r age. It has been the pride of Geneva scholars to print in elegant
archaic style every page written by the Prisoner of Chillon in prose or
verse, on history, polity, philology and theology.

Somewhere about September, 1570, Francis Bonivard died, aged
seventy-seven, lonely and childless, leaving the city his heir. The
cherished collection of books that was the comfort of his harassed life
has grown into the library of a university, and the little walled town
for whose ancient liberties he ventured such perils and suffered such
imprisonment is, and for the three hundred years since has been, one of
the chief radiant centres of light and liberty for all the world.
LEONARD WOOLSEY BACON.

NOTE.--Like every subject relating to the history of Geneva,
the life of Bonivard has been thoroughly studied by local
antiquarians and historians. The most important work on the
subject is that of Dr. Chaponniere, before cited: this is
reprinted (but without the documents attached) as a preface
to the new edition of the _Chronicles_. M. Edmond Chevrier,
in a slight pamphlet (Macon, 1868), gives a critical account
both of the man and of his writings. Besides these may be
named Vulliemin: _Chillon, Etude historique_, Lausanne,
1851; J. Gaberel: _Le Chateau de Chillon et Bonivard_,
Geneva. Marc Monnier, _Geneve et ses Poetes_ (Geneva, 1847),
gives an excellent criticism on Bonivard as author. For
original materials consult (besides the work of Chaponniere)
Galiffe: _Materiaux pour l'Histoire de Geneve_, and Cramer:
_Notes extraites des Registres du Consistoire_, a rare book
in lithography (Geneva, 1853). A weak little article in the
_Catholic World_ for September, 1876, bravely attacks
Bonivard as "one of the Protestant models of virtue," and
triumphantly proves him to have been far from perfect. The
charge, however, that he was "a traitor to his
ecclesiastical character," and "quitted his convent and
broke his vows," is founded on a blunder. Bonivard never
took monastic vows or holy orders, but held his living _in
commendam_, as a lay-man. The main resource, however, for
Bonivard's life up to his liberation from Chillon is in his
own works, especially the _Chronicles_ (Geneva, edition
Fick, 1867).

"FOR PERCIVAL."

CHAPTER XXXI.

WHY NOT LOTTIE?

[Illustration]

It was all over. T