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seemed now ceded to them； but a dead Cagot was a different thing。
The inhabitants of pure blood struggled long and hard to be interred
apart from the abhorred race。 The Cagots were equally persistent in
claiming to have a common burying…ground。 Again the texts of the Old
Testament were referred to； and the pure blood quoted triumphantly
the precedent of Uzziah the leper （twenty…sixth chapter of the second
book of Chronicles）； who was buried in the field of the Sepulchres of
the Kings； not in the sepulchres themselves。 The Cagots pleaded that
they were healthy and able…bodied； with no taint of leprosy near
them。 They were met by the strong argument so difficult to be
refuted； which I quoted before。 Leprosy was of two kinds；
perceptible and imperceptible。 If the Cagots were suffering from the
latter kind； who could tell whether they were free from it or not？
That decision must be left to the judgment of others。
One sturdy Cagot family alone； Belone by name； kept up a lawsuit；
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