66 they should be convinced of its falsehood by the "multiplied and strange searches so fruitlessly made, "both in Rome and other countries, to discover "this imaginary wealth. The amount of the 66 money, subject to my free disposition, was very "inconsiderable." On the 19th of November 1775, feeling himself near his end, the general desired to receive the sacrament of the holy eucharist. The chaplain of the castle brought it to him; and just before he received the salutary host, the general, in the presence of the vice-governor of the castle, of don John, his secretary, of the brother Orlandi, an ex-jesuit, the serjeant Vennini, the corporal Piannarra, nine soldiers, and some other persons, who assisted at the ceremony,-solemnly pronounced, from a written paper, which he held in his hands, a declaration, of which the following is an extract: "Considering myself on the point of being pre"sented before the tribunal of infallible truth and justice, which is no other than the Divine tri"bunal, after long and mature consideration, after 66 having humbly prayed my most merciful Re"deemer and terrible Judge, not to permit that I "should allow myself to be led away by any passion, particularly in one of the last actions of my life,~ "without any bitterness of heart, or any vicious "motive or end, and only because I hold myself "to be obliged to do justice to truth and inno"cence,-I make the two following declarations "and protestations: "First, I declare and protest, that the sup 66 pressed society of Jesus, has given no ground for "its suppression: I declare this, with all the cer“titude, that a superior, well informed of his order, 66 can morally have. 66 -- "Secondly, I declare and protest, that I have "not given any ground, not even the slightest, for my imprisonment. I declare and protest this, "with that rectitude and evidence which every one "hath of his own actions. I make this second "protestation, only because it is necessary to the "reputation of the society of Jesus, of which I was superior-general." That the society fell with dignity, is admitted even by their enemies. "Let not,"-(wrote father Neuville in a letter to one of his brethren),-" a word, a look, a single sigh of complaint or mur56 mur escape you. A respect, which should not "fail you during an instant, for the holy see, and "for the pontiff, who fills it; perfect respect for the "rigorous, but always adorable decrees, of Provi“dence, and for the powers, whom she employs in "the execution of her designs,—the depth of which "it is not for us to fathom ;-these are our duties. "Let our sorrows, our groans, our tears never 66 escape us, except in the presence of God, and in "his sanctuary; let our grief be expressed before "men, no otherwise, than by the silence of modesty, peace and obedience! Let us forget, neither "the instructions, nor the examples, for which we 66 "are indebted to our society! Let us shew, by our "conduct, that she deserved a better fate! And let "the words and actions of the sons vindicate the "mother! This will be her most powerful and able "defence it is the only defence, which is per"mitted to us. We wished to serve religion, by "our zeal and talents; let us endeavour to serve "her, by our fall and sufferings! You cannot doubt "the painful feelings of my heart, in beholding the humiliating destruction of the society, to whom "I owe, whatever I possess, of virtue, talent or reputation. I may truly say, that every moment "I drink the cup of bitterness :-but when we "look on Jesus crucified, is it lawful for us to "complain ?" The epitaph of the order might have been written in the few following lines: In humble hope of the Divine favour, Irreligion and Insubordination increase : The horrors of which, it enters not into the heart of Man to conceive, Advances rapidly. LXXV. 10. The Restoration of the Society. THE writer has now to write, what he trusts all his readers will deem some pleasing lines. In August 1814, the pope re-established the society of Jesus, by his bull, solicitudo omnium ecclesiarum. By this, he derogated from the brief of Clement XIV. He mentions the numerous requests, for the reestablishment of the jesuits, which he had received from persons of every class; praises their zeal and conduct in the countries, in which they had been re-established; and authorizes Thaddeus Borrozowski, their superior-general, to re-unite them in community, in order to employ themselves on education, in colleges, and seminaries, and in the functions of the ministry, conformably to the rule of St. Ignatius. On the sixth of August, he communicated this bull to a consistory of cardinals: on the seventh, he repaired, in great state, to the church of Jesus, in the ancient convent of the jesuits; and, after celebrating the sacrifice of the mass, on the altar dedicated to St. Ignatius, and assisting at another mass, he went into a large chamber. There, seated on a throne, and surrounded by the sacred college, and many prelates, he ordered the bull to be read by the master of the ceremonies, and then delivered it with his own hands into those of father Pannizoni, a provincial of the order. Let us now suppose that we hear Bossuet addressing to the jesuits, assembled on this occasion, the very words which he addressed to their fathers, in a sermon preached by him, in 1607, in their church at Paris * : "You !-O celebrated society,—you, "who bear, with so good a title, the name of Jesus, "whom the grace of God has inspired with the 'important design, of leading children to him, from "their infancy, to the maturity of man, in Jesus "Christ, to whom God, in these last ages, has given doctors, apostles, and evangelists, in order to "make known, throughout the universe, and even "to the extremity of the earth, the glory of the gospel,-cease not in its service, (conformably to your holy institute), to exert all the talents of your minds, all your eloquence, all your politeness, and all your learning :-and the better to "accomplish so great a work, receive with all this assembly, in testimony of eternal charity, the holy benediction of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost!" His holiness, since the publication of this bull for the restoration of the society, has twice formally signified that "it was not his intention that it should "have the effect of restoring it to any state which "should not recal it or express a wish for its re"turn." We shall conclude this article with the verses, * (Euvres de Bossuet, ed. Ben. vol. iv. p. 459. |