ecomes
necessary to prevent those who give belief to these falsehoods from
expecting to escape from well-deserved chastisement. We therefore
declare hereby that all religious assemblies are expressly forbidden
under the penalties proclaimed in the edicts and ordinances of His
Majesty, and that these will be more strictly enforced in the future
than in the past.

"Furthermore, we order all the troops under our command to break up such
assemblies by force, as having been always illegal, and we desire to
impress on the new converts of this province that they are to give their
obedience where it is due, and we forbid them to give any credence
to the false reports which the enemies of their repose are spreading
abroad. If they let themselves be led astray, they will soon find
themselves involved in troubles and misfortunes, such as the loss of
their lands, the ruin of their families, and the desolation of
their country; and we shall take care that the true authors of these
misfortunes shall receive punishment proportioned to their crime.

"MARECHAL DE VILLARS.

"Given at Nimes the 27th day of May 1704."

This order, which put everything back upon the footing on which it
had been in the time of M. de Montrevel, had hardly been issued than
d'Aygaliers, in despair at seeing the result of so much labour destroyed
in one day, set off for the mountains to try and find Cavalier. He found
him at Cardet, whither, as we have said, he had retired after the day of
Calvisson. Despite the resolution which Cavalier had taken never to show
his face again to the marechal, the baron repeated to him so many times
that M. de Villars was thoroughly convinced that what had happened had
not been his fault, he having done everything that he could to prevent
it, that the young chief began to feel his self-confidence and courage
returning, and hearing that the marachal had expressed himself as very
much pleased with his conduct, to which Vincel had borne high testimony,
made up his mind to return to Nimes. They left Cardet at once, followed
by the forty men who had remained true to Cavalier, ten on horse and
thirty on foot, and arrived on the 31st May at Saint-Genies, whither M.
de Villars had come to meet them.

The assurances of d'Aygaliers were justified. The marechal received
Cavalier as if he were still the chief of a powerful party and able to
negotiate with him on terms of equality. At Cavalier's request, in order
to prove to him that he