along　the　hillside；　scattering　shadows　and　sparkles；　and　the　day
  had　come　completely。
  I　hastened　to　prepare　my　pack；　and　tackle　the　steep　ascent　that　lay
  before　me；　but　I　had　something　on　my　mind。　　It　was　only　a　fancy；
  yet　a　fancy　will　sometimes　be　importunate。　　I　had　been　most
  hospitably　received　and　punctually　served　in　my　green　caravanserai。
  The　room　was　airy；　the　water　excellent；　and　the　dawn　had　called　me
  to　a　moment。　　I　say　nothing　of　the　tapestries　or　the　inimitable
  ceiling；　nor　yet　of　the　view　which　I　commanded　from　the　windows；
  but　I　felt　I　was　in　some　one's　debt　for　all　this　liberal
  entertainment。　　And　so　it　pleased　me；　in　a　half…laughing　way；　to
  leave　pieces　of　money　on　the　turf　as　I　went　along；　until　I　had　left
  enough　for　my　night's　lodging。　　I　trust　they　did　not　fall　to　some
  rich　and　churlish　drover。
  THE　COUNTRY　OF　THE　CAMISARDS
  We　travelled　in　the　print　of　olden　wars；
  Yet　all　the　land　was　green；
  And　love　we　found；　and　peace；
  Where　fire　and　war　had　been。
  They　pass　and　smile；　the　children　of　the　sword　…
  No　more　the　sword　they　wield；
  And　O；　how　deep　the　corn
  Along　the　battlefield！
  W。　P。　BANNATYNE。
  THE　COUNTRY　OF　THE　CAMISARDS
  ACROSS　THE　LOZERE
  THE　track　that　I　had　followed　in　the　evening　soon　died　out；　and　I
  continued　to　follow　over　a　bald　turf　ascent　a　row　of　stone　pillars；
  such　as　had　conducted　me　across　the　Goulet。　　It　was　already　warm。
  I　tied　my　jacket　on　the　pack；　and　walked　in　my　knitted　waistcoat。
  Modestine　herself　was　in　high　spirits；　and　broke　of　her　own　accord；
  for　the　first　time　in　my　experience；　into　a　jolting　trot　that　set
  the　oats　swashing　in　the　pocket　of　my　coat。　　The　view；　back　upon
  the　northern　Gevaudan；　extended　with　every　step；　scarce　a　tree；
  scarce　a　house；　appeared　upon　the　fields　of　wild　hill　that　ran
  north；　east；　and　west；　all　blue　and　gold　in　the　haze　and　sunlight
  of　the　morning。　A　multitude　of　little　birds　kept　sweeping　and
  twittering　about　my　path；　they　perched　on　the　stone　pillars；　they
  pecked　and　strutted　on　the　turf；　and　I　saw　them　circle　in　volleys
  in　the　blue　air；　and　show；　from　time　to　time；　translucent
  flickering　wings　between　the　sun　and　me。
  Almost　from　the　first　moment　of　my　march；　a　faint　large　noise；　like
  a　distant　surf；　had　filled　my　ears。　　Sometimes　I　was　tempted　to
  think　it　the　voice　of　a　neighbouring　waterfall；　and　sometimes　a
  subjective　result　of　the　utter　stillness　of　the　hill。　　But　as　I
  continued　to　advance；　the　noise　increased；　and　became　like　the
  hissing　of　an　enormous　tea…urn；　and　at　the　same　time　breaths　of
  cool　air　began　to　reach　me　from　the　direction　of　the　summit。　　At
  length　I　understood。　　It　was　blowing　stiffly　from　the　south　upon
  the　other　slope　of　the　Lozere；　and　every　step　that　I　took　I　was
  drawing　nearer　to　the　wind。
  Although　it　had　been　long　desired；　it　was　quite　unexpectedly　at
  last　that　my　eyes　rose　above　the　summit。　　A　step　that　seemed　no　way
  more　decisive　than　many　other　steps　that　had　preceded　it　…　and；
  'like　stout　Cortez　when；　with　eagle　eyes；　he　stared　on　the
  Pacific；'　I　took　possession；　in　my　own　name；　of　a　new　quarter　of
  the　world。　　For　behold；　instead　of　the　gross　turf　rampart　I　had
  been　mounting　for　so　long；　a　view　into　the　hazy　air　of　heaven；　and
  a　land　of　intricate　blue　hills　below　my　feet。
  The　Lozere　lies　nearly　east　and　west；　cutting　Gevaudan　into　two
  unequal　parts；　its　highest　point；　this　Pic　de　Finiels；　on　which　I
  was　then　standing；　rises　upwards　of　five　thousand　six　hundred　feet
  above　the　sea；　and　in　clear　weather　commands　a　view　over　all　lower
  Languedoc　to　the　Mediterranean　Sea。　　I　have　spoken　with　people　who
  either　pretended　or　believed　that　they　had　seen；　from　the　Pie　de
  Finiels；　white　ships　sailing　by　Montpellier　and　Cette。　　Behind　was
  the　upland　northern　country　through　which　my　way　had　lain；　peopled
  by　a　dull　race；　without　wood；　without　much　grandeur　of　hill…form；
  and　famous　in　the　past　for　little　beside　wolves。　　But　in　front　of
  me；　half　veiled　in　sunny　haze；　lay　a　new　Gevaudan；　rich；
  picturesque；　illustrious　for　stirring　events。　　Speaking　largely；　I
  was　in　the　Cevennes　at　Monastier；　and　during　all　my　journey；　but
  there　is　a　strict　and　local　sense　in　which　only　this　confused　and
  shaggy　country　at　my　feet　has　any　title　to　the　name；　and　in　this
  sense　the　peasantry　employ　the　word。　　These　are　the　Cevennes　with
  an　emphasis：　　the　Cevennes　of　the　Cevennes。　　In　that　undecipherable
  labyrinth　of　hills；　a　war　of　bandits；　a　war　of　wild　beasts；　raged
  for　two　years　between　the　Grand　Monarch　with　all　his　troops　and
  marshals　on　the　one　hand；　and　a　few　thousand　Protestant
  mountaineers　upon　the　other。　　A　hundred　and　eighty　years　ago；　the
  Camisards　held　a　station　even　on　the　Lozere；　where　I　stood；　they
  had　an　organisation；　arsenals；　a　military　and　religious　hierarchy；
  their　affairs　were　'the　discourse　of　every　coffee…house'　in　London；
  England　sent　fleets　in　their　support；　their　leaders　prophesied　and
  murdered；　with　colours　and　drums；　and　the　singing　of　old　French
  psalms；　their　bands　sometimes　affronted　daylight；　marched　before
  walled　cities；　and　dispersed　the　generals　of　the　king；　and
  sometimes　at　night；　or　in　masquerade；　possessed　themselves　of
  strong　castles；　and　avenged　treachery　upon　their　allies　and　cruelty
  upon　their　foes。　　There；　a　hundred　and　eighty　years　ago；　was　the
  chivalrous　Roland；　'Count　and　Lord　Roland；　generalissimo　of　the
  Protestants　in　France；'　grave；　silent；　imperious；　pock…marked　ex…
  dragoon；　whom　a　lady　followed　in　his　wanderings　out　of　love。　　There
  was　Cavalier；　a　baker's　apprentice　with　a　genius　for　war；　elected
  brigadier　of　Camisards　at　seventeen；　to　die　at　fifty…five　the
  English　governor　of　Jersey。　　There　again　was　Castanet；　a　partisan
  leader　in　a　voluminous　peruke　and　with　a　taste　for　controversial
  divinity。　　Strange　generals；　who　moved　apart　to　take　counsel　with
  the　God　of　Hosts；　and　fled　or　offered　battle；　set　sentinels　or
  slept　in　an　unguarded　camp；　as　the　Spirit　whispered　to　their
  hearts！　　And　there；　to　follow　these　and　other　leaders；　was　the　rank
  and　file　of　prophets　and　disciples；　bold；　patient；　indefatigable；
  hardy　to　run　upon　the　mountains；　cheering　their　rough　life　with
  psalms；　eager　to　fight；　eager　to　pray；　listening　devoutly　to　the
  oracles　of　brain…sick　children；　and　mystically　putting　a　grain　of
  wheat　among　the　pewter　balls　with　which　they　charged　their　muskets。
  I　had　travelled　hitherto　through　a　dull　district；　and　in　the　track
  of　nothing　more　notable　than　the　child…eating　beast　of　Gevaudan；
  the　Napoleon　Bonaparte　of　wolves。　　But　now　I　was　to　go　down　into
  the　scene　of　a　romantic　chapter　…　or；　better；　a　romantic　footnote
  in　the　history　of　the　world。　　What　was　left　of　all　this　bygone　dust
  and　heroism？　　I　was　told　that　Protestantism　still　survived　in　this
  head　seat　of　Protestant　resistance；　so　much　the　priest　himself　had
  told　me　in　the　monastery　parlour。　　But　I　had　yet　to　learn　if　it
  were　a　bare　survival；　or　a　lively　and　generous　tradition。　　Again；
  if　in　the　northern　Cevennes　the　people　are　narrow　in　religious
  judgments；　and　more　filled　with　zeal　than　charity；　what　was　I　to
  look　for　in　this　land　of　persecution　and　reprisal　…　in　a　land　where
  the　tyranny　of　the　Church　produced　the　Camisard　rebellion；　and　the
  terror　of　the　Camisards　threw　the　Catholic　peasantry　into　legalised
  revolt　upon　the　other　side；　so　that　Camisard　and　Florentin　skulked
  for　each　other's　lives　among　the　mountains？
  Just　on　the　brow　of　the　hill；　where　I　paused　to　look　before　me；　the
  series　of　stone　pillars　came　abruptly　to　an　end；　and　only　a　little
  below；　a　sort　of　track　appeared　and　began　to　go　down　a　break…neck
  slope；　turning　like　a　corkscrew　as　it　went。　　It　led　into　a　valley
  between　falling　hills；　stubbly　with　rocks　like　a　reaped　field　of
  corn；　and　floored　farther　down　with　green　meadows。　　I　followed　the
  track　with　precipitation；　the　steepness　of　the　slope；　the　continual
  agile　turning　of　the　line　of　the　descent；　and　the　old　unwearied
  hope　of　finding　something　new　in　a　new　country；　all　conspired　to
  lend　me　wings。　　Yet　a　little　lower　and　a　stream　began；　collecting
  itself　together　out　of　many　fountains；　and　soon　making　a　glad　noise
  among　the　hills。　　Sometimes　it　would　cross　the　track　in　a　bit　of
  waterfall；　with　a　pool；　in　which　Modestine　refreshed　her　feet。
  The　whole　descent　is　like　a　dream　to　me；　so　rapidly　was　it
  accomplished。　　I　had　scarcely　left　the　summit　ere　the　valley　had
  closed　round　my　path；　and　the　sun　beat　upon　me；　walking　in　a
  stagnant　lowland　atmosphere。　　The　track　became　a　road；　and　went　up
  and　down　in　easy　undulations。　　I　passed　cabin　after　cabin；　but　all
  seemed　deserted；　and　I　saw　not　a　human　creature；　nor　heard　any
  sound　except　that　of　the　stream。　　I　was；　however；　in　a　different
  country　from　the　day　before。　　The　stony　skelet