The Origin of the Jesuits. 47 



world at large, and his dominions in particular, by checking the pro- 

 gress of the Lutheran heresy, which was fast spreading itself over 

 Flanders. He, however, could be only persuaded to submit their 

 written request to the Council of Flanders, who unanimously opposed 

 their establishment.* 



Their success in Italy was, however, so great as to compensate for 

 the checks and rebuffs they met with elsewhere. They had houses 

 and colleges founded in Rome, Loretto, Naples, Florence, Bologna, 

 Venice, Modena, &c., and were daily increasing in numbers and 

 growing in power. They had met with some slight annoyance from 

 the Pope himself in 1553, he having conceived that the Jesuits of 

 Spain were ranged with Charles V. in opposition to himself. But 

 these difficulties being removed, during the remainder of his pontifi- 

 cate and that of Marcellus II. (which only lasted for three weeks), 

 they enjoyed an undisturbed tranquillity. At the accession of Car- 

 dinal Caraffa, who took the name of Paul IV., they were in some fear 

 that he might gratify his desire of revenge on Loyola, who had hin- 

 dered him in his design of founding the order of Theatins. They 

 were not, however, visited with any immediate sign of his anger, t 



On the 31st of July, 1556, died Ignatius de Loyola, aged 65 

 years, having renounced the world for thirty-five years. His death 

 took place sixteen years after the foundation of the society, during 

 which comparatively short space of time he had seen it augmented to 

 an extent scarcely credible, and arrived at a pitch of power, which 

 seemed prophetic of the influence it was hereafter to exercise over 

 the destinies of the world. He was interred in the church of the 

 house of profession at Rome ; whence his body was thirty years after 

 transferred to the church built for them by Cardinal Farnese. In per- 

 son he was rather below than above the middle size, of a dark com- 

 plexion, and bald-headed, his eyes sunken, but full of fire, his fore- 

 head broad, his nose aquiline. He was lame from the effects of the 

 wounds he received at Pampeluna ; but this defect was scarcely dis- 

 tinguishable in his gait from the pains he was at to conceal it.J 



In considering the character of this celebrated man, we shall find 

 much to admire, as well as much to blame. The dangers and priva- 

 tions he underwent in the course of his change from a fiery soldier to 

 the general of a monastic order are certainly proofs of his sincerity : 

 for the dangers he met with were of his own seeking, and such that 

 he could not expect to derive any worldly advantage from encounter- 

 ing; and the sufferings he endured fromjoluntary privation of the ne- 

 cessaries and comforts of existence, were* such as materially injured his 

 constitution and embittered his life bythe effects of the diseases that he 

 had incurred. The reputation he had acquired in his military profession, 

 previous to his renouncing the world, was by no means contemptible. 

 The power acquired by the Jesuits in the issue, the length of time 

 during which they retained their influence, the immense wealth they 

 acquired, and the extension of their numbers, all serve to prove the 

 stability and soundness of the rules and regulations by which they 



* Poynder, Chap. 3. t Helyot, Chap. 60. 



J Histoire des Religieux, &c., Livre iii. 



