salute fired from the castle and fort. The breeze was strong and the ships bore away rapidly, leav

THE REPORT OF TWO
LOMBARDS SHOOK
THE SEA.

ing the native island

farther and farther in the distance, until
Cuba was but a dim speck in the hori-
zon. Then Francisco turned his gaze
to the vessel which was bearing his
brother away.
Farther and farther the

ships drifted apart, until Francisco could only see a snowy speck on the horizon, which at last disappeared altogether. Long after the sail had faded from view, the student stood gazing in the direction of it.

"My brother goes to war and I to peace."

Had he been able to read the future, he would have seen that no peace or cloister was in store for him, but a wild whirlpool of excitement. No sacerdotal robe was ever to grace his form. In the name of religion he was to witness such scenes of blood and crime as almost to disgust him with the holy order, and he was to be more of a soldier than a priest. But let us await the fulness of time and

not anticipate events.

CHAPTER II.

COLIGNI'S PET SCHEME FOR THE PERSECUTED.

THE world had reached that age of earnest theological discussion and antagonism in Europe, known as the "Era of the Reformation." Martin Luther and Philip Melancthon, in Germany, led a revolt against the Italian hierarchy, as rulers in the Christian Church, whose head was the Pope of Rome. A similar revolt, headed by Zuingliss, had broken out in Switzerland, and the Pope trembled lest his universal power should be swept away from him. Historians designate the time as a moment of intellectual liberty-the perfect equal ity of all men in Church and State, in the exercise of the inalienable rights of private judgment in matters of politics and religion. It was at the Diet or Congress held at Spires in 1529 that Luther and several princes in sympathy with him entered their solemn protest, which to this day has characterized their followers of all denominations and creeds as Protestants. They found the mother church so strong, that they were compelled to form a league

against it, and so first organized the Reformation as an aggressive moral power leading to theological and political combinations, which, twenty-five years later, freed the Germans from the domination of the Italian church.

But the Romish church was not disposed to yield its supremacy in the Christian world without a desperate struggle, and it put forth all its energies for the maintenance of its power. It had mighty agencies in its traditions, its vantage-ground of possession, the Order of Jesuits which it had just created, and the Inquisition which it had re-established with new powers. Its warfare was keen and terrible, and its victories were many; but, despite all that power and persecution could do, the Reformation gained ground in certain parts of Europe. In the heat of that conflict was evolved the representative government, the free institutions, and the liberty, equality, and fraternity which are the birthright of every American citizen to-day without regard to creed.

In no part of the civilized world did the Reformation meet with more determined enemies in court and church than in France. John Calvin, the chief reformer in that country, was banished, and, taking refuge in Switzerland, died in the year 1564. Calvin had sowed the seeds of Protestantism in France, and those seeds bore fruit in such daring

But

persons as Admiral Coligni, the favorite of Catharine de Medici while she was acting as regent for her son the infant king. Thus the most conspicuous leader of the Huguenots, as the French Protestants were called, found means of reaching the All parties admired Coligni for his

royal ear.
gallant services to his country.

He persuaded

Catharine to attempt to reconcile by a conference the contending religious factions; but the peace conference failed and war ensued. The Duke of Guise, a lineal descendant of Charlemagne, and claimant of the French throne, a man whom Catharine both feared and hated, led the Roman Catholics, while the Prince of Conde headed the ProtestThe latter, being much in the minority, suffered greatly in the contest. Perhaps never, even in savage warfare, was cruelty carried further than in this conflict between religious factions.

ants.

At this time there lived in Dieppe a prominent and once wealthy sea-captain named De Barre. For important services rendered the king certain rights and privileges were granted him. He was a lover of civil and religious liberties, and when the Reformation began to shake the world with its thunder, De Barre, a cousin of Coligni, under whom he had served in the royal navy, espoused the cause of Protestantism. The sea-captain's family consisted of himself, wife, and two children, a son