The assembly broke up, and the citizens departed, congratulating each other that the innumerable tyrannies of '_Pharaoh_' and the darkness of the '_sorcerers_' were to be succeeded by the mild light of Jesus Christ and the life-giving breath of liberty. Even such huguenots as had struggled especially for political enfranchisement, raised no discordant voice. They knew well that if this petty people remained catholic, it would lose its independence, and infallibly become Savoyard. But others held higher views: Geneva appeared to them as a fortress which God had built to save the Gospel. 'God,' said Froment, the oldest of the Genevese reformers, 'God has selected this strong territory, so difficult of access, to form a rampart as it were against the pope and his followers. It is in these rude countries, guarded on the south by the Savoy mountains and their eternal snows; on the north by the difficult gorges of the Jura; and on the east by the narrow passes of the St. Bernard and the Simplon, where our friends, the Valaisans, with half a score of men can stop an army; it is in this blessed corner of the earth that God planted His Gospel, surrounding his word with those gigantic fortresses, in order that the enemy may neither reach it nor stifle it.' While the citizens thronged the open square, the ministers went into the pulpit. 'A mighty captain hath led us,' they said; 'let us put our trust in him alone. He has more power than all the kings of the earth, and alone he has preserved us from our enemies. The captain is Jesus Christ, our Saviour, our Redeemer, and our strong tower.'[751] [Sidenote: MEMORIAL INSCRIPTION.] Farel and several Genevans asked that some monument should be erected to recall to future ages the memory of their great deliverance. Did not Joshua set up twelve stones after he had crossed the Jordan? Farel composed a Latin inscription, which was carved in letters of gold on stone and steel. The council and people fixed it over one of the principal gates of the city and afterwards over the entrance to the Hôtel-de-Ville, so that every one might read this testimony of a grateful city. QUUM ANNO 1535 PROFLIGATA ROMANI ANTICHRISTI TYRANNIDE ABROGATISQUE EJUS SUPERSTITIONIBUS SACRO-SANCTA CHRISTI RELIGIO HIC IN SUAM PURITATEM ECCLESIA IN MELIOREM ORDINEM SINGULARI DEI BENEFICIO REPOSITA ET SIMUL PULSATIS FUGATISQUE HOSTIBUS URBS IPSA IN SUAM LIBERTATEM NON SINE INSIGNI MIRACULO RESTITUTA FUERIT SENATUS POPULUSQUE GENEVENSIS MONUMENTUM HOC PERPETUÆ CAUSA FIERI ATQUE HOC LOCO ERIGI CURAVIT QUO SUAM ERGA DEUM GRATITUDINEM AD POSTEROS TESTATAM FACERET.[752]