an accursed race- 第5部分

claiming　the　privilege　of　common　sepulture；　for　forty…two　years；

although　the　cure　of　Biarritz　had　to　pay　one　hundred　livres　for　every

Cagot　not　interred　in　the　right　place。　　The　inhabitants　indemnified

the　curate　for　all　these　fines。



M。　de　Romagne；　Bishop　of　Tarbes；　who　died　in　seventeen　hundred　and

sixty…eight；　was　the　first　to　allow　a　Cagot　to　fill　any　office　in　the

Church。　　To　be　sure；　some　were　so　spiritless　as　to　reject　office　when

it　was　offered　to　them；　because；　by　so　claiming　their　equality；　they

had　to　pay　the　same　taxes　as　other　men；　instead　of　the　Rancale　or

pole…tax　levied　on　the　Cagots；　the　collector　of　which　had　also　a

right　to　claim　a　piece　of　bread　of　a　certain　size　for　his　dog　at

every　Cagot　dwelling。



Even　in　the　present　century；　it　has　been　necessary　in　some　churches

for　the　archdeacon　of　the　district；　followed　by　all　his　clergy；　to

pass　out　of　the　small　door　previously　appropriated　to　the　Cagots；　in

order　to　mitigate　the　superstition　which；　even　so　lately；　made　the

people　refuse　to　mingle　with　them　in　the　house　of　God。　　A　Cagot　once

played　the　congregation　at　Larroque　a　trick　suggested　by　what　I　have

just　named。　　He　slily　locked　the　great　parish…door　of　the　church；

while　the　greater　part　of　the　inhabitants　were　assisting　at　mass

inside；　put　gravel　into　the　lock　itself；　so　as　to　prevent　the　use　of

any　duplicate　key；and　had　the　pleasure　of　seeing　the　proud　pure…

blooded　people　file　out　with　bended　head；　through　the　small　low　door

used　by　the　abhorred　Cagots。



We　are　naturally　shocked　at　discovering；　from　facts　such　as　these；

the　causeless　rancour　with　which　innocent　and　industrious　people　were

so　recently　persecuted。　　The　moral　of　the　history　of　the　accursed

race　may；　perhaps；　be　best　conveyed　in　the　words　of　an　epitaph　on

Mrs。　Mary　Hand；　who　lies　buried　in　the　churchyard　of　Stratford…on…

Avon：…





What　faults　you　saw　in　me；

Pray　strive　to　shun；

And　look　at　home；　there's

Something　to　be　done。









End