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

by Ludwig Tieck

"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.

CHAPTER X.

Edmond had again returned to consciousness, and on opening his eyes, he saw Mazel by his couch and the swarthy Eustace, who although wounded himself, had stayed to serve him and was kneeling by his bed. He could not for a long time recall to his recollection how he had come there, and the fierce looking men, with the view from the hut over the mountains and woods, threw him into a strange reverie. However, he was soon enabled to connect one idea with another, and to reassemble all his faculties. His imagination was still busied with Cavalier, he fancied he could follow and see him, now, as a shadow, then, brighter again, yet it seemed as if his feverish state presented him figuring to himself, in real colours and contour, the portrait of his friends and the place in which he was. Eustace kissed his hands and bathed them with tears. "Oh, my dear young master!" cried he then sobbing, "that you should now come among us, and have been obliged to experience anything so bad from our wildest prophet! yes, brother Ravanel, is the worst, should I have said in my stupidity, the most godless: may heaven forgive me my sins. No, all of us and himself too must often pray, that the Lord may moderate his ardent zeal, for he is almost always in anger, and only too frequently as if raving. Are you better now, gracious sir?" Edmond pressed his hand and said, "I feel that the wound is not of much consequence, it was the loss of blood alone made me faint; but brother Eustace, as I am now a brother to you all, leave off that empty mode of the men of the world, and call me thou, as it is customary among you."

"As thou wilt!" exclaimed the former greatly affected: "but I am as if in heaven, that thou brother, that thou, who wast so proud shouldst thus converse with me. They always deny miracles, and yet this is truly one."

"Leave him to repose, brother Eustace," said Mazel, "do not excite and tease him any more in order that he may be soon restored." "Relate to me," said Edmond, "brother Abraham, that my imagination may be directed to a fixed point, which otherwise in its diseased state is wandering lost and bewildered. Do I remember rightly, that thou saidst to-day in that extraordinary dispute, which my soul cannot even yet understand, thou hadst given rise to the present war. Or was it not so? tell me something about it, for although I have grown up in this neighbourhood, I know but little connected with these affairs."

Mazel replied: "It is true brother Edmond, it is also not true, as one may consider the matter, and thus it is perhaps with most things in the world. I was a lad of about twenty years of age, when, suddenly they abolished our reformed religion, it went to the hearts of all throughout the whole country. I was then only a forest-ranger in the service of the Lord of Mende, on the banks of the Rhone. About this time they began to emigrate from the country. Nobles, merchants, peasants, and citizens went away (for that was yet permitted) towards Switzerland, Holland, England and Germany, where they were well received, for the poorer ones were industrious mechanics, had knowledge of manufactures, and carried many arts and advantages to other lands. I had no inclination to go with them. Gracious heaven! home is sweet, where man is born, air and water seem good to him, where my language is understood, there is my heart. Added to this, I loved a maiden; and besides, they intended to make me a royal ranger. The thing pleased me, and with love, domestic joy and happiness in my native land; I bound up the mouth of conscience so close, that like a dancing bear, it could not bite around it. The extensive emigration, the fortune that they carried away with them, caused a great sensation, this they had never suspected and probably thought all were quiet cattle like myself, and just as willing to let themselves be bound to the manger. Now under pain of being sent to the gallies, every body was prohibited to quit the country; Ah! that gave a shock, and completely so, when they did it in reality, and, as an example, several old noblemen were chained to the oar. The anguish was great in the land. All were forced to attend mass; the dragoons were sent out; the people tortured; the children shut up. The most enthusiastic went out together into the woods and caverns, and prayed there and preached to one another. Whomsoever they found thus employed, was without further ceremony broken alive on the wheel; hanging was a favour. Our Intendant thought to crush the affair with prompt violence, and appalling horror, that old and young needed only to be quickly reminded of their religion. People often think in reality, because they are themselves convinced of the matter, and that it is only carelessness in others: they wish to recall them to themselves, and often in the midst of their barbarity, they do not mean so badly towards them."

"Thou art right Mazel," interrupted Edmond, "I myself was of this belief a short time ago." "But now," continued the old man in his relation, "all our souls acquired an entirely different colour, they were clad in new vestments, for we had not thought of it thus, and we came to our recollection, but in a very different manner. Were I in the wood and my dog only whined, it seemed precisely to me as if it were my conscience. Yes, I was struck, I sought for, but could not find the hidden jewel. My wife then consoled me once more, and thought that all would certainly come round again.--Now it was strange enough, that a pious society had already long since arisen in Dauphiné. An aged man lived there upon a high mountain in the middle of a wood. He had a glass-manufactory in that solitude. Now we have all experienced that mountain and valley, the air that one breathes there, the murmurings, the singular voices, the cry and the echo, make a man bolder, fresher, and also more imaginative; he no longer fears his brethren in the cities, he prizes not so highly the stone-houses and the smooth streets, and all the singing of bells. The man Du Serre had visions and revelations. He did not, however, go about preaching. He, as well as myself, was wanting in that gift, but he was endowed with that of foresight. Can one learn that from another? we must believe it, and our times confirm it. But how? there lies the riddle! Should it be called an art? by no means! The enemies call it imposture, that is impious. Well, this glass-manufacturer kept fifteen young men in his house, and his wife as many young girls, they almost all experienced the enlightening, and the greater part of them the gift of preaching. Thus then did they go out into the world. The fame of beautiful Isabelle was soon spread abroad. She seduced every-body to apostacy, as the others termed it. Still more efficaciously did a youth, named Gabriel Astier, teach and convert. A part of Dauphiné and our neighbourhood of Vivarès soon became one flame of religion. The children then already began to prophecy. But the poor creatures, without weapons of defence in their too zealous faith, were surprised by the soldiers, and the greatest number massacred. Our Basville and his son-in-law, the Marshal Broglio, bore the fame of having massacred them all. Gabriel also, who had become a soldier in Montpellier, was recognized and executed, and the lovely Isabelle from fear, in the dungeon of Grenoble, retracted from her faith, and thus all had the appearance of tranquillity. Sparks of the faith, however, and of the force of miracles had been scattered and lost in the Cevennes. For the spirit possesses the property of fire, which, out of a little spark, by which a small beetle cannot warm itself, grows, in a few hours, into a brand that lays woods in ashes, and mocks all human efforts to extinguish it. What may not lie in one single word? Oh thou mournful sound, like the twittering of the swallow, thou appearest to die away in the wilderness, the spirit conducts thee through the world, and puts thee on a coat of mail that armies grow out of the ground, and horses and riders, and thousands sent by kings with the thunder of artillery, were not able to make the little world as quiet and small as it lay formerly in the solitary cottage. Praised be the Lord!"

He prayed inwardly, and then continued: "In the meantime, people became older and wiser but certainly more obstinate, I already began to think no more of my former faith, nor had the new one either much effect on my heart. I was an ass between two hayricks, and ate of neither.