of the Camisard guard to the Recollets, Cavalier mounted
his horse, and, escorted by them, proceeded to the Hotel de la Poste,
where he rested. In the evening, he came out on the Esplanade, and
walked freely amidst the crowd, amongst whom were many ladies, eager
to see the Camisard hero, and happy if they could but hear him speak,
or touch his dress. He then went to visit the mother of Daniel, his
favourite prophet, a native of Nismes, whose father and brother were
both prisoners because of their religion. Returning to the hotel,
Cavalier mustered his guard, and set out for Calvisson, followed by
hundreds of people, singing together as they passed through the town
gate the 133rd Psalm--"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for
brethren to dwell together in unity!"

Cavalier remained with his companions at Calvisson for eight days,
during which he enjoyed the most perfect freedom of action. He held
public religious services daily, at first amidst the ruins of the
demolished Protestant temple, and afterwards, when the space was
insufficient, in the open plain outside the town walls. People came
from all quarters to attend them--from the Vaunage, from Sommieres,
from Lunel, from Nismes, and even from Montpellier. As many as forty
thousand persons are said to have resorted to the services during
Cavalier's sojourn at Calvisson. The plains resounded with preaching
and psalmody from morning until evening, sometimes until late at
night, by torchlight.

These meetings were a great cause of offence to the more bigoted of
the Roman Catholics, who saw in them the triumph of their enemies.
They muttered audibly against the policy of Villars, who was
tolerating if not encouraging heretics--worthy, in their estimation,
only of perdition. Flechier, Bishop of Nismes, was full of
lamentations on the subject, and did not scruple to proclaim that war,
with all its horrors, was even more tolerable than such a peace as
this.

Unhappily, the peace proved only of short duration, and Cavalier's
anticipations of unity and brotherly love were not destined to be
fulfilled. Whether Roland was jealous of the popularity achieved by
Cavalier, or suspected treachery on the part of the Royalists, or
whether he still believed in the ability of his followers to conquer
religious liberty and compel the re-establishment of the ancient
edicts by the sword, does not clearly appear. At all events, he
refused to be committed in any way by what Cavalier