the　inhabitants　of　the　neighbouring　town　of　Lourdes；　and　got　the
  better　of　them；　by　their　magical　powers　as　it　is　said。　　The　people　of
  Lourdes　were　conquered　and　slain；　and　their　ghastly；　bloody　heads
  served　the　triumphant　Cagots　for　balls　to　play　at　ninepins　with！　　The
  local　parliaments　had　begun；　by　this　time；　to　perceive　how　oppressive
  was　the　ban　of　public　opinion　under　which　the　Cagots　lay；　and　were
  not　inclined　to　enforce　too　severe　a　punishment。　　Accordingly；　the
  decree　of　the　parliament　of　Toulouse　condemned　only　the　leading
  Cagots　concerned　in　this　affray　to　be　put　to　death；　and　that
  henceforward　and　for　ever　no　Cagot　was　to　be　permitted　to　enter　the
  town　of　Lourdes　by　any　gate　but　that　called　Capdet…pourtet：　　they
  were　only　to　be　allowed　to　walk　under　the　rain…gutters；　and　neither
  to　sit；　eat；　nor　drink　in　the　town。　　If　they　failed　in　observing　any
  of　these　rules；　the　parliament　decreed；　in　the　spirit　of　Shylock；
  that　the　disobedient　Cagots　should　have　two　strips　of　flesh；　weighing
  never　more　than　two　ounces　a…piece；　cut　out　from　each　side　of　their
  spines。
  In　the　fourteenth；　fifteenth；　and　sixteenth　centuries　it　was
  considered　no　more　a　crime　to　kill　a　Cagot　than　to　destroy　obnoxious
  vermin。　　A　〃nest　of　Cagots；〃　as　the　old　accounts　phrase　it；　had
  assembled　in　a　deserted　castle　of　Mauvezin；　about　the　year　sixteen
  hundred；　and；　certainly；　they　made　themselves　not　very　agreeable
  neighbours；　as　they　seemed　to　enjoy　their　reputation　of　magicians；
  and；　by　some　acoustic　secrets　which　were　known　to　them；　all　sorts　of
  moanings　and　groanings　were　heard　in　the　neighbouring　forests；　very
  much　to　the　alarm　of　the　good　people　of　the　pure　race；　who　could　not
  cut　off　a　withered　branch　for　firewood；　but　some　unearthly　sound
  seemed　to　fill　the　air；　nor　drink　water　which　was　not　poisoned；
  because　the　Cagots　would　persist　in　filling　their　pitchers　at　the
  same　running　stream。　　Added　to　these　grievances；　the　various
  pilferings　perpetually　going　on　in　the　neighbourhood　made　the
  inhabitants　of　the　adjacent　towns　and　hamlets　believe　that　they　had　a
  very　sufficient　cause　for　wishing　to　murder　all　the　Cagots　in　the
  Chateau　de　Mauvezin。　　But　it　was　surrounded　by　a　moat；　and　only
  accessible　by　a　drawbridge；　besides　which；　the　Cagots　were　fierce　and
  vigilant。　　Some　one；　however；　proposed　to　get　into　their　confidence；
  and　for　this　purpose　he　pretended　to　fall　ill　close　to　their　path；　so
  that　on　returning　to　their　stronghold　they　perceived　him；　and　took
  him　in；　restored　him　to　health；　and　made　a　friend　of　him。　　One　day；
  when　they　were　all　playing　at　ninepins　in　the　woods；　their
  treacherous　friend　left　the　party　on　pretence　of　being　thirsty；　and
  went　back　into　the　castle；　drawing　up　the　bridge　after　he　had　passed
  over　it；　and　so　cutting　off　their　means　of　escape　into　safety。　　Them；
  going　up　to　the　highest　part　of　the　castle；　he　blew　a　horn；　and　the
  pure　race；　who　were　lying　in　wait　on　the　watch　for　some　such　signal；
  fell　upon　the　Cagots　at　their　games；　and　slew　them　all。　　For　this
  murder　I　find　no　punishment　decreed　in　the　parliament　of　Toulouse；　or
  elsewhere。
  As　any　intermarriage　with　the　pure　race　was　strictly　forbidden；　and
  as　there　were　books　kept　in　every　commune　in　which　the　names　and
  habitations　of　the　reputed　Cagots　were　written；　these　unfortunate
  people　had　no　hope　of　ever　becoming　blended　with　the　rest　of　the
  population。　　Did　a　Cagot　marriage　take　place；　the　couple　were
  serenaded　with　satirical　songs。　　They　also　had　minstrels；　and　many　of
  their　romances　are　still　current　in　Brittany；　but　they　did　not
  attempt　to　make　any　reprisals　of　satire　or　abuse。　　Their　disposition
  was　amiable；　and　their　intelligence　great。　　Indeed；　it　required　both
  these　qualities；　and　their　great　love　of　mechanical　labour；　to　make
  their　lives　tolerable。
  At　last；　they　began　to　petition　that　they　might　receive　some
  protection　from　the　laws；　and；　towards　the　end　of　the　seventeenth
  century；　the　judicial　power　took　their　side。　　But　they　gained　little
  by　this。　　Law　could　not　prevail　against　custom：　　and；　in　the　ten　or
  twenty　years　just　preceding　the　first　French　revolution；　the
  prejudice　in　France　against　the　Cagots　amounted　to　fierce　and
  positive　abhorrence。
  At　the　beginning　of　the　sixteenth　century；　the　Cagots　of　Navarre
  complained　to　the　Pope；　that　they　were　excluded　from　the　fellowship
  of　men；　and　accursed　by　the　Church；　because　their　ancestors　had　given
  help　to　a　certain　Count　Raymond　of　Toulouse　in　his　revolt　against　the
  Holy　See。　　They　entreated　his　holiness　not　to　visit　upon　them　the
  sins　of　their　fathers。　　The　Pope　issued　a　bull　on　the　thirteenth　of
  May；　fifteen　hundred　and　fifteenordering　them　to　be　well…treated
  and　to　be　admitted　to　the　same　privileges　as　other　men。　　He　charged
  Don　Juan　de　Santa　Maria　of　Pampeluna　to　see　to　the　execution　of　this
  bull。　　But　Don　Juan　was　slow　to　help；　and　the　poor　Spanish　Cagots
  grew　impatient；　and　resolved　to　try　the　secular　power。　　They
  accordingly　applied　to　the　Cortes　of　Navarre；　and　were　opposed　on　a
  variety　of　grounds。　　First；　it　was　stated　that　their　ancestors　had
  had　nothing　to　do　with　Raymond　Count　of　Toulouse；　or　with　any　such
  knightly　personage；　that　they　were　in　fact　descendants　of　Gehazi；
  servant　of　Elisha　（second　book　of　Kings；　fifth　chapter；　twenty…
  seventh　verse）；　who　had　been　accursed　by　his　master　for　his　fraud
  upon　Naaman；　and　doomed；　he　and　his　descendants；　to　be　lepers　for
  evermore。　　Name；　Cagots　or　Gahets；　Gahets；　Gehazites。　　What　can　be
  more　clear？　　And　if　that　is　not　enough；　and　you　tell　us　that　the
  Cagots　are　not　lepers　now；　we　reply　that　there　are　two　kinds　of
  leprosy；　one　perceptible　and　the　other　imperceptible；　even　to　the
  person　suffering　from　it。　　Besides；　it　is　the　country　talk；　that
  where　the　Cagot　treads；　the　grass　withers；　proving　the　unnatural　heat
  of　his　body。　　Many　credible　and　trustworthy　witnesses　will　also　tell
  you　that；　if　a　Cagot　holds　a　freshly…gathered　apple　in　his　hand；　it
  will　shrivel　and　wither　up　in　an　hour's　time　as　much　as　if　it　had
  been　kept　for　a　whole　winter　in　a　dry　room。　　They　are　born　with
  tails；　although　the　parents　are　cunning　enough　to　pinch　them　off
  immediately。　　Do　you　doubt　this？　　If　it　is　not　true；　why　do　the
  children　of　the　pure　race　delight　in　sewing　on　sheep's　tails　to　the
  dress　of　any　Cagot　who　is　so　absorbed　in　his　work　as　not　to　perceive
  them？　　And　their　bodily　smell　is　so　horrible　and　detestable　that　it
  shows　that　they　must　be　heretics　of　some　vile　and　pernicious
  description；　for　do　we　not　read　of　the　incense　of　good　workers；　and
  the　fragrance　of　holiness？〃
  Such　were　literally　the　arguments　by　which　the　Cagots　were　thrown
  back　into　a　worse　position　than　ever；　as　far　as　regarded　their　rights
  as　citizens。　　The　Pope　insisted　that　they　should　receive　all　their
  ecclesiastical　privileges。　　The　Spanish　priests　said　nothing；　but
  tacitly　refused　to　allow　the　Cagots　to　mingle　with　the　rest　of　the
  faithful；　either　dead　or　alive。　　The　accursed　race　obtained　laws　in
  their　favour　from　the　Emperor　Charles　the　Fifth；　which；　however；
  there　was　no　one　to　carry　into　effect。　　As　a　sort　of　revenge　for
  their　want　of　submission；　and　for　their　impertinence　in　daring　to
  complain；　their　tools　were　all　taken　away　from　them　by　the　local
  authorities：　　an　old　man　and　all　his　family　died　of　starvation；　being
  no　longer　allowed　to　fish。
  They　could　not　emigrate。　　Even　to　remove　their　poor　mud　habitations；
  from　one　spot　to　another；　excited　anger　and　suspicion。　　To　be　sure；
  in　sixteen　hundred　and　ninety…five；　the　Spanish　government　ordered
  the　alcaldes　to　search　out　all　the　Cagots；　and　to　expel　them　before
  two　months　had　expired；　under　pain　of　having　fifty　ducats　to　pay　for
  every　Cagot　remaining　in　Spain　at　the　expiration　of　that　time。　　The
  inhabitants　of　the　villages　rose　up　and　flogged　out　any　of　the
  miserable　race　who　might　be　in　their　neighbourhood；　but　the　French
  were　on　their　guard　against　this　enforced　irruption；　and　refused　to
  permit　them　to　enter　France。　　Numbers　were　hunted　up　into　the
  inhospitable　Pyrenees；　and　there　died　of　starvation；　or　became　a　prey
  to　wild　beasts。　　They　were　obliged　to　wear　both　gloves　and　shoes　when
  they　were　thus　put　to　flight；　otherwise　the　stones　and　herbage　they
  trod　upon　and　the　balustrades　of　the　bridges　that　they　handled　in
  crossing；　would；　according　to　popular　belief；　have　become　poisonous。
  And　all　this　time；　there　was　nothing　remarkable　or　disgusting　in　the
  outward　appearance　of　this　unfortunate　people。　　There　was　nothing
  about　them　to　countenance　the　idea　of　their　being　lepersthe　most
  natural　mode　of　accounting　for　the　abhorrence　in　which　they　were
  held。　　They　were　repeatedly　examined　by　learned　doctors；　whose
  experiments；　although　singular　and　rude；　appear　to　have　been　made　in
  a　spirit　of　humanity。　　For　instance；　the　surgeons　of　the　king　of
  Navarre；　in　sixteen　hundred；　bled　twenty…two　Cagots；　in　order　to
  examine　and　analyze　their　blo