the galleys for men attending meetings in the Desert; the
prisons and convents for women and children. Wherever it was found
that persons had been married by the Huguenot pastors, they were haled
before the magistrate, fined and imprisoned, and told that they had
been merely living in concubinage, and that their children were
illegitimate.

Sometimes it was thought that the persecutors would relent. France was
again engaged in a disastrous war with England and Austria; and it was
feared that England would endeavour to stir up a rebellion amongst the
Huguenots. But the pastors met in a general synod, and passed
resolutions assuring the government of their loyalty to the King,[64]
and of their devotion to the laws of France!

[Footnote 64: On the 1st of November, 1746, the ministers of
Languedoc met in haste, and wrote to the Intendant, Le Nain:
"Monseigneur, nous n'avons aucune connaissance de ces gens
qu'on appelle emissaires, et qu'on dit etre envoyes des pays
etrangers pour solliciter les Protestants a la revolte. Nous
avons exhorte, et nous nous proposons d'exhorter encore dans
toutes les occasions, nos troupeaux a la soumission au
souverain et a la patience dans les afflictions, et de nous
ecarter jamais de la pratique de ce precepte: Craignez Dieu
et honorez le roi."]

Their "loyalty" proved of no use. The towns of Languedoc were as
heavily fined as before, for attending meetings in the Desert.[65]
Children were, as usual, taken away from their parents and placed in
Jesuit convents. Le Nain apprehended Jean Desjours, and had him hanged
at Montpellier, on the ground that he had accompanied the peasants
who, as above recited, went into Vernoux after the martyr Desubas.

[Footnote 65: Pres de Saint-Ambroix (Cevennes) se tint un
jour une assemblee. Survint un detachement. Les femmes et les
filles furent depouillees, violees, et quelques hommes furent
blesses.--E. HUGHES, _Histoire de la Restauration, &c._, ii.
212.]

The Catholics would not even allow Protestant corpses to be buried in
peace. At Levaur a well-known Huguenot died. Two of his friends went
to dig a grave for him by night; they were observed by spies and
informed against. By dint of money and entreaties, however, the
friends succeeded in getting the dead man buried. The populace,
stirred up by the White Penitents (mon