oment, and he made another attempt to recall them to
obedience. Seeing, however, that it was all in vain, he gave up hope,
and calling out, "At least defend yourselves as well as you can, for the
dragoons will soon be on you," he set his horse's head towards the town.
Then turning to them for the last time, he said, "Brethren, let those
who love me follow me!" He pronounced these words in tones so full
of grief and affection that many were shaken in their resolution; but
Ravanel and Moses seeing the effect he had produced, began to shout,
"The sword of the Lord!" Immediately all the troops turned their back
on Cavalier except about forty men who had joined him on his first
appearance.

Cavalier went into a house near by, and wrote another letter to M. de
Villars, in which he told him what had just taken place, the efforts he
had made to win back his troops, and the conditions they demanded. He
ended by assuring him that he would make still further efforts, and
promised the marechal that he would keep him informed of everything
that went on. He then withdrew to Cardet, not venturing to return to
Calvisson.

Both Cavalier's letters reached M. de Villars at the same time; in the
first impulse of anger aroused by this unexpected check, he issued the
following order:

"Since coming to this province and taking over the government by
order of the king, our sole thought has been how to put an end to the
disorders we found existing here by gentle measures, and to restore
peace and to preserve the property of those who had taken no part in
the disturbances. To that end we obtained His Majesty's pardon for those
rebels who had, by the persuasion of their chiefs, been induced to lay
down their arms; the only condition exacted being that they should throw
themselves on the king's clemency and beg his permission to expiate
their crime by adventuring their lives in his service. But, being
informed that instead of keeping the engagements they had made by
signing petitions, by writing letters, and by speaking words expressing
their intentions, some among them have been trying to delude the minds
of the people with false hopes of full liberty for the exercise of this
so-called Reformed religion, which there has never been any intention of
granting, but which we have always declared as clearly as we could,
to be contrary to the will of the king and likely to bring about great
evils for which it would be difficult to find a remedy, it b