The Rebellion in the Cevennes, an Historical Novel. Vol. I.

by Ludwig Tieck

"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 Melière, 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 François, "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 François "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."