The Project Gutenberg eBook, Jacques Bonneval, by Anne Manning

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Title: Jacques Bonneval

Author: Anne Manning

Release Date: October 30, 2004 [eBook #13896]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)

***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK JACQUES BONNEVAL***

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JACQUES BONNEVAL

Or, The Days of the Dragonnades

by

THE AUTHOR OF _MARY POWELL_, _THE FAIRE GOSPELLER_, ETC., ETC.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I.
THE FAIR OF BEAUCAIRE

CHAPTER II.
THE FEAST OF ST. MAGDALEN

CHAPTER III.
LES ARENES

CHAPTER IV.
MY UNCLE CHAMBRUN

CHAPTER V.
THE PASSPORT

CHAPTER VI.
TRIAL BY FIRE

CHAPTER VII.
LA CROISSETTE

CHAPTER VIII.
PERSECUTED, YET NOT FORSAKEN

CHAPTER IX.
CAST DOWN, BUT NOT DESTROYED

CHAPTER X.
"MY NATIVE LAND, GOOD-NIGHT"

[Illustration]

CHAPTER I.

THE FAIR OF BEAUCAIRE.

There was magic, to my young ears, in the very name of the Fair of
Beaucaire. Beaucaire is only ten miles from Nismes, therefore no wonder
I heard plenty about it. It is true, that in my time, the world-famous
fair did not exercise so vast an influence on commercial affairs In
general, as in the old days, when it was the great market of France; and
not only France, but of all civilized countries. With what enjoyment
would I hear my grandfather relate how great caravans of wealthy
merchants would assemble for mutual protection, because of the audacious
outlaws, often headed by some powerful baron, who lay in wait for them
to despoil them of their merchandise, and often to carry them off
prisoners and extort heavy ransom. My grandfather would tell hew long
files of mules, laden with rich silks, cloths, serges, camlets, and
furs, from Montpelier, from Narbonne, from Toulouse, from Carcassonne,
and other places, would wend towards Beaucaire, as the day called the
Feast of St. Magdalene approached, on which the fair was opened. The
roads were then thronged with travelers; the city was choke-full of
strangers; not a bed to be had, unless long preengaged, for love or