that if you give it your support, as they do not doubt you will, knowing
your patriotism, your religious zeal, and your love for our august
sovereign, it will conduce to the happiness of France, the maintenance of
the true religion, and the rightful authority of the king.

"We are, gentlemen, with respect, your very humble and obedient servants,
the President and Commissioners of the Catholic Assembly of Nimes.

"(Signed)

"FROMENT, Commissioner LAPIERRE, President
FOLACHER, "
LEVELUT, Commissioner
FAURE,
MELCHIOND, "
ROBIN, "
VIGNE, " "

At the same time a number of pamphlets, entitled Pierre Roman to the
Catholics of Nines, were distributed to the people in the streets,
containing among other attacks on the Protestants the following passages:

"If the door to high positions and civil and military honours were closed
to the Protestants, and a powerful tribunal established at Nimes to see
that this rule were strictly kept, you would soon see Protestantism
disappear.

"The Protestants demand to share all the privileges which you enjoy, but
if you grant them this, their one thought will then be to dispossess you
entirely, and they will soon succeed.

"Like ungrateful vipers, who in a torpid state were harmless, they will
when warmed by your benefits turn and kill you.

"They are your born enemies: your fathers only escaped as by a miracle
from their blood-stained hands. Have you not often heard of the
cruelties practised on them? It was a slight thing when the Protestants
inflicted death alone, unaccompanied by the most horrible tortures. Such
as they were such they are."

It may easily be imagined that such attacks soon embittered minds already
disposed to find new causes for the old hatred, and besides the Catholics
did not long confine themselves to resolutions and pamphlets. Froment,
who had already got himself appointed Receiver-General of the Chapter and
captain of one of the Catholic companies, insisted on being present at
the installation of the Town Council, and brought his company with him
armed with pitchforks, in spite of the express prohibition of the colonel
of the legion. These forks were terrible weapons, and had been
fabricated in a particular form for the Catholics of Nimes, Uzes, and
Alais. But Froment and his company paid no attention to the prohibition,
and this disobedience made a great impression on the Protestants, who
began to divine the hostili