le several of his lieutenants advised
immediate flight into the mountains. On the other hand, the young and
impetuous Cavalier, who was there, supported the opinion of his chief,
and urged an immediate attack; and an attack was determined on
accordingly.

The little band descended from their vantage-ground on the hill, and
came down into the chestnut wood, singing the sixty-eighth Psalm--"Let
God arise, let his enemies be scattered." The following is the song
itself, in the words of Marot. When the Huguenots sang it, each
soldier became a lion in courage.

"Que Dieu se montre seulement
Et l'on verra dans un moment
Abandonner la place;
Le camp des ennemies epars,
Epouvante de toutes parts,
Fuira devant sa face.

On verra tout ce camp s'enfuir,
Comme l'on voit s'evanouir;
Une epaisse fumee;
Comme la cire fond au feu,
Ainsi des mechants devant
Dieu, La force est consumee.

L'Eternel est notre recours;
Nous obtenons par son secours,
Plus d'une deliverance.
C'est Lui qui fut notre support,
Et qui tient les clefs de la mort,
Lui seul en sa puissance.

A nous defendre toujours prompt,
Il frappe le superbe front
De la troupe ennemie;
On verra tomber sous ses coups
Ceux qui provoquent son courroux
Par leur mechante vie."

This was the "Marseillaise" of the Camisards, their war-song in many
battles, sung by them as a _pas de charge_ to the music of Goudimal.
Poul, seeing them approach from under cover of the wood, charged them
at once, shouting to his men, "Charge, kill, kill the Barbets!"[40]
But "the Barbets," though they were only as one to three of their
assailants, bravely held their ground. Those who had muskets kept up a
fusillade, whilst a body of scythemen in the centre repulsed Poul, who
attacked them with the bayonet. Several of these terrible scythemen
were, however, slain, and three were taken prisoners.

[Footnote 40: The "Barbets" (or "Water-dogs") was the
nickname by which the Vaudois were called, against whom Poul
had formerly been employed in the Italian valleys.]

Laporte, finding that he could not drive Poul back, retreated slowly
into the wood, keeping up a running fire, and reascended the hill,
whither Poul durst not follow him. The Royalist leader was satisfied
with remaining master of the hard-fought field, on which many of his
soldiers lay dead, together with a captain of