Skip to main content

Full text of "The novitiate; or, a year among the English Jesuits: a personal narrative with an essay on the constitutions, the confessional morality, and history of the Jesuits / by Andrew Steinmetz"

See other formats 


THE    NOVITIATE; 


OB, 


A  TEAE  AMONG  THE  ENGLISH  JESUITS. 


THE    NOVITIATE; 


OR, 


A  YEAR  AMONG  THE  ENGLISH  JESUITS; 

A   PERSONAL    NARRATIVE. 

WITH 

AN  ESSAY   ON  THE   CONSTITUTIONS, 

Cfje  Confessional  iHoi-alitg,  anH  i^istorg  oC  tf^t  Jfesuits. 


BY  ANDEEW  STEINMETZ. 


"  Nor  aught  so  good,  but  strain'd  from  that  fair  use. 
Revolts  from  true  birth,  stumbling  on  abuse  1" 

Romeo  and  Juliet,  Act.  II.  Scene  III. 


LONDON: 
SMITH,  ELDER  AND  CO.,  65,  CORNHILL. 

1846. 


i3y 


London  : 
Printed  by  Stewart  and  Mubbat, 
MAY     -    5    1988  01^  Bailoy. 


BOSTOH  COllEM  UBRAfflf 

CHESTr4UI  fcULt  AAA   02167 


PREFACE. 


A  TRUNCATED  biography,  like  a  cone  in  the  same 
condition,  seems  to  require  some  account  of  the 
eliminated  section.  The  author  must  disclose  so 
much  of  his  previous  history,  as  will  be  necessary  to 
enable  the  reader  to  comprehend,  and  duly  to  appre- 
ciate, the  events  that  must,  to  a  great  extent,  be 
intimately  connected  with  the  former. 

The  past,  the  present,  and  the  future  in  the  life  of 
man,  are  three  inteijections  in  one  and  the  same 
sentence  :  and  the  reader  whose  heart  can  s^-mpathise 
with  the  feeling  indicated  by  the  first,  will  respond, 
like  the  vibration  of  the  musical  string,  to  the  sigh 
that  saddens  the  second  in  the  dirge  of  life. 

I  was  born  in  an  island  situated  between  the 
tropics  —  a  Swedish  colony.  My  parents  were  of 
German  and  French  origin :  at  the  time  of  my  birth, 
and  long  after,  they  were  sufficiently  wealthy. 


VI  PREFACE. 

Mj  father  was  a  *'  liberal "  Protestant,  my  mother 
not  a  '*  bigoted"  CathoHc :  still,  of  six  children  five 
were  devoted  to  the  baptism  of  Rome,  and  only  one 
conceded  to  that  of  Luther. 

To  my  seventh  year,  I  was  permitted  to  grow  in 
health  and  strength,  unmolested  by  study  of  any 
kind.  Scorched  and  tanned  by  the  vertical  fierce  sun 
of  the  tropics ;  battling  ever  and  anon  with  the  wild 
waves,  and  borne  on  their  crests  as  they  lashed  the 
rocks  of  our  sea-girt  isle — with  hook  and  line,  seated 
on  some  solitary  boulder,  the  waves  breaking  around 
— or  with  my  father  sailing  in  our  pleasure-boat  far 
out  to  sea,  on  that  ocean  which  I  had  so  often  to 
cross  in  after  life — or  engaged  in  some  handy-work  at 
home,  learning  to  use  every  mechanical  tool — for  my 
father  prided  himself  in  being  able  to  work  at  every 
trade,  self-taught :   such  was  my  childhood. 

In  my  tenth  year  I  lost  my  father.  In  my  twelfth 
my  mother  took  me  from  school,  and  consigned  me 
to  the  care  of  a  priest  to  prepare  me  for  my  first 
communion  ;  or  as  she  said,  "  to  break  me  in."  The 
dogmas  of  the  faith  were  then  imparted  to  me  for  the 
first  time.  The  seeds  of  religion  sank  deep  in  the 
virgin  soil — I  embraced  the  faith  with  rapture — went 
to  confession  every  week,  and  to  communion  every 
fortnight.  Such  was  the  result  of  two  months, 
excluswehj  dedicated  to  the  study  of  religion  in  the 
house   of  the   priest.      With  religious  fervour  came 


PREFACE.  Vll 

zeal  for  the  conversion  of  heretics.  I  studied  contro- 
versy. In  my  twelfth  year  I  strove  to  propagate  the 
faith.  I  attacked  the  forlorn  hope  of  my  father's  re- 
ligion— my  elder  sister;  and  she  was  converted  to 
the  faith  of  Rome.  I  often  think  of  the  day  when 
she  surrendered  to  me  her  poor  Common-Prayer  Book 
to  be  transferred  to  the  priest,  at  his  request — then  to 
be  consigned  emendaturis  ignibus,  to  the  cleansing 
fires ! 

My  mother  destined  me  for  the  medical  profession  : 
I  studied  it  two  years,  vowing  myself,  meanwhile,  to 
the  priesthood.  I  obtained  her  consent,  at  length, 
and  was  sent  to  England.  At  St.  Cuthbert's  Col- 
lege, commonly  called  Ushaw,  near  Durham,  I  re- 
mained rather  more  than  five  years. 

Within  the  first  year  after  my  arrival,  I  lost  my 
mother:  and  then  my  night  of  bitterness  began — 
every  letter  I  received  from  my  home  gave  a  pang!  By 
intense  application  to  study,  and  increased  devotional 
fervour,  I  strove  to  forget  the  fate  that  impended. 

I  was  now  a  poor  student  on  the  funds  of  the 
college — pledged  to  the  priesthood.  Tolerable  suc- 
cess in  my  studies  tended  to  soothe  the  pangs  of 
pride  in  humiliation. 

Controversy  continued  to  be  my  favourite  study. 
It  cost  me  "  the  faith."     I  argued  myself  into  doubts. 

By  my  nineteenth  year  I  had  read  more  than  the 
course  of  studies  required,  or  allowed,  in  classic  and 


Vlll  PREFACE. 

general  literature ;  in  natural  and  moral  philosophy  : 
for  I  have  never  lost  a  day  in  idleness  of  mind  since 
the  hour  when  I  first  went  to  school,  in  my  seventh 
year. 

iVbout  this  period  a  hope  flashed  on  my  mind,  that 
I  might  be  able,  by  returning  to  the  world,  to  re- 
trieve the  fortunes  of  my  family.  This  hope  sounded 
a  truce  to  my  temptations  against  the  faith,  from 
which  I  longed  to  escape  by  a  life  of  action ;  and  I 
resolved  to  resign  the  certainties  of  the  priesthood 
for  the  hopes  of  my  dreams. 

The  reader  is  now  in  possession  of  all  the  informa- 
tion he  requires,  concerning  my  previous  history. 

In  the  Narrative  that  follows,  he  will  find  the 
next  stage  of  my  journey, — 

"  While  still  pursuing,  still  unblest, 
I  wander  on,  nor  dare  to  rest !" 


Andrew  Steinmetz. 


Fakeiiham,  Norfolk. 
Feb.  1846. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  1. 

Page 
luuoduction     .........         I 

CHAPTER  II. 
The  Inspiration,  and  Reception  at  Stonjhurst    ...         8 

CHAPTER  III. 
Impressions      .........       16 

CHAPTER  IV. 
Admission  to  the  Novitiate        ......       25 

CHAPTER   V. 

The  Tliree  Houses  :    Ways  and  Means  :    Silent  Influences 

— Progress 32 

a 


CONTENTS. 
CHAPTER  v.* 


Page 
Elessinsr   .........       49 


The  Retreat — Doubts  and  Waverinsr — The  Investment  and 


o 


CHAPTER  VI. 
The  Novice — A  Contemplation — Results  ....       78 

CHAPTER  VII. 
A  Buy's  Occupation 91 

CHAPTER  Vlir. 
Cui  Bono,  or  What's  the  Good  of  it?         .         .         .         .117 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Ecoiiornics  of"   the    Novitiate  —  The    Master,    jMinister, 

Monitors 135 

CHAPTER   X. 

Gan.es — Recreation — Missionary  Duties  .         .         .     166 

CHAPTER  XI. 
EiFtcts  of  the  Tjainiog      •,•...,     182 

CHAPTER   Xtl. 
The  Feast  of  Ignatius       .,©,,,.     191 

CHAPTER   XIII. 

Dryness — Remarkable  Cure — Ojiinions     .         .         .         .217 


CONTENTS. 


XI 


CHAPTER   XIY. 

A'isits  from  Friends  —  Letters  —  Festivities  —  Strangers' 
Retreats    ......•• 


Page 


.    229 


CHAPTER  XV. 

Mortifications  —  Reprimands  —  Briefs  —  The  Chapter  — 

Manifestation    ......••     238 


CHAPTER  XVI. 
The  Chain— the  Discipline,  Fasting,  &;c 248 

CHAPTER    XVII. 
Reflections — The   Superior's  Retreat— A   General    Order 


-A  Pang 


.     259 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

Interview  with  the  Provincial— Les  Adieus— A  Blessing 
and  a  Prayer — The  Departure    .         .         .         .         . 


266 


An   Essay  on   the    Constitution's,  the  Confessional   Morality, 
AND  History  of  the  Jesuits 


Introduction     ...... 

Ignatius  of  Loyola — The  Society — Its  Rise 
The  Society — Its  Constitutions — Progress 
The  Societ}' — Its  Decline  and  Fall    . 
The  Society — Its  Present  State 
The  Jesuits  in  England 


.  275 

.  278 

.  287 

.  337 

.  367 

.  368 


THE    NOVITIATE. 


CHAPTER  I. 

INTRODUCTION.  # 

The  following  narrative  is  an  autobiography;  with 
this  distinction,  that  it  is  only  the  history  of  one  year 
of  my  life — only  twelve  months  :  but  a  year  of  pecu- 
liar interest  in  a  man's  life,  it  must  be  allowed.    Dur- 
ing that  time  of  trial,  what  opportunities  of  self-exami- 
nation have  I  not  had?      In  it  I  lived  over  aq-ain  the 
past — I  sought  to  anticipate  the  future.     Separated 
from  the  world,  from  kindred,  and  friends — from  all 
the  ordinary  pursuits  and  objects  of  life — from  their 
anxieties,  hopes,  and  fears — I  gazed  upon  the  world 
as  a  dispassionate  observer,  who  was  to  mix  in  its 
concerns,  perhaps  take  an  active  part  in  its  manage- 
ment,   without   entertaining   a   thought   of   self,   or 
having   any  individual  interest  to  forward.     I  was 
trained  in   spirit  as  men   are  trained  in  body  who 
have  to  struggle  desperately  for  mastery,  or  to  per- 

B 


jL  introduction. 

form  feats  which  seem  impossible  to  ordinary  mortals. 
The  novice  of  the  Society  of  Jesus  has  to  pierce 
into  his  own  mind,  to  examine  the  depths  of  his  nature, 
to  consider  his  affections,  to  feed  (so  to  speak)  on  his 
own  heart.  lie  has  wrenched  himself  from  father 
and  mother,  brother  and  sister,  friends  and  connec- 
tions—  in  a  word,  from  society,  root  and  branch,  in 
order  to  be  reconstituted  as  an  individual,  according; 
to  the  plan  and  system  laid  down  by  Ignatius  of 
Loyola.  His  battle  has  been  with  "nocturnal  fear" 
and  "  the  noon-day  devil ;"  he  has  wrestled  with  the 
angel ;  he  has  gone  through  the  fires  of  temptation  ; 
and  if  he  has  not  become  a  Jesuit,  he  can  look  back 
dispassionately  on  the  process  through  which  he  has 
passed  ;  and,  perhaps,  instruct  his  fellow-creatures 
with  the  narrative  of  his  experience,  without  indulg- 
ing any  ill  will  towards  those  who  permitted  him  to 
try  their  method. 

It  is  this  that  I  purpose  to  do  in  these  pages. 
My  object  is  truth  alone.  I  desire  to  exhibit  the 
Jesuits  and  their  course  of  instruction  exactly  as  I 
found  them  and  it.  I  have  no  motive  for  conceal- 
ment or  exa2f2:eration.  It  has  been  usual  to  exhibit 
the  men  among  whom  for  a  time  my  lot  was  cast,  as 
either  angels  or  devils;  I  shall  merely  represent 
them  as  I, found  them.  I  would  rather  that  my 
statements  should  be  accused  of  wanting  interest  than 
attempt  to  make  them  starthng  by  the  insertion  of 
fictitious  details.  I  leave  others  to  furnish  materials 
for  romance.  My  aim  is  less  to  amuse  the  idle,  than 
to   afford   information   to   those  serious  and  earnest 


INTRODUCTION.  3 

minds,  who,  surveying  the  rapid  growth  and  expan- 
sion of  Jesuit  power,  ask  whether  the  movement  is 
for  good  or  for  evil — who  would  fain  know  something 
authentic  of  the  training,  organization,  and  govern- 
ment of  that  tremendous  Society,  which  once  enacted 
so  great  a  part  in  the  history  of  the  world,  and  now 
again  appearing  on  the  scene,  changed  to  suit  the 
changes  of  the  world  —  adapted  to  its  new  wants, 
wishes,  conditions,  trials,  and  temptations — aims  once 
more  to  obtain  supremacy  over  the  mind  and  actions 
of  mankind. 

At  the  same  time,  I  trust  that  there  is  no  breach 
of  confidence  in  divulo^ino-  the  doino^s  of  the  Novi- 
tiate;  since  the  object  of  all  the  discipline  of  train- 
ing-houses of  every  description  being  honest  and 
honourable,  there  can  be  no  rational  objection  to  the 
means  being  known  to  all  the  world.  No  promise 
was  exacted  from  me  to  that  effect ;  therefore,  it 
is  to  be  presumed,  the  reverend  fathers  were  not 
ashamed  of  anything  that  took  place  in  the  Novitiate 
— at  least,  I  hope  not. 

Since  I  left  the  Novitiate,  I  have  often  spoken  of 
my  experience  to  my  friends,  and,  as  they  have  been 
interested  with  my  recital,  I  have  imagined  that  a 
narrative  of  my  spiritual  training  and  progress,  under 
the  influence  of  the  famous  ^'Exercises"  of  Ignatius, 
may  be  instructive  at  this  time,  when  pious  people 
seem  to  be  convulsed  all  over  the  world — yearning- 
after  change,  desirous  of  novelty,  uncertain  what  to 
do  with  their  souls.  Let  them  not  fancy  that  the 
Jesuits  will  be  inactive  spectators  of  any  movement 

B  2 


4  INTRODUCTION. 

that  takes  place  in  the  religious  or  political  constitu- 
tions of  the  world.  They  are  spread  abroad  over  the 
earth  ;  they  are  mixing  in  all  societies ;  they  have 
their  institutions  in  the  midst  of  the  most  crowded 
marts  of  life.  People  must  not  imagine  that  the 
**  Wandering  Jew"  has  demolished  the  Society 
more  effectually  than  the  •' Provincial  Letters"  of 
old  ;  and  still  less  must  they  opine  that  the  severe 
measures  against  the  Jesuits  in  France  have  mate- 
rially  damaged  the  "cause" — far  from  it:  the  hydra 
will  put  forth  more  heads  than  have  been  lopped  off; 
and,  what  is  more,  I  will  venture  to  predict  that  the 
secret  machinations  of  the  redoubtable  conspirators 
will,  before  very  long,  be  found  to  have  given  them  a 
pretty  solid  foundation  even  in  this  country,  the  bul- 
wark of  Protestantism.  The  Jesuits  are  tough 
fellows  ;  every  man  amongst  them  has  all  the  strong 
motives  for  action,  which  give  force,  energy,  intention 
to  the  whole  body,  and  the  whole  body  moves  as  one 
man.  To  my  mind  the  Jesuits,  or  rather  Loyola, 
has  devised  a  system  which  gives  to  his  sons  all  the 
properties  which  the  Creator  has  given  to  *' matter:" 
that  is,  the  true  Jesuit  has  mobility,  divisibility, 
malleability,  compressibility,  tenacity,  elasticity,  and 
porosity.  It  is  to  all  these  mental  qualities  of  these 
wonderful  workers  that  we  must  ascribe  their  signal 
triumphs  in  every  quarter  of  the  globe,  and  their 
greatness  even  in  defeat  and  desolation.  They  have 
such  fascination  that  their  deadliest  enemies  have,  in 
the  moment  of  their  extreme  peril,  declared  them- 
selves their  ^'friends  indeed."      Witness  the  conduct 


INTRODUCTION.  6 

of  the  Russian  cabinet  at  the  time  of  their  suppres- 
sion :  the  very  power  which  had  pertinaciously  re- 
sisted and  proscribed  their  attempts,  received  them 
with  open  arms  when  rejected,  even  from  the  paternal 
bosom  of  the  ^'  Holv  Father,"  who  disowned  his  best 
supporters !  It  is  no  wonder  that  these  men  look 
upon  themselves  as  the  objects  of  special  Provi- 
dence, and  walk  forward,  muffled  in  portentous 
gloom,  to  the  grand  consummation  which  they  still 
believe  will  make  amends  for  their  past  humiliation. 
But  that  gloom  is  a  blind  only  to  their  enemies:  there 
is  a  beacon-light  in  their  van, — they  fancy,  at  least, 
that  they  see  it,  and  they  march  on  confident  of 
victory. 

I  confess  that  I  cannot  refrain  from  admirinor  the 
unflinching  tenacity  of  these  men.  To  the  philo- 
sopher there  can  be  but  one  opinion  with  regard  to 
their  practices,  doctrines,  and  morality;  but  putting 
these  questions  aside,  I  propose  to  show  them  forth 
in  a  psychological  and  social  point  of  view :  how  they 
twist  and  vvreneh,  and  bend  and  dove-tail  poor 
humanity  to  serve  their  purposes,  that  is:  '* For  the 
greater  glory  of  God^^ — the  standing  motto,  as  every 
one  knows,  of  the  Jesuits. 

Bold  or  submissive — firm  as  a  rock,  or  pliant  as  a 
willow — the  Jesuit  must  know  his  *' time  for  alt 
things" — when  a  virtue  must  be  possessed  or  feigned, 
or  a  vice  be  absent  or  dissembled.  Thus  without,  he 
is  a  Proteus  of  wonderful  versatility — within,  always 
and  for  ever  the  same — man  of  obedience — fashioned 


b  INTRODUCTION. 

and  trained  in  heart  and  mind  strongly  to  will,  and 
promptly  to  act — and  yet,  if  it]  should  seem  more 
expedient,  content  to  bide  his  time !  He  has  had 
certain  principles  of  action  drilled  into  him  over  and 
over  again ;  he  has  been  made  to  acquire  a  perfect 
mastery  over  himself;  he  has  been  set  to  study  him- 
self before  the  mirror  of  perpetual  self-examination; 
he  has  been  humbled  to  the  very  dust  in  ten  thou- 
sand trials,  in  all  which  he  has  stood  firm  to  the  test ; 
he  has  been  "  inspired"  with  the  belief — as  firm  as 
his  belief  in  God — that  obedience  to  his  superior 
can  never  be  wrong;  he  has  been  impressed  with  the 
conviction  that  he  has  no  tie  on  earth  or  in  society, 
but  to  his  order:  something  more  than  a  nominis 
umbra — indeed,  its  very  name  is  guaranteed  immor- 
tality, by  the  exalted  source  of  its  derivation ! 

Again,  the  Jesuit  is  2l  picked  man.  No  one  will  be 
admitted  into  the  Novitiate,  who  is  the  least  de- 
formed;  he  must  be  guiltless  of  any  public  or  noto- 
rious crime ;  he  should  be  born  in  lawful  wedlock. 
He  must  have  talent  of  some  kind :  rather  more  than 
average  abilities.  For  the  rest,  it  will  be  shown 
hereinafter,  what  care  they  take  to  teach  the  novice 
the  useful  art  of  '*  behaving  himself  in  company." 
Talk  of  ^'  Hints  on  Etiquette  V  The  Jesuits  can 
show  you  a  huge  folio  on  the  subject,  written  for  the 
study  of  the  novices  by  one  of  their  own  Society  ; 
which,  as  all  the  world  knows,  can  boast  of  writers 
on  every  subject  from  the  most  trivial  to  the  most 
important. 


INTRODUCTION. 


I  shall  have  occasion  to  speak  of  the  origin 
and  progress  of  this  Society,  but  I  have  first  to 
narrate  the  commencement  of  my  personal  connection 
with  it. 


8 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE  INSPIRATION^  AND  RECEPTION  AT  STONYHURST. 

I  SHALL  never  forget  the  glow  of  enthusiasm  that 
sent  the  blood  rushing  through  my  heart  when 
I  first  conceived  the  idea  of  becoming  a  Jesuit. 

It  was  in  London — in  Fleet-street.  I  can  point 
out  the  very  stone  of  the  pavement  on  which  I  stood 
at  that  eventful  moment.  Hardly  an  instant  was 
given  for  consideration.  The  idea  took  complete 
possession  of  my  mind,  and  I  believed  it  to  be  an 
inspiration.     I  turned   on  my  heel,  wended  my  way 

to street,  knocked,  was  admitted,  and  stood  in 

the  presence  of  a — Jesuit,  for  the  first  time  in  my 
life. 

My  resolve,  though'  it  assumed  the  character  of 
religious  enthusiasm,  was  not,  I  must  confess,  wholly 
free  from  worldly  feelings.  My  position  at  that  time 
may  be  stated  in  the  very  words  which  I  addressed 
to  the  agent  of  the  Jesuits.  I  was  in  a  strange  land, 
disappointed  in  all  my  hopes,  friendless,  despairing; 
and — with  every  reason,  as  I  thought,  to  be  so — dis- 


THE    INSPIRATION.  V 

gusted  with  the  world — ay,  disgusted  with  this  beau- 
tiful world,  which  offers  an  equal  share  of  bliss  to 
all,  if  we  would  only  learn  to  adapt  our  minds  to  the 
state  in  which  we  find  ourselves,  and  would  fall  back, 
in  the  very  midst  of  the  worst  destiny,  on  the  sooth- 
ing, and,  I  may  say,  proud  conviction,  that  because 
we  are  permitted  to  live,  therefore  are  we  the  fa- 
voured retainers  of  a  beneficent  Providence,  which 
has  some  work  for  us  to  do. 

The  reverend  gentleman  listened  to  ray  animated 
address  apparently  with  interest.  When  I  con- 
cluded, he  put  several  questions  to  me  respecting  my 
former  life,  the  place  where  I  was  educated,  and 
finished  with  assuring  me  that,  if  I  could  get  testi- 
monials of  my  good  conduct  from  the  president  of 
the  college  in  which  I  had  been  brought  up,  there 
was  every  probability  of  my  being  received  into  the 
Novitiate.  In  the  mean  time  he  advised  me  to  go 
to  the  library  of  the  British  Museum  and  read  the 
*'  Constitutions  of  the  Society."  He  promised  me 
that  he  would  write  to  the  Provincial  on  the  subject, 
but  said  that  some  time  would  elapse  before  a  final 
answer  would  be  given.  "  Still,"  he  added,  "  you 
may  hope  for  the  best." 

If  my  enthusiasm  was  great  before  I  entered  the 
house,  it  was  transcendent  when  I  left !  Despair 
was  changed  into  hope !  I  looked  up  to  Heaven, 
and  breathed  a  fervent  prayer  of  thanksgiving.  I 
blessed  the  misfortunes  that  had  hurled  me  into 
poverty,  apparently  but  to  lead  me  to  the  destiny 
which  was  appointed  for  me  by  Heaven. 


10  THE    II^SPIRATION,  AND 

It  is  singular  how  great  a  change  was  wrought  in 
my  feelings  by  this  brief  interview  with  the  reverend 
father.  His  hopeful  words,  acting  on  my  mind 
then  excited  to  the  highest  pitch  of  religious  enthu- 
siasm, made  me  believe  myself  under  the  especial 
guidance  of  Providence  :  this  belief  affected  the 
course  of  my  conduct,  and  made  even  trivial  cir- 
cumstances appear  to  me  direct  interpositions  of 
Heaven. 

I  was  aware  that  I  could  not  enter  the  library 
of  the  Museum  without  a  recommendation ;  but  I  did 
not  hesitate  to  enter  boldly,  search  the  catalogues, 
and  write  for  the  book  I  wanted.  I  was  now  in  the 
hands  of  Providence ;  and  the  barriers  of  human 
will,  against  such  a  motive,  were  as  nought.  One 
must  have  felt  this  species  of  enthusiasm  to  compre- 
hend it  in  its  fullest  extent. 

I  was  not  disappointed.  The  book  was  brought 
to  me  without  a  question.  I  considered  this  trivial 
incident  as  another  Divine  interposition.  I  read 
with  avidity  the  pages  which  were  to  me  a  new 
Gospel  or  ^*  good  tidings"  of  the  happy  vocation  to 
which  I  was  called :  nay,  as  I  conceived, pj^edesiined ; 
for  I  now  clearly  discovered  that  every  circumstance 
of  my  life  was  but  a  link  of  the  celestial  chain  that 
extended  from  my  birth  to  the  bosom  of  Ignatius  ! 

Week  after  week  I  called  on  the  agent,  but  no 
answer  had  been  sent.  My  visits  were  short,  but 
still  long  enough  for  scrutinising  questions  as  to  ray 
"  vocation."  I  stood  the  test — my  enthusiasm  had 
increased,  not  diminished.     Though,  strange  to  say. 


RECEPTION    AT    STONYHURST.  11 

I  had  read  every  book  that  had  been  written  against 
the  Jesuits,  and  saw  reason  to  believe  many  of  the 
charges,  still  I  set  them  all  aside  with  this  sincere 
exclamation :  **  Wliatever  they  have  been,  or  are, 
Heaven  calls  me  to  this  Society.  I,  at  least,  will  be 
an  honest  Jesuit!" 

At  length  an  answer  came — I  was  accepted  ! 

''Thank  God!"  said  I  to  the  agent,  *Uhen  I  have 
not  lived  in  vain  1" 

But,  medio  defonte  leporum — surgit  amari  aliquid  ; 
I  was  in  debt  for  my  lodgings !  When  aware  of  my 
circumstances,  the  agent  gave  me  the  requisite  sum 
of  money — thus,  thought  I,  Heaven  has  repurchased 
my  body  as  it  liad  my  soul !  I  was  affected  to  tears 
by  my  emotion,  and  by  the  mark  of  confidence  and 
regard  which  was  given  me  on  the  threshold  of  my 
IS'ovitiate. 

In  the  month  of  February,  1838,  I  left  London 
for  Stonyhurst. — the  world  for  religion — myself  for 
"  the  phantom  of  hope  !" 

On  reaching  Liverpool,  my  first  visit  was  to  a 
priest  who  had  been  my  master  of  elocution  at 
college.  With  this  kind  gentleman  I  spent  a  plea- 
sant day.  My  fervour  was  increased  by  his  religious 
and  philosophical  conversation. 

On  the  following  day,  I  set  out  once  more  for 
Stonyhurst — my  first  stage  being  to  Blackburn.  I 
arrived  at  Blackburn  in  the  afternoon;  and,  not 
having  money  enough  to  pay  for  a  conveyance, 
I  left  my  trunk,  and  set  out  on  foot  for  the  college, 
ten  or  twelve  miles  distant.     It  was  a  brilliant  frosty 


12  THE    INSPIRATION,    AND 

night  of  February.  The  silent  stars  looked  down  on 
my  pilgrimage  as  the  eyes  of  approving  Heaven. 
Oh !  wliat  a  future  seemed  opening  before  me !  I 
felt  as  Ignatius  must  have  felt  when  he  set  forth 
to  dedicate  his  body  and  soul  to  '^  our  Lady  of 
Montserrat ;"  but  I  regretted  that  I  had  no  arms  to 
hang  up  on  her  altar  as  trophies  of  the  *'  Queen  of 
Heaven."* 

Accustomed  to  long  walks  from  one  end  of  Lon- 
don to  the  other,  I  felt  my  strength  redoubled  by  the 
hopes  whose  first  earnest  of  fulfilment  was  now  in 
my  grasp — my  admission  to  the  Novitiate ! 

Mile  after  mile  on  the  frost-flinty  road  I  mea- 
sured— my  thoughts  far  away  in  the  brilliant  future. 

In  spite  of  my  inquiries  at  the  few  cottages  I 
passed,  I  missed  my  way  twice  —  till  at  last  the 
towers  of  the  ancient  mansion  cast  their  lengthened 
shadows  towards  me,  as  the  moon,  declining  to  the 
west,  lavished  upon  their  aged  heads  that  inspiring- 
light  in  which  "  ruined  battlement  and  tower"  seem 
to  dream  of  ''  other  days" — seem  to  meditate  their 
history,  pensively,  sadly,  as  one  whose  regrets  awake 
no  kindred  feeling  of  pity  or  of  love. 

I  knocked,  w^as  admitted,  and  led  to  a  parlour, 
where  I  did  not  wait  many  minutes  before  one  of 
the  Fathers  made  his  appearance.  He  was  the 
rector  of  the  college  at  that  time — a  man  of  mild, 
bland  features,  and  tender  expression.  He  has  since 
then  been  sent  forth  to  the  vineyard,  and  has  had 
the  gratification,  as  1  have  been  informed,  to  *'  re- 

*  BouHOURs — La  Vie  de  St.  Ignace,  liv.  i. 


RECEPTION    AT    STONYHURST.  13 

ceive   into  the  church"  more  than  one,  or  two,  or 
three  of  the  Tractarian  harvest 

I  was  received  with  welcome,  and  congratulated 
on  my  zeal  which  had  not  grudged  a  walk  of  twelve 
miles  in  the  holy  cause.  "  Welcome  to  the  Society  of 
Jesus  !"  said  the  gentleman  just  alluded  to,  cordially 
grasping  my  hand — and  his  kind  manner  compen- 
sated for  the  uncouth  bluntness  of  another  Jesuit 
who  came  in  shortly  after. 

A  good  supper  was  kindly  prepared  for  me ;  and 
after  a  short  conversation — for  the  Fathers  commise- 
rated my  long  walk — I  was  shown  to  my  room — to 
sleep  and  dream  of  my  happy  lot! 

On  the  following  day,  which  was  Sunday,  I 
"  offered  up  the  mass"  in  thanksgiving  for  the  glo- 
rious vocation  which  was  vouchsafed  unto  me ;  never 
doubting  that  I  had  at  length  found  the  destiny  to 
which  I  was  born,  and  had  only  *'  to  go  forth  and 
conquer." 

On  the  Monday  I  was  formally  enrolled  :  my 
name,  age,  &c.,  being  recorded  in  the  book  kept  for 
that  purpose.  After  the  lapse  of  two  days,  which  I 
spent  very  agreeably  with  the  reverend  fathers,  I 
was  told  that  my  room  was  ready  to  receive  me  at 
the  Novitiate,  and  that  the  "  Father  of  the  Novices'* 
would  be  glad  to  see  me  as  soon  as  possible.  I 
must  state  that  I  had  passed  much  of  my  time  since 
my  arrival  with  different  '^  Fat?iers,"  whose  care  was 
to  prepare  my  mind  for  my  future  life  in  the  Novi- 
tiate, and  to  observe  my  character j  according  to  the 
custom  of  the  Jesuits. 


14  THE    INSPIRATION,    AND 

The  *'  Constitutions"  require  twelve  or  twenty  days, 
and  even  a  longer  period,  as  the  Superior  may  think 
fit,  to  be  spent  by  the  future  novice  in  this  preli- 
minary probation.  Formerly  a  separate  part  of  the 
establishments  was  consecrated  to  this  ordeal.  No 
intercourse  was  permitted  with  any  one  not  deputed 
by  the  Superior,  and  those  who  had  the  candidate 
in  charge  were  to  instruct  him  in  those  concerns  of 
the  Society  which  he  might  safely  know ;  whilst  by 
the  same  intercourse  the  Society  would  become 
more  fully  cognisant  of  his  character  "in  our  Lord."^ 
This  is  a  convenient  set-phrase  which  may  be  called  the 
talisman  of  Ignatius  ;  for  almost  every  page  of  the 
*'  Constitutions"  iterates  it  with  such  seeming  so- 
lemnity, that  one  is  well  nigh  apt  to  believe  that 
the  '*  Constitutions"  are  one  thing,  and  the  Jesuits 
another — a  belief  to  which  I  admit  my  inclination. 

Notwithstandino;  the  rule  of  the  *^  Constitutions" 
just  given,  I  was  not  kept  longer  than  three  days  as 
a  "  guest :"  very  few  questions  were  put  to  me.  I 
could  gain  but  little  information  concerning  the 
Society  from  my  companions;  so  that  although  my 
time  passed,  so  to  speak,  very  agreeably,  I  was  not 
sorry  when  I  received  the  order  to  start  for  the  Novi- 
tiate. 

I  think  I  am  fully  justified  in  saying,  in  the 
introduction,  that  the  Order  is  changed  to  suit  the 
chano;es  of  society :  perhaps  the  sequel  will  further 
attest  this  judgment.  The  changes  may  be  small, 
but  they  show  a  clever  adaptability  to  meet   the  re- 

*  Const,  Part  i.  cap,  4.  et  Decl.  A.  Part  i. 


RECEPTION    AT    STONYHURST.  15 

quirements  of  the  age.  If  the  Jesuit  owes  his  youth 
to  the  spirit  of  the  **  Constitutions,"  he  has  to  thank 
the  obloquy  of  fame,  the  design  of  his  order,  his 
segregation  from  humanity,  for  his  manhood — that 
manhood  which  no  honest  man  envies  in  the  mind  of 
him  whose  greatness  stoops  to  craft — whose  virtue 
dalhes  with  vice — whose  gifts  to  humanity  are  bribes 
to  the  frivolous,  and  whose  religion,  if  it  is  not  the  ad- 
vancement, the  aggrandizement  of  his  order,  is  cer- 
tainly the  lever  which  is  made  to  work  to  that  un- 
conquerable lust  of  his  burning  heart — that  advance- 
ment, that  aggrandizement  of  his  order ! 


16 


CHAPTER  III. 


IMPRESSIONS. 


The  impression  made  on  my  mind  by  the  ''  Fathers" 
of  the  Society,  at  my  first  interview  and  in  subse- 
quent conversations,  was  by  no  means  such  as  I  had 
expected  to  receive  from  the  sons  of  Ignatius.  Bona- 
parte said,  *^Qu'il  nefautjamaisse  fairede  tableaux;" 
but  I  am  a  physiognomist :  I  love  a  fine  face,  and  still 
more  a  fine  head.  Aware  of  what  the  '*  Constitutions" 
require  on  that  score,  I  was  disappointed  with  the 
specimens  of  Jesuits  who  had  me  in  charge  for  the  few 
days  before  I  went  to  Hodder-house.  I  had  pictured 
them  to  myself  as  keen-eyed,  quick,  and  intellectual : 
I  found  them  generally  the  reverse.  This  may,  per- 
haps, be  accounted  for  by  the  fact  (which  should  be 
known),  that  the  Jesuits  in  England  send  out  their 
best  men  to  work  "  in  the  vineyard ;"  apparently  con- 
scious that,  if  the  out-posts  be  well  defended,  the  inner 
fortress  must  be  secure.  The  agent  in  London  and 
the  Provincial  were  thus  exceptions.  The  former, 
from  the  very  first  interview,  seemed  to  me  a  some- 
thing of  former  days :  there  was  that  in  his  flashing 


IMPRESSIONS.  -:       17 

J- 

eye,  massive  brows,  and  dark  features,  which  told  a 
history  to  come  that  might  be  not  unhke  the  past. 
He  was  a  man  of  few  words,  and  spoke  without  "  su- 
perlatives,'' according  to  the  practice  of  Ignatius."^  He 
seemed  to  me  a  man  of  strong  passions,  and  yet  emi- 
nently prudent.  His  glance  was  vivid,  but  it  did  not 
centre  in  my  eyes :  it  fell  somewhere  below  the  eye- 
lids. I  never  enjoyed  that  pleasure,  to  me  most  gra- 
tifying, of  mingling  glance  with  glance  in  the  heart's 
uprightness.  His  exterior,  though  rather  portly,  was 
imposing  from  its  altitude;  and  he  sat  like  one  whose 
mind  is  never  idle,  and  whose  portrait,  if  taken  by  a 
hundred  different  pencils,  would  still  present  in  each 
the  same  expression — like  that  of  Dr.  Johnson,  or 
Napoleon. 

Of  his  acquirements  I  was  mi  able  to  judge,  my 
visits  being  very  short — shorter  than  I  wished.  Of  his 
natural  endowments  I  am  perfectly  convinced  :  he  has 
tact,  energy,  and  penetration.  His  extreme  caution 
was  exhibited  in  the  fact,  that  he  positively  refused  to 
apply  for  an  introduction  to  the  library  of  the  Museum 
for  me  :  *'  he  did  not  wish  to  come  forward."  I  asked 
him  to  lend  me  the  "  Constitutions ;"  this,  he  said,  he 
was  not  allowed  to  do.f  Hence  my  successful  attempt 
to  "  dispense"  with  the  regulations  of  the  library — an 
attempt  which  would  be  very  difficult  in  the  present 
organization  of  the  reading-room. 

A  curious  incident,  which  I  will  now  relate,  may 
enable  the  reader  to  appreciate,  according  to  its  true 

*  Bouhours,  La  Vie  de  St.  Ignace,  liv.  vi. 
t  According  to  Rule  xxxviii. 

G 


18  IMPRESSIONS. 

standard  value,  much  of  the  Jesuit-discipHne  to  be 
detailed  in  the  sequel : — 

At  the  agent's  request  I  wrote  for  testimonials  to  St. 
Cuthbert's  college,  stating  to  the  president  my  intention 
of  joining  the  society.  I  forgot  to  give  my  address  in 
the  letter;  and  not  having  received  the  reply  on  the 
expected  day,  I  went  to  the  agent  to  tell  him  of  my 
disappointment.  On  being  admitted,  he  pointed  to  a 
letter  on  the  mantelpiece ;  I  opened  it  and  found  that 
it  was  the  president's  letter.  I  read  it  off  to  the  Jesuit : 
it  began  with  stating  why  it  was  sent  to  the  agent's 
well-known  address,  viz.,  on  account  of  my  omission ; 
and  proceeded  to  testify  that,  in  the  absence  of  any 
moral  fault,  I  had  given  indications  of  considerable 
mental  extravagance,  impatience  to  discipline,  &c. ; 
and  he  left  it  to  the  agent  to  decide  whether  my  sub- 
sequent trials  in  the  world  had  sobered  my  mind  to 
the  requisite  submission. 

Having  read  the  letter  aloud,  I  handed  it  to  my 
judge,  saying,  ^'  Will  this  ^  character'  do,  sir?" 

"  Certainly,"  said  he ;  ''  these  are  not  impediments : 
means  will  be  given  you  in  the  Novitiate  to  conquer 
and  govern  your  mind.""^ 

I  should,  perhaps,  inform  the  reader  that  I  had 
already  presented  my  testimonials  of  success  in  my 
academical  career  at  coUeoe. 

I  often  tried  to  gain  his  ideas  on  his  profession  ;  but 
a  very  laconic   answer,  which   referred  me   to   the 

*  This  opinion  was  perfectly  in  accordance  with  the  declar.  b. 
Part  i.  cap.  3.  Const.  Sed  quia  accidere  posset,  aliquem  hujusmodi 
defectum  aliis  praeclaris  Dei  donis  compensari,  &c. 


IMPRESSIONS.  19 

*'  Constitutions,"  was  all  that  I  could  ever  get  from 
him.  I  remember,  on  one  occasion,  I  alluded  to  the 
charges  made  against  the  Society.  '*  What  do  they 
accuse  us  of?"  said  he,  freezingly.  I  was  rather  star- 
tled by  this  apparent  ignorance,  and,  in  self-defence, 
stumbled  on  the  Paraguay  affair.  "  It  is  all  false, 
sir,"  said  he,  "  from  beginning  to  end ;"  and  he  began 
to  give  me  some  spiritual  advice.  This  is  curious  ;  but 
the  fact  is,  I  believe,  that  the  Jesuits  are,  for  the  most 
part,  kept  in  total  ignorance  of  their  own  history  in 
general.  A  discretion  is  used  in  this  matter,  as  in 
the  permission  to  read  the  Scriptures  generally  among 
Roman  Catholics;  and  only  "  the  great  and  glorious 
deeds"  of  Holy  Father  Ignatius  (as  he  is  coWed, par 
excellence)  of  Father  Xavier,  Father  Campion,  Fa- 
ther Parsons,  &c.,  are  familiar  to  the  uninitiated.  I 
say  uninitiated  ;  for  the  members  of  the  society,  like  the 
wheels  in  a  clock,  have  different  stations,  more  or  less 
removed  from  the  main-spring;  and  it  is  only  after  a 
long  and  severe  probation  that  the  favoured  members 
are  admitted  to  the  grand  concerns  of  this  mysterious 
body.*  Even  the  spiritual  books  written  by  accredited 
Roman  Catholic  divines  are  not  permitted  to  be  read 

*  Primum  ne  libellus  iste  (Compendium  Privilegiorura)  uspiam. 
rursus  typis  sine  permissu  nostro  edatur.  Deinde  ut  exemplaria,  quae 
singulis  Domibus  et  Collegiis  distribui  curavimus,  ut  Superiorum,  et 
Consultonim  usui  prcecipiit  inserviant:  in  suis  quaeque  Domibus,  et 
Collegiis  semper  retineantur,  nee  inde  ad  alia  loca  asportentur.  Pote- 
runt  tamen  cum  facultate  Provincialis  commodato  nostris  ad  ea  perle- 
genda  concedi — sic  tamen,  ut  diligenter  prius  admoneantur,  ne  ea  cir- 
cumferautur,  neve  ostendantur,  et  multb  magis,  ne  dentur  externis. 
Ordin.  Prsep.  Gen.  c.  xi. 

c  2 


20  IMPRESSIONS. 

without  extreme  caution.  I  need  not  state  the  fact, 
that  no  Jesuit  is  allowed  to  read  a  book  without  the 
permission  of  his  superiors ;^  this  is  an  all-important 
rule  of  the  "  Institute." 

Tlie  Provincial  I  saw  seldom,  except  at  meals,  dur- 
ing the  few  days  in  question ;  and  but  very  few  words 
passed,  otherv^^ise  than  professional,  when  he  admitted 
me  into  the  society.  He  seemed  eminently  a  man  of 
business,  and  one  who  knew  the  value  of  a  flattering 
hint ;  for  when,  on  referring  to  the  Jesuit  calendar  of 
remarkable  sociif  he  observed  the  name  of  the  one  for 
that  day — which,  as  chance  would  have  it,  was  just  the 
lialfo{  my  o^n patronymic-^^ — he  wished  me  joy  of  the 
good  omen,  and  shook  hands  with  gratifying  emo- 
tion. I  aftervy^ards  met  him  in  the  Ts'ovitiate,  when  he 
spoke  very  feelingly  on  the  downfall  of  the  society. 

But,  for  the  most  part,  I  saw  hw  indications  of 
talent,  or  even  of  extensive  information,  amongst  the 
"  Fathers"  introduced  to  me.  To  one  of  them  I  put 
the  question,  ^'  How  it  happened  that,  amongst  so 
many  clever  men  of  the  society,  no  triumphant  answer 
was  put  forth  to  meet  the  '  Provincial  Letters'  of  Pas- 
cal ?"  "  There  was,"  said  he ;  *^  but  Father  Daniel's 
reply  was  heavy — it  lacked  the  wit  of  Pascal."  I  ex- 
pected this  answer,  and  dropped  the  subject.  The 
same  gentleman  was,  I  remember,  very  anxious  to 
prepare  my  mind  to  submit,  as  he  said,  to  the  Novi- 
tiate. One  of  his  remarks  I  think  worth  recording. 
He  said — "  Sir,  I  am  only  anxious  lest  a  mind,  used 
to  inquiry,  should  compel  you  to  ask  too  frequently, 

*  Reg-,  viii.  -f-  Andrew  Metz,  a  German. 


IMPRESSIONS.  21 

in  the  practices  of  the  Novitiate,  Cui  bono  ?"  "  But," 
said  I,  "  the  object — the  end — how  sublime! — to  the 
greater  glory  of  God  !  Shall  I  not  thus  answer  the 
rebellious  cui  bono  of  pride  ?" 

I  was  sincere,  and  he  exulted  in  my  devotion  to  the 
sacred  cause. 

Whilst  passing  through  the  library  of  the  "  semi- 
nary," I  observed  some  works  on  geology;  and  upon 
my  asking  the  "  master"  if  he  favoured  a  science  so 
replete  with  strange  inductions,  he  replied,  ^'  We  must 
keep  pace  with  the  age;  these  are  eventful  times;  we 
must  be  armed  at  all  points." 

I  must  confess  that,  notwithstanding  the  kindness 
shown  to  me  on  all  sides,  my  enthusiasm — nourished 
as  it  had  been  by  the  study  of  the  "  Constitutions"  of 
the  Society,  and  by  preconceived  ideas  of  Jesuit 
intellectuality  and  austerity, — suffered  considerable 
diminution  during  the  few  days  that  I  spent  as  "  a 
guest"  at  the  college,  previously  to  my  entrance  on 
probation.  It  was  not,  perhaps,  the  fault  of  the  Je- 
suits to  whom  1  allude,  that  I  found  them  less  intel- 
lectual, less  austere,  than  my  ideal  model;  but  it  is 
in  accordance  with  the  promised  scope  of  this  narra- 
tive that  I  should  signalise  the  minutest  fact  that  can 
throw  its  reflected  light  on  the  system  to  which  those 
men  belong.  In  my  intercourse  with  them,  it  was  as- 
suredly their  object  to  influence  my  mind  so  as  to  fall 
in  with  their  views  on  every  subject; — the  conduct, 
the  manners  of  each  member,  therefore,  were  to  me 
the  criterions  of  what  the  "  training,"  which  I  was  to 
underoo,  had  left  in  the  Jesuits  in  question.  From  the 


22  IMPRESSIONS. 

impressions  made  on  my  mind  by  the  "  Constitutions," 
I  expected  to  find  extraordinary  virtue ;  from  their 
history,  I  looked  for  extraordinary  men :  in  both  ex- 
pectations I  was  painfully  disappointed.  Few  men 
could  be  more  indulgent  to  poor  human  nature  than 
I  always  have  been,  and  am  at  the  present  time;  but 
I  was  certainly  *'  scandalised"  at  hearing,  on  the 
Sunday  after  my  arrival,  a  daily  newspaper  read,  over 
*'  our  wine''  after  dinner.  I  was  unedified  at  the  irre- 
pressible merriment  of  one  of  the  fathers,  when  ridi- 
culing the  manner  and  expression  of  some  absent 
individual  on  whom  the  conversation  turned.  Had  I 
found  these  Jesuits  as  austere  as  La-Trappists^  I 
should  have  been  more  at  ease,  with  regard  to  my 
**  vocation,"  than  I  was  at  finding  them,  in  the  matter 
and  manner  of  their  conversation,  passable  "  men  of 
the  world."  Indications  of  bodily  '^  mortifications" 
were  certainly  invisible :  the  men  alluded  to  were  de- 
cidedly well-conditioned,  evidencing  that  the  good 
things  and  comforts  of  this  world  are  not  always  *^  of 
none  effect"  on  the  bodies  of  those  whose  minds  are 
systematically  devoted  "  to  the  greater  glory  of  God." 
Whether  the  phenomena  alluded  to  were  equivocal — 
in  fact,  whether  there  was  a  *'  mental  reservation"  in 
what  seemed  of  the  world  so  worldly, — I  will  not  un- 
dertake to  decide.  I  state  impressions :  apparent  incon- 
sistencies, which  damped  the  ardour  of  my  enthusiastic 
devotion. 

On  the  other  hand,  turning  to  my  own  individual 
tastes  and  habits,  there  was  much  to  console  me — 
there  was  much  to  flatter  hope.     I  was  to  live  among 


IMPUESSIONS.  23 

men  whose  very  name  has  become  a  pass-word  to  lite- 
rature—  men  who   considered   intellectual   eminence 
worthy  of  emulation,  and  had  the  means,  by  seques- 
tration from  the  world  and  by  ample  wealth,  of  en- 
couraging every  talent  and  predilection  to  their  great- 
est development :   by  determined  exercise,  rendered 
doubly   efficient   by   the    soul-satisfying   motives   of 
conscience — the  greater  glory  of  God — the  good  of 
religion — the  exaltation  of  the  sublimest  hopes  that 
can  warm  the  heart  or  guide  the  pen.     I  saw  around 
me   all   the   traces   of  dignity   in  ease.     The  time- 
honoured  walls  of  the  old  lordly  mansion,  now  a  hall 
of  literary  pursuits ;  the  land  and  tenements  attached — 
in  times  of  old  exclusively  appropriated  to  the  sup- 
port of  individual  wealth — perhaps,  of  pride  and  sen- 
suality,— now  sanctified,  so  to  speak,  by  being  heaven- 
destined  to  administer  to  the  corporeal  necessities  of 
those  who  had  left  all  things  in  order  to  feed  the  souls 
of  men  unto  eternal  life.     Such  were  my  reflections. 
Applying  them  to  my  own  motives — ray  own  hopes, 
the  sweetness  at  the  heart  which  ensued  easily  in- 
duced me  to  overlook,  to  palliate,  what  seemed  dis- 
cordant with  the  beautiful  harmony  which  thus  could 
unite  in  my  imagination  things  human  and  divine  : 
a  harmony  of  all  that  is  of  heaven,  heavenly  \  with 
that  only  of  earth  which  is  rational  and  necessary — • 
and  no  more, 

I  have  now  given  the  reader  a  faithful  reflection  of 
my  mind  and  sentiments  at  the  time  in  question;  and 
I  trust  that  all  my  subsequent  conduct,  as  detailed  in 
these  pages,  will  be  found  consistent  with  this  reflec- 


24  IMPRESSIONS. 

tion.  If  I  misled  myself  in  the  desperate  step  which 
I  took,  it  is  in  my  power  now  to  make  amends  by  a 
conscientious  account  of  my  experience  during  the 
year  that  followed  my  admission  into  the  Society  of 
the  Jesuits :  or,  as  I  then  fervently  called  it,  the  So- 
ciety of  Jesus. 


25 


CHAPTER  IV. 

ADMISSION    TO    THE    NOVITIATE. 

At  length,  accompanied  by  two  or  three  members  of 
the  Society,  I  went  to  *'  Hodder-house" — so  the  Novi- 
tiate is  called.  I  was  received  at  the  door  by  the 
Father  of  the  INTovices,  who  seized  my  hand  with  rap- 
ture, kissed  it,  and,  leading  me  to  the  little  chapel, 
knelt  down,  to  offer,  I  suppose,  a  thanksgiving  similar 
to  mine  of  the  previous  Sunday.  I  was  much  affected 
by  the  fervour  of  this  venerable-looking  man  :  his 
hair  grey  with  age,  and  his  countenance  furrowed 
by  care  or  religious  mortifications.  I  found  him 
throughout  a  kind,  simple  man  ;  but  was  always  at  a 
loss  to  imagine  the  cause  of  a  perpetual  sadness  which 
dimmed  his  features. 

A  ''  brother-novice"  led  me  over  the  various  parts 
of  the  house,  and  then  I  was  introduced  to  all  the 
novices,  who  were  assembled  in  the  *'  recreation- 
room." 

All  the  novices  wore  long  black  cassocks,  with 
a  strip  of  the  material  of  which  they  were  made  hang- 
ing down  from  the  shoulders :  to  typify,  I  believe,  the 


26  ADMISSION    TO    THE    NOVITIATE. 

wings  on  which,  by  meditation,  the  soul  soars  to 
heaven.  They  had  caps  which  seemed  very  much 
the  worse  for  wear — a  fact  which  was  afterwards 
explained  by  another,  viz.,  that  for  the  sake  of 
"  mortification"  the  old  clothes  and  cast-off  habili- 
ments, &c.,  of  the  students  at  the  college  were 
consio;ned  to  the  use  of  the  novices.  There  was 
nothino-,  however,  in  their  countenances  that  indicated 
excessive  austerity,  or  much  success  in  the  art  of 
lookino;  religious  ;  which,  of  course,  is  to  be  acquired 
only  by  practice :  by  a/ifer-practice,  when  the  devout 
novice  shall  have  been  transformed  into  a  devoted 
Jesuit,  /actus  ad  unguenij  fashioned  to  a  nicety — 
according  to  the  memorable  pattern  exhibited  by 
Ignatius  to  his  followers,  namely,  '^as  soft  wax  in 
the  hands  of  his  superior,  to  take  what  form  he 
pleases !" 

After  this  introduction,  the  novices  left  the  room. 
I  remained  with  the  brother  who  had  me  in  charge, 
and  whose  duty  it  was  to  apprise  me  of  all  the  regula- 
tions of  the  establishment:  the  hours  of  rest  and 
rising,  the  things  that  might  and  might  not  be  done 
— in  fine,  he  was  to  be  my  dictionary,  my  encyclo- 
pedia for  the  week,  to  be  consulted  on  every  emer- 
gency in  my  difficulties  touching  the  "  exact  science" 
of  probationary  discipline.  He  was  a  little  man,  not 
very  prepossessing  in  features,  but  nevertheless  very 
obliging,  and  extremely  attentive.  I  may  observe  here, 
by  the  way,  that  it  was  most  unfortunate  for  my 
"vocation,"  as  the  result  proved,  that  I  could  not 
harmonise  with  the  men  with  whom  I  came  into  im- 


ADMISSION    TO    THE   NOVITIATE.  27 

mediate  contact  :  somehow  or  other,  desideravere 
oculi  quicqiddf  my  mind  or  my  heart  always  found 
something  wanting ;  so  that  I  was  always,  as  it  were, 
on  a  bed  of  thorns,  even  when  in  full  devotional 
bloom. 

As  the  wintry  evening  had  closed  in,  we  remained 
at  the  fireside  in  the  recreation-room,  till  the  bell 
rang  for  supper.  My  companion  then  instantly 
rose,  and  rehearsed  the  Angelus;  to  which  I  responded 
as  well  as  this  sudden  appeal  to  my  religious  memory 
(somewhat  weakened  by  worldly  pursuits)  would 
allow,  and  then  accompanied  him  to  the  refectory. 

The  novices  stood  in  front  of  the  tables  on  both 
sides  of  the  room; — the  Superior  entered,  went  to  his 
table  near  the  fire-place,  and  said  grace  in  Latin,  the 
novices  repeating  the  responses  with  ready  exactness 
and  solemn  cadence. 

During  supper  I  could  not  help  observing  that  the 
novices  never  raised  their  eyes  from  the  square  foot 
of  surface  that  included  their  plate  and  cup  :  this  was 
''  keeping  custody  of  eyes,'^  as  I  shall  afterwards  ex- 
plain more  at  large.  I  saw  their  faces,  but  they  did 
not  see  mine ;  so  that,  by  sympathy,  I  imitated  their 
pious  demeanour,  feeling,  as  it  were,  ashamed  of  my 
worldly  curiosity. 

The  silence,  too — for  not  a  word  was  spoken  to  ask 
for  aught  or  in  thanks  for  the  supply — had  a  solem- 
nity in  it  which  had  never  struck  me  before  ;  though, 
from  my  youth  upwards,  I  had  been  accustomed  to 
eat  where  *'  no  talking  was  allowed."  All  that  was 
needed  was  before  us,  or  the  vigilant  "waiters" — 


28  ADMISSION    TO    THE    NOVITIATE. 

conscientious  novices  as  they  were — anticipated  every 
want. 

As  soon  as  the  novelty  of  the  scene  had  produced 
its  first  effect,  my  attention  was  directed  to  the 
reader,  who  was  delivering  to  us  the  axioms  on 
politeness  alluded  to  in  the  introduction.  These 
axioms  were  composed  in  Latin :  good  Ciceronian 
Latin  ;  which  indeed  most  of  the  ancient  Jesuits  wrote 
on  every  topic  prescribed  or  sanctioned  by  Holy  Obe- 
dience. I  reoretted  that  I  had  not  fallen  in  with  that 
book  before ;  for  at  that  period  of  my  life,  I  was  en- 
oao-ed  in  collectins;  the  most  remarkable  axioms  of 
all  writers  ancient  and  modern. 

The  fact  of  this  book  being  read  to  the  novices 
was  highly  gratifying — I  saw  in  it  the  presage  of  the 
men  who  were  *'  to  be  armed  at  all  points."    .... 

When  about  half  an  hour  had  elapsed,  or  rather 
when  all  the  novices  had  finished  their  meal,  the  Su- 
perior rose — a  simultaneous  but  orderly  rising  of  all  the 
novices  followed — grace  was  said  and  responded  to 
— the  Superior  led  the  way,  and  we  followed  him  to 
the  chapel,  where  we  remained  for  a  few  minutes,  and 
thence  proceeded  to  the  recreation-room. 

All  the  novices  knelt  down  on  entering  the  room 
for  a  second  or  two,  and  then  commenced  the  clatter 
of  tongues,  once  more  joyfully  free. 

I  have  not  a  distinct  remembrance  of  the  topics 
discussed  during  that  hour  of  recreation.  One  thing, 
however,  was  evident,  there  was  nothing  spoken  that 
the  most  scrupulous  ear  could  object  to  :  the  subjects 
mooted  being  either  devotional,  or  Jesuitico-historical. 


ADMISSION    TO    THE    NOVITIATE.  29 

It  was  a  strange  sensation,  that :  I  mean  that  pro- 
duced by  being  in  the  company  of  young,  buoyant 
men,  who  did  not  blush  in  speaking  of  religion^  and 
the  practices  of  devotion  !  It  struck  me  at  the  time, 
as  worthy  of  remark,  how  soon  the  human  mind 
adapts  itself  to  influences  from  without,  after  once 
the  idea  of  uncompromising  necessity  is  impressed 
upon  the  will.  Here  were  youths  who  left  college 
only  the  year  before, — here  were  two  full  grown  men 
who  seemed  to  have  known  the  world.  They  had 
spent  but  one  year  in  the  T^ovitiate,  and  yet  they 
talked  of  the  soul's  concerns  as  if  they  had  passed 
their  lives  with  Jerome  in  the  ''  howling  wilder- 
ness." 

Was  it  the  necessity  for  talking  only,  on  any 
subject,  so  urgent  to  those  vv'ho  are  condemned  to 
'^solitary  confinement" — that  agony  without  death? 
or  was  it  the  suggestion,  the  interpretation  of  the 
soul  now  triumphant  over  the  body  and  its  lusts,  in 
this  solitude  where  the  '^  flesh"  was  made — was  com- 
pelled to  be  "  obedient:"  ay,  *'even  unto  death?" 

I  am  inclined  to  believe«  the  latter  opinion ;  for  I 
cannot  think  it  possible,  judging  from  my  own  ex- 
perience, that  a  novice  under  the  Jesuits,  can  simu- 
late, or  dissimulate,  without  detection,  even  if  "  un- 
converted" in  that  awful  purgatory.  Of  this  opinion, 
perhaps  the  reader  will  be  convinced  in  due  time. 

On  the  other  hand,  he  must  totally  discard  the 
idea  that  there  was  aught  of  melancholy  or  out- 
rageous cant  in  our  conversations ;  very  far  from  it — 
we  were  rational  on  the  most  irrational  absurdities ; 


30  ADMISSION    TO    THE    NOVITIATE. 

for  we  were,  for  the  most  part,  young,  unsophisticated ; 
with  minds  of  wax,  which  the  innate  spirit  of  de- 
votion— that  solace  of  every  woe, — had  complacently 
impressed  with  her  beautiful  image. 

On  this  first  evening  of  my  probation,  I  was  gra- 
tified with  the  animated  conversation  on  all  sides  : 
frequent  peals  of  laughter  resounded  on  my  startled 
ear, — for  the  reader  must  be  told  that  there  are  many 
amusing,  highly  exhilarating  stories  in  the  ^'  Lives  of 
the  Saints,"  and  in  devotional  "  tradition ;"  and 
surely  it  is  as  possible  to  laugh  piously  as  it  is  to 
laugh  profanely.  But  in  the  very  midst  of  this  en- 
joyment— at  the  very  height  of  this  reciprocal  exul- 
tation of  heart,  suddenly  a  bell  rang. 

This  was  my  first  lesson  in  the  Novitiate.  As  if 
struck  dumb,  the  syllable,  half  uttered,  was  cleft  in 
twain,  and  a  dead  pause  ensued.  In  silence  we  as- 
cended the  stairs,  and  entered  the  chapel.  We  knelt. 
After  the  lapse  of  about  ten  or  fifteen  minutes,  passed 
in  silence,  the  Superior  entered,  and,  kneeling  on  the 
steps  of  the  altar,  said  the  *'  Litany  of  the  Virgin," 
and  a  few  other  short  prayers,  concluding  with  his 
blessing.  Then  followed  the  kissing  of  a  relic,  of 
Ignatius  or  Xavier,  I  forget  which  :  the  father  held 
the  glass  case  in  his  hand,  which  we  all  kissed  in 
succession  as  we  filed  off  to  bed.  As  I  had  '*  a 
retreat"  of  a  week's  duration  to  pass  through,  in 
order  to  be  in  a  fit  condition  to  perform  the  duties  of 
a  novice,  I  went  to  a  spare  room  reserved  for  the 
purpose,  and  the  novices  retired  to  the  dormitory: 
which  I  shall  afterwards  describe. 


ADMISSION    TO    THE    NOVITIATE.  31 

Here  I  received  a  visit  from  the  Superior,  who  ex- 
plained to  me  the  nature  of  the  "retreat"  upon  which 
I  was  about  to  enter,  and  left  me,  after  committing 
me  to  the  care  of  the  angels  and  the  saints.  I  slept 
very  soundly  till  morning,  when  I  was  wakened  by  a 
scratching  noise  on  the  curtains  of  my  bed  ;  as 
soon  as  my  ears  were  opened,  I  heard  the  words 
"Deo  g  r  alias  r^  to  which  I  responded  (not  being 
acquainted  with  the  proper  answer),  "Very  well!" 
and  made  all  haste  in  dressing,  as  I  had  been  called 
after  the  other  novices,  since  it  was  one  of  them  who 
gave  me  the  "  Deo  gratias  .'"  I  went  to  the  lavatory? 
or  washing-place,  and  there  I  found  my  "  brothers  " 
performing  their  ablutions,  all  in  silence,  in  tin  pans 
over  a  stone  trough.  After  the  given  time  was 
elapsed,  the  bell  rang,  and  as  all  were  ready,  we  en- 
tered the  chapel  for  "  morning  meditation."  Thus 
began  my  first  day,  after  my  first  night,  in  the 
Novitiate. 

Here  we  will  leave  the  novice  for  a  while,  to  return 
to  him  after  having  described  the  scene  of  his  future 
struggles. 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE    THREE    HOUSES:    WAYS    AND    MEANS:    SILENT 
INFLUENCES — PROGRESS. 

By  the  name  of  Stonyhurst,  a  E-oman  Catholic  semi- 
nary for  the  education  of  youth  under  the  direction 
of  the  Jesuits,  is  commonly  understood.  But,  as  in 
most  things,  there  is  more  here  than  meets  the  eye. 
The  Society  of  the  Jesuits  is  regularly  established  in 
England. 

The  Catholic  Relief  Bill  is  but  a  foil  to  the  Jesuits 
where  it  pronounces  their  non-existence.  That  bill 
forbids  Jesuits — and  members  of  other  religious  orders, 
communities,  or  societies  of  the  Church  of  Rome, 
bound  by  monastic  or  religious  vows — from  coming 
into  the  realm,  under  pain  of  being  banished  from  it 
for  life :  excepting  only  natural  born  subjects  who  were 
out  of  the  realm  at  the  time  of  the  passing  of  the  Act. 
Such  religious  persons  may,  however,  enter  the 
United  Kingdom  on  obtaining  a  licence  in  writing 
from  one  of  the  principal  secretaries  of  state  who  is  a 
Protestant ;  and  may  stay  such  time  as  such  secretary 
shall  permit,  not  exceeding  six  months :  unless  the 


THE   THREE    HOUSES.  33 

license  is  revoked  before  the  end  of  the  six  months.* 
A  Jesuit  by  his  vows  is  legally  or  civilly  dead  (this 
is  the  Jesuitical  formulci)  and  the  society  by  the  law 
of  the  land  is  legally  dead  ;  but  both  the  Jesuit  and 
his  society  are  veo;etatino;  in  full  luxuriance. 

"  Man  makes  laws,  but  God  breaks  them,"  say 
their  friends,  with  questionable  logic,  when  com- 
menting on  the  progress  of  the  Jesuits  in  the  United 
Kingdom;  and  certainly,  if  we  can  ennoble  a  cause 
by  tracing  it  to  the  councils  of  the  Eternal,  human 
logic  and  matter-of-fact  deductions  are  struck  dumb 
by  the  awful  conviction,  and  we  tremble  at  the 
thought  that  the  avenging  thunderbolt  is  about  to 
be  hurled  against  the  bold,  presumptuous  mortal  who 
dares  to  lift  the  veil ! 

But   the   Jesuits,    notwithstanding    a    few   indis- 
cretions in  their  history,  rarely  expose  themselves  to 
pains  and    penalties  without   a   substantial,   visible, 
tangible  safeguard.     They  remonstrated  by  their  de- 
legates against  the  stringency  of  the  Act  in  question ; 
but  it  was  intimated  to  them  sub  rosa,  that  they  need 
be  under  no  apprehension,  as  **  they  might  drive  a 
coach  and  six  through  the  said  act.'*      They  believe 
that  only  the  Attorney-General  can  bring  an  action 
of  ejectment   against   them,  and,  consequently,  the 
"  coach  and  six"  permission  is  a  virtual  set-oft  on  the 
part  of  a  lenient  government  against  the  interesting 
disgrace  of  a  verbal  proscription.     Est  natur  alls  favor 
pro  /aborantibuSf  says  Quintillian  ;  and  the  generous 
I^pghshman,   of  all   men,   is  the  last  to  strike  the 

•  The  Act  of  the  10th  Geo.  IV.  c.  7. 
D 


34 


THE    THREE    HOUSES. 


fallen  foe.  One  thinsr  is  certain,  however,  the  Jesuits 
hold  up  their  heads  in  the  high  places,  and  move  on, 
like  all  things  at  the  present  day,  with  *'  Occupet 
scabies  cxtremos T  t:icked  behind  thtm,  and,  ''For  the 
greater  glory  of  God T  blazing  in  their  van. 

In  the  very  heart  of  the  Metropolis  they  are  now- 
building  a  magnificent  church,  to  be  served,  it  is  said, 
by  twelve  Jesuits, — mass  every  day,  and  a  sermon 
after  every  mass !  This  looks  like  progress,  cer- 
tainly ;  and  what  is  still  more  curious  and  significant, 
no  begging-box  goes  round — no  subscriptions  are 
solicited:  as  if  by  the  lamp  of  Aladdin,  the  edifice 
rises  rapidly,— a  monument  to  attest  the  shielded 
audacity  and  the  obedient  munificence  of  the  quiet, 
peaceful,  harmless  Jesuits ! 

I  am  informed  by  a  competent  authority,  that  the 
Traclariam  prefer  ''to  be  received  into  the  Church" 
by  the  Jesuits :  four  have  been  received  by  one 
Jesuit  in  London.  Commenting  on  these  mj^stifica- 
tions,  a  Roman  Catholic  periodical  emits  the  fol- 
lowing unintentional  pleasantry,  and  well-seasoned 
sarcasm : — 

"We  can — we  do  forgive  them, — that  urged  by 
the  clamour  of  their  opponents,  many  of  them  ex- 
hibit towards  us  an  extreme  degree  of  intolerance,  by 
way  o^ proving  their  abhorrence  of  such  of  our  tenets 
as  they  do  not  as  yet  hold,  and  exhibiting  themselves 
as  good  and  true  men  to  the  eyes  of  their  brethren. 
All  this  we  can  readily  excuse,  because  we  know  how 
natural  is  such  misguided  zeal  to  our  frail  naturi? ; 
but  yet,  even  in  this  temper  against  us,  such  is  the 


THE    THREE    HOUSES.  35 

force  with  which  the  modicum  of  truth  they  have 
received  has  operated,  that  their  voices  have  been 
raised  to  swell  the  shout  with  which  we  hailed  the 
late  great  triumph  of  truth  and  humanity  over  error 
and  persecution.  For  that  shout  we  thank  them, 
and  for  all  wherein  they  have  sinned  against  us  we 
forgive  them  heartily,  and  wish  them  strength  and 
grace  to  persevere  in  the  path  along  which  they  are 
noiu journeying ,''*      The  Jesuits  seem  to  argue  thus. 

If  your  neighbour's  servant  is  defrauding  his  master 
by  digging  in  your  garden,  whilst  he  is  paid  by  that 
neighbour  for  work  supposed  to  be  done,  are  you 
not  justified,  considering  the  benefit  you  receive, 
in  mystifying  the  conscience  of  that  servant,  by  per- 
suadino;  him  that  he  is  onlv  performino-  an  act  of 
charity  ? 

I  was  informed  in  the  Novitiate,  that  the  present 
tenement  of  the  Jesuits  at  Stonyhurst  was  presented 
to  the  fathers  by  the  late  Cardinal  Weld  (or  his 
father,  I  forget  which)  and  a  curious  story  is  told  of 
the  place.  It  is  said  that  the  old  mansion  was  built 
by  special  permission  of  Queen  Elizabeth  for  one  of 
her  courtiers,  a  Roman  Catholic.  It  happened  that 
his  son  and  heir,  when  a  mere  boy,  one  day  while 
walking  in  the  grounds,  swallowed  some  poisonous 
berries  and  died.  This  event  so  afflicted  the  father 
that  he  retired  from  the  place  in  disgust.  The 
deserted  mansion  was  given  over  to  desolation,  and 

*  Catholic  Mag.,  Marcb,  1839,  quoted  in  the  Catholic  Directory 
for  the  present  year  as  something  "  remarkable  and  almost  pro- 
phetic," p.  174. 

D    2 


36 


WAYS    AND    MEANS. 


fell,  at  length,  into  the  hands  of  the  Jesuits  : 
througli  the  munificence  of  the  pious  Cardinal. 
The  Jesuits  soon  set  to  work,  rebuilt  and  added, 
cultivated  and  improved,  till,  at  the  present  time, 
they  possess  an  ample  domain  of  some  thousand 
acres  of  excellent  land,  three  flourishing  establish- 
ments, and  a  splendid  church. 

The  "  College  of  Stonyhurst"  was,  for  a  long  time, 
the  chief  Roman  Catholic  school  for  the  education 
of  the  nobility  and  gentry  of  that  persuasion.  Of 
late  years  Ushaw-college,  Prior-  park,  Oscott,  &;c., 
have  risen  into  eminence  ;  not  without  a  slight  feeling 
of  jealousy — or,  perhaps,  I  should  say,  holy  emulation 
— in  the  respective  parties.  The  number  of  pupils 
varies;  at  the  time  of  which  I  am  speaking,  I  beheve, 
It  was  about  150:  it  has  amounted  to  near  300  in 
more  prosperous  times.  The  stipend  is,  for  children 
under  twelve  years  of  age,  forty  guineas ;  for  those 
above  that  age,  fifty  ;  and  for  students  in  philosophy, 
one  hundred  guineas. 

The  course  of  studies  professed,  comprises  the 
Greek  and  Latin  classic  authors,  composition  in 
Greek  and  Latin  prose  and  verse;  regular  instruction 
in  reading  and  elocution,  writing  and  arithmetic; 
English,  French,  Italian  ;  history,  sacred  and  pro- 
fane, and  geography.  The  higher  classes  receive 
lessons  in  algebra,  geometry,  and  trigonometry. 
The  philosophical  course  embraces  logic,  metaphy- 
sics, ethics, and  natural  philosophy,  with  chemistry 
and  the  higher  mathematics.  There  is  in  the  college 
an  extensive  apparatus  for  experimental  philosophy, 


WAYS    AND    MEANS.  37 

an  astronomical  observatory,  a  chemical  laboratory, 
a  collection  of  minerals,  &c.  There  is  also  a  con- 
siderable and  increasing  library  of  approved  works  of 
history  and  of  general  information  ;  of  which  the 
scholars  have  the  use,  on  paying  a  small  monthly 
subscription.  Masters  of  music,  drawing,  dancing, 
and  fencing,  give  lessons  to  those  whose  parents  may 
desire  it.  All  are  closely  examined,  four  times  a 
year,  in  \vha.t  they  have  learned  during  the  preceding 
quarter,  and  rewarded  accordingly.  At  the  annual 
exhibition  which  precedes  the  vacation  a  consider- 
able number  of  prizes,  consisting  of  books  and  silver 
medals,  is  distributed  among  those  who  have  made 
the  most  distinguished  progress.  I  have  quoted  the 
foregoing  almost  hterally  from  the  prospectus  of  the 
college. 

There  is  a  "  theatre"  in  the  college.  When  I 
visited  the  apartment  so  called,  it  presented  no  ap- 
pearance of  a  theatre ;  but  I  was  told  that  all  the 
necessary  apparatus  could  be  erected  with  very  little 
trouble,  all  being  in  readiness  for  the  appointed  time. 
According  to  my  informant,  the  dresses  were  all  in 
character,  and  some  of  them  very  costly.  The  per- 
formances take  place  at  the  annual  exhibition,  or  at 
Christmas;  and  are  either  tragic  or  comic,  or,  as  at 
other  theatres,  a  tragedy  is  followed  by  a  farce.  All 
the  performers  are  students  of  the  college ;  some 
were  named  to  me  as  *'  stars,"  and  one  had  established 
his  fame  in  the  character  of  Richard  the  Third. 

One  of  the  Jesuits  is  appointed  to  superintend  the 
proceedings,  in  other  words,  to  be  "  manager." 


oo 


8  WAYS    AND    .MEANS. 

As  many  of  the  students  learn  music,  and  as  the 
music  master  resides  on  the  spot — and  is  thus  enabled 
to  "  lead"  the  band — we  may  infer  that  the  profane 
model  which  suggests  the  main  idea  is  faithfully 
imitated  :  the  overture  and  the  interludes  callino-  forth 
the  plaudits  of  a  delighted  audience.  The  friends  of 
the  students  are  invited  to  be  present  on  such  occa- 
sions, and  are  most  liberally  entertained  by  the 
authorities. 

Doubtless  these  Jesuit- theatres — for  they  were 
''  open"  in  most  of  the  Society's  colleges  in  former 
times — present  the  heau  ideal  of  the  theatre  :  as  far,  at 
least,  as  the  morality  of  the  thing  is  concerned ;  and  if 
the  Jesuits  had  the  good  sense  to  attempt  the  reality 
of  the  thing,  rather  than  its  mockery  in  the  religious 
"  mysteries"  of  old,  their  good  taste  and  artistic 
consistency  would  be  incontestible. 

1  must  leave  other  discussions  arisins;  out  of  this 
delicate  sensual  gratification  afforded  by  '*  religious 
men,"  to  be  settled  by  my  intelligent  readers  ;  con- 
tenting myself  with  the  opinion,  that  there  was  much 
in  it,  as  in  most  things  Jesuitical,  to  captivate  the 
multitude:  and  surely  if  the  Jesuits  are  not  decidedly 
honest  in  their  motto.  Ad  majorem  Dei  gloriam,  they 
may  be  so  in  their  standing  rule  to  weep  or  laugh,  to 
whme  or  smile,  as  occasion  suits,  ad  captandum 
vulgus. 

A  curious  anecdote  was  related  to  me,  to  the  effect 
that  a  popular  actor,  whose  son  was  educated  at 
Stonyhurst,  expressly  desired  that  the  youth  alluded 
to  should  not  be  permitted   to  take  a  part  in    the 


WAYS    AND    MEANS.  39 

theatricals,  fearin'-r  lest  he  miirht  imbibe  a  taste  for 
that  profession.  When  informed  of  this,  it  struck 
me  as  *^  a  palpable  hit:"  a  hint  to  the  reverend 
fathers,  that  the  thing  was  not  exactly  consistent — 
at  least  when  carried  out  to  the  extent  which  pre- 
vails, or  prevailed,  at  Stonyhurst. 

It  may  be  proper  to  mention  that  ecclesiastics  of 
the  Roman  Church  are  positively  forbidden  by  the 
canons,  to  be  present  at  any  theatrical  exhibition. 
Truly  there  may  be  a  distinction  drawn  between 
public  and  private  exhibitions  of  the  sort;  but  1 
certainly  never  could  have  imagined  that  "  dispensa- 
tions" might  extend,  in  this  matter,  to  '*  a  priest  of 
the  Church :"  which,  however,  I  can  state  as  a  fact. 
On  entering  one  of  the  great  London  theatres,  a 
few  years  ago,  I  met  such  a  priest  issuing  from 
"  the  house  of  scandal ;"  and  on  expressing  my 
astonishment  to  this  gentleman  (who  was  an  old  ac- 
quaintance, and  not  a  Jesuit)  he  told  me  with  evident 
peace  of  mind  and  quiet  of  conscience,  that  the 
'*  bishop"  had  given  him  a  **  dispensation"  in  order 
to  perfect  himself  in  the  practice  of  elocution  !  .  .  .  . 
Here,  it  is  clear,  the  end  justified — may  I  not  say, 
sanctified  ? — the  means. 

To  show  how  necessary  this  dispensation  was  to 
my  young  friend  in  *'  pursuit  of  knowledge  under 
difficulties,"  I  must  inform  the  reader  that  the 
canonical  penalty  for  such  a  transgression  is  excom- 
munication ipso  facto!  .  .  .  But  the  frail  omnipotence 
of  Rome — with  its  ever-varying  unchangeableness, 
its  limping,  halting,  infallibility  —  what  will  it  not 


40  SILENT    INFLUENCES. 

concede    to    expediency ^    if    we    only    cease    to   be 
heretics  i"^  .  .  . 

All  the  reoular  masters  at  Stonyhurst  are  Jesuits, 
eitlier  in  orders  or  destined  for  the  pt  iesthood.  The 
students  are  never  left  to  themselves:  an  official,  com- 
monly called  *'  prefect,"  is  their  constant  attendant, 
whether  in  the  common  room  of  resort,  on  the 
play-ground,  or  walking  in  the  vicinity  on  play-days. 

The  strictest  regularity  prevails  throughout  the 
establishment.  The  students  rise  at  an  early  hour, 
attend  mass,  and  proceed  to  the  "  study-place," 
where  they  prepare  for  their  respective  schools  or 
classes.  No  talking  is  permitted  in  proceeding 
from  place  to  place,  nor  in  the  dormitory  or  public 
sleeping-room,  nor  in  the  refectory  or  eating-room; 
where  signs-manual  interpret  the  silent  cravings 
of  the  stomach.  During  dinner  and  supper  some 
book  is  read  by  a  student  appointed  for  the  purpose, 
in  accordance  with  one  of  the  rules  of  the  Novitiate, 
viz.,  that  ''whilst  the  body  is  refitted,  the  soul,  too, 
may  have  her  food."  The  usual  mode  of  correction 
is  the  rod;  but  never  severely  administered;  for 
flagrant  misdemeanours  expulsion  is  reserved.  But 
the  confessional  obviates,  in  a  great  measure,  the 
necessity  for  the  lash.  Obedience  —  that  talisman 
to  all  who  are  connected  with  the  Jesuits  —  is  in- 
culcated with  awful  solemnity;  and  the  example  of 

*  Clement  XIV.  received  some  indirect  compliments  from  Voltaire 
very  kindly  :  he  enjoyed  his  joke  and  told  him,  through  his  old  friend 
the  Cardinal  de  Berris,  that  he  would  willingly  take  him  to  his  heart  if 
he  would  end  by  becoming  a  good  Cajmchin. — Saint-Priest,  Chute  des 
Jes. 


SILENT    INFLUENCES.  41 

*'  St.  Aloysius,"  a  saint  of  the  society's  own  produc- 
tion, is  held  forth  to  the  young  student  for  his  imi- 
tation. Besides,  the  "  Good  Virgin,"  who  adopted 
Aloysius,  will  bless  only  those  who  strive  to  follow 
his  footsteps  ;  and  obedience  was  his  great  virtue  :  so 
the  pious  youth  resolves  to  be  like  St.  Aloysius,  and 
learns  "  to  bear  the  yoke"  from  his  youth,  until  he 
becomes  transplanted  into  the  Novitiate  ;  where  all 
the  nascent  virtues  of  the  society,  par  excelleiice,  are 
duly  watered  and  expanded  into  bloom.  The  con- 
versation of  the  masters  and  prefects  is  always 
calculated  to  inspire  a  deep  veneration  in  the  students 
for  the  society  and  all  its  concerns ;  and  apparently- 
unintentional  reports*  circulated  about  such  and 
such  a  one  who  is  "  doing  so  well "  in  the  Novitiate, 
insensibly  inspire  an  undefined  wish  in  the  unthinking 
youth,  fast  approaching  the  term  of  his  *^  humanity 
studies,"  to  be  received  there.  Then  he  ventures  to 
express  half  a  wish  to  his  "  spiritual  adviser" — the 
keeper  of  his  conscience — who  tells  him  to  think  of 
the  matter — to  ask  the  aid  of  "  Mary  and  her  Divine 
Son,"  and  then  to  follow  the  finger  that  points  the 
way — to  the  Novitiate,  as  a  matter  of  course. 

It  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  this   insidious 
course  has  buried  in  the  Novitiate  the  sons  of  noble- 

^  This  view  of  the  case  is  not  fictitious :  it  results  from  the  con- 
versation of  the  "fresh  novices"  who  came  to  Hodder  duringf  my 
year;  and  the  "  such  a  one"  alluded  to  in  the  present  instance  was 
myself.  I  shall  scrupulously  avoid  recording-  any  deduction  un- 
founded on  facts,  seen  or  related  to  me,  in  the  Xovitiate.  My  infor- 
mation respecting  the  Jesuits  in  England,  Stony  hurst,  &c.,  was  there 
obtained. 


42  SILENT    INFLUENCES. 

men  and  the  wealthy  oF  the  land.  There  is  a  very 
iiostahia  iienerated  in  tender  minds,  which  makes 
them  cling  (as  if  under  the  fascination  of  the  serpent) 
to  the  spot  where  their  minds  first  budded  into 
spriijg,  and  to  the  men  who  possess  the  tender  secrets 
of  their  youthful  indiscretions,  which  Heaven  has 
long  since  forgotten !  It  is  through  the  confes- 
sional that  drips  the  potent  fluid,  which  encrusts 
the  heart  with  a  coating  impervious  to  all  ex- 
ternal influences  that  do  not  pass  first  through  the 
medium  of  the  '^  father  of  the  conscience,"  who 
reigns  in  undivided  and  undisputed  possession  over 
the  mind. 

The  priests  of  the  society  are  enjoined  to  display 
these  arts  of  seduction — nor  are  motives  of  ostensible 
religion  here  wanting  to  gild  the  ^'  soft  impeach- 
ment." They  are  to  invite  those  whom  they  meet 
on  any  occasion,  vel  levis  amiciticBy  and  even  to  con- 
ciliate the  parents  of  their  pupils  to  the  society.* 
Among  the  questions  put  to  the  novice  before  his 
admission,  he  is  to  be  asked  "  when,  where,  and  by 
whom  he  was  first  moved^  to  enter  the  society." 
These  questions  are  suggested  by  the  characteristic 
caution  of  the  Jesuits ;  and  their  answers  must  ne- 
cessarily tend  to  explain  character  by  the  circum- 
stances to  which  they  refer.  It  might  be  inferred 
that  such  influence  from  without  is  contrary  to  the 
spirit  of  the  "  Constitution,"  if  not  to  fact ;  but  I 

*  Cum  occurrunt  nobis  in  viis,  invitare  eos  qualibet  occasione, 
vel  levis  amicitiae,  turn  etiam  parentes  discipulorum  nostrorum  con- 
ciliare  Societati. — Instr.  iv.  3.  Edit.  Rom.  160(5. 


SILENT    INFLUENCES.  43 

find  in  the   "  Examen"'  which  precedes  the  "  Con- 
stitution," the  foUov/ing  pertinent  declaration  : — 

*'  Should  he  afhrni  that  he  has  been  induced,* 
(although  it  is  laicjul  and  meritorious)  still  it  will 
apparently  conduce  to  his  own  greater  spiritual 
utility,  if  a  certain  time  be  prescribed  to  him  ;  that, 
by  thinking  of  the  matter,  he  may  commend  himself 
entirely  to  the  Creator  and  his  Lord,  just  as  if  no 
one  of  the  society  had  induced  him.-f-*' 

Not  far  from  the  "  college  "  is  the  '*  seminary," 
which  is  a  new  building,  tastefully  built  and  re- 
markably well  laid  out  in  the  interior.  It  is  ex- 
clusively  occupied  by  those  who  have  passed  through 
the  Novitiate,  and,  having  taken  the  three  simple 
vows  of  voluntary  poverty,  perfect  obedience,  and 
perpetueil  chastity,  are  continuing  their  studies  for 
the  priesthood.  The  rules  of  the  Novitiate  are  here 
considerably  relaxed,  as  far  as  spiritual  occupation  is 
concerned ;  but  still  the  seminary  may  be  considered 
as  a  prolongation  of  the  Novitiate.J  This,  indeed, 
may  be  said  to  last  for  ever ;  for  the  Jesuit,  as  will  be 
afterwards  shown,  is  always  under  surveillance, 
always  in  a  state  of  probation.  This  might  be  un- 
endurable, but  for  the  conviction  that  there  is  no 
escape  from  it,  and  that  all  the  members  of  the 
Society  are  subject  ahke  to  its  influence.  The 
teachers  in  the  "  colle2;e "  are  drafted  from  this 
establishment. 

»   Puisse  motum. 

f  Exam.  Geii.  cap.  iii.  14. 

X  Aquav.  Inst.  xiv.  n.  1. 


44  PROGRESS. 

I  now  return  to  the  Novitiate,  or  Hodder-house,  as 
it  is  called.  It  is  situated  on  the  sloping  bank  of  a 
streamlet  from  which  it  derives  its  name. 

In  speaking  of  this  Novitiate  the  Enghsh  Jesuits 
always  call  it  Hodder,  and  a  stranger  visiting  Stony- 
hurst,  would  never  be  informed  of  its  existence,  cer- 
tainly he  would  not  be  taken  to  see  this  supernatural 
curiosity.  The  Jesuits  are  invisible  people,  known  by 
their  effects  only — a  species  of  "  processionary  cater- 
pillars :"  interesting  silk-worms  that  live  in  societies 
where  the  eye  of  the  incurious  observer  sees  nothing 
but  a  tree  and  its  waving  foliage.  Here  they  spin,  when 
young,  a  kind  of  silken  tent,  divided  into  cells.  They 
may  be  seen  to  issue  from  it  in  the  evening  in  procession. 
One  of  them  advances  at  the  head,  and  seems  to  act 
as  a  guide ;  two  then  follow,  next  three ;  then  four, 
and  so  on :  each  rank  containins;  one  more  than  the 
preceding.  To  complete  the  comparison,  I  must 
state  that  the  larva  when  first  hatched  is  in  weight 
about  one-hundredth  of  a  grain;  but  just  before  its 
metamorphosis  it  increases  to  ninety-five  grains,  or 
9,500  times  its  original  weight.*  The  quiet,  im- 
perceptible expansion  of  the  Jesuits — when  other  men 
are  sleeping  through  ignominious  dreams — is  not  less 
certain — is  not  less  wonderful  !  There  may  not  be  a 
large  majority  of  extraordinary  men  in  the  society  at 
present,  but  there  are  not  a  few  "large  figures" 
among  the  Jesuits  that  make  up  a  good  round  "sum 
total :"  if  there  be  many  small  items  of  a  penny 
each,  a  few  large  entries  of  many  shillings  and  some 

*  Rud.  ofZool.  p.  279. 


PROGRESS.  45 

pounds  will  raise  a  very  fair  ''  deposit "  for  this 
established  bank  to  let  out  at  all  manner  of  **  in- 
terest." In  possession  of  their  perfect  system  of 
trainincv  and  o;overnment — I  mean  with  reference  to 
their  objects  in  view — all  their  men  may  be  consi- 
dered as  useful  members — useful  for  some  purpose, 
like  the  copulative  conjunction,  *'  expressed  or  under- 
stood." 

The  situation  of  the  English  Novitiate  has  sug- 
gested these  reflections.  The  river  winds  round  it  on 
one  side  and  the  high  banks  opposite  shelter  it  in 
that  direction.  Fronting  the  road  are  plantations  in 
various  stages  of  growth* — like  the  members  of  the 
society  :  the  sapling  that  you  may  bend  as  you  like; 
the  full-grown  tree  that,  by  the  rustling  hiss  of  its 
leaves,  seems  to  mock  the  strong  winds  of  the  tem- 
pest ;  and  the  "old  tree,"  quite  dead  at  the  pith,  but 
still  passably  verdant  in  its  deceptive  branches. 
Hcdder-house  reminded,  me  somewhat  of  Abbotsford, 
the  residence  of  "  the  great  magician,"  which  is 
invisible  till  you  have  entered  the  gate — like  the 
genius  of  its  amiable  in-dweller  that  bursts  upon  you 
as  an  angel's  visit,  or  the  calm  sweet  light  of  a  hospi- 
table hearth  to  the  traveller  when  the  stars  of  heaven 
have  ceased  to  twinkle. 

The  house  is  an  ordinary-looking  building,  appa- 
rently not  built  for  the  purpose  to  which,  in  the  lapse 
of  wonder-workino;  time,  it  is  now  devoted.  A  neat 
gate  opens  upon  a  well-gravelled  walk,  winding  to 
the  front-door  of  the  Novitiate,  whose  threshold  is 
crossed  only  twice  by  the  novice:  once  on  entering,  a  n 


46  PROGRESS. 

then  on  his  departure — either  to  the  world  once  more, 
or  to  the  second  House.  This  word  brings  to  mind  the 
strangely,  curiously  concocted,  and  most  fascinating 
system  of  judicial  astrology:  the  Jesuit  has  his 
destined  "  house,"  like  the  child  of  fate,  and  looks 
forward  to  it  with  a  faith  and  a  hope  that  stagger  not. 
In  truth,  though  the  system  be  not  divine,  it  has 
much  of  divination. 

A  few  shrubs  adorn  the  front  of  the  house,  oppo- 
site which  is  a  ground  for  foot-ball.  On  the  slope  to 
the  river  is  a  kitchen-garden,  cultivated  by  the 
novices,  with  the  aid  of  a  lay-brother  attached  to  the 
establishment :  he  is  mentioned  at  the  end  of  the 
present  chapter  as  "cook,"  but  he  made  himself,  as 
every  Jesuit  should,  "  generally  useful." 

The  interior  comprises  a  small  chapel;  a  public 
dormitory  divided  into  compartments  about  eight 
feet  by  five  in  dimensions,  with  a  green  curtain  in 
front;  the  Superior's  room  ;  a  spare  room  for  casual 
novices  (like  myself)  to  perform  their  introductory 
retreat  in,  and  for  the  use  of  strangers,  who  go  occa- 
sionally for  the  same  pious  purpose ;  lastly,  the 
kitchen,  lavatory  or  washing-place,  and  another  large 
room,  which  is  used  as  a  school-room  for  very  young 
children  (under  seven  years  of  age)  sent  to  Stony- 
hurst.  One  of  the  novices  of  the  second  year  is  ap- 
pointed schoolmaster  to  these  little  ones.  Just  over 
the  school-room  is  their  dormitory,  and  a  little  chapel 
where  they  hear  mass;  for  they  might  otherwise  be  a 
distraction  to  the  novices. 

At  the  back  of  the  house,  in  a  dwelling  quite  sepa- 


PROGKESS.  47 

rate,  lived  the  laundresses  of  the  Novitiate,  whom  we 
never  saw. 

I  have  not  mentioned  servants'  rooms,  simplv  be- 
cause there  were  no  servants  in  the  Novitiate. 
Every  man  in  the  Novitiate  was  a  Jesuit,  or  to  be 
one.  The  very  cook  was  a  Jesuit,  commonly  called 
a  ''  lay  brother:"  that  is  to  say,  a  man  who  took  the 
simple  vows  of  the  society,  and  dedicated  his  trade 
or  craft  to  the  service  of  the  society.  His  assistants 
were  lay  novices  also.  These  men  have,  of  course, 
more  work  tlian  prayer;  or,  at  least,  quite  as  much 
of  one  as  of  the  other.  Thus,  in  the  palmy  days  of 
the  society,  there  were  all  manner  of  workmen  be- 
longing to  the  Jesuits;  thus  rendering  it  totally  in- 
dependent of  the  world  at  large:  and  thus,  we  can 
imagine  what  this  wonderful  combination  of  the 
trades,  the  sciences,  the  spiritualities  of  this  nether 
world  could  effect  in  swayino-  the  destinies  of  hu- 
manity.  In  those  days  when  a  Jesuit,  proprement 
dit,  went  forth  on  his  "  mission,"  he  was  attended  by 
his  lay  brother,^^  who  went  with  him  in  the  two-fold 
capacity  of  a  servant  and  a  spy  on  his  actions :  for 
all  are  bound  to  keep  a  watch  on  their  brethren  as 
well  as  on  themselves.  If  they  "manifest  them- 
selves,"  they  must  "  manifest  their  brothers. ''f 

There  are  funds  beionjrino;  to  the  Novitiate  exclu- 
sively,  resulting  from  pious  bequests  and  donations ; 
the  novices,  consequently — who  are  always  considered 

*  Or  by  a  socius  in  orders,  Const.  Part  iii.  cap.  1.     Thus  in  Nor- 
AvicH  there  are  two — in  Londox,  three,  &c. 
t  Reg.  9  and  10.     Can.  10,  Congr.  6. 


48  PROGRESS. 

by  the  "Constitutions"  as  without  friends,  kindred, 
home,  and  wealth,  except  in  the  society — pay  nothing 
for  their  board  and  lodging.  On  entering  the  gates 
of  probation,  the  novice  gives  himself  to  the  society, 
"  for  the  greater  glory  of  God  ;"  and  the  society  under- 
takes to  be  his  mother,  father,  brother,  sister,  friend, 
and  only  acquaintance. 

True,  a  man  cannot  at  once  forget  all  these  tender 
ties,  unless  by  the  hand  of  death  they  exist  not ; 
but  the  progress  of  this  consummation  is  not  the  less 
certain  for  being  gradual.  I  never  heard  during 
my  year  a  word  mentioned  of  "  kith  or  kin."  Of  the 
undying  thoughts  that  rise  in  spite  of  ourselves,  I 
can,  of  course,  say  nothing  with  regard  to  others. 
I  heard  the  voices  coming  from  afar,  like  voices  of  a 
dream,  and  I  frequently  asked  myself,  '^  Can  you  all 
forswear  humanity  ?"  But  the  '^  spirit  of  Ignatius" 
whispered,  '*  He  who  has  left  father,"  &;c.,  let  him 
believe  that  he  must  relinquish  father,  mother, 
brothers,  and  sisters,  and  whatever  he  had  in  the 
world :  yea,  let  him  believe  that  those  words  are  ad- 
dressed to  himself — "  He  who  does  not  hate  father 
and  mother,  and  more,  even  his  own  soul,  cannot  be 
my  disciple."^  Thus  was  the  sacred  text  perverted, 
to  countenance  an  unnatural  dissevering  of  all  the 
ties  that  the  God  of  our  common  nature  has  woven 
tocrether — a  web  which,  hack  and  tear  it  as  we 
will,  still  repairs  and  renews  itself  for  ever ! 

*  Exam.  Gen.  cb.  iv.  7,  a  rule  of  the  Summary  to  be  got  bj  heart 
by  the  novices. 


49 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE    RETREAT — DOUBTS    AND    WAVERINGS THE 

INVESTMENT    AND    BLESSING. 

I  NOW  resume  my  narrative  where  I  left  off,  viz.,  with 
the  commencement  of  the  Retreat. 

The  first  meditation  was  on  the  "End  of  Man," 
that  is  to  say,  on  the  object  for  which  man  was 
created.  I  dare  say  few  of  my  readers  have  the  least 
idea  what  is  here  meant  by  meditation.  It  is  a  diffi- 
cult art.  A  man  may  be  annoyed  by  disagreeable 
thoughts  for  days  and  weeks  together;  but  in  this 
case  the  mind  is  passive — thoughts  impinge  upon  it 
like  the  excruciating  drops  of  water  falling  on  the 
head  of  the  regicide  of  old,  when  every  drop,  as  he 
remarked  with  unutterable  ano:uish,  felt  like  the  blow 
of  a  mallet.  This  is  meditation  in  spite  of  ourselves, 
and  we  would  be  glad  of  some  ''  distraction"  or 
change  of  thought.  But  ascetics  understand  a  very 
different  thing  by  meditation:  the  mind  must  be  fixed 
and  retained  on  one  idea  or  sentiment,  until  it  is  com- 
pletely exhausted  in  all  its  bearings  and  applications 
to  the  spiritual  state  of  the  meditator;  and  all  chang 

E 


.:=^ 


50  THE  RETREAT. 

of  thought,  commonly  called  "distraction,"  must  be 
instantly  checked  as  a  wily  temptation  of  the  devil. 
In  proof  whereof  we  read  in  a  book,  recommended 
by  the  learned  and  pious  pastors  of  the  Romish 
church,  and  written  by  a  Jesuit,  as  follows,  speaking 
of  this  "  distraction  :" — 

"  At  other  times  it  may  proceed  from  the  malice  of 
the  devil,  as  is  stated  by  some  of  the  Fathers  of  the 
desert,  who,  by  God's  permission,  saw  in  spirit  some 
devils  sitting  upon  the  heads  of  the  religious,  to 
oblige  them  to  sleep;  and  others  putting  their  fingers 
in  their  mouths  to  make  them  yavvn."^' 

I  had  been  accustomed  to  meditate  from  early 
youth.  At  the  Roman  Catholic  college,  where  I  was 
educated,  the  more  advanced  students  had  to  medi- 
tate daily  for  the  space  of  an  hour  before  mass ;  and, 
during  the  annual  retreat,  meditation  was  an  im- 
portant part  of  the  proceedings;  but  I  never  knew 
what  meditation  was  or  might  be  till  I  became  a 
INovice.  It  is  among  the  Jesuits  that  one  must  live 
in  order  to  know  the  true  nature  of  a  religious  re- 
treat, and  of  meditation  or  mental  prayer.  This  is 
considered  the  highest  order  of  prayer,  the  most 
acceptable  to  God  ;  for  it  is  supposed  to  bring  the 
fervent  soul  into  the  immediate  presence  of  the 
Divinity,  when,  by  the  enlightening  of  that  grace 
which  descends  on  the  compunctious  spirit,  we  be- 
hold ourselves  as  we  are — all  our  wants,  all  our  im- 
perfections, all  our  stains  and  spiritual  wounds. 
"Happy  is  the  man,"  says  the  master  of  ascetics, 
*  Ilodrig.  Christ,  Perf.  chap.  xxiv. 


THE    RETREAT.  51 

"  who  can  reject  every  distracting  thought,  and  can 
centre  himself  completely  in  a  holy  compunction  !" 

I  will  endeavour  to  give  the  reader  an  idea  of  the 
method,  by  the  following  meditation  on  the  Last 
Judgment. 

As  I  have  forgotten  none  of  the  strong  thoughts — 
none  of  the  stirring  emotions  of  my  Novitiate,  the  ex- 
position will  be  as  easy  as  it  is  authentic. 

JUDGMENT. 

^'  But  in  those  days,  after  that  tribulation,  the  sun 
shall  be  darkened,  and  the  moon  shall  not  give  her 
light. 

"  And  the  stars  of  heaven  shall  fall,  and  the  powers 
that  are  in  heaven  shall  be  shaken. 

'^  And  then  shall  they  see  the  Son  of  Man  coming 
in  the  clouds  with  great  power  and  glory." 

Point  I.  I  began  by  impressing  my  mind  with  the 
certainty  of  the  coming  event,  and  made  thereon  a 
firm,  fervent  act  of  faith.  I  reasoned  with  my  soul 
on  the  necessity  of  that  judgment.  Throughout  all 
time  the  good  have  been  oppressed,  afflicted,  scorned 
by  the  judgment  of  men;  that  judgment  must  be 
reversed.  God  himself  will  rio-ht  them  on  that  awful 
day.  They  have  sighed  in  bitterness  of  heart :  ^'  O 
Lord,  my  God,  in  thee  do  I  put  my  trust  :  save  me 
from  all  them  that  persecute  me,  and  deliver  me  :  Lest 
he  tear  my  soul  like  a  lion,  rending  it  in  pieces,  while 
there  is  none  to  deliver. 

"  O  Lord  my  God,  if  I  have  done  this :  if  there  be 
iniquity  in  my  hands  :  If  I  have  rewarded  evil  unto 

E  2 


52  THE    RETREAT. 

him  that  was  at  peace  with  me ;  (yea,  I  have   deli- 
vered him  that  without  cause  is  mine  enemy:) 

"Let  the  enemy  persecute  my  soul,  and  take  it: 
yea,  let  him  tread  down  my  life  upon  the  earth,  and 
lay  mine  honour  in  the  dust. 

''Arise,  O  Lord,  in  thine  anger,  lift  up  thyself 
because  of  the  rage  of  mine  enemies  :  and  awake  for 
me  to  the  judgment  that  thou  hast  commanded. 

"  Oh  let  the  wickedness  of  the  wicked  come  to  an 
end  :  but  establish  the  just:  for  the  righteous  God 
trieth  the  hearts  and  reins." 

On  the  other  hand,  the  bad  exult  in  prosperous 
iniquity — all  things  succeed  to  their  liking  ;  they  are 
favoured,  comforted,  exalted  by  the  judgment  of  men  ; 
that  judgment  must  be  reversed.  God  himself  will 
condemn  them  on  that  awful  day.  They  have  said  in 
their  hearts  exulting;:  "God  hath  forao'ten  :  he 
hideth  his  face :  he  will  never  see  it." 

Among  which  class  shall  I  be  on  thatday  of  joy 
to  the  good,  and  of  woe  to  the  wicked  ?  How  stands 
it  with  thee,  my  soul  ?  What  hast  thou  done,  what 
hast  thou  not  done  ?  Were  this  the  day,  the  hour  of 
judgment,  art  thou  prepared  ?  Consider  the  number- 
less graces  of  Heaven  which  thou  hast  abused.  Thou 
wast  bred  in  the  true  faith — instructed  in  its  saving 
words — snatched  from  the  world  of  scandal  before  it 
had  made  thee  its  own — placed  in  the  garden  of  the 
saints,  where  thou  wast  sheltered  from  every  blast  of 
evil,  and  cherished  with  the  warmth  of  celestial 
brcathino;s  "  with  healino;  on  their  wini2:s."  Of  what 
avail  have  been  all  these  blessings?     Hast  thou  less 


THE    RETREAT.  53 

reason  to  fear  the  coming  judgment?  Dost  thou  not 
still  linger  on  the  brink  of  the  rushing  stream  that 
hurries  on  countless  myriads  to  destruction  ?  Hast 
thou  not  ever  and  anon  turned  a  listening  ear  to  their 
seducing  appeals,  as  from  their  treacherous  bark 
they  have  waved  their  hands  to  thee,  inviting  thee  to 
join  in  their  ceaseless  revels  by  night  and  by  day — • 
little  thinking  that  all  their  frivolous  and  pernicious 
joys  are  only  pains  glossed  over  with  pleasures,* 
soon  to  beuncoloured,  unvarnished,  laid  bare?  Then 
the  judgment !     .... 

Point  II.  Consider  who  will  appear  at  that  final 
judgment — that  judgment  which  shall  never  be  re- 
versed— which  will  proclaim  the  exclusive  existence 
of  joy  which  "it  has  not  entered  into  the  heart  of 
man  to  conceive" — and  of  woe  equally  inconceivable 
— unutterable!  Then  there  will  be  no  Purgatory  to 
expiate  the  temporal  penalties  of  sin — mere  human 
frailties:  then  there  will  be  no  earth  where  we  may 
retrieve  the  past !  All  who  appear  then  to  judgment, 
will  hear  a  final  blessing,  or  a  final  curse  !  Who  shall 
appear?  All  who  have  sprung  from  the  first-created 
man — from  the  beginning  of  time  to  the  day  of  tri- 
bulation— the  great  and  the  little — the  rich  and  the 
poor — the  learned  and  the  ignorant — Christians  and 
infidels — Jews  and  Gentiles — obedient  children  of  the 
church  and  heretics — sincere  believers  and  philoso- 
phers ;   all,  absolutely  all  of  every  age,  of  every  land 

*  AuTrai  (ipa  iiaav  rjdovaXg  TrepiweTrefii-dvai. — Socrat.  in  (Econom. 
c.  ii. 


54  THE    RETREAT. 

shall   appear  to  judgment.      Thou,   my    soul,   shall 
be  there !  ........ 

On  that  day  of  what  avail  will  be  the  dazzling 
glory,  and  endless  renown  of  mighty  conquerors — the 
power  of  riches — the  power  of  learning  that  destroys 
as  many  as  it  saves, — this  proud  learning  which  thou 
covetest  so  much  !  Of  what  avail  will  it  be  to  thee, 
my  poor  soul,  if  thou  hast  not  on  ''  the  wedding 
garment?'' 

Sincere  Christians,  the  elect  and  the  rejected — 
amono'  which  wilt  tJiou  be?  The  obedient  children 
of  the  church  and  the  disobedient  heretics;  among 
which  wilt  thou  be  ?  Once  more  thou  hast  been 
reconciled  to  the  faith ;  what  a  mercy  !  what  a  favour ! 
Wilt  thou  remain  faithful  to  the  end — to  the  judg- 
ment ?     Tremble  at  the  awful  thouo;ht !       .... 

Point  III.  Imagine  the  scene  of  judgment ;  see,  as 
it  were  now,  the  God  of  glory;  Jesus  the  crucified, 
now  the  glorified,  coming  in  majesty  from  on  high  in 
his  chariot  of  celestial  fire  that  illumines  the  whole 
earth  from  bound  to  bound,  surrounded  by  all  the 
angels  of  heaven, — thrones,  principalities,  domina- 
tions, cherubim  and  seraphim,  hymning  renown  and 
glory  to  Him  alone,  who  was,  is,  and  ever  will  be 
worthy  of  all  honour  and  praise. 

The  trumpet  sounds  !  Phalanx  on  phalanx,  'and 
troop  on  troop  roll  in  position,  instantly,  at  that 
sound.  Behold  ! — the  two  divisions  stand  widely 
apart.  Behold  them  !  read  the  features  of  the 
wicked  ;  tlien  turn  to  those  of  the  good. 


THE    RETREAT.  55 

All  stand  again  in  the  flesh  —  in  the  flesh  wherein 
they  have  sinned :  but  oh  !  dreadful  pang !  They 
are  now  seen  by  all;  by  friends  and  by  foes, — by 
angels  and  by  devils, — ^just  as  they  were  seen  when  in 
the  flesh,  by  God  alone.  Every  hidden  crime — every 
humiliating  frailty  that  human  vanity  was  so  anxious 
to  conceal,  to  palliate,  to  justify, — all  will  be  laid 
bare.  God  will  even  thus  deign  to  make  this  appeal 
to  his  creatures  for  \}ciQ  justice  of  his  judgment !  .  . 
How  stands  it  with  thee,  my  soul  I  Hast  thou  con- 
fessed all?  Lacks  there  not  some  cherished  sin,  or 
tender  failing  that  thou  hast  not  thoroughly  repented 
of,  not  wholly  discarded  ? 

Now  turn  to  the  good.  O  entrancing  change  I 
All  the  stains  of  human  sin  have  been  wiped  away, 
and  the  hearts  of  the  saints  reflect  the  divine  thoushts 
of  good  that  beam  from  the  breast  of  the  Redeemer! 
It  is  as  though  they  had  never  sinned ;  for  they  were 
born  again  in  grace.  The  troops  of  martyrs  wdth 
their  crowns  of  glory  ;  the  troops  of  confessors  with 
their  wreaths  of  light ;  the  holy  virgins,  with  Mary 
at  their  head,  close  beside  the  God  of  purity,  next  to 
his  bosom, — all,  all  smile  heavenly  smiles,  and  wait 
exulting  to  ascend  with  their  Strength  and  their 
Hope,  the  Redeemer,  to  the  joys  that  never  end. 

Once  more  the  trumpet  sounds, — list !  'tis  the 
Judgment ! 

"  Depart  from  me,  ye  cursed,  into  everlasting  fire, 
prepared  for  the  devil  and  his  angels!" 

**  Come,  ye  blessed  of  my  Father,  inherit  the  king- 
dom prepared  for  you  fromthe  foundationof  the  world !" 


56  THE    RETREAT. 

A  shriek  ! — a  wail  from  bound  to  bound  !  The 
sides  of  the  doleful  valley,  with  sounds  of  endless 
woe,*  echo  to  the  dreadful  judgment.  Hell,  the 
insatiate,  is  now  satisfied  at  last — filled  with  the 
eternal  dead  !.....•• 

A  cry  of  joy  ! — a  shout  of  exultation,  from  bound 
to  bound  !  The  heavens  open,  and  the  choirs  of  the 
angels  and  the  saints  sing  welcome  to  the  children  of 
God  ;  and  the  gates  of  heaven  gently,  gently  close  on 
them — eternally  blessed — for  ever  good,  and,  there- 
fore, for  ever  happy  ! 

This  may  be  considered  as  a  faithful  specimen  of 
my  meditations  in  the  Novitiate.  The  scriptural 
phrases  occur  in  the  "  Office  of  the  Dead,"  appointed 
to  be  said  or  sung  for  the  benefit  of  the  souls  in 
purgatory.  I  have  given  the  version  of  the  Pro- 
testant Bible  ;  but  in  the  texts  in  question,  it  does 
not  differ  materially  from  that  of  the  Roman  church. 

Of  course  I  have  only  recorded  the  most  prominent 
thouohts  and  sentiments,  on  the  most  impressive  of 
which  I  would  dwell,  and,  as  it  were,  steep  my  soul  in 
anguish  or  in  bliss, — in  harmony  with  the  key-note 
of  the  wonderful  counter-point  in  question,  which, 
with  "  dulcet  symphonies  and  voices  sweet,"  or 
"  stunning  sounds,  and  voices  all  confused,"  sweetly 
soothed,  or  harshly  racked  my  helpless  soul,  when  I 
resigned  her  to  the  impulse  of  *^  thoughts  that  wander 

*  Gu  la  proda  mi  trovai 

Delia  valle  d'  Abisso  dolorosa, 
Che  tuono  accoglie  d'  infiniti  guai. 

Dante,  Inf.  Cant.  iv. 


THE    RETREAT.  57 

through  eternity."  la  truth,  those  thoughts  were 
burnt  in — they  can  never  be  erased.  Not  a  day  of 
my  life  passes  without  some  occurrence,  some  remark 
that  I  hear  or  read,  brinoino-  to  mind  the  thous^hts 
and  sentiments  which  I  cherished  as  the  distinctive 
marks  of  a  disciple  of  Jesus,  ere  I  perceived  the 
reverse  of  the  cunning  transparency  which  exhibited 
the  Jesuit. 

Other  speculators  require  a  certain  degree  of  craft 
in  the  novice  whom  they  admit  to  a  share  of  their 
^'privileges;"  but  only  the  Jesuits  require  perfect 
simplicity — innocence  without  guile — in  their  novice; 
cru-elly  concluding  that  such  a  nature  is  best  adapted 
for  that  perfect,  blind,  entire  obedience  which  ''re- 
cognises God  in  his  superior."  ^ 

The  foregoing  specimen  of  meditation  is  from  my 
last  retreat  in  the  Novitiate— the  great  retreat  of 
thirty  days — which  will  be  described  in  the  sequel. 
When  that  retreat  took  place  I  had  made  consider- 
able progress  in  the  art  of  meditation :  during  the 
retreat  now  in  question  the  subjects  of  meditation 
were  to  my  mind,  in  a  great  measure,  "like  water 
dripping  on  a  hard  rock,"  that  rebounds  and  flows 
off,  scarcely  moistening  the  polished  surface.  I  had 
certainly  been  accustomed  to  reflect,  to  think  deeply ; 
but  the  subjects  of  such  reflection  were  congenial, 
were  scientific,  philosophical ;  1  could  always  come 
to  satisfactory  conclusions — conclusions  as  to  the 
admirable  design  of  Providence,  the   beautiful  har- 

*  Ut  constanter  applicet  animum,  Deum  in  Superiore  cognoscat. 
R.  P.  Claudii  Aquav.  P.  G.,  Indust.  cap.  v.  6,  Rom.  1606. 


58 


THE    RETREAT. 


mony  of  creation,  the  destined  moral  government  of 
the  world,  and  that  wonderful  retributive  justice 
which  is  dispensed  to  all  men  in  reward  for  physical, 
moral,  intellectual  obedience  to  the  laws  of  nature, 
or  in  punishment  for  physical,  moral,  intellectual  in- 
fringement of  the  same  Divine  legislation.  That  was 
philosophical  meditation.  As  will  be  presently  evi- 
dent, this  habit  of  thought,  far  from  being  of  service 
in  my  present  meditation,  only  tended  to  "  distract^' 
my  mind — to  thwart  the  influence  of  the  topics  se- 
lected for  my  spiritual  transformation. 

But  there  was  ''a  necessity  upon  me;"  I  must 
advance:  to  fall  back  at  the  very  gates  of  the  strong- 
hold which  was  about  to  surrender,  would  be  absurd, 
disgraceful. 

Patiently,  humbly,  then,  I  listened  to  the  words 
which  explained  to  me  the  form  and  method  of  my 
first  meditation. 

I  was  enjoined,  first,  "  to  place  myself  in  the 
presence  of  God  ;"  that  is,  to  make  a  firm  act  of  faith 
in  his  omnipresence ;  secondly,  to  ask  his  aid  well  to 
perform  my  meditation,  and  to  derive  the  expected 
benefit  therefrom  ;  and,  thirdly,  to  invoke  the  assist- 
ance of  the  Virgin,  the  saints,  and  angels.  The 
meditation  lasts  one  hour.  The  subject  was  given  on 
a  slip  of  paper,  and  was  divided  into  three  points, 
giving  the  heads  of  the  argument  that  was  to  be 
discussed  between  the  soul  and  its  inclinations,  or, 
as  phrenologists  would  say,  between  the  superior 
sentiments  and  the  animal  propensities. 

We  meditated  in  three  positions — kneeling,  stand- 


THE    RETREAT.  59 

ing,  sitting — a  quarter  of  an  hour  in  each  position  ; 
and,  as  by  the  last  quarter  the  soul  was  supposed  to 
have  gone  through  that  severe  scrutiny  which  was 
to  produce  the  resolution  of  amendment,  we  knelt 
during  the  last  quarter,  and  made  supplications  to 
God,  the  Vircrin,  the  saints  and  ano-els — to  God  for 
grace y  to  the  Virgin,  &c.,  for  the  aid  of  intercession. 
This  distinction  is  accurately  made  by  Roman 
Catholics ;  but  the  Jesuits  certainly  carry  their 
veneration  for  the  Virgin  to  an  extravagant  extent. 

At  first  this  veneration,  or  hyperdulia,  as  it  is 
termed,  was  but  very  indifferently  embraced  by  me ; 
but  after  a  while,  when  my  feelings — the  ardent  feel- 
ings of  one  on  whom  woman's  beauty  always  made 
an  impression — were  sanctified  by  the  apparently 
virtuous  source  of  their  excitement,  then  it  was 
that  the  worship  of  the  Virgin  was  established  in  my 
heart  to  the  fullest  extent.  If  she  was  not  my  God, 
she  had  the  power  of  my  God,  united  to  the  fondest 
love  of  the  fondest  mother ! 

There  was  a  time  when  I  could  make  a  satisfactory 
distinction  between  the  worship  of  God  and  that  of 
Mary ;  but  it  was  before  I  became  a  novice.  I  trust 
that  I  am  justified  in  using  the  word  'Svorship"  with 
reference  to  the  Virgin,  since  in  the  Libellus,  or  prayer- 
book,  which  I  used  at  Hodder — now  open  before  me 
— the  words  Modus  colendi  are  the  same  that  would 
be  applied  to  the  Creator.  An  extract  from  the  book 
will  render  that  meaning  more  evident: — 

*^  All  gifts,  virtues,  and  the  graces  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  himself,   to   whomsoever   she  wishes,  in  the 


60  THE  RETREAT. 

manner  she  wishes,  and   when  she  wishes,  are  dis- 
pensed through  the  hands  of  Mary. 

*'  Give  her  thanks,  therefore,  for  all  the  benefits 
which  she  has  obtained  for  thee  from  Christ,  but  par- 
ticularly for  those  which  thou  especially  knowest 
that  thou  hast  obtained  by  her  intercession;  such  as 
the  remission  of  the  sins  whereby  thou  hast  offended 
God, — thy  preservation  from  many  sins, — many  holy 
inspirations,  greater  fervour  and  devotion,  greater 
relish  for  holy  things ;  a  desire  of  virtue,  particularly 
of  humility,  chastity,  meekness,  charity,  sobriety, — a 
more  ardent  desire  of  promoting  thy  salvation  and 
that  of  others — a  bri^ihter  oenius,  a  better  memory, 
a  keener  intellect,  greater  diligence  in  study,  and  the 
like  blessings,  which,  from  the  name  given  to  her 
Congregation,  thou  seest  and  feelest,  have  been  in- 
creased in  thee.  Yield  and  offer  thyself  entirely  to 
her,  beseeching  her  to  take  thee  under  her  guardian- 
ship and  patrona2:e,  and  to  vouchsafe  to  defend  thee 
— protected  by  her  safeguard — from  every  danger  of 
body  and  soul." 

In  accordance  with  this  advice,  the  name  of  Mary 
was  constantly  invoked  by  the  novices  :  it  was  oftener 
uttered  than  that  of  God  or  the  Redeemer.  In  truth, 
whatever  verbal  distinctions  are  made,  the  virtual 
effect  is  certain — God  is  contained  in  Mary :  if  she  be 
not  God  to  the  deluded  fanatic !  The  misguided 
IsraeHtes  forgot  the  God  whom  they  could  not  see 
nor  imagine,  and  fell  down  and  worshipped  the 
molten  calf,  which  they  could  see  and  feel  when 
present,   and   imagine    when    absent.       Herein    the 


THE    RETREAT.  61 

human  sympathies  and  cravinpfs  act  in  perfect  ac- 
cordance with  their  seducing  nature.  Thus,  if  I 
could  not  see  or  imagine  my  God,  I  could  mentally 
see  and  imagine  Mary;  and  oh!  how  beautiful  is 
she  pictured  to  the  mind  in  the  glowing,  thrilling, 
gushing  words  of  her  worshippers,  who  have  ex- 
hausted every  metaphor,  expended  every  figure  of 
the  beautiful,  the  sublime,  the  sweet,  in  eulogizing 
''  the  Queen  of  Heaven*"  ! 

I  pity  the  mortal  thus  deluded  into  idolatry,  whilst 
I  denounce  the  carnal  system ;  for  who  that  has  had 
a  kind,  fond  mother — of  whom,  thouo;h  loner  since 
laid  in  the  cold  grave,  he  often  thinks,  weeping 
sweet  tears — can  resist  the  impulse  which  urges  him 
to  seek  and  to  find  in  Mary  all  that  he  loved  in  his 
kind,  fond  mother,  infinitely  enhanced  by  the  power 
to  bless  him  with  the  dear  sug-eestions  of  a  mother's 
heart? 

I  have  been  speaking  of  emotions  which  were  not 
yet  awakened.  At  the  commencement  of  my  retreat, 
my  mental  movements  were  simply  mechanical ;  or, 
to  develope  the  figure,  my  mind  worked  on  the  hori- 
zonlal  principle — afterwards  the  lever  was  substituted 
with  w^onderful  success. 

I  had  four  meditations  each  day,  the  intervals 
being  filled  up  with  verbal  prayer,  spiritual  reading, 
an  examination  of  conscience,  preparatory  to  confes- 
sion, and  a  walk  in  the  garden  for  relaxation.  On 
the  last  occasion  I  was  accompanied  by  the 
*' brother"  who  had  me  in  charge  for  the  week.     This 

*  See  note  A  at  the  end  of  the  Volume. 


62  THE    RETREAT. 

indulgence  was  doubtless  kindly  intended  to  ease  the 
pressure  of  the  solitude  into  which  I  was  suddenly 
thrown  from  the  turmoil  and  busy  scenes  of  life.  In 
general,  according  to  the  requisition  of  Ignatius,  a 
person,  in  retreat,  must  be  left  entirely  to  himself  and 
his  spiritual  director,  who  should  not  visit  him  oftener 
than  is  absolutely  necessary:  the  influence — the  im- 
pulse being  given  in  a  certain  direction,  he  is  left  to 
sail  as  the  inner  breathings  blow  :  as  long,  at  least,  as 
the  coast  is  clear  and  the  light-house  visible  ;  if  not, 
he  should  prudently  take  his  "  pilot"  on  board  ere  his 
tiny  bark  founders  on  the  hidden  shoal. 

It  must  be  manifest  that  few  minds  can  be  capable 
of  this  mental  exile,  which  the  **  Spiritual  Exercises" 
of  Ignatius  suppose  to  exist.  A  habit  of  abstraction — 
of  self-communion,  is  not  to  be  put  on  as  a  garment ; 
a  spiritual  divorce  from  thoughts  and  sentiments  to 
which  we  have  been  long  wedded,  cannot  be  ob- 
tained without  considerable  difficulty :  if  the  will 
accuses  the  heart,  the  latter  still  makes  out  a  strong 
case,  and  it  rarely  happens  on  such  occasions 
that  a  reconciliation  is  not  effected.  Apparently 
aware  of  this  obstacle,  the  Jesuits  are  cautioned  not 
to  administer  all  the  **  Exercises''  to  every  mind  ; 
but  only  "to  a  select  few,  and  such  as  may  seem 
adapted  to  greater  things."  The  opinion  of  Ignatius 
on  this  subject  is  curious,  and  may  throw  some 
light  on  his  system.  He  is  said  to  have  dictated  the 
following  sentiments : — "  It  does  not  appear  to  me 
tl*at  any  one  is  to  be  exhorted  to  go  through  these 
exercises,  unless  he  has  these  or  the  most  important 
of  these   dispositions — first,  that  he    should   be    so 


THE    RETREAT.  63 

constituted  as  to  give  hopes  of  becoming  very  useful 
to  the  house  of  God,  if  he  be  called  to  his  service : 
secondly,  if  he  has  not  as  yet  acquired  those  arts  and 
sciences  which  give  evidence  of  this  utility,  he  should 
at  least  be  young  and  clever  enough  to  make  it 
evident  that  he  may  in  time  acquire  them  :  thirdly,  he 
should  be  free  to  dispose  of  himself,  even  so  far  as  to 
embrace  the  state  of  perfection,  should  God  call  him 
to  that  state  :  fourthly,  he  should  seem  inclined  to 
spirituality,  and  have  a  comely  and  agreeable  personal 
appearance  :*  fifthly,  he  must  not  be  so  addicted  to 
anything  as  to  seem  unable  to  be  separated  from  it 
without  difficulty,  and  be  trained  to  that  equanimity 
which  is  required  for  this  business  of  the  soul,  to  be 
properly  carried  on  with  God.f 

Supposing,  then,  that  the  most  important  of  these 
dispositions  were  sufficiently  evident,  the  reader  will 
now  accompany  me  in  spirit  through  my  first  retreat 
among  the  Jesuits. 

I  will  describe  the  scene  of  my  retreat.  As  you 
entered  the  room,  on  the  left  was  my  bed,  decently 
hung  with  homely  curtains;  opposite  the  bed  was  a 
small  table  upon  which  was  a  crucifix,  and  beside 
the  table  was  a  cushion  to  kneel  on — imagine  a  chair, 
and  my  room  is  described.  At  some  distance  from 
the  part  of  the   house  occupied   by  the  novices,  I 

*  Habitumque  corporis  honestum  ac  decentem  habeat. 

t  Direct.  Eserc.  Spir,  c.  i.  This  is  an  interesting'  little  book,  in 
my  possession,  printed  in  1600,  and  bearing  the  following  inscription 
on  the  title  page  :  CgU.  Soc.  Jesu,  Louanil — thus  it  belonged  to  one  of 
the  colleges  before  the  suppression,  viz.,  that  of  Louvain. 


64  THE    RETREAT. 

beard  nothing,  saw  nothing  of  them,  except  during 
meals. 

I  have  an  unpleasant  recollection  of  the  first  day, 
or  rather  of  the  first  morning.  A  comparison  will  be 
the  best  exponent  of  my  position.  Travelling  in 
Scotland  several  years  before,  1  made  an  excursion 
on  foot,  visiting  Melrose,  Abbotsford, — and  vener- 
ated the  memory  of  the  Scott  over  his  tomb  at  Dry- 
burgh.  On  leaving  this  thrilling  memory  of  the 
past — rendered  still  more  acute  by  the  association 
of  the  warrior's  tomb  hard  by,  and  the  damp  chill 
cloisters  of  the  abbey  through  which  I  had  pre- 
viously strolled — I  strayed  from  the  road,  and 
struggled  for  a  footstep  with  the  weeds  and  briars 
in  general  possession  of  the  river's  bank.  I  stood 
beneath  the  rough  but  thoughtful  statue  of 
Wallace.  Thence  following  the  winding  stream, 
I  journeyed  on,  hoping  to  find  an  easy  fording- 
place ;  but  the  farther  I  went  the  deeper  it  seemed  to 
become.  The  day  was  far  spent — to  return  would  be 
long  and  tedious — but  how  to  cross  that  impassable 
stream?  I  strained  my  eyes  up  the  river  towards 
the  chorus  of  "  giggling  waves"*  that  were  hurrying 
down  to  mock  my  dilemma ;  but  the  rolling  river 
rolled  on,  deep  and  broad,  and  seemed  to  say:  *'  If 
you  would  reach  your  liome,  throw  off  all  that  will 
encumber  you  in  the  only  path  that  I  can  give  you; 
tie  up  that  all  in  a  bundle,  and  hold  it  high  above 
your  head,  to  be  useful  again  when  necessary:  but  you 

*   Hqvt'huv  KviiuTbJv  dvrjpiOjxov  yeXao-/ta. — Prom.  iEsch.  90. 


THE    RETHEAT.  65 

must  take  to  my  bosom — you  must  strike  out  boldly — 
advance,  and  God  speed  to  you  ! 

I  did  as  the  stream   seemed  to  advise,  and   swam 
across  to  the  opposite  bank. 

If  the  reader  will  spiritualise  this  my  little  adven- 
ture, translating  it  into  mind  from  body,  he  will  con- 
ceive my  mental  position  on  that  first  morning  of  my 
"retreat."     I  will  not  offend  his  ingenuity  by  point- 
ing to  all  the  similitudes  ;  and   should  they  not  be 
apparent  at  first  sight,  I  am  now  to  open  ray  mind 
and  heart  to  him  with  such  unhesitating  confidence, 
that  from  imagining  my  distress  on  the  river's  bank— • 
from    witnessing     my    struggle    with    the    rushing 
stream — his  transition  will  be  easy  to  ray  solitude  ; 
where  the  world  and  all  my  fascinating  hopes  were 
the  bank  on  which  I  stood,  and  the  unpitying  stream 
was   adequately   represented   by   the  mental   ordeal 
through  which   I  had  to  pass,  ere  the  home  I  was 
seeking  could  be  reached. 

I  have  spoken  of  my  enthusiasm.  I  now  began  to 
discover  that,  in  embracing  so  rapturously  the  idea  of 
becoming  a  Jesuit,  I  had  given  but  very  little  thought 
to  what  Jesuits  have  to  believe.  The  sioht  of  that 
crucifix  in  my  room  produced  an  emotion  of  which 
I  had  never  been  conscious  before !  And  whilst 
fixedly  gazing  on  that  awful  image  of  hideous 
d.ng\us\\j—feeli7ig,  as  it  were,  the  endless  pangs  of 
those  cruel  wounds  that  suspended  what  they  tor- 
tured,— the  spell  of  my  dreams  was  broken  :  a  d  iso- 
lating reality  stood  before  me,  and  I  seemed  to  hear 
those    uncompromising   words    of   life  : — "  lie    that 

F 


66  THE    RETREAT. 

taketh  not  his  cross,  and  followeth  after  me,  is  not 
worthy  of  me." 

The  Jesuits  had  presented  themselves  to  my  excit- 
able imagination  as  gods  of  intellect;  whose  mental 
omnipotence  and  beneficence  had  showered  innumer- 
able gifts  on  every  department  of  knowledge,  human 
and  Divine. 

My  ambition  was  certainly  equal  to  my  enthu- 
siasm, and  the  "  inspiration "  which  agitated  my 
mind  seemed  an  earnest,  not  to  be  doubted,  of  a 
glorious  future  in  this  world  at  least :  for  the  thouH;ht 
of  another  world  is  not  a  haunting  spirit  of 
youth.  Conscious  of  possessing  a  will  whose  efforts 
have  rarely  been  unsuccessful,  by  the  unflinching 
industry  and  application  which  are  its  instruments 
in  the  pursuit  of  knowledge,  I  had  resolved  to  strive 
for  the  highest,  the  noblest  wreath  of  intellectual 
renown.  A  Tursellini  in  classical  learning  —  a 
BoscoviCH  in  mathematics  —  a  Tiraboschi  in 
general  literature — a  Bell  arming  in  ecclesiastical 
learning  and  controversy  —  or  a  Bourdaloue  in 
sacred  eloquence :  such  were  my  models,  to  be 
selected  by  my  superiors  for  my  imitation, — to  be 
imitated  by  me.  How  ravishing  was  the  thought! 
how  strong  and  sublime  the  hope !  But  it  was  the 
last  high  eminence  that  glimmered  to  my  mind's  eye 
from  afar,  like  the  constellation  of  the  Southern 
Cross — flaming  above  in  majesty,  and  beautiful 
amidst  the  beautiful — to  the  mariner  in  his  midnight 
watch  when  doubling  the  "  Cape  of  Hope."  I 
pictured    myself   standing    in    tlie    pulpit,    pouring 


THE    RETREAT.  67 

forth  the  forceful  words  of  resistless  conviction,  and 
the  conquering  appeals  of  sweet  persuasion.  Oh  ! 
how  my  heart  beats  even  now  when  I  think  of  that 
entrancing  thought — those  fascinating  hopes  !  The 
desire  of  inspiring  my  fellow-men  with  exalted 
thoughts  of  man's  high  destiny,  and  with  expanding 
sentiments  of  large,  gocl-like  benevolence  towards  all 
that  is  man,  even  now  makes  me  regret  sometimes, 
that  it  is  not  my  calhng  *'  to  preach  the  gospel!"  . . . 
All  these  thoughts  and  hopes  vanished  as  I  stood 
gazing  on  that  crucifix  :  the  fire  of  my  human  desires 
grew  dim  :  was  eclipsed  by  the  cloud  of  that  agony, 
pain,  humiliation, — the  withering  scorn  of  men ! 
These  must  now  be  the  objects  of  desire,  for  it  was 
spoken :  "  He  that  taketh  not  his  cross,  and  fol- 
loweth  after  me,  is  not  worthy  of  me !".... 

To  one  who  is  keenly  alive  to  every  internal  and 
^  external  impulse,  the  emotion  produced  by  the  sight 
of  the  crucifix  was  like  the  sight — to  the  hopeless 
merchant — of  his  long-desired  ship,  laden  with  all 
the  riches  of  the  East,  wrecked  and  sunk  as  it  enters 
into  port.  Then,  for  the  first  time,  I  became  aware 
of  the  unfitness  of  my  mind  for  religious  practices, 
as  suggested  by  the  faith  of  the  Romish  church. 
True  I  had  not  been,  as  I  am  now,  totally  separated 
from  that  communion ;  but  there  were  many  points 
of  "  dissent"  in  my  creed,  which  certainly  drove  me 
to  the  very  brink  of  heresy.  Still  I  was  a  Roman 
Catholic — as  it  were,  a  believer  under  temptation  : 
a  state  in  which,  perhaps,  many  of  that  communion 
live  and    die!      From   my   eighteenth   year    I    had 

v2 


68  THE    RETREAT. 

doubts  —  temptations  against  the  faith.  Contro- 
versial works  had  been  my  favourite  study:  I 
endeavoured  to  arm  myself  in  defence  of  the  Church  ; 
but  it  was  this  very  process  that  produced  the  doubts 
that  threatened  my  final  separation  from  the  faith 
which  I,  not  unfrequently,  and  successfully  defended. 

During  the  few  weeks  that  intervened  between  my 
first  interview  w^ith  the  Jesuit  who  was  then  the 
London  agent  of  Stonyhurst,  and  my  departure  for 
the  Novitiate,  I  had  been  to  confession  and  com- 
munion. At  the  request  of  the  Jesuit,  the  priest 
who  absolved  me  gave  me  a  testimonial  of  his 
unqualified  belief  as  to  my  "vocation."  My  enthu- 
siasm stifled  my  doubts ;  but  they  returned  with  the 
greater  violence  when  I  had  been  a  day  or  two  in 
the  company  of  the  "  Fathers  "  at  Stonyhurst.  I 
have  already  enlarged  on  my  disappointed  expecta- 
tions :  if  it  was  not  the  fault  of  these  men  that 
they  did  not  edify  me,  it  was  doubtless  mine  that 
I  was  scandalized.  I  am  willing  to  give  them  the 
benefit  of  the  doubt :  content  to  state  facts  and 
impressions  without  exaggeration  or  suppression. 

In  this  frame  of  mind,  then,  I  had  to  meditate  on  the 
saving  truths  of  Christianity,  as  unfolded  and  applied 
by  Ignatius  to  the  "  ground-work  "*  of  the  Jesuit. 

I  meditated  on  "the  end  of  man."  The  subject 
had  long  been  familiar  to  my  thoughts.  I  had 
worked  out  the  problem  :  to  my  own  satisfaction  at 
least;  and  notthemost  unimportant  corollary  deduced, 

*  Ad  fundamentum.    Exerc,  Spirit. 


DOUBTS    AND    WAVERINGS.  69 

was  the  conviction  that  we  have  considerably  iinsiin- 
pUfied  the  plain  words  of  Revelation,  and  have  been 
unaccountably  deaf  to  the  suggestions  of  Nature  : 
which,  after  all,  is  revelation  more  or  less  obscured 
or  invisible  to  the  eves  of  the  thou2:htless  and  the 
sensual.  The  "prelude — "  for  there  were  preludes  to 
each  meditation — was  quite  in  accordance  with  my 
religion  or  philosophy  :  if  the  candid  reader  will  not 
be  terrified  by  the  legitimate  use  of  a  much-abused 
term,  which,  like  the  holy  name  of  the  Redeemer  in 
the  word  "  Jesuit,"  has  been  piteously  degraded  from 
its  original  acceptation.^  *^  Man  was  created  for 
this  end — to  praise  and  revere  the  Lord  his  God, 
and  by  serving  Him,  to  be  saved  at  last."t 

I  embraced  the  pleasing  theme  as  an  old  friend : 
but  I  could  not  help  thinking,  ever  and  anon,  that 
my  thoughts  on  the  subject  were  not  those  of  the 
Jesuits,  however  firmly  convinced  I  was  that  they 
w^ere  in  perfect  accordance  with  the  doctrines  and 
life  of  Jesus.  In  the  doctrines  and  life  of  the 
Redeemer  I  had  found  nothing  wanting ;  whereas 
the  Jesuits  would  require  from  me  the  unqualified 
profession  of  the  Romish  faith  :  which  had  been 
hkened,  in  my  imagination,  to  certain  tropical  nuts 
whose  kernel  is  inexplicably  involved  in  a  hard, 
tough,  intertwisted  husk  enclosing  a  harder  shell. 
For  I  was  willing  to  admit  that  there  was  some  truth 
in  the  system  :  some  signs  of  vitality,  some  indica- 
tions of  soundness :   a   period    of  decomposition    so 

*  See  note  B. 

J  Exerc.  Spirit.  Med.  i. 


70  DOUBTS    AND    WAVERINGS. 

grateful  in  rich  viands  to  the  epicure.  How  easy  is 
the  transition  from  the  *' flesh-pots  of  Egypt"  to 
the  flesh-pots  of  religion !  And  what  a  splendid 
mental  epicureanism  is  the  religion  of  Rome !  And 
how  the  Jesuits  of  old  enhanced  its  attractions  by 
their  orthodox  expediency  in  the  ticklish  matter  of 
morality  !  But  I  am  anticipating  a  momentous  ques- 
tion— I  return  to  the  "  end  of  man.'^  Some  of  the 
motives  held  forth  for  a  grateful  return  to  the  Creator, 
in  consideration  of  all  His  manifold  blessings,  were 
satisfactory;  but  I  outstripped  the  scope  of  the 
"  point,"  and  expatiated  in  universal  nature  for  the 
unnumbered  motives  that  suggest  the  name  of  the 
all-wise,  all-good,  eternal  God,  to  the  heart  as  well 
as  to  the  mind  of  the  grateful  worshipper.  And  to 
crown  all,  God  himself  took  the  form  of  his  favoured 
creature,  and  thus  exalted  man  still  higher  in  the 
grades  of  creation  :  hence,  perhaps,  the  noblest 
secondary  motive  of  Christian  morality — namely,  not 
to  degrade  that  which  was  glorified  by  a  God  made 
man 

I  need  not  say  that  I  was  but  little  "  distracted  " 
during  the  meditation :  if  the  whole  train  of  my 
thoughts,  strictly  speaking,  was  not  a  palpable  dis- 
traction throughout,  according  to  the  ideas  of  Igna- 
tius.    However,  the  hour  passed  off  very  agreeably. 

According  to  practice,  the  Father  of  the  Novices 
visited  me  after  the  meditation.  He  seemed,  as  it 
were,  the  divine  physician  feeling  the  pulse  of  my 
soul.     I  *^  reported  progress  "  to  his  satisfaction. 

My  next  meditation  was  on  "  sin,"  and  was  less 


DOUBTS    AND    WAVERINGS.  71 

satisfactory.  My  philosophy  totally  revised  the 
''points."  I  found  them  inconsequent  through- 
out: confused,  absurd.  That  is,  of  course,  according 
to  the  views  vv^hich  I  had  taken  of  the  subject: 
having  apparently  reconciled  the  morality  of  pure 
revelation  with  that  suggested  by  the  laws  which 
govern  external  nature  in  which  we  move,  by  the 
bodily  and  mental  structure  or  organization  with 
which  we  are  endowed,  and  by  the  bodily  and 
mental  rewards  and  penalties  which  perpetually 
remind  us  of  a  superintending  Providence. 

I  became  uneasy.  I  thought  of  arguing  the  points 
with  the  Superior :  but  a  moment's  reflection  con- 
vinced me  that  I  came  to  be  converted  not  to  convert. 
Was  it  possible  for  me  to  assent  to  the  doctrine? 
If  not,  how  could  I  be  a  conscientious,  an  honest 
Jesuit  ?  ,  .  .  .  I  told  the  Father  despondingly  that 
I  had  been  sadly  distracted  in  this  meditation.  He 
smiled  benignly ;  said  he  was  not  surprised  at  it, 
and  with  great  ''  unction,"  as  sentimental  piety  is 
called,  he  unfolded  the  cause  of  the  failure :  which, 
he  said,  manifestly  resulted  from  the  flesh  battling 
with  the  spirit!^  ''Never  mind,  brother!"  said  he, 
sweetly,  "  grace  will  be  given  you  to  see  all  things 
clearly :  by-and-by  all  will  be  well !"  The  apparent 
candour  of  his  sentiment  nearly  extorted  from  my 
heart  the  confession  of  my  heresy  ;  but  he  continued 

*  I  find  this  cause  among  the  many  given  by  Aquaviva  in  his 
Industrial f  cap.  3,  viz..  Ex  desideriis  et  inordinate  afFectu  erga  aliquid, 
quod  subinde  recurrit  et  animum  pulsat,  mentemque  ad  se  importune 
revocat. 


72  DOUBTS    AND    WAVERINGS. 

his  pious  instruction  with  such  seeming  gratification, 
that  I  was  unwilling  to  blast  the  hope  which  he  had 
so  fervently  and  confidently  expressed. 

By  this  time,  I  had  half  convinced  myself  that  my 
hope  of  becoming  a  Jesuit  was  very  uncertain ;  for 
the  idea  of  subscribing  to  their  doctrines  with  a 
^*  mental  reservation"  never  entered  into  my  mind. 

'*  Death"  was  the  subject  of  my  third  meditation. 
I  grappled  with  the  grim  tyrant,  and  brought  him  to 
a  parley.  This  time  I  could  give  a  good  account  of 
my  soul,  as  far  as  its  peace  and  quiet  were  concerned  ; 
for  the  wise,  and  merciful,  and  beneficent  ends  sub- 
served by  death  throughout  creation,  filled  my  mind 
with  sweet  thousfhts  of  the  Creator's  universal  love. 
By  a  curious  contradiction,  it  was  impossible  for  me 
to  follow  the  leading  ideas  of  the  ''  points."  I  could 
see  nothing  terrible  in  death,  or  the  simple  cessation 
of  the  body's  functions,  after  having  done  their  ap- 
pointed work.  Further,  from  the  constant  tendency 
of  all  organic  nature  to  give  pleasure :  to  bless  with 
comfort  some  one  or  other  of  God's  creatures,  I  had 
been  deeply  impressed  with  unbounded  faith  in  the 
Creator's  goodness  and  love ;  so  that  I  looked  beyond 
the  grave  with  unshaken  hopefulness,  despite  the 
consciousness  of  my  infirmities  :  since  I  had  re- 
marked, as  every  one  must,  that  the  physical  blessings 
of  nature  are  freely  dispensed  to  all — to  the  unjust 
as  well  as  the  just;  though  their  pleasures  are  con- 
fined to  those  who  use  and  do  not  abuse  them. 

Such  were  the  thoughts  that  entertained  my  first 
hours  of  the  Retreat:  it  is  evident  that  they  were  not 


DOUBTS    AND    WAVERINGS.  73 

in  the  spirit  of  Ignatius.  This  state  of  things  was 
not  to  continue :  the  trial  was  at  hand. 

"Judgment,"  ''Hell,"  and  ''Heaven,"  were  the 
following  topics.  ...  I  confessed  my  doubts  :  I 
could  conceal  them  no  longer.  My  views  of  the 
subjects  were  totally  at  variance  with  the  doctrine 
of  the  "  points."  I  could  not  reconcile  them.  I 
despaired  for  my  "vocation,"  and  wept  with  bitter 
anguish.  The  good  Father  endeavoured  to  calm  my 
agitation.  Of  course  he  did  not  argue  with  me:  that 
was  out  of  the  question ;  for  "  the  devil  is  not  to  be 
argued  with."  He  advised  me  to  pray  :  to  pray  fer- 
vently for  aid  :  it  would  be  given :  the  tempter  would 
vanish.  He  said  he  would  pray  for  me:  'twas 
natural  that  I  should  not  be  easily  surrendered  by  the 
Evil  One  :  but  the  will  of  Heaven  would  be  accom- 
plished in  me  in  spite  of  all  his  efforts  I       .... 

These  his  last  words  were  to  me  like  the  last  and 
conquering  remedy  of  the  physician  to  the  desperate 
patient. 

"  The  will  of  Heaven  would  be  accomplished  in  me, 
in  spite  of  all  his  efforts  !"  This  appeal  to  my  ruling 
sentiment  was  electric  in  its  effects.  Instantly  I  de- 
termined, with  all  the  strength  of  my  will,  to  believe : 
and  I  believed  !  From  that  moment,  the  few  doubts 
that  rose  up  against  me  were  easily  vanquished.  I 
felt  totally  changed  in  opinion  on  every  subject.  I 
prayed  with  fervour,  meditated  with  comfort,  and  was 
eager,  "  like  a  giant  prepared  to  run  his  course,'* 
to  begin  a  new  life  of  action  as  well  as  of  sen- 
timent I 


74  DOUBTS    AND    WAVERINGS. 

Strange !  inexplicable  !  if  the  sentiment  was  not  an 
illusion.  Here  was  an  inspiration  of  faith  produced 
by  an  appeal  to  a  sentiment  which  was  certainly  in- 
timately allied  to  vanity ;  or  at  least  to  a  self-idea,  that 
mere  human  pride  may  suggest  as  a  motive  of  rational 
ambition  !  I  have  felt  the  force  of  this  omnipotent 
flattery,  and  therefore  can  pity  the  deluded  "  con- 
verts" who  seek  in  the  Midian  of  Romanism  that 
sensual  spirituality  which  is  not  permitted  to  the 
faithful  pilgrims  of  the  desert.  More  of  the  letter  of 
the  law  is  required  of  the  Roman  Catholic  than  of 
the  Protestant,  but  not  more  of  the  spirit,  if  so 
much ;  since  the  heart  must  be  strong  in  faith  to  live 
up  to  the  doctrines  and  model  of  Jesus,  when  the 
allurements,  the  pleasant  devices,  the  '^  soft  impeach- 
ments" of  Romanism  are  not  admitted  into  the 
sanctuary  :  where,  in  spirit  and  singleness  of  heart, 
the  spiritual  worshipper  seeks  God,  and  God 
alone. 

Henceforth  I  have  to  describe  myself  as  a  devout 
believer  :  tempted,  but  still  striving  to  resist — to  con- 
quer the  thoughts  that  were  ready,  at  every  moment, 
to  rise  and  appeal  for  a  dispassionate  judgment. 

With  faith  came  compunction.  I  was  anxious  to 
unburthen  my  conscience  to  my  spiritual  director. 
About  the  middle  of  the  Retreat  I  began  my  con- 
fession. 

This,  of  course,  was  essential.  Whoever  is  admitted 
into  the  society  must,  on  his  entrance,  make  a  general 
confession  of  his  whole  life,  to  be  repeated  every  six 
months  after  :  on  account,  it  is  said,  of  the  manifold 


DOUBTS    AND    WAVERINGS.  75 

utility  to  the  spirit  which  is  evidenced  in  that  per- 
formance."^ It  was  a  general  confession,  then,  that  I 
had  to  make :  a  confession  which  included  all  the 
sins  of  my  past  life  up  to  that  time. 

This  great  undertaking  is  performed  by  Roman 
Catholics  at  their  first  communion ;  and  only  occa- 
sionally afterwards,  according  to  the  advice  of  their 
spiritual  directors,  which  is  influenced  by  the  sup- 
posed state  of  the  penitent's  soul :  for  it  is  considered 
useful  to  rouse  the  lukewarm  to  a  fruitful  effort,  when 
their  relaxed  vigilance  is  preparing  a  grievous  fall. 

It  is  only  necessary  to  confess  *'  mortal  sins ;"  for 
"  venial  sins"  are  not  ^*  matter  for  absolution."  The 
distinction  between  a  mortal  and  a  venial  sin,  is,  in 
most  cases,  easy  enough;  as  the  ^* intention"  of  the 
penitent,  together  with  the  *^  circumstances,"  decides 
the  judgment  of  the  expert  casuist;  who  has  been 
dihgently  instructed  in  all  the  intricate,  and  fre- 
quently disgusting  shades  of  human  frailty.  By  a 
mortal  sin  is  meant  a  sin  which  causes  "  death  to  the 
soul :"  in  other  words,  which  would  consign  the  soul 
to  eternal  perdition.  It  is  defined  as  a  wilful  infringe- 
ment of  the  commandments  of  God,  or  of  the  church, 
in  a  grave  matter,  by  thought,  word,  or  deed.  A 
venial  sin  is  defined  to  be  a  sh^ht  dereliction  of  those 
duties  which  result  from  the  commandments  of  God, 
or  of  the  church,  in  a  light  matter ;  or  in  a  grave 
matter,  without  perfect  consent  of  the  will;  and  con- 
sequently pardonable,  as  the  Latin  word,  rather  in- 
congruously, is  made  to  signify  :  for  by  implication 

*  Exam.  Gen.  cap.  4. 


76 


INVESTMENT   AND 


we  might  conclude  that  a  mortal  sin  is  not  pardon- 
able. Absolution,  however,  is  always  given — "  to 
make  sure ;"  and  for  this  purpose  the  penitent  is 
requested  "  to  accuse  himself  of  some  particular  sin 
of  his  past  life,  writh  a  fervent  act  of  contrition." 

In  my  confession  to  the  ather  of  the  novices,  I 
was  candid  and  minute  to  the  utmost.  Every  sin  of 
my  past  hfe:  every  propensity,  was  confessed  without 
reluctance.  I  never  felt  shame  in  confession.  I 
looked  upon  the  priest  as  the  vicegerent  of  the 
Almighty,  and  often  exaggerated  rather  than  dimi- 
nished my  guilt.  To  the  Jesuit  I  told  all — absolutely 
all :  his  every  question  received  an  unhesitating  reply. 
It  is  commonly  thought  that  Roman  Catholics  do  not 
tell  all  in  confession :  for  myself,  I  can  only  say  that 
the  idea  of  a  sacrilegious  confession  and  communion 
was  always  horrific  to  my  mind ;  and  I  have  even 
confessed  a  nightly  dream  on  the  morning  of  com- 
munion, in  order  to  be  *'  spotless"  for  that  astounding 
ceremonial.  Gratified,  doubtless,  by  my  candour; 
exulting  in  my  fervour,  and  triumphing  in  the  victory 
gained,  the  good  father  poured  forth  the  honeyed 
words  of  consolation  :  assuring  me  that  '^  all  the 
past  was  past"  and  would  be  forgotten,  and  that 
it  was  now,  by  a  most  especial  grace,  granted  me  to 
make  amends  by  a  life  of  meritorious  deeds  in  the 
holy  Society  of  Jesus.  Then  followed  the  absolution, 
which  he  pronounced  with  strong  emotion,  and  con- 
cluded with  the  words  '*  Go  and  sin  no  more  I  pray 
for  me!" 

In  the  evening  he  brought  me  my  cassock,   with 


BLESSING. 


77 


the  discipline  and  the  chain;  and,  with  a  fervent 
blessing  and  prayer  that  I  would  wear  it  in  hohness 
and  sincerity,  he  commended  me  to  the  Virgin  and 
holy  Aloysius,  and  left  me — a  saint  in  anticipation  : 
for  I  was  determined  to  wear  the  garb  in  the  manner 
recommended,  and  I  certainly  endeavoured  to  my 
utmost  to  do  so  during  my  eventful  year ;  as  the 
Jesuits  can  testify,  and  have  testified. 


78 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE    NOVICE A   CONTEMPLATION RESULTS. 

On  the  following  morning  I  received  the  sacrament, 
or  the  Eucharist,  as  Roman  Catholics  call  it,  at 
mass.  The  recollected  demeanour  of  the  novices 
during  that  ceremony — their  hands  joined  on  the 
breast — using  no  book,  but  with  eyes  downcast  in 
mental  prayer, — the  apparent  fervour  of  the  Superior  : 
seeming  to  weep  as  he  ejaculated  the  words  that 
others  repeat  as  a  task, — these  signs  of  a  religious 
life  I  had  not  appreciated  till  the  morning  of  my 
first  communion  in  the  Novitiate.  I  cannot  forget 
the  mere  sensation  of  the  gown,  which,  as  it  were, 
veiled  all  that  was  worldly  in  me  from  my  eyes,  that 
now  would  fain  forget  every  object  that  they  had 
ever  rested  on  with  pleasure.  That  gown  transformed 
me  as  much  as  any  other  influence  in  the  Novitiate. 
On  all  occasions  it  was  a  monitor  to  me.  I  always 
put  it  on  with  pleasure,  and  could  have  wished 
never  to  appear  without  it:  for  to  me  it  seemed  to 
suggest  the  resolve  to  attain  perfection.  I  con- 
sidered it   in  the   hght   of  a   contract   made   with 


THE    NOVICE.  79 

Heaven — a  covenant  which  cancelled  the  past,  and 
gave  me  a  rule  of  life  for  the  future. 

I  remember  my  sensations  on  that  morning,  as  if 
they  were  of  yesterday.  My  meditation  was  most 
interesting  by  its  comparisons  and  association  of 
ideas ;  which  enable  me  to  call  to  mind  thoughts  as 
far  back  as  my  sixth  year,  and  have  rendered  easy  the 
task  of  reproducing  my  mind  in  the  Novitiate.  Thus 
all  things  that  the  eyes  can  see,  the  ears  hear,  the 
hands  touch,  the  nostrils  smell,  the  tongue  taste, 
have  been  made  to  me  records  of  thoughts  to  be  re- 
called to  mind  at  any  moment. 

On  the  morning  in  question,  during  that  medita- 
tion, I  likened  my  soul's  condition  to  scenes  that  I 
had  witnessed  after  a  hurricane  within  the  Tropics. 

The  roar  of  the  winds,  that  have  raged  from  every 
quarter  in  succession,  has  ceased — the  shout  of  the 
sailor  striving  to  save  his  ship  from  the  shore — the 
crash  of  falling  rafters — the  screams  of  women,  have 
heard  their  last  echo ;  and  the  sea,  the  terrible  deep, 
that  seemed  in  its  fury  last  night  about  to  engulf  the 
little  island,  now  smiles  in  its  thousand  ripples,  curled 
by  the  morning  breeze  born  from  its  own  cool  bosom,^ 
as  the  rising  sun  in  the  east  pours  his  life-giving 
radiance  on  the  isle  now  waking  from  its  troubled 
sleep. 

Let  us  go  forth  and  see  the  work  of  the  hurricane. 
Here  are  the  remnants  of  a  wreck,  the  greater  part  of 
which  is  now  floating  far  and  wide  on  the  wilderness 
of  ocean,  soon  to  be  covered  with  moss,  and  weeds, 

*  The  sea  breeze. 


80  A    CONTEMPLATION. 

and  shell-fisb,  and  then  to  become  a  shelter  for  the 
fish  that  seek  their  food,  only  to  be  preyed  upon  by 
others  larger  and  fiercer  than  themselves. 

There,  see !  are  numerous  shells  and  curious 
mosses  thrown  up  from  the  treasury  of  ocean — 
useless  where  they  were — but  if  some  clever  hand 
will  cleanse  them  from  their  dross,  and  polish  and 
sort  them,  how  beautiful  they  will  be — those  shells  of 
every  hue ;  and  yet  not  tinted  in  vain,  but  for  some 
wise  end,  some  bounteous  purpose,  some  providential 
destiny. 

Here  is  a  dead  body — cold — stiff!  Poor  sailor  ! 
the  ocean,  thy  adopted  mother,  has  wafted  thee 
kindly  once  more  to  a  home — the  home  of  the  grave; 
and  strangers  will  bury  thee  in  a  strange  land,  far 
from  all  that  may  love  thee ;  and  no  mother  will 
weep  over  thee  a  mother's  tear,  nor  sister  wreathe  a 
garland  of  the  wild  flowers,  that  daily  she  may 
renew. 

Observe  that  man.  Sadly  he  sits  beside  that 
wreck  ;  he  was  the  owner  of  the  vessel  which  but 
yesterday  rode  gaily  at  anchor  in  the  harbour — a 
strong,  tight  bark,  ready  for  a  voyage.  He  laments, 
uselessly  bewails,  his  sudden  loss:  the  wreck  must  be 
broken  to  pieces,  sold  by  lots,  all  to  be  burnt,  or 
applied  to  uses  for  which  it  seemed  never  to  have  been 
destined.^ 

Such  was  my  contemplation.  I  likened  the  world 
that  I  had  left  to  the  hurricane  ;  my  present  state  was 

*  The  foregoing-  contemplation  is,  in  every  particular,  a  scene  which 
I  witnessed  in  the  West  Indies  in  my  tenth  year. 


A    CONTEMPLATION.  81 

the  calm  that  followed,  and  the  rising  sun  was  the 
quickening  spirit  of  religion. 

The  remnants  of  the  wreck  were  my  remaining 
propensities  and  failings ;  those  that  were  floating  far 
and  wide  were  my  evil  deeds — their  scandal,  that 
might  be  made  an  excuse  to  sin  by  others  whom  I 
had  influenced,  and  thus  the  Evil  One  would  find 
his  prey. 

The  mosses  and  shells  were  the  faculties  of  my 
mind — Will,  Memory,  and  Understanding — which 
would  now  be  divinely  trained  and  directed  to  the 
work  of  edification. 

The  dead  body — the  carcass — was  self-will — was 
self,  now  no  longer  living,  if  it  was  still  unburied, 
and  resigned  to  decay  without  reluctance,  in  spite  of 
the  heart's  suggestions. 

The  disconsolate  owner  of  the  stranded  bark  was 
the  spirit  of  the  world,  that  might  now  lament  in 
vain  the  wreck  of  all  that  it  had  in  me — all  that 
was  now  to  be  burnt  or  applied  to  other  uses, — uses 
which  the  spirit  of  the  world  could  not  conceive. 

My  first  day  after  the  retreat  was  a  holiday  for  me 
in  both  senses  of  the  word  :  recreation  for  the  body 
as  well  as  gladness — exultation  for  the  mind. 

Two  of  the  novices  were  ordered  to  take  me  for  a 
walk  in  the  vicinity.  We  conversed  cheerfully  on 
the  rules  and  regulations  to  which  I  was  now  to  con- 
form ;  and  they  seemed  surprised,  I  remember,  to  find 
me  so  happy  in  my  lot — so  eager  to  run  the  race,  to 
fight  the  battle,  to  ascend  "  unto  the  holy  moun- 
tain." 

G 


82 


RESULTS. 


On  meeting  my  brothers  at  recreation  after  dinner, 
I  received  congratulations  on  all  sides — radiant,  sweet 
looks,  that  seemed  to  reflect  the  emotions  of  gladness 
I  felt  in  beino-  called  to  their  brotherhood. 

My  duties  began  in  the  afternoon,  I  think,  with 
''manual  works,"  but  my  probation  did  not  virtually 
commence  till  the  morning  after.  A  preliminary  idea 
of  life  in  the  Novitiate  will  be  given  in  the  followins; 
chapter ;  meanwhile  I  shall  enable  the  reader  to 
judge  of  the  results  of  the  Novitiate  in  my  individual 
case,  by  transcribing  a  portion  of  a  letter  written  to 
a  friend  in  London,  within  a  month  after  my  admis- 
sion. With  this  friend  I  corresponded  during  the 
year.  It  is  necessary  to  state  that  he  was  my  fellow- 
student  at  college,  and  is  a  Roman  Catholic.  His 
letters  were  always  given  to  me  open:  that  is,  with 
the  seal  broken;  my  letters  were  given  to  the  Supe- 
rior open,  and  he  sealed  and  sent  them  to  their  desti- 
nation :  whether  they  were  read,  or  merely  glanced 
over,  I  cannot  say.  This  was  perfectly  understood 
and  agreed  to  on  my  part.  I  merely  mention  the 
fact  as  an  elucidation  :  the  extraordinary  sentiments 
which  my  letters  contained  went  forth  "  by  permis- 
sion," either  read  or  glanced  over.  I  state  the  fact, 
the  reader  must  draw  conclusions. 

This  letter,  which  has  been  kindly  returned  to  me 
at  my  request,  bears  date  the  8th  of  March,  and  is 
headed  thus:  —  ''From  my  sweet  Hermitaoe  at 
Hodder."  Curiously  enough,  the  name  and  day  of 
the  month  are  in  Greek.  It  is  written  on  a  laroe 
sheet  of  paper.    The  first  twenty  or  thirty  lines  relate 


RESULTS.  83 

to  some  literary  matters  I  had  on  hand  when  I  left 
London  :  totally  foreign  to  the  present  purpose,  except 
a  certain  note  which  was  to  have  been  appended  to  a 
passage,  and  which  called  attention  to  a  curious  old 
book  written  by  a  Jesuit — the  same  which  is  alluded 
to  in  the  introduction  as  "  Hints  on  Etiquette."  The 
letter  proceeds  as  follows: — 

"  However,  now  it  (the  note  aforesaid)  must  be 
anathema  !  for  although  our  good  Superior  gave  me 
leave  in  the  first  instance  to  write  the  note,  he  has 
since  expressed  his  doubts  whether  it  might  not  be 
detrimental  to  the  Society,  by  exciting  researches 
which  may  be  directed  to  a  wrong  end,  in  these  times 
of  atrocious  scandal.  To  such  reasons  I  submit  un- 
qualifiedly; nay,   to  the  slightest  intimation.     You 

will,  therefore,  call  on ,  and  request  him  to  omit 

the  note,  without  explaining  reasons,  but  merely  by 
second  thought.  However,  I  leave  all  to  your  good 
judgment,  do  what  you  think  fit,  and  you  will  do 
right.  There  was  a  time  when  I  might  have  pre- 
ferred my  own  darling  will  in  such  a  moment ;  but, 
thank  God  !  I  make  the  sacrifice  with  pleasure,  so 
that  you  may  consign  it  '  emendaturis  ignibus'  aut, 
'in  mare  Creticum  portare  ventis/  and  God  be 
praised  !  On  its  end  I  said,  *  Laus  Deo  semper,'' 
as  I  said  in  its  beginning,  *  Ad  majorem  Dei 
o;loriam' — now,  anathema  sit! 

**  And  now,  my  dear  friend,  having  eliminated 
these  preliminaries,  let  us  turn  to  our  honey-comb, 
and  sip  of  its  sweets.  Daily  I  grow  more  and  more 
enamoured   with  this  terrestrial  paradise ;  daily  my 

G  2 


84  RESULTS. 

heart  overflows  with  love  to  mv  God,  who  has  been 
so  singularly  kind  to  me  !     I  shudder  when  the  me- 
mory of  the  past  rises  in  judgment  against  me  !     How 
I  fluttered  on  the  abyss  of  infidelity  !    You  remember 
the  wanderings  of  my  mind — the  specious  arguments 
she  framed  on  the  basis  of  impassioned   flesh.      Yes, 
I  was  almost  a  Deist,  and  imagined  I  served  God  in 
simplicity  of  heart.     But  the  winter  is  past,  and  the 
spring-flowers  of  repentance  have  budded  in  my  poor 
soul.     For  all  God's  mercies  may  his  holy  name  be 
blessed  !     I  talked  to  you  of  a  '  system'  which  I  had 
framed  ;  I   have   given   it  to  oblivion,  fearful   of  the 
curse  pronounced  by  the   oracle  of  Truth — Corrupti 
et  ahominahiles  facti  sunt  in  studiis  eorum,  &c.  Sec. 
!N"ow  I  am  cured ;  now  I  begin  to  relish  the  milk  of 
Truth  ;  and,  from  the  midst  of  my  soul,  I  exclaim — 
How  happy  and  enviable  is  the  mental  condition  of 
those,  who,  cradled  on  a  houndless  Faith,  and  cheer- 
fully sleeping  on  a  magnificent  Hope,  can  feel  edified 
by  every  act  of  piety — can  relish  every  legend,  how- 
ever absurd  in  its  conception,  and  rest   secure  as  to 
the  merit  of  their  minutest  practice,  in  the  presence 
of  their  God  !     The  sceptic,  puffed  up  with  a  proud 
exaltation  of  mind,  may  smile,  and  see  an  exemption 
from  all   such    'absurdities'  in   the   abyss  of  God's 
mercy ;  but  he  must  still  confess  that  his  faith  is  but 
weak,  and, his  hope  but  frail;  for  if  we  '  would  enter 
into  life,  we  must  become  as  little  children.' 

^  ^p  ^  t/P  ^* 

'*  Yes,  my  dear  friend,  without  virtue  no  one  can 
be  happy.     I  w^as  high-spirited  before,  but  only  now. 


RESULTS.  85 

since  I  have  left  all  to  gain  all,  do  I  feel  a  joy 
which  is  inexpressible ;  in  truth,  my  heart  bursts 
with  exultation,  and  I  had  almost  said,  *  Enough, 
enough  !'  .  .  . 

"All  with  us  is  so  regular;  every  minute  appro- 
priated ;  all  my  brethren  so  charitable,  so  loving,  so 
filled  with  that  piety  which,  albeit  I  have  it  not  so 
abundantly  as  they,  I  can  still  admire  it  in  them, 
and  bless  God.  Oh!  Vvould  that  you  were  here,  my 
dear  friend  !  Next  to  heaven,  I  cannot  wish  you 
anything  greater ;  for  these  solitudes  only  lack  the 
'beatific  vision"  to  make  them  heaven  itself!  Emi- 
nently favoured  by  nature,  as  you  shall  see  when  you 
come  to  visit  me,  (which  must  be  in  June  or  July), 
they  are  fit  for  angels,  not  men. 

"Oh  yes!  my  soul,  let  us  a  thought  of  love  ex- 
press; for  now  the  spring  begins  to  rise  from  out  her 
vestal  grave,  and,  pure  as  virgin's  heart,  ascend  her 
buds.  Her  breasts  are  fair,  her  locks  stream  beauti- 
fully down,  and  lo !  her  feet  are  sandalled  by  the 
flower-awakening  showers.  Haste !  my  beloved  I 
my  soul  I  and  with  thy  breath  invite  the  primrose 
and  the  daisy  to  adore,  with  us,  our  God,  when 
Spring  shall  ope  her  eyes.  Invite  the  roses  of  the 
bovvers,  and  daisy  of  the  everlasting  fields;  bid  them, 
too,  come  and  deck  the  garland  for  the  Saviour's 
altar ;  and  His  lily,  too,  honoured  of  flowers  I  inno- 
cent and  modest-eyed,  with  downcast  look,  and 
virgin  purity.  Come  all !  and  let  us  sing  the  praises 
of  our  God,  because  the  Spring  doth  come  to  gladden 
all.     The  hills,  the  mountains,  the  dales,  the  bosky 


86  RESULTS. 

dells — all  shall  re-eclio  to  our  song,  because  all  shall 
rejoice !  The  flocks,  the  herds,  slowly  emerging 
with  their  unbound  feet,  shall  come  to  our  acclaim  ; 
and  lo  !  the  birds  will  chorus  join,  and  all  creation 
will  a  hymn  upraise  to  God  eternal !     Lovely  Spring  ! 

0  time  of  flowers  1  time  of  the  loves  and  song  of 
little  birds  !  Now  breathes  my  soul  a  pious  aspira- 
tion to  her  Love,  my  Saviour !  Blessed  is  Thy  name, 
because  Thou  art  the  Love,  the  Life  of  all — thrice 
blessed  is  Thy  name  !'' 

Excuse  this  long  quotation  from  a  little  work  which 

1  have  conceived  for  you,  particularly,  to  be  entitled, 
'^Solitude;  or,  the  Spring-Flowersof  my  Hermitage." 
J  shall  give  it  to  you,  permissu  superiorum,  when 
concluded,  if  you  come  to  see  me  next  June  or  July. 
It  will  be  religious,  or  mixto-religious — it  will  treat  of 
the  heart  and  its  eternal  love.  The  above  is  an  ex- 
tract from  it.  I  intended  to  send  you  the  procemium, 
but  have  not  time  or  room.  I  find  it  a  wonderful 
help  to  piety  to  record  the  burstings  of  sudden  reli- 
gious feeling,  and  have  found  many  of  my  inveterate 
^presentiments  overcome  by  writing  down  the  contrary 
inspirations  of  the  moment.  These  thoughts  occur 
when  I  am  at  my  "  silent  occupation"*  in  the  garden, 
and  my  soul  is  so  entranced  with  delight  that,  in 
truth,  the  body  *'  dulci  laborum  decipitur  sono" — 
they 

*'  Dissolve  me  in  sweet  exstacies, 
And  bring  all  Heaven  before  my  eyes  !" 

•  That  is,  '*  Manual   "Works,"   vrbicli   are  described   in  the  next 


RESULTS.  .  87 

The  other  morning,  as  I  was  in  silence  beneath  the 
garden-willows,  I  heard  the  thrush  warbling  its  little 
hymn  to  its  Creator.  I  rejoiced  with  it,  and  imagina- 
tion bearing  me  to  distant  climes,  I  felt  the  delicious 
dream  steal  over  me,  and  thus  my  memory  narrates 
my  thoughts — an  offering  to  the  God  of  all  things 
and  of  Spring.* 

"TV*  •A*  "?(• 

And  now,  my  dear  friend,  I  must  tell  you  my 
joy    for    the   pious    resolution   of    our   good    friend 

.     God  be  praised  !  I  have  not  ceased  to  pray 

for  you  both.  Yesterday's  fast  and  exercises  I 
offered  up  for  you — to-day's  for  our  perseverance  in 
our  good  purposes — and  now  I  must  beg  you  to  pray 
for  me,  that  I  may  be  faithful  to  the  great  grace 
which  has  been  vouchsafed  to  me — that  it  may 
be  in  truth  eduxit  in  soliiudinem,  et  quoniam  voluit, 
salvum  ine  fecit.  Do  take  your  resolution  with  de- 
termination— certa  veriiiter  et  prospere  procede.  Re- 
member the  adage,  consuetudo  consuetudine  vincitur — - 
cella  continuata  dulcesclt — retirement  becomes  sweeter 
and  sweeter,  and  the  end  of  it  is  "  a  perfect 
possession  of  one's  self" — a  conviction  that  we 
walk  in  God  and  with  God,  and  that  angels  attend 
us.  But  the  election  must  be  speedily  made — 
delay  were  fatal.  An  eternity  is  at  stake — present 
graces  may  never  be  offered  again — seize  them 
now  —  *^  for     Heaven     suffers    violence,     and     the 

chapter.  We  were  cautioned  not  to  write  about  anything-  that  took, 
place  in  the  Novitiate — hence  the  mystery  of  the  allusion. 

*  This  is  an  ode  written  in  Frencii — it  is  given  in  the  Appendix. 


88  RESULTS. 

violent  bear  it  away."     It  is  related*  in  Hilary  de 
Cost's    *•  Eloges  des  femmes   illustres,"   that   Jane, 
daughter  of  Alphonsus  V.,  King  of  Portugal,  was 
sought  after  in  marriage,  on  account  of  her  incom- 
parable beauty,  by  the  greatest  princes  of  Christen- 
dom.   Three  particularly  desired  her  hand — Louis  XL, 
for   his    dauphin,    Charles    VIIL;    Maximilian    of 
Austria;   and  Richard  IIL  of  England.     But  she, 
elevating  her  thoughts  still   higher,  renounced    the 
marriage  of  earthly  kings  for  that  of  the  King  of 
Heaven;  to  whom  she   sacrificed  the  beauty  which 
she  had  received  from  his  hand,  and  became  a  re- 
cluse in    the  very  austere  monastery  of  Alveiro,  of 
the  order  of  St.    Dominic.      The  conduct    of  this 
young  princess  may  serve  to  symbolise  that  of  our 
soul.     We  may   say  that  she  is  beautiful,  because 
she  serves  God,  and  therefore  must  love  Him — aman- 
do  Deumpulchra  efficitur. 

And  she  is  sought  after  in  marriage.  The  princes 
of  darkness  have  all  desired  her. — Mammon,  the  god 
of  riches  and  the  pride  of  life — Lucifer,  the  god  of 
human  applause  and  ambition — and  Asmodeus,  the 
god  of  pleasure  and  sensuality.  But  she  has  re- 
jected all  their  offers  for  the  Divine  spouse  Christ 
Jesus.  Let  us  make  her  choice  eternal.  If  we  love 
a  creature,  however  beautiful  or  amiable,  our  love 
still  craves  on,  and  there  is  no  fuel  to  satisfy  its 
burning  :  but  if  we  love  Thee,  my  God  I  where  shall 
it  end  ?  or  when  shall  the  soul  exclaim  *'  Enough  V* 

*  Vide  St.  Jure,  Connais.  de  Jesus  Christ, 


RESULTS.  89 

Thou  art  beyond  all  space,  all  time — and  at  the 
thought  of  Thy  name,  the  soul  swells  and  is 
exalted.  In  Thee,  as  in  an  abyss,  we  may  lose  our- 
selves in  infinite  and  eternal  love — may  ascend  to  the 
highest  heaven  where  Thou  livest  midst  the  blaze  of 
seraphim  and  cherubim — or  descend  to  the  lowest  of 
hell  where  Thou  art  terrible  in  the  furnace  of  Thine 
anger !  We  may  see  and  love  Thee  in  all  Thy 
creatures — in  the  modest  primrose  which  first  salutes 
the  spring,  or  in  the  grandeur  of  the  centenary  oak. 
We  may  love  Thee  in  the  song  of  the  friendly  linnet 
that  pipes  its  little  accent  of  praise,  or  in  the 
thunder  and  crash  of  elements  when  the  devastating 
hurricane  rages,  and  to  Thy  name  sings  ''  Venite 
adoremusr  Come  let  us  adore!  for  thou  art  an 
unfathomable  and  boundless  ocean  of  being — YliXayos 
yap  2d  ova-la's  aTT€Lpov  kcll  aopicrrov. 

My  dear  friend,  you  know  the  sincerity  of  my 
heart — believe  me,  if  I  now  hold  a  different  language 
to  you  than  I  was  wont  to  indulge  in,  I  love  you, 
and  therefore  would  wish  you  as  well  off  as  myself 
on  the  Great  Day  ! 

Tell ,  ^  he  has  done  well — but  has  yet  more 

to  do.  Let  him  consider  the  case  well  !  Still  for 
ever  yours — adieu — and  pray  for  me,  both  of  you — 
that  I  may  persevere — that  is  all — I  am,  thank  God ! 
very  happy,*' 

Such  were  the  '^  results"  of  three  weeks  in  the 
Novitiate.     That  a  total  change — a  metamorphosis, 

*  Alluding-  to  a  friend  whom  I  had  advised  to  embrace  the  priesthood 
— he  took  my  advice — at  all  events  he  has  become  a  priest ! 


90  RESULTS. 

had  taken  place  in  my  mind,  is,  perhaps,  very  evi- 
dent ;  and  the  enthusiasm  of  the  letter  vi^ill  prepare 
the  reader  for  what  is  to  follow.  Every  previous 
train  of  thought  in  my  mind  was  broken  up ;  new 
roads  and  by-paths  were  being  made  through  its 
wilderness. 


91 


CHAPTER  VII. 


A  day's  occupation. 


The  reader  may  perhaps  remember  a  pretty  little 
fable  {Der  Adler)  of  Lessing  : — "  Man  once  asked 
the  Eagle,  'Why  dost  thou  bring  up  thy  young  so 
high  in  the  air?'  The  Eagle  replied,  'Would  they, 
when  grown  up,  venture  so  near  the  sun  if  I  brought 
them  up  low  down  on  the  earth  ? ' " 

The  plan  of  Ignatius  is  just  the  reverse:  he  clips 
the  wings  of  the  will  long  before  the  joyous  scenes  of 
nature's  freedom  tempt  it  to  soar.  He  begins  with 
abasement — humiliation — complete  subj  ection  —  de- 
gradation, and  ends  with  (the  certain  result)  "  perfect 
obedience."  This  he  ensures  by  never-ending  prac- 
tice :  of  this  he  is  convinced  before  he  says  to  the 
trembling  novice,  "  Proceed  !"  ;  and  this,  finally,  he 
secures  by  avow — pronounced  freely,  fervently,  in  the 
presence  of  his  representative  and  a  witness — to  the 
Eternal  God  !  If  I  am  asked  what  is  the  essential 
characteristic  of  a  Jesuit  in  the  estimation  of  his 
superiors — the  characteristic  which  alone  gives  value 
to  every  virtue  or  talent — without  which  characteristic 


92  A  day's  occupation. 

in  its  most  unscrupulous,  in  its  blindest  extravagance, 
the  society  disowns,  discards  him,' — I  say  that  cha- 
racteristic is  perfect  obedience.  This  is  the  very 
soul  of  the  society, — the  heart,  the  mainspring,  the 
fulcrum,  the  foundation,  the  royal  hank  of  the  society 
which  is  always  solvent,  however  large,  sudden,  or 
unexpected  the  demand  may  be !  In  his  Superior 
the  Jesuit  "  lives,  moves,  and  has  his  being ;"  the 
will  of  the  Superior  is  to  him  the  will  of  God.* 

We  rose  at  five,  or  half  past,  I  forget  which.  The 
brother  porter  (of  whose  office,  more  anon)  walked 
from  curtain  to  curtain,  which  he  scratched,  uttering 
the  words  ^'  Deo  gratiasV^  "thanks  be  to  God!" 
to  which  every  novice  replied,  "  T)eo  gratiasl'^  and 
rose  instantly.  As  soon  as  he  was  out  of  bed  he 
pulled  the  upper  sheets  over  the  foot  of  the  bed,  and, 
"collecting  himself,"  that  is,  thinking  of  God,  or 
making  some  pious  ejaculations,  he  dressed  him- 
self as  speedily  as  possible,  but  still  with  the 
utmost  decorum,  without  bustle  or  noise.  When 
completely  dressed,  and  not  before,  he  emerged  from 
his  cell. 

One  after  another  we  filed  down  to  the  back 
regions  of  the  house,  where  there  was  a  pump,  and 
there  we  performed  the  first  menial  duty  of  "  Holy 
Obedience." 

*  See  CoNSTiT.  •passim — but  more  particularly  Part  vi.  c.  5,  where 
it  is  decided  that  the  guilt  of  sin  is  attached  to  disobedience  when  the 
Superior  commands,  "  in  the  name  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Chmt,  or  in 
Virtue  of  Obedience ! "  The  subject  will  be  fully  discussed  in  the 
sequel. 


A  day's  occupation.  93 

This  was  done  calmly,  seriously,  piously, — for  we 
walked  in  prayer.  I  doubt  not  that  the  reader  will 
imagine  that  we  must  have  been  tempted  to  smile 
and  indulge  an  excusable  merriment  at  many  of  our 
occupations.  At  first,  such  symptoms  of  frivolity 
were  apparent,*  but  after  a  week  or  two,  it  was 
astonishing  how  seriously  the  very  thing  that  had 
seemed  so  comical  inspired  sentiments  of  devotion. 
But  the  reason  is  obvious.  Clement  XIV.,  the 
pope  who  abolished  the  society  of  the  Jesuits  cooked 
for  himself  J  whilst  a  prey  to  the  dismal  malady  that 
proceeded  from,  or  followed  that  suppression,— 
because  "  poniards  and  poison  were  incessantly  before 
him."*  Cincinnatus  the  Roman,  victorious  over 
the  enemies  of  his  country,  returned  in  triumph  to 
Rome,  but  laid  down  his  office  as  dictator,  and  retired 
to  plough  his  fields.  Dionysius  of  Syracuse,  and 
Louis  Philippe,  it  is  said,  were  not  ashamed  "  to 
keep  a  school."  A  hundred  examples  of  the  like 
nature  crowd  to  the  mind,  and  all  give  evidence  that 
when  the  human  will  is  firmly  directed  by  any 
motive,  human  or  divine,  things  despised,  abhorred 
before,  become  invested  with  honour — inspire  sen- 
timents of  esteem  and  affection.  The  first  repug- 
nance will  give  place  to  satisfaction  ;  and  the  motive 
held  forth,  whatever  it  may  be,  will  induce  us  to 
outstrip  the  letter  of  necessity  in  the  spirit  of  love. 

"  Call  it  a  travel  that  thou  tak'st  for  pleasure, 
The  sullen  presage  of  thj  weary  steps, 

*  Count  A.  de  Saint  Priest— Fall  of  the  Jesuits,  p.  91. 


94  A  day's  occupation. 

Esteem  a  foil,  wherein  thou  art  to  set 
The  precious  jewel  of  thj  home  return."* 

From  the  pump  aforesaid,  we  proceeded  to  the 
lavatory ;  washed,  and  returned  to  our  cells  to  brush 
our  hair. 

We  had  not  much  to  brush.  When  I  went  to  the 
Novitiate  my  hair  was  long,  and  fell  to  my  shoulders. 
The  contrast,  when  I  saw  the  jail-fashion  of  the 
novices,  was  unpleasant ;  and  I  had  the  weakness  to 
retain  the  "honour  of  the  head,"  despite  tlie  tacit 
admonition.  I  expected  every  day  an  order  to  con- 
form, but  it  never  came ;  till  at  length,  ashamed  of 
myself,  I  sacrificed  the  toy  of  vanity,  and  was  reli- 
giously shorn  by  the  cook. 

"  Hyacinthine  locks,"  then,  were  out  of  the  ques- 
tion,— few  retained  more  than  an  inch  or  two, — but 
still  we  brushed  the  stubble,  and  brushed  it  well,  for 
there  was  '^merit'^f  in  every  action  when  performed 
by  holy  obedience. 

The  reader  must  bear  in  mind  that  not  one  word 
but  the  "  Deo  gratias"  has  been  spoken,  and  nothing 
has  been  seen  but  what  was  immediately  before  the 
eyes.  We  walked  with  looks  prone  to  the  earth  ;  no 
one  durst  raise  his  eyes  from  the  ground  :  '^  for  the 
custody  of  the  eyes"  was  never  relaxed  except  during 
recreation-hours,  and  even  then  *'  much  might  be 
done"  in  the  spirit  of  the  rule.    - 

The  rule  of  the  Summary,  which  fashions  the  ex- 
terior of  the  novice,  is  the  following  : — 

"  All  should  take  the  most  diligent  care  to  guard 

*  SiiAKsp.,  Rich.  II.  t  Const.,  Part  iv.  c.  6. 


A  day's  occupation.  95 

the  gates  of  the  senses, — particularly  the  eyes,  ears, 
and  tongue,  from  all  irregularity ;  and  preserve  them- 
selves in  peace  and  true  internal  humility, — and  to 
exhibit  this  humility  by  silence,  when  it  is  to  be 
observed  ;  but  when  they  are  to  speak,  by  the  cir- 
cumspection and  edification  of  their  words,  and  mo- 
desty of  their  looks,  and  demureness^  of  their  steps, 
and  every  movement — without  any  sign  of  impatience 
or  pride:  in  all  things  procuring  and  deserving  that 
the  best  of  everything  should  be  given  to  others, 
esteeming  in  their  mind,  all  others,  as  it  were,  their 
superiors,  and  by  outwardly  exhibiting  with  sim- 
plicity and  religious  moderation,  the  respect  and 
reverence  which  the  rank  of  the  party  demands :  and 
thus  it  may  come  to  pass  that,  taking  thought  for 
each  other  reciprocally,  they  may  increase  in  devotion, 
and  praise  God  our  Lord,  whom  each  should  study 
to  recognise  in  another  as  in  His  image.-f* 

Twenty  minutes,  or  half  an  hour,  I  forget  which, 
elapsed  from  the  time  of  rising — the  clock  gave  its 
notice — the  brother  porter  rang  thrice  successively — 
we  marched  into  the  chapel.  After  a  short  prayer  in 
silence,  the  porter  read  the  ''points"  of  the  medi- 
tation. We  meditated  kneeling,  standing,  sitting, 
and  kneeling  again,  for  the  space  of  an  hour. 

The  chapel  is  about  the  size  of  an  ordinary  par- 
lour. Benches,  with  long  cushions  in  front,  are  placed 
transversely,  and  along  the  sides. 

The  porter's  place  was  near  the  door,  and  any  one 
quitting  the  chapel  had  first  to  ask  his  leave. 

*  Maturitate  incessus.  t  Cokst.,  Part  iii.  c.  1,  4. 


96  A  day's  occupation. 

The  Superior  meditated  in  his  room,  I  suppose  ; 
for  he  only  came  in  for  mass.  In  the  Superior's 
absence,  on  all  occasions,  the  Porter,  a  novice  of  the 
second  year,^-"  was,  as  it  were,  Superior :  we  could  not 
even  leave  the  recreation-room,  the  garden,  or  play- 
ground, without  his  permission ;  which,  of  course, 
was  always  given.  Any  irregularity  in  the  applicant 
as  to  the  frequency  of  the  application,  or  otherwise, 
would  be  reported  to  the  Superior  ;  who,  if  he  thought 
proper,  would  reprimand  the  delinquents,  either 
privately  or  in  public,  by  a  '^  brief :"  of  which  more 
anon. 

Meditation  ended,  the  Superior  entered,  and  re- 
hearsed the  "  Litany  of  Jesus," — a  sweet,  affection- 
ate appeal  to  the  Redeemer,  which  makes  every 
thrilling  incident  in  the  life  of  the  Man  made  God, 
a  source  of  ardent  hope  and  steadfast  confidence. 
Standing  before  the  chest  of  drawers  that  contained 
the  vestments,  the  Superior  robed  himself,  muttering 
the  prayers  which  the  Romish  Church  prescribes  for 
the  occasion :  but  there  was  no  looking-glass  before 
him,  as  I  have  seen  on  other  similar  occasions,  when 
the  thought  occurred  to  me,  that  if  vanity  sug- 
gested to  the  priest  that  use  of  woman's  ^*  best  com- 
panion,"— still, 

"  Vice  sometime  's  by  action  dignified." 

Mass  commenced ;  and  we  joined  in  spirit  in  the 
awful  *'  Sacrifice." 

As  soon  as  mass  was  ended,  we  rose — eyes  down- 

*  That  is,  a  novice  wlio  had  passed  one  of  the  tuo  years  of  proba- 
tion. 


A  day's  occupation,  97 

cast,  head  inclined  a  little,  not  much — hands  joined 
on  the  breast — and  walked  decorously  to  our  cells 
for  half  an  hour's  "  spiritual  reading." 

This  was  Rodriguez  on  ^^  Christian  Perfection." 

If  the  Jesuits  were  asked  to  produce  a  book  which 
contained  their  recognised  morality,  "Christian  Per- 
fection," by  Rodriguez,  would  be,  I  imagine,  the 
book  selected  :  not  "  Escobar,"  "  Lessius,"  ''  Bu- 
SEMBAUM,"  &:c.,  though  published  with  the  neces- 
sary^ ^'  Facultas,  approbatio,  licentio,,  consensus  et  per- 
misslo/'f  whereby  the  respective  works  became  the 
exponent  of  the  Society's  indoctrination. 

Accordingly,  "Rodriguez"  is  put  into  the  hands 
of  the  NoviceSj  who  must  be  conquered  by  the  sweet 
spirit  of  Heaven  before  they  can  be  ruled  and  fash- 
ioned  by  the  spirit  of  men — for  I  will  spare  the  anti- 
thesis. Admirable  means  and  worthy  of  a  better  end  ! 

I  relished  the  book  exceedingly :  my  half  hour 
before  breakfast  always  passed  agreeably  even  when 
tormented  by  the  restless  "  chain,''  of  which  more  in 
the  sequel. 

Our  breakfast  consisted  of  oatmeal  porridge,  witli 
milk  and  bread.  Grace  was  said  in  Latin.  We  ate 
in  silence  and  "recollection,"j  and  with  downcast  eyes, 

*  Const.  5,  d.  0.  I  was  reminded  of  the  mandate  by  the  Provincial 
when  he  admitted  me. 

t  See  Lib.  Theol.  Moral.,  by  Escobar,  8vo.  Lugd.  1659,  which  ex- 
hibits all  the  above  credentials  duly  signed  and  dated. 

X  Thomas  a  Kempis  will  explain  what  is  meant  by  this  technical 
term  of  asceticism.  "  My  son,  you  should  diligently  strive,  in  every 
place  and  action,  or  external  occupation,  to  look  within  thyself,  un- 
fettered, in  self-possession  J  and  let  all  things  be  subjected  to  you, 

H 


98  A  day's  occupation. 

The  porter  alone  was  exempt  from  this  restriction, 
for  he  had  to  see  that  others  did  their  duty.  When 
all  had  finished  he  rose — we  did  the  same — grace 
was  said — we  followed  him  to  the  dormitory. 

A  minute  or  two  elapsed  and  the  bell  rang.  It 
called  us  to  the  chapel  for  a  lecture  on  the  rules  of 
the  Novitiate.  Each  novice  had  a  little  book  called 
"The  Summary."  **  The  Summary"  is  written  in 
Latin,  and  contains  about  thirty  rules,  extracted  from 
the  **  Constitutions/'  for  the  guidance  of  the  novices. 
We  had  to  get  these  rules  by  heart ;  but  some  how 
or  other  1  could  never  say  them  well.  I  have 
penanced  myself  over  and  over  again  for  this  defalca- 
tion ;  have  tried  every  means,  but  could  never  suc- 
ceed. I  always  stammered  and  broke  down.  This 
was  very  annoying  to  me.  My  memory  is  naturally 
very  quick  and  tenacious.  I  easily  learned  and  retain 
to  the  present  time  the  "  Odes  of  Horace ;"  but  the 
rules  of  **  The  Summary"  have  not  left  a  vestige 
behind  as  far  as  the  Latin  construction  is  concerned ; 
though  the  duties  involved  I  shall  for  ever  remember: 
i  learned  them  by  practice. 

The  lectures  read  to  us  were  composed  by  one 
Father  Plowden,  formerly  master  of  the  novices  at 
Hodder.  They  were  remarkably  well  written,  always 
well  arranged,  luminous,  full  of  vigour,  and  not 
unfrequently  facetious.  I  enjoyed  these  lectures. 
And  yet,  strange  to  say,  it  was  the  lecture  which 

and  not  yourself  to  \liem  :  that  you  may  be  the  lord  and  ruler  of  3-our 
actions,  not  their  servant  and  slave." — De  Imit.  1.  III.  c.  38. 


A  day's  occupation.  99 

referred  to  the  downfall  of  the  society,  and  the 
charges  brought  against  it,  that  first  shook  my  reso- 
lution to  become  a  Jesuit.  I  shall  never  forget  the 
impression  made  on  my  mind  by  the  concentrated 
ferocity  with  which  the  character  of  an  English 
priest*  who  had  written  against  the  society,  was 
assailed.  In  reading  the  passage  the  meek  Father  of 
the  novices  seemed  to  tremble  at  the  words  of  wrath. 

After  the  lecture  we  assembled,  in  groups  of  three 
or  four,  in  the  dormitory,  for  the  purpose  of  repeating 
as  much  of  it  as  we  could  remember:  making;  notes 
upon  a  slate  :  for  on  a  subsequent  day  we  had  to 
appear  in  the  chapel  to  be  questioned  on  the  sense 
and  spirit  of  the  rule  as  explained  in  the  former 
lecture.  I  think  a  quarter  of  an  hour  was  the  time 
allotted  to  this  rehearsal.  At  its  expiry  the  porter 
went  to  the  end  of  the  dormitory,  and  cried  out 
"Deo  gratias!"  Every  voice  was  stopped:  it  was 
the  order  *'  to  make  our  beds !" 

Our  beds  were  comfortable,  though  of  coarse  ma- 
terials: hard,  "mortifying"  mattresses  to  the  sensual. 
The  bedstead  was  so  constructed  as  to  turn  on  a  hinoe : 
so  that,  after  making  the  bed,  we  strapped  the  lower 
part  and  turned  the  bedstead  up,  securing  it  with  a 
belt,  so  as  to  leave  more  room  in  our  little  cells.  I 
say  cells,  but  the  Jesuits  are  not  monks :  they  scorn  the 
very  notion.    A  wooden  partition,  which  did  not  reach 

*  Referring-,  perhaps,  to  the  fierce  dissensions  between  the  regular 
and  secular  clergj  of  England,  many  years  ago.     1  think  a  full  account 
of  ihe  matter  appeared  in  the  Gentleman's  INIagazine. 
Tanteene  animis  caelestibus  irse  ! 

H    2 


100  '         A  day's  occupation. 

the  ceiling,  divided  the  dormitory  into  compartments, 
givinc;  to  each  novice  about  as  much  space  as  a  pas- 
senger has  in  a  packet-ship  for  his  berth.  Each 
compartment  contained  a  small  desk  (without  a  lock, 
of  course)  and  a  chair.  A  crucifix  was  suspended 
over  the  desk,  and  I  think  there  w^as  a  pot  containing 
"  holy  water.'*  In  the  desk  were  our  books,  papers, 
discipline  or  whip,  chain,  &;c.  I  say  our,  but  I  am 
wrong :  meum  and  tuum  were  to  be  totally  forgotten. 
A  quarter  of  an  hour  was  allowed  for  making  beds. 
Then  came  **  manual  works."  These  were  divided 
into  in-door  and  out-of-door  works.  When  there 
was  no  lecture,  an  hour  for  each  division — on  other 
occasions,  half  an  hour. 

I  could  not  help  admiring  the  neatness  and  facility 
with  which  the  novices  worked  in  every  department. 
Only  a  few  lessons  were  requisite  in  the  first  instance, 
and  then  each  seemed  to  become  master  of  the 
respective  art,  whether  it  was  that  of  sweeping, 
dusting,  shoe-cleaning,  &c.  Indeed,  after  a  year's 
training  in  these  mysteries,  I  think  a  man  might 
conscientiously,  in  a  case  of  emergency,  undertake  to 
make  himself  "generally  useful,"  as  "a  servant  of 
all  work." 

In-door  manual  works  consisted  in  all  the  func- 
tions of  domestic  economy.  You  went  to  the  porter, 
and  said  "  Deo  gratias !"  He  replied,  "  sweep  the 
dormitory,  clean  knives,  clean  shoes,  sweep  the 
recreation-room,  sweep  up  the  hearth,  dust  the 
chairs,"  &c. 

Sometimes  the  "  Deo  gratias"  would  be  answered 


A  day's  occupation.  101 

by,  '*  go  to  Brother  So-and-so,  in  the  refectory." 
Brother  So-and-so  would  then  order  you  to  sweep 
the  room,  or  set  the  benches,  or  lay  the  cloths,  or 
plates,  or  knives  and  forks;  and  when  he  had  nothing 
more  for  you  to  do,  he  would  answer  your  '^  De^ 
gratias !"  by  another  *' Deo  gratias!"  and  you  went 
again  to  the  porter. 

The  porter  would  then,  perhaps,  order  you  to  go  to 
another  brother.  This  brother,  on  hearing  the  "  Deo 
gratias  !"  might  order  you  to  go  and  fetch  the  "  tub;" 
or  perhaps  he  would  go  with  you,  as  it  required  two 
persons  to  lift  it.  This  tub  was  set  ready  by  the  lay- 
brother  at  the  kitchen  door.  You  carried  the  tub  to 
the  back  region  of  the  house,  and  then  you  washed, 
and  wiped  the  utensils  there  deposited ;  and  then 
you  scrubbed  the  sedilia,  swept  out  the  adjacent 
localities,  made  all  neat  and  tidy,  and  returned  the 
tub  aforesaid  to  where  you  found  it.  This  part  of 
manual  works  was  considered  the  most  trying  to 
pride;  and,  consequently,  it  was  not  ordered  to  new 
novices.  For  my  part,  I  often  longed  for  the  order, 
in  my  fervour;  and  when  it  was  vouchsafed  me,  I 
was  rather  grieved  to  think  that  perhaps  the  compa- 
nion selected  for  me  was  chosen  in  order  to  diminish 
my  repugnance — which  certainly  did   not  exist.     At 

all  events,   my  companion  was  a   son   of  Lord  , 

a  Catholic  nobleman.  I  may  mention  that  at  the 
time  of  which  I  am  speaking  there  were  in  the  No- 
vitiate, besides  the  gentleman  just  alluded  to,  the 
son  of  a  baronet,  and  two  near  relatives  of  another 
Roman  Catholic  nobleman.  Before  I  left  I  think  we 
numbered  about  twenty  novices  in  all. 


102  A  day's  occupation. 

Other  occupations  consisted  in  dusting  the  books, 
cleaning  out  the  chapel,  polishing  plate,  8cc.  &c. — 
in  a  word,  every  domestic  work  was  performed  by 
the  novices,  excepting  cooking  ;  which  was,  however, 
in  the  hands  of  the  lay-brother,  and  an  assistant  who 
was  a  lay-novice. 

When  the  appointed  hour  was  passed,  we  were 
ordered  into  the  siarden.  Here  we  were  sent  to  dio- 
potatoes  or  root  up  weeds — to  pick  fruit,  or  sweep 
away  dry  leaves,  to  roll  the  play-ground,  or  clean 
the  walks, — according  to  the  season. 

The  "custody  of  the  senses"  is  strictly  kept 
during  all  these  various  operations.  Imagine  the 
scene — its  pious  regularity — sanctified  homeliness — 
beautiful  poverty — and  perfect  obedience.  Some- 
times several  worked  in  company.  On  such  occa- 
sions I  have  been  reminded  of  a  scene  I  beheld  when 
sailing  past  one  of  the  West  India  islands — a  "gang" 
of  poor  negroes  on  a  hill  side — naked  to  the  waist, 
whilst  the  tropical  sun  blazed  cruelly  hot:  but  little 
they  recked  that  terrible  sun  !  They  stood  in  a  row 
— curved  to  the  work — and  their  hoes  went  up 
and  their  hoes  went  down,  like  the  hammer  of  a 
clock  that  seems  to  curse  with  its  clash  the  tyrant 
time ! 

All  the  works,  then,  were  carried  on  in  perfect 
silence  :  the  eyes  fixed  on  what  was  before  you  :  they 
were  indeed,  never  raised  on  any  account  as  we  walked 
through  any  part  of  the  house,  on  any  occasion  what- 
ever. 

When  the  time  was  very  nearly  expired,  on  giving 
the   porter  the  "  Deo  gratias,"    he  said  "  Deo  gra- 


A  day's  occupation.  103 

tias;'' which  meant  that  he  had  nothing  more  for 
you  to  do.  You  then  went  and  washed  your  hands, 
put  on  your  cassock  and  shppers — for  sHppers  were 
worn  in  the  house  to  favour  silence — and  remained 
in  your  cell  for  the  next  order. 

This  time  the  '' Deo  gratias"  meant  "study"— 
which  lasted  an  hour.  The  term  is  apt  to  mislead: 
no  profane  study  is  allowed  in  the  Novitiate.  The 
**  study"  of  the  Novitiate  is  asceticism,  spirituality. 
But  then  this  was  acquired  through  the  medium  of 
the  langrua^es  with  which  the  novices  were  ac- 
quainted  :  the  languages  were  "  kept  up  ;"  nothing 
was  to  be  lost  in  the  Novitiate  except  individuality 
or  self-will.  For  instance,  I  was  ordered  to  read  a 
little  German,  Italian,  and  Spanish  daily,  though 
only  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour.  All  the  novices  had 
acquired  the  French  language,  and  were  well 
grounded  in  Latin. 

The  subjects  for  "study"  were  appointed  by  the 
Superior.  It  might  be  the  lives  (in  Latin)  of  eminent 
Jesuits  who  suffered  "  martyrdom"  in  Holland,  in 
England,  and  in  Japan  ;  or  it  might  consist  in  trans- 
lating from  St.  Cyprian  or  Bernard,  or  the  "  Con- 
fessions of  St.  Augustine,"  8cc.  The  discourses  of 
Bernard  on  the  Canticles  were  appointed  to  me, 
and  they  certainly  well  accorded  with  the  glowing 
enthusiasm  which  filled  my  soul  with  "love  divine." 
It  was  durino;  this  hour  that  we  wrote  letters  to  our 
friends,  concerning  which  I  shall  speak  in  its  proper 
place.  These,  of  course,  were  necessarily  sermons  in 
their  way.     During  this  hour  we  wrote  our  short  dis- 


104  A  day's  occupation. 

courses  to  he  preached  to  our  hrother-novices — for 
we  had  sermons  of  this  sort,  1  think,  twice  or  thrice 
a  week.  In  a  word,  the  hour  was  industriously  em- 
ployed in  the  manner  prescribed  by  the  Superior. 
Had  you  been  permitted  to  enter  the  dormitory  during 
that  hour,  you  would  never  imagine  that  every  cell 
contained  an  active,  intelli2:ent,  thoughtful  soul 
engaged  in  a  mighty  struggle,  without  a  doubt  of 
victory :  and  yet  it  was  intent  on  one  grand  consum- 
mation, namely,  to  die  to  itself  in  order  to  live  in 
perfect  obedience.  I  need  not  say  that  the  stillness 
of  the  tomb  prevailed  on  all  sides;  and  if  ever  my 
thoughts  wandered,  the  sound  of  the  wind,  or  of  the 
rushing  waters  of  the  stream  below  when  the  wintry 
torrents  gave  it  voice,  seemed  an  admonition  as  it 
were  of  the  eternal  trumpet  that  has  yet  to  proclaim 
"Awake,  O  dead  !''  But  I  must  not  anticipate  my 
visions  and  my  dreams.  I  had  enough,  Heaven 
knows  I  I  shall  hereafter  narrate  one  or  two;  and 
the  reader  will  then  believe  me  when  I  say  that  I 
wonder  at  no  recital  of  the  kind  in  times  of  old  or 
times  present. 

About  twenty  minutes  before  dinner,  the  *^  Deo 
gratias"  was  given  out  by  the  porter.  We  went  and 
washed,  and  at  the  sound  of  the  bell  we  said  (to  our- 
selves) what  Roman  Catholics  call  the  "Angelus." 
It  consists  of  three  sentences  and  three  Ave  Marias 
in  memory  of  the  Annunciation  of  the  Virgin  Mary. 
We  then  went  to  chapel. 

The  reader  may  perhaps  fancy  that  we  liave 
not  had  much  time  for  sinning;  but  he  is  mistaken: 


A  day's  occupation.  105 

we  went  to  chapel  for  the  examination  of  conscience. 
We  remained  kneeling  during  this  quarter  of  an 
hour. 

It  mav  be  asked  what  we  examined  our  consciences 
to  find  ?  I  will  state  a  few  novice-sins,"*  and  the 
result  of  this  proceeding  will  render  the  matter  per- 
fectly intelligible.  Suppose  a  novice  walked  rather 
hurriedly — it  was  a  fault.  If  he  contradicted  his  bro- 
ther in  conversation — it  was  a  fault.  If  he  failed  in 
the  custody  of  the  eyes — it  was  a  fault.  It  might 
happen  that  he  spoke  more  to  one  than  another — it 
was  a  fault.  He  laughed  too  loudly — that  was  a 
fault.  In  fine,  he  has  not  "done  his  best"  in  every 
public  duty — this  is  a  fault.  These  are  sins ;  but 
every  novice  has  some  particular  failing,  which  he 
has  determined  more  or  less  fervently  to  vanquish : 
here,  then,  is  an  interesting  battle  to  fight.  I  will 
copy  from  my  diaryf  at  Hodder,  five  resolutions  made 
on  the  '*  day  of  St.  Stanislaus." 

*  "The  Constitutions,  Declarations,  and  Order  of  Life  do  not  bind 
under  penalty  of  sin"  in  the  usual  acceptation  of  the  term  :  but  it  was 
difficult — I  speak  from  experience — to  divest  the  mind  of  the  fear. 
The  mystification,  therefore,  just  alluded  to,  answers  the  end  in  view. 
Those  who  stand  beside  the  roaring  cataract  of  Niagara  can  hear,  but 
indistinctly,  if  at  all,  the  report  of  a  cannon,  but  in  the  chapel  where 
we  meditated  in  the  Novitiate,  you  might  hear  a  pin  fall,  or  the  heart 
beat.  In  after  life  a  Jesuit  may  sin  against  the  Constitutions,  Sec, 
without  scruple  ;  but  a  novice — I  speak  from  experience — has  a  con- 
science whose  nerves,  like  the  fingers,  ears,  and  smell  of  the  blind, 
keenly  admonish  or  rack  with  aflfright. 

f  1  regret  to  say  that  I  have  lost  a  wbole  volume  of  that  diary — it 
would  have  been  very  useful  on  the  present  occasion. 


106  A  day's  occupation. 


"  Resolutions  on  St.  Stanislaus. 

'*  Henceforth  my  continual  thoughts  will  be  Jesus, 
Mary,  Stanislaus.  O  Lord,  it  is  good  for  us  to  be 
here!  Let  me  make  three  tents — one  for  Thee,  one 
for  our  sweet  Mother,  and  one  for  Stanislaus.  I  will 
wait  upon  you — not  daring  to  enter — but  standing 
without,  and  ministering.  O  sweet !  O  most  sweet 
Jesus !  never  more  permit  me  to  be  separated  from 
Thee! 

''Res.  I. — To  do  everything  in  the  best  manner. 
*' IL — Never  to  go  to  public  duties  with  dirty 

shoes,  &c. 
"  in. — To  keep  my  room  in  order. 
''  IV. — To  conform  to  the  will  of  others. 
<'  v.— To  do  nothino'  extra  without  the  consent 
of  the  Superior. 
''  Jesus  !  Mary  !  Stanislaus." 

I  find  also  an  entry  thus  : — 

*'  December^  —  Review  and  Renovation.  Defect 
in  observing  the  29th  Rule — Occasional  vanity.  Re- 
solution— Five  or  ten  minutes'  prayer  daily  to  St.  Ig- 
natius to  obtain  the  spirit  of  the  11th,  12th,  and 
29th  Rules. 

''Noster  autem  Jesus,  tanquam  agnus  mansuetus, 
omnem  austeritatem  abstulit !" 

Every  novice  kept  a  small  piece  of  paper  (one  is 

*  That  is,  about  a  month  before  my  secession — it  is  manifest,  there- 
fore, that  my  fervour  in  self-reformation  had  not  subsidod. 


A  day's  occupation.  107 

still  in  ray  possession),  ruled  with  seven  lines,  for 
every  day  in  the  week,  and  he  made  dots  on  the  lines, 
accordingly  as  he  broke  his  resolution.  The  number 
should,  of  course,  diminish  on  the  lines  with  the  days 
of  the  week. 

The  subjoined  is  the  form  of  the  Soul's  Day-book 
for  casual  entries — the  two  lines  referrino-  to  the  two 
daily  examinations. 


Thus,  by  sheer  necessity,  were  the  sins  to  diminish 
in  number  by  the  end  of  each  week  ! 

Had  you  been  in  the  chapel  during  this  examina- 
tion, you  would  have  wondered  why  some  of  the 
novices  left  their  places  and  went  into  the  Supeiior's 


108  A  day's  occupation. 

room,  one  by  one ;  returning  after  the  lapse  of  a 
second  or  two.  The  Superior  stood  in  his  room,  the 
novice  knelt  before  him,  and  said  : — "  Holy  Father!  I 
have  done  such  and  such  a  thing,  for  which  I  beg 
permission  to  perform  such  and  such  a  penance." 
The  Superior  gave  leave,  if  he  thought  proper;  or 
commuted  the  penance  into  something  else,  more  or 
less  severe.  It  must  be  remembered  that  only  public 
faults  could  be  thus  proclaimed  ;  but,  of  course,  with 
permission,  public  expiation  of  a  private  fault  might 
be  made. 

The  clock  struck — we  went  to  the  refectory.  We 
stood  around — not  all,  for  the  novices  who  had  gone 
into  the  Superior's  room  were  now  kneeling  on  the 
floor,  with  their  arms  outstretched  at  full  length  in 
the  form  of  a  cross.  The  superior  said  grace ;  those 
who  were  standing  took  their  seats,  and  those  who 
were  kneeling  began  their  "  public  confession." 

As  there  were  penitents  everyday,  the  novices  were 
divided  into  three  companies  for  that  purpose;  five  or 
six  in  each  company  doing  penance  in  rotation  on 
the  appointed  day. 

Kneeling,  as  I  have  described,  and  the  Superior 
standing  in  his  place,  the  first  penitent  would  stoop, 
kiss  the  floor,  and  confess,  as  follows : — 

"  Holy  Father!  I  acknowledge  my  fault  in  having 
neglected  the  custody  of  eyes  on  one  or  two  occa- 
sions, for  which  fault  holy  obedience  enjoins  me  to 
do  penance." 

This  penance  was  probably  a  De  profundis  for  the 
souls  in  purgatory — that  is,  he  repeated  to  himself 


A  day's  occupation.  109 

the  130th  Psalm,  kneeling  where  he  was,  with  out- 
stretched arms. 

The  second  penitent  would  say : — 

"  Holy  Father!  I  acknowledge  my  fault  in  talking 
too  loud  during  recreation,  for  which,  &;c.  &c." 

He  probably  had  to  say  the  '^Miserere/'  or  51st 
Psalm. 

When  the  psalm  was  concluded,  the  penitent 
kissed  the  floor  again,  rose  and  went  to  his  place  at 
the  table. 

The  third  penitent  would  say  : — 

'*  Holy  Father !  I  acknowledge  my  fault  in  having 
been  too  positive  in  maintaining  my  opinion,  for 
which  fault,  &c.  &c." 

His  penance  was,  perhaps,  to  rise  after  having 
dined,  with  his  can  in  his  hand;  he  then  went  to  a 
brother,  knelt  before  him,  and  presented  his  can  to 
be  filled  :  he  drank  the  drink  of  huraihation,  kneel- 
ing. 

A  fourth  would  say  : — 

*'  Holy  Father  !  I  acknowledge  my  fault  in  having 
spoken  somewhat  sharply  to  a  brother,  for  which 
fault,  &c.  &c." 

He  went  to  the  brother  and  kissed  his  feet. 

The  fifth  might  be  the  porter.  He  might 
say  :— 

"  Holy  Father !  I  acknowledge  my  faults  in  having 
neglected  several  duties,  and  in  scandalising  my 
brothers  by  my  worldly  remarks  in  conversation,  for 
which  faults,  &c.  &c." 

He  stooped,  kissed  the  floor,  rose,  and,  proceeding 


110  A  day's  occupation. 

from  brother  to  brother,  he  kissed  the  feet  of  all^  the 
Superior  included. 

This  penance  affected  me  very  much  when  I  first 
witnessed  it,  which  occurred  during  my  retreat. 

Sometimes  the  penitent  would  eat  his  dinner 
kneeling,  at  a  small  table  placed  for  the  purpose  in 
the  middle  of  the  refectory. 

On  one  occasion  a  novice  prostrated  himself  at  the 
threshold  of  the  door,  crying  to  each  brother  as  he 
stepped  over  him,  '^  Pray  for  me,  brother!"  This 
penance  occurred  but  once  in  my  year.  It  was  dur- 
ing the  awful  time  of  the  "thirty  days'  retreat;"  and 
the  penitent  was — myself. 

The  penitent  chose  his  penance ;  or  rather  the 
penance  presented  itself  to  his  mind  in  the  similitude 
of  an  inspiration.  So  much,  indeed,  was  this  symp- 
tom a  part  of  my  mind's  distemper  during  my 
Novitiate,  that  the  idea  of  what  I  wished  to  do 
remained  in  my  mind  as  the  remembrance  of  the 
penance  performed.  Thus,  upon  reflection,  I  am 
unable  to  say  whether  I  actually  prostrated  myself — 
as  mv  mind  sus^orested,  or  only  knelt  by  the  door  and 
repeated  the  words.  When  I  wrote  the  passage  I 
had  a  full  conviction  that  the  penance  was  performed 
as  I  have  given  it,  but  a  few  days  since  the  thought 
suddenly  occurred  to  me  that  I  had  requested  per- 
mission to  perform  that  penance,  but  it  was  commuted 
by  the  Superior  into  the  last  mentioned  modification. 

Of  course  we  dined  in  silence;  but  a  rule  of  the 
Summary  enjoins  that  *'  whilst  the  body  is  refreshed, 
the  soul,  too,  may  have  its  food."  Accordingly  we  had 


A  day'^  occupation.  Ill 

a  reader.  The  first  thing  read  was  the  "  Roman 
Marty rology,"  that  is,  the  notice  of  the  saint  for  the 
day ;  tl^en  followed  the  '*  Fasti  Societatis  Jesu," 
giving  the  commemoration  of  the  saint  of  the  society, 
or  eminent  member,  for  the  day.  If  there  was  no 
*^  Brief"  to  be  read,  the  reader  proceeded  with  the 
work  in  hand. 

The  work  in  hand  was,  of  course,  appointed  by  the 
Superior,  and  always  spiritual,  or  directly  in  accor- 
dance with  the  scope  and  aim  of  the  Novitiate.  When 
I  first  went  to  the  Novitiate,  the  work  was  the  one 
alluded  to  in  the  first  article,  as  "  Hints  on  Etiquette." 
I  regret  that  I  can  neither  remember  the  name  of  the 
book  nor  of  the  author.  Every  sentence  was  an 
axiom  on  politeness,  and  in  accordance  with  the  most 
rigid  opinions  on  that  subject.  It  was  written  by  a 
German,  and  in  Latin.  I  need  not  state  that  the 
"Marty  rology  "and  "  Fasti"  were  also  in  Latin.  Among 
the  works  read  in  the  refectory  during  my  year,  I 
may  mention  the  **  History  of  the  Church  of  Japan," 
detailing  the  exploits  of  Xavier  and  his  companions; 
'*  Christian  Perfection,"  by  Rodriguez  ;  "  Difference 
between  Temporal  and  Eternal," — a  truly  awful  affair ; 
"  The  lives  of  the  Saints,"  bv  Alban  Butler. 

After  dinner,  we  went  to  the  chapel  for  a  few 
minutes ;  this  being  a  visit  to  the  "  blessed  Sacra- 
ment ;"  for  the  "  holy  elements"  were  constantly 
kept  on  the  tabernacle  of  the  altar. 

This  visit  ended,  we  walked  demurely  to  the 
recreation-room. 

I  fancy  I  hear  the  reader  exclaim,  "  At  last!"  but 


112  A  day's  occupation. 

we  have  not  done  with  prayer  and  "  recollection"  as 
yet.  As  soon  as  the  novice  entered,  he  knelt  down 
and  said  an  Ave  Alaria,  to  place  himself  under  the 
protection  of  the  Virgin. 

If  the  weather  permitted  we  adjourned  to  the 
garden,  where  we  paced  up  and  down  the  walks, 
chatting  on  **professioual"  topics,  pleasantly,  quietly 
— entertaining  each  other  by  what  we  had  read, 
and  stimulating  the  spirit  by  original  thoughts,  if 
any,  expressed  in  the  glowing  words  of  sincerity  :  for 
I  cannot  imagine  it  possible  for  a  man  to  be  a  hypo- 
crite in  the  Novitiate.  I  judge  from  myself.  It 
requires  an  overwhelming  fervour  and  determination 
to  conquer  human  nature  in  order  to  submit  to  the 
Novitiate  for  two  long  years  without  intermission. 
And  who  is  the  man  that  can  play  the  hypocrite  in 
the  midst  of  so  many  rules  and  regulations,  goading 
him  on  every  side  :  in  the  midst  of  so  many  eyes  that 
have  him  in  charge — ay,  that  have  his  immortal  soul 
in  charge,  for  which  they  have  to  answer  according  to 
the  "  spirit  of  Ignatius?" 

An  hour  was  allowed  for  recreation.  At  its  ex- 
piry the  bell  summoned  us  to  the  chapel  for  another 
visit  to  the  *'  blessed  Sacrament."  It  was  now  two 
o'clock.  '^  Manual  works"  began  our  afternoon 
duties.  These  lasted  only  one  hour  ;  half  an  hour  in 
the  house  and  half  an  hour  in  the  garden.  Any  work 
left  unfinished  in  the  morning  had  then  to  be  com- 
pleted :  for  it  must  be  remembered  that,  as  soon  as 
the  bell  rang,  whatever  you  were  doing  must  be  in- 
stantly relinquished,  or  you  committed  a  fault  against 


A    DAY*S    OCCUPATION.  113 

holy  obedience.  In-door  work  in  the  afternoon  con- 
sisted chiefly  in  preparing  the  Refectory  for  supper; 
out-of-door  work  as  usual. 

The  remaining  hours  before  supper  were  employed 
in  reading-,  writing,  rehearsing  the  Rosary,  &c. 

The  Rosary  is  a  devotion  to  the  Virgin,  consisting 
of  one  hundred  and  fifty  Ave  Marias,  of  fifteen  Pater 
Nosters,  and  the  Gloria ;  with  a  Meditation,  during 
the  rehearsal,  on  the  principal  incidents  in  the  life  of 
Mary  and  Christ.  This  always  seemed  to  me  rather 
strange  ;  for  I  could  never  comprehend  how  one  could 
pray  to  God  or  the  Virgin  whilst  thinking  of  something 
else.  I  used  to  say  the  prayers,  and  then  meditate 
for  a  few  minutes. 

During  this  portion  of  the  day  the  novice  might 
be  sent  for  by  the  Superior  to  be  "  advised"  or  *Mec- 
tured,"  or  **  questioned"  on  his  spiritual  progress. 
Or  he  might  go  to  the  Superior  with  his  ^'  difficulties," 
after  asking  leave  of  the  brother  porter  to  leave  the 
dormitory:  for  no  one  could  leave  the  room  without 
permission.  The  novice  scratched  the  curtain, 
the  porter  whispered  '*  Come  in  !"  and  you  stated 
your  wish,  which  was  always  granted. 

The  curtain  was  never  to  be  closed  until  you 
retired,  if  on  any  occasion  you  had  to  remain  a  few 
minutes  in  a  brother's  cell* — nor  could  you  go  to  it 
without  leave. 

Towards  six  o'clock  (when  we  supped)  the  porter 
went  to  the  end  of  the  dormitory,  and  sang  out  **  Deo 
gratias !"     This   meant  that  you   had  to  go  to  your 

*  Const.  P.  hi.  c.  1.     D.  p.  109. 
I 


114  A  day's  occupation. 

brother  monitor.     Of  this  personage  I  shall  speak  in 
the  proper  place. 

This  duty  ended,  we  retired  to  our  rooms,  and  after 
the  lapse  of  a  few  minutes  the  bell  rang  for  supper. 

During  supper  we  were  read  to,  as  during  dinner; 
excepting  the  "  Martyrology"  and  "  Fasti." 

I  may  mention  that  there  were  two  novices  ap- 
pointed by  turns  to  wait  at  table.  They  wore  a  long 
white  apron  as  a  badge  of  their  office  during  the  per- 
formance of  their  functions. 

Our  dinner  was  always  plentiful  and  substantial. 
Supper  consisted  either  of  sliced  meat  or  rice  pud- 
dings, crowned  with  preserves  and  milk.  We  had 
beer  and  water  to  drink.  Most  of  the  novices  drank 
water,  but  the  juc£  of  beer  was  always  there.  By 
long  standing  the  beer  sometimes  got  sour:  in  that 
state  I  have  drunk  it  for  "mortification."  I  cannot 
say  whether  it  was  always  drunk  with  the  same 
intention. 

I  must  here  state,  that  we  were  enjoined  to  satisfy 
our  appetite — no  mortifications  were  allowed  in  this 
matter.  The  Superior  once  said  to  me,  "  Brother 
Steinmetz,  you  do  not  eat  enough — you  require  all 
you  get  to  preserve  your  strength  for  the  duties  of 
the  Novitiate  :  'tis  hard  work,  and  nature  must  be 
supported." 

On  the  other  hand,  any  "pampering"  was  instantly 
checked.  When  I  first  went  I  once  or  twice  used 
some  vineg^ar.  I  was  checked  for  this.  On  another 
occasion  I  ate  mustard  with  boiled  meat — I  was  told 
that  this  was  irregular :  nor  was  I  permitted  to  eat 


A  day's  occupation.  115 

meat  without  salt  and  mustard  when  I  took  it  into 
my  head  thus  to  "  mortify"  the  spirit.  The  Superior, 
in  his  admonition,  remarked,  that  in  this  cold  climate 
such  accessories  tended  to  promote  digestion.  Reasons 
are  not  often  given  to  novices,  but  this  worthy  gentle- 
man did  sometmies  kindly  explain  the  why  and 
wherefore  to  me. 

After  supper  we  had  another  hour  of  recreation, 
which  was,  as  before,  preceded  by  the  "  visit"  and 
"  Ave  Maria"  aforesaid.  In  summer  we  walked  in 
the  garden  ;  in  winter  we  remained  at  the  fireside.  I 
must  state  that  there  was  also  a  stove  in  the  dor- 
mitory. 

The  Superior  sometimes  visited  us  during  recreation, 
and  told  us  such  pious  news  as  he  thought  would 
interest  us. 

At  eight  o'clock  the  porter  rang  his  bell.  We  now 
went  to  chapel  for  another  examination  of  conscience, 
which  lasted  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  as  before. 

Then  followed  the  readinor  of  the  "  Points"  of  the 
meditation  for  the  next  morning  ;  the  "  Litany  of  the 
Virgin  ;"  the  "  Blessing ;"  the  "  Kissing  of  the  Relic." 

This  last  duty  was  performed  thus: — the  Superior 
held  the  relic  in  his  right  hand,  and  a  small  napkin 
in  his  left.  After  presenting  it  to  the  lips  of  one 
novice  he  wiped  it,  and  so  on.  I  must  say  that  I 
never  thoroughly  conquered  my  repugnance  to 
"submit"  to  this  kissing;  but  ^' Ad  majorem  Dei 
gloriarn'  was  my  adopted  motto  :  I  forgot  the  act  in 
the  intention. 

From  the  chapel  we  retired  to  the  dormitory.     In 

I  2 


116  A  day's  occupation. 

an  instant  you  might  hear  all  the  beds  creaking  on 
their  hinges,  and  resuming  the  horizontal.  We  got 
between  the  sheets  as  soon  as  possible,  **  right  tired" 
in  body  and  mind,  and  never  likely  to  suffer  from 
want  of  sleep.  A  few  minutes  after,  tlie  porter  came 
round,  scratching  at  each  curtain  with  his  **  Deo 
gratias  !"  to  which  each  novice  responded  :  if  he  had 
not  fallen  asleep,  which  sometimes  happened. 

If  it  was  a  '*  mortification  night"  the  novices  re- 
mained sitting  in  their  beds,  waiting  for  the  tinkling 
of  a  small  bell ;  and  then  each  administered  to  himself, 
on  his  back,  bared  for  the  purpose,  the  ''  discipline  :" 
of  which  more  hereafter. 

Such  is  a  day's  occupation  in  the  Novitiate — not 
every  day's  occupation,  but  one  that  may  serve  as  a 
sample.  Other  duties  of  the  Novitiate  required  de- 
viations from  this  *' order  of  the  day," 

I  think  the  reader  will  readily  aoree  with  me  that 
if  Eugene  Sue  intended  his  terrible  "Moroc"*  to 
typify  the  Society  of  the  Jesuits,  the  idea  of  that 
"  tamer  of  wild  beasts"  was  well  imagined.  One 
must  either  break  down  in  the  Novitiate,  or  break 
forth  a  being  of  another  world.  Le  Sage  intimates 
that  a  monk  should  be  more  or  less  than  a  man  ; 
and  I  will  add  that  a  Jesuit  should  be  a — Jesuit. 
Perhaps  by  the  time  we  part  the  reader  may  be 
enabled  to  form  some  distinct,  definite  idea  of  this 
wonderful  being:. 


*  See  "The  Wandering  Jew, 


117 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

GUI    BONO,    OR    what's    THE    GOOD    OF    IT? 

The  details  of  a  day's  occupation  in  the  Novitiate 
have  produced,  I  doubt  not,  various  effects  on  my 
readers.  Some  have  smikd,  others  have  laughed, 
some  have  shuddered,  others  have  been  indignant. 
Not  a  few,  I  trust,  have  penetrated  beneath  the  rip- 
pling surface,  and  have  caught  a  glimpse,  as  it  were, 
of  the  *'  hidden  things"  that  lie  at  the  bottom.  All 
have  asked  "  Cui  bono  V 

I  shall  now  endeavour  to  answer  the  question. 

One  striking  fact  must,  however,  have  surprised 
the  reader.  He  must  have  exclaimed  :  "  Wiiat !  no 
mention  of  the  Bible  among  the  books  set  before 
men  studying  Christian  perfection?" 

I  answer,  JVone  !  We  did  not  read  the  Bible ;  or, 
if  any  did  so,  they  did  it  privately  and  by  special 
permission.  But,  in  point  of  fact,  why  should  a 
Roman  Catholic  read  the  Bible  ?  By  so  doing,  he 
only  exposes  himself  to  temptation  against  the  faith  : 
he  may  "  wrest  the  Scripture  to  his  own  perdition. '» 
All  ''  proximate  occasions"  of  sin  must  be  avoided  : 
—  the  Bible  is  such  to  him — therefore  the  Bible 
whould  be  avoided!  Observe,  the  Roman  Catholics 
do  not  admit  this  matter-of-fact  argumentation — not 


118  CUI    BONO? 

they,  indeed  !  They  will  tell  you  to  read,  of  course  : 
but  beware  of  interpreting  contrary  to  the  prooiul- 
gated  doctrines  ! 

Of  what  use,  then,  are  the  Scriptures  to  these  men  ? 
For  the  study  of  the  priest,  who  will  take  care  to 
read  and  explain  them  to  his  congregation. 

Besides,  they  are  necessary  in  order  to  prove  that 
the  "Church"  is  the  Church;  and  then  the  **  Church" 
returns  the  favour  by  proving  that  the  Scriptures 
are  the  Scriptures — as  beautiful  a  **  vicious  circle" 
as  was  ever  circumscribed  by  the  compasses  of 
sophistry. 

For  my  part,  I  read  the  Bible  when  a  boy :  I  read 
it  when  at  college.  Roman  Catholics  are  not  for- 
bidden to  read  the  Bible;  only  a  discretion  is  used  in 
the  permission  to  read :  such  is  the  distinction,  which 
answers  the  important  end  in  view,  viz.,  subjection  to 
the  Infallible  Popedom. 

I  return  to  the  question.  The  scope  and  end  of 
all  the  training  in  the  Novitiate  were,  to  teach  the 
meaning  and  practice  of  the  Three  Vows  which  were 
to  be  made  at  the  end  of  two  years'  probation.  Its 
aim  was  to  lay  a  deep,  broad  foundation,  whereon 
the  '^  Society  "  would  build,  as  it  thought  most  ex- 
pedient :  ostensibly  "  for  the  greater  glory  of  God," 
but  virtually,  effectually,  infallibly  for  its  own  ad- 
vancement. This  is  not  an  unfair  assertion.  I  con- 
clude thus  from  facts.  Is  not  a  devoted  life-and- 
death  love  of  the  Society  considered  the  first  sign  of 
a  true  vocation  to  it?  Is  not  this  love  cherished, 
fostered,  stimulated  by  every  motive  human  and 
divine  ?    It  may  be  objected  that  such  characteristics 


CUI    BONO?  119 

must  be  more  or  less  common  to  the  members  of 
every  association,  and  are  essential  to  its  existence. 
I  admit  the  objection,  and  affirm  that  it  only  renders 
my  assertion  more  probable.  Further,  if  my  impres- 
sions in  the  Novitiate  be  worthy  of  attention,  I  say 
that  every  conversation  in  v^hich  the  concerns  of  the 
Society  were  discussed,  tended  to  plant  and  water 
this  conviction  in  my  mind.  It  was  always  *'  what 
we  (the  society  of  Jesuits)  have  done — what  we  are 
doing — what  we  will  do."  Every  man  strove  to 
render  himself  acceptable  to  the  Society  :  the  sample, 
the  pattern  being  given,  every  man  knew  the  number 
of  stitches  and  shades  requisite  to  knit  together  the 
^'  coat  of  many  colours"  which  adorns  the  favourite 
son  of  Ignatius. 

"  Begun  by  God,"  it  is  written,  "the  Society  must 
be  preserved  by  Divine,  not  by  human  means"  •*  but 
still  care  must  be  taken  that  it  be  increased  in  num- 
ber,i-  and  prayers  must  be  said  for  its  preservation  and 
increase.  As  the  past  was,  so  will  the  future  be;  if 
human  nature  is  the  same  for  ever. 

And  yet  one  is  inclined  to  doubt  the  fact.  Were 
there  ever  such  men  in  the  Society  ?  Many  reasons 
may  be  alleged  for  the  negative  opinion.  For  how 
could  men,  dead  to  the  world,  crucified  with  Christ, 
who  made  themselves  a  holocaust  to  God — formed  by 
so  many  constitutions,  so  many  regulations ;  tried  by 
so  many  probations,  admonished  by  so  many  illus- 
trious examples,  aided  by  so  many  annual  retreats, 
so  many  meditations,  reading,  daily  exhortations — by 

*  Const.  §  1.  p.  61,  and  P.  x.  §  1. 

t  P.  i.  c.  1,  Const.,  and  Part  ii,  cap.  1,  §  1. 


120  GUI    BONO  ? 

SO  many  holy  sacraments,  vows — by  so  many  divin 
words  and  illuminations, — fall  ofF  so  basely  to  such 
an  extent  as  to  think  of  Egypt  in  the  Holy  Land, 
— after  havinq;  put  their  hands  to  the  plough,  to  look 
behind, — forgetting  the  Divine  glory,  their  salvation, 
the  edification  of  their  neighbour,  wickedly  to  indulge 
the  suggestions  of  private  affection  and  human  neces- 
sity, basely  to  consult  their  own  interests;  and,  as 
far  as  they  could  go  in  this  direction,  to  dare  to  shake 
the  foundations  of  obedience,  annul  discipline,  and 
destroy  the  work  of  God  without  hesitation  !''^' 

These  are  not  my  words.  The  whole  paragraph  is 
faithfully  translated  from  the  epistle  of  Goswin 
Nickel,  the  General  of  the  Society,  to  the  Fathers 
and  Brothers  of  the  same  Society,  in  the  year  1656: 
about  one  hundred  years  after  this  Divine  Society  was 
established. 

All  this  is  perfectly  natural.  It  is  human  nature; 
and  this  is  all  I  contend  for.  I  affirm  that  these 
human  motives  weld  the  Jesuits  together:  the 
Divine  motives  being,  as  it  were,  the  bellows  in  the 
hands  of  the  clever  "  Superiors,"  wherewith  the  pas- 
sive metal  of  the  society  is  rendered  malleable,  porous, 
and  ductile. 

In  this  fact  is  the  element  of  decay.  But  human 
reason  discovers  its  errors  always  too  late  ;  and  the 
deceitful  heart  cheers  itself  the  while  with  the  short- 
lived hopes,  which,  like  wintry  suns,  have  but  a 
small  arc  to  describe  in  the  jealous  firmament  of 
day. 

Ever  and  anon  the  voice  of  a  just  man  rises  supe- 

*  Epist.  ii.  Gosw.  Nick. 


GUI    BONO?  121 

rior  to  the  clamours  of  the  multitude,  and  cries,  Be- 
ware !  but  the  torrent  rolls  on — the  abyss  is  dug  by 
the  falling  waters ;  and  the  fate  of  great  names  has  a 
place  in  the  map  of  history  ! 

The  modern  Jesuits,  like  those  of  old,  march  on : 
who  shall  arrest  their  progress?  They  themselves — 
the  Jesuits.  They  are  working  their  own  ruin  ;  and 
the  more  influence  they  gain  in  this  country,  the 
nearer  they  will  approach  destruction.  Their  history 
will  always  be  the  same,  because  the  essentials  of 
their  institute  are  unchangeable.  The  veil  of  mystery, 
•which  dims  the  sight  even  of  the  subordinates  of  the 
Society,  gives  them  the  prime  fulcrum  of  diplomatic 
craft.  But  it  is  too  human  to  be  an  element  of  long 
life.  The  man  who  cannot,  in  every  action,  look  in  the 
face  of  day,  and  say  to  the  witness,  Is  it  not  well? — 
works  not  as  the  champion  of  Truth,  but  the  menial 
of  Error,  and  its  tyrant — Self. 

But  is  there  no  understanding  in  the  first  instance 
as  to  the  precise  position  that  a  man  might  expect 
to  fill  in  the  Society?  Expect!  why  a  tractarian 
might  as  well  expect,  in  becoming  a  Roman  Catholic, 
to  become  Pope !  No,  no ;  a  Jesuit  can  expect  no- 
thing, as  far  as  his  individual  ambition  is  concerned.* 
He  must  consider  himself  perfectly  worthless,  till  the 
voice  of  God— that  is,  of  his  Superior — shall  call  him 
forth  from  penance  to  power,  from  prayer  to  politics, 
from  obscurity  to  renown.  But  from  his  birth  in  the 
Novitiate,  to  his  death  in  the  Society,  ah  that  he  is 
permitted   to  think  himself  is,  that  he  is  only  a  too- 

*  For  the  various  denunciations  against  ambition,  vide  Const.  P.  x, 
p.  9,  c    1,  A.     P.  viii.  c.  6. 


122  GUI    BONO  ? 

fortunate  fellow-labourer  in  the  Society  of  Jesus. 
Meanwhile,  he  must  patiently  gnaw  like  the  beaver 
— he  must  float  down  the  felled  trunk  like  the 
beaver — he  must  gather  and  carry  mud  like  the 
beaver;  and  he  must  "lend  a  hand"  to  build  up  the 
dam  and  the  habitation  like  the  beaver ;  but  he  must 
be  content  with  his  allotted  nook :  his  **  angulus 
terrse/'  in  the  absolute  monarchy  wherein  his  lot  is 
cast.  If  not,  he  must  put  forth  his  ambitious  claims, 
like  the  clever  pope  of  old,  in  the  celestial  form  and 
figure  of  consummate  wisdom,  unapproachable  tact, 
discretion,  and  humility,  such  as  to  deceive  Lucifer 
himself. 

Eugene  Sue's  *' Rodin"  is  quite  a  misconception  : 
his  habitual  filth  alone  is  enough  to  ruin  the  cha- 
racter :  a  Jesuit  must  be  clean — clean  as  a  lancet,  a 
dirk,  a  stiletto,  or  a  tiger's  fangs. 

Voluntary  poverty,  perpetual  chastity,  perfect  obe- 
dience ;  these  are  the  three  symbols  of  the  professed 
piety  of  the  Jesuit — these  are  the  bulwarks  of  his 
lofty  ambition.  The  pains  taken  by  the  trainer,  and 
the  determined  efforts  of  the  trained,  point  forward 
to  a  boundless  reward — universal  power  immovably 
based  on  mind,  on  conscience — a  power  whereon  the 
sun  shall  never  set. 

During  those  hours  of  recreation  in  the  Novitiate 
which  we  were  permitted  to  spend  in  solitude,  I 
would  sometimes  take  the  *' Summary,"  skim  through 
the  thirty  or  forty  rules  it  contained,  and  endeavour 
to  understand  my  intended  profession  by  seeking  out 
its  requirements  in  the  perfect  Novice. 


GUI    BONO  ?  123 

As  I  frequently  revolved  the  subject,  and  as  all 
my  thoughts  during  that  probation,  particularly 
towards  its  conclusion,  were  strong,  serious,  never  to 
be  forgotten,  I  have  now  only  to  summon  them  from 
the  "  dark  backward,  and  abysm  of  time,"  and  give 
them  words,  that  they  may  bear  witness.  I  shall  be 
an  impartial  interpreter  to  myself,  as  it  were,  of  those 
mystic  thoughts — that  wild  infatuation,  strong  fana- 
ticism— and  with  the  serious  reader  I  shall  strive  to 
profit  by  the  awful  lesson. 


VOLUNTARY    POVERTY. 

It  was  difficult  for  me  to  conceive  how  a  man 
could  take  a  vow  to  remain  poor,  or  to  become  poor, 
and  yet  possess  all  that  he  could  rationally  desire  of 
the  world's  comforts.  We  were  decently  clad — we 
would  always  be  so  in  all  likelihood :  we  were  well 
fed  ;  there  was  no  probability  of  being  starved ;  we 
were  sheltered  ;  in  every  region  of  the  globe  the 
Society  would  hereafter  possess  its  '^  three  houses." 
What,  then,  was  to  be  the  meaning  of  the  vow  which 
we  were  to  make  to  God,  or  rather  to  the  Society? 
It  is  as  follows  : — We  were  taught  to  believe  that 
we  could  possess  without  feeling  that  we  possessed. 
We  used,  we  did  not  take.  We  consumed — not  we, 
but  the  Society  in  us — and  the  Society  was  to  us  as 
God;  for  it  said  to  us,  "Consider  the  lilies  of  the 
field,"  kc.  Self-abnegation  was  the  specific  which 
was  to  effectuate  this  frame  of  mind ;  this  sublime 


124  GUI    BONO? 

*'  mental  reservation.*  On  this  topic  I  find  among 
my  papers,  written  at  Hodder,  the  following  conclu- 
sion :  '^  I  must  divest  myself  of  myself,  so  as  not  to 
desire  health  more  than  sickness,  riches  more  than 
poverty,  honour  more  than  ignominy,  a  long  life  more 
than  a  short  one ;  finally,  in  all  things,  singly  desir- 
ing and  choosino;  those  thinos  which  rather  conduce 
to  the  end  for  which  I  was  created,  viz.,  to  glorify 
God  in  the  Society  of  Jesus."  Such  is  the  Jesuit's 
interpretation  (as  expounded  to  the  novice)  of  the 
Beatitude,  '*  Blessed  are  the  poor  in  spirit!" 

That  transcendent  philosophy,  that  divine  Chris- 
tianity was  held  forth  to  us  as  perfectly  attainable  by 
prayer,  practice,  and  the  peculiar  grace  which  we 
were  taught  to  believe  was  vouchsafed  to  him  who 
was  called  to  the  Society.  No  ordinary  virtue  was 
sufficient  in  a  Jesuit:  the  name  did  not  suggest  a 
model  without  expecting  a  copy  faithful  to  the  divine 
original. 

Hence  we  became  menials  for  His  sake ;  hence  we 
gloried  in  humiliation  ;  hence  we  exulted  in  spirit 
when  thwarted  in  the  dearest  wish ;  hence  we  would 
always,  in  every  action  however  trivial,  fervently 
breathe,  '^  Father,  not  my  will  but  thine  be  done!" 
and  hence — the  Society  being  the  exponentof  the  will 
of  the  Eternal — we  would  be  prepared  for  any  fate 
whilst  in  its  service :  seeing  that  we  must  necessarily 
be  indifferent  in  all  things. 

*  See  Const.  P.  iii.  c.  1,  §  7.  Exam.  c.  4.  P.  vi.  c.  2.  But,  in 
point  of  fact,  there  is  no  end  of  the  praises,  explanations,  &c.,  of  thia 
row  in  the  Institute. 


cur  BONO?  125 

So  much  for  the  enthusiasm,  the  fanaticism  :  of  the 
thing.  Let  us  now  indulge  a  few  matter-of-fact,  com- 
mon-sense reflections  on  this  very  curious  topic. 

If  I  remember  aright,  there  was  in  the  lecture 
which  explained  the  rule  enjoining  the  self-abnega- 
tion necessary  for  this  vow,  an  attempt  to  show  how 
the  Society  could  possess  riches  whilst  each  member 
thereof  vowed  poverty.  I  think  the  argument  rested 
mainly  on  the  necessity  of  possessing  funds  in  order 
to  carry  out  one  grand  object  of  the  Society,  viz.,  the 
education  of  youth.  It  is  clear  that  no  other  excuse 
or  explanation  will  hold ;  since,  by  the  distinct  en- 
gagement of  Ignatius,  a  Jesuit  would  expect  no 
viaticum  or  pecuniary  support  in  his  "  mission  :"  he 
was  to  go  forth  as  an  apostle ;  that  is,  provided 
with  faith,  hope,  and  charity,  to  which  he  was  to 
superadd,  "For  the  greater  glory  of  God;"  without 
a  thought  for  the  body,  which  Heaven  would  take  care 
how  to  support. 

It  is  then  on  educational  grounds  that  the  Jesuits 
excuse  themselves  from  being  poor  in  body  as  well 
as  in  spirit.  But  then  why  take  the  vow  at  all,  if  it 
becomes  virtually  a  dead  letter?  What!  not  take 
the  vow!  this  would  never  answer.  And  why  not? 
Because,  when  a  novice  has  money,  it  is  clear  that  he 
will  have  to  make  it  over  to  somebody  before  he 
takes  the  vow;  but  surely  he  would  make  it  over  to 
the  Society  in  preference  to  anybody,  therefore  the 
vow  is  retained.*     Again,  it  is  by  no  means  clear  that 

*  There  is  a  delicate  piece  of  dexterity  in  the  injunction  respecting 
the  distribution  of  property.     The  distribution  should  be  made  to  the 


126  CUI    BONO? 

these  men  of  piety  must  absolutely  have  funds  in 
order  to  fulfil  the  enoasfements  which  the  Society  has 
undertaken.  They  should  give  their  services  accord- 
ing to  the  rule  which  enjoins  every  Jesuit  "freely  to 
give  what  he  has  freely  received."*  From  the  stipend 
which  the  pupils  pay,  it  is  clear  that  a  large  annual 
surplus  must  fall  into  the  coffers  of  the  Society. 
Who  owns  this  money?  Not  the  Jesuits,  but  the 
Society,  they  will  tell  you  j  and  will  seem  perfectly 
satisfied  with  the  equivocation.  It  follows  that  the 
vow  of  "voluntary  poverty"  is  only  a  by-way  of 
enriching  the  body  and  accumulating  funds,  which 
may  be  applied  to  whatever  purpose  is  thought  expe- 
dient: labelled  and  ticketed  "To  the  greater  glory  of 
God."  When  the  Jesuits  put  themselves  under  some 
religious  association  or  government,  to  depend  entirely 
on  that  association  or  government  for  the  means  of 
subsistence  and  education,  then  they  will  be  con- 
sistent in  this  vow;  but  then  they  will  be  shorn  of 
half  their  power  :  and  that  time  will  never  come. 
Aut  C(Ksar  aut  nullus  is  the  motto  of  those  who  feel 
that  they  were  born  to  command. 

truly  poor,  and  not  on  account  of  relationship — propiiiquitatis — Exam, 
e.  4,  2  ;  and  if  any  one  wishes  to  give  his  property  to  the  Societj,  he 
must  resign  it  freely  into  the  hnnds  of  the  General.  Part.  iii.  c.  1,  9. 
*  This  rule  is  clamorous  : — "  Meminerint  se  gratis  dare  debere, 
quaj  gratis  acceperunt ;  nee  postulando,  nee  admittendo  stipendium,  vel 
eleemosynas  ullas,  quibus  Missas,  vel  Confessiones,  vel  Praedicationes, 
vel  Lectiones,  vel  visitationes,  vel  quodvis  allud  officinm  ex  iis  quae 
Societasjuxta  nostrum  Institutum  exereere  potest,  compensari  vide- 
atur."— Coust.  P.  vi.  c.  2,  7. 


GUI  BONO?  127 


PERPETUAL  CHASTITY. 

We   read  that    Aloysius    "  received    of   God    so 
perfect    a   gift  of  chastity,   that  in   his    whole    life 
he  never  felt  the  least  temptation  either  in  mind  or 
body  against  purity,  as  Jerom  Platus  and  Cardinal 
Bellarmin    assure    us    from     his     ov^^n     mouth.'* 
Again  : — *'  He    never   looked  at   any    woman,   kept 
his  eyes  strictly  guarded,  and  generally  cast  down ; 
would   never    stay   with   his   mother    alone    in   her 
chamber;  and  if  she  sent  any  message  to  him   by 
some  lady  in  her  company  he  received    it,  and  gave 
his  answer  in  a  few  words,  with   his  eyes  shut,  and 
his  chamber-door  only  half  open.     #     *     #     ^     It 
was  owing  to  his  virginal  modesty  that  he  did  not 
know  by  their  faces  many  ladies  among  his  own  re- 
lations, with  whom   he  had  freqently  conversed,  and 
that  he  was  afraid  and  ashamed  to  let  a  servant  see 
so  much  as  his  foot  uncovered. ''"^     We  read  also  that, 
after   a   visit    from    the   Virgin   Mary   and   Jesus 
Christ,    Ignatius    had    all   impure    images   wiped 
from   his  heart.     Anorels    came    down    and    "  bound 
the  loins"  of  Thomas  Aquinas,  and  thenceforward 
he  was    '*  never   annoyed    with    temptations    of  the 
flesh."     The  reader  may  consult  the  "  Lives  of  the 
Saints"   for    more   examples    of  such    Divine   inter- 
position. 

These  examples  were  objects  of  our  intense  admi- 
ration. But  who  could  aspire  to  such  matchless 
purity?     Only  those  who  were  ''humble,  watchful, 

*  Butler — Lives  of  the  Saints — Aloys. 


128  CUI    BONO? 

and   obedient."     Hence  the  humiliations   to   which 
we  were  constantly   subject — the  state  of  servitude 
and  degradation,  corporeal   and  mental,  which   our 
training  was  intended  to  effect.     And   is  the  habit 
of  chastity  thus    to   be   acquired  ?      This    question 
must  be  answered  in  the  affirmative ;  and  that  such 
is  the  case  will  be  evident  from  this  simple  axiom, 
that  any  of  the  sentiments  being  predominant  in  the 
mind,  obliterate,  or  tend  to  obliterate,  the  rest.     I 
am  tempted  to  enlarge  on  this  topic ;  but  the  dis- 
cussion would  be  out  of  place,  and  enough  has  been 
said  to  direct  the  application  of  the  principle.    Doubt- 
less some  encountered  more  difficulties  than  others; 
but  the  awful  necessity  which  was  upon  all  to  ac- 
quire the  mental  habit,  at  least,   of  this  virtue,  en- 
hanced our  fervour  in  embracin2;  the  infallible  means 
held  forth  to  us,  by  being  to  the  best  of  our  power 
humble  and   obedient.      The  peculiar  views  of  my 
philosophy  tallied  well  with  many  of  the  regulations 
of  the  Novitiate.     The  infinite  variety  of  occupation 
I  never  could  sufficiently  admire;  and  in  a  very  short 
time  I  felt  convinced  that  the  object  and  scope  of  all 
the  training  were  to  give  to  every  faculty  of  the  mind, 
every  sentiment  of  the  heart,  that  peculiar  bent  which 
emphatically    stamps    the    Jesuit.      In   my   private 
interviews  with  the   Superior,  I  frequently  expressed 
my  thoughts  on   this  subject  with  enthusiasm.     He 
listened   to    me    with   delight;    and    he    once    said, 
"Brother!  the  grace  to  understand  these  things  is 
not  given  to  all — be  thankful  for  it."     In  the  matter 
of  chastity,   particularly,  I   found  in  the  books  as- 


GUI    BONO?  129 

signed  to  me  sufficient  to  convince  me  that  "love 
divine"  in  all  its  objects — but  most  to  the  Virgin 
and  other  female  saints  of  the  calendar — was  but 
human  love,  with  all  its  raptures  :  only  it  was  shorn 
of  its  grossness.  How  have  I  exulted — how  entranc- 
ing were  my  thoughts  and  feelings — when  readmg 
the  discourses  of  Bernard  on  the  Canticles  !  parti- 
cularly the  one  on  the  words,  "  Osculetur  me  osculo 
oris  sui !"  "Let  him  kiss  me  with  the  kisses  of  his 
mouth!"  Oft  have  I  repeated  to  my  "Brothers" 
those  words  of  its  conclusion — "  Show  me,  O  most 
sweet !  O  most  serene !  show  me  where  thou  goest 
to  pasture,  where  thou  reposest  at  mid-day !  My 
brothers,  it  is  good  for  us  to  be  here,  but  behold! 
the  malice  of  the  day  calls  us  away."  I  got  passages 
by  heart — I  translated  others — and  my  soul  swam, 
as  it  were,  in  an  ocean  of  delights.  Easily,  then, 
was  the  idea  of  carnal  pleasure  denied  access  to  a 
mind  which  luxuriated,  so  to  speak,  in  ethereal  de- 
lights unknown  before  :  for  never  have  I  experienced 
pleasures  so  intense,  complete,  absorbing,  as  that 
which  frequently  resulted  from  spiritual  contempla- 
tion and  meditation  in  the  Novitiate.  I  had  my 
trials,  of  course — my  diseases,  as  it  were ;  and  a 
curious  dream  which,  as  it  was  pronounced  good  by 
authority,  I  shall  now  relate  for  the  amusement  of 
the  reader.  I  had  been  troubled  during  the  day 
with  certain  thoughts  and  remembrances  which  we 
will  call  "temptations."  I  had  told  my  distress 
thereat  to  the  Superior:  he  consoled  me;  said  it  was 
natural;  I  must  not  be  disheartened.     I  fell  asleep 

K 


130  GUI   BONO? 

and  dreamt.  How  keen  is  the  mental  vision  when 
the  mind,  by  its  strontir  nervous  excitement,  seems  to 
be  totally  independent  of  the  body,  which  it  com- 
mands and  holds  in  subjection  !  I  dreamt  that  I 
saw  in  the  heavens  a  beautiful  woman,  clad  in  azure, 
star-bespangled.  She  looked  down  upon  me  benignly, 
and  with  her  finger  pointed  to  her  brow,  which  was 
encircled  with  a  luminous  band.  On  that  band  I 
read,  in  my  dream,  the  word  Atreria;  and  in  my 
dream,  I  interpreted  the  word  to  myself  thus: — 
*' Atreria — a  nonTpico  trepido — Intrepidity;"  and 
I  seemed  to  hear  a  voice,  which  said — -'^  Yes  !  bv  intra- 
pidity  you  shall  conquer."  I  need  not  say  that  I 
awoke  in  consolation.  I  told  my  dream — it  was  ap- 
proved— I  was  happy  !* 

It  was  this  exaltation  of  sentiment,  thus  turned 
into  the  "  proper  channel,"  that  enabled  me  to  fall 
in  with  the  extravagant  devotion  of  the  Jesuits  to  the 
Virgin  Mary;  and  whilst  I  prayed  to  the  male 
saints  of  the  calendar  with  warmth,  I  poured  forth 
my  soul's  languishings  to  the  Agathas,  Theresas, 
Perpetuas,  with  rapturous  devotion.  I  "took 
advice"  on  this  matter,  and  it  only  called  forth  this 
remark,  viz.,  ^'  that  St.  Theresa  always  preferred 
the  advice  of  holy  men  to  that  of  holy  women." 
This  was  meant  to  keep  in  check  the  natural  tendency 
of  my  heart;  but  the  remark  brought  to  mind  the 
strange  sentiment  of  Balzac,  viz.,  ^' That  the  most 
malicious  man  cannot  say  of  women  as  much  evil  as 

*  "WLat  rendered  the  dream  more  strikint^  was,  that  I  had  never 
seen  nor  beard  the  word  Atreria,  nor  have  I  met  with  it  since. 


cur  BONO  ?  131 

they  think  of  themselves."  I  repeated  the  words  to 
the  father,  and  he  said  they  were  quite  true  !  Still 
it  is  curious  how  the  human  mind  strives  to  re- 
concile apparently  contradictory  feelings.  It  is  a 
significant  psychological  fact  that  men  prefer  female 
saints  for  their  patronesses,  and  that  women  prefer 
male  saints  for  their  patrons. 

In  this  explanation  which  I  have  given,  it  was 
absolutely  necessary  to  bring  myself  forward  :  and 
only  myself;  but  I  may  be  permitted  to  give  a 
curious  instance  of  the  strong  emotion  that  still, 
amongst  "holy  men,"  goes  by  the  name  of  "love 
divine."  The  verses  were  repeated  to  me  by  a  brother 
novice,  and  were  composed  by  '*  St.  Francis  of 
Assvsium."  The  burninj:  translation  of  Alban 
Butler,  himself  a  very  exemplary  priest,  is  quite 
equal  to  the  original : — 

"  Into  lore's  furnace  I  am  cast ! 

I  burn,  I  languish,  pine,  and  waste ! 

0  love  divine,  how  sliarp  thy  dart  ! 
How  deep  the  wound  that  galls  mj  heart ! 
As  wax  in  fire,  so  from  above 

]\Ij  smitten  soul  dissolves  in  love  ! 

1  live,  yet  languishing  I  die, 
Whilst  in  th  j  furnace  bound  I  lie. 

:t:  *  *  m: 

The  tree  of  love  its  roots  has  spread 
Deep  in  my  heart,  and  rears  its  head. 
Kich  are  its  fruils,  they  joy  dispense. 
Transport  the  heart  and  ravish  sense. 

*  it:  *  Hf 

While  throbbing  pangs  I  feel,  my  breast 
Finds  love  its  centre,  joy  and  rest. 

K    2 


132  GUI    BONO 


0 


Love's  slave,  in  chains  of  strong  desire 
I'm  bound,  nor  dread  edged  steel  or  fire. 

•  •  •  » 

The  hills  shall  melt,  back  rivers  roll, 
Heavens  fall,  ere  love  forsake  my  soul ! 
All  creatures  love  aloud  proclaim — 
Heavens,  earth,  and  sea  increase  my  flame — 
Whate'er  I  see,  as  mirror  bright, 
Reflects  my  lover  to  my  sight." 

I  found  the  whole  ode  a  splendid  piece  of  senti- 
mentahty,  and  asked  the  brother  to  give  it  me;  he 
said  he  would,  if  permitted.  Permission  from  the 
Superior  was  obtained — he  gave  me  the  verses,  and 
I  did  not  read  them  over  many  times  before  they 
became  part  and  parcel  of  my  heart. 

Such  direct  helps  as  these,  particularly  among  the 
philosophical  Jesuits,  render  the  habit  of  chastity 
comparatively  easy.  The  physiologist  will  under- 
stand me  when  I  say  that  the  chastity  referred  to  is 
a  mental  habit. 

PERFECT    OBEDIENCE. 

We  heard  comparatively  little  about  the  vows  of 
poverty  and  chastity ;  but  every  moment  of  the  day 
we  were  reminded  of  that  of  obedience.  If  chastity 
was  the  crown,  and  poverty  the  robe,  obedience  was 
the  head  and  the  body  to  wear  them  :  it  was  to  be 
the  virtue  of  the  Jesuit.  No  boundaries,  no  limits, 
were  set  to  this  virtue — it  was  infinite  space  for  ever 
enlarging !  It  was  to  extend  over  body  and  soul,  as 
if  we  had  *^  sold  them  to  the  devil!"  One  sinde 
example,  which   was  held   forth  to  us  for  a  "  sign/' 


■  CUI    BONO?  133 

will  enable  the  thoughtful  reader  to  apply  the  prin- 
ciple in  all  its  bearings.  It  was  to  show  the  nature 
of  blind*  obedience  and  its  reward.  A  certain  holy 
man  was  ordered  by  his  Superior  to  water  a  dry  stick 
set  upright  in  the  ground.  He  obeyed  without  a 
question,  or  a  thought  of  a  question — and  behold ! 
the  stick  put  forth  branches  and  grew  a  beautiful 
tree !  .  .  .  . 

True,  we  read  that  "  for  no  reason  in  the  world, 
for  the  pleasure  of  no  man,  was  any  evil  to  be  done ;" 
but  were  we  to  judge  what  was  evil?  Did  the  holy 
man  referred  to  judge  what  seemed  to  be  absurd,  use- 
less ?  The  will  of  the  Superior  is  "  as  it  were  the  will  of 
God ;"  and  were  we  to  question  His  morahty  ?  If 
'^  there  was  a  way  which  seemeth  good  unto  man, 
but  leadeth  unto  death,"  there  might  also  be  a  way 
which  seemeth  evil  unto  a  man  but  which  leadeth 
unto  life  !  .  .  .  . 

Now,  then,  for  the  cardinal  points :  the  north, 
south,  east,  and  west  of  this  mighty  argument  ! 
Consider  the  fact  of  twenty  thousand  men  thus 
obedient  to  the  will  of  one  man — the  General  of 
the  Society !  From  the  highest  official  next  in  suc- 
cession— the  provincials  in  their  respective  countries 
in  every  region  of  the  world,  the  masters  of  colleges, 
the  professed,  the  simple  socii,  the  lay-brothers, — 
down  to  the  aspirant  Novice  :  all  ready,  eager  to  obey 
the  will  of  this  one  man,  without  a  question  or  a 
thought  of  a  question — as  if  he  were  God  himself! 
Consider  the  possibility  of  this  man  being  bought  over 

*  Const.  Part  vi.  c.  1,  §  !• 


134  CUI    BONO  ? 

or  bribed,  or  from  himself  possessed  of  some"  Napo- 
leonic idea,"  to  bring  all  his  forces  to  act  on  any 
given  point :  all  his  forces  of  intellect,  eloquence,  secret 
influence  of  the  confessional;  in  a  word  all  the  arts, 
human  and  divine,  at  his  command  !  I  ask,  who  shall 
resist  this  man?  It  is  not  a  question  whether  such 
has  been  or  will  be  the  case,  but  whether  such 
might  not  be  the  case?  To  say  that  there  would  be 
some  honest,  worthy  men  among  them,  who  might 
question  the  morality  of  the  mandate,  is  quite  beside 
the  question  ;  the  majority  must  always  yield  a  blind 
obedience,  for  this  is  essential  to  the  verv  existence 
of  the  Society.  The  love  for  the  Society  has  been 
shown  to  exist  to  an  unlimited  extent :  all  desire  its 
advancement  and  prosperity.  Each  member,  there- 
fore, is  satisfied  that  every  mandate  of  the  General 
will  tend  to  those  grand  objects  of  desire;  and,  con- 
sequently, as  his  temporal  welfare  depends  on  the 
temporal  welfare  of  the  Society,  his  own  individual 
interest  is  involved  in  blind  obedience ;  for  it  is  not 
to  be  supposed  that  the  inculcation  of  a  splendid 
*' indifference  to  all  things,"  has  anything  to  do  with 
the  prosperous  condition  of  the  Society:  to  thaty 
indeed,  the  Jesuit  must  not  be  indifferent. 


135 


CHAPTER  IX, 


ECONOMICS    OF    THE    NOVITIATE THE    MASTER, 

MINISTER,    MONITORS. 

The  clay's  occupation'  has  doubtless  given  the  reader 
an  idea  of  the  training  pursued  in  the  Novitiate.  In. 
that  article  I  have  alluded  to  many  matters  on  which 
I  have  now  to  enlarge. 

It  was  a  common  axiom  with  us,  that  he  who 
went  through  his  novitiate  with  perfect  satisfaction 
to  his  superiors,  would  give  the  best  proof  of  a  true 
vocation  to  the  Society.  It  is  in  the  Novitiate  that 
the  Jesuit  learns  the  fundamental  principles  of  his 
art :  in  after  life,  he  has  but  to  apply  or  enlarge  on 
those  principles — all,  of  course,  in  accordance  with 
the  direction  of  holy  obedience ;  for  I  need  not  say- 
that  a  carte  blanche  in  the  portfolio  of  a  Jesuit  sent 
out  on  his  **  mission,"  is  quite  out  of  the  question. 
He  can  do  nothing  without  the  "  permission  of  his 
superiors."* 

Every  ordinary  duty,  then,  which  he  has  after- 

*  Debet  iis  a  Superiore  dari  instructio  in  scriptis — non  tantiim  de 
negotiis,  sed  etiam  de  jyenonii.     C.  P.  vii.  c.  2j  ibid,  N. 


136  ECONOMICS    OF 

wards  to  perform,  has  its  representative  in  the  Novi- 
tiate. This  will  appear  in  the  sequel.  The  Novice 
studies  to  learn  these  duties ;  meanwhile  the  Supe- 
rior studies  the  Novice:  hence  the  terms  novitiate 
and  probation  are  synonymous.  To  speak  anatomi- 
cally, his  mentality  is  dissected  from  his  cranium 
down  to  the  metatarsal  bones ;  the  keen  scalpel  laying 
open  every  viscus,  every  organ;  and  the  judgment 
thereon  being  deliberately  weighed  and  recorded,  as 
if  only  a  dead  body  was  on  the  table.  But  I  forget 
— Ignatius,  on  his  deathbed,  enjoined  every  Jesuit 
to  be  in  the  hands  of  his  Superior,  perinde  ac  cadaver, 
mst  like  a  carcass. 

The  character,  attainments,  qualifications  of  every 
Jesuit  are  thoroughly  known  to  his  Superior;*  and 
not  only  to  his  Superior,  but  to  the  General  himself, 
though  constantly  resident  in  Rome.  This  must  not 
be  understood  to  mean  a  mere  general  idea  of  these 
attainments,  qualifications,  and  character ;  but  a  real, 
certain  knowledge,  resulting  from  repeated  tests  on  a 
thousand  different  occasions.  A  statement  of  the  asre, 
attainments,  character,  country,  and,  I  think,  "  form 
and  figure,'*  of  every  member,  even  in  the  Novitiate, 
is  annually,  immediately  after  the  "  manifestation  of 
conscience,"  sent  to  the  General  at  Rome,  by  the 
various  provincials  from  every  part  of  the  world  where 
the  Society  is,  as  in  England,  established. 

Besides,  in  these  annual  reports,  the  state  of  reli- 
gion, prospects  of  the  Society,  &c.  &:c.,  in  the  respec- 

*  Oportet  eos  esse  notissimos  Superiori.     Ex.  c.  4 — 35. 


THE   NOVITIATE.  137 

tive  countries,  are  given  with  the  same  precision.* 
Letters,  also,  in  Latin,  occasionally  pass  between  the 
Novices  of  one  country  and  those  of  another.  This 
correspondence,  of  course,  is  only  intended  to  unite  the 
confraternity  more  closely  together ;  and  as  such  it  is 
"  part  of  the  system."  We  wrote  a  letter  to  the  Ro- 
man Novices  whilst  I  was  at  Hodder;  and  having 
had  much  to  do  with  the  Latin  construction  (the 
matter  was  furnished  by  the  Novices  of  the  second 
year),  I  can  answer  for  some  of  the  hopes  therein  fer- 
vently breathed,  as  bearing  the  fruit  of  fulfilment 
in  these  days  of  Tractarian  conversion.  If  our 
Joshuas  only  could  go  forth  to  smite  Amalek, 
we  could  stand  on  the  top  of  the  hill,  and  hold 
up  our  hands  in  prayer  for  victory  against  the  *'  he- 
retics," whose  land  we  piously  coveted  :  for  it  was  a 
"good  land,  that  beyond  Jordan,  that  goodly  moun- 
tain, and  Lebanon  !"  For  this  consummation  we 
prayed  daily  —  for  this  all  Roman  Catholics  pray 
daily :  and  they  will  continue  to  pray  till  they  enter 
the  promised  Canaan,  and  '*  mass  be  sung  in  West- 
minster Abbey !" 

"Novices  ?ire  sometimes  interchanged :  thus  an  En- 
glishman might  be  sent  to  the  Roman  Novitiate.  Some 
of  the  Jesuits  at  Stonyhurst  passed  their  novitiate  at 
Rome.  The  utility  of  this  is  obvious.  Foreign  lan- 
guages are  acquired  without  loss  of  time  :  not  that 
the  languages  are  grammatically  studied  in  such  cir- 
cumstances ;  but  most  assuredly  a  facility  of  expres- 
sion is  therein  acquired ;  and  we  may  rest  assured 

*  Vide  In6tr.  xviii.  pro  Consult. 


138  ECONOMICS    OF 

that  the  person  thus  selected  to  go  abroad  is  per- 
fectly qualified  to  make  the  most  of  his  opportunity. 
No  men  "seize  Time  by  the  forelock"  with  such  a 
prompt  and  resolute  grip  as  the  Jesuits. 

From  all  that  I  have  said  it  is  clear  that  the  selec- 
tion of  a  Jesuit  to  work  in  any  given  ''  vineyard" — 
whether  by  the  Provincial  or  by  the  mighty  General — 
is,  on  most  occasions,  an  easy  matter. 

It  may  be  thought  that  this  general  training,  to 
which  all  are  subjected  alike,  would  necessarily  pro- 
duce a  similarity  in  the  characters  of  all.  It  pro- 
duces a  similarity,  but  no  more  :  and  yet — 

Facies  non  omnibus  una, — 

Nee  diversa  tamea — qualem  decet  esse  sororum. 

The  training  is  intended  eminently  to  effect  a  habit 
of  perfect  obedience ;  for,  strange  to  say,  perfection  in 
this  *'  virtue"  is  considered  a  preservative  against 
every  crime  which  would  disqualify  a  Jesuit. 

The  following  is  the  rule  in  all  its  fervour.  After 
having  alluded  to  the  vow  of  Chastity,  whose  model 
is  to  be  the  purity  of  the  angels,  Ignatius  proceeds  to 
speak  of  Obedience,  "  which  all  are  most^  to  observe, 
and  study  to  excel  in — not  only  in  things  of  obli- 
gation, but  even  in  others — although  nothing  but  the 
sign  of  the  Superior's  will  should  appear  without  an 
express  command.  They  should  have  before  their 
eyes  God  the  Creator,  and  our  Lord  for  whose  sake 
obedience  is  yielded  unto  man :  and,  that  this  may 
follow  in  the  spirit  of  love  and  not  with  the  pertur- 
bation of  fear,  care  must  be  taken,  so  that  we  may 

*  Plurimum, 


THE    NOVITIATE.  139 

all  strive  with  a  stedfast  mind  not  to  set  aside 
aught  of  perfection  which  we  may  be  able  to  attain 
with  Divine  grace,  in  the  absolute  observance  of  all 
the  Constitutions,  and  in  corresponding  to  the  pecu- 
liar design  of  our  Institute : — and  we  should  strenu- 
ously strain  every  nerve  in  our  power  in  manifesting 
this  virtue  of  obedience,  in  the  first  place  to  the 
Pope,  and  secondly  to  the  Superiors  of  the  Society. 
So  that  in  all  things  to  which  obedience  can  extend 
with  charity,  we  should  be  eagerly  ready*  at  its 
voice,  just  as  if  it  came  forth  from  Christ  the  Lord, 
since  we  yield  obedience  to  one  who  holds  His  place, 
and  for  the  sake  of  His  love  and  reverence — in  any- 
thing whatever,  and  indeed,  even  a  letter  [of  the 
alphabet]  begun,  being  left  unfinishedt  [at  the  word 
of  command]. 

*'  Directing  to  that  end  all  our  powers  in  the  Lord, 
that  holy  obedience  be  always  perfect  in  all  its  attri- 
butes, in  the  execution^  in  the  will,  in  the  intellect — 
with  great  agility,  spiritual  joy,  and  perseverance, 
performing  whatever  we  have  been  enjoined  to  do — 
persuading  ourselves  that  all  things  are  just — re- 
jecting every  opinion  and  judgment  of  ours  which 
may  be  contrary,  with  a  certain  blind  obedience ; 
and  this  indeed  in  all  things  which  are  ruled  by  the 
Superior — wherein  (as  has  been  said)  no  kind  of  sin 
can  be  defined  to  enter.  And  each  one  should  per- 
suade himself  that  those  who  live  under  obedience, 
ought  to  allow  themselves  to  be  borne  and  ruled  by 

*   Q,uam  promptissimi. 

t  Litera  a  nobis  inchoata  nee  dum  perfecta  relicta. 


140  ECONOMICS    OF 

Divine  Providence  through  the  Saperior,  just  as  if 
they  were  a  carcass  which  may  be  borne  in  any  direc- 
tion, and  permits  itself  to  be  handled  in  any  manner 
— or  hke  an  old  man's  staff  which  everywhere  serves 
him,  and  for  whatever  purpose  he  who  holds  it  in  his 
hand,  wishes  to  use  it.  For  thus  the  obedient  man 
ought  to  perform  with  alacrity  of  soul  anything  what- 
ever to  which  his  Superior  may  wish  him  to  apply 
himself,  for  the  aid  of  the  whole  body  of  the  Order''^ 
— being  convinced  as  of  a  certainty  that  he  will  con- 
form to  the  Divine  will  by  that  means,  rather  than  by 
any  other  whatever  that  he  could  apply,  by  following 
his  own  will  and  judgment."f 

The  novice  who  strives  to  attain  this  perfection  of 
obedience  should  have  Divine  superiors.  Has  the 
reader  ever  imagined  it  possible  for  man  to  expect,  or 
have  yielded  to  him  such  prostrate  submission  as  this 
rule  exemplifies  ?  Does  the  reader  think  that  it  can 
possibly  exist?  He  will  say  no  !  if  he  has  not  pene- 
trated into  the  depths  of  his  own  mind — if  he  has 
not  been  accustomed  to  imagine  the  various  circum- 
stances, in  which  as  a  human  being,  he  might  be  tried, 
tempted,  proved  as  by  fire  —  and  if,  uninstructed 
by  this  species  of  experience  open  to  all,  he  is  yet  to 
be  convinced  that  the  human  mind  can  be  brought 
to  believe  anything  when  its  predominant  sentiments 
are  trained  to  bribe  the  rebellious  will  to  subjection. 

No  man  can  be  more  intensely  convinced  than 
I  am  of   the  resistless  force   of  Divine  religion  — 

*  Religionis, 

t  A  rule  of  the  Summary.     Const.  P.  vi.  cap.  I.  1, 


THE  NOVITIATE.  141 

God-inspired  in  the  humble  soul :  an  impulse  that 
may  have  all  the  energetic  fervour  of  enthusiasm, 
combined  with  religious  sobriety,  such  as  charity 
in  her  sweetest  mood,  breathed  into  the  heart  which 
truly  said — "  Not  /,  but  Christ  in  me !"  But  for  this 
Divine  religion  I  look  in  vain  in  the  Jesuits.  I  found 
its  sentiments  inculcated  by  the  spirit  which  presided 
over  my  meditations — I  looked  above  me  for  a  model ; 
but  found  it  not.  As  the  prophets  of  old,  they 
were  trained  in  a  school ;  but  they  became  not  pro- 
phets— and  yet  they  would  go  forth  as  such !  It  was 
a  painful  thing,  this :  to  seek  what  one  wished  to  find, 
and  yet  to  seek  in  vain. 

Perhaps  the  impression  was  unfounded — doubtless 
the  friends  of  the  Jesuits  will  think  it  so.  The  former 
I  should  be  happy  to  believe,  the  latter  I  cannot 
allow  to  have  any  weight  in  the  balance  of  facts — 
of  conduct,  that  my  eyes  beheld  and  have  perused. 

How  humanly  all  things  progressed  in  the  path 
quasi  Divine,  will  be  evident  in  my  narrative :  still 
more  in  the  history  which  is  to  give  completeness 
to  this  exposition  of  the  Jesuit  mind. 

Let  it  be  distinctly  understood  that,  philosophi- 
cally, I  give  the  Jesuits  unbounded  credit  for  the 
tact  and  cleverness  of  their  system.  This  view  of 
the  matter  will  not  recommend  it  to  the  sincere  fol- 
lower of  Christ ;  but  it  may  tend  to  place  a  momen- 
tous topic  on  its  right  footing,  and  give  a  key  to  the 
secret  of  the  rise,  decline,  and  fall  of  the  Jesuits. 

To  such  a  Society,  union  is  absolutely  necessary — 
union  of  thought  as  well  as  of  action.  The  will  of  the 


142  ECONOMICS    OF 

Superior  should  settle  every  doubt:  answer  every 
question,  without  appeal.  Obedience,  then,  is  the 
bond  of  union.* 

Among  the  many  motives  held  forth  for  this  union 
of  thought  and  action,  or  execution,  1  find  the  fol- 
lowing, in  the  Declarations  superadded  by  way  of 
running  commentary  to  the  Constitutions,  viz. — 
"  There  are  also  other  reasons,  namely,  because  there 
will  be  for  the  most  part  literary  men  amongst  us, 
and  who  will  have  not  a  little  influence  by  favour 
with  princes  and  men  of  high  rank,  and  the  people.''^ 

We  will  now  inquire  into  the  method  of  effectuat- 
ing this  obedience. 

Obedience — in  its  ascetic  acceptation — is  not  pecu- 
liar to  the  Jesuits :  all  monks  were,  or  should  have 
been  ;  are,  or  should  be,  obedient.  Obedience  in  the 
Jesuit  acceptation  is  certainly  peculiar  to  the  Jesuits ; 
and  it  is  rendered  so  by  the  peculiar  functions  which 
the  Jesuits  have  to  perform.  This  distinction  should 
be  borne  in  mind  by  those  who  ask  if  the  Benedic- 
tines, the  Dominicans,  the  Franciscans,  &:c.,  do  not 
vow  obedience?  Bearing  this  distinction  in  mind, 
they  may  quote  whole  treatises  of  Bernard,  Basil, 
&c.,  without  touching  the  main  question.  Ignatius 
himself  shall  tell  us  what  sort  of  obedience  he  means. 
On  the  occasion  of  certain  "  missfuided "  mortifica- 


'& 


*  Unio  magn;"i  ex  parle  j  er  Obeclientia3  vinculum  conficitur.  Const. 
P.  viii.  c.  1. 

t  Sunt  et  aliffi  rationes,  qualis  est,  quud  ut  plurimum  literati  erunt, 
et  gratia  apud  principes  et  priraarios  viros,  ac  populos,  non  parum 
valebunt.     Const.  P.  viii.  c.  1. 


THE    NOVITIATE.  J  43 

tions  and  austerities,  Ignatius  addressed  his  cele- 
brated Epistle,  ^*  On  the  Virtue  of  Obedience,"  to  his 
devoted  followers.  He  begins  with  stating  that 
obedience  is  the  only  virtue  which  produces  and 
cherishes  the  *ther  virtues ;  that,  properly  speaking, 
it  is  the  virtue  of  the  Societv,  and  the  character 
^vhich  distinguishes  its  children;  that  thus  other 
religious  orders  might  surpass  them  in  fastings,  in 
"watchings,  and  in  many  other  austere  practices, 
which  each  of  them  observes  piously,  according  to 
the  spirit  of  their  vocation  ;  but  as  to  what  concerns 
obedience,  they  ought  not  to  yield  the  palm  to  them  ; 
and  that  their  vocation  obliges  them  to  render  them- 
selves perfect  in  that  virtue. 

He  then  establishes,  on  reasons  deduced  from  the 
Scriptures  and  the  Fathers,  three  degrees  of  obe- 
dience. The  first  and  the  lowest  consists  in  doing 
what  is  commanded.  The  second  is,  not  only  to 
execute  the  orders  of  the  Superior,  but  to  conform 
our  will  to  his.  The  third,  to  consider  what  is  com- 
manded as  the  most  reasonable  and  the  best,  for  this 
only  reason — that  the  Superior  considers  it  as  such.  In 
order  to  attain  this  degree  so  elevated — which  is 
called  the  obedience  of  the  understanding — he  says 
that  we  ousht  not  to  care  whether  he  who  commands 
is  wise  or  imprudent,  holy  or  imperfect;  but  consider 
in  him  only  the  person  of  Jesus  Christ :  who  has 
placed  His  authority  into  his  hands,  in  order  to  guide 
us  ;  and  who,  being  wisdom  itself,  will  not  permit  His 
minister  to  be  mistaken.* 

*  Eouhours,  La  vie  de  St.  Ignace,  liv.  v. 


144  ECONOMICS    OF 

On  his  deathbed  Ignatius  exclaimed  : — 

"  Write  !  I  desire  that  the  Society  should  know 
my  last  thoughts  on  the  virtue  of  obedience."  I 
shall  only  quote  one,  as  most  of  them  have  been 
given  already.     The  following  is  significant : — 

"VI.  If  the  Superior  judges  that  what  he  com- 
mands me  to  do  is  good,  and  I  believe  that  I  cannot 
obey  without  offending  God — unless  that  be  evident 
to  me — I  must  obey.  If,  however,  I  find  a  difficulty 
by  some  scruple  or  other,  I  will  consult  two  or  three 
persons  of  good  sense,  and  I  will  abide  by  their 
opinion.  But  if  I  do  not  yield  after  that,  I  am  very 
far  from  the  perfection  which  the  excellence  of  a  reli- 
gious state  demands."* 

This  last  bequest  speaks  out  clearly  enough :  it 
needs  no  "declaration,"  no  commentary.  But  a  ques- 
tion arises — was  there,  then,  a  necessity  to  foresee 
the  circumstances  in  which  a  Jesuit  might  scruple 
as  in  temptation  ? — might  fear  to  offend  God  by 
pleasing  man  ? — might  object  to  sin  '*  by  virtue  of 
Holy  Obedience  ?"  In  the  seventh  congregation  of 
the  Society  it  was  decreed,  that  whoever  said  to  the 
minister  commanding  "  I  will  not  do  it,"  falls  into  a 
'^  reserved  case"f — that  is,  a  crime  the  absolution  from 
which  is  exclusively  vested  in  a  higher  functionary  of 
the  Society. 

I  proceed  to  develope  the  philosophy  of  this  inte- 
resting topic. 

•  Bouhours,  La  Vie  de  St.  Tguace.  liv^.  v. 

t  CoNGii.  7.  D.  45.      Ministro  qui  elicit,    Nolo  facer e,  in  casum 
incidit  reservatura.     Index  Gen,  Inst.  S.  I. 


THE    NOVITIATE.  145 

How  are  the  novices  conquered  ? — how  are  they 
made  to  conquer  themselves  ? — How  are  tlie  Jesuits 
conquered  ? — how  do  they  conquer  themselves  ? — so 
as  to  execute,  with  hand  and  heart,  blind  in  will, 
obscure  in  intellect,  any  and  every  command  "  with  no 
less  eagerness  than  a  child  in  the  extremity  of  hunger 
obevs  the  voice  of  the  nurse  that  calls  it  for  food."^ 

If  all  physicians  and  surgeons  would  study  physi- 
ology with  the  perseverance  that  its  necessity  in 
the  correct  diagnosis  and  proper  treatment  of  disease 
seems  to  demand,  doubtless  the  art  of  medicine  would 
become  something  like  a  system — one  system  instead 
of  a  thousand.  Jesuit  casuistry  and  spiritual  nosology 
are  based  on  a  most  respectable  knowledge  of  mental 
physiology.  In  reading  some  of  their  casuists, 
one  is  astounded  by  the  extraordinary  minuteness  of 
criminal  distinctions,  which  smell  of  phosphorus,  in 
every  page.  They  have  made  a  terrible  use  of  the 
confessional.  On  the  other  hand,  their  ^'spiritual 
books"  give  evidence  of  deep  thought.  Take  the 
following  in  the  matter  of  disobedience  :  I  quote  it  in 
proof  of  what  I  have  said  with  regard  to  the  senti- 
ments in  the  motives  to  obedience. 

"If  any  command  is  abhorrent  to  self-esteem  or 
self-respect,  the  difficulty  of  obedience  results  from 
pride ;  v/e  must  here  apply  the  examination  of  con- 
science, meditations;  and  remedies  are  to  be  adminis- 
tered by  considering  what  an  empty  thing  is  pride, 
particularly  in  a  religious  man,  who  professes  a  con- 
tempt for  himself,  and  declares  himself  to  be  crucified 

*  S.  Basil,  cit.  ab  Aquav.  in  Instr.  pro  Super,  de  Obed. 

L 


146  ECONOMICS    OF 

to  the  world.  If  any  work  is  imposed,  or  any  office  to 
whicli  we  feel  a  repugnance,  the  difficulty  flows  from 
an  unmortified  nature ;  but  if,  on  the  contrary,  we 
have  to  leave  an  office  to  which  we  are  rather  inclined, 
the  difficulty  emanates  from  the  very  same  inordinate 
affection  for  that  office,  or  a  person  with  whom  it 
brings  us  in  contact.  If  the  difficulty  of  the  work 
frightens  us,  fortitude  is  deficient;  and  in  like  manner 
in  similar  cases.  Let  us  humble  ourselves  then,  and 
striving  to  attain  the  aims  before  us,  we  may  gain  a 
glorious  victory  over  self."* 

The  same  renowned  General  of  the  Society  thus 
explains  the  conquering  discipline  of  his  troops : — 

"  It  will  be  advantageous  if  the  Superior  should 
sometimes  command  the  subject  to  hold  himself  in 
readiness  to  do  something  as  yet  uncertain,  in  two  or 
three  days,  which,  perhaps,  will  be  against  his  will 
and  mind,  but  still  he  should  resolve  in  his  mind  that 
he  will  never  positively  consent  to  the  contrary.''^ 

On\y  divine  motives  are  ever  to  be  held  forth, and  yet, 

"  Let  the  Superior  frequently  enjoin  him  to  do 
trivial  things  in  which  he  knows  that  the  subject 
finds  no  difficulty,  so  that  he  may  thus  accustom  him 
to  do  somethinor  towards  the  command  of  somethins: 
else;  when  he  has  done  it  let  the  Superior  praise  him, 
encourage  him,  8cc."J 

Again,  **  Sometimes  let  the  Superior  select  some- 
thing certain,  in  which  the  subject  finds  great  diffi- 

*  Aquav.  De  Spir.  cap.  4,  7. 

t  Id.     Ad  curand.  anim.  morb.  c.  5. 

I  It'.     De  Perfect.  Obed.  c.  5. 


THE    NOVITIATE.  147 

culty,  and  let  him  tell  him  to  prepare  himself  to  do  it 
in  the  course  of  two  or  three  days,  as  if  he  is  to  do  it 
by  common  consent.  When  he  has  done  it,  if  with 
alacrity,  let  him  be  cheered  and  encouraged,  showing 
him  that  it  will  come  to  pass  by  that  example  that  all 
things  will  become  more  easy.  If  he  has  done  it  with 
difficulty,  let  his  patience  be  praised,  promise  him 
victory,  telling  him  that  he  may  easily  conquer  and 
by  degrees  may  become  stronger  by  this  exercise. 

"  Let  the  Superior  sometimes  condescend  so  far  as 
to  pass  over  that  order  to  comply  with  which  he  feels 
a  great  repugnance ;  but  in  so  fatherly  a  manner  that 
the  subject  may  understand  that  it  was  o.  pious  dis- 
pensalioii  and  sweet  condescension,  only  in  order  that 
he  may  profit  by  it  and  gain  vigour,  and  after  having 
become  stronger,  be  able  to  bear  with  alacrity  what  is 
now  above  his  strength.  Meanwhile,  although  the 
Superior  may  do  this  on  his  part,  let  the  subject, 
however,  know  that  he  has  diminished  his  merit  and 
strength,  which  he  would  have  increased  if  he  had 
conquered  himself  with  magnanimity."* 

To  give  examples  of  Jesuit  obedience  would  be  to 
narrate  the  history  of  the  society. 

It  is  the  human  will — considered  as  a  cause  and  not 
an  effect  by  the  majority  of  moralists — that  the 
Jesuits  seem  most  anxious  to  direct;  esteeming  all 
other  mental  phenomena  as  purely  indifferent :  that 
is  neither  good  nor  bad  in  themselves,  but  only  so 
in  proportion  as  they  are  directed  by  a  will  quasi 
perverse,  or  quasi  right,  according  to  their  notions. 

*  Id.  ut  antea. 
L    2 


148  ECONOMICS    OF 

In  effect  the  Jesuits  are  more  philosophical  than 
other  ascetics.  They  do  not  strive  to  change  nature, 
but  only  to  direct  it  from  one  object  of  appetence  to 
another.  Thus  they  endeavour  to  sanctify  (so  to 
speak)  ambition  into  what  they  call  apostolic  fervour  : 
thus  Ignatius,  from  a  warrior,  aspired  to  be  a  saint. 
I  remember  reading  in  the  Novitiate — I  think  in  a 
Latin  life  of  Xavier — some  very  striking  remarks  on 
this  subject,  the  conclusions  v;hereof  may  be  enun- 
ciated as  follows :  viz.,  that  the  characters  of  men 
were  all  wisely  ordained  for  some  purpose — that  they 
were  not  to  be  radically  altered — indeed,  that  was 
impossible — but  only  directed  into  a  proper  channel, 
so  as  to  sail  prosperously  down  the  stream  of  Grace, 
which  leads  each  to  the  same  ends  by  different 
means.  There  is  something  worthy  of  consideration 
in  that  exposition  of  Jesuit-ethics  ;  and  though  liable 
to  extravagant  abuse,  it  is  perhaps  a  good  principle 
whereon  to  build  a  rational  and  religious  system  of 
education. 

Thus,  whatever  is  altered  in  a  man's  mentality 
by  the  Jesuits,  his  ruling  passion  is  not  virtually 
changed  :  it  is  held  in  check — it  is  trained — it  is 
purified — sublimated  according  to  their  notions — but 
it  is  still  there — coiled  up  as  an  everlasting  mainspring 
which  is  wound  up  at  stated  times  by  Holy  Obedience, 
and  keeps  the  whole  system  in  accurate  movement : 
whether  laid  by,  like  the  chronometer  after  a  voyage, 
in  one  of  the  ''Three  Houses,"  or  when — like  the 
chronometer,  again  hung  on  gimbals  in  the  cabin  of 
the  ship  tempest-tossed  on  the  waste  of  waters — he  is 


THE    NOVITIATE.  149 

set  adrift  to  work  his  way  in  the  latitude  and 
longitude  of  a  heretic-world. 

The  same  principle  is  applied  to  genius,  talents, 
and  their  predilections.  The  whole  history  of  literature 
in  every  language  attests  this  fact:  the  Jesuits  know 
their  wants,  they  have  the  means  to  supply  them,  and 
they  shape  their  course  accordingly. 

What  are  the  means  taken  to  discover  the  real 
character  of  the  novice? 

I  have  spoken  of  my  "  general  confession"  on 
entering  upon  my  probation ;  but  there  are  other 
means  still  to  be  mentioned — and  these,  the  most  im- 
portant of  all.  To  show  how  such  means  are  ap- 
plied, I  shall  now  draw  a  sketch  of  the  various 
functionaries  in  the  Novitiate,  and  describe  their 
respective  functions  in  operation. 

THE    MASTER. 

It  must  be  evident  that  the  master  of  the  novices 
fills  an  important  office  in  the  society.  Very  pecu- 
liar tact  and  discernment  are  required  in  the  man 
whose  duty  it  is  to  discover  all  that  is  in  the  heart 
within,  and  at  the  same  time  render  all  that  is  out- 
wardly unpleasant  bearable,  at  least,  if  not  sweet  and 
palatable.  From  the  immense  importance  attached 
to  obedience,  the  reader  must  not  conclude  that  per- 
fection in  this  quality  is  absolutely  "  the  one  thing 
needful;"  though,  assuredly,  like  charity,  it  "co- 
vers a  multitude  of  sins."  There  are  other  qualifi- 
cations which  are  certainly  essential  in  a  Jesuit.  All 
these  qualifications  constitute  what  is  called  a 
"  vocation"  to  the  Society  of  Jesus.     These  the  master 


150  THE    MASTER. 

of  the  novices  has  to  discover,  and  two  entire  years 
are  allowed  him  for  this  investigation.  Other  re- 
ligious confraternities  require  but  one  year  for  pro- 
bation before  the  vows  are  taken. 

This  simple  fact  alone  declares  something  of  no 
small  importance  in  the  eyes  of  the  philosopher;  and 
all  will  be  convinced  that  the  qualifications  required 
must  be  both  extraordinary  and  difficult  to  be  dis- 
covered. If  I  may  be  permitted  to  express  by  a 
single  word  what  the  spirit  of  Ignatius  requires  in 
his  novice,  I  say  it  is  malleability.  The  master  of 
the  novices  once  said  to  me,  "  I  have  reason  to  hope 
for  the  best  because  you  are  so  amenable — in  this 
sense,  that  you  are  easily  led  by  the  heart."  This 
forced  and  peculiar  meaning  which  he  gave  to  the 
word  has  stamped  it  on  my  mind  as  a  philological 
curiosity.^  It  is  then  a  nature  which  is  easily  worked 
that  is  required  in  the  novice  destined  to  become  a 
Jesuit — a  gentle,  confiding,  candid,  ingenuous  heart, 
which,  like  the  clear  still  water  over  pure  white 
sand,  reflects  the  thoughts  unspoken,  but  still  well 
shadowed,  of  his  Superior,  as  truthfully  and  as  beau- 
tifully imaged  as  the  pictured  heavens  with  passing 
clouds,  momentary  gleams,  shade  mingling  with  light, 
towers  and  battlements,  a  cottage  and  a  church,  a 
prison  and  a  palace,  trees  and  sign-posts,  cattle  and 
labourers,  children  and  birds  of  passage,  the  straight 
and  the  crooked,  the  hurried,  the  slow — there,  on 

•  Amenable — that  may  be  moved,  brought  to  answer  inquiries,  to 
account  for  actions  ;  or  may  it  not  rather  be — subject  to  the  jurisdic- 
tion of  a  Mesne  Lord  ;  to  be  summoned  before  him,  adjudged  by  him  ; 
and  then — subject  to  trial  or  examination.     See  Richardson. 


THE    MASTER.  151 

that  still  mirror  of  the  lake  which  takes  every  im- 
pression without  a  murmur,  and  asks  not  why  nor 
wherefore  ! 

It  must  be  difficult  to  find  such  a  nature  :  approxi- 
mations, therefore,  must  satisfy  where  perfection 
cannot  be  found.  Here  the  tact  and  discernment  of 
the  master  are  constantly  required. 

Again,  he  must  be  a  man  of  great  patience  and 
natural  kindness  of  disposition,  to  bear  with  all  the 
little  afflictions  which  the  novices  must  give  him,  in 
spite  of  themselves.  Doubts  and  fears,  bitterness 
and  sadness,  come  upon  them  at  times,  and  often, — 
they  rush  to  him  for  aid  and  consolation.  But  if 
too  many  of  these  crotchets  molest  the  mind — in 
other  words,  if  a  novice  is  "  too  scrupulous"  he  will 
not  do  for  the  society.  When  at  Hodder,  one  of  the 
novices  disappeared  rather  unexpectedly — I  say 
unexpectedly,  because  he  was  with  us  at  night,  and 
we  only  missed  him  at  recreation.     I  asked  a  novice 

of  the  second  year  why  Brother had  left?     The 

answer  was  to  the  following  effect,  and  nearly  in  the 

very  words  :    ''  Brother  was   too   scrupulous : 

men  of  strong  minds  are  wanted  ;  when  holy  obe- 
dience has  spoken,  all  doubts  and  difficulties  should 
vanish."  I  confess  that  I  was  pained  for  the  depar- 
ture of  our  friend,  who  was  truly  an  amiable  youth ; 
and  1  was  by  no  means  satisfied  with  the  cause. 
How  the  report  was  put  into  circulation,  or  whether 
my  informant  was  correct,  I  know  not ;  but  I  have 
many  reasons,  in  my  own  experience,  for  taking 
his  words  in  their  literal  and  fullest  sense,  as  develop- 


152  THE    MASTER. 

inga  fundamental  principle  of  the  system  in  question. 
To  show  that  few  other  considerations,  if  any,  will 
induce  the  Jesuits  to  deviate  from  the  model  on 
^vhich  all  their  men  must  be  fashioned  as  to  their 
essentials  at  least,  I  may  state  that  the  gentleman 
who  left  under  the  circumstances  mentioned,  was  the 
son  of  a  baronet. 

It  is  the  Father  of  the  Novices  who  has  to  scrutinize, 
advise,  and  pass  judgment  on  these  secret  matters. 
He  heard  the  sacramental  confessions  of  the  novices 
every  Saturday,  preparatory  to  our  communion  on  the 
following  day.  If  any  particular  saint's  day  occurred 
during  the  week,  we  went  to  communion  without 
going  to  confession  ;  a  fervent  act  of  contrition  being 
considered  sufficient.  Besides  this  sacramental  con- 
fession, he  would  send  for  every  novice  once  a  week, 
in  order  to  have  a  private  conversation  with  him  as  to 
his  spiritual  progress.  These  interviews  were  always 
interesting  to  me,  and  they  were  frequently  prolonged 
beyond  the  time  which  was  allowed  to  others.  In- 
deed, these  were  the  only  occasions  on  which  I  could 
fully  express  the  thouo;hts  that  occurred  to  me  during 
meditation.  We  often  had  very  animated  conversa- 
tions on  all  the  topics  connected  with  a  spiritual  life ; 
and  it  was  most  gratifying  to  observe  the  pleasure 
which  beamed  on  his  countenance  at  observing  the 
total  change  which  had  taken  place  in  me,  in  the 
short  space  of  a  few  months. 

Again,  the  Master  of  the  Novices  must  be  highly 
gifted  in  what  is  called  the  "discernment  of  sphits :" 
that  is  to  say,  the  peculiar  influences  from  within 


THE    MASTER.  153 

that  retard  or  promote  spiritual  progress.  His  con- 
clusions in  this  matter  direct  his  advice,  and  deter- 
mine the  selection  of  books  for  the  study  of  the 
novice.  As  I  shall  afterwards  relate,  his  discernment 
on  one  occasion  raised  me  from  the  depths  of  bitter- 
ness to  exultation  :  instantly,  suddenly  as  the  light- 
ning-flash that  lights  up  a  hemisphere, — i  thought 
the  man  was  inspired. 

A  mother's  gentleness  is  also  requisite  to  inspire 
that  confidence  which  has  no  secrets.  In  this  respect 
the  man  selected  to  ouide  us  at  Hodder  left  nothino; 
to  desire  :  in  unbosoming  my  heart  to  him  I  often 
thouo;ht  of  my  mother.  Oh!  how  sweet  it  was  to  be 
thoroughly  known,  thoroughly  understood — even  as 
I  was  to  Him  from  whom  nothing  is  hid  ! 

"  I  have  now  before  me,"  says  one  of  the  Generals, 
"  the  true  image  of  our  novice — the  more  perfect 
form — but  we  need  the  reality.  All  my  anxiety  and 
difficulty  consist  in  this,  namely,  how  to  describe  the 
model  and  the  likeness  of  this  ideal  perfection  to 
which  the  imperfect  flesh  itself  is  to  be  moulded.  It 
is  not  by  himself  that  this  novice  just  escaped  from 
the  world,  and  still  intensely  burning  with  its  flame — 
it  is  not,  I  say,  by  his  own  unassisted  mind  that  he  is 
fit  to  receive  the  doctrine  and  transcendent  wisdom 
which  Christ  unfolds  to  him  in  the  inculcation  of 
self-abasement — an  infant  lately  born  to  life  cannot 
swallow  hard  bread.  It  is  the  duty  of  the  mother  to 
crumble  the  food  of  such  a  little  one,  and  make  it  soft 
in  her  own  mouth,  and,  as  Augustin  observes,  give  it 
to  her  child,  after  having  changed  its  nature  in  her 
own  milk.     What  the  mother  eats,  the  infant  eats 


154  THE    MASTER. 

but  as  the  infant  is  unable  to  eat  the  bread,  the 
mother  incarnates  the  bread,  and  by  the  humility  of 
the  breast*  and  the  juice  of  the  milk,  feeds  the  infant 
with  the  same  bread  itself. 

"The  Superior  or  Master  of  the  novices  is  their 
father,  mother,  and  nurse.  His  duty  is  to  break  the 
too  solid  bread,  to  grind  it  once  more  with  his  own 
teeth,  then  change  it  into  milk  and  present  it  to  the 
novice.      =^  *  #  *  #  # 

"  If  the  novice  is  fed  with  this  milk,  we  may  promise 
ourselves  to  find  in  him  the  virtue  which  is  expected 
in  those  who  are  far  advanced  in  the  path  of  religion 
and  perfection.  For,  if  St.  Bernard  most  elegantly 
calls  twilight  the  hope  of  the  sun,  and  names  a 
flower  the  hope  of  the  fruit,  so  in  like  manner  we  may 
call  the  best  and  perfect  novice  the  hope  of  the  best 
and  consummate  professed. "-f- 

After  this,  I  trust  that  my  idea  of  the  man  to  be 
selected  to  fill  the  post  of  Master  of  the  Novices  is 
perfectly  in  accordance  with  the  spirit  of  the  Institute. 

THE    MINISTER. 

The  second  functionary  in  the  Novitiate  is  the  Father 
Minister,  When  I  went  to  Hodder-place  there  was 
no  father  minister ;  but  about  six  months  after  my 
arrival  one  was  appointed.  It  would  appear  that  the 
father  minister  is  nominated  somewhat  with  the  same 
view  as  the  ''coadjutors"  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
bishops,  or  *'  vicars  apostolic"  in  England,  viz.,  in 
order  to  succeed  to  the  higher  oflGice  in  the  event  of 

*   Humilitatem  mammillK. 

t  Epist.  Fran.  Piccolom.  Praep.  Gen.  S.  J.  1650. 


THE    MINISTER.  155 

death  or  other  translation.  He  is  a  kind  of  imnriediate 
superintendent;  is  generally,  if  not  always,  with  the 
novices,and  consequently  advises  and  reprimands  as  he 
thinks  fit  and  expedient.  When  I  say  reprimand,  I  wish 
it  to  be  understood  that  there  never  was  any  harshness 
in  the  exercise  of  that  function.  At  all  events,  the  re- 
prehensions applied  to  try  my  "spirit"  were  kindly  and 
meekly  expressed  :  a  harsh  word  was  never  spoken  in 
the  Novitiate,  though  impremeditated  slips  of  the 
tongue  might  to  a  vigilant  conscience  occasionally 
assume  the  form  of  uncharitableness;  in  which  case 
they  were  duly  expiated  by  a  public  acknowledgment 
and  penance. 

The  father  minister,  then,  is  an  additional  instru- 
ment of  probation — another  eye  to  the  omniscient 
Argus,  none  of  whose  eyes  are  ever  asleep  ;  and  it  is 
precisely  because  no  lute  with  notes  melodiously 
sweet  can  charm  these  eyes  to  repose,  that  this  mo- 
dern Argus — the  Society  of  the  Jesuits — fears  no  sur- 
prise :  lives  on,  if  not  for  ever. 

The  Father  Minister  at  Hodder,  at  his  very  first 
appearance,  cast  a  shadow  on  my  mind  and  heart. 
There  are  natures  which  are  attracted  or  repelled  at 
first  sight.  An  innocent  babe  will  scream  at  the 
glance  of  one  man,  and  sweetly  smile  at  that  of 
another.  Surely  this  voice  of  nature — this  uncon 
querable  instinct — must  be  oftener  right  than  wrong. 
At  least,  such  is  my  idiosyncrasy ;  and  it  was  un- 
favourably affected  by  this  Jesuit,  the  father  minister. 
When  I  first  raised  my  eyes  to  his  countenance  I  felt 
a  shock  similar  to  that  of  electricity,  and  a  foreboding 


156  THE    MINISTER. 

seemed  to  tell  my  heart  that  I  could  not  live  with  one 
whom  it  was  impossible  for  me  to  esteem  and  to  love. 
He  came  at  a  time,  too,  when  my  mind  was  assailed 
by  doubts  as  to  my  '*  vocation;"  and  I  well  remember 
that  at  the  sight  of  his  features  I  thought  o^  the  front 
door  by  which  I  had  entered  the  Novitiate. 

I  remember  that  thought ! 

This  may  seem  strange — preposterous ;  but  there 
are  self-ideas — strono-  thoucrhts  —  sweet  and  bitter 
thoughts — that  stamp  themselves  on  the  mind  and 
memory  for  ever ;  to  be  recalled  ever  and  anon,  like 
the  scenes  we  have  witnessed — the  events  which  con- 
stitute our  history,  whereby  we  have  been  made  happy 
or  wretched. 

I  strove  to  overcome  my  repugnance  to  this  man — 
I  confessed  it  to  the  Superior — I  prayed  for  aid — I 
tried  to  reason  myself  out  of  it;  but  that  was  the 
"rock  on  which  I  split :"  reasoning  was  the  hundred 
arms  of  the  polypus  that  entangled  and  stifled  the 
pious  wish  whenever  it  floated  within  reach  on  my 
little  "  sea  of  troubles."  I  shall  have  to  speak  of 
this  Jesuit  again  towards  the  close  of  my  narrative ; 
but  a  few  words  are  necessary  here  in  order  to  justify 
my  repugnance.  Of  all  the  Jesuits  whom  I  met  at 
Stonyhurst,  this  man  seemed  the  most  insincere.  I 
never  heard  a  word  from  his  lips  that  could  edify  or 
inspire  devotion — he  always  seemed  tired  in  body  or 
mind  of  something  that  was  never  to  be  disclosed. 
This  last  remark  may  apply  to  the  **  Fathers"  gene- 
rally ;  and  it  was  to  me  a  matter  of  wonder  how  men 
could  have  been  trained  as  I  was  in  the  Novitiate, 


THE    MINISTER.  157 

and  yet  be  so  cold,  unimpassioned  on  the  most  vital 
topics  of  religion,  as  I  found  them; — though,  it  must 
be  confessed,  they  brightened  considerably  on  all 
occasions  when  the  affairs  of  the  Society  were  dis- 
cussed. Far  be  it  from  me  to  write  ought  that  may 
wantonly  wound  the  feelings  of  any  one.  I  denounce 
the  system — not  the  men  who  were  kind  to  me  :  ex- 
cept so  far  as  they  are  inseparable  from  it.  I  j^ity 
them;  therefore  have  I  undertaken  to  attempt  a  dis- 
section of  that  system,  which,  amongst  all  its  other 
contortions,  wrenchings,  and  twistings  of  the  human 
heart  and  mind,  renders  even  the  godlike  virtue  of 
brotherly  love  and  human  kindness  suspicious  in  its 
manifestations 

Aversions  must  necessarily  occur  at  times  among 
men  living  together :  the  mysterious  influences  that 
make  the  most  vigorous  plant  droop  to  decay  in  a 
single  day,  a  single  hour,  may  have  their  representa- 
tives in  the  human  heart.  We  are  not  always  the 
same  :  the  plant  of  love  has  its  Spring,  Summer, 
Autumn,  and  Winter;  and  though  its  seasons  are 
subject  to  considerable  perturbations,  still,  doubtless, 
in  every  heart  its  Spring  and  Summer  are  well 
remembered. 

Against  the  aversions  alluded  to,  I  find  certain 
''cures"  prescribed  by  Aquaviva  in  his  Instruction  for 
the  Superiors  of  the  Society.  The  patient  "  must  be 
stimulated  by  the  confessor,  and  he  is  not  to  be  per- 
mitted, as  in  other  imperfections,  to  delay  in  over- 
coming his  aversion,  in  discarding  all  bitterness,  and 
in  being  reconciled  to  his  brother,  persuaded   as  he 


158  THE    MINISTER. 

must  be  that  neither  his  prayers  nor  other  actions 
can  be  such  as  they  should  be,  unless  this  imperfec- 
tion be  amended.  The  Superior  must  see  that  he  be 
reconciled  as  soon  as  possible  with  his  brother,  and 
must  by  no  means  permit,  should  the  thing  ever 
occur,  that  the  common  signs  of  salutation,  conversa- 
tion, and  duty,  or  the  like,  be  reciprocally  vi^ithheld. 
*  *  ^  ^  ^ 

'*  Let  the  Superior  speak  to  the  brother  who  is  the 
object  of  aversion,  in  order  that  the  latter,  although 
innocent  of  any  cause  of  offence,  should,  neverthe- 
less, overcome  evil  with  good,  should  humble  himself, 
be  the  first  to  go  and  blandly  address  the  delinquent, 
and  by  all  means  entice  him  to  brotherly  love.  In 
fine,  let  the  Superior,  or  any  other  mediator,  settle 
the  matter  entirely  and  without  delay ."^ 

In  the  Life  of  Ignatius,  a  curious  instance  of 
this  aversion  is  related,  together  with  its  sudden  cure, 
by  the  magic  of  the  eyes.  I  must  preface  the  anec- 
dote by  a  few  remarks.  Of  all  the  faces  that  the 
limner's  art  has  handed  down  to  posterity,  as  the 
compendious  records  of  the  renowned  or  notorious 
dead,  that  of  Ignatius  of  Loyola  always  seemed, 
and  seems  still  to  me,  unlovable  amongst  the  least 
lovable.  I  have  before  me  now  a  well-executed  en- 
graving of  his  miniature,  and  it  produces  the  same 
repugnance  that  I  felt  in  the  Novitiate,  without  the 
pious  wish  to  overcome  the  feeling.  And  yet  '*  he 
could  bend  the  minds  of  his  followers  in  whatever 
direction  he  pleased." 

*  Aquav,,  De  impat.  &  aversio.  2,  et  seq. 


THE    MINISTER.  159 

RiBADENEYRA  was  young,  and  not  very  regular 
nor  prudent;  his  extravagance  went  so  far  as  to  shake 
off  the  yoke  of  obedience,  and  to  feel  so  strong  a 
repugnance  to  Ignatius,  that  he  could  not  bear  the 
sight  of  the  holy  Father:  such  was  his  secret 
aversion. 

Ignatius  sent  for  him  one  day,  and  only  said  two 
or  three  words  to  him.  In  the  instant,  Ribadeneyra 
threw  himself  at  his  feet,  and  bursting  into  tears, 
exclaimed — '*  I  will  do,  Father !  I  will  do  whatever 
vou  like  !"^ 

In  my  case  the  cause  was  too  deep,  too  continuous 
to  admit  of  a  radical  cure:  the  disease  was  organic. 
With  the  exception  of  my  Superior — the  Master  of 
the  Novices — no  Jesuit  that  I  conversed  with  left  a 
pleasing  impression  on  my  mind.  Doubtless,  obe- 
dience under  such  circumstances  would  indeed  have 
had  "  great  merit;"  but  my  faith  in  the  possibility  of 
thus  rendering  myself  acceptable  to  God,  was  too 
weak  for  a  Jesuit. 

I  must  do  justice  to  the  immediate  object  of  my 
'''aversion,"  by  stating,  that  on  one  occasion  he 
jocosely  animadverted  on  the  "  prevarication  and  equi- 
vocation*' of  certain  English  Jesuits  during  the  times 
of  persecution  ;  including,  or  directly  alluding  to, 
Parsons  and  Garnet,  if  I  remember  rightly.  But 
though  this  was  only  "in  jest,"  still  I  felt  inchned 
to  open  my  heart  to  the  man :  even  for  that  candour 
which,  by  a  little  charitable  twisting,  might,  to  "  the 


•  BouHOURS — Vie  d*  Ignace.  liv.  vi. 


160  THE   PORTER. 

simplicity  of  the  dove,"  seem  not  to  be  "  the  cunning 
of  the  serpent." 

Had  I  gone  among  these  men  as  an  enemy,  I 
would  now  suspect  my  impressions;  but  I  went  as  a 
friend,  as  a  passionate  admirer :  and  surely  it  was 
scarcely  my  fault,  if  the  peculiarities  of  their  minds 
did  not  please  me — veluti  Balhinum  polypus  Haguce  ! 

THE    PORTER. 

The  porter  was  one  of  the  novices  of  the  second 
year.  He  continued  in  office  for  sometime:  there 
were  but  three  different  porters  during  my  year.  All 
the  general  and  particular  orders  of  the  Superior 
came  through  him;  and,  though  without  any  power 
resulting  from  his  office,  he  directed,  as  we  have 
seen,  all  the  movements  of  the  novices  durins;  the 
public  works.  He  was  expected  to  be  more  watchful 
over  himself,  because  he  was  porter,  in  addition  to  his 
being  a  novice  of  the  second  year :  which  was  itself 
an  influential  motive  to  perfection  in  all  the  duties  of 
a  novice.  He  was  expected  to  give  an  account  of 
all  the  novices — to  report  any  public  infringement  of 
the  rules.  Whatever  was  needed  by  the  novices  was 
to  be  asked  from  him  ;  whether  clothing,  shoes,  pens, 
ink,  and  paper.  These  were  always  liberally  supplied  ; 
in  accordance  with  that  part  of  one  of  the  rules  of  the 
Constitutions,  which  enjoins  every  Jesuit  "  freely  to 
give  what  he  has  freely  received:"  a  doctrine  wliich 
it  is  difficult  to  reconcile  with  the  educational  re- 
venue derived  by  the  Jesuits  in  most  parts  of  the 
world 


MONITORS. 


161 


The  porter  was  thus,  as  it  were,  housekeeper  in  the 
establishment.  He  rose  first,  and  went  to  bed  last ; 
after  having  bolted  the  outer  doors,  put  out  the  fire 
and  the  lights,  and  wound  up  the  pious  old  clock  on 
the  stated  days.  That  old  clock  !  I  think  I  hear  it 
now  clicking  its  on-for-ever  and  contented  pulse,  as 
its  obedient  children  passed  by,  but  never  greet- 
ing it  with  a  friendly  look.  It  stood  on  the  landing, 
opposite  the  door  of  the  dormitory,  close  to  that 
of  the  chapel :  we  therefore  passed  it  frequently ; 
but  if  I  did  not  see  its  face  in  the  first  days  of 
my  first  retreat,  I  have  never  seen  it :  and  yet  I 
often  think  of  that  good  old  clock — that  venerable 
old  clock! 

MONITORS. 

Every  novice  had  his  monitor.  Sunday-schools 
and  union-schools,  and  likewise  the  Methodists  (who, 
by  the  way,  have  borrowed  a  few  rules  and  regula- 
tions from  Ignatius),  have  made  the  word  monitor 
quite  familiar  to  the  language;  but  its  original  phi- 
lological meaning  has  not  been  preserved.  The 
Jesuits,  and,  I  believe,  the  Methodists,  use  it  pretty 
much  in  its  strictest  sense:  certainly  it  means  some- 
thing in  the  Novitiate. 

The  monitors  were  appointed  by  the  Superior.  At 
certain  times — for  these  were  not  perpetual  curacies 
— all  the  novices  were  ordered  to  the  Refectory  just 
before  "  Manual  Works.'*  They  stood  around,  and 
the  porter  at  the  end  of  the  room,  with  a  paper  in 
his  hand,  read  off,  in  Latin,  the  appointment  of  all 

M 


162 


MONITORS. 


the  minor  functionaries  by  name  : — the  waiters  for 
the  week,  the  readers,  the  monitors  reciprocally, 
and  the  porter,  if  the  will  of  the  Superior  had  put 
a  period  to  his  functional  existence  :  and  that 
would  be  the  first  intimation  he  would  have  of  the 
supersedeas  issued  against  its  continuance.  Power, 
over  mind  or  body,  is  pleasant  to  the  human  heart. 
V¥e  soon  habituate  ourselves  to  the  possession  ;  and 
however  unselfish  we  are,  it  will  be  found,  if  we 
probe  the  heart,  that  we  never  part  with  it  without 
some  "triflino:"  reluctance.  Ignatius  knew  this: 
the  Jesuits  know  it ;  and  so  they  habituate  the  no- 
vice to  this  bitterness  by  times :  for  no  one  knows 
how  long  he  is  to  discharge  any  ofliice.  As  is  the 
porter  in  the  Novitiate,  so  is  the  Jesuit  everywhere. 
]Vo  handwritino'  on  the  wall  forewarns  him  of  his 
fate  ;  with  the  shriek  of  the  prey-bird;  or  the  stun- 
ning crash  of  the  whirlwind,  "  Othello's  occupation  's 
gone  !"  The  highest  are  levelled  to  the  lowest,  and 
beneath  them ;  the  most  glorious  plume  is  snatched 
from  the  cap  of  one,  to  be  placed  in  that  of  another: 
unscrupulously,  unhesitatingly,  suddenly,  by  Holy 
Obedience : — 

" bine  apicem  rapax 

cum  stridore  acuto 


Sustulit :  hie  posuisse  gaudet." 

The  duty  of  the  monitor  is  to  remark  any  irregu- 
larity in  the  novice  whose  monitor  he  happens  to  be, 
and  to  admonish  him  of  it  at  the  appointed  time.  I 
think  this  occurred  twice  a  week.  As  I  have  said 
before,  the    porter   gave    the   signal   by   his   "  Deo 


MONITORS.  163 

gratias."  The  novice  then  went  to  his  monitor  (who 
should  be  in  his  cell  in  readiness),  scratched  the  cur- 
tain, entered  as  soon  as  permission  was  given,  and 
with  downcast  eyes  said  "  Deo  gratias."  His 
monitor  mentioned  whatever  he  had  observed  amiss 
in  his  conduct;  concluding  with  *^  Deo  gratias," 
which  was  a  dismissal,  and  then  went  to  his  own 
monitor:  if  he  had  not  already  received  his  admo- 
nition. This  was  a  painful  duty  to  perform  ;  parti- 
cularly if  you  had  to  admonish  one  considerably  older 
than  yourself,  as  was  my  case.  I  fulfilled  the  duty 
once,  and  I  think  but  once.  I  took  refuge  in  that 
concentration  of  the  heart  and  mind  which  strives, 
at  least,  to  see  no  evil  in  others  :  a  consummation  to 
which  all  may  in  a  great  measure  attain,  if  we  ana- 
tomise our  own  heart  and  its  suggestions.  The  novice, 
when  admonished,  was  expected  to  receive  the  ad- 
monition with  grateful  humility,  and  resolve  to  avoid 
the  fault  admonished.  Of  course,  no  question  was 
asked  as  to  the  when?  or  why?  of  the  time  and 
reason  of  the  objected  imperfection  :  you  listened, 
but  never  rejoined. 

If  the  monitor  had  observed  nothing,  he  said  ''  Deo 
gratias." 

'*  To  the  greater  glory  of  God  !"  was  the  end  held 
forth  to  us,  in  all  that  we  were  taught  to  think,  to 
feel,  to  do;  and  it  was  certainly  not  impossible  to 
console  our  nettled  self-love  with  "  banc  veniam  peti- 
musque  damusque  vicissim" — "we  give  and  take'' — 
sanctifying  the  worldly  motto  w'ith  an  aspiration  in 
*'  the  spirit  of  holy  Father  Ignatius." 

M  2 


164  MONITORS.  , 

In  a  state  of  primitive  Christianity — or  among  the 
Jesuits  if  they  could  reproduce  that  golden  age, — how 
beautiful  would  be  that  reciprocal  anxiety  or  rather 
solicitude  for  each  other's  spiritual  welfare !  But 
when  one  has  felt,  as  I  have,  the  fearful  temptations 
of  bitter  thought  which  the  practice  multiplies  for 
poor  humanity  —  already  sufficiently  tempted  —  it 
requires  but  little  reasoning  to  convince  us  that  it  sub- 
serves the  unalloyed  selfishness  of  the  Society,  much 
more  than  the  cause  of  religious  amendment  in  the 
individual.  "  He  who  toucheth  pitch,"  it  is  written, 
"  shall  be  defiled  therewith" — there  are  defiling 
things  in  our  nature  which  not  even  the  Jesuits  can 
sanctify  by  the  ewe?  of  their  application. 

True,  the  novice  is  aware  of  this  regulation  before 
he  enters  into  probation  ;  but  the  previous  knowledge 
of  their  existence  does  not  diminish  the  pang  or  the 
poison  of  the  sting  of  the  musquitoes  in  the  pestilen- 
tial swamps  of  America,  when  the  traveller  y'ee/s  their 
sting,  or  hears  their  sepulchral  serenade:  a  thousand 
times  more  annoying  than  the  silent  sting. 

To  an  honest  man — to  a  generous  heart,  counsel, 
advice,  a  friendly  admonition  must  always  be  accept- 
able :  *'  a  word  to  the  wise"  should  be  the  motto  of 
every  man,  because  eveiy  man  should  strive  to  attain 
the  perfection  of  his  state ;  but  by  rendering  such 
reprimands  the  result  of  a  systematic  espionage  (I 
rejoice  that  there  is  no  English  word  to  express  it), 
you  open  the  way  to  unholy  selfishness  in  its 
deadliest  rancour,  precisely  because  it  can  work 
unseen  as  the  blast  of  pestilence. 


MONITORS.  165 

Of  what  import  will  it  be,  if  I  admit  that  all  things 
may  be  endured  for  the  sake  of  Him  who  endured  all 
things  for  us  ?  Let  those  things  be  endured  as  He 
endured  them,  namely,  when  they  came  upon  Him 
as  man — but  let  us  not  lead  ourselves  into  tempta- 
tion whilst  we  pray  to  be  delivered  from  evil ! 

Perhaps  my  conclusions  would  have  been  different 
had  I  beheld  better  effects  of  the  training  than  it  was 
my  misfortune  to  witness  :  had  I  seen  a  pure,  morti- 
fied spirit  in  the  Fathers  generally — an  honest  con- 
sistency with  the  dazzling  models  of  my  daily  medi- 
tations. But  I  looked  around  in  vain :  I  waited  in 
vain — my  gorgeous  dreams  dissolved  in  the  presence 
of  the  sad  reality.  I  therefore  am  compelled  to 
admit  that  I  was  constantly  "  tempted"  to  think  the 
'*  Fathers"  with  whom  I  associated — whose  looks, 
eyes  and  words  1  could  study — as  eminently  self- 
seekers  :  men  of  an  association  ;  not  of  the  "  Constitu- 
tions/' where  these  described  my  model. 

This  impression  was  never  thoroughly  overcome ; 
and  the  last  interview  with  the  Provincial,  when  I 
made  known  ray  determination  to  leave,  engraved  on 
my  mind  what  had  only  been  traced  or  sketched 
before  :  it  will  be  given  in  full  in  its  proper  place. 

Training  gives  the  Jesuit  power  to  do  what  other 
men  cannot  do — as  it  does  to  the  acrobat,  the 
tumbler,  the  equestrian  :  what  the  latter  effect  in  the 
brute  muscle  and  limb,  the  former  display  in  mind 
and  morals.  All  have,  doubtless,  motives  strong 
enough  to  rouse  the  most  uncompromising  exertion. 


166 


CHAPTER  X. 

GAMES. — RECREATION. — MISSIONARY    DUTIES. 

This  is  a  strange  combination  of  topics  :  it  will  not, 
however,  appear  so  very  strange  at  "  the  end  of  the 
chapter."  The  Jesuits  do  nothing  in  vain  :  at  least 
without  an  object ;  and  their  "  Philosophy  in  sport" 
is  as  admirably  devised  as  it  is,  in  the  long  run,  per- 
fectly successful.  In  effect  their  whole  system  is  a 
gigantic  speculation — a  cunning  stratagem — a  splen- 
did deceit — a  most  bewitching  artifice.  And  yet,  like 
the  conjurer,  it  is  by  natural  means  that  they  exhibit 
supernatural  manifestations.  Whatever  be  the  mental 
deficiencies  of  the  Jesuit,  like  Ignatius  himself,  he 
must  have,  he  has,  tact — such  tact,  precisely,  as  a 
tiger  would  acquire  were  its  original  cunning  modified 
and  trained  by  the  patient,  wise,  discreet  elephant. 
Such  a  result  would  evidently  be  a  remarkable  phe- 
nomenon in  zoology ;  and  such  is  the  Jesuit-mind  in 
psychology — nothing  more,  nothing  less.  The  Jesuits 
are  terrible  because  they  are  natural.  We  do  not 
habitually  fear  the  devil  as  much  as  we  do  a  bad 
man — and  a  child  can  tell  you  the  reason. 


GAMES.  167 

My  adaiiration  of  the  wonderful  adaptahility  of 
the  human  mind  has  been  so  vastly  increased   by  the 
study  of  these  men   and  their  system,   that  I  have 
great  pleasure  in  returnino-  the  favour,  by  enabling 
others  to  deal  fairly  with  them  :  to  do  them  justice, 
as  honest  Milton,  in  "  Paradise  Lost,"  seems  to  have 
intended  by  his  gorgeous  development  of  Satan  and 
his    awful    theory.      They   are    conscious   of   their 
''  cleverness."     Perhaps  one  of  the  best  specimens  of 
harmless  Jesuits  was  my  old  friend  the  master  of  the 
novices  at  Hodder ;  and  yet  the   following  incident 
rather   staggered  my  esteem  of  this   gentleman — it 
suggested   "temptations."     The   reader  shall  judge. 
One  day  I  was  ordered   to  mend   a  torn  leaf  of  the 
missal.     I   required  some   india-rubber :    there   was 
none  to  be  had.     I  suggested  a  piece  of  bread   as  a 
substitute.     He  accordingly  led  me  to   the  kitchen, 
seized  a  loaf,  and  taking  a  knife  in  his  hand  he  cut  a 
slice,  not  in  the  usual  way,  towards  the  breast,  but 
from  him ;  observing,  "Remember,  Brother  Steinmetz, 
le  Jesuite  coupe,  mais  il  ne  se  coupe  pas''' — ''  the  Jesuit 
cuts,  but   he  takes  care  not    to  cut  himself."      He 
smiled — I  did  the  same — but   I  certainly  wished   he 
had  forgotten  the  maxim.     At  the  end  of  my  work, 
however,  he  partly  did  away  with  the  bad  impression 
by  delicately  praising  my  work  ;  adding — "  Qui  dedit 
tihi  pietatem,  dedit  et  scientiam'^ — "  He  who  gave  thee 
piety,  gave   thee  also    skill."     The    latter   anecdote 
certainly  shows  a  delicate  perception  of  the  pleasant 
and  beautiful,  if  the  former  does  not  point  to  an  ac- 
knowledged and  systematic  craft :  still  it  seemed  to 


168  GAMES. 

ine  as  if  any  clergyman  should  say  (in  jest,  of  course, 
which  makes  the  matter  worse),  "  Do  as  I  say,  not  as 

I  c?o." 

But  cool  cleverness  is  essential  to  a  Jesuit — a  pa- 
tient cleverness  united  to  a  soul  possessed  in  patience 
— whose  joy  at  success  is  subdued,  and  whose  annoy- 
ance at  failure  has  no  voice.  Means  were  given  to 
us  in  the  Novitiate  to  acquire  this  frame  of  mind. 
We  played  at  backgammon,  chess,  and  draughts.  I 
know  not  whether  dice,  and  so  absorbing  a  game 
as  chess,  are  conducive  to  "  holy  living ;"  but  I  do 
know  that  the  former,  at  least,  are  positively  forbid- 
den to  the  priest  by  the  Council  of  Trent;  and  I  also 
know  that  we  found  them  very  useful  in  curbing  the 
temper,  and  in  giving  us  numerous  opportunities  to 
afflict,  mortify,  contund,  the  spirit — the  rebellious 
spirit. 

Our  times  of  play  were  the  recreation-days.  Al- 
though these  days  came  round  every  week  pretty 
regularly,  still  they  were  occasionally  stopped  ;  and 
they  were  always  announced  by  the  porter  in  the  usual 
way,  thereby  giving  us  to  understand  that  they  did 
not  come  as  a  matter  of  course. 

We  also  played  at  football,  and  here  slight  ebulli- 
tions of  temper  were  sometimes  seen  ;  but  the  re- 
pentant brother,  on  his  knees  in  the  Refectory,  was 
sure  to  make  ample  amends  for  his  misdemeanour. 

I  have  felt  the  pleasure  of  apologising  for  an  un- 
premeditated word  of  anger,  and  I  have  experienced 
the  pain  of  receiving  such  an  apology,  mingled  though 
it  was  with  pleasure  ;  but  I  had  neither  pleasure  nor 


A   WALK.  169 

pain  when  I  beheld  a  brother  kneehng,and  heard  him 
confess  a  trivial  contradiction,  and  felt  the  kiss  of  his 
lips  on  my  feet :  only  then  reminded  (not  that  /  had 
been  offended),  but  that  he  had  committed  a  fault 
against  brotherly  love  !  I  had  neither  pleasure  nor 
pain  on  such  occasions :  I  was  simply  humbled — 
lowered  still  more  in  my  own  estimation— more  re- 
signed— more  contrite. 

Truly  there  is  something  of  Heaven  in  this  gene- 
rous humility  of  the  heart,  expiating  all  its  guilt  in  a 
noble  acknowledgment,  by  loving  kindness  prompted, 
and  with  Christian  simplicity  expressed  ! 

Recreation  superseded  manual  works  and  the  lec- 
ture, so  that  it  lasted  about  three  hours ;  sometimes 
in  the  forenoon,  sometimes  in  the  afternoon,  when  we 
now  and  then  went  out  for  a  walk  in  the  vicinity. 

The  porter  announced  the  order  to  that  effect. 
We  made  ready  as  expeditiously  as  possible,  by  doff- 
ing: our  cassocks  and  donnins;  our  coats, — and  o-reat 
coats  in  winter, — putting  on  thick  shoes,  and  taking 
our  sticks  and  hats  :  thus  equipped,  we  walked  de- 
murely to  the  recreation-room,  said  the  usual  "  Ave 
Maria"  kneeling,  and  then  went  and  stood  in  a  line 
opposite  the  door  which  opened  into  the  garden — for 
I  must  repeat  that  we  never  went  through  the  front 
door  of  the  Novitiate  except  twice  :  once  on  entering 
for  the  first  time,  and  then  on  departing  from  the 
gates  of  probation.  Standing  in  a  line,  then,  presently 
the  porter  appeared,  and  stood  on  the  steps  of  the 
door,  with  a  paper  in  his  hand.  This  was  a  list  of 
the  different  companies  into  which  we  were  divided ; 


170  THE    LITANY. 

generally  a  second-year  novice  was  in  each  company ; 
the  novice  first  named  had  the  company  in  charge. 
When  each  company  was  named  it  filed  ofF,  the  leader 
rehearsing  the  Litany  of  the  Virgin  Mary  in  Latin, 
and  his  companions  answering  the  ''Ora  pro  nobis'* 
in  sonorous  cadence.  As  this  Litany  has  been  men- 
tioned before,  I  may  state,  for  the  information  of  the 
reader,  that  it  consists  chiefly  of  eighteen  laudatory 
epithets  of  the  Virgin,  as  the  mother  '^  of  the  Creator," 
'*  of  the  Saviour,"  and  "  of  Divine  Grace.*'  Next 
follow  thirteen  incongruous  and  middle-age  metaphors 
or  tropes,  expressive  of  certain  mystic  qualities  which 
Romanticism  has  ascribed  to  the  ^*  Queen  of  Heaven." 
She  is  then  stated  to  be  the  "health  of  the  sick,"  the 
'•'  refuge  of  sinners,"  the  "  consolatrix  of  the  afflicted," 
the  "  aid  of  Christians ;"  and  the  Litany  winds  up 
with  invoking  Mary  as  the  queen  of  angels,  patriarchs, 
prophets,  apostles,  martyrs,  confessors,  virgins,  and  of 
all  the  saints. 

It  is  repeated  rapidly,  and  the  sound  reminds  one 
of  that  husky  guttural  note  with  which  the  palanquin- 
bearers  of  the  East  supply  the  place  of  a  pedometer, 
and  kill  monotony :  to  their  own  satisfaction,  at  least, 
if  not  to  that  of  the  traveller. 

The  list  was  in  Latin,  the  Litany  was  in  Latin,  and 
we  talked  Latin  for  the  first  hours  of  recreation,  on  all 
occasions.  To  those  whose  tongues  are  habitually 
tied,  I  doubt  not  that  Hebrew  or  Chinese  would  soon 
be  sufficiently  mastered  as  a  vehicle  of  thought  when 
the  ordinary  locomotive  of  the  mind  is  forbidden  "to 
run."     Few  of  us  found  much  difficulty  in  conversing 


A    DISCUSSION.  171 

fluently,  particularly  as  our  topics  were  invariably 
spiritual  or  Jesuitico-historical,  and  of  course  most,  if 
not  all,  our  reading  in  the  Novitiate  was  in  Latin. 
Generally  the  Father  Minister  was  in  one  of  the  com- 
panies, and  he  was  often  in  mine.  There  were  three 
or  four  in  each  company — very  seldom  only  two. 
The  object  of  this  is  evident — the  conversation  of  two 
is  much  more  likely  to  become  irregular  than  that  of 
three. 

I  was  once  reminded  of  the  wisdom  of  this  regula- 
tion. It  happened  that  two  of  us — another  novice 
and  myself — were  permitted  to  go  out  without  the 
usual  third.  From  one  thing  to  another,  our  conver- 
sation— according  to  the  usual  phases  of  that  social 
Proteus — turned  on  the  noble  sacrifices  that  have 
been  made  for  the  sake  of  religion ;  and  I  charitably 
alluded  to  one  of  our  brothers,  who,  being  the  son  of 
a  nobleman,  was  content  with  exchanoing;  that  hio;h 
honour  for  the  obscurity  of  the  Novitiate.  My  com- 
panion, to  my  great  surprise,  treated  the  idea  very 
lightly,  informing  me  that  the  novice  alluded  to  was 
only  a  younger  son  of  a  nobleman  not  very  rich. 

But  not  stopping  here,  he  very  lucidly  explained 
how  he  had  made  a  much  greater  sacrifice  by  leaving 
considerable  property  in  the  world. 

"  After  all,"  said  I,  **  perhaps  it  does  not  matter 
much  what  we  have  left  in  the  world,  provided  we 
have  left  our  self-will  there  also." 

Thus  I  managed  to  give  the  conversation  another 
turn  ;  for  it  was  evidently  not  very  edifying  on  that 
tack.     I   did  not  report  the  error,  though  doubtless 


172 


REMARKS. 


I  ought  to  have  done  so.  Let  me  now  make  amends 
for  my  irregularity  by  a  few  remarks  flowing  directly 
from  the  subject. 

People  are  apt  to  lay  too  much  stress  on  what 
'^converts"  resign  for  the  sake  of  religion.  For  my 
part  I  value  their  mental  much  more  than  their 
bodily  sacrifice.  Philosophers  of  old — pagan  philo- 
sophers— have  shown  their  contempt  for  riches  in 
many  a  beautiful  anecdote.  I  am  aware  that  their 
motives  have  been  unkindly  called  in  question  by  the 
moderns;  but  if  we  undertake  to  find  out  the  motives 
of  men  without  decided  proofs  of  tlieir  tendency,  we 
may  offend  as  much  against  true  morality  as  against 
logic. 

Again,  how  many  men  have  thrown  up  most 
lucrative  employment,  with  the  certainty  of  vast 
pecuniary  inconvenience  before  them,  when  merely 
their  self-love  has  been  wounded  by  an  insulting  word 
of  their  employer  ? 

The  love  of  literature,  of  music,  the  love  of  women, 
of  the  bottle,  has  seduced  thousands  into  desperate 
resolutions,  fraught  with  worldly  ruin. 

I  do  not  suggest  these  hints  by  way  of  depreciat- 
ing the  *^  great  sacrifices"  in  question,  but  simply  to 
show  that  they  are  at  most  but  negative  criteria,  if 
there  be  such  things  in  the  chaos  of  mind. 

The  poor  labourer,  who  despite  the  bitterness  of 
the  hour — pinching  poverty — with  many  a  little  one 
beside  him  to  feed,  and  but  little  to  feed  their 
craving  mouths  withal — unpitied  by  the  rich  man 
whose  mansion  is   inconvenienced  by   the   sight   of 


REMARKS.  173 

his  humble  cottage  hard  by — such  an  outcast  of 
men — so  desperately  tried  in  the  fire  of  temptation — 
if  he  can  feel  his  honest  heart  beat  with  devotion, 
can  look  up  to  Heaven — can  think  sweetly  of  his 
merciful  good  God,  saying,  ''Thy  will  be  done  !"  Then 
is  there  a  sacrifice  indeed :  a  whole  burnt-ofFering 
whose  odour  ascends  undeviating,  unscattered,  un- 
spent, to  the  judgment-seat  of  God  ! 

Still,  perhaps,  taking  a  worldly  view  of  the  ques- 
tion, the  novice  just  alluded  to,  and  those  who  are 
interested  in  "  conversions"  may  be  very  right  in 
estimating  them  according  to  pounds,  shillings,  and 
pence;  as  the  computation  is  thereby  rendered  ex- 
tremely easy  to  all. 

Guided  by  a  sort  of  traditionary  map,  we  always 
managed  to  avoid  other  companies,  though  we 
frequently  contrived  to  reach  the  outer  gate  about 
the  same  time,  so  great  was  the  punctuality  of  our 
leader. 

We  were  not  allowed  to  speak  with  another  com- 
pany if  we  ever  fell  in  with  one — nor  with  any  one 
else  we  might  meet :  we  merely  raised  our  hands  to 
our  hats  in  salutation,  and  silently  passed  on.  We 
were  not  even  allowed  to  speak  to  the  scholastici  of 
the  seminary  on  such  occasions. 

All  seemed  happy  as  we  set  out,  particularly  dur- 
ing the  summer  months  ;  and  very  often,  as  soon  as 
the  Litany  was  concluded,  one  of  the  company  would 
burst  into  a  fit  of  laughter ! — a  sort  of  pent-up  torrent- 
like full-heartedness  that  could  not  be  resisted  any 
lonofer.     This  must  not  remind  the  reader  of  what 


174 


A    SHOCK. 


Cicero  says  of  the  ancient  augurs  of  Rome  when  they 
got  together:*  at  least  I  should  be  very  sorry  to  hear 
the  remark  paralleled  to  the  incident  just  described. 

We  went  as  much  as  possible  by  unfrequented 
paths:  by  the  river's  bank  and  its  beautiful  vale; 
or  through  the  meditative  woods,  where  the  love- 
notes  of  the  summer-birds  oft  recalled,  to  my  affliction, 
that  true  and  real  inspiration  of  heaven — music  and 
song:  which,  in  our  solitude,  I  rarely  heard,  except 
in  dreams  of  the  night.  When  we  were  permitted  to 
go  to  the  church  at  the  college,  to  be  present  at  high 
mass  on  the  great  festivals,  the  sound  of  the  organ 
"was  ravishing,  ecstatic.  To  the  sensual,  music  may 
be  sweet,  but  to  the  spiritual,  it  is  divine  :  a  child 
of  the   imagination,  it  is  maimed  and   crippled    by 


grossness. 


In  our  walks  we  were  careful  to  preserve  "  custody 
of  eyes,"  and  we  rarely  saw  the  faces  of  those  whom 
•we  met.  I  shall  never  forget  the  pang  that  shot 
through  my  frame,  when  once,  on  passing  a  stile,  I 
inadvertently  raised  my  eyes  and  beheld — a  hand- 
some woman  ! 

It  required  some  days  for  me  to  recover  from  this 
shock;  and  I  must  say  that  the  Superior  perfectly 
convinced  me,  at  last,  that  '*  'twas  quite  natural." 
Mark,  here,  a  curious  fact.  In  my  contemplations 
my  soul  v/as  frequently  in  company  with  the  beauties 
of  the  saints — to  the  present  time  I  am  sometimes 
reminded  o^ familiar  faces,  but  I  was  happy  in  those 

*  Namely,  that  tLey  could  not  look  each  other  in  the  face  without 
smiling  at  the  deceit  they  practised. 


MISSIONARY    DUTIES.  175 

•visions.  Was  it  the  idea  alone  that  there  was  no 
danger  in  the  latter  case,  and  some  in  the  former, 
that  thus  changed  bliss  into  misery  ? 

It  was  durino-  recreation  that  we  were  often  sent  on 
our  missionary  duties — particularly  on  Sundays. 

Once  for  all,  I  will  now  state,  that  considerable 
relaxations  are  made  in  the  Novitiate  in  England. 
Novices  in  the  Roman  Novitiate  have,  I  was  told, 
a  much  harder  time  of  it.  I  remember  one  parti- 
cular instance  of  its  severity  was,  the  custom  for 
one  of  the  novices  to  eat  his  dinner  at  the  gate 
with  the  lowest  beggars  of  Rome ;  who  were  fed 
there,  apparently  in  order  to  give  the  novices  one 
trial  more.  By  the  Constitutions  the  novice  is  re- 
quired to  go  on  a  pilgrimage,  to  attend  for  the 
space  of  a  month  in  some  hospital,  and  to  teach  the 
Christian  doctrine  to  the  children  of  the  poor.  We 
had  only  the  last  duty  to  perform  at  Hodder.  Here- 
after, when  "  mass  is  sung  in  Westminster  Abbey," 
doubtless  our  English  novices  will  go  on  a  pilgrimage, 
and  attend  at  some  hospital,  in  their  picturesque  cas- 
socks, walking  demurely,  keeping  custody  of  eyes, 
and  working  miracles  by  edification. 

The  Jesuits  have  established  a  school  for  the  poor 
near  the  college  ;  and  the  novices  instruct  the  children 
in  the  Romish  faith.  Besides  this  general  collec- 
tion, we  went  to  various  poor  families,  and  catechised 
the  little  ones  who  were  assembled  for  the  purpose. 
To  judf;e  from  the  crowds  I  saw  at  mass  on  the  first 
Sunday  I  spent  at  the  college,  the  Roman  Catholics 
in  the  vicinity  are   very  numerous;  and,  doubtless, 


176  MISSIONARY    DUTIES. 

are  annually  increased  in  numbers,  if  not  in  fervour  : 
for  the  Catholic  or  Universal  Church  delights  in 
numbers,  mere  numerical  force  being  an  essential 
'*  mark  of  the  true  church."  It  is  indeed  remarkable, 
that  the  Roman  church,  like  the  Roman  republic  and 
empire  of  old,  should  be  satisfied  with  nothing  short 
of  universal  power!  And  it  is  also  a  curious  fact,  that 
as  the  tough  Germans  of  old  gave  the  first  mighty 
blow  to  the  latter,  so  has  a  tough  German  of  modern 
times  given  another  such  blow  to  the  former:  a  blow 
from  the  effects  of  which  she  will  never  recover ;  any 
more  than  her  predecessor  in  tyranny,  injustice,  and 
craft. 

If  tyranny,  injustice,  and  craft,  be  crimes  against 
the  mere  body  of  man,  that  called  for  a  mighty  and 
lasting  retribution,  why  should  the  retribution  for 
similar  crimes  aoainst  his  soul  be  lessoned  in  extent,  or 
shortened  in  duration  ?  .  .  .  It  cannot  be!  The 
men  of  Rome  exult  in  this  "  reaction,"  as  they  call 
it,  which  is  making  *'  St.  Mary's,  at  Oscott,''  a  true 
"refugium  peccatorum,"  a  refuge  of  sinners.  But, 
perhaps,  from  among  the  very  men  whose  captive 
chains  clank  in  their  triumphal  thanksgiving,  there 
will  be  shot  the  "  lethalis  arundo,"  the  deadly  arrow 
that  will  pierce  and  cling  to  the  side  of  their  "  Mother 
Church"  in  the  appointed  time.  It  is  not  children 
that  they  are  receiving,  but  full-grown  men,  who 
have  been  accustomed  most  pertinaciously  "  to  think 
for  themselves."  They  began  with  being  reformers  : 
and  it  must  be  confessed  with  some  of  the  boldness 
of  reformers.     Will  theyjbe  content  to  "change  their 


MISSIONARY    DUTIES.  177 

skins:"  to  become  sheep,  from  having  been,  as  it 
were,  wolves :  to  smother  the  cunning  and  the  clever 
thought,  which  seems  so  flattering  to  one's  own 
vanity,  in  the  cold,  dead  ashes  of  papal  infallibility? 
We  shall  see! 

On  our  return  from  our  walk  and  missionarv 
duties,  we  begun  the  Litany  again,  just  as  we  entered 
the  outer  gate;  and  as  we  walked  slowly  on  departing 
from  and  returning  to  the  Novitiate,  we  generally 
finished  before  we  reached  the  steps  aforesaid.  We 
went  to  the  recreation-room,  said  the  "  Ave  Maria," 
deposited  our  sticks,  See,  put  on  our  cassocks,  and,  if 
not  otherwise  ordered,  we  might  remain  in  our  cells, 
or  walk  in  the  garden  ;  but  we  generally  assembled 
altogether,  on  the  same  days,  in  the  recreation-room, 
or  in  the  garden,  for  conversation :  the  porter  an- 
nounced the  termination  of  the  hour  prescribed  for 
Latin  conversation. 

For  our  missionary  duties  we  were  directly  and 
indirectly  prepared;  indirectly,  by  all  our  reading; 
and  directly,  by  the  short  sermons  which  every  novice 
in  his  turn  had  to  compose  and  deliver;  and  by  a 
course  of  Christian  doctrine  which  was  read  in  class. 
The  book  was  in  French,  and  each  novice,  when  his 
turn  came  round,  standino-  at  the  end  of  the  Recrea- 
tion-room,  translated  it  into  English,  as  if  he  were 
reading  an  English  book.  Time  was  given  to  prepare 
for  the  lecture ;  and  some  of  the  novices,  I  remember, 
gave  the  viva  voce  translation  with  considerable  neat- 
ness and  elegance.  The  Superior  was  always  present, 
and  he  sometim.es  put  questions  to  the  novices  on  the 

N 


178  MISSIONARY    DUTIES. 

topic  discussed  in  the  book,  which  was  written  by  a 
Jesuit. 

The  moraUty  of  the  catechism  which  we  read  at 
Hodder  was,  as  far  as  I  remember,  that  of  Roman 
Cathohcs  in  general;  nor  do  I  think  there  was  any- 
thing read  to  us  from  it  contrary  to  the  notions  of 
Christians  in  general  on  questions  of  simple  morality. 
I  must  state  that  the  passages  read  were  appointed 
by  the  Superior;  and  we  never  had  the  book  on  any 
other  occasions  but  those  when  we  had  to  read  over 
the  passages  preparatory  to  translation.  The  time 
given  was  barely  sufficient  for  the  work,  much  less  to 
read  more ;  even  if  we  would  do  violence  to  conscience 
by  reading  without  permission,  which,  of  course,  was 
contrary  to  rule. 

Our  sermons  were  short  discourses — delivered  viva 
voce,  in  like  manner — on  the  virtues  and  vices,  from 
texts  of  Scripture  selected  by  the  Superior.  A 
short,  clever  model  of  the  discourse  was  given  to 
us,  to  be  committed  to  memory  and  imitated  as 
closely  as  possible ;  and  we  had  to  rehearse  the 
model  before  deliverincr  our  imitation.  We  had 
also  to  compose  and  deliver  longer  sermons  after 
the  great  retreat — a  list  of  the  subjects  with  the 
preacher's  name  being  deposited  for  inspection  on  a 
table  in  the  dormitory.  On  this  table,  I  may  men- 
tion, by  the  way,  were  a  few  books ;  to  read  which, 
general  permission  was  given.  These  books  were 
small  pious  tracts,  the  only  one  of  them  worth  men- 
tioning being  a  life  of  Segneri,  a  renowned  preacher 
of  the  Society. 


MISSIONARY    DUTIES.  179 

There  was  a  library  in  the  dormitory  containing 
two  or  three  hundred  volumes  of  miscellaneous  spi- 
rituality, which,  however,  we  were  not  permitted  to 
read  without  express  leave  from  the  Superior;  but,  as 
we  had  to  dust  these  books  occasionally,  I  remember 
having-  seen  among  them  a  copy  of  the  Bible  and  the 
sermons  of  Bourdaloue. 

We  delivered  our  sermons  without  gesture,  keeping 
custody  of  eyes,  after  the  manner  of  the  last-named 
celebrated  orator.* 

A  sermon,  or  the  catechism,  or  a  translation  from 
Cyprian,  alternated  in  the  afternoons,  twice  or  thrice 
a  week.  The  sermon  was  generally  criticised  by  the 
Superior, or  the  minister  when  he  was  appointed;  and 
sometimes  keenly — I  suppose  "  to  try  the  spirit." 

From  what  I  have  said  the  reader  will  judge  what 
care  is  taken  to  prepare  the  novice  for  his  future  func- 
tions. Indeed,  with  the  Romish  priesthood  in  gene- 
ral,  divinity  is  not  an  afterthought — is  not  a  matter 

*  I  was  told  an  interesting  anecdote  of  this  celebrated  preacher. 
As  it  was  related  in  the  Novitiate,  I  suppose  we  may  rely  on  its 
authenticity. 

On  one  occasion  Bourdaloue  had  to  preach  a  sermon  on  some  very 
serious  topic — I  was  not  told  what — and  had  retired  to  his  room  for 
his  previous  meditation. 

Being  a  few  minutes  beyond  the  appointed  hour,  he  was  sent  for — 
when  lo  !  they  found  him  with  a  fiddle  in  his  hand,  scraping  a  lively 
air,  to  which  he  was  dancing  with  all  his  might  and  merriment !  On 
being  surprised,  he  said: — "Pardon  me!  brothers;  but  the  fact  is, 
I  was  so  depressed  in  spirits  by  the  terrible  subject,  that  I  have  been 
striving  to  rouse  my  heart  by  this  little  foolery." 

It  is  said  he  never  preached  a  more  powerful  sermon  than  the  one 
which  followed  "  this  little  foolery." 

N    2 


180  MISSIONARY    DUTIES. 

# 

left  in  a  great  measure  to  individual  piety,  honesty, 
and  zeal ;  but  a  first  necessity  :  a  kind  of  mother's 
milk,  w  hich  is  imbibed  betimes.  Hence  the  tenacity 
with  which  the  Roman  faith  sticks  to  the  mind — a 
tenacity  which  gains  strength  with  every  year  of  the 
mind's  growth.  It  is  a  well-concocted  system, 
adapted  to  suit  every  weakness  of  the  human  mind; 
which  it  knows  how  to  exalt  into  the  semblance  of 
strength,  by  argument  and  example  suited  to  every 
capacity.  The  like  principle  is  not  less  evident  in 
Mahomedanism ;  whose  tenets  are  inculcated  and 
practices  enforced,  in  the  earliest  youth  of  the  believer. 
A  hatred  of  all  other  religions  is  sedulously  imbibed 
by  the  follower  of  Mahomet,  as  by  the  Roman 
Catholic ;  and  the  Koran  is  decidedly  a  parallel  to 
infallihility.  Man  is  the  puppet  of  both  supersti- 
tions :  both  are  contrived  to  mystify  his  mind  with 
similar  illusions,  in  the  many  outward  practices  which 
evolve  its  inward  graces. 

I  must  not  forget  to  call  the  reader's  attention  to 
another  means  of  preparation  in  the  Novitiate  for 
the  "  sacred  functions"  —  I  mean  meditation.  To 
me  it  is  a  matter  of  wonder  that  the  Jesuits  are  not 
all  orators — extemporaneous  orators.  Truly,  if  all 
meditate  according  to  the  plan  set  down  by  Ignatius, 
they  can  never  lack  ideas.  But  sincerity,  and  earnest- 
ness are  the  founts  of  eloquence — certainly  of  sacred 
eloquence :  as  the  word  means,  it  is  speech  out  ofiho, 
heart. 

Perhaps,  however,  all  things  cloy  on  the  mind  as 
on  the  palate,  in  time.     And  who  shall  give  life  to 


MISSIONARY    DUTIES.  181 

the  heart  when  all  its  sympathies  are  no  longer  felt 
— or  lie  inactive  till  the  will  of  self  interest  or  of  a 
party  shall  command  them  to  feel  as  they  were 
wont?  Let  it  die,  and  be  dead  for  ever — if  it  cannot 
live  to  its  God  and  humanity,  constant  and  true  in 
word  and  deed  ! 

If  I  may  be  permitted  to  speak  of  myself,  I  will  say 
that,  when  I  left  the  Novitiate,  it  would  have  been 
an  easy  matter  for  me  to  preach  a  sermon  extempo- 
raneously on  most  of  the  topics  of  Christian  morality; 
and  I  record  the  fact  with  candour  and  thankfulness, 
that  the  habit  of  meditation  acquired  in  the  Novitiate 
gives  me  great  facility  in  rivetting  my  mind  to  any 
subject  suggested  by  the  will  or  the  fancy  :  and  for 
any  length  of  time,  without  "  distraction." 


182 


CHAPTER  XI. 

EFFECTS    OF    THE    TRAINING. 

There  are  certain  hardy  bulbous  plants  in  my  gar- 
den which  I  have  repeatedly  removed,  even  when  in 
full  flower,  from  one  bed  to  another,  as  fancy  directed, 
for  the  sake  of  a  pleasing  contrast.  Despite  the  trans- 
plantation, these  plants  have  flourished  as  vigorously 
as  ever,  after  every  removal.  I  feel  a  kindred  affec- 
tion for  these  plants.  Their  hearty  acquiescence  and 
submission  in  every  fate,  and  apparent  determination 
"  to  do  their  best"  in  all  circumstances,  I  cannot 
help  associating  and  comparing  in  idea  with  my  own 
career  through  life.  Perhaps,  however,  my  trans- 
plantation to  the  Jesuit-Novitiate  is  the  one  which 
will  outlive  in  my  memory  every  other :  in  recalling 
that  period  of  my  life  1  seem  to  contemplate  another 
self,  distinct  from  my  present  individuality.  This 
statement  will,  I  trust,  exonerate  me  from  the  charge 
of  egotism  in  speaking  of  myself  with  seeming  ad- 
miration. I  wish  to  contribute  a  few  striking  facts 
to  the  mysterious  science  of  mind — to  psychology — 


EFFECTS    OF    THE    TRAINING.  183 

nothing  more ;  and  I  trust  that  the  reader's  candour 
will  not  accuse  me  of  vanity  in  the  exposition,  I 
have  far  hio^her  aims  and  intentions.  In  other  re- 
spects, history  furnishes  examples  similar,  if  not 
identical,  of  such  transplantation — among  the  rest, 
Alcibiades,  the  Athenian,  leaving  the  delights  of 
Athens,  conformed  with  the  rules  and  regulations  of 
the  ancient  Jesuits  of  Greece:  the  hard,  tougli,  un- 
compromising Spartans. 

Robert  de'  Nobili,  the  Jesuit,  became  a  Brah- 
min among  Brahmins  —  conforming  with  all  their 
ceremonies  and  customs:^ — but  he  was  a  Jesuit — 
and  the  parallel  diverges. 

Nevertheless,  the  malleability  of  the  human  mind 
is  evident.  I  may,  then,  describe  the  effects  of 
Jesuit-training  on  my  mind  after  six  months'  proba- 
tion. To  enable  the  reader  to  judge  of  its  extent  a 
retrospect  is  necessary :  I  must  give  him  an  idea  of 
what  I  was  before  I  underwent  the  operation. 

After  spending  nearly  six  years  in  England — years 
of  intense  application  and  mental  industry — I  took 
ship  for  America.  I  spent  my  twenty-first  birthday 
in  an  island  of  the  Western  Archipelago.  With  the 
last  remnant  of  a  ruined  fortune  I  resumed  my  travels, 
visited  several  of  the  islands,  returned  to  the  United 
States,  crossed  the  Atlantic  once  more  to  France, 
travelled  the  Continent,  and  finally,  in  the  following 
year,  took  refuge  in  London:  possessing  very  little 
more  than  hopes  wherewith  to  meet  "  the  evil  of  the 
day." 

*  Jouvency,  Hist.  S.  I.  p.  5,  1.  18. 


184  EFFECTS    OF 

From  an  enthusiastic  student  I  liad  become  as 
enthusiastic  "a  man  of  the  world."  But  in  the 
midst  of  the  whirlpool  into  whose  eddies  I  unscru- 
pulously ventured,  thoughts  of  my  previous  "  voca- 
tion" rose  up  ever  and  anon,  like  the  buoyant  rem- 
nants of  a  wreck  which  has  gone  down,  suddenly 
rising  and  striking  the  sides  of  the  forlorn  mariner, 
who  dreads  their  violence  more  than  that  of  the 
raging  waves.  My  forlorn  condition  in  London  was 
interpreted,  as  I  have  said  in  the  introduction,  into  a 
judgment  of  Heaven  against  my  prevarication  — 
hence  my  self-love  was  gratified  by  this  providential 
character  which  my  poverty  assumed  ;  and,  as  my 
intentions  were  honest  and  honourable,  I  never  gave 
my  poverty  a  thought  as  to  its  having  influenced  me 
in  the  least :  besides,  the  reception  of  one  of  the 
first  Jesuits,  Bobadilla,  by  Ignatius  himself,  was, 
so  far  at  least,  quite  identical  with  mine.  Certainly, 
in  offering  a  refuge  to  merit  of  every  kind,  the  Jesuits 
are  the  most  extensive  patrons  in  existence! 

The  reader's  imagination  can  now  easily  picture  to 
itself  the  effects  of  a  sudden  introduction  to  the 
world  from  the  strict  seclusion  of  a  Romish  colleoe, 
on  a  mind,  all  whose  studies  had  tended  to  invest  it 
with  the  keenest  sensibility,  the  most  passionate 
admiration  of  the  beautiful  in  nature,  in  art,  and,  I 
will  add,  in  woman. 

These  effects,  these  habits,  did  they  not  tempt  the 
mind  to  cast  "  a  longing  lingering  look  behind"  as  I 
journeyed  up  the  winding  paths  of  that,  to  me, 
heaven-indicated    Sinai?      What!    a   mere    "  philo- 


THE    TRAINING.  185 

sopber"  this  week,  mingling  in  the  gay  and  sad 
scenes  of  London's  o-oroeous  wealth  and  heart- 
rending  penury  —  and,  the  next  week,  a  *'  true 
believer,"  humbled,  contrite,  and  yet  happy !  I 
answer,  even  so !  Scarcely  a  week  elapsed,  and  I 
felt  as  though  all  my  life  had  been  spent  in  the 
Novitiate.  Strange  as  this  seems,  it  admits  of  an 
easy  explanation.  It  is  simply  this: — Sentiments 
hitherto  but  superficially  excited  were  now  stirred,  so 
to  speak,  throughout  their  whole  breadth  and  de[)th, 
by  the  wand  of  a  reli2;ion  whose  handmaid  is  enthu- 
siasm.  It  did,  indeed,  seem  ''  good  for  me  to  be 
there,"  where  my  destiny  would  be  evolved  for  me 
by  the  direct  interposition  of  Heaven  !  Now,  it  was 
that  which  I  was  seeking;  and  the  clever  system 
which  had  taken  me  by  the  hand,  pointed  to  the 
"  everlasting  hills,"  that  seemed  to  my  deluded  eyes 
"already  near."  Little  did  I  think  that  "Alps  on 
Alps"  would  arise  ere  the  long-desired  Pacific  of  my 
fate  (as  to  the  way-worn  traveller  in  the  far-west) 
would  rise  to  view  and  hail  me  to  its  bosom.  In  truth, 
there  was  poetry  in  the  thoughts  that  sent  me  among 
the  Jesuits ;  there  was  poetry  in  the  feelings  inspired 
and  maintained  by  their  system  ;  and  there  was  poetry 
in  the  triumph  gained  over  me.  "  Brother,"  said  the 
Superior  to  me,  after  a  friend  from  St.  Cuthbert's 
College  had  visited  me,  "  they  come  to  see  the  tamed 
lion  !"  Had  that  friend  described  me  as  he  saw  me 
at  Hodder,  he  might  have  said : — **  His  eyes  were 
downcast,  his  features  pale  and  trembling,  his  voice 
was  soft,  like  that  of  a  woman  who  loves  strongly." 


186  EFFECTS    OF 

After  I  returned  to  the  world,  the  friend  with  whom 
I  had  corresponded  from  the  Novitiate  remarked  to 
me,  that  from  my  letters  he  had  feared  lest  my  enthu- 
siastic religion  should  end  in  insanity  !  In  concluding 
this  topic  I  will  only  add,  that  I  attained  in  a  short 
time  so  complete  a  mastery  over  mind  and  heart,  that 
at  tlie  slightest  thought  of  evil,  the  vigilant  conscience 
shuddered,  as  the  body  starts,  in  a  solitary  walk,  at 
the  rustling  of  the  leaf  suddenly  falling, 

A  few  extracts  from  my  letters  may  justify  my 
friend's  remark  just  alluded  to.  The  letter  was 
written  about  six  months  after  my  admission : — 

''My  Dear  Friend, —  I  believe  that  in  my  last 
letter  you  could  perceive  a  strain  of  feeling  not  in- 
consonant with  your  present  situation.  Your  mind, 
feelings,  and  dispositions,  you  exclaim,  have  under- 
gone a  total  subversion.  I  rejoice  at  it.  It  is  a 
blessing  of  God  for  which  you  cannot  sufficiently 
thank  Him.  You  have  hitherto  been  amusing  your- 
self in  criminal  desires — flying  from  your  God,  and 
striving  to  fly  from  yourself!  You  remind  me  much 
of  poor  Orestes  of  olden  time,  who  would  compensate 
for  his  terrible  torments  by  flying  from  himself, 
taking  refuge  in  dissipation  :  but  in  the  hey-day  of 
merriment  the  furies  were  upon  him,  and  death  had 
then  been  welcome !  Be  not  oflfended  at  my  com- 
paring you  to  a  poor  pagan,  for  you  will,  I  trust,  in  a 
very  few  minutes,  allow,  that  in  point  of  fact,  you  are 
little  richer  in  true  magnanimity  of  soul  than  the 
poor  pagan  who  had  no  sweet  Redeemer — no  good 
'priest  to  compassionate  his  infirmities — tried  in  all 


THE   TRAINING.  187 

things/  as  the  Apostle  exclaims,  '  for  an  example.' 
But  let  us  proceed.  Before  I  appeal  to  your  reason, 
however,  let  me  breathe  a  sweet  perfume  to  your 
heart :  a  black  sky  is  as^  a  troubled  heart,  but 
the  rain  falls,  and  the  sky  is  gladdened,  so  by  a 
flood  of  tears  will  the  heart  exult.  The  mind  is  at 
ease  when  the  passions  are  still,  but  she  suddenly  starts 
when  the  passions,  like  bats,  are  disturbed  from  their 
repose.  Nevertheless,  like  some  celestial  melody, 
swelling  from  instrumental  harmony,  through  tone 
and  semitone,  alt  and  tenor,  through  treble  and 
through  bass — such-  is  the  enduring  harmony,  the 
entrancing  melody  of  that  soul  whose  passions  God 
attunes,  touches  and  modulates  into  the  chorus  of 
his  love. 

*'  Upon  deep  reflection,  a  question  occurred  to  me 
in  these  words  :  All  things  considered,  whose  enjoy- 
ment is  the  greater — that  man's  who  has  had  the 
contentment  of  all  his  passions,  or  the  enjoyment  of 
another  man  who  has  subdued  them  all — who  has  left 
not  a  wish  uncontrolled  by  reason  and  religion  ?  .  . 
Now,  my  passions  being  decidedly  the  best  judges 
in  this  case,  at  least,  I  appealed  to  them— instantly 
they  exclaimed — the  last! — the  last!— we  cannot 
sovern  ourselves !  And  reason  confirmed  the  sentence, 
and  religion,  who  sat  beside,  rejoiced  thereat,  and  I 
have  chosen  the  better  part. 

*'  As  you  arej  my  dear  friend,  what  are  you  ? 
Without  religion,  without  virtue,  without  God ! 
Can  there  be  conceived  a  state  of  greater  or 
more  deplorable  dereliction  !     Your  heart  is   like  a 


188  EFFECTS    OF 

morass  teeming  with  immundicities  that  spring  up 
incessantly  and  scatter  their  disastrous  seeds  in  every 
direction.  You  admit  every  desire,  every  thought, 
every  suggestion  of  your  soul's  enemy.  You  dally 
with  him — you  expose  to  him  the  source  of  your 
weakness,  and  behold  !  the  infernal  Dalilah  despoils 
you  of  your  only  defence — then  she  exclaims  in  glee, 
the  Philistines  are  upon  you ! — you  are  taken, 
thrown  down,  your  eyes  plucked  out ! — that  is,  you 
are  blinded  by  your  passions,  now  become  unruly. 
If  your  conscience  were  well,  your  will  would  not  be 
diseased.  I  cannot  imagine  how  you  can  remain  in 
your  present  condition,  seeing  yourself  thus  without 
God,  utterly  unable  to  bear  up  against  the  afflictions 
of  life.  It  has  pleased  God  to  give  you  riches,  &;c. 
What,  if  by  a  single  stroke,  very  possible  if  not  pro- 
bable. He  deprived  you  of  all,  and  left  you  naked  ! 
God  in  his  mercy  avert  so  terrible  a  visitation! 
But,  my  dear  friend,  are  you  in  the  right  way  to 
avoid  the  exterminating  angel  ?  Do  you  expect  to 
confirm  God's  temporal  mercies  by  the  most  in- 
veterate spiritual  barrenness?  And  if  the  Almighty, 
provoked  by  your  hardness,  (which  your  present 
calamity  ought  to  soften,)  fulmined  against  you  the 
avenging  terrors  of  his  justice,  what  corner  of  the 
earth  would  shield  you  when  the  breath  of  His  name 
strikes  dismay  in  the  uttermost  caverns  of  hell  ? 
Look,  my  dear  friend,  to  yourself,  to  your  poor  soul, 
to  your  true  earthly  comfort !  To  yourself — you 
have  bad  health — is  this  not  a  sufficient  warning  ? 
To  your  soul,  if  you   die  suddenly  in  your  present 


THE    TRAINING.  189 

condition,  can  you  expect  heaven,  or  purgatory,  or 
hell  ?  Three  tremendous  alternatives  !  To  your 
bodily  comfort,  for,  in  truth,  from  your  obduracy,  I 
do  really  fear  for  you,  my  friend.  O  beware  of  the 
judgments  of  God  I  They  are  terrible.  *  He  hath 
made  some  to  wither  away  and  hath  destroyed  them, 
and  hath  made  the  memory  of  them  to  cease  from 
the  earth.'  Again  I  say — again  I  intreat  you,  haste 
to  be  reconciled  !  For  God's  wrath  may  be  at  hand, 
and  may  His  mercy  protect  you  in  the  day  of  trouble. 
If  you  have  sinned,  have  we  not  all  sinned  ?  The 
Apostle  exclaims  Mn  multis  offendimus  omnes,'  and 
if  you  have  not  been  ashamed  to  sin,  why  be  ashamed 
to  own  your  sin  ?  This  is  ungenerous,  unworthy  of 
you !  Beware  of  the  secret  passion  that  perchance 
clings  with  you  still  to  the  flesh  !  Oh  !  spare  no 
pains  to  eradicate  the  hellish  monster — the  hideous 
Gorgon  whose  very  face  is  death  to  the  soul.  ^  *  * 
*'  From  considerable  experience  in  this  world,  I  am 
sometimes  inclined  to  hold  it  for  certain  that  disap- 
pointment in  every  affection  of  the  heart  is  the  only 
certainty  of  our  existence  here,  death  alone  excepted. 
Certes,  I  have  had  my  desires,  and  many,  perchance 
most  of  them,  accomplished,  but  I  can  confidently  as- 
sert that  I  was  disappointed  in  all.  I  would  particularly 
recommend  this  consideration  to  you.  The  hearts  of 
the  young  and  ardent  may  be  said  to  teem  with 
desires,  as  the  bottom  of  the  sea  with  weeds.  They 
are  all  doomed  to  be  disappointed.  The  fact  is  that 
we  form  our  notions  of  things,  at  second  hand — on 
se  fait  de  tableaux — and  was  there  ever  a  fool  who, 


190  EFFECTS    OF    THE    TRAINING. 

in   his   particular  pursuit,  owned   himself  at  fault  ? 

"tF  ^*  ^fP  T»* 

"  For  the  rest,  my  dear  friend,  be  not  offended  at 
my  freedom  with  you.  You  know  my  heart,  what 
would  I  not  do  to  bring  you  to  God  !  I  have  com- 
menced a  Novena  for  your  consolation  and  reconcilia- 
tion with  offended  Heaven,  and  under  the  patronage 
of  our  blessed  Lady  and  St.  Francis  Xavier,  I  hope 
for  success.  Be  of  good  heart!  Remember,  Quern 
d  ill  git  Dominus  castigat ;  flagellat  autem  omnem 
filium  quem  recipit " 


191 


CHAPTER  XII. 


THE  PEAST  OF  IGNATIUS. 


At  length  the  joyous  holiday  came — the  Feast  ot 
Ignatius.  The  novices  whose  probation  was  ended 
took  their  vows,  and  fresh  aspirants  to  the  blessings 
of  Ignatius  knocked  at  the  gate.  The  novices  whose 
second  year  was  ended  took  the  vows  in  the  morning. 
The  other  novices  did  not  know  when  this  ceremony 
was  performed;  but,  as  all  the  usual  occupations  of 
the  day  were  suspended,  we  saw  them  depart  to  the 
seminary,  all  apparently  glad  of  the  change.  I  was 
told  by  one  of  them  that  only  the  lay-brother — the 
cook  of  the  establishment — was  present,  besides  the 
Superior,  when  each  novice  was  admitted  to  the  room 
to  take  his  vows.  He  also  said  that  the  object  of  the 
vows  being  taken  in  private  was  to  guarantee  the 
Jesuit  from  legal  conviction,  inasmuch  as  it  is  con- 
trary to  law  to  take  such  vows  in  England.  This 
was  perfectly  new  to  me,  and  the  intelligence  was  at 
least  unpleasant:  it  reminded  me  of  the  agent  in 
London,  who,  finding  from  what  I  had  said  to  him 
that  I  made  no   secret  of  my  intention  to  become   a 


192  THE    FEAST    OF 

Jesuit,  cautioned  me  "  not  to  say  anything  about  the 
matter  to  any  one."  He  gave  me  no  reason  for  his 
caution,  but  I  have  no  doubt  now  that  he  alluded  to 
the  clause  of  the  Act  of  the  10th  Geo.  IV.,  c.  7, 
which  makes  it  ''  a  misdemeanour  in  any  Jesuit,  or 
member  of  other  religious  body  described  in  the  act, 
to  admit,  or  to  aid  in  or  consent  to  the  admission  of, 
any  person  within  the  United  Kingdom,  to  be  a  mem- 
ber of  such  body ;  and  any  person  admitted  or  be- 
coming a  Jesuit,  or  member  of  other  such  body  within 
the  United  Kingdom,  shall,  upon  conviction,  be  ban- 
ished from  the  United  Kingdom  for  life."  It  may 
be  questioned  whether  the  law  against  smuggling  is 
more  stringent — but  there  can  be  but  one  opinion  as 
to  which  is  enforced.  Verily,  the  act  is  a  thorough- 
fare, and  the  Jesuits  "  drive  their  coach-and-six 
through  it"  with  admirable  dexterity. 

The  following  is  the  formula  of  the  simple  vows 
taken  by  the  novices,  who  then  become  scholastic!  or 
scholars  of  the  Society  : — 

"  Omnipotent,  Eternal  God  !  I,  N.,  although  in 
every  respect  most  unworthy  of  thy  Divine  presence, 
still,  confiding  in  thy  infinite  bounty  and  mercy,  and 
impelled  by  the  desire  of  serving  thee — vow,  in  the 
presence  of  the  most  holy  Virgin  Mary  and  thy  uni- 
versal celestial  court,  to  thy  Divine  Majesty  Poverty, 
Chastity,  and  Obedience  perpetual,  in  the  Society 
of  Jesus  ;  and  I  promise  to  enter  that  Society  in 
order  to  live  and  die  in  it,^  taking  all  things  in  the 
sense  of  the  Constitutions  of  the  same  Society.     Of 

*  Ut  vitam  in  ea  perpetuo  degam. 


IGNATIUS.  193 

thy  immense  bounty  and  clemency,  therefore,  through 
the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ,  I  pray  and  beseech  that 
thou  wouldst  vouchsafe  to  accept  this  holocaust  in  the 
odour  of  sweetness ;  and  as  thou  hast  granted  me  the 
desire  and  permitted  the  offering,  so  mayst  thou  grant 
me  also  the  plentiful  grace  to  fulfil  it.     Amen." 

I  need  scarcely  state  that  the  vow  was  pronounced 
in  Latin. 

On  the  same  day,  as  I  have  said,  the  fresh  novices 
came  from  the  college  at  Stonyhurst.  I  think  there 
were  six,  two  of  whom  left  after  a  week's  probation 
— all  students  from  the  college,  averaging  in  age  from 
seventeen  to  twenty.  These  were  accompanied  by 
all  the  "  Fathers"  and  students  from  the  seminary  ; 
and  our  little  garden  was  roused  from  its  "  sober  sad- 
ness" by  the  joyful  greetings  of  many  voices  exulting 
at  the  "  harvest  home  !"  and  the  goodly  prospects  of 
the  revolving  year. 

Then  it  was  that  we  "heard  the  news"  from  the 
four  points  of  the  compass — from  Rome,  Switzerland, 
France,  Germany,  Ireland,  India,  Jamaica,  &:c.  &c. ; 
then  it  was  that  we  saw  the  men  who  made  "  the 
news"  in  England ;  then  it  was  that  I  had  another 
sight  of  the  Provincial  and  the  London  agent,  whose 
distinguished  air  was  a  study — I  would  turn  back  and 
meet  that  man  fifty  times,  merely  for  the  pleasure  of 
studying  his  expression.  If  he  ever  becomes  General  of 
the  Society,  the  Jesuits  will  enact  exploits  for  history. 

Immediately  after  the  accession  of  fresh  novices 
commenced  the  grand  Retreat  of  thirty  days,  or  the 
''  Spiritual  Exercises"  of  Ignatius. 

o 


194  THE    SPIRITUAL 

The  book  of  the  "  Spiritual  Exercises"  is  the  grand 
''  Inquisition"  of  the  Jesuits.  The  Jesuits  assert  that 
Ignatius  composed  that  famous  book  ;  but  a  Bene- 
dictine affirms  that  it  is  copied  from  the  work  of  a 
Spanish  Benedictine  whose  name  was  Cisneros. 
The  question,  however,  may  be  settled,  if  the  reader 
can  believe  what  Ignatius  asserts ;  namely,  that  he 
"was  inspired  by  the  Virgin  Mary  herself  in  the  com- 
position ;  or  rather,  that  "  the  book  was  truly  written 
by  the  finger  of  God,  and  delivered  to  St.  Ignatius 
by  the  holy  Mother  of  God."* 

There  maybe  doubts  as  to  its  authorship,  but  there 
can  be  none  as  to  its  efficacy  in  the  dissection  of  con- 
science, if  the  prescribed  "  Exercises"  are  sincerely 
performed.  A  retreat  in  a  retreat — for  such  is  the 
Novitiate — seems  unnecessary ;  but  the  important 
changes  which  Ignatius  intended  to  effect  in  his 
novice  required  a  broad  and  deep  foundation  to  be 
]aid  beforehand ;  and  this  is  to  be  done  by  the  Thirty 
Days'  Retreat  and  its  "  Spiritual  Exercises." 

*  "  A  beata  scilicet  Virgine  per  manus  sancti  Ignatii  Patris  nostri. 
Est  enim  liber  Exercitiorum  vere  digito  Dei  scriptus,  et  a  beata  Dei 
Matre  sancto  Ignatio  traditus.  Homo  Orat.  a  J.  Nouet.  S.  J.  1843.— 
"  Tlie  internal  responses,"  says  another  Jesuit,  "  which  the  Holj 
Ghost  gave  to  St.  Ignatius,"  &c.  &c.  Having  once  asked  Father 
Laynez  if  he  thought  that  God  had  revealed  to  the  founders  of  orders 
the  form  of  their  institute  ;  and  Laynez  having  said  that  he  thought 
it  very  probable,  at  least  with  regard  to  essentials :  '  I  am  of  your 
opinion,'  replied  the  saint ;  and  it  was  doubtless  his  own  experience 
that  dictated  his  opinion."     BounouRS,  1.  iii. 

The  age  in  which  Ignatius  lived  may  palliate  this  presumption ; 
but  the  traditions  are  still  ripe  in  the  Novitiate — I  heard  them  at 
Ilodder ! 


EXERCISES.  195 

On  the  day  when  it  commenced  all  the  novices  had 
"  recreation" — all  were  sent  forth  to  take  a  long  walk 
in  the  country  round,  most  of  the  usual  duties  being 
superseded.  In  the  evening  the  Retreat  commenced 
with  the  reading  of  the  ^'  Points"  of  the  meditation 
for  the  next  morning,  as  I  have  stated  with  regard  to 
my  first  Retreat :  indeed,  the  meditations  of  that 
retreat  consisted  of  the  most  prominent  meditations 
of  the  "  Spiritual  Exercises:"  as  it  were,  the  grand 
Retreat  abridged.  There  were  four  meditations  daily, 
with  spiritual  reading  and  walking  in  the  garden  for 
relaxation  ;  but  during  the  week  we  had  no  inter- 
course at  all  with  the  other  novices,  who  were  now 
beginning  their  second  year :  they,  of  course,  had 
made  their  great  Retreat  the  year  before.  Silence 
was  the  order  of  the  day  :  during  the  whole  week  we 
spoke  to  no  one  but  the  Superior.  At  the  end  of  each 
week  we  had  a  holiday — a  truce,  as  it  were,  between 
the  soul  and  its  spiritual  enemies.  On  that  day  we 
mixed  with  the  other  novices,  played  at  football,  or 
walked  in  the  vicinity. 

A  few  remarks  on  the  Spiritual  Exercises  may  be 
acceptable  to  the  reader. 

The  pious  Alban  Butler  says: — "Though  the 
Saint  was  at  that  time  unacquainted  with  learning 
any  farther  than  barely  to  read  and  write,  yet  this 
book  is  so  full  of  excellent  maxims  and  instructions 
in  the  highest  points  of  a  spiritual  life,  that  it  is  most 
clear  that  the  Holy  Ghost  supplied  abundantly  what 
was  yet  wanting  in  him  of  human  learning  and  study. 
The  spirit  which  reigns  in  this  book  was  that  of  all 

o  2 


196  THE   SPIRITUAL 

the  saints.  Frequent  religious  retirements  had  been 
practised  by  pious  persons,  in  imitation  of  Christ  and 
all  the  saints  from  the  beginning  :  likewise  the  use 
and  method  of  holy  meditation  were  always  kno^vn, 
but  the  excellent  order  of  these  meditations  prescribed 
by  Ignatius  was  new  ;  and  though  the  principal 
rules  and  maxims  are  found  in  the  lessons  and  lives 
of  the  ancient  fathers  of  the  desert,  thev  are  here 
judiciously  chosen,  methodically  digested,  and  clearly 
explained."* 

With  the  exception  of  the  first  sentence  of  this  ex- 
position, I  agree  with  the  writer.  I  give  Ignatius 
credit  for  his  judgment  in  selection,  sagacity  in 
arrangement,  and  wonderful  tact  in  adaptation, 
Next  in  rank  to  the  Q:enius  which  conceives  *Uhinofs 
unattempted  yet  in  verse  or  rhyme,"  is  the  vigorous 
talent  which  collects  the  diverging  rays  of  the  former 
into  that  focus  whence  a  new  fire  is  born,  as  it  were, 
from  old  materials — old  though  they  be  as  the  rays  of 
the  first  created  sun. 

Again — "Every  good  gift  and  every  perfect  gift  is 
from  above,  and  cometh  down  from  the  Father  of 
Lights:"  perhaps  the  unnatural  division  of  knowledge 
into  human  and  divine,  has  marred  the  efficacy  of 
both  in  directing  the  grateful  heart  of  the  creature  to 
the  Creator.  All  knowledge  that  has  not  a  positive 
tendency  to  evil  should  be  considered  divine  ;  as  it 
must  necessarily  tend  to  expand  the  mind  and  heart 
with  thouohts  of  grateful  love  to  the  Author  of  all 
good  things. 

*  Lives  of  Saints,  Ignat.,  July  31. 


EXERCISES.  197 

Here,  however,  is  a  book  admitted  to  be  a  com- 
pilation ;  and  yet  the  direct  agency  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
is  called  in  to  inspire  what  was  already  known  to 
men:  namely,  ''what  was  wanting  in  Ignatius  of 
human  learning  and  study." 

The  Spiritual  Exercises  have  worked  miracles  of 
conversion  in  all  times;  the  commonest  of  which  was 
the  greatest :  I  mean  the  creation  of  the  Jesuit. 

I  shall  endeavour  to  give  the  reader  some  idea  of 
this  mental  process. 

All  the  exercises  or  meditations  are  divided  into 
four  weeks ;  but  this  division  refers  more  to  the  sub- 
jects of  meditation  than  to  the  number  of  days.  Each 
week's  ending  should  find  the  soul  inspired  with 
appropriate  and  peculiar  sentiments. 

In  the  first  week  we  meditated  on  the  end  of  man  ; 
the  object  for  which  he  was  created ;  and  the  various 
pursuits  which  thwart  the  accomplishment  of  that  ob- 
ject: namely,  the  pursuit  of  riches,  glory,  knowledge, 
and  power.  The  nature  and  enormity  of  sin ;  its  penal- 
ties; judgment;  hell;  were  prominent  topics  of  this 
week's  meditations;  preparatory  to  the  '* general  con- 
fession," which  all  the  fresh  novices  had  to  make  : 
myself  included,  though  I  had  made  one  only  a  few 
months  before.  In  fact,  the  "  Exercises"  require  a 
general  confession,  as  a  part  essential  of  their  effects."^ 
But,  even  had  it  not  been  necessary,  I  would  have 
requested  permission  to  make  mine ;  for  my  increased 
devotion  and  spirituality  discovered  during  my  medi- 

*  Exerc.  Spir. 


198  THE    SPIRITUAL 

lations  numerous  forgotten  "  crimes  and  misdemea- 
nours," wlien  conscience  was  probed  by  the  searching 
scrutiny  of  self-examination.  Great,  indeed,  was  my 
affliction  :  I  shed  tears  of  contrition,  and  repaired  to 
the  confessional  for  that  absolution  which  would 
speedily  reconcile  me  to  an  offended  God. 

I  desired  to  feel  that  I  was  free  from  all  sin;  and 
I  felt  so — thanks  to  that  miraculous  tribunal !  Pro- 
testants must  walk  in  uncertainty  as  to  the  absolute 
remission  of  their  sins  ;  but  Roman  Cathohcs  know, 
even  in  this  world,  that  their  "  sins  are  forgiven 
them."  Nay,  more,  even  the  temporal  penalties  due 
to  their  sins  are  remitted  by  ^'indulgence;"  and  won- 
derful to  tell !  they  can  even  send  ojie  soul  at  a  time 
from  purgatory  to  heaven  !  I  hold  now  in  my  hand 
a  piece  of  paper  given  to  me  at  Hodder,  whereon  is 
written  a  prayer,  for  the  rehearsal  of  which,  before  a 
crucifix,  after  having:  received  the  sacrament,  a  full 
remission  of  sin  is  jrranted,  t02:ether  with  the  libera- 
tion  of  one  soul  from  the  pains  of  purgatory — unius 
animcB  a  purgatorii  poenis  liherationem  concessit !  The 
"  indulgence "  is  stated  to  have  been  granted  by 
Pius  Vll.^ 

This  is,  doubtless,  the  most  important  week.     In 
it  the  beginning,  or  foundation,^  is  to  be  laid  :  that 

*  Pius  VII.,  in  perpetuam  concessit  plenariam  peccatorum  remis- 
sionem,  et  unius  animae  a  purgatorii  poenis  liberationera,  ab  omnibus 
lucrandum,  qui,  corde  contrito  confessi,  et  sacra  refecti  synaxi,  ante 
sanctissimi  crucifixi  imaginem,  banc  oralionem,  quocumque  idiomate, 
pie  recitaverint. 

f  Principium  sive  Fundamentum. 


EXERCISES.  199 

is,  a  total  indifference  to  all  things  in  themselves ; 
preferring  only  such  as  conduce  to  the  end  for  which 
we  were  created. 

The  difficulties  that  may  be  expected  to  arise  in. 
the  soul  of  the  self-reformer  are  obviated  :  at  least  an 
attempt  is  made  to  that  effect. 

He  must,  on  first  risino;  in  the  mornincr,  call  to 
mind  the  sin  or  defect  which  he  particularly  desires 
to  discard.  At  noon,  and  in  the  evening,  he  must 
examine  his  conscience,  to  see  how  far  he  has  suc- 
ceeded in  this  particular;  having  imprinted  every 
lapse  of  thought  or  deed  on  his  memory,  by  pressing 
his  hand  on  his  breast  on  every  occasion  of  offence. 
After  the  examen  he  must  enter  these  debts  of  con- 
science on  the  lines  of  his  Sin-book  before  described  ;* 
continuing  the  practice  day  after  day,  and  comparing 
one  day  with  another,  till  he  is  free  from  sin. 

Ignatius  then  proceeds  with  some  instruction :  1st, 
on  the  various  ways  of  sinning  by  thought,  word, 
and  deed,  '*  most  useful  for  the  purgation  of  the  soul, 
and  the  confession  of  sins  :"  2ndly,  on  "  the  emolu- 
ments of  a  General  Confession." 

The  method  of  meditating^  is  then  o;iven.  Each 
meditation  has  two  or  more  preludes.  The  first  is 
the  "  composition  of  place."  In  every  meditation  or 
contemplation  on  sensible  objects,  such  as  Christ, 
we  must  fancy,  according  to  some  imaginary  vision, 
the  visible  place,  representing  what  we  contemplate: 
such  as  a  temple,  a  mountain,  where  we  may  find 
Christ  Jesus  or  the  Virgin  Mary ;  and  other  circum- 

•  Page  107. 


200  THE    SPIRITUAL 

stances  which  enter  into  the  argument  of  our  con- 
templation. On  the  other  hand,  if  the  topic  of 
speculation  be  not  corporeal :  such  as  the  considera- 
tion of  our  sins,  the  composition  or  construction  of 
the  locality  may  be  as  follows.  Imagine  that  you 
see  your  soul  in  this  corruptible  body,  as  it  were 
confined  in  a  prison,  and  both  body  and  soul,  or  the 
whole  man,  exiled  in  this  valley  of  misery  amongst 
the  brute  beasts. 

The  second  prelude  is  to  beg  of  the  Lord  that 
which  you  desire,  according  to  the  argument  of  the 
proposed  contemplation.  For  instance,  if  we  have  to 
meditate  on  the  Resurrection  of  Christ,  we  must  beg 
to  be  inspired  with  the  joy  wherewith  we  may  rejoice 
with  Christ  rejoicing  ;  but  if  on  the  Passion,  we 
must  beg  for  tears,  pains,  and  anguish,  in  order  to 
sympathise  with  Christ  suffering. 

In  the  meditation  on  Sin,  we  must  beg  for  shame 
and  self-confusion  :  considering  how  many  men  have 
been  consigned  to  eternal  perdition  for  mortal  sin :  ay, 
even  one !  and  that  we  have  so  often  merited  damna- 
tion by  sin. 

A  preparatory  prayer,  to  consecrate  the  intention, 
and  two  preludes,  must  precede  every  meditation  and 
contemplation :  the  prayer  always  the  same,  the 
preludes  varying  with  the  subject. 

Collorjuia,  or  familiar  mental  conversations,  con- 
clude the  meditations.  In  the  one  on  Sin,  we  must 
imagine  Jesus  Christ  present  before  us,  nailed  to  the 
cross.  We  must  ask  ourselves  the  reason  why  the 
infinite    Creator    himself  became    a    creature,   and 


EXERCISES.  201 

deigned  to  descend  from  a  life  of  eternity  to  the 
death  of  time  for  our  sins.  Moreover,  we  must 
press  the  argument  to  ourselves ;  asking  what  hitherto 
have  we  done  for  Christ,  worthy  of  being  remem- 
bered ?  What  shall  we  do  at  length  ?  what  ought  we 
to  do?  And  looking  on  him  thus  nailed  to  the  cross, 
we  must  express  the  suggestions  of  our  minds  and 
affections.  In  a  word,  it  is  the  peculiar  property  of 
the  colloquy,  that  it  is  as  it  were  the  address  of  a 
friend  to  a  friend,  or  of  a  servant  to  his  master;  at 
one  time  begging  some  particular  grace  or  favour,  at 
another  time  accusins:  ourselves  of  some  fault  — 
sometimes  proposing  our  difficulties,  asking  advice 
and  aid.     To  conclude  with  the  Pater  noster. 

The  sin  of  the  angels  in  revolt,  the  sin  of  Adam, 
our  own  sins,  are  the  three  points  of  the  first  exer- 
cise; the  memory,  understanding,  and  will  being 
respectively  affected  and  influenced  by  cause  and 
eflect,  sin  and  its  consequences. 

Following  up  this  beginning,  we  are  to  review  our 
whole  life,  recapitulating  where  we  have  lived,  our 
usual  topics  of  conversation,  and  the  various  occupa- 
tions in  which  we  have  been  engaged. 

We  must  perpend — deliberately  weigh — our  sins 
themselves,  their  foulness,  the  heinousness  of  each 
according  to  its  nature,  even  if  they  had  not  been  for- 
bidden. 

A  conscious  comparison  of  ourselves  with  the  infi- 
nite Creator,  must  cover  us  with  confusion  at  our 
presumptuous  littleness;  and  yet  so  corrupt,  so  de- 
praved in  mind,  loathsome  in  body — in  fine,  like  an 


202  THE    SPIRITUAL 

ulcer  or  impostume,  whence  issue  so  great  a  dis- 
charge of  sins  and  pestilent  vices.* 

Then  consider  the  attributes,  the  perfections  of  the 
God  whom  we  have  offended ;  opposing  them  all  to 
our  vices  and  defects — to  wit.  His  power,  wisdom, 
goodness,  and  justice;  to  our  extreme  weakness,  ig- 
norance, malice,  and  iniquity  ! 

The  soul  will  then  burst  forth  into  exclamations, 
impelled  by  this  vehement  commotion  of  the  feelings ; 
wondering  greatly  how  all  God's  creatures,  instancing 
each,  could  have  borne  with  us  so  long,  and  permitted 
us  to  live  till  now.  How  the  angels,  bearing  the 
sword  of  Divine  justice,  have  endured,  guarded,  and, 
by  their  suffrages,  even  aided  us:  how  the  saints 
have  interceded  for  us :  how  the  heavens,  the  sun, 
moon,  and  other  heavenly  bodies;  the  elements  and 
all  manner  of  animals  and  productions  of  the  earth, 
instead  of  punishing,  have  preserved  us:  how,  in  fine, 
the  earth  opening  beneath  our  feet  has  not  swallowed 
us  down,  throwing  open  the  gates  of  a  thousand  hells, 
where  we  should  suffer  eternal  punishmentt 

This  meditation  is  followed  by  repetitions  of  the 
first  and  second  just  given,  and  of  the  third, — new 
colloquia  being  introduced  in  the  third,  viz.,  with  the 
Virgin  Mary,  with  Christ,  and  lastly,  with  God  the 
Father. 

The  Virgin  Mary  is  asked  to  "  impetrate"  the  Son, 
the  Son  to  "  irapetrate"  the  Father,  and  the  Father 

•  Tanquam  ulcus,  sire  apostema — ex  quo  tanta  sanies  peccatorum, 
tantaque  vitiorum  lues  defluxerit.     Exerc.  Spir.  2. 
t  Exerc.  2. 


EXERCISES.  203 

to  give  the  grace  of  perfect  repentance ;  which  should 
result  from  having  dwelt  anew  on  the  various  topics 
of  the  meditation  which  affected  us  most:  for  it  must 
always  be  remembered,  that  we  should  suffer  the  soul 
to  dwell  on  such  topics  as  made  the  most  impression.* 

The  fifth  meditation  is  one  of  the  most  singular  in 
the  whole  book— certainly  the  most  characteristic  of 
the  system,  whose  influence  on  the  minds  of  men  I 
am  now  endeavouring  to  explain.  The  subject  is 
Hell. 

The  first  prelude  gives  the  composition  of  place : 
viz.,  the  eyes  of  the  imagination  must  behold  the 
length,  breadth,  and  depth  of  hell.  The  second  con- 
sists in  praying  for  an  intimate  knowledge  or  consci- 
ousness of  the  sins  for  which  the  reprobate  are  suffer- 
ing; so  that  if  ever  we  should  forget  the  love  of  God, 
the  fear  of  punishment,  at  least,  should  restrain  us 
from  sin. 

The  first  point  is  to  behold,  in  imagination,  the  vast 
conflagration  of  hell,  and  the  souls  therein,  enclosed 
in  certain  flaming  bodies :  as  it  were  in  a  prison  of 
fire.-f- 

Secondly,  to  hear  in  imagination  the  wailings,  the 
shrieks,  cries,  and  blasphemies  against  Christ  and  his 
saints,  issuing  thence. 

Third,  thoroughly  to  smell,  even  with  the  smelling 
of  the  imagination,  the  smoke,  brimstone,  and  the 
horrid  stench  of  some  sewer  or  filth  and  rottenness. 

*  lUis  diutlus,  diligentiusque  imraorandum  est. 
t    Auimas  igneis  quibusdam  corporibus,  velut  ergastulis  inclusas. 
Ex.  5. 


204  THE    SPIRITUAL 

Fourthly,  to  taste  in  like  manner  the  bitterest 
things ;  such  as  tears,  rancour,  the  worm  of  con- 
science. 

Fifthly,  to  touch  in  a  manner  those  fires,  by  whose 
touch  those  very  souls  are  burnt  up. 

In  the  colloquy  with  Christ,  we  must  call  to  mind 
the  souls  of  those  who  are  condemned  to  hell,  either 
because  they  would  not  believe  in  the  coming  of 
Christ;  or  if  they  believed,  did  not  live  in  conformity 
with  his  precepts,  either  at  the  same  time  when  Christ 
lived  in  this  world,  or  after  and  subsequently.  We 
must  then  g-ive  thanks  to  the  same  Christ  most  fer- 
vently,  for  not  having  permitted  us  to  rush  to  such 
destruction,  but  rather  has,  to  this  very  day,  treated 
us  with  clemency  and  mercy ."^ 

Other  meditations  may  be  given  by  the  Spiritual 
Director,  such  as  Death,  Judgment,  &c. 

The  place  where  the  retreat  is  to  be  made  should 
be,  as  much  as  possible,  remote  from  "  the  busy  hum 
of  men" — some  solitude  wherein  the  terrors  of  con- 
science will  make  the  strong  man  tremble  as  the  babe 
in  the  cradle  when  the  wolf  comes  to  devour  it. 

According  to  Ignatius,  the  first  exercise  should 
take  place  at  midnight — the  second  in  the  morning  at 
rising — the  third  before  or  after  mass,  before  breakfast 
—  the  fourth  about  the  time  of  vespers — the  fifth 
during  the  hour  before  supper.  This  distribution  of 
time  is  common  to  the  four  weeks,  but  it  may  be 
varied,  with  additions  or  diminutions  according  to  the 
age,  habit  of  mind  and  body,  or  temperament  of  the  in- 

*  Ex.  5. 


EXERCISES.  205 

dividual.  Under  the  title  of  "  additions,"  Ignatius 
gives  the  following  regulations  for  the  retreat. 
After  going  to  bed,  and  before  closing  the  eyes  to 
sleep,  a  few  seconds  must  be  spent  in  thinking  of 
the  hour  of  rising,  and  the  meditation  then  to  take 
place. 

To  collect  one's  thoughts  as  soon  as  the  eyes  are 
open,  directing  them  exclusively  to  the  subject  of 
meditation;  and  for  the  sake  of  greater  modesty 
and  confusion,  to  set  some  such  example  as  this 
before  the  mind :  namely,  how  a  soldier  would  stand 
before  his  king  and  royal  court,  blushing,  anxious 
and  confused,  if  he  were  convicted  of  having  com- 
mitted a  grave  misdemeanour  against  the  king,  after 
having  received  from  him  many  benefactions,  many 
and  great  gifts.  In  the  second  exercise,  considering 
how  much  I  have  sinned,  (continues  Ignatius)  I 
will  fancy  myself  bound  in  chains ;  and  soon  to  be 
placed  before  the  judge,  as  a  culprit  is  wont  to  be 
drao-o-ed  to  the  tribunal,  bound  in  irons.  Imbued 
with  such  thoughts  or  others,  according  to  the  sub- 
jects of  meditation,  I  will  dress  myself. 

Thirdly,  at  a  step  or  two  from  the  place  of  medi- 
tation, I  will  stand  for  a  short  time,  as  long  as  it 
might  take  to  recite  the  Pater  nosteVj  raise  my  soul 
on  high,  and  contemplate  my  Lord  Jesus,  as  present, 
and  seeing  what  I  am  going  to  do :  to  whom  I  ought 
to  do  reverence  by  an  humble  gesture.* 

Fourthly,  I  will  enter  upon  the  contemplation, 
sometimes  prostrate  on   the  ground,  with  my  face 

*  Reverentiam,  cum  humili  gestu  exhibere. 


206  THE    SPIRITUAL 

downwards,  or  on  my  back  ;*  sometimes  sitting,  or 
standing,  and  composing  myself  in  that  manner 
whereby  I  may  hope  more  easily  to  obtain  what  I 
wish.  Here  tv/o  things  must  be  borne  in  mind : 
first,  if  I  obtain  my  desire  whilst  on  my  knees,  or 
in  any  other  position,  I  shall  seek  no  more  :  secondly, 
in  the  point  wherein  I  shall  feel  the  desired  devotion, 
I  ought  to  rest  at  ease  without  any  anxiety  of  passing 
on,  until  I  am  satisfied. 

Fifthly,  after  the  exercise,  either  sitting  or  walking 
for  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  I  will  consider  with  myself, 
how  my  meditation  or  contemplation  has  succeeded : 
if  not  well,  I  shall  seek  out  the  causes  with  sorrow 
and  the  resolve  of  amendment;  but  if  well,  I  shall 
thank  God,  resolving  to  follow  the  same  method 
afterwards. 

Sixthly,  I  will  avoid  the  thoughts  which  produce 
joy,  such  as  that  of  Christ's  glorious  resurrection; 
because  any  such  thoughts  impede  tears,  and  the 
grief  I  should  feel  for  my  sins  :  which  grief  is  then  to 
be  sought  after,  by  rather  indulging  the  remembrance 
of  death  or  judgment. 

Seventhly,  for  the  same  reason,  I  will  deprive 
myself  of  all  light  by  closing  the  doors  and  windows 
whilst  I  am  there,  except  whilst  I  have  to  read  or 
eat. 

Eighthly,  I  will  refrain  from  all  laughter,  and 
words  that  induce  laughter,  with  the  greatest  care. 

Ninthly,  I  will  not  set  my  eyes  on  any  one,  except 
for  saluting  or  taking  leave. 

*  Pronus  aut  supinus  jacens. 


EXERCISES.  207 

Tenthly,  I  will  add  some  satisfaction  or  penance, 
&:c. — rejecting,  in  the  matter  of  food,  not  only  cer- 
tain superfluities  (which  is  the  part  of  temperance, 
not  penitence),  but  even  necessaries ;  and  the  more 
the  better,  avoiding,  meanwhile,  any  injury  to  nature, 
or  great  debility  or  infirmity.  In  the  manner  of 
sleeping,  and  the  condition  of  my  bed,  removing  not 
only  what  is  soft  and  comfortable,  but  even  other 
things  that  are  requisite,  as  much  as  may  be  without 
serious  danger  of  life  or  health.  Sleep  is  not  to  be 
abridged,  unless  one  has  been  accustomed  to  indulge 
it  to  excess.  With  regard  to  the  flesh,  I  will  inflict 
on  it  and  make  it  feel  pain,  by  applying  and  wearing 
haircloths,  ropes  or  iron  bars,  or  by  inflicting  stripes 
and  lashes,  or  by  other  kinds  of  austerity.  In  all 
which,  however,  it  seems  more  expedient  that  the 
feeling  of  pain  should  be  in  the  flesh  only,  and  should 
not  penetrate  the  bones,  &c. 

Wherefore,  let  us  rather  use  whips  made  of  small 
cord,  which  afflict  the  surface,  but  not  the  inner 
parts,  to  such  an  extent  as  to  injure  health. 

Few  of  these  **  additions"  were  observed  at  Hodder, 
particularly  with  regard  to  the  last  mentioned  ma- 
cerations. On  the  other  hand,  all  the  advice  as  to 
the  mental  phenomena  was  strictly  inculcated,  and 
influenced  all  the  training  in  the  Novitiate  ;  which,  in 
one  word,  is  assimilated  throughout  the  year  to  the 
four  weeks  of  the  Spiritual  Exercises. 

Supposing  that  the  soul  has  turned  her  back  on 
all  the  '^  pomps  and  vanities"  of  this  world  j  is  broken 
in  by  contrition;  is  convinced  of  her  destiny,  and 


208  THE    SPIRITUAL 

ready  to  embrace  it — a  great  model  is  proposed  after 
the  manner  of  Ignatius. 

The  second  week  begins  with  a  grand  contempla- 
tion of  the  kingdom  of  Christ,  in  the  siaiiUtude  of  an 
earthly  king.  Synagogues,  villages,*  and  towns, 
through  which  Christ  journeyed,  stand  before  the 
eyes  in  the  pious  panorama  which  the  fancy  of  Igna- 
tius always  constructs  for  the  interested  soul. 

The  king  speaks — we  listen.  "  I  intend  to  con- 
quer all  the  regions  of  the  infidels.  Whoever  will 
go  with  me  must  be  ready.  He  must  not  use  any 
other  kind  of  food,  raiment,  or  any  thing  else  than 
he  sees  me  use.  He  must  also  stand  out  with  me  in 
the  same  labours,  watchings,  and  other  occasions,  in 
order  that  each  may  share  my  victory  and  bliss,  ac- 
cordingly as  he  shall  partake  in  my  labours  and  diffi- 
culties." 

A  prompt  response  to  this  offer  must  be  made  by 
acceptance  of  the  terms  ;  or  else,  mark  the  conse- 
quence, ye  generous  hearts,  but  still  full  of  vanity  ! 
^'  If  any  one  refuses,  of  how  much  blame  will  he  be 
worthy  among  all  men,  and  what  a  cowardly  soldier 
he  will  be  thought !" 

All  who  are  in  their  senses  will  be  eager  to  offer 
themselves  to  the  service  of  Christ. 

But  the  rebellious  flesh,  the  senses,  self-love,  and 
the  love  of  the  world  must  be  stormed.  Then  the 
terms  of  surrender: — ''Behold,  O  King,  supreme 
and  Lord  of  all !  Although  most  unworthy,  still, 
confiding  in  thy  grace  and  assistance,   I   ofl'er  myself 

*  Villas. 


EXERCISES. 


209 


entirely  to  Thee,  and  subniit  all  that  I  have  to  thy 
will;  attesting  in  the  presence  of  thy  infinite  good- 
ness, and  in  the  sight  of  the  glorious  Virgin  thy 
Mother,  and  of  the  court  of  Heaven,  that  this  is  my 
intention,  this  my  desire,  this  my  firmest  resolve; 
that,  provided  it  conduce  to  the  greater  increase  of 
thy  praise  and  my  service,  I  may  follow  Thee  as 
closely  as  I  can,  and  imitate  Thee  in  bearing  injuries 
and  all  adversit}'^  with  true  poverty  of  spirit,  as  well 
as  of  worldly  goods;  provided,  I  say,  it  please  thy 
most  holy  Majesty  to  choose  and  receive  me  for  this 
manner  of  life."* 

This  contemplation,  which  may  be  said  "  to  come 
to  the  point,"  is  to  take  place  twice  in  the  day. 
Doubtless  it  has  given  many  an  "  indifferent"  peni- 
tent to  the  Society,  at  the  time  when,  by  the  permis- 
sion of  popes,  princes,  and  prelates,  the  Spiritual 
Exercises  of  Ignatius  recruited  its  ranks  in  every 
res^ion  of  the  orlobe.  And  wonderful  to  think!  a  man 
entangles  himself — falls  by  his  own  mind,  as  if  by  his 
own  hand — a  most  fascinating  and  irresistible  mental 
suicide.  Ignatius  gives  us  the  weapon ;  we  commit 
the  fatal  act ;  the  Society  buries,  embalms,  or  burns 
our  lifeless  carcass ! 

"  In  this  and  the  following  weeks,"  Ignatius  ob- 
serves, "  it  would  be  useful  to  read  out  of  the  New 
Testament,  or  other  pious  book,  such  as  the  *  Following 
of  Christ,'  and  the  '  Lives  of  the  Saints.'  "f 

*  Exer.  1.  Heb.  sec.     The  above  may  be  called  the  shadow  of  the 
vow  "  cast  before  ;"  the  latter  resembles  it  most  sisterly, 
f  Exer.  Spir.  Heb.  sec. 

P 


210  THE    SPIRITUAL 

At  Hodder  we  read  the  second,  but  not  the  first. 
The  second  week,  then,  is  passed  in  meditating  on 
the  life  of  Christ — the  Incarnation,  Nativity,  Cir- 
cumcision, Sec. ;  all  presented  to  the  mind  according 
to  the  spirit  of  Ignatius,  and  brought  home,  by  the 
same  spirit,  to  bear  with  conquering  energy  on  the 
soul:  supposed,  as  we  have  seen,  to  be  "indifferent 
to  all  things,"  but  still  ready  to  decide  on  the 
election. 

There  is  some  wisdom  in  this.  The  mind  should 
come  unprejudiced  to  the  study  of  every  subject, 
otherwise  she  had  better  remain  in  primitive  igno- 
rance:  the  jaundice  of  the  mind,  like  that  of  the 
eyes,  is  the  never-failing  source  of  erroneous  judg- 
ment. 

All  the  incidents  just  named  were  to  be  contem- 
plated as  if  we  were  present  at  the  very  scene  in  per- 
son :  the  soul,  meanwhile,  in  her  ardent  colloquy, 
endeavouring  to  derive  strength  in  her  resolutions  of 
amendment,  by  the  hope  of  assistance  from  the  foun- 
tain of  Divine  grace. 

The  views  of  Ignatius  are  always  striking,  sometimes 
magnificent.  Thus  on  the  Incarnation,  the  preludes 
exhibit  the  three  Divine  Persons  in  the  act  of  looking 
down  upon  the  earth,  densely  peopled  with  its  inhabi- 
tants, who  were  dropping  into  hell.  In  the  eternity 
of  their  Godhead,  they  decree  that  the  second  Person 
should  assume  the  nature  of  man  for  the  salvation  of 
the  human  race.  Accordingly,  at  the  time  prescribed, 
the  archangel  Gabriel  is  destined  to  be  the  messenger 
to  the  blessed  Virgin  Mary. 


EXERCISES.  211 

Then  the  imaginary  vision,  just  as  if  the  circumfe- 
rence of  the  universal  earth  were  spread  before  the 
eyes,  with  all  her  habitants — nations  unnumbered  ! 
The  mental  eyes  look  around,  and  in  a  certain  part  of 
this  spreading;  earth,  they  discover  the  little  house^  of 
the  blessed  Virgin  at  Nazareth,  in  the  province  of 
Galilee  ! 

I  behold  all  the  men  who  are  the  objects  of  my  con- 
templation,— all  men  dwelling  on  the  face  of  the 
earth,  so  different  in  manners,  movements,  and  ac- 
tions; some  white,  others  black;  some  enjoying 
peace,  others  agitated  by  wars;  one  man  weeping, 
another  laughing;  one  in  health,  another  diseased; 
some  at  the  moment  of  birth,  others,  in  their  turn,  in 
their  last  agony;  and  so  on  according  to  the  almost 
countless  varieties  of  human  action  and  passion. 

In  the  midst  of  this  scene,  I  raise  my  eyes  and  con- 
template the  three  Divine  Persons,  from  the  royal 
throne,  beholding  all  the  races  of  men  on  the  surface 
of  the  earth,  living  like  the  blind — on  all  sides  dying 
— descendino-  into  hell 

Then  I  let  fall  the  eyes  and  see  the  Virgin  Mary 
in  her  little  house,  with  the  angel  saluting  her  at  the 
eventful  moment;  brino;ing  home  always  the  thought 
to  myself,  and  from  such  a  contemplation  deriving 
some  fruit  in  the  soul. 

The  various  personages  in  this  drama  must  be 
heardj  SiS  well  as  seen.  I  hear  ''men  in  the  world 
conversing,  hlasphemhig,  and  abusing  each  other."  I 
direct  my  hearing  heavenward,  and  hear  the  Divine 

*  Domuncula. 

p  2 


212  THE    SPIRITUAL 

Persons  in  heaven  discussing  the  redemption  of  the 
human  race:  from  heaven  to  earth  once  more — to  a 
little  room  descending,  I  hear  the  Virgin  and  the 
Angel  negotiating*  the  mystery  of  the  Incarnation. 
From  reflecting  on  each  and  all,  or  by  applying  the 
circumstances  to  myself,  I  shall  study  to  derive  not  a 
little  fruit. 

I  have  heard  the  words  of  these  personages,  I 
must  also  see  their  actions — see  'Miovv  mortals  injure 
one  another,  strike,  murder,  and  rush  all  to  hell!  .  .  ." 

Then, —  '^How  the  most  holy  Trinity  executes  the 
work  of  Incarnation." 

Thirdly,  "  How  the  Angel  fulfils  his  mission^i'  and 
the  blessed  Virgin,  with  most  humble  demeanour, 
gives  thanks  to  the  Divine  Majesty, 

"  Directing  the  reflected  light  of  all  these  incidents 
to  ourselves,  we  may  gather  fruit  as  we  proceed. 

"In  the  colloquy  1  shall  diligently  seek  for  the  ex- 
pressi6ns  wherewith  I  may  worthily  address  each 
Divine  Person,  the  Word  incarnate,  and  his  Mother; 
praying,  according  to  the  emotion  I  shall  feel  in 
my  heart,  for  whatever  may  aid  me  to  a  greater  imi- 
tation of  my  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  as  it  were  just  made 
man."j 

This  contemplation  will  give  the  reader  an  idea  of 
the  plan  by  which  Ignatius  leads  the  soul  into  his 
enticing  trap.  How  sweet  are  the  baits  suspended 
there !  how  delicious  the  odours  around  that  make  us 
ask — Whence  come  they  ?   these  odours !  but  they 

*  Tractantes.  -f  Fuugatur  legatione. 

X  Exer.  Spir.  Heb.  sec. 


EXERCISES.  213 

are  so  sweet,  so  delicious,  tliat  poor  human  nature 
bribes  the  judgment  to  believe  them  divine — they 
are  so  sweet — -so  delicious  ! 

Every  meditation,  and  every  contemplation,  are 
scenes  of  a  drama — instinct  with  life:  its  pleasures  and 
its  pains,  its  vices  and  its  virtues,  and  every  corporeal 
sense — the  five  senses  all — must  perform,  each,  its 
function:  metaphorically  at  least,  to  aid  the  deception. 

Mere]}'-  to  see  and  hear  the  personages  in  contem- 
plation is  trivial ;  we  must,  with  a  certain  interior  taste 
and  smell,  relish  the  suavity  and  lusciousness*  of  the 
soul  imbued  with  divine  gifts  and  virtues,  according 
to  the  personages. 

Again,  we  must,  ^^  by  means  of  an  internal  touch, 
feel  and  kiss  the  garments,  places,  footsteps,  8cc., 
where  we  may  expect  a  greater  increase  of  devotion, 
or  any  other  spiritual  gift."f 

Such  is  the  "application  of  the  senses"  to  the 
uses  of  the  soul. 

It  is  towards  the  end  of  this  week  that  occurs 
the  famous  meditation  of  "  The  two  Standards," 
in  which  Ignatius  sanctified  his  previous  warlike 
notions,  just  as  he  has  applied  all  his  natural  predi- 
lections and  refined  sensuality  to  the  purposes  of  his 
religion.  We  contemplate  two  camps  in  battle  array 
— two  generals  appealing  to  us,  eager  to  enlist  us  in 
his  service.  In  the  rear  of  each  general  is  his  re- 
spective city  or  stronghold.  One  general  is  Jesus 
Christ,   his  city  Jerusalem ;  the  other  is  Satan,  his 

*  Dulcedo.  f  Ibid,  ut  antea. 


214  THE    SPIRITUAL 

city  Babylon  the  Great.  The  latter  displays  a 
splendid  banner  on  which  is  inscribed  his  watch- 
word—*^  RICHES,  HONOUR,  PRIDE!"  On 
the  standard  of  the  Redeemer  appear  the  words — 
"POVERTY,  SHAME,  HUMILITY !''  "To 
arms !"  is  sounded  on  all  sides — we  must  instantly 
decide  in  whose  ranks  we  will  fig^ht — shall  it  be  with 
Satan  or  with  Christ  ?  .  .  .  . 

Having  joined  the  ranks  of  the  latter,  having  made 
the  "  election/'*  we  must  learn  how  to  conquer  by 
patience  and  submission  —  by  non-resistance  unto 
death  ;  these  being  the  arms  of  the  novice,  and  of 
every  Christian  who  wishes  to  enlist  under  the  re- 
cruiting flag  of  Ignatius.  The  third  week,  there- 
fore, we  contemplated  the  passion  of  Christ  —  we 
walked  in  the  awful  procession  from  the  garden  of 
Gethsemane  to  the  hall  of  Caiaphas — to  the  tribunal 
of  Pilate — we  witnessed  the  hideous  flagellation,  and 
seemed  to  hear  the  sound  of  the  remorseless  lash ! 
and  thence  we  repaired  to  Calvary  to  see  the  end. 
It  was  the  contemplation  which  follows  the  Cruci- 
fixion, viz.,  the  lament  of  the  holy  women  at  the 
burial  of  Christ — the  mother's  anguish,  the  friend's 
affliction — that  I  most  remember.  My  eyes  filled 
with  tears — thoughts  of  sincere  sadness  filled  my 
soul — my  sentiments  assumed  the  form  of  verse,  and 
when  informed  of  the  fact,  the  Superior,  at  my  re- 
quest, gave  me  leave  to  write  the  verses ! — Truly  if 
anything  can  bind  the  soul  irrevocably  to  a  system, 

*  Exer.  Spir.  Heb.  2. 


EXERCISES.  215 

it  is  this  facile  humouring  of  the  mind  and  temper 
—  this  identification  of  things  human  with  thing-s 
Divine ! 

Still  we  were  ''  persuaded  that  our  progress  in  spi- 
rituality, would  be  commensurate  with  our  estrange- 
ment from  the  love  of  self  and  of  our  own  conve- 
nience!'**" 

The  fourth  week  is  the  Sabbath  of  the  Retreat, 
The  *'  glorious  mysteries  "  then  make  amends  for  the 
gloom  of  the  preceding  weeks,  when  no  thought  of 
gladness  was  permitted  to  distract  the  soul  deter- 
mined on  its  self-affliction. 

Now  the  scene  is  changed.  We  stand  by  the 
sepulchre  of  Christ,  in  the  little  house  of  the  blessed 
Virgin  :  the  form,  parts,  and  other  peculiarities  of 
which,  as  a  cell  or  oratory,  we  examine  with  dili- 
gence one  after  another.j  We  must  think  of  those 
things  only  which  give  spiritual  joy,  such  as  the 
thought  of  glory.  The  light  of  day  is  to  be  ad- 
mitted ;  in  spring  and  summer  we  must  be  cheered 
by  the  sight  of  the  verdant  herbage  and  of  flowers, 
or  the  loveliness  of  some  sunny  spot ;  during  winter 
by  the  now  seasonable  rays  of  the  sun  or  a  fire;  and 
so  on,  in  like  manner,  with  regard  to  the  other  be- 
fitting delights  of  body  and  mind,  wherewith  we  can 
rejoice  with  the  Creator  and  our  Redeemer. J 

*  Exer.  Spir.  Heb.  2.  t  Heb.  4. 

X  Heb.  4.  The  edition  from  which  I  have  translated  is  that  of 
NouET,  with  notes  by  Roothan,  the  present  General  of  the  Society. 

Other  writers  have  thought  proper  to  dismiss  the  Spiritual  Exercises 
of  Ignatius  with  contempt  or  abuse.  For  my  part,  I  am  of  opinioa 
that  nothing  can  be  gained   by   misrepresentation,    certainly  with 


216  CONSOLATION. 

The  contemplation  of  Divine  love  concludes  the  re- 
treat. The  perfections  of  the  Creator,  the  joys  of 
the  saints  and  angels,  become  the  subjects  of  affec- 
tionate meditation.  The  soul  has  made  its  choice — 
its  wings  are  fledged — it  soars  triumphant  to  the 
empyrean  of  *'  love  Divine.'' 

My  enthusiasm  was  raised  to  the  highest  pitch 
during  the  latter  part  of  this  retreat.  I  could  not 
help  speaking  from  the  fulness  of  my  heart  to  my 
'^  Brothers,"  of  the  gushing  consolations  that  en- 
tranced me  with  delight.  Sometimes  I  was  uncon- 
scious of  existing  in  the  body — my  breast  within 
seemed  to  glow  with  a  fire  that  gently  warmed  but 
did  not  consume  !  I  saw  no  difficulties  in  perfection 
— all  things  were  easy  to  him  who  loved  strongly. 
All  that  I  did  gave  me  intense  satisfaction ;  my  heart 
yearned  for  some  great  occasion  when  the  sacrifice 
would  be  made  complete  :  martyrdom  or  a  natural 
death  would  have  been  sweet  in  that  exaltation  ! 

I  was  imprudent  enough  to  speak  of  my  sensations 
to  some  of  the  **  Brothers:"  the  Superior  sent  for  me, 
and  mildly  reprimanded  me  for  the  indiscretion.  He 
said,  ''  Brother,  your  consolations,  if  spoken  of,  may 
discourage  those  who  have  not  been  thus  favoured ; 
but  beware !  the  time  of  'dryness'  will  come!  So, 
moderate  your  exultation."  It  came — that  time  of 
"  dryness,"  as  ascetics  call  that  sterility  of  thought, 
that  disgust  for  prayer  and  meditation  and  all  spiri- 
tualities, which  must  naturally  follow  intense  unre- 
mitted application  to  any  pursuit,  carnal  or  spiritual. 

regard    to  the   Jesuits — the  reality   exceeds  the   fiction  iu  terrible 
import ! 


217 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

DRYNESS — REMARKABLE     CURE OPINIONS. 

Ascetics  understand  by  '^  spiritual  consolation," 
that  joy  of  the  soul,  that  alacrity,  gifted  with  which, 
it  finds  no  religious  duty  irksome,  but,  on  the  con- 
trary, highly  pleasant,  and  performs  all  its  functions 
with  inexpressible  satisfaction.  The  **  gift  of  tears" — 
that  is,  the  flowing  of  tears  during  meditation — is 
esteemed  the  highest  degree  of  "consolation."  It  is 
said  that  few — even  of  the  preatest ''  saints" — have 
had  much  "  consolation"  in  their  earthly  pilgrimage. 
St.  Theresa  passed,  I  believe,  two  and  twenty  years 
of  her  life  in  "spiritual  dryness,"^  which  is  the  anti- 
thesis of  "  consolation."  Her  "  merit"  was  conse- 
quently greater,  since  she  persevered  in  all  the 
practices  of  devotion,  despite  the  denial  of  consola- 
tion, or  the  heavenly  encouragement  vouchsafed  to 
piety.  A'Kempis  exclaims  with  a  pious  sneer,  "  That 
soul  rides  pretty  easily  whose  steed  is  the  grace  of 


*  Eibaden.   p.   799.     "  The  fervid  Ignatius  often  found  all   the 
liquid  pleasures  of  the  inward  man  quite  dried  away.'' — Bartol.  p.  20. 


218  DRYNESS. 

God  !"*  thereby  implying  that  it  is  an  easy  matter  to 
persevere  in  devotion  when  its  practices  are  pleasant 
to  the  soul. 

The  time  of  aridity  is  therefore  a  time  of  trial ; 
when  the  soul  is  left  as  it  were  to  herself,  to  battle 
with  the  cunning  tempter,  who  then  endeavours  to 
terrify  her  with  all  manner  of  doubts  and  fears, 
disousts  and  bitterness.  This  is  the  ascetic  view  of 
the  subject.  What  is  the  true  cause  ?  If  a  man 
takes  much  wine,  it  will  produce  on  his  mind,  first 
exhilaration,  then  delirium.  If  for  several  days  he 
works  incessantly  at  his  desk,  the  result  will  be  total 
exhaustion  of  idea,  and  extreme  fatigue.  Here  are 
effects  whose  causes  are  apparent  to  "  the  meanest 
capacity.'' 

Enlightened  physiology  traces  mental  effects  un- 
erringly to  physical  causes,  and,  vice  versa,  physical 
effects  to  mental  causes.  If  the  "  Saints"  could 
have  been  enlightened  in  this  matter,  how  soon 
would  they  have  shaken  oft' their  desolation  by  giving 
their  over-toiled  faculties  a  short  respite,  or  a  change 
of  exercise ! 

The  Jesuit  system,  by  varying  and  alternating  cor- 
poreal and  mental  application,  obviates,  to  a  con- 
siderable extent,  the  pernicious  effects  of  this  mental 
lassitude  ;  or,  in  the  language  of  asceticism,  this  exile 
of  the  heart.  Still  the  constant  return  of  the  same 
duties  must  sooner  or  later  dispel  the  charm  which 
deludes  the   mind   by   novelty.      To   youths   trans- 

•   Satis  suaviter  equitat,  quam  gratia  Dei  portat !     De  Imit.  Christ. 
1.  ii.  c.  9. 


DRYNESS.  219 

planted  from  the  nursery-bed  of  a  Romish  College, 
the  extra  confinement  and  prayer  are  only  a  good 
"  set-off"  against  "  tasks  and  lessons."  They  conse- 
quently "  submit"  to  the  Novitiate  with  tolerable 
ease :  they  only  enlarge  that  obedience  which  the 
Jesuits  have,  from  their  early  years,  drilled  into  them 
with  prescient  solemnity.  Of  course  all  are  ^here 
completely  tamed — at  the  college  they  were  only- 
caught,  and  they  came  to  the  Novitiate  with  the 
mark  of  the  lasso  on  their  necks.  To  them  the  duties 
of  the  Novitiate  soon  become  mechanical,  and  they 
bear  the  yoke  easily. 

It  is  very  different,  however,  with  those  who  went 
to  Hodder  from  worldly  pursuits  :  full  grown,  mature 
men,  with  habits  long  formed,  and  inclinations  long 
used  to  gratification.  I  often  pitied  one  of  my  brother 
novices  in  this  respect.  I  am  sure  that  the  Novitiate 
was  a  hard  trial  to  that  poor  fellow. 

For  myself,  I  was  in  my  twenty-second  year ;  and, 
though  I  l^had  been  in  the  world,  still  I  had  con- 
tracted no  habits  which  a  strong  effort  of  the  will 
could  not  overcome.  I  never  felt  the  duties  irksome, 
but  I  suffered  intensely  for  several  days  from  a  dis- 
mal depression  of  spirits.  Doubtless  it  was  brought 
on  by  mental  application  and  confinement ;  but,  as  a 
matter  of  course,  I  considered  it  a  trial  and  the  work 
of  the  enemy.  Hideous  dreams  by  night  and  bitter 
thoughts  by  day — remorse  for  the  past,  despair  of  the 
future — I  could  not  think  of  Heaven  ! 

It  seemed  to  my  desolate  heart  that  I  was  des- 
tined to  commit  some  horrible  crime — inconceivable 


220  REMARKABLE    CURE. 

though  it  was,  and  impossible  to  a  will  long 
resigned  to  Heaven  and  bent  on  perfection :  and 
yet  the  visible,  tangible  thought  rose  up  and 
mocked  me  with  the  awful  words :  Thou  art 
doomed  I 

Such  was  my  desolation.  The  Superior's  watch- 
ful eye  perceived  my  sadness;  he  questioned  me,  I 
told  him  of  my  soul's  unrest.  He  ascribed  it  to  a 
natural  cdiuse.  "Brother,"  he  said,  *^you  need  a 
change  of  occupation — your  mind  yearns  after  its 
former  studies — what  would  you  like  to  read  ?    What 

say  you  to  St.  Chrysostom  ?" 

I  was  already  half  cured.  I  wiped  away  my  tears, 
for  they  were  flowing  fast,  and  assented  to  the  pro- 
posal. He  went  into  the  library,  which  opened  into 
his  room,  and  brought  me  a  huge  folio,  saying, 
*'  Here,  brother,  read  this  and  be  happy  !"  I  thanked 
him,  took  the  book,  went  to  my  cell,  opened  the 
folio  at  random,  and  the  first  words  that  caught  my 
eye  were  as  follows:  — 

"To  Stageirius,  on  Providence.  It  was  be- 
fitting, my  dearest  friend,  Stageirius,  that  I  should 
now  both  be  at  your  side,  and  together  with  you 
thoroughly  share  your  affliction  ;  and  by  exhortation 
of  words,  and  ministering  to  you  by  services,  and 
taking  a  share  in  everything  else  for  your  comfort, 
lighten  in  part,  as  much  as  I  were  able,  your  sad 
despondency .'' 

Here,  then,  was  a  pious  man,  suffering  from  the 
same  malady  that  afflicted  me !  1  was  now  the 
patient,  and   St.  Chrysostom  was   my   physician ! 


REMARKABLE    CURE. 


221 


Oh !  how  soon  was  my  sorrow  changed  into  gladness 
even  by  the  few  lines  of  the  introduction.  I  was, 
above  all,  struck  with  the  beautiful  expressive  word 
of  the  original  o-vvhiaTaXai-noipeicrOaLj  which  requires  to 
be  paraphrased  in  English  by  *'  together  with  you 
thoroughly  to  be  afflicted."  No  modern  language 
but  the  German  can  express  its  meaning  by  a  single 
compound  verb  :  perhaps,  a  German  may  translate  it 
into  durch-mitleiden ;  but  still  some  of  the  Original 
force  and  descriptiveness  is  lost — unexpressed. 

It  is  needless  to  state  that  my  cure  was  as  perfect 
as  it  was  instantaneous.  Sadness  fled  from  my  heart, 
and  joy  was  restored  to  it,  as  to  its  own  loved  dwell- 
ino- — eaoer  to  return  !  To  borrow  a  beautiful  com- 
parison  of  the  same  author,  *'as  a  bird  when  it 
hath  flown  from  its  nest,  so  is  man  oppressed  as  a 
slave,  when  he  becomes  a  stranger  far  from  his  own 
home."*  I  found  the  treatise  throughout  strikingly 
apposite  to  my  own  case;  the  symptoms  of  the 
malady  of  his  friend  were  singularly  similar  to  those  of 
my  own  distemper ;  and  the  forceful  yet  tender,  the 
argumentative  yet  passionate  appeals  of  Chrysostom, 
compounded  a  panacea  to  which  I  am  happy  to  append 
my  testimonial.  I  have  now  before  me  an  analysis 
of  the  tract,  with  translations  of  the  most  striking 
passages,  all  written  atHodderat  the  time  in  question. 

I  fancy  I  hear  the  reader  exclaim,  "What  a  strange 
coincidence  !"    And  so  it  appeared  to  me,  nay  more,  I 

*  "Qg  yap  opvfov  orav  iKirtraaOy,  Ik  rriQ  vocrcriaQ  avTOv,  oVTio 
av9po)7rog  covXovrai,  orav  a7ro^ev(>)9y,  UTfb  rdv  Idicjv  tottojv.— 
Chrysost.  De  Provid. 


222  REMARKABLE    CURE. 

could  not  help  considering  it  as  another  providential 
interposition;  for,  as  I  have  said,  I  opened  the  book 
at  random,  and  it  opened  at  the  very  beginning  of 
that  address  to  Stageirius  concerning  his  despon- 
dency and  the  adorable  providence  of  God  !  Whether 
the  Superior  expected  that  I  would  light  on  that 
treatise  sooner  or  later,  and  so  derive  consolation,  I 
know  not  now  ;  but  I  certainly  thought  he  was  in- 
spired to  bless  me  with  the  means  of  cure.*  And 
yet  the  thoughts  that  occurred  to  me  whilst  reading 
that  book  were,  I  may  say,  additional  stones  that 
paved  the  way  to  my  emancipation  from  the  Society. 
My  mind  listened,  deeply  thinking,  to  these  words 
that  follow  : — "  Let  us  shake  off  this  dust  (the  preju- 
dice of  the  ignorant  and  their  superstitions),  for  thus 
the  violence  of  this  grief  will  be  rendered  tolerable 
and  light,  provided  we  yield  not  ourselves  to  be  hur- 
ried by  the  distemper  over  the  precipice  ;  but  rather 
let  us  be  solicitous  to  look  back  and  rationally  consider 
what  is  expedient — ak\a  kol  hiav aa-rrjaov  aeavrov — 
rouse  thyself !'' 

The  reader  would  doubtless  wish  to  know  whether 
similar  influences  to  those  which  I  have  hitherto  de- 
tailed, were  brought  to  bear  upon  my  fellow-novices. 
I  know  not.  I  could  not  help  telling  them,  some- 
times, the  *'  strange  things"  and  the  burning  thoughts 
that  occurred  to  myself ;  but  whether  they  were  more 

*  It  is  but  fiiir  to  state  that  the  book  had  been  evidently  very  little 
used,  and,  for  an  old  edition,  was  quite  new ;  the  tract  Upog  Sray. 
was  not  the  least  "  thumbed."  The  incident  was  a  casualty  rendered 
remarkable  only  by  the  state  of  my  own  mind ;  just  as  the  accidental 
opening  of  a  window  refreshes  the  patient  under  burning  fever. 


OPINIONS.  22  3 

discreet,  or  less   "  favoured,"  I   cannot    say.     They 
seemed  to  me — all  of  them — sincere  in  their  determi- 
nation to  be  strict  conscientious  novices  ;  and,  though 
at  all  times  some  one  or  other  was  evidently  *'  in  de- 
solation," yet,  on  the  whole,  I   may  safely  say  that 
they  seemed  satisfied  with  their  "  vocation."     As  all 
allusions   to   mere  *^  worldly   matters "    were   to    be 
utterly  discarded  from  our  conversations,  we  had  to 
speak  of  "  things  divine,"  or  of  the  Society  :  its  heroic 
apostles,  its  martyrs,  its  present  state,  its  progress. 
Unless  the  last-mentioned  topics   are  to  be  included 
in  "  things  divine,"  I  say  that  "  things  divine"  were 
frequently  substituted  by  *Hhe  Society  and  its  con- 
cerns."    There  was  a  difference  in  the  conversation 
of  the  second-year  novices :  these,  I  could   not  help 
remarking,  spoke  very  pointedly  on  the  vow  of  Ohe^ 
dience.     From  them  I  heard  the  tropes  and  metaphors 
which  Ignatius  has  bequeathed  for  a  sign  to  his 
faithful  followers.     **  I   must  be/'  said  they,   ''  like 
soft  wax  in  the  hands  of  my  Superior,  to   take  what 
form  he  pleases.'^     Again,  *'  I  must  look  upon  myself 
as  a  corpse,  which  has  no  voluntary  motion  ;  or  as  the 
staff  in  an  old  man's  hand,  which   he  uses   according 
to  his  own  convenience.^' 

This  is  not  *'  tyranny  !  oppression!  a  gross  insult  to 
common  sense  !"  :  not  the  least  in  the  world  :  it  is 
only  the  perfection  of  holy  obedience,  nothing  more. 
How  can  there  be  tyranny,  oppression,  where  men 
are  willing  and  eager  to  do  all  that  is  commanded  ? 
The  enemies  of  the  Jesuits  never  stumbled  on  a  more 
stupid  argument  than  this :  it  is  the  very  essence  of 


224  OPINIONS. 

ignorant  prejudice,  and  only  serves  to  interest  us  by 
the  comparison  of  Eugene  Sue,  whereby  he  assimi- 
lates the  Jesuits  to  the  Thugs,  who  also  make  corpses! 
— a  pitiful  conundrum,  but  quite  legitimate  according 
to  the  principles  of  the  paranomasia  in  question. 
But  we  will  take  quite  a  different  view  of  the  subject ; 
expressing  our  thanks  to  the  party  who  suggested  the 
objection.*  Here,  then,  has  Holy  Father  Ignatius 
selected  three  metaphors  to  "  give  an  idea"  of  what 
sort  of  obedience  he  expects  to  find  in  his  Jesuits. 
These  metaphors  are — 1st,  wax;  2d,  a  corpse;  3d,  an 
old  man's  stick.  Very  expressive,  certainly.  But 
he  did  not  stop  there;  he  subjoined  the  property  of 
wax,  namely,  "  to  take  what  form  he  pleases ;"  he 
intimates  the  passiveness  of  a  corpse,  "  which  has  no 
voluntary  motion ;''  he  declares  the  unscrupulous 
adaptation  of  an  old  man's  stick,  "  which  he  uses 
according  to  his  convenience." 

Novv,  in  all  fair  play,  I  ask,  if  a  man  becomes,  in 
the  hands  of  his  superiors,  as  this  wax,  this  corpse, 
this  old  man's  stick,  in  the  manner  that  Ignatius 
superadds  by  way  of  explanation— I  ask,  *' in  the 
name  of  common  sense,"  will  that  man  not  do  what^ 
ever  his  Superior  commands  ?  He  will,  you  say,  but 
"  where  no  sin  lies !"  Will  your  wax  demur  to  be 
made  into  a  Ravaillac  by  Madame  Tussaud? 
Will  your  corpse  refuse  to  be  dissolved  into  rank  cor- 
ruption ?  Will  your  old  man's  stick  aid  his  steps, 
but  refuse  to  "  knock  down"  *'  according  to  his  con- 
venience ?" 

*  Notes,  &c.,  on  the  Jesuits,  bj  "  John  Fairplaj,  Esq."     1845. 


OPINIONS.  225 

Here  is  no  "  confusion  of  tonoues,"  indeed  !  Here 
is  argument — argument  suggested  by  yourself.  True, 
we  were  told  that  "  holy  obedience  would  never  exact 
what  was  contrary  to  the  will  of  God."  Alas!  what 
crimes  have  men  not  committed  under  the  sanction 
of  conscience  !  —  a  false  conscience,  of  which  you 
know  how  to  declaim.'*'  The  boundless  confidence, 
the  divinitij  with  which  you  are  invested  as  ''  Supe- 
riors"— a  mystification  which  you  constantly  keep 
alive — suppresses  every  question  or  thought  of  a 
question  in  your  wax,  your  corpse,  your  old  man's 
stick  ;  and  your  Jesuit  will  be  true  to  his  calling  in  all 
things  :  superadding,  if  you  like,  "  lohere  no  sin  lies  ;^^ 
for  that  is  necessarily  understood,  and  would  not  be 
more  satisfactory  if  you  printed  the  words  in  italics  as 
long  as  a  line  of  longitude. 

Many  of  these  thoughts  occurred  to  me  in  the  No- 
vitiate, but  I  resisted  them,  treated  them  as  *'  temp- 
tations." I  listened  to  the  conversations  of  our 
second-year  novices,  humbly  seeking  to  be  enlight- 
ened. Had  they  been  more  fervid  in  their  sentiments, 
generally,  doubtless  they  would  have  pleased  me 
more.  They  were,  however,  always  courteous,  as, 
indeed,  the  rules  require.  They  seemed  for  the  most 
part  to  be  the  sons  of  the  English  gentry  and  nobility 
or  titled  families,  but  younger  sons.  There  was,  how- 
ever, no  distinction  as  to  rank  or  wealth.     Punctu- 

*  Conscientia  erronea — quae  objectum  aliter  ac  est,  agnoscit.  Con- 
scientia  autem  hujusmodi  assolet  jam  iuvincibiliter,  jam  vincibiliter 
errare  ! — says  the  accommodating  Escobar.     Lib.  Theol.  de  Consc. 

Q 


226  OPINIONS. 

ality,  the  spirit  of  the  rules — obedience — these  were 
the  only  distinctions  in  the  Novitiate,  and  they  re- 
dounded to  individual  credit  vvitli  the  heads  of  the 
Society. 

Whether  in  a  climate  different  to  that  of  Britain,  a 
climate  where  the  glow  of  a  more  ardent  sun  sends 
the  blood  in  quicker  motion  through  the  veins,  the 
physical  temperament  could  be  repressed  as  easily  as 
in  the  austerity  of  a  Novitiate  in  the  north  of  Eng- 
land, is  a  question  which  I  will  certainly  not  answer 
in  the  affirmative.  But  still  I  see  no  reason  to  doubt 
the  adaptability  of  means  to  ends  by  the  Jesuits,  in 
order  to  meet  the  obstacles  of  climate  ;  particularly 
in  the  matter  of  the  second  vow.  Of  the  scrupulous 
purity  of  my  own  mind  I  have  spoken.  I  could  not 
possibly  be  expected  to  express  an  opinion  of  others 
in  this  matter  otherwise  than  favourable.  On  the 
other  hand,  if  any  particular  legislation  presupposes 
crime,  I  say  that  the  disgusting  minuteness  of  several 
matters  in  the  lecture  on  that  vow,  staggered  my  belief 
in  ihe  omnipotence  of  all  rules  and  regulations 
against  depraved  nature.  That  lecture  completely 
disgusted  me — I  shuddered  as  the  Superior  read  it. 
I  had  nothing  to  write  on  the  slate  when  we  assem- 
bled for  that  purpose  in  the  dormitory;  and  to  my 
horror — I  must  speak  the  fact — to  my  horror,  I  say, 
the  whole  lecture  was  minutely  repeated  on  the  fol- 
lowing day;  and,  to  make  the  matter  worse,  the  Su- 
perior sternly  questioned  the  novice  who  stood  before 
him  as  to  passages  which  the  latter  seemed  inclined 


OPINIONS.  227 

to  pass  over!  There  are  subjects  on  which  one  must 
speak  enio-matically:  this  is  one;  and  the  reader  must 
solve  it  to  his  own  satisfaction. 

All  special  friendships  —  all  preference  for  one 
"brother"  more  tlran  for  another — were  strictly  pro- 
scribed.    One  day  the  Superior  sent  for  me ;  he  said, 

''  Brother,  I  wish  to  warn  vou.     Brother seems 

inclined  to  court  your  society  ;  treat  him  coolly — 
avoid  his  conversation — until  he  learns  to  conform  to 
the  rules."  Strano-e !  I  actually  felt  an  affection  for 
the  youth  that  very  moment — I  felt  inclined  to  love 
him  for  his  apparent  love  for  me  !  ....  Of 
course,  the  "  brother"  was  lectured  for  his  misde- 
meanour; but  I  must  confess,  /,  at  least,  had  not 
before  been  conscious  that  he  had  any  extra  affection 
for  my  poor  self.  I  was  at  the  time  strugglinfr  with 
doubts,  and  this  incident  did  not  allay  them.  I  com- 
plied as  well  as  I  could  with  the  injunction,  but  from 
that  day  certainly  felt  more  inclined  to  my  *^  admirer" 
than  to  any  otlier  '^  brother."  It  was  only  two  or 
three  months  after,  that  I  left  Hodder,  and  the  affec- 
tion thus  sown  hy  the  Superior  brought  forth  mutual 
tears  as  we  parted — perhaps  for  ever — on  that  me- 
morable leave-taking  which  was  publicly  vouchsafed 
to  me  on  my  departure  from  the  Novitiate.  Truly, 
this  last  struggle  was  the  greatest;  and,  had  not  my 
mind,  as  it  were,  taken  arms  against  my  heart  on  that 
occasion,  I  know  not  how  much  longer  I  should  have 
continued  "a  child  of  Ignatius." 

Such  a  public  farewell  was  not  given  to  any  other 
novice  that  left — three  left  during  my  year — and  I 

Q  2 


228  OPINIONS. 

leave  it  to  the  Superiors  to  say  what  induced  them  to 
grant  me  that  signal  favour — that  favour  which  well 
nigh  laid  me  at  their  mercy  once  more !  'AA.A.a  koll 
biavda-TTjcrov  creavTov.  "Rouse  thyself  1"  whispered 
my  mind, and  my  heart  said,  *'  perhaps  it  was  right!" 


229 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

VISITS    FROM    FRIENDS. LETTERS.  —  FESTIVITIES. 

strangers'    RETREATS. 

The  novice  must  learn  to  forget  his  father,  mother, 
brother,  sister,  and  friends  ;  except  in  his  *'  universal 
prayer"  for  the  salvation  of  all  mankind.  This  re- 
quisition is  at  least  consistent :  a  Jesuit  must  neces- 
sarily forswear  all  the  claims  of  kindred.  The  Society 
is  everything  to  him — all  the  world  nothing  :  that  is, 
of  course,  as  far  as  the  sympathies  are  concerned. 
The  novelist  has  invented  a  strons;  case,  in  which  the 
most  sacred  feeling  of  our  nature — mother  s  love — is 
unscrupulously  thwarted,  resisted,  crushed.  Whether 
such  a  case  has  ever  occurred,  or  will  ever  occur, 
matters  not  to  the  question  ;  but  such  a  case,  in  the 
circumstances  supposed  by  Eugene  Sue,  i  believe  ta 
be  quite  in  accordance  with  the  spirit  of  Jesuit  policy. 
The  rule  of  the  summary  on  this  subject  is,  I  re- 
member, one  of  the  longest:  it  mentions  all  whom 
we  had  '^  to  leave"  in  the  world,  viz.,  father,  mother, 
brother,  sister,  and  friends,  in  order  to  be  adopted  by 
the  Society ;  and  the  strong  words  of  the  rule  were 


230  VISITS    FROM    FRIENDS. 

enforced  by  the  stronger  words  of  the  lecture  thereon. 
My  impression,  after  that  lecture,  was  that  a  total 
oblivion  of  all  human  ties  was  to  be  the  result,  and 
the  test  of  our  true  vocation  to  the  Society  of  Jesus ; 
whose  well-known  words  were  made  to  sanction  the 
requirements  of  Ignatius. 

In  the  Novitiate,  of  course,  the  novice  is  only  in  a 
state  of  probation  ;  some  relaxation  as  to  the  strict- 
ness of  the  letter  and  the  s])irit  must,  therefore,  be 
made:  besides,  it  would  not  'Mook  well"  if  all  inter- 
course of  friends  were  interdicted.  Permission  is 
therefore,  on  application,  granted  by  the  Superior,  to 
friends  and  relatives  sometimes  to  visit  the  novices : 
except  during  the  great  retreat.  During  that  time, 
some  friends  from  St.  Cuthbert's  College  wished,  as  I 
was  afterwards  informed,  to  see  me ;  but  permission  was 
refused.  We  saw  our  friends  in  a  parlour  below  the 
Superior's  room;  and  as  they  generally,  if  not  always, 
came  attended  by  some  of  the  Jesuits  from  the  col- 
lege, the  meeting  was  a  public  one :  permission  was, 
however,  granted  me  to  accompany  my  fellow-colle- 
gian to  some  distance  on  his  way  back  to  Stonyhurst. 
As  we  always  '*  heard  the  report"  when  strangers 
came,  I  can  say  that  the  visits  were  very  few  during 
my  year :  whether  resulting  from  application  not 
being  made,  or  refused,  I  cannot  state ;  nor  have  I  a 
positive  opinion  on  the  subject,  unless  I  appeal  to  the 
spirit  of  the  rule  and  its  exposition  in  the  lecture 
thereon. 

The  same  lecture  dwelt  with  considerable  earnest- 
ness on  the  correspondence  by  letters,  which  we  were 


LETTERS.  231 

permitted  to  carry  on  in  the  Novitiate.     I  remember 
that  allusions  were  made  to  the  topics  that  might  not 
be  introduced  :  namely,  what  took  place  in  the  No- 
vitiate;   and   an  attempt    was   made,  by   a   strange 
inconsistency,    to    assimilate   the    "  secrets ''  of  the 
Novitiate  to  those  of  a  private  family:  whereas  only 
divine    motives    were  held    forth    to    us    in  all   the 
practices  to  which  we  were  expected  to   *^  submit." 
Surely  the  method  of  training  pursued  by  any  body 
of  men,  whether  as  to  intellectual  or  moral  develop- 
ment— open  to  all  men  who  choose  to  enter — must  be 
to  all  intents  and  purposes  a  public  matter.     Let  the 
world  know  what  you  do,  how  you  do  it,  and  why 
you  do  it;  and  then  this  very  expressive  little  pro- 
noun will  honestly  as  well  as  grammatically  resign  its 
place  to  a  substantial,  tangible,  or  conceivable  7ioun, 
The  world  will  judge  and  decide  whether  you   are 
"  honest  in   the  sacred   cause."      Suppose  a  novice 
like  myself  had  written  his  experiences  in  the  No- 
vitiate, praising  everything,  lauding  the  **  fathers"  to 
their  hearts'  content,  &c.  &c.     This  would  not  dis- 
please you,  though  I  am  convinced  it  would  not  please 
you,  for  you  do  not  like  these  things  to  be  known  ; 
hence  our  letters  were  only  to  contain  spiritual  ex- 
hortations to  piety,   and   expressions  of  joy  at    our 
"  vocation." 

The  letters  written  to  us  were  opened  by  the  Supe- 
rior before  we  received  them,  and  those  that  we  wrote 
were  given  to  him  open,  to  be  sealed  and  sent  by  him 
if  he  thought  proper.  Shortly  after  I  went  to  the 
Novitiate  I  wrote  to  a  friend  in  London,  requestino- 


232  LETTERS. 

him  to  send  me  a  German  and  a  Spanish  dictionary. 
He  sent  the   books.      The  Superior  ordered    me    to 
his  room,  and    reprimanded    me  for  writing  for  the 
books  without  permission ;  adding  that  ^' now  I  was 
to  ask  the  Society  for  what  I  wanted,  not  having  a 
claim  on  anybody,  nor  anybody  on  me."     I  was  on 
the  point  of  replying,  that  if  he  had  told  riie  so  when 
he  saw  the  request  in  the  letter,  I  would  have  erased 
it ;  but  ere  the  first  word  was  out  of  my  mouth   he 
said,    ''Nay,   brother,   when   holy    obedience   speaks 
there  should  be  no  reply/'     I  begged  pardon  for  my 
forgetfulness,  he  gave  me  the  books,  and  I  left  him; 
but  the  thought  luould  rise,  "if  he  knew  of  my  sin 
beforehand,  why  did  he  not  anticipate  the  completion 
of  the  act  ?"     But  perhaps  he  did  not  read  my  letter, 
or  perhaps  he  wished  to  render  the  books  a  monu- 
ment of  rebuke  to  me ;  or  perhaps  anything  else  :  for 
I  was  quite  mystified  by  this  queer,  very  queer  in- 
cident.    We  had  to  ask  permission   to   write  letters, 
and  we  wrote  them  during  "study,"  or  during  that 
portion  of  "  recreation"  which  we  might   employ  as 
we  liked  :  that  is,  in  reading,  or  writing,  or  walking  in 
the  garden,  or  playing  at  chess,  &c.,  in  the  recreution- 
room,  if  more  than  two  novices  were  there  at  a  time. 
All  extra  prayer  was  discountenanced  :  he  who  did 
well  what  was  prescribed  in  that  matter  did  all  that 
was  required.   I  may  here  state  that  every  precaution 
was  taken  lest  the  novices  should  suffer  in  health  by 
the  austerity  of  the  Novitiate.     A  physician  from  the 
neighbouring  town  came  at  stated  times,  or  was  sent 
for  wlien  required.      When  a  novice  was  indisposed 


FESTIVITIES.  233 

his  religious  duties  were  considerably  relaxed  ;  he 
took  up  his  abode  in  the  infirmary,  which  Vv^as  a 
room  adjoining  the  recreation-room,  and  two  novices, 
by  turns,  were  constantly  with  him^^  to  entertain  him 
with  conversation.  To  show  the  tenderness  of  the 
Jesuits  on  proper  occasions,  I  may  state  a  fact  which 
occurred  at  Hodder.  One  of  the  novices  was  attacked 
with  a  severe  inflammation  of  the  eyes.  The  patient's 
eyes  had  to  be  frequently  bathed  with  the  prescribed 
lotion  :  he  found,  or  fancied  that  he  found,  the  touch  of 
one  of  his  ^'  brothers"  more  oentle  than  that  of  ail  the 
rest,  and  requested  that  the  brother  alluded  to  might 
be  sent  always  to  give  him  relief.  The  v/ish  was 
granted. 

With  these  relaxations  may  be  mentioned  the  fes- 
tivities which  the  novices  enjoyed  from  time  to  time. 
On  great  festivals,  such  as  Christmas,  Easter,  the 
feast  of  Sts.  Ignatius,  Xavier,  Aloysius,  and  Holy 
Innocents,  we  always  made  merry.  On  the  eve  of 
the  last-named  festival,  the  Superior  would  come  to 
the  recreation-room,  with  a  number  of  small  slips  of 
paper  in  his  hand,  each  having  a  sentence  from 
A'Kempis,  or  some  other  ascetic,  inscribed  on  it  : 
except  one,  on  which  was  written,  I  think,  "  Ego 
sum  innocens" — "  I  am  the  innocent."  We  each 
drew  a  slip,  and  the  novice  who  drew  the  one  in 
question  was  to  be  Porter  for  the  next  day.  I  have 
now  the  one  which  I  drew:  the  maxim  inscribed 
is  thus  translated:  "For  nothing  in  the  world,  and 
for  the  pleasure  of  no  man,  is  evil  to  be  done.'*^ 

*  A'Kempis. 


234  FESTIVITIES. 

Of  course  the  office  of  porter,  thus  assumed  by 
chajicny  was  like  many  similar  chance-appointments 
in  the  world,  very  clumsily  discharged.  But  the 
fun  of  the  thing  did  good  to  the  mind,  and  we  were 
always  permitted  to  laugh  when  we  could  not  help 
it — not  unfrequently  some  quaint  remark  or  strange 
story  in  the  lecture  on  the  rules,  or  in  the  readino-  in 
the  Refectory,  set  us  off  in  a  fit  of  laughter  :  the  more 
irresistible  from  our  efforts  to  suppress  that  lene  tor- 
mentumy  that  2;entle  torment  and  fascinating  tyrant  of 
the  human  breast.  Doubtless,  by  agitating  the  dia- 
phragm, laughter  promotes  digestion  ;  and  of  "  all 
the  ills  that  flesh  is  heir  to,"  most  assuredly  those  re- 
sultino;  from  a  disordered  stomach  are  the  most  com- 
mon  and  disastrous — it  has  been  said,  that  "  we  dig- 
cur  graves  with  our  teeth."  So  we  laughed  and 
laughed  again,  feeling  all  tlie  fresher  for  the  pleasant 
excitement;  only  we  endeavoured  to  laugh  like 
"  religious  men :"  that  is,  as  little  as  possible  in 
imitation  of  Balaam's  monitor. 

On  these  festivals  we  went  to  High  Mass  at  the 
church.  We  walked  two  a-breast,  with  eyes  down- 
cast, in  silence,  to  that  part  of  the  church  appro- 
priated to  the  novices  exclusively.  It  is  the  eastern 
transept  or  gospel-side  of  the  altar :  the  western  was 
occupied  by  the  Superiors  and  the  scholastici  of  the 
seminary,  &:c.  We  were  expected  to  edify  all  our 
brethren  by  our  pious,  demure,  and  recollected  de- 
meanour. There  is  a  private  entrance  to  this  part 
of  the  church,  and  we  were  invisible  to  the  con- 
gregation.     I    need   not    say    that  High    Mass,  the 


strangers'  retreats.        235 

sermon,  and  the  organ's  celestial  tones,  and  the  song 
of  human  voices,  were  at  least  a  desirable  gratifica- 
tion ;  if  they  were  not  a  necessary  relief  to  us,  children 
of  solitude — pilgrims  in  the  desert  of  the  heart. 

We  returned  to  Hodder  as  we  came,  recognising 
no  one  that  we  met ;  unless  the  long  robe  was  visible, 
and  then  we  raised  our  hands  to  our  hats  in  saluta- 
tion:  every  novice,  according  to  the  rule  must  touch 
his  hat  or  cap  to  his  Superior,  and  when  the  latter 
entered  the  recreation-room,  we  always  rose  and  stood 
until  he  was  seated. 

After  dinner  we  assembled  in  the  recreation-room, 
as  usual,  and  after  a  convenient  interval  the  bell 
rang :  we  returned  to  the  Refectory,  where  our  eyes 
beheld  the  now  innocent  baits  of  sensuality — cake, 
fruit,  and  wine.  We  sat  down,  the  Superior  at  the 
head  of  the  table,  and  indulged  in  holy  merriment. 
It  was  a  pleasant,  rational  symposium,  that  might  be 
quoted  as  an  example  of  creation's  gifts  used  but  not 
abused :  the  blessings  of  the  Creator  without  the 
superadded  curse  of  the  creature.  On  those  occa- 
sions we  chatted,  we  laughed ;  we  laid  up  spirit  and 
strength  for  another  stage  in  our  pilgrimage. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  feast,  we  made  ready  to 
attend  at  "  Vespers,"  or  the  evening  song  of  the 
church,  and  thus  had  another  treat  of  music.  After 
vespers  we  took  a  walk,  and  returned  to  Hodder  to 
resume  our  onward  march  to  perfection. 

These  were  the  only  breaks  in  our  monotonous  life : 
if  the  casual  sojourn  of  strangers  coming  to  make  a 
retreat  may  be  excepted.     Several  came  during  my 


236  strangers'  retreats. 

year :  one  was,  as  I  was  told,  a  "  convert."  In 
general  they  were  kept  entirely  apart  from  the 
novices  ;  but  this  gentleman  was  permitted  to  take 
his  meals  in  the  Refectory,  and  thus  was  doubtless 
edified  by  the  pious  demeanour  of  the  novices.  I 
think,  however,  that  the  pubhc  penances  were  sus- 
pended during  that  week:  but  I  cannot  speak  with 
certainty  as  to  this  fact.  Of  course  their  retreat  con- 
sisted in  meditation,  confession,  and  communion.  A 
strange  occurrence  connected  with  these  strangers' 
retreats  once  *'  frightened  us  out  of  our  proprieties." 
One  morning,  during  the  most  solemn  part  of  the 
mass,  the  Superior's  door  was  thrust  open,  and  we 
heard  some  one  crying  out  in  the  tones  of  a  madman, 

"  Father !     Father !     Oh,  Father  !" 

....  We  were  terrified,  of  course :  but  the  lay- 
brother  went  into  the  Superior's  room  whence  the 
noise  proceeded,  closing  the  door  after  him,  and 
"we  endeavoured  to  *^  recollect  ourselves"  for  the 
'*  awful  sacrifice"  that  was  thus  interrupted.  As  we 
were  forbidden  to  speak  of  such  unpleasant,  un- 
edifying  occurrences,  I  never  heard  any  explanation 
of  this  most  unaccountable  manifestation.  Still  I 
was  reminded  of  it  on  one  occasion,  when  a  novice 
told  me  the  followine;  anecdote.  He  said  that  when 
inquiries  were  instituted  to  discover  the  "  pretended" 
diabolical  influences  of  the  Jesuits,  one  man,  in  evi- 
dence, was  asked  what  he  saw  in  his  "  retreat" 
among  the  "  holy  fathers."  His  reply  was:  "  J  saw 
a  huge  beast,  a  hideous  monster!"  Highly  gratified 
with  the  prospect  of  finding  irrefragable  evidence  as 


strangers'  retreats.  237 

to  the  supposed  malpractices,  the  inquisitor  winked 
to  his  assistants,  chuckled,  and  mended  his  pen  to 
take  down  the  desired  evidence  with  extraordinary 
care. 

'*  Well,  my  man,  let  us  hear  exactly  what  beast, 
what  monster  you  saw." 

The  man  replied  : — 

*'  I  saw — myself  r^ 

A  decidedly  pretty  story  ;  which  shows  that  Epic- 
TETUS  was  quite  right,  when  he  said  that  "  every 
pitclier  has  two  handles  :"  in  other  words,  that  the 
Jesuits  have  always  had,  as  they  have,  friends  as 
well  as  enemies  j  only,  unfortunately  for  them,  one 
handle  was  wrenched  off  altogether  when  the  pitcher 
got  full — a  casualty  that  may  chance  again. 


238 


CHAPTER  XV. 

MORTIFICATIONS. REPRIMANDS. BRIEFS. THE 

CHAPTER. — MANIFESTATION. 

If  the  reader  is  accustomed  to  contemplate,  to  study 
the  growth  and  development  of  plants,  he  has  an  in- 
exhaustible source  of  pleasure  and  instruction.  Last 
summer  I  remarked  a  beautiful  sprout  of  honeysuckle 
rapidly  intertwining  the  trellis  of  my  verandah  :  it 
was  then  a  brilliant  purplC;  soft  and  succulent ;  to- 
day I  observed  it  again  —  it  has  become  tough, 
yellowish  wood,  as  hard  as  a  brick.  What  time  and 
grow'th  effect  in  the  plant,  time  and  training  produce 
in  the  Jesuit.  There  are  all  manner  of  plants  in  the 
Society,  and  the  skilful  gardeners  that  have  this  in- 
teresting conservatory  in  charge  know  by  what  soil, 
manure,  and  temperature  to  guarantee  the  production 
of  the  desired  bloom  and  fruit.  Chesterfield  tells  us 
that  the  Superior  of  the  Roman  College,  after  having 
exultingly  alluded  to  his  philosophers,  mathemati- 
cians, orators,  &c.,  exclaimed,  "  Ed  ahhiamo  anche 


MORTIFICATIONS.  239 

martiri  per  il  mariirio  se  hisogna — and  we  have  men 
for  martyjclom  if  they  be  required  !"*  This  is  very 
fine,  it  is  the  very  moral  of  my  exposition  :  the  Jesuits 
have  men  adapted  for  every  enterprise.  The  boast  of 
the  Roman  Superior,  if  it  does  not  reduce  the  whole 
argument  to  the  capacity  of  a  nutshell,  certainly 
gives  us  the  kernel  thereof  without  the  trouble  of 
crackino;. 

To  produce  men  who  shall  be  fit  for  every  situation, 
so  that  they  shall  come  off  without  *'  being  cut  them- 
selves," as  the  sjood  father  observed  to  me,  thev 
must  be  used  to  bear  without  shrinking^  as  the 
Spartan  youths  bore  the  lash,  that  severe  ordeal  of 
our  nature, — the  rebuke,  the  reproaches  of  friends  and 
enemies.  Many  a  public  character  would  deserve 
well  of  the  present  generation,  and  of  posterity,  were 
it  not  for  this  pusillanimity,  this  coward-vanity. 
jVot  that  I  believe  the  Jesuits  become  insensible  to 
such  panos :  I  believe  nothing  of  the  sort.  They 
retain — they  have  "temper;"  but  they  learn  to  curb  it : 
to  cover  it  with  smiles  :  hence  they  are  true  '*  men  of 
the  world."     Lainez   certainly  belaboured  Beza  and 

*  Letters  to  his  Son,  L,  236.  In  letter  176,  alluding  to  these 
chevaliers  d'indnstrie,  he  says; — "Among;  your  graver  company,  I 
recommend  (as  I  have  done  before)  the  Jesuits  to  you  ;  whose  learning 
and  address  will  both  please  and  improve  you.  Inform  yourself,  as 
much  as  you  can,  of  the  history,  policy,  and  practice  of  that  Society, 
from  the  time  of  its  founder,  Ignatius  of  Loyola,  who  was  himself  a 
mndman.  If  you  would  know  their  morality,  you  will  find  it  fully  and 
admirably  stated,  in  Les  Lettres  d'un  Provincial,  by  the  famous 
Monsieur  Pascal ,  and  it  is  a  book  very  well  worth  your  reading." 


240  MORTIFICATIONS. 

his  fellow-reformers  with  splendid  abuse  j  and  the 
Provincial  and  London  agent  were  rather  severe  with 
me  when  I  left;  but  then  "  circumstances  alter  cases:" 
there  was  no  necessity  for  "dumb-show"  on  these 
occasions.  I  allude  to  these  facts  without  the 
sli^TJitest  acrimony  :  seven  years  have  been  quite  suffi- 
cient to  make  me  "  forget  and  foro;ive  :"  besides  I 
think  **  't  was  all  quite  natural." 

And  this  particular  training,  how  is  it  applied  ? 

First,  as  to  the  external  man.  Our  habiliments, 
during  manual  w'orks,  were  sublimely  ridiculous  :  I 
was  often  reminded,  when  working  in  company  with 
another  "  brother,"  of  certain  crustaceous  animals 
in  the  West  Indies,  which  I  have  seen  lugging  a  shell 
five  times  too  large,  into  which  they  had  insinuated 
their  tiny  bodies,  doubtless  without  a  thought  of  the 
previous  in-dweller.  Coats  vastly  too  large;  trousers 
decidedly  too  wide  or  too  narrow,  too  short  or  too 
long ;  waistcoats  in  the  same  predicament,  all  patched, 
greased,  threadbare;  and  the  greenish  trousers  that 
1  had  on  when  I  went  to  the  Novitiate,  I  brought 
away  with  an  extensive  cataplasm  of  sober  quaker- 
brown. 

This  appears  ridiculous  enough:  still  the  thing 
tried  us — it  tried  me,  this  beggar's  garb ;  but  soon  I 
got  used  to  it,  and  the  object  was  gained.  This  was 
the  only  thing,  among  the  Jesuits,  that  ever  virtually 
reminded  me  of  the  vow  of  voluntary  poverty.  So 
much  for  the  mortification  of  the  outer,  or  rather  the 
external,  man ;  for  there  were  three  gradations;  the 


REPRIIVIANDS.  241 

inner  man,  or  the  spirit;  the  outer  man,  or  the  flesh; 
the  external  man,  or  the  integuments,  looks,  car- 
riage, &c. 

Of  the  second  gradation  I  shall  speak  anon;  I  pass 
to  the  first,  namely,  the  mortifications  to  contund  the 
spirit.  These  were  reprimands,  which  came,  when 
you  least  expected  them,  in  various  forms.  You 
mio;ht  not  be  conscious  of  the  alleoed  misdemeanour: 
perhaps  it  had  not  been  committed  ;  but  you  received 
the  reprimand  in  humble  silence,  and  battled,  as  well 
as  you  could,  with  the  old  Adam  within,  that  will 
strive  to  throw  the  blame  on  somebody  or  something 
else.  Perhaps  a  penance  would  be  superadded  :  you 
performed  it  with  rapturous  fervour.  Take  a  case  in 
point.  **  It  haj)pened  that  the  pious  and  learned 
Jerome  Platus,  whilst  he  was  his(Aloysius's)  master 
of  novices,  thinking  his  perpetual  application  to 
prayer  and  study  prejudicial  to  his  health,  ordered 
him  to  spend,  in  conversing  with  others  after  dinner, 
not  only  the  hour  allotted  for  all,  but  also  the  half  hour 
lono;er  which  is  allowed  to  those  who  dined  at  the 
second  table.  Father  Minister,  not  knovvino;  this 
order,  punished  him  for  it,  and  obliged  him  publicly 
to  confess  his  fault ;  which  he  underwent  without 
offering  any  excuse.  The  minister,  learning  afterwards 
how  the  matter  was,  admired  very  much  his  silence, 
but,  for  his  greater  merit,  enjoined  him  another  penalty 
for  not  telling  him  the  order  of  his  master."^ 

This  story  was  a  "  staple  commodity"  of  admiration 
in  the  Novitiate — I  often  heard  it  quoted.     To  my 

*  Butler — Saints'  Lives — Aloys. 


242  REPRIMANDS. 

mind  it  susrirests  other  conclusions  besides  that  whicli 
is  intended  by  the  Jesuits.  If  the  reader  remembers 
the  form  of  public  confession  of  faults  given  in  a 
''Day's  Occupation,"  something  very  much  like  false- 
hood appears  in  this  "acknowledgment"  of  Aloysius, 
which  had  "great  merit;"  but  holy  obedience  en- 
joined him  to  say  he  was  guilty  of  a  fault,  and  he 
obeyed,  and  had  "i^^reat  merit."  What  crimes  has  a 
Jesuit  to  commit  in  order  to  have  greater  merit?  At 
least  this  is  tlie  view  I  take  of  the  matter.  These  men 
invest  themselves  with  lofty  pretensions  to  piety  when 
they  figure  before  us  in  the  field  of  life — let  them  be 
uncloaked,  laid  bare,  that  we  may  distinguish  the  in- 
terloper from  the  rightful  heir. 

Such  reprimands  might  proceed  directly  from  the 
Superior's  own  observation  or  inclination,  or  from  re- 
ports made  to  him  by  the  porter  and  ^'brother  novices." 
It  happened,  during  the  first  month  of  my  probation, 
that,  whilst  in  conversation  with  some  of  the  brothers, 
I  spoke  rather  slightingly  of  the  ^'  Visions"  of  St. 
Theresa.  I  observed  no  visible  effect  that  my  incre- 
dulity produced  on  the  hearers,  and  the  conversation 
turned  on  other  topics.  The  very  same  evening  the 
Superior  sent  for  me,  and  mildly  rebuked  me  for  my 
htresy ;  giving  me  a  reason  for  my  future  orthodox)^ 
by  saying,  "  that  very  clever  and  learned  men  believed 
in  the  said  visions" — an  argument  which,  I  confess, 
enabled  me  to  "take  in,"  as  I  advanced,  a  vast  deal 
of  "  doctrine"  that  I  was  "  tempted"  to  eschew.  He 
did  not  inflict  a  penance;  but  I  trust  that  my  subse- 
qu(  nt  enthusiasm  in  all  the  major  and  minor  probabi- 


liRlEFS. 


234 


lilies  and  plausibilities  of  Romanism  "  did  away"  with 
my  primitive  incredulity. 

It  was  a  bitter  thing  this  to  comply  with — I  mean 
this  spy  system — but  it  was  *'for  the  greater  glory  of 
God:"  what  sliould  not  that  motive  induce  us  not  to 
do?  i\.nd  yet  Englishmen  must  find  it  a  sticking''pill. 
True,  we  have  informers,  but  they  are  as  much  de- 
tested here  as  they  were  at  Athens,  and  the  language 
perpetuates  that  abhorrence  by  having  applied  the 
Greek  name,  sycophant,  to  a  very  shabby  individual.* 
For  my  part  I  will  only  say,  as  a  certain  facetious 
worthy  said  of  his  eating  pease,  I  once  told  a  fault 
committed  by  a  brother;  but  I  felt  so  essentially 
ashamed  of  myself,  that  the  incident  is  as  fresh  in  my 
memory  as  if  it  had  occurred  but  yesterday. 

As  there  was  no  regular  ''  confession  of  faults"  dur- 
ing supper,  whenever  a  novice  was  then  seen  on  his 
knees,  we  might  be  sure  that  he  was  doing  penance 
for  some  reported  ofience  against  the  rules  and  regu- 
lations. 

In  the  Novitiate,  thouo;h  many  thinos  were  fearfully 
true  to  their  name,  yet  some  were  characteristic  equi- 
vocations— such  as  the  discipline,  chain,  chapter,  and 
the  brief:  of  which  last  mortification  I  am  now  to 
speak. 

Imagine  the  novices  pleasantly  engaged  at  dinner, 

*  "  They  say,  they  did  forbid  in  the  old  time  that  men  should  carry 
figs  out  of  the  country  of  Attica;  and  that  from  thence  it  came  that 
these  pick-thanks  which  bewray  and  accuse  them  that  transported 
figs,  were  called  sijcophants." — North.  Plutarch.  The  term  is  derived 
from  two  Greek  words  signifying  an  indicator  of  Jigs. 

R   2 


244  BRIEFS. 

satisfvins:  the  crrateful  stomach  with  savoury  food,  and 
the  pious  soul  with  holy  thoughts.  The  Martyrology 
and  Fasti  have  been  read.  One  novice  has  the  cup 
in  his  hand,  another  his  fork  to  his  mouth,  a  third  is 
dividing  his  meat,  a  fourth  is  masticating.  Suddenly 
the  reader  solemnly  entones,  *'  By  order  of  holy  obe- 
dience !"  Now  look  ! — the  cup  is  down — the  fork 
deposited — the  meat  relinquished — the  teeth  forget 
their  function — the  mouth  is  closed  in  the  death  of 
obedience.  The  hands  are  joined  on  the  breast — 
each  throbbing  heart  is  asked  by  vanity,  "  Is  it  I  ?  Is 
it  I?" 

Now  listen  to  the  brief. 

"  By  order  of  holy  obedience ! 

"  Brother is  hereby  reprimanded  for  his  gene- 
ral unedifying  conduct — want  of  punctuality — hurried 
gait- — bustling  demeanour,  totally  unbecoming  a  no- 
vice of  the  Society  of  Jesus.  He  must  remember 
what  is  required  of  him  by  the  rules  of  the  Summary, 
and  entirely  discard  the  habits  of  a  schoolboy.  Holy 
obedience  enjoins  him  to  kiss  the  feet  of  all  the  bro- 
thers as  soon  as  he  has  dined." 

The  reader  sat  down,  and  dinner  proceeded  as  if 
nothing  had  taken  place,  except  the  crimson  blush 
on  the  cheek  of  the  brother  whose  brief  has  just  been 
read.  Briefs  did  not  come  often,  but  they  alv/ays 
made  an  impression.  Soon  after  my  admission  I  re- 
ceived a  brief,  reprimanding  me  for  "sitting  with  my 
legs  sprawling  at  church,  a  manner  totally  unbecom- 
ing a  novice  of  the  Society  of  Jesus." 

The  brief  was  in  English ;  and  the  one  given  may 


THE    CHAPTER.  245 

be  taken  as  a  faithful  imitation  of  the  Superior's 
style,  as  well  as  a  correct  exposition  of  the  ^''  subject- 
matter." 

The  "chapter"  was  quite  a  different  affair.  It 
superseded  the  sermon  or  translation  of  which  I  have 
spoken.  On  entering  the  recreation-room  we  saw  a 
cushion  in  the  centre:  this  announced  a  "chapter." 
"We  sat  down,  the  Superior  entered,  and  filled  the 
seat  at  the  end  of  the  room.  After  a  pause  he  named 
one  of  the  novices.  The  novice  rose,  walked  to  the 
cushion,  and  knelt.     Another  pause  ensued.     Then 

the  Superior  said,  "  Brother ,  mention  what  you 

have  observed  amiss  in  the  conduct  of  Brother :" 

that  is,  the  novice  kneeling  on  the  cushion  aforesaid. 
The  brother  obeyed  if  he  had  anything  to  say,  if  not 
he  remained  silent.  Another  novice  mioht  be  called 
on,  and  so  on,  according  to  the  Superior's  discretion. 
Then  followed  a  solemn  lecture  to  the  penitent — mild 
thoucrh  severe :  for  our  master  of  novices  was  a  kmd 
man  by  nature.  I  was  told  that  a  former  master  of 
novices — the  Father  Plowden  before  alluded  to — 
was  remarkable  for  the  severity  of  his  admonitions. 
Two  or  three  novices  might  thus  be  made  to  go 
through  the  ordeal  of  reproach  :  1  should  state  that 
they  were  generally,  if  not  always,  novices  of  the 
second  year. 

No  allusion  should  ever  be  made  in  conversation  to 
the  reprimands,  briefs,  chapters,  or  penances — they 
were  sacred  subjects :  like  the  name  of  the  Eternal  to 
the  children  of  Israel. 

The  brief  and    chapter   referred  to  public  faults. 


246  THE    MANIFESTATION- 

These  the  Society  requires  to  be  known ;  but  it  re- 
quires more — it  requires  to  know  secret  propensities, 
hidden  inclinations — it  seeks  to  rival  the  Divinity  in 
its  knowledge  of  the  human  heart.  Hence  the  fre- 
quent interviews  with  the  Superior — hence  the  annual 
manifestation  of  conscience  to  the  Provincial,  These 
manifestations — as  we  were  undiso-uisedly,  pointedlv, 
unmistakeably  given  to  understand  by  the  lecture  on 
the  subject — were  to  have  all  the  sincerity,  nothing- 
concealing  candour  of  sacramental  confession  without 
that  consolatory  safeguard  of  the  latter,  sacramental 
secrecy.  The  object  and  intention  of  the  Provincial 
are  bona  fide  to  make  use  of  the  knowledge  gained  by 
manifestation.  Observe,  we  were  perfectly  aware  of 
this  :  no  man  is  deceived  as  to  what  is  required  of 
him  in  becoming  a  Jesuit — that  is,  in  one  word,  a 
total  surrendry — no  capitulation — no  by-clause — no 
codicil — soul  and  body  like  wax  to  the  designer,  mind 
and  will  like  a  corpse  to  corruption,  hands  and  feet 
like  an  old  man's  staff — these  are  conditions  which 
every  man  accepts  in  becoming  a  Jesuit. 

Accustomed  as  I  was  to  *'  tell  all"  to  mv  indulo-ent 
Superior,  I  should  not  have  felt  the  least  repugnance 
to  open  my  heart  to  the  Provincial.  This  was  not 
the  Provincial  who  admitted  me,  but  his  successor — 
a  man  of  hard  features,  rough  and  cog-wheeled  in 
manner  and  expression.  I  did  not  like  the  man. 
Still  I  ''  manifested"  myself,  and  his  advice  and  ob- 
servations were  like  the  sensation  produced  by  passing 
one's  hand  along  the  teeth  of  a  saw. 

A  whole  day  was  set  apart  for  this  annual  manifes- 


THE    MANIFESTATION.  247 

tation.  The  Provincial  occupied  the  infirmary  for  the 
day,  and  sent  for  each  novice  in  his  turn.  A  report 
is  subsequently  sent  to  the  General  at  Rome,  touch- 
ing the  character,  3cc.,  of  all  the  novices.  Antici- 
pating the  analysis  of  the  constitutions,  i  may  state 
that  monthly  reports  are  forwarded  to  the  General  by 
all  Provincials,  and  quarterly  communications  to  the 
same  potentate  by  the  heads  of  the  houses  of  the 
professi. 


248 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

THE  CHAIN — THE  DISCIPLINE,  FASTING,  &C. 

The  expositions  of  the  rules  of  the  Summary  read  to 
the  novices  were  argumentative  ;  but  all  the  argu- 
ments by  which  they  w^ere  enforced  were  deduced 
from  the  nature  or  definition  of  the  three  vows  which 
we  were  to  pronounce  at  the  end  of  our  probation. 
From  our  expressed  determination,  the  main  gist  of 
the  argument  was  assumed  ;  therefore,  this  line  of 
argument,  if  not  strictly  logical,  was  perfectly  justi- 
fiable in  point  of  fact  and  common  sense.  Appeals 
were  occasionally  made  to  motives  of  worldly  pru- 
dence— one  such  appeal,  with  regard  to  **  manifesta- 
tion of  conscience"  to  the  Provincial,  struck  me,  at 
the  time,  as  being  the  best  argument  in  the  exposi- 
tion. It  was  as  follows  : — If  a  man  is  not  thoroughly 
known  to  his  Superiors  he  may  be  sent  to  an  appoint- 
ment where  his  *' ruling  passion"  may  be  tempted 
beyond  resistance — decidedly  a  clever  forethought, 
and  worthy  of  consideration  and  application  by  all 
whom  it  concerns.  The  alleged  motive — like  *'Ad 
majorem  Dei  gloriam" — is  good,  very  good ;  but  it 


THE    CHAIN.  249 

would  follow  from  this  argument  that  all  the  secular 
clerov  of  Rome  must  be  chosen  to  a  o-reat  extent 
blindly  to  fill  their  various  appointments.  I  leave 
the  respective  parties  to  argue  the  point.  One  thing 
is  pretty  certain,  however;  this  very  manifestation — 
rendered  as  it  is  virtually  identical  with  sacramental 
confession,  and  to  a  very  certain  extent  guaranteed 
authenticity  by  that  confession ;  this  manifestation,  I 
humbly  submit — is  the  mighty  lever  of  the  society, 
which,  outstripping  Archimedes,  has  found  a  ful- 
crum in  the  consciences  of  men,  whereby  it  has 
moved  the  world  :  and  may  move  it  again.  But  it  is 
the  heaven-influenced  nature  of  all  despotism  that  it 
works  out  its  own  ruin :  and  so  the  fulcrum  sank — 
and  the  lever  was  shattered — and  the  world  was  at  rest 
once  more.  Space  is  not  allowed  me  to  pursue  this 
argument  through  all  its  interesting  labyrinths  :  I 
have  given  the  clue  to  it,  have  signalised  the  fact — 
the  object  of  pursuit — the  beauty  and  the  beast — and 
the  reader  may  investigate  for  himself.  But  as  the 
physician,  whilst  he  requires  a  perfect  knowledge  of 
all  the  symptoms  of  disease,  also  expects  that  his 
drugs  be  swallowed,  so  Ignatius,  knowing  the  dis- 
eases of  the  soul,  applies  his  specific.  The  second 
vow  is  acknowledged  to  be  the  greatest  trial  of  the 
Romish  clergy  in  general ;  perhaps  the  Jesuits  may  be 
included  :  at  all  events  we  had  our  nostrums — our 
preservatives  in  the  Novitiate.  These  were  the  dis- 
cipline and  the  chain.  I  confess  that  I  have  been 
anxious  to  reach  this  point  of  my  narrative,  in  order 
to  set  the  reader's  mind  at  ease  on  this  subject ;  and 


250  THE    DISCIPLINE. 

I  think  it  prudent,  now  at  least,  to  remind  him  of  the 
*^  Mountain  in  labour,  a  Fable." 

The  highly  imaginative  Romish  Church  has  found 
in  the  Scriptures  allegories,  facts,  and  words  to  ticket 
all  the  ^^  sights"  in  her  phantasmagoria — a  perfectly- 
easy  process  from  the  very  nature  of  the  book,  but 
by  no  means  more  satisfactory  to  the  thoughtful 
Christian  than  the  said  tickets,  in  other  phantasma- 
gorias, are  to  the  extensive  traveller.  Among  the 
rest,  the  extravagant  efficacy  of  bodily  macerations, 
in  the  matter  alluded  to,  may  be  said  to  be  deduced 
from  the  remark*  of  St.  Paul;  just  as  the  famous 
'*  hair-cloth"  may  be  said  to  be  derived  from  the  food 
whereon  the  horse  was  fed  whose  mane  and  tail  com- 
pose it:  or,  in  fact,  from  the  soil  —  good  mother 
earth — that  fed  the  grass,  that  fed  the  horse,  Sec. 

The  use  of  the  discipline,  "  whereby  to  subdue  and 
punish  the  flesh,"  has  been  recommended  by  most  of 
the  "  Saints."  Three  thousand  lashes,  says  Butler, 
with  the  recital  of  thirty  psalms,  were  a  redemption 
of  a  canonical  penance  of  one  year's  continuance.-j' 
Luckily  it  is  not  stated  whether  these  three  thousand 
lashes  were  to  be  inflicted  on  the  monk's  own  back, 
or  on  that  of  any  other  **  beast  of  burden  ;"  so  we 
may  suspend  the  judgment  of  incredulity,  and  solace 
ourselves  with  harmless  merriment. 

I   am  far  Irom   denying    the  efficacy  of  vigorous 

*  "  liut  I  keep  under  my  body,  and  biing  it  into  subjection,  lest 
that  by  any  means,  when  1  bave  {>reached  to  others,  1  myself  should 
be  a  castaway."     1st  Corinth,  ix.  27. 

t   Lives  of  the  Saints.     Feb.  23. 


THE    DISCIPLINE. 


251 


exercise,  bodily  or  mental,  in  the  matter  in  question. 
I  consider  such  means  physiological  specifics :  this, 
and  what  has  been  said  before  to  this  effect,  are  all 
that  the  present  occasion  renders  necessary,  or  per- 
mits. I  will  now  describe  the  '*  discipline"  and 
chain  of  the  Novitiate,  which  are  delineated  in  the 
subjoined  wood-cut. 


The  discipline  or  whip  is  made  of  whipcord.  It 
is  a  kind  of  cat-o'-nine-tails,  duly  knotted  at  the 
ends  of  the  tails.  The  chain — this  name  has  doubt- 
less conjured  up  phantoms  which  I  must  unfortu- 
nately dispel  —  the  chain  was  made  of  steel-wire, 
exactly  the  thickness  of  that  indicated  in  some 
knittino-books  as  No.  23 :  or  about  the  diameter  of 
whipcord.  The  wire  was  bent  into  the  shape  of  a 
horse-shoe,  so  as  to  form  links,  the  extremities  being 
twisted  so  as  to  keep  the  links  together,  and  allow  of 
motion  up  and  down ;  and  at  every  link  the  super- 


252  THE    DISCIPLINE. 

fluous  wire  projected  about  half  an  inch,  not  rounded 
off  nor  pointed,  but  just  as  it  was  cut  or  filed.  I 
have  just  constructed  one,  and  think  that  there  must 
have  been  about  a  dozen  or  fourteen  hnks  with  the 
two  prongs  on  each.  I  must  describe  these  "  helps 
to  holy  living"  in  operation. 

They  were  not  constantly  used,  but  only  at  stated 
times,  such  as  during  Lent;  but  at  any  time  with 
permission.  During  Lent  we  used  them  twice  a 
week.  The  porter  gave  out  "Mortification I" — we 
understood  him.  After  he  had  gone  the  round  of  the 
curtains  with  the  "  Deo  gratias — tl^anks  be  to  God  !" 
we  made  ready  by  uncovering  our  shoulders — each 
novice  sitting  in  his  bed — and  seized  the  whip.  The 
time  the  porter  took  for  these  preliminaries  pre- 
supposed an  equal  alacrity  in  the  other  novices :  we 
were  always  ready  when  he  rang  a  small  bell,  and 
then,  oh  !  then,  if  the  thing  edifies  you,  gentle  reader, 
be  edified ;  if  it  makes  you  laugh,  laugh  to  your 
heart's  content,  at  the  sound  of  twenty  whips  crack- 
ing like  a  hailstorm  on  the  twenty  innocent  backs  in 
question.  1  think  we  were  restricted  to  twelve 
strokes :  they  were  given  as  rapidly  as  possible  :  all 
ended  almost  at  the  same  instant.  In  the  excitement, 
very  similar  to  a  shower-bath,  we  could  not  help 
tossing  the  whip  into  the  desk;  and  then, divin^^  into 
the  sheets,  felt  very  comfortable  indeed  !  Perhaps, 
after  the  chorus  of  flagellation,  you  might  hear  a 
young  novice  giggling;  "it  was  quite  natural,"  he 
could  not  help  it ! 

Why  have  I  described  this  foolery  in   this   merry 


THE    CHAIN. 


253 


vein  ?  Because  it  is  a  foolery,  and  the  ''  holy 
fathers"  must  consider  it  as  such  :  but  more,  I  main- 
tain it  to  be  a  most  pernicious  foolery,  and  conducive  to 
anything  rather  than  the  end  proposed.  The  reader 
must  imagine  my  meaning.  ..... 

]Manat 

In  venas  animumque  ! 

A  foolery  as  it  is,  why  do  the  Jesuits  prescribe  it  to 
the  novices  ?  It  serves  to  keep  them  alive,  to  kill 
monotony  :  to  flatter  their  minds  ^vith  the  idea  that 
they  are  '^  doing  something"  in  the  labour  of  per- 
fection, ccsdi  ferarum  ritUy  after  the  manner  of  the 
wild  monks  of  old  and  their  three  thousand  lashes  ! 
.  .  .  If  a  good  stiff  rope  were  used,  the  purpose, 
by  physical  pain,  might  be  attained ;  but  the  whip 
at  Hodder  only  excites:  it  tickles.  Oh  !  I  remember 
it  well:  it  was  hideous  to  me.  And  yet,  in  the 
outrageous  fanaticism  of  the  Great  Retreat,  I  asked 
leave  to  self-administer  an  extra  flagellation:  deter- 
mined to  "  punish"  myself;  but  I  failed  :  I  left  the 
room  essentially  ashamed  of  myself,  and  irrevocably 
disgusted  with  this  erotic  instrument  of  "  com- 
punction."  The  chain  was  less  objectionable  in 
this  respect :  it  gave  some  pain,  but  more  annoy- 
ance. It  was  worn  on  the  mornins;  follow ino;.  We 
tied  it  by  the  two  strings,  which  were  attached  to  the 
extremities,  round  the  middle  of  the  thigh,  next  to 
the  skin  ;  drawing  it  tight  enough  to  hinder  it  from 
slipping  down,  which  sometimes  happened.  We 
wore  it  about  six  hours,  taking  it  off  for  manual 
works. 


254  THE    CHAIN. 

Let  the  reader  fancy  his  thigh  tightly  gripped  in 
the  embrace   represented   by  the  image  of  the  thing. 

Every  one  knows  that  even  the  blunt  end  of  a 
bodkin,  though  gently  pressed,  will,  after  a  given 
time,  produce  considerable  pain  in  any  part  of  the 
body  where  the  cuticle  is  not  sufficiently  hardened  to 
shield  the  nerves  from  pressure.  Thus,  after  a  time, 
the  prongs  of  our  chain  produced  a  continuous  dull 
pain,  such  as  that  which  the  teeth  of  a  playful  spaniel 
gives  the  hand,  when  he  holds  the  member  but  bites 
it  not.  It  was  put  on  as  soon  as  we  rose  out  of  bed. 
My  fancy  often  likened  it  to  the  huge  centipedes  of 
the  West,  crawling  round  the  limb,  that  felt  a 
sudden  sting  if  it  made  the  slightest  motion:  for  it 
was  when  we  moved  that  we  were  truly  ''  mortified." 
As  we  meditated,  breakfasted,  heard  the  lecture,  re- 
peated the  lecture  in  the  dormitory,  with  the  chain  on 
our  thigh — the  right  thigh — sometimes  sitting,  some- 
times standing,  moving  to  and  fro  from  different 
places — it  often  happened  that  we  struck  the  prongs 
into  the  flesh  (however  careful  degenerate  fear  miLrht 
make  us),  by  coming  in  contact  with  the  lid  of  a 
table,  the  seat  of  a  chair  or  bench.  I  could  not  walk 
without  limping  both  in  body  and  in  mind  ;  for  the 
chain  was  a  perpetual  source  of  "  distraction."  I  was 
constantly  reminded  of  it,  and  where  it  was;  and  con- 
sequently, by  the  natural  association  of  ideas,  it  was 
to  me,  at  least,  a  real  ^*  proximate  occasion"  of 
temptation  ;  though  not  of  sin,  and  so  perhaps  my 
''  merit''  was  increased.  If  my  own  experience  is  worth 
anything,  I  tell  the  Jesuits  that  their  *' discipline  and 


FASTING.  255 

chain"  totally  defeat  the  alleged  object  of  their  use  ; 
and  appeal  to  the  principles  of  physiology  in  proof  of 
my  opinion.  In  this  matter,  at  least,  we  may  say 
with  perfect  truth — nocet  empla  dolore  voluptas! 

The  efficacy  of  fasting  is  not  so  doubtful.  AH  or 
most  men  eat  too  much:  superabundant  nourishment, 
as  Dr.  Johnson  might  have  said,  effectuates  plethora 
in  body  and  mind.  Periodic  fasting  may  thus,  in 
some  measure,  bless  us  with  the  boon  reserved  for 
habitual  temperance.* 

The  Church  of  Rome  does  not  require  any  of  her 
members  to  fast  before  their  twenty-first  year  is  ac- 
complished. By  fasting  is  understood  one  full  solid 
meal  a  day,  with  a  '*  cubic  inch"  of  bread,  or  six 
almonds,  in  the  morning,  and  a  slight  collation  at 
night.  Many  people  confound  fasting  with  absti- 
nence; but  they  are  totally  distinct:  all  Fridays  are 
abstinence  davs  with  the  Roman  Catholics,  but  not 
days  of  fasting;  except  in  Lent.  By  abstinence  is 
meant  an  abstainin":  from  meat  of  all  kinds — e"o;s, 
fish  of  every  kind  being  lawful  canonical  substitutes. 
Thus  the  Church  of  Rome  has  kindly  taken  the  de- 
scendants of  the  Fisherman  under  her  patronage, 
whilst  she   lays  claim  exclusively  to  the  descendants 

*  Food  is  the  main  stimulant  of  the  system  ;  hence  its  withdrawal 
is  beneficial  in  all  acute  diseases.  The  passions  maj  be  termed  acute 
diseases  of  the  brain,  when  thej  riot  in  excess  ;  consequently  fasting 
operates  on  the  passions  by  the  physical  medium.  Apoplexy,  morbid 
affections  of  the  stomach,  derangements  of  the  liver,  many  diseases  of 
the  heart,  may  be  averted  or  subdued  by  well-directed  fasting-.  .Now 
many  of  the  mind's  diseases  are  sympathetically  deduced  from  the 
morbid  state  of  the  respective  organs  diseased  in  the  fore-mentioned 
cases.  Thus  the  efficacy  of  fasting  is  manifest,  besides  being  "  highly 
meiitorious,"  like  everything  else  done  "  by  authority," 


256  FASTING. 

of  the  Apostle.  Queen  EliZxVbetii  produced  the 
same  efiect  by  means  more  direct  and  satisfactory ; 
namely,  by  her  statute  against  the  consumption  of 
meat  on  certain  days  of  the  week. 

It  must  be  evident,  however,  that  what  would  be 
fasting  to  one  stomach  would  be  only  temperance  to 
another,  and  the  temperance  of  the  latter  would  be 
positive  fasting  to  the  former;  consequently  ''ad- 
vice" must  be  taken  in  this  matter:  then  follow^  '' in- 
dulgences and  dispensations." 

To  a  man,  like  myself,  who  seldom  eats  anything 
for  breakfast,  conscience  must  be  appealed  to  in  order 
to  settle  what  is  to  be  the  quantum  sujjiciat  of  ortho- 
dox fastinof.     Beino'  of  aoe  at  Hodder,  I  fasted  durino* 
Lent,  together  with  two  or  three  other  novices  simi- 
larly   conditioned.      I    may   observe    here,   that   the 
Jesuits  by  no  means  approve  of  excessive  corporeal 
austerities:  health  of  body  is  essential  in  a  Jesuit: 
sound  health  is  as  requisite  in  the  candidate  for  ad- 
mission into  the  Society  as  into  her  Majesty's  regi- 
ments.    Our  method  of  fasting  was  as  follows: — We 
had  a  small  piece  of  dry  toast  and  a  cup  of  excellent 
coffee  in  the  morning :  we  had  a  good  dinner  of  fish, 
or  meat;  if  it  was  not  a  day  of  abstinence   as  well — 
that  is,  every  other  day.     Sunday  is   neither  a  fast 
nor  abstinence  day  in  our  cold  latitudes,   though  for- 
merly, in  the   palmy   days  of   *'  modern   Rome,"   a 
Black  Lent  was  occasionally  fulminated  on  the  faith- 
ful, when  even  Sundays  were  included  as  days  of  fast 
and  abstinence. 

Tn  the  evenino;  we  had  a  sli2:ht  collation :   I  foro;et 
what  it  consisted  of,  but  it   was  quite  satisfactory ; 


SUNDAY.  257 

the  fasting-diet  at  Hodder  was  just  what  has  always 
constituted  my  ordinary  fare  whilst  in  "  the  world." 
Obedience  sanctified  the  pious  wish  to  '^punish" 
the  flesh,  although  it  denied  the  fulfilment. 

On  Sunday,  those  whose  stomachs  had  virtually 
fasted  during  the  week  might  recruit  their  strength 
by  indulgence. 

Sunday !  day  of  rest,  by  Heaven  appointed  for 
the  joy  of  soul  and  the  comfort  of  body  !  Day 
that  brings  the  poor  labourer  to  his  grateful  bench, 
beside  the  partner  of  his  toils,  in  the  midst  of  his 
little  ones,  who  have  reason  to  bless  God  for  the 
strength  of  those  arms,  those  work-hardened  limbs, 
whereby  God  gives  them  food  and  raiment !  Sweet 
day !  we  did  not  feel  thy  blessings  in  our  solitude. 
Little  reminded  us  that  the  angel  came  down  on  that 
day,  and  stirred  the  pool  of  aflSiction,  so  that  many 
were  comforted  even  in  that  world  whence  we  had  fled 
to  seek  consolation,  as  it  were  in  the  desert ! 

We  received  the  sacrament  at  mass,  and  then  read 
Rodriguez  on  "Christian  Perfection,"  as  usual,  for  half 
an  hour  before  breakfast.  After  breakfast  we  made 
our  beds ;  and,  after  an  interval  spent  as  we  liked,  we 
went  to  "  Conference" — so  I  think  it  was  called — in 
the  recreation-room.  Here  one  of  the  novices  trans- 
lated a  chapter  or  two  of  a  work  by  Thomas  ^  Kem- 
pis  OP.  Asceticism — not  the  "  Followino'  of  Christ," 
but  another  work  of  the  same  author  :  the  title  I  have 
forgfotten.  After  conference  we  went  to  our  cells,  and 
read  or  wrote  or  walked  in  the  garden,  either  with 
another  brother  or  alone,  repeating  the  "  Office  of  the 

s 


258  SUNDAY. 

Virgin  Mary"  in  Latin,  which  occupied  a  good  hour, 
as  far  as  I  can  remember.  I  am  not  sure  whether  the 
occupation  just  mentioned  did  not  precede  the  "con- 
ference"— at  all  events  all  the  morning  Sunday  duties 
have  been  mentioned.  After  dinner,  there  bein^  no 
public  confessions  on  Sunday,  we  had  recreation  for 
an  hour;  then  came  "  Vespers,"  which  were  read  by 
the  Superior,  the  novices  repeating  the  alternate  verses 
of  the  psalms  and  responses.  After  vespers  we  went 
out  to  catechise  the  children  of  the  poor,  and  pro- 
ceeded on  our  walk,  when  the  time  allotted  to  that 
missionary  duty  had  expired.  On  our  return  home, 
everything  went  on  as  usual,  precisely  as  on  any  other 
day. 

Such  was  our  Sabbath  in  the  Novitiate :  if  it  has 
not  edified,  I  trust  that  it  has  not  scandahsed,  the 
reader. 


259 


CHAPTER  XVII. 


REFLECTIONS. THE  SUPERIOR'S  RETREAT. A  GENE- 
RAL ORDER. A  PANG. 


My  narrative  is  now  drawing  to  a  close.  Having 
just  recalled  and  meditated  the  events  which  I  am 
about  to  describe,  I  feel  a  sadness  of  the  heart :  the 
sadness  of  human  sympathy  at  the  remembrance  of 
those  hopes  which  it  was  my  destiny  to  nourish  into 
bloom,  and  again  my  destiny  to  cause  to  wither  and 
to  die !  At  this  still  hour  of  the  wintry  night,  medi- 
tating, I  have  cast  my  eyes  ever  and  anon  on  the 
exotics  that  adorn  my  window  and  its  inner  arch. 
The  few  flowers  that  remain  droop  and  are  withering, 
but  the  vigorous  Coboea  that  intertwines  the  arch  is 
as  verdant  as  when  the  summer  sun  kissed  it  with  his 
beams :  it  will  bloom  when  they  woo  it  again.  An 
exotic,  as  I  was,  transplanted  from  the  world  into  the 
conservatory  of  Probation,  my  soul  put  forth  its  forced 
bloom  in  this  winter  of  youth — the  brilliant  flowers 
pleased  the  gardeners  of  my  soul — and  in  the  height 
of  that  blossoming,  as  in  all  beautiful  sweet  things,  it 
seemed  that  no  blight  could  ever  mar  the  well-pro- 

s  2 


260 


REFLECTIONS. 


^ected  plant.  But  the  blight  came;  and  the  plant 
which  had  been  forced  to  bloom,  to  please  the  eyes  or 
cupidity  of  its  trainers,  dropped  the  flowers  that  had 
pleased  so  well.  Meanwhile  the  arch  of  reason, 
with  its  everlasting  verdure,  lived  on  transparently 
bright ;  hoping  for  a  natural  spring,  an  appointed 
summer. 

Eleven  months  of  my  probation  had  passed  away. 
Occasional  doubts,  frequent  doubts,  as  to  my  fitness 
for  the  Society  of  the  Jesuits  had  marred  the  joys  of 
that  solitude  which  I  may  be  permitted  to  call  the 
oasis  of  my  life :  since  there,  only,  did  I  feel  the  im- 
measurable supremacy  of  mind  over  body.  Had  I 
meditated  less  fervently,  had  I  been  less  sincere  in 
my  ardour  for  perfection,  doubtless  I  had  become  a 
Jesuit;  but  the  very  moment  that  I  felt  the  full  force 
of  the  awful  vow — perfect  obedience  to  man — at  that 
moment  my  dream  was  passed — I  exclaimed :  The 
die  is  cast!  Poverty,  be  thou  once  more  my  mother! 
World  of  my  fellow-men,  be  thou  once  more  my 
battle-field !  I  can  at  least  die  with  self-respect ; 
that  last  and  satisfying  solace  of  those  who  have 
^'  fallen  on  evil  days  I" 

Again  I  seemed  to  stand  alone.  I  had  long  en- 
deavoured to  distinguish  between  the  "  greater  glory 
of  God"  and  the  greater  glory  of  the  Society  of  the 
Jesuits.  I  had  fixed  the  idea  in  my  mind  that 
in  this  matter,  as  in  everything  else,  the  end  was 
distinct  from  the  means;  and  though  on  one  occa- 
sion I  heard  the  same  thought  expressed  by  a  novice, 
yet  I  am  compelled  to  declare  every  other  remark 


REFLECTIONS.  261 

pronounced  in  the  Novitiate,  whether  by  novices  or 
Superiors  v^^ho  visited  us,  brought  home  the  growing 
conviction  that  we  were  prepared  to  take  our  **  shares" 
in  a  grand  speculation  which  was  to  invest  the  entire 
earth  in  its  grasping  monopoly. 

I  looked  for  faith  ;  I  found  self:  its  interests  and  its 
cravino;s.  In  the  men  who  had  been  trained  as  we 
were,  I  saw  no  indications  of  that  training.  We 
were  taught  to  keep  every  sense  in  restraint — I  was 
often  scandalised  by  the  trivial  remarks,  eager 
curiosity,  wTzreligious  deportment  of  the  men  who 
were  far  advanced  in  the  grades  of  the  Society.  What^ 
then,  has  become  of  all  this  training — has  it  been  of 
no  effect?  See  the  same  Jesuits  in  the  world, 
— demure  or  gay,  mild  or  severe,  learned  or  ignorant 
— worming  their  way  like  Ignatius,  who  never  spoke 
in  conversation  with  strangers  until  he  had  divined 
the  characters  of  all  his  hearers  from  what  they  had 
uttered.  The  **  Fathers"  were  natural  with  us ;  it  is 
in  the  world  that  they  become  supernatural — that 
they  show  how  they  were  trained.  Unsatisfactory  as 
was  the  opinion  I  formed  of  the  intellectual  attain- 
ment of  those  whomi  met  at  Stonyhurst,  I  doubt  not, 
(and  I  candidly  record  the  fact)  that  each  and  all  had 
their  peculiar  talent :  their  tact,  adapted  to  some  pecu- 
liar emergency.  These  opinions  are  sincere.  I  stand  by 
them.  No  party  feelings,  no  base  motives,  have  in- 
fluenced me  :  the  very  important  fact  that  I  have  lived 
among  these  men  has  made  me  scrupulous  lest  I  should 
emit  aught  that  may  mislead  the  minds  of  those  who 
read  for  instruction.      I  believe  what  I  have  written : 


262  THE  superior's  retreat. 

what  T  write ;  and  sincerity  makes  me  earnest  in  the 
cause  of  truth.  If  I  say  beware !  I  speak  as  one  who 
has  seen :  who  has  felt.  The  reader  is  now,  I  trust, 
prepared  to  accompany  me  to  the  end. 

In  the  month  of  January  of  the  year  following  my 
admission,  the  Superior  of  the  Novitiate  made  his 
annual  retreat.  He  resigned  his  office,  for  the  time, 
to  the  Father  Minister.  It  was  a  time  of  edification 
to  us  all.  He  did  penance  like  the  humblest  novice. 
He  knelt  in  the  centre  of  the  Refectory  with  his  arms 
outstretched  ;  he  kissed  the  floor;  he  kissed  our  feet — 
the  feet  of  all  the  novices.  Once  he  dined  kneeling 
at  the  small  table,  in  the  midst  of  the  room  :  an  old 
man,  grey  with  age,  weak  in  health,  knelt  during 
dinner  on  the  hard  cold  floor ;  and  when  he  had 
finished  he  joined  his  hands  on  his  breast  and  conti- 
nued kneeling  till  grace  was  said.  He  worked  in  the 
garden  during  manual  works;  and  I  think,  but  cannot 
state  the  fact  for  certain,  that  he  said  "  Deo  Gra- 
tias  !"  in  my  hearing  to  the  porter,  and  had  some  task 

appointed  for  him  to  do I  liked  this  man. 

I  hke  him  still ;  and  will  only  say  that  his  conduct 
during  that  retreat  filled  me  with  sorrowful  admira- 
tion. I  leave  all  other  reflections  to  the  reader.  There 
are  sacred  thoughts  which  only  Heaven  should  know. 

Nam  neque  chorda  sonum  reddit  quern  vult  manus  et  Jiieiis  ! 

Saturday  came,  the  day  of  sacramental  confession. 
An  order  came  down  that  we  were  to  confess  to  the 
Father  Minister. 

I  have  felt  some  shocks  of  the  mind  and  the  heart 


A   GENERAL    ORDER.  263 

in  my  hitherto  short  career;  but  few  are  more  keenly 
remembered  than  that  given  by  the  order  to  confess 
to  the  Father  Minister.  What  had  I  to  confess? 
Perhaps  a  little  negligence  in  this,  a  trivial  omission 
of  that  duty,  nothing  more ;  and  yet,  had  my  soul 
been  guilty  of  the  foulest  sin,  confession  could  never 
have  been  more  repugnant  to  me  than  on  that  sad 
day.  My  mind  was  overcast — the  sudden  chillness 
of  that  shadow  numbed  my  heart.  In  all  that  I  did 
the  thought  dispelled  devotion.  I  went  to  the  Su- 
perior— he  could  not  see  me.  The  man  who  could 
console  me,  turned  me  away :  directed  me  to  go  to  the 
minister — the  man  I  was  flying  from !....!  left 
his  door  agitated  and  sad.  I  met  the  minister: 
gracious  Heaven !  he  reprimanded  me  for  walking 
hurriedly  !  He  did  not  stop  there — "  he  also  thought 
that  I  might  speak  less  dictatorially  in  conversation— 
my  bearing  was  proud."  And  yet  it  had  seemed  to 
me  that  I  was  beloved  !  I  went  to  my  cell  and  wept 
bitterly :  resolved  to  go  once  more  to  my  good  old 
friend,  struggling  helplessly  as  I  was  against  obe- 
dience. I  knocked,  he  came  to  the  door.  **  Bro- 
ther !"  he  said,  "  what  brings  you  here  after  my 
order  ?"  One  word  was  enough  to  speak  all,  and 
the  word  was  uppermost — "  May  I  not  confess  to 
you,  Father?"  I  asked,  weeping.  '*  Holy  obedience 
has  spoken,"  said  he  firmly,  but  mildly  and  sorrow- 
fully ;  "  go,  brother,  and  obey  !"  ...  He  closed  the 
door  once  more,  but  the  victory  of  love  was  gained : 
I  determined  to  go:  I  conquered  myself:  I  went.  I 
remember  that  moment   well — full   well !     When  I 


264  A   PANG. 

have  seen  the  struggle  of  woman's  features  striving 
to  2/wharmonise  their  expression  with  the  thoughts 
that  rack  the  heart,  then  have  I  thought  of  myself  on 
this  memorable  day. 

My  confession  took  but  a  few  minutes:  the  minis- 
ter absolved  me.  I  rose  determined  to  leave  the 
Novitiate. 

I  had  yielded  in  weakness — was  conquered  to  do 
what  my  mind  and  heart  rejected.  Such  was  obe- 
dience! such  might  be  obedience  hereafter:  and  it 
might  not  be  so  innocent.  Confidence  in  my  Superior 
won  the  day  :  it  might  win  it  again  !  On  the  follow- 
ing day,  Sunday,  my  sadness  was  changed  to  serenity  ; 
thouorh  it  must  have  been  evident  to  all  that  there 
was  something  more  than  usually  weighty  on  my 
mind.  Whilst  walking  in  the  passage,  the  minister 
met  and  asked  me  "  if  he  could  be  of  any  use  to 
me  with  his  advice?"  This  question  surprised  me, 
but  I  humbly  declared  that  I  did  not  need  the 
proffered  service.  On  that  Sunday  night  occurred 
the  fearful  storm  which  did  so  much  damaoe  on 
sea  and  land,  in  the  month  of  January,  1839. 
When  I  went  out  to  work  in  the  garden,  on  the 
following  morning,  the  first  object  that  caught 
my  eye  was  an  old  thorn-tree  torn  up  by  the  roots. 
*'  'T  was  natural,"  gentle  reader :  I  compared  all  the 
hopes,  the  enthusiastic  hopes,  that  I  had  built  on  my 
"  vocation"  to  the  Society  of  the  Jesuits,  to  that 
strong  tree  which  had  stood  the  appointed  time,  but 
was  uplifted  by  the  breath  of  Heaven.  That  tree 
might  have  been  shaken,  disengaged  from  the  soil  so 


A   PANG.  265 

as  to  seem  to  be  living  still,  though  dead  at  the  core — 
but  no  !  it  was  an  honest  tree;  it  would  cling  by  no 
offset  when  the  main  root  was  wrenched  asunder.  .  . 

In  the  evening  I  went  to  the  Superior;  he  came  to 
the  door.     "Well,  brother,  what  now?'*     .... 

I  replied,  "  I  have  resolved  to  leave,  Father ; 

and  would  wish  to  apprise  the  Provincial  of  my  reso- 
lution." 

"You  shall  see  the  Provincial  to-morrow,  brother; 
in  the  mean  time  be  calm :  do  not  resist  the  grace 
of  God  !" 

Had  he  looked  in  my  face  then  he  would  have  seen 
that  I  was  calm  :  that  there  was  joy  in  my  looks ;  but 
his  eyes  were  downcast,  and  he  saw  me  by  the  mind, 
not  by  the  faithful  eyes. 

That  night  I  slept  well,  and  went  through  my 
morning  meditation  with  "  unction  :'*  that  is,  with 
spiritual  relish  and  virtuous  resolve :  with  glow  of 
heart  and  light  of  mind. 

At  ten  o'clock  the  Provincial  sent  for  me,  and  the 
following  interview  took  place  in  the  parlour;  be- 
neath the  room  where  the  Superior  was  then  in 
"  retreat.'* 


266 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

INTERVIEW    WITH   THE    PROVINCIAL LES    ADIEUX 

A   BLESSING    AND    A    PRAYER — THE    DEPARTURE. 

It  was  during  manual  works.  I  hastily  put  on  the 
gown  which  I  was  soon  to  resign :  I  put  it  on  for  the 
last  time.  At  the  parlour-door,  then,  I  tapped ;  the 
voice  which  I  have  described  before  bade  me  enter. 
The  man  to  whom  I  had  '^manifested"  sat  before 
me :  I  saw  him  smile  for  the  first  time.  Kindly  he 
requested  me  to  sit — I  obeyed.  Then  ensued  the 
following  questions  and  answers : — 

"Well!  how  now!  what  has  happened?" 
"  Sir,  I  wish  merely  to  say  that  I  am  unfit  for  the 
Society — I  must  leave." 

*'  Leave  !  why  must  you  leave  ?" 
**  Because,  sir,  I  am  unfit  for  the  Society." 
"  But  you  did  not  think  so  when  you  entered." 
"  You  have  given  me  the  means  to  know  myself: 
I  have  gained  that  knowledge." 

*'  Have  you  been  induced  by  any  one  from  without 
to  take  this  resolution  ?" 

"  My  letters  have  been  given  to  me  always  open ; 


INTERVIEW   WITH   THE    PROVINCIAL.  267 

you  would  have  been  apprised  of  such  influence.     I 
am  not  influenced  from  without." 

"  Then  you  wish  to  re-enter  the  world,  in  order  to 
indulge  your  passions?" 

Was  this  an  allusion  to  my  "  manifestation  ?"  .  .  . 
I  replied,  "  It  seems  to  me,  sir,  that  your  conclusion 
is  neither  just  nor  necessary." 

"  But  what  reason  have  you  to  leave  V* 

"  I  have  said  it — I  am  unfit  for  the  Society." 

'*  Well  !  we  cannot  force  you  to  stay." 

*'  I  am  poor ;  I  have  not  the  means  to  pay  for  my 

journey  to  London May  I  depend  on  the 

charity  of  the  Society  ?    It  may  be  in  my  power  here- 
after to  refund  all  that  1  have  cost  you." 

**0h!  certainly,  we  will  see  to  that.  But  this  is 
very  annoying  '" 


A  pause  ensued — I  rose  and  said  : — 

**  May  I  leave  without  delay  ?" 

"When  vou  like!" 

I  think  I  hear  the  growl  of  these  last  words  :  they 
were  the  very  antithesis  of  Chesterfield's  advice, 
namely,  to  yield  with  seeming  pleasure  when  you 
cannot  resist  with  certain  effect.  I  thanked  him, 
left  the  room,  and  went  to  my  old  friend,  the  Superior, 
to  apprise  him  of  the  result.  He  heard  me  with  evi- 
dent sorrow,  but  merely  said,  "  Very  well.  Brother 
Steinmetz,  God's  will  be  done  in  all  things !" 

I  requested  him  to  permit  me  to  stay  till  the  fol- 
lowing day,  in  order  to  prepare  myself,  by  confession 
and  communion,  to  re-enter  the  world  of  temptation. 
He   kindly    assented.      I    went   to   the   chapel  and 


268  LES    ADIEUX. 

prayed  fervently.  Returning  to  my  cell,  I  began  to 
read  over  my  diary — calm,  collected,  cheerful.  I  had 
not  been  seated  many  minutes  when  the  porter  came 
and  told  me  that  the  Superior  wanted  me.  I  was 
glad  to  hear  this,  for  I  could  have  wished  to  have  one 
more  conversation  with  him  before  we  parted  for  ever : 
in  this  world  at  least.  But,  alas  !  it  was  not  for  con- 
versation that  he  sent  for  me.  He  merely  said, 
"  Brother  Steinmetz,  I  know  that  your  departure  will 
give  pain  to  the  novices :  your  stay  under  such  cir- 
cumstances will  throw  a  damp  on  their  minds ;  so, 
perhaps,  all  things  considered,  you  had  better  leave 
to-nioht.^' 

All  that  this  kind  man  ever  requested  or  ordered 
me  to  do  I  did  from  my  heart ;  on  the  present  occa- 
sion the  justness  of  his  remark  was  evident  at  a 
glance:  I  assented  without  a  murmur. 

In  the  course  of  the  day  the  lay  brother  brought 
me  the  sum  requisite  to  pay  the  coach-fare  to  London, 
with  a  pair  of  trousers  and  a  hat  of  a  very  antique 
fashion:  rather  a  tight  fit,  but  still  very  '*  thank- 
fully received,"  like  all  similar  **  contributions."  He 
informed  me  that  a  chaise  would  take  me  to  a  neigh- 
bouring village,  whence  the  coach  started  for  Man- 
chester, and  from  the  last-named  place  I  would  go  by 
railway  to  London. 

I  dined  for  the  last  time  in  the  Novitiate.  I  saw 
and  heard  the  *' public  confessions"  for  the  last  time; 
and  for  the  last  time  I  spent  the  hour  in  company 
with  the  novices  about  to  be  my  "brothers"  no  more. 
It  was  a  heavy  hour — a  dull  hour ;  the  inner  works 


LES    ADIEUX.  269 

seemed  running  down,  and  the  hands  marked   mid- 
night. 

After  recreation,  manual  works  went  on  as  usual. 
I  remained  in  my  cell ;  visited  the  *'  sacrament ;" 
prayed  with  fervour. 

About  five  o'clock  I  w^as  told  by  the  porter  that  the 
novices  were  in  the  recreation-room  to  bid  me  fare- 
well. 

Agitated  by  the  rushing  emotion,  I  went  to  the 
room  and  saw  my  *^  brothers"  standing  around.  All 
seemed  affected — none  more  than  myself.  It  was, 
"  Good-by,  Brother  Steinmetz  !  Good-by,  brother  !" 
I  shook  hands  with  each,  and  one  wept.  The  inter- 
view lasted  but  a  moment  or  two ;  and  yet  how  my 
resolution  staggered — how  my  heart  battled  for  the 
mastery !     .     .     .     . 

The  novices  left  the  room.  I  remained,  and  sat 
down  overpowered  by  the  scene  I  had  witnessed :  by 
the  emotions  I  felt.  The  Father  Minister  remained 
also  :  he  was  sitting  beside  me.  He  seemed  pained 
at  my  departure :  in  fact,  he  said  mournfully, 
"  Brother,  I  am  sorry  that  you  are  leaving  us."  I 
did  not  reply;  I  was  stunned,  as  it  were  :  my  tongue 
was  tied  ;  and  there  was  no  one  beside  me  whose  words, 
whose  looks,  whose  heart  could  set  it  free. 

As  yet  I  had  not  taken  leave  of  the  Superior.  He 
sent  for  me.  He  gave  me  the  testimonial  which  I 
had  requested  as  to  my  conduct  in  the  Novitiate, 
saying,  *'  I  suppose  this  will  do."  It  was  as 
follows : — 


270  THE    TESTIMONIAL. 

*'  I  hereby  testify  that  Andrew  Steinmetz,  Esq., 
during  his  stay  atHodder,  conducted  himself  in  every 
respect  as  a  Christian  and  a  gentleman. 

(Signed)         '^  Thomas  Brownbill.'* 

I  give  the  above  from  memory.  It  was  short 
enough  and  gratifying  enough  to  be  remembered 
without  an  effort:  the  last  words  particularly;  and 
though  it  would  be  a  consolation  to  have  the  docu- 
ment in  my  possession,  yet  it  would  be  at  present, 
perhaps,  unimportant.  I  felt  the  loss  of  it,  however, 
on  one  occasion — one  bitter  occasion  ;  and  I  cer- 
tainly then  denounced  the  unjustifiable  unkindness 
with  which  it  was  taken  from  me.  It  happened 
thus: — When  I  reached  London  I  thought  it  advis- 
able  to  write  a  note  to  the  London  agent  who  had 
been  instrumental  to  my  admission,  apprizing  him  of 
my  secession,  and  enclosing  the  testimonial  in  ques- 
tion ;  requesting  him  very  urgently  to  return  it,  as  it 
was  my  only  fortune.  The  friend  in  whose  presence 
I  wrote  the  note  advised  me  not  to  send  the  testi- 
monial :  which,  in  point  of  fact,  was  by  no  means  ne- 
cessary to  the  party ;  but  my  feelings  overruled  the 
caution :  I  sent  it.  I  waited  :  no  reply  came  :  no  tes- 
timonial. I  wrote,  and  wrote  again,  and  at  last 
''gave  it  up :"  resigned  to  my  fate,  and  determined  to 
prove  a  character  similar  to  the  one  attested  by  the 
kind  Father  of  the  novice?. 

Some  time  after  I  called  on  the  London  ao-ent.  It  was 
on  a  Sunday  morning,      I  had  written  to  him  before, 


ANOTHER   pang!  271 

asking  if  he  could  recommend  me  to  any  literary  em- 
ployment. My  letter  was  unanswered.  On  the  Sun- 
day morning,  then,  I  called,  and  knocked  :  the  servant 
said,  **  Not  at  home!" — but  it  unluckily  happened 
that  the  gentleman  at  that  very  moment  emerged 
from  a  side  door  in  the  passage,  apparently  just  about 
to  enter  a  carriage  which  stood  at  the  door.  As  soon 
as  he  saw  me  he  said  with  flashing  eye  and  rapid 
words : — 

"Sir,  I  can  do  nothing  for  you!" 

"  But  the  testimo — " 

He  rushed  into  the  carriage :  there  was  a  lady  in 
it;  and  the  last  syllable  of  my  word  shrunk  back 
from  the  ear  that  closed  upon  it,  like  the  carriage 
door  slammed  in  the  face  of  the  poor  man  begging  for 
bread. 

Still  I  must  defend  :  at  least  must  palHate,  the  un- 
kindness  of  this  Jesuit.  It  would  never  answer  for  a 
man  to  carry  about  a  testimonial  from  the  Novitiate, 
in  a  country  where,  by  the  law  of  the  land,  no  such 
place  should  exist;  and  doubtless  my  poor  old  friend, 
the  master  of  the  novices,  was  "reprimanded"  for 
granting  me  the  testimonial.  If  so,  't  was  a  pitiful 
thing  !* 

But  to  the  conclusion — to  the  end  of  my  connec- 

*  Since  the  above  was  written  my  Hodder  letters  have  been  re- 
stored to  me  by  the  friend  to  whom  they  were  addressed.  In  the 
last  letter,  apprizing  him  of  my  intended  departure,  I  have  found,  to 
my  delight,  a  testimonial  written  by  the  Superior  on  the  page  opposite 
to  the  address.  I  remember  having  requested  him  to  state  in  the 
letter  that  I  left  of  my  own  accord, — but  I  am  unable  to  account  for 


272 


THE  DEPARTURE. 


tion  with  the  Jesuits !  The  kind  Father  was  too 
much  affected  to  speak  much  during  our  last  inter- 
view. It  was  short.  I  knelt  before  him  :  he  blessed 
me;  and,  making  the  sign  of  the  cross  on  my  fore- 
head, he  prayed  that  I  *' might  never  swerve  from  the 
faith." 

A  few  minutes  after  the  chaise  drove  up  ;  I  entered  ; 
and  the  gates  of  Probation  closed  upon  me,  departing 
as  joyful  as  when  I  entered  :  for  my  mind  and  heart 
bore  testimony  to  good  intentions,  honourable  mo- 
tives ;  on  both  occasions  equally  strong,  equally 
salient.  I  had  left  poverty  in  the  world ;  I  had  de- 
serted poverty ;  perhaps  one  of  my  best  friends ;  for  it 
has  advised,  admonished,  and,  I  trust,  improved  my 
heart  and  mind.  I  was  now  again  to  be  reconciled 
to  poverty,  and  make  amends  for  my  apparently  equi- 
vocal dereliction.  And  we  were  desperately  recon- 
ciled. I  knew  the  fate  that  awaited  me  :  I  was  pre- 
pared for  it;  and  I  received  the  cup  brimful  and 
foaming  with  that  bitter  drink,  which  has  rendered  a 
time  of  comparative  rest  and  comfort  sweet,  cheerful : 
the  very  nurse  of  memory  and  its  ever-attendant 
meditation  ;  which  it  varies  with  endless  alternation  of 

the  word  "insists"  being-  used  by  the  Reverend  Father,  unless  he 

meant  that  there  was  no  need  of  it.     Here  is  the  testimonial :  * 

"  Mr.  Steinmetz  insists  upon  my  giving  your  goodness  a  testimonial 

that  his  conduct  here  has  been  everything  creditable  and  praiseworthy  ; 

which  I  beg  hereby  to  do  most  fully  and  cordially. 

"  Sir,  your  obt.  sert. 

"  Thomas  Bkownbill. 
"Hoddtr  Place,  Jan.  15,  1839." 

*  A  fac  simile  of  this  Testimonial  is  given. 


FAiimiizE  ^/ay  msTmmiAi 


/ 


a 


GM^  oyi^^^^^. 


,/%-  .d^  yi^^Wi^U^  cCy/^-'f^^'M' .~) 


cAel  ficf  ^^  i^ 


ANTICIPATION.  273 

instructive  topics;  never  flagging,  always  interested, 
and  yearning  for  the  fulfilment — the  blessed  fulfil- 
ment— human  happiness :  the  harmony  of  body  and 
soul  by  Heaven  united  to  work  together ;  then  the 
future — the  mystery  explained  to  rejoicing  hearts,  to 
exulting  minds  for  ever! 


AN    ESSAY 


ON 


THE    CONSTITUTIONS, 

CT^e  Confcgsiotml  ifHoralitg,  antr  f^istorg  of  t^e  Ifcsuits. 


INTRODUCTION. 

The  Jesuits  have  had,  and  have,  opponents;  they 
have  had,  and  have,  apologists.  The  former  have  accused 
them  of  every  crime ;  the  latter  have  met  every  charge 
with  unscrupulous  denial.*  The  violence  and  misrepre- 
sentations— in  many  instances,  falsifications — of  their  op- 
ponents, excite  strong  suspicion  in  the  minds  of  the 
candid,  and  disgust  in  the  lovers  of  truth  and  fair-dealing. 
Their  apologists  do  not  exhibit  less  rancour — but  excite 
a  stronger  suspicion,  if  possible — by  waiving  the  main  gist 
of  the  argument  to  trumpet  forth  the  achievements  of  the 
Society,  in  Science,  the  Arts,  and  the  work  of  '*  Con- 
version." 

*  Saint  Priest  observes  :  "  The  system  of  apology  which  the  Jesuits 
have  adopted,  has  uniformly  led  them  to  deny  everything  —  even 
courageous  and  honourable  acts — to  serve  a  temporary  purpose.''— 
Tall  of  the  Jesuits,  p.  5. 

T  2 


276  INTRODUCTION. 

This  was  the  successful  manoeuvre  of  Demosthenes,  in 
his  oratorical  encounter  with  ^schines.*     If  their  cause 
were  to  be  judged  by  the  giddy,  frivolous  Athenians,  per- 
haps the   dexterity  of  the  Jesuits  would  serve  the  tem- 
porary purpose  :  there  are  minds  that  will  be  made  blind 
to  a  hundred  crimes  by  the  sudden  blaze  of  one,  two,  or 
three  "  glorious  deeds"  claimed  by  the  accused,  and  un- 
denied  as  matters  of  fact,  though  admitting  of  a  damag- 
ing investigation.      The   apologists    of  the  Jesuits  have 
undertaken  to  prove  what  was  not  denied ;  but  the  ten- 
dency to  abuse — the  time-serving  expediency  of  the  So- 
ciety, or  a  large  number  of  her  members,  hurried  forward 
in  the  slippery  path  by  the  "  pressure  from  without,"  to 
which,  "  by  virtue  of  holy  Obedience,"  they  were  exposed 
— the  vices  of  Intellect  running  riot  in  the  intoxication  of 
renown — the   vices   of  the    Will   irresistibly  tempted    to 
abuse  its  influence  on  the  minds  of  men,   and  the  conse- 
quent price  of  that  ambition,  to-wit,  confessional  laxity 
in  the  sacred  matter  of  morality  ; — in  a  word,   question- 
able means  resorted  to  when  the  end  in  view  seemed  to  be 
good,   was  manifestly   expedient — these   are   the    topics 
which   I   find  cleverly  avoided,  or   Demosthenically  dis- 
missed. 

ViTELLEscHi,  a  General  of  the  Society,  is  more  candid. 
He  compares  the  Society  to  the  skies  :  the  Society  is 
Aurora  ;  Ignatius  is  the  sun  ;  the  members  are  the  stars, 
'*  during  so  many  years,  and  in  so  many  lands,  shining 
with  the  splendour  of  virtue,  eminent  and  perfect." 
**  But  if,"  he  continues,  "  any  comet  of  disastrous  result, 
compounded  of   the   foul  and  pestilential  vapours  of  a 

*  See  his  Oration  Xlfpi  2rf0.,  in  which  the  damaging  charges  are 
veiy  summarily  slurred,  at  the  very  moment  when  the  syren-notes  of 
the  orator,  by  modulating  on  his  achievements,  have  entranced  his 
excited  audience. 


INTRODUCTION.  277 

world  too  near,  should  light  its  deadly  flame  among  so 
many  benign  and  propitious  fires,  we  should  not,  on  that 
account,  condemn  those  skies,  since  even  in  the  beautiful 
skies  of  nature  we  sometimes  unwillingly  behold  the  same 
anomaly."*  A  bad  Jesuit  is  therefore  a  comet ;  but  a 
comet  is  a  functionary  in  the  celestial  systems ;  it  is  a 
secondary  cause,  produced  and  propelled  by  a  great  De- 
signer :  then,  may  we  substitute  this  Jesuit  for  the  comet, 
and  the  spirit  of  Jesuitism  for  the  great  Designer? 

Thus,  then,  much  has  been  said  in  favour  of  the  Jesuits 
— more  against  them ;  accusations  have  been  denied, 
countercharges  have  been  brought,  and  even  questions  of 
history  still  remain  uncertain,  undecided. 

I  am  surrounded  with  books  of  every  description  about 
the  Jesuits.  They  have  all  been  written  with  one  pro- 
fessed object  in  view — ^Truth.  Truth  has  been  contem- 
plated by  all ;  but  in  how  many  different  ways  have  they 
gazed  at  her  charms  I  Some  have  peered  with  one  eye, 
others  with  half  an  eye  ;  some  "  with  spectacles  on  nose," 
others  with  quizzing  glasses  ;  and  not  a  few  with  that 
vacant  stare  which  sees  nothing!  It  is  thus  with  the 
affairs  of  the  Jesuits;  any  and  every  mind  may  find 
something  to  praise  or  blame  in  these  extraordinary  men, 
and  their  extraordinary  achievements. 

"  Nor  aught  so  good,  but  strain 'd  from  that  fair  use, 
Revolts  from  true  birth,  stumbling  on  abuse!" 

Such  is  the  lenient  motto  that  will  soften  down  my 
argument  to  the  requisite  tone  of  sober  Truth.  If  the 
conclusions  evolved  be  against  the  Jesuits,  that  result 
will  issue  from  facts  of  undeniable  vouchers,  and  reason- 

*  Epist.  4  R.  P.  N.  Vitell.  1639.  TLe  letter  was  written  to  the 
Society  on  a  joyous  occasion — its  centennial  anniversary — but  its  sad 
foreboding  must  have  marred  the  joy  of  every  member. 


278  IGNATIUS    OF   LOYOLA. 

ings  based  on  the  admitted  principles  of  human  conduct — 
on  the  philosophy  of  the  human  will. 

Bly  object  in  this  Essay  is  to  enable  the  reader  to  judge 
for  himself.  Its  materials  will  be  taken,  for  the  most 
part,  from  Jesuit  writers  and  historians.  The  charges  on 
which  it  will  be  my  misfortune  to  insist,  shall  be  in  the 
words  of  the  Generals  themselves  of  the  Society. 

VlTELLESCHI,      CaRRAFA,      PiCCOLOMlNI,     NiCKEL — all 

Generals  of  the  Society — shall  accuse  the  Jesuits  of  the 
past :  the  Jesuits  of  history  ;  and  their  own  historians 
shall  be  quoted  for  the  facts  on  which  the  argument  of 
this  Essay  shall  be  raised,  without  exaggeration  as  with- 
out extenuation  ;  for,  if  I  err,  I  err  from  the  mind,  not 
from  the  heart. 


I. 

IGNATIUS  OF    LOYOLA. — THE    SOCIETY. ITS   RISE. 

Lycurgus  undertook  to  reform  his  countrymen.  His 
laws  continued  in  force  seven  hundred  years.* 

Mohammed,  with  ten  followers,  went  forth  on  his 
"  divine  mission  ;"  and  within  twenty  years  from  the 
moment  of  inspiration,  his  followers  amounted  to  one 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand. 

Islamism  has  lasted  more  than  twelve  hundred  years. 

The  Society  of  the  Jesuits  has  existed  three  hundred 
and  twenty-five  years ;  for  the  Brief  of  Clement  XIV. 
was  one  of  those  measures  of  expediency  which  weak, 
imbecile  governments  emit,  only  to  inconvenience  a  great 

*  Lycurgus  flourished  884  years  before  the  Christian  era. — Lemp., 
Plut.,  &c. 


THE    SOCIETY. — ITS    RISE.  279 

many  people  without  advantaging  any  :  mental  reserva- 
tions all — successful  equivocations. 

It  was  a  ^* Brief  ;"*  intentionally  such;  not  a  "  Bull ;" 
and  almost  as  wide  a  thoroughfare  to  the  Jesuits  as  the 
Catholic  Relief  Bill,  which  proscribed  them  in  Great 
Britain.  The  Jesuits  boast  of  both  ;t  and  well  they 
may;  for  it  is  highly  flattering  to  feel  convinced,  that 
both  our  friends  and  enemies  are  respectively  less  severe 
or  less  unkind  than  appearances  indicate. 

Who  was  Ignatius  of  Loyola?  He  was  born  the  yearj 
before  Boabdil,  the  Moor,  surrendered  by  capitulation 
the  Albayzin  and  Alhambra,  and  delivered  up  to  Ferdi- 
nand and  Isabella  the  keys  of  Granada.  The  age  of 
chivalry  was  gone  for  ever — its  excitements  remained  : 
the  poetry  of  the  human  passions  was  now  to  be  sung  in 
the  terrible  notes  that  Dante  listened  to  in  the  realms 
of  woe. 

We  are  contemplating  the  age  that  is  to  bring  forth  a 
Luther.  It  is  easy  to  discover,  in  every  direction,  the 
beginning  of  an  insatiable  spirit  in  the  heart — the  very 
heart   of   Roman    Catholicism ;    variously  modified,  but 

*  A  "  Brief"  is  a  letter  which  the  Pope  writes  to  kings,  princes, 
or  magistrates,  and  sometimes  to  private  individuals :  they  are  gene- 
rally written  on  paper,  and  refer  to  brief,  succinct,  unimportant  mat- 
ters. The  matter  of  "Bulls"  is  more  important:  their  form  is 
more  ample :  they  are  always  written  on  parchment.  The  name  is 
derived  from  bulla,  the  leaden  seal  which  is  attached  to  the  document. 
On  one  side  of  the  seal  are  the  heads  of  Sts.  Peter  and  Paul,  on  the 
other  the  name  of  the  reigning  Pope.  On  the  briefs  or  mezze  bolle, 
there  is  only  the  impression  of  the  Apostles. — Dizcnar.  di  Erud.  di 
Moroni. 

t  La  sentence  de  Clement  XIV.,  parait  sous  forme  de  bref  et  non 
de  buUe,  afin  qic'elle  soit  moins  solennelie  et  plus  facile  a  revoquer.  Ca- 
hours — a  Jesuit.  I  have  before  alluded  to  the  opinion  respecting  the 
Relief  Bill,  page  33. 

t  1491. 


280  IGNATIUS    OF    LOYOLA. 

acting  even  reckless  of  means,  and  tending  directly  to  its 
end. 

It  was  at  the  very  foot  of  the  papal  throne  that  the 
mine  was  sprung:  Italy  pioneered  the  way  to  the  human 
mind  escaping  from  its  fastness. 

Who  was  Ignatius  of  Loyola  ?  A  French  army  has 
marched  into  Spain — the  province  of  Guipuscoa  is  over- 
run— the  invading  forces  lay  siege  to  Pampeluna,  the 
capital  of  Navarre.  A  Spanish  officer  in  the  garrison 
endeavours,  but  in  vain,  to  inspire  the  troops  with  courage 
to  resist  the  invaders— they  must  capitulate.  Besieged 
and  besiegers  come  to  a  parley  in  the  citadel ;  the  severe 
terms  of  surrender  are  proposed  ;  a  base  compromise  is 
about  to  be  effected,  when  that  Spanish  officer,  seizing 
the  hopeful  moment,  launched  into  furious  invective 
against  the  French.  The  conference  broke  up — the  elec- 
tion was  made — "To  arms!"  resounded  on  all  sides. 
Now  look  to  yon  fortress;  sword  in  hand  the  warrior 
Leads  his  devoted  band  to  the  breach  ;  now  compelled  to 
fight  by  the  clever  stratagem  of  the  leader.  Hand  to 
hand,  and  foot  to  foot — the  struggle  is  for  victory  or 
death ;  but  fortune  or  Providence  decides  the  day — the 
hero  of  the  fight  falls  desperately  wounded.  The  hero  of 
that  fight  was  Ignatius  of  Loyola. 

He  was  born  in  the  castle  of  Loyola,  in  Guipuscoa,  a 
province  of  Biscay.  His  father  was  a  nobleman ;  his 
mother  not  less  illustrious  by  her  extraction.  Inigo,  or 
Ignatius,  was  the  youngest  of  eleven  children.  Bred  in 
the  court  of  Ferdinand  V.,  in  the  quality  of  page  to  the 
king,  he  was  taught  all  the  exercises  calculated  to  make 
him  an  accomplished  officer,  the  profession  of  arms  being 
the  object  of  his  choice. 

In  the  army  he  gave  tokens  of  distinguished  valour ; 
and  by  declining  on  one  occasion  to  share  the  booty  of  a 


THE    SOCIETY. — ITS    RISE.  281 

captured  town,  he  won  the  universal  good-will  that  such 
generosity  always  creates  in  the  hearts  of  men. 

If  the  love  of  glory  was  the  god  of  his  soul,  gold  was 
not  its  idol.  In  such  a  man  the  love  of  woman  rules  by 
its  own  right :  he  was  addicted  to  gallantry,  and  full  of 
the  maxims  of  worldly  honour,  vanity,  and  pleasures. 

Dexterous  in  the  management  of  affairs,  he  had  no 
tincture  of  learning ;  but  the  place  of  science  was  ade- 
quately supplied  by  a  natural  cleverness;  and  from  his 
tenderest  years  he  evinced  a  discretion  but  rarely  witnessed 
in  youth. 

He  was  well  made — of  an  ardent  temperament — 
haughty  in  demeanour — even  violent  in  disposition  ;  and 
yet  he  could  compose  his  features  into  that  soft,  seduc- 
ing expression  which  few  men  and  fewer  women  can 
resist. 

His  leg  was  broken  in  the  fight.  As  soon  as  the  pa- 
tient's condition  permitted,  he  was  carried  to  the  castle  of 
Loyola.  His  surgeons  were  now  of  opinion,  that  it  was 
necessary  to  break  the  bones  anew,  in  order  to  replace 
them  into  their  natural  position,  having  been  badly  set,  or 
jolted  out  of  place  by  the  movement  of  the  journey. 
He  submitted  to  the  cruel  operation  without  a  groan. 

The  result  was  nearly  fatal.  A  violent  fever  ensued, 
and  he  was  given  over  by  his  medical  attendants.  Re- 
signed to  his  fate,  the  warrior  slept ;  and  in  his  sleep  be- 
held St.  Peter,  who  cured  him  with  his  own  hand ! 
"  The  event,"  BouHouRS,  the  Jesuit,  remarks,  "showed 
that  this  dream  had  nothmg  false  in  it :"  when  he  awoke 
he  was  found  out  of  danger — his  pains  ceased  —  his 
strength  returned.  I  omitted  to  state  that  Ignatius  had 
composed  a  poem  in  praise  of  St.  Peter. 

This  miraculous  recovery  seems  to  have  left  him  un- 
converted ;  for,  finding  that  the   bone  protruded,  even 


282  IGNATIUS    OF    LOYOLA. 

after  the  miracle,  and  marred  tlie  elegance  of  his  boot,* 
our  interesting  admirer  of  grace  and  fitness  in  all  things, 
determined  to  resort  to  the  bone-nipper  for  that  perfection 
which  the  apostle  of  his  dream  had  not  thought  neces- 
sary :  he  had  the  deformity  cut  away  without  uttering  a 
word — without  changing  countenance  ! 

This  was  not  all :  he  had  the  limb  stretched  by  a  ma- 
chine of  iron !  But  vain  was  this  struggle  for  the  sake 
of  the  world  of  beauty,  which  requires  elegance  in  its 
votaries!  To  his  despair — the  operation  justifies  the 
word — to  his  despair  the  experiment  failed  ;  and  he  re- 
mained crippled  ever  after — one  leg  shorter  than  the  other. 

Still  confined  to  his  bed,  Ignatius  asked  for  a  book  to 
while  away  the  tedious  hours.  He  wanted  a  romance  ; 
some  work  of  chivalry;  but  though  the  castle  of  Loyola 
was  just  the  place  for  such  fabulous  stories,  there  hap- 
pened not  to  be  one  there  at  the  time  in  question :  they 
brought  him  the  Life  of  Christ,  and  the  Lives  of  the 
Saints,  instead. 

It  would  amuse  the  reader  to  recount  the  highly 
spiritual  conclusions  which  the  biographer  ascribes  to  our 
gallant,  after  the  perusal  of  the  works  aforesaid ;  but  this 
brief  narrative  will  not  admit  of  the  detail.  The  reader 
must  consider  Ignatius  a  changed  man — converted. 

He  left  the  castle  of  his  ancestors,  and  went  to  the 
monastery  of  St.  Benedict  at  Mont-Serrat  ;  where, 
before  the  miraculous  image  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  he  de- 
voted himself  '*  to  Mary  and  to  Jesus,"  as  their  knight : 
according  to  the  martial  notions  which  inspired  all  his 
interpretations  of  thoughts  divine. 

It  is  necessary  to  state  that  the  Virgin  Mary  had  also 
appeared  to  him  in  the  castle :  she  held  the  infant  Jesus 

•  Qui  empecliait  le  cavalier  de  porter  la  botte  bien  tiree. — 
Bouhours. 


r 


THE    SOCIETY. — ITS    RISE.  283 

in  her  arms,  in  the  midst  of  a  blaze  of  light.  It  was  on 
this  occasion  that  he  was  freed  for  ever  from  all  the  troubles 
of  concupiscence. 

What  wonder,  then,  if  on  his  journey  to  the  shrine,  he 
coolly  deliberated  whether  he  was  not  called  upon  to  kill 
a  poor  Mahometan,  who  spoke  disrespectfully  of  the 
Virgin  !  Returning  in  pursuit  of  the  blasphemer,  he  left 
it  to  chance  to  decide,  by  dropping  the  bridle  of  his 
horse:  determined  to  kill  the  man  if  the  horse  took  the 
fatal  road.  But  the  animal  was  more  charitable,  more 
virtuous  than  its  master  ;  it  took  the  other  road  (which 
was  actually  a  worse  road  than  the  poor  Mahometan's) 
and  spared  Ignatius — the  converted  sinner,  blessed  with 
holy  visions — from  the  commission  of  a  mortal  sin  ! 

He  now  began  a  life  of  excessive  bodily  maceration  ; 
beating  himself  with  an  iron-chain  four  or  five  times  a 
day,  fasting  rigorously,  and  bewailing  the  crimes  of  his 
youth.  He  was  tried — he  had  his  temptation  :  the  devil 
spoke  to  him  internally.  All  the  temptations  are  given 
by  the  learned  biographer.  But  he  triumphed  ;  and  if  he 
has  not  said  that  angels  came  and  ministered  unto  him, 
still  he  affirmed  that,  whilst  rehearsing  the  office  of  the 
Virgin  Mary,  he  was  elevated  in  spirit,  and  saw  as  it  were 
a  figure,  which  clearly  represented  to  him  the  most  holy 
Trinity ! 

Devils  had  shaken  the  room  where  he  prayed  ;  but  of 
what  avail  was  their  impotent  foolery  against  one  so 
strong  in  faith,  without  the  merit  of  belief? 

The  most  remarkable  of  all  the  favours  that  he  re- 
ceived, says  his  biographer,  was  a  rapture  of  eight  days* 
duration.  They  thought  him  dead,  and  were  on  the  point 
of  burying  him,  when  he  opened  his  eyes,  and,  with  a 
tender  and  devout  voice,  exclaimed — "  Ah  I  Jesus  T 

*'  No  one  knows,"  continues  the  same  authority,  **  the 


284  IGNATIUS    OF   LOYOLA. 

secrets  which  were  revealed  to  hira  in  that  long  ravish- 
ment :  for  he  would  never  tell ;  and  all  that  could  ever 
be  extorted  from  him  was,  that  the  graces  with  which  God 
favoured  him  were  inexpressible.'* 

After  these  events  he  composed  his  Spiritual  Exercises, 
and  undertook  a  pilgrimage  to  Jerusalem.  Indeed,  it 
would  appear  that  his  intention  was  to  labour  for  the 
conversion  of  souls  in  the  East.  However,  after  visiting 
the  holy  places,  he  returned  to  Europe,  and  was  miracu- 
lously saved  from  shipwTeck,  to  be  subsequently  impri- 
soned on  a  suspicion  of  heresy.  Escaping  from  the 
Inquisition,  he  went  to  Paris,  with  the  intention  of  sup- 
plying the  deficiencies  which  his  Divine  knowledge  still  left 
in  his  enlightened  mind.  He  entered  at  the  university; 
but,  experimenting  with  his  Exercises  on  some  of  the 
students,  he  got  into  trouble  :  these  youths  sold  all  they 
had,  and  gave  the  money  to  the  poor. 

Meanwhile,  it  must  be  evident  that  Ignatius  has 
hitherto  been  a  very  extensive  traveller  for  a  man  without 
funds,  subsisting  on  charity  ;  but  such  is  the  fact  never- 
theless. Doubtless  it  was  his  own  experience  that  induced 
him,  subsequently,  to  bribe  the  Pope's  good  will  to  his 
enterprise,  by  stipulating  for  no  pay  or  support  in  the 
missions  of  the  Jesuits. 

In  Paris — as  elsewhere  when  he  made  the  attempt — he 
was  more  anxious  to  extend  the  practice  of  his  Exercises 
than  to  advance  in  science;  for  when  a  man  gets  a 
hobby  of  any  kind,  he  is  irresistibly  inclined  to  ride  it  for 
ever.  At  Barcelona,  for  instance,  he  forgot  everything  he 
read  ;  and  whilst  conjugating  the  verb  Amo,  I  love^  he 
could  only  repeat  to  himself,  *'  I  love  God,"  or,  *'  I  am 
loved  by  God."  And  at  Alcala,  where  he  attended  some 
lectures  in  logic,  physics,  and  divinity,  he  only  con- 
founded his  ideas  by  the  multiplicity  of  his  studies;  and 


THE    SOCIETY. ITS    RISE.  285 

learned  nothing  at  all,  though  he  studied  night  and 
day. 

He  nianaged  by  his  dexterity  to  exchange  a  public 
whipping,  at  the  college  of  St.  Barbara,  for  a  public 
triumph.  It  seems  that  Ignatius  had  been  admonished 
not  to  interfere  with  the  studies  of  the  students  by  his 
devotional  practices  ;  he  disobeyed,  and  tlie  punishment 
was  announced.  But  by  a  single  interview  he  operated 
so  effectually  on  the  principal  of  the  college,  that  without 
replying,  the  latter  led  him  by  the  hand  to  the  expectant 
students,  all  ready  for  the  sign  to  inflict  the  penance  ; — 
then  threw  himself  at  the  feet  of  Ignatius,  and  begged 
his  pardon  for  having  believed  the  evil  reports  against 
him  ;  and,  rising,  pronounced  him  a  saint ! 

After  this  the  reader  will  not  be  surprised  to  hear,  that 
Ignatius  now  began  to  collect  followers  :  tlie  Spiritual 
Exercises  were  operating.  Peter  Le  Fevre,  or  Faber, 
was  his  first  convert ;  Xavier,  afterwards  a  saint,  was  his 
next;  and  Laynez,  Salmeron,  Bobadilla — all  famous 
men  in  the  Society — subsequently  enlisted.  Moved  by 
the  pressing  instances  and  exhortations  of  Ignatius,  they 
made  a  vow  to  renounce  the  world,  and  to  preach  the 
gospel  in  Palestine ;  or,  if  that  design  were  thwarted, 
to  offer  themselves  to  the  Pope,  to  be  employed  in  the 
service  of  God  in  what  manner  he  should  judge  best. 
They  pronounced  this  vow  aloud  in  the  subterraneous 
chapel  at  Montmartre,  after  they  had  all  received  the 
sacrament  from  Peter  Faber. 

Claudius  Le  Jay,  Codure,  and  Brouet  afterwards  joined 
the  band;  which,  with  Ignatius,  now  amounted  to  ten 
men — of  different  nations — of  widely  different  disposi- 
tions and  attainments,  but  all  devoted  to  Ignatius. 

They  went  to  Rome.     Tlie  Pope,  Paul  III.,  received 


286  IGNATIUS    OF    LOYOLA. 

them  graciously,  and  permitted  those  among  them  who 
were  not  priests  to  be  immediately  ordained. 

War  having  been  declared  against  the  Turks  by  the 
Venetians,  their  pilgrimage,  it  is  said,  was  rendered  im- 
practicable. It  was  at  this  time,  and  whilst  the  band  re- 
mained at  Vicenza,  that  Ignatius  enjoined  his  companions 
to  call  themselves  "the  Society  of  Jesus" — ''because 
they  were  to  fight  against  heresies  and  vice  under  the 
standard  of  Christ." 

From  this  place  he  set  out  for  Rome.  On  the  journey, 
whilst  in  prayer,  he  saw  the  Eternal  Father  presenting 
him  (Ignatius)  to  His  Son;  and  he  saw  Jesus  Christ 
bearing  a  heavy  cross — who,  after  having  received  him 
(Ignatius)  from  His  Father,  said  these  words  to  him  :  / 
shall  be  propitious  to  you  at  Rome. 

He  related  this  vision  to  his  companions,  in  order  to 
fortify  them  against  any  contrarieties  that  might  stand  in 
their  way. 

"This  vision,"  says  Bouhours,  "  is  one  of  the  most 
remarkable  that  St.  Ignatius  ever  had  ;  and  it  is  so  well 
vouched  for,  that  it  admits  not  of  a  doubt."  It  is  a  strik- 
ing, awful — I  had  almost  said  hideous  fact — that  this 
presumptuous  mortal,  referring  to  this  (his  vision)  actually 
wrote  these  words  :  "  When  the  Eternal  Father  placed 
me  with  His  Son  !"* 

Again  was  Ignatius  well  received  at  Rome.  All  his 
companions  soon  followed  at  his  command ;  and  he  pro- 
posed to  them  his  design,  and  motives,  of  forming  them- 
selves into  a  religious  order.     Thev  agreed. 

Three  cardinals  were  appointed  by  the  Pope  to  examine 
the  merits  of  the  application  made  by  Ignatius :  they  at 

*  Quando  el  Padre  Eterno  me  puso  con  su  Hijo.  Bouhours  trans- 
lates puso  into  usiocia  ou  mit. — Vie  d'  Ignace,  1.  III. 


THE    SOCIETY. ITS    RISE.  287 

first  opposed  it,  but  afterwards  changed  their  opinion :  it 
is  said,  "  on  a  sudden,"  One  of  them  avowed  that  the 
order  seemed  necessary  to  remedy  the  evils  of  Christen- 
dom, and  arrest  the  progress  of  heresy  then  spreading  all 
over  Europe.  Possibly  the  disinterestedness  of  the  pro- 
mise to  serve  his  Holiness  with  desperate  devotion,  and 
without  the  expectation  of  any  pecuniary  support,  had 
considerable  influence  in  the  determination  that  followed 
— the  Jesuits  would  be  "  a  cheap  defence"  of  the  Pope- 
dom. Paul  III.  confirmed  the  Institute  of  Ignatius,  by  a 
Bull,  dated  September  the  27th,  1540.  The  number  of 
the  professed  was  at  first  limited  to  sixty  ;  but  the  re- 
striction was  taken  off  two  years  after  by  another  bull — 
the  scheme  having  proved  eminently  successful.* 


II. 

THE    SOCIETY ITS    CONSTITUTIONS PROGRESS. 

The  Society  being  established,  Ignatius  deemed  it 
necessary  to  begin  with  electing  a  commander-in-chief — 
or  general ;  for  he  would  not  resign  his  martial  notions  j 
they  might  certainly  be  sanctified — rendered  innocent. f 
Wilh  this  view  he  summoned  his  little  troop  to  Rome — 
not  all,  for  some  of  his  men  were  already  at  important 
posts.     True  to  its  subsequent  history,  the  Society  was 

*  For  all  tLe  facts  recorded  in  this  Section,  see  Boubours,  La  Vie  de 
St.  J<rnace,  and  Butler's  Lives  of  the  Saints,  July  31. 

t  All  the  facts  stated  in  this  Section  are  from  Boubours,  or  Butler 
quoting  Jesuit  historians.  This  general  notification  is  thought  more 
advisable  in  order  not  to  encumber  the  tezt  with  references. 


288  THE    SOCIETY.. 

already  in  position  to  influence  the  minds  of  kings. 
Xavier  and  Rodriguez  were  at  the  court  of  Portugal; 
Faber  at  the  Diet  of  Worms ;  and  Bobadilla  had  ex- 
press orders  not  to  leave  the  kingdom  of  Naples  before 
the  affairs  committed  to  his  management  were  accom- 
plished. The  absent  members  had  left  their  votes ;  the 
suffrages  were  collected — Ignatius  was  elected  General. 

Ignatius  was  afflicted  and  even  surprised  at  seeing 
himself  elected  General ! — What !  A  man  who  had  been 
favoured  with  Divine  visions — who  had  been  enlightened 
so  as  to  see  through  the  mysteries  of  faith — who  had 
been  placed  or  associated  by  God  the  Father  with  God 
the  Son — such  a  mortal  considered  fit  to  govern  !  Im- 
possible ! 

Ignatius,  as  modestly  as  Julius  C^sar,  refused  the 
dignity — nobly  but  gently  pushed  away  the  proffered 
diadem  ! 

This  refusal  only  served  to  confirm  the  electors  in  their 
judgment :  still,  obedient  to  his  request  they  spent  four 
days  more  in  prayer  and  penance,  before  the  next  election. 
Ignatius  was  again  elected  ! 

Surely  the  Divine  will  is  now  manifest.  Ignatius  is  of 
a  different  opinion  :  he  makes  another  effort  to  escape. 
He  says  that  ''he  will  put  the  matter  into  the  hands  of 
his  confessor;  and  if  the  latter,  who  knows  all  his  bad 
inclinations/'  which  the  reader  is  aware,  were  all  wiped 
away  by  the  Virgin  Mary — '*  if  his  confessor  shall  com- 
mand him  in  the  name  oj"  Jesus  Christ,  to  submit,  he  will 
obey  blindly." 

It  is  needless  to  state  that  the  said  confessor  *'  told 
him  plainly  that  he  was  resisting  the  Holy  Ghost  in  resist- 
ing the  election  ;  and  commanded  him,  on  the  part  of 
God,  to  accept  the  appointment." 

One   curious  question    arises    here.      For    whom    did 


PRELIMINARIES.  289 

Ignatius  vote  in  the  election  ?  Surely  if  this  man  did 
not  think  himself  qualified,  he  should  have  named  the 
companion  whom  he  deemed  worthy  of  the  high  function  ; 
particularly  as  he  had  called  the  electors  to  Rome  for 
the  express  purpose  of  the  election.  But  the  sentimental 
votes  recorded  by  Bouhours,  lack  that  of  Holy  Father 
Ignatius.  Xavier,  Codure,  Salmeron,  have  left  their 
votes  on  the  grateful  page  ;  and  doubtless  every  other 
vote  was  equally  fervid  —  but  it  seems  that  we  must 
remain  perfectly  mystified  as  to  the  conduct  of  this 
modest  saint  on  that  interestins;  occasion.  It  exhibits 
character  however,  and  therefore  have  I  dwelt  on  the 
incident :  I  have  to  depict  Ignatius  in  the  sequel. 

Anticipating  the  celebrated  "  Constitutions,"  Ignatius 
issued  a  few  regulations  for  the  guidance  of  his  soldiers ; 
the  sum  total  whereof  was  '*  to  have  God  before  their 
eyes  always"  as  much  as  possible  —  with  Christ  for  a 
model ;  to  see  God  in  their  Superiors :  obedience  being 
an  infallible  oracle,  &c.  Mutual  charity,  silence,  and 
religious  deportment,  were  enjoined;  and  if  they  should 
fall  into  any  sin  that  might  become  public,  they  were  not 
to  despair;  but  rather  "  to  give  thanks  to  God  for 
permitting  them  to  commit  a  fault,  and  for  teaching 
them  the  weakness  of  their  virtue."  Lastly  to  press  for- 
ward gaily,  but  not  excessively  so,  in  the  Divine  work ; 
undeviating,  unflinching. 

Xavier  was  sent  to  India  by  a  Brief;  Salinieron  and 
Brouet  were  despatched  into  Ireland  by  the  Pope; 
Laynez  went  to  Venice  ;  Faber  to  Madrid  ;  Bobadilla 
to  Vienna;  and  Le  Jay  to  Ratisbon.  Ignatius  remained 
at  Rome  to  be  inspired  in  the  concoction  of  tlie  Consti- 
tutions. 

Meanwhile,  at  the  very  time  when  Luther  was  engaged 
in   purging  the  church  of  Romanism,  Ignatius  was  use- 

u 


290  THE   INSTITUTE. 

fully  occupied  with  purging  Rome  of  its  licentiousness : 
both  excellent  works  and  worthy  of  being  recorded  on  the 
same  page.  All  mankind  owed  a  debt  of  gratitude  to 
Luther  for  the  light  of  mind;  and  the  streets  of  Rome 
were  a  monument  to  Ignatius  for  the  darkness  which  he 
rendered  innocent.* 

From  the  contemplation  of  this  pious  work,  we  will 
turn  to  the  famous  Constitutions  of  the  Society.  The 
Institute  of  the  Jesuits  is  contained  in  fifteen  distinct 
works;  the  book  of  the  Constitutions  being  the  ground- 

*  See  Bouhours,  for  the  account  of  this  reformation  of  the  public 
sinners  at  Rome.  It  is  usual  to  talk  very  finely  on  the  public 
depravity -which  is  said  to  have  "followed"  the  Reformation  ;  but  if 
the  holders  of  such  an  opinion  will  take  the  trouble  to  investigate  the 
history  of  the  church  at  the  period  which  immediately  preceded  that 
event,  they  may  perhaps  be  disabused  of  that  opinion.  In  truth,  the 
corruption  of  morals — enclosed  though  it  was  by  the  universal  church 
— was  rampant  throughout  society.  The  conduct  of  pontiffs  was 
ambiguous,  if  not  highly  criminal ;  bishops,  priests,  monks,  and  laity 
alike  slid  in  the  slippery  path,  that  seemed  to  stretch  from  the  sanc- 
tuary itself.  See  Cornelii  Aurelii  Gaudaui  Apocalypsis,  seu  Visio 
jMirabilis  super  Miserabili  Statu  Matris  Ecclesias,  in  Caspar.  Burmanni 
Analect.  Hist,  de  Hadriano  VI.  See  also  Mosheim,  Eccl.  Hist  vol.  ii. 
b.  4.  c.  1.  See  also  Villani,  Istor.  c.  9.  As  far  back  as  the  tenth 
century,  vice  rioted  in  the  papal  chair.  **  John  XII.,"  says  Villani, 
"  was  a  man  of  evil  life,  tenendo  publicamente  le  famine,  and  hunted 
and  hawked  like  a  private  gentleman,  and  did  many  guilty  and  furious 
things."  The  "  infamous  Borgia,"  as  even  Reeve,  the  Roman 
Catholic,  calls  him — began  the  sixteenth  century  as  Alexander  VI. 
Dante,  Petrarch,  and  Battista  of  Mantua,  have  immortalized  the  crimes 
of  popes,  monks,  and  priests,  in  the  chorus  of  guilt — their  books  were 
in  the  libraries  of  cardinals  :  Sadolet  and  Bembo  knew  long  passages 
by  heart,  which  they  recited,  notwithstanding  the  papal  censure  by 
which  they  were  prohibited.     Battista  wrote  these  verses : 

Vivere  qui  sancte  cupitis,  discedite  Roma  ; 
Omnia  cum  liceant,  non  licet  esse  bonum. 

— See  Jewel's  Apolo.  c.  4. 


DEFINITIONS.  291 

work  of  the  system  :  strongly,  deeply  built ;  with  a  know- 
ledge of  mental  architecture  unsurpassed,  except  in  the 
Spiritual  Exercises  of  the  same  cunning  Builder. 

Subsequent  Rules,  Decrees,  Canons,  &c.,  are  stated  to 
have 'resulted  from  the  spirit  of  the  Institute,  which  they 
are  intended  to  uphold  and  enforce. 

The  Constitutions  are  divided  into  ten  parts.  They  are 
preceded  by  a  ""  General  Examen,"  to  be  proposed  to  all 
W'ho  wish  to  be  admitted  into  the  Society  of  Jesus.  Ac- 
cording to  this  Examen,  the  end  of  the  Society  is  not  only 
to  2:ive  to  each  member  the  means  of  workino;  out  his  own 
salvation  and  spiritual  perfection,  with  the  grace  of  God  ; 
but  with  the  same  grace  diligently  to  apply  himself  to  the 
salvation  and  perfection  of  his  neighbour.  To  attain 
this  end  the  better,  three  vows  are  taken ;  namely,  of 
Obedience,  Poverty,  and  Chastity  :  understanding  Poverty 
to  mean  that  the  Jesuit  will  not  and  cannot  have  any 
revenue  for  his  own  maintenance,  nor  for  any  other  pur- 
pose. This  is  to  be  understood  not  only  with  regard  to 
each  member  in  particular,  but  also  with  regard  to  the 
churches  and  houses  of  the  professed.  No  stipend  nor 
alms  are  to  be  received  for  masses,  sermons,  lectures,  the 
administration  of  any  sacrament,  or  any  other  pious  office 
which  the  Society,  according  to  its  institute,  can  perform. 
Such  emoluments  are  lawful  to  others,  but  to  the  Jesuit 
they  are  forbidden  :  God  alone  is  to  reward  the  child  of 
Ignatius."^ 

The  professed  Jesuits  are  those  who  make,  besides  the 
three  vows  just  mentioned,  an  express  vow  to  the  Pope 
and  his  successors ;  to  set  out  without  excuse,  without  a 
viaticum  or  travelling  expenses,  to  any  part  of  the  world 
• — among  Christians  or  Infidels — *'  for  the  prosecution  of 
such  matters  as  tend  to  divine  worship  and  the  good  of 

*  Exam.  Gen. 

u  2 


292  DEFINITIONS. 

the  Christian  religion" — a  very  comprehensive  formula  as- 
suredly ! 

As  to  externals,  the  manner  of  life — for  just  reasons, 
having  the  greater  service  of  God  always  before  them — is 
common :  the  Society  does  not  assume,  by  obligation, 
any  of  the  ordinary  penances  or  macerations  of  the  body. 
These  are  left  to  the  dictates  of  individual  piety  and  the 
judgment  of  the  immediate  superior. 

The  members  of  the  Society  are  divided  into  four 
classes. 

I.  The  Professi,  or  Professed. 

II.  The  Coadjutors;  who  are  admitted  into  the  Society 
for  the  divine  service  and  aid  of  the  Society  in  matters 
spiritual  and  temporal.  These  are  the  temporal  coadju- 
tors or  lay-brothers ;  they  bind  themselves  by  the  three 
simple  vows  only. 

III.  The  Scholastici,  or  Scholars  ;  whose  future  position 
in  the  Society  is  to  be  determined  by  their  respective 
qualifications.  They  may  become  either  spiritual  coad- 
jutors or  simple  priests  of  the  Society;  or  be  permitted  to 
enter  the  ranks  of  the  Pope's  life-guard  aforesaid,  after 
mature  deliberation  on  the  part  of  the  authorities  con- 
cerned. 

IV.  The  Novices.  These  are  admitted  indeterminately  : 
their  respective  talents  will  hereafter  assign  their  position 
in  the  Society.  They  must  be  "indifferent;"  that  is, 
totally  resigned  to  the  god-like  will  of  the  head  that 
governs. 

A  probation  of  two  years'  duration  precedes  the  vows 
of  the  temporal  coadjutors;  and. of  the  scholastici,  who 
are  to  become  spiritual  coadjutors. 

Another  probation  of  one  year's  duration  precedes  the 
last  vow  of  the  Professi,  or  Professed. 

Although  the  Society  may  have  colleges  and  houses  of 


QUALIFICATIONS.  293 

probation,  endowed  with  revenues  for  the  sustenance  of 
the  scholastici  before  they  are  received  into  the  ranks  of 
the  professed,  still,  revenues  of  this  kind  cannot  be  ex- 
pended for  any  other  purpose,  according  to  the  apostolical 
letters  ;  nor  can  any  of  the  members,  even  the  coadju- 
tors, make  use  of  the  same. 

So  much  for  the  "ways  and  means"  of  the  Society  in 
its  original  conception. 

I  shall  now  endeavour  to  give  the  outlines  of  the  sys- 
tem ;  refraining  from  such  minute  details  as  would  not 
interest  the  general  reader — always  translating  the  text 
of  the  original,  or  giving  its  substance. 

Part  I. 

The  more  endowed  the  applicant  for  admission  is  with 
natural  talents  or  acquirements,  and  the  more  trying  the 
experiments  have  been  in  which  he  has  stood  the  test,  the 
more  fit  will  he  be  for  the  Society.  The  Society  requires 
sound  knowledge,  or  an  aptitude  to  acquire  it,  in  the 
candidate,  united  to  tact  in  the  management  of  affairs ; 
or  certainly  the  gift  of  a  good  judgment  to  acquire  that 
discretion.  He  must  have  a  good  memory,  both  quick 
and  retentive.  The  desire  of  spiritual  perfection  must  be 
in  the  will;  coolness,  constancy, and  determination  in  action. 
There  must  be  zeal  for  the  salvation  of  souls ;  "  which  is 
the  cause  of  the  love  that  the  candidate  has  for  the  So- 
ciety." 

Elegance  of  expression  is  particularly  to  be  desired  ;* 
being  very  necessary  in  his  intercourse  with  others  ;  and 
a  handsome  or  agreeable  person,t  which  usually  edifies 
those  with   whom  we   have  to  deal :    good   health    and 

*  Exoptanda  est  sermonis  gratia. — P.  I.e.  2. 
t  Species  honesta — Ibid. 


294  IMPEDIMENTS. 

strength  of  body  are  essentials.  The  age  for  admission 
to  the  Novitiate  is  fourteen  and  above;  for  Profession, 
five  and  twenty. 

The  external  recommendations  of  nobility,  wealth,  repu- 
tation, and  the  like — since  they  are  not  sufficient  if  others 
be  wanting — will  not  be  necessary  when  other  qualifica- 
tions are  possessed.  Still,  as  far  as  they  conduce  to  edi- 
fication, they  enhance  the  fitness  of  the  candidate. 

The  impediments  to  admission  are  previous  apostacy 
from  the  church,  and  heresy ;  having  committed  murder, 
or  being  infamous  on  account  of  some  enormity;  to  have 
been  a  monk  or  hermit;  being  married,  or  a  slave,  or 
partially  insane.  These  are  stringent  impediments;  but 
the  Pope  and  the  General  can  grant  a  dispensation  even 
in  the  case  of  these  impediments,  when  it  is  certain  that 
the  candidate  is  adorned  with  such  divine  gifts  as  to  be  of 
great  assistance  to  the  Society — always  understood,  *'for 
the  service  of  God  and  our  Lord." 

Minor  impediments  are,  apparently  indomitable  passions, 
and  such  a  habit  of  sin  as  to  give  little  hope  of  amend- 
ment;  inconstancy  of  mind;  **  a  defective  judgment,  or 
manifest  pertinacity,  which  usually  gives  great  trouble  to 
all  congregations." 

Among  the  questions  to  be  put  to  candidates  are  the 
following  : — Whether  any  of  his  ancestors  were  heretics  ? 
whether  his  parents  are  alive  ?  their  name,  condition  as 
to  wealth  or  poverty,  their  occupation  ?  whether  he  has 
ever  been  in  pecuniary  difficulties,  or  is  bound  by  any 
claim  to  his  parents  or  relatives  ?  whether,  discarding  his 
own  opinion  and  judgment,  he  will  leave  that  point  to  the 
judgment  of  his  Superior  or  the  Society  ?  how  many 
brothers  and  sisters  he  has  ?  their  situation,  whether  mar- 
ried  or  otherwise,  their  occupation  or  manner  of  life  ? 


A   DISTINCTION.  295 

with  regard  to  himself,  whether  he  has  ever  uttered  words 
that  may  seem  to  have  pledged  him  to  marry  ?  or  has 
had,  or  has,  a  son  ? 

A  severe  scrutiny  as  to  his  spiritual  bent,  faith,  and 
conscience,  follows  this  domestic  inquisition.  If  the  candi- 
date has  any  property,  he  must  promise  *'  to  leave  all,'* 
without  delay,  at  the  command  of  his  Superior,  after  he 
has  been  a  year  in  the  Novitiate.  But  he  is  to  resign  his 
property  to  the  "  poor  ;"  for  the  Gospel  says,  "  give  to 
the  poor,"  not  to  relatives.  Thus  he  will  give  a  better 
example  of  having  put  off  his  inordinate  love  towards  his 
parents,  and  of  avoiding  the  usual  unpleasantness  of  dis- 
tribution, which  proceeds  from  the  said  love ;  and  thus — 
the  opening  to  return  to  his  parents  and  relatives,  and  to 
their  very  memory,  being  closed  beforehand — he  may 
persevere  firmly  and  fixedly  in  his  vocation. 

He  may,  however,  give  something  to  his  relatives  ;  but 
this  must  be  left  entirely  to  the  discretion  and  judgment 
of  the  Superior,  and  those  who  are  appointed  by  him  to 
investigate  the  claim  to  relief  or  benefit. 

All  ready  money  that  he  may  have  must  be  given  up, 
to  be  returned  to  him  should  he  leave,  or  be  found  unfit 
for,  the  Society. 

Any  defect  in  the  integrity  of  the  body — disease,  weak- 
ness, or  remarkable  deformity ;  being  too  young  or  too 
old,  or  bound  by  civil  obligations  or  debt,  constitute 
minor  impediments.  But  in  case  of  these  minor  impedi- 
ments, as  in  the  major,  the  Society  can  grant  dispensa- 
tions. 

Part  II. 
The  power  of  dismissal  from  the  Society  is  granted  by 
the  General   to   the  various   Provincials,  or  rulers  of  a 
province  (like  that  of  England)  ;  and  to  local  Superiors 


296  DISMISSION. 

and  Rectors,  in  order  that,  in  the  whole  bodv  of  the  So- 
ciety,  the  subjection  of  holy  Obedience  may  be  continued 
— that  the  inferiors  may  clearly  know  that  they  depend 
on  their  immediate  Superiors  ;  and  that  it  becomes  them 
very  much,  yea,  is  necessary,  that  they  should  be  submis- 
sive to  them  in  all  things.  Caution  is  advised  in  the 
matter  of  dismissal ;  and  the  caution  is  to  be  increased 
according  to  the  position  in  the  Society  which  the  delin- 
quent happens  to  hold — a  suggestion  of  mere  human 
prudence  which  is  self-evident. 

In  important  cases,  Provincials  should  not  dismiss 
without  consulting  the  General.  I  need  scarcely  state 
that  a  case  becomes  important,  not  by  the  guilt  of  the 
delinquent,  but  by  his  rank  in  the  Society.* 

The  causes  of  dismissal  are,  *'  Incorrigibility  in  certain 
depraved  affections  and  vices ;  even  should  they  not  scan- 
dalise others,  on  account  of  their  secrecy." 

Secondly,  If  it  be  contrary  to  the  good  of  the  Society 
to  retain  any  one :  the  good  of  the  whole  body  should  be 
preferred  to  that  of  the  individual. 

Of  course,  any  of  the  impediments  being  subsequently 
discovered  in  probation,  may  be  just  causes  of  dis- 
missal.f 

So  far  the  Constitutions.  But  a  Declaration  runs  on 
hand  in  hand  to  the  following  effect ; — "  How  far  certain 
faults,]:  which  are  said  to  be  contrary  to  the  divine  honour 
and  the  good  of  the  Society,  should  be  tolerated, — since 
the  matter  depends  on  many  particular  circumstances,  of 
persons,  times,  and  places, — it  must  necessarily  be  left  to 
the  discreet  zeal  of  those  who  have  that  matter  in 
charge. "§ 

Dismissal  is  to  take  place  as  privately  as  possible,  so 

*  Part  2,  c.  1,  Decl.  f  Part  2,  c.  2. 

X  Defectus,  §  Ibid,  A. 


CAPIAS.  297 

as  to  cherish  the  s:ood-will  and  charity  of  the  delinquent 
towards  the  Society  ;*  and  aid  should  be  given  him  to 
embrace  some  other  state  of  life.  Charity  should  offer 
him  her  hand  at  dismiijsal,  and  defend  his  memory  in  his 
absence  ;t  at  least,  such  is  the  import  of  the  passage 
which  I  have  thus  condensed. 

Those  who  leave  the  Society  of  their  own  accord  are 
not  to  be  sought  after,  unless  for  very  good  reasons. 
"  Should  they  be  such  as  we  should  not  thus  resign — 
particularly  if  they  seem  to  have  left  on  account  of  some 
violent  temptation,  or  deceived  from  without  by  others — 
we  may  endeavour  to  bring  them  back,  making  use  of  the 
Privileges  conceded  to  us  for  this  purpose  by  the  Apos- 
tolic See." 

The  Privilege  referred  to  pronounces  "  excommunica- 
tion ipso  facto"  against  any  Jesuit  who  returns  to  the 
world  after  having  taken  the  vows — from  the  guilt  of 
which  he  cannot  be  absolved,  except  by  the  Pope  or  a 
Superior  of  the  Society.  By  another  such  mandate, 
eight  days  are  allowed  him  to  return,  under  the  penalty  of 
excommunication  lafcB  sententicB,  which  is  a  case  reserved 
to  the  Pope  ;  and  all  who  aid,  advise,  or  abet  the  fugitive 
are  obnoxious  to  the  same  penalty. 

By  another  mandate,  the  General  and  other  Superiors 
can  summarily,  and  without  the  form  of  judgment,  re- 
claim, take,  and  imprison  the  delinquent,  and  compel 
him  to  undergo  the  merited  penance,  just  as  if  he  were 
an  apostate,  calling  in  the  aid  of  the  secular  arm. 

Nay,  even  those  who  are  dismissed  from  the  Society — 
unless  they  enter  some  other  order  with  permission  of  the 
General,  the  Provincial,  or  the   Pope — are  forbidden  to 

*  Ibid.  6.  t|lbid.  8  et  9» 


298  CONSEQUENCES. 

hear  confessions,  teach  or  preach,  under  penalty  of  ex- 
communication.* 

These  severe  enactments  seem  to  scoff  with  the  hiss 
of  contempt  at  the  words  of  the  Constitutions,  where 
the  spirit  of  mildness  is  enjoined  in  this  proceeding, 
without  exception — omnino,  in  spiritu  mansuetudinis  pro- 
cedere.f 

What  wonder,  then,  that  the  **  secrets"  of  this  Society 
have  rarely  transpired,  at  a  time  when  such  terrible 
penalties  hung  in  all  their  Apostolical  horrors  over  the 
head  of  the  apostate  ! 

Why  should  a  Society  need  such  a  defence,  if  its 
motives,  its  means,  its  exploits  were  honest?  Some 
idea  of  the  power  of  the  Jesuits  in  the  day  of  their  great- 
ness, may  be  formed  from  what  we  have  just  read:  as 
we  proceed,  the  argument  will  be  developed  with  fearful 
iteration  in  the  same  strain. 

On  being  re-admitted,  the  fugitive  must  perform  his 
appointed  penance,  undergo  another  examination,  make 
a  general  confession,  and  be  subjected  to  other  tests  and 
trials. 

Pakt  III. 

The  training  and  preservation  of  the  novices  are 
amply  discussed  in  the  third  part  of  the  Constitutions. 
Having  already  thoroughly  developed  the  subject,  I 
shall  now  confine   my  remarks    to   those   matters  which 

*  Comp.  Privil.  Apost.  All  the  Superiors  Lave  the  power  to  "  in- 
flict corrections  and  punishments" — provided  they  are  deliberate  and 
mature,  "  they  may  proceed  freely"  in  the  matter — libere  procedere 
possunt. —  Ibid.  Correct. 

t  Part  2.  c.  4,  5. 


A    DELICATE    QUESTION.  299 

were  not  enforced Jn  the  English  Novitiate;  or  such 
particulars  as  have  not  been  incidentally  mentioned. 

It  is  not  thought  necessary  that  the  novice  should 
resign  the  property  he  may  happen  to  possess  at  the 
time  of  his  admission,  unless  the  Superior  should  com- 
mand him  to  do  so,  after  the  lapse  of  a  year;  "judg- 
ing that  in  property  of  this  kind,  he  may  have  an  occa- 
sion of  temptation,  or  be  impeded  in  his  spiritual  pro- 
gress, since  he  may  cling  to  his  wealth  with  some  im- 
moderate affection  or  confidence." 

Anticipating  a  delicate' question,  the  prudent  legislator 
says : — "  Whenever  at  his  entrance,  or  after  his  en- 
trance on  the  practice  of  obedience,  the  novice,  being 
moved  by  his  devotion,  wishes  to  dispense  his  property 
or  a  part  of  it,  to  the  subsidy  of  the  Society,  doubtless 
he  would  do  a  work  of  greater  perfection,  alienation, 
and  abnegation  of  all  self-love,  by  not  descending  with 
a  certain  tender  affection  to  particular  places,  applying 
his  property  to  this  purpose  rather  than  to  that,  accord- 
ing to  its  suggestion  :  but  rather  earnestly  wishing  the 
greater  and  more  general  good  of  the  Society,*  he  should 
leave  this  matter  to  the  judgment  of  him  v/ho  has  the 
care  of  the  whole  Society,  whether  the  property  is  to  be 
applied  to  another  place  rather  than  to  that  which  is  in 
the  same  province  ;  for  he  (the  General)  can  know  better 
than  any  one  else  what  is  proper  to  be  done,  and  what 
is  most  urgent  in  all  places,  taking  into  consideration, 
kings,  princes,  and  potentates,  lest  any  cause  of  offence 
be  given  them."t 

Each  novice  is  to  have  his  settled  confessor ;  and  the 
latter  should  know  what  cases  of  conscience  the  Superior 

*  "Instituted  for  the  greater  glory  of  God,  and  the  universal  good 
and  utility  of  souls." 
t  Part  3,  c.  1,  9. 


300  PRECAUTIONS. 

reserves  to  liimself  for  absolution.  Such  cases  shall  be 
reserved  to  him  as  may  seem  necessary  or  very  proper  to 
be  known  by  him,  in  order  that  he  may  the  better 
apply  a  remedy. 

Temptations  must  be  anticipated  :  so  that  if  any  one  is 
observed  to  be  inclined  to  pride,  he  should  be  exercised  in 
lowly  occupations;*  and  so  on  with  regard  to  the  other 
propensities. 

Women  must  not  enter  the  houses  of  the  Society,  nor 
the  colleges,  but  only  the  churches ;  unless  they  are 
remarkable  for  their  very  great  charity  and  dignity : 
then  the  Superior  may  give  them  a  dispensation  to  enter 
— always  for  just  ve2iSons,justas  oh  causus — in  order  to 
see  the  houses,  if  such  be  their  wish. 

Public  punishments  should  be  awarded  to  public  faults. 
If  the  novices  do  not  go  to  confession  within  the  prescribed 
time,  their  food  must  be  stopped,  till  they  take  the  food 
of  the  spirit.  If  any  one  goes  to  another  confessor 
than  the  one  appointed,  he  must  repeat  all  that  he  has 
confessed  to  his  proper  confessor  ;  who  being  thus  ig- 
norant of  nothing  with  regard  to  his  conscience,  may 
better  assist  him  in  the  Lord.  The  third  part  concludes 
with  the  following  general  observations  : — 

"  With  regard  to  the  preservation  of  our  temporalities, 
besides  that  care  which  charity  and  reason  impose  on  all, 
it  will  be  right  to  assign  this  function  to  some  one  in  par- 
ticular ;  in  order  that  he  may  take  care  of  them  as  the 
goods  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

For  other  necessary  functions,  likewise,  and  those  par- 
ticularly which  are  more  decently  performed  at  homef 

*  Rebus  abjectioribus. 

t  Such  as  the  functions  of  the  washer-Twan,  barber,  and  the  like : 
who  should  be  in  the  house  if  possible.  Ibid.  H.  The  head-tailor  at 
StODjhurst  was  a  temporal  coadjutor,  lay-brother,  or  Jesuit.    How 


EDUCATION.  301 

than  abroad,  care  must  be  taken  that  the  necessary  number 
of  officials  be  appointed  ;  and  it  is  expedient  that  the 
temporal  coadjutors,  or  lay-brothers,  should  learn  to 
perform  these  offices,  if  they  are  ignorant  of  the  art — all 
for  the  glory,  &c.* 

Part  IV. 

The  colleges  of  the  Society  are  governed  by  Rectors 
and  their  assistants. 

If  the  revenues  are  insufficient  for  the  support  of  all 
the  functionaries,  alms  may  be  begged,  even  from  door  to 
door,  if  necessary. 

After  prescribing  the  species  of  devotional  exercises  to 
be  administered  to  the  scholastic!,  their  studies  are  enu- 
merated. The  languages,  logic,  natural  and  moral  phi- 
losophy, metaphysics,  theology,  and  the  Scriptures,  enter 
into  the  prescribed  course ;  the  time  allotted  for  each 
being  unlimited,  and  dependent  on  the  judgment  of  the 
Rector  after  examination. 

The  scholars  may  be  trained  in  all  these  faculties ;  but, 
as  they  cannot  excel  in  all,  each  must  be  made  to  excel 
in  some  one  or  other  of  them,  according  to  his  age, 
genius,  inclination,  and  previous  acquirements. 

In  the  books  of  heathen  writers,  nothing  must  be  read 
that  can  offend  decency.     They  must  be  expurgated  ;  and 

many  more  such  officials  were  or  are  in  the  English  province,  I  cannot 
state.  Alluding  to  the  time  when  the  Society  numbered  all  manner  of 
workmen  among  her  temporal  coadjutors,  I  asked  a  Jesuit  at  Stony- 
burst,  if  anything  of  the  kind  existed  at  the  time  in  question ;  he 
said,  "  Not  as  yet." 

It  would  be  a  curious  inquiry  to  find  out,  how  poor  ignorant  opera- 
tives are  made  acquainted  with  the  fact  that  the  Society  is  open  to 
them  also?  But,  in  point  of  fact,  **  licite  et  cum  merito  moveri"  pos- 
sunt ! 

*  Part  3,  c.  2. 


\ 

302  TALIS    QUUM    SIS,    ETC. 

the    Society   will    *'  use   the   remnants    as    the  spoils  of 
Egypt."* 

The  books  written  by  Christians,  although  good  in 
themselves,  are  not  to  be  read  if  the  author  be  a  sus- 
pected character,  lest  there  should  result  a  partiality  for 
the  author.  In  every  department,  such  books  as  may  or 
may  not  be  read,  must  be  determined  by  the  authorities. 

All  impediments  to  study  must  be  removed,  whether 
resulting  from  devotional  practices,  or  mortifications  in- 
dulged in  to  excess,  or  unseasonably. 

There  must  be  a  library  common  to  all :  but  its  key 
must  be  confided  to  those  whom  the  Rector  may  consider 
trustworthy,  and  each  student  is  to  have  what  books  are 
necessary. 

Assiduity  in  the  classes,  repetitions  of  what  they  have 
learned,  the  solution  of  diflficulties  that  result,  public  dis- 
putations, private  conferences — all  these  train  the  Jesuit 
mind,  and  give  it  that  perfection  which  induced  the  philo- 
sopher to  exclaim — "  Talis,  quum  sis,  utinam  noster 
esses  !"t  This  enthusiastic  admiration  of  Jesuit  art, 
in  so  great  a  man,  must  be  excused,  if  not  shared,  by  all; 
and  we  have  only  to  lament — sadly  to  regret — that  our 
admiration,  as  well  as  that  of  the  philosopher,  must  be 
confined  to  the  "  application  and  ability  of  those  masters 
in  cultivating  the  minds  and  forming  the  morals  of  the 
young'' 

The  Latin  language  is  to  be  commonly  spoken,  and 
perfection  in  style  is  to  be  acquired  by  diligent  practice. 

Emulation  must  be  excited  by  competition ;  two  stu- 
dents being  opposed  to  each  other  by  a  pious  challenge.^ 

*  Ut  spoliis  ^Egypti  Societas  uti  poterit. 

t  Bacox,  quoting  the  words  of  Agesilaus  to  Pharnabasus. — De 
dign.  and  Augm.  Scient. 

t  Sancta  eniulatione  se  invicem  provocent. 


STIMULANTS.  303 

A  specimen  of  their  composition  may  be  sent  to  the  Pro- 
vincial or  the  Genera] ;  and  an  additional  impulse  is 
given  to  emulation  by  the  fact,  made  known  to  every 
student,  that  he  will  be  examined  in  all  his  studies  at 
their  conclusion. 

Public  schools,  for  general  education,  may  be  opened. 

In  these,  instruction  in  Christian  doctrine  must  be 
attended  to  ;  monthly  confessions  enjoined  ;  and  corporal 
correction  must  not  be  wanting  when  necessary,  but  not 
to  be  inflicted  by  a  Jesuit.  There  should  be  a  public 
corrector  :  if  one  cannot  he  had,  some  means  of  castiga- 
tion  must  be  devised,  either  administered  by  one  of  the 
scholars  themselves,  or  in  some  other  convenient  manner. 

For  these  spiritual  services  the  Jesuits  should  receive 
no  pay,  according  to  the  Constitutions ;  should  receive 
no  temporal  reward ;  they  give  freely  what  they  have 
freely  received — dare  grath  quae  gratis  accepimus ;  but  an 
endowment  is  permitted  for  the  support  of  those  who  are 
employed  in  the  various  offices  of  the  college. 

The  Rectors  of  colleges  are  appointed  by  the  General, 
or  by  those  to  whom  he  delegates  the  appointment. 
They  may  be  deprived  of  office  by  the  General,  but  are 
absolute  whilst  in  command.  The  Rector  is  aided  in  his 
duties  by  a  minister  or  vice-rector ;  and  minor  officials 
march  in  the  train  of  obedience — each  with  his  meritorious 
contribution  to  the  common  fund  of  philosophical  comfort 
and  spiritual  perfection. 

The  Society  may  undertake  the  direction  of  universi- 
ties, where,  besides  the  humanity  studies,  theology,  and 
philosophy,  Arabic,  Chaldaic,  Hindostanee,  and  the 
Turkish  language  may  be  taught ;  indeed  these  languages 
are  to  be  taught  in  the  colleges,  when  the  future  "  apos- 
tles" are  being  prepared  for  their  arduous  mission  among 
the  Gentiles. 


304  THE    JESUIT    METHOD. 

Logic,  physics,  metaphysics,  and  mathematics  must 
also  be  taught,  but  only  so  far  as  the  scope  of  the  Society 
admits. 

The  course  for  a  master  of  arts  occupies  three  years 
and  a  half;  for  divinity,  six.  Strictness  in  the  examina- 
tion for  the  degree  is  enjoined ;  and  ambition  is  held  in 
check  by  the  uncertainty  that  exists  as  to  the  position  to 
which  a  successful  candidate  may  be  promoted. 

The  fourth  part  concludes  with  a  minute  assignation  of 
all  the  officials  in  the  universities — evidencing  consider- 
able tact  and  discretion,  as  usual — not  forgetting  the 
standing  motto*  of  the  Jesuits,  which  palls  upon  the  ear 
like  the  sound  of  a  musical  string  struck  as  you  turn  the 
screw  in  tuning — till  it  snaps  and  makes  your  blood 
run  cold.  The  ''  Ratio  Studiorum"  and  "  Ars  Discendi'' 
of  the  Jesuits  exhibit  an  admirable  course  of  studies, 
adapted  to  every  capacity  by  its  easy  and  smooth  deve- 
lopement,  and  calculated  to  bring  forth  every  hidden  gift 
which  nature  conceals  so  often — apparently  apprehensive 
of  that  tendency  to  abuse  the  gifts  of  Heaven,  to  which 
the  human  will  is  exposed. 

The  limits  of  this  work  will  not  permit  me  to  give  an 
analysis  of  the  Jesuit  method.  The  task  would  have 
been  equally  pleasant  and  easy;  since  the  method  was 
fully  carried  out  at  the  college  where  the  author  was 
educated — a  secular  college,  but  originally  organized  by 
some  English  Jesuits,  as  I  was  informed  at  Stonyhurst. 
Indeed,  my  memory  now  brings  to  mind  very  many  rules 
and  regulations,  which  point  to  the  Jesuit  system  as  their 
source. 

The  main  characteristics  of  the  Jesuit  system  of  educa- 
tion are,  regularity,  adaptation  of  the  subjects  to  the 
student's  capacity  ;    frequent  repetitions  ; — and  perhaps 

*  For  the  greater  glory,  &c. 


THE    PROFESSED.  305 

the  most  important — due  time  is  given  for  each  depart- 
ment to  be  studied  exclusively ,  such  as  a  year,  two  years, 
three  years  or  more,  for  each.  A  student  of  common 
capacity,  who  has  to  ascend  regularly  from  the  lowest 
to  the  highest  school,  would  require  sixteen  years  for 
the  course  !  I  believe  the  system  to  be  a  good  one,  but 
the  time  required  will  never  permit  it  to  be  more  than 
partially  applied  by  those  who  agree  with  Bacon — unless 
time  is  no  object  in  the  end  proposed. 

Each  pupil  has  his  pedagogue,  or  tutor,  who  prepares 
him  for  the  classes  by  explaining  all  his  difficulties,  whilst 
the  pupil  construes  the  classics  :  thus,  he  first  learns  the 
portion  to  be  construed ;  secondly,  he  reads  it  to  his 
tutor  ;  thirdly,  to  the  master ;  fourthly,  he  should  read  it 
over  to  himself  afterwards ;  fifthly,  he  will  be  examined 
at  the  end  of  the  quarter  in  all  that  he  reads  ;  sixthly, 
likewise  at  the  end  of  the  year.  Truly  this  is  enough  to 
weld  knowledge  to  the  brain,  however  adamantine  it  may 
be  by  nature ! 

Part  V. 

The  fifth  part  treats  of  the  qualifications  requisite  in  the 
professed  members.  Considerable  progress  in  learning 
and  the  prescribed  essentials  of  a  perfect  Jesuit,  are  the 
introductions  to  this  distinction — I  mean  the  permission 
to  take  the  fourth  vow — the  vow  that  admits  the  favoured 
member  to  his  position  in  the  body  of  the  hydra. 

Part  VI. 

This  section  treats  more  at  large  respecting  the  nature, 
extent,  and  motives  of  obedience;  reverence  to  superiors; 
manifestation  of  conscience  by  every  member,  once  a  year, 
to  the  local  Superior;  and  inculcates  unlimited  confidence 
in  his  judgment  in  all  things — since  '*  he  holds  the  place 

X 


306  VERISIMILITUDES. 

of  Christ  himself  in  regard  of  those  who  are  beneath  him 
bv  holv  obedience." 

It  also  treats  of  Poverty — "  the  firm  wall  of  the  order." 
No  innovation  is  to  be  made  in  the  thorough,  perfect  in- 
terpretation of  this  vow  :  to  which  effect  a  promise  is  re- 
quired from  the  professed. 

The  professed  must  live  on  alms  in  their  houses ;  and 
no  one  must  try  to  induce  persons  to  leave  endowments 
to  the  houses  or  churches  of  the  Society :  the  pious  gift 
must  flow,  as  by  inspiration,  or  by  a  natural  syphon, 
from  the  heart  of  charity. 

The  injunction  to  receive  no  stipend  for  any  service  is 
again  most  solemnly  given :  indeed,  from  the  numerous 
repetitions  to  this  effect  in  the  constitutions,  one  can 
scarcely  imagine  how  the  Jesuits  could  transgress — unless, 
with  "  veterem  cecinere  querelam,"  they  smile,  and  sleep, 
and  dream  the  sound  away  ! 

To  avoid  all  appearance  of  avarice,  there  must  be  no 
box  in  the  churches  of  the  Society  to  receive  the  offerings 
of  the  faithful. 

The  Jesuits  m.ust  not  accustom  themselves  to  visit  the 
great,  unless  for  pious  purposes. 

Jesuits  cannot  succeed  to  property  (hereditarise  suc- 
cessionis  non  erunt  capaces).  The  houses  and  churches 
are  included  in  this  prohibition  ;  which  is  intended  to 
preclude  "  all  litigation  and  disputes." 

The  Jesuit's  dress  must  be  decent,  but  homely :  silks 
and  precious  stuffs  seem  repugnant  to  poverty,  and  there- 
fore must  not  be  used. 

No  Jesuit  can  submit  to  be  examined  before  a  court  of 
justice,  in  civil  or  criminal  cases,  without  special  permis- 
sion of  his  Superiors ;  and  in  certain  cases  no  Superior 
can  grant  permission :  such  as  criminal  or  defamatory 
cases. 


JESUITISM.  307 


Part  VI  I. 

The  Missions  of  the  Society  are  now  under  considera- 
tion. The  whole  earth  is  open  to  the  Jesuit.  At  the 
word  of  command  from  the  Pope  or  the  General,  he  is 
ready  for  every  fate :  to  share  the  luxury  of  kings,  whose 
"conscience"  he  must  govern;  or  to  be  devoured  by 
cannibals  who  prefer  his  flesli  to  the  spirit  of  his  religion. 

The  General  sends  out  his  missionaries  whithersoever 
he  pleases;  and  must  select  them  according  to  the  quali- 
fications required  by  the  circumstances  in  which  they  will 
be  placed.  The  strong  and  healthy,  the  trustworthy  and 
tried — probati  et  securiores — the  discreet  and  insinuating 
— qui  discretionis  et  conversandi  graiiam  hahent — the 
well-favoured  in  person — cum  exteriori  specie — men  of 
genius  and  peculiar  talent,  orators  and  skilful  confessors  ; 
all  must  be  sent  where  their  respective  qualifications  are 
most  required,  or  are  likely  to  reap  a  plentiful  harvest. 

The  missionaries,  being  sent  in  company,  must  be  con- 
trasted: the  talent  of  one  must  co-operate  with  that  of 
another;  or  modified  effects  must  result  from  the  union 
of  different  natures. 

With  a  very  fervid  and  fiery  temper — ferventi  et  ani- 
moso — let  a  more  circumspect  and  cautious  spirit  be 
joined  :  a  single  missionary  should  not  be  sent;  and  more 
than  two,  according  to  necessity,  may  be  despatched  by 
the  General. 

The  seventh  part  concludes  thus : — He  who  has  talent 
for  the  composition  of  books  may  compose  them  ;  but  he 
must  not  publish  them  before  the  General  has  seen  them 
and  caused  them  to  be  examined. 


x2 


308  JESUITISM. 


Part  VIII. 

Exhorts  to  union  and  enumerates  the  means  that  con- 
duce to  that  end. 

It  will  be  expedient  not  to  admit  "  a  great  crowd" — 
magnam  turham — to  profession  ;  but  only  select  men  :  a 
precaution  which  is  also  to  be  observed  with  regard  to  the 
coadjutors  and  scholastici. 

Prompt,  humble,  devout  obedience,  well  exhibited  in 
his  previous  conduct,  must  accompany  the  distant  mis- 
sionary; if  not,  his  companion  must  excel  in  that  virtue 
by  way  of  a  holy  check. 

A  constant  correspondence  is  to  be  kept  up  v/ith  the 
Provincial,  and  all  must  conduct  themselves  according  to 
his  will. 

Obstinacy  is  to  be  prevented  from  causing  disunion; 
either  by  removal  to  another  scene  of  action,  or  by  expul- 
sion. 

The  local  Superiors,  or  Rectors,  must  write  to  their 
Provincial  every  week,  if  possible;  the  Provincials  and 
others  to  the  General  everi/  week,  if  in  the  same  country; 
if  not,  every  month;  and  the  Provincials  must  write  every 
month  to  the  rectors,  and  oftener  if  necessary. 

Frequent  correspondence  among  all  the  members  indi- 
vidually and  collectively,  one  with  another,  tends  to  edifi- 
cation and  the  knowledge  of  those  whose  occupations  are 
therein  contained.  The  General  may  distribute  copies  of 
the  various  letters  among  the  provinces ;  so  that  all  may- 
become  acquainted  with  the  matters  interesting  to  all, 
distant  or  near. 

Every  fourth  month  there  must  be  sent  to  the  Provin- 
cials, from  the  houses  and  colleges,  a  catalogue  of  all  the 
members ;  succinctly  noticing  the  qualifications  of  each, 
ad  clariorem  omnium  cognitionem. 


THE    ELECTION    OF    THE    GENERAL.  309 

A  general  congregation  of  the  Society  is  called  to 
deliberate  on  matters  of  great  moment  and  difficulty — 
to  elect  or  to  depose  a  General,  if  that  can  ever  take 
place  —  or  for  the  purpose  of  dissolving  colleges  and 
houses,  or  a  transfer  of  property.  It  must  be  deter- 
mined by  the  General ;  but  his  assistants,  the  Provincials 
and  Rectors,  can,  by  a  majority  of  votes  dispense  with 
his  assent :  or  rather  he  should  then  consider  the  thing 
meet  and  justifiable.  Only  the  professed  and  some  of 
the  coadjutors,  if  expedient,  are  to  attend  in  a  general 
congregation.  For  the  election  of  a  General,  none  can 
vote  but  the  professed ;  and  the  General  elected  must 
be  a  professed. 

Any  underhand  attempt  to  influence  a  vote  by  indivi- 
dual ambition,  deprives  the  delinquent  of  the  vote 
*'  active  and  passive  ;"  and  whoever  does  not  denounce 
such  conduct,  if  known,  is  "  excommunicated  latce  sen- 
tenfia." 

The  mass  of  the  Holy  Ghost  is  to  be  celebrated  on  the 
day  of  election.  At  the  sound  of  the  bell,  all  must  pro- 
ceed to  the  place  of  congregation  ;  one  of  the  members 
delivers  an  exhortation  on  the  subject:  the  doors  are 
closed  :  none  can  leave,  nor  have  anything  by  way  of 
support,  but  bread  and  water,  till  the  General  is  elected. 

If  "  the  Holy  Ghost  moves  them"  to  an  unanimous 
election,  the  object  of  their  choice  is  the  General  elect. 
If  not,  each  elector  writes  the  name  of  the  object  of  his 
choice,  and  his  own  likewise  ;  the  votes  are  collected,  and 
the  election  goes  by  plurality  as  usual. 

When  the  General  is  elected  all  must  kneel  before 
him  and  kiss  his  hand.  The  person  elected  cannot  re- 
fuse to  undertake  the  function,  nor  object  to  the  reverence 
aforesaid  :  all  repeat  the  Te  Deum  laudamus  ! 


310  .  THE    GENERAL, 


Part  IX. 


The  General  is  elected  for  life.  His  qualifications 
must  be  great  piety  and  the  spirit  of  prayer ;  he  must 
be  exemplary  in  all  the  virtues;  calm  in  his  demeanour, 
circumspect  in  words.  Magnanimity  and  fortitude  are 
most  essential  attributes.  He  must  have  extraordinary 
intellect  and  judgment ;  prudence  rather  than  learning; 
vigilance,  solicitude  in  his  duties ;  moreover  his  health 
and  external  appearance  must  be  satisfactory.  He  must 
be  middle-aged;  and  due  regard  is  to  be  had  to  the 
recommendations  of  nobility,  or  the  wealth  and  honours 
that  he  might  have  enjoyed  in  the  world. 

His  power  is  simply  absolute — absolute  as  to  the  ap- 
pointment of  officials,  the  disposal  of  the  temporalities, 
admission  of  fresh  members  to  the  Society, — absolute  in 
the  power  of  *'  dispensation.'^  To  the  Pope  alone  is  he 
subservient. 

He  cannot  be  deprived  of  office  unless  he  commits  some 
mortal  sins  of  a  delicate  nature,  and  external — in  externum 
prodeimtia — or  wounds  any  one,  or  misapplies  the  re- 
venues, or  becomes  heretical. 

He  has  five  assistants,  corresponding  to  the  great  pro- 
vinces, to  aid  him  in  his  function. 

Part  X. 

Treats  of  the  means  of  preserving  and  increasing  the 
whole  body  ;  exhorts  to  perfect  obedience  and  discipline  ; 
forbids  any  Jesuit  to  aft'ect  any  dignity  in  the  church, 
which  he  cannot  receive  without  a  positive  command  from 
the  Pope  ;  enjoins  the  care  of  health,  moderation  in  mental 
and  bodily  labour,  and  observance  of  the  Constitutions; 
which  all  must  read  every  month :  at  least  that  portion 
of  them  which  concerns  himself. 


THE   WISDOM    OF   THE    SERPENT.  311 

Such  are  tlie  Constitutions  of  the  Society  of  the 
Jesuits.  The  despotic  Richelieu  termed  them  a  model  of 
administrative  policy ;  but  surely  any  form  of  govern- 
ment can  rule  men  if  they  can  be  induced  to  bind  them- 
selves by  a  vow  of  perfect  obedience,  and  be  kept  in 
awe  by  penalties  similar  to  that  of  expulsion  from  the 
Society  of  the  Jesuits. 

A  principal  share  in  the  composition  of  the  Constitu- 
tions is  attributed  to  Lainez.  They  were  written  in 
Spanish  and  translated  by  Polancus,  the  founder's  secre- 
tary. As  the  anecdote  previously  given*  intimates,  Igna- 
tius wished  it  to  be  believed  that  he  was  inspired  in  the 
composition.  According  to  his  biographer,  "  a  flame 
was  frequently  seen  over  his  head,  just  as  tongues  of  fire 
appeared  on  the  heads  of  the  Apostles."  Indeed  the 
supernatural  visitings  that  were  vouchsafed  to  Ignatius, 
as  recorded  in  the  various  biographies  of  this  remarkable 
man,  are  of  a  nature  to  make  one  laugh  with  horror  ! 

For  my  part,  I  look  upon  the  *'  Spiritual  Exercises"  of 
Ignatius  as  a  more  remarkable  work  than  his  "  Consti- 
tutions." The  former  eflfectuate  that  frame  of  mind  with- 
out which  the  Constitutions  would  be  ineffective.  It  is 
the  training  under  their  constant  influence,  that  stamps 
and  moulds  every  Jesuit  with  unerring  precision,  as  to 
the  various  mental  qualities  which  enter  into  his  com- 
position. 

But  the  natural  cleverness  of  the  founder  is  still  brilliant 
in  the  prominent  essentials  of  his  institute. 

Luther  was  raising  his  mighty  voice — whose  echoes 
still  resound — against  the  sordid  avarice  of  the  hierarchy : 
priests  and  prelates.  Ignatius  stipulated  for  no  pay  to 
his  troops,  however  important  might  be  their  functions. 
Again  the  monks  were  out  of  date,  if  not  contemptible  ; 

*  Page  194. 


312 


THE  WISDOM  OF  THE  SERPENT. 


but  Ignatius  soon  convinced  the  cardinals  that  nothino- 
was  /uV^^^^^  ^^^^  ^^'s  intention  tlian  to  institute  an  order 
of  monks :  his  Jesuits  would  wear  the  dress  of  ordinary 
ecclesiastics  or  totally  conrc^"^  to  that  of  the  people 
among'  whom  they  lived.  Here  wa»  another  "capital 
idea ;"  and  of  wonderful  use  in  after  times. 

Thirdly,  there  was  to  be  no  public  rehearsal  or  chaul^t- 
ing  of  the  Breviary  among  the  Jesuits — no  canonical 
hours  :  the  Jesuits  must  be  here,  there,  and  everywhere. 
This  was  a  bold  innovation  ;  but  it  took  place  in  the 
age  of  Luther,  and  was,  I  repeat,  a  capital  idea. 

Fourthly,  the  Jesuits  were  placed  under  the  immediate 
protection  and  patronage  of  the  Pope.  The  servants  had 
but  to  serve  faithfully  and  the  master  would  be  kind — 
and  he  was  kind  to  an  astounding  extent,  as  we  shall 
presently  see.  So  much  for  the  sagacity  of  this  first 
Jesuit,  as  to  outward  matters.  Look  within  :  see  how  he 
thumb-screws  the  novice,  and  yet  preserves  the  integrity 
of  the  man — whatever  that  may  be ;  for  it  must  be  evi- 
dent, from  *'  the  Novitiate,"  and  the  analysis  of  the 
Spiritual  Exercises,  that  every  passion  of  our  nature  is 
therein  appealed  to  and  roused  to  the  fiercest  excitement 
to  be  hereafter  applied  by  the  Society.  Meanwhile  the 
charms  of  Holy  Obedience  woo  and  win  the  destined 
Jesuit  by  all  the  allurements  of  bodily  comfort,  or  glo- 
rious peril ;  in  the  bosom  of  friends,  or  in  the  wilds  of  the 
savage.  But  that  manifestation  of  conscience  and  decla- 
ration of  each  other's  faults ;  how  they  tend  to  exact 
discipline  in  the  letter  of  the  law  !  Or  if  the  Jesuit  in- 
dulges his  corrupt  nature,  how  strong  must  be  his 
motives  to  imitate  the  cunning  Spartan,  who  was  per- 
mitted "  to  carry  off  things  by  surprise,"  but  severely 
punished  if  detected  ! 

Ignatius  isolated  his  Society,  and  thus  made  it  strong 


A    CHARACTER.  313 

by  union.  The  Jesuits  were  not  to  receive  any  eccle- 
siastical dignity  unless  imperative  circumstances  made 
the  step  expedient ;  as  when  the  common  cause*  would  be 
decidedly  advanced — as  in  the  case  of  BellarminOc 

The  grand  merit  of  the  Constitutions  is,  that  they  lay  a 
foundation  round  about  the  "  hanging  garden"  of  the 
Spiritual  Exercises;  and  sustain  the  props  thereof ;  like 
the  Banian  tree,  always  striking  in  new  roots  and  striking 
out  new  branches.  Herein  is  the  focus  of  my  admiration 
of  this  wonderful  Spaniard.  He  may  never  have  guessed, 
imagined,  or  foreseen  that  the  voluntary  beggars  of  his 
order  would  rise  to  the  right  hand  of  princes  and  sway 
tiie  destinies  of  nations.  Nevertheless  he  laid  such  a 
foundation,  that  any  superstructure,  whatever  might  be  its 
magnitude,  could  be  raised  thereon.  He  was  a  shrewd 
man,  and  yet  highly  imaginative  :  a  calculator,  and  yet  no 
gambler.  Another  X-ycurgus  he  was:  but  a  Lycurgus 
of  a  deeper  mould  and  higher  powers.  He  was  a  man  of 
one  idea:  "  too  much  learning  had  not  made  him  mad." 
His  was  a  Spanish  will ;  which  means  a  haughty,  in- 
domitable will — that  would  have  bridged  the  Red  Sea  if 
the  waters  had  not  parted — "  If  by  ordinary  means  I  can- 
not succeed,'*  said  he  once,  "  /  will  sell  myself  rather 
than  disband  my  German  phalanx  1"  His  mind  was  en- 
dowed with  the  cunning  of  the  fox,  the  constructiveness 
of  the  spider,  and  its  patience  withal,  the  sagacity  of  the 
elephant,  and  the  cool,  sound  common-sense  o(— Oliver 
Cromicell.  Ignatius  was  no  fanatic,  no  more  than 
Cromwell;  but  both  knew  how  to  make  and  manage 
fanatics  to  serve  a  purpose. 

Ignatius  made  his  religion  the  basis  of  his  common- 
wealth :  thus  he  gained  the  appeal  to  a  motive  as  omni- 
potent as  it  is  inexplicable.      He  made  talents  of  the 
*  Quaiiy  Ad  majorem  Dei  gloriam  I 


314  SWORN   FRIENDS. 

highest  order  its  ramparts  and  defence.  Aware  that 
universality  of  talent  is  in  general  too  diffuse  for  effective 
operation,  the  Jesuit  seized  the  salient  point — the  pecu- 
liar talent — and  fortified  it  by  a  well-directed  and  exclu- 
sive exercise.  As  a  mechanician  has  a  lever  for  one 
movement,  a  screw  for  another,  a  wedge  for  a  third ;  so 
had  he  an  orator  for  one  enterprise,  a  statesman  for  an- 
other, a  philosopher  for  a  third,  and  a  gentleman — a  man 
of  the  world — for  all.  Such  an  institution  could  not  fail 
to  be  successful ;  and  its  success,  to  a  superficial  observer, 
would  appear  the  result  of  mere  intrigue  or  divine  inter- 
position— "  so  wisely  did  they  charm'" — whereas  it  was 
the  necessary  consequence  of  genius  (which  is  power) 
acting  against  dulness  (which  is  weakness)  in  the  midst 
of  circumstances  that  favoured  its  success :  nor  was 
novelty  the  least  important  of  secondary  aids. 

Hac  arte  Pollux,  et  vagus  Hercules 
Enisus,  arces  attigit  igneas  ! 

The  Pope  of  Rome,  the  kings  of  the  earth  bethought 
themselves  that  such  men  would  be  valuable  friends  to  them 
in  subduing  the  masses;  at  that  time  set  in  commotion 
by  the  ardent  breathings  of  Liberty,  civil  and  religious. 
The  advent  of  this  spirit  then  for  the  second  time  born 
again,  was  heralded  to  the  universe  by  the  trumpet-note 
of  Luther;  who  was  goaded  to  the  onslaught  by  unjust 
contempt  in  the  first  instance,  and  by  subsequent  perse- 
cution. 

And  the  kings  of  the  earth  made  friends  with  these 
men — gave  them  their  hands — and  with  their  hands,  full 
purses — and  for  a  time  they  worked  together  in  amity. 

The  Pope  of  Rome  set  the  example;  and  with  few 
exceptions  the  Jesuits  served  him  well ;  faithfully  to  the 
end.  Doubtless  it  was  their  interest  to  "  keep  in"  with 
the  arbiter  of  their  fate ;  still  it  was  surely  the  "  unkind- 


PROGRESS.  315 

est  cut  of  all  "  when  that  mighty  Bull  drove  his  horns  into 
them  !  But  he  was  the  last  to  worry  them — like  the  ass 
kicking  the  decrepit  lion  almost  defunct — and  that  was 
some  consolation  ! 

What  were  the  favours  lavished  upon  them  by  the 
Popes  ? 

Herein,  I  apprehend,  is  the  key  to  the  history  of  the 
Jesuits :  I  mean  the  privileges  granted  to  them  by  suc- 
cessive Popes ;  for  a  permission  to  do,  in  this  matter  at 
least,  points  to  the  deed — particularly  if  facts  of  history 
stand  recorded  in  the  colours  to  match.  Before  answer- 
ing the  question,  let  us  see  what  progress  the  Jesuits 
made  in  their  early  career. 

At  his  death  in  1556 — sixteen  years  after  the  establish- 
ment of  the  Society — Ignatius  was  bewailed  by  upwards 
of  a  thousand  Jesuits,  in  twelve  flourishing  provinces. 

Xavier — like  Alexander  the  Great  in  rapidity  and 
duration  of  conquest — had  overrun  the  continent  of  India 
— numbering  the  suddenly  made  captives  to  his  Chris- 
tianity by  thousands  and  tens  of  thousands:  the  times  of 
the  Apostles  were  come  again — to  all  appearance.  From 
his  strong-hold  of  Goa  to  Cape  Comorin,  his  progress 
was  the  "triumph  of  the  faith."  "In  the  space  of  one 
month,  as  he  himself  informs  us,  he  baptized  with  his  own 
hand,  ten  thousand  souls" — about  four  hundred  a  day! 
.  .  .  "  Here  the  Saint  seems  to  have  received  the 
gift  of  tongues  for  the  first  time;  here  he  wrought  many 
miracles ;  he  restored  the  sick  instantaneously  to  health, 
and  raised  four  from  death  to  life,  as  is  juridically 
proved."* 

Japan,  Africa,  America,  the  isles  of  the  sea, — every 
nook  of  earth  became  familiar  with  "  the  greater  glory  of 
God."  The  golden  age  of  the  church  was  restored — 
*  Reeve's  Hist,  of  the  (Roman)  Church,  p.  461. 


316 


PROGRESS. 


Heaven  compensated  Ptorae  for  her  eternal  and  temporal 
losses ! 

This  was  magnificent !  And  the  Jesuits  were  the  divine 
instruments  of  this  bewilderins:  crusade — this  metamor- 
phosis  that  echpses  the  wildest  of  Ovid. 

How  could  the  Reformation  escape?  ....  For 
every  ojie  heretic  that  the  apostate  Luther  made,  a  thou- 
sand savages  leaped  into  the  church,  and  made  the  sign 
of  the  cross  with  holy  water  : — the  Jesuits  taught  them. 

By  "  a  wonderful  and  inscrutable  ordination  of  Provi- 
dence," these  men  were  no  less  triumphant  in  Europe  :  all 
vied  to  do  them  honour — the  rich,  the  great,  the  noble 
knocked  at  their  gates,  humbly  begging  to  be  admitted 
into  the  Society  of  Jesus — in  its  glorious  entrance  into 
the  Holy  city,  whilst  all  men  were  shouting  Hosannah ! 
Hosannah  to  the  sons  of  David  !  Francis  Borgia,  duke 
of  Gandia,  became  a  Jesuit :  it  was  he  who  afterwards 
said  ;  "  Like  lambs  have  we  crept  into  power,  like  wolves 
have  we  used  it,  like  dogs  shall  we  be  driven  out — but 
like  eagles  shall  we  renew  our  youth."  He  was  a  Gene- 
ral ;  and,  like  Ignatius,  was  canonised — sainted  by  the 
Pope,  to  gratify  his  favourite  children,  the  Jesuits:  the 
usual  number  of  miracles  were  duly  attested. 

Germany,  Bavaria,  Austria  received  the  Jesuits  with 
open  arms;  privileges  and  foundations  dropped  upon 
them  like  the  golden  shower  of  Jove. 

In  controversy  dexterous,  if  not  always  triumphant, 
they  fascinated  by  their  well-composed  exterior,  and 
charmed  by  their  eloquence.  They  fulfilled  the  object 
of  the  Pope,  and  did  some  service  in  checking  the  spread 
of  the  Reformation. 

Lainez,  the  successor  of  Ignatius — more  learned  than 
the  latter,  if  not  equally  astute — gave  a  greater  develope- 
ment  to  the  system  :  expanded  the  hand  that  the  one  idea 


THE    INFANT   OF   A    HUNDRED    YEARS.  3l7 

of  Ignatius  closed  and  shut  alternately  as  occasion  suited  : 
the  sciences  be2:an  to  flourish  in  the  viro:in  soil  of  the 
Society.  The  church  had  been  accused  of  fostering 
ignorance  ;  the  Jesuits  disproved  the  charge  :  they  opened 
schools  to  all  the  world. 

Aquaviva  confirmed  and  promoted  this  expedient 
measure.  Mild  and  affectionate  to  their  pupils,  and  yet 
learned  in  all  things  human  and  divine,  the  Jesuits  capti- 
vated the  hearts  of  their  youth, — delighted  the  ears  of  all 
who  came  within  the  influence  of  their  magic.  Prizes, 
marks  of  honour,  gymnastic  exercises,  theatrical  represen- 
tations were  certainly  no  longer  mere  human  things; 
since  they  tended  to  rouse  the  intellect,  give  grace  to  the 
body,  a  pleasing  address  to  the  whole  outward  man ;  and 
as  such,  might  surely  promote  "  the  greater  glory  of 
God.'' 

From  these  public  colleges,  how  easy  and  successful 
was  the  choice  of  a  future  historian,  mathematician, 
statesman,  orator,  man  of  business,  apostle,  martyr — in  a 
■word,  Jesuit!  Mariana,  Bellarmino,  Tursellinus  —  but 
the  catalogue  would  fill  pages — blazed  to  the  world  like 
fire-ships  of  equivocal  destination  to  the  enemies  of  the 
Popedom. 

At  length,  in  1618,  numbering  thirteen  thousand  one 
hundred  and  twelve  members,  and  thirty-two  provinces ; 
having  houses  in  France,  the  Rhenish  provinces,  America, 
China,  India,  the  Moluccas,  and  Philippines — the  Jesuits 
might  be  said  to  have  fought  their  way  valiantly  to  the 
grand  consummation.  Four  years  after,  in  1640,  the 
Society  celebrated  her  "  secular  year,"  or  centennial 
anniversary — "  an  infant  of  a  hundred  years,"  just 
doubled  ! 

On  that  occasion  Vitelleschi,  the  General,  addressed 
to  the  Fathers  and  Brothers  of  the  Society  a  memorable 


318  THE    DISEASED    EAGLE. 

Epistle.  It  was  an  occasion  of  triumph — a  glorious 
jubilee  for  all.  But  prophetic  sounds  boomed,  with  the 
stifled  muttering  of  the  muffled  horn  sounding  the  dismal 
reveille  in  the  morning-watch  of  the  camp,  when  the 
scouts  have  announced  the  enemy  at  hand. 

After  feelingly  bewailing  the  tendency  of  mankind  to 
make  all  the  members  of  a  bod^  responsible  for  the 
crimes  of  a  few,  he  urges  the  necessity  to  act  upon  the 
maxim ;  quoting  the  words  of  Augustin — "  What  thou 
doest,  the  Society  does,  on  whose  account  thou  doest  it, 
and  whose  son  thou  art."  With  strong  words  of  earnest 
impeachment — and  yet  so  cautiously]  that  he  prefers  to 
quote  old  dead  authors  and  Scripture,  rather  than  bring  a 
pointed  accusation — he  insists  that  the  primeval  ardour 
and  spirit  of  the  society  must  be  restored. 

"  Thy  youth  shall  be  renewed  as  the  eagle's."  On  this 
theme  he  quotes  a  curious  exposition  of  Augustin,  giving 
the  diagnosis  of  the  eagle's  disease;  to  the  effect  that 
there  happens  to  have  grov/n  on  the  tip  of  the  beak  of 
this  queen  of  the  birds  a  stony  induration,  the  upper  and 
lower  beak  being  united  by  a  sort  of  fleshy  tie  or  mem- 
brane, so  that  they  cannot  open  to  feed  :  hence,  says  he, 
she  is  sorely  distressed  by  the  languor  of  old  age,  and 
pines  away  for  the  want  of  food.  But,  he  adds,  she  is 
instructed  by  nature  to  retrieve  her  better  days ;  for, 
striking,  and  worrying,  and  rubbing  the  excrescence  of 
her  crooked  beak  against  a  stone,  she  wears  away  by  de- 
grees the  morbid  obstruction,  and  at  length  opens  a  way 
for  food.  Then  she  sets  to,  in  right  good  earnest,  enjoys 
her  meal ;  the  vigour  of  all  her  members  return — her 
feathers  shine  again ;  with  the  rudder  of  her  wings  she 
cleaves  the  upper  air  as  before ;  she  becomes,  after  her 
old  age,  a  young  eagle. 

Vitelleschi  continues : — "1   do  not  deny  the  truth   of 


THE    DISEASED    EAGLE.  319 

these  observations  ;  let  the  authors  whom  Augustin 
reads  answer  for  it.  I  am  satisfied  that  somehow  in 
this  manner,  whether  by  the  infirmity  of  age,  or  some 
carelessness  on  our  part,  an  indescribable  mass  of  aflfec- 
tions,  curved  to  the  earth,  and  desires,  is  gathering  on  the 
lips  of  our  hearts — whence,  as  it  were  by  fleshy  curbs,* 
the  mouths  of  the  mind  are  violently  closed,  so  that  they 
cannot  be  opened  to  heaven,  and  be  refreshed  by  Divine 
food.  The  royal  prophet  lamented  the  same  affliction  in 
a  different  figure  : — '  I  am  stricken  as  hay,  and  my  heart 
is  dried  up  :'f  behold  our  languor  and  old  age  !  But 
what  is  the  cause  ?  *  Because  I  have  forgotten  to  eat  my 
bread:         •  *  *  * 

"  But  whence  can  we  suspect  the  cause  of  our  insipi- 
dity in  Divine  things  ?  —  our  laborious  irksomeness  in 
recollection  ?  —  in  checking  the  wanderings  of  our 
vague  imaginings,  frequently  tending  to  that  direction 
which  is  least  to  be  desired,  because  we  have  not  re- 
pressed them  when  we  could  ?  What  is  that  tenacious 
and  entangling  lovej  of  the  lowest  objects — the  world, 
honour,  parents,  and  worldly  comforts  ?  That  greater 
authority  conceded  to  the  rebellious  flesh  and  blood,  rather 
than  to  the  spirit — in  actions,  for  I  care  nothing  for  words 
— that  enervated,  exhausted  weakness  in  resisting  the  peti- 
tions of  the  adversary  in  our  conflicts  with  the  domestic 
enemy — perhaps  not  entirely  yielding,  but  still  not  evi- 
dencing that  alacrity  and  exaltation  of  mind  to  which 
the  name  of  victory  is  given  ?  These  are  the  fruits  of 
tepidity  and  of  a  dissolute  spirit;  which,  unless  it  is 
raised  betimes  and  warmed  anew,  is  clearly  approaching  a 
fall  and  destruction. "§ 

*  Camels  lupatis. 

t  The  reader  will  remark  tbis  forced  application  of  the  text, 

X  Tenax  aruor  et  viscatus. 

$  Epist.  4,  Tslutii  Vitc-llesch: — Ed.  Antwerp.  1665. 


320  balthasar's  feast. 

Remissness  in  the  Superiors ;  the  fear  of  giving  offence 
to  the  inferiors ;  too  great  indulgence,  favouritism,  self- 
love,  self-interest,*  excessive  care  and  solicitude  in  worldly- 
matters — such  are  the  notes  of  preparation  prophetic  of 
a  fall,  that  Yitelleschi  kindly  and  most  cleverly  alludes  to 
in  this  curious  epistle ;  which,  he  says,  to  use  his  own 
metaphor,  **  has  been  ploughed  out  of  his  own  and  inmost 
heart,  and  the  very  blood  of  his  soul — for  it  would  be  his 
last  to  the  Society."t 

The  conclusion  is  strong  and  urgent : — "  I  eagerly  call 
all  to  witness,  and  proclaim  to  them  that,  with  Bernard, 
I  expect  an  answer  of  your  benignity  to  this  Epistle  ;  but 
an  answer  of  deeds,  not  words."|  The  letter  is  dated 
November  the  15th,  1639. 

A  subsequent  Epistle— that  of  the  General  Vincent 
Caraffa — exhorts  to  a  preservation  of  the  primeval  spirit 
of  the  Society.  Caraffa  pointedly  alludes  to  infractions 
of  the  vow  of  Poverty,  dividing  the  various  delinquents 
into  five  classes,  and  thereby  throwino^  some  li2:ht  on  the 
various  animal  instincts  that  prevailed  in  the  Society.  He 
indirectly  alludes  to  the  indiscriminate  literary  pursuits  of 
the  Jesuits,  as  contrary  to  the  spirit  of  the  Society;  *'for 
how  monstrous  will  it  be  to  consign  the  chalice  which  is 
dedicated  to  the  altar,  to  profane  uses,  following  the 
example  of  the  sacrilegious  Balthasar !  But  the  matter 
is  not  a  little  more  serious  when  the  mind  of  a  relio-ious 
man  is  defiled  by  the  refined  knowledge  of  empty  topics." 
The  following  passage  is  certainly  important ; — 

*  Privatus  in  seipsum  amor  cum  proprii  nominis,  et  coramoditatum 
acriore  studio  conjunctus.  It  is  clear  that  I  have  not  exaggerated  the 
text. 

t  Utique  scripta  ex  peculiari  meo  et  intimo  sensu,  et  animi  san- 
guine exarata. 

X  Oranes  cum  B.  Bernardo  impatientius  obtestor,  iisque  denuntio 
expectare  me  ad  hanc  Epistolem,  benignitatis  vestaj  responsumi  sed 
responsum  facti,  non  verba.— Ibid,  sub  fin. 


Satan's  toast.  321 


<< 


If  you  ask  me,  what  it  is  to  read  unchaste  books  ; 
books  conceived  by  the  instinct  of  the  evil  spirit,  com- 
posed and  published  in  his  own  type,  to  indicate  to  men 
the  way  of  destruction,  as  if  it  was  not  already  known, 
and  precipitous  ?  [If  you  ask  me  this  question]  you  will 
hear  me  repeat  that  it  is  to  drink  to  the  devil  in  the  sacred 
cup  !  It  is  to  labour  to  gratify  the  devil  and  afflict  God, 
as  far  as  possible.  For,  if  this  proscribed  reading  of  such 
books  prevails  in  the  world,  how  much  more  detestable  is 
it  in  a  religious  man — in  a  Jesuit* — in  a  student  of  the 
sacred  pages — in  one  who  is  appointed  for  the  conversion 
of  souls,  and,  by  the  function  of  his  institute,  for  the 
defence  of  the  faith  !  Nor  does  the  excuse  avail,  namely, 
the  language  and  eloquence  of  such  books,  whose  bril- 
liancy some  allege  as  a  cause  of  their  reading — to  acquire 
that  recommend ation."t 

After  pointing  out  the  mighty  evils  that  overwhelm  the 
spirit  by  this  practice,  and  alluding  to  profane,  worldly 
conversation  in  general,  CarafFa  says  : — 

"  Nor  can  I  possibly  pass  over  in  silence,  that  these 
errors  result,  in  a  great  measure,  by  the  error  of  the 
Superiors."  X 

That  the  practice  existed,  may  be  evident  from  the  fol- 
lowino- : — 

"  I  speak  particularly  to  our  younger  scholars,  and  I 
wish  this  exhortation  to  penetrate  deeply  in  their  minds  ; 
but  I  enjoin  the  Superiors  that  if  they  detect  any  one 
(which  Heaven  forbid  !)  reading  such  books,  or  having 
them  in  his  possession,  let  them,  without  admitting  any 

*  In  bomine  de  Societate. 

t  Nee  valet  excusatio  linguarum  et  eloquentiffi  quarum  inde  nitorem 
se  petere  nonnulli  causantur. 

$  Nee  posse  videor  tacitus  praeterire,  quascumque  hic  errantur,  mag- 
nam  partem  Superiorum  errore  venire. 

Y 


322  A   JESUIT   ATTORNEY. 

excuse  or  intercession,  send  him  at  once  back  to  the 
Novitiate,  there  to  imbibe  the  spirit  of  religious  virtue, 
which  he  has  not  hitherto  tasted." 

Some  pertinent  advice  follows,  such  as  to  refrain  from 
all  worldly  affairs — ^' they  are  not  ours  —  they  are  fo- 
reign :" — nostra  non  sunt,  aliena  sunt. 

"Our  Procurators  should  be  more  cautious;  for  al- 
though they  seek  what  is  just,  by  lawful  right,  still  they 
seem  to  seek  it  with  avarice  and  cupidity  ;*  and  exhibit 
too  much  avidity  that  smells  of  the  w^orld." 

Nevertheless,  I  find  in  the  "  Instructio  pro  Procura- 
tore"  the  following  very  pertinent  language — in  reading 
it,  one  fancies  it  is  the  character  of  a  griping  attorney. 
*'The  office  of  Procurator  is  defined  in  five  heads.  1st, 
he  must  preserve  the  goods  and  rights  of  the  college. 
Sndly.  He  must  take  care  that  the  revenues  do  not 
decrease,  but  rather,  be  augmented.  ordly.  He  must 
exact  with  the  greatest  diligence  the  debts  that  are  owed 
to  the  college.  4thly.  He  must  see  that  the  goods  and 
moneys  be  properly  disposed  of.  5thly.  He  must  take 
care  to  be  able  to  give  an  account  of  what  he  has  received 
or  delivered.  Whence  it  is  especially  evident  that  to  this 
function  would  be  destined  a  very  prudent,  skilful,  and 
faithful  man,  one  who  is  not  engaged  in  any  other  occu- 
pation which  can  impede  his  duty."  After  this  sum- 
mary, a  minute  detail  is  given,  most  cleverly  enumerating 
all  the  particulars  to  which  he  has  to  attend  in  his 
farming-book — the  number  of  acres,  quality  of  land,  pro- 
ducts of  wheat,  wine,  olives,  fodder,  and  wood,  &c. 
**  He  must  be  present  Avhen  the  products  are  measured, 
sovv'n,  and  collected,  and  when  the  vintage  takes  place, 
and  the  olives  are  pressed  ;  and  must  not  trust  too'much 
to  the  rustics.  At  the  same  time,  he  must  get  back  what 
*  Avare  et  cupide  videutur  petere. 


HUMAN    NATURE.  323 

he  has  lent  to  the  labourers,  and  must  recover  from  other 
debtors  at  stated  times,  and  must  not  be  too  indulgent ; 
for,  by  conceding  a  long  delay  in  the  payment  of  debts, 
it  comes  to  pass  at  length  that  they  are  not  paid  at 
all." 

And  yet,  will  the  reader  believe  it  ?  this  griping  Pro- 
curator is,  in  the  three  last  lines,  told  to  confide  in 
"Divine  Providence."* 

CarafFa  concludes  effectively  thus  : 

"  I  can  add  nothing  more  to  this  Epistle,  for  if  this  be 
done,  it  is  siifficient — si  hoc  fiat,  sufficit — to  renew  the 
Society,  and  to  restore  her  to  her  primitive  complexion 
and  health  :  but  I  again  and  again  desire  that  these 
words  should  not  vanish  into  the  air,  but  be  ratified  by 
deeds  and  things."  To  aid  them  in  this  object,  he 
strongly  recommends  "  all  to  renovate  and  bring  to  per- 
fection their  piety  in  the  worship  of  the  most  holy  mo- 
ther of  God.^f 

In  1653,  the  General  Goswin  Nickel  signalised  "with 
grief"  those  members  who  were  devising  specious  argu- 
ments for  relaxing  the  vow  of  Poverty ;  Decency  and 
Necessity  were  the  pretexts — "  names  clearly  innocent  in 
themselves,  and  therefore  more  adapted  to  deceive." 
These  are  the  words  of  Nickel ;  he  says  there  were  six 
hundred  machinations  of  the  devil,  whereby  they  were 
endeavouring,  with  all  their  might,  to  subvert  the  vow  of 
Poverty. 

**  But  although  this  true  vanity  and  pride,  under  the 
false  name  of  Decency,  may  aflfect  all ;  still  they  affect 
much  more  easily  those  who  perform  splendid  functions^ 
particularly  those  who  frequent  the  courts  of  Princes." 

*  Inst,  pro  Adminst.  Rer.  temp. — Proc. 
t  Epist.  R.  P.  l<i,  Vincent,  CAUAFFiE. 
Y    2 


324  JESUIT    NABOBS. 

After  alluding  to  the  love  of  individual  comforts — in- 
clination to  particular  places — he  proceeds  thus  : — 

"  What  shall  I  say  of  those  who,  when  they  are  ordered 
to  remove  to  another  place,  carry  away  so  many  move- 
ables, that  if  one  may  judge  the  matter  by  the  baggage, 
you  would  think  that  a  whole  family,  not  a  single  man, 
was  migrating  !  Suppose  one  of  the  men  of  our  ancient 
Society,  not  as  yet  acquainted  with  baggage  and  effects 
—  were  to  meet  these  men  thus  burthened?  Peter 
Faber,  for  instance,  who  returned  the  precious  gifts  of 
a  cardinal,  saying  that  he  was  one  of  those  who  carry  all 
their  goods  with  them." 

Extravagance  in  the  purchase  of  books  calls  for  anim- 
adversion ;  "nor  are  those  to  be  praised  who  consign 
the  books  which  they  have  bought  with  the  alms  of  pious 
men,  to  another  college,  and  thus  defraud  the  one  wherein 
they  happen  to  dwell." 

Intermeddling  in  the  temporal  affairs  of  their  relatives — 
its  sad  effects — the  difficulty  of  curing  that  disease — are 
feelingly  brought  forward. 

*'  But  what  of  those  who,  relinquishing  the  culture  of 
the  Lord's  field,  and  of  their  neighbours,  turn  themselves 
to  the  negotiation  of  v;orldly  aftairs  !" 

Extravagance  has  been  lashed ;  its  opposite  vice, 
avarice,  too,  has  unfortunately  "  crept  in." 

"  There  are  those  who  honour  their  hardness  of  heart 
and  filth  (the  vice  of  their  nature)  with  the  name  of 
economy  and  frugality ;  and  whilst  they  are  griping — 
tenaces — they  wish  to  seem  to  be  lovers  of  poverty. 
Hence  they  hoard  up  much,  lay  out  little ;  clutch  what 
they  have,  and  dispense  even  what  is  necessary  with  a 
sparing  hand ;  and,  lest  their  inferiors  should  complain, 
they  thrust  in  their  faces  everywhere  and  lament,  the 
penury  of  the  estabhshment!"* 

•  Epist.  1,  R.  P.  N.  G.  Nickel. 


PRIVILEGES.  325 

Three  years  after  this  epistle  was  written,  the  same 
General  wrote  a  desperate  and  stirring  manifesto  "  to  the 
Fathers  and  Brothers"  respecting  "  the  pernicious  pro- 
vincial and  national  spirit"  which  had  begun  to  spread 
disunion  in  the  Society.  I  have  already  quoted*  a 
striking  passage  from  this  letter ;  and  will  only  add  that 
Nickel  justifies  the  severity  of  his  animadversions  by  the 
numerous  letters — non  unis  Uteris — which  he  had  re- 
ceived on  the  subject,  and  admits  his  belief  that  the 
complaints  and  representations  were  substantially  cor- 
rect.f     Eight  years  after.  Nickel  resigned. 

Again  I  ask  what  were  the  privileges  conceded,  what 
were  the  powers  confided  to  these  men  :  tliese  Jesuits, 
"whose  characters  we  have  just  read  by  the  pen  of  their 
own  Generals  ?  For  though  all  could  not  have  given 
cause  for  the  various  strictures  in  question,  yet  a  consi- 
derable number,  if  not  a  large  majority,  must  have  been 
obnoxious  to  the  charges  ;  since  a  General's  epistle  was 
considered  necessary  on  the  subject,  and  was  couched  in 
the  strong  terms  we  have  read :  though  tender  and  cau- 
tious in  vituperation. 

What  are  these  privileges  ?  Some  are  held  in  common 
with  other  Orders,  some  are  peculiar  to  the  Society.  All 
are  granted  by  the  dififerent  Popes  who  cherished  the  sons 
of  Loyola. 

The  Jesuits  might  absolve  sinners  from  any  and  every 
crime — from  all  ecclesiastical  censures,  pains,  and  penal- 
ties, with  only  one  or  two  exceptions.]: 

Alexander  VI.   permitted  the  General  and  Provincials 

to  absolve  all  Jesuits  who,   living  in  the  world,  might 

•  Page  119. 

t  Ego  quoque  subesse  aliquid,  idque  non  levis  momenti,  tot  querelis, 
scriptiouibusque  suspicer. — Epist.  2,  Gos.  Nickel, 
j  Com.  Priv.  Absol. 


326  PRIVILEGES. 

incur  an  ccc\esiasticdi\  censure  propter  delationem  ligami- 
num,  seu  ferramentorum  ad  partes  injidelium.  This  pri- 
vilege was  afterwards  extended  to  all  the  Superiors  and 
other  confessors  of  the  Society. 

The  Jesuits  may  build  churches,  chapels,  houses,  &c., 
anywhere  and  everywhere ;  and  no  one  is  to  molest  them 
in  the  undertaking.  They  may  sell,  exchange,  or  other- 
wise transfer  all  their  property,  moveable  and  immoveable, 
present  and  to  come — pro  iUorum  utilitate  seu  necessitate, 
to  any  persons,  of  every  rank  and  condition — in  other 
words,  might  trade,  traffic,  barter^  or  seZ/.* 

The  power  of  excommunicating  those  who  might  pre- 
sume to  leave  the  Society,  has  been  mentioned. 

There  is  no  appeal  from  the  correction  of  the  Society. 

Powers  hitherto  confined  to  bishops — such  as  the  so- 
lemn consecration  of  churches,  vestments,  &c.  were  con- 
ceded to  the  Jesuits. 

Whoever  seized  the  goods  or  money  of  the  Society — 
or  belonging  to  persons  thereof — whether  colleges  or 
hcnuses — unless  restoration  be  made  in  three  days,  incur- 
red the  penalty  of  excommunication. 

All  the  "  merits  "  of  all  other  religious  orders  in  all 
regions  of  the  world,  resulting  from  fasting  and  other 
spiritual  good  works,  are  shared  suojure  by  the  Jesuits. 

The  Jesuits  may  commute  or  compound  all  vows — 
may  *'  relax'^  each  other  s  oaths,  without  the  prejudice  of 
a  third  party  !  Jurarnenta  sine  prejudicio  tertii,  relax- 
are  possunt  nostri. 

They  may  impose  censures,  penalties,  even  pecuniary 
fines  on  all  who  rebelled  against  them,  or  otherwise 
offended,    when    constituted  judges    and   conservators: 

*  This  is  one  of  the  most  explicit  of  tbe  Privilegia.  See  Compen- 
dium Privilegiorum,  Alienatio,  §  2. 


pRiviLFCES.  .327 

they  might  -^g^  pi^^g  ^  country  under  ^j^^  "  [^^^^^i^^'f  ^^ 
— '^iCr  excommunication. 

The  General  and  Provincials  can  grant  a  dispensation 
to  Jesuits  {Nostris  sibi  suhditis)  in  the  irregularity  in- 
curred by  homicide — provided  such  homicides  are  not 
certain  that  they  actually  killed,  &c.  Again,  the  General 
in  foro  conscienticB,  can  dispense  with  persons  of  our 
Society  in  all  irregularity,  even  in  those  cases,  which  are 
reserved  to  the  Pope  —  namely,  *' in  the  case  of  death, 
cutting  of  the  limbs,  and  great  effusion  of  blood,  provided 
any  of  these  cases  be  not  notorious  :  and  this,  on  account 
of  the  scandar  ! 

I  omit  other  convenient  and  comfortable  dispensations 
which  the  Jesuits  can  grant  in  favour  of  the  tender  pas- 
sions.* They  can  or  could  dispense  with  the  prohibition 
of  eating  meat  on  certain  days,  fasting,  &c.,  when  they 
thought  proper,  either  with  or  without  the  advice^  of  a 
physician. 

According  to  Escobar,  ^'  a  dispensation  is  an  act  of 
jurisdiction  whereby  any  one  is  exempted  from  the  obli- 
gation of  a  law,  or  by  which  the  obligation  of  a  law  is 
suspended." 

They  and  their  lands  and  tenements  are  exempted 
from  paying  all  taxes,  even  the  papal  tithe. 

The  Jesuits  might  postpone  the  mass  without  scruple:  of 
course,  for  "just  reasons"  ;  they  might  also,  in  like  man- 
ner, compensate  for  any  part  of  the  divine  office  omitted, 
by  repeating  the  Pater  Noster  or  Ave  Maria. 

Immunity  was  granted  to  all  who  took  refuge  in  their 
churches;  and  all  persons  were  prohibited  from  laying- 

*  Possunt  nostri  Confessarii,  si  sint  vere  docti,  &cc. ;  dispensare  in 
foro  conscientiae  ad  petendum  debitum  cum  iis,  qui  consanguineum 
aut  consanguineam  sui  corijugis,  post  matrimonium,  carnaliter  cofoo- 
▼erunt.     Privileg.  Dispens.  8,  See  9  and  10. 


328  JESUIT   CASUISTS. 

hantis  Cr.  ^^^^^  fugitives,  under  penalty  of  excommunica- 
tion. In  the  word  churches,  says  the  Privilege,  are  in- 
cluded colleges,  houses,  gardens,  offices,  all  places. 

Numerous  indulgences  were  granted  to  the  Jesuits  for 
the  performance  of  the  most  trivial  actions:  also  to  the 
fathers  and  mothers  of  the  Jesuits,  were  they  even  in 
Purgatory,  in  Purgatorio  existentes. 

Under  penalty  of  excommunication  all  are  forbidden 
to  impugn  the  "  Constitutions,"  &c. 

Even  during  the  time  of  an  Interdict,  the  Jesuits  could 
open  their  doors,  say  mass,  hear  confessions,  &c. 

The  Jesuits  might  practice  medicine,  provided  they  did 
not  perform  operations. 

Such  are  a  few  of  the  privileges  of  the  Society.  The 
Jesuits  possessed  the  power  of  bishops  in  most  matters ; 
they  were  omnipotent  in  the  confessional.  We  will  now 
consider  their  casuists. 

Did  the  Jesuits  ever  teach  or  touch  suspicious  topics  of 
morality,  or  topics  of  suspicious  morality  ? 

As  far  back  as  1612,  Aquaviva  deemed  it  necessary  to 
issue  three  stringent  mandates  **in  virtue  of  Holy  Obe- 
dience, and  under  penalty  of  excommunication,"  against 
any  members  who  should  inculcate  lax  morality  respecting 
the  vow  of  obedience,  the  vow  of  chastity — and  respect- 
ing the  murder  of  tyrants,  kings,  and  princes.* 

In  1614,  the  same  General  issued  a  similar  mandate 
against  the  publication  of  any  work  in  which  the  last 
named  topic  was  discussed —  unless  first  approved  of  at 
Home,  and  acknowledged. f 

The  Fifth  Congregation,  "  in  Virtue  of  Holy  Obedience,'' 
forbids  all  Jesuits  to  intermeddle  in  the  affairs  of  Princes, 
on  any  account  whatever. J 

*  CensuriE  Collectae  in  Congreg.  VIII. 

t  Epist.  C.  Aquav.  2  Aug.  1614. 

t  V.  Congreg.  Can.  12,  Dec.  47  and  49. 


THE    RIOT    OF    INTELLECT.  329 

In  1651,  Piccolomini  sent  forth  his  Ordinatio  respecting 
the  questions  that  might  and  might  not  be  mooted  by- 
Jesuits.     In  the  introduction  to  this  mandate,  he  says: 

*'  There  are  not  wanting  serious  complaints  from  the 
various  Provinces,  respecting  certain  teachers  of  Philo- 
sopuy  and  Divinity,  both  in  the  eighth  and  ninth  Con- 
gregation."* 

A  list  of  permitted  and  forbidden  topics  is  subjoined — 
all  curiously  illustrative,  of  *'  the  activity  of  the  Jesuit 
mind,"  at  that  period — mere  trifles  and  momentous  ques- 
tions following  each  other  in  admirable  confusion  :  the 
diurnal  motion  of  the  earth,  and  the  motion  of  the  planets 
being  among  the  proscribed  topics.  The  ''  hypothesis" 
had  not  yet  become  a  "  theory." 

Six  "  other  propositions"  are  superadded — "  not  that 
he  believes  any  member  of  the  Society  has  taught  them 
— but  because  they  have  been  brought  forward  by  the 
deputies.^'     The  first  proposition  is  the  following  : 

"  God  is  the  cause  of  sin." 
All  the  other  five  propositions  refer  to  the  attributes  of 
the  Divinity.     The  General  continues  : 

"  However,  we  do  not  at  all  censure  all  the  aforesaid 
propositions  ;  but  we  only  forbid  them  to  be  taught  in 
our  schools — for  the  sake  of  greater  uniformity,  and  more 
solid  and  copious  fruit  in  the  hearers  :  nor  should  the 
authority  of  any  authors  be  alleged,  if  perchance  any  of 
these  propositions  be  found  in  their  works,  or  in  the 
books  already  published  by  our  men,  even  with  some  ap- 
probation—for it  were  to  be  wished  that  many  of  the 
Revisers  had  been  more  diligent  and  severe." f 

It  follows  from  what  we  have  read,  that  the  conscien- 
tious  or   more  prudent   members   of  the    Society   were 

*  Ordinatio  pro  Studiis,  super, 
t  Ibid,  ut  antea. 


330  CONFESSIONAL   MORALITY. 

seriously  alarmed  by  the  extravagance  of  opinions  that 
had  beirun  to  characterise  the  Jesuits. 

The  Jesuits  are  fond  of  quoting  Voltaire  in  their 
defence.  The  authority  is  suspicious  :  it  has  just  about 
as  much  weight  in  the  question  as  the  authority  of  Jack 
Sheppard  would  have  when  quoted  by  a  highwav^;^.^^  j^^ 
his  own  defence.  In  a  letter  Avhich  V-^^^taire  wrote  to  a 
Reverend  Father,  alluding  with  considerable  pungency 
to  the  Provincial  Letters  of  Pascal,  he  says  : 

"  De  bonne  foi,  is  it  by  the  ingenious  satire  of  the  Pro- 
vincial Letters  that  we  should  judge  of  the  morality  of 
the  Jesuits?  Assuredly,  it  is  by  Father  Bourdaloue, 
by  Father  Cheminais,  by  their  other  preachers,  by  their 
missionaries."* 

I  would  agree  with  Voltaire,  if  I  could  permit  myself 
the  mental  reservation,  suhintelligendo,  as  to  the  public 
morality  of  the  Jesuits. 

Was  it  at  all  likely  that  a  public  preacher  would  dare 
to  hold  forth,  in  the  pulpit,  such  doctrine  as  Escobar, 
Hurtado,  Salas,  Busembaum,  &.C.,  infused  into  the  young 
confessors  of  the  Society  for  inculcation  in  the  con- 
fessional? 

Herein  is  the  terrible  peculiarity  of  this  Society ;  that 
its  moral  needle,  turning  on  the  pivot  of  expediency, 
points  to  Heaven  and  Hell,  as  steadily  as  the  magnetic 
needle  points  to  the  north  and  south. 

It  is  the  good  inextricably  blended  with  the  evil  that 
stamps  the  Jesuit  system  with  its  unenviable  originality. 

Again,  if  the  men  whose  immoral  opinions  and  per- 
missions I  am  about  to  unfold,  had  been  profligate  in 
their  outward  conduct,  we  might  be  disposed  to  overlook 
the  attempt  to  corrupt ;  thus  rendered,  comparatively, 
impotent  by  the  acknowledged  character  of  the  authors. 

*  Lettre  de  Volt.,  au  Pere  La  Tour. 


PERJURY.  331 

But  the  case  is  different.  The  Jesuit  casuists  were  men  of 
**  character"  in  the  Society  :  Escobaii  died  an  "  exem- 
plary "  member  of  the  Society  of  Jesus  !      .... 

What  reason  could  an  *'  exemplary"  teacher  have  for 
inculcating  "  rather  lax  opinions"  ?  He  shall  tell  you 
himself. 

"  But  if  I  often  seem  to  adhere  to  rather  lax  opinions, 
that  is  not  to  define  what  I  think  myself,  but  to  put  forth 
what  the  learned  shall  be  able  to  apply  practically,  without 
a  scruple,  whenever  it  shall  seem  expedient  to  quiet  the 
minds  of  their  penitents."* 

Another  question — what  proof  have  we  that  others 
before  him  inculcated  these  "  rather  lax  opinions"  ? 

Again  he  shall  answer  : 

*'  This  I  candidly  declare  that  I  have  written  nothing  in 
the  whole  book  that  I  have  not  received  from  some  Doc- 
tor of  the  Society  of  Jesiis*^* 

Consequently  his  book  has  the  "  Faculty,  Approba- 
tion, Licence,  Consent,  and  Permission  of  the  respective 
functionaries,  and  professes  to  be  an  exposition  of  the 
opinions,  in  cases  of  conscience  or  casuistry,  of  twenty 
doctors  of  the  Society,  for  the  instruction  of  young  con- 
fessors— in  Questions  and  Answers.  A  question  is  pro- 
posed : 

"  Q.  Is  it  lawful  to  ask  an  oath  from  the  man  who,  I 
fear,  will  swear  falsely  ? 

^^  A.  It  is  lawful,  provided  he  is  not  asked  to  swear 
falsely ;  and  there  is  a  just  cause  for  asking  the  oath,  such 
as  necessity,  such  as  utility ;  because  I  am  not  held  to 

*  Quod  si  saepe  videor  me  laxioribus  opinionibus  adhaerescere,  id 
certe  non  est  definire  quod  sentio,  sed  exponere  quid  sine  conscientise 
IjEsione  Docti  poterunt,  cum  eis  visum  fuerit  expedire,  ad  sedandas 
penitentum  animas,  ad  praxin  adducere — Escobar  y  Mendoza,  Lib. 
Theol.  Moral.  80.  Lugd.  1659.  The  quotation  is  from  the  preface. 
The  book  is  in  the  Library  of  the  British  Museum,  Press  Mark,  848  c. 


332  EQUIVOCATION. 

abstain  from  asking  tlie  performance  of  an  action  (with 
serious  loss)  [to  myself],  which  action  any  one  may  do 
either  well  or  ill"* — bene  et  male ;  that  is  indifferently,  as 
far  as  the  mere  action  is  concerned. 

"  Q.  Is  it  lawful  for  a  man  who  takes  an  oath,  to 
make  use  of  amphibology  or  equivocation  ;  namely,  utter- 
ing an  oath  which  is  understood  by  the  persons  present, 
in  the  common  sense  of  the  words,  in  which,  however,  the 
swearer  sub-understands  something  different  ? 

'*  A.  Sanchez  replies  in  the  affirmative — Sum.  tom  i. 
lib.  3,  c.  6,  n.  15.  /  (Escobar)  confirm  the  opinion  with 
practical  examples.  Being  interrogated  by  a  Judge,  on 
oath,  if  you  have  killed  Francis  ;  if  you  have  killed  him  in 
your  own  defence,  you  can  deny  it,  sub-understanding  as 
to  criminal  homicide.  Less.  1.  2.  Dub.  9,  n.  47.  If  it 
is  a  probable  opinion,  that  the  tax  imposed  on  anything  is 
unjust,  and  therefore  a  tradesman  compensates  himself  by 
using  false  weights,  or  in  any  other  way  : — being  after- 
Avards  interrogated  by  the  Judge,  he  can  deny  the  whole 
with  an  oath — sub-understanding  that  he  has  acted  un- 
justly. Sanch.  Sum.  tom  i.  lib.  3,  cap.  6,  n.  29,  A 
priest  being  interrogated,  having  heard  a  sin  in  confes- 
sion, can  answer,  even  adding  an  oath  if  necessary,  that 
he  has  heard  nothing  of  the  sort — sub-understanding ,  as 
a  private  individual.  You  have  concealed  some  neces- 
sary effects,  lest  they  be  taken  by  your  creditor,  and  you 
may  be  compelled  to  beg  your  bread  : — when  interrogated 
by  the  Judge,  you  can  swear  that  you  have  nothing  con- 
cealed— sub-understanding  what  you  are  bound  to  brhig 
forth.  A  man  may  swear  to  a  robber  that  he  will  give 
him  his  money,  without  intending  to  give  it;  using  this 
mental  reservation,  I  will  give  it  if  I  am  bound.  A  guilty 
wife,  being  asked  by  her  husband  if  she  has  sinned  against 
*  Escobar,  Theol.  Mor.  Exam.  3,  c.  3. 


MURDER. 


333 


him,*  may  swear  negatively  ;  conceiving  in  her  mind  a 
different  day  to  the  one  on  which  she  committed  the 
crime.  Coming-  from  a  place  which  is  falsely  believed  to 
be  infected  with  pestilence,  when  interrogated  you  can 
swear  that  you  have  not  come  from  that  place — sub- 
understanding  ^  as  from  a  place  of  pestilence.  Omnia  ex 
Sanchez  et  aliis.f 

*'  Q.  Is  it  lawful  for  a  man  belonging  to  an  Order 
(Religioso)  to  kill  a  calumniator  who  is  spreading  serious 
accusations  (crimina)  against  his  Order,  just  as  it  is  law- 
ful to  any  one,  in  defence  of  his  honour,  to  kill  with  ma- 
nagement, cum  moderamine  interimere  ? 

'-'•  A,  i^a^Aer  ^mz'cMS  (whose  eight  volumes,  De  Cursu 
Theologico,  have  just  come  to  hand),  tom.  5  de  Just.  d. 
36.  sec.  7.  n.  118,  does  not  dare  to  adhere  to  the  affirma- 
tive opinion,  lest  he  may  seem  to  go  against  the  common 
one.  Nevertheless  he  thus  strengthens  it  by  argument. 
If,  says  he,  this  is  lawful  to  a  layman,  on  account  of  his 
honour  and  fame,  it  seems  much  more  lawful  to  a  cler- 
gyman and  a  man  of  any  Order  (Religioso)  ;  inasmuch  as 
the  profession,  learning,  and  virtue,  whence  the  honour  of 
a  clergyman  and  a  member  of  a  religious  body  is  pro- 
duced, are   superior  to  the  dexterity   of  arms,    whence 

*  Adultera  rogata  a  marito,  an  admiserit  adulterium. 

t  Esch.  Theol.  Moral.  Tract  I.  By  a  curious  coincidence,  I  find 
this  last  **  practical  example"  used  by  Garnet,  the  English  Jesuit,  of 
gunpowder-plot  notoriety,  in  a  paper  dated  20th  iNIarch,  1605-6  :  it  is 
given  as  an  illustration  in  the  same  vein  as  that  of  Escobar,  but  is 
supposed  to  have  been  written  by  Francis  Gresham.  "  Let  us 
suppose,"  says  he,  "  that  I  have  lately  left  London,  where  the 
plague  is  raging:  and,  on  arriving  at  Coventry,  I  am  asked  before  I 
can  be  admitted  into  the  towK,  whether  I  come  from  London,  and  am 
perhaps  required  to  swear  that  I  do  not:  it  would  be  lawful  for  me 
(being  assured  that  I  bring  no  infection)  to  swear  in  such  a  case  that 
I  did  not  come  from  London ;  for  I  put  the  case,  6cc.  &c." 

See  Criminal  Trials,  vol.  ii.  p.  316. 


334 


DUELLING. 


worldly  honour  arises.  Then,  again,  it  is  lawful  for  cler- 
gymen and  members  of  a  religious  Order,  to  kill  a  thief, 
in  defence  of  their  property  (facultatum),  if  no  other 
means  of  defence  are  at  hand ;  therefore  it  is  lawful  also 
in  defence  of  their  honour.* 

''  Q.  A  nobleman  is  on  the  point  of  being  slapped  or 
cudgelled  by  any  one  : — will  it  be  lawful  for  him  to  kill 
the  aggressor  before  the  act  ? 

'^  A.  Lessius  answers  in  the  affirmative,  Lib.  2.  cap.  9. 
Dub.  12.  n.  77.,  because  it  is  the  greatest  disgrace  in 
some  regions  to  suffer  slaps  and  cudgellings  to  remain 
unavenged.  However,  I  limit  the  sentence  to  noblemen — 
for  slaps  and  cudgellings  are  not  disgraceful  to  ple- 
beians, f 

"  In  fine,  if  a  nobleman  at  court,  or  a  military  man  in 
the  camp,  being  challenged  (provocatus)  should  stand, 
merely  on  his  own  defence,  with  the  hope  of  coming  best 
off,  cum  spe  prc^valendi—il  he  will  be  deprived  of  his 
dignity,  office,  or  favour  of  his  prince  on  account  of  the 
suspicion  of  cowardice, — Layman  does  not  dare  to  con- 
demn the  man  —  Laym.  1.  3.  t.  3.  p.  3.  c.  3.  —  the  same 
man  is  excused  by  Hurtius,  Lessius,  Filliucius,  Navarrez. 
Hence,  even  others  say,  for  instance,  Sanchez,  2.  Mor. 
c.  22.,  and  others,  that  it  is  lawful  to  kill  the  man  who  is 
plotting  by  false  accusation  or  testimony,  &c.,  to  a  judge, 
such  things  whereby  you  are  sure  to  be  killed,  or  muti- 
lated ;  or  even  (others  concede  this  with  more  difficulty), 
to  lose  your  temporal  goods,  honour,  &c. ;  because  it  is 
not  an  attack  then,  but  a  just  defence ;  it  being  settled, 
that  you  are  certain  of  the  injury  intended,  and  cannot 
escape  by  other  means.  But  Lessius,  Filliucius  and 
Layman  dare  not  defend  this  sentence,  on  account  of  the 
danger  of  great  abuses  !% 

*  Exam.  vii.  n.  45.  t  Tract  I.  Exam.  vii. 

+  Escob.  De  Duello — Tract  I. 


PROBABLE    OPINIONS.  335 

"  Can  a  nobleman  accept  a  dial lenge,^cZwe/ZM 772,  in  de- 
fence of  his  honour,  nobilitatis  ?  He  can.  The  reason  is 
because  in  such  a  case  the  acceptance  of  the  challenge  to 
defend  his  honour,  is  the  only  means.* 

"  Q.  What  is  a  probable  conscience  ? 

"  A.  That,  which  embraces  a  judgment  from  a  probable 
opinion.  That  is  called  a  probable  opinion  which  de- 
pends on  reasons  of  some  importance.  Hence,  some- 
times, one  doctor  alone,  of  very  grave  authority,  can 
effect  a  probable  opinion ;  for  a  man  especially  given  to 
learning  would  not  adhere  to  any  opinion,  unless  induced 
by  the  force  of  a  great  and  sufficient  reason. 

*'  Q.  Is  it  lawful  to  follow  a  probable  opinion — leaving 
a  more  probable  one  ? 

"  ^.  It  is  lawful,  yea,  and  safe;  provided  no  danger 
impends,  to  avoid  which,  prudence,  or  justice,  or  charity 
may  dictate  that  the  opposite  opinion  is  to  be  chosen. 

"  Q.  Can  I  accommodate  myself  to  the  probable  opinion 
of  others,  leaving  my  own  which  is  more  probable  and 
safer  ? 

*'  A.  Yes,  evidently;  nor  would  I,  in  the  action,  act 
against  conscience ;  provided,  I  think,  that  the  other 
opinion  which  I  follow  is  probable."t 

In  fact,  it  is  the  intention  that  is  to  distinguish  the 
action — intentio  enim  discernit  actionem.X  You  have 
but  to  impress  your  mind  with  the  idea  that  you  wish  to 
"  fulfil  all  justice,"  and  then  break  the  commandments — • 
you  may  "  believe  like  angels,  and  sin  like  devils '."§ 

In    fact,  perjury,   as   the  reader  has    seen,    duelling, 

*  Escob.  De  Duello— Tract  I.  §  12. 
t  Escobar,  De  Conscientia — Tbeol.  Moral,  sub  init. 
X  Filliuc.  Tract  sxv.  c.  11,  n.  331. 

$  I  beard  tbat  pbrase  applied  to  tbe  Irish,  whea  I  was  a  child.     It 
was  uttered  as  a  quotation. 


336  PITCH. 

fraud,   falsehood  in    all  its  ramifications,*   murder    and 
violence, — these  are  the  crimes  which  I  see  permitted  by 

the  casuists  of  the  Society  which  calls  itself  of 1 

will  not  blaspheme  that  adorable  name  by  recording  it  Iq 
juxtaposition  with  these  atrocities! 

Other  misdemeanours  I  see  permitted  in  like  manner — 
too  foul  to  translate — disgusting  beyond  endurance  !  In 
reading  the  passages,  I  knew  not  whether  to  wonder  more 
at  the  astonishing  phijsiological  inquiries  which  the 
authors  must  have  made,  than  at  the  shameless  effrontery 
with  which  the  immundicities  are  minutely  detailed. f 

Other  most  pernicious  inculcations  might  be  adduced. 

And  yet  Escobar  says  in  his  preface,  that  he  has  not 
maintained  a  single  proposition  which  cannot  be  confirmed 
by  the  "  gravest  doctors"  out  of  the  Society]: — thus  in- 
volving all  Romanism  in  the  mire  of  this  demoniac  mo- 
rality ! 

How  far  Escobar  could  have  made  good  his  boast,  I 
leave  others  to  determine  ;  but  I  do  not  believe  that  any 
other  casuists  ever  equalled  the  Jesuits  in  confessional 
levity,  when  it  was  expedient,  cum  eis  visum  fuerit  expe- 
dire. 

Much  of  this  immorality  is  to  be  ascribed  to  the  prac- 
tice of  sacramental  confession  ;  for,  when  the  conscien- 
tious conviction  of  simple  right  and  wrong  is  deemed  in- 


*  Vide  Vincent.  Filliucii,  Tract  xxv.  c.  11,  n.  331.  (Edit.  Lug-. 
1634.)  Questiones  Morales — in  the  Library  of  the  B.  Museum — 
press  mark,  '^^^  m. 

t  See  Azor.  Institut.  Moral.,  Lug.  1613,  Part  iii.  1.  3,  c.  11  D. 
Item,  c.  21.  Item,  c.  31. — See  Busembaum,  Medulla  Theol.  Moral. 
Pat.  1729 — Lib.  iii.  Tract  iv.  c.  3. — See  Dubium  iv.  §  3.— See 
Escobar  De  Luxuria,  Exam.  8. — See  Tract  i.  §  67.     Et  alibi. 

I  NuUam  enim  propositionem  quai  non  possit  gravissimis  extra 
Societatem  Doctoribus  conGrmari. 


RECAPITULATION.  337 

sufficient  to  determine  guilt,  the  specious,  interested 
distinctions  of  man  run  riot  in  the  darkened  chambers  of 
the  heart's  desires. 

The  royal  road  of  right  and  wrong  is  cut  up  into  a 
thousand  intersecting  by-paths,  and  the  tyrant-will  of  the 
usurper  who  sits  in  the  confessional,  permits  or  forbids 
the  deluded  creature  of  the  God  whose  right  he  has 
usurped,  to  luxuriate  or  not  in  those  perilous  by-ways, 
just  as  his  own  heart  whispers — 'by  weakness  urged,  or  by 
the  moment's  whim  determined  ! 


THE    SOCIETY ITS    DECLINE    AND    FALL. 

Here  let  us  recapitulate.  Ere  we  contemplate  effects, 
let  us  estimate  causes — causes  efficient,  working  to  a  des- 
perate end  I 

In  the  Novitiate  we  have  seen  how  the  man  is  put  in 
possession  of  himself — we  have  examined  the  Constitu- 
tions and  their  mistress,  the  Spiritual  Exercises — we  have 
penetrated  into  the  character  of  the  Founder — glanced  at 
the  state  of  the  world  at  the  time  of  his  speculation — 
witnessed  its  success  in  every  region  of  the  globe — 
weighed  some  of  the  imvileges  entrusted  to  them,  and 
found  them  heavy. 

"For  the  greater  glory  of  God"  was  the  loudly- pro- 
claimed motto  in  that  bewilderin2:,  bewitchins;  first  scene 
of  Act  the  first.  We  have  done  justice  to  the  performers 
— we  have  bestowed  upon  their  efforts  due  applause — and, 
theuj  we  quietly  listened  to  the  Generals,  the  heads  of  the 

z 


338  THE    SOCIETY 

Society,  cautiously,  but  severely,  lashing  the  characters 
of  his  own  troops,  now  become  as  it  were  desperate  free- 
booters ! 

In  this  conjuncture,  an  exclamation  escaped  us,  "  There 
were  then  some  honest  men  among  the  Jesuits  !" 

And  yet,  observe  the  bent  of  these  animadversions  :  it 
is  not  so  much  the  interests  of  religion,  the  cause  of  God, 
that  will  suffer  from  this  prevarication — but  the  good 
odour  of  the  Society — its  influence — power  !  Listen  to 
GoswiN  Nickel,  the  General,  1656. 

*'  Let  the  elements  be  separated  into  their  primitive  parts, 
and  be  restored  each  to  its  own  nature  and  place  :  as  a 
compound  they  are  no  longer  disturbed  ;  but  the  com- 
pound has  evidently  ceased  to  exist,  is  utterly  annihilated. 

Why  have  the  empires  of  the  Assyrians,  Greeks,  Per- 
sians, and  Romans,  for  a  long  time  vast  and  powerful, 
vanished  from  the  earth,  if  not  by  the  dismemberment  of 
their  Provinces,  and  by  breaking  down  the  barriers  of 
union  ?  Our  Society,  if  I  may  compare  the  least  with  the 
greatest ;  our  Society,  I  say,  from  the  holy  compound  of 
different  men,  by  the  uniting  force  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  has 
been  gathered  together  into  this  most  beautiful  body ;  by 
the  same  force  it  has  grown  up,  by  the  same  it  is  spread 
to  the  utmost  limits  of  the  earth.  Woe  to  us  if  this  vital 
bond  is  ever  relaxed"  !* 

True,  the  famous  watchword  "  For  the  greater  glory  of 
God"  was  muttered  ever  and  anon  with  clenched  teeth; 
but  the  gasping  mouth  opened  wide,  oft  and  oft,  when 
the  political  integrity  of  "Our  Society"  called  for  atten- 
tion. "  'Twas  natural  " — 'tis  natural — but  let  us  see  the 
natural  effects  thereof:  to  these  the  Society  is  hastening 
as  the  devoted  stream  within  sight  of  Niagara's  fall  to  be 

*  Epist.  ii.  De  Psation.  Spirit. 


ITS  DECLINE  AND  FALL.  339 

engulfed  in  its  everlasting^  eddy,  wherein  the  uprooted 
tree  and  the  dead  man's  carcass  reel  in  a  wild,  whirling 
dance  of  death/ 

3 

The  following  apparently  well  authenticated  passage 
from  a  sermon  preached  by  Dr.  Brown,  Roman  Catholic 
Bishop  of  Dublin,  in  1551 — shall  prelude  the  events  I  am 
about  to  record. 

"  But  there  are  a  new  fraternity  of  late  sprung  up,  who 
call  themselves  Jesuits,  which  will  deceive  many,  who  are 
much  after  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees'  manner.  Amongst 
the  Jews  they  shall  strive  to  abolish  the  truth,  and  shall 
come  very  near  to  do  it.  For  these  sorts  will  turn  them- 
selves into  several  forms ;  with  the  heathens  a  heathenist, 
with  the  Atheist  an  Atheist,  with  the  Jews  a  Jew,  with 
the  Reformers  a  Reformade,  purposely  to  know  your 
hearts,  and  your  inclinations,  and  thereby  bring  you  at 
last  to  be  like  "the  fool  that  said  in  his  heart,  '  There  is 
no  God.'"  These  shall  spread  over  the  whole  world, 
shall  be  admitted  into  the  councils  of  princes,  and  they 
never  the  wiser;  charming  of  them,  yea,  making  your 
princes  reveal  their  hearts  and  the  secrets  therein,  and 
yet  they  not  perceive  it ;  which  will  happen  from  falling 
from  the  law  of  God  by  neglect  of  fulfilling  the  law  of 
God,  and  by  winking  at  their  sins;  yet  in  the  end,  God, 
to  justify  his  law,  shall  suddenly  cut  off  this  society,  even 
by  the  hands  of  those  who  have  most  succoured  them,  and 
made  use  of  them  ;  so  that,  at  the  end,  they  shall  become 
odious  to  all  nations.  They  shall  be  worse  than  Jews, 
having  no  resting-place  upon  earth,  and  then  shall  a  Jew 
have  more  favour  than  a  Jesuit."* 

The  natural  jealousy  of  mankind  would  necessarily  be 

*  This  sermon  is  stated  to  have  been  given  to  Sir  James  Ware, 
and  may  be  found  in  the  Harleian  Miscellany,  vol.  v.  p.  556.  See 
Mosheim,  vol.  ii.  p.  85. 

z  2 


340  THE    SOCIETY — 

roused  by  such  unparalleled  prosperity  as  the  Jesuits  en- 
joyed two  hundred  years  after  their  establishment ;  but 
how  soon  would  that  weakness  of  our  nature  be  changed 
into  righteous  indignation,  when  the  objects  of  jealousy 
become  the  subjects  of  guilt ! 

It  is  manifest  from  the  strictures  of  their  own  Generals 
that  the  Jesuits  were  mingling  in  politics  ;  consequently, 
despite  the  denial  of  these  men,  who  "deny  everything," 
I  shall  rapidly  glance  at  all  the  charges  brought  against 
them  as  historical  facts ;  leaving  the  reader  to  decide  for 
himself  as  to  their  probability.  If  my  opinion  is  of  any 
weight  with  the  reader,  I  say  that  I  believe  every  charge 
recorded  in  these  pages  to  be  extremely  probable,  if  not 
positively  true.  The  clever  precautions  which  the  Jesuits 
display  in  all  their  movements  and  exploits  have  mystified 
both  their  enemies  and  their  friends.  I  am  the  enemy  of 
no  man.  My  object  is  simply  to  place  a  momentous  topic 
in  its  truest  possible  light  —  would  that  all  error  were 
purely  abstract,  "  indifferent" — so  that  v/e  might  cherish 
the  man  to  our  bosom,  whilst  we  consign  his  error  to  its 
fittest  abode  ! 

To  the  thoughtful  reader,  accustomed  to  draw  conclu- 
sions as  he  reads,  the  history  of  the  Jesuits  is  already 
traced — and  that,  too,  by  the  pen  of  their  own  Generals  ! 
Let  us  once  more  pause — and  sigh — and  palliate,  if  possi- 
ble, what  we  cannot  justify.  For  the  sake  of  humanity 
let  us  feel  for  the  frailties  of  human  nature. 

The  Jesuits  were  never  in  obscurity.  Like  Minerva 
from  the  head  of  Jove,  the  Society  sprang  forth  from  the 
brain  of  Ignatius,  full-growm,  armed,  ready  for  battle. 
Hers  was  the  infancy  of  years  only,  not  of  vigour  and 
action.  All  the  first  disciples  of  Ignatius  became  eminent, 
extraordinary  men. — How  similar  to  a  feature  in  the 
career  of  Napoleon  is  this  fact  in  the  life  of  Ignatius ! 


ITS    DECLINE   AND    FALL.  341 

The  Council  of  Trent  suspended  its  sessions  owing  to  the 
temporary  iUness  of  Lainez  ;  Xavier,  Sahiieron,  Bobadilla 
— all  the  first  ten  are  historic  characters.  It  was  vigour 
from  vigour,  as  fire  from  fire. 

In  a  few  years  the  Jesuits — the  clever,  polished,  gentle- 
manly preachers  and  teachers — engrossed  the  suffrages  of 
all  who,  in  every  age,  find  an  irresistible  charm  in  novelty. 
The  Jesuits,  to  the  annoyance  of  their  predecessors,  be- 
came "fashionable"  confessors.  They  were  recommended 
by  their  very  name  to  every  Christian ;  and  the  sworn 
disinterestedness  of  their  motives  invested  them  with  that 
conscious  power  of  the  man  on  whom  sordid  gold  makes 
no  impression ;  except  that  of  unmitigated  contempt, 
when  the  heart  speaks  forth  its  words  of  fire. 

Years  rolled  on  ;  the  fame  of  the  Society,  like  the  flame 
of  the  lamp  that  illumes  the  universe,  blazed  brightly 
forth — it  was  the  "greater  light"  to  the  first  men  who 
could  not  imagine  an  eclipse  of  that  luminary  which 
shone  so  intense  in  its  dazzling — so  glowingly  warm  ! 

But  the  wonderful  rise,  progress,  and  eminence  of  the 
Jesuits  could  not  take  place  without  the  usual  concomi- 
tant of  all  distinction  (merited  or  unmerited) — jealousy — 
then  cankering  envy.  This  fact  must  be  borne  in  mind 
by  those  who  sincerely  seek  truth  in  the  judgments  of  his- 
tory. 

Meanwhile,  despite  a  few  unimportant  checks  in  its 
earliest  career,  the  Society  advanced.  Cherished  by 
Popes,  fondled  by  princes,  beloved  by  the  people,  it  was 
but  natural  that  the  Jesuits  should  strive  to  render  them- 
selves acceptable  men  to  all  who  came  within  their  influ- 
ence. Hence  the  development  which  they  gave  to  all  the 
sciences — their  indefatigable  exertions  in  the  education  of 
youth — their  missions  at  home  and  abroad — linkins:  all 
ranks  together  by  the  magic  influence  which  they  brought 


342  THE    SOCIETY 

to  act  on  the  consciences  of  men.  This  is  the  philosophi- 
cal view  of  the  subject  that  may  be  translated  into  their 
motto  "  For  the  greater  glory  of  God,"  by  the  Jesuits  and 
their  friends :  and  yet  all  the  authentic  extracts  which 
the  reader  has  perused  in  the  foregoing  pages  dissolve  this 
beautiful  motto  into  that  disenchanting  philosophical 
view ! 

Their  temptations  were  too  great.     The  exaltation  of 
mind   to   which  the  Society  ostensibly  aspired  was  the 
badge  of  each   member ;  but  scattered  as  they  were  in 
every  part  of  the  world,  whither  they  were  expressly  in- 
vited, or  sent  on  speculation,  provided  amply  with  all  the 
credentials  of  talents  human  and  divine,  how  was  it  pos- 
sible for  these  Jesuits  to  act  otherwise  than  as  men  under 
strong  temptation  ?     The  energetic  denouncement  of  their 
General,  Goswin  Nickel,*  under  the  form  of  a  gentle 
doubt,  insinuates  the  inefficacy  of  all  the  many  "  helps"  to 
perfection  in  certain  characters,  to  whom  he  alludes ;  his- 
torical facts  in  every  age  attest  this  axiom  of  daily  expe- 
rience ;  why  will  not  the  Jesuits  acknowledge  that  they 
grasped  at  too  much  for  mortals  to  hold — that  they  in- 
serted   their   hands  through   the  fatal    hole,   seized   the 
enticing  bait,  clenched  their  fist,  and  were  caught  ? — for 
they  could  not  relinquish  that  fatal  hold  !     Why  will  they 
not  acknowledge  that  in  every  region  of  the  globe  their 
influence  extended  far  beyond  the  pale  of  religion — that, 
qualified  as  they  were  by  talent  and  training,  many  of 
their  body,   "  as  confessors  of  kings,"  presided  over  the 
fortunes  of  empires,  undertook  the  negociations  of  princes, 
dexterously  achieved  exploits  far  above  the  reach  of  men 
endowed  with    only    ordinary   experience   and   ordinary 
knowledge  of  the  human  heart.     A  frown  may  ripple  the 
saddened  face  of  Religion  at  the  avowal ;  but  philosophy, 
*  jNovitiate,  page  119,  et  seq. 


ITS    DECLINE   AND    FALL.  343 

worldly  justice  will  smile  and  admire:  or  if  we  permit  a 
jealous  scruple  to  suggest  the  words  "  Non  Jesu  itd  /"* 
we  shall  be  forced  to  admit,  that  by  the  scope  of  his 
talents,  such  exploits  were  natural  to  the  Jesuit.  With  a 
similar  candour  we  will  proscribe  the  absurd  denunciations 
of  those  who  consider  every  Jesuit  a  rogue  by  profession 
—who  exhibit  the  Society  of  Nickel,  Carraffa,  Picco- 
LOMiNi,  and  ViTELLEscHi,  as  the  systematic  corrupter  of 
mankind — as  if  the  very  sentiment  of  self-preservation 
which  is  sublimely  characteristic  of  that  Society,  were  not, 
of  itself,  sufficient  to  scout  the  atrocious  temptation,  in 
any  and  every  phase  of  its  appearance  !  The  writers  who 
thus  poison  the  minds  of  those  who  ask  for  the  food  of 
mind,  may  flourish  in  notoriety,  but  cannot  promise  them- 
selves that  peace  of  unmolested  conscience  which  results 
from  the  pursuit  of  Truth.  That  the  Jesuits  of  old  were 
men  of  different  nations — of  different  characters — placed 
in  different  circumstances — with  different  obstacles  to 
overcome — and  yet  tending — all  of  them — to  the  binary 
end,  the  spread  of  the  Roman  Faith  and  the  "  good"  of 
the  Society,  is,  perhaps,  the  surest  clue  to  their  history; 
whilst  an  adequate  knowledge  of  the  Institute,  and  a 
thorough  perception  of  its  training,  are  necessary  to  evolve 
a  judgment  as  to  the  powerful  temptations  to  overlook 
the  guiltiness  of  means  in  the  glorious  end^  that  must 
always  knock  at  the  hearts  of  those  whose  minds  have  in 
the  process  of  training,  been  familiarised  with  self-deceit 
in  the  Jesuit-theory  and  practice  of  obedience.  I  have 
endeavoured  to  supply  the  premises  of  this  judgment.  It 
only  remains  for  me  to  signalise  such  events  in  the  history 
of  the  Jesuits  as  are  not  only  admitted,  but  put  forth  by 
the  Jesuits  themselves  ;  after  having  briefly  catalogued, 
as  it  were,  those  charges  which  I  should  be  glad  to  omit 

*  Jesus  did  not  so ! 


S44  THE    SOCIETY 

if  they  were  not  necessary  in  the  balance  of  judgment. 
In  forming'  his  conclusions,  the  candid  reader  will  bear  in 
mind  that  he  is  judging  a  body  of  men  whose  scientific 
labours  alone  entitle  them  collectively  to  respect  and 
admiration  ;  and  the  irreproachable  lives  of  many  of  them 
individually,  compensate,  to  a  vast  extent,  for  the  errors 
of  those  who  abused  their  high  powers,  their  talents,  and 
the  witchery  of  their  training,  for  purposes  incompatible 
with  the  "design"  of  the  Order.  Their  General's  injunc- 
tion in  1639 — to  all  the  Fathers  and  Brothers  of  the 
Society,  namely,  "  What  thou  doest,  thy  Society  does, 
on  whose  account  thou  doest  it,  and  whose  son  thou  art,"* 
should  render  our  judgment  less  severe  ;  seeing  that  the 
grand  exponent  of  the  Society's  will  endeavoured  to  stay 
the  abuses  that  threatened  infamy  to  all  its  members. 
There  is  something  awful  in  Vitelleschi's  words  that  im- 
mediately follow  his  quotation  just  given  :  *'  This  thought," 
says  he,  "  ought  not  to  render  us  careful  of  the  good  esteem 
of  the  multitude  only,  but  also,  and  much  more,  of  that 
Divine  judgment  whereby  the  sin  of  one  man  is  often 
punished  in  the  whole  people." 

Another  important  fact  must  be  borne  in  mind — the 
numbers  that  went  forth  sanctioned  by  the  name  of  the 
Society.  There  were  upwards  of  twenty  thousand  Jesuits 
in  all  parts  of  the  world,  for  many  years  previous  to  the 
suppression  of  the  Society.  In  juxtaposition  with  this 
fact,  place  the  perfect  training  in  all  arts  human  and 
divine,  of  talents  above  mediocrity,  if  not  transcendent — 
consider  all  that  these  pages  have  unfolded — and  then 
you  v/ill  be  able  to  judge  whether  the  Jesuits  of  old  were 
not  the  dupes  of  ambition  under  some  specious  misnomer 
— and  whether  the  interested  schemes  of  Popes  and  Kings 
did  not  urge  them  to   the   fearful  retribution  that  must^ 

*  Epist,  iv.  M.  Vitell. 


ITS    DECLINE    AND    FALL.  345 

sooner  or  later,  descend  on  those  who  strive  to  serve  men 
better  than  God.  The  history  and  downfall  of  the  Jesuits 
are  the  "  pillar  of  infamy"  to  the  chair  of  St.  Peter — an 
everlasting  satire — a  burning  sarcasm  on  the  Popedom  ; 
and  a  perpetual  reproach  to  the  memory  of  those  royal 
ingrates  whom  they  served  too  well — served  with  the 
devotedness  of  men  who  felt  convinced  that  thev  were  also 
serving  themselves. 

Talent,  always  eminent,  belonged  to  the  Jesuits — de- 
termination that  no  danger  could  check,  was  theirs— 
dexterity  and  craft  (call  it  "  pious"  if  you  please)  were 
their  constant  or  usual  characteristics  as  a  natural  result 
— hearts  and  minds  of  sublime  piety  from  time  to  time 
burnt  brightly  in  their  firmament ;  and,  if  there  were  not 
*'  ten  just  men"  to  save  them  from  destruction  in  the  evil 
day  — —  but  I  must  not  anticipate  this  tragi-comedy 
of  the  Popedom !  Let  us  contemplate  the  declining 
vitality  of  this  renowned  Society, 

The  edict  of  Nantes  was  one  of  the  first  measures  of 
Henry  IV.  of  France  :  it  confirmed  and  re-established  all 
the  concessions  that  had  been  made  in  favour  of  the 
Protestants.  The  conspiracy  of  Barriere  followed  —  a 
Jesuit  rector  of  the  college  of  Paris,  "  is  said"  to  have 
been  one  of  the  accessories  to  the  conspiracy,  which  was 
defeated.  Soon  after  another  fanatic  attempted  the 
king's  life  :  Chatel  had  only  been  a  pupil  of  the  Jesuits ; 
but  they  were  attainted  of  the  crime,  and  banished  in 
1594  ;  in  consequence  of  the  suspicions  produced  by  that 
crime,  and  its  real  or  forged  approbation  by  Guignard,  a 
Jesuit,  who  was  banged.  I  lay  no  stress  on  these  charges; 
and  will  even  palliate  the  doctrine  of  "  tyrannicide"  that 
may  be  found  in  the  works  of  Jesuit  casuists — particularly 
in  Busembaum's  lucubrations;  which,  it  is  not  denied, 
became  the  text-book  in  the  seminaries  of  the  Society* 


346  THE    SOCIETY 

Other  writers  of  the  age  maintained  the  same  doctrine* 
—hence  it  was  an  age  of  plots  and  massacres  :  the  mur- 
der of  Henry  III.  was  certainly  not  very  charitably  be- 
wailed by  the  Father  of  the  Faithful,  Pope  Sixtus  V. 

Why  do  1  signalise  these  facts?  these  characteristic 
events  of  the  age  when  the  Jesuit  schools  were  flourishing 
— when  they  might  have  preached  the  mild  doctrines  of 
the  Redeemer — might  have  pacified  the  spirit  of  anarchy 
and  rebellion,  if  they  had  deemed  it  expedient  so  to  do  ? 
Here  is  my  reason:  because,  the  Jesuits  and  their  friends 
are  fond  of  pointing  to  the  events  of  the  French  Revolu- 
tion as  the  consequence  of  their  moral  influence  being 
taken  away  by  the  suppression  of  the  Society  !  .  .  .  . 

Henry  IV.,  at  the  request  of  the  Pope,  or  induced  by 
the  Jesuit  Cotton,  his  confessor,  recalled  the  Society  in 
1603.  Like  C^sar,  kind  and  forgiving,  he  acquitted 
them  of  the  charges  brought  against  them,  and  gave  them 
a  college;  whence  a  Brutus  went  forth,  and  the  "good 
Henry"  was  murdered  by  Ravaillac,  a  pupil  of  the  Je- 
suits. This  unfortunate  coincidence  (like  a  dolphin  and 
flying-fish  meeting  anon)  was,  doubtless,  fortuitous ;  it 
proves  nothing — I  lay  no  stress  upon  this  fact,  though  I 
have  used  it  "to  point  a  moral." 

The  conduct  or  machinations  of  the  Jesuits  in  England 
are  detailed  in  every  history.  Perhaps  the  severe  mea- 
sures of  Elizabeth  against  the  Catholics,  are  mainly  to 
be  attributed  to  the  machinations  of  the  English  Jesuits. 
The  suspicion  of  treason  became  synonymous  with 
Romanism — and  Romanism  (to  the  affliction  of  the 
secular  priests)  became  identified  with  Jesuitism — and 
Jesuitism  was  apparently  doing  its  darksome  work  of 
treason  incessantly,  indefatigably  determined.! 

*  Dumoulin,  Bodin,  Arthusius,  Buchanan,  &c..  Catholic  and 
Protestant. 

t  See  "  Important  Considerations,"  by  Watson,  a  Catholic  priest. 


ITS    DECLINE    AND   FALL.  347 

Perhaps  tlie  destruction  of  Elizabeth  was  the  day- 
thought  and  the  night-dream  of  the  Jesuits.  The  arma- 
ment of  Spain  that  sank  "in  the  yeast  of  waves" — van- 
quished by  God  and  man — may  be  called  a  tribute  of 
his  country  to  the  majies  of  Ignatius  !  Parsons  flour- 
ished in  those  days :  Parsons,  that  legion  of  Jesuitism  ! 
His  disguises,  perils,  and  escapes  are  the  standing 
budget  of  the  Order — of  that  Order  whose  aim — if  we 
may  conclude  from  the  sum  total  of  its  achievements — 
seems  to  have  been  an  accomplishment,  or  a  desperate 
parody  on  the  words  of  the  Apostle  :  "  I  am  made  all 
things  to  all  men."  At  these  words  let  us  turn  from 
Garnet  and  the  Gunpowder  Plot,  to  contemplate  the 
Brahmins,  and  Pariahs  of  the  Society  of  Jesus.j 

Alluding  to  the  facts  which  I  am  about  to  narrate,  the 
Jesuit  from  I  quote,  makes  the  following  observation  : — 

*'  Great  sacrifices  imply  a  mighty  will ;  and  in  the  soul 
of  the  new  apostle,  the  ambition  of  evangelical  conquests 
equalled  its  generosity." 

In  1605,  Goa  witnessed  the  disembarkation  of  an 
Italian  missionary,  whose  age  was  twenty-eight.  Robert 
de'  Nobili  was  the  scion  of  a  family  which  had  given 
two  popes  to  the  church,  and  a  cardinal  Bellarmin  to  the 
Society,  besides  tracing  its  descent  to  the  emperor  Otho 
III.  Aquaviva  had  resisted  the  pious  ambition  of  the 
missionary ;  but  at  length  yielded  to  *'  the  inspiration  of 
God,"  when  the  Jesuit's  family  consented  to  his  depar- 
ture. This  seasonable  deference  to  the  feelings  of  nature 
must  speak  for  itself: — it  looks  well. 

The  exigencies  of  the  case,  now  presented  to  the  Jesuit 
mind,  may  be  stated  in  a  single  sentence  of  the  Jesuit 

detailing  the  political  machinations  of  the  Jesuits.     He  was  executed 
for  treason  in  1603.    This  very  interesting  tract  is  republished  b 
^'^''ittaker  &  Co.,  edited  by  the  Rev.  J.  Mendham. 


348  A   JESUIT    BRAHMIN. 

historian: — "The  Europeans  were  deeply  despised,  and 
the  Christians  of  the  country  Uved  under  the  opprobrium 
and  burthen  of  an  universal,  indestructible  anathema."* 

I  must  suppose  that  the  reader  is  aware  of  the  contempt 
and  aversion  which  all  the  castes  of  India  evince  for  the 
unfortunate  Pariahs  ;  and  the  utter  destitution  and  immo- 
rality resulting  from  that  inhumanity.  It  was  from  the 
lowest  castes  alone  that  hitherto  the  Christians  of  the 
Jesuits  had  been  made  ;  or,  to  use  the  forcible  expression 
of  the  Jesuit,  "  The  water  of  baptism  had  rarely  mois- 
tened any  but  the  brows  that  never  blushed."  Even 
Xavier  was  baffled  by  the  Brahmins  ;  "  nowhere  did  he 
work  more  miracles  than  in  the  peninsula  of  India;  and 
yet  no  noble  castle  surrendered  to  his  preaching." 

De'  Nobili  conceives  a  grand  project,  and  "  his  Pro- 
vincial and  brothers  give  him  their  approbation — the 
Archbishop  of  Cranganor  his  benediction ;  he  puts  it 
into  execution." 

Avoiding  all  intercourse  with  Europeans,  he  put  off 
their  dress,  resigned  their  customs  ;  and,  penetrating  into 
the  interior  of  the  country,  dwelt  in  a  hut,  after  the 
fashion  of  the  Brahmins.  He  took  care  to  anticipate 
detection  by  the  rapidity  of  his  first  movement.  He 
chose  to  himself  a  servant,  poor,  but  from  a  noble  caste. 
He  carefully  learned  all  the  habits  and  ceremonies  in  use 
among  persons  of  quality,  in  order  to  copy  them  with 
scrupulous  exactness.  He  mastered  the  tamul,  or  vulgar 
tongue ;  learned  the  language  of  the  Court,  and  the 
Sanscrit,  or  the  language  of  science  and  religion.  So 
rapid  was  his  progress,  that  in  a  short  time  he  might  have 
been  supposed  a  native  of  the  country. 

And  now  prepared  for  his  undertaking,  he  exhibited 
himself  in  the  costume  of  the  penitent  Brahmins.     From 
*  P.  A.  Cahour— Des  Jesuites— Sec.  Part.  p.  148. 


A   JESUIT    BRAHMIN. 


349 


the  time  of  his  arrival  he  had  lived  a  life  of  austerity  ; 
abstained  from  flesh-meat,  fish,  eggs,  wine,  and  all 
intoxicating  drinks;  living  on  milk-meats,  vegetables, 
and  rice,  and  of  these  eating  only  one  meal  a  day. 

When  the  Indian  Brahmins  beheld  the  European 
Brahmin  dressed  like  themselves,  speaking  as  well  as 
themselves,  resembling  them  in  every  feature,  from  the 
tuft  of  liair  at  the  top  of  his  shaved  head,  down  to  the 
socks  or  clogs,  in  which  he  moved  with  ease,  despite  the 
goading  peg  of  wood  by  which  they  were  held  to  the 
feet, — all  were  eager  to  see  and  hear  him.  *'  Still  there 
remained  doubts  respecting  his  titles  of  nobility.  He 
produced  witnesses,  and  swore  that  he  was  frovi  an 
illustrious  caste.  The  document  was  prepared  ;  and  the 
Roman  Brahmin,  judicially  recognised,  received  the  name 
of  Tatouva  Podagar  Souami :  that  is  to  say,  "  the  man 
who  has  passed  master  in  the  twenty-five  or  ninety-six 
qualities  proper  to  the  true  sage." 

*'  The  town  of  Madura  was  roused — visitors  thronged 
from  all  parts.  He  kept  them  at  a  distance ;  admitting 
only  certain  persons,  and  at  certain  hours,  in  order  the 
more  to  entice  attention  and  curiosity." 

The  Jesuit  continues  :  "  His  science,  his  manners,  and 
penitent  life,  attracted  a  great  number  of  disciples  :  he 
opened  a  school ;  mixed  lessons  of  the  gospel  with  human 
doctrine  ;  and  in  a  short  time  the  doctrine  of  the  gourou 
of  Europe  was  reputed  noble  and  worthy  of  the  Indians. 
In  order  to  "  ingraft"*  Christianity  on  those  natures,  till 
then  rebellious,  he  availed  himself  of  everything — attack- 
ing them  on  all  sides  where  he  could  find  an  entrance, 
by  the  aid  of  reason,  by  their  prejudices,  and  national 
traditions." 

*  Enter  is  the  French  word,  "  ingraft"  the  English.     Is  it  inten- 
tionally used,  or  a  slip  of  the  pen  ? 


350  A    JESUIT    BRAHMIN.' 

He  told  them  that  he  was  come  to  announce  to  them 
that  sublime  and  blessed  law  which  was  the  object  of 
their  wishes,  as  held  forth  by  their  traditions  respecting 
a  law  long  lost  or  obscured. 

"  He  was  believed.  He  developed  the  laws  of  the 
Gospel  and  its  mysteries :  seventy  Brahmins  bowed 
before  the  cross,  and  were  baptised  in  a  short  time." 

This  conduct  or  success  of  Nobili  naturally  excited  a 
clamour  in  the  rivals  of  the  Jesuits  in  the  work  of  con- 
version ;  or  in  those  who  objected  to  the  specious 
Christianity  which  was  its  object:  he  was  summoned 
to  Goa  to  make  his  defence. 

*'  He  had  given  out  that  he  was  born  of  the  forehead 
of  Brahma,  because  he  had  incorporated  himself  with  the 
haughty  caste  of  a  like  origin.  When  he  appeared  with 
his  cylindrical  cap  of  flame-coloured  silk,  covered  with 
a  long  scarf  that  fell  like  a  shawl  over  his  shoulders, 
with  his  red  muslin  robe,  his  large  ear- buckles,  and  his 
forehead  distinguished  by  a  broad  potou,  or  yellow  mark, 
made  with  the  paste  of  sandanum  wood, — his  Superior, 
Father  Palmerio,  the  visitor  of  India,  would  not  deign  to 
look  at  him;  and  all  his  Jesuit  Brothers  exclaimed,  that 
they  ought  to  eject  from  the  mission  a  man  who  gave 
himself  to  idolaters,  instead  of  gaining  them  to  Jesus 
Christ.  Four  things  particularly  shocked  them ;  his 
name,  the  mark  on  his  brow,  his  continual  ablutions, 
and  the  string  composed  of  a  hundred  and  eight  yellow 
threads,  which  he  permitted  his  disciples  to  wear." 

It  is  difficult  to  reconcile  this  ''  shock"  of  the  Jesuits 
with  an  assertion  made  in  the  page  that  precedes,  where 
the  Jesuit  historian  says — **  Encouraged  by  the  approba- 
tion of  his  Superiors,  and  by  thirteen  years  of  experience. 
Father  De'  Nobili  followed  up  the  course  of  his  apostolic 
triumphs." 


ANOTHER.  351 

Still  he  defended  himself  successfully ;  ''  every  one 
amongst  his  brothers  sided  with  him."  This  did  not  pre- 
vent Cardinal  Bellarmin  from  writing  to  his  nephew,  a 
severe  letter  on  his  equivocal  experiment — "  a  letter  full 
of  reproaches,"  says  the  Jesuit  historian. 

The  reader  would  probably  like  to  know  the  number  of 
idolaters  converted  by  this  Roman  Brahmin.  It  is  stated 
to  be  *'  nearly  one  hundred  thousand."  He  died  at  the 
age  of  seventy-six,  "venerated  as  a  saint." 

Such  was  the  origin  of  the  famous  charge  brought 
against  the  Jesuits  with  regard  to  the  Malabar  rites  and 
ceremonies,  which  the  Jesuits  permitted  their  "  converts" 
to  retain.  Their  defence  must  be  quite  satisfactory  to 
Roman  Catholics  in  general ;  but  as  it  would  not  hold 
with  Protestants,  it  is  only  necessary  to  state  the  fact  as 
an  elucidation. 

De'  Nobili  had  worthy  imitators.  John  de  Britto 
walked  in  his  footsteps  and  with  the  like  success;  but  the 
fame  of  De'  Nobili  was  eclipsed  by  another  Jesuit,  Con- 
stant Beschi.  His  dress,  in  all  its  gorgeous  magnifi- 
cence, is  fully  described  by  the  Jesuit,  enhancing  that  of 
his  predecessor  by  the  pearls  or  red  stones  that  adorned 
his  ears  ;  he  wore  a  ring  composed  of  five  metals,  Turkish 
slippers  on  his  feet,  and  carried  a  long  cane.  He  sat  in 
a  palanquin  on  a  tiger-skin  remarkable  for  its  beauty. 
Two  men,  one  on  each  side,  shook  over  him  magnificent 
fans  of  peacock's  feathers  ;  they  carried  before  him  a  silk 
umbrella  tipped  with  a  golden  ball.  Such  was  the  great 
Viramamounis  mode  of  travelling.  If  he  ever  stopped 
in  any  place,  he  always  sat  on  a  tiger's  skin," 

Beschi  was  a  prodigy  of  learning.  Besides  Italian,  his 
mother-tongue,  he  had  mastered  Hebrew,  Greek,  Latin, 
Portuguese,   and  several  other  languages.     In  India  he 


352 


A   JESUIT    DEW  AN, 


learned  the  Sanscrit,  the  Telenga,  and  the  Tamul.  He 
read  all  the  works  of  the  native  poets,  and  composed,  in 
the  languages  which  he  had  acquired,  works  that  are  com- 
pared by  the  Jesuit  to  '*  a  mountain  of  gold,  which,  reflect- 
ing the  rays  of  the  sun,  scatter  afar  torrents  of  light." 

The  subjects  selected  by  Viramamouni — for  the  Jesuit 
still  gives  him  that  name — were  characteristic  of  Jesuit 
sagacity.  They  were  the  ''  Sufferings  of  Christ,"  the 
**  Virginity  of  Mary,"  the  "Immaculate  Conception,"  and 
the  "  Dolours  of  the  Vir2:in,"  &c. 

The  more  one  knows  of  Indian  superstitions,  the  more 
striking  will  this  sagacity  appear. 

He  required  "  five  scribes,  when  he  composed  ;  the  first 
wrote  the  first  part  of  the  quatrain,  the  second,  the 
second,  and  so  on ;  then  the  fifth  put  all  those  copies  in 
order.  One  would  not  have  sufficed  for  the  rapidity  of 
his  conception." 

He  required  to  have  an  audience  of  a  native  prince ; 
and  "  in  three  months  he  mastered  the  Persian  and 
Turkish  languages"  !  The  interview  was  successful.  The 
prince  was  charmed  by  his  genius  ;  gave  him  a  new  name, 
and  his  grandfather's  palanquin.  Nay  more,  like  the 
patron  of  Themistocles  of  old,  he  assigned  him  four  pro- 
vinces for  his  maintenance,  with  a  revenue  of  twelve  hun- 
dred  rupees  per  a?zm<m;  and  constituted  him  Deivan,  or 
prime  minister.  Then  he  might  be  seen  with  "  an  escort 
of  thirty  horsemen  on  every  occasion,  with  twelve  standard- 
bearers,  and  four  attendants  with  silver  staves.  He  was 
mounted  on  a  magnificent  white  horse,  or  a  black  one, 
richly  caparisoned.  Behind  him  went  a  trumpeter  on 
horseback  ;  a  camel  laden  with  enormous  cymbals  ;  an- 
other camel  carrying  a  huge  drum,  which  resounded  afar; 
on  another  were  the  ornaments  necessary  to  celebrate  the 


MYSTIFICATION.  353 


Mass ;  and  three  other  camels  carried  his  ba2-o^ao:e  and 


bo"*©^ 


tents." 


The  Jesuit  shall  comment  on  this  curious  picture  : — 
*'  This  oriental  picture  of  the  magnificence  of  Father 
Beschi  is  calculated  to  scandalise,  if  we  permit  ourselves 
to  catch  at  the  colouring  :  and  more  than  one  reader  has, 
perhaps,  already  exclaimed — Jesuita,  Jesuita^  Jesus  non 
ibat  ita  !  Still,  I  have  thought  proper  to  cite  it,  in  order  to 
make  known  the  appreciation  of  the  Indians,  and  not  the 
reality  ;  for  beneath  the  pencil  of  an  European  the  figures 
would  lose  vastly  of  their  brilliancy." 

I  confess  that  this  last  remark  totally  surpasses  my 
comprehension.  The  mystification  is  enhanced  by  the 
conclusion  of  the  chapter  which  describes  the  austere 
private  life  of  the  same  Brahmin,  as  if  it  were  not  "  part 
and  parcel"  of  his  assumed  professioii  as  Brahmin. 
Horace  boasts  of  his  cowardice  in  the  field  of  Philippi ; 
for  his  parmuld  none  hent  relicfd,  is  the  "  small  blame" 
that  strives  to  conciliate  a  gentle  judgment.  Does  this 
Jesuit  publish  these,  at  the  least,  equivocal  facts  with  the 
same  intention  ?* 

*  Cabours's  work  is  an  answer  to  that  of  Michelet,  On  the  Jesuits — 
which  last,  like  his  other  work,  On  the  Priest,  &c.,  evinces  more 
violent  rancour  than  knowledge  of  his  suhjects.  Cahours's  defence  is 
quite  as  inconsequent ^  but  better  written  ;  and  has  the  peculiar  merit  of 
damaging  the  cause  of  the  Jesuits  more  effectually  than  his  oppo- 
nent's perfectly  French  hallucination.  Cahours,  with  considerable 
simplicity,  says  that  he  thought  proper  to  adopt  the  same  size  in  his 
book  as  that  of  Messrs.  IMichelet  and  Quinet,  because  "his  brochure, 
serving  as  a  complement  to  theirs,  it  was  befitting  that  ihey  should 
both  be  bound  up  together" — in  other  words,  perhaps,  that  they  are 
"six  for  one,  half  a  dozen  for  the  other;"  an  estimate  in  which  I 
would  agree  as  to  the  mere  attack  and  defence — but  must  vastly  prefer 
the  Jesuit's  book,  for  the  instructive  reflections  that  it  suggested. 
Disgust  was  the  only  sentiment  produced  in  me  by  Michelet  in  both 
of  his  works  :  he  has  abused  a  serious  topic,  if  I  may  be  allowed 

A   A 


354  A   JESUIT    IS    A — JESUIT, 

Dismissing  this  topic,  I  may  state  that  other  Jesuits 
became  Pariahs,*  as  well  as  Brahmins,  and  with  the 
same  "  pious  intention  ;"  and  kennelled  with  the  outcasts 
of  men,  as  if  they  had  been  born  among  them  !  This 
astounding  fact  is  enhanced  in  import  by  another,  namely, 
that  the  men  who  thus  crushed  every  human  feeling  in 
their  determination  to  accomplish  the  dictates  of  the  will, 
•were  men  of  high  birth,  scions  of  noble  families  ! 

I  trust  that  the  reader  by  this  time  understands  what  I 
meant  by  the  phrase  that  a  Jesuit  is  a — Jesuit ! 

We  are  now  hurrying  to  the  crisis — the  penumbra  of 
fatal  eclipse  is  fringing  the  satellite  of  Rome.  The  cla- 
mours of  envy  or  the  scruples  of  pure  Christianity  roused 
the  Popedom  to  an  expedient  interference  in  these  equi- 
vocal means  of  the  Jesuits.  As  philosophers,  the  latter 
defended  their  scheme  of  Christianity ;  and  as  philosophers 
■we  are  compelled  to  give  them  the  victory  of  unlim.ited 
knowledge  of  the  character  and  institutions  of  the  pagans 
on  whom  thev  would  "insrraft"  the  reli2:ion  of  Rome. 
Based  on  this  undeniable  foundation,  they  were  more  than 
a  match  for  their  opponents — their  logic  should  have  been 
triumphant.  But  they  were  condemned  ;  and  they  made 
signs  of  resistance.  "  The  men  the  most  devoted  to  the 
authority  of  Rome  were  about  to  wage  against  it  a  war  for 
the  settlement  of  evangelical  duties  and  moral  principles. "f 
The  scene  is  shifted    to  the  Celestial  Empire ;    for   the 

the  opinion.  It  is  curious  that  the  Jesuit  proves  very/ satisfactorily, 
that  the  assertion  on  the  title-page  of  his  opponent's  book  about 
'*  editions"  is  all  "humbug."  It  seems  that  Cahours  kept  a  "sharp 
look-out:"  he  certainly  shows  that  the  book  was  not  reprinted,  or 
*'  set-np,"  for  the  subsequent  "  editions." 

*  Cretineau-Joly,  Hist,  de  la  Corap.  de  Jesu,  vol.  v.  p.  43,  quoting 
Perrin,  Voy.  dans  I'Indost.  Cretineau-Joly  is  a  friend  of  the  Jesuits, 
if  not  more — Stat  nominis  umbra  ? 

t  Cr6tineau-Joly,  ibid.  p.  50,  et  seq. 


A    JESUIT    MANDARIN.  355 

intellectual  Chinese  necessarily  sympathised  with  tlie 
Jesuits.  Their  influence  had  become  paramount  in  the 
land  of  Koiing-Fou-Tseu,  the  renowned  Confucilts. 

A  crowned  head  of  Europe  exulted  in  the  achievement :  a 
predecessor  of  Louis  Philippe — that  tinsel  of  history,  Louis 
XIV. — "  had  perceived  tlie  changes  that  such  a  state  of 
things  were  influencing  in  Europe ;  and  in  order  to  confirm 
to  France,  at  some  future  time,  the  plenitude  of  commerce  in 
those  empires,  he  strove  to  invest  the  Chinese  mission  with 
a  national  ratification.*"  Let  this  fact  be  remembered,  and 
referred  to  its  peculiar  section  of  this  essay  :  it  is  also  the 
key-note  of  what  is  to  follow  in  disgraceful  contrast — the 
kings  of  the  earth  were  never  remarkable  for  gratitude — 

Quicquid  delirant  reges  plectuntur  Aclnvi ! 

The  court  of  Peking  was  the  asylum  of  the  sons  of 
Ignatius  ;  the  emperor  showered  honours  on  the  men  of 
science;  Father  Dominic  Parrenin  was  made  a  Man- 
darin !  His  portrait  is  now  before  me,  and  well  he  looks 
the  character !  Nostri  harham  non  immitlant  is  glo- 
riously superseded,  and  the  Jesuit  Mandarin  sports  the 
honours  of  the  lip  and  a  luxuriant  beard  :  his  mandarin- 
cap  is  not  invisible.  Parrenin,  like  Schall,  another  Jesuit 
Mandarin,  performed  the  functions  of  Grand  Mandarin 
with  merited  applause  :  as  mediator  between  the  Russian 
and  Chinese  cabinets,  Peter  the  Great  forgot  the  Jesuit, 
and  lavished  honours,  on  the  statesman.  Bouvet,  an- 
other Jesuit,  and  "  Imperial  Geographer,"  vied  with  a 
third  Jesuit,  Father  Gaubil,  in  '*  rendering  science  the 
vehicle  to  the  good  graces  of  the  prince. "f  I  need  not 
say  that  the  good  of  religion  was  the  end  proposed. 

Benedict  XIV.  proscribed  the  expedient  connivance  of 
the  Jesuits  in  the  Malabar  rites  and  the  Chinese  cere- 

*  Cretiueau.  t  Ibid. 

A   A   2 


356  A    JESUIT    FOUNDRY. 

monies.  As  might  be  expected,  the  Jesuits  submitted  to 
the  mandate  which  "  cut  short  all  the  difficulties,  arid 
sacrificed  the  uncertain  to  the  certain, — the  hopes  of  the 
future  to  the  realities  of  the  present,"* 

Now  mark  the  consequence.  "  As  the  Jesuits  had 
foreseen,  their  deference  to  the  pontifical  judgment  was 
the  signal  of  the  fall  of  Christianity  on  the  banks  of  the 
Yellow  River  and  the  Ganges.  The  Missionaries  were 
imprisoned,  proscribed,  or  consigned  to  destruction. "f 
Perhaps  this  consequence  of  the  Pope's  expedient  mea- 
sure attests  the  extent  of  the  sacrifice  which  those  rites 
and  ceremonies  supposed  in  the  Christianity  of  the  Mis- 
sionaries, thus  *'  engrafted"  on  paganism  ;  if  not,  the 
papal  court  bore  the  penalty  awarded  to  those  whose 
first  and  last  desire  is  to  ''  save  appearances." 

The  Emperor  kept  his  Jesuits  however :  he  consented 
to  the  persecution  of  Christianity,  but  still  cherished  his 
astronomers  and  statesmen  :  they  were  useful. 

As  a  contrast — for  such  is  Jesuitism  throughout — the 
Jesuits   in    Abyssinia    were    persecuted    for    preaching 
against  the  rite  of  circumcision,    and   the    plurality   of 
wives  !     Take  another  case  :  the  Jesuit  Verbiest  accom- 
panied the  Chinese  army,   marching  to  reduce  a  rebel. 
Cannon  was  wanting  :  he  was  ordered  to  found  guns  of 
various   calibres.     He  replied   that    his    mission   v/as    to 
bring  down  the  blessings  of  Heaven  on  men,  not  to  furnish 
them  with  new  means  of  destruction.     Verbiest  was  sus- 
pected of  favouring  the  enemy  :  he  and  his  companions 
and  converts  were  threatened  with  persecution  :  he  yielded 
to  the  order ;  set  up  a  foundry  ;  directed  the  works  ;  the 
messengers  of  death  went  forth  ;   and  Kang  Hi  had  to 
thank  the  Jesuits  for  victory. | 

*  Cretineau,  Hist.  vol.  v,  p.  81,  et  seq.  t  Ibid. 

X  Cretineau. 


CURIOSITIES.  357 

Nevertheless  "  Christianity  was  expiring  in  China — it 
was  a  deadly  conflict.  Tiie  Jesuits,  in  order  to  preserve 
the  germ  of  the  Faith,  placed  it  under  the  safeguard  of 
the  Sciences. 

"  Honoured  with  the  imperial  favour  as  literary  men, 
execrated  as  Catholic  priests,  they  conformed  to  the  condi- 
tion traced  out  for  them  by  circumstances.  Father  De  Ven- 
tavon  resided  at  the  court  in  the  capacity  of  Mechanician 
to  the  Emperor:  the  brothers  Castiijlione  and  Attiret 
were  his  favourite  painters  :  Father  Hallerstein  presided 
over  the  tribunal  of  Mathematics.  Some  of  the  mission- 
aries made  clocks  with  moving  figures,  others  applied  to 
the  Fine  Arts,  or  the  mechanical  x\rts,  for  inventions  that 
might  be  worthy  to  please  Kian-Loung;  all  tortured  their 
wits  to  devise  some  means  of  avertino;  the  storm  that 
growled  over  the  heads  of  the  Christians.  Father  Michael 
Benoit  applied  the  principles  of  hydraulics.  Tlie  spurt- 
ing water,  whose  scientific  management  was  not  as  yet 
known  in  China,  excited  the  applause  of  the  Prince  and 
his  court.  He  desired  to  multiply  the  prodigy  in  his 
gardens.  Benoit  was  charged  with  the  direction  of  the 
works.  He  thus  gained  frequent  opportunities  of  seeing 
the  Emiperor,  in  order  to  overcome  his  prejudices  against 
the  Christians  and  Europeans.  Benoit  set  to  the  work  : 
he  did  more :  he  studied  the  art  of  engraving  in  copper- 
plate :  he  trained  artists,  and  produced  engravings.  He 
initiated  the  Emperor  in  the  use  of  the  telescope,  and  the 
mystery  of  the  air-pump."* 

Let  the  scene  be  shifted  once  more.  The  evening  is 
come :  night  will  soon  follow  ;  and  after  that  morning 
will  return. 

Pascal  and  Jansenism  must  have  a  place  in  every  his- 
*  Cretineau,  vol.  v.  p.  83. 


358  DECLINE. 

tory  of  tlie  Jesuits.  I  have  studied  the  quarrel,  and  have 
found  nothing  in  it  adapted  to  develope  the  object  of  this 
essay  ;  namely,  the  system  of  the  Jesuits.  The  Pro- 
vincial Letters  only  accelerated  events  which  the  Jesuits 
themselves,  unwittingly,  had  been  preparing  during  the 
course  of  the  preceding  century.  They  had  given  an 
impulse  to  the  age  by  their  universal  development  of 
education :  intellectuality  was  in  the  ascendant.  A 
similar  process  has,  in  the  present  age,  been  in  operation 
for  the  last  fifty  years  or  more.  The  idea  of  universal 
equality,  or  the  '*  levelling"  mania,  is  one  of  the  abuses 
of  intellect,  trained  without  the  moral  sentiments  being 
raised  to  pilot  the  adventurous  bark  on  the  trackless 
ocean  of  mind.  The  pursuit  of  knowledge,  after  the 
example,  or  under  the  sanction  of  the  great  educators, 
had  become  a  mania:  the  result  was  that  yearning  after 
change  which  flatters  the  heart  with  the  accomplishment 
of  every  desire.  At  the  present  day,  are  we  hurrying  to 
the  same  result? 

In  the  case  of  the  Jesuits,  novelty  had  lost  its  charm  ; 
Escobar,  Busembaura,  and  other  "  moralists"  of  the 
Society  had  been  made  to  cover  the  Jesuits  with  shame 
or  suspicion, — the  finger  of  scorn  was  raised  with  im- 
punity. Their  name  became  a  term  of  reproach  ;  every 
language  had  consecrated  it  to  fraud,  cunning,  and  du- 
plicity. It  is  hard  to  battle  against  ridicule  and  evil 
fame. 

Portugal  was  the  first  kingdom  in  which  the  influence 
of  the  Jesuits  became  paramount :  it  was  the  first  efifec- 
tually  to  strike  it  down.  If  Philippe  II.  humbled  Por- 
tugal by  the  aid  of  the  Jesuits,*  the  vengeance  of  Pombal 
was  a  fearful  retribution  —  such  as  may  be  ever  and 
*  Rabbe  et  Chatelain,  Hist,  de  Portug. 


PARAGUAY.  359 

anon  recognised  in  tlie  history  of  man,  ruled  by  Provi- 
dence. 

I  allude  to  the  affair  of  Paraguay.  In  modern  times 
Dr.  Francia  despotically  and  most  successfully  isolated 
the  people  who  inhabit  that  country,  or  a  contiguous  de- 
partment. The  Jesuits,  as  must  be  admitted,  blessed  the 
savages  with  the  usual  gifts  of  semi-civilization;  and 
governed  them,  or  enabled  them  to  govern  tliemselves  in 
tlie  midst  of  prosperity  resulting  from  order,  industry, 
and  the  nature  of  a  soil  that  may  be  said  to  dispense  with 
the  labour  of  man.  It  is  not  my  intention  to  depreciate 
the  exertions  of  the  Jesuits  in  ameliorating  the  condition 
of  the  savage.  I  have  only  endeavoured  to  give  an  idea 
of  the  reality  without  exciting  incredulity.  The  "  Utopia" 
of  the  Jesuits,  had  it  stood  the  test  of  time,  might  have 
become  a  model  government  for  tlie  world.  In  1753,  the 
kings  of  Spain  and  Portugal  made  an  exchange  of  pro- 
vinces in  South  America :  the  inhabitants  respectively 
v/ere  to  change  territories.  The  religious  subjects  of  the 
Jesuits  refused  to  obey.  I  applaud  the  conduct  of  these 
men,  if  they  thouglit  they  could  resist  v>'ith  effect;  for, 
unquestionably,  the  mandate  was  tyrannical.  On  the 
other  hand,  it  was  to  be  expected  that  the  "  mother 
country"  would  enforce  the  demand  ;  and  the  result  was 
the  destruction  of  this  Jesuit  republic.  The  Jesuits  deny 
that  they  aided  the  Indians  with  their  advice  and  martial 
science  ;  they  deny  that  they  stimulated  them  to  resist- 
ance ; — if  there  was  no  chance  of  success,  the  denial  is 
probably  correct. 

Pombal  followed  up  this  first  assault.     Strange!  that 
such  a  man  should  proclaim,  as  the  motive  of  his  persecu- 
tion of  the  Jesuits,  that  "  they  had  remained  less  faithful 
than  their  predecessors  to  the  principles  of  Ignatius  !"* 
*  Saint  Priest,  Fall  of  the  Jesuits. 


360  INDISCRETIONS. 

They  were  expelled  from  Portugal  and  its  dependencies. 
What  motive  liad  Pombal  for  the  expulsion  of  the  Jesuits? 
His  otiier  atrocities  furnish  a  clue  to  the  answer — doubt- 
less he  feared  their  influence,  which  he  either  knew  to 
exist  or  imagined  possible.  He  nevertheless  feared  tl^e 
Jesuits. 

In  1764,  the  sons  of  Ignatius  were  expelled  from  France. 
This  event  is  certainly  connected  with  an  offended  woman, 
Madame  de  Pompadour.  Her  confessor  De  Sacy,  a  Jesuit, 
refused  to  sanction  what  she  stvled  her  *'  purest  attachment 
for  theking."  The  reader,  who  is  aware  that  Father  Cotton 
another  Jesuit,  was  confessor  to  the  tender-hearted  Henry 
IV,,  and  who  has  probably  read  the  curious  Historieite 
of  Tallement  des  Reaux,  will  be  pleased  to  see  this  con- 
trast of  affairs.  The  lady  resolved  on  the  expulsion 
of  the  Order,  and  was  successful.  Previously  to  this, 
the  Society  had  become  the  laughing  stock  of  Paris  by 
the  credulity  of  Gerard,  one  of  the  body,  in  the  case  of  a 
misguided  woman  whose  ambition  was  to  rival  St.  Ca- 
tharine of  Sienna  with  her  Stigmrda  or  sympathetic 
wounds.*  Pamphlets,  songs,  logic,  and  sarcasm  swarmed 
like  a  nest  of  hornets — the  Jesuits  were  become  con- 
temptible. Voltaire,  D'Alembert,  the  "  philosophers" 
were  in  the  zenith  of  their  fame.  The  Jesuits  cannot 
speak  of  their  downfall  without  stigmatising  the  "  philo- 
sophers:"  for  my  part  I  am  incredulous  as  to  the  large 
share  assigned  to  these  men  in  the  expulsion  of  the  Jesuits. 
The  Jesuits  prepared  their  own  destruction  ;  they  have 
the  merit  of  having  ruined  themselves :  had  they  not 
grasped  too  much,  their  hands  might  have  remained 
moderately  full  to  the  present  time. 

The  affair  of  Lavalette  supervened ;  another  lever  of 
destruction.     This  Lavalette  was  the  Jesuit-procuratcr  of 
*  Cr^tiueau,  vol.  v.  p.  214. 


LAVALETTE.  361 

the  West  India  missions,  Jesuit  missionaries  in  South 
America  had  endeavoured  to  ameHorate  the  condition  of 
the  poor  African,  but  Lavalette  oumed  slaves  at  Dominica. 
An  epidemic  disease  broke  out  among  his  negroes,  and 
several  died.  In  addition  to  this  the  English  cruisers 
took  liis  freighted  ships — he  became  a  bankrupt  for  a 
large  sum,  which  the  Society  refused  to  pay.  This  was  a 
fatal  imprudence  in  the  Jesuits,  or  the  result  of  decep- 
tion ;  they  suffered  the  matter  to  go  before  the  French 
Parliament,  and  were  condemned  to  pay  the  full  amount 
of  the  debt. 

Louis  XV.,  "  wearied  out  rather  than  convinced," 
yielded  to  the  solicitations  of  Madame  de  Pompadour 
and  Choiseul,  his  minister ;  the  Jesuits  were  expelled. 

In  1767,  the  Jesuits  were  suddenly  and  unexpectedly 
driven  out  of  Spain  by  Charles  III.,  a  pious,  zealous, 
most  Catholic  sovereign,  if  history  is  to  be  credited.  This 
act  took  the  Jesuits  totally  to  windward  —  it  mystified 
even  the  Jesuits;  and  to  this  day  the  motives  that  dic- 
tated their  expulsion  from  Spain  remain  inexplicable,  if 
we  may  not  believe  the  exclamation  of  the  king,  alluding 
to  a  frivolous  revolt  some  time  before,  which  the  Jesuits 
suppressed  so  easily  that  they  were  suspected  of  having 
fomented  it!  The  king  is  said  to  have  declared  "that 
if  he  had  any  cause  for  self-reproach,  it  was  for  having 
been  too  lenient  to  so  dangerous  a  body;"  and  then, 
drawing    a    deep    sigh,    he  added,    "I    have  learned  to 

know  them  too  well  !"* 

I  pass  over  the  sufferings  of  the  Jesuits ;  their  utter 
dereliction  by  all  who  had  before  been  served  by  them, 
when,   on  the   same   day,    and    at   the    same   hour, — in 

*  Despatches  of  the  Marq.  of  Ossun  to  Choiseul,  quoted  bj  Saint 
Priest, — Fall  of  the  Jesuits. 


362  ATROCITIES. 

Spain,  in  the  north  and  south  of  Africa,  in  Asia  and 
America,  in  all  the  islands  of  the  Spanish  monarchy — 
the  alcades  of  the  towns  opened  the  despatches  which 
they  received  from  Madrid,  commanding  them,  under 
penalty  of  death,  to  enter  the  establishments  of  the 
Jesuits,  armed,  to  take  possession,  to  expel  the  Jesuits, 
and  transport  them,  within  twenty-four  hours,  as  prisoners 
to  such  port  as  Avas  mentioned.  The  latter  were  to  em- 
bark instantly,  leaving  their  papers  under  seal,  and 
carrying  away  with  them  only  a  breviary,  a  purse,  and 
some  apparel  !  "  Nearly  six  thousand  priests,  of  all 
ages  and  conditions — men  illustrious  by  birth  and  learn- 
ing— old  men  oppressed  with  infirmities,  despoiled  even 
of  the  most  indispensable  requisites — were  stowed  away 
in  the  hold  of  a  ship,  and  sent  adrift  upon  the  ocean, 
with  no  determinate  object,  and  without  any  fixed  direc- 
tion."* They  neared  the  coast  of  Italy ;  the  Pope 
refused  to  receive  them !  What  were  his  motives  for 
this  appr.rently  unchristian  act,  in  the  Father  of  the 
Faithful  ?  Perhaps  their  numbers  suggested  the  fear  of 
famine!  If  Ricci  tlieir  General,  as  is  alleged,  joined  in 
or  suggested  the  refusal,  it  was  a  sad  indiscretion  at  a 
time  when  the  reputation  of  the  Society  was  at  its 
lowest  ebb. 

The  Courts  of  France  and  Spain  now  determined  to 
effectuate  the  total  abolition  of  the  Society  of  Jesus,  by 
the  Pope  himself! 

After  long  and  tedious  negotiations  on  the  part  of  the 
respective  potentates,  nothing  was  done  in  the  matter : 
the  death  of  the  Pope  Clement  XIII.  raised  the  hopes  of 
those  princes  bent  on  the  destruction  of  the  Jesuits. 

*  Saint  Priest, 


THE    BRIEF    OF    SUPPRESSION.  363 

The  election  of  Clement  XIV.,  which  followed  in  due 
time,  was  effected  by  these  princes.  This  is  not  denied 
by  any  party.  The  princes  of  the  earth  placed  in  the 
papal  cliair  a  man  who  was  to  fulfil  a  written  promise  to 
suppress  the  Jesuits.  So  the  vicegerent  of  the  Redeemer 
— the  exponent  of  councils  over  which  the  Holy  Ghost 
presides — sold  himself  to  a  party,  and  the  price  was  the 
honour  of  the  pontificate  ! 

Ricci  was  the  last  General  of  the  Jesuits  before  tlie 
suppression.  If  the  accounts  respecting  the  doings  at 
Rome,  during  the  period  in  question,  be  correct,  that 
man  was  bitterly  humbled  by  his  former  friends;  still  he 
exerted  himself  to  his  utmost  in  endeavouring  to  avert 
the  ruin  of  his  Order :  but  failed.  Ganganelli  assumed 
the  tiara  ;  and  after  the  most  disgraceful  tergiversations, 
displaying  a  degree  of  weakness  that  would  cover  the 
pettiest  prince  of  Europe  with  scorn — the  Pope  of  Rome 
condemned  the  Jesuits — the  Pope  did  this — compelled  by 
the  kings  of  the  earth,  whom  his  predecessors  had 
trampled  to  tlie  dust !  Here  was  a  retribution  indeed  ! 
If  you  v/ould  have  your  contempt  for  the  papal  court, 
at  that  time  at  least,  raised  to  the  highest,  read 
the  brief  of  suppression,  and  see  how  it  sings  the 
song  of  expediency.  It  went  forth  on  the  21st  of  July, 
1773,  and  began  with  the  words:  "Our  Lord  and 
Redeemer"  ! 

Dread  must  have  been  the  anxietv  of  the  Jesuits  whilst 
that  conclave  was  preparing  their  destruction  !  If  the 
authorities  of  Count  Alexis  de  Saint  Priest  are  true — (he 
seems  to  be  an  impartial  historian)  the  last  struggles  of 
the  Jesuits  were  truly  systematic,  that  is,  in  accordance 
with  the  theory  by  these  pages  unfolded. 

Father   Delci   started   for    Leghorn,    with    the    trea- 
sures of  the   Order  —  intending    to   transport    them    to 


364  THE    LAST    GENERAL. 

England:*  but  the  energetic  Ricci — his  portrait   stands 
before  me — stopped  the  pusillanimous  flight. 

The  fortune  of  Cromwell  was  decided,  the  star  of  Na- 
poleon was  made  a  sun,  by  that  supernatural  boldness 
inspired  by  the  emergency  of  life  or  death  !  Ricci  put 
forth  his  character,  or  rose  with  the  occasion.  Anxious, 
disturbed,  he  was  seen  hurrying  from  place  to  place — "  one 
while  mingling  in  the  numerous  bodies  of  the  Guarda 
Nobile,  the  pompous  escort  of  the  dinners  of  the  cardi- 
nals, which  are  carried  through  the  city  in  rich  litters ;  at 
another  time  mixing  in  the  groups  of  the  grave  Traste- 
verini,  or  the  motley  crowds  of  cattle-drivers  and  peasants 
assembled  from  the  Sabine  territory,  Tivoli,  Albano,  and 
every  part  of  the  Pontine  marshes,  to  witness  the  grand 
ceremony.  At  daybreak  Ricci  was  on  foot,  traversing 
every  quarter  of  the  city  from  Ponte-Mola  to  the  Basilica 
of  the  Lateran.  The  Jesuits  de  consideration  (so  styled 
in  a  cotemporary  document)  imitating  the  example  of 
their  chief,  were  continually  engaged  in  paying  visits  to 
the  confessors  and  friends  of  the  cardinals  ;  whilst,  loaded 
with  presents,  they  humbled  themselves  at  the  feet  of  the 
Roman  princes  and  ladies  of  rank.  Nor  was  all  this 
attention  superfluous  :  the  current  of  public  favour  had 
already  been  diverted  from  the  Jesuits;    and,   amongst 

*  The  Jesuit  Bernard  Rhodes,  a  physician,  cured  the  Chinese  Em- 
peror Kang-hi.  The  monarch  gave  him  about  8000/.  in  gold.  This 
money  was  de])Osited  with  the  East  India  Company,  on  interest.  At 
the  suppression  of  the  Society,  the  Company,  like  all  the  Catholic 
powers,  confiscated  the  money,  applying  the  interest  to  the  hospitals. 
But  the  Jesuits  sent  a  deputy  from  India  to  represent  their  case  to  the 
Board.  They  were  kindly  received,  the  arrears  were  paid  up,  and  the 
interest  was  given  till  the  death  of  the  last  Jesuit  missionary.  In  1813 
the  Propaganda  transferred  this  money  from  the  Jesuits  to  the  Laza- 
rists  of  China.  The  generosity  and  honesty  of  the  Board  stands  in 
contrast  with  the  injustice  of  the  Propaganda.     Such  is  Rome  ! 


A    ROYAL    INSULT.  365 

Other  fatal  prognostics,  the  Prince  de  Piombino,  a  partisan 
of  Spain,  had  withdrawn  from  the  use  of  the  General  the 
carriage  which  his  family  had  for  more  than  a  century 
placed  at  his  disposal."  The  last  General  of  this  redoubt- 
able Society  threw  himself  at  the  feet  of  the  cardinals; 
and  in  tears,  *'  commended  to  their  protection  that  Society 
which  had  been  approved  by  so  many  pontiffs,  and  sanc- 
tioned by  a  general  council — the  Council  of  Trent :  he 
reminded  the  cardinals  of  his  services,  and  claimed  the 
merit  of  these,  without  casting  blame  upon  any  court  or 
cabinet.  Then,  in  an  under  tone,  and  in  the  freedom  of 
secret  conference,  he  represented  to  the  princes  of  the 
Church  the  indignity  of  the  yoke  which  these  courts  were 
attempting  to  impose  upon  them."*  But  the  honour  of 
the  Popedom  was  sold  and  bought  :  Judas,  the  Iscariof, 
with  the  price  of  blood  in  his  hands,  not  Peter  in  repent- 
ance, was  now  to  be  the  papal  model ! 

Joseph  II.  of  Austria  would  be  present  at  Rome  on 
that  pregnant  occasion.  On  this  straw  of  royalty  the 
Jesuits  fondly  relied:  he  stooped  to  insult  the  men  who 
could  not  resent  the  injury  !  He  paid  a  visit  to  the  Gran 
Gesit,  a  "  House"  of  the  order,  and  a  perfect  marvel  of 
magnificence  and  bad  taste.  The  General  approached 
the  Emperor,  prostrating  himself  before  him  with  pro- 
found humility.  Joseph,  without  giving  him  time  to 
speak,  asked  him  coldly  when  he  was  going  to  relinquish 
his  habit?  Ricci  turned  pale,  and  muttered  a  few  inar- 
ticulate words  :  he  confessed  that  the  times  were  very 
hard  for  his  brethren,  but  added  that  they  placed  their 
trust  i]i  God  and  in  the  holy  father,  whose  infallibility 
would  be  for  ever  compromised  if  he  destroyed  an  Order 
which  had  received  the  sanction  and  approval  of  his  pre- 
decessors.    The  emperor  smiled  and,  almost  at  the  same 

*  St.  Prieit. 


366  A  SUSPICION. 

moment,  fixing-  Iiis  eye  upon  the  tabernacle,  he  stopped 
before  the  statute  of  St.  Ignatius,  of  massive  silver,  and 
glittering'  with  precious  stones,  and  exclaimed  against  the 
prodigious  sum  whicli  it  must  Iiave  cost.  "  Sire,"  stam- 
mered the  fatlier-general,  "  this  statue  lias  been  erected 
with  the  money  of  the  friends  of  the  Society."  "  Say, 
rather,"  replies  Joseph,  "■  with  the  profits  of  the 
Indies  !"* 

Clement  XIV.  died.  Suspicious  symptoms  attended  his 
death  ;  he  was  probably  poisoned  :  but  I  can  find  no 
proof  that  the  Jesuits  promoted  the  crime,  though  such  is 
the  implied  accusation.  Nay,  Ricci,  the  General,  is  said 
to  have  visited  the  "  prophetess"  who  foretold  the  Pope's 
death  If 

What  motive  could  the  Jesuits  have  for  desiring  the 
Pope's  death  ?  I  discard  the  idea  of  mere  revenge, — but 
was  there  hope  in  the  probable  successor  ?  This  is  the 
most  dismal  page  of  their  history  ;  if  guilty  of  all  the 
alleged  crimes  and  misdemeanours,  they  became  doubly 
so  by  their  humiliations — such  is  the  world's  judgment. 

The  successor  of  Clement  XIV.  connived  at  the  dis- 
obedience of  the  Jesuits  in  not  being  abolished.  Frederick, 
the  king  of  Prussia,  gave  them  an  asylum,  and  they  were 
permitted  to  open  a  Novitiate  in  Russia  by  the  Empress 
Catharine,  and  by  the  ambiguous  will  of  the  Pope  who, 
like  his  predecessor,  feared  to  offend  the  crowned  heads, 
the  foes  of  the  Jesuits,  who  had  caused  their  sup- 
pression. 

In  1814,  Pius  VII.  restored  the  Jesuits  as  an  Order, 
by  a  Bull,  revoking  the  paltry  Brief  of  Clement  XIV. 
Why  was  Ricci,  the  ex-General  of  the  Jesuits,  detained 
in   prison  by  Clement  XIV  ?  .  .  .  .     Still,  as  might   be 

*  Saint  Priest,  Fall  of  the  Jesuits, 
t  St.  Priest. 


PRESENT    STATE.  367 

expected,   he  died  protesting  his  innocence,  and  that  of 
the  Society. 

If  my  inquiries  are  correct,  the  number  of  Jesuits  in 
all  parts  of  the  world  at  the  present  time,  cannot  be 
much  less  than  seven  thousand  of  all  ranks  in  the 
Society. 

In  the  province  of  Turin  the  number  of  the  Jesuits  in- 
creased between  the  1st  of  January,  1841,  and  the  1st  of 
January,  1845,  from  379  to  428.  They  have  in  Turin  a 
*'  noble  "  college,  another  college  and  a  penslonnat,  in- 
cluding 81  Jesuits;  a  professed  house  at  Genoa ;  novi- 
tiates at  Chiari  and  at  Cagliari ;  colleges  and  pensionnats 
at  Aosta,  Chambery,  Genoa,  Nice,  Novara,  Cagliari,  San 
Remo  and  Voghera.  Since  the  commencement  of  the 
year  1845,  a  new  college  has  been  opened  at  Massa. 

The  establishments  of  the  province  of  Spain  have  been 
disorganised  by  the  political  events  which  have  convulsed 
that  country.  In  1845,  there  were  113  Jesuits  dissemi- 
nated in  Spain,  particularly  in  the  dioceses  of  Toledo, 
Seville,  Pampeluna,  and  Valencia.  This  province  has  a 
*'  residence"  at  Nivelle  in  Belgium,  and  another  at  Aire, 
in  France ;  it  has  also  residences  in  South  America, 
namely,  in  Paraguay,  Uruguay,  La  Plata,  Brazil,  New 
Grenada  and  Chili.  Another  list  gives  536  Jesuits  in 
Spain.* 

At  the  commencement  of  1845,  the  province  of  Paris, 
which  includes  the  northern  part  of  France,  numbered 
420  Jesuits,  thus  giving  an  increase  of  129  from  the  year 
1841. 

The  province  of  Lyons  includes  the  southern   part  of 

France;  in  1841  it  contained  290  Jesuits,  in  1845,  446, 

— scattered  over  the  country, — at  Lyons,  Bordeaux,  Dole, 

Grenoble,  Marseilles,  Toulouse,  and  Avignon,  as  priests, 

*  Frankfort  Postamts  Zeilung. 


368  PRESENT    STATE. 

novices,  and  brothers.     The  Society  in  France  numbered 
872  Jesuits. 

As  the  colleges  are  not  open  to  them  in  France,  they 
have  founded  one  in  the  frontiers  of  the  kingdom,  at 
Brugelette,  in  Belgium.  The  French  province  has  still 
19  Jesuits,  employed  on  the  mission  in  Grenada,  and  8  in 
China :  it  also  possesses  in  North  America,  two  flourish- 
ing establishments,  containing  19  priests,  35  novices,  and 
11  brothers.  These  are  the  novitiate  of  St.  Mary,  and 
the  college  of  Louisville,  in  the  state  of  Kentucky. 

The  French  province  had  also  39  Jesuits  in  Africa, 
namely,  at  Algiers,  Oran,  and  Constantine;  also  22  mis- 
sionaries in  the  East  Indies — at  Trichinopoly,  in  the  pre- 
sidency of  Madras,  and  in  the  island  of  Madura ;  10  in 
Syria,  and  6  in  Madagascar. 

The  province  of  Belgium  is  one  of  the  most  flourishing 
at  the  present  time.  In  1841,  there  were  319  Jesuits  in 
that  province ;  there  are  now  472.  The  novitiate  of 
Tronchiennes  contains  129.  They  have  colleges  at  Alost, 
Antwerp,  Brussels,  Ghent,  Louvain,  Namur,  Liege,  &c.  : 
residences  at  Bruges,  Courtray,  and  Mons :  missions  at 
Amsterdam,  the  Hague,  Nimeguen,  Dusseldorf,  and  in 
Guematala,  in  America. 

The  province  of  Germany  includes  Switzerland,  which 
contained  245  Jesuits  in  1841,  and  273  in  1844. 

There  are  88  *'  houses"  in  Germany,  containing  1000 
Jesuits,  of  whom  400  are  priests. 

In  Columbia,  Maryland,  Massachusetts,  and  Pennsyl- 
vania, the  Jesuits  have  found  a  footing, — and  "  go  ahead" 
in  "  the  land  of  the  Free  and  the  Brave,"  as  gaily  as  all 
other  speculators. 

In  England  they  have  thirty-three  establishments,  or 
houses,  colleges,  residences,  and  single  missions.  Of 
course,  Slonyhurst,   in  Lancashire,  is  the  principal  estab- 


PRESENT    STATE.  369 

lishment ;   and  it  is  stated  to  contain,  at  the  present  time, 
twenty  priests,  twenty-six  novices,  and  fourteen  brothers. 

Such  is  an  abstract  of  the  numerical  force  of  the  Jesuits 
at  the  present  time."  I  am  unable  to  vouch  for  the  accu- 
racy of  these  numbers  :  it  is  difficult  to  coip.e  at  correct 
Jesuit  statistics. 

Of  the  seven  hundred  and  seventy-six  priests  in  Great 
Britain,  the  Jesuits  alone  can  say  how  many  are  enlisted 
under  the  banner  of  Ignatius,  unless  this  knowledge  is 
shared  by  the  "  Vicars  Apostolic"  of  the  various  districts 
in  which  they  are  privileged  to  move  unmolested.  They 
are  muffled  in  England  :  it  is  difficult  to  distinguish  them  ; 
and  they  endeavour  to  keep  up  the  mystery — omne  igno- 
tum  pro  magnifico.  They  have  established  a  "  Classical 
and  Commercial  Academy,"  at  Mount  St.  Mary's,  near 
Chesterfield  ;  and  the  prospectus  of  the  establishment, 
after  describing  the  suit  of  clothes  that  the  pupils  are  to 
bring,  not  forgetting  the  ominous  "  Oxford  mixture"! — 
simply  informs  the  v/orld  that  "  the  college  is  conducted 
by  gentlemen  connected  with  the  college  of  Stonyhurst.'* 
These  "gentlemen"  are  generally  sent  out  in  pairs,  hy 
the  Provincial,  according  to  the  Constitutions  ;  and  thus 
may  charm  by  variety  ;  for  the  quantity  of  work  on  hand 
in  the  various  Jesuit  missions  in  England  is  by  no  means 
so  evident  as  the  speculation  for  more,  by  this  constitu- 
tional provision.  The  secular  priests  are  doubled  and 
tripled  by  the  necessities  of  the  mission  ;  the  Jesuits  are 


*  The /(7j-mai  restoration  of  the  Society  by  Pius  VII.,  in  1814,  is 
too  unimportant  to  deserve  a  notice  in  the  text.  Its  suppression  only- 
inconvenienced  the  Jesuits  for  a  time  :  their  energies  were  condensed, 
— the  pressure  was  taken  off  in  1814 — and  vast  was  the  expunsio)t 
thereof!     In  Italy  alone  there  are  4000  Jesuits,  in  150  houses. 

f  Cath.  Direct,  p.  126 — "  trousers  of  Oxford  mixture."* 

B    B 


370  PRESENT    STATE. 

doubled,  tripled,  and  quadrupled,   by  the  requirement  of 
the  Constitutions,  and  the  prospects  before  them. 

The  Jesuits  in  England  dress  as  any  clergyman,  or  any 
gentleman  :  by  their  outward  man  you  cannot  tell  them. 
Strange  notions  are  afloat  respecting  these  men.  I  have 
been  asked  if  I  do  not  think  that  there  are  Jesuits 
incognito  in  the  University  of  Oxford  ;  and,  stranger  still, 
if  I  do  not  believe  Dr.  Pusey  to  be  a  veritable  Jesuit  I 
These  questions  I  cannot  undertake  to  answer.  Such  a 
speculation  would  indeed  be  a  bold  one,  even  in  the 
Jesuits :  but  then,  consider  De'  Nobili,  Beschi,  &c.  ; 
surely,  if  a  Jesuit  may  assume  the  Brahmin  and  Pariah, 
in  order  to  "  ingraft  Christianity  on  Paganism,"  he  may 
assume  the  Protestant,  in  order  to  ingraft  Romanism 
on  Protestantism,  firmly  convinced  of  Lucian's  axiom, 
namely,  that  "a  beginning  is  the  half  of  everything."* 
This  is  arguing  from  the  past  to  the  present — nothing 
more.     I  do  not  emit  an  opinion  on  the  subject. 

Again  have  I  been  asked,  by  what  sign  can  one  dis- 
tinguish a  Jesuit  ?  Perhaps  the  sign  whereby  you  may 
know  the  Jesuits,  is  their  being  better  housed,  better 
clothed,  and  better  fed  than  most  other  Roman  Catholic 
priests.  This  sign  is,  of  course,  equivocal:  hut  the  fact 
is  undeniable  :  the  "  missionary  funds"  of  the  Jesuits  are 
liberally  applied — "  they  give  freely  what  they  have  freely 
received."  In  other  respects  the  Jesuits  show  themselves 
by  "results."  They  dare  not  interfere  openly  in  "  mis- 
sions" pre-occupied  by  the  secular  clergy  ;  but  they  are 
independent  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Bishops,  except  for 
ordination,  which  is  a  matter  of  course.  Still,  perhaps  I 
am  justified  in  believing  that  their  movements  in  London 
are  considered  by  many  of  the  orthodox  as  rather  strong, 
somewhat  encroaching. 

*  'Ap%?)  i'lfxicrv  navTog. 


PRESENT    STATE.  371 

From  the  Catliolic  Directory,  it  appears  that  tl^ere  are 
at  least  twelve  Jesuit  priests  at  Stonyhurst — eleven  by 
the  list;  but  I  have  added  one  for  "  the  Master  of  the 
novices,"  whose  name  is  never  given,  I  believe,  in  the  list 
of  the  clergy. 

Of  the  Jesuits  in  Scotland  I  can  give  no  account. 
That  a  "  Mission"  of  the  Society  formerly  existed  there, 
is  certain ;  in  fact,  the  copy  of  the  Constitutions  in  my 
possession  belonged  to  that  mission,  as  is  evident  from  a 
written  inscription  on  the  title-page,  as  follows  : — Mis- 
sionis  ScoticcB  Soc.  Jesu.  The  Jesuits  are  not  the  men  to 
forget  their  hiding-places.  If  their  "  doings"  in  London 
are  "  for  a  sign"  as  to  other  localities,  they  are  not  idle. 
Seven  years  ago,  at  the  time  of  my  secession,  there  were 
only  two  Jesuits  in  London;  there  are  now  four  in  one 
"residence;"  and  if  the  current  report  among  Roman 
Catholics  in  London  be  correct,  there  will  soon  be  twelve 
Jesuits  in  London,  to  "  serve"  their  great  church  now 
building  in  the  heart  of  the  metropolis  !  f  Crescit  occulta 
velut  arbor  (zvo. 

A  bill  is  now  before  Parliament,  one  of  whose  clauses, 
it  is  said,  is  intended  to  free  the  Jesuits  from  the  odious 
verbal  proscription  to  which  I  have  before  alluded.* 
When  the  discussion  comes  on,  their  friends  v/ill  say 
that  the  Jesuits  are  proscribed  for  being  pious,  religious 
men,  wishing  to  serve  God  according  to  His  counsels; 
and  those  who  have  studied  their  Institute  and  history, 
will  reply,  that  the  Jesuits  are  proscribed  lest  they  do 
as  they  have  invariably  done  in  every  region  of  the  globe ; 
and  will  perhaps  suggest  this  remark,  namely,  tliat  if  we 
must  fight  the  battle  of  politics  and  diplomacy,  let  it  be 
fought  fairly  ;  but  your  Jesuits,  who  have  always  had  a 

*  In  Farm-street,  Berkeley-square.     See  p.  34,  Novitiate, 
t  Page  32, 


372  MOPiXING    RETURNS. 

peculiar  fancy  for  finance,  cliplomac\%  and  the  affairs  of 
the  g-rcat  in  general,  will  always  have  an  advantage,  a 
small,  trifling  advantage  over  other  candidates,  since  they 
can  know  more  than  comes  to  their  ears  as  *'  private  indi- 
viduals." 

A  cunning  minister  would  certainly  shake  hands  with 
the  Jesuits — because  such  a  man  is  apt  to  overreach  him- 
self; an  honest,  prudent  Minister  v.ould,  in  the  present 
state  of  all  parties,  take  time  and  consider  the  matter 
and  the  men,  and  would  perhaps  die  undecided  what  to 
do — so  hard  is  all  Jesuit  matter  to  understand  in  all  its 
bearings;  but  your  slashing,  keep-pace-with-the-times 
Minister  would  use  Jesuits  to  serve  his  purposes,  and  then 
sacrifice  them,  as  every  other  friend  or  foe,  to  expediency 
• — if  the  Jesuits  would  be  simple  enough  to  be  caught  a 
second  time — which  is  quite  j^ossible, — for  it  is  astonish- 
ing how  a  little  sunshine,  after  dull  v.eather,  deceives  the 
ants,  bees,  ground-vi^orms,  all  the  natural  barometers  of 
earth  ! 

The  English  province  has  twenty  missionaries  at  Calcutta, 
and  a  "  liouse,"  or  residence,  in  Jamaica.  It  is  asserted, 
that  the  English  Government  is  even  assisting  the  Jesuits, 
at  the  present  time,  to  found  a  new  college,  especially 
destined  for  China.  Assuredly  England  is  making  ample 
amends  for  lier  ancient  persecutions  of  the  Catholics  and 
Jesuits,  as  well  as  for  her  part  in  the  nefarious  slave- 
trade  I  But  as  Divine  Providence  weighs  ynotives,  not 
actions,  time  only  will  unravel  the  mystery.  The  Jesuits 
will  serve  their  patrons,  and  they  will  serve  themselves, 
and  the  history  to  come,  like  all  history,  will  have  many 
points  of  resemblance  to  that  of  the  past. 

The  vice-province  of  Ireland  numbered  sixty-three 
Jesuits  in  1841,  and  seventy-three  in  1844.  They  pos- 
sess, in  Ireland,  the  colleges  of  Clongowes,  Tollabey,  and 


WARNINGS.  373 

Dublin.  They  have  recently  established  a  second  ^'  house" 
in  the  last  mentioned  citv. 

From  France  the  Society  has  been  expelled ;  but  the 
Jesuits  may  remain  ;  the  Government  has  given  them  the 
earnest  of  success  in  this  mystification;  they  may  work 
unseen,  unknown,  unsuspected — as  a  hidden  disease,  or 
the  mine  of  the  enemy,  sprung  in  the  midnight-watch, 

Europe,  Asia,  Africa,  America,  and  the  Isles  of  tlie  sea 
are  mapped  for  Jesuit  navigation — hope  sits  at  the  helm, 
but  they  cannot  rule  the  elements.  Their  day  is  passed 
— they  can  interfere  in  the  concerns  of  the  world,  but 
can  never  more  rule  kingdoms  by  conscience.  The  reign 
of  the  latter  is  also  passed — commerce  is  the  prime-mover 
of  the  age  ;  and  its  *'  balance-sheet"  is  uncompromising, 
omnipotent.  May  not  the  Jesuits  direct  their  attention 
to  that  quarter  ?  They  are  quite  competent  to  the  task. 
We  shall  see. 

My  task  is  accomplished.  Are  the  Jesuits,  is  the  Society 
of  Jesus  to  be  iudo-ed  bv  the  facts  of  its  history  only — 
"whether  good,  bad,  or  indifferent?  I  think  not.  It  has 
been  my  endeavour  to  lead  to  the  contrary  conclusion.  In 
its  perfectly  organised  system,  its  pov»'er  of  mind,  its  isola- 
tion, we  must  seek  to  find  its  tendency.  This  will  be 
satisfactory,  if  the  reader  is  a  Roman  Catholic  in  heart 
and  mind ;  for  the  Jesuits  are  most  assuredly  working  for 
the  universality  of  the  Church  of  Rome.  They  are,  con- 
sequently, the  sworn  foes  of  Protestantism  in  all  its 
phases.  The  preceding  pages  v/ill  have  attested  the 
enemy's  power ;  and  should  be  well  computed  by  those 
who  are  concerned  in  the  momentous  conflict. 

On  the  other  hand,  I  have  endeavoured  to  suggest  a 
■warning  to  the  Jesuits.  The  end  can  never  justify  the 
means — even  if  we  admit  the  former  to  be  indifferent  or 
even  good.     The  human  heart,  with  its  fond  deceptions. 


374  FAITH,    HOPE,    AND    CHARITY. 

will  for  a  time  have  cause  for  exultation  in  seeing  all  its 
schemes  successful :  then  it  will  yearn  for  more :  zeal 
will  have  all  the  restlessness  of  ambition  without  its  hon- 
esty— and  then  the  pit  will  be  dug — deep  as  the  human 
heart  itself — as  devouring  as  death  ! 

Beautiful  image,  entrancing  reality  of  the  Redeemer's 
religion  !  When  shall  it  bless  mankind  with  all  its  hea- 
venly gifts  !  Its  never-ceasing  faith,  hope,  and  charity — 
love  that  strives  to  find  and  succeeds  in  finding  motives 
to  love  on,  in  all  that  is  man,  in  all  that  is  created — and 
rises,  from  every  contemplation,  with  renewed  benevolence 
that  prompts  the  heart  to  attest  its  faith,  hope,  and  charity 
by  deeds,  such  as  a  God  vouchsafed  to  model  for  the  imi- 
tation of  his  creature.  How  simple,  and  yet  how  sub- 
lime I  The  parching  blast  of  exclusive  opinions  dries  up 
the  heart;  but  the  gentle  glow  of  charity  makes  it  the 
centre  whence  a  thousand  rays  shall  diverge,  and  move  on 
for  ever — refracted  or  reflected — but  still  indestructible, 
and  never  ceasing  to  fulfil  their  destiny — good  to  all  whom 
the  God  of  all  wills  us  to  cherish  as  friends,  as  brothers ! 


APPENDIX. 


Note  A.  p.  61. 

The  great  storehouse  of  the  praises  of  Mary  is  a  comparatively 
modern  work,  entitled  the  '  Glories  of  Mary,'  by  Alphonsus 
Liguori,  who  died  in  the  year  1787.  He  wrote  in  Italian,  but  his 
book  has  been  recently  translated  by  "  a  Catholic  Clergyman. '^ 

Le  'Soulas  du  Pecheur'  was  famous  enough  :  but  the  *  Glories 
of  Mary'  by  Liguori,  since  canonised,  have  far  outshone  all  pre- 
vious coruscations  of  similar  fires.  Liguori  has  collected  every 
eulogium  from  previous  writers,  and  has  surpassed  them  in  the 
extravagance  of  his  pregnant  fancy.     A  few  extracts  may  be  in- 


teresting. 


"  But,"  says  St.  Bernard,  "how  can  you,  O  Mary!  refuse  to 
relieve  the  miserable,  since  you  are  the  queen  of  mercy  ?  And 
who  but  the  miserable  are  the  subjects  of  mercy?  You  are  the 
queen  of  mercy,  and  I  a  sinner  the  most  miserable  of  all ;  since, 
then,  I  am  the  greatest  of  your  subjects,  you  should  take  more 
care  of  me  than  of  all  others.  Have  pity  then  on  us,  O  Queen  of 
Mercy,  and  watch  over  our  salvation.  Do  not  tell  us,  O  sacred 
virgin,  that  thou  canst  not  assist  us  on  account  of  the  multitude  of 
our  sins  ;  for  thy  power  and  clemency  are  so  great  that  no  num- 
ber of  sins  can  overcome  them."  Thou  hast  insuperable  strength, 
lest  the  multitude  of  sins  should  overcome  thy  clemency.  No- 
thing resists  thy  power,  for  the  Creator  esteems  thy  glory  as  his 
own.     Nothing  resists  thy  power,  since  thy  Creator  and  the  Creator 


376  APPENDIX. 

of  all,  honouring  tliee,  who  art  his  mother,  regards  thy  glory  as 
his  own.  And,"  adds  the  saint,  "the  son  exulting  in  her,  as  it  were 
paying  his  debt,  fulfils  thy  petitions."  He  meant  to  say,  that 
though  Mary  owes  an  infinite  obligation  to  her  Son  for  havino- 
destined  her  for  his  mother,  still  it  cannot  be  denied  that  the  Son 
is  under  an  obligation  to  this  mother  for  having  given  him  his 
human  existence.  Hence,  as  if  to  repay  what  he  owes  to  Mary, 
Jesus,  for  his  own  glory,  honours  her  in  a  special  manner,  by 
always  hearing  all  her  prayers.  How  great  then  should  be  our 
confidence  in  this  queen  whom  we  know  to  be  so  powerful  before 
God,  and  at  the  same  time  so  rich  in  mercy  that  there  is  no  one 
living  on  this  earth  who  does  not  partake  of  the  clemency  and 
favours  of  Mary. 

The  Blessed  Virgin  herself  said  to  St.  Bridget :  "  I  am  the 
queen  of  Heaven,  and  the  mother  of  mercy;  I  am  the  joy  of  the 
just,  and  the  door  by  which  sinners  are  introduced  to  God; 
neither  is  there  on  earth  a  sinner  so  accursed  as  to  be  deprived  of 
my  mercy.  For  every  one,  if  he  obtains  nothing  else  through  my 
intercession,  at  least  receives  the  grace  to  be  less  templed  by  the 
devils  than  he  would  otherwise  be." 

Mary  is  "  a  worthy  mediatrix  between  men  and  God" — propterea 
Deum  inter  et  homines  mediatrix  intercedens,  according  to  St. 
Basil.  Liguori  expands  with  the  theme,  and  handles  his  logic 
like  a  Thomas  Aquinas  in  proving  the  "  attributes"  of  Mary  : 

"Mary,  then,  was  the  mediatrix  of  all  men  :  but  how,  some 
one  may  ask,  was  she  mediatrix  of  the  angels  ?  Many  theologians 
are  of  opinion  that  Jesus  Christ  merited  grace  even  for  the  angels : 
then,  as  Jesus  Christ  was  their  mediator  o'e  condigno,  so  Mary  was 
their  mediatrix  de  corigruoy  inasmuch  as  by  her  prayers  through 
the  merits  of  the  Redeemer  to  come,  she  accelerated  his  comin"-. 
At  least,  by  meriting  de  congruo  to  be  made  the  mother  of  the  Re- 
deemer, she  merited  for  tiie  angels  the  reparation  of  the  angelic 
thrones,  lost  by  the  devils.  She  has  therefore  merited  for  them 
this  accidental  glory."  "By  or  through  Mary,"  says  Richard  of 
St.  Victor,  "  the  ruin  of  the  angels  is  repaired,  and  the  human 
race  reconciled."  And  long  before,  St.  Auiselm  said:  "All 
things  by  this  virgin — per  banc  virginem — have  been  restored  and 
reinstated  in  their  first  state— in  sta-tura  pristinum." 


APPENDIX.  377 

It  is  difficult  to  find  one's  way  through  this  logic  :  but  Liguori 
is  quite  at  home  in  the  labyrinth — he  has  found  the  object  of  his 
search — the  "divinity"  of  his  pious  imagining.     He  proceeds  : 

"  It  is  not  a  mere  opinion,"  says  Father  la  Colombiere  (a 
Jesuit),  "it  is  the  opinion  of  the  whole  world,  that  when  Mary 
received  the  gift  of  sanctifying  grace  in  the  womb  of  St.  Anne, 
she  at  the  same  time  received  the  perfect  use  of  reason,  along  with 
a  great  liglit  from  God,  corresponding  to  the  grace  which  had 
been  bestowed  upon  her.         *         *         *         « 

"  Hence,  from  thej^r^^  moment  of  her  existence,  Mary,  grateful 
to  her  God,  began  to  do  all  that  was  in  her  power,  vegwiating 
faitlifuUij  with  the  capital  of  grace  which  had  been  conferred  upon 
her,  and  employing  all  her  faculties  to  please  and  love  the  Divine 
goodness.  From  that  moment  she  loved  God  with  all  her 
strength,  and  thus  continued  to  love  him  during  the  nine  months 
she  spent  in  her  mother's  womb,  and  never  ceased  for  a  moment 
to  unite  herself  always  more  intimately  with  God,  by  fervent  acts 
of  love.  She  was  free  from  original  stain,  and  was  therefore 
exempt  from  every  earthly  attachment,  from  every  irregular 
motion,  from  every  distraction,  &:c.  &c.  Hence,  she  has  called 
herself  the  plane-tree,  planted  near  the  running  waters  ;  "  As  a 
plane-tree  by  the  water  .  .  .  was  I  exalted."  Fccles.  xxiv.  19  : 
for  she  was  that  noble  plant  of  the  Lord,  that  always  grew  beside 
the  current  of  the  divine  graces.  Hence  she  has  called  herself 
a  vine  :  "  As  the  vine  I  have  brought  forth  a  pleasant  odour." — 
Eccles.  xxiv.  23. 

Does  Liguori  mean  that  Marx/  inspired  the  sacred  penman 
when  he  wrote  those  words  ?  Is  this  tiie  result  of  the  attribute 
given  in  the  Litany  to  Mary  as  "  Queen  of  the  Prophets  ?" 

Adopting  the  theory  of  "  several  respectable  tlieologians"  with 
regard  to  the  geometrical  progression  of  grace  by  every  merito- 
rious'action,  Liguori  thus  makes  his  calculation  :  "  If,  in  the  first 
instant,  Jiary  had  received  a  thousand  degrees  of  grace,  in  the 
second  she  had  two  thousand;  in  the  third,  four  thousand;  in 
the  fifth,  sixteen  thousand;  in  the  sixth,  thirty-two  thousand. 
We  are  now  at  the  sixth  instant :  but  when  the  degrees  of 
grace  are  thus  multiplied  for  an  entire  day,  and^tir  nine  months 
[the  time  before  her  birth]  consider  the  treasures  of  grace,  of 


378  APPENDIX. 

merit,  and  of  sanctity,  which  Mary  brought  into  the  world  at  her 
birth!"         *         *         *         * 

*  "  Some  saints,"  adds  the  angelic  doctor,  "  have  grace  sufficient 
to  save  not  only  themselves  but  many  others.  To  Jesus  Christ 
alone,  and  to  Mary,  was  given  grace  sufficient  for  the  salvation  of 
all  men  :  Sed,  writes  the  saint,  quando  quis  haberet  tantum  quod 
sufficeret  ad  salutem  omnium,  hoc  esset  maximum,  et  hoc  fuit  in 
Christo  et  beata  Virgine.  Thus,  what  St.  John  said  of  Jesus, 
*'of  his  fulness  we  have  all  received" — the  saints  say,  in  a  certain 
sense,  of  Mary.  St.  Thomas  of  Villanova  calls  her,  "full  of 
grace,  of  whose  fulness  we  all  receive.'" 

We  are  reminded  that  "  we  receive  grace  from  Jesus  as  from 
the  author  of  grace,  from  Mary  as  a  mediatrix'';  and  then  Ber- 
nard, the  seraph  of  hagiology,  bursts  upon  us  with  the  inspiration 
that  totally  confounds  our  orthodox  distinction  :  "  Consider,' 
says  he,  "  with  what  tender  devotion  God  wishes  that  we  honour 
this  great  Virgin,  in  whom  he  has  placed  the  treasure  of  his  gifts, 
that  for  whatever  hope  or  grace  or  salvation  we  receive  from  him, 
we  may  thank  this  most  amiable  queen,  because  all  comes  to  us 
from  her  hand,  and  through  her  intercession.^' — Serm.  de  Aqsed. 


Note  B.  p.  62. 

The  name  "philosopher''  is  of  Greek  origin,  and  signifies  "a 
lover  of  wisdom" — an  appellation  modestly  assumed  by  the  wise 
men  of  old,  objecting  to  the  implied  arrogance  of  the  namesop^oi 
or  "  the  wise."  1  need  not  explain  the  derivation  of  the  word 
Jeauit.  "  It  is  believed,"  says  Bouhours,  the  Jesuit,  "  that  God 
revealed  to  Ignatius  the  name  of  the  Society,  in  the  meditation 
of  the  Two  Standards,  wherein  he  was  shown  the  first  features 
and  general  plan  of  his  Order,  in  a  martial  metaphor." 


APPENDIX. 

Note  C.  p.  87. 
ODE  COMPOSED  IN  THE  NOVITIATE. 

A     LA    GRIVE. 

Belle  Grive  du  Printems  ! 
D'ou  viens  lu,  ma  chere  si  tot? 
C'est  peut-etre  les  hauts  vtnts 
Qui  t'ont  cliassee  sur  les  eaux — 
Pour  benir  notre  Dieu 
Qui,  de  Thiver  fait  renaitre, 
1^      Le  Printems,  douce  saison  ! 
Quand  torrent  de  chaque  creux 
Va  riviere  pour  repaitre  : 
Bref !   voila,  sur  vieux  gazou 
Laboureur  prepare  cbarrue, 
Attendant  la  pluie  des  cieux 
Douce,  bruinant  a  gouttes  menues. 
Beau  Soleil  et  belle  Lune  ! 
Deja  commence  le  crepuscule — 
La  montagne  deja  est  brune, 
Car  les  ombres  se  reculent. 
Les  oiseaux  font  tous  leurs  nids, 
Ou  de  paille  ou  d'autre  chose — 
C'est  qu'ils  pensent  a  leurs  petits, 
Comme  les  boutons  a  leurs  roses. 
Le  vieillard  a  cheveux  blancs, 
Et  la  vieille  dans  la  cbaumiere, 
'A  genou  au  Tout-puissant, 
Le  supplient  en  humbles  prieres. 
Le  gar9on,  la  jeune  fille, — 

ous  iuvoquent  une  belle  vendange. 
Tous  se  batent  denotement 
'A  I'autel  de  la  Vierge  : 
Disent  leurs  prieres,  font  leurs  offrandes, 
Chacun,  de  fieurs,  ou  bien  de  cierges, 
Pour  benir  leurs  demandes. 
C'est  alors  que  Ton  entend 
Sur  le  saule  ou  chene  grand, 
Belle  Grive  du  Printems  ! 
De  ton  gozier  liquide 


379 


380 


APPENDIX. 


Suavites  et  delices 

Sans  cesse  decouler  ! 

Tu  te  vois  a  I'onde  limpide 

Quand  tes  ailes  lu-liaut  glisseut 

Pour  te  voir  voltiger  ! 

Alors  c'est  toi  qui  nous  inspire 

Des  doux  timbres  de  ta  lyre ! 

Viens,  ma  belle  !  aide-moi, — 

Cbautons  Dieu,  d'une  voix — 

A  jamais  beni  soit ! 


PALINODE   OF   THE    RETREAT. 

TO    MAGDALEN. 
I. 

"Wbat  tbougb  the  rose  at  noon  shall  fade. 
And  droop  its  panting  breast  to  die'? 

By  one  sweet  drop  of  dew  array'd 
'T  will  cheer  again  the  evening  sky. 

n. 

"Wliat  though  the  stream  by  summer  sun 
Be  parched  with  cruel  thirst  and  dry  1 

One  little  shower  will  bid  it  run 
And  sing  again  its  lullaby. 

III. 

What  though  thy  heart,  poor  IMagdalen  ! 

Was  sear'd,  and  wither'd,  and  forlorn? 
Thy  God  did  make  it  bloom  again, 

Fresh  as  the  virgin-dew  of  morn. 

IV. 

Bedash'd  with  Heav'n's  grace,  thy  soul 
Did  overflow  with  endless  love — 

Then  bless  the  sin  which,  though  so  foul. 
Such  tears  of  blissful  grief  could  move  ! 


Printea  bv  Stewart  and  Murray,  Old  Bailey. 


January,  1845. 

A 


OF 


INTERESTING    WORKS, 

IN  THE  PRESS  OR  RECENTLY  PUBLISHED  BY 

SMITH,     ELDER    AND    CO. 

^b,  CORNHILL,  LONDON. 


3Pi*epanncj;  for  publication. 

— ^m^ — 
OBSEEVATIONS  IN  THE   SOUTHEEN  HEMISPHEEE, 

MADE    DURING    A    RECENT    RESIDENCE    AT 

THE  CAPE  OF  GOOD  HOPE. 

By  SIR  JOHN  HERSCHEL,  Bart.,  F.R.S.,  &c. 
To  be  Illustrated  by  numerous  Plates. 

JUST    PUBLISHED, 

In  One  Volume,  post  8vo.,  cloth. 

THE  DUTIES  OF  JUDGE  ADVOCATES. 

Compiled  from  Her  Majesty's  and  the  Hon.  East  India  Company's  Military  Regulations, 
and  from  the  works  of  various  writers  on  Military  Law. 

By  CAPTAIN  R.  M.  HUGHES, 

12th  regt.  B.  N.  I.,  Deputy  Judge  Advocate  General,  Scinde  Field  Force. 

JUST    PUBLISHED, 

In  One  Volume,  post  8vo.,  price  10s.  6d.,  cloth,  with  a  Portrait  of  Author, 

CHEISTMAS  FESTIVITIES :  TALES,  SKETCHES,  AND 

CHAEACTEES. 

With  BEAUTIES  of  the  MODERN  DRAMA,  in  Four  Specimens. 

By  JOHN  POOLE,  Esq., 
Author  of  "Paul  Pry,"  &c.,  «&c. 


m: 


TXTOZLILS    riTBZ.ZSHBI>    B7 


Now  publishing  in  Quarterly  Volumes,, 

THE  WOEKS  OF  G.  P.  E.  JAMES,  ESQ. 

Price  8s.  cloth, 
Handsomely  printed  in  medium  8vo.,  and  Illustrated. 

This  new  and  altractive  series  of  Mr.  James's  works  commenced  on 
llie  1st  of  July  with  the  "  Gipsy,"  and  was  followed,  on  the  1st  of 
October,  by  "  I^Iary  of  Burgundy."  The  future  volumes  will  be  pub- 
lished Quarterly,  each  containing  a  complete  work.  The  whole  of  this 
edition  lias  been  carefully  revised  by  the  author,  and  "  is  got  up  in  that 
superior  style  and  agreeable  size  of  type  which  renders  it  fit  for  every 
age  and  for  every  library." 

Vol.  5,  containing  the  "  Huguenot,"  a  Tale  of  the  French  Protestants, 
will  be  published  on  the  1st  of  January,  1843,  and  will  contain,  in 
addition  to  the  usual  Illustration,  a  new  and  highly-finished  Portrait  of 
the  Author,  to  be  inserted  as  the  plate  promised  in  the  first  volume,  to 
form  a  frontispiece  to  the  series. 


"  Messrs.  Smith,  Elder  and  Co.,  of  Cornhill,  have  just  published  the  first  volume  of  a 
New  Edition  of  the  Works  of  this  gentleman,  w  hich  has  the  advantage  of  the  latest  re- 
visions and  corrections  of  the  author,  The  writings  of  James  are  so  well  known  to  the 
readers  of  fiction,  that  it  is  unnecessary  to  call  their  attention  to  them,  or  to  say  anything 
as  to  their  merits  or  defects,  which  previous  criticism  may  have  left  unsaid.  The  present 
edition  is  well  got  up,  there  are  few  errata,  the  type  is  clear,  sharp,  and  legible,  and  the 
size  of  the  volume  convenient  for  the  reader  and  appropriate,  for  the  shelves  of  a  book- 
case. The  frontispiece  of  the  first  volume  illustrates  that  scene  in  the  novel  of  the  Gipsey, 
in  which  Lord  Dewry  is  astounded  in  the  prosecution  of  his  villainous  plot  to  destroy 
Pharhold,  by  the  unexpected  appearance  of  the  person  who  passes  under  the  name  of 
Sir  William  Ryder.  The  book,  as  it  is,  will  form  a  pleasing  addition  to  the  collections  of 
readers  of  modern  literature,  of  the  class  to  which  it  belongs." — Times,  Aug.  17,  1844. 

"We  are  glad  to  see  our  prognostication  respecting  the  New  Edition  of  Mr.  James' 
Works,  more  than  fuHillcd  by  the  rapid  absorption  of  a  very  large  first  edition,  and  a 
second  in  the  course  of  speedy  disappearance.  This  is  as  it  should  be,  with  a  writer 
whose  vraisemblance  is  alw  ays  so  perfect ;  and  even  w  hat  he  invents  so  like  truth,  thai 
we  can  never  fancy  we  are  reading  fiction,  nor,  indeed,  are  we,  in  the  historical  portions  of 
his  publications, — and  these  form  the  far  greater  division, — whichare  all  drawn  from  dili- 
gent research,  deep  study,  and  elaborate  comparison." — Literary  Gazette,  Aug.  8, 1844. 

"Mr.  James  is  a  pure  and  pleasing  writer,  and  we  are  glad  to  see  that  his  Works  are  now 
to  be  thrown  into  a  handy,  handsome,  and  accessible  shape." — Scotsman,  July  13,1844. 

"  This  is  a  most  admirable  edition  of  the  Works  of  this  popular  author,  convenient  in 
size,  and  handsome  in  appearance.  It,  moreover,  possesses  the  advantage  of  being  re- 
vised and  corrected  by  the  author, — no  small  recommendations,  since,  the  generality  of 
Mr.  James'  Works  being  connected  with  history,  a  careful  perusal  of  his  productions 
increases  their  value,  and  renders  them  a  source  of  amusement,  through  the  medium  of 
instruction."— Atlas,  Ucl.  20,  1844. 

"  We  are  glad  to  perceive  that  such  volumes  are  being  published  at  a  price  which  will 
place  Ihem  within  the  reach  of  the  middle  ciasses,  and  we  shall  find,  as  the  result  of  this 
movement,  that  tradesmen  and  olliers  will  furnish  their  book-shelves  with  good  and  select 
works,  instead  of  subscribing  to  circulating  lil)raries. 

"  We  learn  it  is  the  publishers'  intention  to  continue  the  volumes  until  all  the  author's 
works  are  republished  in  this  style." — Plymouth  Herald. 


-© 


SMITH,   EZiSER  AND   CO.,   CORITHXZiIi. 


JUST  PUBLISHED. 

In  posl  8vo.,  price  10s.  6d.,  handsomely  bound  in  a  new  kind  of  cloth,  silver  gill,  or 

9s.  boards. 

IMAGINATIOX  AND  FAXCY; 

Or,  SELECTIONS  from  the  ENGLISH  POETS,  illustrative  of  those  First  Requisites 
of  their  Art ;  with  3Iarkings  of  the  best  Passages,  Critical  Notices  of  the  Writers,  and  an 
Essay  in  Answer  to  the  Question,  "What  is  Poetry ?"_ 

By  LEIGH   HUNT. 

"This  volume  is  handsomely  printed,  and  beautifully  bound  in  a  new  style  of  exquisite 
delicacy  and  richness.  To  institute  a  comparison  with  the  contents  of  the  Annuals  would 
be  absurd,  at  any  degree  of  distance, — there  is  no  more  relation  between  tbcm  than 
between  a  street  lamp  and  a  fixed  star ;  but  in  external  beauty  '  Imagination  and  Fancy ' 
equals  any  gift-books  that  have  appeared ;  and  it  will  form  a  more  enduring  memorial 
than  any  other  volume  that  might  be  selected  as  a  gift  for  the  coming  season." — 
Spectator. 

SECOND  EDITION,  REVISED  by  the  EDITOR,  with  "INTRODUCTORY  COJOIENTS," 

In  Two  Vols.,  post  8vo.,  price  2 is.,  cloth. 

A   NEW   SPIRIT  OF  THE   AGE. 

Containing  Critical  Essays,  and  Biographical  Sketches  of  Literary  and  other  Eminent 

Characters  of  the  Present  Time. 

EDITED   BY  R.  H.    HORNE,    EsQ. 

Author  of  "  Orion,"  "  Gregory  the  Seventh,"  &c.  &c. 

The  volumes  are  illustrated  with  engravings  on  steel,  from  new  and  original  portraits 
of  DICKENS,  TENNYSON,  CARLYLE,  WORDSWORTH,  TALFOURD,  BROWNING, 
SOUTHWOOD  S^IITH,  and  MISS  MARTINEAU. 

"  In  the  biographical  sketches  the  Editor  has  carefully  excluded  all  disagreeable  per- 
sonalities and  all  unwarrantable  anecdotes.  The  criticisms  are  entirely  upon  abstract 
grounds.   He  may  be  often  wrong,  but  it  is  with  a  clear  conscience." — Editor' s  Preface. 

"We  have  two  volumes  of  clever  and  subtle  dissertation  on  the  merits  of  almost  every 
living  writer  of  anv  pretension,  written  in  a  very  animated  and  pleasant  style.  The 
author  will  at  least  gain  the  praise  of  versatility  of  talent,  and  of  a  quick  and  generous 
appreciation  of  contemporary  merit,  as  well  as  (what  his  publisher  will  think  quite  as 
much  to  the  purpose)  have  the  satisfaction  of  having  produced  a  book  that  people  will  be 
incUned,  as  the  phrase  is,  Ho  run  after.' "  —  3Iorning  Heralo,  March  2.),  18U. 

"As  we  have  said  before,  Mr.  Home's  admirations  appear  to  us  to  be  well  placed  and 
his  sympathies  generous  and  noble." — Morning  Chronicle. 

In  2  volumes  post  8vo.  illustrated  with  numerous  Engravings  on  Steel,  from  new  and 

original  Portraits. 

OUE    ACTEESSES; 

OR, 

GLANCES    AT    STAGE    FAVORITES, 

PAST    AND    PRESENT. 

By  Mrs.   C.   BARON -WILSON, 

Author  of  the  "  Life  of  the  Duchess  of  St.  Albans,"  "  Memoirs  of  Monk  Lewis,"  &c.  &c. 


"  Handsome  volumes,  adorned  w  ith  several  portraits,  and  the  biographies  are  full  of 
amusing  anecdotes." — Atlas.  ^ 

"So  attractive  are  the  stage  and  its  denizens  that  considerable  amusement  will  be 
derived  from  the  perusal  of  these  pages."— Literacy  Gazette. 

— • © 


"WORKS    PVBZiXSHSD    BV 


JUST  PUBLISHED. 

In  Two  Thick  Volumes,  Demy  8vo.,  with  numerous  Illuslralions,  price  34s.  cloth. 

THE   MODEEN  HISTOEY  AND  CONDITION  OF  EGYPT: 

ITS    CLIMATE,    DISEASES,    AND   CAPABILITIES; 

Exhibited  in  a  Personal  Narrative  of  Travels  in  that  Country,  with  an  Account  of  the 
Proceedings  of  Mahommcd  Ali  Pascha,  from  1801  to  1813,  interspersed  with  Illustra- 
tions of  Scripture  History,  the  Fulfilment  of  Prophecy,  and  the  Progress  of  Civilization 
in  the  East. 

By  W.  HOLT  YATES,   M.D.,  &c.  &c. 
"  He  fulfils  bis  historic  vocation  by  an  ample  resume  of  the  more  prominent  incidents 
which  have  distinguished  the  fortunes  of  the  Pascha,  upon  whose  policy  of  general  mono- 
poly his  strictures  are  severe  enough,  and  acquits  himself  creditably  from  his  spirited  and 
highly  coloured  sketches  of  the  abundant  objects  to  which  he  draws  attention." 

MoRMNG  Herald. 

In  demy  12mo.,  price  6s.  cloth,  pp.  340. 

THE    CONVICT    SHIP. 

A  Narrative  of  the  results  of  Scriptural  Instruction  and  3Ioral  Discipline,  as  these  ap- 
peared on  board  the  Earl  Grey,  during  the  Voyage  to  Tasmania :  with  brief  notices 
of  individual  Prisoners. 

By  COLIN  ARROTT  BROWNING,  M.D. 

Surgeon,  Royal  Navy ;  Author  of  "  England's  Exiles,"  &c. 

In  demy  8vo.,  price  12s.,  cloth. 

A  DISSEETATION  ON  THE  TTRUE  AGE  OF  THE  EAETH, 

AS  ASCERTAINED  FROM  THE  HOLY  SCRIPTURES. 
Containing  a  review  of  the  Opinions  of  Ancient  and  Modern  Chronologers,  including 
Usher,  Hales,  Clinton  and  Cuninghame ;  and  a  Chronological  Table  of  the  Principal 
Epochs  and  Events  in  Sacred  and  Profane  History,  from  the  Creation  to  the  present  Time. 

By  PROFESSOR  WALLACE. 
"  It  is  learned  and  laborious." — Britannia. 

Sixth  Edition,  in  3  vols.  fcap.  8vo.  beautifully  illustrated,  price  7s.  6d.  each,  in  a  handsome 
and  uniform  cloth  binding,  or  10s.  Gd.  morocco. 

PICTUEES   OF   PEIVATE  LIFE. 

By  MRS.   ELLIS, 

Author  of  the  "  Women  of  England,"  &c.  &c.  &c. 
Contents:    Vol.  I.  "  Observations  on  Fictitious  Narrative,"  "  The  Hall  and  the  Cottage," 
"Ellen  Eskdale,"  "  The  Curate's  Widow,"  and  "  Marriage  as  it  May  Be." 
„        Vol.  II.   "  Misanthropy,"  and  "  The  Pains  of  Pleasing." 
„        Vol.  III.  "  Pretension ;  or,  the  Fallacies  of  Female  liducation." 

Each  Volume  is  complete  in  itself,  and  may  be  purchased  separately. 

Post  8vo.,  price  7s.  6d.   boards. 

EXPEEBIENTAL  EESEAECHES,  CHEMICAL  AND 

AGEICULTUEAL. 

Part  I.  contains.  Carbon  a  Compound  Body  made  by  Plants,  in  quantities  varjingwilh  the 
circumstances  under  which  they  are  placed.  Part  II.  Decomposition  of  Carbon  during  the 
Putrefactive  Fermentation. 

By  ROBERT  RIGG,  F.R.S. 


JUST  PUBLISHED. 
SECOND  EDITION,  Price  12s.  demy  cloth. 

MODEEN    PAINTEES  : 

Their  Superiority  in  the  ART  of  LANDSCAPE  PAINTING  to  aU  the  Ancient  Masters, 
proved  by  examples  of  the  True,  the  Beautiful,  and  the  Intellectual,  from  the  Works  of 
Modern  Artists,  especially  from  those  of  J.  M.  Turner,  Esq.,  R.A. 

By  a  GRADUATE  of  OXFORD. 

"  This  is  the  production  of  a  highly  gifted  mind,  one  who  has  evidently  bestowed  time 
and  labour  to  obtain  a  practical  knowledge  of  the  One  arts,  and  who  writes  eloquently, 
feelingly,  and  fearlessly." — Polytkchmc  Review. 

"  It  has  seldom  been  our  lot  to  take  up  a  work  more  admirably  conceived  and  written 
than  this  beautiful  and  elaborate  essay." — Atlas. 

In  Two  Volumes,  Demy  8vo.,  Price  32s.,  cloth. 
With  a  Large  Map  by  Arrowsmith,  and  Illustrated  with  Plates. 

NOTES  AND  OBSERVATIONS  ON 

THE  IONIAN  ISLANDS  AND  MALTA, 

WITH    SOME    REMARKS    OX 

CONSTANTINOPLE  AND  TURKEY  ; 

And  on  the  system  of  Quarantine,  as  at  present  conducted. 

By  JOHN  DA\T,  M.D.,  F.R.SS.  L.  &  E.,  Inspector-General  of  Army  Hospitals,  L.  R. 

"  Dr.  Da\7's  work  deserves  to  be  bought  as  well  as  perused,  so  carefully,  completely 
and  expensively  has  it  been  got  up.  We  hope  that  the  consciousness  of  having  discharged 
such  an  important  duty  will  not  be  the  only  result  of  his  long  labour,  but  that  the  work 
will  prove  as  remunerative  as  it  ought  to  be." — W^est.mixster  Review. 

"  There  probably  is  not  another  work  in  our  language  in  which  so  ample  and  substan- 
tially useful  an  account  is  given  of  the  Ionian  Islands  as  is  here  to  be  found.  There  can 
be  little  doubt  that  to  these  volumes  will  be  assigned  an  honourable  place  amongst  the 
recognized  master-works  of  the  class  to  which  they  belong." — Morning  Herald. 

Second  Edition,  1  Vol.  post  8vo.,  with  an  entirely  New  Map,  Price  12s.  cloth. 

HAND-BOOK  FOE  INDIA  AND  EGYPT; 

Comprising  Travels  from  Calcutta,  through  India,  to  the  Himalaya  Mountains,  and  a 
Voyage  down  the  Sutledge  and  Indus  Rivers;  a  Visit  to  the  City  of  Hyderabad,  in 
Scinde;  and  the  Journey  to  England  by  the  Red  Sea  and  Mediterranean:  with  Descrip- 
tions of  the  Three  Presidencies  of  India  ;  and  the  fullest  details  for  parties  proceeding  to 
any  part  of  India,  either  by  the  Overland  Route,  or  by  the  way  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope. 

By  GEORGE  PARBURY,  Esq.,  3I.R.A.S. 

*,*  The  press,  both  of  Great  Britain  and  India,  have  combined  in  eulogizing  the  value 
of  this  work,  but  it  may  only  here  be  needful  to  quote  the  following  remarks  from  the 
editorial  columns  of  the  Standard  of  the  10th  of  April,  1843.  "  We  have  elsewhere 
copied  from  Mr.  Parbury's  Hand-Book  to  India  and  Egvpt,  an  interesting  account  of  the 
City  of  Hyderabad.  Let  us,  in  acknowledgement  of  the  means  afforded  to  us  to  inform 
and  gratify  our  readers,  say  of  Mr.  Parbury's  work,  as  we  may  with  truth,  that  it  is  the 
best  Topographical  Guide  to  the  countries  to  which  it  refers  we  have  ever  seen,  a  most 
interesting  book,  independently  of  its  topographical  utility,  and  an  almost  indispensable 
key  to  the  late  transactions  in  Central  Asia." 

Price  2s.  6d.  bound  in  cloth. 

CEOSBY  PLACE, 

Described  in  a  Lecture  on  its  Antiquities  and  Reminiscences  delivered  in  the  Great  Hall 

on  the  evening  of  Friday,  August  5th,  1842. 

By  the  Rev.  CHARLES  MACKENZIE,  A.M., 

Vicar  of  St.  Helen's,  Bishopsgate,  and  Head  Master  of  Queen  Elizabeth's  Grammar  School, 

St.  Olave's,  Soulhwark. 

C 0 


-WORKS   FUBI.ISH&D   BY 


In  Two  large  Volumes,  8vo.,  Illustrated  with  Plates,  Price  \L  6s.  cloth. 

A  COMPEEHENSIVE  HISTOKY  OF  THE  WOOLLEN  TEADE 

From  the  earliest  Records  to  the  present  Period,  comprising  the  Woollen  and  Worsted 
Manufactures,  and  the  Natural  and  Commercial  Uislory  of  Sheep,  with  the  various  Breeds, 
and  Modes  of  Management  in  different  Countries. 

By  JAMES  BISCHOFF,  Esq. 

"3Ir.  Bischoff's  work  will  be  found  valuable  to  all  persons  interested  in  the  subject." 

AxnEN.EUM. 

"Mr.Cischoff  has  in  these  volumes  collected  a  vast  mass  of  curious  and  valuable  infor- 
mation, acceptable  to  readers  of  varied  tastes,  even  though  quite  unconnected  with  manu- 
factures and  trade.  We  recommend  every  reader  to  peruse  attentively  this  meritorious 
compilation. — We  finally  recommend  these  volumes  of  Mr.  Bischotfs  to  the  careful  con- 
sideration of  all  those  interested  in  the  subjects  of  which  they  treat." — Times. 

In  One  Volume  Demy  8vo.     Price  iSs.  cloth. 

A  COMPEEHENSB^E  HISTOEY  OF  THE  lEON  TEADE, 

THROUGHOUT  THE  WORLD, 

From  the  earliest  Records  to  the  present  Time.    With  an  Appendix,  containing  Official 

Tables,  and  other  public  Documents. 
By  HARRY  SCRH^ENOR,  Esq.,  Blaenavon. 

"  Mr.  Scrivenor's  History  is  written  with  elaborate  research  and  anxious  care,  and  goes 
into  and  exhausts  the  entire  subject;  it  contains  numerous  facts  full  of  interest  to  common 
readers."— Tait's  Magazine. 

In  Post  8vo,  Price  5s.  bound. 
NARRATIVE  OF  A  RESIDENCE  ON 

THE  MOSQUITO  SHOEE, 

During  the  Years  1839,  ISiO,  and  1841 ; 

Describing  the  Native  Tribes,  Climate,  Natural  Productions,  &c.  &c.  &c. ;  with  some 
account  of  the  British  Settlement  at  Black  River;  the  Islands  of  Bonacca,  and  Roatan,  the 
Port  of  Truxilio ;  and  of  the  Trade  with  the  Central  Americans. 

By  THOI^IAS  YOUNG,  Esq. 
Illustrated  by  Engravings. 

"This  volume  may  be  considered  as  conveying  the  best  and  latest  information.  The 
author  appears  throughout  the  Narrative  to  S|)eak  with  truth  and  candour."— Lit.  Gaz. 

"Everything  is  told  with  the  freshness  of  an  ardent  temperament  delighted  with  the 
novelty  of  the  posilion  in  which  he  is  thrown,  and  the  beauties  of  nature  which  surround 
him."— Weekly  Cuuonicle. 

Royal  8vo.,  Price  il.  Us.  Gd.  cloth. 

THE  BEniSH  MEECHANT'S  ASSISTANT. 

Containing 
PART  I.— Tables  of  Simple  Interest  at  3,  3§,  i,  4J,  and  5  per  cent. 
PART  II.— Tables  showing  the  Interest  on  Exchequer  Bills  at  i^d.,  1|</.,  2d.,  2|f/.,  2^f/,, 

3^/.,  W^d.,  and  'S^d.  per  cent,  per  diem. 
PART  III. — Tables  for  Ascertaining  the  Value  of  every  description  of  English  and  Foreign 
Stock.  —  Also  the  Amount  of  Brokerage,  Commission,  Freight,  Marine,  and 
other  Insurance,  at  every  rate  per  cent.,  &.c.  inc.  iic. 

By  G.  GREEN. 
Each  of  the  above  Three  Parts  is  sold  separately. 


■4J 


SIVIZTH,   EIiHEZt   AU*!)    CO.,   CORId'HZZiIi. 


In  Post  8vo.,  Price  7s.  cloth. 
A  FAMILIAR  EXPLA:YATI0X  OF 

THE    NATURE,    ADVANTAGES,    AND    IMPORTANCE    OF 

ASSUEAXCES   UPOX  LKES, 

And  the  various  Purposes  to  which  they  may  be  usefully  Applied :  including  also  a  par- 
ticular Account  of  the  routine  required  for  Elfecting  a  Policy;  and  of  the  dilTerent  systems 
of  Life  Assurance  now  in  use,  the  Principles,  Terms,  and  Tables  of  Seventy  London 
Assurance  Offices,  &.c. 

By  LEWIS  POCOCK,  F.S.A. 

"There  are  no  technicalities  in  Mr.  Pocock's  work  to  prevent  its  being  useful  to  all; 
and  those,  therefore,  who  are  likely  to  have  recourse  to  Life  Insurance  will  do  wisely  in 
consulting  this  familiar  explanation  of  its  nature  and  advantages." — Globe. 

New  Edition,  demy  8vo.,  price  12s.  cloth,  Revised  throughout,  with  many  additions  and 
corrections,  by  the  Author,  and  illustrated  with  Plates. 

THE  NATUEE  AND  PEOPEETIES  OF  THE  SUGAR  CANE ; 

"With  Practical  Directions  for  the  Improvement  of  its  Culture, 
and  the  Manufacture  of  its  Products. 

To  which  is  added  an  additional  Chapter  on  the  Manufacture  of  Sugar  from  Beet-root. 

By  GEORGE  RICHARDSON  PORTER,  F.R.S., 

Corresponding  Member  of  the  Institute  of  France. 

By  the  same  Author, 
In  Demy  8vo.,  with  45  Botanical  Plates,  Price  2is.  cloth. 

THE  TEOPICAL  AGEICULTUEIST : 

A  Practical  Treatise  on  the  Cultivation  and  Management  of  various  Productions  suited  to 
Tropical  Chmates,  and  capable  of  advantageous  production  in  our  Colonies,  &c. 

"These  two  valuable  volumes  open  to  colonial  residents  such  a  mine  of  hitherto  concealed 
wealth,  that  every  proprietor,  emigrant,  or  person  interested  in  the  success  of  an  emigrant 
friend,  ought  to  procure  a  copy  as  their  surest  guide  to  fortune." — Scotsman. 

Price  6s.  bound  in  cloth. 

CLEMENT'S  CUSTOMS  GUIDE. 

Revised  and  Corrected  up  to  the  time  of  the  closing  of  the  last  Session  of  Parliament. 

Also,  price  is.  cloth. 

CLEMENT'S  CUSTOMS  POCKET  MANUAL. 

Made  up  to  the  same  period. 

On  an  Extended  Scale  of  Forty-three  by  Nineteen  Incnes. 
Price,  India  Proofs,  21.  -Is.,  Plain  Prints,  15a.,  beautifully  coloured  as  Drawings,  21s. 

A  GENERAL  VIEW  OF 

THE  FALLS  OF  NIAGAEA. 

Etched  in  the  best  manner,  on  Copper, 

By  F.  C.  LEWIS,  Esq.,  Engraver  to  the  Queen. 

From  a  Drawing  made  on  the  spot. 

By    CAPTAIN    JAMES    GRAUAM, 

H.M.  70th  Regiment. 


Just  published,  demy  8vo.  price  10*.  6rf.  cloth. 

THE  BUDGET. 

Commercial  and  Colonial  Policy,  with  an  Introduction,  in  which  the  deductive  method 
as  presented  in  Mr.  Mill's  system  of  Logic  is  applied  to  the  solution  of  some  controverted 
questions  on  Political  Economy. 

By  R.  T0RRE>S,  Esq.,  F.R.S. 

MADEIRA,  LISBON,  &c. 
In  1  Vol.,  fcp.  8vo.,  Price  4s.  cloth  gilt. 

THE  lOTALID'S  GUDE  TO  MADEBA; 

With  a  Description  of  Teneriffe,  Lisbon,  Cintra,  and  Mafra,  and  a  Vocabulary  of  the 

Portuguese  and  English  Languages. 

By  WILLIAM  WHITE  COOPER,  M.R.C.S.,  Surgeon  to  the  Hon.  Artillery  Company. 
"  There  has  recently  been  published  a  small  w ork  by  Mr.  Cooper,  which  may  be  con- 
sulted with  advantage." — Sir  James  Clark  on  Climate. 

In  demy  8vo.,  Price  7s. 

SUGGESTIOXS  FOE  THE  BIPEOTO]\IENT  OF  OUE  TOWNS 

AND  HOUSES. 

By  T.  J.  MASLEN,  Esq. 

"  Every  landed  proprietor,  architect,  house-builder,  and  landlord,  ought  to  possess  a 
copy  of  this  excellent  work,  and  to  study  its  valuable  contents  before  planning  the  structure 
of  a  new  building:,  how  ever  small  or  extensive." — London  Review. 


'pij 


Post  Svo.,   Price  6s.,   cloth. 
AN  INQUIRY  INTO  THE 

CAUSES  AND  MODES  OF  THE  WEALTH  OF  INDmDUALS  ; 

OR,  THE  PRINCIPLES  OF  TRADE  AND  SPECULATION 

EXPLAINED, 

By  THOMAS  CORBET,  Esq. 

"  Mr.  Corbet  deserves  our  best  thanks  for  laying  down  so  clearly  and  methodically  his 
ideas  on  a  subject  of  such  vast  importance." — New  Monthly  Magazine. 

In  Royal  Svo.,  Piice  10s.  6d.  boards. 

OUTLINES  OF  NAYAL  EOUTINE; 

Being  a  Concise  and  Complete  Manual  in  Fitting,  Re-Glting,  Quartering,  Stationing, 
making  and  shortening  Sail,  Heaving  down.  Rigging  Shears,  and,  in  short,  performing  all 
the  ordinary  duties  of  a  Man-of-War,  according  to  the  best  practice. 

By  Lieutenant  ALEXANDER  D.  FORDYCE,  R.N. 

Third  Edition,   in   1  Vol.   fcp.   Svo.,   Price  7s.  6d.   cloth  boards. 

THE  LAST  OF  THE  PLANTAGENETS : 

An  Historical  Narrative,  illustrating  some   of  the  Public  Events  and  Domestic  and 

Ecclesiastical  Manners  of  the  Fifteenth  and  Sixteenth  Centuries. 

"This  is  a  work  that  must  make  its  way  into  a  permanent  place  in  our  literature.    The 

quainlness  of  its  language,  the  touching  simplicity  of  its  descriptions  and  dialogues,  and 

the  reverential  spirit  of  love  which  breathes  through  it,  will  insure  it  a  welcome  reception 

amongst  all  readers  of  relined  taste  and  discernment." — Atlas. 


SMITH,   EIiSER  AlffD    CO.,   COXtlO'HIZiIi.  ^ 

GRESHAM  PRIZE  ESSAYS. 


In  8vo.,  Price  3s.  6d,  in  cloth,  gilt  leaves. 
ESSAY  ON  THE 

LIFE  AND  LYSTITUTIONS  OF  OFFA,  KING  OF  MEECIA, 

A.D.  755—794. 
By  the  Rev.  HENRY  MACKENZIE,  M.A. 

"  A  very  scholarly  composition,  displaying  much  research  and  information  respecting 
the  Anglo-Saxon  institutions." — Spectator. 


In  1  Volume  Post  8vo,,  Price  5s.,  neatly  bound  in  cloth. 
Prize  Essay,  1840. 

THE    OBLIGATIONS   OF  LITEEATUEE 

TO    THE 

MOTHEES   OF  ENGLAND. 

By  CAROLINE  A.  HALSTED. 

"  The  object  of  the  writer  has  been  to  show  the  services  rendered  by  the  mothers  of 
England  to  religion  and  the  state,  and  to  science  and  learning  generally ;  and  the  examples 
adduced  display  considerable  knowledge  and  research,  and  are  always  happily  selected  and 
placed  in  the  most  attractive  point  of  view." — Britannia. 


In  1  Vol.  Demy  8vo.,  with  a  Portrait,  Price  12s. 

THE   LIFE    OF   MAEGAEET   BEAUFOET, 

COUNTESS  OF  RICHMOND  AND  DERBY, 

AND  MOTHER  OF  KING  HENRY  THE  SEVENTH, 

Foundress  of  Christ's  and  of  St.  John's  College,  Oxford ; 

Being  the  Historical  Memoir  for  which  the  Honorary  Premium  was  awarded  by  the 
Directors  of  the  Gresham  Commemoration,  Crosby  Hall. 

By  CAROLINE  A.  HALSTED,  Author  of  "Investigation,"  &c. 

"  This  work  cannot  fail  of  success.  The  subject  is  deeply  interesting,  and  has  been 
hitherto  almost  unexplored.  The  style  is  chaste  and  correct,  and  it  has  high  claims  to 
popularity  wide  and  permanent.  On  many  topics  the  authoress  has  accumulated  some 
valuable  historical  details  from  sources  which  have  not  hitherto  been  consulted,  and  has 
thus  compiled  a  work  which,  if  not  entitled  to  rank  amongst  the  *  curiosities  of  literature,' 
is  at  least  one  of  the  most  interesting  and  instructive  books  of  the  season." — Atlas. 


Small  Svo.,  with  highly-finished  Plates,  7s.  in  embossed  cloth. 

INVESTIGATION ; 

OR,  TRAVELS  IN  THE  BOUDOIR. 

By  CAROLINE  A.  HALSTED,  Author  of  "  The  Life  of  Margaret  Beaufort,"  &c.  &c. 

This  is  an  elegantly-wTitten  and  highly-instructive  work  for  young  people,  in  which  a 
general  knowledge  of  various  interesting  topics,  connected  with  every-day  life,  is  presented 
to  the  youthful  mind  in  an  attractive  and  amusing  form. 


10  -WORKS    PUBXiISHEB    BY 

In  small  8vo.,  beaulifully  illustrated,  Price  7s.  in  fancy  cloth. 

THE     PEOGEESS     OF     CEEATION, 

CONSIDERED  WITH   REFERENCE  TO  THE 

PRESENT  CONDITION  OF  THE  EARTH. 

An  interesting  and  useful  work  for  young  People. 

By  MARY  ROBERTS,  Author  of  "Annals  of  My  Village,"  &c.  &c. 

"We  have  seldom  met  with  a  work,  in  which  instruction  and  entertainment  are  more 
happily  blended." — Times. 

"This  beautiful  volume  forms  an  instructive  collection  of  striking  facts,  interspersed 
with  amiable  reflections." — Spectator. 

Foolscap  8vo.,  Price  5s.  cloth. 

MDICAL  GUIDE  FOE  MOTHEES, 

In  Pregnancy,  Accouchement,  Suckling,  Weaning,  &c.,  and  in  most  of  the  important 

Diseases  of  Children. 

Second  Edition,  enlarged. 

By  J.  R.  HANCORN,  Member  of  the  Royal  CoUege  of  Surgeons,  &c. 

An  Abridged  Edition,  just  published.  Price  Is. 

Price  21s.,  Elegantly  Bound,  forming  a  splendid  Ornament  for  the  Drawing-Room  Table. 

THE  BYEOX  GALLEEY: 

A  series  of  36  Historical  Embellishments,  illustrating  the  Poetical  Works  of  Lord  Byron ; 
beaulifully  engraved  from  original  Drawings  and  Paintings  by  Sir  Thomas  Lawrence, 
P.R.A.,  H.  Howard,  R.A.,  A.  E.  Chalon,  R.A.,  J.  Stolhard,  R.A.,  R.  Westall,  R.A.,  and 
other  eminent  Artists;  adapted  by  their  size  and  excellence  to  bind  up  with  and  embellish 
every  edition  published  in  England  of  Lord  Byron's  Works,  and  also  the  various  sizes 
and  editions  published  in  France,  Germany,  and  America. 

"Adequately  to  describe  the  delicate  beauty  of  these  splendid  plates  does  not  appear  to 
lie  within  the  power  of  language.  There  is  not  an  admirer  of  the  works  of  the  departed 
noble  poet  who  can  feel  satisfied  that  he  has  a  perfect  edition  of  them,  unless  the  'Byron 
Gallery  '  be  attached  to  it.  There  is  no  instance  in  which  excellence  in  poetry  and  the 
arts  are  so  admirably  combined." — Imperial  Magazine. 

DetJiratrtr,  tg  ^ermigsion,  to  ii)er  iBajcstg. 

Price  2/.  2s.  Elegantly  Bound  in  large  Folio. 

THE  OEIENTAL  POETFOLIO: 

A  Series  of  splendid  Illustrations  of  the  Scenery,  Antiquities,  Architecture,  Manners, 
Costumes,  &:c.  of  the  East.  From  original  Sketches  in  the  collections  of  Lord  WiUiam 
Bentinck,  K.C.B.,  Captain  R.  M.  Grindlay,  Lady  Wilmot  Horton,  Sir  Henry  Willock, 
K.L.S.,  Thomas  Bacon,  Esq.,  James  Baillie  Eraser,  Esq.,  and  other  travellers.  The 
Literary  department  of  the  work  by  Horace  H.Wilson,  Esq.,  3I.A.  F.R.S.  &c.  &c. 

The  object  of  this  undertaking  is  to  supply  what  has  long  been  fell  to  be  a  desideratum  ; 
namely.  Graphic  Illustrations  of  the  Scenery,  Antiquities,  Architecture,  Manners,  Cos- 
tumes, (kc.  of  the  East,  which,  as  the  theatre  of  so  many  brilliant  military  achievements, 
and  such  extensive  commercial  enterprize,  is  daily  increasing  in  interest  with  the 
British  Public. 

The  Drawings  for  the  Work  are  made  by  the  first  Artists  in  the  Kingdom,  from  the 
original  skctclies,  taken  on  the  spot.  The  series  is  now  completed,  comprising  eleven 
beaulifully  finished  Plates,  tinted  in  imitation  of  Drawings. 


SMITH,    EZiDEn   AXO-D   CO.,   CORZO'KZX.Ii.  ^1 


*^*  In  order  to  secure  to  science  the  full  advantage  of  Discoveries  in  Natural 
History,  the  Lords  Commissioners  of  Her  Majesty's  Treasury  have  been  pleased  to 
make  a  liberal  grant  of  money  towards  defraying  part  of  the  expenses  of  the  fol- 
lowing important  publications.  They  have,  in  consequence,  been  undertaken 
on  a  scale  worthy  of  the  high  ]}atronage  thus  received,  and  are  offered  to  the  public 
at  a  much  lower  price  than  would  otherwise  have  been  2>ossible. 

1. 

By  the  Authority  of  the  Lords  Commissioners  of  the  Admiralty, 

Now  Publishing  in  Royal  Quarto  Paris,  Price  10s.  each,  with  beautifully  Coloured 

Plates. 

THE  ZOOLOGT  OF  THE  VOYAGE  OF  H.  M.  S.  SULPHUE, 

Under  the  Command  of 
CAPTAIN  SIR  EDWARD  BELCHER,  R.N.,   C.B.,  F.R.G.S.,  &c. 

Edited  and  Superintended  by  RICHARD  BRINSLEY  HINDS,  Esq., 
Surgeon,  R.N.,  attached  to  the  Expedition. 

The  extensive  and  protracted  Voyage  of  Her  Majesty's  Ship  "  Sulphur,"  having  been  produc- 
tive of  many  new  and  valuable  additions  to  Natural  History,  a  number  of  which  are  of  con- 
siderable scientific  interest,  it  has  been  determined  to  pubhsh  them  in  a  collected  form,  with 
illustrations  of  such  as  are  hitherto  new  or  unfigured.  The  collection  has  been  assembled 
from  a  varietv  of  countries,  embraced  within  the  limits  of  a  voyage  prosecuted  along  the 
shores  of  North  and  South  America,  among  the  Islands  of  the  Pacific  and  Indian  Oceans, 
and  in  the  circumnavigation  of  the  globe.  In  many  of  these,  no  doubt,  the  industry 
and  research  of  previous  navigators  may  have  left  no  very  prominent  objects  unobserved, 
yet  in  others  there  will  for  some  lime  remain  abundant  scope  for  the  Naturalist.  Among 
the  countries  visited  by  the  "  Sulphur,"  and  which  in  the  present  slate  of  science  are 
invested  with  more  particular  interest,  may  be  mentioned  the  Californias,  Columbia  River, 
the  Northwest  coast  of  America,  the  Feejee  Group  (a  portion  of  the  Friendly  Islands,) 
New  Zealand,  New  Ireland,  New  Guinea,  China,  and  Madagascar. 

Animated  by  a  devotion  to  science,  the  following  gentlemen  have  liberally  engaged  to 
undertake  those  departments  with  which  each  respectively  is  best  acquainted.  The 
Mammalia  will  thus  be  described  by  Mr.  J.  E.  Gray ;  Birds,  by  Mr.  Gould ;  Fish,  by  Dr. 
Richardson  ;  Crustacea,  by  Mr.  Bell;  SheUs,  by  Mr.  Hinds;  Radiata,  by  Mr.  J.  E.  Gray. 

PLAN    OF   PUBLICATION. 

I.  The  work  will  extend  to  about  Twelve  Parts,  one  of  which  will  appear  on  the  1st 
of  every  third  month. 

II.  The  Parts  will  be  published  at  the  uniform  price  of  Ten  Shillings,  and  it  is  in- 
tended that  each  department  shall,  as  far  as  possible,  be  complete  in  itself. 
*  *  Seven  Parts  of  this  Work  are  now  published,  Parts  1  and  2  containing  3Iammalia,  by 

Mr.  J.  E.Gray;  Paris  3  and  4,  Birds,  by  Mr.  Gould;  Part  5,  Ichihiology,  by 
Dr.  Richardson  ;  and  Parts  6  and  7,  containing  Shells,  by  R.  B.  Hinds,  Esq.;  and 
on  the  1st  of  January  will  be  published  Part  8,  containing  the  completion  of  Shells. 

2. 

In  Royal  4to.  Parts,  Price  10s.  and  12s.  each,  containing  on  an  average  Ten  beautifully 
Coloured  Engravings,  with  descriptive  Letterpress, 

ILLUSTRATIONS  OF 

THE  ZOOLOGY  OF  SOUTH  AFEICA: 

Comprising  Figures  of  all  the  new  species  of  Quadrupeds,  Birds,  Reptiles,  and  Fishes, 
obtained  during  the  Expedition  fitted  out  by  "  The  Cape  of  Good  Hope  Association  for 
exploring  Central  Africa,"  in  the  years  1834,  1835,  and  1836,  with  Letterpress  Descrip- 
tions, and  a  Summary  of  African  Zoology. 

By  ANDREW  SMITH,  M.D.,  Surgeon  to  the  Forces,  and  Director  of  the  Expedition. 

*/  The  whole  of  the  Plates  are  engraved  in  the  highest  style  of  Art,  from  the  Origina 
Drawings  taken  expressly  for  this  work,  and  beautifully  coloured  after  Nature. 

21  Parts  are  now  published. 

^ — 


12  VTORKS   FUBIiZSHED   BY 


3. 

Uniform  with  the  'preceding. 

THE  ZOOLOGY  OF  THE  YOYAGE  OF  H.M.S.  BEAGLE, 

UNDER  THE  COMMAND  OF  CAPTAIN  FITZROY,  R.N. 
DURING  THE  YEARS  1832  to  1836, 

Edited  and  superintended  by  CHARLES  DARWIN,  Esq.,  M.A.  F.R.S.  Sec.  G.S. 

Naturalist  to  the  Expedition. 

Comprising  highly-finished  representations  of  the  most  novel  and  interesting  objects  in 
Natural  History,  collected  during  the  voyage  of  the  Beagle,  Mith  descriptive  Letterpress, 
and  a  general  Sketch  of  the  Zoology  of  the  Southern  Part  of  South  America. 

Figures  are  given  of  many  species  of  animals  hitherto  unknown  or  but  imperfectly 
described,  together  with  an  account  of  their  habits,  ranges,  and  places  of  halMtalion. 

The  collections  were  chiefly  made  in  the  provinces  bordering  on  the  Rio  Plata,  in 
Patagonia,  the  Falkland  Islands,  Tierra  del  Fuego,  Chili,  and  the  Galapagos  Archipelago 
in  the  Pacific. 

THIS  WORK  IS  NOW  COMPLETE, 

And  may  be  had  in  sewed  Parts,  Price  8/.  15*.,  or  in  half  russia  or  cloth  binding,  at  a  small 

addition  to  the  price. 

Nos.   1,   7,   8,   and   13.  ^  Nos.  3,  6,  9,  11,  and  15. 

FOSSIL  MAMMALU.  ■\  BIRDS. 

By  Richard  Owen,  Esq.,  F.R.S.,  \      ^.,.   ^"^^f""  ^^f^\  ^H^^A-f '^^p 

•'  >      H  >  >  <      With  a  Notice  of  their  Habits  &  Ranges, 


Professor  of  Anatomy  and  Physiology  to 
the  Royal  College  of  Surgeons,  London. 


By  Charles  Darwin,  Esq.,  M.A.,  F.R.S. 

This  Division  of  the  Work  complete, 


With  a  Geological  Introduction,  <  Price  2/.  15s.  in  sewed  Parts,  or  3/.  in 

By  Charles  Darwin,  Esq.,  M.A.,  F.R.S.  ^  cloth  lettered. 

This  Division  of  the  Work  complete,  Nos.  12,  li,  16,  and  17. 

Price  1/.  10s.  in  sewed  Parts,  or  1/.  14s.  \  FISH 

in  cloth  lettered.  3^  ^^^  ^^^  Leonard  Jenyns,  M.A.,  F.R.S. 

(  This  Division  of  the  Work  complete, 

Nos.  2,  4,  5,  and  10.  <  Price  1/.  14s.  in  sewed  Parts,  or  1/.  18s. 


MAMMALIA. 


in  cloth  lettered. 


By  George  R.  Waterhouse,  Esq.,  <  Nos.  18,  19. 

Curator  of  the  Zoological  Society  of  \  REPTILES. 

London,  &c.  \       By  Thomas  Bell,  Esq.,  F.R.S.,  F.L.S.,  «&c. 

This  Division  of  the  Work  complete,         \         This  Division  of  the  Work  complete, 

Price  \l.  18s.  in  sewed  Parts,  or  2/.  2s.       \      Price  18s.  in  sewed  Parts,  or  XL  2s.  in 

in  cloth  lettered.  ;  cloth  lettered. 

4. 

Uniform  with  the  preceding, 

THE  BOTANY  OF  THE  VOYAGE  OE  H.M.S.  SULPHDE, 

Under  the  Command  of 
CAPTAIN  SIR  EDWARD  BELCHER,  R.N.,  C.B.,  F.R.G.S.,&c., 

During  the  Years  1836-42. 

Published  under  the  Authority  of  the  Lords  Commissioners  of  the  Admiralty. 

Edited  and  Superintended  by  RICHARD  BRINSLEY  HINDS,  Esq., 

Surgeon,  R.N.,  attached  to  tiic  Expedition. 

The  Botanical  Descriptions  by  GEORGE  BENTHAM,  Esq. 

Parts  I.,  II.,  III.  and  IV.  are  now  ready,  price  10s.  each,  and  Pari  V.  will  be  Published 

on  the  1st  of  January. 

^ 


SMITH,  EZiDER  AlfD    CO.,   CORirHIZiIi.  13 

THE  ONLY  COMPLETE  AND  UNIFORM   EDITION  OF  THE  WORKS  OF 

SIR  HUMPHRY  DAVY. 

THE  LIFE  AND  COLLECTED 

WOEKS  OF  SIE  HUMPHriY  DAYY,  BAET. 

FOREIGN   ASSOCIATE    OF    THE    INSTITUTE   OF    FRANCE,   &C. 

Edited  by  his  Brother,  JOHN  DAV\',  M.D.  F.R.S. 

Now  complete,  in  9  Vols,  post  8vo.,  Price  10s.  6d.  each,  in  cloth  binding. 

CTonteuts  of  tlD^  Volumes:— so  lit  separately. 

VOL.  I. 

THE  LIFE  OF  SIR  H.  DAVY,  WITH  A  PORTRAIT. 

"This  bioaraphy  is  admirably  written  —  correct  details,  full  of  instruction,  and  amusing 
throughout."— London  Review. 

VOL.  II. 

THE  WHOLE  OF  Sir  H.  DAVY'S  EARLY  MISCELLANEOUS  PAPERS, 

From  1799  to  1805; 

WITH  AN  INTRODUCTORY  LECTURE,  AND  OUTLINES  OF  LECTURES  ON 

CHEMISTRY  DELIVERED   IN  1802  AND   1804. 

VOL.  III. 
RESEARCHES  ON  NITROUS  OXIDE, 
AND  THE  COMBINATION  OF  OXYGEN  AND  AZOTE;    AND   ON  THE. RESPI- 
RATION  OF   NITROUS  OXIDE  AND    OTHER  GASES. 

VOL.  IV. 

ELEMENTS  OF  CHEMICAL  PHILOSOPHY. 

WITH  TWELVE  PLATES  OF  CHEMICAL  APPARATUS. 
VOLS.  V.  AND  VI. 

BAKERIAN    LECTURES, 

AND  OTHER  PAPERS  IN  PHILOSOPHICAL   TRANSACTIONS,  AND  JOURNAL 

OF  THE  ROYAL  INSTITUTION.    With  numerous  Engravings. 

VOLS.  VII.   AND  VITI. 

ELEMENTS  OF  AGRICULTURAL  CHEMISTRY. 

DISCOURSES  DELIVERED  BEFORE  THE  ROYAL  SOCIETY, MISCELLANEOUS 

LECTURES,  AND  EXTRACTS  FROM  LECTURES.    With  many  Plates. 

VOL.  IX. 
SALMONIA,  AND  CONSOLATION  IN  TRAVEL. 

*/  This  new  and  uniform  edition  of  the  Writings  of  Sir  Humphry  Davy  embraces  the 
whole  of  his  Works,  during  the  space  of  thirty  years  (1799  to  1829),  a  period  memo- 
rable in  the  History  of  Chemistry,  and  made  so,  in  no  small  degree,  by  his  own  Discoveries. 


14  -WORKS    PUBI.ISHEI>   BY 


In  2  Vols.  8vo.,  Price  30s.  bound  in  cloth. 

EESEAECHES,  PHYSIOLOGICAL  AND  AMTOfflCAL. 

By  JOHN  DA^T,  M.D.,  F.R.SS.  L.  &  E.,  &c. 

Illustrated  by  numerous  Engravings. 

The  principal  subjects  treated  of  are  Animal  Electricity;  —  Animal  Heat ;  —  the  Tem- 
perature of  different  Animals;  —  Pneumothorax  in  connexion  with  the  Absorption  of 
Gases  by  Serous  and  Mucous  Membranes ;  —  the  Properties  of  the  Blood  in  Health  and 
Disease  ;  —  the  Properties  of  different  Animal  Textures; — the  Putrefactive  Process; — the 
Preservation  of  Anatomical  Preparations; — the  Effects  of  the  Poison  of  certain  Serpents; 
— the  Structure  of  the  Heart  of  Batrachian  Animals,  &c.  &c. 

"The  subjects  treated  by  the  author  are  extremely  numerous  and  interesting;  several 
new  facts  in  the  physiology  of  animals  are  brought  forward,  and  some  curious  and  in- 
structive experiments  are  explained  and  illustrated  with  remarkable  felicity." 

MOXTULY  CflROXICLE. 

"  This  work  is  written  with  a  clearness  and  simplicity  which  renders  its  scientific 
details  readily  comprehensible." — Herald, 


WITH  THE  APPROVAL  OF  THE  LORDS  COMMISSIONERS  OF  HER 

MAJESTY'S  TREASURY.  ; 

GEOLOGICAL  OBSEEYATIONS 

MADE  DURIiVG  THE  VOYAGE  OF  HER  MAJESTY'S  SHIP  BEAGLE, 
Under  the  Command  of  Captain  FitzRoy,  R.N. 

Just  Published. 

Part  I.— ON  CORAL  FORMATIONS. 

By  CHARLES  DARWIN,  M.A.,  F.R.S.,  Sec.  G.S.,  &c. 

Demy  8vo.,  Illustrated  with  Plates  and  Wood-culs,  Price  15s.  bound  in  cloth. 

Part  XL— on  THE  VOLCANIC  ISLANDS  OF  THE  ATLANTIC  AND 

PACIFIC  OCEANS, 

Together  with  a  brief  Notice  of  the  Geology  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  and  of  pari  of 

Australia. 

Price  10s.  6d.  demy  8vo.  cloth,  with  map. 

Preparing  for  Publication. 
Demy  8vo.,  Illustrated  with  Map,  Price  10s.  6d.  cloth. 
Part  III.— ON  THE  GEOLOGY  OF  SOUTH  AMERICA. 


In  one  volume,  royal  4to.  illustrated  with  59  beautifully  coloured  plates.  Price  63s.  cloth. 

ILLUSTRATIONS   OF   THE   EECENT   CONCHOLOGY  OF 
GEEAT  BIUTALN  AND  ICELAND; 

With  the  Description  and  Localities  of  all  the  Species,— Marine,  Land,  and  Fresh  Water. 

Drawn  and  Coloured  from  Nature, 

By   CAPTAIN    THOMAS    BROWN,    F.L.S.,  M.W^S.,  M.K.S. 

Member  of  the  Manchester  Geological  Society. 


In  1  Volume,  demy  8vo.,  with  a  New  Map  by  Arrowsmilh,  Plans  of  the  Harbour,  and 

numerous  Engravings,  Price  14s. 

A  HISTOET  OF  UPPEK  AND  LOWEE  CALIFOENIA, 

From  their  first  Discovery  to  the  Present  Time ;  comprising  an  Account  of  the  Climate, 
Soil,  Natural  Productions,  Agriculture,  Commerce,  &c. ;  a  full  View  of  the  Missionary 
Estabhshments,  and  condition  of  the  Free  and  Domesticated  Indians. 

By  ALEXANDER  FORBES,  Esq. 

With  an  Appendix  relating  to  Steam  Navigation  in  the  Pacific. 

"  This  is  a  very  interesting  and  important  work,  and  will  make  the  public  well  ac- 
quainted with  an  extensive  country  known  to  Europe  nearly  three  hundred  years,  yet  its 
history,  till  the  appearance  of  this  volume,  has  been  neai-ly  a  blank." — Su^DAY  Times. 

In  1  Vol.  8vo.,  Price  lis.  cloth. 
A  HISTORY  OF  THE 

EUSSIAN  CAMPAIGN  OF  18U  IN  FEANCE. 

Translated  from  the  Original  of  A.  Mikhailofsk-Damlefsky,  Aide-de-Camp  and 
Private  Secretary  of  the  late  Emperor  Alexander. 

Illustrated  by  Plans  of  the  Operations  of  the  Army,  and  of  the  Seal  of  War. 

"A  work  of  this  description,  which  contributes  new  data  for  the  Military  History  of  the 
age,  cannot  fail  of  proving  acceptable  to  the  public.  It  is  written  by  a  well-known 
Russian  General;  and  the  details,  we  feel  sure,  are  as  correct  as  they  are  interesting." 

Umted  Service  Gazette. 

"Although  the  military  operations  of  the  invasion  of  France  have  been  before  nar- 
rated by  numerous  eye-witnesses,  still  there  is  much  new  and  interesting  matter  in  the 
present  history." — Naval  and  Military  Gazette. 
In  2  Vols.,  Post  8vo.,  with  a  New  Map  of  the  Chinese  Empire,  Price  1/.  is.  cloth  boards. 

CHINA  OPENED, 

Or,  a  Display  of  the  Topogi'aphy,  History,  Customs,  Manners,  Arts,  Manufactures,  Com- 
merce, Literature,  Religion,  Jurisprudence,  &c.  of  the  Chinese  Empire. 

By  the  Rev.  CHARLES  GUTZLAFF.    Revised  by  the  Rev.  Andrew  Reed,  D.D. 

"We  obtain  from  these  volumes  more  information  of  a  practical  kind  than  from  any 
other  publication;  a  closer  view  of  the  Domestic  life  of  the  Chinese  —  of  the  public 
institutions — the  manufactures — natural  resources  — and  literature.  The  work  in  fact  is 
full  of  information,  gathered  with  diligence,  and  fairly  leaves  the  English  reader  without 
any  excuse  for  ignorance  on  the  subject." — Atlas. 

"  This  is  by  far  the  most  interesting,  complete,  and  valuable  account  of  the  Chinese 
Empire  that  has  yet  been  published." — Sun. 

Also  by  the  same  Author, 
In  2  Vols.,  demy  Svo.  bds..  Price  28s. 
A  HISTORY  OF 

THE  CHINESE  EMPIEE,  ANCIENT  AND  MODEEN. 

Comprising  a  Retrospect  of  the  Foreign  Intercourse  and  Trade  with  China. 
Illustrated  by  a  New  and  Corrected  Map  of  the  Empire. 

"  We  cordially  recommend  this  exceedingly  interesting  account  of  this  very  interesting 
country." — ^London  Review. 

"  Mr.  GutzlaCf  has  evidently  combined  industry  with  talent  in  producing  this  work, 
which  far  exceeds  in  information,  research,  and  apparent  veracity,  any  thing  we  have 
before  seen  concerning  this  curious  and  singular  nation." — London  News. 


16  •WOIL^LS   PUBXiZSH£3>    SV 

Post  8vo.,  Price  8s.  cloth,  with  Maps  and  Plates. 

NEW  ZEALAND,  SOUTH  AUSTEALIA,  AND  NEW  SOUTH 

WALES : 

A  Record  of  recent  Travels  in  these  Colonies,  with  especial  reference  to  Emigration,  and 
the  advantageous  employment  of  Labour  and  Capital. 

By  R.  G.  JAMESON,  Esq. 

"  Mr.  Jameson  is  an  intelligent  and  unprejudiced  observer,  and  has  made  geod  use  of 
his  faculties." — Spectator. 

In  Demy  8vo.,  with  a  Map  and  Plates.    Fifth  Edition.    Price  3s.  cloth 

AN  ACCOUNT  OF 

THE  SETTLEMENTS  OE  THE  NEW  ZEALAND  COMPANY, 

From  Personal  Observations  during  a  residence  there. 

By  the  Hon.  HENRY  WILLIAM  PETRE. 

"This  is  a  valuable  contribution  to  our  sources  of  information  respecting  New  Zealand, 
and  the  best  proof  of  the  Author's  very  favourable  opinion  of  the  country,  is  his  making 
immediate  arrangements  to  return  there  as  a  Colonist." 


In  6  neatly  bound  Vols.,  Price  3s.  6d.  each. 

A    VALUABLE    AND    INSTRUCTIVE    PRESENT    FOR   THE    YOUNG. 

THE  PARENT'S  CABINET  OE  AMUSEMENT  AND 

INSTEUCTION. 

Each  volume  of  this  useful  and  instructive  little  work  comprises  a  variety  of  information 
on  diCTerent  subjects  —  Natural  History,  Biography,  Travels,  «Sic. ;  Tales,  original  and 
selected ;  and  animated  Conversations  on  the  objects  that  daily  surround  young  people. 

The  various  tales  and  subjects  are  illustrated  w  ith  Woodcuts.  Each  volume  is  complete 
in  itself,  and  may  be  purchased  separately. 

"  Every  parent  at  all  interested  in  his  children  must  have  felt  the  difficulty  of  providing 
suitable  reading  for  them  in  their  hours  of  amusement.  This  httle  work  presents  these 
advantages  in  a  considerable  degree,  as  it  contains  just  that  description  of  reading  which 
will  be  beneficial  to  young  children." — Quarterly  Journal  of  Education. 

By  the  same  Author, 
Royal  18mo.,  Price  2s.  Gd.  neatly  bound  in  cloth. 

LITTLE  STOEIES  EEOM  THE  PAELOUE  PEINTING-PEESS. 

"A  very  nice  little  book  for  children.  The  author  has  evidently  been  familiar  with 
children,  and  brought  himself  to  understand  their  feelings.  No  child's  book  that  we  have 
ever  seen  has  been  so  admirably  levelled  at  their  capacities  as  this  admirably  WTittcn  little 
book." — Weekly  Curonicle. 

Foolscap  8vo.,  Price  6s..  neatly  bound  in  cloth. 

THE  JUTONHLE  MISCELLANY  OF  AMUSEMENT  AND 

INSTEUCTION. 

Illustrated  by  numcrou  5  Plates  and  Wood  Cuts. 
"Filled  with  amusement  and  instruction  as  its  title  indicates." — Court  Journal. 


Twelfth  Edition,  enlarged,  with  an  illustrative  Plate,  Price  6s.  neatly  bound  in  cloth; 

or  9s.  elegantly  bound  in  morocco.  ^ 

THE    EECTOEY    OF   VALEHEAD; 

Or   THE    EDIFICE   OF   A   HOLY   HOME. 

By  the  Rev.  ROBERT  WILSON  EVANS,  B.D., 

Vicar  of  Heversham. 

"  Universally  and  cordially  do  we  recommend  this  delightful  volume.  "We  believe  no 
person  could  read  this  work  and  not  be  the  better  for  its  pious  and  touching  lessons.  It 
is  a  page  taken  from  the  book  of  life,  and  eloquent  with  all  the  instruction  of  an  excellent 
pattern :  it  is  a  commentary  on  the  affectionate  warning,  '  Remember  thy  Creator  in  the 
days  of  thy  youth.'  We  have  not  for  some  time  seen  a  work  we  could  so  deservedly 
praise,  or  so  conscientiously  recommend." — Literary  Gazette. 


The  Second  Edition,  enlarged.    Foolscap  8vo.,  Price  6s.  cloth. 

THE  EELIGIOUS  HISTOEY  OF  MA^, 

In  which  Rehgion  and  Superstition  are  traced  from  their  source. 

By  D.  MORISON. 

How  much  the  contents  of  this  volume  call  for  the  careful  investigation  of  every  one 
in  search  of  Truth,  will  appear  from  the  following  opinions  selected  from  many. 

"The  intention  of  this  book  is  not  less  admirable  than  the  manner  in  which  it  is 
written.  It  is  most  instructive,  and  the  tone  of  its  contents  is  in  the  highest  degree  pious, 
without  the  least  tinge  of  puritanism.  The  information  it  gives  on  the  most  difficult  points 
of  biblical  reading  render  it  a  valuable  book  to  all  who  desire  true  knowledge." — Age. 

"  Curious,  industrious,  and  learned,  and  well  worthy  the  attention  of  the  public." 

Literary  Gazette. 

"  The  plan  of  this  book  was  both  extensive  and  important  —  embracing  an  inquiry  into 
the  nature  of  Revelation,  and  its  influence  on  the  opinions  and  customs  of  mankind ;" 
but  "  the  WTiter  uses  Scripture  as  an  interpreter,"  and  "slicks  to  the  literal  text  of  the 
six  days." — Spectator. 

Just  published,  fcap.  8vo.  with  an  Illustration,  price  4s.  6d.  cloth. 

SCHISM  AND  EEPENTANCE ; 

A  SUBJECT  IN  SEASON. 
By  JOSEPH  FEARN, 

Author  of  "Belief  and  Unbehef,  a  tale  for  the  Sceptical." 


Demy  8vo.,  Price  7s.  cloth. 

PULPIT  EECOLLECTIONS. 

Miscellaneous  Sermons  preached  in  the  Parish  Church  of  Stoke-upon-Trent,  Staffordshire. 

By  the  Rev.  Sir  WILLIAM  DUNBAR,  Bart.,  S.C.L. 

Late  Curate  of  the  above  Parish. 

"The  WTiter  shows  us  what  are  the  credentials  of  a  Christian  Ministry,  by  such  zealous 
and  single-minded  efforts  as  these,  to  save  souls  from  death,  far  more  convincingly  than 
he  would  have  done  by  the  most  elaborate  efforts  to  demonstrate  an  apostolical  succession. 
The  sermons  are  practical  as  well  as  experimental  in  their  tendencies,  and  extremely 
edifying." — Watchman. 


^3  "WORKS    PUBIiZSHSB    BIT 

In  1  Vol.,  post  8vo.,  Price  8s.  clolh. 

THE  CHETSTIAN'S  SUNDAY  CO]\IPANION; 

Being  Reflections  in  Prose  and  Verse  on  the  Collect,  Epistle  and  Gospel,  and  Proper 
Lessons  for  each  Sunday ;  with  a  view  to  their  immediate  connection. 

By  3lRS.  J.  A.  SARGAIST. 

"  We  cordially  recommend  this  volume  as  an  acceptable  present  to  be  made  to  the 
heads  of  families,  and  also  an  admirable  school  book  to  be  read  on  Sunday  morning  to 
scholars  before  proceeding  to  the  Temple  of  God." — Church  and  State  Gazette. 

"The  whole  production  is  eminently  fitted  to  elevate  the  tone  of  religious  feeling,  to 
strengthen  in  the  minds  not  only  of  the  rising  generation,  but  also  of  the  older  friends  to 
our  venerable  ecclesiastical  institution,  sentiments  of  firm  and  fervent  attachment  to  the 
pure  faith  and  reformed  worship  estabhshed  in  this  Protestant  country,  and  for  these 
reasons  especially  we  recommend  it  to  the  perusal  of  our  readers." — Norfolk  Chron. 

Sixth  Edition,  Royal  ISmo ,  Price  2s.  6d.,  handsomely  bound  in  cloth. 

LETTEES  EKOM  A  MOTHEE  TO  HEE  DAUGHTEE, 

AT,  OR  GOING  TO  SCHOOL. 

Pointing  out  the  duties  towards  her  Maker,  her  Governess,  her  schoolfellows,  and 

herself. 

By  Mrs.  J.  A.  SARGANT. 

In  1  Volume  Post  8vo.,  Price  8s.  6d.,  neatly  bound  in  cloth. 

A  HISTOEY  OF  THE  CHUECH  OF  CHEIST, 

IN  A  COURSE  OF  LECTURES. 

By  the  Rev.  CHARLES  MACKENZIE,  A.M., 

Vicar  of  St.  Helen's,  Bishopsgate,  and  Head  Master  of  Queen  Elizabeth's  Grammar  School, 

St.  Olave's,  Southwark. 

"  Although  the  author  is  able  and  earnest,  he  is  not  bigoted  or  intolerant." — Lit.  Gaz. 

"  It  is  but  an  octavo,  yet  within  its  conveniently  compendious  pages  it  contains  a  re- 
view carefully  taken  of  the  progress  of  the  Church  of  Christ,  through  all  the  perils  of 
persecution,  dissent,  and  heresy,  by  which  it  las  been  tried  as  in  a  furnace,  up  to  its  con- 
firmed establishment  in  this  country  at  the  epoch  of  IG88." — Herald. 


In  One  Vol.  8vo.,  Price  7s.  neatly  Bound. 

THE  LIFE-BOOK  OF  A  LAEOUEEE. 

PRACTICAL  LESSONS  FOR  INSTRUCTION  AND  GUIDANCE. 

By  a  WORKING  CLERGYMAN. 

Author  of  the  "Bishop's  Daughter,"  &c.  &c. 

"We  never  in  all  our  experience  met  with  a  more  interesting  work,  and  one  breathing 
more  fully  and  firmly  the  very  essence  of  (Christian  pliilanlhropy  and  national  patriotism, 
and  that  too  in  the  most  simple  and  unambitious  language,  as  if  the  writer  were  not  aware 
of  his  power  of  influencing  all  the  belter  feelings  of  the  human  heart." — Literary 
Chronicle. 

"This  volume  reminds  us  forcibly  of  that  most  delightful  of  all  biographies,  'The 
Doctor,'  to  which  indeed  it  is  little  if  at  all  inferior." — Bkitanma. 

"  It  is  the  pious  offering  of  one  who  may  be  deemed  a  proper  follower  in  the  footsteps 
of  that  good  man,  Legh  Richmond." — Argus. 


SnXZTH,   EIiBER   A.NJi   CO.,   COHM-HIZiZ..  19 


A  BOOK  FOR  THE  BEREAVED,  AND  CONSOLATION^  FOR  THE 

MOURNER. 
In  one  thick  vol.  8vo.,  price  i5s.  bound. 

MOETAL  LIFE  ; 

AND  THE  STATE  OF  THE  SOUL  AFTER  DEATH  ; 

CONFORMABLE  TO  DIVINE  REVELATION. 

By  ALEX.4NDER  COPLAND,  Esq. 
Author  of "  The  Existence  of  Other  Worlds,"  «&c. 

"  The  work  will  afford  in  perusal,  to  all  sorrowing  relations,  the  consolation  and  diver- 
sion of  mind  of  the  most  congenial  kind.  It  neither  leads  the  thoughts  to  dwell  painfully 
on  one  idea — that  of  loss — nor  does  it  altogether  withdraw  the  mind  from  its  contempla- 
tion :  an  effort  still  more  painful.  The  study  of  a  work  like  this,  on  the  contrary,  while  it 
gradually  weans  grief  from  its  melancholy  occupation,  supplies  it  with  the  sweetest  and 
most  cheerful  of  all  balm — the  happy  certainty  of  re-union,  not  after  the  lapse  of  vast  ages 
of  time,  but  of  the  instant  term  of  mortal  existence." — Theological  Review. 

THE  CHAPEL,  THE  CHURCH,  AND  THE  MEETING-HOUSE. 
Recently  published  in  Foolscap  8vo.,  Price  6s.  Bound. 

THE  CHUECH  AXD  DISSENT, 

Considered  in  their  practical  influence  on  Individuals,  Society,  the  Nation,  and  Religion. 

By  EDWARD  OSLER,  Esq. 
"It  would  be  impossible  to  find,  in  the  whole  range  of  our  literature,  a  work  so  admira- 
bly suited  to  the  present  times  as  this  invaluable  little  volume.  The  searching  test  to 
which  the  respective  systems  have  been  submitted  is  so  complete  and  convincing,  that  the 
work  ought  to  be  studied  by  every  Dissenter  and  Churchman  in  the  Kingdom,  pai'ticularly 
at  the  present  rehgious  crisis." — Curistian  Review. 

By  the  same  Author, 
In  1  Vol.  Royal  8vo.,  Price  4s.  cloth  boards. 

CHUECH  AND  KING. 

COMPRISING 

I.  THE  CHURCH  AND  DISSENT,  CONSIDERED  IN  THEIR  PILlCTICAL  INFLU- 

ENCE, shewing  tlie  Connexion  of  Constitutional  Monarchy  with  the  Church ;  and 
the  Identity  of  the  Voluntary  Principle  with  Democracy. 

II.  THE  CHURCH  ESTABLISHED  ON  THE  BIBLE;  or,  the  Doctrines  and  Discipline 

of  the  Church  shewn  in  the  Order  and  Connexion  of  the  Yearly  Services  appointed 
from  the  Scriptures. 

III.  THE  CATECHISM  EXPLAINED  AND  ILLUSTR.4TED.    In  Connexion  with  these 

appointed  Services. 

IV.  PSALMS  AND  HYMNS  ON  THE  SERVICES  AND  RITES  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

Just  pubhshed,  price  4s.,  the  Sixth  Edition  of 

THE  AUTOBIOGEAPHY  OF  A  DISSENTING  MINISTEE. 

"  Our  own  observation  has  shown  us  the  truth  of  the  statement  put  forth  in  this  well- 
written  exposure  of  the  tyranny  to  which  the  greater  portion  of  Dissenting  Ministers  are 
compelled  to  submit,  and  the  evils  which  the  destruction  of  the  Established  Church  would 
bring  upon  rehgion." — Court  Journal. 

"  We  warmly  recommend  this  most  excellent  work  to  public  notice." — British  Mag. 

" This  volume  is  one  which  strikes  us  as  being  likely  to  make  a  considerable  stir  in  the 
religii-us,  high-church,  and  dissenting  world." — Literary  Gazette. 

"  Their  mode  of  education  at  the  Dissenting  Colleges^  as  they  aie  pompously  styled,  is 
admirably  showTi  up." — Edinburgh  Evening  Post. 


20  "WORKS   PUBZiZSHBD   BV 

Just  Published,  Third  Edition,  Price  12s.,  8vo.  cloth. 

PHILOSOPHY    AND    EELIGION, 

CONSIDERED  IN  THEIR  MUTUAL  BEARINGS. 
By  the  Rev.  WILLIAM  BROWN  GALLOWAY,  M.A. 

Also  recently  Published.    By  the  same  Author, 
In  fcap.  8vo.,  Price  5s.  cloth. 

THE   YOW   OF   THE   GILEADITE: 

A  LYRIC  NARRATIVE. 
In  1  thick  Vol.,  Demy  8vo.,  Price  10s.  6d.  neatly  bound  in  cloth, 

SCPtlPTUEAL  STUDIES: 

COMPRISING 

THE  CREATION — THE  CHRISTIAN  SCHEME THE  INNER  SENSE. 

By  the  Rev.  WILLIAM  HILL  TUCKER,  M.A.,  Fellow  of  King's  College,  Cambridge. 

"This  is  not  a  work  for  ordinary  readers.  The  author  thinks  for  himself;  and  so  writes 
that  his  readers  must  think  too,  or  they  wiU  not  be  able  to  understand  him.  —  To  the 
sacred  volume,  as  a  revelation  from  God,  he  pays  uniform  and  entire  deference  —  and  the 
thoughtful  and  prayerful  reader  will  soon  find  that  he  has  not  the  thinkings  of  a  common- 
place mind  before  him." — Methodist  Magazine. 

Second  Edition,  in  1  Vol.  12mo.,  Price  4s.  6d.  cloth. 
SIX  MONTHS  OF 

A  NEWFOUNDLAND  fflSSIONAEY'S  JOUENAL. 

By  the  Venerable  Archdeacon  WIX. 

"This  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  and  affecting  volumes  we  have  ever  read." 

Christian  Remembrancer. 

"  We  most  earnestly  recommend  this  Journal  to  general  notice  j  it  is  full  of  interest." 

British  Magazine. 


SOCIAL  EYILS  AND  THEIE  EEMEDY: 

A  SERIES  OF  NARRATIVES. 
By  the  Rev.  C.  B.  TAYLER,  M.A. 

The  First  Number,  entitled  "THE  MECHANIC,"  was  pronounced  to  be  "One  of  the 
most  useful  and  interesting  publications  that  had  issued  from  the  press." 

The  following  are  the  Contents  of  the  different  Nuvihers^  Price  \s.  6d.  each. 


VI.     LHT  AND  LET  LIVE ;  OR,   THE 

MANCHESTER  WEA^TRS. 
VH.   THE  SOLDIER. 
VIII.  THE  LEASIDE  FARM. 


II.  THE  LADY  AND  THE  LADY'S  MAID. 

III.  THE  PASTOH  OF  DRONFELLS. 

IV.  THE  LABOURER  AND  HIS  WIFE. 

V.  THE  COUNTRY  TOWN. 

Every  two  consecutive  Numbers  form  a  Volume,  which  may  be  procured,  neatly  bound, 

Price  4s.  each. 

"The  design  of  Mr.  Tayler  is  praiseworthy ;  his  object  being  to  counteract,  by  a  series 
of  tales  illustrative  of  the  power  and  necessity  of  religion  in  the  daily  and  hourly  concerns 
of  life,  Mhe  confusion  of  error  with  truth  in  Miss  Martineal's  Entertaining 
Stories.'  " — Christian  Remembrancer. 


SSaorSs  tv,  tf)e  lAeb.  Cl^arles  13.  Caller.  iBM. 
Author  of  "  May  you  Like  it,"  &c.  &c. 

1- 

EECOEDS  OF  A  GOOD  MAN'S  LIFE. 

Seventh  Edition,  in  1  Volume  small  8vo.,  Price  7s.  neatly  bound  in  cloth. 

"We  most  earnestly  recommend  this  work  to  the  perusal  of  all  those  who  desire 
instruction  blended  with  amusement.  A  spirit  of  true  piety  breathes  through  every  page ; 
and  whilst  the  innocent  recreation  of  the  reader  is  amply  consulted,  his  motives  to  virtue 
and  morality  receive  an  additional  stimulus." — Monthly  Review. 


2. 

MONTAGUE;   OE,   IS   THIS  EELIGION.P 

A  PAGE  FROM  THE  BOOK  OF  THE  WORLD. 

New  Edition,  in  Foolscap  8vo.,  Illustrated,  Price  6s.  cloth,  and  9s.  morocco  extra. 

"  To  christian  parents  we  recommend  the  work,  as  admirably  adapted  to  remind  them 
of  their  important  duties,  and  their  awful  responsibility ;  and  to  our  young  readers,  as 
affording  them  much  excellent  advice  and  example,  and  displaying  in  the  most  lively 
colours  the  high  rewards  of  filial  obedience." — Christian  Monitor. 

A  VOLUME    OF    SEEMONS, 

ON  THE  DOCTRINES  AND  DUTIES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 

Second  Edition,  Demy  12mo.,  Price  5s.  boards. 

"  Well  meriting  a  high  rank  among  the  pious  labours  of  the  ministrj',  is  this  simple 
but  admirable  volume ;  directed  to  instruct  and  improve  even  the  most  ignorant ;  while  it 
reflects  lustre  on  the  Christian  moiives  of  its  amiable  author,  it  at  the  same  time  does 
honour  to  his  talents." — Literary  Gazette. 

5. 

LEGENDS  AND  EECOEDS,  CHIEFLY  HISTOEICAL. 

Contents: Lucy — Lorenzo;  or,  a  Vision  of  Conscience — The  Lady  Lisle  —  Ful- 

gentius  and  Meta — Anne  of  Cleves ;  or,  Katharine  Howard — George  the  Third — The  Lady 
Russell — Guyon  of  Marseilles — The  Earl  of  Strafford — Donna  Francesca — Joan  of  Kent — 
The  Lady  Anne  Carr — The  Son  and  Heir — Leonora. 

In  post  8vo.,  beautifully  Illustrated,  Price  10s.  6d.  elegantly  bound. 

6. 

THE  CHILD  OF  THE  CHUECH  OF  ENGLAND. 

Price  2s.  neatly  half-bound. 

"  These  are  truly  Christian  Parents'  Books,  and  happy  would  it  be  for  the  rising  gene- 
ration if  their  instructors  and  tutors  would  put  these  admirable  works  of  Mr.  Tayler  into 
the  hands  of  the  young,  while  their  tender  minds  are  yet  open  to  receive  the  good  im- 
pressions which  they  are  so  calculated  to  con\ey." — Christian  Monitor. 


22  -WORKS    PTTBI.ISII£I>    BV 


BOOKS  FOE  THE  USE  OF  THE  BLIND, 

Printed  icith  a  very  distinct  Raised  Romayt  Letter,  adapted  to  their  touch. 
THE  HOLY  BIBLE,  in  15  vols.  4to.  Bound £8    0    0 

*^*  Any  Volume  separately  :  — 
s.    cL 


Vol.  1,  Genesis 10  0 

—  2,  Exodus  and  Levilicus  ....    130 

—  3,  Numbers 9  0 

4,  Deuteronomy 7  6 

5,  Joshua,  Judges,  and  Ruth     10  0 

6,  Samuel 11  0 

7,  Kings     11  0 

8,  Chronicles 11  0 


Vol.  9,  Job,  Ezra,  and  Nehemiah  . .     9  0 

—  10,  Psalms 13  0 

—  11,  Proverbs,  Ecclcsiastes,  Song 

of  Solomon,  and  Esther  . .     8  6 

—  12,  Isaiah 10  6 

—  13,  Jeremiah  and  Lamentations  .110 

—  14,  Ezekiel 10  0 

15,  Daniel,  to  the  end 11  0 


THE  FOUR  GOSPELS  —  Matthew  and  Luke,  5s.  6d.  each;  John  4s.  6d. ;  Mark  4s. 

separately. 

THE  CHURCH  of  ENGLAND  CATECHISM 0  1  0 

CHURCH  of  SCOTLAND  SHORTER  CATECHISM    0  2  6 

SELECTIONS  from  EMINENT  AUTHORS 0  1  6 

SELECTIONS  of  SACRED  POETRY,  with  Tunes  0  2  0 

ARITHMETICAL  BOARDS 0  10  6 

MAP  of  ENGLAND  and  WALES 0  2  0 

RUTH  and  JAMES 0  2  6 

REPORT  and  STATEIMENT  of  EDUCATION 0  2  0 

SPECIMENS  of  PRINTING  TYPE    0  2  6 

FIRST  BOOK  of  LESSONS    0  1  0 

SECOND  BOOK  of  LESSONS    0  2  0 

A  SELECTION  of  .ESOP'S  FABLES,  with  Woodcuts 0  2  0 

LESSONS  on  RELIGION  and  PRAYER 0  1  6 

LESSONS  on  NATURAL  RELIGION    0  2  0 

THE  ACTS  of  the  APOSTLES 0  5  6 

THE  EPISTLES  to  the  EPHESIANS  and  GALATIANS    0  3  0 

THE  NEW  TESTASIENT,  complete,  4  vols,  bound 2  0  0 

THE  PSALMS  and  PARAPHR.\SES,  2  vols 0  16  0 

THE  MORNING  and  EVENING  SERVICES 0  2  6 

THE  HISTORY  of  the  BIBLE 0  2  0 

MUSICAL  CATECHISM,  with  Tunes    0  3  6 

ENGLISH  GR.\MMAR 0  5  0 

TOD'S  LECTURES,  vols.  1  and  2,  each 0  2  6 

DESCRIPTION  of  LONDON  bv  CHAMBERS 0  3  0 

MEDITATIONS  on  the  SACRAMENT 0  4  0 

The  BUnd  may  now  be  taught  to  read  al  School,  or  even  by  their  own  friends  at  home. 


U  U  i>  1  A  i  I'i  X  r«  Ur 

the  ^lonosvllables ;  a  copious  selection  of  Polysyllables,  carefully  arranged  and  accented  ; 
[)gressive  Lessons,  chiefly  from  the  Holy  Scripture;  a  list  of  words  of  various  Meanings; 


S©III©©II.    IB©©]S^, 

12mo.,  Price  Is.  6d.  bound. 
A  NEW 

SPELLING-BOOK  OF  THE  ENGLISH  LANGUAGE; 

CONTAINING 

All 

Prog.  ,  .  .         . 

a  short  Bible  Catechism ;  Questions  on  Scripture  Historj ;  and  School  Prayers. 
By  J.  S.  MOORE,  Master  of  the  Brewers'  Company's  School. 

A  BOOK  FOR  THE  COUNTING-HOUSE  AND  PRIVATE  DESK. 

Recently  published  in  demy  12mo.,  Price  5s.  bound  in  cloth. 

AEITHMETIC  UNWEILED : 

Being  a  Series  of  Tables  and  Rules,  whorr by  most  of  the  calculations  in  business  may 
be  either  menfallv  performed,  or  so  abridged  as  to  save  half  the  time  usually  employed. 
To  wliich  are  annexed  a  Multiplication  Table  extended  to  200  times  200,  and  Tables  of 
Interest  on  an  improved  plan.  The  whole  adapted  to  the  use  of  both  the  first  merchant 
and  the  most  humble  trader. 

By  JAMES  McDOWALL,  Accountant. 


1S 


SMITH,   EX.BZ:n   ILNTi    CO.,   COB.IffHII.Ii.  23 

^©I1I®®IL,    I13(o)©IESo 
Second  Edition,  post  8vo.,  Price  10s.  6d.  boards. 

THE  ENGLISH  MASTEE ; 

OR,  STUDENT'S  GUIDE  TO  REASONING  AND  COMPOSITION: 

Exhibiting  an  Analytical  View  of  the  English  Language,  of  the  Human  Mind,  and  of  the 

Principles  of  fine  Writing. 

By  WILLIAM  BANKS,  Private  Teacher  of  Composition,  Intellectual  Philosophy,  &c. 

"  We  have  examined  with  care  and  pleasure  this  valuable  treatise  of  Mr.  Banks,  and 
strenuously  recommend  the  volume  as  one  of  aU  others  most  fit  to  put  into  the  hands  of 
every  English  student." — Weekly  Review. 

Third  Edition,  demy  12mo.,  Price  3s.  bound. 

A   SYSTEM   OF  AEITHMETIC, 

With  the  Principles  of  Logarithms.    Compiled  for  Merchant  Taylors'  School. 

By  RICHARD  FREDERICK  CLARKE,  Teacher. 

"The  great  object  attained  in  this  excellent  work  is  a  most  judicious  abridgment  of  the 
labour  of  teaching  and  learning  every  branch  of  Arithmetic,  by  rendering  the  Rules  and 
Explanations  so  very  simple  and  intelligible,  that  the  study  becomes  a  pleasure,  instead  of 
a  task,  to  the  youthful  pupil." 

24mo.  2s.  cloth  boards. 

THE  GEAMMAPJAN; 

OR,  THE  ENGLISH  WRITER  AND  SPEAKER'S  ASSISTANT: 

COMPRISING 

SHAX.I.   ILTJH   'WZI.Zi 

Made  easy  to  Foreigners,  with  instances  of  their  Misuse  on  the  part  of  the  Natives  of  England. 

ALSO 
SCOTTICISMS, 

Designed  to  correct  Improprieties  of  Speech  and  Writing. 
By  JAMES  BEATTIE,  LL.D. 


Just  Published,  in  1  Vol.,  demy  8vo.  with  Illustrations,  price  12s.  cloth. 
HISTORICAL  RECORD  OF 

The  Honourable  East  India  Company's 

FIEST  MADEAS  EUEOPEAN  EEGBIENT ; 

Containing  an  Account  of  the  Establishment  of  Independent  Companies  in  1645, 
their  formation  into  a  Regiment  in  1748,  and  its  subsequent  Services  to  1842. 

By  A  STAFF  OFFICER. 

In  1  Vol.,  Post  8vo.,  Price  9s.  cloth  lettered. 

THE  MANNEES  AND  CUSTOMS  OF  SOCIETY  IN  INDIA ; 

Including  Scenes  at  the  Mofussil  Stations,  interspersed  with  Characteristic  Tales  and 

Anecdotes:   to  which  is  added 

A  GUIDE  TO  CADETS 
And  other  Young  Gentlemen,  during  their  first  Years'  Residence  in  India. 

By  Mrs.  Major  CLEMONS. 
"We  need  not  recommend  this  book ;  the  space  we  have  given  to  it  is  an  ample  proof 
of  the  pleasure  we  have  enjoyed  in  its  perusal.    We  earnestly  advise  every  person  inter- 
ested in  India  to  read  it." — Atlas. 
. ^ 


24     ■WOB.KS   PUBIiISHED    B7    SMITH,    SI.3>X:Xl.    AND    CO. 

ir^ •■ 

IF  ©  1§  "S"  IE  W, 
lusl  published,  royal  18mo.,  price  is,,  cloth  gilt. 

a  E  I  S  E  L  D  A ; 

A  Dramatic  Poem, 
Translated  from  the  German  of  Frederick  Halm. 
By  Q.  E.  D. 
"  An  elegant  translation  of  an  elegant  German  poem." — Athen^um. 

"  In  conclusion  we  would  strongly  recommend  '  Griselda'  to  our  readers ;  assuring 
them  that,  in  our  opinion,  they  will  not  easily  meet  with  anything  so  deserving  of 
popularity,  either  from  the  purity  of  the  style,  the  interest  of  the  story,  the  fidelity  of  the 
translation,  the  easy  flow  of  the  rhyme,  or  the  elegance  of  the  language." — Foreign 
AND  Colonial  Quarterly  Review. 

Just  Published,  in  Demy  8vo.,  Price  10s.,  handsomely  bound  in  cloth. 

THE  COLUMBIAD." 

Comprising  geographical  sketches  and  a  narrative  of  nautical  adventures  in  the  Eastern 
Seas,  including  the  perils  of  a  storm,  and  providential  escape  from  shipwreck; — with 
meditations  on  a  future  state. 

By  ARCHIB.\LD  TUCKER  RITCHIE,  Esq. 
In  Demy  8vo.,  price  6s.  bound. 

DAYS  IN  THE  EAST. 

A  Poem  in  Two  Cantos. 

Descriptive  of  Scenery  in  India,  the  departure  from  Home,  the  Voyage  and  subsequent 
Career  of  an  Officer  in  the  East  India  Company's  Army. 
By  JAMES  HENRY  BURKE,  Esq.,  of  3Iarble  Hill ; 
Lieutenant  Bombay  Engineers ;  Member  of  the  Bombay  Branch  of  Royal  Asiatic  Society. 
"The  Stanzas  of  Mr.  Burke  bespeak  at  once  high  feeling,  a  vigorous  cultivated  intelli- 
gence, and  a  delicate  poetic  taste." — Morning  Herald. 

"  The  execution  is  even,  finished,  and  good." — Weekly  Chronicle. 


In  post,  Svo.,  price  2s.  6d,  in  ornamental  wrapper. 

THE  AXGLO-INDIAN  AND  COLONIAL  ALMANACK, 

AND 

CIVIL,  MILITARY,  AND  COMMERCIAL 

DIKECTOEY 

For  1845. 

The  HOME  DEPARTMENT  of  the  Almanack  will  comprise— I.  Civil  and  Eccle- 
siastical ;  including  the  Government  offices  and  the  India  House ;  together  with  the 
forms  of  procedure,  and  educational  studies,  requisite  for  obtaining  civil  appointments, 
and  all  matters  connected  with  those  appointments,  from  the  commencing  salary  to  the 
retiring  allowance.  II.  Military  and  Marine;  including  information  of  a  similar  kind 
respecting  these  services,  and  the  Home  Establishmenl  of  the  East  India  Company. 
III.  Commercial;  containing  Lists  of  Merchants,  Agents,  Associations,  &c.,  throughout 
the  United  Kingdom;  likewise,  the  trades  connected  \»ith  India  and  the  Colonies;  and 
tariff  of  Indian  and  Colonial  produce. 

The  EAST  INDLVN  AND  COLONIAL  DEPARTMENT  will  embrace  — L  Civil  : 
The  Government  lists  of  Bengal,  Madras,  Bombay,  Ceylon,  Hong  Kong,  Australia,  New 
Zealand,  Mauritius,  and  (he  Cape  of  Good  Hope;  lists  of  Civil  Servants  and  their  appoint- 
ments, and  of  Judicial  Establishments,  with  a  detailed  account  of  the  Benefit  Funds. 
II.  Military:  Slafl"  and  Field  Officers;  distribution  of  the  Army,  including  the  Royal 
troops;  Ecclesiastical  Establishmenl;  and  all  Benefit  Funds.  III.  Commercial:  List 
of  Mercantile  Firms,  Banks,  Insurance  Companies,  Public  Institutions,  <S:c.,  in  India  and 
the  Colonies;  with  the  respective  Tariffs,  and  Tables  of  Money,  Weights,  Measures,  &c., 
a  nd  other  miscellaneous  information. 


London:  Printed  by  Stkwart  &  Mubhay,  Old  Bailey. 


•'^ 


^\y 


M. 


DATE  DUE 

tAM    ^  ^ 

990 

APR  P9 

1991 

1 

APR  ^ 

9"  1991 

fllM    I  7 

r\i^f^ 

i 

vAJtN     r   ! 

9^3 

1 

CAYLORO 

ruiNTED  IN  USA 

BOSTON  COLLEGE 


/  1   3  9031  01761313  4