[26] Recordon, Le protestantisme en Champagne (Paris, 1863), from MSS. of Nicholas Pithou, p. 105. This learned jurist, the equal of his more celebrated brothers in ability, and their superior in moral courage, has left his testimony respecting the beneficent influence of the reformed doctrines upon his fellow-citizens: "A la verite la ville de Troyes en general fit une perte incroyable en la rupture de cette Eglise. Car c'etait une grande beaute et chose plus que emerveillable de la voir si bien fleurie. Il se voyoit en la jeunesse, touchee par la predication de la parole de Dieu, qui auparavant etait si depravee que rien plus, un changement si subit et si etrange que les catholiques memes en etoient tout etonnes. Car, tels qui au precedent se laissaient aller du tout a leurs voluptez et s'etaient plongez en gourmandises, yvrogneries et jeux defendus, tellement qu'ils y passaient la plus grande et meilleure partie du temps, et faisaient un fort mauvais menage, depuis qu'ils etaient entres dans l'Eglise quittaient du tout leur vie passee et la detestaient, se rangeant et se soumettant allegrement a la discipline ecclesiastique, ce qui etait si agreable aux parents de tels personnages, que, quoiqu'ils fussent catholiques, ils en louaient Dieu." Ibid., pp. 107, 108. [27] "Nous avons esperance que non seulement la jeunesse d'icy se faconnera par la main d'un si excellent ouvrier qui nous est venu; mais que les chanoines mesmes de Sainte-Croix le viendront ouyr en ses lecons, ce qu'ils ont desja declare. De quoy sortiront des fruicts surmontant toute expectation." Gaberel, Hist. de l'egl. de Geneve, i., Pieces justificatives, 168. [28] The archives of Stuttgart contain the instructive correspondence which the Duke of Guise had, ever since the previous summer, maintained with the Duke of Wuertemberg. From the letters published in the Bulletin of the French Protestant Historical Society (February and March, 1875), we see that Francois endeavored to alienate Christopher from the Huguenots by representing the latter as bitter enemies of the Augsburg Confession, and as speaking of it with undisguised contempt. (Letter of July 2, 1561, Bull., xxiv. 72.) Christopher made no reply to these statements, but urged his correspondent to a candid examination of religious truth, irrespective of age or prescription, reminding him (letter of Nov. 22, 1561) that our Lord Jesus Christ "did not say 'I am the _ancient custom_,' but 'I am the _Truth_.'" (Ibid., xxiv. 114.) And he added, sensibly enough, that, had the pagan ancestors of both the French and the Germans followed the rule of blind obedience to custom, they would certainly never have become Christians. [29] Guise's original invitation was for Saturday, January 31st, but Christopher pleaded engagements, and named, instead, Sunday, Feb. 15th. (Ibid., xxiv. 116, 117.)