tiously persuaded that the particular direction of women under vow of obedience is contrary to the end of this little Society, according as I have declared to His Holiness about six months since, I have considered it most conducive to the glory of God to withdraw myself entirely from this care, and to keep you no longer under my obedience as my spiritual daughter, but to think of you rather as a good mother to me, as you have been for a long time, to the greater glory of the Divine goodness. I therefore remit you, as entirely as I can, always without prejudice to every higher authority, under the all-wise judgment of Heaven, to what shall be the decision of His Holiness, that so your soul may be entirely tranquillized and consoled, to the greater glory of God.*

Rome, October 1, 1546.

The Poor Clares of Barcelona having, after this time, begged of him, through the mediation of Father Araoz, to be pleased to confide their spiritual direction to one of his Religious, he refused them in the most positive manner, and even censured the Father who had pleaded for them. In the same manner, he rejected the demands of this kind made to him by several Religious Sisters in particular, grounding his refusal on the decree of the Holy See. He wanted, even, to make this exclusion a part of the Constitutions. We will not speak here of the attempt made in much later times, but in vain, by the foundress of the sisterhood of English ladies to affiliate her congregation to the Society, nor of the Institute of the Jesuitesses suppressed by Urban VIII., in 1631.

Such were some of the contests which St. Ignatius had to sustain for the preservation of the primitive idea of the Society in its purity. It required gigantic strength of soul to put his resolve into execution in spite of all the difficulties which surrounded him, and to keep him from yielding to false and illusive appearances of good.

Ribadeneyra and Menchacha, who had not the original to refer to, have not given it exactly. This copy of it has been taken from the collection at Rome.

CHAPTER III.

RENEWED CALUMNIES AGAINST IGNATIUS.

HE TRIUMPHANTLY REFUTES THEM BEFORE THE TRIBUNALS. UNFOUNDED CLAIMS OF ELIZABETH ROSER UPON HIM. HE WISHES TO ABDICATE THE OFFICE OF GENERAL.

İGNATIUS, after some years of repose, exempt from persecutions and calumnies, was again subjected, in 1536, to this kind of trial. It is painful to the historian to have so repeatedly to record such persecutions, and to the reader to peruse them, although the Saint came forth from the ordeal with glory. It is, however, the duty of the chronicler to relate the facts as they occurred, that the truth may not suffer. Ignatius was attacked from three several quarters at once. The first of these trials of his patience came from a man holding a high post at St. Cassian. His name was Matthias, a man of very violent passions, who had seduced the wife of another, and lived with her publicly at Rome. She was brought to repentance, and had retired to St. Martha, the house for penitents, through the efforts of Ignatius. Matthias, transported with rage at the news, tried to break into the house by night, but having failed in his attempt, he spread through the city the vilest reports against the character of the Jesuits, renewing the old story that they had driven them from Paris on a charge of heresy... It was an old accusation, which had been already often and juridically refuted. By these reports, and by written libels which reached even the Pope's ears, he raised such a prejudice against Ignatius and his companions, to the detriment of their ministrations and their reputation, that the Saint thought himself obliged to address a supplication to Paul III. In it he prayed the Pope to be pleased to name judges who should inquire into the charges laid against them. Paul deferred the matter until his Vicar, who was an invalid, had recovered his health. Ignatius

then renewed his demand through the Bishop of Cesena, who presented a memorial to the Pontiff on the part of the - Society, which he styles the Holy Company of Jesus.

The Pope intrusted the examination to his Vicar, Archinti, and to the Governor of the city, Franzini. The Vicar twice visited the Convent of St. Martha, to take the depositions of the inmates, and made a searching inquiry into the life and doctrines of the Jesuits. The 3rd of July was appointed for the two parties to appear before the judges; but the plaintiff had not the courage to present himself either on the day or afterwards, not even at the declaration of the verdict. He secretly tried to make a compromise with St. Ignatius, as is evident from a letter of the Saint, dated the 9th of October, addressed to Dr. Torres, in which he says—

Our good friend, Matthias, has entreated Doña Eleonora Osorio + not to take part against him in this business, telling her that he will apologize to me, and will everywhere speak in our favour if she wishes it. Her Grace sent for me two days since, to the Campo-Fiori, to tell me that she and her husband were of opinion that I ought to accept of the compromise offered by Matthias; but I contended against this opinion with such strong reasons, that I succeeded in convincing her that I ought to do no such thing. I represented to her that, according to my views, there could not possibly be any compromise between me and Matthias, that I did not wish for his apology, nor that the decision of the trial should be brought about by anybody's mediation, or that any one should trouble himself about it. I was certain that the sentence would be in conformity with right and justice, and would end to the greater glory of God. Her Grace was clearly made to understand that this way was far preferable to the other. Matthias went yesterday to meet the Pope's Vicar, and said much in our favour and to his own damage. He tried to make friends for fear the matter might turn out badly for him, as might easily be the case. God grant that all may be done to His greater glory.

Some days later he writes again to the same-" Matthias has presented to the Pope's Vicar a testimonial in our favour, in which he pleads guilty, and declares that he wishes to make peace with me.'

"

She was the wife of John de Vega, Viceroy of Sicily, of whom we shall speak presently. She and her husband were both great friends and benefactors of the Society. They founded five Jesuit Colleges.

*These two letters are to be found in Menchacha, ii., II, 12. They prove that the date of August 11th, given by Ribadeneyra for the passing of the sentence, is not exact, for Matthias was still endeavouring to effect a compromise in the month of October. (These letters also conclude the acts of the Bollandists, sec. 38).

The sentence of the Tribunal declares, after a short resumé of the inquiry, that the imputations laid against Ignatius are false, mendacious, and calumnious; that the accused Priests and their Congregation are irreproachable in their lives, their conduct, their faith, and their doctrines; that for many years past they have produced abundant fruit in the Vineyard of the Lord; that they are held in high esteem and consideration by all; and that they have always shown themselves above all suspicion and calumny, and in particular and especially their General, the venerable Master Ignatius of Loyola. The judges imposed silence on Matthias, threatening him with the loss of his post and sequestration of his goods without further informations, if he continued to calumniate these honourable men. They reserved to themselves to declare the penalty he had incurred, with the costs of the process, which they would inform him of at their pleasure. This indulgence was owing to the interposition of Ignatius, who obtained the remission of the penalty, and by this act of kindness the Saint gained his friendship, so that afterwards he became one of the benefactors of the Society.

A Priest named John de Torano, Superior of the House of Catechumens or Jewish Proselytes, entitled St. John de Mercato, conceiving a feeling of jealousy because the authorities had followed the advice of St. Ignatius for the good of that establishment, which the Saint himself had founded, allowed himself to be so far carried away by this vile passion that he publicly calumniated Ignatius and his companions. He even presented a memorial to the Pope, accusing them of heresy and of violating the seal of confession.

blindness of his anger he provoked an inquiry, which turned to his own confusion, and his other misdeeds, which he had concealed under the mask of hypocrisy, came thus to light. The Cardinal del Monte, who conducted the inquiry, gave judgment against him, suspending him from the exercise of his priestly office, as guilty and convicted of calumny by his own confession. He was also at the same time deprived of his benefices and his place, and his goods were confiscated.. The culprit was also condemned to imprisonment for life, a punishment which was afterwards changed to exile, probably at the entreaty of Ignatius.

At the same time a Spanish Monk, named Barberan, set himself in opposition to the Saint, for reasons which are now unknown, and he, too, as if all the adversaries of Ignatius had agreed together, presented a complaint to the Pope, the contents of which are given in a letter of his dated the 18th of October. He writes as follows

Barberan has raised a complaint against the house of St. Martha. His Holiness has placed the matter in the hands of Cardinal Crescenti. The Cardinal told me, in an interview yesterday, that the charge is utterly groundless. To give me an idea of the frivolous nature of the imputations against us, he said that we are accused of superintending the house of St. Martha without having received powers from the Holy See, that we pretend to reform the whole world, and teach that all the married women of Rome who are guilty of adultery should be put to death, and other such-like silly stories. The Cardinal, who is aware of all the circumstances, has advised me himself how to proceed, so that the whole thing may be cleared up to the satisfaction of His Holiness.

Not content with thus addressing the Pope, Barberan, moreover, sent to Ignatius an abusive letter by the hands of a third party. The Saint replied by the bearer in a truly Christian and characteristic manner. His answer runs as follows, addressed to the messenger—

Aug. 10, 1546.

Sir,-Tell Father Barberan that, if he wishes, as he says, to have a number of Ours burned from Perpignan to Seville, that I also wish that he and all his friends, with all that belong to them, not only from Perpignan to Seville, but throughout all the world, were consumed with the fire of the Holy Ghost, in such a manner as that they might be led to the height of perfection, and be made great promoters of the glory of God. Tell him also that the Governor and the Vicar of His Holiness are making a judicial inquiry into our concerns,* and that the sentence will soon be pronounced. If, then, he has anything against me he can address himself to them, and present his proofs, so that if I am guilty in any point I alone may be punished, for I would prefer to suffer in my own person rather than see all my companions burned from Perpignan to Seville, without the slightest fault committed on their part.+

Rome, near Sta. Maria della Strada.

* He speaks of the proceedings of Matthias.

Menchacha, ii., 9. I cannot refrain from putting beside this letter of Ignatius another letter of Luther's, which puts in a clear light the difference of the spirit which animated these two men. The well-known reformer, Schwenkfeld, had sent him, in the year 1543, some writings by a messenger, asking his opinion and judgment upon them. As Luther was angered with him for thinking differently from himself on the Eucharist he did not answer a word to him directly, but addressing