jutant, twenty-four
captains, twenty-four lieutenants, seventy-two sergeants, seventy-two
corporals, and eleven hundred and fifty-two privates--in all, thirteen
hundred and forty-nine men, forming eighty companies.

"Article 11. The place of general assembly shall be, the Esplanade.

"Article 12. The eighty companies shall be attached to the four quarters
of the town mentioned below--viz., place de l'Hotel-de-Ville, place de la
Maison-Carree, place Saint-Jean, and place du Chateau.

"Article 13. The companies as they are formed by the permanent council
shall each choose its own captain, lieutenant, sergeants and corporals,
and from the date of his nomination the captain shall have a seat on the
permanent council."

The Nimes Militia was deliberately formed upon certain lines which
brought Catholics and Protestants closely together as allies, with
weapons in their hands; but they stood over a mine which was bound to
explode some day, as the slightest friction between the two parties would
produce a spark.

This state of concealed enmity lasted for nearly a year, being augmented
by political antipathies; for the Protestants almost to man were
Republicans, and the Catholics Royalists.

In the interval--that is to say, towards January, 1790--a Catholic called
Francois Froment was entrusted by the Marquis de Foucault with the task
of raising, organising, and commanding a Royalist party in the South.
This we learn from one of his own letters to the marquis, which was
printed in Paris in 1817. He describes his mode of action in the
following words:--

It is not difficult to understand that being faithful to my religion and
my king, and shocked at the seditious ideas which were disseminated on
all sides, I should try to inspire others with the same spirit with which
I myself was animated, so, during the year 1789, I published several
articles in which I exposed the dangers which threatened altar and
throne. Struck with the justice of my criticisms, my countrymen
displayed the most zealous ardor in their efforts to restore to the king
the full exercise of all his rights. Being anxious to take advantage of
this favourable state of feeling, and thinking that it would be dangerous
to hold communication with the ministers of Louis XVI, who were watched
by the conspirators, I went secretly to Turin to solicit the approbation
and support of the French princes there. At a consultation which was
held just after my arrival,