Note 84 — Chapter III

The poison was placed in some spinach soup, and the popular story was that Farel escaped because he did not like the food; that Froment had seated himself at table to take his share, when news was brought to him that his wife and children had arrived at Geneva—he rose from the table at once to go to meet them, and left the soup untasted. Poor Viret was the only one who took his share, and became very ill immediately afterwards. The prisoner’s confession, lately exhumed from the Geneva archives, tells another tale. The woman said that she stuffed a small bone with the poison, and placed it in Viret’s bowl; but was afraid to do the same to Farel’s because his soup was too clear. Cf. extracts quoted in Doumergue’s Jean Calvin, etc. ii. 133, 134 n.