[851] La Sœur J. de Jussie, pp. 23-25.

[852] Ibid. pp. 20-25. Bonivard, Chroniq. ii. p. 586. Gautier MS.

CHAPTER XII.
GENEVA RECLAIMED BY THE BISHOP AND AWAKENED BY THE GOSPEL.
(November 1530 to October 1531.)

=IMPERIAL LETTER TO GENEVA=

THUS had failed the attack of the bishop-prince against his city; and it was much to be feared that such an act, instead of restoring his power, would only accelerate his fall. Pierre de la Baume saw this, and resolved to employ other means to regain in Geneva the authority he had lost.

The thought that the Helvetic league was to be the arbiter between Geneva and her bishop-prince oppressed him like a nightmare: he did not doubt that the diet would pronounce against him. A clever idea occurred to him. 'If,' said he, 'I could but have the emperor as arbiter, instead of the Swiss.... Surely the monarch, who is preserving the papacy in Germany, will preserve it also at Geneva.' Charles V. and the catholic party were still at Augsburg; and the bishop would have desired to substitute a congress of princes for a diet of republicans. 'In truth,' said the emperor, when this petition was laid before him, 'we should not like the rights of the most reverend father in God, the Bishop of Geneva, to be prejudiced.... They are of imperial foundation; and it is our duty, therefore, to maintain them.' Charles had never been more irritated against the protestants than he was now. It was the middle of November: the imperial recess had just been rejected by the evangelicals, because the emperor (they said) had not authority to command in matters of faith.[853] The deputies of Saxony and Hesse had left without waiting for the close of the diet. The imperialists assured the friends of the Bishop of Geneva that he could not have chosen a better time, and that his cause was gained. On the 19th of November proclamation was to be made in Augsburg of the re-establishment 'of one and the same faith throughout the empire.' On the evening before, while this was being drawn up, the emperor called his secretary, and dictated to him the following letter, addressed to the people of Geneva:—

'Dear Liegemen,

'We have been informed that there is a question between you and our cousin, the Duke of Savoy, about matters touching the rights of our well-beloved cousin and counsellor, the Bishop of Geneva. We have desired to write to you about that, enjoining you very expressly to send to our imperial authority persons well informed on all points in dispute between the bishop and yourselves. We shall demand the same of the said lords, the duke and the bishop, our cousins, for the settlement of your differences, which will be for the welfare and tranquillity of both parties. You will thus learn the desire we have that our subjects should live in peace, friendship, and concord.

'Dear liegemen, may God watch over you!