GENEVA. 



etirrence in maintaining his jud rights, and thofe of the city, quarters. Ii liad alio a public library, which owed its ori 

 Tliis noble fpirit encouraged the bifhop, and produced a moil gin about this period to the liberality of Bonnivard, prior 

 excellent aft in favour of liberty ; for he entered into a for- of St. Viftor, wlio was twice imprifoncd for havinjj af- 

 mal agreement with the people and the fyndics, never to alter 

 the conilitution without their confent. This aft, having 



been engroffed in Latin, and the obfervance of it fworn to 

 by the bifhop, the fyndics, and the council, was fubfcribed 

 By all the magiilrates, commonalty, and clergy of Geneva ; 

 and in the following year w.-.s confirmed by the emperor 

 Sigifmund, who declared Geneva to be an imperial city, 

 under the title of " Nobile Imperii Membrani," and took 

 it into his immediate proteftion againft all powers, the duke 

 of Savoy in particular. The Gcnevefe, however, maintain- 

 ed their liberties againil the repeated attacks made upon them 

 by the dukes of Savoy under very great difadvap.tages. Never- 

 thelef^, they perfevered till about the beginning of the i6th 

 century, \vhen an alliance was entered into between Geneva 



mprifoned tor navmg _. 

 ferted, againft the dukes of Savoy, the independence of 

 Geneva. He was a principal promoter of the reformation 

 by gentle means and gradual inftruftion. He clofcd his be- 

 nefactions to his b.-loved city, by the gift of his valuable ma- 

 nufcripts and books, and by bequeathing his fortune towards 

 the cftablilhment and fupport of the feminary. Geneva was 

 now regarded as the afylum of the reformed religion : and by 

 the acceflion of perfecuted proteftants from other cities and 

 countries, its arts and commerce flouriilied, and its papula- 

 tion increafed. 



In 1584, Geneva concluded a treaty of perpetual alliance 

 with Zuric and Bern, by which it formed a part of the 

 Helvetic confederacy. The laft attempt of the houfe of 

 Savoy againil Geneva took place in 1602, v.hen Charles 



and Friburg, the conteil continued, and was the occafion of Emanuel attacked the town during a profound peace. The 

 many afts of oppreiTion and perfecution. When the treaty inhabitants, however, nobly defended themfelves, repulfed the 

 was concluded, in conlequence of the aftive interference of a enemy, and obliged him to abandon his treacherous defign. 

 young citizen of Geneva, named Berthelier, two parties This perfidious attack was followed bv a war, which was 

 arofe in Geneva, one of which retained an attachment to the terminated in the foUo.ving year by a lolemn treaty, tjince 

 intereft of the duke of Savoy, and the other declared itfelf tliat period, uni:.teiTupted peace has been maintained be- 

 on the fide of liberty. Thofe of the latter defcription were tween Geneva and th.e duke of Savoy ; although the king 

 called " Eignots,'' which in Swifs, or High German, fig- of Sardinia did not, till the year 1754, formally acknowledge 

 nifies " confederates by oath," and from which the the independence of the republic. From that period, the 

 term " Hugonots" is probably derived ; whllft thofe of the hillory of Geneva contains little more fhan a narrative of 

 former were denominated " Mamalukes," in reference to the contentions between the ariilocratical and popular parties. 

 Egyptian foldiery, who being originally Chriilians, renounced The conilitution of Geneva, which iiad then been eftablilhcd 

 both their religion and liberty, to become Haves to the fultan. and which continued for feveral years, under a certain modi- 

 Theduke, irritated by this conduft, entered Geneva with an fication and improvement of the year 1768, was a kind of 

 armed force, and compelled the people to renounce iheir new mean between thofe of the arillocratical and popular cantons ; 

 alliance, whilft he perfuaded Friburg to withdraw from the more democratical than any of the former, as the fovereiffu 

 treaty, promifing not to injure the hbcrties of the Genevefe. and legiflative authority were veiled in the general afiemblv 

 Berthelier, the Genevan patriot, was however facrificed to his of the citizens ; but more ariftocratical than the other, he- 

 vengeance, and the magillrates of the city v.ere depofed by caufe the powers entrufted with the great and little councils 

 the bifnop. In the year 1526, a new alliance was formed were very confiderablc. The falaries of the magillrates 



alliance was confirmed by the bilhop ; and may be confidered 

 as the true era of the independence of Geneva. Soon after 

 this period, ijis. in 1533, the doftrines of the reformation 



year. Their conilitution, indeed, was defeftive, as they had 

 no precLfe code of penal law ; but that of civil law was tlie 

 moll perfeft part of their government. In Geneva, as well 



were preached at Geneva by WiUiam Farel, a native of Gap as in all the other principal towns of Switzerland, a public 

 in Dauphine, and Peter Viret, of Orbe ; and the people, ani- granary was ellablillied, and they had always in relerve a 

 mated by the enthufiafm of liberty, determined to emanci- iufficient quantity of corn to fupply the inhabitants during- a 

 pate themfelves from the yoke of bondage, both ecclefialli- year and a half. Geneva was the only republic in Switzer- 

 cal and civil. The bifliop, who had always afted a weak and land which had no regular companies of foldiers in any fo- 

 deceituil p u-t, became defpicable both to the Genevefe and reign Jervice. Geneva was always more or lefs diilrafte'd I. y 

 to the duke ; and by his imprudent menaces and precipitate internal diii'enfions and tumults. In 1782, thefe had pri- 

 retreat, ferved to llrengthen the caufe of the reformation, vailed to Inch a degree, that the kino-s of France and 

 In 1535, the doctrines of the reformation were adopted in Sardinia, together with the canton of Bern, interfered, and 

 fall council ; and in confequence of this decifion, the canton threatened to bcfiege the city. The peafantsof the territoi-y 

 of Friburg renounced the alliance. In the following year, joined the Genevefe, and otiered to ferve in their caufe with- 

 th.' famous John Calvin, driven from France by perfecution, out pay, to mount guard, and work at the fortifications. M. 

 arrived at Geneva, and completed the reformation, that had de Jaucouit, the commander of the French troops, threaten- 

 been already begun by Farei and others. So great was the ed, in cafe of I'efiftance, to enter the town by force, and in- 

 afcondancy which Calvin, though a foreigner, acquired over filled that no perfon fhould appear in the ftreets, that all arms 

 the citizens, that he polleiicd confider.ible infiuerce even in ihould be delivered up, and that tiie chief of the " repre- 

 civil matters ; and was eminently inllrumental in fettling the fentants," as tie jJopiUar party was called, fhould retire from 

 political conlliti'tion. To this end, as well as to encourage Geneva, and that t!ie depofed magillrates ihould be rein- 

 theological erudition, he prevailed upon government to ella- ilatcd. Refifiance in thefe circumitanccs mull have been al- 

 bhfn a public academy, the profidentlhip of which he obtain- together unavciling, and mull, indeed, have terminated in 

 ed for his friend and fellow labourer, Theodore Beza. In the dellruclion of the city. The reprefentants, therefore 

 this new feminary, Calvin, Beza, and others, eminent for rcllored the confined magilrates to liberty, and left the city 

 their fupcrior knowledge, read leftures with fuch uncom- in a body. The Sardin ans, who firft entered die gates 

 nion reputation and fucceis, as attrafted lludents from all found the city almolt defertcd ; and foon after the two other 



commanders 



