talked　about；　but　this　old　man　in　a　brown　nightcap　showed　himself
  so　simple；　sweet；　and　friendly；　that　I　am　not　unwilling　to　profess
  myself　his　convert。　　He　was；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　a　Plymouth
  Brother。　　Of　what　that　involves　in　the　way　of　doctrine　I　have　no
  idea　nor　the　time　to　inform　myself；　but　I　know　right　well　that　we
  are　all　embarked　upon　a　troublesome　world；　the　children　of　one
  Father；　striving　in　many　essential　points　to　do　and　to　become　the
  same。　　And　although　it　was　somewhat　in　a　mistake　that　he　shook
  hands　with　me　so　often　and　showed　himself　so　ready　to　receive　my
  words；　that　was　a　mistake　of　the　truth…finding　sort。　　For　charity
  begins　blindfold；　and　only　through　a　series　of　similar
  misapprehensions　rises　at　length　into　a　settled　principle　of　love
  and　patience；　and　a　firm　belief　in　all　our　fellow…men。　　If　I
  deceived　this　good　old　man；　in　the　like　manner　I　would　willingly　go
  on　to　deceive　others。　　And　if　ever　at　length；　out　of　our　separate
  and　sad　ways；　we　should　all　come　together　into　one　common　house；　I
  have　a　hope；　to　which　I　cling　dearly；　that　my　mountain　Plymouth
  Brother　will　hasten　to　shake　hands　with　me　again。
  Thus；　talking　like　Christian　and　Faithful　by　the　way；　he　and　I　came
  down　upon　a　hamlet　by　the　Tarn。　　It　was　but　a　humble　place；　called
  La　Vernede；　with　less　than　a　dozen　houses；　and　a　Protestant　chapel
  on　a　knoll。　　Here　he　dwelt；　and　here；　at　the　inn；　I　ordered　my
  breakfast。　　The　inn　was　kept　by　an　agreeable　young　man；　a　stone…
  breaker　on　the　road；　and　his　sister；　a　pretty　and　engaging　girl。
  The　village　schoolmaster　dropped　in　to　speak　with　the　stranger。
  And　these　were　all　Protestants　…　a　fact　which　pleased　me　more　than
  I　should　have　expected；　and；　what　pleased　me　still　more；　they
  seemed　all　upright　and　simple　people。　　The　Plymouth　Brother　hung
  round　me　with　a　sort　of　yearning　interest；　and　returned　at　least
  thrice　to　make　sure　I　was　enjoying　my　meal。　　His　behaviour　touched
  me　deeply　at　the　time；　and　even　now　moves　me　in　recollection。　　He
  feared　to　intrude；　but　he　would　not　willingly　forego　one　moment　of
  my　society；　and　he　seemed　never　weary　of　shaking　me　by　the　hand。
  When　all　the　rest　had　drifted　off　to　their　day's　work；　I　sat　for
  near　half　an　hour　with　the　young　mistress　of　the　house；　who　talked
  pleasantly　over　her　seam　of　the　chestnut　harvest；　and　the　beauties
  of　the　Tarn；　and　old　family　affections；　broken　up　when　young　folk
  go　from　home；　yet　still　subsisting。　　Hers；　I　am　sure；　was　a　sweet
  nature；　with　a　country　plainness　and　much　delicacy　underneath；　and
  he　who　takes　her　to　his　heart　will　doubtless　be　a　fortunate　young
  man。
  The　valley　below　La　Vernede　pleased　me　more　and　more　as　I　went
  forward。　　Now　the　hills　approached　from　either　hand；　naked　and
  crumbling；　and　walled　in　the　river　between　cliffs；　and　now　the
  valley　widened　and　became　green。　　The　road　led　me　past　the　old
  castle　of　Miral　on　a　steep；　past　a　battlemented　monastery；　long
  since　broken　up　and　turned　into　a　church　and　parsonage；　and　past　a
  cluster　of　black　roofs；　the　village　of　Cocures；　sitting　among
  vineyards；　and　meadows；　and　orchards　thick　with　red　apples；　and
  where；　along　the　highway；　they　were　knocking　down　walnuts　from　the
  roadside　trees；　and　gathering　them　in　sacks　and　baskets。　　The
  hills；　however　much　the　vale　might　open；　were　still　tall　and　bare；
  with　cliffy　battlements　and　here　and　there　a　pointed　summit；　and
  the　Tarn　still　rattled　through　the　stones　with　a　mountain　noise。　　I
  had　been　led；　by　bagmen　of　a　picturesque　turn　of　mind；　to　expect　a
  horrific　country　after　the　heart　of　Byron；　but　to　my　Scottish　eyes
  it　seemed　smiling　and　plentiful；　as　the　weather　still　gave　an
  impression　of　high　summer　to　my　Scottish　body；　although　the
  chestnuts　were　already　picked　out　by　the　autumn；　and　the　poplars；
  that　here　began　to　mingle　with　them；　had　turned　into　pale　gold
  against　the　approach　of　winter。
  There　was　something　in　this　landscape；　smiling　although　wild；　that
  explained　to　me　the　spirit　of　the　Southern　Covenanters。　　Those　who
  took　to　the　hills　for　conscience'　sake　in　Scotland　had　all　gloomy
  and　bedevilled　thoughts；　for　once　that　they　received　God's　comfort
  they　would　be　twice　engaged　with　Satan；　but　the　Camisards　had　only
  bright　and　supporting　visions。　　They　dealt　much　more　in　blood；　both
  given　and　taken；　yet　I　find　no　obsession　of　the　Evil　One　in　their
  records。　　With　a　light　conscience；　they　pursued　their　life　in　these
  rough　times　and　circumstances。　　The　soul　of　Seguier；　let　us　not
  forget；　was　like　a　garden。　　They　knew　they　were　on　God's　side；　with
  a　knowledge　that　has　no　parallel　among　the　Scots；　for　the　Scots；
  although　they　might　be　certain　of　the　cause；　could　never　rest
  confident　of　the　person。
  'We　flew；'　says　one　old　Camisard；　'when　we　heard　the　sound　of
  psalm…singing；　we　flew　as　if　with　wings。　　We　felt　within　us　an
  animating　ardour；　a　transporting　desire。　　The　feeling　cannot　be
  expressed　in　words。　　It　is　a　thing　that　must　have　been　experienced
  to　be　understood。　　However　weary　we　might　be；　we　thought　no　more　of
  our　weariness；　and　grew　light　so　soon　as　the　psalms　fell　upon　our
  ears。'
  The　valley　of　the　Tarn　and　the　people　whom　I　met　at　La　Vernede　not
  only　explain　to　me　this　passage；　but　the　twenty　years　of　suffering
  which　those；　who　were　so　stiff　and　so　bloody　when　once　they　betook
  themselves　to　war；　endured　with　the　meekness　of　children　and　the
  constancy　of　saints　and　peasants。
  FLORAC
  ON　a　branch　of　the　Tarn　stands　Florac；　the　seat　of　a　sub…
  prefecture；　with　an　old　castle；　an　alley　of　planes；　many　quaint
  street…corners；　and　a　live　fountain　welling　from　the　hill。　　It　is
  notable；　besides；　for　handsome　women；　and　as　one　of　the　two
  capitals；　Alais　being　the　other；　of　the　country　of　the　Camisards。
  The　landlord　of　the　inn　took　me；　after　I　had　eaten；　to　an　adjoining
  cafe；　where　I；　or　rather　my　journey；　became　the　topic　of　the
  afternoon。　　Every　one　had　some　suggestion　for　my　guidance；　and　the
  sub…prefectorial　map　was　fetched　from　the　sub…prefecture　itself；
  and　much　thumbed　among　coffee…cups　and　glasses　of　liqueur。　　Most　of
  these　kind　advisers　were　Protestant；　though　I　observed　that
  Protestant　and　Catholic　intermingled　in　a　very　easy　manner；　and　it
  surprised　me　to　see　what　a　lively　memory　still　subsisted　of　the
  religious　war。　　Among　the　hills　of　the　south…west；　by　Mauchline；
  Cumnock；　or　Carsphairn；　in　isolated　farms　or　in　the　manse；　serious
  Presbyterian　people　still　recall　the　days　of　the　great　persecution；
  and　the　graves　of　local　martyrs　are　still　piously　regarded。　　But　in
  towns　and　among　the　so…called　better　classes；　I　fear　that　these　old
  doings　have　become　an　idle　tale。　　If　you　met　a　mixed　company　in　the
  King's　Arms　at　Wigton；　it　is　not　likely　that　the　talk　would　run　on
  Covenanters。　　Nay；　at　Muirkirk　of　Glenluce；　I　found　the　beadle's
  wife　had　not　so　much　as　heard　of　Prophet　Peden。　　But　these　Cevenols
  were　proud　of　their　ancestors　in　quite　another　sense；　the　war　was
  their　chosen　topic；　its　exploits　were　their　own　patent　of　nobility；
  and　where　a　man　or　a　race　has　had　but　one　adventure；　and　that
  heroic；　we　must　expect　and　pardon　some　prolixity　of　reference。
  They　told　me　the　country　was　still　full　of　legends　hitherto
  uncollected；　I　heard　from　them　about　Cavalier's　descendants　…　not
  direct　descendants；　be　it　understood；　but　only　cousins　or　nephews　…
  who　were　still　prosperous　people　in　the　scene　of　the　boy…general's
  exploits；　and　one　farmer　had　seen　the　bones　of　old　combatants　dug
  up　into　the　air　of　an　afternoon　in　the　nineteenth　century；　in　a
  field　where　the　ancestors　had　fought；　and　the　great…grandchildren
  were　peaceably　ditching。
  Later　in　the　day　one　of　the　Protestant　pastors　was　so　good　as　to
  visit　me：　　a　young　man；　intelligent　and　polite；　with　whom　I　passed
  an　hour　or　two　in　talk。　　Florac；　he　told　me；　is　part　Protestant；
  part　Catholic；　and　the　difference　in　religion　is　usually　doubled　by
  a　difference　in　politics。　　You　may　judge　of　my　surprise；　coming　as
  I　did　from　such　a　babbling　purgatorial　Poland　of　a　place　as
  Monastier；　when　I　learned　that　the　population　lived　together　on
  very　quiet　terms；　and　there　was　even　an　exchange　of　hospitalities
  between　households　thus　doubly　separated。　　Black　Camisard　and　White
  Camisard；　militiaman　and　Miquelet　and　dragoon；　Protestant　prophet
  and　Catholic　cadet　of　the　White　Cross；　they　had　all　been　sabring
  and　shooting；　burning；　pillaging；　and　murdering；　their　hearts　hot
  with　indignant　passion；　and　here；　after　a　hundred　and　seventy
  years；　Protestant　is　still　Protestant；　Catholic　still　Catholic；　in
  mutual　toleration　and　mild　amity　of　life。　　But　the　race　of　man；
  like　that　indomitable　nature　whence　it　sprang；　has　medicating
  virtues　of　its　own；　the　years　and　seasons　bring　various　harvests；
  the　sun　returns　after　the　rain；　and　mankind　outlives