'all our office is at an end.' They liked not the weapons. The priests had others. They carried arms under their gowns. It was proposed to use them. Sister Jeanne de Jussie knew of the plot. The council would entrap the preachers by asking for a disputation. Having deliberated to kill Farel and his companion,' says an old manuscript, they found the best means of getting them to come would be to invite them to a debate.' The conspirators agreed that Farel was never to go alive out of the vicar-general's house; but, first of all, they must get him to enter it. The bishop's secretary, Machard, was deputed to summon the preachers and the schoolmaster to retract or to explain before the council what they had preached at the inn.

The plot was whispered. The Huguenots in the town-hall grew suspicious, and sent the two chief magistrates to go with the bishop's secretary. These three Genevans went to the Tour Perce and met the three reformers. Machard invited them to retract the doctrines they had taught.

'We affirm these doctrines in the strongest way possible,' said Farel; and again offer to die if we cannot prove them by Scripture.'

'In that case,' said the secretary, " come before the Episcopal Council, to discuss with the priests, and maintain what you have declared.'

'No harm shall be done to you,' added the two magistrates. 'We pledge our word on it.' The preachers were delighted with this opportunity of announcing the gospel, and, with Olivetan, they set out, not expecting any danger.

Already was there a suspicious-looking group in front of the Tour Perce. While the upper house of the clergy

was sitting at the vicar's, the lower house had met in the streets. The armed curates and chaplains had watched the messengers going to the inn, and guessed what it meant. They gathered their followers, particularly the women and the rabble. When the three Genevans with the three reformers passed, they fell in the train. 'Look

at the dogs said they, with coarse jeers and threats. There was danger on every hand. In the council and in the streets men had sworn Farel's death. At the door of the vicar's house the three reformers had to wait some time, for the two magistrates went in to ask another pledge of the council that the ministers should be safe while they freely explained their doctrines. The pledge was given, and they entered and stood together before the imposing assembly, all in their sacerdotal robes. The official, De Veigy, was ordered to speak.

'William Farel,' said he, 'tell me who has sent you, for what reason you come here, and by what authority you speak.' He knew of no authority but that of the Romish Church.

'I am sent by God,' replied Farel, with simplicity; 'and I am come to declare His word.'

'Poor wretch!' groaned the priests, with a shrug of the shoulders.

'God has sent you, you say,' resumed the official. 'How is that? Can you show a clear sign, as Moses did before Pharaoh? If not, then show us the licence of our most reverend prelate, the Bishop of Geneva. Preacher never yet preached in his diocese without his leave.' He paused; he scanned the decently-dressed reformer from head to foot; he feared to hear any answer from Farel, and did not intend that one should be given, and then broke forth again: "You do not wear the robes

of a clergyman.

You are dressed like a soldier or a brigand. How dare you preach? A decree of the holy Church forbids laymen to preach. You are a deceiver and a bad man.'

Thus ran the abuse. The clergy did not give Farel time to speak. It was not for that they had called him. They were glorying in the fact that they had within their grasp the terrible heretic, of whom they had been so long talking. It was hard for them to keep their hands off him. They sat, pale with anger, and clattered their feet on the floor. At last they must speak or burst, and they all spoke at once, pouring insult on the reformer. They rose, rushed upon him, and, pulling him this way and that, they cried out, Come, Farel, you wicked devil, what business have you to go up and down, disturbing all the world? Are you baptized? Where were you born? Where did you come from? Why do you come here? Are you the man that spread heresies at Aigle and Neufchatel, and threw the whole country into confusion?'

It was not meant that Farel should have any chance to answer these questions. The noise was so great that neither he, nor the vicar, nor the magistrates, could gain a hearing. A rattle was heard; the weapons were clattering beneath the priests' frocks. Farel remained still as he could amid all this uproar. At length the grand vicar secured order and silence. Farel seized the moment.

'My lords,' said he, nobly lifting his head, 'I am not a devil. I was baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and, if I journey to and fro, it is that I may preach Jesus Christ. I am compelled to teach

Him to all who will hear me.

For this cause, and for

no other, I am come into this city. Having been brought before you to give an account of my faith, I am ready to

do so, not only at this moment, but as many times as you please to hear me peaceably. As for the disturbances in the land, I will answer as Elijah did to King Ahab: 'I have not troubled Israel, but thou and thy father's house.' Yes, it is you and yours who trouble the world by your traditions, your inventions, and your dissolute lives.'

'He blasphemes; what further need have we of witnesses?' cried out one of the raging, gnashing priests. 'He is guilty of death.'

'To the Rhone, to the Rhone!' shouted others. 'Kill him! It is better for this rascally Lutheran to die than to let him trouble all the people.'

'Speak the word of God,' said Farel at these perversions of Scripture, and not those of Caiaphas.'

Strike! strike!' cried a Savoyard, as the furious priests shouted whatever was uppermost in their minds. They divided the three reformers among them, and each was abused, spit upon, and beaten; yet each was calm and patient, remembering, doubtless, the meekness of the Great Master under similar treatment. Certain of the better priests and the two magistrates were ashamed of such a scene, and tried to end it.

'It is not well done,' said an abbot; 'have we not pledged our word and honour to them?'

'You are wicked men,' cried out William Hugues, a just, quick, and energetic magistrate, who was more than disgusted with the violent party. 'We brought you these men on your promise that no harm should be done to them, and you want to beat them to death before our faces! I will go and ring the great bell, and convoke the general council.'

The thought of a general assembly of the citizens alarmed the priests, for they might expel the authors of

this disturbance and give every security for the reformers to remain. In few cities would the people side with the priests, and Neufchatel was a fearful example of the popular power. The abbot took advantage of this new lull, and asked Farel and his two friends to withdraw, so that the council might deliberate. Farel left the room, shamefully insulted, and bruised.

And what does the reverend Sister Jeanne de Jussie say came next? About eighty of the lower order of priests had collected about the house, 'all well armed with clubs to defend the Holy Catholic faith, and prepared to die for it.' Strange mode of defending the faith! Not much danger of dying for it when there were eighty in arms against three defenceless strangers! 'They wished to put that wretch and his accomplices to a better death.' Sister Jeanne knew all about the scheme.

As Farel entered a long gallery he saw a gun levelled at him, and in an instant the priming flashed, but the load was not expelled. Some say it burst in the hands of the vicar's servant who aimed it at Farel.

I am not

to be shaken by a popgun,' said he coldly. 'Your toy does not alarm me.' His friends said, 'Verily, the God of mercy turned aside the blow, that He might preserve Farel for more formidable struggles."

Again were the strangers summoned to the councilroom. The grand vicar said, 'William Farel, leave my presence and this house, and within six hours get you gone from the city with your two companions, under pain of the stake. And know that, if this sentence is not more severe, you must ascribe it to our kindness and to our respect for the lords of Berne.'

'You condemn me unheard,' said Farel. 'I demand a certificate to show at Berne that I have done my duty.'