ttempt too would have been vain among such a
multitude, the tallest of them advanced towards us and said: 'I see
then before me, some of the brave and valiant Camisards! You are
welcome!' We could not make out who they were, they had not the
appearance of the militia of the country, and were even more fearful
than the madcaps, whom the fierce hermit formerly headed. After we had
examined one another closer, he, who seemed to be the leader said:
'What a miserable perilous life such brave fellows lead, and none to
acknowledge their value; and the sacrifice they make. You are forbidden
to plunder, what do you gain by all your exertions? as we are told, you
are not allowed under penalty of death to plunder even the demolished
churches, and carry off the gold and silver vessels; no, you suffer all
to melt in the flames. We think differently, we are not, it is true,
your companions in faith, but you must make common cause with us.
Behold our party consists of fifty, all united together by solemn
oaths, you can never escape from us again, if you will not join us, you
must die, you know the country and the inhabitants, name to us then the
rich catholics, that we may direct our visits thither, and you shall
have a fair portion of the booty which falls to us.'--What could we do?
we were compelled to conduct them about, as they kept strict watch over
us. I cannot bear to think on the horrors we were forced to witness;
but one, more frightful than the rest, was committed against one of my
comrades, who attempted to escape from them, for our consciences
tortured us day and night. The horrible ill-treatment which had
preceded the murder of our brother, bound us still more firmly to these
highwaymen. The country was soon filled with rumours respecting these
black Camisards, as they were called. Under this mask they were,
however, by no means scrupulous about plundering merely their brothers
in the faith, but they also attacked the houses of the newly converted,
and whose families were known as zealous reformers. One evening when
they surrounded a country house and had dispatched me to inspect the
place more closely, we were surprised and compelled to make a hasty
retreat, and I availed myself of the opportunity to escape into a
garden, and from thence into the wood. They have now however a long
list of wealthy people, whom they intend to rob and murder; the Lord of
Beauvais stands at the head of it, and as his house is rather retired,