[494] On the back is written:--"To my brother and friend Master John
... deacon of the Church of Lausanne, or to Master Peter Viret,
to put into his hands." Below, in Viret's hand:--"Calvin to John
Cavent, deacon of Lausanne." Letter not dated, but written shortly
after Calvin's journey to Strasbourg and his visit to M. de Falais,
that is, in June 1545.
Consolations on the death of his wife and mother.
[_June 1545._]
VERY DEAR BROTHER,--I have no doubt that Master Christopher[495]
will have done his duty by delivering to you the letters which
contained information of the death of your wife and mother. If it
be hard to bear their loss, you have good cause to find consolation
in our Lord, who enabled them to glorify his name in their death,
and who gave them strength in the hour of need, and who, I do not
doubt, will give you grace to view all these things aright. As to
your children, there would have been some means of sending them to
you, through M. de Falais, and he would willingly have undertaken
the charge, for the honour of God, and at my request; but he himself
is excluded from the country, and is now at Strasbourg, where I
found him in bad health; for if weakness had not prevented him he
would have come hither. It is, therefore, necessary to find out some
other way of sending them, and, meanwhile, it behoves you to have
patience, anxiously commending them to God, who will not permit them
to remain long in this captivity. Moreover, I beg you to tell our
brother, Master Peter, not to fail to visit me some day. And now,
after affectionately commending myself to both of you, and to all
our friends, I pray our gracious God to have you in his keeping,
directing you by his Spirit, so that your labours be acceptable to
him and useful to his Church, which has great need of them.--Most
sincerely your good friend and brother,