"No, no; but how can the liberties of the city be saved?” "How! By being united, by forgetting our private quarrels, by opposing with one every violation of our rights. . . . If the bishop's officers lay hands on one of us, let all the rest defend him. Who touches one, touches all."

"Yes, yes, one heart, one cause! Who touches one, touches all!"

Good, let this motto be the name of our league, but let us be faithful to the noble device."

"But what would we do," asked one among many who had their fears, "if the duke and bishop should attack the city with a strong army?"

"Fear nothing," replied Berthelier, sharply; "we have good friends; I will go to the Swiss, I will bring back forces, and then I will settle accounts with our foes.

Thus ran the tide when the bishop returned, and took pleasure in making arrests and in torturing poor Pècolat. Terrors increased in the city, the streets were deserted, only a few labourers were seen in the fields. Many citizens fled. The league of Touch one, touch all, was almost dissolved, and that at the very hour when its founder was in peril. Berthelier was threatened.

"The sword is over your head," said Bonivard. "Escape for

life."

"I know it," Berthelier answered, "yes, I know that I shall die, and I do not grieve at it."

"Really, I never saw and never read of one who held life so cheap." Others joined Bonivard in urging their chief to flee. They told him of the power of his foes.

"God will miraculously take away their power," he replied. "There happen to be here some envoys from Friburg. Depart

with them. Out of Geneva you will serve the city better than within it."

This consideration decided him. Early the next morning he put on a Friburg cloak, and when the troupe rode through the gate, the cautious guard did not suspect that the great republican was with them. The spoiler put his hand on the nest, but the bird was gone. The houses were searched for six days, but all for nothing. The bishop was raving in his castle; Berthelier was calling the Swiss to aid Geneva.

By the hearth of Councillor Marty in Friburg, sat Berthelier, sorrowful, silent and motionless. A great idea was in his mind, "Geneva must be an ally of Switzerland,"-which then included only a small part of the country now called by that name--“For that I would give my head." He began to talk with his host. "I have come poor, exiled, persecuted and a suppliant, not to save my life, but to save Geneva, and to pray Friburg to receive the Genevans into citizenship."

"Take courage," said Marty, giving his hand. "Follow me into the abbeys where the guilds are assembled. If you gain them your cause is won."

We need not follow them to hear the eloquence of Berthelier. He gained his object. The Friburgers would go and see the misfortunes of Geneva with their own eyes. They went, and talked, and dined with such men as Hugues and the Vandels. They hunted up bishop John, easing his gout in the country, and reasoned with him in a different style from that prevailing at Turin. They asked a safe-conduct for Berthelier so that he might return home. It was refused on the ground that he needed none! Nobody would harm him! "Very well," said the Friburgers, "we will collect together these grievances of the people and remedy them. We will come in such force as to take

these Savoyards and then-then we will treat them as you have treated our friends." After this they rode home in great wrath.

The words of the Friburgers were repeated through the city. The league between them and the Genevans was spoken of as a mightier protection than that of the "Children of Geneva.' A new German word was introduced, Eidesgenossen, the oathbound Leaguers. The duke's party threw it in contempt at the patriots, and as it did not fit the Savoyard tongue, they put it into various shapes, Eidguenots, Eyguenots, Huguenots! Perhaps the name of Hugues helped to give it the latter form. It was a nick-name, long since made sacred by the noble character of those who bore it. It passed into France and was probably first applied to all who opposed the Papacy. At Geneva it had originally a purely political meaning, and simply meant the friends of independence. It had no religious meaning until after the Reformation.

The duke's party had no sooner started this epithet than the patriots, repaying them in their own coin, called out, "Hold your tongues, you Mamelukes. As the Mamelukes denied Christ to follow Mahomet, so you deny liberty for tyranny."

We might linger upon many a touching story of trials, banishments, tortures and executions, but space forbids. The years rolled on, the times grew worse, and Geneva found no permanent relief. After a while Bonivard was arrested, robbed of his priory, and shut up for two years in a castle. An army of the duke was in the city. Berthelier, who had returned, had reason to expect death.

Early one morning, Berthelier set out for his daily retreat, where he breathed the fresh air in a quiet meadow near the ity. He was now, (1519,) about forty years of age, and so con

scious of his danger that he was "always booted and ready to depart for the unknown shores of eternity." He had with him a little weasel, of which he was very fond. It was sporting in his bosom as he walked on in contempt of his enemies. An officer, who knew of these morning walks, had placed some soldiers outside the walls, while he remained within to make certain the arrest. Just as the good citizen was about to pass the gates, the troop came forward. He thought not of going back to arouse the young men of the League; he turned not from the road, but went on caressing his little favourite, and "walked straight toward the armed men, as proudly as if he were going to take them," wrote Bonivard. Thus "one of the founders of modern liberty" was arrested, and was to suffer the vengeance of his tyrant foes. He was thrust into prison, where his little weasel still played in his bosom, and at the least noise would stiffen its ears and look into the eyes of its master. He had holier means of lightening his cares; he quoted the Psalms, and perhaps, cast all his burdens on the Lord. On the wall he wrote a sentence which some think refers to the Saviour's resurrection. His foes were trying to frighten him with threats of death when he wrote, "I shall not die, but live and declare the works of the Lord." He became the martyr of liberty, but though dead, he yet spake of freedom for Geneva. "Three great movements were carried out in this city," says D'Aubigne. "The first was the conquest of independence; the second, the conquest of faith; the third, the renovation and organization of the church. Berthelier, Farel, and Calvin are the three heroes of these three epics."

This leader of the league left much work to be done. A new man came to bear his part in it. This was Baudichon de la Maison-Neuve, a man of noble family, exalted character, bold

measures, welcome everywhere, and serving to clear the way for the reformation. But God was removing out of the world the bishop who was assuredly not fit to remain in power; and, unless there was deep repentance for his personal sins and shames, not fit to be taken away by death.

John lay at Pignerol, dying of diseases which charity would leave untold. At his bed-side stood Peter de la Baume, who was trying to console the bishop. The poor man had some remorse for his crimes. A crucifix was held before his eyes. His mind was upon the man whose death he had caused, and he imagined that he saw the features of Berthelier. With a wild look he asked, “Who has done that?" Blasphemy and insult were mingled with the foam that whitened his lips. At length his heart softened a little. Giving to Peter a last look, he said,—“I wished to give the principality of Geneva to Savoy. To attain that object I have put many innocent persons to death. If you obtain this bishopric, I entreat you not to tread in my footsteps. Defend the franchises of the city." He said more, closing with the words,-"In purgatory God will pardon me." He breathed his last, and Peter rose up from his prayer the bishop of Geneva.

Worse and worse trials came. The bishop kept none of his promises. The duke entered the city with Portuguese fashions and theatrical plays. The people were expected to attend dramas, dances, games and sports in the open air, even in spite of the April rains. There were some good qualities about Peter, the bishop, and he proved the scope of his imagination, or hist power to insult with flattery, when he told the Genevans of "the great love and affection which John had felt, while alive, for them and for all his good subjects," and that he "had made as holy an end as ever prelate did!"