the royal troops of the line,
attempted to leave the church, but the friendly sentinels at the door
advised him to remain besieged with the rest. The national guards
refused to act, and the fanatical crowd took every advantage of the
absence of general La Garde, and of their increasing numbers. At length
the sound of martial music was heard, and voices from without called to
the besieged, "Open, open and save yourselves." Their first impression
was a fear of treachery, but they were soon assured that a detachment
returning from mass was drawn up in front of the church to favour the
retreat of the protestants. The door was opened, and many of them
escaped among the ranks of the soldiers, who had driven the mob before
them; but this street, as well as others through which the fugitives had
to pass, was soon filled again. The venerable pastor, Olivier Desmond,
between 70 and 80 years of age, was surrounded by murderers; they put
their fists in his face, and cried, "Kill the chief of brigands." He was
preserved by the firmness of some officers, among whom was his own son;
they made a bulwark round him with their bodies, and amidst their naked
sabres conducted him to his house. M. Juillerat, who had assisted at
divine service with his wife at his side and his child in his arms, was
pursued and assailed with stones, his mother received a blow on the
head, and her life was some time in danger. One woman was shamefully
whipped, and several wounded and dragged along the streets; the number
of protestants more or less ill treated on this occasion amounted to
between seventy and eighty.

_Murder of General La Garde._

At length a check was put to these excesses by the report of the murder
of Count La Garde, who, receiving an account of this tumult, mounted his
horse, and entered one of the streets, to disperse a crowd. A villain
seized his bridle; another presented the muzzle of a pistol close to his
body, and exclaimed, "Wretch, you make me retire!" He immediately fired.
The murderer was Louis Boissin, a serjeant in the national guard; but,
though known to every one, no person endeavoured to arrest him, and he
effected his escape. As soon as the general found himself wounded, he
gave orders to the gendarmerie to protect the protestants, and set off
on a gallop to his hotel; but fainted immediately on his arrival. On
recovering, he prevented the surgeon from searching his wound till he
had written a letter to the government, th