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 ? A L I S 8 Y 
 
 THE HUGUENOT POTTER
 
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 Falissy, a Philosoiilier.
 
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 HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
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 PUBLISHED BY IRA BRADLEY & CO 
 
 1G2 WASHrvoTON Street.
 
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 PREFACE. 
 
 Thb readers of this little book may ask, with 
 
 ^eat propriety, " What is meant by a true 
 
 tale?" and the answer to this question shall 
 
 be very explicit, as it is of great importance 
 
 •^ that there should be no misunderstanding as 
 
 *'^ to the matter of truth or fiction. 
 
 ^What is known of the history of Palissy is 
 gathered from his writings, which are written 
 ^ in the form of dialogues, and into which he 
 
 has incorporated short narratives of the events 
 of his own life, and of the occurrences which 
 took place under his own eyes. These, and a 
 few incidental notices of him in contemporary 
 writers, are the sources whence the materials 
 for Mi life have been gathered.
 
 VI PEEFACE. 
 
 In the present narrative, I have attempted 
 to give an account of the facts which Palissy 
 has himself recorded, weaving them into a 
 tale. For instance, he tells us, in one of his 
 treatises, of his troubles, and experiments, and 
 sorrows, during the time he was engaged in 
 discovering the white enamel ; and he gives 
 us, now and then, a peep at his domestic life, 
 showing how his poor children drooped and 
 died ; how he became burdened with debt ; 
 tnat his family and friends reproached him for 
 his long and unprofitable toil ; and that his 
 neighbors joined in their invectives against 
 his folly ; also, that when reduced to the 
 greatest straits, he obtained help from a 
 friendly publican. 
 
 So with the religious events narrated : they 
 are given from his work, entitled, " Recepte 
 Veritable, par laquelle tons les hommes de la 
 France," etc.* All that has been done is to 
 arrange these details in order, and give them 
 a narrative form. There is not one event in 
 
 • " A true Recipe, whereby all the inhabitants of Franoa 
 ma^ learn to multiply and augment their possessions *'
 
 PREFACE. Vli 
 
 this narrative which did uot actually occur, 
 although it was not possible to give literally 
 a Life of Palissy. 
 
 The principal aim has been to call attention 
 to his religious character, which has been but 
 slightly noticed in the accounts of those who 
 have recorded the achievements of this great 
 genius, as an artist in earth. He was, in fact, 
 a French Huguenot : one of the glorious band 
 of martyrs for the faith of Jesus ; and he has 
 told us, in a touching and simple manner, what 
 he saw and heard in those days of persecution 
 and trial. 
 
 The plan adopted seemed not only legiti- 
 mate, but the one which could best render 
 the work attractive and pleasing to those for 
 whose instruction it is designed. They may 
 be assured that the sentiments and doings of 
 Palissy are here truly recorded, and if they 
 take his example as an incentive to earnest, 
 patient, and unwearying application — above 
 all, if they adopt his high standard and the 
 motive which sanctified all his work — they 
 will not read this "True Tale" in vain.
 
 Tin PREFACE. 
 
 I cannot conclude without expressing the 
 g^eat obligations I am under to Mr. Morley's 
 " Life of Palissy," which has been my guide 
 throughout. Of his admirable translations of 
 the various passages he has given from the 
 original treatises, I have gladly availed myself, 
 finding it impossible to improve upon them. 
 
 NoKwiOH, Abv*nii«r, 18S6.
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 fart ixxsl 
 
 Chapteb I • •..•• 18 
 
 Chapter n ^ 
 
 CHAPTKa III •• *2 
 
 Chaptee IV 60 
 
 Chapter V '* 
 
 fart SuonlOf. 
 
 Chapter L 89 
 
 Chapter n 100 
 
 Chapter in. 11* 
 
 Chapter IV 126 
 
 Chapter V 141 
 
 Chapter VT 155 
 
 art %\ix^. 
 
 Chapter 1 170 
 
 Chapter II 183 
 
 Chapter HI 192 
 
 Chapter IV ^ 213 
 
 Chapter V ....• S96
 
 " Bernard de Palissy is the most perfect model of th« 
 workman. It is by his example, rather than by his works, 
 that he has exercised an influence on civilization, and that 
 he has deserved a place to himself amongst the men who 
 have ennobled humanity. Though h^ had remained un- 
 known and listless, making tiles in his father's pottery; 
 though he had never purified, moulded, or enamelled his 
 handful of clay; though his living groups, his crawling 
 reptiles, his slimy snails, his slippery frogs, his lively lizards, 
 and his damp herbs and dripping mosses had never adorned 
 those dishes, ewers, and salt cellars — those quaint and 
 elaborate ornaments of the tables and cupboards of the 
 sixteenth century; it is true nothing would have been want- 
 ing to the art of Phidias or of Michael Angelo — to the 
 porcelain of Sevres, of China, of Florence, or Japan; but we 
 should not have had his life for the operative to admire and 
 imitate." 
 
 M. DE Lamaetine. 
 
 " He is the patriarch of the workshop, showing how to 
 exalt and ennoble any business, however trivial , so that it 
 has labour for its means, progress and beauty for its motive, 
 and the glory of Qod for its end."
 
 PALIS8Y 
 
 THE HUGUENOT POTTER 
 
 $art iixsU 
 
 esio 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 "And onto one he gave five talenta, to another two, 
 and to another one; to every man according to hia several 
 ability." — Matt. xxv. 15. 
 
 In the south-west of France is the ancient 
 town of Saintes, the capital of Saintonge, 
 charmingly situated on the river Charente, 
 and once the most flourishing city of all 
 Guienne. It is a very ancient place, and 
 was, in the time of the Romans, one of the 
 principal cities of Aquitaine. There are still 
 some slight remains of an amphitheatre, and 
 a fine Roman bridge spans the waters of the 
 2
 
 14 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTEK. 
 
 Charente, bearing a Latin inscription (no'w 
 illegible) upon its frieze. Placed at the foot 
 of a mountain, the aspect of the town from 
 a distance is impressive, but its streets are 
 narrow and winding, and its houses low and 
 ill-built. In olden times it boasted an an- 
 cient cathedral dedicated to St. Peter, and 
 said to have been built by Charlemagne ; 
 but only the bell-tower now remains, and 
 indeed most of the antiquities in which the 
 town once abounded must be named among 
 the things that were. A great deal of this 
 destruction is attributed to the religious 
 struggles which were carried on in Saintes 
 with especial fierceness, and of which some 
 record will be found interwoven in the story 
 of Palissy the Potter. 
 
 It was in the year 1538, one morning in 
 May, that the people of the old narrow- 
 Btreeted town we have described, were sur- 
 prised to find a strange family had arrived 
 among them. The new-comers were a young 
 couple who brought with them an infant in
 
 PALISST THE HUGUENOT POTTEE. 15 
 
 arms, and presently established themselves 
 in a small house on the outskirts of the 
 city, the frontage of which looked upon one 
 of the steep crooked streets, and presented 
 to view a workshop, in which were displayed 
 various objects calculated to attract the eyes 
 of passers-by. Above all, at the entrance 
 of the door was placed the figure of a dog, 
 modelled and painted in such life-like fashion, 
 that many a time was this sturdy-looking 
 guardian of the threshold challenged to sin- 
 gle combat by the perplexed dogs of the 
 good town. 
 
 It WPS not long before the inhabitants of 
 Saintes learned that the head of this small 
 family was named Bernard Palissy, and that 
 he desired to obtain occupation among them 
 as a surveyor, a painter, or a worker in 
 glass. In the former of these occupations 
 they soon discovered that he possessed con- 
 siderable talent. He had good knowledge 
 of geometry, and manual skill in the em- 
 ployment of the rule and compass, and these
 
 16 PALlSSY THE flUGDENOT POTTEK. 
 
 enabled him to measure and plan sites for 
 houses and gardens, and to make maps of 
 landed property ; all which might turn to- 
 account in disputes as to questions of 
 boundaries, a source of constant litigation 
 formerly, in most countries. But, unfortu- 
 nately, land measuring came only now and 
 then, and on the arts of painting and glass- 
 working, he must chiefly depend for sup- 
 port. The neighbors learned, too, after a 
 while, to look with favorable eyes upon 
 the young artist, whose spirit and vivacity 
 attracted them, and seemed always to shed 
 a sunshine around his home ; for Palissy was 
 a man full of hope at all times, and even in 
 the darkest hour of evil fortune he still 
 looked cheerfully onward. At the time 
 when he settled in Saintes he was about 
 thirty years old. Of his early history but 
 few particulars are known ; he was born in 
 the diocese of Agen, of parents so poor 
 that they were unable to give him the ad- 
 vantages of a liberal education. However,
 
 PALISST THE HUGUENOT POTTEB, 17 
 
 he learned to read and write, and from his 
 early youth showed a turn for drawing and 
 designing, and speedily attained a degree 
 of skill which secured him employment in 
 painting on glass and drawing plans. 
 
 It was by the small funds he procured in 
 this way that he supported himself during 
 his travels through the principal provinces 
 of France, which he traversed, everywhere 
 gazing, with youthful eagerness^, on the 
 works of God and the productions of human 
 skiU. 
 
 For nine or ten years he wandered on ; 
 sometimes pausing, and taking up his tem- 
 porary residence in places where he found 
 employment. Thus, at Tarbes, the capital 
 of Bigorre, he dwelt some years, and in 
 sundry other towns he sojourned awhile. 
 It is evident that those were years of 
 education to his young and indefatigably 
 inquiring spirit. He was storing up knowl- 
 edge which was afterwards turned to excel- 
 lent account. He investigated the arts of 
 2*
 
 18 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 life and studied the monuments of anti^ 
 quity, observing the local customs and 
 habits of the places he visited, acquiring 
 dexterity of hand, while, at the same time, 
 he enlarged his mind. But the study in 
 which he most delighted was that of natural 
 history. The great interest he took in the 
 various qualities of the earths, rocks, sands, 
 and waters, on account of the relation they 
 bore to his calling, had made him a natural- 
 ist. Everywhere he employed his leisure 
 hours in wandering over the woods and 
 meadows, and thus he studied that won- 
 drous book men call the Book of Nature. 
 
 It is time we visit the humble dwelling oi 
 the man of genius, who, his wanderings now 
 over, has quietly settled down, and is enter- 
 ing on the earnest business of life, full of 
 that spiritual sense of power which begets 
 hopefulness, and, at the same time, simple- 
 hearted and loving as a child. Bernard's 
 studio was no other than a small out-house, 
 in which he wrouglit at his Dccupation, and
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 19 
 
 beyond which was a little garden, filled with 
 the choice plants and herbs he met with in 
 his rambles through the woods and pasture 
 lands around Saintes. The evening hour has 
 just set in, bringing with it rest and relax- 
 ation, and the artist has laid aside his tools 
 and is fondling the little Nicole, his eldest 
 born ; while his eyes glance lovingly towards 
 his young wife, who, delicate and slightly 
 formed, looks but ill-fitted to endure the 
 troubles of Hfe — we must add, the troubles 
 peculiar to the wife of a genius. 
 
 For the present, however, the evil days 
 have not come upon her, and she replies 
 with looks of pleasure to his fond words. 
 He is telling her of the glorious ramble he 
 has had in the early morning, and of the 
 treasures he has seen and gathered. A large 
 earthen pot stands on his work-ben(-h, filled 
 with flowers and foliage, and his pencil has 
 been diligently occupied in imitating the 
 bright colors and elegant forms of these 
 wild plants, with the minute accuracy of a
 
 20 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 naturalist. Lisette has opened his folio, and 
 is turning over the loose sketches it contains; 
 butterflies, lizards, beetles, and many other 
 wild creatures are there — all drawn from 
 nature, and true to the smallest tracery-work 
 upon the insects' wings. To her exclama- 
 tions of delight he answers, " Truly, it is a 
 great recreation to those who will con- 
 template admiringly the wondrous works of 
 nature, and methinks I could find nothing 
 better than to employ one's-self in the art of 
 agriculture, and to glorify God. and to admire 
 him in his marvels. As I walked along the 
 avenues, and under the foliage of the chest- 
 nuts, I heard the murmuring waters of a 
 brook which passes at the foot of the hill ; 
 and on the other side the voices of the 
 young birds warbling among the trees ; then 
 there came to my memory that 104th Psalm, 
 where the prophet says, ' He sendeth the 
 springs into the valleys, which run among 
 the hills;' also, he says, 'By them shall the 
 fowls of the heaven have their habitation, 
 which sing among the branches.' "
 
 PALISST THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 21 
 
 The mother took the infant from her hus- 
 band, and began undressing him for bed^ 
 while the father smiled and went on, half 
 soliloquizing, "When I had walked through 
 the avenue, I turned toward the side, where 
 the woods and mountains are, and there T 
 received a great contentment, and much 
 joyous pleasure, for I saw the squirrels 
 gathering the fruits and leaping from branch 
 to branch, with many pretty looks and 
 gestures ; further on, I beheld the rooks busy 
 at their repast ; and again, under the apple 
 trees I found certain hedgehogs, which had 
 rolled themselves up, and having thrust their 
 little hairs, or needles, through the said 
 apples, went so burdened. I saw likewise 
 many things narrated in that Psalm, as the 
 conies, playing and bounding along the 
 mountains, near certain holes and pits which 
 the Sovereign Architect has made for them ; 
 and when suddenly the animals caught sight 
 of an enemy, they knew well how to retire 
 into the place which was ordained to be
 
 22 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 their dwelling. Then I exclaimed, 'OLoid, 
 how manifold are thy works ; in wisdom hast 
 thou made them all.' Such sights as these 
 have made me so great a lover of the fields, 
 that it seems to me there are no treasures 
 on earth so precious, or which ought to be 
 held in such great esteem, although they 
 are the most despised." 
 
 At that moment Lisette, who had risen 
 from the bench on which they had seated 
 themselves, looking toward the palings of 
 their garden, perceived a tall figure leaning 
 there. She directed the attention of her 
 husband to this person, and then retired 
 into the chamber with her infant. A few 
 moments after, Bernard was in eager con- 
 versation with the stranger. They spoke in 
 low accents, as though anxious not to be 
 overheard. " Let us go down to the field 
 together/' said Palissy ; " I must speak with 
 thee, master Philibert, whore our words may 
 be freely uttered ; " and presently the two 
 had disappeared in the twilight.
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 23 
 
 This Master Philibert Hamelin, who was so 
 eagerly accosted by our artist, was one of 
 those " poor and unlearned men " whose 
 names were chronicled in the list of " here- 
 tics," as infected with the taint of disloyalty 
 to the Roman Catholic Church. At the time 
 when Palissy came forth into life the minds 
 of men were greatly agitated by those re- 
 ligious struggles which convulsed Europe 
 during the sixteenth century. From Ger- 
 many the desire of spiritual emancipation 
 had spread abroad ; and before long the fire 
 which burned with such fierceness during 
 the terrible wars of the Huguenots, was 
 kindled in France. 
 
 Examples of religious persecution, cruel 
 punishments of heretics, and expressions of 
 much discontent on matters of faith, must, 
 without fail, have often attracted the notice 
 of Palissy during his years of travel. 
 
 As we have already intimated, Saintes be- 
 came a stronghold of the new opinions. 
 Many " heretics," and among them Calvin
 
 24 PALISSy THE HUGUENOT POTTER 
 
 himself, the great reformer, had taken refuge 
 in Saintonge — the very district in which the 
 home of Palissy was afterwards fixed. He 
 dwelt there in the house of a young man, 
 whose friends were wealthy ; and this youth 
 persuaded Calvin, while in his retirement 
 there, to write Christian sermons and re- 
 monstrances, which he then caused to be 
 preached by cures in the neighborhood. 
 These cures were " certain reformed monks," 
 who, having adopted the new tenets, visited 
 among the people, teaching them secretly, 
 and gradually instructing them, so that by 
 degrees the eyes of many were opened to 
 see the errors of the Romish Church. 
 
 Among those who had eagerly embraced 
 the instructions of Calvin was Hamelin, who, 
 consequently, having incurred suspicion of 
 heresy, escaped from Saintes, and journeyed 
 to Geneva, at that time the head quarters 
 of the French reformers, where he acquired 
 clearer knowledge of divine truth, and in- 
 creased earnestness. Zealous to communi
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 25 
 
 cate to others the faith he had adopted, he 
 wandered from place to place through the 
 provinces of his native land, exerting him- 
 self wherever he went to incite men to 
 have ministers, and to gather themselvea 
 into church communion. So eager was he 
 to spread the gospel, that he took up with 
 the trade of a printer, and printed Bibles, 
 which he hawked about in the towns and 
 villages. In the course of his journeyings 
 he passed through one of the towns in which 
 Palissy had taken up his temporary abode. 
 The spirit of the young artist was stirred 
 within him as he listened to the ani- 
 mated exhortations of Hamelin, who, having 
 gathered together a little flock of some 
 seven or eight auditors, labored to win them 
 to God; and exhorted them to meet together 
 for prayer and mutual instruction. 
 
 His teaching fell like the dew upon the 
 
 heart of the young man, and he eagerly 
 
 sought out the preacher and took counsel 
 
 with him. From that time the persecuted 
 
 3
 
 26 PALISSY THE HUG15EK0T TOTTER. 
 
 Huguenot commanded the love and reverence 
 of Palissy, who never spoke of him but in 
 terms of respect and aflfection. 
 
 At the period of which we are about to 
 speak, although the persecutions had not yet 
 reached Saintonge, the struggle had begun 
 in many towns by a tumultuous rising of the 
 people, and severe punishments were inflicted 
 upon all who joined in these outbreaks 
 Emissaries of the ecclesiastics were keenly 
 on the watch for suspected characters, and 
 it was at the risk of fine, imprisonment, and 
 death, that the proceedings of men hke 
 Hamelin were carried on. Nor was it with- 
 out serious danger of compromising his 
 own safety that Palissy cultivated the friend- 
 ship of a man so attainted, and of this he 
 was well aware. It was, however, no part 
 of his character to flinch from trouble or 
 peril in such a cause. 
 
 It will be unnecessary to relate what 
 passed between the two friends on the even- 
 ing in which we have introduced Palissy to
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 27 
 
 our readers. The visit of Hamelin was 
 secret and hurried. He had come for the 
 purpose of bringing to the poor people he 
 had formerly taught around Saintes, three 
 teachers, who, having been convinced of the 
 errors of the Romish Church, had been con- 
 strained to take flight and exile themselves. 
 Having recommended them to the friendl}' 
 notice of Bernard, and taken counsel with him 
 as to certain precautionary measures, Hame- 
 lin hastened to quit the neighborhood of a 
 place in which he was too well known to 
 venture himself openly. 
 
 Some years passed away before these two 
 met again. 
 
 Shall we follow our artist homeward, as 
 slowly and thoughtfully he retraced his steps 
 thither? He was pondering, in the earnest- 
 ness of his heart, an idea which was indeed 
 the mainspring of all his intellectual and 
 moral activity. Again and again in his 
 . writings does he solemnly recur to this idea, 
 and in all the long years of bis toil and
 
 28 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 Buflfering to acquire the skill which was tc 
 render hira immortal in the history of art, 
 this was his incentive and spur. The parablo 
 of the Talents — the duty of every man to 
 turn to account the powers and gifts he 
 has received from God — was the touchstone 
 by which Bernard tried his work. 
 
 His own words, written long after, will 
 best close this opening chapter. " Though 
 there be some who will at no time hear 
 mention of the Holy Scripture, yet so it is 
 that I have found nothing better than to 
 pursue the counsel of God ; his edicts, sta- 
 tutes, and ordinances ; and in regarding what 
 might be his will, I have found that he has 
 commanded his heirs that they should eat 
 bread by the labor of their bodies, and that 
 they should multiply the talents which he 
 had committed to them. Which considering 
 I have not been willing to hide in the ground 
 those talents it has pleased him to allot me, 
 but to cause them to yield profit and increase 
 to Him from whom I have received them."
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 •' Whataoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might." 
 
 EccLES. ii. 10. 
 
 For a considerable time after he had set- 
 tled at Saintes, Palissy went on surveying, 
 painting, and designing, working industriously, 
 and earning a competent, though slender, 
 income for the support of his household — an 
 increasing one — for he had now another 
 baby to kiss, as well as a child upon his 
 arms. Conscious of his own strength, and 
 dissatisfied with labor which produced only 
 food, he naturally felt eager to accomplish 
 Bomething better than he had yet done. 
 
 There is often a long period, during which 
 
 a man of genius is occupied in gathering 
 
 together materials, unconscious what use 
 
 they shall eventually serve ; but the turning 
 
 point of his history comes, and suddenly, 
 3* 2»
 
 30 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 perhaps through a passing and merely acci 
 dental circumstance, he receives an impetus 
 which directs him on to the fulfilment of his 
 career. It was thus in the case of Palissy. 
 Some two years after the events related in 
 the preceding chapter, Bernard had received 
 a little commission from one of the great 
 seigneurs who lived in the neighborhood of 
 Saintes. He was a man of much taste in the 
 fine arts, and had in his possession some 
 choice specimens of ancient Moorish pottery. 
 After showing these to Palissy (who had come 
 to the chateau for directions), the nobleman, 
 going to the cabinet from which they had 
 been taken, drew out an earthen cup, turned 
 and enamelled with so much beauty, that, at 
 the sight of it, our artist was struck dumb 
 with admiration. He knew nothing of pot- 
 tery, he had no knowledge of clays, and he 
 was aware of the fact that there was no 
 man in all France who could make enamels. 
 
 This last thought acted, porchanf;e, as a 
 stimulus to his ambition. ITowevei that
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 31 
 
 might be, the idea instantly took possession 
 of his mind that he would make enamels. 
 They could be made, for here was a specimen. 
 To be the only man in the land who could 
 produce these beautiful vases would be not 
 only to secure an abundant supply for the 
 wants of his family, but it would be a tri- 
 umph of art — a riddle of deep interest to 
 solve, and an occupation after his heart. 
 
 That evening he called his wife to him, and 
 told her what he had seen, and how his heart 
 was set upon learning to make enamels. The 
 poor woman saw by his beaming countenance 
 that he was pleased ; she knew that he loved 
 her and their children, and she said not a 
 word to discourage him, although he plainly 
 told her, with that truthfulness which was as 
 the very breath of his nostrils, that his first 
 experiments must be made at great cost. 
 " There will be the loss of my time from 
 my wonted occupation ; besides that, I must 
 purchase drugs and make me furnaces, and 
 all, at first, a clear outlay, without fruit. T
 
 32 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 shall have many drawbacks, and it may be 
 a weary while before I master this art. I 
 shall be as a man that gropes his way in 
 the dark, for I have no knowledge of clays, 
 nor have I ever seen earth baked, nor do I 
 know of what materials enamels are com- 
 posed." His wife urged that he had better 
 rest content with diligence in his own calling, 
 and on her pale face came a blush of pleasure 
 and pride as she looked up at him, who was 
 already, in her esteem, a perfect artist. But 
 he heeded not her words, save that he ten- 
 derly bade her be of good cheer. Poverty 
 and pain would have mattered little to him 
 personally ; and had he been free from 
 household cares, he would, in all likelihood, 
 have wandered forth among the potters, and 
 learned all that could be gathered of their 
 work from them. But he was bound to home 
 and its cares and duties, and so, alone, 
 unaided, and without sympathy, must he 
 work. Nothing daunted, however, by these 
 drawbacks, his resolve was taken — to com- 
 plete his invention, or perish in the attempt.
 
 PALISSy THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 33 
 
 Before retiring to rest that night, Palissy, 
 as his custom was, devoutly opened the 
 sacred volume ; and turning to the thirty- 
 fifth chapter of Exodus, he read how God 
 called by name Bezaleel, the son of Uri, and 
 filled him with the Spirit of God, in wis- 
 dom, in understanding, in knowledge, and 
 in all manner of workmanship, and to devise 
 curious works, in gold, in silver, in brass, 
 and in catting of stones, ana in carving of 
 wood, in all manner of cunning work. 
 " Then I reflected," said he, " that God had 
 gifted me with some knowledge of draw- 
 ing, and I took courage in my heart, and 
 besought him to give me wisdom and skill." 
 
 Pahssy lost no time in setting to work. 
 He began by making a furnace which he 
 thought most likely to suit his purpose, and 
 having bought a quantity of earthen pots, 
 and broken them into fragments, he cov- 
 ered these with various chemical com- 
 pounds which he had pounded and ground, 
 and which he proposed to melt at furnace
 
 34 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 heat. His hope was, that of all these mix- 
 tures, some one or other might run over 
 the pottery in such a way as to afford him 
 at least a hint towards the composition of 
 white enamel, which he had been told was 
 the basis of all others. Alas ! his first ex- 
 periment was but the beginning of an end- 
 less series of disappointments and losses, 
 while, for many long months and years he 
 wrought with fruitless labor. But we must 
 not anticipate. Happily the ardent spirit 
 of our artist suffered him not easily to suc- 
 comb under difficulties ; nay, it even seemed 
 to gather new energy from the struggle, as, 
 with all the fire of love and all the strength 
 of will, he, every day, renewed his experi- 
 ments, and blundered on with cheerful hope. 
 It has well been said, " Ideas become pas- 
 sions in the breasts of poets and artists." 
 
 Many months have now passed in this 
 way ; and the little family gathering around 
 Palissy's humble hearth begin to show syrap- 
 toms that all is not so flourishing as when
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 35 
 
 we first saw them. Lisette looks thin and 
 worn, and there is a shadow upon her brow. 
 As she goes down the garden walk to caU 
 her husband to his mid-day meal, you see 
 h«r garments are poor and scanty, and she 
 has no longer the trim look of conscious 
 comeliness about her. By her side, and 
 clinging to her gown, is a delicate creature, 
 whose pale face tells a sorrowful tale of 
 childish suffering, and the infant she is car- 
 rying looks sallow and feeble. The furnace 
 and shed where Pahssy is at work are built 
 at the end of the garden, as far as possible 
 from the house. Close by, is the road, and 
 beyond it the fields and waste lands; there 
 was no sheltering wall or enclosure near, 
 and when the storms and winds of winter 
 blew, nothing could be more bleak and com- 
 fortless. Palissy has drawn a doleful pic- 
 ture of this scene of his labors. " I was 
 every night," he says, " at the mercy of the 
 rains and winds, without help or companion- 
 ship, except from the owls that screeched
 
 B6 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 on one side, and the dogs that howled upon 
 the other; and oftenthnes I had nothing dry 
 upon me, because of the rains that fell." 
 At the present time, however, it is look- 
 ing cozy and picturesque, for the season ia 
 spring, and a bright sun is shining over- 
 head. There is a glad sound, too, proceed- 
 ing from the shed, over which its owner 
 has trained a cluster-rose, whose tendrils 
 have interwoven themselves among the reeds, 
 and are putting forth their blossoms. It is 
 the voice of Palissy, chanting, in clear so- 
 norous tones, the Psalm which Luther loved 
 so well, and which we sing in the tuneful 
 strains of our unequalled psalmodist — 
 
 " God is the refuge of his saints, 
 When storms of sharp distress invade." 
 
 And the little Nicole, who is busily occupied 
 in mimic pottery-work at the door of the 
 fihed, chimes in with his small voice, and 
 beats the time with his wooden spade. Li- 
 sette's face brightened as she listened, and 
 with cheerful tones, she summoned Bernard
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT TOTTEB. 37 
 
 indoors, and bade the little boy lead his sis- 
 ter back. 
 
 Notwithstanding Palissy's psalmody and 
 the cheerful face he wore, matters were far 
 from satisfactory at this peculiar juncture. 
 In fact, he had just undergone a heavy dis- 
 appointment, and was secretly making up 
 his mind to a step which it cost him a griev- 
 ous heart-ache to have recourse to. Seeing 
 that all his experiments with his own fur- 
 nace had proved failures, he determined to 
 adopt a new scheme, and send the compo- 
 sitions to be tested in the kiln of some pot- 
 ter. For this purpose he bought a large 
 stock of crockery, which according to cus- 
 tom, he broke into small fragments; three 
 or four hundreds of which he covered with 
 various mixtures, and sent to a pottery some 
 league and a half off, requesting the work- 
 men to bake this strange batch with their 
 own vessels. They consented readily to let 
 the amateur potter try his experiments ; but 
 alas ! when the operation was complete, and 
 
 ^ 8 I O
 
 38 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 the trial pieces were drawn out, they proved 
 absolutely worthless. Not the smallest ap- 
 pearance of the longed-for enamel was to be 
 seen on any of them. The cause of the fail- 
 ure was a secret, at the time, to the griev- 
 ously disappointed Bernard, and he returned 
 home heavily discouraged, for he knew that 
 his Avife and children were deprived of many 
 comforts they might have enjoyed, had he 
 continued steadily at his occupations of 
 glass-working and surveying. What was to 
 be done ? " Begin afresh." And so, again 
 he fell to work, compounding and grinding, 
 and sending more batches to the same pot- 
 ters to be baked as before. This he had 
 continued to do time after time, " with great 
 cost, loss of time, confusion, and sorrow." 
 At length a more than usually trying fail- 
 ure had occurred, and many things combined 
 to warn our artist that he must desist for a 
 season and procure some remunerative work. 
 His home resources were completely ex- 
 hausted ; while the home wants had greatly
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTEE. 39 
 
 multiplied, and he could not be blind to the 
 sorrowful looks of the woman he loved, nor 
 indiflerent to the necessities of his babes. 
 
 Three years had been spent about this 
 «^ork, and, for the present, he was no wiser 
 than when he began, and he resolved now 
 to try his hand at the old trades. His poor 
 wife urged that food and medicine must be 
 thought of, and she lowered her voice as 
 she added that the doctor had yet to be 
 paid for her confinement, and for physicing 
 their lost darling, whom he said he would 
 soon cure ; notwithstanding she pined and 
 languished like a frost-nipped flower, that 
 fades away and dies. Poor mother ! the tears 
 trickled down her cheeks at the thought; 
 and for all there were still three hungry lit- 
 tle mouths to feed, she could not be recon- 
 ciled to the loss of one of her treasures. 
 But Palissy would not let her dwell upon 
 this sorrow ; he wiped away the tears, and 
 smilingly said, he had good news for her. 
 Yesterday, there had arrived in the town
 
 40 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTEK. 
 
 the commissioners deputed by the king to 
 establish the gabelle in the district of Sain- 
 tonge ; and it seems they had judged no 
 man in the diocese more competent than 
 Bernard Palissy for the task of mapping the 
 islands and the countries surrounding all the 
 salt marshes in that part of the world. It 
 was a profitable job, and would occupy him 
 many months. 
 
 This was, indeed, glad tidings for Lisette ; 
 and that night she slept sweetly, and dreamed 
 of her girlhood ; for when the heart is happy 
 it suns itself in the memories of early days. 
 Her husband's rest was broken and per- 
 turbed, for it pained him deeply to give up 
 the struggle which had cost him so much, 
 before he had justified his pertinacious efibrts 
 by success. 
 
 Perhaps it was in reality advantageous to 
 him, and tended to his eventual success, thai 
 he was thus perforce constrained to taste 
 an interval of repose. When a man has 
 been repeatedly foiled it is well to cease
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 41 
 
 from effort awhile, and to dismiss, if pos- 
 sible, the subject which has occupied his 
 thoughts too long and too unremittingly. 
 
 Revolving in his mind such considerations, 
 Palissy determined wholly to cease from his 
 labors in pursuit of the discovery on which 
 his heart was set, and " to comport himself 
 as if he were not desirous to dive any more 
 into the secrets of enamels."
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 " Here is the patience of the saints; here are they that 
 keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." 
 
 Rev. xiv. 12. 
 
 Op the profitable task assigned him by the 
 commissioners of the gabelle (or tax), PaHssy 
 has left some memorial in his spirited ac- 
 count of the salt marshes of Saintonge. The 
 work with which he was intrusted was to 
 make a plan of the district adjoining the 
 western coast line, where was the celebrated 
 marenne, which yielded the largest supply of 
 salt. At that time Saintonge was the chief 
 source of salt in France, until it was obtained 
 more abundantly from Brittany, and a large 
 sum was gathered into the royal revenue 
 from the tax produced by this article. But 
 with all the skill and energy of taxation, 
 diflSculties and fraud still perplexed and 
 
 42
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 43 
 
 threatened the tax receivei s ; and in the 
 year 1543, Francis I., after trying various 
 means for enforcing the payment of the 
 gabelle, determined on a new and more 
 stringent system, in consequence of which 
 it became necessary that an accurate survey 
 should be taken and new maps prepared. 
 
 What chiefly interests us in this matter of 
 the surveying is the fact that the islands 
 Oleron, Allevert, and Marepenes — called the 
 Saintonic Isles — which adjoin and form part 
 of this marshy district, were a favorite 
 resort for the persecuted refugees, who 
 brought the reformed tenets into Saintonge. 
 These districts being remote from the public 
 roads, in fact, being an intricate labyrinth 
 of marshes, afforded a safe hiding-place, and 
 there several " reformed monks " had estab- 
 lished themselves ; some taking to a little 
 trade, others keeping village schools, and 
 finding sundry means of gaining a livelihood, 
 without being known. As it was impossible 
 for large ships to approach the low flat
 
 44 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 coast, one of the chief difficulties in ordering 
 the marshes was to form channels of com- 
 munication by which the salt made on them 
 might be conveyed to the open sea. An 
 immense amount of money and labor had 
 been expended in the construction of dykes, 
 canals, or passages — of which there was a 
 perfect network, extending many miles — to 
 afford the means of bringing up small barques 
 or vessels, which thus penetrated the flat 
 country, and conveyed the salt from thence. 
 So intricate was this labyrinthine communi- 
 cation that a stranger inclosed therein with- 
 out a guide, would have been wholly unable 
 to thread his way, or extricate himself from 
 their meshes. During the winter season, all 
 these marshes were flooded, in order that the 
 clay which formed the foundation of the 
 dykes or canals, might be protected by the 
 water from the destructive bite of the frost ; 
 and thus, for a considerable part of the year, 
 all communication was blocked up, or wholly 
 cut off. What an admirable place of refuge
 
 PALIS3T THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 46 
 
 must this district have afforded to men 
 hunted like partridges upon the mountains ! 
 Accordingly here the three refugees brought 
 by Hamelin, together with many others simi- 
 larly circumstanced, had found shelter : men 
 ihese, whose guileless lives and active charity 
 commended them to the esteem of the poor 
 peasants among whom they had sought a 
 home. They visited in their cottages, minis- 
 tered, as best they could, to their wants, and 
 ventured by degrees to promulgate those 
 spiritual truths, for the sake of which they 
 had suffered the loss of all worldly goods, 
 and were prepared to yield life itself At 
 first their instructions were cautiously given. 
 They spoke in parables, and with hidden 
 meaning, until they were assured they should 
 not be betrayed. Slowly, but steadily, the 
 leaven had begun to work, and it was shortly 
 after Palissy had completed his task (which 
 involved no slight labor, and occupied him 
 more than a year), that a report came to the 
 ears of the Bishop of Saintes, that the place
 
 40 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 was full of Lutherans, whom it was highly 
 desirable to extirpate without delay. 
 
 The devii never wants for agents to exe- 
 cute his malicious purposes ; and, at this 
 juncture, a man of " perverse and evil life," 
 named Collardeau (a fiscal attorney), set busily 
 to work to discover the lurking places of 
 the heretics. In that day, Saintes was an 
 extensive and lucrative bishopric, including 
 more than seven hundred parishes, and its 
 bishop was an august personage, in whose 
 veins flowed " the blood of St. Louis,'' 
 Charles, cardinal of Bourbon, brother of the 
 king of Navarre, then twenty-three years ot 
 age. His fitting place was the court, and, 
 accordingly, there he abode, taking small 
 note of the heretical doings among the poor 
 villagers of the Saintonic Isles. 
 
 With zeal worthy a good cause, Collardeau 
 not only repeatedly wrote to this high digni- 
 tary, preferring his charges, but eventually 
 crowned his energetic efforts by a journey 
 to the capital, and by these means he sue*
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTEE. 47 
 
 ceeded in obtaining a commission from the 
 bishop and the parhament of Bordeaux, with 
 ample funds for carrying out liis designs. 
 Thus furnished, he proceeded to work upon 
 the cupidity of certain judges, with whom 
 he tampered so successfully that he procured 
 the arrest of the preacher of St. Denis, a 
 small town at the extremity of the isle of 
 Oleron, named brother Robin, a man of such 
 metal that the principal anxiety had been 
 to lay hand upon him by way of example. 
 Shortly after, another preacher named Nicole 
 was taken; and a few days later a similar 
 fate overtook the schoolmaster at Gimosac, 
 a man much beloved of the inhabitants, to 
 whom he preached on Sundays. This last 
 arrest keenly touched the heart of Palissy 
 He knew and esteemed the good brother 
 and had intrusted to his care his little Nicole 
 who had been placed at the school of Gimo 
 sac from the time Bernard had made his sur- 
 vey of the marshes. The poor child wept 
 bitterly as he described to his parents the
 
 48 PALiSSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 grievous parting liis young eyes had wit- 
 nes?sed; for, undaunted by tiie threats of 
 their cruel enemies, the poor villagers accom- 
 panied, with prayers, tears, and lamentations, 
 their beloved instructor to the shores of their 
 little island. Alas ! there, perforce, they 
 parted, never to meet on earth again. 
 
 It was the eve of St. John, the 23d of 
 June, 1546; when the citizens of Saintes 
 beheld a strange and ominous scene, the 
 commencement of the horrors subsequently 
 perpetrated within the walls of their ancient 
 town. The day, being a gala one, was 
 ushered in with music of every kind, while 
 the whole population, down to the lowest 
 of the multitude, were decorated with flowers. 
 Old pitch barrels and faggots piled up along 
 the banks of the river, lay in readiness for 
 the illuminations of the evening, while games, 
 dances, and banquets were the diversions of 
 the day. In the afternoon, there were to be 
 many hogsheads of claret delivered out, and 
 a universal merry-making prevailed. From
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 49 
 
 an early hour crowds hastened to perform 
 their devotions at the shrine of the patron 
 saint of the city, carrying with them their 
 votive offerings with which to propitiate his 
 favor. 
 
 Among the multitude who thronged the 
 high street at noon were two men, one tall, 
 and of a vigorous form, who looked with 
 an air of thoughtful concern around him. 
 He was still in the prime of manhood, and 
 about his whole bearing there was a certain 
 air of energetic intelligence, while, ever and 
 anon, his eyes kindled with the fire of enthu- 
 siasm : one saw at once he was a worker, 
 and that what his hands found to do would 
 be done with all his might. His companion 
 was small and deformed, and would not have 
 awakened any interest save from the intense 
 feeling visible on his pale sunken counte- 
 nance. The two were approaching the 
 church of St. Eutropius, where the saint was 
 displayed to the admiring gaze of the people. 
 On entering the sacred edifice, all kneeled 
 4
 
 50 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 down reverently before a kind of cupboard 
 with an iron grating before it, and at an 
 awful distance made sundry genuflections, 
 and uttered various prayers. At last, the 
 attendant priests opened the door of the 
 closet where the head of the saint was de- 
 posited, and displayed the treasure to view. 
 It would be difficult to conceive an object 
 less calculated to awaken feelings of true 
 devotion than that presented for adoration. 
 It was very large, and formed entirely of 
 solid silver; the hair and an immense pair 
 of whiskers were gilt, and the shoulders 
 were covered with lawn, and decorated with 
 glittering gems. All around were placed the 
 gifts brought by the deluded people, who 
 ascribed the most marvellous powers of heal- 
 ing to this graven image. The divinity was 
 absolutely encircled with their votive offer- 
 ings. Group after group, alternately advanc- 
 ing and retiring, filled up the charch, and 
 then emerged into the busy streets to gaze 
 upon the crowds of gaily-bedecked revellers, 
 and gossip over the news of the day.
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 61 
 
 Close to the gate of the church Palissy 
 and his companion had taken their stand, 
 and were conversing together in low tones. 
 '' Alas ! I know the truth of the facts, and 
 can assert them for such," said the former, 
 " nay, I was myself present when the three 
 brethren admirably disputed and maintained 
 their religion in the presence of that false 
 theologian, Navieres, who had himself, some 
 months ago, begun to detect errors, although 
 now, conquered by his love of gain, he 
 stoutly upholds the contrary. Well did broth- 
 er Robin know how to reproach him with 
 this to his face, and he flinched under his 
 words, but for all the right is with the poor 
 heretics, as they are called, the power is 
 with their enemies, and they have ever since 
 languished in prison. After a while Robin 
 fell sick of pleurisy, and, as it was feared he 
 might die in his bed, after all, they sent 
 both for physician and apothecary, the latter 
 of whom is well known to me, having been 
 but too frequent a visitor in my afflicted
 
 52 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 household. The worthy man has conveyed 
 many a message from me to the brethren, 
 and in more ways than one has done them 
 good service." " And now they are to be 
 made a show of openly, like the servants 
 of the Lord in former times," said Bernard's 
 comrade ; " it is a hateful thing when the 
 wicked triumph, and when the righteous are 
 as the oflf-scouring of all things." "Patience, 
 my good Victor," rephed the sturdy potter. 
 " Let us see the end of these things. At 
 present we are but in the beginning of sor- 
 rows; I am of opinion we must lay our 
 account for trouble, and assure ourselves that 
 wo shall have enemies and be persecuted ; if, 
 '■\j direct paths, we will follow and sustain 
 the cause of God ; for such are the promises 
 written originally in the Old and New Testa^ 
 ments. Let us, then, take refuge under the 
 shelter of our protecting Chief and Captain 
 the Lord Christ, who, in time and place, will 
 know how properly to avenge the wrongs hia 
 people have suffered, and our sorrows."
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 53 
 
 As he spoke, the sound of music was 
 heard at a distance, and presently a noisy 
 rabble crowded the street, running, shout- 
 ing, pushing, and gesticulating. Then fol- 
 lowed the procession, whose approach had 
 been heralded by the sound of drums, fifes, 
 and tabrets ; horsemen gaily attired, rode, 
 two and two, at a foot pace ; then flags and 
 banners were borne aloft, and a troop of 
 priests, bare-footed, and carrying torches, 
 advanced at a slow pace. A strange and 
 melancholy sight was next presented to the 
 eyes of the by-standers : three men, capar- 
 isoned in green, and bedizened with flutter 
 ing ribbons, walked, bridled like horses, and 
 each of them having an apple of iron fas- 
 tened to the bridle, which filled all the inside 
 of his mouth. Thus tortured and degraded, 
 the three brethren, Robin, Nicole, and he 
 of Gimosac, were driven, like beasts, by 
 their cruel enemy, Collardeau, who triumph- 
 antly conducted them, in this wise, to a 
 scaffold, which was erected in the market
 
 54: PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 place, that they might there be exposed to 
 the pubHc execration, as fools and madmen. 
 This done, they were returned to prison, 
 thence to be conveyed to Bordeaux to re- 
 ceive sentence of death. 
 
 " A hideous sight to behold," said Palissy, 
 drawing a deep breath, as he looked after 
 the three sufferers, whose sole crime was 
 that they had manfully upheld the cause of 
 truth, " and one that makes us marvel at 
 the wondrous patience of God. How long, 
 O Lord, wilt thou leave thy chosen ones 
 at the mercy of those who cease not to 
 torment them?" This sorrowful exclama- 
 tion had scarcely been uttered, when two 
 fellows who stood near fell to quarrelling 
 and beating each other. A ring was soon 
 formed around them, and the by-standers 
 looking on, cried, " Give it him well ; strike 
 as though he were an heretic." "Alas!" 
 said Palissy, " what frightful crimes will be 
 committed when such a spirit grows rife ; 
 already terrible things are done elsewhere.
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 55 
 
 I heard but yesterday, through one who 
 shall be nameless, that many are burned 
 and destroyed in various ways, in Paris and 
 elsewhere. A peasant in the forest of Lyon, 
 met four men who were on their way to 
 execution. He asked the reason of their 
 punishment, and having learned they were 
 Huguenots, claimed a place upon the cart, 
 and went to the gallows with them." 
 
 That evening there occurred what Ber- 
 nard called " an admirable accident." The 
 three heretics had been conveyed to their 
 prison-house carefully guarded ; and, above 
 all, Robin, who was the principal object of 
 hatred, and whom it was designed to put 
 to death with the most cruelty. He was 
 kept, with his companions, heavily ironed, 
 in a prison attached to the bishop's palace, 
 and a sentry was placed to watch outside, 
 while a number of large village dogs were 
 turned into the couit-yard. But, for all 
 these precautions, Robin did not despair. 
 He had obtained a file (probably Palissy
 
 56 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 could have told how he managed this,) and 
 having filed off the irons which were upon 
 his legs, he gave the file to his fellow-cap' 
 tives, and proceeded to scrape a hole through 
 the prison wall. But a strange accident here 
 occurred. It chanced that a number ot 
 hogsheads which had been emptied during 
 the fete, had been piled, one above another, 
 against the wall, and these being pushed 
 down by the prisoner, in his efi"orts at 
 escape, fell with rumbling noise, and awak- 
 ened the sleeping sentry, who listened for 
 a while, but hearing nothing further, and 
 overcome by the fumes of the liquor in 
 which he had indulged somewhat freely, re- 
 lapsed into slumber. Bernard tells, in his 
 quaint manner, what next befell, thus : " Then 
 the said Robin went out into the court at 
 the mercy of the dogs ; however, God had 
 inspired him to take some bread, which he 
 threw to the said dogs, who were quiet as 
 the lions of Daniel. It was so ordered that 
 he should find an open door, which led into
 
 PALISSy THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 57 
 
 the garden, where, finding himself again shut 
 up between certain somewhat high walls, he 
 perceived by the light of the moon, a tall 
 pear tree, close enough to the outer wall, 
 and having mounted this, he perceived, on 
 the outer side of the wall, a chimney, to 
 which he could leap easily enough." He 
 was soon safe in the street, but, having never 
 been in the town before, he was at a loss 
 how to proceed. In this dilemma, the clever 
 fugitive recalled to mind the names of the 
 physician and apothecary who had attended 
 him, and went knocking from door to door 
 inquiring for their residence. He had con- 
 trived to fasten his fetters to his leg, and 
 carrying his dress about his shoulders, had 
 the adroitness to arrange it somewhat after 
 the costume of a footman, so that the people 
 whom he roused were deceived, and suppos- 
 ing it to be an urgent case of sickness, gave 
 him the necessary directions. In this man- 
 ner he succeeded in gaining the shelter of 
 a friendly roof, and from thence was con-
 
 58 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 ducted safely out of the town ; nor was he 
 again taken, though, m the course of hia 
 perilous adventure, he had knocked at the 
 door of one of his principal enemies, who, 
 in the morning, offered a reward of fifty dol- 
 lars for his recapture. 
 
 Alas, for Nicole and the kind-hearted 
 schoolmaster of Gimosac. Brother Robin 
 would fain have had them accompany him 
 and share his risk, but they chose rather 
 to remain in their fetters. Seeing they had 
 neither strength nor energy to follow his 
 example, he took a sorrowful leave of them, 
 praying with and consoling them, exhorting 
 them to do valiantly, and to meet death with 
 courage. Both perished in the flames a few 
 days after ; one in the city of Saintes, and 
 the other at Libourne. The heart of Palissy 
 was too full to suffer him to detail the par- 
 ticulars of this event. It was the first time 
 the fires of persecution had blazed before his 
 eyes ; and as he gazed upon the terrific sight,
 
 PALISSY THE UUGUENOT POTTER. 59 
 
 his soul was kindled with a zeal unquench- 
 able, and from that time the whole force 
 of his energy was upon the si-ie sf Ki" 
 3,ef^^'•meIs.
 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 "Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, 
 he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vesBel thai 
 he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter." 
 
 Jek. xviii. 3, 4. 
 
 Shortly before the events recorded in 
 the preceding chapter, there had been no 
 small excitement among Palissy's poor neigh- 
 bors and acquaintance, with reference to his 
 proceedings. Day after day little knots of 
 gossips might be seen, lounging about the 
 neighborhood of his garden and work-shed, 
 expressing, in various ways, their surprise 
 and indignation at his conduct, and exclaim- 
 ing, in no measured terms, against his ob- 
 stinate and mad folly. This indignation 
 reached its height when, one day, the report 
 spread, far and wide, that the poor man was 
 actually insane, and had torn up the palings 
 of his garden, and the planks of his dwell 
 
 6
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOl POTTER. 61 
 
 ing-house, and that his unhappy wife, half- 
 crazed with his conduct, had herself rushed 
 out of the house, accompanied by her chil- 
 dren, and taken refuge with a neighbor. 
 
 In order to account for all this, it is neces- 
 sary to retrace our steps, and relate in what 
 manner our artist has been spending the two 
 years that have intervened since his marsh- 
 surveying. 
 
 Undaunted by the failure of his early 
 efforts, and relieved, for a time, from anxiety 
 on the score of domestic wants, Palissy, giv- 
 ing the money he had received for the ex- 
 ecution of his task into the hands of his 
 wife, resumed his " affection for pursuing in 
 the track of the enamels." 
 
 Two years of unremitting and zealous 
 labor followed, productive of no practical 
 results, although there had once been a par- 
 tial melting of some of his compounds, 
 which gave him sufficient encouragement to 
 persist. During those two long years, he 
 tells us, he did nothing but come and go
 
 ^ 
 
 62 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 between his dwelling and the adjacent glass- 
 houses, where the furnaces, being much 
 hotter than those of the potteries, were 
 more likely to be successful in melting his 
 materials. 
 
 Was it any marvel if poverty and sorrow 
 nvaded his household ; if his wife grew 
 moody and sad, and if the neighbors, pity- 
 ing the hapless woman and innocent children, 
 pronounced hard judgment upon a man who 
 consumed his time in buying pots and break- 
 ing them, in grinding drugs and burning 
 them, and in going to and fro upon his 
 bootless errand ? Death, too, had once 
 and again entered his doors, bearing away 
 the two sickly infants we saw clinging to 
 their mother, while in their place, two 
 others had been born, inheriting, alas ! their 
 malady. Of late, Lisette, full of gloomy 
 thoughts, had taken to complaining, and re- 
 monstrating with her husband. Her temper 
 had been soured by disappointment and 
 trouble ; and hope, so long deferred, ceased
 
 PALIS8T TSE HUGUENOT POTTER. 63 
 
 to buoy up her spirit. She could not un- 
 derstand the course Bernard was pursuing 
 She did not partake in his glowing visions 
 of future fame and prosperity, and the in- 
 stinct of power and the energy of will that 
 nerved and inspired him were all unknown 
 to and unshared by her. Poor suffering 
 woman ! She felt as any other common- 
 sense wife and mother would have felt in 
 her circumstances ; and bewailing his obsti- 
 nate persistence in such profitless labor, 
 she embittered his home by her lamenta- 
 tions and reproaches. 
 
 In this strait Palissy began to give way : 
 he faltered, and at length made a compro- 
 mise with his anxious helpmate. One more 
 last trial he pleaded for ; and then — if it 
 failed, he would abandon the search for ever ! 
 He must have felt that the happiness as well 
 as the fortune of his life, depended on the 
 cast. Rather, we learn from his own touch- 
 ing account of what ensued, that he looked 
 for counsel and help from above. In all hia
 
 64 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 ways did this good man acknowledge his 
 heavenly Father's hand, and seek his bless- 
 ing. What befell, in this crisis, he thus tells 
 us : " God willed that, when I had begun 
 to lose my courage, and was gone for the 
 last time to a glass furnace, having a man 
 with me carrying more than three hundred 
 kinds of trial pieces, there was one among 
 them which was melted within four hours 
 after it had been placed in the furnace, 
 which turned out white and polished, in a 
 way that caused me to feel such joy as made 
 me think I was become a new creature." 
 
 With winged feet he flew home, bearing 
 his treasure, which he pronounced " exceed- 
 ingly beautiful," and, almost beside himself 
 with delight, he rushed into the chamber, 
 where his poor wife lay in her sick bed, 
 and holding up the shining white frag- 
 ment, exclaimed, " I have found it!" Lisette 
 caught the infection of his gladness, and 
 hailed the first ray of returning prosperity. 
 Poor woman, she little knew how long she
 
 PALIS8Y THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 66 
 
 mnst wait before she could warm herself in 
 its sunshine. 
 
 But Palissy was convinced that he had 
 now discovered the full perfection of the 
 white enamel ; and his delight was in pro- 
 portion to all the toil and struggle the dis- 
 covery had cost him. No more any idea, 
 now, of giving over, and retuniing to his 
 old calling. Illustrious results must soon 
 follow, he was sure, and from henceforth 
 it was necessary he should work privately, 
 and construct for his own use a furnace 
 like that of the glass-workers. Already in 
 imagination stretching out his hand to grasp 
 the prize, he eagerly betook himself to mould- 
 ing vessels of clay, shaped after his own 
 designs, which, covered with the exquisite 
 white enamel he had discovered, he purposed 
 to adorn with lovely paintings. He saw 
 them doubtless in his mind's eye, beautiful, 
 as those he actually produced in after years 
 — those perfect master-pieces of porcelain 
 in relief, and dishes ornamented with fig-
 
 6^ PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 ures, beasts, reptiles, insects, beetles, and 
 flowers : treasures of art, full of grace, 
 beauty, and simplicity, which were eagerly 
 purchased by the rich seigneurs of that day, 
 to adorn their cabinets and beautify their 
 chateau, and which now sell for their weight 
 in gold. 
 
 But though his fancy saw them, as his 
 taste, so exquisite and refined, had already 
 designed them, still it was with the rough 
 clay his hands were actually at work, and 
 he had, unfortunately for his present need, 
 " never understood earths." 
 
 Some seven or eight months more were 
 expended in making these vessels, and then 
 he began to erect the furnace. With in- 
 credible difficulty and labor — for he had 
 none to assist him in the work, not even 
 so much as to draw water, and fetch 
 bricks from the kiln — the indefatigable man 
 wrought till he had completed the furnace, 
 and the preliminary baking of his vessels. 
 And then, instead of reposing after all this
 
 PALISST THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 67 
 
 toil, by the space of more than a month, 
 he worked, night and day, grinding and 
 compounding the materials of which he had 
 made the white enamel. At length his task 
 was completed, and the vessels, coated 
 with the mixture, were arranged within the 
 furnace. 
 
 Look at him now 1 — he has kindled his 
 furnace fire, and is feeding it through its 
 two mouths. He does not spare the fuel; 
 he diligently throws it in, all day ; he suffers 
 it not to slacken all night. Yet the enamel 
 does not melt. The sun rises, bright and 
 glowing, and Nicole, now a sturdy boy of 
 eleven or twelve years old, brings his father 
 a basin of pottage for breakfast ; a poor and 
 scanty meal, ill-fitted to recruit his over- 
 taxed powers, but eagerly devoured by the 
 hungry artisan, who pauses for a few mo- 
 ments in order to swallow it. How pale 
 and thin, and haggard he looks ! What a 
 strained expression does his countenance 
 wear I But all indomitable and calmly hope- 
 ful 'mid his toil.
 
 68 PALI8SY THE HUGUENOT POTTEE. 
 
 " God bless thee, my child," he says, as ho 
 returns the empty basin to the boy ; " learn 
 well thy lesson to-day, and to-morrow, I hope, 
 we may make holiday, and ramble together 
 through the fields, as we once used to do." 
 " Nay, father, and who will mind the fur- 
 nace?" " I trust it will have done its work. 
 The enamel will surely melt soon." 
 
 But the hours of that day passed on ; and 
 the dark night succeeded, and still, amid the 
 blaze and crackle of the furnace, Palissy 
 worked on. Another day dawns ; and still 
 he feeds his fire. Worn and weary, he occa^ 
 sionally drops asleep for some minutes, but 
 his ever wakeful spirit rouses him almost 
 instantly, and he throws in more wood, again. 
 In vain. Six days and six nights has he 
 spent about the glowing furnace, each day 
 more anxious and laborious than the pre- 
 ceding — but the enamel has not melted. At 
 length, convinced that something is amiss, 
 he ceases from his task. He sits, with droop- 
 ing h6ad and lack-lustre eye, gazing on the
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTEK. 69 
 
 smouldering fires, which begin slowly to 
 slacken ready to die away. What will he 
 do nefxt? In few and heart-stirring words 
 he telis us what : — " Seeing it was not po&- 
 sible to make the said enamel melt, I was 
 like a man in desperation ; and although 
 quite stupified with labor, I counselled to 
 myself that in my mixture there might be 
 some fault. Therefore I began once more 
 to pound and grind more materials, all the 
 time without letting my furnace cool ; in 
 this way I had double labor, to pound, grind, 
 and maintain the fire. I was also forced to 
 go again and purchase pots, in order to 
 prove the said compound, seeing that I had 
 lost all the vessels which I had made myself. 
 And having covered the new pieces with the ' 
 said enamel, I put them into the furnace, 
 keeping the fire still at its height. But now 
 occurred a new misfortune, which caused 
 me great mortification — namely, that the 
 wood having failed me, I was forced to burn 
 the palings which maintained the boundaries
 
 70 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTEB. 
 
 of my garden, which being burnt, also, I was 
 forced to burn the tables and the flooring 
 of my house, to cause the melting of the 
 second composition. I suffered an anguish 
 that I cannot speak, for I was quite exhausted 
 and dried up by the heat of the furnace ; it 
 was more than a month since my shirt had 
 been dry upon me. Further to console me, 
 I was the object of mockery ; even those 
 from whom solace was due ran crying through 
 the town that I was burning my floors. In 
 this way my credit was taken from me, and 
 I was regarded as a madman." 
 
 How grievous those plaintive words — 
 scarcely condemnatory — yet keenly sensitive 
 to desertion on the part of those who should 
 have comforted in the time of his calamity I 
 It was a scandal under which he pined away, 
 and with bowed head, slipped through the 
 streets like a man put to shame. No one 
 gave him consolation in this extremity ; on 
 the contrary, men jested at him, saying it 
 H^as right and just that he who had left off
 
 P4LISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 71 
 
 • ^flowing his trade should die of hunger. 
 "Will he succumb to this new trial ? Hear 
 the brave heart's resolve — " All these things 
 assailed my ears when I passed through the 
 street; but for all that there remained still 
 some hope which encouraged and sustained 
 me. So, when I had dwelt with mj regrets 
 a little, because there was no one who had 
 pity upon me, I said to my soul : ' Wherefore 
 art thou saddened, since thou hast found the 
 object of thy search? Labor now, and the 
 defamers will live to be ashamed.' " 
 
 For a few sad days only, Palissy " dwelt 
 with his regrets." But " a little while " did 
 he indulge his sorrow. Scarcely had his 
 physical powers, exhausted by long tension, 
 regained their spring, than he was again in 
 pursuit of his darling object. Could he but 
 find some friendly hand to aid him a little, 
 all would go well ; but where was the good 
 Samaritan to be sought ? Alas I he knew of 
 none. Pondering sorrowfully over this mat- 
 ter, he one evening chanced to pass by a
 
 72 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTEB. 
 
 small inn on the outskirts of the town, and 
 saw sitting on the bench, beside the door, 
 two or iSiree laboring men who had just 
 come from the fields. One of these was a 
 potter, whom PaHssy knew to be a good 
 workman. The thought immediately came 
 into his mind, could he but engage the ser- 
 vices of this man for a few months, it would 
 be the very thing he wanted. At that in- 
 stant the host stepped out into the porch, 
 and, seeing Bernard, addressed a few friendly 
 words to him. They sounded sweet to the 
 thirsty soul that craved for sympathy, and 
 he gladly accepted the landlord's offer of a 
 refreshing draught, and presently entered 
 into chat with him. As they conversed, it 
 chanced that mention was made of the re- 
 ligious troubles then so thickly gathering 
 around their father-land. A chord of sym- 
 pathy was thus struck, to which their hearts 
 responded with deep feeling. It soon ap- 
 peared that Hamelin was not unknown to 
 the worthy inn-keeper ; he had, indeed, found
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 73 
 
 Bhelter of old, beneath his roof, when closely 
 pressed by the i^ies of Collardeau. In short, 
 Palissy had found one like-minded with him- 
 self; and mutual good-will toward the new 
 religion formed a bond between himself and 
 Victor. This man was the same whom we 
 have already seen in company with Bernard, 
 on the eve of St. John, when they beheld 
 that cruel sight which made their hearts 
 bum with righteous zeal. Victor, the little, 
 deformed inn-keeper, was a man of sterling 
 worth and rare courage, and he proved a 
 steady friend and ally to Palissy. Learning 
 from him his present diflSculties, he at once 
 oflfered to give the potter all his meals, and 
 to lodge him for six months, putting the cost 
 down to the account of Bernard. 
 
 And thus was he started afresh, with new 
 hope. He had made drawings of the vessels 
 he wanted to produce, and these he gave 
 to the potter, as models to work by, while 
 he occupied himself about some medallions 
 which he was commissioned to execute, and
 
 74 PALJSSy THE HUGUENOT POTTEH. 
 
 in this manner he gained a little ready money 
 on which to support himse]f*and his family. 
 As for the debts he owed, the payment of 
 them must be postponed till the completion 
 of his new batch, from which he confidently 
 reckoned to reap nearly four hundred livres. 
 
 Tiie six months passed slowly by, and were 
 followed by some two or three more ; during 
 which Palissy wrought alone, at building an 
 improved furnace, and preparing fresh chemi- 
 cals for the enamel. Of this latter business, 
 he says, " It was a labor so great as threat- 
 ened to baffle all my wits, had not the desire 
 I felt to succeed in my enterprise made me 
 do things which I should have esteemed 
 impossible." Some idea of the difficulties 
 he encountered may be obtained when we 
 learn that, after having wearied himself sev- 
 eral days in pounding and calcining his drugs, 
 he had to grind them in a hand-mill, which 
 it usually required two strong men to turn, 
 and all this while his hand was bruised and 
 cut in many places with the labor of the 
 furnace.
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 75 
 
 Those were eventful months during which 
 Palissy thus toiled in the depths of poverty 
 and neglect. The fiery blaze that consumed 
 the good brother of Gimosac had awakened 
 alarm in the hearts of not a few who in- 
 habited the ancient town of Saintes, and 
 other and more fearful sights and sounds 
 were swift to follow. But these must be 
 reserved for another chapter.
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the Tratera, ftnd 
 he that hath no money." — Isa. Iv. 1. 
 
 In the year 1547, Henry U. ascended the 
 throne of France. With the intrigues of the 
 court it is not our province to intermeddle ; 
 but from the fierce contests waged during 
 that stormy period, our story cannot be dis- 
 severed. There were four principal factions, 
 each pledged to the interests of a distinct 
 chief, of whom the most influential were the 
 celebrated constable, Anne de Montmorency, 
 and his great rivals of the house of Guise. 
 The constable was a personage of supreme 
 importance, possessing enormous wealth, and 
 raised to the pinnacle of power. As he be- 
 came, in course of time, one of the chief 
 patrons of that skill which Palissy was ac- 
 quiring at the cost of so much toil and
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTEB. 77 
 
 iuffering, a slight sketch of this famous man, 
 who stands out as one of the giants of the 
 ancient monarchy, will not be misplaced here. 
 
 In early life he had gained a powerful in- 
 fluence over the mind of Francis I., which 
 he long retained, and on the death of that 
 monarch he stood high in favor with his 
 successor, Henry II. Faithful to the interests 
 of the throne and of his country, valiant in 
 arms, possessed of intrepid courage, and 
 resolute in the maintenance of what he be- 
 lieved right, he was, nevertheless, full oi 
 terrible blemishes and errors. He was an 
 austere man, hard and rugged, rough and 
 ungracious in manner, stern in his resolves, 
 and fearful in the severity of the punishments 
 he inflicted. 
 
 One of the first acts of the new king was 
 to issue an edict confirmatory of religious 
 penalties. A blasphemer was to have his 
 tongue pierced with a hot iron, but all here- 
 tics were to be burned alive. The spirit of 
 thin sanguinary enactment wa^ completely
 
 78 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 in harmony with the fierce bigotry which 
 formed one of the distinguishing traits of 
 Montmorency's character. So great was his 
 zeal against the heretics that he received on 
 one occasion the soubriquet of " Captain e 
 brule bancs," because he made bonfires of 
 the pulpits and benches taken from the 
 churches of the Calvinists. Such was the 
 man who now undertook the supprcpsion of 
 a revolt which broke out among the inhabi- 
 tants of Saintonge and the surrounding dis- 
 tricts. The occasion of this disturbance was 
 the oppressive character of the new salt tax, 
 which heavily burdened the poor country- 
 people, who were consequently the first to 
 take up arms and drive out the officers of 
 the gabelle. In a short time the excitement 
 spread. Pillage, fire, and massacre abounded, 
 and the insurrection extended to Bordeaux, 
 which became the head quarters of the dis- 
 afiected. Montmorency marched in person 
 against the inhabitants of the disturbed dis- 
 tricts, and wherever he went he erected 
 gibbets, and inflicted horrible punishments.
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 79 
 
 The inhabitants of Saintes had now some- 
 thing to divert their thoughts from the doings 
 of Palissy. They trembled as they heard of 
 the tremendous scenes enacted at Bordeaux 
 where the stern marshal, disdaining to ac- 
 cept the keys of the town, marched hi* 
 troops into it as a triumphant enemy, and 
 presently put to death one hundred citizens 
 in its great square ; at the same time com- 
 pelling the magnates of the town to dig up 
 with their nails the body of the royal 
 governor, who had been slain in one of 
 the recent tumults. Having inflicted this 
 summary vengeance at Bordeaux, Montmo- 
 rency advanced through Saintonge, resting 
 on his route, at Pons, a town not far from 
 Saintes, where resided the king's lieutenant 
 for that department, who was also the Count 
 of Marennes, the famous salt district. This 
 nobleman. Sire Antoino de Pons, and his 
 lady, Anne de Parthenay, were among the 
 earliest and staunchest friends and patrons 
 of Palissy. It was at their chateau he saw
 
 ^0 PALISSY THE HUGtTENOT POTTER. 
 
 the cup of " marvellous l-eauty," which had 
 acted as a talisman to elicit his genius ; and 
 from them he had frequently received com- 
 missions for various works of art. The 
 '' Dame Pons " was, especially, a lover 
 of gardens, and dehghted in floriculture. 
 Scarcely could she have found another so 
 admirably suited to give her assistance in 
 her favorite pursuit as Palissy, whose con- 
 geniality of taste in this matter caused him 
 in after days to say, " I have found in the 
 world no greater pleasure than to have a 
 beautiful garden." 
 
 It chanced, at the time when Montmorency 
 came to Pons, that Bernard was engaged at 
 the chateau of the Sire Antoine, in designing 
 some panels and decorations, as well as in 
 laying out the pleasure grounds. He had 
 suffered another disappointment in his darling 
 object, even more overwhelming than all 
 previous ones, and had been again driven 
 to a temporary renunciation of its pursuit. 
 The narrative of his toils and struggles had
 
 A Palissy Dish.
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 81 
 
 been drawn from him by the gentle-hearted 
 lady, who, as she marked with discerning 
 eye the exquisite skill and taste of Pahssy, 
 became interested to learn somewhat of his 
 history. He told her, in his own strong 
 and simple language, all that had befallen 
 him from the day when her lord had shown 
 him the Italian cup, Alas ! his latest trial, 
 like all the others, had proved a failure, and 
 (as he declared) " his sorrows and distresse? 
 had been so abundantly augmented," that he 
 lost all countenance. 
 
 " And yet," said the lady Anne, as she 
 listened to his tale, " you assure me, that 
 on this last occasion you had been right in 
 every one of your calculations, and that the 
 enamel was so correctly mixed, and the fur 
 nace so well ordered, that one single day 
 was sufficient for the melting. How, then, 
 did you fail ? " 
 
 " From this unforeseen accident," said 
 Palissy; "the mortar of which I had erected 
 the furnace had been full of flints, which 
 6
 
 82 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 burst with the vehement heat, at the same 
 time tliat the enamels began to hquify ; and 
 the splinters, striking against the pottery, 
 which was covered with the glutinous matter, 
 became fixed there. Thus, all the vessels, 
 which otherwise would have been beautiful, 
 were bestrewn with little morsels of flint, so 
 firmly attached to them that they could not 
 possibly be removed. The distress and em- 
 barrassment I felt from this new and unfore- 
 seen disaster, exceeded all I had before ex- 
 perienced. The more so, that several of my 
 creditors, whom I had held in hope to be paid 
 out of the produce of these pieces, had hast- 
 ened to be present at the drawing of my work, 
 and now seeing themselves disappointed ot 
 their long- delayed expectations, departed 
 in blank dismay, finding their hopes frus- 
 trated." '•' Were there none of your pieces 
 that had escaped injury?" " None, madame; 
 it is true, though they were all more or less 
 blemished, they would hold water, and there 
 were some who would have bought them o'.
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 83 
 
 me at a mean price, but because that would 
 have been a decrying and abasing of my 
 honor, I broke in pieces the entire batch 
 from the said furnace, and lay down in melan- 
 choly — not without cause, for I had no 
 longer any means to feed my family. After 
 a while, however, reflecting that if a man 
 should fall into a pit, it would be his duty to 
 endeavor to get out again, I, Palissy, being 
 in like case, resolved to exert myself in 
 making paintings, and in various ways taking 
 pains to recover a little money." " A wise 
 resolve," replied the lady ; " and one in 
 which it Avill be in my power to assist you. 
 But hark ! there sounds a horn, which I know 
 to be that of my lord, and it announces his 
 approach, accompanied by Monseigneur, the 
 duke de Montmorency. An idea strikes me ; 
 his highness has great taste for ornamental 
 art ; his patronage would secure the fortune 
 of one who possesses your skill in designing. 
 Bring hither, to-morrow, your paintings and 
 sketches of animals, foliage, and groups, not
 
 84 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 forgetting the designs of your vases, and 1 
 will take occasion to present them to the 
 notice of Monseigneur." 
 
 The lady was as good as her word ; and, 
 as she had forseeen, Montmorency was struck 
 with the marks of genius perceptible even 
 in these early and imperfect productions of 
 the great artist, and he immediately decided 
 to afford Palissy an opportunity of exercis- 
 ing his talents in his service. 
 
 In this manner did the great constable 
 first become acquainted with Palissy. A 
 few years later he was intrusted with im- 
 portant charges in the decoration of the 
 celebrated chateau d'Ecouen, one of the 
 most famous architectural works of France 
 in that day. 
 
 The building of this chateau, distant about 
 four leagues from Paris, had been one of the 
 principal amusements of the wealthy mar- 
 shal, during his seasons of forced leisure, 
 when the sunshine of royal favor had de- 
 serted him. The architect employed upon
 
 PALISSI THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 85 
 
 it was Jean Bullant, who afterwards enjoyed 
 the patronage of Catherine de' Medici, and 
 assisted in the building of the Tuileries. Of 
 the work contributed by PaKssy towards 
 the decoration of the chateau, nothing re- 
 mains in the present day but the beautiful 
 pavement in the chapel and galleries. Mucli 
 time was employed by him in the painting 
 and enamelling of the decorated tiles which 
 compose this pavement. The designs were 
 all his own, of subjects taken by him from 
 the Scriptures, very highly finished, and so 
 admirably arranged and contrived as to give 
 to the whole a surprisingly rich effect of 
 beautiful coloring, surpassing, it is said, that 
 of the finest Turkey carpeting, 
 
 In one part of the sacristy, the passion of 
 our Lord was represented upon pottery, in 
 sixteen pictures, in a single frame, copied 
 from the designs of Albert Durer, by the 
 hand of Pahssy. Of this piece, and of ano- 
 ther painted by him on glass, representing 
 the history of Psyche, after the designs of
 
 86 PALISST THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 Raffaelle, there remain only representations 
 upon paper.* Of all the windows of Ecouen, 
 Palissy is also said to have been the painter ; 
 Qor mus'^ we omit to mention that in a grove 
 of the garden there was formerly a fountain, 
 called ^^ Fontaine Iladame," to which was 
 attached a rustic grotto, of which Palissy 
 always spoke with pride, as one of the chief 
 triumphs of his handiwork. His skill and 
 ingenuity were exerted in the adornment of 
 the grotto ; and the rock from whence the 
 cascade fell was a grand specimen of his 
 painted pottery. Figures of frogs and fishes 
 were placed in and about the water, lizards 
 were upon the rock, and serpents were coiled 
 upon the grass. And, that devout thoughts 
 might be awakened in the breasts of those 
 who came to enjoy the sweets of this pleas- 
 ant retreat, its pious artificer had contrived 
 that, on a rustic frieze, should be inscribed 
 in a mosaic, formed with various colored 
 
 •They occupy forty-five plates in volume vi. ef the 
 "Musee des Monuments Frangais."
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 87 
 
 itones, the text we have chosen as the motto 
 of this chapter. 
 
 " Ho, KVKBT 05K THAT THIBSTETH, COME TE TO THE WATEES, " 
 
 Probably the formation of the fountain, 
 and the arrangements made for its supply, 
 were suggested by Palissy, whose acute ob- 
 servation in the study of Nature had, by 
 that time, led him to the discovery of the 
 true theory of springs. " I have had no 
 other book than heaven and earth, which 
 are open to all," he was wont to say, and 
 upon all subjects connected with the study 
 of that marvellous volume, Palissy was as- 
 suredly far in advance of the men of his 
 time. He delighted in grottos and foun- 
 tains of waters, and his inquiry into the 
 sources of natural fountains conducted him 
 to the true solution of an enigma which 
 baffled all the skill of Descartes. 
 
 We are, however, antedating the course 
 of this narrative. At the time of Palissy's 
 introduction to the constable, he was about
 
 88 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 forty years old, and bis labor to discover 
 tbe enamel ware bad been spread over a 
 period of some eigbt years. It cost him 
 eigbt years more, during wbich he endured 
 great toil and numerous mishaps, before he 
 attained full perfection in the moulding and 
 enamelling of ornamental pottery. But from 
 this time he did not lack patronage, and 
 business w^as alwavs to be obtained sufficient 
 for the supply of household necessities. We 
 shall presently have occasion to return with 
 him again to the detail of his trials and 
 struggles, and to hear of privation and dis- 
 tress yet to be endured in the prosecution 
 of the object of his ambition. But first we 
 are about to see him in a new aspect, and 
 it will be necessary to interrupt the story 
 of his toil in the pursuit of art, while we 
 dwell upon some other facts in his history, 
 by which his mind was exercised, and his 
 character^ as a man and a Christian, formed 
 and illustrated,
 
 fart SuonK 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 ** The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away ; blessed 
 be the name of the Lord." — Job i. 21. 
 
 Some six or seven years have passed away 
 since we last saw Palissy; and it is now the 
 month of February, 1557 
 
 The ^hort day is just drawing to a close, 
 and our old friend, who is sitting with a book 
 open before him, has given over the effort 
 to continue reading, and is pensively rest- 
 ing, with his hand supporting his head, which 
 now begins to show a few silvery threads 
 among the long dark brown hair that over- 
 shadows the brow. His lips are moving, and 
 he utters the words he has just perused on 
 
 the page of that holy book with which he 
 
 99
 
 90 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 has formed so close and reverent an acquaint- 
 ance. " Whom the Lord loveth he chasten- 
 eth." " Even so, Father ; for so it seemed 
 good in thy sight." And he sighed deeply, 
 and rising, went slowly toward a corner of 
 the chamber, where was placed a baby's cot. 
 Bending down, he raised the covering that 
 shrouded the infant form which rested there. 
 It was that of a girl some few months old, 
 who looked so like a marble statue, that, at 
 first sight, you would have said, " It is the 
 work of the sculptor." But no ; the eyes 
 were slightly open, and the lashes drooped 
 over the violet orbs, that even in death 
 seemed beautiful. 
 
 The father stooped to kiss the fair delicate 
 face, and then kneeled down beside the cot, 
 to read more closely the innocent features 
 by the fading twilight that still lingered. 
 
 He had remained several minutes thus ab- 
 sorbed in thought, and prayerfully abstracted 
 in spirit, when suddenly a low and peculiar 
 noise was heard close to the window. Jt
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 91 
 
 roused him from his reverie, and he quickly 
 lifted his eyes. Again the sound met his 
 ear, and immediately he rose, and going to 
 the door, looked abroad, and uttered a sig- 
 nal cry, responsive to the one he had heard. 
 " It is Hamelin !" he exclaimed, and the next 
 instant his friend stood beside him. Most 
 heartily did Palissy receive his unexpected 
 visitor, and bade him welcome to his lowly 
 roof, where he might be in safety, seeing 
 its owner was then under the patronage of 
 Sire Antoine, who had commanded that the 
 premises of the potter should be held invio- 
 late from all intrusion. 
 
 After discharging the duties of hospitality, 
 and seeing the wants of his guest supplied, 
 Bernard seated himself beside Hamelin, and 
 the two fell into long and earnest discourse. 
 
 They spoke, as was natural, first of the 
 domestic circumstances of Pa^lissy, and of 
 the bereavement that now weighed heavily 
 upon him. It was the sixth of his children 
 from whom he had been called to part in
 
 92 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 their tender age, and hia spirit was cast 
 down within him. Hamelin, who had a soul 
 full of tender sensibilities, felt his eyes fill 
 with tears as he listened to the sorrows of 
 his friend, and lovingly sought to comfort 
 him. 
 
 After a time he inquired for the two boys, 
 Nicole and Mathurin, who were the sole sur- 
 vivors of so numerous a family. " They are 
 grown tall and hearty, and will soon take 
 their part in the workshop," said Palissy. 
 ' The younger is a sharp wit. Certain monks 
 of the Sorbonne were sent, last summer, into 
 this town and many others of the diocese, to 
 win over the people to allow their woods to 
 be cut down for the king's pleasure. They 
 made strange gestures and grimaces, and all 
 their discourses were nothing but outcry 
 against the new Christians. It chanced that 
 one of them, as he was preaching, taught 
 how it behoved men to purchase heaven by 
 their good works : but Mathurin, who stood 
 there listening, exclaimed, * That's blasphe
 
 PALIS8Y THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 93 
 
 my ! for the Bible tells us that Christ pur- 
 chased heaven by his sufferings and death, 
 and bestows it on us freely by his mercy.' 
 He spoke so loud that many heard, and some 
 disturbance ensued. Happily, Victor was 
 near by, and he sheltered the lad, who might 
 otherwise have paid dearly for his unadvised 
 utterance." '' In good truth/' said Master 
 Philibert, " it was a perilous deed, and these 
 are fearful times. When a child of fifteen 
 is not deemed too young for the stake, when 
 young maidens have been stabbed for their 
 singing, and fellow-tradesmen broken on the 
 wheel for exercising liberty of conscience, 
 then it is no marvel if our children, being 
 taught the truths of God's word, should ex- 
 change their youthfulness of manner for 
 a manly fortitude, and should be ready 
 sternly to sing their hymns in the free air 
 of heaven." 
 
 The conversation now turned upon Gen- 
 eva, from whence Hamelin had recently 
 come. He was one of those agents who,
 
 94 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 at the instigation of Calvin, travelled through 
 the length and breadth of France, spread- 
 ing the Eeformed tenets, sometimes reading 
 the Scriptures and pious books — sometimes 
 preaching the word and exhorting, and above 
 all, providing for the establishment of a gos- 
 pel ministry ; everywhere taking occasion to 
 search out pastors to undertake the charge 
 of those small and despised flocks that were 
 scattered about in the hamlets and towns. 
 
 The marvellous energy of the great re- 
 former was unceasingly at work in various 
 ways. He encouraged many French refugees 
 to become booksellers or printers ; he formed 
 numerous schools for the training of his 
 disciples ; and Geneva, under his auspices, 
 became the metropolis of the reformed re- 
 ligion ; the centre of a vast propagandist 
 system, and one of the most famous schools 
 of learning and theology. It is almost im- 
 possible to conceive how he could support 
 the immense labors of his latter years. He 
 preached almost every day ; gave three theo-
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 95 
 
 logical lessons in the week; assisted at all 
 the consistorial deliberations, and all the 
 assemblies of the clergy, and was the soul 
 of their counsels. He carried on, besides, an 
 immense correspondence throughout Europe, 
 and published, every year, some work on 
 theology or controversy. With all these 
 labors, and many others, he was, nevertheless, 
 of a feeble constitution, and all his life long 
 suffered under various maladies. Hamelin 
 gave the following graphic description of 
 his personal appearance at this period : — " He 
 resembles an old hermit, emaciated by long 
 vigils and fasting ; his cheeks are sunken, his 
 forehead furrowed, his face colorless as that 
 of a corpse, but his brilliant eyes glow with 
 an unearthly fire. His figure is slightl}'- 
 bowed, the bones seem bursting through 
 the skin, but his step is steady, and his tread 
 firm." 
 
 The two friends spoke next upon a subject 
 of deep interest to both. By the advice, and 
 at the instigation of Hamelin, Bernard luad,
 
 86 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 for a considerable time, been in the habit of 
 gathering together a small company of poor 
 people on Sabbath days, to read the Scrip- 
 tures and to make exhortations weekly. At 
 first their number did not exceed nine or ten, 
 and they were indigent and illiterate men, 
 nevertheless they had the matter at heart, 
 and from this small beginning was established 
 a church which, in a few years, grew and 
 flourished. Very simple and touching ia 
 Palissy's account of the manner in which he, 
 " moved with an earnest desire for the ad- 
 vancement of the gospel," daily searched the 
 Scriptures with Victor ; and how at length 
 they two, taking counsel together, one Sunday 
 morning assembled a few neighbors, to whom 
 Bernard read " certain passages and texts 
 which he had put down in writing, and 
 offered for their consideration." First, he 
 showed them how each man, according to 
 the gifts he had received, should distribute 
 them to others, and that every tree which 
 here not fruit, must be cut down and cast
 
 PALlSSt THE HUGUENOT fOTTER. 97 
 
 into the fire. He also propounded to them 
 the Parable of the Talents^ aiKi a great number 
 of such texts ; and afterwards exhorted them, 
 to the effect that it was the duty of all people 
 to speak of the statutes and ordinances of 
 God, and that his doctrine must not be 
 despised on account of his own abject estate, 
 seeing that God little esteems those things 
 which men account great. For, while he 
 gives wisdom, birth, or worldly greatness, to 
 such as shall never see his face, he calls to 
 the inheritance of glory poor despised crea- 
 tures, who are looked upon as the offscouring 
 and refuse of the world. These, he raises 
 from the dunghill, setting them with princes, 
 and making them his sons and daughters. 
 " Oh, the wonder ! " He then begged his 
 auditors to follow his example, and do as 
 he had been doing ; which he so successfully 
 urged, that they resolved that same hour, 
 that six of their number should make exhor- 
 tations weekly ; that is to say, each of them 
 once in six weeks, on the Sunday. And it 
 7
 
 98 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 was agreed that " since they undertook a 
 business in which they had never been in 
 structed, they should put down in writing 
 what they had to say and read before the 
 assembly." " That was," said Palissy, " the 
 beginning of the Reformed Church of Saintes/' 
 Six poor and unlearned men were all who 
 had the boldness, with resolute hearts, to 
 form themselves into a worshipping assembly 
 of Protestant Christians in that town, which had 
 so recently beheld the burning of a heretic. 
 
 We seek in the chronicles of earthly glory 
 for the names of our famous heroes, patriots, 
 and statesmen. The only annals in which 
 the name of our potter is recorded are those 
 of the despised Huguenot church of Saintes. 
 In a contemporary list of preachers we find 
 mentioned Bernard Palissy. 
 
 We have no other record of the manner in 
 which his ministrations were carried on, than 
 those few sentences just given ; but we know 
 that the doctrine of the Reformed Church of 
 France was identical with that of Luther. 
 The motto of that school was, " The word of
 
 PALiSSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 99 
 
 God is sufficient." " To know Christ and his 
 word, this is the only living, universal 
 theology ; he who knows this knows all," 
 said the two men who first proclaimed the 
 gospel in Paris. The doctrine of justification 
 by faith overturned at one sweep the subtle- 
 ties of the schoolmen, and the practices of 
 Popery. " It is God alone," said Lefevre, 
 within the walls of the Sorbonne, " who by 
 his grace, through faith, justifies unto ever- 
 lasting life. There is a righteousness of 
 works ; there is a righteousness of grace ; 
 the one cometh from man, the other from 
 God ; one is earthly, and passeth away, the 
 other is heavenly and eternal ; one is the 
 shadow and the sign, the other the light and 
 the truth ; one makes sin known to us that 
 we may escape death ; the other reveals 
 grace that wo may obtain life." " We are 
 saved by grace, through faith, and that not 
 of ourselves ; it is the gift of God." This 
 was the great cardinal truth which Palissy 
 taught, and which his hearers received in the 
 love of it.
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 " He had respect unto the recompense of the reward." 
 
 Heb. xi. 26. 
 
 The morrow after Hamelin's unexpected 
 visit to his friend was Sunday, and he gladly 
 embraced the opportunity, so soon as the 
 shadows of night had spread their friendly 
 veil, to slip through the streets, and repair 
 to the place of meeting, where he exhorted 
 and prayed with the little congregation, 
 bidding them be of good cheer, and en- 
 couraging them with the hope, that before 
 long, they should have a minister to take 
 the charge of them. The next day he de- 
 parted for Allevert, where, being kindly 
 received by many of the people, he remained 
 some time, calling them together by the 
 sound of a bell, to listen to his exhortations, 
 
 100
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTEK. 101 
 
 and also baptizing a child. Tidings of these 
 proceedings were not long in reaching 
 Saintes, and a great stir was immediately 
 raised by divers officials of the town, who 
 instigated the bishop at that time in resi- 
 dence, to authorize proceedings against 
 flamelin. 
 
 So slenderly provided was the poor Hugue- 
 not, that he had taken with him no other 
 outfit than a simple staif in his hand ; neither 
 purse nor scrip had he, nor carried any 
 weapon of defence. Alone, and without fear, 
 he went his way, solely intent on the errand 
 he was about. His friend, who evidently 
 regarded him with the utmost love and rever- 
 ence, after describing his defenceless condi- 
 tion, his poverty, and his trustful spirit, 
 humorously contrasts with all this the ex- 
 travagant and absurd measures adopted by 
 his enemies, who " constrained the bishop to 
 produce money for the maintenance of a 
 pursuit of the said Philibert, with horses, 
 gendarmes, cooks, and cutlers." With a/1
 
 102 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. ^ 
 
 this fuss and adc, they speedily transferred 
 themselves to the islands of Allevert, where 
 they re-baptized the child — thus, as far as 
 was in their power, repairing the mischief 
 done by the heretic, whom, though they 
 failed to catch him in that place, they shortly 
 discovered in the mansion of one of the 
 neighboring gentry ; and, laying forcible 
 hands on him, they carried him off as a 
 malefactor, to the criminals' prisons in Saintes, 
 where they lodged him in safe custody. 
 
 Sore was the grief of Palissy when he 
 learned that the friend whom he esteemed 
 above all othei's, had thus been captured by 
 wicked men ; and well he knew that they had 
 Doth power and will to destroy Hamelin. In- 
 dignation struggled in his breast with sor- 
 row ; and, as he reflected on the blameless 
 conversation, pure charity, and simple-hearted- 
 ness of the man, he exclaimed, " I am full of 
 wonder that men should have dared to sit in 
 judgment of death over him, when they had 
 heard, and well knew, that his life was holy."
 
 PALISSY THK HUGUENOT POTTER. 103 
 
 Not content with passively bewailing bis 
 friend's calamity, he tells that he mustered 
 hardihood, notwithstanding that these were 
 perilous days, ''to go and remonstrate with 
 six of the principal judges and magistrates of 
 the town, that they had imprisoned a prophet 
 or an angel of the Lord," assuring them that 
 for eleven years he had known this Philibert 
 Hamelin to be of so holy a hfe that it seemed 
 to him as if other men were devils compared 
 with him. 
 
 Strong and impetuous language, prompted 
 by the indignant earnestness of a loving and 
 faithful heart, which set at nought all selfish 
 considerations. It was, indeed, no light risk 
 our noble-hearted Bernard was incurring. 
 The edict of Chateaubriand had recently ap- 
 peared, aggravating all former penalties, for- 
 bidding all assistance to those who were of 
 the new religion, and all refuge of them ; 
 offering rewards to such as should denounce 
 them, and, in short, rendering the laws 
 against heresy so stringent, that the life of
 
 104 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 any one known to be a heretic depended 
 wholly on the sufferance of his neighbors. 
 In the face of such a danger, Palissy went to 
 the very men who were officially engaged 
 to punish his rashness, and boldly remon- 
 strating with them, proclaimed the innocence 
 and virtue of their prisoner. This courageous 
 and honorable conduct was fruitless. The 
 judges, indeed, showed sufficient humanity 
 not to avail themselves of his boldness as a 
 weapon against himself; they even heard him 
 with courtesy, and tried to excuse themselves 
 in reference to Hamelin's condemnation. To 
 use Palissy's words, " The better to come 
 by a wash for their hands, that would acquit 
 their hearts, they reasoned that he had been 
 a priest in the Roman church ; therefore they 
 sent him to Bordeaux, with good and sure 
 guard, by a provost-marshal." Thus setting 
 the seal to his doom ; for Bordeaux was well 
 known to be the waiting-chamber to the scaf- 
 fold. 
 
 An effort was made, while yet Hamelin re-
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 105 
 
 mained imprisoned at Saintes to procure hia 
 release, which deserves to be mentioned on 
 more than one account. The tidings of his 
 captivity had spread abroad, among the neigh- 
 boring districts, and reached the ears of a 
 little church founded by him in a somewhat 
 remote region. These poor people, with 
 overflowing hearts, when the evil tidings 
 reached them, lost no time in considering 
 how they might best help to procure the 
 release of one whom they loved and honored 
 as their spiritual father. The result of their 
 deliberations was apparent, when, the day 
 previous to his removal to Bordeaux, an 
 advocate came secretly to the prison-house 
 in which Hamelin lay, and offered to the jail- 
 keeper the sum of three hundred livres, pro- 
 vided he would, that night, put the captive 
 outside the prison door. The bribe was 
 tempting ; and the frail official hesitated, de- 
 siring first, hov^-ever, to take counsel of 
 Master Philibert in the matter. His mag- 
 nanimous reply was that he chose rather to
 
 L06 PALISSY THE HUGUKNOT POTTER. 
 
 perish by the hands of the executioner than 
 to expose another man to peril, for the pur- 
 pose of securing his own safety. On hearing 
 this, the advocate, taking back his money, 
 returned to those who had sent him. " I ask 
 you," said Palissy, as he recounted this 
 worthy conduct of his friend, " which is he 
 among us who would do the like, being at 
 the mercy of enemies, as he was?" 
 
 It was a sad meeting of the infant church 
 when they assembled on the Sabbath after 
 Bamelin's death. They looked each other in 
 the face, and sorrowfully proceeded to the 
 •jacred exercises of the hour. After the ser- 
 vice was concluded, Palissy introduced to 
 them a minister, named De La Place, who 
 had been chosen by their deceased friend to 
 undertake the office of pastor in AUevert. 
 The events which had since befallen rendered 
 it, however, highly dangerous and undesirable 
 that he should repair thither for a time ; and 
 he had received notice, warning him to ab- 
 stain from proceeding on his journey.
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTEE. 107 
 
 In compliance with this intimation ho had 
 stopped short at Saintes, where he remained 
 in safety with Bernard, who now made him 
 known to the brethren, and they with one 
 accord prayed him to stay among them and 
 minister the word of God. Thus were they, 
 most unexpectedly, supplied with a pastor. 
 
 Before the assembly broke up, Victor, calm 
 in manner, though with intense feeling, nar 
 rated to them some touching incidents he 
 had learned of the last hours of their mar- 
 tyred friend. He had not been alone; a com- 
 panion in tribulation shared his sufferings and 
 death, whom Philibert had strengthened in 
 the hour of trial by his own quiet confidence 
 and joyful anticipation of the future that 
 awaited them. On the morning fixed for 
 their execution, he awoke his comrade, who 
 was sleeping in the same cell, and pointing 
 with his hand to the splendid sunrise just 
 v^isible on the eastern horizon, he exclaimed, 
 '' Let us rejoice ; for, if the aspect of nature, 
 and the return of daylight, be so beautiful
 
 108 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 on earth, what will it be to-morrow, when we 
 shall behold the mansions of heaven ? " 
 
 His composure and piety affected even the 
 stern jailer, who was so much impressed with 
 what he saw and heard, that he had spoken 
 of it to one who secretly sympathized with 
 the martyrs, and related everything to Victor. 
 When conveyed to the gibbet, Hamelin re- 
 mained self-possessed, and a divine peace was 
 visible on his countenance. He was asked 
 once more, i£ he would renounce his errors, 
 and return to the true faith, but, unmoved, 
 and steadfast in hope, he sang a hymn, making 
 no other reply to the importunities of those 
 around him than this, " I die for the name of 
 Jesus Christ." His last words were, " Lord 
 Jesus, have mercy on me." 
 
 When Victor had concluded his narrative, 
 Palissy said, " You have heard, brethren, the 
 end of this child of God, to whom we are 
 indebted in no small degree ; for if there -be 
 among us any of that Christian fellowship in 
 love which is the blessed product of com-
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 109 
 
 munion with the members of the body of 
 Christ, we must assuredly trace it to his 
 influence. All that has been done among 
 us is the result of the good example, coun- 
 sel, and doctrine of this brother, beloved in 
 the Lord. And think you," he continued — 
 his eye kindling, and his voice tremulous 
 with emotion — "that they who condemned 
 the just will be excused on the plea of 
 iguorance ? Assuredly the judges of this 
 town knew well that his life was holy ; 
 nevertheless, they acted through fear, lest 
 they should lose their offices: so we must 
 understand it. And thus they delivered 
 him up, and caused him to be hung like a 
 thief But, will not God avenge his elect? 
 "Will he not show that precious in his sight 
 is the death of these, his witnesses ? Truly, 
 a rich harvest has always sprung up from 
 the blood of the martyrs, and the ashes of 
 the just, scattered to the four winds of hea- 
 ven, have been as the seed of the kingdom." 
 These words of the noble-hearted potter
 
 110 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 recall to our minds what Luther had spokeii; 
 some thirty years before this period, when 
 tidings reached him of the persecution and 
 death of some of his followers. "At length," 
 he exclaimed, " Christ is gathering some fruit 
 from our labors, and is creating new martyrs. 
 Their bonds are our bonds ; their dungeons 
 our dungeons ; and their fires our fires. We 
 are all with them, and the Lord himself is at 
 our head." He afterwards celebrated these 
 first victims of the Reformation in a noble 
 hymn, whose strains were speedily heard 
 echoing throughout Germany, and every- 
 where spreading enthusiasm for the cause — 
 
 "They ride the air — they will not down. 
 
 The ashes of the just; 
 Nor graves can hide, nor waters drown. 
 
 That spirit-pregnant dust. 
 Where'er the winds that seed have flung 
 
 Soldiers are gendered; 
 And Satan 's foiled, and Christ is sung 
 
 By voices from the dead." 
 
 The early years of the little Reformed 
 chwrch of Saintes were very troublesome 
 ones. It was established, in the outset, with
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTEE. Ill 
 
 great difficulties and imminent perils, and 
 those who ventured to enroll themselves 
 among its number were blamed and vitupe- 
 rated with perverse and wicked calumnies. 
 The ignorance and superstition of that age 
 and country were called into active exer- 
 cise against the adherents of the new faith, 
 and the vilest slanders were fabricated against 
 them, and accredited even by those who wit- 
 nessed their blameless lives. Most frequently 
 their meetings for religious worship were 
 held during the hours of darkness, for fear 
 of their enemies ; and occasion was taken 
 from this circumstance to insinuate that, if 
 their doctrine were good, they would preach 
 it openly. They were even accused of wick- 
 edness and unchaste conduct in their assem- 
 blies ; nor were there wanting some " of the 
 baser sort " who said that the heretics had 
 dealings with the devil, whose tail they went 
 to kiss by the light of a rosin candle. Not- 
 withstanding all these things, however, tho 
 church continued to exist, and to grow ; and
 
 112 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTEfi. 
 
 after a time, it made surprising increase. 
 The timid commencement, the rapid advance, 
 and, finally, the successful establishment and 
 prevalence of the Reformed tenets in Saintes. 
 were all noted by Palissy, with loving fidel- 
 ity. He scanned, with the eye of a Chris- 
 tian and a philosopher, the dealings of God's 
 Providence ; and watchfully observed tho 
 various ways in which His purposes of wis- 
 dom and mercy were brought to pass. 
 
 It is remarked, by a Roman Catholic his- 
 torian of the day, that " the painters, clock- 
 makers, modellers, jewellers, booksellers, 
 printers, and others, who, although in hum- 
 ble trades, have still some exercise for 
 thought, were the first to adopt these new 
 ideas." What a pleasing and instructive 
 fact, proving, as it does, that not only for 
 the rich and leisurely, the learned and stu- 
 dious, are reserved those best and choicest 
 gifts of God — the seeing eye, the hearing 
 ear, and the heart wise to discern the heav- 
 enly wisdom of the cross. Nowhere could
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTEB. 113 
 
 we find an instance more strikingly in point 
 than that aflforded us by the life of Palissy. 
 While he labored with enthusiasm and de- 
 voted earnestness at the calling of his choice, 
 (and of his necessity,) his most precious, 
 his chosen pursuit was not his art, but the 
 knowledge and service of God his Saviour. 
 He obeyed the sacred mandate, " Seek ye 
 first the kingdom of God and His righteous- 
 ness," and girding himself to the conflict 
 with error, his soul became possessed with 
 a holy enthusiasm; and having assumed to 
 himself the right of free inquiry, he did not 
 
 scruple to make bold confession of his faith. 
 8
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 " In all labor there is profit."— Prov. xiv. 23. 
 
 Probably, the happiest time of Pahasj a 
 life is that at which we are now arrived. F^e 
 may be accounted to have reached the end 
 of his great period,gpf struggle as a potter. 
 He was laboring prosperously in his voca- 
 tion ; he was yet in the vigor of his age, 
 and he had, above all, the enjoyment of feel- 
 ing that he had solved the problem and 
 effected the object for which he had en- 
 dured a long struggle with privation and 
 contumely. We will not dwell on the re- 
 maining disappointments he had been doomed 
 to suffer before he attained this point. They 
 were numerous and painful in the extreme. 
 We get a passing glimpse of them in the fol- 
 
 114
 
 FALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 115 
 
 lowing incident. One day he encountered 
 a friend whom he had not seen for many a 
 long year. He had first met with him in 
 the days of his youth at Tarbes, where they 
 had worked together, and listened in com- 
 pany to the teachings of Hamelin. His com- 
 panion had, in consequence, embraced the 
 Reformed doctrine, and afterwards became 
 one of the colporteurs employed in the cir- 
 culation of religious books. In the course 
 of his wanderings he had occasionally visited 
 Saintes, but it was long since he had been 
 there. As on former occasions, he now 
 eagerly sought out Palissy, to whom he re- 
 lated much of deep interest with reference 
 to the progress of religious truth through- 
 out the provinces of France, while, at the 
 same ti.me, he drew a distressi-ng picture of 
 the fearful sufferings of all classes ; for it has 
 been said, and probably with little exaggera- 
 tion, that in France, during the sixteenth 
 century, there scarcely lived a p,>or rustic, 
 the current of whose life was noi distressed
 
 116 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 and troubled by the course of state affairs; 
 and who had not been, or was not destined 
 at some time of his life to be, heavily bruised 
 by a hard-fisted government. Having fin- 
 ished his narrative, the worthy man asked 
 of Bernard some particulars concerning his 
 own history, and that which had transpired 
 in the good town of Saintes during the last 
 few years. 
 
 " For myself," replied Palissy, " I may say 
 matters are now, comparatively speaking, 
 prosperous with me. Much have I suffered, 
 however, since I last saw you. During the 
 space of fifteen or sixteen years in all, 1 
 have blundered on at my business. "When 
 I had learned to guard against one danger, 
 there came another on which I had not 
 reckoned. I made several furnaces, which 
 caused me great losses, before I understood 
 how to heat them equally. At last I found 
 means to make various vessels of different 
 enamels, intermixed, in the manner of jas- 
 per. That fed me several years ; and, when
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 117 
 
 at lengih, I had discovered how to make my 
 rustic pieces, I was in greater trouble and 
 vexation than before, for having made a 
 certain number of them, and put them to 
 bake, my enamels turned out, some beauti- 
 ful and well melted, and others quite the 
 reverse ; because they were composed of 
 different materials, which were fusible in dif 
 ferent degrees. Thus, the green of the liz- 
 ards was burnt long before the color of the 
 serpents was melted; and the color of the 
 serpents, lobsters, tortoises, and crabs, was 
 melted before the white had attained any 
 beauty. All these defects caused me much 
 labor and heaviness of spirit, that, before I 
 could render my enamels fusible at the same 
 degrees of heat, I verily thought I shoulr 
 be at the door of my sepulchre." " Nay 
 my friend, you look tolerably stout, at pre 
 sent, and carry your fifty years as well a' 
 most men." " It may be so," was the reply 
 " but you would have thought otherwise 
 had you seen me some time since, for, froR.
 
 118 PALISSY THE HUGUElSOl FOTIKR. 
 
 incessant labor and anxiety, in the space of 
 more than ten years, I had so fallen away 
 in my person, that there was no longer any 
 form in my legs or roundness in my arms ; 
 insomuch that my limbs were all one thick- 
 ness, and as soon as I began to walk, the 
 strings with which I fastened the bottom 
 of my hose dropped about my heels, to- 
 gether with my stockings. I frequently used 
 to walk in the meadows of Saintes, consider- 
 ing my vexation and affliction, and above 
 all, that I could meet with no comfort or 
 approval, even in my own house. But, in- 
 deed, I was despised and scorned by all. 
 Nevertheless, I always contrived to make 
 some ware of divers colors, which afforded 
 me some sort of a living. The hope which 
 supported me, meantime, gave me such a 
 manly courage for my work, that often- 
 times, to entertain persons who came to see 
 me, I would endeavor to laugh, although 
 within me I felt very sad." ..." Who 
 would believe Master Bernard was ever verj
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 119 
 
 sad ? " said a lively voice, and, at the same 
 moment, a cavalier entered the workshop, 
 and passing through it, peeped in at the 
 dooi of the studio where Palissy was seated 
 with his friend. " You are too prosperous 
 a man to speak after that fashion ; and your 
 coflfers must be filling apace, to judge by the 
 value set on your beautiful designs in pot* 
 tery." " The Seigneur de Burie speaks too 
 favorably of 'my work," replied Bernard, while 
 his visitor, rapidly glancing round, noticed 
 admiringly some charming things which were 
 in progress of completion, and gave orders 
 for several pieces of enamelled earthenware — 
 specimens of that beautiful sculpture in clay, 
 which was destined, before long, to adorn 
 the mansions and palaces of the nobles of the 
 land. 
 
 " M. the Count de la Rochefoucault is eager 
 to visit your studio. Master Bernard," said 
 the seigneur, as he took his leave ; " and his 
 patronage will be valuable to you for more 
 reasons than one. Not only will he give you
 
 120 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 commissions for your works, but his influence 
 can protect you from the dangers yoa incur 
 as one of the new religionists. It is true, 
 indeed, that the support of Monseigneur de 
 Montmorency is so powerful as to stand you 
 in sufficient stead; and a man who is intrusted 
 with an important share in his famous build- 
 ing-works at Ecouen, will be sure to have a 
 large circle of friends, or, at all events, ad- 
 mirers and employers. Nevertheless, I would 
 say a word of advice in your ear. It is but 
 the other day I met his reverence, the dean 
 of this town, in a courtly circle, where the 
 gentry were discussing the progress of here- 
 tical doings, and I heard, with concern, that 
 you had made yourself obnoxious to that 
 dignitary, as well as to the chapter of this 
 place, by your unguarded language. Indeed, 
 excuse me, if I say, it were well to be more 
 circumspect. Is there not a word in the 
 Holy Book which bids us be * wise as ser- 
 pents'?" 
 " I thank you heartily, monsieur, for th^
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTEE. 121 
 
 good will you are pleased to show towards 
 me," said Bernard, " but I do assure you 
 these gentry have none occasion against me, 
 except in that I have urged upon them many 
 times certain passages of Scripture, in which 
 it is written that he is unhappy and accursed 
 who driuks the milk and wears the wool of 
 the sheep without providing for their pasture. 
 Assuredly this ought to have incited them to 
 love me, rather than to take umbrage at the 
 words of truth and uprightness. In the 
 mouth of an honest man the language of 
 remonstrance is friendly, and gives none 
 occasion for displeasure." " By my faith, 
 though," said the seigneur, laughing heartily, 
 " such reproof must have stung sharply. I 
 trow, the cap fitted too closely. It is noto- 
 rious that similar language has been spoken 
 in the ears of Majesty itself The Advocate- 
 General, Segiiier, in the name of the parlia- 
 ment of Paris, recently made the king's ears 
 tingle with his bold utterance. ' If heresy is 
 to be suppressed,' said he, 'let pastors be
 
 122 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 compelled to labor among their flocks. Com- 
 mence, sire, by giving an edict to the nation, 
 which will not cover your kingdom with scaf- 
 folds, nor be moistened with the blood or 
 tears of your faithful subjects. Distant from 
 your presence — bent beneath the toil of 
 labor in the fields, or absorbed in the exer- 
 cise of arts and trades, they cannot plead for 
 themselves. It is in their name that parlia- 
 ment addresses to you its humble remon- 
 strance, and its ardent supplication.' " 
 
 " Methinks such counsel was wise and 
 timely. How did the king reply ? " " The 
 king ? oh, he listened, smiled assent, and went 
 on as before. However, the speech was to 
 good purpose, for the opposition of parlia- 
 ment prevented a most oppressive enactment, 
 against which the appeal was made." 
 
 As the young nobleman turned to leave the 
 apartment, his eye was caught by a carved 
 group, which stood somewhat apart. ''Ah! 
 what have we there ? How lovely that infant 
 form ; it reminds me of my own sweet little
 
 PALI8SY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 123 
 
 Am61ie ; " and he approached it more nearly. 
 It was a young girl who had caught up a 
 litter of puppie- , and was taking them up in 
 the lap of her pinafore to exhibit, their httle 
 heads peeping out helplessly over the sides 
 of the cloth, while the mother, fondly and 
 anxiously following its young, had seized the 
 skirt of the child'? dress, while she was turn 
 ing with a smile to quiet its solicitude. " So 
 simple and so natural ! " said the young man, 
 who was himself a father. " One sees, at a 
 glance, it is modelled from the life." 
 
 Palissy sighed. " It is from a sketch of 
 my eldest little daughter," he said, " as she 
 came one day into my garden-house, carrying 
 her new pets, to show me. Alas ! it was 
 almost the last time her frolicsome glee de- 
 lighted my heart, for she fell sick soon after." 
 " I almost envy you, good Master Bernard, 
 the power thus to perpetuate your reminis- 
 cences of past joys. I had rather be a suc- 
 cessful arti?t than a victorious warrior." And 
 with these words the Seigneur de Burie at 
 length departed.
 
 124 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 The two friends, beiug left to themselves, 
 continued their discourse ; and Palissy re- 
 lated at considerable length, the history of 
 his beloved church, now a flourishing com 
 munity. "The little one has become a 
 thousand," said he. " Within comparatively 
 a short period we have made rapid strides. 
 When our first minister, De La Place, was 
 with us, it was a pitiable state of afiairs, for 
 we had the good-will, but the power to sup 
 port the pastors we had not. So that, during 
 the time we had him, he was maintained 
 partly at the expense of the gentry, who fre- 
 quently invited him. When he removed to 
 Allevert, he was succeeded by M. de la Bois- 
 siere, whom we have at the present time. 
 For a long time there were very few rich 
 people who joined our congregation, and 
 hence we were often without the means of 
 "lis support ; frequently, therefore, did he 
 content himself with a diet of fruit and vege- 
 tables, and water as his drink. Yet, were we 
 not forsaken, nor without manifest tokens of 
 God's favor and protection. Insomuch that
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 126 
 
 Qotwithstanding the enmity of those who 
 sought to destroy the cause, there was no 
 evil suffered to overcome us; but God bridled 
 them, and preserved his church. He fulfilled 
 in our town an admirable work, for there 
 were sent to Toulouse two of the principal 
 opponents, who would not have suffered our 
 assemblies to be public, and it pleased God 
 to detain them at that place for two years or 
 thereabout, in order that they might not hurt 
 his church during the time that he would 
 have it manifested publicly." " You are then, 
 now so prosperous, as to venture openly to 
 avow your principles ? " " Yes ; the absence 
 of these two opponents encouraged us, so 
 that we had the hardihood to take the Market 
 Hall, in which to hold our meetings; and 
 now that they have returned, though indeed 
 their will is to molest and persecute us, as 
 before, yet are matters so much changed that 
 their evil designs are frustrated, and they 
 dare not venture openly to malign a work 
 which has so well prospered that it is chang- 
 mg the whole aspect of the town."
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 " The works of the Lord are great, sought out of all them 
 
 that have pleasure therein." — Psalm cxi. 2. 
 
 Palissy had not exaggerated when he said 
 that the influence of the Reformed church in 
 Saintes was changing the whole aspect of the 
 town. Though but of short duration, its 
 period of prosperity was bright and happy, 
 and he was prominent among its firm and 
 peaceable supporters. The picture he has 
 drawn of it is a lovely one. " You would 
 liave seen in those days," he says^ " fellow- 
 tradesmen, on a Sunday, rambhng through 
 the fields, groves, and other places, singing, 
 in company, psalms, canticles, and spiritual 
 songs — reading and instructing one another. 
 You would also have seen the daughters and 
 maidens, seated by troops, in the gardens and 
 other places, who, in a like way, delighted 
 
 126
 
 PALI89T THE HUGUENOT POTTEB. 127 
 
 themselves in singing of all holy things. The 
 teachers had so well instructed the young, 
 and affairs had so much prospered, that 
 people had changed their old manners, even 
 to their very countenances." 
 
 Nor was this merely a question of psalm- 
 singing and prayers, he assures us. The 
 reformation was practical and earnest. Quar- 
 rels, dissentions, and hatreds, were reconciled; 
 unseemly conduct and debauchery suppressed; 
 and this had been carried so far that " even 
 the magistrates had assumed the control of 
 many evil things which depended on their 
 authority." Inn-keepers were forbidden to 
 have gaming in their houses, and to enter- 
 tain the householders, whose duty it was to 
 abide with their own families, not eating and 
 drinking their substance elsewhere. Even 
 the enemies of the church were constrained, 
 to their very great regret, to speak well of 
 the ministers, and especially of M. de la Bois- 
 siere, who seems to have won general respect 
 and esteem by his judicious and manly piety,
 
 128 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 as well as his pastoral instructions. Thna 
 were the opponents of the gospel fairly si 
 lenced, and recourse was had to a system of 
 counteraction, in the shape of a reformation 
 on the part of the Roman Catholics. This 
 went to such a point that Palissy says, " cer- 
 tain of the priests began to take part in the 
 assemblies, and to study and take counsel 
 about the church." In fact, it was time they 
 should be on the alert, for the monks and 
 ecclesiastics were blamed in common talk ; 
 that is, by those who cared nothing for reli- 
 gion, but who were ready enough to throw 
 a stone at these idle shepherds. " Why do 
 you not exhort your people, and pray, as 
 these ministers do ? " they asked, " you are 
 paid salaries for preaching." These taunts 
 reaching the ears of Monsieur, the theologian 
 of the chapter, measures were taken accord- 
 ingly, and the shrewdest and most subtle 
 monks engaged for the service of the cathe- 
 dral church. " Thus it happened that, in 
 these days, there was prayer in the town of
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 129 
 
 bmintes every day, from one side or the 
 other." But the thing which worried the 
 priests more than any other, and which 
 Beemed to them very strange, was, that sev- 
 eral poor villagers refused to pay tithes, 
 unless they were supplied with ministers. It 
 waa certainly a strange thing to see, as 
 Palissy says, when certain farmers, who were 
 no friends to the religion, finding these things 
 80, actually went to the ministers, praying 
 them to come and exhort the people of the 
 districts they farmed, in order that they might 
 get paid their tithes ; the laborers having 
 refused to supply them with corn and fruits 
 on any other conditions. In short, the ef- 
 forts of the little church had so well pros- 
 pered, that they had constrained the wicked 
 to become good — at all events, to seem so. 
 
 How delightful to think of Bernard now : 
 at his ease, rejoicing in the peace and happi- 
 ness around him, and in the religious aspect 
 of his town ; frequently journeying abroad, 
 to Ecouen and elsewhere, to and fro, as his 
 9
 
 130 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 business required, and coming home again, to 
 wander, thoughtfully and tranquilly, among 
 the rocks and fields, in which he took such 
 delight. He was now so well supplied with 
 patronage that he might have been growing 
 rich, had he not, with his own ardent zeal 
 and restless energy, been ever expending 
 time, and toil, and money, on new efforts to 
 improve his art. Now, too, he had leisure 
 to pursue those inquiries which, in his char- 
 acter of a naturalist, so deeply interested 
 him. With surprising and marvellous saga- 
 city he penetrated some of the problems 
 which have puzzled the most skilful investi- 
 gators, and there was always mingled with 
 his love of nature a spirit of glowing and 
 unaffected piety. The bright gladness of his 
 pious soul was as a beaming light that shone 
 upon his path, and made it ever radiant. 
 
 How skilfully he turned to use all the 
 modes of acquiring knowledge, and what 
 good account he made of his own sharp wits 
 we see in a little incident he has recorded
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 131 
 
 It chanced one daj, he received a visit from 
 the Dame de la Pons, for whom he was exe- 
 cuting a commission, in which the lady felt, 
 naturally, a woman's interest. She had or- 
 dered a complete set of dishes, to be adorned 
 with his favorite " rustic figulines ; " tho 
 work was progressing favorably ; there re- 
 mained only a few pieces to be completed ; 
 and she had come to see, and to criticise. 
 " Tnis dish is charming," said the lady ; " the 
 bottom covered with sea weeds and corals, 
 while the fish, with open mouth, seem dart- 
 ing across the water. Really one can fancy 
 the slight tremor of the tail. The cray-fish, 
 the spider of the waters, stretches his long 
 claws as if to gripe the rock, and shrink into 
 its crevices." "And see this one, mamma," 
 said her daughter, who had accompanied her, 
 " this is for the fresh water fish. Look at 
 the edges, fringed with the dank mosses, and 
 tho sides covered with the broad leaves of 
 the plants. It is the subaqueous world of 
 waters, with all the leaves, stems, and flags
 
 132 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 of the marsh, and its aquatic animals, trans- 
 ferred to clay, as true in form and as brilliant 
 in colors, as if a housemaid had dipped one 
 of her plates in the stream, and drawn it 
 out, filled to the brim with the plants, shells, 
 and animals of the brook." " It is admira- 
 ble," said her mother. Palissy's eyes sparkled, 
 for praise is sweety and what son of Adam is 
 there to whom it does not come doubly wel- 
 come from the lips of a woman ? 
 
 " What a curious shell is this ! " exclaimed 
 Madame, taking up one, from which Palissy 
 was modelling. " That comes from the shores 
 of Oleron," said the artist ; " there are num- 
 bers more on yonder table," and he pointed to 
 one, covered with a multitude of similar ones. 
 "I engaged a score of women and children 
 to search for them on the rocks. And now, 
 lady, I must tell you something curious about 
 these shells. Only a day or two after they 
 were brought to me, I chanced to call on M. 
 Babaret, the advocate, who, you know, is a 
 man famous for his love of letters and the
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTEE. 133 
 
 arts. We fell into some discussion upon a 
 point in natural history, and he showed me 
 two shells exactly similar to these — Urchin 
 shells* ; but which were quite massive ; and 
 he maintained that the said shells had been 
 carved by the hand of the workman, and waa 
 quite astonished when I maintained, against 
 him, that they were natural. Since that time, 
 I have collected a number of these shells 
 converted into stones." " You surprise me," 
 said his attentive hearer ; " I was indeed 
 greatly puzzled myself, some years since, 
 when I chanced to find certain stones em- 
 bedded in rock, made in the fashion of a 
 ram's horn, though not so long nor so 
 crooked, but commonly arched, and about 
 half a foot long. I could not imagine, nor 
 have I ever known how they could have 
 been formed." " Your description, madame, 
 much interests me ; for, it so happens that J 
 have also seen, nay, possess, a stone of the 
 kind you describe, which was brought "t* me 
 
 • Hadiata.
 
 134 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 one day by Pierre Guoy, citizen and sheriff 
 of the town of Saintes. He found, in his 
 farm, one of these very stones, which was 
 half open, and had certain indentations, that 
 fitted admirably, one into the other. Well 
 knowing how curious I am about such things, 
 he made me a present of it, which I was 
 greatly rejoiced at ; for I had seen, as 1 
 walked along the rocks in this neighborhood, 
 some similar stones, which had awakened my 
 curiosity ; and, from that time, 1 understand 
 that these stones had formerly been the shells 
 of a fish, which fish we see no more at the 
 present day." He then showed his visitors 
 the picture of a rock, in the Ardennes, near 
 the village of Sedan, in which were paintings 
 of all the species of shells that it contained. 
 
 " The inhabitants of that place," said he, 
 " daily hew the stone from that mountain to 
 build ; and, in doing so, the said shells are 
 found at the lowest, as well as at the highest 
 part ; that is, inclosed in the densest stones. 
 I am certain that I saw one kind which Wftp
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 135 
 
 sixteen inches in diameter. From this T infer 
 that the rock, which is full of many kinds of 
 shells, has formerly been a marine bed, pro- 
 ducing fishes." " You speak as if stones 
 grew, or were made, in process of time," said 
 the lady ; " while we know that from the 
 beginning, God made heaven and earth. He 
 also made the stones ; and from that time 
 there have been none made, for all things 
 have been finished from the commenoement 
 of the world."* 
 
 " it is indeed, madame, written in the book 
 of Genesis that God created all things in 
 six days, and that he rested on the seventh. 
 But yet, for all that, God did not make these 
 things to leave them idle. Therefore, each 
 performs its dut) according to the command- 
 
 * Sixty-three years after this time, these opinions of Palissy 
 concerning stones were propounded, in a public disputation 
 by three savants (one of then an inhabitant of Saintes). The 
 faculty of theology at Paris protested against their doctrines 
 as unscriptural. The trea*>ses were destroyed, and the 
 authors banished from Paris, and forbidden to live in towna 
 or enter places of public reai.rt. It was only the contemptu- 
 ous neglect in which Palissjf was held, that sav^d him from 
 ft Bimilar fate.
 
 136 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 meut it received from him. The stars and 
 planets are not idle. The sea wanders from 
 one place to another, and labors to bring 
 forth profitable things. The earth likewise 
 is never idle ; that which decays naturally 
 in her, she forms over again; if not in one 
 shape, she will reproduce it in another. It 
 is certain that if, since the creation of the 
 world, no stones had grown within the earth, 
 it would be difficult to find any number of 
 them, for they are constantly being dissolved 
 and pulverized by the effects of frosts, and 
 an infinite number of other accidents, which 
 daily spoil, consume, and reduce stone to 
 earth." " You tell us startling things ; very 
 hard to be understood, Master Bernard," 
 said the Dame de la Pons, " yet full of deep 
 interest to one who loves to note the won- 
 derful works of creation, and would fain 
 learn to see them with discernment as well 
 as admiration." Palissy paused from his 
 work, (he had continued to sketch while he 
 conversed,) and opening a cabinet with draw
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTEK. 137 
 
 era which stood near him, he showed the 
 ladies several specimens of fossils and min- 
 erals, which in his enthusiastic researches 
 he had collected * for, with the acuteness 
 of a philosophic observer, he had perceived 
 the importance of a detailed study of fossil 
 forms to the discovery of geological truths: 
 and it may be truly said that the first who 
 pursued this study (on which undoubtedly 
 modern geology and all its grandest results 
 are founded) was Palissy, the self-educated 
 potter, who had taught himself in the school 
 of nature. " I have been anxious," said he, 
 " to represent by pictures, the shells and 
 fishes which I have found lapidified, to dis- 
 tinguish between them and the sorts now in 
 common use ; but because my time would 
 not permit me to put ray design in execu- 
 tion, I have, for some years, sought, accord 
 Ing to my power, for petrifactions, until at 
 length I have found more fishes and shells 
 tn that form petrified upon the earth than 
 there are modern kinds inhabiting the ocean,"
 
 138 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 He then showed them a small specimen 
 which he begged them carefully to observe. 
 "What can it be?" they inquired; "it re- 
 sembles wood more nearly than anything 
 else." " You will think it very strange when 
 I dssure you that it is indeed wood, con- 
 verted into stone. It came into my posses- 
 sioii through the kindness ot the Seigneur 
 de la Mothe, the secretary to the king of 
 Navarre, a man very curious and a lover of 
 virtii. He was once at court in company 
 with the late king of Navarre, when there 
 was brought to that prince a piece of wood 
 changed into stone. It was thought so great 
 a curiosity that the king commanded one ot 
 his attendants to lock it up, among his other 
 treasures. 
 
 " Taking occasion to speak with the gen- 
 tlemen who had received this charge, Mon- 
 sieur de la Mothe begged that he would give 
 him a little morsel of it, which he did ; and 
 Bome time after, passing through Saintes, he 
 brought the tr-'asure to me, and seeing how
 
 PA^'LSr THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 139 
 
 much pleasure and interest I took in exam- 
 ining it, he gave it me. I have since made 
 inquiry^ and find that it was brought from 
 the forest of Fayan, which is a swampy 
 place. It appears to me, indeed, I am per- 
 suaded, that in the same manner as the shells 
 are converted into stone, so is the wood also 
 transmuted, and being petrified, it preserves 
 the form and appearance of wood, precisely 
 like the shells. By these things you see 
 how Nature no sooner suffers destruction 
 by one principle, than she at once resumes 
 working with another; and this is what I 
 have already said — to wit, that the earth 
 and the other elements are never idle." 
 "Where can you have learned all this?" 
 asked the young lady, with girlish wonder; 
 "I would fain know to what school you 
 have been, where you have learned all that 
 you are telling us." "In truth, Mademoi- 
 selle," said Palissy, smiling, " I have had no 
 other teacher than the heavens and the 
 earth, which are given to all, to be known
 
 140 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 and read. Having read therein, I have re» 
 fleeted on terrestrial matters, because I havo 
 had no opportunity in studying astrologj to 
 contemplate the stars."
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 "The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men 
 
 ue exalted." — Psalm xii. 8. 
 
 Thus happily occupied with the pursuits 
 he loved, but taking no share in the turmoils 
 of the time, Palissy prospered and cheerfully 
 pursued his way. He could not, indeed, be 
 an unconcerned observer of the events that 
 were transpiring around. Having eyes, he 
 doubtless saw the clouds that were gather- 
 ing over his country, and from time to time, 
 heard the thunders that threfttened before 
 long to burst in a terrific storm. P'or a 
 season, however, the evil day was deferred, 
 and the hymns of the rejoicing Huguenots 
 continued to gladden his heart. We have 
 already had sufficient evidence that he did 
 not spare his remonstrances against those 
 who, while they enjoyed the revenues of 
 the church, neglected the performance of its 
 
 141
 
 142 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 duties. Nor did he stop there, and as his 
 censures extended from the highest to the 
 lowest matters, his shafts were often pointed 
 against those who could ill endure the test 
 of common sense, which he unceremoniously 
 applied to them. 
 
 His criticisms on the follies and vices ot his 
 neighbors had too much the character of 
 home-thrusts not to be felt. In his lively 
 way he relates that, on one occasion he re- 
 monstrated with a certain high dame upon 
 the absurdities and improprieties of feminine 
 attire ; but " after I had made her this 
 remonstrance," he quietly adds, '' the silly 
 woman, instead of thanking me, called me 
 Huguenot, seeing which — I left her." At 
 another time, he relates that, being on a 
 visit to the neighboring town of Rochelle, 
 he earnestly remonstrated with a tradesman, 
 of whom he inquired what he had put into 
 his pepper which enabled him, though buy- 
 ing it in that place at thirty-five sols the 
 pound, to make a great profit by selling it
 
 PALISSy THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 143 
 
 again, at the fair of Niord, at seventeen 
 sols, in consequence of the adulteration of 
 the article. In reply to the man's excuse 
 of poverty, Bernard replied, that by such 
 /criminal acts he was heaping up to himself 
 fearful punishments, " and surely," said he, 
 ■'you can better afford to be poor than be 
 damned." Strong, though faithful language, 
 which was wholly ineffectual upon this "poor 
 insensate, who declared he would not be 
 poor, follow what might." Plain speaking 
 of this sort was evidently very character- 
 istic of Palissy, who uttered his remon- 
 strances without reckoning on the conse- 
 quences. The same originality and force ot 
 intellect which procured him patrons in his 
 art, undoubtedly, when applied in a different 
 direction, served to multiply enemies aruuiid 
 him, and their time was not long in coming. 
 
 Happily and swittly flew the years of pros- 
 perity, but (as we have already seen) the 
 clouds were gathering in the horizon, and 
 soon the cruel hounds of War were let slip,
 
 144 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 and most frightful were the results. Two 
 great parties had involved in their disputes 
 the passions of the whole French nation. 
 One, which included all the Huguenots, was 
 headed by the high old French nobility; 
 while the leaders of the others, embracing 
 all the Roman Catholics, were the Guises. 
 These opposing factions, with their strong 
 deep passions, rapidly precipitated themselves 
 into a fierce and bloody contest. One of the 
 young sons of Catherine de' Midici had died, 
 after a few months of nominal rule, and a 
 child, no more than ten years old, called 
 Charles IX., had succeeded to the throne. 
 The queen mother, who, as regent for her 
 son, assumed the government of affairs, was 
 anxious, as far as possible, to offend neither 
 of the contending parties, but to hold them 
 so well balanced, as to preserve the power 
 in her own hands. For a short time, there 
 was a cessation of disputes, and efforts at 
 conciliation. The policy of Catherine was 
 the maintenance of peace, and she spoke
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 146 
 
 fair to the Huguenots, feigning so well and 
 BO successfully that she was even accused 
 by those of the Roman Catholic party, of 
 being in heart one with tne new sect. The 
 reformers took courage, and were full of 
 fervor and hope ; the enthasiasm spreading 
 throughout the provinces and awakening 
 everywhere the hope that the triumph of 
 the Reformed faith was at hand. It was 
 but a passing gleam, presently followed by 
 a darker gloom, which finally deepened into 
 the thick night of the Black Bartholomew. 
 In vain did the queen and the chancellor, 
 De I'Hopital, labor to secure peace by col- 
 loquies and edicts of toleration. The Guises 
 fiercely "stirred the fires of contention, and 
 employed themselves in active preparations 
 for a struggle. At length, the first signal 
 for the outbreak of the civil war was given. 
 There was in Champagne, a small fortified 
 town, called Vassy, containing about three 
 thousand inhabitants, a third of whom, not 
 reckoning the surrounding villages, professed 
 10
 
 146 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 the Reformed religion. It happened, on tn« 
 28th of February, 1562, that the Duko of 
 Guise, journeying on his way to Paris, ac- 
 companied by his cousin, the cardinal of 
 Lorraine, with an escort of gentlemen, fol- 
 lowed by some two hundred horsemen, vis- 
 ited the chateau de Joinville, which was 
 situated in the neighborhood, on an estate 
 belonging to the Lorraines. 
 
 The mistress of the castle was a very old 
 lady, the dowager Duchess of Guise, whose 
 bigoted attachment to the faith of her an- 
 cestors made the very name of Huguenot an 
 offence to her. Sorely indignant was she at 
 the audacity of the inhabitants of Vassy, who 
 had no right, she declared, as vassals of her 
 grand daughter, Mary Stuart, to adopt a new 
 religion without her permission. Often had 
 she threatened vengeance upon them, and the 
 time was now come to inflict it. And the 
 aged woman urged her son, the fierce Duke 
 Francis, to make a striking example of these 
 insolent peasants. As he listened to her
 
 " Palissy devoutly opened the sacred volume."
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUBNOT POTTER. 147 
 
 angry words, he swore a deep oath, and bit 
 his beard, which was his custom, when his 
 wrath waxed strong. 
 
 The next morning, resuming his march, he 
 arrived at a village not far oif the obnoxious 
 town; and the morning breeze, as it came 
 sweeping up the hills, brought to his ears 
 the sound of church bells. " What means 
 that noise ? " he asked of one of his attend- 
 ants. " It is the morning service of the 
 Huguenots," was the reply. It was, in fact, 
 the Sabbath day, and the reformers, assembled 
 to the number of some hundreds, were per- 
 forming their worship in a barn, under the 
 protection of a recent edict of toleration. 
 Unsuspicious of danger, there was not a man 
 among them armed, with the exception of 
 some ten strangers, probably gentlemen, who 
 wore swords. 
 
 Suddenly, a band of the duke's soldiers 
 approached the place, and began shouting — 
 " Heretic dogs I Huguenot rebels I Kill, 
 kill I " The first person whom they laid hands
 
 148 FALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 on was a poor hawker of wine. " In whon 
 do you believe ? " they cried. " I believe in 
 Jeeus Christ," was the answer ; and with one 
 thrust of the pike he was laid low. Two 
 more were killed at the door, and instantly 
 the tumult raged. The duke, hastening up 
 at the sound of arms, was struck by a stone, 
 which drew blood from his cheek. Instantly 
 the rage of his followers redoubled, and his 
 own fury knew no bounds. A horrible 
 butchery followed ; men, women, and children 
 were attacked indiscriminately, and sixty 
 were slain in the barn or in the street, while 
 more than two hundred were grievously 
 wounded. 
 
 The pastor, Leonard Morel, at the first 
 sound of alarm, kneeled down in the pulpit 
 and implored the Divine aid. He was fired 
 at ; and then endeavored to escape, but, as 
 he approached the door, he stumbled over a 
 dead body, and received two sabre cuts on 
 the right shoulder and on his head. Believing 
 himself to be mortally wounded, he exclaimed,
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 149 
 
 " Into thy hands I commend my spirit, 
 Lord ; for thou hast redeemed me." He was 
 captured, and carried, being unable to walk, 
 into the presence of the duke. " Minister, 
 come this way," he said, "what emboldens 
 thee to seduce this people ? " "I am no 
 seducer," said Morel, " but I have faithfully 
 preached the gospel of Jesus Christ." " Does 
 the gospel teach sedition, sirrah ? " said M. 
 de Guise, with his usual blasphemous oath ; 
 " thou hast caused the death of all these 
 people ; and thou shalt thyself be hanged 
 immediately. Here, ProvQt, make ready a 
 gallows for him on the spot ! " But even 
 among that fierce crew none seemed willing 
 to obey the savage mandate, and no one 
 came forward to enact the part of hangman. 
 This delay saved the life of the captive, who 
 was removed under good guard, but event- 
 ually escaped. 
 
 The following year, as the blood-thirsty 
 duke lay on his death-bed, mortally wounded 
 by the hand of an assassin, he protested that
 
 160 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 he had neither premeditated nor commanded 
 the massacre of Vassy. This may be true ; 
 but his consent at the moment of its perpe- 
 tration is beyond question. 
 
 An extraordinary effect was produced 
 throughout the whole kingdom by the tidings 
 of this cruel slaughter. Among the Reformed 
 party it created a universal feeling of indig- 
 nant horror and alarm. It was like the war- 
 whoop of the Indians, which precedes the 
 rush to battle. Each party flew to arms, 
 after putting forth manifestoes, asserting the 
 merits of their respective causes. The Prince 
 of Conde hastened to Orleans, which he suc- 
 ceeded in occupying, and there the army of 
 the Huguenots established their head-quarters. 
 In that town the Calvinist lords assembled, 
 on the Uth of April, 1562, and after partaking 
 the Lord's supper together, bound themselves 
 in an alliance, to maintain the edicts, and to 
 punish those who had broken them. They 
 took a solemn oath to repress blasphemy, 
 violence, and whatever was forbidden by the
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 151 
 
 law of God, and to set up good and faithfu. 
 ministers to instruct the people ; and lastly, 
 they promised, by their hope of heaven, to 
 fulfil their duty in this cause. 
 
 And thus the fearful work began, and 
 tumult, massacre, battle, and siege prevailed. 
 Every town in France was filled with the riot 
 of contending factions. " It was a grand and 
 frightful struggle of province against prov- 
 ince, city with city, quarter with quarter, 
 house with house, man with man," says a 
 recent historian. " Fanaticism had reduced 
 France to a land of cannibals ; and the 
 gloomiest imagination would fail to conceive 
 all the variety of horrors which were then 
 practised." 
 
 We have to do with the town of Saintes. 
 There were few places in which the Hugue- 
 nots were so numerous, and had multiplied so 
 rapidly, as in Saintonge. Passions were no- 
 where stronger ; no place was more trampled 
 by combatants ; it was the scene of many of 
 the maddest contests during the days of the
 
 152 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 religious warfare. At the invitation of the 
 Duke de La Rochefoucault, all the Protestant 
 leaders of the district gathered themselvea 
 together at Angouleme, and betook them- 
 selves, under his guidance, to Orleans, in 
 order to join the Prince of Conde, who was 
 his brother-in-law. After the departure of 
 these forces, the various towns in that neigh- 
 borhood, Angouleme, Saintes, Pons, and 
 others, remained indeed in the possession 
 of the Huguenots, but without defence, 
 nearly all the Reformers of the district, capa- 
 ble of bearing arms, having followed the 
 march of De La Rochefoucault, " especially,' 
 we are told, " those of Saintes." Conse- 
 quently, the town, deprived of its soldiers 
 presented an easy prey to the enemy, and in 
 a short time, fell into the hands of a hostile 
 leader, named Nogeret, who treated with 
 harsh severity all that remained in the place^ 
 In execution of a decree from Bordeaux, by 
 which the Reformers were abandoned, with 
 out appeal, to the mercy of any royal judge,
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 153 
 
 Among those thus given over to the power 
 of these miscreants, was Palissy. In few but 
 emphatic words, he has recorded the terrors 
 of that fearful time. " Deeds so wretched 
 were then done," he said afterward, " that I 
 have horror in the mere remembrance. To 
 avoid those dreadful and execrable sights, I 
 withdrew into the secret recesses of my 
 house, and there, by the space of two months, 
 I had warning that hell was broke loose, and 
 that all the spirits of the devils had come into 
 this town of Saintes. For where, a short 
 time before, I had heard psalms, and holy 
 songs, and all good words of edification, now 
 mine ears were assailed only with blas- 
 phemies, blows, menaces, and tumults ; all 
 miserable words, and lewd and detestable 
 songs. Those of the Reformed religion had 
 all disappeared, and our enemies went from 
 house to house, to siege, sack, gluttonize, and 
 laugh ; jesting and merry-making with all 
 dissolute deeds, and blasphemous words against 
 God and man." 
 
 Very terrible is this truth-breathing descrip*
 
 154 PALISST THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 tion of the miseries of a city given over to 
 the licence of an unbridled soldiery ; but the 
 most affecting picture is that which he draws 
 when closing his short narrative of those 
 " evil days " : " I had nothing at that time 
 but reports of those frightful crimes that, 
 from day to day, were committed ; and of all 
 those things, that which grieved me most 
 within myself was, that certain little children 
 of the town, who came daily to assemble in 
 an open space near the spot where I was 
 hidden (always exerting myself to produce 
 some work of my art), dividing themselves 
 into two parties, fought and cast stones one 
 side against another, while they swore and 
 blasphemed in the most execrable language 
 that ever man could utter, so that I have, aa 
 it were, horror in recalling it. Now, that 
 lasted a long time, while neither fathers nor 
 mothers exercised any rule over them. Often 
 I was seized with a desire to risk my life by 
 going out to punish them ; but I said in my 
 heart the 79th Psalm, which begins, ' God, 
 the heathen are come into thine inheritance."
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 " A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born foi 
 adversity." — Proverbs xvii. 17. 
 
 The Seigneur de Burie had not spoken with 
 out suflBcient cause when he warned Palissj 
 that he had made himself enemies of certain 
 high church dignitaries in Saintes. Those 
 admonitions he had uttered were not for- 
 gotten by the Romish ecclesiastics, who 
 bestirred themselves so zealously, that after 
 the city had been in the power of the Ro- 
 man Catholic party for a few weeks, violent 
 hands were laid upon the unsuspecting pot- 
 ter. He had believed himself secure from 
 actual assault within his own premises, and 
 not without cause, since he was under the 
 protection of a safeguard, given him by the 
 Duke de Montpensier, which expressly for- 
 bade the authorities undertaking anything 
 against him or his house. It was also well 
 
 165
 
 156 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 kuown by both parties that the building 11 
 which he worked for the constable had been 
 partly erected at the expense of that noble- 
 man, and that, on occasion of an outbreak 
 in the city which had occurred some cime 
 before, the leaders of the Roman Catholic 
 party had expressly forbidden any interfer 
 ence with Palissy or his work, through re- 
 spect to his employer. 
 
 But matters had now reached a strange 
 height, and there seemed to be a favorable 
 season for malice and bigotry to work their 
 will. Palissy was arrested and imprisoned ; 
 and, as soon as he was taken into custody, 
 his worshop was broken into, and part of 
 it laid open to the intrusion of the public. 
 The magistrates, at their town meeting, 
 actually came to a resolution to pull down 
 the building, and would infallibly have car- 
 ried their purpose into effect, had not the 
 Seigneur de Pons and his lady immediately 
 interfered. These tried friends of Bernard 
 lost no time in personally remonstrating with
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 157 
 
 the magistrates, from whom they, with some 
 difficulty, obtained the promise to defer car- 
 rying out their design. To deliver him from 
 the clutches of his enemies was not so easy 
 a matter. His prosecutors were, in fact, no 
 other than the dean and chapter, who, he 
 says, were his cruel foes, and would have 
 delivered him to death for no other cause 
 than his free speech in the matter of their 
 neglect of duty. 
 
 The Sire de Pons, as king's lieutenant in 
 Saintonge, had power to control the justices 
 of Saintes ; and, consequently, the hands of 
 his judges were tied. They were all, indeed, 
 " one body, one soul, and one single will,'' 
 with the reverend prosecutors of their pris- 
 oner, and without a shadow of doubt, had 
 they been able to work their pleasure, he 
 would have been put to death before appeal 
 could have been made to the constable. 
 
 " An awkward business is this," said the 
 dean to one of his brethren, as they dis- 
 cussed the matter of the interposition of
 
 158 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 the Sire de Pons. " Plainly, we cannot 
 carry out our intentions here ; but once at 
 Bordeaux, this obstinate heretic would be 
 given up into the hands of the parliament 
 there, and then the interference of the king 
 alone could save him." " There will be no 
 satisfaction till he is silenced," was the 
 reply ; " and, without doubt, he has done 
 ample mischief. Only think of the labor- 
 ers on our farms beginning to murmur at 
 paying tithes to those whom they, forsooth, 
 say do not deserve them. This comes of 
 his unbridled tongue. And shall we thus 
 be defied and brow-beaten by an insolent 
 mechanic?" "Nay, there is no need to 
 urge me on. If he were but in our power ; 
 . . . but the question is, how to manage 
 the affair, and get him safely out of the 
 iurisdiction of these people, who will cer- 
 tainly never be brought to consent to his 
 condemnation. There are so many wealthy 
 men in this neighborhood by whom the 
 knave is employed in decorative works, be-
 
 PALISST THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 159 
 
 eides the buildings at Ecouen, and his skill 
 in pottery-ware, has made him so much 
 thought of, that he is safe as long as he 
 remains within this district." " To Bor- 
 deaux, then, let him go ; and that without 
 delay. Why not this very night? In the 
 day-time the matter would get bruited abroad, 
 and his friends might contrive to send to the 
 rescue ; but by night, and across by-roads, 
 he can be carried off silently and safely ; 
 and once at Bordeaux — " . . . "You say 
 well. Measures shall be taken immediately." 
 Little did our captive imagine what were 
 the devices of those that hated him. He 
 might easily have contrived to escape be- 
 yond their reach, had he not reckoned him- 
 self so safe that his arrest came upon him 
 wholly unawares. It had fared ill with him 
 at this juncture but for the watchful and 
 affectionate care of his old friend Victor. 
 Through the interposition of those from 
 whom he had learned the particulars of 
 Hamelin's last hours, he obtained admission
 
 160 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 into the prison where Palissy was confined, 
 and ministered to him with the solicitude 
 of a brother. By his means, communica- 
 tion was carried on between the prisoner 
 and his patrons, the Seigneurs de Burie 
 and de Jarnac, as well as the king's lieu- 
 tenant. All these gentlemen took much 
 trouble, and made interposition with the 
 dean and chapter, to whom they repeatedly 
 urged that no man but Palissy could com- 
 plete M. de Montmorency's work, and that 
 the displeasure of his highness would be 
 incurred if a person under his especial 
 patronage were injured. We have seen 
 that their interference did but hasten on 
 the catastrophe, and make his doom more 
 certain. 
 
 Victor's heart misgave him that evil was 
 designed against his friend. He had seen 
 the fearful end of the two pastors of Alle- 
 vert and Gimosac, and the more recent fate 
 Df Hamelin ; and the most cruel forebodings 
 oppressed him. He was incessantly on the
 
 PALlSSY THE HtJGUENOT POTTEK. 161 
 
 watch, and when obliged to leave the ]»n8ori, 
 and compelled to abandon Palissy to sol- 
 itude, he could not go to his own home 
 and rest there, but remained, pacing to and 
 fro, in the neighborhood of the jail; and, 
 while thus restless and agitated, he poured 
 out his soul in earnest entreaties for help 
 from on high. Oh, the blessing of a true 
 friend in the hour of adversity ! How sweet 
 a thing is heavenly charity — the brother- 
 hood of love in Christ Jesus ! It was a 
 true word, spoken by the great lawyer, Ger- 
 bellius — "There is nothing the devil hates 
 so cordially as sincere friendship;" and what 
 marvel, since, as an old divine says, " It 
 makes men so unlike his ill-natured self." 
 But, as long as we enjoy prosperous days, 
 and sail before a favoring wind, there is no 
 test by which we can prove the strength 
 and value of this principle. The time to 
 know who truly loves us is the season 
 when troubles assail us. All sorts of afflio- 
 tion and misery test this, and show what 
 U
 
 162 rALxsaT the huguenot pottee. 
 
 friePflship is genuine and hearty. This is 
 one of " the uses of adversity," as friend- 
 ship is one of its sweetest alleviations. 
 
 On the afternoon of the day when Palissy's 
 abstraction from Saintes was plotted, Victor 
 was at his customary post beside his friend, 
 who remained quite composed and free from 
 anxiety on his own account. " Be not so 
 anxious," he said, endeavoring to soothe the 
 fears he did not share ; " I am, at all events, 
 secure from further harm, since the power 
 is not in the hands of these jjidges. No 
 thanks, indeed, to theia; they fear to lose 
 some morsel of ben<^fice which they pos- 
 sess, and consequently go hand in hand with 
 my sanguinary enemies. It is certain I can 
 but take the blame of what has befallen 
 me to my own account. Jesus Christ has 
 left us a counsel, written in the 7th chap- 
 ter of St. Matthew, by which he forbids us 
 to scatter pearls before the swine, lest, turn- 
 ing upon us, they rend us. If I had obeyed 
 this injunction, I should not now have been
 
 PALI8SY THE HUGUENOT POTTEE. 163 
 
 in suffering, and at the mercy of those who, 
 though they want the power, have undoubt- 
 edly the will to bring me to destruction as 
 a malefactor." 
 
 Just at that moment the jailer entered, 
 desiring a man who followed him to brmg 
 in a box, which they placed in a corner of 
 the room. " You must be going soon," 
 said he, addressing Victor ; " I have some 
 business in hand, and must lock up doors 
 early to-night. Your friend can stay, how- 
 ever," he added, casting a glance at Palissy, 
 which seemed to the ever observant Victor 
 to have a shade of compassion in it, " for 
 half an hour longer, if you wish it." So 
 saying he retired, turning the key, which 
 grated heavily and with a harsh sound in 
 the lock. Victor would have spoken of his 
 suspicion that something was wrong, and 
 that mischief was designed; but Bernard 
 interrupted him with a gesture of impa- 
 tience, and presently began talking on a 
 theme which appears to have formed tlie
 
 164 PALISSY THB HUGUENOT FOTTEK. 
 
 solace of his prison-house, and by which he 
 wiled away the hours, which else had seemed 
 80 tedious to his free and active nature. He 
 had for some time had it in his intention to 
 publish a little book containing his obser- 
 vations and opinions on various matters — 
 in short, the experience of his past years 
 He now recurred to this subject. " I have 
 resolved," said he, " that my book shall treat 
 on four subjects ; to wit, agriculture, natural 
 history, the plan of a delectable garden, (to 
 which I will append a history of the troubles 
 in Saintonge,) and lastly, the plan of a for- 
 tified town, which might serve as a city of 
 refuge in these perilous times. Of the two 
 former I have sketched the plan in my imagi- 
 nation, and the matter of the garden now 
 fills my thought. You know well the de 
 light I have in so great a recreation, and 
 how I have been minded to make me such 
 a pleasant retreat, as a place of refuge, 
 whither I might flee from the iniquity and 
 malice of the world to serve God with pure
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 165 
 
 freedom." " Would to heaven, my beloved 
 friend, you were safe sheltered there," said 
 Victor, " but oh, methinks this is but a plea- 
 sant dream." " Often, in my sleep, I have 
 seemed to be occupied about it," said Ber- 
 nard, " and it happened to me only last night, 
 that, as I lay slumbering on my bed, my 
 garden seemed to be already made, and I 
 already began to eat its fruits and recreate 
 myself therein ; and it came to pass, in my 
 night vision, that, while considering the mar- 
 vellous deeds which our Sovereign Lord has 
 commanded nature to perform, I fell- upon 
 my face, to worship and adore the Living 
 of the living, who has made such things for 
 man's service and use. That also gave me 
 occasion to consider our miserable ingrati- 
 tude and perverse wickedness ; and the more 
 I entered into the contemplation of these 
 things, the more was I disposed to value 
 the art of agriculture, and I said in mysell 
 that men were very foolish so to despise 
 rural places and the labors of the field, which
 
 166 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 18 a thing just before God, and which oui 
 ancient fathers, men of might and propihets, 
 were content themselves to exercise, and 
 even to watch the flocks ; and being in such 
 ravishment of spirit — " 
 
 The sentence was broken short by the re- 
 turn of the jailor, who announced that the 
 time he had allowed was now expired. Victor 
 reluctlautly took his leave of Palissy, and, 
 with a heavy heart, turned to go from him. 
 No sooner had he reached the open street, 
 than, again recurring, in his own thoughts, to 
 what had transpired, he felt convinced that 
 something was wrong. That compassionate 
 glance of the stern jailer intimated, as it 
 seemed to him, the cause of the favor he had 
 granted, in allowing the two friends a longer 
 interval before they were parted. '* Parted !" 
 cried Victor, his heart filled with dismay as 
 his lips unconsciously uttered the ominous 
 word — " parted ! can it be that we are parted 
 for ever ? Lord ! " he exclaimed, in a burst 
 of feeling, " be thou his guard and his de-
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 1G7 
 
 fence, as a wall of fire to keep thy servant ; 
 and in this hour of trial show that thine arm 
 is not shortened, that it cannot save." After 
 a short interval, he repeated, in a low tone, 
 this verse of a hymn, composed by the Protes. 
 tant Gondinel, and often sung by the little 
 persecuted church of Saintes : — 
 
 " The time is dark, we faint with woe. 
 Our foes are mightier far than we; 
 
 They say, ' Their God forsakes them now, 
 And who shall their deliyever be ? ' 
 
 Lord, show thy presence — prove thy power. 
 
 And save us at the latest hour." 
 
 Continuing to pace to and fro, he remained 
 within sight of the prison until the darkness 
 gathered around, and the bright stars, one by 
 one, came shining in brilliant beauty overhead. 
 The sight of them, as he raised his prayerful 
 eyes upwards, calmed his spirit, and he whis- 
 pered gently, " He calleth them all by their 
 names." It was a thought calculated to in- 
 spire confidence in Him who has promised to 
 his children that they shall be graven on the 
 palms of his hands, and who has said, " Call
 
 1G8 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 upon me in the day of trouble ; I will deliver 
 thee," and the spirit of Victor was cheered as 
 he pleaded the exceeding great and precious 
 promises of Divine love. 
 
 At length the hour of midnight approached, 
 and still all around remained hushed in repose. 
 There was nothing to justify his prognosticei- 
 tions, nor to awaken alarm, and he had just 
 resolved to retire, when the sound of horses 
 tramping at a distance, caught his ear. Pre- 
 sently, from a side street emerged a small 
 troop of horsemen, who moved cautiously 
 along, and kept, as much as possible, within 
 the deep shadows of the walls. They pro- 
 ceeded down the street, and drew up before 
 the gate of the prison-house. Victor, who 
 had hastily retired beneath an archway, 
 watched their movements with strained eyes, 
 and dimly saw, by the starlight, the outline 
 of their figures as they filed along. The gate 
 was unbarred to them without summons, and 
 the next instant a mufiled form was led out 
 between two men, and hastily lifted on to the
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 169 
 
 crupper of one of the horses behind the stal- 
 wart torm of a trooper. There was not a 
 moment to lose, for the party were evidently 
 about to resume their march, and Victor, with 
 ready wit, emerging from his hiding-place, 
 reeled forward, in the manner of a drunken 
 man, and began to sing a carol. Just as the 
 horse, with its double freight, passed him, he 
 shouted the words, " Save us at the latest 
 hour." His stratagem succeeded, for a shrill 
 whistle was instantly heard, mingling with 
 the ringing sound of the horses' hoofs on the 
 Btones, as they passed along the street. " It 
 is he ! " cried Victor, and, with the speed of 
 a grey-hound, he darted down the nearest 
 passage. 
 
 He knew that his errand admitted not of 
 delay. There was but one chance that Palissy 
 might be saved. It was an intercession with 
 the king ; and possibly the Sire de Pons, on 
 receiving immediate information of the secret 
 Victor had thus learned, might take timely 
 measures to frustrate the deadly designs of 
 Bernard's enemies.
 
 fart f^irlr. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 *' A good maa shall be satisfied from himself." 
 
 Proveebs xiv. 14. 
 
 Palissy was now immured within the walla 
 of the Bordeaux prison. While he lies there, 
 bereft of the consolation he had hitherto en- 
 joyed in the society of Victor, we must betake 
 ourselves to a very different scene. 
 
 In consequence of the information he re- 
 ceived from the Sire de Pons, the constable 
 Montmorency determined, as the only means 
 of averting the fate which threatened his .in- 
 genious workman, to apply himself, in person, 
 to the queen mother, through whose influence 
 the court might be induced to protect him. 
 
 170
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 171 
 
 lu fact. Catherine was herself virtually mon- 
 arch, and a word from her would suffice. 
 The sole redeeming quality of this woman of 
 evil renown was, an enlightened taste for 
 literature and the fine arts ; a taste which 
 seems to have been hereditary in her family. 
 She enriched the royal library with many 
 precious manuscripts of Greece and Italy, 
 and presented to it half the volumes which 
 her great ancestor, Lorenzo de'Medici, had 
 purchased of the Turks, after the taking of 
 Constantinople. Especially, she excelled in 
 her love of the fine arts, and her taste and 
 genius were displayed in the erection of many 
 chateaux in various provinces remarkable for 
 the exactness of their proportions and their 
 style, at a period when the French had 
 scarcely a notion of the principles of archi- 
 tecture. At the present time, she had just 
 conceived the purpose of constructing a new 
 residence for herself; and Montmorency found 
 her, in one of the apartments assigned to her 
 use, in the palace of the Louvre, busily en-
 
 172 PALISSy THE HUGUfiNOT POITER. 
 
 gaged in looking over some manuscript plans. 
 As the constable was announced, she raised 
 her eyes from the table on which these de« 
 signs were placed, and after receiving his 
 salutations, begged him to be seated beside 
 her, and pointing with her hand (the most 
 beautiful one ever beheld, according to a con- 
 temporary historian), she smilingly requested 
 his assistance in her choice. " Allow me, 
 monsieur," she said, " to appeal to your judg- 
 ment, for in the matter now under considera- 
 tion, I could not have an adviser whose 
 opinion I should more highly value. You 
 are aware that the chateau des Tournellea 
 has been destined to demolition, and I have, 
 therefore, determined to build me a new pal- 
 ace, the site of which I am anxious to fix 
 upon. The plan now before his majesty" — 
 and she glanced at her son, the poor young 
 boy king, who sat opposite her — " appears to 
 me to present no small advantages." The 
 paper to which the queen referred was the 
 plan of a plot of ground close to the trenchoa
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 173 
 
 of the Louvre, situated, at that time, out oi 
 Paris, and which had been purchased, some 
 halt-century before, by king Francis I., as a 
 present to his mother, Marie Louise, of Savoy. 
 It had been originally occupied by tuileries 
 (t. c lime kilns), and in the old drawings 
 which Catiierine was inspecting, the spots 
 where formerly stood the wood-yards and 
 baking-houses used in making the bricks and 
 tiles, were marked out. " Its situation by the 
 river, and the large space suitable for garden 
 ground attached to it, seem much in its favor, 
 madame," said the constable, " And its neigh- 
 borhood to the royal dwelling also," said the 
 queen, at the same time she unrolled another 
 map, which she proceeded to examine, with 
 the assistance of Montmorency. 
 
 Whilst they were thus engaged, we will 
 take the opportunity to say something of the 
 two royal personages present. Charles IX. 
 was not yet fourteen years old, tall in stature, 
 strongly but not gracefully built, and with a 
 countenance of energetic oxpression, but
 
 174 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 fierce and unrefined. The poor lad, investert 
 at so early an age with unbounded authority, 
 appears to have been naturally of a violeni 
 temper, with high animal spirits. His greai 
 passion was the chase, and he also showed 
 considerable taste for letters. But, kept in 
 subjection to the will of his mother, and 
 tutored by her to suspect and dissimulate, 
 his natural character was vitiated, and he suf- 
 fered himself to continue, to the time of his 
 death, the passive instrument of her ambition 
 and cruelty. A remarkable anecdote is told 
 of him, which seems to prove that better 
 things might have been expected of him, had 
 his education been in difi'erent hands. When 
 but a youth, having perceived that after 
 drinking wine he was no longer master of 
 himself, he swore never to use it again ; and 
 he kept his oath. What might not have been 
 expected from a prince gifted with such 
 powers of self-control, had he been judiciously 
 trained ? 
 
 At the time of which we are speaking, the
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 175 
 
 queen mother was in the decHne of her 
 beauty, though she still retained some rem- 
 nants of those charms which adorned her in 
 youth. She was clad in the black robes of 
 her widowhood, which it was her fancy to 
 persist in wearing long after the usual period; 
 her hair was completely hidden beneath the 
 angular white cap we see in the pictures of 
 that day, and her strongly-marked features 
 were softened by the shade of a grey gauze 
 veil. Her eyebrows were dark, and her eyes, 
 large and brilliant, had a restless severity in 
 their expression, which inspired fear and dis- 
 trust. Her complexion was olive, and her 
 figure tall and large, her movements full of 
 grace and majesty, while an air of command 
 was visible in every gesture. 
 
 As she spoke now, the tones of hei' voice 
 were soft and musical, for it was her wish 
 to please ; but, when angry passions agitated 
 her bosom, they became dissonant, harsh, and 
 startling. 
 
 " I think," she said, in answer to an obser
 
 176 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTEft. 
 
 vation made by Montmorency, " the balance 
 of advantages lies much in favor of the first 
 design, to which I shall, therefore, give the 
 preference, and will immediately give direc- 
 tions for digging the foundations of the new 
 palace, and it shall be named, from the site 
 on which it is built, the Palace of the 
 Tuileries." " Well, madam," said the consta- 
 ble, " your majesty has admirably chosen, and 
 skilfully selected, an appropriate name for the 
 intended royal abode." " It occurred to my 
 recollection," said Catherine, " that one of 
 the finest quarters of ancient Athens was 
 called the Ceramic, because it occupied 
 ground once held by extra-mural potteries." 
 " Speaking of potteries reminds me, madam," 
 said Montmorency, " of the principal object I 
 had in seeking an interview with your ma- 
 jesty. Among the workmen I have employed 
 at Ecouen, there is a mechanic who evinces a 
 surprising genius in the art of painting on 
 glass, and who has invented an enamelled 
 earthenware of great beauty. I know of 
 none equal to him in skill, and, in fact, I
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 177 
 
 cannot supply his place should he be sacri- 
 ficed." " You should not allow so great a 
 treasure to slip through your hands. What 
 danger threatens him?" " He is a Huguenot, 
 madam," was the reply. " No matter," said 
 the queen, laughing, " his heresy won't altei 
 the hues of his glass or pottery-ware." "May; 
 but he has fallen into the hands of Nogeret. 
 one of the royalist leaders in Saintonge, and 
 will infallibly be hanged or burned, and serve 
 him right, as I should say, for a heretic knave, 
 but that my work is incomplete, and that 
 Master Palissy is a rare workman. Such skill. 
 too, as he shows in designing, and in the 
 adorning of gardens ! In short, he is pre- 
 cisely the man whom your majesty would find 
 invaluable in the works you have now in 
 prospect." 
 
 Queen Catherine was by no means unwill- 
 ing, in so trifling a matter, to oblige the 
 great constable ; besides that, she had a 
 taste for the patronage of clever artists, 
 and knew too well the difficulty of procur- 
 12
 
 178 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 ing such a one as had been described, to 
 turn a deaf ear to the hint thrown out by 
 Montmorency. " Let an edict be issued, in 
 the king's name." she said, " appointing this 
 Pah'ssy workman in earth to his majesty. 
 He will then, as a servant of the king, be 
 removed from the jurisdiction of Bordeaux, 
 and his cause can come under no other 
 cognizance than that of the grand council.'- 
 Montmorency expressed his gratitude, and 
 rose to depart, when the queen carelessly 
 remarked, " That was a blundering affair of 
 M, do Guise at Yassy ; it drove the Protest- 
 ants to such extreme measures that the 
 game of moderation was at an end." The 
 constable made no reply, save to shrug his 
 shoulders ; but the young king uttored i ho 
 following impromptu, which history \ ds 
 preserved : — 
 
 " Frangois premier, pr^dit ce point, 
 Que ceux de la maisun de Guise 
 Mettraient ses enfants en pourpoint 
 Et son pauvre peuple en chemise." • 
 
 • " Francis the First has plainly foretold. 
 That they of tlie liousohuld of Guise 
 Would clothe their children in purple ami gold. 
 But the poor folk only in frieze "
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 179 
 
 Catherine looked disconcerted at this un- 
 expected jeu de mot of her son, and rising 
 somewhat hastily, stepped across the room, 
 and taking the arm of Charles, bowed grace- 
 fully to the constable, and withdrew. 
 
 The result of this colloquy was that, in 
 as short a time as the royal post could con- 
 vey the letter of M. de Montmorency to 
 Bordeaux, Palissy was released from the 
 power of his enemies, and being thoroughly 
 protected from the hostilities of the bel- 
 ligerents on either side, returned to Saintes, 
 and resumed his place in the dilapidated 
 workshop, whose broken doors bore sor- 
 rowful witness to the ravages of civil strife. 
 Alas ! it was now a very diflferent home, for 
 the town was half depopulated ; the best of 
 the inhabitants had fled or been slaughtered 
 In the streets, churches had been battered, 
 and rude hands had wrought destruction 
 everywhere. But nothing seems to have 
 shaken the equilibrium of his spirit, and he 
 oould say, with St. Paul, " I have learned,
 
 180 PALISST THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be 
 content." It is evident that he had attained 
 to that fortitude and equanimity, that happy 
 confidence of spirit which so substantially 
 realizes the truth of the Divine promise — 
 " Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose 
 mind is stayed on thee, because he trust- 
 eth in thee:" the solid reality, this, of what 
 the ancient sages did but dream about, and 
 of which they sweetly sang, as in the famous 
 ode of Horace — 
 
 " The man of strong resolve and just design, 
 When, for bad ends, infuriate mobs combine. 
 Or gleams the terror of the monarch's frown, 
 Firm, in his rock-based worth, on both looks down." * 
 
 Bernard was now at leisure to renew the 
 past, and he availed himself of the opportu- 
 nity to complete his little book, which we 
 have seen so busily absorbing his thoughts 
 when be was captive within the walls of 
 his prison. He bethought him again of the 
 
 • '• Justum et tenacem propositi virum 
 Non civium ardor prava jubentiam, 
 Non vultus instantis tyranni 
 Mente quatit solida, . - •
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER, 181 
 
 beautiful garden, and he tells how, one day 
 (when peace was for a season restored,) as 
 he was walking through the meadows of the 
 town, near to the river Charente, contem- 
 plating the horrible dangers from which God 
 had delivered him in the past time of tumult 
 and trouble, he heard once more the sounds 
 which had so delighted him before those 
 evil days. "It was the voice of certain 
 maidens, who were seated under the shade 
 of the trees, and sang together the 104:th 
 Psalm; and, because their voice was soft, 
 and exceedingly harmonious, it caused me 
 to forget my first thought, and having 
 stopped to listen, I passed through the plea- 
 sure of the voices, and entered into con- 
 sideration of the sense of the said psalm ; 
 and having noted the points thereof, I was 
 filled with admiration of the wisdom of the 
 royal prophet, and said, 'Oh divine and ad- 
 mirable bounty of God 1 I would that we 
 all held the works of God's hands in such 
 reverence as he teaches us in this psalm ;
 
 182 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 and then I thought I would figure in some 
 large picture the beautiful landscapes which 
 are therein described ; but, by-an-by, con- 
 sidering that pictures are of short duration, 
 I turned my thoughts to the building of a 
 garden, according to the design, ornament, 
 and excellent beauty, or part thereof, which 
 the psalmist has depicted; and having already 
 figured in my mind the said garden, I found 
 that I could, in accordance with my plan, 
 build, near thereto, a palace, or amphithe- 
 atre of refuge, that might be a holy delecta- 
 tion and an honorable occupation tor the 
 mind and body."
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 " A man's heart deviseth his way ; but the Lord directeth 
 his steps." — Pbot£bbs xvi. 9. 
 
 Victor and Bernard were now more closely 
 united to each other in bonds of loving fel- 
 lowship than ever. With thankful joy they 
 embraced the opportunity once more given 
 them of taking sweet counsel together, with- 
 out fear of those rude alarms they had so 
 recently experienced. They could, indeed, 
 no longer meet with their brethren in church 
 communion, for alas ! the members of that 
 once flourishing flock were scattered, and the 
 voice of their honored pastor was hushed in 
 death ; but they two met, as of old, to unite 
 in the sacred exercises of devotion. But few 
 evenings passed without some words of loving 
 intercourse, generally closed with prayer and 
 thanksgiving. 
 
 On one of these occasions, Victor, coming 
 
 183
 
 i84 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTEH, 
 
 m, found his friend engaged m studying the 
 formation of a shell, which he was turning 
 round and diligently examining. " 1 thought 
 better not interrupt your cogitations the other 
 day," said he ; " you were walking like a man 
 absent in mind, having your head bowed 
 down, and noticing nothing around you. I 
 passed so near in the road, I could have 
 touched the lappets. of your coat, but you 
 saw me not." " Nay, I saw you not, my 
 friend, for my spirit was engrossed because 
 of my interest regarding the matter of some 
 town or fortress which might ^'erve as a place 
 of refuge for exiled Christians. Having vainly 
 sought among the plans and figures of archi- 
 tects and designers for what might assist me, 
 I have been fain to wander among the woods 
 and mountains, to see whether I could find 
 some industrious animal which might give me 
 a hint for my design ; and, indeed, I saw a 
 vast number of them, which caused me aston- 
 ishment at the great industry God has given 
 them ; and I have had frequent occasion ^c
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 185 
 
 glorify him in all his marvels ; and from one 
 and another have gained some little aid to my 
 affairs ; at the least, I have been encouraged 
 to hope I might eventually succeed. Having 
 employed many weeks thus, during my hours 
 of leisure, I at length bethought me of visit- 
 ing the shore and rocks of the ocean, where 
 I perceived so man}'^ diverse kinds of dwellings 
 and fortresses, which sundry little fish had 
 made with their own liquor or saliva, that I 
 began to think I might discover here what I 
 was searching for. So I contemplated all the 
 different sorts of fish, beginning from the least 
 to the greatest, and I found things which 
 made me all abashed, because of the amazing 
 goodness of Divine Providence, which had 
 bestowed such care upon these creatures. I 
 perceived, also, that the battles and strata- 
 gems of the sea, were, without comparison, 
 greater in the said animals than in those of 
 the earth, and saw that the luxury of the sea 
 was greater than that of the earth, and that 
 without comparison, it produced more fruit."
 
 186 PALISSy THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 " You surprise me," said Victor, " that you 
 still retain this desire ; for I would gladly 
 hope and believe that there will be no need 
 of such a thing. Consider that we have now 
 peace, and also we hope there will shortly be 
 liberty of preaching through all France ; and 
 not only in our own land, but throughout all 
 the world ; for it is written so in St. Matthew, 
 chapter xxiv., where the Lord God says, that 
 ' the gospel of the kingdom shall be preached 
 in all the world for a witness unto all nations.' 
 That is what causes me to say there is no 
 longer need to seek out cities of refuge for 
 the Christians." 
 
 " You have not duly considered other say- 
 ings of the New Testament," replied Palissy, 
 " for it is written that the children and elect 
 of God shall be persecuted to the end, hunted, 
 mocked, banished, and exiled. It is true St. 
 Matthew says that the gospel of the kingdom 
 ehall be preached unto all the world ; but not 
 that it shall be received of all ; only, it shall 
 be a witness unto all ; that is to justify those
 
 PALISST THE flUGOEAOT POTTER. 1«7 
 
 who believe, and to condemn righteously the 
 unbelieving. In consequence, it is to be con- 
 cluded that the perverse and iniquitous, the 
 avaricious, and all kinds of wicked people 
 will be at all times ready to persecute those 
 who, by straight roads, shall follow the stat- 
 utes and ordinances of our Lord." 
 
 The amiable Victor, yielding to his friend's 
 superior judgment, did not contest his opinion; 
 but contented himself with asking whether he 
 had succeeded at length in the object of his 
 search. " I seem to myself to have done so. 
 Look at this shell ; it was given me the other 
 day when I was at Rochelle, by a citizen 
 there, named L'Hermite. It is that of a pur- 
 ple murex ; and yonder larger one on the 
 desk is a conch. They were brought from 
 Guinea ; and are both made in the manner of 
 a snail, with spiral lines ; but that of the 
 conch is stronger and larger than the other. 
 Now, the result of my observation of these 
 things is, that God has bestowed more in- 
 dustry upon the weak creatures than on the
 
 188 FAL1S8Y TUB H(".MTi<'N'»T POTTES. 
 
 strong; and has given tliem skill to kno^ 
 how to make each for himself a house, con 
 structed on such a system of geometry and 
 architecture that never Solomon, in all hia 
 wisdom, could have made the like. Con- 
 sidering, therefore, this proposition, I stayed 
 to contemplate more closely the shell of the 
 purple murex, because I assured myself that 
 God had given to it something more, to 
 make compensation for its weakness ; and so, 
 having dwelt long upon these thoughts, I no- 
 ticed that, in the shell of the murex, there 
 were a number of tolerably large projections, 
 by which it is surrounded." " I see what 
 you mean ; they add greatly to its beauty and 
 ornament." ''Do you think that is all? No, 
 no ; there is something more. These are so 
 many bulwarks and defences for the fortress 
 and refuge of the inhabitant of the shell. 
 Now, seeing this, I resolved to take example 
 from it, for the building of my fortified town, 
 and I took straightway a compass, rule, and 
 the other tools, necessary for the making of 
 my picture."
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTEE. 189 
 
 Bernard then produced the plan he had 
 drawn, which he described at length in his 
 little book. As a curiosity and specimen of 
 ingenuity, this idea of his is exceedingly in- 
 teresting, and it shows another of the numer 
 0U8 subjects on which his busy wits were 
 exercised, and shows, too, how thoroughly 
 his love of nature governed all his othei 
 thoughts. Who, but an enthusiast in that 
 delightful study, would have had recourse to 
 the nests of birds, and the shells of the nea, 
 when he wished to plan a fortress that would 
 resist" the utmost fury of a siege ? 
 
 At length his book was completed, and 
 printed at Rochelle, in the year 1563, the one 
 succeeding that of his imprisonment. He 
 prefixed to it three letters, written after his 
 release, addressed to the constable, to his son, 
 the marshal Montmorency, and to the queen 
 mother. Having rendered his grateful ac- 
 knowledgments to these illustrious patrons, 
 he proceeded to relate the particulars of the 
 ill-usage he had received, desiring that it
 
 190 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 might be understood that he was " not ino^ 
 prisoned as a thief or a murderer." He then 
 went on to explain the subjects of which his 
 work treated, and showed that they were, in 
 themselves, worthy of attention, although not 
 couched in learned language, " seeing," he 
 said, " I am not Greek nor Hebrew, poet nor 
 rhetorician, but a simple artisan, poorly 
 enough trained in letters. Notwithstanding. 
 these things are no less valuable than if 
 uttered by one more eloquent. I had rather 
 speak truth in my rustic tongue, than lie in 
 rhetoric ; therefore I hope you will receive 
 this small work with as ready a will as I 
 have desire that it shall give you pleasure." 
 In his address to queen Catherine, he hinted 
 at his readiness to be employed in her ser- 
 vice, and at his ability to assist much in her 
 building work and gardens. Nor was it long 
 before he had an opportunity to exercise his 
 skill. Through the medium of his excellent 
 friends, the Sire de Pons and his lady, he 
 received the tidings that he had been chosen.
 
 PALI8SY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 191 
 
 m company with Jean Bullant, bis co-worker 
 
 at the chateau d'Ecouen, to assist in the new 
 
 works commenced Ly the queen mother. His 
 
 removal to Paris would follow, as a matter 
 
 of course. " Indeed," said the Sire de Pons, 
 
 " it is time, Master Bernard, that you left 
 
 Saintes, for many reasons. Your position 
 
 here is cramped and inconvenient. Your 
 
 enemies are but muzzled — not removed out 
 
 of the way. Your principal patrons are 
 
 great men, necessarily much in attendance 
 
 upon the court; and in a remote province 
 
 you can neither receive, nor execute, their 
 
 commands. In Paris your advantages will be 
 
 great. You will live in constant intercourse 
 
 with men of genius, and your taste will be 
 
 perfected by the study of the choicest works 
 
 of art collected in the capital." " Your sons, 
 
 too, Nicole and Mathurin, are now young 
 
 men, for whom employment and patronago 
 
 will be thus secured," said Madame ; " and 
 
 though we shall be sorry to lose you, we 
 
 cannot be selfish enough to regret an event
 
 192 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 BO fortunate for yourself and your family.'* 
 " I had not thought/' said Bernard, " to be 
 thus distinguished. It is, doubtless, the good 
 word of my lord, the constable, which has 
 gained me this appointment. I am resolved, 
 according to the ability I possess, to do credit 
 to his patronage. And this I may say, that 
 the work which I have wrought for him gives 
 witness enough of the gift which God has 
 been pleased to bestow on me as an artist in 
 earth. I am, therefore, not without hope that 
 my work may prove acceptable in that place 
 to which his providence now calleth me." 
 " It 18 our purpose to journey before long to 
 Paris," said the Sire, " and you can, if you 
 think fit, accompany us. The time is but 
 short, ten days or a fortnight, at the utmost ; 
 but, I doubt not, you will be in readiness." 
 
 This friendly proposal was gracefully ac- 
 cepted, and, at the time appointed, Palissy 
 bade farewell to Saintes, and, accompanied 
 by his two sons, set ofi" for the French capi- 
 tal, which was thenceforward to be his place
 
 PALISSy THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 193 
 
 of residence. It was with a full heart that 
 he left the city which had been, for so many 
 years, his home ; where his children had 
 been born, and where he had served his 
 long apprenticeship of sorrow and trial, and 
 eventually triumphed over all the obstacles 
 that threatened to overwhelm him, and to 
 bhght his fond expectations. As he re- 
 turned, the evening before his departure, 
 from visiting the graves of his wife and 
 their six little ones, while meditating, and 
 slowly and pensively moving onward, he 
 was overtaken by Victor, who had gone in 
 search of him, anxious to spend the last few 
 hours in his company. They returned to- 
 gether, and Victor announced to his friend 
 a most unexpected piece of tidings. " I 
 shall not remain here long after you have 
 gone," he exclaimed, with unwonted energy, 
 his pale face flushed and eager. " A kins- 
 man of mine has this very afternoon brought 
 me a communication which will lead to my 
 removal hence, probably within a few months. 
 13
 
 194 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 Had you not been leaving I should have felt 
 it a grief indeed, but now, it is well; for I 
 could scarcely have borne your loss." '^hat 
 has befallen, and where will you go?" asked 
 Bernard, in his quick manner. " My eldest 
 brother was killed (as you know) last year, 
 in one of the muderous assaults upon those 
 of our religion. He has left a young fam- 
 ily, and his poor wife, who has never recov- 
 ered the shock of his death, is now sinking 
 rapidly. She entreats me, through the kins- 
 man she has sent, to go back to my native 
 place, and to undertake the care of my bro- 
 ther's children. They will inherit the small 
 property which was our father's, and which 
 would, in all probability, be soon dissipated 
 in the hands of strangers. I have myself 
 no family ; and my wife, loving soul, will be 
 a true mother to these poor orphans. It 
 seems the voice of our heavenly Father, 
 which is saying to us, * Arise, and go hence.' " 
 " I have never heard you speak of your early 
 days, Victor." " True ; I was thinking, an
 
 PALIS8Y THE fiUGUENOT POTTER. 195 
 
 1 came hither, of my boyhood. Happy time 
 and happy household ours, where comfort 
 and content reigned I The property on 
 which we all subsisted was very small; but 
 order, domestic arrangement, labor and fru- 
 gality, kept us above want. Our little gar- 
 den produced nearly as many vegetables as 
 we required, and the orchard yielded us 
 fruits. Our quinces, apples, and pears, pre- 
 served, with the honey of our bees, were, 
 in winter, most excellent breakfasts for us 
 children, and the good old women, our grand- 
 mother and aunts. We were all clothed by 
 the small flock that pastured on the neigh- 
 boring hills ; my aunts spun the wool ; and 
 the hemp of the field furnished us with linen. 
 In the evenings, by the light of our lamp, 
 which was fed with oil from our walnut trees, 
 the young people of the neighborhood came 
 to help us to dress our flax, and we, in our 
 turn, did the same for them. The harvest 
 of the little farm sufficed for our subsist- 
 ence. Our buck-wheat cakes, moistened.
 
 196 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 smoking hot, with the good butter of Mont 
 d'Or, was a delicious treat to us. I know 
 not what dish we should have relished bet- 
 ter than our turnips and chestnuts. When 
 we sat, on a winter evening, round the fire, 
 and saw these fine turnips roasting, and 
 heard the water boiling in the vase where 
 our chestnuts were cooking so sweet and 
 nice, our mouths watered ; and the grand- 
 mother, delighted with our childish pleasure, 
 added, now and then, to the feast, a quince, 
 whose delicious perfume, while roasting un- 
 der the ashes, I still remember. Dear, kind 
 old dame ! She, with all her frugality and 
 moderation, nevertheless made little gluttons 
 of us boys. Ah ! my friend ; it is the women 
 who begin it from our cradle, and go on fond- 
 ling and humoring us to the grave. So, you 
 Bee, we had enough to satisfy all our wants, 
 for, in our household, if there were little to 
 expend, there was nothing lost, and trifling 
 things united, made plenty. In the neigh- 
 boring forest, too, there was abundance of 
 dead wood, of small value, and there my
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 197 
 
 father was permitted to take his annual pro- 
 vision. Dear and honored father ! He ruled 
 us all, in the fear of the Lord; and the 
 crowning bliss of my life it has ever been 
 to come before God and plead, ' Thou wast 
 my father's God ; be thou also my God.' " 
 
 How much longer Victor would have in- 
 dulged in these fond memories, cannot be 
 told. He was interrupted by the entrance 
 of some neighbors who came to take leave 
 of Palissy and his sons, and when they had 
 departed, the hour was late. The two friends 
 bent the knee together in prayer at the 
 throne of heavenly grace, and commended 
 each other to the Divine protection and 
 favor. Victor then arose and departed ; but, 
 on the threshold, he paused, and looking fix- 
 edly on his friend, his eyes filled with tears, 
 as he grasped his hand, and said, " Yes, God 
 is a sweet consolation." And, with these 
 words, he turned away and was gone. 
 
 How often, in after years, did this fare- 
 well recur to the mind of Bernard, with 
 sweet and consolatory power.
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 ** And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the 
 saints, and with the blood of the fnartyrs of Jesus; and 
 when I saw her I wondered with great admiration." 
 
 Rev. ivii. 6. 
 
 The present chapter will embrace the his- 
 tory of ten years in the life of Palissy — 
 years full of terrible interest to France, 
 during which there were two more bursts 
 of civil war, with intervals of peace between, 
 and followed by that event of world-wide re- 
 nown in the annals of crime and blood, the 
 massacre of St. Bartholomew. During those 
 years Bernard was quietly and laboriously 
 engaged, protected from harm by the patron- 
 age of the court, and, probably also, having 
 learned from experience the necessity of a 
 prudent restraint in the utterance of his 
 opinions. Arrived at Paris, he established 
 his workshop in a place allotted to him ill 
 
 198
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 199 
 
 the precincts of the Tuileries, and the gar. 
 dens that partly occupied the site of the new 
 palace, and surrounded by the debris of 
 buildings that had to be removed, and the 
 scaffolding of workmen who were engaged 
 about the new erections. At no groat dis- 
 tance was thti Louvre itself, then a new 
 structure, and the royal residence; and queen 
 Catherine, attended by her courtiers, fre- 
 quently went to watch the progress of the 
 buildings, and to direct, with her admirable 
 taste, the works of Palissy, famiharly known 
 as "Master Bernard, of the Tuileries." There 
 is still in existence, in the royal library at 
 Paris, a MS., containing an account of the 
 queen's expenditures, dated 1570, among 
 which is a note of payment to " Bernard, 
 Nicole, and Mathurin Palissy, sculptors in 
 earth, for the sum of 2,600 livres, for all 
 the works in earth, baked and enamelled, 
 which have yet to be made to complete the 
 quatre pans au pourtour, (the four parts of 
 the circumference) of the grotto commenced
 
 200 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 by the queen, in her palace, near the Louvr*^ 
 at Paris, according to the agreement made 
 with them." 
 
 We are told that his taste being improved 
 by the study of the great works of Italian 
 art, he became a more consummate artist, 
 and produced master-pieces, far surpassing 
 his former efforts. He found, also, much 
 employment in garden architecture, then 
 greatly in vogue, and for which his larger 
 pieces, rocks, trees, animals, and even human 
 figures, were designed. A few only of these 
 have withstood the accidents of time, but it 
 is known they adorned some of the sump- 
 tuous residences of the French nobles in 
 that day, especially the chateau of Chaulnes, 
 that of Nesles, in Picardy, and of Reux, in 
 Normandy. His smaller productions, de- 
 signed to ornament rooms, and to find a 
 place in the buffets and cabinets of the 
 wealthy, were very numerous ; and such as 
 have been preserved are highly valued, as 
 works of art, at the present time. Htatu- 
 Qttes, elegant groups, ewers, vases, with gro-
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 201 
 
 tesqne ornaments, plates, rustic basins, cups^ 
 tiles for the walls and floors of mansions, 
 as well as for the stoves used on the con- 
 tinent ; all these, and many similar articles, 
 were made in great perfection by our skil- 
 ful artist.* Working thus, with busy hands 
 
 *The master-pieces of Palissy adorn the private collec- 
 tions of the wealthy and noble continental amateurs Mr 
 Marryatt, in his History of Pottery, says, the most exten 
 eive and complete collection of his Fayence crockery exista 
 in the Mus^e Royale, in the Louvre, and in the Hotel de 
 Cluny; purchased since the death of its late proprietor, M. 
 de Sommerard, by the French government. " These mag- 
 nificent specimens," he says, " have been eagerly bought 
 up, from a just appreciation of the merits of their talented 
 and much persecuted countryman." Mr. M. gives the fol- 
 lowing description of the Fayence of Palissy. " It is char- 
 acterised by a peculiar style and many singular qualities. 
 The forms of his figures are generally chaste. The orna- 
 ments, the historical, mythological, and allegorical subjects, 
 are in relief and colored. The colors are generally bright, 
 but not much varied, being usually confined to yellows, 
 blues, and greys, though sometimes extending to green, 
 violet, and brown. The enamel is hard, but the glaze is 
 not so good as that of Delft, and he never succeeded in 
 attaining the purity of the white enamel of Luca dell a 
 Robbia. •' '* At a sale at Phillip's, of Palissy ware, belong- 
 ing to M. Roussel, of Paris," it is added, " an extraordinary 
 large vase, enriched with boys in relief, supporting flowers 
 and fruit in festoons, with masked heads, on a fine blue 
 ground, and snake handles, sold for £57 158. A very 
 curious candlestick, with perforated work and beads io 
 relief, sold for £20."
 
 202 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 and inventive skill, Palissy saw the years 
 pass by, and beheld strange scenes, far ex- 
 ceeding in fearful interest all he had for- 
 merly witnessed. 
 
 He spoke from experience when he said, 
 " If you had seen the horrible excesses of 
 men that I have seen, during these troubles, 
 not a hair of your head but would have 
 trembled at the fear of falling to the mercy 
 of men's malice ; and he who has not beheld 
 such things could never think how great and 
 fearful a persecution is." He had scarcely 
 become settled in his new occupation when 
 the " Second Troubles " broke out ; and one 
 of the first victims of the war was his great 
 patron, the constable Montmorency. Upon 
 the 10th of November, 1567, the battle of St. 
 Denys was fought outside the walls of Paris, 
 when the aged constable, at the head of his 
 army, in fine array, with colors flying and 
 drums beating, marched out to meet the foe. 
 The heights of Montmartre presented, on that 
 occasion, a strange spectacle. They were
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 203 
 
 crowded with eager spectators, in the highest 
 excitement ; all the busy, restless population 
 of the great city flocking there, to gaze upon 
 the scene of warfare. Priests chanting lit- 
 anies, and distributing chaplets to the war- 
 riors, foreign ambassadors, fair ladies dressed 
 as Amazons, some even carrying lances, which 
 they vibrated in the air, and magistrates and 
 doctors, wearing cuirasses beneath their 
 robes: a motley crowd of every rank and 
 condition huddled together, with mingled 
 curiosity and terror, waiting the result of the 
 fight. 
 
 The short winter's day was closing fast 
 when the battle commenced, and an hour of 
 bloody strife followed. The result was fatal 
 to the gallant old veteran, whose resolution 
 and bravery led him to push forward into 
 the midst of the Huguenot ranks. Five 
 times was he wounded, yet still fought on, 
 and then received the mortal stroke, and was 
 left, stretched, amid the dead and dying, on 
 the field. Still living, though suffering deadly
 
 204 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTEK. 
 
 agony, he was borue back within those wallg 
 he had left in so different a manner but a few 
 hours before. The night was dark and rainy 
 his pains were grievous, and he desired to 
 breathe his last where he lay ; but those 
 around entreated that he would suflfer himself 
 to be carried to Paris, where he died on the 
 following day, preserving to the last a sur- 
 prising fortitude and endurance. 
 
 The court ordered a magnificent funeral 
 for the grim old warrior, whose rugged and 
 austere manners had rendered him so ob. 
 noxious to many, and whose religious bigotry 
 was but too much in accordance with the 
 spirit of his times. At his own request he 
 was buried at his favorite estate at Ecouen, 
 where Palissy had so long wrought in his 
 service. To Bernard he had proved a gene- 
 rous patron and a steady friend, and his hand 
 had been outstretched to save him from the 
 gallows. 
 
 Would that this had been done from a 
 higher motive than the love of art 1 then he
 
 FALIS3Y TflE HUGUENOT POTTER. 205 
 
 mignt one day have been among the number 
 of those to whom shall be addressed the 
 joyful words, " Inasmuch as ye have done it 
 unto one of the least of these my brethren, 
 ye have done it unto me." 
 
 Happily, it is not necessary for this narra- 
 tive to dwell upon the well-known story of 
 the massacre. Its fearful horrors are but 
 too familiar to every reader of history. Ber- 
 nard escaped being an eye-witness of them, 
 as he happened to be at the time occupied 
 about one of those commissions to which we 
 have alluded, and which had carried him to 
 Chaulnes, where he laid out the park accord- 
 ing to a plan resembling that he described in 
 his " delectable garden." 
 
 There was one among the numerous men 
 of science with whom Palissy associated who 
 narrowly escaped destruction. This was Am- 
 broise Pare, first surgeon to the king, who 
 seems to have been a truly pious and excel- 
 lent man. Having embraced the reformed 
 tenets, he steadily adhered to them, and
 
 206 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 despite the dangers of his situation, persisted 
 in openly avowing his principles. As he 
 had drawn upon himself the odium of heresy, 
 and, in addition to that, the rancorous 
 jealousy of a host of practitioners in his art, 
 he was a marked character ; and Charles IX., 
 who owed his life to the skill of Pare, and 
 is said to have " loved him infinitely," took 
 measures to secure his safety. •' I will tell 
 you, my friend," said he, describing that 
 eventful night to Bernard, " how it fared 
 with me, and what I saw and heard. I was 
 in attendance upon the admiral* till late into 
 the night, and was on the point of leaving 
 him, when one of the royal hussars came, 
 bringing a summons to me to repair imme- 
 diately to the king. I obeyed, and found 
 him in evident trepidation. As soon as he 
 saw me, he exclaimed, ' It is well that you 
 have come, my dear Ambroise ; you must 
 remain with me this night, and in my cham- 
 
 • Coligny, who had been wounded by the dagger of an 
 
 Msassin only two days before.
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 207 
 
 ber.' So saying, he put me into his dressing 
 room, adding, ' Be sure you don't stir from 
 hence. It will never do to have you, who 
 can save our lives, massacred after this 
 fashion.' My hiding-place adjoined a saloon 
 where the king remained, and to which, after 
 midnight, the queen came, evidently for the 
 purpose of watching over her son. Four of 
 the principal agitators were present, all urg- 
 ing him to preserve his courage, while his 
 mother endeavored, by every means in her 
 power, to irritate his fiercer passions, and 
 to silence his remorse. Though I could not 
 hear all that passed, a few words occasionally 
 reached my ears, and the appearance of 
 Charles, and the words he had spoken to me, 
 sufficed to convince me that a terrible crisis 
 was at hand. At length a single pistol-shot 
 rang through the silence. It was dayk, the 
 morning had not yet dawned, when, at that 
 signal, through the deep silence of the night, 
 the tocsin of St. Germain's was heard utter- 
 ing its dreadful alarum. The queen and her
 
 208 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTEft. 
 
 two sons came, with stealthy tread, to the 
 windows of the small closet through the 
 king's chamber, which overlooked the gate 
 of the Louvre ; and there those three misera- 
 ble and guilty beings, opening the window, 
 looked oat, to watch the first outbreak of 
 the dreadful tragedy. Presently shouts were 
 heard of ' Vive Dieu et le Roi,' and armed 
 men, issuing from the gates, trampled along 
 the causeway, hastening to perform their 
 bloody work. 
 
 " About five in the morning, I ventured to 
 quit the dressing-room, and, eager to see 
 what was passing, gazed from one of the 
 windows which looked in the direction of 
 the Fauxbourg St. Germains, where Mont- 
 gomery, Rohan, Pardaillan, and many of the 
 Calvinist gentlemen lodged. As you know, 
 it lies upon the opposite bank of the river 
 from the Louvre ; all had hitherto been quiet 
 in that direction, but the sound of the tocsin, 
 and the cries and screams which were heard 
 ncross the river, had roused the Huguenots,
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 209 
 
 who, suspecting some mischief, hastily pre- 
 pared to cross the water and join their friends; 
 but as they were about to embark, thsy saw 
 several boats filled with Swiss and French 
 guards, approaching, who began to fire upon 
 thom. It is said the king himself, from his 
 closet window, was seen pointing and appa- 
 rently directing their movements. They took 
 the hint in time to save their lives by flight. 
 They mounted their horses, and rode ofi" at 
 full speed." " Thanks be to God, they 
 escaped, as a bird from the hand of the 
 fowler. May they live to avenge the blood 
 of the saints." " I shall never forget," con- 
 tinued Pare, " the scene, when the broad light 
 of an August day displayed, in all their ex- 
 tent, the horrors which had been committed. 
 The bright, glowing sun, and the unclouded 
 sky, and magnificent beauty over-head; and 
 at our feet, the blood-stained waters of the 
 Seine, and the streets bestrewn with mangled 
 corpses. It was too terrible. To crown the 
 whole, it was the holy Sabbath. 
 
 H
 
 210 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 " Towards the evening of the second day, 
 the king called again for me. Sickened with 
 horror and remorse, his mind and spirits were 
 giving way. ' Ambroise,' said he, taking me 
 into his cabinet, ' I don't know what ails me, 
 but these last two or three days, I find both 
 mind and body in great disorder. I see 
 nothing around me but hideous faces, covered 
 with blood. I wish the weak and innocent 
 had been spared.' I seized the moment of 
 relenting in the unhappy monarch, and urged 
 him to put an immediate stop to the massacre, 
 and he did, in efiect, issue orders by sound 
 of trumpet, forbidding any further violence 
 to be committed, upon pain of death." "Alas!" 
 said Palissy, "no hand was outstretched to 
 save our French Phidias, Jean Goujon, the 
 master of my comrade and co-worker, Bul- 
 lant. He was struck down on his platform, 
 while working on the Caryatides of the 
 Louvre ; with his chisel yet in his hand, he 
 fell a corpse at the foot of the marble his 
 genius was moulding into life." " No power
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 211 
 
 could restrain the violence of the rabble. In 
 vain were the royal commands, and useless 
 every effort of the bourgeoisie, and the higher 
 orders. Day after day the barbarous slaugh- 
 ter continued. Ah ! my friend," concluded 
 Pare, " that fatal night will form a black page 
 in our history, which Frenchmen will vainly 
 desire to erase, or to tear from its records." — 
 (" Feuillet de notre histoire i arracher, 4 
 bruler.")
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 " He spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of oreeping 
 things, and of fishes."— 1 Kings iv. 33. 
 
 We learn from his own words that king 
 Solomon, amid all his magnificence and glory, 
 found nothing truly satisfying to his spirit. 
 He discovered that silver and gold, and 
 costly apparel, and singing men and singing 
 women, with all the luxuries of the east, 
 sufficed not to give him happiness. They did 
 not even keep him amused ; he wanted some- 
 thing better. And a purer, more refined, and 
 enduring delight was tasted by him when he 
 turned the powers of his active and inquiring 
 mind to the investigation of nature, the works 
 of God's hands, in the diversified and beauti- 
 ful productions of the fields, woods, and lakes 
 of Judea. He sought them out diligently, 
 and then he "spake of" them — spake of the 
 richly- varied productions of the animal king- 
 
 212
 
 PALISST THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 213 
 
 dom, and " spake also of beasts, and of fowl, 
 and of creeping things, and of fishes." Very 
 interesting it must have been to hear the 
 great Solomon speaking of these works of 
 God's hands, and no wonder the sacred 
 writers have recorded the fact. Most edify- 
 ing of all to the thoughtful part of his audi- 
 ence it would be to reflect on the moral 
 phenomenon he himself presented — taking 
 his refreshment, his recreation, his pleasure, 
 after the toils and disappointments of riches 
 and of worldly honors, in considering the 
 lilies, how they grew, and the fowls of the 
 air, how God cared for them. 
 
 But if Solomon found, in this pursuit, a re- 
 lief from ennui and satiety, how many, in all 
 succeeding times, have found therein support 
 and consolation amidst inevitable anxieties 
 and painful trials. There have been persons 
 who declared that it was the study of nature 
 alone which made their condition tolerable, 
 by diverting their minds from painful and 
 oppressive thoughts. It must have been
 
 214 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 the same experience which caused Palisay, 
 amid the terrible scenes of his day, to retire 
 into his cabinet, or to wander in the road- 
 side, among the fields and caves, searching 
 after " things note-worthy and monstrous," 
 which he " took from the womb of the earth," 
 and placed among his other treasures, the 
 accumulated hoard of long years. We find 
 him the same Bernard still — unaltered by 
 time and change of fortune ; as simple-minded, 
 as diligent in research, and as enthusiastic in 
 utterance as at Saintes, in the days of his 
 youth. He had found, too, some congenial 
 associates and friends. Among them, we 
 have seen, was Ambroise Pare, who had a 
 great taste for natural history, and himself 
 possessed a collection of valuable and curious 
 specimens, especially of foreign birds, for 
 which he was principally indebted to Charles 
 IX., who used to send him many of the rarest 
 and most valuable he obtained, to preserve. 
 
 There was, too, one " Maistre Frangoia 
 Choisnyn," physician to the queen of Navarre^
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 215 
 
 a special favorite with Bernard, of whom he 
 says — " His company and visits were a source 
 of great consolation to me." These two 
 went a little geological exploration together, 
 in the year 1575. '•' He had heard me often 
 speak," said Palissy, " of these matters, and 
 knowing that he was a lover of the same, I 
 begged him to accompany me to the quarries, 
 near St. Marceau, that I might give him 
 ocular proof of what I had said concerning 
 petrifactions ; and he, full of zeal in the affair, 
 immediately caused waxen flambeaux to be 
 brought, and taking with him his medical 
 pupil, named Milon,* we went to a place in 
 the said quarries, conducted by two quarry- 
 men ; and there we saw what I had long 
 before known, from the form of stones shaped 
 like icicles, having seen a number of such 
 stones, which had been brought, by command 
 of the queen mother, from Marseilles ; also 
 among the rocks, on the shores of the river 
 Loire. Now, in those quarries, we saw thfl 
 
 * Afterwards first physician to Henry IV.
 
 216 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 distilled water congeal in our presence, whict 
 set the matter at rest." Another day, walk, 
 ing with his friend, he found himself, while 
 wandering over the fields, very thirsty, and 
 passing by some village, asked where he could 
 meet with a good spring, in order to refresh 
 himself; but he was told there was no spring 
 in that place, all their wells being exhausted 
 on account of the drought, and that there 
 was nothing but a little muddy water left in 
 them. This caused him " much vexation," 
 and, expressing his surprise at the distress 
 sufiered by the inhabitants of that village 
 through want of water, he proceeded to ex- 
 plain to his companion his theory on springs, 
 in which he propounded a doctrine which the 
 science of the present day has pronounced 
 absolutely correct. 
 
 This subject led Bernard to recur to the 
 home of his early manhood, and he added, 
 " At Saintes, which is a very ancient town, 
 there are still found the remains of an acque* 
 duct, by which, formerly, they caused the
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 217 
 
 water to come from a distance of two great 
 leagues. There are now no ancient foun- 
 tains ; by which I do not mean to say we 
 have lost the water-courses, for it is well 
 known that the ancient spring of the town of 
 Saintes is still on the spot where it formerly 
 existed ; to see which tlie chancellor De 
 I'Hopital, travelling from Bayonne, turned out 
 of his way to admire the excellence of the 
 said spring. Now, in the neighborhood of 
 Saintes, is a small town called Brouage, 
 situated on the coast amongst the marshes 
 of Saintonge. Its name points out its nature, 
 the word ' brou,' meaning marshy soil. That 
 said town has undergone two sieges during 
 the civil wars ; the last in the year 1570. 
 When besieged, it suffered much from want 
 of water, and I am at the present time, pro- 
 paring an advertisement to the governor and 
 inhabitants thereof, to explain to them that 
 the situation of the place is very commodious 
 for making a fountain there, at small expense." 
 " Your mention of this reminds me/' said
 
 218 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 his companion, " of the remarkable manner 
 in which the city of Nismes fell into the 
 hands of the Huguenots, some four or five 
 winters ago." 
 
 Palissy expressed a wish to hear the par- 
 ticulars, with which he was but imperfectly 
 acquainted ; and, as the story affords a strik- 
 ing instance of the spirit which animated 
 even obscure individuals in the cause of 
 religion and freedom, it shall be told here. 
 
 The governor of Nismes, a ferocious old 
 man, had treated the Huguenots with the 
 utmost barbarity, and had plundered and 
 banished great numbers of them, who had 
 retired to a neighboring town. Among those 
 left in Nismes was a carpenter, named Made- 
 ron, who resolved to deliver the town into 
 the hands of his exiled brethren, and for 
 that purpose took advantage of the famous 
 fountain, the abundant waters of which 
 flowed between the gate of Carmes and the 
 castle, through a channel which was closed 
 by a grate. Just above, and close by the
 
 PAllSSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 2l9 
 
 castle, a seutinel was placed, who was re- 
 lieved every hour. When he was about to 
 leave he was accustomed to ring a bell, in 
 order to advertise the soldier who was to 
 relieve him, to come and take his place. A 
 short interval always elapsed between the 
 departure of one soldier and the arrival of 
 the other, and Maderon having observed this, 
 undertook, in those moments, to file asunder 
 the bars of the grate. 
 
 He executed his purpose thus. In the 
 evening he went down into the ditch, with 
 a cord fastened round his body, the end of 
 which was pulled by a friend when the sol- 
 dier quitted his post, and again, when the 
 other arrived. Maderon worked during these 
 few moments, and then ceasing, waited in 
 patience till another hour had elapsed. In 
 the morning, he covered his work with mud 
 and wax. In this manner did this indefati- 
 gable man work for fifteen nights, the noiso 
 h-e made being drowned by the rushing of 
 the waters. It was not till his work was
 
 220 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 nearly completed that he informed the exiles 
 of his success, and invited them to take pos- 
 session of the town. They appear to have 
 wanted courage for the undertaking; and 
 while irresolute, a flash of lightning, though 
 the weather was otherwise serene, terrified 
 and put them to flight ; but their minister, 
 pulling them by their sleeves, exhorted them 
 to come back, saying, " Courage ! this light- 
 ning shows that God is with us." 
 
 Twenty of them entered the town, and 
 being joined by others who were exasperated 
 at the cruelty of the governor, it was taken, 
 and the castle surrendered a few days after. 
 " That was truly an admirable occurrence," 
 said Bernard. " And the results were very 
 important, since the town, by the large sup 
 plies it afforded, was of great service to the 
 army of the princes during the ensuing 
 spring." " There will doubtless be many 
 historians who will employ themselves upon 
 these matters," said Palissy j " and the bet 
 ter to describe the truth, I should think il
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 221 
 
 wise that in each town there should be per- 
 sons deputed to write faithfully the things 
 that have been done during these troubles. 
 I hav^ myself already given a short narrative 
 of what befell when I was resident in Sain- 
 tonge, and I have left others to write of those 
 things which themselves have witnessed. At 
 present I am engaged in preparing a volume 
 of Discourses on Natural Objects, of practi- 
 cal use to agriculturists and others, and I 
 purpose, in the lectures I have just com- 
 menced, to discuss various positions with 
 reference to these matters, to which end, 
 as you know, I have invited interruption, 
 contradiction, and discussion, from those who 
 may attend them." 
 
 Palissy referred, in these words, to an 
 undertaking which we find he commenced 
 in the Lent of the year 1575, and which he 
 carried on, for several seasons, annually. 
 " C9n8idering," he says, " that I had employed 
 much time in the study of earths, stones, 
 waters, and metals, and that old age pressed
 
 222 1»ALISSY THE HUGUKNOT POTTER. 
 
 me to multiply the talents which God had 
 given me, I thought good to bring forward 
 to light those excellent secrets, in order to 
 bequeath them to posterity." 
 
 But, like a true philosopher, he was 
 anxious, first, to subject his theories to th-** 
 test of keen criticism. Free discussion war 
 he knew, the best friend to the true interest! 
 of science, and he resolved, therefore, to in 
 vite about him the most learned persons 
 then resident in the capital, and to meel 
 them in his lecture room, to state to them 
 his opinions, and to hear their arguments 
 in reply. lie set about doing this in a pecu- 
 liar manner, which he describes. " Thus de- 
 bating in my mind, I decided to cause notices 
 to be affixed to the street corners in Paris, 
 in order to assemble the most learned doc- 
 tors, and others, to whom I would promise 
 to demonstrate, in three lessons, all I have 
 learned concerning fountains, stones, metala. 
 and other natures. And, in order that none 
 might come but the most learned and curious,
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. • 223 
 
 T put in my placards that none should have 
 admission without payment of a dollar. I 
 did this partly to see whether I could extract 
 from my hearers some contradiction which 
 might have more assurance of truth than the 
 arguments I should propound ; knowing well 
 that, if I spoke falsely, there would be Greeks 
 and Latins who would resist me to my face, 
 and who would not spare me, as well on 
 account of the dollar I should have taken 
 from each, as on account of the time I should 
 have caused them to misspend. For there 
 were very few of my hearers who could not 
 elsewhere have extracted profit out of some- 
 thing during the time spent by them at my 
 lessons. Also, I put in my placards that if 
 the things therein promised did not prove 
 trustworthy, I would restore the quadruple." 
 
 The result of this experimental course was 
 most successful. " Thanks be to God," says 
 the triumphant lecturer, " never man contra- 
 dieted me a single word." 
 
 Of the character of the audience whom
 
 224 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 Palissy attracted around him in his museum 
 (as he called his cabinet of natural history,) 
 on this occasion, we are fully informed. He 
 has given a list of more than thirty of them, 
 including many skilful physicians, celebrated 
 surgeons, grand seigneurs, gentlemen, and 
 titled ecclesiastics, also some of the legal 
 profession, and others, who were drawn 
 together by a common love of scientific 
 research. These were no idlers, but an 
 assemblage of the choicest students — a sort 
 of Royal Society, instituted for the occa- 
 Bion — who sat listening to the self-taught 
 philosopher, the wise and vigorous old man, 
 who, illustrating his cases as he went on, 
 by specimens of the things about which he 
 spoke, turned his cabinet into a lecture-room, 
 where he delivered the first course of lec- 
 tures upon natural history ever given in the 
 French metropolis, held in the first natural 
 history museum ever thrown open to the 
 public there. Supported by the favorable 
 opinion of such judges — than whom he
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 225 
 
 could not have " more faithful witnesses, 
 nor men more assured in knowledge," Ber- 
 nard " took courage to discourse " of various 
 matters concerning which he had attained 
 a surprising degree of knowledge. 
 
 The science taught by the self-educated 
 potter was such as has entitled him, in the 
 present day, to the admiration of men like 
 Buffon, Haller, and Cuvier. 
 16
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 "Be thou faithful unto death." — Rkvel^tion ii. 10. 
 
 " The number of my years hath given me 
 courage to tell you that, a short time since, 
 I was considering the color of my beard, 
 which caused me to reflect on the few days 
 which remain to me before my course shall 
 end ; and that has led me to admire the 
 lilies and the corn, and many kinds of plants, 
 whose green colors are changed into white 
 when they are ready to yield their fruits. 
 Thus, also, certain trees become hoary when 
 they feel their natural vegetative power is 
 about to cease. A like consideration has 
 reminded me that it is written, ' Better is 
 the fool who hides his folly, than the wise 
 man who conceals his wisdom.' " We are 
 peeping over Palissy's shoulder as he bends 
 
 226
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTEB. 227 
 
 his silvery locks over his escritoire, and com- 
 mences the dedication of his last volume of 
 " Admirable Discourses." Its superscription 
 is as follows: — "To the very high and very 
 powerful lord, the sire, Antoine de Pons, 
 knight of the order of the king, captain of 
 a hundred gentlemen, and his majesty's very 
 faithful counsellor." It is to his ancient 
 patron he pays this tribute of loving respect. 
 The good old sire was probably still more 
 aged than himself, but his friendship had 
 stood the test of years, and their intercourse 
 had been renewed " in these later days," with 
 mutual pleasure and edification ; their con- 
 versation having often turned on " divers 
 sciences ; to wit, philosophy, astrology, and 
 other arts drawn from mathematics," in which 
 " without any flattery," Bernard declares him- 
 self convinced of the venerable knight's mar- 
 vellous ability, which " length of years had 
 but augmented, instead of diminishing there- 
 from." 
 
 It is pleasant to find Bernard thus steadfastly
 
 228 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 retaining the friendship of earlier years, 6ut 
 far more satisfactory to perceive that he had 
 preserved his religion pure, and that the 
 source whence his activity in the pursuit of 
 knowledge was derived, remained the same. 
 At the close of a pious and laborious life, he 
 remembered there was still something left 
 which he might do. He had learned the 
 wonderful secrets of nature to the glory of 
 Him who had given him the hearing ear, and 
 the seeing and observing eye ; and now, re- 
 curring to the ruling motive of his life — that 
 solemn idea of responsibility — he says : " It 
 is a just and reasonable thing that the talents 
 a man has received from God, he should en- 
 deavor to multiply, following his command- 
 ment. For which reason I have studied to 
 bring unto the light of things of which it has 
 pleased God to give me understanding. Hav 
 ing seen how many pernicious errors have 
 been set abroad, I have betaken me to scratch 
 in the earth for the space of forty years, and 
 search into the entrails of the same, in order
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 229 
 
 to understand the things which she producea 
 in herself; and, by such means, I have found 
 grace before God, who has caused me to 
 understand secrets which have hitherto been 
 unknown even to the learned." 
 
 The book, thus dedicated and prefaced, con- 
 tained the mature fruit of his studies as a 
 naturalist. It is a collection of short trea- 
 tises upon waters and fountains, metals, salts, 
 stones, and earths, fire, enamels, and many 
 other things, besides a treatise on marl, " very 
 useful and necessary for those concerned in 
 agriculture." It was published at Paris in 
 the year 1580, when its author was more than 
 seventy years of age. 
 
 Four years later he was still lecturing in 
 his museum, wandering out, now and then, to 
 the river side and elsewhere, to find an illus- 
 tration of some lesson he was teaching. 
 Thus, one winter's day, he was seen standing 
 beside the Seine, opposite the Tuileries, sur 
 rounded by a throng of listeners and ob- 
 jectors, among whom were several of th«
 
 230 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 boatmen, who persisted in maintaining what 
 Palissy was combatting, namely, that the 
 floating masses of ice upon the river came 
 from the bottom of the water. Among those 
 who listened with interest and discernment 
 to his instruction was the Sieur de la Croix 
 Dumaine, who afterwards, in a volume pub- 
 lished in 1584, described Palissy as " a natural 
 philosopher, and a man of remarkably acute 
 and ready wit, flourishing in Paris, and giving 
 lessons in his science and profession." 
 
 His was a vigorous old age, and he looked 
 80 much younger than he really was, that the 
 Sieur supposed him little more than sixty. 
 He might, in all probability, have continued 
 thus to lecture and discourse about the won- 
 ders of the earth and waters some years 
 longer ; yet, even a few months later, we 
 should have vainly sought him in his beloved 
 museum, or on his pleasant rambles around 
 the environs ' of Paris. He was no longer 
 there, but immured within the walls of yon 
 grim fortress —
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 231 
 
 •• That shame to manhood, and opprobrious more 
 To France, than all her losses and defeats 
 Old, or of later date; by sea, or land: 
 Her house of bondage, worse than that of old, 
 Which God avenged on Pharoah — the Bastile." 
 
 Although in his lectures, and in his book, 
 he had abstained from all allusion to the 
 struggles of the time, he was well known for 
 a staunch Huguenot, a man whom nothing 
 could induce to change or to conceal his 
 religion. They were indeed " evil days " in 
 which his lot was cast. It had been sorrow 
 and trouble enough to Hve in Paris then, and 
 behold the vice, frivolity, and riot which 
 prevailed. True, most true it is, that " be- 
 tween the excesses of depravity and those of 
 bigotry, there exist remarkable and intimate 
 aflSnities." Nowhere was this more strikingly 
 exemplified than in the French court and 
 capital during the rule of the house of Valois. 
 The religious ideas of a court in which fanati- 
 cal intolerance reigned, give sufficient proof 
 of this. The vilest and most sanguinary 
 passions were excited by the ceremonies of
 
 232 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 religion. The sermons of " the League ** 
 preachers were like torches, which set the 
 kingdom in a blaze. Tli^ most impious and 
 revolting spectacles were presented to the 
 eyes of the mob. Thus, at Chartres, after 
 the day of barricades, a Capuchin monk, in 
 the presence of Henry IIL, represented the 
 Saviour ascending Mount Calvary. This 
 wretched priest had drops of blood appa- 
 rently trickling from his crown of thorns, 
 and seemed with difficulty to drag the cross 
 of painted card-board which he bore ; while, 
 ever and anon, he uttered piercing cries, and 
 fell beneath the load. The king himself, 
 thoroughly steeped in the vicious pleasures 
 of the court, became a member of the 
 brotherhood of Flagellants, and, in a solemn 
 procession, king, queen, and cardinal, headed 
 the white, black, and blue friars, as they 
 traversed the^ city barefoot, with heads un- 
 covered, chaplets of skulls around their waists, 
 and flogging their backs with cords till the 
 olood flowed. The atrocities committed
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 233 
 
 within many of the churches by the soldiers 
 of " the League," it is impossible here to 
 relate. Since the massacre of St. Bartholo- 
 mew, the mobs of Paris had become familiar 
 with blood, and a spirit of increased ferocity 
 prevailed. Assassinations, tortures, and exe- 
 cutions were frequent, and the extreme 
 Roman Catholic party, to which the city 
 had, from that time, been heartily attached, 
 was pledged to exterminate the Huguenots. 
 
 At the head of " the League " was the 
 Duke of Guise, the hero of the violent among 
 the Roman Catholics, whom they desired to 
 make king, instead of the worthless and 
 despised Henry. At length, in the year 1585, 
 the king, finding no other way of saving him- 
 self from the imminent peril which threat- 
 ened him, made peace with the duke at the 
 expense of the Reformers, and issued a de- 
 cree, prohibiting the future exercise of the 
 Reformed worship, and commanding all its 
 adherents to abjure, or emigrate immediately, 
 on pain of death and confiscation. This was
 
 234 PALISSy THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 no miserable court quarrel ; it affected the 
 interests of all, and touched the liberty, faith, 
 fortune,, and life of every man. So rigorously 
 was the edict carried out, that the petition 
 of a few poor women, who begged permission 
 to dwell with their children in any remote 
 corner of the kingdom, was refused. The 
 utmost they could obtain was the promise of 
 a safe conduct to England. Flight was out 
 of the question for Palissy ; and he remained 
 at the mercy of men who respected neither 
 age, virtue, nor misfortune. That he had 
 friends who would gladly have protected him 
 was known ; nay, the king himself would 
 willingly have sheltered one who had so 
 long and skilfully served his mother. But 
 the protection of the court was now unavail- 
 ing; and the venerable man was sent to the 
 Bastile. 
 
 Four years of life yet remained to Ber- 
 nard ; all spent within the walls of his prison- 
 nouse. There, in communion with God and 
 Ills own soul, he passed the residue of hii
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 235 
 
 days, shut out from the eye of man, within 
 that gloomy fabric, the very thought of which 
 inspires one's soul with shrinking horror. 
 Profound secrecy and mystery were among 
 the most prominent features in the manage- 
 ment of the Bastile, and he who was retained 
 there to waste away life within its damp 
 and dismal cells, was sedulously kept from 
 all knowledge of what was passing in the 
 busy world without, while no tidings of him 
 were ever permitted to reach the ears of his 
 kindred and former companions. 
 
 Debarred from the enjoyment of the beau- 
 tiful sights of nature, the treasures of intel- 
 lect, and the delights of social converse, 
 fearful, indeed, was the lot of such a prisoner, 
 unless sustained by Divine consolations. We 
 know not in what words our beloved Palissy 
 would have clothed his thoughts, could he 
 have spoken to us from his living tomb ; but 
 the following passage, contained in the nar- 
 rative of one who was for some months a 
 prisoner there, affords a pleasing example
 
 236 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 how, even in such circumstances, the soul 
 has been sustained in hope. " I recollect," 
 says the narrator, " with humble gratitude, 
 the first idea of comfort that shot across this 
 gloom. It was the idea that neither massive 
 walls, nor tremendous bolts, nor all the vigi- 
 lance of suspicious keepers, could conceal 
 me from the sight of God. This thought I 
 fondly cherished, and it gave me infinite con- 
 solation in the course of my imprisonment, 
 and principally contributed to enable me to 
 support it with a degree of fortitude and 
 resignation that I have since wondered at : 
 I no longer felt myself alone." So true it is, 
 
 " Stone walls do not a prison make. 
 
 Nor iron bars a cage ; 
 Minds innocent and quiet take 
 
 That for a hermitage. 
 If I have freedom in my love. 
 
 And in myself am free, 
 Angels alone, that soar above 
 
 Enjoy such liberty." 
 
 And Palissy was a true Christian. He was 
 free with the freedom wherewith Jesus Christ 
 makes his people free. Therefore, as an old
 
 PAfilSSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 237 
 
 and faithful servant of the Lord, he was wil- 
 ling for the testimony of Christ, to suflFer 
 affliction, even unto bonds ; nay, he counted 
 not his life dear unto him, so that he might 
 win Christ, and be found in him. 
 
 One glimpse we have within this dungeon. 
 Its doors are, for once, unbarred, and we are 
 permitted to look, for the last time, at him 
 whose history we have lovingly retraced. 
 
 Sentence of death, executed upon many 
 who had remained staunch in their refusal 
 to obey the royal edict, had been deferred 
 in the case of Palissy, only by the artifice 
 of friends in power. But now, at length, 
 the formidable council of sixteen became 
 urgent for the public execution (already too 
 long deferred) of so obstinate a heretic. 
 
 The king was loth to yield to these bar- 
 barous and blood-thirsty counsels, and deter- 
 mined to try what a personal interview might 
 eflFect in bringing the recusant to a more pli- 
 ant mood. 
 
 He went, accompanied by some of his gay 
 courtiers, to visit and remonstrate with Ber-
 
 238 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT POTTER. 
 
 nard, whom he found not solitary, for his cap 
 tivity was shared by two young girls, the 
 daughters of Jacques Foucand, the attorney 
 to the piirliament, condemned, as he was, 
 for the firm r<«ith and resolute tenacit}'- with 
 which they refused to yield to the threats 
 of their persecutors. 
 
 "My good man," said the king, address- 
 ing himself to Bernard, " for many years 
 you have been in the service of our family, 
 and we have suffered you to retain your 
 religion amidst fires and massacres ; but at 
 present I find myself so pressed by the 
 Guises and my own people, that I am com- 
 pelled to give you into the hands of my 
 enemies. These two poor women, whom I 
 see with you, are to be burned to-morrow ; 
 and so will you, unless you be converted." 
 " Sire," replied Bernard, " I am ready to yield 
 up my life for the glory of God. You say 
 you feel pity for me. It is rather I that 
 should pity you, who utter such words aa 
 these, ' I am compelled.' This is not the 
 language of a king, and neither yourself noi
 
 PALISSY THE HUGUENOT I'OTTER. 23!) 
 
 the Guises, with all your people shall compel me ; 
 for I know how to die." 
 
 " What an impudent rascal ! " said one of the 
 courtiers, who afterward recorded the scene he 
 had witnessed ; " one might have supposed he 
 knew that line of Seneca, ' He who can die can- 
 not be compelled.' " 
 
 Two months later there were fagots blaz- 
 ing in the Place de Greve, and monks ges- 
 ticulated around the fires which were con 
 Burning to ashes the " two poor women " of 
 whom the king had spoken, and who had 
 found grace to continue steadfast to the end. 
 
 But Palissy still lived. Some powerful 
 arm had sheltered him, and he was saved 
 from the fiery trial. A few months longer 
 he remained captive in the bonds of his 
 prison-house, and then the message came 
 for him also. Thou hast been faithful unto 
 death, " I will give thee a crown of life." 
 
 • " He who can die cannot be compelled.' 
 T9E END.
 
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