LANCASTER COUNTY. 515 



their freedom of govcramcnt as men and the rights of corisclcrtce as Chris- 

 tians. Hence in its popular usage, this term conveyed the i)riinary idea of 

 freemen, in contradistinction to vwmflvkes, serfs or s/arfs by which name 

 the party of the Duke was better known; and also the secondary idea of a 

 religious reformation, in the mind of the adlier^-nts to the Homish faith. For 

 the citv of Geneva, having emhiaccd the Relormed doctrines, ami immedi- 

 ately thereaftei-, thrown olf their allegiance, mider the circumstances already 

 given, the term Ei^enossen became identified among the papists with the 

 notion of rehels, or apnstoles from the church, and was therefore consequent- 

 ly used as a term of re|)roach. 



From (xeneva, where he had taught with so much success that instead of 

 Zurich, it became the metropolis of the Reformeci (Jhurchcs, Calvin, ardent 

 in the dis;;harge of yphat he conceived his duty, pushed hi? doctrines with 

 eminent success into his native kingdom of France. They were readily em- 

 braced by the learned and the pious, vifithout regard to caste or standing in 

 society. The admiral Gaspar de Coligni, D' Andelot, I^lornay, Duplessis, 

 La Rcnandie, the Prinre de Co:ide Ann I)u')ourg, Theodore Beza, and a 

 host of others equally worthy and eminent for t^eir virtues, were among the 

 firmest supporters of the Reformation, and the teachers of its doctrines. Sus- 

 tained by such men even againirt the power of the court; in the midst of 

 persecutions and civil wars — the professors of the Reformed religion were 

 spoken of with respect; and a!tliou2:h the term E'ulgenor.s, or Ecilgeiwt, was 

 known in France at that time, still no effort was made to bring them into 

 disrepute by the application of this or any other term of ridicule except wlien 

 they were occasionally called "the ]>relendcd rfformrd'" or "seditious relig- 

 i->ni.-;ts" in the state papers. Thus they remained, until on the accession of 

 Francis, II. to the throne and his early marriage with Mary, Queen of Scot- 

 land. Ijeing very young in years, and devotedly attached to his young 

 Queen, he readily transfered the care of his kingdom to his wile's uncle, the 

 Dukes of Guise and Lorraine. This begat discontent among the protestants 

 who only wanted a leader to organize them into a formidable l)ody. Calvin 

 like Thomas Granmcr, the celebrated reformer, had taught that the king was 

 supreme, and acting upon this priiiriple, the French Calvinists maintained 

 that the King being vet in his minority was to be protected by his subjects 

 from the tyranny nf his uncles; to this end a plan was concerted known as 

 the conspiracy of Amboise, for their overthrow of which the Prince deConde 

 was unanimously chosen leader; but without his knowledge, nor was he to 

 be considered as a participator, until the time of action arrived. Jolui De 

 Bari, and the Sieur La Rcnandi, in the meantime were to direct all their 

 movements. In conformity witii this plan they convened a meeting of the 

 protestant leaders at .N'antes, in the darkness of the night in a ruined building 

 on the outskirts of the tovvfu. Before they proceeded to devclope their 

 schemes, La Kanandi, administered solemn oaths that 'nothing be done or 

 attempted ncjainst the King and Quecn-mnther, or princes, his brothers.' To 

 this agreement they all swore ; and after |)raying for success, they parted 

 with fraternal embraces and in tears. 'J'hc time and place of carrying their 

 plot into execution, was to be at Blois, on the 15ih .March, 1.5.50. f?y some 

 means the plot was discovered to the Count and therefore, the Duke of (iuise 

 was appointed Lieutenant General of the Kingdom, with supreme power in 

 till cases, civil atid military. Armed with this authority he adopted tlic most 

 energetic measures to suppress the protestants, and although succeeded in 

 defeating and killing 1/a Renandi and a fev/ of his companions, yet the 

 effect was not produced which the Count anticipated ; but on the contrary. 



