pheme also.' What could be expected of Francis I., who lent his ear to such priests and courtiers? His sister saw only his best face.

Toussaint had another joy. Lefevre and Roussel came to Paris. Young, impetuous, and full of respect for them, he hastened to tell them of his vexations, and wished them to unmask these hypocrites, and preach the gospel in this perverse court.

'Patience,' said the two scholars, each rather temporizing in his disposition. Patience; do not let us spoil anything; the time is not yet come.'

Toussaint burst into tears. 'I cannot restrain my tears,' said he. Perhaps he wished that Farel was there. 'Yes, be wise after your fashion; wait, put off, dissemble as much as you please; you will acknowledge however at last, that it is impossible to preach the gospel without bearing the cross.' These words from an honest heart reveal one of the dividing lines between the reformers of France. One party, clustering about the duchess, would not do anything to injure the old fallen Church; the other would leave the Romish Church and seek a new one-or rather return to that one which had existed long before Rome introduced her perversions. Toussaint had already cast in his lot with the thorough reformers.

He said plainly to Margaret, 'Lefevre is wanting in courage; may God strengthen and support him.' She did her utmost to keep the young evangelist at her court. She offered him great advantages, and advised him to be more moderate. She wished for men who would exhibit a Christian heart and life, but who would not break with the Church. He repelled all these gracious advances. He was sick of the court air. Admiration gave way to disgust. I despise these magnificent offers,' said he.

'I detest the court more than any one has done. Farewell to it.'

The Cardinal of Lorraine appeared now as his friend. He advised Toussaint to be cautious, for as a heretic he was never secure of his life. But his courage rose with the perils of his situation. He requested Farel to address him without any concealment, since he was not ashamed of his own name, nor of his correspondence, nor afraid of the consequences of its being known. Since no one else had invited Farel to France, he did it, assuring him of protection among certain friends in Paris. But Farel wished an invitation from a higher authority.

Margaret begged him not to leave France, and commended Toussaint to one of her friends, Madame de Centraigues, a noble lady, who abounded in charity for the persecuted evangelists, and gave them a home in her chateau of Malesherbes, in the Orleans district. He, fearing that a terrible struggle was coming, besought his friends to pray that France would show herself worthy of the word of God. He also prayed that the Lord would send to this people a teacher to lead them in the true paths of life, and went to his new home to wait there for more favourable days.

Who would be the reformer of France? Not Lefevre ; for he was old, timid, and wished not to separate from the Romish Church. Not Roussel; for he dare not always go as far as his convictions prompted him. Alas!' he wrote to Farel, 'there are many gospel truths, one-half of which I am obliged to conceal.' He was just the man for the duchess; he would advance the Christian life without touching the institutions of the Church.

Would it be Berquin? We left him in a comfortable

chamber of his prison, forming large plans for the conquests of the truth. Margaret had not dared to visit him; but she tried to send him a few words of good cheer. It was, perhaps, for him that she wrote the Complaints of the Prisoner, in which he thus addresses his Lord:

'But yet where'er my prison be,

Its gates can never keep out Thee;

For instant where I am, Thou art with me.'

She did not rest here; she was unwearied in her petitions to the king. The Romish party knew that, if Berquin was free, he would deal hard blows, which they could not resist; and they did all they could to prevent the bolt from being drawn. But Margaret had a hand on that prison-bolt ; and at length, in November 1526, he left his guarded chamber to enter upon the plans he had formed for rescuing France from the hands of the Pope. He was then thirty-five years of age, pure in his life, charming in his character, devoted to study, flaming with zeal, and indomitable in his energy. His enemies feared him; Beda said to himself that Berquin would be the Luther of France.

But Berquin could not advance a great system of gospel truth. He could preach duties, but could not raise up a fortress of doctrines into which the trembling might flee and be safe. His work was to resist Beda and the three thousand monks' that were in him, and to die such a noble martyr, that one of the executioners would say publicly, to the great vexation of the judges, 'No better Christian has died for a hundred years than Berquin.'

Was the reformer of France to be Farel? He was then her greatest light. Toussaint was waiting for him

to appear; and let us see how it was that this most fervent, most eloquent, most intrepid and persevering of the French reformers before Calvin, came not back to his own country, but went to Switzerland, to set the western Alps on fire.

When the king recalled the other exiles, Farel was left behind. He saw his friends returning to their country, wondered why he must remain alone in exile, and, overwhelmed with sorrow, cried to God for resignation. He still remained at Strasburg, with one foot on the border, waiting for a call; but the order did not come. The king and his sister did not wish so bold a man in the land; they were afraid of him. The court had no taste

for his style of preaching; they and perfumed gospel in France.'

wished for a softened

There were Christians in the land who saw that the men at Margaret's court would stop half-way in the work, and accomplish nothing permanent. In their view, France needed a man of artless nature, fearless spirit, powerful eloquence, and ability to give a new impulse to the work which Lefevre had begun. They thought of Farel; but his coming seemed to depend upon the duchess. Roussel knew her fears. He knew that Farel would be a preacher, and not a courtier, and he would never agree with her policy. Still the noble and devout Roussel felt that such a man was greatly needed, and he tried to open the way for him to put forth his mighty labours in some of the provinces. 'I will obtain the means of providing for all your wants,' he wrote, on the 27th of August 1526, 'until the Lord gives you an entrance at last among us.'

This also was Farel's earnest desire. He was not then invited to Switzerland. His country possessed his heart;

day and night his eyes were turned toward the gates which were so strangely shut against him; he went up and knocked. None came to open them. He was depressed, and he exclaimed, 'Oh, if the Lord would. but open a way for me to return and labour in France!' Suddenly there was a prospect that his greatest wishes would be realized.

On the day of a grand reception at court, the two sons of Prince Robert de la Marche came to pay their respects to the king's sister. Margaret, ever intent on winning souls, said to Roussel, her eyes indicating the persons

meant:

'Speak to those two young princes; seize, I pray, this opportunity of advancing the cause of Jesus Christ.'

'I will do so,' replied the willing chaplain. He approached the young noblemen, and began to converse about the gospel. They showed no astonishment, but listened with a lively interest. Finding that they were not strangers to the good word, he urged them to extend the truth among their subjects.

They gave their fullest assent to his words, but felt that they were too weak for the task of making known the gospel. Roussel now thought he had found a field for the pining exile, and he said to the young nobles: 'I know of but one man fitted for such a great work; he is William Farel. Christ has given him an extraordinary talent for making known the riches of His glory. Invite him.'

'We desire it still more than you,' said the young princes. Our father and we will open our arms to him. He shall be to us as a son, a brother, and a father. Let him fear nothing; he shall live with us; yes, in our own palace. All whom he will meet there are the friends of