proved, that they would utter words unworthy of entering the
ears of a very Christian king, and calculated to offend the good people
around him. It was for this reason that the ecclesiastical convocation
had instructed him, in such case, humbly to entreat his Majesty to give
no credit to the words of him who had spoken for "those of the new
religion," and to suspend his judgment until he had heard the answer
they intended to give. But for their respect for the king, he said, the
prelates, on hearing the abominable blasphemies pronounced in their
hearing, would have risen and broken off the colloquy. He prayed Charles
with the greatest humility to persevere in the faith of his fathers, and
invoked the Virgin Mary and the blessed saints of paradise that thus it
might be.[1127]

[Sidenote: Catharine's decision.]

How long the age-stricken cardinal, the active persecutor of an entire
generation of reformers, would have proceeded in his diatribe against
the "blasphemy" of the Genevese doctor, is doubtful. He was cut short in
the midst of it by the queen mother, who, in a decided tone, informed
him that the plan of the conference had been adopted only after mature
deliberation, with the advice of the council of state and by consent of
parliament. No change or innovation was contemplated, but the appeasing
of the troubles incident upon diversity of religious sentiment, and the
restoration to the right path of such as had erred. The matter in hand
was to demonstrate the truth by means of the simple Word of God, which
should be the sole rule. "We are here," she said, "for the purpose of
hearing you on both sides, and of considering the matter on its own
merits. Therefore, reply to the speech of Sieur de Beze which you have
just heard." "The speech was too long for us to undertake to answer it
on the spur of the moment," responded Tournon, in a more tractable tone;
but he promised that, if a copy of it were given to them in writing, a
suitable refutation would soon be forthcoming on the part of the
prelates.[1128] Thus the conference broke up for the day.

[Sidenote: Advantages gained.]

It could not be denied that Beza had spoken with great effect. For the
first time in forty years the Reformation had obtained a partial
hearing. The time-honored fashion of condemning its professors without
even the formality of a trial had for once been violated; and, to the
satisfaction of some and the dismay of many, it was found that the