to bring about a great good. "More than that," added the marechal, "the
impatience of the priests is most ridiculous. Besides your
remonstrances, of which I hope I have now heard the last, I have received
numberless letters full of such complaints that it would seem as if the
prayers of the Camisards not only grated on the ears of the clergy but
flayed them alive. I should like above everything to find out the
writers of these letters, in order to have them flogged; but they have
taken good care to put no signatures. I regard it as a very great
impertinence for those who caused these disturbances to grumble and
express their disapproval at my efforts to bring them to an end." After
this speech, M, de Baville saw there was nothing for him to do but to let
things take their course.

The course that they took turned Cavalier's head more and more; for
thanks to the injunctions of M. de Villars, all the orders that Cavalier
gave were obeyed as if they had been issued by the governor himself. He
had a court like a prince, lieutenants like a general, and secretaries
like a statesman. It was the duty of one secretary to give leave of
absence to those Camisards who had business to attend to or who desired
to visit their relations. The following is a copy of the form used for
these passports:

"We, the undersigned, secretary to Brother Cavalier, generalissimo of
the Huguenots, permit by this order given by him to absent himself on
business for three days.
"(Signed) DUPONT.
"Calvisson, this----"

And these safe-conducts were as much respected as if they had been signed
"Marechal de Villars."