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had taken place in my mind, is, perhaps, very evident; and the enthusiasm of the letter will 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 subjection-degradation, and ends with (the certain result) "perfect obedience." This he ensures by never-ending practice of this he is convinced before he says to the trembling novice, "Proceed!"; and this, finally, he secures by a vow-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

in its most unscrupulous, in its blindest extravagance, the society disowns, discards him,-I say that characteristic is perfect obedience. This is the very soul of the society,—the heart, the mainspring, the fulcrum, the foundation, the royal bank 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 gratias!" "thanks be to God!" to which every novice replied, "Deo gratias!" 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 himself 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.

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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 Christ, or in Virtue of Obedience!" The subject will be fully discussed in the sequel.

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, 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 sentiments of esteem and affection. The first repugnance 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 thy weary steps,

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

Esteem a foil, wherein thou art to set

The precious jewel of thy 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 the tacit admonition. I expected every day an order to conform, but it never came; till at length, ashamed of myself, I sacrificed the toy of vanity, and was religiously shorn by the cook.

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"Hyacinthine locks," then, were out of the question, few retained more than an inch or two,-but still we brushed the stubble, and brushed it well, there was "merit"+ 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 exterior of the novice, is the following:

"All should take the most diligent care to guard*SHAKSP., Rich. II.

CONST., Part iv. c. 6.

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