第390章

In the meantime， the National Guards， who have extorted the laws， endeavor to aggravate them in their application； and there is nothing strange in their animosity. Commerce is at a standstill， industry languishes， the artisan and shopkeeper suffer， and， in order to account for the universal discontent， it is attributed to the insubordination of the priest. Were it not for his stubbornness all would go well， since the Constitution is perfect， and he is the only one who does not accept it. But， in not accepting it， he attacks it. He， therefore， is the last obstacle in the way of public happiness； he is the scapegoat， let us drive the obnoxious creature away！ And the urban militia， sometimes on its own authority， sometimes instigated by the municipal body its accomplice； is seen disturbing public worship， dispersing congregations， seizing priests by the collar， pushing them by the shoulders out of the town， and threatening them with hanging if they dare to return. At Douay，[56] with guns in hand， they force the directory of the department to order the closing of all the oratories and chapels in hospitals and convents. At Caen， with loaded guns and with a cannon， they march forth against the neighboring parish of Verson， break into houses， gather up fifteen persons suspected of orthodoxy - canons， merchants， artisans， workmen， women， girls， old men， and the infirm - cut off their hair， strike them with the but-ends of their muskets， and lead them back to Caen fastened to the breach of the cannon； and all this because a nonjuring priest still officiated at Verson， and many pious persons from Caen attended his mass： Verson， consequently， is a focal center of counter-revolutionary gatherings. Moreover， in the houses which were broken into， the furniture was smashed， casks stove in， and the linen， money， and plate stolen， the rabble of Caen having joined the expedition. - Here， and everywhere， there is nothing to do but to let this rabble have its own way； and as it operates against the possessions， the liberty； the life， and the sense of propriety of dangerous persons， the National Militia is careful not to interfere with it. Consequently， the orthodox， both priests and believers， men and women， are now at its mercy， and， thanks to the connivance of the armed force， which refuses to interpose， the rabble satisfy on the proscribed class its customary instincts of cruelty， pillage， wantonness， and destructiveness.

Whether public or private， the order of the day is always to hinder worship， while the means employed are worthy of those who carry them out. - Here， a nonjuring priest having had the boldness to minister to a sick person， the house which he has just entered is taken by assault， and the door and windows of a house occupied by another priest are smashed.[57] There， the lodgings of two workmen， who are accused of having had their infants baptized by a refractory priest， are sacked and nearly demolished. Elsewhere， a mob refuses to allow the body of an old curé， who had died without taking the oath， to enter the cemetery. Farther on， a church is assaulted during vespers， and everything is broken to pieces： on the following day it is the turn of a neighboring church， and， in addition， a convent of Ursuline nuns is devastated. - At Lyons， on Easter-day， 1791， as the people are leaving the six o'clock mass， a troop， armed with whips， falls upon the women.[58] Stripped， bruised， prostrated， with their heads in the dirt， they are not left until they are bleeding and half-dead； one young girl is actually at the point of death； and this sort of outrage occurs so frequently that even ladies attending the orthodox mass in Paris dare not go out without sewing up their garments around them in the shape of drawers. -Naturally， to make the most of the prey offered to them， hunting associations are formed. These exist in Montpellier， Arles， Uzès， Alais， N？mes， Carpentras， and in most of the towns or burgs of Gard， Vaucluse， and l'Hérault， in greater or less number according to the population of the city： some counting from ten to twelve， and others from two to three hundred determined men， of every description：