thing: he was escorted from brigade to brigade till he
reached the Chateau d'If. The Protestants sided with M. Vincent de
Saint-Laurent, the Catholics took the part of the authorities who
were persecuting him, and thus the two factions which had been so long
quiescent found themselves once more face to face, and their dormant
hatred awoke to new life. For the moment, however, there was no
explosion, although the city was at fever heat, and everyone felt that a
crisis was at hand.

On the 22nd March two battalions of Catholic volunteers had already been
enlisted at Nimes, and had formed part of the eighteen hundred men 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
unanim