in order to leave no doubt as to his good intentions, the
marechal had the gibbets and scaffolds taken down, which until then had
been permanent erections.

At the same time all the Huguenots were ordered to make a last effort to
induce the Camisard chiefs to accept the conditions offered them by M. de
Villars. The towns of Alais, Anduze, Saint-Jean, Sauve, Saint-Hippolyte,
and Lasalle, and the parishes of Cros, Saint-Roman, Manoblet,
Saint-Felix, Lacadiere, Cesas, Cambo, Colognac, and Vabre were ordered to
send deputies to Durfort to confer as to the best means of bringing about
that peace which everyone desired. These deputies wrote at once to M. de
Villars to beg him to send them M. d'Aygaliers, and to M. d'Aygaliers to
request him to come.

Both consented to do as they were asked, and M. d'Aygaliers arrived at
Durfort on the 3rd of June 1704.

The deputies having first thanked him for the trouble which he had taken
to serve the common cause during the past year, resolved to divide their
assembly into two parts, one of which, was to remain permanently sitting,
while the other went to seek Roland and Ravanel to try and obtain a
cessation of hostilities. The deputies charged with this task were
ordered to make it quite clear to the two chiefs that if they did not
accept the proposals made by M. de Villars, the Protestants in general
would take up arms and hunt them down, and would cease to supply them
with the means of subsistence.

On hearing this, Roland made reply that the deputies were to go back at
once to those who sent them, and threatened, should they ever show him
their faces again, to fire on them.

This answer put an end to the assembly, the deputies dispersed, and
d'Aygaliers returned to the Marechal de Villars to make his report.

Hardly had he done this when a letter from Roland arrived, in which the
Camisard chief asked M. de Villars to grant him an interview, such as he
had granted to Cavalier. This letter was addressed to d'Aygaliers, who
immediately communicated its contents to the marechal, from whom he
received orders to set out at once to find Roland and to spare no pains
to bring him round.

D'Aygaliers, who was always indefatigable when working for his country,
started the same day, and went to a mountain about three-quarters of a
league from Anduze, where Roland awaited him. After a conference of two
hours, it was agreed that hostages should be exchanged and negotiations
entered upon