CHAP. IV. Capuchins separate from com the Jesuits. dressed severally to M. de Visdelou and the two superiors of the Capuchins. The purport of these epistles was, to suspend them from their respective offices; but the Apostolic Vicar, aware of the kind of influence through which they had been procured, determined to pay no attention to the orders they conveyed, and appealed to the Pope, under whose immediate authority he was commissioned to act. His example was followed by the Capuchin superiors, but only one of them succeeded in maintaining his ground. The other, Father Esprit, being an aged man, and feeling unequal to the contest, fled from the scene of action. The Jesuits at Pondicherry heard immediately of his retreat, and prevailed on the governor to send a detachment of soldiers after him, who soon overtook him, and brought him back. He was then placed under a strong guard night and day, and treated with all the rigour of a common criminal, until they were able to embark him for Europe. His departure, especially under such circumstances, appears to have been deeply deplored by all persons except those who had obtained his removal. 23. Father Esprit was no sooner gone, than the Jesuits endeavoured to put in his place an munion with ambitious Capuchin, who deserted the interests of his own order, and was ready to promote all the designs of his crafty patrons: but the vigilance and determination of the Capuchins defeated their plot. This invasion of their privileges exasperated them more than any insult they had yet received; and they resented it, by resolving to hold no further communion with the Jesuits in the ordinances of the church, so long, at least, as they should continue to manifest such hostile intentions towards them. The governor and council of Pondicherry were induced to interpose, with a view to prevail on them to withdraw their resolution: but all the members of government were themselves too deeply committed with the Jesuits, for their intercession to be received with the confidence essential to success. A. D. 1716. A. D. 1717. Court of France send back the with honour, nise the 24. Father Esprit arrived in Paris during the minority of Louis XV.; but he met with a kind reception from the Regent and the Cardinal Noailles, who sent him back to India, with full powers to resume the authority and Superior the dignities of which he had been so unjustly and recogdeprived. His arrival at Pondicherry is said to Vicar Aposhave diffused a joy as general as the lamenta- tolic. tions that were uttered at his departure. The express sanction also by the French court of the authority of the Vicar Apostolic, deprived the Jesuits of that pretext for their opposition to which they had attached so much import ance. A. D. 1718. Recall and the governor cherry for towards the 25. In the following year they received a still stronger mark of disapprobation from the same high quarter, in the recall of general disgrace of Herbert, governor of Pondicherry, whose great of Pondioffence was, that he had lent himself entirely his unjust to the machinations of the Jesuits. For a partiality statesman to espouse the cause of such a class Jesuits. of persons to the prejudice of the other subjects of a state, is to prove himself as unworthy of the honour, as incompetent for the duties of government; and such partiality, as in the present instance, will sooner or later bring its own punishment. To give an undue influence to so intolerant and imperious an order of men as the disciples of Loyola, is to manifest, either an ignorance of their history, or a shameful disregard of the general interests of mankind: CHAP. and the public voice will approve the disgrace of that man who, charged with the protection of the rights and liberties of all, shall be so unmindful of his responsibilities. The Capuchins and other orders naturally rejoiced at the removal of the governor, for it delivered them from the rod of an oppressor; and all the measures of the French court at that time tended to revive their hopes. The Jesuits, on the other hand, felt their power abridged; but this produced no more effect on their disposition to press forward their measures for the aggrandizement of their order, than the decree of Cardinal de Tournon and the papal Bulls. The authority of the French court, to which they had before pretended to appeal, now shared the same fate as that of the Pope. They persisted in their opposition to all government but that of their own Superior, and thereby exhibited, in a comparatively circumscribed sphere, the character that was soon after more fully developed to the amazement and indignation of the world. In a very few years the nations of Europe were convinced, that the pretensions of the Jesuits are incompatible with all constituted authority, and all the civil and religious liberties of mankind; and they successively determined upon the extinction of their order.3 3 In France they rendered themselves so odious by their arrogance, intolerance and political intrigues, that in 1764 they were suppressed in that kingdom. Three years after, they were banished from Portugal and Spain, with its dependencies, for similar reasons. Naples, Sicily, and other nations of Europe soon followed the example: until, in 1773, the order was annihilated by Pope Clement XIV. Mosheim, cent. 18th. ch. i. The order was reinstated by the Pope after the fall of Napoleon Bonaparte; and they now seem to possess all their former power and influence. So little have mankind profited by experience of the past. 26. In 1719, M. de Visdelou received a Brief from the Pope, apprizing him of his intention to send another Legate to the East. This intelligence gave general satisfaction, and quickened the hope that an end would at length be put to the schism and altercations that had so long afflicted the Church, and impeded the progress of Christianity in India. The Jesuits, however, met it with very different feelings. They laboured hard to prove that such a mission was unnecessary; but the motives of their opposition were too obvious for the Pope to regard them. He was sufficiently acquainted with the necessity of the case; and having selected M. de Mezzabarba, titular Patriarch of Alexandria, for the arduous undertaking, he sent him out with full powers to act in all things as circumstances might require. He was instructed to touch on the Coromandel coast; and after transacting the necessary business there, to proceed to China. In this arrangement, however, he was disappointed, the vessel on which he embarked carrying him direct to Macao, where he arrived in Sept. 1720; and it will be seen that he returned to Europe without visiting India. A. D. 1719. M. de Mezas Legate to the East: China. zabarba sent arrives in A. D. 1720. feat all his measures reformation 27. A particular relation of his proceedings Jesuits dein China has been published by his confessor, who accompanied him, and kept a journal for the of all that transpired: but it would cause too of the great a digression from our immediate history to enter into his details. Suffice it to say, that this Legate met with similar opposition from the Jesuits to that which the Cardinal de Tour This was M. R. P. Viani, a monk of the order of Servites. He published his journal in Italian, from which M. P. Norbert has taken his account of M. de Mezzabarba's Mission to China.-Memoires, &c. Tom. ii. church. CHAP. A. D. 1721. Returns to non had encountered. At Macao they endeavoured, both by artifice and persuasion, to prejudice the Viceroy against him, which dishonourable treatment filled him with indignation. But they regarded his reproaches no more than the whistling of the wind, and succeeded in embarrassing all his measures to reform the services of the church. Finding that he could do no good at Macao, he proceeded, though with considerable difficulty, to Pekin, where the Emperor admitted him to several audiences, and showed a much more friendly disposition towards him than was agreeable to the Jesuits. But he found it in vain to attempt to cope with the intrigues of those designing men, andthe influence of the Mandarins in their interest. Seeing how utterly impossible it was to accomplish any thing in opposition to their wishes, after a few months residence at Pekin, he left it in disgust, and returned to Macao, touching at Canton in the passage. 28. He was detained six months at Macao Rome with before he could meet with a suitable vessel to carry him away. The evening before he emnon, with- barked, he desired a private interview with the isiting Viceroy, to whom he communicated the orders of Cardinal de Tour India. he had received, both from the Pope and the King of Portugal, to carry the body of M. de Tournon to Europe. But it was deemed necessary to disinter it privately; as they apprehended, that if the Jesuits knew what they were doing, they would interfere to prevent it: for it was suspected that they would be unwilling to allow the body to be transported to Europe, lest it should tend to keep alive the memory of their iniquitous outrages against the deceased Cardinal. The plan was accordingly executed with so much secrecy, that they knew |