09 - Celebrated Crimes - The Massacres of the South by Alexandre Dumas

Dumass Celebrated Crimes isnt a series designed for the faint-hearted. The novelist pulls no punches in his graphic depiction of a tumultuous era, sometimes distorting facts and levelling unfounded accusations. Its a riveting read intended for discerning, seasoned readers who can appreciate and account for the authors dramatic liberties. As per the publishers note.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapter five, Part one of Celebrated Crimes Volume two, The
Massacres of the South. This is a LibriVox recording. All
LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information
or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by
John van Stand Savannah, Georgia. Celebrated Crimes, Volume two, The

(00:22):
Massacres of the South by Alexander Dumas, Chapter five, Part one. Meantime,
the date of Cavalier's departure drew near. A town was
to be named in which he was to reside at
a sufficient distance from the theater of war to prevent
the rebels from depending on him any more. In this
town he was to organize his regiment, and as soon

(00:43):
as it was complete, it was to go under his
command to Spain and fight for the king. Monsieur de
Villar was still on the same friendly terms with him,
treating him not like a rebel, but according to his
new rank in the French army. On the twenty first June,
he told him that he was to get ready to
leave the next day, and at the same time he
handed him in advance on their future pay fifty louis

(01:05):
for himself thirty for Daniel Billard, who had been made
lieutenant colonel in the place of Ravenel, ten for each captain,
five for each lieutenant, two for each sergeant, and one
for each private. The number of his followers had then
reached one hundred and fifty, only sixty of whom were armed.
Monsieur de Vasignac, major in the Femar Khan Regiment, accompanied

(01:27):
them with fifty dragoons and fifty of the rank and
file from Hainault. All along the road, Cavalier and his
men met with a courteous reception. At Macon, they found
orders awaiting them to halt. Cavalier at once wrote to
Monsieur de Chamaillard to tell him that he had things
of importance to communicate to him, and the minister sent
a career of the cabinet called la Valais to bring

(01:51):
Cavalier to Versailles. This message more than fulfilled all Cavalier's hopes.
He knew that he had been greatly talked about at court,
and in spite of his natural modesty, the reception he
had met with at times had given him new ideas,
if not of his own merit, at least of his
own importance. Besides, he felt that his services to the
king deserved some recognition. The way in which Cavalier was

(02:14):
received by Chamallard did not disturb these golden dreams. The
minister welcomed the young colonel like a man whose worth
he appreciated, and told him that the great lords and
ladies of the court were not less favorably disposed towards him.
The next day, Chamaillard announced to Cavalier that the king
desired to see him, and that he was to keep
himself prepared for his summons to court. Two days later,

(02:37):
Cavalier received a letter from the minister telling him to
be at the palace at four o'clock in the afternoon,
and he would place him on the grand staircase, up
which the king would pass. Cavalier put on his handsomest
clothes for the first time in his life, perhaps taking
trouble with his toilet. He had fine features to which
his extreme youth, his long fair hair, and the gentle

(02:58):
expression of his eyes lean much charm. Two years of
warfare had given him a martial air. In short, even
among the most elegant, he might pass as a beau cavalier.
At three o'clock he reached Versailles and found Chamillard waiting
for him. All the courtiers of every rank were in
a state of great excitement, for they had learned that
the Great Louis had expressed a wish to meet the

(03:20):
late seminal chief, whose name had been pronounced so loud
and so often in the mountains of Languidoc that its
echoes had resounded in the halls of Versailles. Chevalier had
not been mistaken in thinking that everyone was curious to
see him, only as no one yet knew in what
light the King regarded him, the courtiers dared not accost him,
for fear of compromising their dignity. The manner of his

(03:43):
reception by his majesty would regulate the warmth of his
reception by every one else. Met thus by looks of
curiosity and affected silence, the young colonel felt some embarrassment,
and this increased when Chamillard, who had accompanied him to
his appointed place, left him to reach joined the king. However,
in a few moments he did what embarrassed people so

(04:04):
often do, hid his shyness under an air of disdain, and,
leaning on the balustrade, crossed his legs and played with
the feather of his hat. When half an hour had
passed in this manner, a great commotion was heard. Cavalier
turned in the direction from which it came and perceived
the King just entering the vestibule. It was the first
time he had seen him, but he recognized him at once.

(04:27):
Cavalier's knees knocked together and his face flushed. The King
mounted the stairs step by step with his usual dignity,
stopping from time to time to say a word or
make a sign with head or hand. Behind him, two
steps lower came Chamillard, moving and stopping as the King
moved and stopped, and answering the questions which his majesty

(04:47):
put to him in a respectful but formal and precise manner.
Reaching the level on which Cavalier stood, the King stopped
under pretext of pointing out to Chamayard a new ceiling
which le Brun had just finished, but really to have
a good look at the singular man who had maintained
a struggle against two marshals of France and treated with
a third on equal terms. When he had examined him

(05:09):
quite at his ease, he turned to Chamillard, pretending he
had only just caught sight of the stranger, and asked,
who is this young gentleman. Sire, answered the minister, stepping
forward to present him to the King, This is Colonel
Jean Cavalier. Ah yes, said the King contemptuously, the former
baker of Anduza, and shrugging his shoulders disdainfully, he passed on.

(05:34):
Cavalier on his side, had, like Chamillard, taken a step forward,
when the scornful answer of the great King changed him
into a statue. For an instant he stood motionless and
pale as death. Then instinctively he laid his hand on
his sword, but becoming conscious that he was lost if
he remained an instant longer among these people, whom not

(05:54):
one of his motions, escaped, although they pretended to despise
him too much to be aware of his presence. He
dashed down the staircase and through the hall, upsetting two
or three footmen who were in his way, hurried into
the garden, ran across it at full speed, and, regaining
his room at the hotel, threw himself on the floor,
where he rolled like a maniac, uttering cries of rage

(06:16):
and cursing the hour. When trusting to the promises of
Monsieur de Villar, he had abandoned the mountains, where he
was as much a king as Louis the fourteenth. At
Versailles the same evening he received orders to leave Paris
and rejoin his regiment at Macon. He therefore set out
the next morning without seeing Monsieur de Chamillard again. Cavalier,

(06:37):
on arriving at Macon, found that his comrades had had
a visit from Monsieur Dagliere's, who had come again to
Paris in the hope of obtaining more from the King
than Monsieur de Villar could a wood grant. Cavalier, without
telling his comrades of the strange manner in which the
king had received him, gave them to understand that he
was beginning to fear that not only would the promises

(06:58):
they had received been broken, but that some strange trick
would be played upon them. Thereupon, these men, whose chief
and oracle he had been for so long, asked him
what they ought to do. Cavalier replied that if they
would follow him, their best course, and his, would be
to take the first opportunity of gaining the frontier and
leaving the country. They all declared themselves ready to follow

(07:20):
him anywhere. This caused Cavalier a new pang of regret,
for he could not help recollecting that he had once
had under his command fifteen hundred men like these. The
next day, Cavalier and his comrades set out on their march,
without knowing whither they were being taken, not having been
able to obtain any information as to their destination from
their escort, a silence which confirmed them in their resolution.

(07:44):
As soon therefore, as they reached Onnan, Cavalier declared that
he considered that they looked for opportunity had arrived. Asking
them if they were still in the same mind, they
returned that they would do whatever he advised. Cavalier then
ordered them to hold themselves in readiness. Daniel offered up
a prayer, and the prayer ended. The whole company deserted

(08:04):
in a body, and crossing Mount Belliard entered poin Troy
and took the road to Luzan. Meantime, Dagliere's in his turn,
arrived at Versailles with letters from Alsheur de Villars, for
the Duke of Beauvillier, president of the King's Council, and
for Chamillard. The evening of his arrival He delivered these
letters to those to whom they were addressed, and both

(08:26):
gentlemen promised to present him to the king. Four days later,
Chamayard sent word to Daglieres that he was to be
next day at the door of the King's chamber. At
the time when the council entered Dagliere's was punctual. The
King appeared at the usual hour, and as he paused
before Dagliere's Chamaillard came forward and said, Baron Daglieres, Sire,

(08:48):
I am very glad to see you, sir, said the King,
for I am very much pleased with the zeal you
have displayed in Languedoc in my service. Very much pleased, indeed, Sire,
answered Dagliers. I consider myself most unfortunate in that I
have been able to accomplish nothing deserving of the gracious
words which your Majesty deigns to address me, and I

(09:10):
pray God of his grace to grant me in the
future and opportunity of proving my zeal and loyalty in
your Majesty's service more clearly than hitherto. Never mind. Never mind,
said the King. I repeat, sir, that I am very
much pleased with what you have done, and he entered
the room where the council was waiting. Daglieres went away
only half satisfied. He had not come so far only

(09:33):
to receive commendation from the king, but in the hope
of obtaining some concession for his brethren. But with Louis
the fourteenth, it was impossible either to intercede or complain.
One could only wait. The same evening, Chamillard sent for
the Baron and told him that, as Mareschal Villars had
mentioned in his letter, that the commissards had great confidence

(09:53):
in him. Daglieres, he wished to ask him if he
were willing to go once more to them and try
and bring them back to the path of duty. Certainly
I am willing, but I fear things have now got
so far that there will be great difficulty in calming
the general perturbation of mind. But what can these people want,
asked Chamillard, as if he had just heard them spoken

(10:16):
of for the first time. And by what means can
we pacify them? In my opinion, said the baron. The
King should allow to all his subjects the free exercise
of their religion. What legalize once more the exercise of
the so called reform religion, exclaimed the minister. Be sure
you never mention such a thing again. The King would

(10:38):
rather see his kingdom destroyed than consent to such a measure,
Monsignor replied the Baron. If that is the case, then
I must say with great regret that I know of
no other way to calm the discontent, which will ultimately
result in the ruin of one of the fairest provinces
in France. But that is unheard of obstinacy, said the minister,

(10:59):
lost in a astonishment. These people will destroy themselves and
drag their country down with them if they cannot conform
to our religion. Why do they not worship God in
their own way at home? No one will disturb them
as long as they don't insist on public worship. At first,
that was all they wanted, Monsignor, and I am convinced

(11:19):
that if people had not been dragged to confession and
communion by force, they would have been easy to keep
them in that submissive frame of mind from which they
were only driven by despair. But at present they say
that it is not enough to pray at home. They
want to be married, to have their children baptized and instructed,
and to die and be buried according to the ordinances

(11:40):
of their own faith. Where may you have seen anyone
who has ever made to communicate by force? Asked Chamayard.
Daglieres looked at the minister in surprise, thinking he spoke
in joke, but seeing he was quite serious, he answered, alas, Monsignor,
my late father and my mother, who is still living,

(12:01):
are both instances of people subjected to this indignity. Are
you then not a Catholic, asked Chamillard. No Monseigneur, replied Daglieres.
Then how did you manage to return to France to
speak the truth? Sir? I only came back to help
my mother to escape, but she never could make up

(12:22):
her mind to leave France, as such a step was
surrounded by many difficulties which she feared she could never surmount.
So she asked my other relations to persuade me to remain.
I yielded to their importunities on condition that they would
never interfere with my beliefs. To accomplish this end, they
got a priest with whom they were intimate, to say
that I had changed my views once more, and I

(12:45):
did not contradict the report. It was a great sin
on my part, and I deeply repent it. I must add, however,
that whenever anyone has asked me the question your Excellency
asked me just now, I have always given the same reply.
The Minister did not seem to take the Baron's frankness
in bad part. Only he remarked, when dismissing him, that

(13:06):
he hoped he would find out some way of ridding
the kingdom of those who refused to think in religious matters.
As his Majesty commanded. Daglieres replied that it was a
problem to which he had given much thought, but without
ever being able to find a solution, but that he
would think about it more earnestly in the future. He
then withdrew. Some days later, Chomillard sent word to Daglieres

(13:28):
that the King would graciously give him a farewell audience.
The baron relates what took place at this second interview
as follows. His majesty says, he received me in the
council chamber and was so good as to repeat once more,
in the presence of all his ministers, that he was
very much pleased with my services, but that there was
one thing about me he should like to correct. I

(13:51):
begged his majesty to tell me what the fault was,
and I should try to get rid of it at
the peril of my life. It is your religion, said
the King. I should like to have you become a
good Catholic, so that I might be able to grant
you favors and enable you to serve me better. His
majesty added that I ought to seek instruction, and that
then I should one day recognize what a great benefit

(14:13):
he desired to bring within my reach. I answered that
I would esteem myself happy if, at the cost of
my life, I could prove the burning zeal which I
was filled for the service of the greatest of earthly kings,
but that I should be unworthy of the least of
his favors if I obtained it by hypocrisy or by
anything of which my conscience did not approve, but that

(14:34):
I was grateful for the goodness which made him anxious
for my salvation. I told him also that I had
already taken every opportunity of receiving instruction, and had tried
to put aside the prejudices arising from my birth, such
as often hindered people from recognizing the truth, with the
result that I had at one time almost lost all
sense of religion, until God, taking pity on me, had

(14:56):
opened my eyes and brought me out of that deplorable condition,
making me see that the faith in which I had
been born was the only one for me. I can
assure your majesty. I added that many of the languidoarct
bishops who ought it seems to me to try to
make us Catholics, are the instruments which Providence uses to
prevent us from becoming so, For instead of attracting us

(15:18):
by gentleness and good example, they ceaselessly subject us to
all kinds of persecutions, as if to convince us that
God is punishing us for our cowardice in giving up
a religion which we know to be good, by delivering
us up to pastors who, far from laboring to assure
our salvation, use all their efforts to deprive us to despair.

(15:41):
At this, the King shrugged his shoulders and said, enough,
do not say any more. I asked for his blessing
as the king and father of all his subjects. The
King burst out laughing and told me that Monsieur de
Chamaillard would give me his orders. In virtue of this intimation,
Daglieres went next next day to the minister's country house,

(16:02):
for Chamayard had given him that address, and there he
learned that the king had granted him a pension of
eight hundred liver. The baron remark that, not having worked
for money, he had hoped for a better reward. As
far as money was concerned, he desired only the reimbursement
of the actual expenses of his journeys to and from.
But Chamillard answered that the king expected all that he offered,

(16:22):
and whatever he offered to be accepted with gratitude. To this,
there was no possible reply, So the same evening Dagliere
set out on his return to Languedoc. Three months later,
Chamallard forwarded him in order to leave the kingdom, telling
him that he was to receive a pension of four
hundred crowns per annum and inclosing the first quarter in advance.

(16:43):
As there was no means of evading this command, Dagliere
set out for Geneva, accompanied by thirty three followers, arriving
there on the twenty third of September. Once rid of him,
Louis the Magnificent thought that he had done his part
nobly and that he owed him nothing. Further, so that
Dagliere's wait a whole year in Vain for the second
quarter of his pension. At the end of this time,

(17:04):
as his letters to Chamayad remained unanswered, and finding himself
without resources in a foreign country, he believed himself justified
in returning to France and taking up his residence on
his family estate. Unfortunately, on his way through lyon the
provost of merchants, hearing of his return, had him arrested
and sent word to the king, who ordered him to
be taken to the Chateau de Lach. After a year's imprisonment, Daglires,

(17:29):
who had just entered on his thirty fifth year, resolved
to try and escape, preferring to die in the attempt
rather than remain a prisoner for life. He succeeded in
getting possession of a file with which he removed one
of the bars of his window, and by means of
knotting his sheets together, he got down, taking the loosened
bar with him to serve in case of need as
a weapon. A sentinel who was near cried, who goes there,

(17:53):
but Dagliere stunned him with his bar. The cry, however,
had given the alarm. A second sentinel saw a man flying,
fired at him and killed him on the spot. Such
was the reward of the devoted patriotism of Baron Dagliere's. Meantime,
Roland's troops had increased greatly in number, having been joined

(18:15):
by the main body of those who had once been
commanded by Cavalier, so that he had about eight hundred
men at his disposal. Some distance away, another chief named
Joanni had four hundred La Rossa, to whom Castanet had
transferred his command. Found himself at the head of three hundred.
Poissau de Rochegude, was followed by one hundred, Saltet de

(18:37):
Soustel by two hundred, Louis Costa by fifty, and Catanat
by forty, so that in spite of the victory of
Montraval and the negotiations of Monshoor de Villar, the Commissard
still formed an effective force of eighteen hundred and ninety men,
not to speak of many single troopers who owned no commander,
but acted each for himself and were nonetheless mischievous for

(18:59):
that all these troops except these latter obeyed Roland, who,
since the defection of Cavalier, had been recognized as Generalissimo
of the forces. Monsieur de Villar thought if he could
separate Roland from his troops as he had separated Cavalier,
his plans would be more easy to carry out. So
he made use of every means within his reach to

(19:19):
gain over Roland, and as soon as one plan failed,
he tried another. At one moment he was almost sure
of obtaining his object by the help of a certain
Giordan de Mianet, a great friend of his, who offered
his services as an intermediary, but who failed, like all
the others, receiving from Roland a positive refusal, so that
it became evident that resort must be had to other

(19:42):
means than those of persuasion. A sum of one hundred
louis had already been sent on Roland's head. This sum
was now doubled. Three days afterwards, a young man from
Uza by name Malarte, in whom Roland had every confidence,
wrote to Monsieur de Parata that the Commissard General intended
to pass the night of the fourteenth of August at

(20:02):
the chateau castle now de Paratte, immediately made his dispositions
and ordered La Coste Badi, at the head of two
companies of dragoons, and all the officers of Uza, who
were well mounted, to hold themselves in readiness, to start
on an expedition at eight o'clock in the evening, but
not revealing its object to them till the time came

(20:22):
at eight o'clock. Having been told what they had to do,
they set off at such a pace that they came
in sight of the chateau within an hour, and were
obliged to halt and conceal themselves lest they should appear
too soon before Roland had retired for the night. But
they need not have been afraid. The Commissar chief, who
was accustomed to rely on all his men as on himself,

(20:44):
had gone to bed without any suspicion, having full confidence
in the vigilance of one of his officers named Grimaud,
who had stationed himself as sentinel on the roof of
the chateau. Led by Malarta Lacoste, Buddy and his dragoons
took a narrow covered way which led them to the
foot of the walls, so that When Grimaud saw them,
it was already too late, the chateau being surrounded by

(21:06):
all sides. Firing off his gun, he cried two arms. Roland,
roused by the cry and the shot, leaped out of bed, and,
taking his clothes in one hand and his sword in
the other, ran out of his room. At the door
he met Grimaud, who, instead of thinking of his own safety,
had come to watch over that of his chief. They
both ran to the stables to get horses, but three
of their men, Marchan, Budallie, and Bayou, had been before

(21:29):
them and had seized on the best ones, and, riding
them bare backs, had dashed through the front gates before
the dragoons could stop them. The horses that were left
were so wretched that Roland felt there was no chance
of out distancing the dragoons by their help, so he
resolved to fly on foot, thus avoiding the open roads
and being able to take refuge in every ravine, in
every bush as cover. He therefore hastened with Grimaud and

(21:52):
four other officers who had gathered round him, towards a
small black gate which opened on the fields. But as
there was besides the troops which entered the chateau a
ring of dragoons round it. They fell at once into
the hands of some men who had been placed in ambush.
Seeing himself surrounded, Roland let fall the clothes which he
had not yet had time to put on, placed his

(22:14):
back against the tree, drew his sword, and challenged the boldest,
whether officer or private, to approach his features, expressed such
resolution that, when he, thus alone and half naked, defied
them all. There was a moment's hesitation, during which no
one ventured to take a step forward. But this pause
was broken by the report of a gun. The arm

(22:34):
which Roland had stretched out against his adversaries fell to
his side, The sword with which he had threatened them
escaped from his hand. His knees gave way, so that
his body, which was only supported by the tree against
which he leaned, after remaining an instant erect, gradually sank
to the ground. Collecting all his strength, Roland raised his
two hands to heaven, as if to call down the

(22:56):
vengeance of God upon his murderers. Then, without having uttered
a single word, he fell forward, dead shot through the heart.
The name of the dragoon who killed him was soubehrand
Mahi Grimaud, Coutero, Gerin and Rassaul. The five commissar officers,
seeing their chief dead, let themselves be taken as if
they were children, without thinking of making any resistance. The

(23:19):
dead body of Roland was carried back in triumph to Uza,
and from there to Nimes, where it was put upon
trial as if still alive. It was sentenced to be
dragged on hurdles and then burnt. The execution of this
sentence was carried out with such pomp as made it
impossible for the one party to forget the punishment and
for the other to forget the martyrdom. At the end,

(23:40):
the ashes of Roland were scattered to the four winds
of heaven. The execution of the five officers followed close
on that of their chief's body. They were condemned to
be broken on the wheel, and the sentence was carried
out on all at once. But their death, instead of
inspiring the Calvinists with terror, gave them rather fresh courage.
For whereas an eye witness relates, the five commissards bore

(24:02):
their tortures not only with fortitude, but with a light heartedness,
which surprised all present, especially those who had never seen
a commissard executed before Malarta received his two hundred louis,
but today his name is coupled with that of Judas
in the minds of his countrymen. From this time on,
fortune ceased to smile on the commissards. Genius had gone

(24:24):
with Cavalier and Faith with Roland. The very day of
the death of the latter, one of their stores, containing
more than eighty sacks of corn, had been taken at Toirah.
The next day, Catannaut, who with a dozen men, was
in hiding in a vineyard of Lavonage, was surprised by
a detachment of swason At eleven of his men were killed,
the twelfth made prisoner, and he himself barely escaped with

(24:46):
a severe wound. The twenty fifth of the same month,
a cavern near Sauv which the rebels used as a store,
and which contained one hundred and fifty sacks of fine wheat,
was discovered. Lastly, Chevalier de Froulat had found a third
hiding place near Malie, in this which had been used
not only as a store but as a hospital. Besides
a quantity of salt, beef, wine and flower. Six wounded

(25:10):
commissards were found, who were instantly shot as they lay.
The only band which remained unbroken was Ravenel's, But since
the departure of Cavalier, things had not gone well with
his lieutenant. In consequence of this, and also on account
of the successive checks which the other bodies of Commissar
troops had met with, Ravenel proclaimed a solemn fast in

(25:31):
order to intercede with God to protect the Huguenot cause.
On Saturday, the thirteenth September, he led his entire force
to the wood of Saint Benazet, intending to pass the
whole of the next day with them there in prayer.
But treason was rife. Two peasants who knew of this
plan gave information to Monsieur Lenoirs, Mayor of le Vigan,

(25:51):
and he sent word to the Mamaschal and Monsieur of Saville,
who were at Anduza. Nothing could have been more welcome
to the governor than this important information. He made the
most careful disposition of his forces, hoping to destroy the
rebellion at one blow. He ordered Monsieur de Courtin, a
brigadier colonel in command at Alais, to take a detachment

(26:13):
of the troops under him and patrol the banks of
the garden between Nares and Castaignan. He was of opinion
that if the commissards were attacked on the other side
by a body of soldiers drawn from Anduza, which he
had stationed during the night at domerz Arg, they would
try to make good their retreat toward the river. The
force at dahmers Garg would almost be called a small army,

(26:35):
for it was composed of a Swiss battalion, a battalion
of the Hinault Regiment, one of the Cherrolet Regiment, and
four companies of dragoons from Femarcon and Saint Sernaer. Everything
took place as the peasants had said. On Saturday the thirteenth.
The commissards entered as we have seen, the wood of
Saint Benase, and passed the night there. At break of day,

(26:56):
the royals from dahmerz Arg began their advance. The commissard
outposts soon perceived the movement and warned Ravenel, who held
his little council of war. Everyone was in favor of
instant retreats, so they retired toward Nare, intending the cross
the garden below that town. Just as Monsieur de Villar
had foreseen the commissars, did everything necessary for the success

(27:19):
of his plans, and ended by walking right into the
trap set for them. On emerging from the wood of
Saint Benazet, they caught sight of a detachment of royals
drawn up and waiting for them between Marvellol and a
mill called the Moulin du Pont. Seeing the rows closed
in this direction, they turned sharp to the left and
gained a rocky valley which ran parallel to the Gardan.

(27:41):
This they followed till they came out below Marvellol, where
they crossed the river. They now thought themselves out of
danger thanks to this maneuver, but suddenly they saw another
detachment of royals lying on the grass near the mill
of Las Squie. They at once halted again, and then,
believing themselves undiscovered, turned back, moving as noiselessly as possible,

(28:02):
intending to recross the river and make for Carday. But
they only avoided one trap to fall into another, for
in this direction they were met by the Hainault battalion,
which swooped down upon them. A few of these ill
fated men rallied at the sound of Ravenel's voice and
made an effort to defend themselves in spite of the
prevailing confusion. But the danger was so imminent to the foes,

(28:23):
so numerous, and their numbers decreased so rapidly under the
fierce assault, that their example failed of effect, and flight
became general. Every man trusted a chance for guidance, and
caring nothing for the safety of others, thought only of
his own. Then it ceased to be a battle and
became a massacre, for the royals were ten to one,
and among those they encountered, only sixty had firearms, the rest,

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since the discovery of their various magazines, having been reduced
to arm themselves with bad swords, pitchforks, and bayonets. Attached
to Styx, hardly a man survived the fray. Ravenel himself
only succeeded in this escaping by throwing himself into the river,
where he remained under water between two rocks for seven hours,
only coming to the surface to breathe when night fell

(29:09):
and the dragoons had retired. He also fled. This was
the last battle of the war, which had lasted four years.
With Cavalier and Roland, those two mountain giants, the power
of the rebels disappeared. As the news of the defeat spread,
the commissar, chiefs and soldiers, becoming convinced that the lord
had hidden his face from them, surrendered one by one.

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The first to set an example was Castanay on September sixth,
a week after the defeat of Ravenel. He surrendered to
the Mareschal. On the nineteenth, Catanat and his lieutenant Francois
Souvaya tendered their submission on the twenty second. Aimee, Roland's
brother came in on October fourth, Joanni on the ninth,
Laos Valette, Salemon, la Forat, Mouliers, sal Abraham and Marion

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on the twentieth, Fidela, and on the twenty fifth Rochaguda
each made what terms he could. In general, the conditions
were favorable. Most of those who submitted received rewards of money,
some more, some less, the smallest amount given being two
hundred liver They all received passports and were ordered to
leave the kingdom, being sent accompanied by an escort and

(30:20):
at the king's expense, to Geneva. The following is the
account given by Marion of the agreement he came to
with the Marquis La Landa, probably all the others were
of the same nature. I was deputed, he says, to
treat with this Lieutenant general in regard to the surrender
of my own troops and those of La Rose, and
to arrange terms for the inhabitants of thirty five parishes

(30:40):
who had contributed to our support during the war. The
result of the negotiations was that all the prisoners from
our cantons should be set at liberty and be reinstated
in their possessions, along with all the others. The inhabitants
of those parishes which had been ravaged by fire were
to be exempt from land tax for three years and
in no pay parish. Were the inhabitants to be taunted

(31:02):
with the past, nor molested on the subject of religion,
but were to be free to worship God in their
own houses according to their consciences. These agreements were fulfilled
with such punctuality that Lorosa was permitted to open the
prison doors of Saint Hippolyte to forty prisoners the very
day he made submission. As we have said, the commissards,

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according as they came in, were sent off to Geneva Daglieres,
whose fate we have anticipated, arrived there on September twenty third,
accompanied by Cavalier's eldest brother, Malpach, Roland's secretary and thirty
six Commissards. Catanat and Castanet arrived there on the eighth
October along with twenty two other persons, while Lorose, la Foret, Salomon, Mouliers,

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sal Marion and Fidela reached it under the escort of
forty dragoons from Fimarcon in the month of November. Of
all the chiefs who had turned Languedoc for four years
into a vast arena, only Ravenel remained, but he refused
either to surrender or to leave the country. On the
eighth October, the Mamachal issued in order declaring he had
forfeited all right to the favor of an amnesty, and

(32:08):
offering a reward of one hundred and fifty louis to
whoever delivered him upliving and twenty four hundred liver to
whoever brought in his dead body, while any hamlet, village
or town which gave him refuge would be burnt to
the ground and the inhabitants put to the sword. The
revolt seemed to be at an end in peace established,
so the Mamachal was recalled the court and left Nimes

(32:30):
on January the sixth. Before his departure, he received the
states of Languadoc, who bestowed on him not only the
praise which was his due for having tempered severity with mercy,
but also a purse of twelve thousand liver, while a
some of eight thousand liver was presented to his wife.
But all this was only a prelude to the favors
awaiting him at court. On the day he returned to Paris,

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the king decorated him with all the royal orders and
created him a duke. On the following day, he received
him and thus addressed him, Sir, past services lead me
to expect much of those you will render me in
the future. The affairs of my kingdom would be better
conducted if I had several villars at my disposal. Having
only one, I must always send him where he is

(33:14):
most needed. It was for that reason I sent you
to Languadoc. You have, while there restored tranquility to my subjects.
You must now defend them against their enemies, for I
shall send you to command my army on the Moselle.
In the next campaign, the Duke of Berwick arrived at
Montpellier on the seventeenth March to replace marechal Villar. His
first care was to learn from Monsieur de Baville the

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exact state of affairs. Monsieur de Baville told him that
they were not at all settled as they appeared to
be on the surface. In fact, England and Holland, desiring
nothing so much as that an Intestine war should waste,
France were making unceasing efforts to induce the exiles to
return home, promising that this time they would really support
them by lending arms, ammunition and men. And it was

(34:00):
said that some were already on their way back among
the number Castennae. And indeed the late rebel chief, tired
of inaction, had left Geneva in the end of February
and arrived safely at Vivarat. He had held a religious
meeting in a cave near La Goree, and had drawn
to his side Vallette of val and Boyer of Vallen.

(34:20):
Just as the three had determined to penetrate into the Cevennes,
they were denounced by some peasants before a Swiss officer
named Mueller, who was in command of a detachment of
troops in the village of Riviere. Muller instantly mounted his horse, and,
guided by the informers, made his way into the little
wood in which the commissards had taken refuge, and fell
upon them. Quite unexpectedly, Boyer was killed in trying to escape.

(34:44):
Castanet was taken and brought to the nearest prison, where
he was joined the next day by Vallette, who had
also been betrayed by some peasants whom he had asked
for assistance. The first punishment inflicted on Castanet was that
he was compelled to carry in his hand the head
of Boyer all the way from Lagorat to Montpellier. He
protested vehemently at first, but in vain it was fastened

(35:06):
to his wrist by the hair, whereupon he kissed it
on both cheeks and went through the ordeal as if
it were a religious act, addressing words of prayer to
the head, as he might have done to a relic
of a martyr. Arrived at Montpellier, Castanet was examined, and
at first persisted in saying that he had only returned
from exile because he had not the wherewithal to live abroad,

(35:28):
but when put to the torture, he was made to
endure such agony that, despite his courage and constancy, he
confessed that he had formed a plan to introduce a
band of Huguenot's soldiers with their officers into the Cevennes
by way of Dauphine or by water, and while waiting
for their arrival, he had sent on emissaries in advanced
to rouse the people to revolt. That he himself had

(35:50):
also shared in this work, that Catanaut was, at the
moment in Languedoc or Vivat, engaged in the same task,
and provided with a considerable sum of money sent him
by foreigners for distribution, and that several persons of still
greater importance would soon cross the frontier and join him.
Castanay was condemned to be broken on the wheel. As

(36:10):
he was about to be led to execution. Abbe Tremondy,
the Cure of Notre Dame and Abbe Plomat, canon of
the Cathedral, came to his cell to make a last
effort to convert him, but he refused to speak. They
therefore went on before and awaited him on the scaffold.
There they appeared to inspire Castanay with more horror than
the instruments of torture. And while he addressed the executioner

(36:33):
as a brother, he called out to the priests, go
away out of my sight, imps from the bottomless pit.
What are you doing here? You are cursed tempters. I
will die in the religion in which I was born.
Leave me alone, ye hypocrites, Leave me alone. But the
two abbeys were unmoved, and Castanae expired, cursing not the executioner,

(36:54):
but the two priests, whose presence during his death agony
disturbed his soul, turning it away from things which should
have filled it. Valletta was sentenced to be hanged and
was executed on the same day as Castannat end of
chapter five, Section one reading by John Vanstan Savannah Georgia