battle was fought between the king's army, and that of the Prince of Condé.

The disorders of Calvin, which were now rapidly on the increase, rendered his exertions at this period almost incredible; for notwithstanding his reduced state, he could never be induced to remit in the slightest degree, his ordinary occupations. If at any time his weakness prevented his attendance upon his public duties, he never failed to dictate or write a great variety of letters, in answer to persons who consulted him from various parts of Europe. Amongst his numerous avocations at this period, are the exhortations which he gave on the subject of the holy Trinity; his answers to the deputies of the Synod of Lyons: the Commentaries which he composed in French and in Latin, upon the Books of Moses; as well as his Commentary upon the Book of Joshua, which he began this year, and finished a little before his death.

The year 1564, the first of his eternal felicity, occasioned a deep and lasting grief to Geneva. On the 2d of February he delivered his last sermon, and on the same day, his last theological lecture. His asthma depriving him of the use of his voice, he abstained from all the functions of his charge. He was, indeed,

sometimes carried to the congregation, but seldom spoke.

In a letter which he wrote to the physicians of Montpellier, he gives an account of the maladies which his various labours of body, and of mind had brought upon him. For, besides being of a dry and feeble temperament and strongly inclined to consumption, he slept very unsoundly. During ten years at least he ate no dinner, taking no nourishment until supper time. He was subject to a head-ach, the only remedy for which was fasting; on account of which, he remained sometimes thirty-six hours without eating. He was also frequently attacked by the hemorrhoides, which were brought on partly by his efforts in preaching, and partly by the excessive use of aloes; and five years before his death he was seized with a spitting of blood. He was no sooner cured of the quartan ague than he was attacked by the gout; he was afterwards afflicted with the cholic, and a few months before his death, with the stone. The physicians exhausted their art upon him, and no man ever observed their instructions with more regularity. But as to what relates to the labours of the mind, he had so little respect to his health, that the most violent head-achs never prevented his appearance in the pulpit in his turn.

Afflicted, however, as he was by so many maladies, he was never known to pronounce a word unworthy of a christian, or even of a man of constancy and courage. In his greatest agonies, lifting his eyes to heaven, he was accustomed only to repeat the words, "How long, O Lord?" When in health, he frequently made use of these words, with reference to the calamities of his brethren in Jesus Christ, whose afflictions were much more painful to him than his own. When importuned not to dictate or write, during his illness, " Would you," said he, "that when the Lord comes, he should surprise me in idleness ?"

On the 10th of March, being dressed and seated before the table at which he was accustomed to write, he was visited by Beza and other friends; upon seeing them, he leaned his head upon one of his hands, apparently meditating, and addressed them in a low voice, but with a cheerful and open countenance; saying, "I return you my thanks, my very dear brethren, for all the care you take of me; I hope you will soon be relieved from it, and that in a fortnight I shall assist in your assembly for the last time. For I think that after that time, the Lord will remove me from this world, and raise me to his Paradise."

On the 24th of March, he assisted at the assembly as he had predicted, and when it was concluded, he remarked that God had given him some respite; and having taken up the New Testament, he read some of the marginal annotations, and asked his colleagues their opinions on what he had read; for he had undertaken the revision and correction of those notes.

Being fatigued with the exertions of the day, he was worse on the morrow. On the 27th, being carried to the council, he walked, supported by two men, to the hall in which the seigneurs were assembled; where, being uncovered, he thanked them for all the favours which he had received from them, and particularly for the proofs of affection which they had shewn him in his last illness; " For I feel," said he, "that I shall not again have the honour of appearing in this place." Having with much difficulty made this speech, he took his leave of them weeping.

Though extremely reduced, he was carried to the church, on the 2d of April, when he heard the whole of the sermon, and received from the hands of Beza, the Lord's supper; and feeble as was his voice he joined in singing

the psalms. His countenance was so cheerful and serene, that the congregation were delighted with the sight of their pastor's great joy, and entire resignation.

It is not easy to conceive a more interesting scene; on the one hand an illustrious reformer, and venerable pastor, anticipating the resplendent crown of righteousness awaiting him; and though willing to abide in his earthly tabernacle for the sake of his beloved flock, having also a desire to depart and to be with Christ: on the other hand, a devoted people, grateful to their spiritual benefactor, for his laborious exertions, and edifying example: willing to resign him to the society of the blessed above, and thankful for his apparent meetness for it.