J. H. Merle D'Aubigné - History of the Reformation in Europe in the Time of Calvin (Vol. 1-8)

=THE DAY OF THE LADDERS.=

At midnight on Holy Thursday (25th of March), the knights of the Spoon, with about four thousand Savoyard troops and the fugitive mamelukes, moved forward as secretly as possible to take Geneva by surprise. The citizens, accustomed to false alarms, had not paid much attention to the warning they had received. At the head of the band that was to lead the assault were a certain number of men carrying long ladders which had been made at Chillon. The men-at-arms who followed them wore white shirts over their armour in order to be recognised in the darkness; they had even sent to their friends in Geneva certain tokens which the latter were to fasten to the ends of their spears in order that the assailants might know them in the confusion. The city clocks had struck two when a few Savoyards arrived at the foot of the wall: not a sound was heard, the night was dark, and everything promised complete success. Meanwhile the main body had halted a quarter of a league from the city, and hesitated to make the attack. Pontverre was no longer among them, and Viry had not inherited his influence. 'At the moment of execution, a spirit of fear fell upon the Savoyards,' says a chronicler; 'God took away their courage, so that they were not able to come near.'—'We are not strong enough to carry out our enterprise,' said one.—'If we fail,' said another, 'Messieurs of the Swiss League will not fail us.' They consequently withdrew, and, in order to conceal their disgrace, said that the duke or the bishop had forbidden them to advance. Might not the duke, influenced by the cantons, have really given them the order to retreat at the last moment? That alone appears to explain this retrograde movement. However, the Genevans ascribed their deliverance to a higher cause; they entered on the registers of the council the following simple words which we copy: 'The gentlemen ( gentils ) had undertaken to attack the city, which God has preserved hitherto .' The 25th of March was called the day of the ladders . 800

791Bonivard, Chroniq. ii. p. 507. Gautier MS.

792Bonivard, Chroniq. ii. p. 517.

793 Mém. d'Archéologie , iii. p. 201.

794Bonivard, Chroniq. ii. p. 522.

795 Journal de Balard. Mém. d'Archéologie , x. p. 189.

796July and December 1862, between radicals and liberals.

797'A belles épées nues on fourgonna dessous, et le malheureux qui y était caché reçut un coup d'estoc.'

798Registres du Conseil ad annum . Bonivard, Chroniq. ii. pp. 520-525. Spon, Hist. de Genève , i. p. 425. Savyon MS. Balard, Mém. d'Archéologie , x. p. 189. Le Levain du Calvinisme ou Commencement de l'Hérésie de Genève , par Révérende Sœur Jeanne de Jussie, publié en 1853, par M. G. Revilliod, p. 11.

799Registres du Conseil des 2, 3 et 6 janvier 1529. Journal de Balard , p. 189. Spon, Hist. de Genève , ii. pp. 422-426. Gautier MS.

800Registres du Conseil du 25 mars 1529. Journal de Balard , pp. 216, 219, 221, 222. Bonivard, Chroniq. ii. p. 533. La Sœur de Jussie, p. 6.

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=SUPERSTITIONS IN GENEVA.=

WHILE the men of the old times were taking fright and retreating, the men of the new times were taking courage and advancing. They sat down at the firesides of the burgesses of Geneva, and, leading the way to religious conversation, gradually scattered new ideas in the city and new seed in men's hearts. Of these Lutherans , as they were called, some were Genevans, others Bernese; and the witty Bonivard occasionally joined in this familiar talk. Some of them, truly pious men, told their listeners that they ought to look for salvation to the cross alone, and that, just as the sun transforms the earth and causes it to produce fruit, so the light of the Gospel would transform their hearts and lead them to perform new works. Others, who were sarcastic and simply negative men, confined themselves to pointing out the abuses of Rome and of its clergy. They said openly what hitherto they had dared to utter only in secret. If they saw a cordelier passing, with ruddy face, long beard, brown frock, and disgusting aspect, they pointed at him and said: 'These monks creep not only into the consciences of the citizens, but into their houses, and defile the city by their scandals and adultery. 801Our grated windows and bolted doors can hardly keep out their unbridled vices, and protect the chastity of our wives and daughters. 802God has given them up to the lusts of their hearts.'

Such conversations as these were continually taking place among the Genevans and the Bernese during the interval between the reformation of Berne and that of Geneva. When a Genevan invited a Switzer to his house, the former would volunteer, after dinner, to show his guest the curiosities of the city. 'We will first go and have a look at the church of St. Pierre,' said he. 'See what a fine cathedral it is; admire these pillars, these arches, that vaulted roof; but there are other things besides. Here is a shrine containing an invaluable treasure—the arm of St. Anthony.... On holidays it is brought out for the adoration of the people, who kiss the relic with holy reverence. But,' added the Genevan, in a whisper to his companion, 'this arm some people affirm to be only one of the members of a stag. Come with me to the high altar; you see the box in which the brains of St. Peter are preserved!... To doubt this is a frightful heresy, and not to adore them abominable impiety; but ... between you and me ... these brains of the apostle are only pumice-stone.' 803

=MONKISH TRICKS.=

Sometimes Swiss and Genevans crossed the river and climbed the street leading to the ancient church of St. Gervais. 'What are those old women about, putting their ears to that hole?' asked one of them. A number of priests and women had collected there. 'The bodies of St. Gervais, St. Nazaire, St. Celsus, and St. Pantaleon are buried under this altar,' said the priests to the women. 'These holy bodies desire to quit their vault; come and listen at this hole, and you will hear them.' The simple women approached, and heard a noise like that of men talking together. 'We can hear them,' they said.—'Alas!' continued the priests, 'in order to raise the body of a saint, we require bishops, ceremonies, silver utensils, and we have nothing!' As they wished to deliver these holy personages, these good women immediately cast their offerings into the church box ... and the priests gathered them up. 'Do you know,' said a huguenot, 'incredulous people affirm that the noise which proceeds, as the priests say, from the conversation of St. Pantaleon and his friends, is caused by certain pipes, cleverly arranged, which, immediately the hole is opened and the air flows in, give out the sounds that are heard?' 804

'Have you ever seen souls out of purgatory? Nothing is easier at Geneva,' said a huguenot after supper. 'It is quite dark; let us go to the cemetery, and I will show them to you.... Here we are.... Do you see those little flames creeping slowly here and there among the scattered bones?... They are souls (the priests tell us) which, having left their place of anguish, crawl slowly about the cemetery at night, and entreat their relatives to pay the priests for masses and prayers to free them from purgatorial fires.... Wait a little ... there is one coming near us ... I will deliver it.' He stooped, and, picking it up, showed it to his companions: 'Ha! ha! upon my word, these souls are curiously made ... they are crabs, and the priests have fastened little wax tapers to their backs.' 805

'That is one of the tricks of our clergy,' said a learned huguenot. (Bonivard often took part in these conversations.) 'They are buffoons in their repasts, fools in all difficult discussions, snails in work, harpies in exaction, leopards in friendship, bulls in pride, minotaurs in devouring, and foxes in cunning.' 806