ss of the Camisards
increased daily, especially as they placed at their head intrepid
leaders, among whom Cavalier[1] particularly distinguished himself. The
state of affairs became most critical, for Louis XIV., when the Spanish
war of succession required him to extend his forces on all sides, and
Marlborough and the Duke of Savoy, through promises and small succours,
fired still more the Camisards. On the other hand, Pope Clement XI.
in 1703, proclaimed a plenary summons to a crusade against them, which
was put in execution. Notwithstanding this, they almost totally
defeated the troops of the Marshal Montrevel sent against them with
20,000 men, in 1703, and the horrible cruelty of the latter only
excited still more their fanaticism. Recompensing evil with evil, they
strangled eighty-four priests in the diocese of Nismes and burned two
hundred churches, after 40,000 of their own party had been put to the
wheel, burnt, and hanged. At length, in order to give to the perilous
state of affairs another turn, Louis recalled Marshal Montrevel, 1704,
and sent Marshal Villars. One of the chiefs of the Camisards meditated
an alliance with the Duke of Savoy in Dauphine. The whole country from
the coast to the highest crest of the mountains was more or less in
their hands and with the inhabitants of Nismes, Montpellier, Orange,
Uzes, &c., &c., they maintained communications, which secured to them
bread, arms, and other necessaries. A quantity of bells had been melted
down by them to serve for cannons, and Cavalier acquitted himself like
a skilful general. The Catholic peasantry ventured neither to cultivate
the land, nor to carry necessaries of life into the towns. Thus stood
affairs, when Villars on the 21st of April, arrived in Nismes. He too
was incapable, of subduing the insurgents by force of arms. He
therefore decided on trying the effect of milder measures, and
proclaimed a general amnesty for all, who would lay down their arms,
and set at liberty himself such prisoners as swore fealty. In fact he
disarmed in this manner several communities. On the other side he
menaced with the harshest punishment, and to give weight to it,
moveable columns were formed, which marched from a given point in every
direction, upon which again detachments were ordered to remain as a
reserve, to succour those who might make head against the enemy in the
open field. Those, who were made prisoners with arms in their hands,
were either killed on the
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