THE FRENCH CHURCH IN BOSTON 165 



Kuffy and all his "plate, cloaths, household goods and 

 furniture," to his "loving wife, Martha," who was his 

 third wife ; the residue of his estate going to his brother 

 Paul in Holland. In saving as in spirituality this 

 French apostle set a worthy example to his brethren 

 in the ministry. His character may be read as through 

 an open window in a sentence in one of his private 

 letters: "I have always determined to injure no one His Motto 

 by my words or otherwise, but on the contrary to serve 

 whomsoever I might be able to serve." 



VI 



The French Church in Boston was to have but one 

 more pastor, who was settled before many mouths. A 

 call was given to Andre Le Mercier, a young man lately Pastor 



~ / .- vj j^g Mercier 



graduated from the Academy of Geneva, and recom- from Geneva 



mended highly by the church authorities there, who took 



a paternal interest in the Calvinistic churches in America. • 



A salary of one hundred pounds was offered him, the 



arrangement being made by Andrew Faneuil, indicating • 



that the congregation was more prosperous than hitherto. 



Leaders in it were Andrew Faneuil, James Bowdoin, 



Daniel Johonnot, and Andrew Sigourney, each of whom 



at his death left a generous bequest to the pastor. This 



may perhaps explain in part the amount saved by Mr. 



Daille, though such bequests to him are not a matter of 



record. Soon after the coming of the new minister the 



"meeting house" was built, diagonally opposite the 



Latin School on School Street. This pastorate continued 



thirtv-four years. While not so brilliant a preacher as Thirty-four 



J J ^ Years' Pastor- 



Daille, Le Mercier was pious and earnest and a diligent ate 

 worker in various fields. Two books from his pen are 

 extant: a "History of the Church and Republic of 

 Geneva," and a "Treatise Against Detraction." He 

 busied himself in the improvement of agriculture in Mas- 

 sachusetts, and was very zealous in humane endeavours 

 to preserve the lives of seamen shipwrecked upon the 



