Rise and Establishment of Protestantism at Geneva - James Aitken Wylie

despotism," are possessing themselves of our
heritage. These were the epithets by which they
chose to designate the new burgesses. These men
had not, indeed, been born on the soil of the
republic, but Geneva had no better citizens than
they; certainly none more willing to obey her law,
or more ready to shed their blood for her liberty if
occasion should require. The Gospel, which they
had embraced, made the territory of Geneva more
their native land than the country they had left. But
the Libertines understood nothing of all this. They
went to the Council and complained, but the
Council would not listen to them. They carried
their appeal to the populace, and at this bar that
appeal was more successful.[13]
On the 16th May, Perrin returned to the
Council with a larger number of followers, chiefly
fishermen and boatmen, armed with huge doublehandled
swords.[14] This motley host was
dismissed with the same answer as before. The
malcontents paraded the streets all day, calling on
the citizens to bestir themselves, and save the town,
which was on the eve of being sacked by the
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