This vexation increased when he saw M.de Villars and M.de Baville, who had apartments in the palace, come down into the court and talk to these people.

One hope still remained to him: it was that the marechal and the intendant had come down to send them away; but this last hope was cruelly disappointed when he heard M.de Villars say that he accepted their service and expected them to obey d'Aygaliers in all matters concerning the service of the king." But this was not all that had to be accomplished arms were necessary for the Protestants, and though their number was not great, there was a difficulty in finding them weapons.

The unfortunate Calvinists had been disarmed so often that even their table-knives had been carried off, so it was useless to search their houses for guns and sabres.

D'Aygaliers proposed that they should take the arms of the townspeople, but M.de Villars considered that it would offend the Catholics to have their arms taken from them and given to the Protestants.

In the end, however, this was the course that had to be adopted: M.de Paratte was ordered to give fifty muskets and the same number of bayonets to M.d'Aygaliers, who also received, as the reward of his long patience, from M.de Villars, before the latter left for Nimes, the following commission: "We, Marechal de Villars, general in the armies of the king, etc., etc., have given permission to M.d'Aygaliers, nobleman and Protestant of the town of Uzes, and to fifty men chosen by him, to make war on the Camisards.
"(Signed) VILLARS "(Countersigned) MORETON "Given at Uzes, the 4th of May 1704" Hardly had M.de Villars set out for Nimes than d'Aygaliers met with fresh difficulties.