第 40 节
作者:铲除不公      更新:2021-02-20 18:51      字数:9322
  what had occurred: they; considering that an insult to one was an
  insult to the whole company; determined on having satisfaction at
  once; so about eleven o'clock P。M。 they went to the cooper's house;
  carrying with them a gallows and ropes ready greased。  But quietly as
  they approached; Allien heard them; for his door being bolted from
  within had to be forced。  Looking out of the window; he saw a great
  crowd; and as he suspected that his life was in danger; he got out of
  a back window into the yard and so escaped。  The militia being thus
  disappointed; wreaked their vengeance on some passing Protestants;
  whose unlucky stars had led them that way; these they knocked about;
  and even stabbed one of them three times with a knife。
  On the 22nd April; 1790; the royaliststhat is to say; the
  Catholicsassumed the white cockade; although it was no longer the
  national emblem; and on the 1st May some of the militia who had
  planted a maypole at the mayor's door were invited to lunch with him。
  On the 2nd; the company which was on guard at the mayor's official
  residence shouted several times during the day; 〃Long live the king!
  Up with the Cross and down with the black throats!〃 (This was the
  name which they had given to the Calvinists。) 〃Three cheers for the
  white cockade!  Before we are done; it will be red with the blood of
  the Protestants!〃  However; on the 5th of May they ceased to wear it;
  replacing it by a scarlet tuft; which in their patois they called the
  red pouf; which was immediately adopted as the Catholic emblem。
  Each day as it passed brought forth fresh brawls and provocations:
  libels were invented by the Capuchins; and spread abroad by three of
  their number。  Meetings were held every day; and at last became so
  numerous that the town authorities called in the aid of the
  militia…dragoons to disperse them。  Now these gatherings consisted
  chiefly of those tillers of the soil who are called cebets; from a
  Provencal word cebe; which means 〃onion;〃 and they could easily be
  recognised as Catholics by their red pouf; which they wore both in
  and out of uniform。  On the other hand; the dragoons were all
  Protestants。
  However; these latter were so very gentle in their admonitions; that
  although the two parties found themselves; so to speak; constantly
  face to face and armed; for several days the meetings were dispersed
  without bloodshed。  But this was exactly what the cebets did not
  want; so they began to insult the dragoons and turn them into
  ridicule。  Consequently; one morning they gathered together in great
  numbers; mounted on asses; and with drawn swords began to patrol the
  city。
  At the same time; the lower classes; who were nearly all Catholics;
  joined the burlesque patrols in complaining loudly of the dragoons;
  some saying that their horses had trampled on their children; and
  others that they had frightened their wives。
  The Protestants contradicted them; both parties grew angry; swords
  were half drawn; when the municipal authorities came on the scene;
  and instead of apprehending the ringleaders; forbade the dragoons to
  patrol the town any more; ordering them in future to do nothing more
  than send twenty men every day to mount guard at the episcopal palace
  and to undertake no other duty except at the express request of the
  Town Council。  Although it was expected that the dragoons would
  revolt against such a humiliation; they submitted; which was a great
  disappointment to the cebets; who had been longing for a chance to
  indulge in new outrages。  For all that; the Catholics did not
  consider themselves beaten; they felt sure of being able to find some
  other way of driving their quarry to bay。
  Sunday; the 13th of June; arrived。  This day had been selected by the
  Catholics for a great demonstration。  Towards ten o'clock in the
  morning; some companies wearing the red tuft; under pretext of going
  to mass; marched through the city armed and uttering threats。  The
  few dragoons; on the other hand; who were on guard at the palace; had
  not even a sentinel posted; and had only five muskets in the guard…
  house。  At two o'clock P。M。 there was a meeting held in the Jacobin
  church; consisting almost exclusively of militia wearing the red
  tuft。  The mayor pronounced a panegyric on those who wore it; and was
  followed by Pierre Froment; who explained his mission in much the
  same words as those quoted above。  He then ordered a cask of wine to
  be broached and distributed among the cebets; and told them to walk
  about the streets in threes; and to disarm all the dragoons whom they
  might meet away from their post。  About six o'clock in the evening a
  red…tuft volunteer presented himself at the gate of the palace; and
  ordered the porter to sweep the courtyard; saying that the volunteers
  were going to get up a ball for the dragoons。  After this piece of
  bravado he went away; and in a few moments a note arrived; couched in
  the following terms:
  〃The bishop's porter is warned to let no dragoon on horse or on foot
  enter or leave the palace this evening; on pain of death。
  13th June 1790。〃
  This note being brought to the lieutenant; he came out; and reminded
  the volunteer that nobody but the town authorities could give orders
  to the servants at the palace。  The volunteer gave an insolent
  answer; the lieutenant advised him to go away quietly; threatening if
  he did not to put him out by force。  This altercation attracted a
  great many of the red…tufts from outside; while the dragoons; hearing
  the noise; came down into the yard; the quarrel became more lively;
  stones were thrown; the call to arms was heard; and in a few moments
  about forty cebets; who were prowling around in the neighbourhood of
  the palace; rushed into the yard carrying guns and swords。  The
  lieutenant; who had only about a dozen dragoons at his back; ordered
  the bugle to sound; to recall those who had gone out; the volunteers
  threw themselves upon the bugler; dragged his instrument from his
  hands; and broke it to pieces。  Then several shots were fired by the
  militia; the dragoons returned them; and a regular battle began。  The
  lieutenant soon saw that this was no mere street row; but a
  deliberate rising planned beforehand; and realising that very serious
  consequences were likely to ensue; he sent a dragoon to the town hall
  by a back way to give notice to the authorities。
  M。 de Saint…Pons; major of the Nimes legion; hearing some noise
  outside; opened his window; and found the whole city in a tumult:
  people were running in every direction; and shouting as they ran that
  the dragoons were being killed at the palace。  The major rushed out
  into the streets at once; gathered together a dozen to fifteen
  patriotic citizens without weapons; and hurried to the town hall:
  There he found two officials of the town; and begged them to go at
  once to the place de l'Eveche; escorted by the first company; which
  was on guard at the town hall。  They agreed; and set off。  On the way
  several shots were fired at them; but no one was hit。  When they
  arrived at the square; the cebets fired a volley at them with the
  same negative result。  Up the three principal streets which led to
  the palace numerous red…tufts were hurrying; the first company took
  possession of the ends of the streets; and being fired at returned
  the fire; repulsing the assailants and clearing the square; with the
  loss of one of their men; while several of the retreating cebets were
  wounded。
  While this struggle was going on at the palace; the spirit of murder
  broke loose in the town。
  At the gate of the Madeleine; M。 de Jalabert's house was broken into
  by the red…tufts; the unfortunate old man came out to meet them and
  asked what they wanted。  〃Your life and the lives of all the other
  dogs of Protestants!〃 was the reply。  Whereupon he was seized and
  dragged through the streets; fifteen insurgents hacking at him with
  their swords。
  At last he managed to escape from their hands; but died two days
  later of his wounds。
  Another old man named Astruc; who was bowed beneath the weight of
  seventy…two years and whose white hair covered his shoulders; was met
  as he was on his way to the gate of Carmes。  Being recognised as a
  Protestant; he received five wounds from some of the famous
  pitchforks belonging to the company of Froment。  He fell; but the
  assassins picked him up; and throwing him into the moat; amused
  themselves by flinging stones at him; till one of them; with more
  humanity than his fellows; put a bullet through his head。
  Three electorsM。 Massador from near Beaucaire; M。 Vialla from the
  canton of Lasalle; and M。 Puech of the same place…were attacked by
  red…tufts on their way home; and all three seriously wounded。 The
  captain who had been in command of the detachment on guard at the
  Electoral Assembly was returning to his quarters; accompanied by a
  sergeant and three volunteers of his own company; when they were
  stopped on the Petit…Cours by Froment; commonly called Damblay; who;
  pressing the barrel of a pistol to the captain's breast; said;
  〃Stand; you rascal; and give up your arms。〃  At the same time the
  red…tufts; seizing the captain from behind by the hair; pulled him
  down。  Froment fired his pistol; but