Saint Bartholomews Eve | Page 6

learned and eloquent pastors are at Poissy,
disputing upon the faith with the Cardinal of Lorraine and the prelates
of the Romish church, in the presence of the young king, the princes,
and the court. It is evident that the prelates are unable to answer the
arguments of our champions. The Guises, I hear, are furious; for the
present Catharine, the queen mother, is anxious for peace and toleration,
and it is probable that the end of this argument at Poissy will be an
edict allowing freedom of worship.
"But this will only infuriate still more the Papists, urged on by Rome
and Philip of Spain. Then there will be an appeal to arms, and the
contest will be a dreadful one. Navarre, from all I hear, has been
well-nigh won over by the Guises; but his noble wife will, all say, hold
the faith to the end, and her kingdom will follow her. Conde is as good
a general as Guise, and with him there is a host of nobles:
Rochefoucauld, the Chatillons, Soubise, Gramont, Rohan, Genlis, and a
score of others. It will be terrible, for in many cases father and son will
be ranged on opposite sides, and brother will fight against brother."
"But surely, Gaspard, the war will not last for years?"
"It may last for generations," the weaver said gloomily, "though not
without intermissions; for I believe that, after each success on one side
or the other, there will be truces and concessions; to be followed by
fresh persecutions and fresh wars, until either the reformed faith
becomes the religion of all France, or is entirely stamped out.
"What is true of France is true of Holland. Philip will annihilate the
reformers there, or they will shake off the yoke of Spain. England will
be driven to join in one or both struggles; for if papacy is triumphant in
France and Holland, Spain and France would unite against her.

"So you see, sister, that in my opinion we are at the commencement of
a long and bloody struggle for freedom of worship; and at any rate it
will be good that the boy should be trained as he would have been, had
you married one of your own rank in France; in order that, when he
comes to man's estate, he may be able to wield a sword worthily in the
defence of the faith.
"Had I sons, I should train them as your husband intends to train Phil. It
may be that he will never be called upon to draw a sword, but the time
he has spent in acquiring its use will not be wasted. These exercises
give firmness and suppleness to the figure, quickness to the eye, and
briskness of decision to the mind. A man who knows that he can, at
need, defend his life if attacked, whether against soldiers in the field or
robbers in the street, has a sense of power and self reliance that a man,
untrained in the use of the strength God has given him, can never feel. I
was instructed in arms when a boy, and I am none the worse weaver for
it.
"Do not forget, Lucie, that the boy has the blood of many good French
families in his veins; and you should rejoice that your husband is
willing that he shall be so trained that, if the need should ever come, he
shall do no discredit to his ancestors on our side. These English have
many virtues, which I freely recognize; but we cannot deny that many
of them are somewhat rough and uncouth, being wondrous lacking in
manners and coarse in speech. I am sure that you yourself would not
wish your son to grow up like many of the young fellows who come
into town on market day. Your son will make no worse a farmer for
being trained as a gentleman. You yourself have the training of a
French lady, and yet you manage the farm to admiration.
"No, no, Lucie, I trust that between us we shall make a true Christian
and a true gentleman of him; and that, if needs be, he will show himself
a good soldier, also."
And so, between his French relatives and his sturdy English father,
Philip Fletcher had an unusual training. Among the Huguenots he
learned to be gentle and courteous; to bear himself among his elders
respectfully, but without fear or shyness; to consider that, while all

things were of minor consequence in comparison to the right to
worship God in freedom and purity, yet that a man should be fearless of
death, ready to defend his rights, but with moderation and without
pushing them to the injury of others; that he should be grave and
decorous of speech, and yet of a