　　To　him　the　carpenter；　whose　name　was　Maduron；　made　the
following　proposition：

In　the　moat　of　Nimes；　close　to　the　Gate　of　the　Carmelites；　there　was
a　grating　through　which　the　waters　from　the　fountain　found　vent。
Maduron　offered　to　file　through　the　bars　of　this　grating　in　such　a
manner　that　some　fine　night　it　could　be　lifted　out　so　as　to　allow　a
band　of　armed　Protestants　to　gain　access　to　the　city。　　Nicolas　de
Calviere　approving　of　this　plan；　desired　that　it　should　be　carried
out　at　once；　but　the　carpenter　pointed　out　that　it　would　be　necessary
to　wait　for　stormy　weather；　when　the　waters　swollen　by　the　rain　would
by　their　noise　drown　the　sound　of　the　file。　　This　precaution　was
doubly　necessary　as　the　box　of　the　sentry　was　almost　exactly　above
the　grating。　　M。　de　Calviere　tried　to　make　Maduron　give　way；　but　the
latter；　who　was　risking　more　than　anyone　else；　was　firm。　　So　whether
they　liked　it　or　not；　de　Calviere　and　the　rest　had　to　await　his　good
pleasure。

Some　days　later　rainy　weather　set　in；　and　as　usual　the　fountain
became　fuller；　Maduron　seeing　that　the　favourable　moment　had　arrived；
glided　at　night　into　the　moat　and　applied　his　file；　a　friend　of　his
who　was　hidden　on　the　ramparts　above　pulling　a　cord　attached　to
Maduron's　arm　every　time　the　sentinel；　in　pacing　his　narrow　round；
approached　the　spot。　　Before　break　of　day　the　work　was　well　begun。
Maduron　then　obliterated　all　traces　of　his　file　by　daubing　the　bars
with　mud　and　wax；　and　withdrew。　　For　three　consec