[309] Conrad Hubert, secretary of Bucer.
[310] Renée of France, daughter of Louis XII. and of Anne of Brittany, born at the Castle of Blois the 29th of October 1510, and died at the chateau of Montargis the 12th of June 1575. United, from views of political expediency, to one of the smaller princes of Italy, a vassal of the Bishop of Rome, this princess, endowed with a strong mind and an excellent spirit, quitted France, in 1528, to follow her husband, Hercules of Esté, to Ferrara; and she brought along with her to that court a taste for literature, with free and generous sentiments of belief, which she had inhaled from her intimate association with Marguerite of Navarre. She received at Ferrara Clement Marot, who dedicated some of his verses to her, and also Calvin, who initiated her in the faith of the Reformed, for which she was honoured to suffer, and which she professed courageously till her death. This was the origin of the long correspondence which she maintained with the Reformer, whose letters recurred from time to time to encourage and confirm her. The letter which we insert here is, doubtless, one of the earliest in that series. On the last leaf we have the following words written in another hand:—
"Against a certain almoner, Master Francis, who made (Madame) go to mass, and set her against those who would not go, as against scandalous persons. It treats very fully about things lawful and not lawful, and how scandals must be avoided."
[311] Anne de Parthenay, daughter of John de Parthenay, Lord of Soubise, and of Michelle de Sanbonne, governess of Renée of France. She married Antony de Pons, Comte de Marennes, was instructed by Calvin himself in the Reformed doctrine, and remained a long time attached, as dame d'honneur, to the Duchess of Ferrara, to whose court she was an ornament, both by her virtues and her ability. Clement Marot addresses her in several of his poems, and the learned author, Lilio Gregorio Gyraldi, dedicates to her the second book of his History of the Gods.
[312] Heb. ix. 25, 26.
[313] 1 Cor. xi. 23-26.
[314] In the margin, handwriting of Calvin,—"After having understood the will of God, give advice."
[315] This is the title of that work, "De Missa Matrimonio et Jure Magistratus in Religione. D. Wolfgango Capitone, auctore." The Dedication to Henry VIII., "Summum in terris Ecclesiæ Anglicanæ Caput," is of 15th March 1537.
[316] This was the letter of Calvin to Louis Duchemin, intituled, "De fugiendis impiorum illicitis sacris, et puritate Christianæ Religionis. Genevæ, 1537. 8vo." That letter, translated into French, has been inserted in the Recueil des Opuscules, edit. 1566, in fol., p. 57.
[317] De la Cène de nostre Seigneur.