The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-02-25
SOME NEW o


reader either in English or IN French, although
Ioza vas by no means the least attractive among
the prOtagonists Of the revolt against alholosn
lis Me as not only an active but n long one; No
died In 1905, at tho ago ~ 10 lie repeat
ely presided over the Reformed Church In French
speaking countries. and was is recognized od-
Wiser iu times of peril Tho friend % Calvin, he
WAS MISC the friend Of Henry " until he died
Ave years before that sovereign, The scope anu
importance Of his influence can thus he scarcely
oyeresumnted in truth. the story Of Protestant
Ism In France could not be written " tho part
played ny Beza we've omitted. thorough knowl
edge Of this mans intimate relation TO French
history requires a consecutive and detailed de-
velopment Of his life and acts To that end, ths
author Of this book has gone back to the original
sour es. and especially to Be2a's photographer
ro,es and letters
1.
Beya was but ten years younger than Calvin.
hut he outli we'd the author Of tho Institutes and
founder of the Reformed Church In France
ty upw ard OF forty years lie Wa sprung from
che ranks oi the French nobility, aud from birth
had beiore him the prospect Of prefrrmcnii In what
oVNY department of Church or State he might
chooes 10 enter. The members Of the family TO
which he belonged wrote their name De l'es2e, ANA
Theodore himself so wrot, IL 10 tho end OF his days,
excep, when he gave II the Latin form OF iIeza
The family was Of old liurCundian stock. Theo-
dore's birthplace was the town Of N"zelav, now q
decayei and insignifcan, place containing less
than twelve hundred inhabitants Even in the
sixteenth century, the town lived chiefly upon
memories OF its past distinction. Here 1t was that
ON Palm Sunday. in the year lliB, the Second
Crusade had been preached by BERNARD, the cleo
bta,ed Abbot Of Clairyaux Nearly four centuries
had elapsed from the day on which Nezelay re-
sounded with The cry Of "DsuS ruiz when, In
1919, the futlr, French rcformcr was born lie
Nas a son Of Pierre he Ee2e de Nailly
OF the place Just named, who had mar
ried Marie Ruurgelot, also Of noble
descent Nicholas DE Be2e, brother Of Pierre,
was a counsellor or Judge Of the Parliament Of
Paris Another brother, having entered the
Church, possessed as Abbot Of Froidmont tho
means Of rendering himself seryicenhle to the
promotion Of his n~erhew's interests. Theodore,
the youngest of seven children, had not emerged
from infancy. when his uncle, the member of the
Parliament Of Paris, being on n visit to Vezelny,
conceived 50 strong m affection for the boy that
he begged 10 be allowed to take him back with him
10 the capital The father consented, and the
boy accompanied his unclo to Paris.
In 1928 he was placed in q school established
al Orleans by Melchior Woimar II was unoer the
lstter's tuition that Theodore acquired his kno"i-
edge Of Greek About 1880 Volmar WAS in
yited To Bourges By Margaret Of Angouleme, sis
Ter Of Francis !, and young hr7a accompanied
him thither to TO continue his studies It's io'e-
worthy that Calvin, ais" came TO Bourges to
profit by Wolmar's familiarity with the creek
language, but there Is NJ evidence tha' the
young man oi p and the boy OF IL although
fellow pupils, wer" at this time brought into reia'
tons Of close intimacy When Wolmar returned
u Germany in 1885. Beza went TO Orleans to de-
vote himself TO the civil law. and, four years later,
he secured the degree Of l~icentiate lis uncle,
the member Of the Parliament Of Paris. was now
dead, but his other uncle, the Abbot OF Froid-
mont, was still alive and sincerely attached TO him.
Although Theodore was not in orders, his friends
had secured for him tho revenues Of two benefces
amounting collectively N 700 gold crowns. His
uncle had also made up bis mind that his nephew
should sbccsed him in the abbey, the income 81
which was at least 5000 gold crowns q veal.
Thus, whsn the young man returned to Paris
IN his twenty first year. he was surrounded with
every allurement to a life n ease and comfort,
and whether he should select the Church or the
Bar, his success seemed assured. For the law,
however, be had no taste, and in l544, he de-
barred himself from ecclesiastical preferment
by . secret marriage The young woman upon