n to escape
from the district of Dauphiny, near the High Alps, where he had been
concealed, he made his way across the country to the Viverais, where
he laboured for some time. Here he heard of the martyrdom of the third
of the brothers Du Plans, broken on the wheel and executed like the
others on the Peyrou at Montpellier.

During the next nine months, Brousson laboured in the north-eastern
provinces of Languedoc (more particularly in the Cevennes and
Viverais), Orange, and Dauphiny. He excited so much interest amongst
the Protestants, who resorted from a great distance to attend his
assemblies, that the spies (who were usually pretended Protestants)
soon knew of his presence in the neighbourhood, and information was at
once forwarded to the Intendant or his officers.

Persecution was growing very bitter about this time. By orders of the
bishops the Protestants were led by force to Mass before the dragoons
with drawn swords, and the shops of merchants who refused to go to
Mass regularly were ordered to be closed. Their houses were also
filled with soldiers. "The soldiers or militia," said Brousson to a
friend in Holland, "frequently commit horrible ravages, breaking open
the cabinets, removing every article that is saleable, which are often
purchased by the priests at insignificant prices; the rest they burn
and break up, after which the soldiers are removed; and when the
sufferers think themselves restored to peace, fresh billets are
ordered upon them. Many are consequently induced to go to Mass with
weeping and lamentation, but a great number remain inflexible, and
others fly the kingdom."

When it became known that Brousson, in the course of his journeyings,
had arrived, about the end of August, 1698, in the neighbourhood of
Nismes, Baville was greatly mortified; and he at once offered a reward
of six hundred louis d'or for his head. Brousson nevertheless entered
Nismes, and found refuge amongst his friends. He had, however, the
imprudence to post there a petition to the King, signed by his own
hand, which had the effect of at once setting the spies upon his
track. Leaving the city itself, he took refuge in a house not far from
it, whither the spies contrived to trace him, and gave the requisite
information to the Intendant. The house was soon after surrounded by
soldiers, and was itself entered and completely searched.

Brousson's host had only had time to make him descend into a well,
which had a niche in the