and their prayers ended,
they marched down the hill to the town, singing psalms, and shouting
between the verses to the townspeople to keep within their homes, and not
to look out of door or window on pain of death.

The abbe was in his oratory when he heard the mingled singing and
shouting, and at the same moment a servant entered in great alarm,
despite the strict regulation of the Arch-priest that he was never to be
interrupted at his prayers. This man announced that a body of fanatics
was coming down the hill, but the abbe felt convinced that it was only an
unorganised crowd which was going to try and carry off six prisoners, at
that moment in the 'ceps.' [ A terrible kind of stocks--a beam split in
two, no notches being made for the legs: the victim's legs were placed
between the two pieces of wood, which were then, by means of a vice at
each end, brought gradually together. Translators Note.]

These prisoners were three young men and three girls in men's clothes,
who had been seized just as they were about to emigrate. As the abbe was
always protected by a guard of soldiers, he sent for the officer in
command and ordered him to march against, the fanatics and disperse them.
But the officer was spared the trouble of obeying, for the fanatics were
already at hand. On reaching the gate of the courtyard he heard them
outside, and perceived that they were making ready to burst it in.
Judging of their numbers by the sound of their voices, he considered that
far from attacking them, he would have enough to do in preparing for
defence, consequently he bolted and barred the gate on the inside, and
hastily erected a barricade under an arch leading to the apartments of
the abbe. Just as these preparations were complete, Esprit Seguier
caught sight of a heavy beam of wood lying in a ditch; this was raised by
a dozen men and used as a battering-ram to force in the gate, which soon
showed a breach. Thus encouraged, the workers, cheered by the chants of
their comrades, soon got the gate off the hinges, and thus the outside
court was taken. The crowd then loudly demanded the release of the
prisoners, using dire threats.

The commanding officer sent to ask the abbe what he was to do; the abbe
replied that he was to fire on the conspirators. This imprudent order
was carried out; one of the fanatics was killed on the spot, and two
wounded men mingled their groans with the songs and threats of their
comrades.

The barrica