them, would make themselves odious to their
brethren (for d'Aygaliers intended to take with him on his mission of
persuasion only men of high reputation among the Reformers, who would be
repelled by the Camisards if they refused to submit), or else; by laying
down their arms and submitting, they would restore peace to the South
of France, obtain liberty of worship, set free their brethren from the
prisons and galleys, and come to the help of the king in his war against
the allied powers, by supplying him in a moment with a large body of
disciplined troops ready to take the field against his enemies; for
not only would the Camisards, if they were supplied with officers, be
available for this purpose, but also those troops which were at the
moment employed in hunting down the Camisards would be set free for this
important duty.

This proposition was so clear and promised to produce such useful
results, that although the prejudice against the Reformers was very
strong, Baron d'Aygaliers found supporters who were at once intelligent
and genuine in the Duke de Chevreuse and the Duke de Montfort, his
son. These two gentlemen brought about a meeting between the baron and
Chamillard, and the latter presented him to the Marechal de Villars, to
whom he showed his petition, begging him to bring it to the notice of
the king; but M, de Villars, who was well acquainted with the obstinacy
of Louis, who, as Baron de Peken says, "only saw the Reformers through
the spectacles of Madame de Maintenon," told d'Aygaliers that the last
thing he should do would be to give the king any hint of his plans,
unless he wished to see them come to nothing; on the contrary, he
advised him to go at once to Lyons and wait there for him, M. de
Villars; for he would probably be passing through that town in a few
days, being almost certain to be appointed governor of Languedoc in
place of M. de Montrevel, who had fallen under the king's displeasure
and was about to be recalled. In the course of the three interviews
which d'Aygaliers had had with M. de Villars, he had become convinced
that de Villars was a man capable of understanding his object; he
therefore followed his advice, as he believed his knowledge of the king
to be correct, and left Paris for Lyons.

The recall of M. de Montrevel had been brought about in the following
manner:--M. de Montrevel having just come to Uzes, learned that
Cavalier and his troops were in the neighbourhood of Sainte-Chat