as much to be pitied as the
Anabaptist? He also doubted, searched, and interrogated his Bible, and
imagined that he had caught the meaning of a letter which no
intelligence before him had been able to seize. And what was this truth,
the conquest of which infused such fear into his soul that, before he
could announce it to the world, he sold his charge of Pont l'Eveque and
even his paternal inheritance?

In the year 1531 John Calvin presented himself before Simon Legendre and
Peter le Roy, royal notaries at Paris, to invest his brothers with
powers of attorney to sell what had been left him by his father and
mother.

"To all to whom these present letters shall come; John de la Barre,
Chevalier Count d'Estampes, Governor of Paris and chief of the judicial
tribunal of said city, greeting: We make known that before Simon
Legendre and Peter le Roy, notaries of our lord the King, at Paris, came
in person Master John Calvin, licentiate at law, and Anthony Cauvin, his
brother, clerk, living at Paris, and sons of Gerard Cauvin--while yet
alive, secretary of M. the Bishop of Noyon--and of Jeanne le Franc, his
wife; who jointly and severally make, name, ordain, appoint, and
establish as their general agent and special attorney Master Charles
Cauvin, their brother, to whom bearing these present letters they grant,
and by these presents do give, full power and right to sell, concede,
and alienate, to whatever person or persons the two undivided thirds
belonging to the aforesaid constituents, coming to them in proper right
of succession by the demise of the aforesaid deceased Jeanne le Franc,
their mother; also the fourth undivided part of a piece of meadow,
containing fourteen acres or thereabouts, situated in the territory of
Noyon, and pertaining on one part to the wood of Chastelain; on another,
to the monks and sisters of the Hotel-Dieu of St. John, at Noyon; on
another, to the nuns and abbess of the French convent, the Abbey aux
Bois, and to the chapter of the church of Notre Dame, of the said city,
and running up to the highway passing from Noyon to Genury; to make sale
and alienation of the same, for such price and at such costs as the
aforesaid Master Charles Cauvin, their brother, shall judge for the
better; to collect the money and give security, with lien upon all their
future possessions.

"Done, and passed, on Wednesday, the fifteenth day of February, in the
year 1531."

Some short time after this, Calvin resigned