at and good renown, and of so holy a
life," until the king's return. The refractory judges, however,
neglected to obey the order, and continued the proceedings instituted
against Lefevre.[200]

[Sidenote: Lefevre and the Nuncio Aleander.]

When, however, Francis succeeded in regaining his liberty, a year later,
he not only recalled Lefevre and his companion, Roussel, from exile, but
conferred upon the former the honorable appointment of tutor to his two
daughters and his third and favorite son, subsequently known as Charles,
Duke of Orleans.[201] This post, while it enabled him to continue the
prosecution of his biblical studies, also gave him the opportunity of
instilling into the minds of his pupils some views favorable to the
Reformation.[202] A little later Margaret of Angouleme secured for
Lefevre the position of librarian of the royal collection of books at
Blois; but, as even here he was subjected to much annoyance from his
enemies, Margaret, now Queen of Navarre, sought and obtained from her
brother permission to take the old scholar with her to Nerac, in
Gascony.[203] Here, in the ordinary residence of his patron, and treated
by the King of Navarre with marked consideration, Lefevre d'Etaples was
at last safe from molestation. The papal party did not, indeed, despair
of gaining him over. The Nuncio Aleander, in a singular letter exhumed
not long since from the Vatican records, expressed himself strongly in
favor of putting forth the effort. Lefevre's "few errors" had at first
appeared to be of great moment, because published at a time when to
correct or change the most insignificant syllable, or a faulty
rendering, in the ancient translations of the Holy Scriptures approved
by the church, was an unheard-of innovation. But, now that more
important questions had come up to arrest attention, the mere matter of
retranslation, without introducing unsound doctrine, seemed to be a
thing of little or no consequence.[204] Let Lefevre but leave the
heretical company which he kept, and let him make _the least bit of a
retraction_ respecting some few passages in his works, and the whole
affair would at once be arranged.[205]

[Sidenote: Lefevre's mental suffering.]

The reconciliation of Lefevre with the church did not take place. The
"bit of a retraction" was never written. But none the less are Lefevre's
last days reported to have been disturbed by harassing thoughts. The
noble old man, who had consecrated to the tra