White — Elias Bouhereau of La Rochelle. 135 



tells him (letter of 19th June, 1664) that he aud Bouhereau's amantc of 

 Paris were laughing du petit homme a mine noire. Compare the following 

 from an anonymous correspondent, who writes from Paris, 10 Juillet, 1664: — 

 " En verite, Monsieur, je trouve que vouz aves la meillure memoire du monde, 

 et que pour n'estre paz des pluz grands de corps, vostre ame contient 

 beaucoup de chosez." 



The Bauldry correspondence, as it lies before me, is an illustration of the 

 cooling of a hot friendship. Bouhereau has carefully numbered the first 

 forty-seven letters, concluding with that of 30th November, 1663. There are 

 two others, not numbered, of that year; only twelve of the year 1664 (during 

 part of this year they had been together in Paris) ; twenty-five of the year 

 1665; three between that year and the close of 1668; one each for 1669 

 and 1670; five for 1672; four for 1680; and one for 1683. Our own 

 experience, however, ought to make us hesitate to assume that the depth of 

 our attachment to our friends can be safely gauged by the frequency and 

 length of our letters to them. 



When Elie Bouhereau left College, he went home to his mother, who had 

 a house at La Kochelle, en (or a) la ville neuve, pres (or proche) la nouvelle 

 porte de Mauhec (or proche le temple).^ HeJ. then continued his studies as a 

 proijosant or estiidiant en theologie. For at least a year some of his friends so 

 addressed his letters. I find it last in April, 1665. Sometimes we find 

 only the abbreviation E. E. T. This mark of distinction was not always 

 acceptable. At least Bauldry, who never so addressed his friend, writes on 

 28th January, 1663 : — " Mon pere se fasche de voir sur vos lettres proposant 

 ou estudiant en theolog. Contentes le bon homme si vous pouves, qui est 

 chagrin epouvantablement, ce qui me desespere." 



Bauldry's father, who lived at Eouen, a la rue de la grosse orloge,^ may 

 have deemed it imprudent in those troublous times to have unnecessary 

 publicity given to his adherence to La Religion Pretendue Reformee, as it 

 was officially styled. 



It appears to have been the custom for the young divinity students to 

 deliver a trial sermon, called une proposition, in the places in which they 

 sought to exercise their ministry. Bauldry thus describes his first effort of 

 this kind, 28th May, 1663 : — " Je rendis hier ma proposition avec tout le 

 succes que j'en puisse raisonablement esperer, graces a Dieu. Ce qui n'est 

 pas une petite affaire dans nostre eglise, ou les gens passent pour des je ne 

 sgay qui quand ils hesitent ou qu'ils demeurent. Mais enfin je ne hesitay 



1 There is a picture of this " temple," which was demolished Maicli, 1685, in Delaizement's J?i«<. 

 des lieformez, p. 254. 



- Bauldry moved later, 1669, a la rue des charetlcn, pren le ponl AilUune. 



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