In 1539, while John Calvin was still single, his friend and fellow reformer Guilliame Farel had found a woman he thought might be to Calvin’s liking. Calvin set out his requirements in this in a letter to Farel on 19 May 1539:
Well, at least he had the good sense to see that a woman who fit his requirements would be in high demand...I am not one of those insane kind of lovers who, once smitten by the first sight of a fine figure, cherishes even the faults of his lover. The only beauty that seduces me is of one who is chaste, not too fastidious, modest, thrifty, patient, and hopefully she will be attentive to my health. If you think well of her [in light on this], set out immediately in case someone else get there before you.
Nothing came of Farel's matchmaking. But in August 1540, Calvin wed Idelette de Bure, an Anabaptist widow with two children. Idelette certainly met Calvin’s stated criteria of piety, modesty, frugality, and the like. But she was also savvy, sociable, respectable, and, to Farel’s surprise, apparently quite good looking.
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