Rise and Establishment of Protestantism at Geneva - James Aitken Wylie

the republic."
True, it was answered, but then the republic is
not an affair of acres, it is an affair of faith. The
true Geneva is Protestantism, and these men were
born into the State in the same hour in which they
became Protestants. This broad view of the
question prevailed. Nevertheless, the honor was
sparingly distributed. Up till 1555, only eighty had
received the freedom of the city; in the early part of
that year, other sixty were added [4] --a small
number truly when we think how numerous the
Protestant exiles were. The greatest of all the sons
of Geneva, he who was more than a citizen, who
was the founder of the State, was not legally
enrolled till five years before his death. The name
of John Knox was earlier inscribed on the Registers
than that of John Calvin. Hardly was there a
country in Europe which did not help to swell this
truly catholic roll. The list contributed by Italy
alone was a long and brilliant one. Lucca sent,
among other distinguished names, the Calendrini,
the Burlamachi, the Turretini, and the Micheli.[5]
Of these families many took root in Geneva, and
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