GENERAL OP THE JESUITS. II7 



$f perfecution, and might have eluded, if not in Por- 

 tugal (where the downfall of his order feems already to 

 have been determined) yet, at leaft in other kingdoms 

 and ftates, the heavy calamities that burrt upon them. 

 But he flattered himfelf with having always friends 

 enough to make head againft. the enemies profeft of the 

 fociety of Jefus. And yet he might have learnt frqm 

 the example of cardinal Saldanha, who was a terciarius 

 of his order, how little he could rely upon the attach- 

 ment of the great. Their patronage was only fufpen- 

 ded on the uncertainty of the fate of the order. No 

 fooner was that decided, but they altered their courfe, 

 and turned their fails to the wind. 



Had Benedict XIV. been fucceeded by a pope of the 

 fame difpolitions, the reform fo much infilled on by 

 the portugueze court and the houfe of Bourbon, would 

 have doubtlefs been brought to effecl:. But, as pope 

 Rezzonico, and his ftate-fecretary Tprrigiani, made 

 common caufe with the pere general, to witfrftand the 

 equitable demands of thofe confederate powers, they 

 dallied no longer about a reform, but attacked the fo-- 

 ciety with all the forces they could raife, and purfued 

 it to its utter deflruelion. The fuccefsful oppolition 

 of this headfrrong but feeble triumvirate, induced 

 them to drive the jefuits out of all their dominions. 

 Though by this the fociety of Jefus was deprived of its 

 arms and legs 3 and its corpulent body was bleeding 

 at every vein ; the haughty fpirit of Ricci provoked 

 the angry courts to redouble their mortal blows, by pa- 

 pal refcripts and infulting libels> He perfuaded the 

 pope to iffue the pompous apoftolical bull, which con- 

 firmed his order in all its privileges in defiance of all 



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