by Ludwig Tieck
CHAPTER IX.
The young commander first cast a lengthened look of astonishment onEdmond, then approached nearer and kindly offered him his hand. "Youare one of us," exclaimed he, "the Lord had so ordained, accept theassurance 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 ata time, when I neither knew, nor loved you; you it was who saved ourhouse, myself, my sister and my beloved father! The veil has fallenfrom my eyes, and I shall now honour and love you, and all these heroesof the faith, as brothers."
A circle had been formed and Roland now stepped with solemn demeanourinto the middle of it. "We are assembled," commenced he, greatlyaffected, "in order to pass judgment upon a friend, who is to me one ofthe dearest among the most valiant of the fraternity, and in the workof the Lord a distinguished zealot. Here stands Catinat, the man atwhose name all our foes tremble. You are all here present, Cavalier,thou Ravanel, Castanet, Duplant, and Salomon, Clary, Abraham Mazel isalso arrived here. I have often spoken on this point already, my dearfriends, 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 shouldrefrain from shedding blood as much as possible. No, my belovedfriends, we will not therein follow the example of our adversaries,that we may excel them in their emulation for murder, incendiarism andall 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 theLord, let him fall a sacrifice to his own malice, but the harmlesslabourer, the helpless priest, the defenceless woman, the child underage, let them be spared, what have they done to us? what can theyaccomplish against us? we have certainly always struggled to put ourenemies to shame and to convince them by Christian charity, that ourcourse is a just one; but here, Catinat has again acted in oppositionto my express command, in his expedition he has set fire to threechurches with his own hands, he has massacred two priests, his troopaccording to his orders has reduced villages to ashes, and women andchildren have been murdered and burned in the most terrible manner.Their lamentations, the cries of the orphans, the wailings of theparents rise up to heaven, and arouse and call upon the enduringgoodness of the Lord to thrust and to fling us in his wrath far awayfrom him, like useless vessels. If we ourselves act in this manner,wherefore should we complain, when the enemies open wide the jaws ofcruelty and show less compassion than the wolf in the wilderness, orthe beast of prey of the mountains, then, with justice, their stakesblaze threateningly to meet us! why are we angered, when theirbarbarous executioners, with greedy looks, grin up towards ourmountains, and in malicious joy whet their instruments of death? thenfight brute against brute, and devil against Belzebub! By what thenshall the good cause be recognised? I will also remind you, my belovedbrethren, that these deeds alienate the best people in the country fromus; not only the Catholic, but such as are in their hearts ourbrothers, will desert us, as well as those newly converted ones, whowould willingly help us. Have you then forgotten, how pious men offoreign lands, priests and leaders of armies, have warned us not tostain our hands with innocent blood, and our holy cause with firebrandsand cruelty? all pious minds in distant lands who turn looks of loveupon us will be mistaken, and will surely think, that innate crueltyand savage nature must be alleged for these proceedings, and not ourconscience and the cause of the Lord that we fight for. It ismisfortune enough, that we should be compelled to stand in arms againstour lawful king, who wanted to rob us of our God; let this misfortunesuffice, let us do no more than our conscience demands. Finally, I willremind you, that by your unanimous consent I am your leader since theglorious death of my uncle, my command must be held inviolable, andtherefore, he whom I send out and who wilfully and maliciouslytransgresses my orders, must be considered a rebel to me, yourselves,and your holy undertaking. You know, that a like fault would bepunished with death yonder among the royal party; far be it from me towish to punish so severely a brother and hero of the faith on accountof his disobedience to me, a weak and miserable instrument of the Lord,but I propose depriving him of his command, because none should commandwho cannot also obey. Now take counsel among yourselves, my valiant andenlightened friends, whether you will confirm my sentence? once more Irepeat my fear, that by these transgressions of individuals, our greatcause will go to ruin."
Roland retired from the circle and all were silent. "We will hear whatCatinat says for himself," said the broad, stout Mazel, and Ravanel, alittle swarthy man with dark looks and wild appearance advanced towardsthe gigantic man and cried: "speak brother, you know how I love you, Iam yours, unto death, and do not believe that you can ever be in thewrong, for in your fist is the sword of the Lord!"
Catinat shook him by the hand, then raised his eyes and glanced with acalm and penetrating look round the circle, and said: "My valiantbrethren, my fault is evident and undeniable, it consists intransgression against subordination, and as I have been as good asoldier as brother Roland, I know well that nothing can be said toextenuate it. If you speak in accordance with the letter of the law, Iam then condemned, and I will lay down my command as obediently as Iaccepted it from Roland. But I again ask you here openly, as I havealready expressed my opinion privately on this point, can we, theimmediate instruments of the Most High, penetrated with his spirit,measure commands and quietly follow them? shall we, are we permitted topursue this war as with men like ourselves, and may we obstinatelywithdraw the holy zeal, when the spirit descends upon us, and rules thesword in our hand, and hurls the burning brand into the idolatroustemples? Where then is truth, confidence, and faith, if I am notallowed to do what the Lord himself designs to exact from me. No myfriends, my inspired brethren! let other self-sufficient, self-willedmen then, who fight without heaven be your soldiers, I can never besuch. Roland and Cavalier pardon the prisoners we make, send them backcomforted, refresh and succour their wounded, and hope by theirwell-meaning kindness to arouse the hearts of the villains, that theymay feel humane and brotherly towards us. But no such thing! they mockat this our weakness and call it folly, nay, they publicly term itcowardice and say, that we dare not act otherwise, for we are onlyrebels and outlaws. Assuredly we are a reproach to men, and when theycatch, or wound us, they show us less compassion than they wouldtestify to a dog, even if it had torn their dearest child to pieces. Isit then necessary to remind you of the barbarities they have practisedupon our brethren, who have struggled and died for the faith? I willonly recall to your recollection the holy father Brusson, whogloriously 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 anddied in the spirit of peace, and who only came once more to take a lastfarewell of the old mountains, and of the brethren, whom the faith hadcollected around him as his own children, with the gospel in hispocket, and with the bread of tears he wished to return to the strangeland, which had become to him as his native country; and when theycaught him, of what avail was his quiet, peaceable spirit to him? Undermartyrdom, at which the imagination shudders, he was forced to resignhis soul into the hands of the Creator. Need I remind you of the noblespirit of Seguier, how heroically he died and only scorned the cruelingenuity of the executioner? But how then do you forget the whollyinnocent people, who often assembled in the fields to worship God insecret and were put down by the faithful, as they call themselves, or,as it often happened, massacred, women and children not excepted? Andyou no longer remember, how parents who were suspected had theirchildren torn from them to be brought up as Catholics, how the mothersnever saw them more and how those under age, who then remained faithfulto the Gospel, were ill-used, suffered martyrdom, or were doomed tolanguish in a dungeon? All then has escaped your recollection, whatthose priests of the pulpit and the altar have uttered against us, andthe ban and the curse, and that we are no men and unworthy ofcommiseration, when we were sti
ll constrained to attend their mass? andis it even permitted that gentleness, virtue, consideration, humanityand pity, should be observed towards these bloodhounds? No, verily, weare ruined if we do not pay them in their own coin, return evil forevil, blood for blood, death for death, rage and fury for theirinflexibility and severity. As they have been mild and compassionatetowards us, let us respond to it; let the Christianity that theypreach, fall burning down upon their own heads, let us dive into theirhearts and entrails, to see where they have concealed pity and thefeelings of humanity. Wherever our name resounds, they must turn pale,and when we set all against all, we shall then be able to know whetherwe lose, or win, we shall extirpate them, or they us; and if we ceaseto exist, so may the wasted wilderness, the depopulated land, theruined palaces, and burnt-down temples and horror and desolation,announce to the after-world what we have suffered and done. What are apriest, country or king in comparison to my faith, in comparison to thefire that kindles through all my veins and burns in every fibre? Do youthink you are permitted to reason and be men of the ordinary world?This is precisely what makes our adversaries strong and prepares somany defeats for us, because we still turn our looks back upon theworld and its wisdom. Here stand our prophets, arrest then the spirit,exorcise it when it rushes through your souls like a hurricane, like aflash of lightening and burst forth from their consecrated mouths thewords of the Eternal on the wings of the spirit. You know that thismiraculous gift is denied to me, to Roland and to many, as in ourDuplant, Cavalier, or Salomon, when all recollection vanishes and everyordinary human feeling becomes extinct, in the same manner does ithappen to me, when we at length fight in the tumult, or pass bytriumphantly the churches of our foes: from every dumb brick theirscorn grins at me, from every beam the blood of our martyrs soarrogantly shed cries out to me; then, when the malignant followers oftheir priests sneak up to me with feigned supplications, then indeed,something roars within me for revenge, like a lion if he has oncetasted blood, the sword and dagger pierce through their breasts as theykneel before me, my whole heart bounds, when the laughing flames riseup triumphantly through the edifice, when in the blaze the beams areconsumed 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 ofthe Almighty that impels me onward, and the bishop, the king himself,even our prophets may advance threateningly and imploringly towards mein vain in these highly consecrated moments, nay should an angeldescend from heaven and call out to me to desist, I would not listen toit. Thus I am brethren, and I neither can nor will be otherwise, this Iswear 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 itclattered loudly, Ravanel exclaimed as if possessed: "An Elias! anElias!" and threw himself upon the breast of the ferocious man; therest were silent, and Roland again came forward with a calmcountenance, and as if embarrassed. "What is your decision mybrethren?" 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 cameforward, gave a hollow sigh and fell down; on the other side appearedSalomon, a diminutive man, he folded his hands, knelt and threw himselfupon the rock. Duplant cried with that peculiarly deep voice: "I tellyou the Hero Catinat has only fulfilled my orders!"--scarcely howeverhad he uttered these words, than Salomon already groaned forth; "Followmy servant Roland, for he is my chosen instrument, you know that theblood of the innocent is an abomination to me."
The circle now drew closer together, and in the greatest excitement thepale and swarthy faces were looking over one another's heads, andbetween the shoulders of the foremost. Every eye was glowing, andRavanel exclaimed: "To me also was given the gift of prophecy, listento 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 aright to speak before any of you, through me I can boast that this holywar arose, but here, I think prophecy cannot avail." He had with thesewords taken fast hold of the little thing, Ravanel, by the shoulders,but the latter darted like lightening out of his grasp, threw himselfdown by the side of Duplant, who still lay in ecstasy, and cried: "thisis our greatest prophet, for thou hast only two degrees, and him mustwe follow."
"Is not Salomon," said Roland earnestly, "as almighty as he? Here theword of the Lord contradicts itself: how shall we interpret it?"
"Not certainly," interrupted Edmond, who could no longer restrainhimself, "As wild passion demands, where doubt exists, mildness andcompassion are the designs of the Lord." He had not yet finished thesewords, when he felt the stroke of a sword between his neck andshoulders, which the wrathful Ravanel aimed at him. The youth totteredbackwards and Cavalier received him in his arms. "How?" exclaimedseveral voices, "one brother against another?" many swords were bared,a wild shout flew over the mountains and all was confusion. "The spiritmoves me: he is a traitor!" said Ravanel. "stop! peace!" cried Roland'spowerful voice in the midst, "brother Duplant has just now prophesiedthat he means us fairly, and that he is inspired with the faith!"
Ravanel turned surlily away and spoke to Duplant, who had in the meanwhile awakened.
A tall, slight man, whose clear brown eyes sparkled brightly, had inthe interim been busied with Edmond: he had quickly torn off hisclothes, examined and bound up the wound, which did not appear to bedangerous, and had supported him nearly fainting from loss of blood,between his knees. Cavalier with his kindly, childlike eyes was bendingover him, and the youth fancied that he was again in his father'shouse, and that the strange guest was come to seek a reconciliationwith him. "You are my angel," said he in a feeble voice, "you areindeed Gabriel, as my sister there has just said: take then alsoChristine as well as my father under your protection, pious boy, weshall all see one another cheerfully and happily again, but shine lessbrightly." Then he lost all consciousness.
"He is dying! brother Clary!" exclaimed Cavalier. "No," replied he, whohad bound up his wound, "he will soon revive again; yet Ravanel doeshim injustice, for I know by my spirit that this youth is religious,and will follow our cause with zeal; but the wrathful fire of thesefierce heroes will ruin us all."
Roland in the meanwhile was going through the assembled groups withcommanding grace, seeking to appease these excited minds. All werestanding in order, as his glance had commanded; Ravanel alone,conscious of guilt had retired. Cavalier now stepped in among them, andin his own amiable manner, said, "Brethren, the tie that binds thewhole world, the source of all miracles, the strength of the weak, theimmediate presence of our most holy father, is love, love alone. I amapprehensive, that we, the oppressed, whose unity is so necessary, mayin this manner be divided, should we forget that we are brethren? Doesnot something more exalted than an oath bind us to a holy work? Ravanelhas without doubt grossly sinned against our new brother, but the piousyouth will forgive the enthusiast and Roland and Catinat as brethrenmust also shake hands. Forgive the impetuous man, brother Roland, andpardon 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 wayto the impulse of his feelings. When you are once more united, I havesomething 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 dropsof the mind's tranquility with thy burning zeal." Catinat promised torestrain himself and peace was again restored.
"My friends," commenced Cavalier anew, "As I a short time sincedescended into the plains and valley of Nage, it appeared to mesingularly enigmatical, that in so many places I met with coldness,disapprobation, and a strange backwardness in the best and mostfaithful. Unheard of and wilful barbarities were spoken of, said tohave been practised by our party. I enquired who were the leaders, butthey
could not name them to me. Our most devoted friends told me,however, that this was not the right manner, or the way to fightthrough our, besides this, perilous cause. I shuddered when forced tolisten to these accounts. Our enemies have hardly acted towards us withso much cruelty. I could not avoid shedding tears at the barbarousmanner in which the Marchioness of Miramon has been murdered. You allknow that she was a secret friend to our cause, and that we haveenjoyed many succours from her kindness. This lady frequentlytravelled, often met with our people who were all acquainted with her,and who besides never wilfully injured the peaceable and defencelessinhabitants, but let them pass freely. Now she intended to quit Usez,in order to visit her husband at St. Ambroise. She was advised to takewith her an escort, or at least armed servants, but confiding in ourfriendship, she refused both. She had already nearly reached the placeof destination, when her carriage was surrounded by dark-looking men;she and her maids were bound, and neither entreaties, nor tears, northe costly jewels that she carried with her, nor promise of much goldcould save these hapless beings from the most disgraceful death. Icontradicted all the exasperated people, that no troop of our partycould have done this, but only a few believed me. Fortunately I havediscovered who these wretches are, who also call themselves Camisardsand dishonour our cause; it is a band of highwaymen and incendiarieswho have come from Provence. Advance friend Degran, and relate to thebrethren how you came up with the villains, and how you escaped fromthem."
A ragged, half-starved looking man with a long beard came forward, whomsome recognised and others examined with surprise. What a change aperiod 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 Cavalierwith three of my comrades against Montpellier to watch the enemy, topurchase ammunition and to summon the attendance of some young men inthe mountains. In order to avoid observation, we set out in the eveningtwilight, and just as a storm overtook us in the wood, we were suddenlysurrounded by a number of black-looking men, and commanded to offer noresistance, the attempt too would have been vain among such amultitude, the tallest of them advanced towards us and said: 'I seethen before me, some of the brave and valiant Camisards! You arewelcome!' We could not make out who they were, they had not theappearance of the militia of the country, and were even more fearfulthan the madcaps, whom the fierce hermit formerly headed. After we hadexamined one another closer, he, who seemed to be the leader said:'What a miserable perilous life such brave fellows lead, and none toacknowledge their value; and the sacrifice they make. You are forbiddento plunder, what do you gain by all your exertions? as we are told, youare not allowed under penalty of death to plunder even the demolishedchurches, and carry off the gold and silver vessels; no, you suffer allto 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 solemnoaths, you can never escape from us again, if you will not join us, youmust die, you know the country and the inhabitants, name to us then therich catholics, that we may direct our visits thither, and you shallhave 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 overus. 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 mycomrades, who attempted to escape from them, for our consciencestortured us day and night. The horrible ill-treatment which hadpreceded the murder of our brother, bound us still more firmly to thesehighwaymen. The country was soon filled with rumours respecting theseblack Camisards, as they were called. Under this mask they were,however, by no means scrupulous about plundering merely their brothersin the faith, but they also attacked the houses of the newly converted,and whose families were known as zealous reformers. One evening whenthey surrounded a country house and had dispatched me to inspect theplace more closely, we were surprised and compelled to make a hastyretreat, and I availed myself of the opportunity to escape into agarden, and from thence into the wood. They have now however a longlist of wealthy people, whom they intend to rob and murder; the Lord ofBeauvais 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 mein order to catch these assassins? This time, I will take only fiftymen with me, and shall return shortly to receive your orders, brotherRoland."
He made a sign, quickly mounted a little horse, and those, who werealready acquainted with his will, followed him accompanied by Catinat.The man, who had escaped from the robbers, was also of the party inorder 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 hadalso retired deeper into the wood with their troops. Roland, now nearlyalone, walked up and down on the mountain plain, gave out orders,appointed new posts, and dispatched a troop under Valmal to procureprovisions. Soon afterwards, Roland received intelligence through thecentinels of the outposts, that they perceived in the direction ofRouergue a great number of men that, from their appearance, might betaken for the country militia. "These," said Roland, "will not be sounwise as to attack us in this strong place." A messenger came toannounce that the approaching people had raised a great cry, and werenot marching but advancing without order, and in tumultuous crowds. Thenoise was now heard ascending nearer from the rear of the mountain."They are peasants," exclaimed Roland, as he came down from theeminence which he had ascended. "What can they want? Wherefore thiscommotion?" the procession drew near; men, women, even children and oldmen in the midst of them, all fluried, most of them in tears, each onewould speak first, each presenting a hand to the commander. Those whowere the most exhausted, laid themselves down on the ground, theyounger men placed themselves in order, some had old fowling pieces,others sides, many were armed with short or long swords, severalcarried hatchets and axes. The fighting men amounted at least to twohundred in number, and when the tumult at length subsided, and Rolandagain asked from whence they came and what they required, one of theoldest among the armed men stepped forward and said, "Roland, you mustknow me and my father yonder, as well as many here from the commune ofMeliere, we, who have often lent you our help, all in secret attachedto you, and who have daily put up our prayers for you to heaven. Youalso know our persecutors; why need I name them to you. But ourcalamity is still new to you, and truly one must live in our days todeem it possible. It is now some months ago, that the Intendant and theMarshal caused whole communities to be carried off from the middle ofthe Cevennes, as well as from Mialet; women, children, and fathers werethrown into their prisons, merely because they were suspected by them.Out of one-and-twenty parishes, three hundred young men were seizedfrom the district of Nismes alone, besides whole families and are shutup in the dungeons and fortresses of the level country and of themountains. The inhuman Intendant trusts no one, and how can thesubject be tranquil and faithful to the king, when the tyrant in hiscold-blooded intrigues only meditates how to make the people wretched?The terrible man has been heard to say with his own lips, that the bestand the safest method would be to extirpate from the face of the earthall who are converted, as well as the rebels. The Marshal himself, itis said, is shocked at these ideas, God and the king have not so farforgotten us ever to permit such infamy. But since the day beforeyesterday----Yes, weep, mourn, ye unfortunate, banished, houselesspeople!" And as in chorus there arose a sobbing and lamentation, butthe speaker continued thus, "Early the day before yesterday, as we weregoing forth to our field labours, we heard the beating of drums, wetook it for the usual marching of the royal troops through the country,but they soon drew near, we ascended the mountain and saw that theextensive mountain district, valley, and ravine, as far as the eyecould reach, were surrounded. They did not leave us long in suspense,we were summoned to the square of our large village. Thence theypublished to our magistrates and to us, t
hat in Nismes a decree hadbeen 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, toislands, and to pull down and set fire to all the houses, stables, andfarms without exception. Four regiments are encamped in the district toaccomplish this devilish work. All uttered screams and lamentations,but they were disregarded, like ill-fated cattle, destined forslaughter, the wretched creatures suffered themselves, to be drivenforth; and from the neighbouring mountain we already beheld the housesdemolished; the axes resounded, the cattle lowed, and the mountainsgroaningly repeated the melancholy echo. As it proceeded too slowly forthe monsters, we soon saw flames too flaring up; like greedy jaws, likethirsty tongues, did the fire lick up our beloved old dwellings andswallowed them in flames. The trees before the houses were consumedwith them. Yes, Roland, the district, the dear villages, the hospitablehouses, which so often and so amicably received you and yours, theseare in a brief space reduced to a desert, and in future I shall not beable perhaps to find a trace of where I lived with my parents, where Isat with them before the door, and played in the spring, where I becameacquainted with my wife, where she bore me her first son. The storkwill never again familiarly and confidingly take up his lodging on theroof of my barn, no swallow will again announce to me there the warmthof spring, and twitter with her young before my window. Oh! and my ownchildren. Man indeed has no childhood, when he is deprived of hiscountry. The poor women! how well known to us, how dear was each bushand running brook. Now we know, for the first time, how we loved ourold cottages and the seats inherited from our great grandfathers. Allthat we there in devotion, thought, and prayed, all the delightfulEaster and Whitsuntide festivals, the pleasing solitude of the longwinter 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, onyour account alone, for they know well, the persecutors! that we havein our hearts been with you, so many of your bravest men are from amongus. They extirpate us, especially because our valleys and mountainsborder on the district of Vivares, and through our country Catinat andCavalier attempted to penetrate. Friend, brother! here we are now, andassuredly many more active men from other districts will run to you,for they will not suffer what will be required of them. Come, lead uson, thrust us into the thicket of the fight, when thousands stand closein front of their cannons, and with swords, sicles, hatchets, andcudgels we will fall upon them, nay without weapons, with these hands,with these teeth we will tear them to pieces! Life and pleasure nowconsist only in death and destruction; if they only feel how we hateand abhor them, if but one and then another, and a third be made toacknowledge to us, struggling in agonising death, and with closingeyes, that this happens to them for their evil doings." All the menpressed forward brandishing their weapons and gnashing their teeth. Asmothered cry of rage suddenly burst from every lip. "Controulyourselves 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 norestitution. Repose and refresh yourselves here with all that I canoffer you; then follow my counsel, and let the old men, women, andchildren return peaceably, for here there is neither shelter nor helpfor them. God will ordain, that all shall turn for the best, that theproprietors find their own again and that your cottages shall rise oncemore from their ruins. Only do not despair, bear your calamity withpain and sorrow, but do not despair, for that belies God, opposesitself to him, nay, mocks his inscrutable decrees, and in its hellishdictates, would even annihilate him. Do not give yourselves up to thisfeeling, which is unworthy of men. We have all indeed been long sinceinnured to misery by the hand of the Lord. Shew now that you areobedient, well conducted children, who though he may look upon you witha severe and reproving countenance, will not mistake the father."
All shewed themselves more quiet and the younger men exclaimed, "Giveus weapons! weapons! Roland!" "Those that I have left," replied thelatter, "you shall have; such as cannot obtain any, must wait for thefirst combat, and take them from the enemy, for it has been arrangedthus from the beginning. The troops must bring us arms up into themountains, and a gun which oneself has wrested from a strange foe isquite a different arm to what one buys. Pooh! who would give money foriron and arms, as long as the Marshal will still so kindly give himselfthe trouble to send out his people in heat and rain, that they maylaboriously enough provide us very conveniently with arms, which hehimself with his Intendant and his baton will have reason to fear. Thusthinks a true Camisard. Clothing also shall they deliver up to you,shoes and boots, but you must learn to be courteous and assist them, mycountrymen, a little to undress. With a hundred such valets, Cavalierwas here a short time since; they were all most gallantly equippedwithout being indebted a single denier to draper, or tailor."
Bertrand, who was resting upon his fowling piece, and whose tears stilltrickled down his cheeks, and over his weapon, could not avoid laughingaloud, and the younger lads joined him. "Yes," cried young Francois,"we will peel them like red and yellow apples, only serve us up a dishof them soon."
"Shake them bravely out of their uniforms, the season for nut shakingis near."
"I will shake them out," cried Francois "so that they shall fallrattling at my feet and each one shall shew himself so hollow andworm-eaten, that I would not seek for his kernel!"--The mother rosefrom the ground and embraced her young son, who had just entered intomanhood. "I, and several of us," said another lad, "have already servedmany a time under you, Roland; but then we returned afterwards to ourvillage."
"This is the best method to carry on the war," replied Roland, "for wethus sometimes save provisions, and our troops remain fresh and readyfor battle. I know you well Adam, and also that little shoemaker Antonyonder."
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 toembrace his knees, but Roland raised him up. "Look Roland; I love andhonour you so much, that I should like to be your footstool upon whichyour tired legs might repose. I formerly fought bravely, but now, itshall go on quite differently. It shall be stab on stab, and my awl andthong shall be drawn through their hearts and entrails, so that thesoul shall pipe like an imprisoned rat."
All appeared seated at the frugal meal more comforted and quiet; atleast the distorted and despairing faces with which they had at firstappeared before the commander, were no longer to be seen.
CHAPTER X.
Edmond had again returned to consciousness, and on opening his eyes, hesaw Mazel by his couch and the swarthy Eustace, who although woundedhimself, had stayed to serve him and was kneeling by his bed. He couldnot 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 themountains and woods, threw him into a strange reverie. However, he wassoon enabled to connect one idea with another, and to reassemble allhis faculties. His imagination was still busied with Cavalier, hefancied he could follow and see him, now, as a shadow, then, brighteragain, yet it seemed as if his feverish state presented him figuring tohimself, in real colours and contour, the portrait of his friends andthe place in which he was. Eustace kissed his hands and bathed themwith tears. "Oh, my dear young master!" cried he then sobbing, "thatyou should now come among us, and have been obliged to experienceanything so bad from our wildest prophet! yes, brother Ravanel, is theworst, should I have said in my stupidity, the most godless: may heavenforgive me my sins. No, all of us and himself too must often pray, thatthe Lord may moderate his ardent zeal, for he is almost always inanger, and only too frequently as if raving. Are you better now,gracious sir?" Edmond pressed his hand and said, "I feel that the woundis not of much consequence, it was the loss of blood alone made mefaint; but brother
Eustace, as I am now a brother to you all, leave offthat empty mode of the men of the world, and call me thou, as it iscustomary among you."
"As thou wilt!" exclaimed the former greatly affected: "but I am as ifin heaven, that thou brother, that thou, who wast so proud shouldstthus converse with me. They always deny miracles, and yet this is trulyone."
"Leave him to repose, brother Eustace," said Mazel, "do not excite andtease him any more in order that he may be soon restored." "Relate tome," said Edmond, "brother Abraham, that my imagination may be directedto a fixed point, which otherwise in its diseased state is wanderinglost and bewildered. Do I remember rightly, that thou saidst to-day inthat extraordinary dispute, which my soul cannot even yet understand,thou hadst given rise to the present war. Or was it not so? tell mesomething 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 onemay consider the matter, and thus it is perhaps with most things in theworld. I was a lad of about twenty years of age, when, suddenly theyabolished our reformed religion, it went to the hearts of allthroughout the whole country. I was then only a forest-ranger in theservice of the Lord of Mende, on the banks of the Rhone. About thistime they began to emigrate from the country. Nobles, merchants,peasants, and citizens went away (for that was yet permitted) towardsSwitzerland, Holland, England and Germany, where they were wellreceived, for the poorer ones were industrious mechanics, had knowledgeof manufactures, and carried many arts and advantages to other lands. Ihad 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 isunderstood, there is my heart. Added to this, I loved a maiden; andbesides, 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 upthe mouth of conscience so close, that like a dancing bear, it couldnot bite around it. The extensive emigration, the fortune that theycarried away with them, caused a great sensation, this they had neversuspected and probably thought all were quiet cattle like myself, andjust as willing to let themselves be bound to the manger. Now underpain of being sent to the gallies, every body was prohibited to quitthe country; Ah! that gave a shock, and completely so, when they did itin reality, and, as an example, several old noblemen were chained tothe oar. The anguish was great in the land. All were forced to attendmass; the dragoons were sent out; the people tortured; the childrenshut up. The most enthusiastic went out together into the woods andcaverns, and prayed there and preached to one another. Whomsoever theyfound thus employed, was without further ceremony broken alive on thewheel; hanging was a favour. Our Intendant thought to crush the affairwith prompt violence, and appalling horror, that old and young neededonly to be quickly reminded of their religion. People often think inreality, because they are themselves convinced of the matter, and thatit is only carelessness in others: they wish to recall them tothemselves, and often in the midst of their barbarity, they do not meanso badly towards them."
"Thou art right Mazel," interrupted Edmond, "I myself was of thisbelief a short time ago." "But now," continued the old man in hisrelation, "all our souls acquired an entirely different colour, theywere clad in new vestments, for we had not thought of it thus, and wecame to our recollection, but in a very different manner. Were I in thewood and my dog only whined, it seemed precisely to me as if it were myconscience. Yes, I was struck, I sought for, but could not find thehidden jewel. My wife then consoled me once more, and thought that allwould certainly come round again.--Now it was strange enough, that apious society had already long since arisen in Dauphine. An aged manlived there upon a high mountain in the middle of a wood. He had aglass-manufactory in that solitude. Now we have all experienced thatmountain 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 thecities, he prizes not so highly the stone-houses and the smoothstreets, and all the singing of bells. The man Du Serre had visions andrevelations. He did not, however, go about preaching. He, as well asmyself, was wanting in that gift, but he was endowed with that offoresight. Can one learn that from another? we must believe it, and ourtimes confirm it. But how? there lies the riddle! Should it be calledan art? by no means! The enemies call it imposture, that is impious.Well, this glass-manufacturer kept fifteen young men in his house, andhis wife as many young girls, they almost all experienced theenlightening, and the greater part of them the gift of preaching. Thusthen did they go out into the world. The fame of beautiful Isabelle wassoon spread abroad. She seduced every-body to apostacy, as the otherstermed it. Still more efficaciously did a youth, named Gabriel Astier,teach and convert. A part of Dauphine and our neighbourhood of Vivaressoon became one flame of religion. The children then already began toprophecy. But the poor creatures, without weapons of defence in theirtoo zealous faith, were surprised by the soldiers, and the greatestnumber massacred. Our Basville and his son-in-law, the Marshal Broglio,bore the fame of having massacred them all. Gabriel also, who hadbecome a soldier in Montpellier, was recognized and executed, and thelovely Isabelle from fear, in the dungeon of Grenoble, retracted fromher faith, and thus all had the appearance of tranquillity. Sparks ofthe faith, however, and of the force of miracles had been scattered andlost in the Cevennes. For the spirit possesses the property of fire,which, out of a little spark, by which a small beetle cannot warmitself, 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 onesingle word? Oh thou mournful sound, like the twittering of theswallow, thou appearest to die away in the wilderness, the spiritconducts thee through the world, and puts thee on a coat of mail thatarmies grow out of the ground, and horses and riders, and thousandssent by kings with the thunder of artillery, were not able to make thelittle world as quiet and small as it lay formerly in the solitarycottage. Praised be the Lord!"
He prayed inwardly, and then continued: "In the meantime, people becameolder and wiser but certainly more obstinate, I already began to thinkno more of my former faith, nor had the new one either much effect onmy heart. I was an ass between two hayricks, and ate of neither.
"A man of the name of Beoussan, a man of God, lived first at Nismes,and afterwards at Toulouse. He was a reformer and a lawyer, who always,and when the people were poor, gratuitously took up the cause of hiscompanions of the faith: His was a spirit full of gentleness andgoodness. He went into foreign countries, became a priest inSwitzerland, preached there and in Holland, and edified thousands. Himdid the spirit and his native land lead back into our country and thenthe Lord conducted me to him in the wilderness. My wife was dead atthat time, and lonely and childless, as I then was, my whole heart thathad lain so long untilled, was again enabled to bear genuine fruit. Itwas, as if I began from that time to imbibe again a portion of heavenlycomfort in my cottage. Thus things went on. I was no longer inignorance, but I was not yet happy. This would not last, hail-showerssometimes destroyed my seed, and when I often lay in wait with the bestdispositions, and with an open and acute mind, loaded and ready toshoot, there came no game, no animal sprang up in the wilderness of myheart. Ah, we totter on thus pitiably for years, and time passes as adream and intoxication. I glanced round me, I had become old. How!thought I, when the Lord looks down, he will see furrows on thy oldskin and thou art still neither hot, nor cold. Than came the late Mr.Beoussan, the holy master, among us. An impulse of the spirit, as hesaid, led him to us. He was well and comfortable at home, but, piousbird of the forest! he wished to visit once more his beloved mountains,dells, the clear brooks, and to pour so thrillingly, fully, andaffectionately into our hearts the tones of the sweet nightingale, thatburst from his breast, that he must die from the effort.--Amen!--"
He stopped again, and Edmond said: "I often saw this pious Beoussan atNismes, before he was executed. It is not yet five years since hesealed his doctrine w
ith an ignominious death."
"Then," pursued Abraham Mazel, "All the former restrictions wererenewed with greater severity. We could not speak, scarcely thinkwithout being betrayed. A year had now elapsed, when an assembly ofreligious people in Alais was surprised by Basville, they were alldragged to prison, and all, without further enquiries, were sentencedto martyrdom. This took place in October. I had also been present, andonly escaped through a miracle. I had already seen some of theprophecying children here and there, without profit, my heart becamerather colder at the sight, because the little worms did not please mein that state. Now, after my day's work was finished, I sat insolitude, tired and exhausted from riding, and looked round at thegreen meadows, the sky and the mountains. I tried, in my inmost soul,to unravel the mystery, why all should be thus and not otherwise, howGod and man, virtue and sin, in and through one another, and how inthis entwined knot, now and then the rays of eternity shine down intothis temporal world, and how, in one short moment, we feel andexperience within us the whole unfathomable eternity, and many thousandthoughts and feelings, of which the smallest in the tittle of time, isallowed no place. Also why we were so miserable, and what was the endof the Lord in this. Behold, my friend, there descended a vast streamof thoughts from heaven, (I saw, but knew not one word, one letter ofit) and alighted as with large eagle's wings upon my brain and roaredand murmured there, and the marrow of my back became cold as ice, andmy inmost soul was congealed and frozen, and my teeth chattered withfear. How the breath lost itself in my breast, and now it was, as iflittle cooing doves were flying through the immeasureable space of mysoul. A gentle heat came over me and my heart sprung open as the roseout of its bud on a spring morning, and the Lord was within me. Then Ifell down and my prayer was prophecy. Oh, how could I have thought thathis presence was so sweet, who, with his glory, almost broke down thewall of the narrow dwelling. Thanks be to him for ever and ever, Amen!"
"His wonders are immeasureable and unspeakable," said Edmond.
"Many," said Abraham in continuation, "whose faith was suspected,were imprisoned throughout the whole country. They were mostseverely treated by the Abbe Chaila who resided in the Chateau PontMont-de-Verd. Parents, husbands and betrothed mourned for those thathad been carried off. It would have been sinful to place my light undera bushel. I summoned together a little community of zealous souls inthe forest, there they witnessed my inspiration, and their courage wasraised. It was in the middle of summer, and I prophesied to them thatthey should release the prisoners. The following night we assembledtogether, and Pervier, a young man, whose bride was languishing in theprisons, undertook the command. They advanced in front of the dwelling;the Abbe's servants fired from the windows and killed three of ourfriends. We now ceased to sing psalms, and stormed the castle withtrees and firebrands. The gates gave way, we entered, and encounteredthe Abbe in his chamber. He suffered his dungeon to be opened, we thenassured him that he should receive no injury. The prisoners came forth;weeping, joy, sobbing, and singing filled the house. Then they shewedtheir wounds, the marks of the torture, dimmed eyes and sunken cheeks.A shout for murder resounded around. But Pervier and I appeased themaddened people by word and deed. The Abbe heard the noise, wasterrified at our movements, and to save himself, he sprang from a highwindow into the road, and lay dashed to pieces on the ground. Hisattendants and many of us ran up to him. 'The Lord has judged him forhis cruelties,' exclaimed several voices; they lay down by his side tolook into his dying eyes. Many, in spite of their emotion, could notconceal their malicious joy, and thus in reality, our first act was thebeginning of the war, a story, which, in order to defame us, they haveentirely altered."
"It is believed," said Edmond, "that you criminally and wantonlymurdered him."
"Had it depended upon the will of one that was among us," continuedMazel, "that, and much more would have happened. A stout, fierce manwas of our party, who very unwillingly submitted to the commands of themoderate Pervier; you know him by his fame, Esprit Seguier. In himalready burned the fire, which now shines forth in Catinat and Ravanel,and even then many were of opinion, that this was the true religion,and that the zeal of Elias and not the gentleness of St. John shouldsave us. We all retired quietly, cheerfully, and happily. Not one of ushad been discovered. Then Seguier assembled a troop as fierce ashimself, and while the soldiers were seeking for us, returned toPont-de-Verd, burnt the castle, slaughtered all the priests that hefound there, and cut down all whom they encountered. But misfortuneovertook them. They were defeated; when they sought for the leader, hehimself issued from a cottage, and declared his name. 'Wretch!'exclaimed the commander, what treatment dost thou deserve for thydeeds?' 'That which I would give thee, wert thou my prisoner,' repliedthe enthusiast, 'and verily, such as thy friends would not rejoiceover.' He remained firm to the last. He was burnt alive. A proclamationwas then issued, offering pardon to all that knew anything of theaffair of the Abbe, as well as to such as had been, up to that period,Huguenots in secret. Innocent beings! poor deluded ones! they presentedthemselves, and were all hanged before their doors, even those, who hadnever been at Pont-de-Verd. Their anger was now no longer to berestrained, the young men rebelled, I led them to Pervier, arms weresought for, those who had none, took hatchet and sicle; a regimentadvanced to oppose us on the left of Karnaule. As soon as we began tosing, the troops became intimidated; we rushed upon them, their ballswere of no effect, we hewed them down, five only escaped, to tell thenews of their defeat. Broglio himself then advanced upon us, but he wasdriven back! A christian festival of thanksgiving was held in theforest, and the Lord prophesied out of me to the edification of allwarriors. In our next combat Pervier was wounded, and appointed LaPorte our leader; but he did not feel that he was ordained to suffermartyrdom, and soon went with his young wife to Geneva. Then the boldLa Porte fought the fearful battle before La Salle, of which thou musthave heard. He soon afterwards died gloriously of his wounds, for theyall opened afresh, when he was nearly cured, he sang psalms at divineservice, with so much ardour, that twenty wounded arteries bled atonce, and thus his soul, in red streams, and while he was stillsinging, hastened up to heaven. To him succeeded his nephew, ourbrother Roland, in command."
The latter advanced at that moment and affectionately enquired afterEdmond's health, and then charged Mazel to place sentinels round about,for that Lord Flotard was coming and had private matters to discusswith him, which no one was permitted to hear. Abraham retired, andimmediately from the opposite wood issued a richly dressed man, towardswhom Roland politely advanced, and both then hastened to a distance,where they walked up and down on the skirt of the wood engaged inearnest conversation.
"Canst thou hear what they say?" asked Edmond of the aged Eustace.
"No, brother," replied the latter, "how is that possible, since theyare so far from us, that I can scarcely distinguish them?"
But Edmond, when he turned his thoughts on Roland, could, to his greatsurprise, understand all clearly and distinctly, so that not one wordof the conversation escaped him.
"I thank you sir," said Roland, "these sums come just in right time,and will help to supply the unfortunate soldiers with those necessariesthat they have been so long compelled to forego." "And you remainobstinate," demanded the former, "and will not accept anything foryourself and the other leaders?"
"Do not mention that," said Roland, "you ought to know us at last. Wehave not undertaken this holy war for robbery and gain: we are allwilling to remain poor. But the succours, where do they tarry? we dowhat we can with short means, but a great calamity may annihilate us atonce, and then all assistance from without will come too late, evennow, a small one would be very acceptable. But already I forbode thefuture, they will let us languish and perish, and then lament that theydid not lend us assistance sooner. It is ever thus, when one trusts toforeign aid."
"Therefore a sum: could--in all cases"--observed the stranger.
"No," cried Roland with great vehemence; "Oh sir, do you think thenthat I anticipate a hap
py result? I will live and die in this struggle,end as it may. When I had the courage to take up the sword, I at thesame time threw away the scabbard too. I have devoted myself to ruin.My name may be stained, the better part of mankind shall feel that Iwas not debased, that, notwithstanding all, I was a good subject."
"A good subject?" said the stranger inquiringly, "I understand thestrangeness of these words. You think that I, a rebel, an outlaw, whoeven accepts sums of money from foreign lands, may be purchased at acheap rate by the enemies of my king, and that I should maliciouslyrejoice at every calamity that befell my sovereign. But it is not thus,no Frenchman sinks so low. Let the king give us liberty of conscience,and lame, starved, and bleeding at every pore, we will still fight forhim against England and Germany. And never would I, and my friends lendour aid to bring our country under a foreign yoke; even should hepersist to act thus cruelly towards us: do not calculate upon that. ButI will fight for my cause in an honourable manner, as long as breath isin me. Weak as we may be, we occupy a whole army, and with it lendefficient succour to foreign countries. Do you not think, that withthese sentiments, I may call myself a good subject, though certain ofmy ultimate ruin, by acting thus, I spare my king and country? I fallin the fight here, or imprisonment, ignominy and martyrdom await me, nospark of commiseration lights me on. I do not kindle the fiery zeal andwrath of my people, in order, to break blindly into the land, to hazardall on a dangerous game, by which the infuriated often win, I ratherrestrain them. For myself I do nothing, for my party and my religioneverything. Could I but avoid involving these unfortunate men in myruin! But the king and fate have ordained it so."
"I am further to enquire," said Flotard anew, "whether experiencedofficers should not be brought into the mountains as leaders?"
"I oppose that," said Roland gravely, "not on my own account. I knownot how we carry on the war, but still this little mountain-spotoccupies a great number of disciplined troops. We have done more thanwe ever dared to think of, even in our dreams. And all those poorenthusiastic men, who never enquire how numerous the foe may be, rushwith songs of praise upon the bayonet, and into the flames of thestake; they would follow no foreign leader, who did not share with themthe same faith, and the same distress, for as I have already said, itis not their wish to be rioters and rebels, and thus follow a foreignstandard, though with greater safety. They fight and conquer only undertheir own known country-people, who pray and sing with them, whoseorigin they know, and whose prophecies impel them to rush fearlesslyinto the most palpable danger."
"They laugh at those prophets in foreign countries," said Flotard,"What is your opinion of them?" "I know not what to say to it,"answered Roland; I frequently see the miracle before my eyes, thatthese men know things which no one can learn by natural means; butagain it often strikes me, that blind passion alone speaks out of them,and that they voluntarily excite themselves to this state. The prophetssometimes contradict one another. They direct our proceedings, and itoccurs occasionally that my regulations deviate from their wishes, butI have sometimes had reason to repent of this.--Come now to themagazines, and we shall consider what may be most necessary to us.
Roland called out, and accompanied by a few followers, they bothpenetrated into the darkness of the forest.
END OF THE FIRST VOLUME.
PRINTED BY J. TEUTEN, BOND STREET, CHELSEA.
