China-but the whole world-without any one knowing how 'tis managed."

Add to this, that her moral doctrines will be compared with those of the pagan philosophers, and the latter will be deemed more Christian :2 that it will become an historical problem for Catholics, whether the Jesuits, or Luther and Calvin, have most injured Christian doctrine, and it will be solved to the disgrace of the former by a Catholic: 3 and finally, that Doubt and Atheism will be sportively made popular by one of the Society's eccentric progeny.*

1 "Vede, Signor-di questa camera-di questa camera io governo non dico Parigi, ma la China; non già la China, ma tutto il mondo, senza che nessuno sappia come si fa.”—Abrégé de l'Hist. Ecclés. de Racine, xii. 77. Arnaud, xxxii. 78. (Morale Pratique).

2 Parallèle de la Doctrine des Payens avec celle des Jésuites, 1726.

3 Problème Historique, qui, les Jésuites, ou Luther et Calvin, ont le plus nui à l'Eglise Chrétienne, par [Mesnier, Jansenist Catholic] 1737.

* L'Athéisme découvert par le Père Hardouin dans les écrits de tous les Pères de l'Eglise, 1715.

BOOK II. OR, FABER.

The finger of God.

A

MOST graciously was Ignatius of Loyola received by Pope Paul III. The reader remembers the interview. It was probably one of Paul's fortunate days. Doubtless he had cast his horoscope. But astrology was not the only art that directed the pope's resolutions. He judged by palmistry as well. panegyrist of Don Ignacio, when become Saint Ignatius, tells us that "after the pope had attentively considered the hands of Ignatius, he saw nothing else inscribed and engraved in them but the name of Jesus, and instantly exclaimed: "The finger of God is here! I find nothing in these hands but the fingers of God.” 1

The pope was prepossessed in favour of the pilgrim. He had heard of him before. Ignatius had sent him

1 "Postquam pontifex attentè considerasset manus Ignatii, nihil aliud eis inscriptum et insculptum vidit præter nomen Jesu, et statim dixit: Digitus Dei hîc est nihil in istis manibus reperio præter digitos Dei."-Valderrama, in Canon. Ignatii, p. 48. See a curious tract on Palmistry, by Indagine, Introd. in Chiromant., Physionom., &c., Lug. 1582.

The Jesuit historians, apparently not relishing the whole fact, have retained the exclamation, but dexterously omit the adjunct. They make the pope utter the words when he saw the draft of the Constitutions of the Company. Bartoli, l. ii. 43. Cretineau Joly, t. i. 43, &c. Valderrama, who gives the anecdote, was Prior of the Austin Friars in Seville. It occurs in his sermon preached by request of the Jesuits on the 31st July, 1610, when Ignatius was canonised. Of course the Jesuits supplied the "facts" for the laudation. See Bayle, Dict. vii. 196.

some of his companions to crave a benediction; they were well received by Paul, who patronised "learned men," wherever he found them, with merito- Ignatius and rious liberality.' Ignatius did not go with his scheme. them, for fear of Caraffa, who suspected him, or whom he had offended at Venice by refusing to enrol himself and companions amongst the Theatines, founded by Caraffa.2 Don Ignacio had his own idea to work out— his own gun to let off-it was primed: why should he let another fire it? He has reached the joyful moment. The pope is pleased with him. Paul likes his hands, and doubtless his features, which I have described, after the Jesuits: "All signs of wisdom,” says Bouhours, 'according to the physiognomists ;"3 but the physiognomists add more than the Jesuit declares. They say: "Devotion on the lips, hardness in the soul, audacity and obstinacy,—such are the chief characteristics" [of a good likeness of Ignatius]: "with such eyes it is hard not to be a fanatic; and in such a forehead a thousand projects incessantly succeed each other with rapidity. In fine, the mouth announces a mind of bigotry, or hypocrisy and intrigue, which will employ all means to gain an end. At this portrait, traced by Lavater himself, we recognise Loyola and his disciples." Be this as it may; in the cry of reform, then ringing in his ears -for you remember the occasion-with the conviction that something must be done to satisfy the tyrant opinion which interfered with his political schemes— Paul III. accepted the services of Ignatius and his companions. Their terms were the most tempting in the world (in matters of religion)—their services would be

1 Bouhours, i. 245.

2 Id. i. 234.

3 Id. ii. 228.

♦ Précis Analytique du Système de Lavater, an excellent digest of Lavater's great work. See also Indagine, ubi suprà, in Physionom. c. vii.

4

1

gratuitous; they craved no filthy lucre. The Don's object was simply to work for salvation. As far back as 1534, three years before the interview, he had designed his society; he had long before resolved to be a glorious founder, like St. Dominic and St. Francis; 2 he has not imparted his "holy ambition" even to his companions, much less, then, will he scare the pope with a design likely at once to take him aback, at a time when there were cries on all sides against existing orders of monks-useless drones and licentious hypocrites. He must establish claims before he can demand possession. This he has resolved, and all that he imparts to the pope are the following offers in his own name and that of his companions:-1. That they will lodge at the hospitals, and will live on alms only. 2. That those who might be together will be superiors by turns, each a week, for fear lest their fervour should carry them too far, if they do not set bounds one to the other in the matter of penances and labour. 3. That they will preach in the public places, where permitted; that in their preaching they will hold forth the beauty and rewards of virtue, the deformity and penalties of vice, but in a manner conformable to the simplicity of the Gospel, and without the vain ornaments of eloquence. 4. That they will teach children the Christian doctrine

1 Bartoli, l. ii. 109.

2 Maffeius, l. i. 8. "Quid si præclarum hoc S. Dominici facinus, quid si hoc S. Francisci, Deo fretus aggrediar?"

3 It was not till the year after that he imparted to his companions "l'affaire importante qu'il méditait." We shall hear the words ascribed to him on that occasion. See Bouhours, i. 256.

4 "I labour very unwillingly in the matter of the monks," wrote Bembo in 1530, "to find under many faces all human rascality covered with diabolical hypocrisy." "Io mi travaglio malto malvolentieri in case di frati per trorarvi sotto molte volte tutte le umane sceleratezze coperte di diabolica ipocrizia.”—Apud Botta, i. 26.

and the principles of good morals. 5. That they will take no money for their functions; and that, in serving their neighbour, they will purely seek God only.1 Manifestly offers identical with the duties of Caraffa's Theatines, an institute soon obsolete and forgotten, and so would have been the Ignatians had they confined themselves to those simple avocations. With his usual sagacity, Paul III. saw at once the metal of his man. At all events, there could be little risk in giving him a trial. Such workers as the men before him promised to be, were decidedly wanted to make Rome "lead a Christian life for the future." Time and the stars would direct his final resolution. Meanwhile, we will inquire more deeply into the fortunes of Ignatius, "a great and portentous man, honest withal," as honest George Borrow, of "The Bible in Spain" notoriety, terms the founder of the Jesuits. Some account of Don Ignacio

1 Bouhours, iii. 245.

2 Mr. Borrow's most interesting book, as above, produces very queer notions as we advance with him in his biblical frolics. How the Bible Society enjoyed his opinions on several occasions is a matter of curious conjecture. His politics seem to have warped his judgment, and given him all the knowledge he required for its foundation. What did the Bible Society think of this opinion? "I believe the body of which he (Ignatius) was the founder, and which has been so much decried, has effected infinitely more good than it has caused harm." "What do I hear?" asks the Catholic Rector; "you an Englishman, and a Protestant, and yet an admirer of Ignatius Loyola?" "Myself," writes the Man of the Bible," I will say nothing with respect to the doctrine of the Jesuits"-[the deuce you won't!] "for, as you have observed, I am a Protestant: but I am ready to assert that there are no people in the world better qualified, upon the whole, to be intrusted with the education of youth. Their moral system and discipline are truly admirable. Their pupils, in after-life, are seldom vicious and licentious characters, and are in general men of learning, science, and possessed of every elegant accomplishment." Then follows the apparent inspiration of his historical judgment. "I execrate," says he, "the conduct of the liberals of Madrid in murdering last year the helpless fathers by whose care and instructions two of the finest minds of Spain have been evolved-the two ornaments of the liberal cause and modern literature of Spain, for such are Toreno and Martinez de la Rosa," p. 27. That's the Bible-agent's opinion—and nothing can