The Origin of the Jesuits. 43 



shown them by the Pope, but chiefly to their own unremitting assi- 

 duity. 



The following list, extracted from Poynder's " History of the Je- 

 suits," will give some idea of their immense increase of wealth and 

 numbers within a comparatively short period : 

 In 1540 their number was 10. 

 In 1545 they had 10 houses. 

 In 1549 they had 20 houses and 2 provinces one in Spain, and 



one in Portugal. 



In 1556, at the death of Loyola, 12 large provinces. 

 In 1608, Ribadeneira reckons 29 provinces, 2 vice-provinces, 21 

 houses of profession, 293 colleges, 33 houses of probation, 

 93 other residences, and 10,581 Jesuits. 



In 1629 there are enumerated in the catalogue at Rome, 35 pro- 

 vinces, 2 vice-provinces, 33 houses of profession, 578 col- 

 leges, 48 houses of probation, 88 seminaries, 160 resi- 

 dences, 106 missions, and 17,655 Jesuits, of whom 7870 

 were priests. 



In 1710, according to Father Jouvency, they had 24 houses of pro- 

 fession, 59 of probation, 340 residences, 612 colleges, of 

 which 80 were in France, 200 missions, 157 seminaries 

 and boarding houses, and 19,998 Jesuits.* 



Loyola was on intimate terms with Mascarenhas, the ambassador 

 from Portugal to the papal court : he is even said to have been his 

 confessor. However that may be, the Jesuits were very early no- 

 ticed in Portugal ; and John III. obtained a brief of legation to the 

 Indies for Xavier, who departed thither on his mission in 1541, while 

 Rodriguez was detained at the Portuguese court. He here acquired 

 so much influence, that in the following year the king founded the 

 first college of Jesuits at Coimbra. In the year 1543 there were 25 

 inmates, and Rodriguez wrote that their number was intended to be 

 raised to 100. By this time the society was composed of 80 mem- 

 bers, scattered abroad in different countries ; and as this number ex- 

 ceeded that permitted by the Pope in his first bull, a fresh applica- 

 tion was made by Loyola, which met with success. His Holiness 

 issued another bull in March 1543, by which their numbers were 

 freed from limitation ; and in the same year he gave them the church 

 of St. Andrew of Phraeta, where they laid the foundations of their 

 house of profession, which was habitable the year after. 



Following the example of John of Portugal, many towns of Spain, 

 Italy, Germany, and the low countries, demanded of Loyola some of 

 his disciples, and offered him colleges. In France alone, where they 

 had their origin, they were not encouraged. This may be accounted 

 for by the war between Francis I. and Charles V.; for the French 

 monarch would not feel any desire to advance an order with a 

 Spaniard at its head, and whose members were for the most part the 

 subjects of his formidable rival. 



This however did not hinder many Frenchmen from travelling to 

 Rome, there [to join themselves to Loyola. Among these was one 



* Poynder's History, p. 379. . 



