As he lifted his hands to heaven, and implored the
Almighty to protect the righteous arms of his poor children in La
Vendee, he certainly looked every inch a bishop; the peasants
congregated round him, and kissed his garments--if they could even touch
the shoes on his feet, they thought themselves happy.
It took the little procession two hours to move in this way through the
whole of the army, during which time the bishop's companions did not
speak a word; they merely moved on, with their eyes turned towards the
ground. At length they reached a temporary altar, standing on a platform
raised five steps above the ground, which had been erected under the
care of M. d'Elbe since the arrival of the bishop in Montreuil. Here
were collected M. d'Elbee, Stofflet, Larochejaquelin, Adolphe Denot, and
the other principal leaders of the army, and as the little procession
drew near, they knelt upon the top step of the platform, and
Cathelineau, de Lescure and Father Jerome knelt with them. The bishop
then blessed them each separately, commencing with Cathelineau; he
placed his crozier on the altar, and putting both his hands on the head
of the kneeling General, he said in a loud and solemn voice:
"May the Lord bless you, my son! may he enable you to direct the arms
of his faithful people, so as to show forth His glory, and magnify His
name; may he help your endeavours to restore to a suffering people their
Church and their King; may His dear Son preserve you in danger, comfort
you in affliction, be near you in the hour of death, and reward you in
heaven.
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