434 THE llEFOKMATION IN FRENCH SWITZERLAND.
since the care of riches occupied his mind the least of anything."
Bucer, in the name of the pastors of Strassburg, gave him a letter to the Syndics and Council of Geneva, Sept. 1, 1541, in which he says : " Now he comes at last, Calvin, that elect and incomparable instrument of God, to whom no other in our age may be compared, if at all there can be the question of another alongside of him." He added that such a highly favored man Strassburg could only spare for a season, on condition of his certain return.^ The Council of Strassburg wrote to the Council of Geneva on the same day, expressing the hope that Calvin may soon return to them for the benefit of the Church universal.^ The Senate of Geneva, in a letter of thanks (Sept. 17, 1541), expressed the determination to keep Calvin permanently in their city, where he could be as useful to the Church universal as at Strassburg.^
Calvin visited his friends in Basel, who affectionately commended him to Bern and Geneva (Sept. 4).^ Bern was not very favorable to Calvin and the clerical ascendency in Geneva, but gave him a safe-conduct through her territory.
At Soleure (Solothurn) he learned that Farel was deposed, without a trial, by the magistracy of Neuchatel, because he had attacked a person of rank from the pulpit for scandalous conduct. He, therefore, turned from the direct route, and spent some days with his friend, trying to relieve him of the difficulty. He did not succeed at once, but his efforts were supported by Zurich, Strassburg, Basel, and
1 The letter is in Latin with a French translation by Viret, Opera, X. 271 ; Herminjard, VII. 231-233. " Venit tandem ad vos Calvinus, eximium profecto et rarissinium, cui vix secundum, si tamen secundum ullum, organuvi Christi hodie extat. . . . Venit ergo, dimissus ratione ea quam noster senatus perscribit, ut idmirum redeat."
- Herminjard, VII. 227-230, in Latin and French.
3 Herminjard, VII. 253-255 ; Opera, XI. 268.
4 Opera, XI. 274.
§ 95. Calvin's return to geneva. 435
Bern ; and the seignory of Neuchatel resolved to keep Farel, who continued to labor there till his death. ^
Calvin wrote to the Council of Geneva from Neuchatel on Sept. 7, explaining the reason of his dela3^2 The next day he proceeded to Bern and delivered letters from Strassburg and Basel.
He was expected at Geneva on the 9th of September, but did not arrive, it seems, before the 13th. He wislied to avoid a noisy reception, for which he had no taste.'*^ But there is no doubt that his arrival caused general rejoicing among the people.*
The Council provided for the Reformer a house and garden in the Rue des Chanoines near St. Peter's Church,^ and
^ See tlie correspondence in Herminjard, VII. 242 sqq.
2 Herminjard, VII. 239. The letter was received at Geneva, Sept. 12. See Herminjard's note (> on p. 240.
3 He says, in the Preface to liis Commentary on tlie Psalms : " I have no intention of showing myself, and making a noise in the world." Kampschulte goes beyond the record when he asserts (I. 380, 381): " Fiir den Empfang eines F'drsten hdtte nicht mehr Theilnahme bewiesen werden konnen. . . . Am 13"" Sept. hielt er unter dem Jubel der Bevolkerung seinen feierlichen Einzug in Genf." Perhaps he followed here Stiihelin, who says (I. 310) : " Mit unglaidilicher Begeisterung, wie im Triumphe, ivurde er von dem Volk und dem Magistrate empfangen." There is no record of such a triumphant public entrance. See Beza and Colladon in the ne.xt note. Roget and Merle d'Aubigne (VII. 62 sq.) deny the fact of a popular ovation.
■* Beza (XXI. 131) : " Caluinus XIII. Septembris anno Domini MDXLI Genecam regressus est, summa cum universi popidi ac senaius inprimis singulare Dei ergn se benejicium serio turn agnosceiitis congratidatione." Colladon (XXI. G4) : " Calvin fut tellement receu de singuliere affection par ce povre peitple recogiioissarit sa faute, et qui estoit affam€ d'ouir son Jidele Pasteur, qu'on ne cessa point qu'il ne fut arreste pour tousiours."
* It was the house of Sieur de Fresneville, between the house of Bonivard, on the west, and that of Abbe' de Bonmont, on the east, where Calvin lived from 1543 till his death. But as this house was not ready on his arrival, he lodged for a while in an adjoining house of the abbot of Bonmont, which was rebuilt in 1708 (No. 13 Rue des Chanoines, now called Rue de Calvin) and jiassed into the possession of Adrien Naville, president of the Socie'te Evangelique. The second house (No. 11) remained a Reformed parsonage till 1700; in 1834 it was acquired by the Roman Catholic clergy, who assigned it to tiie Sisters of Mercy of Vincent de Paul, but it is now owned by the State. See Th. Heyer, De la maison de Calvin, in the " Mcmoires d'Archeologie," IX. 391-408. 1 have consulted Mr. Ed. Naville and Mr. Ed. Favre of Geneva, wlin confirmed the above statements.