'Children Of God,' Cried The Prophet, 'hold Your Hands.
Let us burn the
house, with the priest and the satellites of Baal.'
The fire caught readily. Out of an upper window Du Chayla and his men
lowered themselves into the garden by means of knotted sheets; some
escaped across the river under the bullets of the insurgents; but the
archpriest himself fell, broke his thigh, and could only crawl into the
hedge. What were his reflections as this second martyrdom drew near? A
poor, brave, besotted, hateful man, who had done his duty resolutely
according to his light both in the Cevennes and China. He found at least
one telling word to say in his defence; for when the roof fell in and the
upbursting flames discovered his retreat, and they came and dragged him
to the public place of the town, raging and calling him damned - 'If I be
damned,' said he, 'why should you also damn yourselves?'
Here was a good reason for the last; but in the course of his
inspectorship he had given many stronger which all told in a contrary
direction; and these he was now to hear. One by one, Seguier first, the
Camisards drew near and stabbed him. 'This,' they said, 'is for my
father broken on the wheel. This for my brother in the galleys. That
for my mother or my sister imprisoned in your cursed convents.' Each
gave his blow and his reason; and then all kneeled and sang psalms around
the body till the dawn.
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