# The Rebellion in the Cevennes/Volume 1/Chapter IX

CHAPTER IX.
The young commander first cast a lengthened look of astonishment on Edmond, then approached nearer and kindly offered him his hand. "You are one of us," exclaimed he, "the Lord has so ordained, accept the assurance 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 at a time, when I neither knew, nor loved you; you it was, who saved our house, myself, my sister and my beloved father! The veil has fallen from my eyes, and I shall now honour and love you, and all these heroes of the faith, as brothers."
​A circle had been formed and Roland now stepped with solemn demeanour into the middle of it. "We are assembled," commenced he, greatly affected, "in order to pass judgment upon a friend, who is to me one of the dearest among the most valiant of the fraternity, and in the work of the Lord a distinguished zealot. Here stand‘s Catinat, the man at whose name all our foes tremble. You are all here present, Cavalier, thou Ravanel, Castanet, Duplant, and Salomon, Clary, Abraham Mazel is also arrived here. I have often spoken on this point already, my dear friends, 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 should refrain from shedding blood as much as possible. No, my beloved friends, we will not therein follow the example of our adversaries, that we may excel them in their emulation for murder. incendiarism and all 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 the Lord, let him fall a sacrifice to his own malice, but the harmless labourer, the helpless priest, the defenceless woman, the child under age, let them be spared, what have they done to us? what can they accomplish against us? we have certainly always struggled to put our enemies to shame and to convince them by Christian charity, that our course is a just one; but here, Catinat has again acted in opposition to my express command, in his expedition he has set fire to three churches with his own hands, he has massacred two priests, his troop according to his orders has reduced villages to ashes, and women and chidren have been murdered and burned in the most terrible manner. Their lamentations, the cries of the orphans, the wailings of the parents rise up to heaven, and arouse and call upon the enduring goodness of the Lord to thrust and to fling us in his wrath far away from him, like useless vessels. If we ourselves act in this manner, wherefore ​should we complain, when the enemies open wide the jaws of cruelty and show less compassion than the wolf in the wilderness, or the beast of prey of the mountains, then, with justice, their stakes blaze threateningly to meet us! why are we angered, when their barbarous executioners, with greedy looks, grin up towards our mountains, and in malicious joy whet their instruments of death? then fight brute against brute, and devil against Belzebub! By what then shall the good cause be recognised? I will also remind you, my beloved brethren, that these deeds alienate the best people in the country from us; not only the Catholic, but such as are in their hearts our brothers, will desert us, as well as those newly converted ones, who would willingly help us. Have you then forgotten, how pious men of foreign lands, priests and leaders of armies have warned us not to stain our hands with innocent blood, and our holy cause with firebrands and cruelty? all pious minds in ​distant lands who turn looks of love upon us will be mistaken, and will surely think, that innate cruelty and savage nature must be alleged for these proceedings, and not our conscience and the cause of the Lord that we fight for. It is misfortune enough, that we should be compelled to stand in arms against our lawful king, who wanted to rob us of our God; let this misfortune suffice, let us do no more than our conscience demands. Finally, I will remind you, that by your unanimous consent I am your leader since the glorious death of my uncle, my command must be held inviolable, and therefore, he whom I send out and who wilfully and maliciously transgresses my orders, must be considered a rebel to me, yourselves, and your holy undertaking. You know, that a like fault would be punished with death yonder among the royal party; far be it from me to wish to punish so severely a brother and hero of the faith on account of his disobedience to me, a weak and miserable instrument of ​the Lord, but I propose depriving him of his command, because none should command who cannot also obey. Now take counsel among yourselves, my valiant and enlightened friends, whether you will confirm my sentence? once more I repeat my fear, that by these transgressions of individuals, our great cause will go to ruin."
Roland retired from the circle and all were silent. "We will hear what Catinat says for himself," said the broad, stout Mazel, and Ravanel, a little swarthy man with dark looks and wild appearance advanced towards the gigantic man and cried: "speak brother, you know how I love you, I am yours, unto death, and do not believe that you can ever be in the wrong, for in your fist is the sword of the Lord!"
Catinat shook him by the hand, then raised his eyes and glanced with a calm and penetrating look round the circle, and said: "My valiant brethren, my fault is evident and undeniable, it consists in transgression ​against subordination, and as I have been as good a soldier as brother Roland, I know well that nothing can be said to extenuate it. If you speak in accordance with the letter of the law, I am then condemned, and I will lay down my command as obediently as I accepted it from Roland. But I again ask you here openly, as I have already expressed my opinion privately on this point, can we, the immediate instruments of the Most High, penetrated with his spirit, measure commands and quietly follow them? shall we, are we permitted to pursue this war as with men like ourselves, and may we obstinately withdraw the holy zeal, when the spirit descends upon us, and rules the sword in our hand, and hurls the burning brand into the idolatrous temples? Where then is truth, confidence, and faith, if I am not allowed to do what the Lord himself designs to exact from me. No my friends, my inspired brethren! let other self-sufficient, self-willed men then, who fight without heaven be your soldiers, I can ​never be such. Roland and Cavalier pardon the prisoners we make, send them back comforted, refresh and succour their wounded, and hope by their well-meaning kindness to arouse the hearts of the villains, that they may feel humane and brotherly towards us. But no such thing! they mock at this our weakness and call it folly, nay, they publicly term it cowardice and say, that we dare not act otherwise, for we are only rebels and outlaws. Assuredly we are a reproach to men, and when they catch, or wound us, they show us less compassion than they would testify to a dog, even if it had torn their dearest child to pieces. Is it then necessary to remind you of the barbarities they have practised upon our brethren, who have struggled and died for the faith? I will only recall to your recollection the holy father Brusson, who gloriously 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 and died in the spirit of peace, and who only came once more to take a last farewell of the old mountains, and of the brethren, whom the faith had collected around him as his own children, with the gospel in his pocket, and with the bread of tears he wished to return to the strange land, which had become to him as his native country; and when they caught him, of what avail was his quiet, peaceable spirit to him? Under martyrdom, at which the imagination shudders, he was forced to resign his soul into the hands of the Creator. Need I remind you of the noble spirit of Seguier, how heroically he died and only scorned the cruel ingenuity of the executioner? But how then do you forget the wholly innocent people, who often assembled in the fields to worship God in secret and were put down by the faithful, as they call themselves, or, as it often happened, massacred, women and children not excepted? And you no longer remember, how parents who were suspected had their children torn from them ​to be brought up as Catholics, how the mothers never saw them more and how those under age, who then remained faithful to the Gospel, were ill—used, suffered martyrdom, or were doomed to languish in a dungeon? All then has escaped your recollection, what those priests of the pulpit and the altar have uttered against us, and the ban and the curse, and that we are no men and unworthy of commiseration, when we were still constrained to attend their mass? and is it even permitted that gentleness, virtue, consideration, humanity and pity, should be observed towards these bloodhounds? No, verily, we are ruined if we do not pay them in their own coin, return evil for evil, blood for blood, death for death, rage and fury for their inflexibility and severity. As they have been mild and compassionate towards us, let us respond to it; let the Christianity that they preach, fall burning down upon their own heads, let us dive into their hearts and entrails, to see where they have concealed pity ​and the feelings of humanity. Wherever our name resounds, they must turn pale, and when we set all against all, we shall then be able to know whether we lose, or win, we shall extirpate them, or they us; and if we cease to exist, so may the wasted wilderness, the depopulated land, the ruined palaces, and burnt-down temples and horror and desolation, announce to the after-world what we have suffered and done. What are a priest, country or king in comparison to my faith, in comparison to the fire that kindles through all my veins and burns in every fibre? Do you think you are permitted to reason and be men of the ordinary world? This is precisely what makes our adversaries strong and prepares so many defeats for us, because we still turn our looks back upon the world and its wisdom. Here stand our prophets, arrest then the spirit, exorcise it when it rushes through your souls like a hurricane, like a flash of lightening and burst forth from their ​consecrated mouths the words of the Eternal on the wings of the spirit. You know that this miraculous gift is denied to me, to Roland and to many, as in our Duplant, Cavalier, or Salomon, when all recollection vanishes and every ordinary human feeling becomes extinct, in the same manner does it happen to me, when we at length fight in the tumult, or pass by triumphantly the churches of our foes: from every dumb brick their scorn grins at me, from every beam the blood of our martyrs so arrogantly shed cries out to me; then, when the malignant followers of their priests sneak up to me with feigned supplications, then indeed, something roars within me for revenge, like a lion if he has once tasted blood, the sword and dagger pierce through their breasts as they kneel before me, my whole heart bounds, when the laughing flames rise up triumphantly through the edifice, when in the blaze the beams are consumed 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 of the Almighty that impels me onward, and the bishop, the king himself, even our prophets may advance threateningly and imploringly towards me in vain in these highly consecrated moments, nay should an angel descend from heaven and call out to me to desist, I would not listen to it. Thus I am brethren, and I neither can nor will be otherwise, this I swear 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 it clattered loudly. Ravanel exclaimed as if possessed: "An Elias! an Elias!" and threw himself upon the breast of the ferocious man; the rest were silent, and, Roland again came forward with a calm countenance, and as if embarrassed. " What is your decision my brethren?" demanded he with a deep sigh.
"The decision is diffcult," said ​Constant, a robust, fair young man. "Let our prophets decide." The deadly pale Duplant immediately came forward, gave a hollow sigh and fell down; on the other side appeared Salomon, a diminutive man, he folded his hands, knelt and threw himself upon the rock. Duplant cried with that peculiarly deep voice: "I tell you the Hero Catinat has only fulfilled my orders!"—scarcely however had he uttered these words, than Salomon already groaned forth; "Follow my servant Roland, for he is my chosen instrument, you know that the blood of the innocent is an abomination to me."
The circle now drew closer together, and in the greatest excitement the pale and swarthy faces were looking over one another’s heads, and between the shoulders of the foremost. Every eye was glowing, and Ravanel exclaimed: "To me also was given the gift of prophecy, listen to 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 a right to speak before any of you, through me I can boast that this holy war arose, but here, I think prophecy cannot avail. "He had with these words taken fast hold of the little thing, Ravanel, by the shoulders, but the latter darted like lightening out of his grasp, threw himself down by the side of Duplant, who still lay in ecstasy, and cried: "this is our greatest prophet, for thou hast only two degrees, and him must we follow."
Is not Salomon," said Roland earnestly, "as almighty as he? Here the word of the Lord contradicts itself: how shall we interpret it?"
"Not certainly," interrupted Edmond, who could no longer restrain himself, "As wild passion demands, where doubt exists, mildness and compassion are the designs of the Lord." He had not yet finished these words, when he felt the stroke of a sword between his neck and shoulders, which the wrathful Ravanel aimed at him. The ​youth tottered backwards and Cavalier received him in his arms. "How?" exclaimed several voices, "one brother against another?" many swords were bared, a wild shout flew over the mountains and all was confusion. "The spirit moves me: he is a traitor!" said Ravanel. "stop! peace!" cried Roland’s powerful voice in the midst, "brother Duplant has just now prophesied that he means us fairly, and that he is inspired with the faith!"
Ravanel turned surlily away and spoke to Duplant, who had in the mean while awakened.
A tall, slight man, whose clear brown eyes sparkled brightly, had in the interim been busied with Edmond: he had quickly torn off his clothes, examined and bound up the wound, which did not appear to be dangerous, and had supported him nearly fainting from loss of blood, between his knees. Cavalier with his kindly, childlike eyes was bending over him, and the youth fancied that he was again in his ​father's house, and that the strange guest was come to seek a reconciliation with him. "You are my angel," said he in a feeble voice, "you are indeed Gabriel, as my sister there has just said: take then also Christine as well as my father under your protection, pious boy, we shall all see one another cheerfully and happily again, but shine less brightly." Then he lost all consciousness.
"He is dying! brother Clary!" exclaimed Cavalier. "No," replied he, who had bound up his wound, "he will soon revive again; yet Ravanel does him injustice, for I know by my spirit that this youth is religious, and will follow our cause with zeal; but the wrathful fire of these fierce heroes will ruin us all."
Roland in the meanwhile was going through the assembled groups with commanding grace, seeking to appease these excited minds. All were standing in order, as his glance had commanded; Ravanel alone, conscious of guilt had ​retired. Cavalier now stepped in among them, and in his own amiable manner, said, "Brethren, the tie that binds the whole world, the source of all miracles, the strength of the weak, the immediate presence of our most holy father, is love, love alone. I am apprehensive, that we, the oppressed, whose unity is so necessary, may in this manner be divided, should we forget that we are brethren? Does not something more exalted than an oath bind us to a holy work? Ravanel has without doubt grossly sinned against our new brother, but the pious youth will forgive the enthusiast and Roland and Catinat as brethren must also shake hands. Forgive the impetuous man, brother Roland, and pardon 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 way to the impulse of his feelings. When you are once more united, I have something 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 drops of the mind’s tranquility with thy burning zeal." Catinat promised to restrain himself and peace was again restored.
"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 acknowlege 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 sicles, 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 ns on, thrust us into the thickest 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 inured 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 laborionsly 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."
"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 the 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 thongs 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.