who
were sent to Saint-Esprit. Just before their departure fleurs-de-lys had
been distributed amongst them, made of red cloth; this change in the
colour of the monarchical emblem was a threat which the Protestants well
understood.

The prince left Nimes in due course, taking with him the rest of the
royal volunteers, and leaving the Protestants practically masters of
Nimes during the absence of so many Catholics. The city, however,
continued calm, and when provocations began, strange to say they came
from the weaker party.

On the 27th March six men met in a barn; dined together, and then agreed
to make the circuit of the town. These men were Jacques Dupont, who
later acquired such terrible celebrity under the name of Trestaillons,
Truphemy the butcher, Morenet the dog shearer, Hours, Servant, and
Gilles. They got opposite the cafe "Isle of Elba," the name of which
indicated the opinion of those who frequented it. This cafe was faced by
a guard-house which was occupied by soldiers of the 67th Regiment. The
six made a halt, and in the most insulting tones raised the cry of "Long
live the king!" The disturbance that ensued was so slight that we only
mention it in order to give an idea of the tolerance of the Protestants,
and to bring upon the stage the men mentioned above, who were three
months later to play such a terrible part.

On April 1st the mayor summoned to a meeting at his official residence
the municipal council, the members of all the variously constituted
administrative bodies in Nimes, the officers of the city guards, the
priests, the Protestant pastors, and the chief citizens. At this meeting,
M. Trinquelague, advocate of the Royal Courts, read a powerful address,
expressing the love, of the citizens for their king and country, and
exhorting them to union and peace. This address was unanimously adopted
and signed by all present, and amongst the signatures were those of the
principal Protestants of Nimes. But this was not all: the next day it
was printed and published, and copies sent to all the communes in the
department over which the white flag still floated. And all this
happened, as we have said, on April and, eleven days after Napoleon's
return to Paris.

The same day word arrived that the Imperial Government had been
proclaimed at Montpellier.

The next day, April 3rd, all the officers on half-pay assembled at the
fountain to be reviewed by a general and a sub-inspector, and as these