838 ■ THE REFOKMATION IN" FKENCH SWITZERLAND.
pure doctrine of godliness ; yet I suppose there is no man more slandered or calumniated than myself." ^
Riches and honors had no charms for him. He soared far above filthy lucre and worldly ambition. His only ambition was that pure and holy ambition to serve God to the best of his ability. He steadily refused an increase of salary, and
1 He meets these calumnies in a letter to Christopher Piperin, Oct. 18, 1555 (^Opera, XV. 825 sq.), from which I quote the following passage : " When I liear that I am everywhere so foully defamed, I have not such iron nerves as not to be stung with pain. But it is no slight consolation to me tliat yourself and many other servants of Christ and pious worshippers of God sympathize with me in my injuries. . . . Why should I worry honest people with ray zeal for vindicating my own reputation 1 Did there exist a greater necessity for it, having entreated their indulgence, I might lay my defence before them. But the scurrilous calumnies with whicli malignant men bespatter me are too unfounded and too silly to require any labored refutation on my part. The authors of tliem would tax me with self-importance, and laugh at me as being too anxiously concerned for my character. One example of these falsehoods is that immense sum of money which you mention. Everybody knows how frugally I live in my own house. Every one sees that I am at no expense for the splendor of my dress. It is well known everywhere that my only brother is far from being rich, and that the little which he has, he acquired without any influence of mine. Where, then, was that hidden treasure dug up ? But they openly give out that I have robbed the poor. Well, this charge also, these most slanderous of men will be compelled to confess, was falsely got up without any grounds. I have never had the handling of one farthing of the money which charitable people have bestowed on the poor. About eight years ago, a man of rank [David de Busanton, a refugee; see Calvin's letter to Viret, Aug. 17, 1545, Opera, XII. 139] died in my house who had deposited upwards of two thousand crowns with me, and without demanding one scrap of writing to prove the deposit. When I perceived that liis life was in danger, though he wished to intrust that sum to my management, I refused to undertake so responsible a charge. I contrived, however, that eight hundred crowns should be sent to Strassburg to relieve the wants of the exiles. By my advice he chose men above suspicion to distribute the remainder of the sum. W^hen he wished to appoint nie one of their number, to which the others made no objections, I refused ; but I see what nettles my enemies. As they form an estimate of my character from their own, they feel convinced tliat I must amass wherever I find a good opportunity. But if during my lifetime I do not escape the reputation of being rich, death will at last vindicate my character from this imputation." See his testament, p. 829. Nevertheless Bolsec (ch. XI.) unscrupulously repeated and exaggerated the calumny about the misappropriation of the legacy of two thousand crowns. Comp. the editorial notes in Opera, XV. 825 and 826.
§ 166. Calvin's i^ersonal character. 839
frequently also presents of every descrii^tion, except for the poor and the refugees, whom he always had at lieart, and aided to the extent of his means. lie left only two liuiidred and fifty gold crowns, or, if we include the value of his furnituie and library, about three hundred crowns, which he bequeathed to his younger brother, Antoine, and his children, except ten crowns to the schools, ten to the hospital for poor refugees, and ten to the daughter of a cousin. When Cardinal Sadolet passed through Geneva in disguise (about 1547), he was surprised to find that the Reformer lived in a plain house instead of an episcopal palace with a retinue of servants, and himself opened the door.^ When Pope Pius IV. heard of his death he paid him this tribute : " The strength of that heretic consisted in this, — that money never had the slightest charm for him. If I had such servants, my dominions would extend from sea to sea." In this resj)ect all the Reformers were true successors of the Apostles. They were poor, but made many rich.
Calvin had defects which vv'ere partly the shadow of his virtues. He was passionate, prone to anger, censorious, impatient of contradiction, intolerant towards Romanists and heretics, somewhat austere and morose, and not without a trace of vindictiveness. He confessed in a letter to Bucer, and on his death-bed, that he found it difiScult to tame "the wild beast of his wrath," and he humbly asked forgiveness for his weakness. He thanked the senators for their patience with his often " excessive vehemence." His intolerance sprang from the intensity of his convictions and his zeal for the truth. It unfortunately culminated in the tragedy of Servetus, which must be deplored and condemned, although justified by the laws and the public opinion in his age. Tolerance is a modern virtue.
Calvin used frequently contemptuous and uncharitable language against his opponents in his polemical writings,
1 This incident is related by Drelincourt, Bungencr, and others, and believed in Geneva.