ho was meek and humble of heart, he learned that
important lesson to such perfection, as to convert his predominant
passion into his characteristical virtue. The Calvinists ascribed
principally to his meekness the wonderful conversions he made among
them. They were certainly the most obstinate of people at that time,
near Geneva; yet St. Francis converted no less than seventy-two thousand
of them.

Before the end of this first year of his ministry, in 1591, he erected
at Annecy a confraternity of the Holy Cross, the associates of which
were obliged to instruct the ignorant, to comfort and exhort the sick
and prisoners, and to beware of all lawsuits, which seldom fail to
shipwreck Christian charity. A Calvinistical minister took occasion from
this institution to write against the honor paid by Catholics to the
cross. Francis answered him by his book entitled, The Standard of the
Cross. At this time, fresh matter presented itself for the exercise of
the saint's zeal. The bishop of Geneva was formerly lord of that city,
paying an acknowledgment to the duke of Savoy. While these two were
disputing about the sovereignty, the Genevans expelled them both, and
formed themselves into a republic in alliance with the Switzers; and
their city became the centre of Calvinism. {293} Soon after, the
Protestant canton of Bern seized the country of Vaux, and the republic
of Geneva, the dutchy of Chablais, with the bailiwicks of Gex, Terni,
and Gaillard; and there by violence established their heresy, which from
that time had kept quiet possession for sixty years. The duke Charles
Emmanuel had recovered these territories, and resolving to restore the
Catholic religion, wrote in 1594 to the bishop of Geneva, to recommend
that work to him. The wise ones, according to this world, regarded the
undertaking as impracticable; and the most resolute, whether
ecclesiastics or religious, were terrified at its difficulties and
dangers. Francis was the only one that offered himself for the work, and
was joined by none but his cousin-german Lewis de Sales. The tears and
remonstrances of his parents and friends to dissuade him from the
undertaking, made no impression on his courageous soul. He set out with
his cousin on the 9th of September, in 1594. Being arrived on the
frontiers of Chablais, they sent back their horses, the more perfectly
to imitate the apostles. On his arrival at Thonon, the capital of
Chablais, situate on the lake of Geneva, he foun