o come up with
them, so that Fleshier, who was in the thick of the executions,
conflagrations, and massacres, but who still found time to write Latin
verse and gallant letters, said, in speaking of them, "They were
never caught, and did all the damage they wished to do without let or
hindrance. We laid their mountains waste, and they laid waste our plain.
There are no more churches left in our dioceses, and not being able
either to plough or sow our lands, we have no revenues. We dread serious
revolt, and desire to avoid a religious civil war; so all our efforts
are relaxing, we let our arms fall without knowing why, and we are told,
'You must have patience; it is not possible to fight against phantoms.'"
Nevertheless, from time to time, these phantoms became visible.
Towards the end of October, Cavalier came down to Uzes, carried off
two sentinels who were guarding the gates, and hearing the call to arms
within, shouted that he would await the governor of the city, M. de
Vergetot, near Lussan.

And indeed Cavalier, accompanied by his two lieutenants, Ravanel
and Catinat, took his way towards this little town, between Uzes and
Bargeac, which stands upon an eminence surrounded upon all sides by
cliffs, which serve it as ramparts and render it very difficult of
access. Having arrived within three gun-shots of Lussan, Cavalier sent
Ravanel to demand provisions from the inhabitants; but they, proud of
their natural ramparts, and believing their town impregnable, not only
refused to comply with the requisition, but fired several shots on the
envoy, one of which wounded in the arm a Camisard of the name of La
Grandeur, who had accompanied Ravanel. Ravanel withdrew, supporting his
wounded comrade, followed by shots and the hootings of the inhabitants.
When they rejoined Cavalier and made their report, the young commander
issued orders to his soldiers to make ready to take the town the next
morning; for, as night was already falling, he did not venture to start
in the dark. In the meantime the besieged sent post-haste to M. de
Vergetot to warn him of their situation; and resolving to defend
themselves as long as they could, while waiting for a response to their
message they set about barricading their gates, turned their scythes
into weapons, fastened large hooks on long poles, and collected all the
instruments they could find that could be used in attack or defence. As
to the Camisards, they encamped for the night near an old