phets, arrest then the spirit,
exorcise it when it rushes through your souls like a hurricane, like a
flash of lightening and burst forth from their consecrated mouths the
words of the Eternal on the wings of the spirit. You know that this
miraculous gift is denied to me, to Roland and to many, as in our
Duplant, Cavalier, or Salomon, when all recollection vanishes and every
ordinary human feeling becomes extinct, in the same manner does it
happen to me, when we at length fight in the tumult, or pass by
triumphantly the churches of our foes: from every dumb brick their
scorn grins at me, from every beam the blood of our martyrs so
arrogantly shed cries out to me; then, when the malignant followers of
their priests sneak up to me with feigned supplications, then indeed,
something roars within me for revenge, like a lion if he has once
tasted blood, the sword and dagger pierce through their breasts as they
kneel before me, my whole heart bounds, when the laughing flames rise
up triumphantly through the edifice, when in the blaze the beams are
consumed and fall down and bury women and children in the red glow.
This then is no human fancy that gladdened me, but the true spirit of
the Almighty that impels me onward, and the bishop, the king himself,
even our prophets may advance threateningly and imploringly towards me
in vain in these highly consecrated moments, nay should an angel
descend from heaven and call out to me to desist, I would not listen to
it. Thus I am brethren, and I neither can nor will be otherwise, this I
swear here, by the Eternal God!"

With these last words, he lifted his ponderous sword towards heaven,
and then struck it so forcibly against the rocky ground, that it
clattered loudly, Ravanel exclaimed as if possessed: "An Elias! an
Elias!" and threw himself upon the breast of the ferocious man; the
rest were silent, and Roland again came forward with a calm
countenance, and as if embarrassed. "What is your decision my
brethren?" demanded he with a deep sigh.

"The decision is difficult," said Constant, a robust, fair young man.
"Let our prophets decide." The deadly pale Duplant immediately came
forward, gave a hollow sigh and fell down; on the other side appeared
Salomon, a diminutive man, he folded his hands, knelt and threw himself
upon the rock. Duplant cried with that peculiarly deep voice: "I tell
you the Hero Catinat has only fulfilled my orders!"--scarcely however
had he uttered these words, t