at the dinner table every night, most of all Barberine, whose abundance and milky complexion caught his fancy. With our three departed soldiers, the two Siorac twins and Faujanet, Jonas made the seventh bachelor, not counting all the young men of the neighbouring towns who were unable to marry since they possessed no house to lodge a family nor lands to nourish one. It was a great shame that so many of the girls of our countryside had to enter convents for lack of an earthly husband. I make these observations at an age where I myself, though born into a well-to-do family, am but the second-born and am unable to marry the woman who has enchanted me since I have no means of supporting her. Sadly, filthy lucre seems to dominate everything, even the sweetness of life.
Sauveterre became quite bilious at the news that an armed band of Gypsies were roaming the countryside around Belvès, taking advantage of the absence of the nobility and their men at arms to besiege the chateaux. For the strongest chateau is only as strong as its defenders, and these were too often too few or too cowardly, since the call to arms to save the kingdom had skimmed off the cream of the soldiery from our region.
The Gypsies were not a people who dreamt only of blood and carnage. If victorious, they raped the women, to be sure, but did not kill them afterwards. It was rumoured that they never touched children either, but seemed to love them so much that they often stole young ones if they found them beautiful. Before attacking, they would always enter into negotiations with the chateau or the farm and, in return for a pledge of neutrality, would carry off arms, silver and provisions. But it sometimes happened that, after receiving a ransom, they would break their word and attack anyway. It was said that they castrated the men they killed, which was very much an affront to our own customs, although I have seen it done by oursoldiers—both Huguenots and Catholics—during the great civil wars of the kingdom.
The Gypsies were armed with makeshift weapons but were fearsome nonetheless, for they often attacked at night, silent as snakes, nimble as cats, quickly scaled walls thought to be unassailable, and were already within the walls by the time the alarm was sounded.
At Mespech there was now only one captain, Sauveterre, and a single soldier, Faujanet. Jonas was, to be sure, a sure shot with his longbow, but the Siorac brothers had to be taught how to shoot an arquebus. Even the women were taught soldiery, at least my mother, Cathau and Barberine were, for la Maligou, faced with the task, made such a fuss and cried so shrilly that Sauveterre sent her quickly back to her pots and pans. My mother also put up some resistance, but of another sort, claiming that it was beneath the honour of a noblewoman to touch firearms. To which a glowering Sauveterre crustily replied: “Madame, if Mespech is taken what will become of your honour then?” At this Isabelle shuddered, paled and gave in.
François was also given lessons in marksmanship. Samson and I bit our knuckles with rage, for our elder brother immediately put on unbearable airs with us. But Sauveterre found a use for us younger brothers. He had us make piles of large stones every three toises along the catwalks, and, wearing helmets much too big for our little heads, we were instructed to run back and forth along the ramparts brandishing pikes to give the impression of great numbers at the approach of the enemy. Little Hélix even got a helmet and a pick, but these were soon confiscated, so dangerous did this weapon seem in her hands. If ladders were raised against our walls, we were instructed to put aside our pikes and valiantly to hurl the stones from the battlements onto the heads of our assailants.
That autumn, the grain had been harvested and the grapes picked, and as soon as the ploughing was done, the livestock was brought in from the pastures despite the good weather, to keep them, and the
Sauveterre became quite bilious at the news that an armed band of Gypsies were roaming the countryside around Belvès, taking advantage of the absence of the nobility and their men at arms to besiege the chateaux. For the strongest chateau is only as strong as its defenders, and these were too often too few or too cowardly, since the call to arms to save the kingdom had skimmed off the cream of the soldiery from our region.
The Gypsies were not a people who dreamt only of blood and carnage. If victorious, they raped the women, to be sure, but did not kill them afterwards. It was rumoured that they never touched children either, but seemed to love them so much that they often stole young ones if they found them beautiful. Before attacking, they would always enter into negotiations with the chateau or the farm and, in return for a pledge of neutrality, would carry off arms, silver and provisions. But it sometimes happened that, after receiving a ransom, they would break their word and attack anyway. It was said that they castrated the men they killed, which was very much an affront to our own customs, although I have seen it done by oursoldiers—both Huguenots and Catholics—during the great civil wars of the kingdom.
The Gypsies were armed with makeshift weapons but were fearsome nonetheless, for they often attacked at night, silent as snakes, nimble as cats, quickly scaled walls thought to be unassailable, and were already within the walls by the time the alarm was sounded.
At Mespech there was now only one captain, Sauveterre, and a single soldier, Faujanet. Jonas was, to be sure, a sure shot with his longbow, but the Siorac brothers had to be taught how to shoot an arquebus. Even the women were taught soldiery, at least my mother, Cathau and Barberine were, for la Maligou, faced with the task, made such a fuss and cried so shrilly that Sauveterre sent her quickly back to her pots and pans. My mother also put up some resistance, but of another sort, claiming that it was beneath the honour of a noblewoman to touch firearms. To which a glowering Sauveterre crustily replied: “Madame, if Mespech is taken what will become of your honour then?” At this Isabelle shuddered, paled and gave in.
François was also given lessons in marksmanship. Samson and I bit our knuckles with rage, for our elder brother immediately put on unbearable airs with us. But Sauveterre found a use for us younger brothers. He had us make piles of large stones every three toises along the catwalks, and, wearing helmets much too big for our little heads, we were instructed to run back and forth along the ramparts brandishing pikes to give the impression of great numbers at the approach of the enemy. Little Hélix even got a helmet and a pick, but these were soon confiscated, so dangerous did this weapon seem in her hands. If ladders were raised against our walls, we were instructed to put aside our pikes and valiantly to hurl the stones from the battlements onto the heads of our assailants.
That autumn, the grain had been harvested and the grapes picked, and as soon as the ploughing was done, the livestock was brought in from the pastures despite the good weather, to keep them, and the
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