at the ceremony,-solemnly pronounced, from a written paper, which he held in his hands, a declaration, of which the following is an extract:

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"Considering myself on the point of being pre"sented before the tribunal of infallible truth and justice, which is no other than the divine tri"bunal,—after long and mature consideration, after having humbly prayed my most merciful Re"deemer and terrible Judge, not to permit that I "should allow myself to be led away by any passion,

particularly in one of the last actions of my life, "-without any bitterness of heart, or any vicious "motive or end, and only because I hold myself "to be obliged to do justice to truth and innocence,-I make the two following declarations "and protestations:

"First,-I declare and protest, that the sup"pressed society of Jesus, has given no ground for "its suppression: I declare this, with all the certitude, that a superior, well informed of his order, "can morally have.

Secondly, I declare and protest, that I have "not given any ground, not even the slightest, for

my imprisonment. I declare and protest this, "with that rectitude and evidence which every one "hath of his own actions. I make this second protestation, only because it is necessary to the reputation of the society of Jesus, of which I was superior-general."

That the society fell with dignity, is admitted even by their enemies. "Let not," (wrote father Neuville, in a letter to one of his brethren),—“ a "word, a look, a single sigh of complaint or murmur escape you. A respect, which should not "fail you during an instant, for the holy see, and "for the pontiff, who fills it; perfect respect for "the rigorous, but always adorable decrees, of "Providence, and for the powers whom she em

ploys in the execution of her designs,-the depth "of which it is not for us to fathom;-these are our "duties. Let our sorrows, our groans, our tears "never escape us, except in the presence of God, "and in his sanctuary; let our grief be expressed "before men, no otherwise, than by the silence of "modesty, peace and obedience! Let us forget, "neither the instructions, nor the examples, for "which we are indebted to our society! Let us

show, by our conduct, that she deserved a better "fate! And let the words and actions of the sons "vindicate the mother! This will be her most 66 powerful and able defence: it is the only defence "which is permitted to us. We wished to serve "religion, by our zeal and talents; let us endea"vour to serve her, by our fall and sufferings ! "You cannot doubt the painful feelings of my "heart, in beholding the humiliating destruction of "the society, to whom I owe, whatever I possess, "of virtue, talent or reputation. I may truly say, "that every moment I drink the cup of bitterness: "but when we look on Jesus crucified, is it "lawful for us to complain?"

The epitaph of the order might have been written in the few following lines:

In humble hope of the Divine favour,
The Society of Jesus now reposes :
Education languishes ;

Irreligion and Insubordination increase:
A Revolution,

The horrors of which it enters not into the heart of Man

to conceive, Advances rapidly.

LXXV. 10.

The Restoration of the Society.

THE writer has now to write, what he trusts all his readers will deem some pleasing lines. In August 1814, the pope re-established the society of Jesus, by his bull, solicitudo omnium ecclesiarum. By this, he derogated from the brief of Clement the fourteenth. He mentions the numerous requests, for the re-establishment of the jesuits, which he had received from persons of every class; praises their zeal and conduct in the countries, in which they had been re-established; and authorizes Thaddeus Borrozowski, their superior-general, to re-unite them in community, in order to employ themselves on education, in colleges, and seminaries, and in the functions of the ministry, conformably to the rule of St. Ignatius.

On the sixth of August, he communicated this bull to a consistory of cardinals: on the seventh,

he repaired, in great state, to the church of Jesus, in the ancient convent of the jesuits; and, after celebrating the sacrifice of the mass, on the altar dedicated to St. Ignatius, and assisting at another mass, he went into a large chamber. There, seated on a throne, and surrounded by the sacred college, and many prelates, he ordered the bull to be read by the master of the ceremonies, and then delivered it with his own hands into those of father Pannizoni, a provincial of the order.

Let us now suppose that we hear Bossuet addressing to the jesuits, assembled on this occasion, the very words which he addressed to their fathers, in a sermon preached by him, in 1607, in their church at Paris: "You !-O celebrated society,

--you, who bear, with so good a title, the name "of Jesus, whom the grace of God has inspired "with the important design of leading children to

--

him, from their infancy, to the maturity of man, "in Jesus Christ,--to whom God, in these last 66 ages, has given doctors, apostles, and evangelists, "in order to make known, throughout the universe, " and even to the extremity of the earth, the glory "of the gospel,--cease not in its service, (conformably to your holy institute), to exert all the "talents of your minds, all your eloquence, all

your politeness, and all your learning :-and the "better to accomplish so great a work, receive "with all this assembly, in testimony of eternal charity, the holy benediction of the Father, the "Son, and the Holy Ghost!"

Euvres de Bossuet, ed. Ben. vol. iv. p. 459.

His holiness, since the publication of this bull for the restoration of the society, has twice formally

signified that "it was not his intention that it "should have the effect of restoring it to any state " which should not recal it, or express a wish for "its return."

We shall conclude this article with the verses which Gresset addressed to the jesuits when he quitted their order.

"Je dois tous mes régrets aux sages que je quitte:

"J'en perds avec douleur l'entretien vertueux ;
"Et, si dans leur foyers desormais je n'habite,
"Mon cœur me survit auprès d'eux.

"Car ne leurs crois point tels, que la main de l'envie
"Les peint à des yeux prévenus:

"Si tu ne les connois que sur ce qu'en publie
"La ténébreuse calomnie,

"Ils te sont encore inconnus:

"Lis, et vois de leurs mœurs des traits plus ingenus:
Qu'il est doux de leur rendre un témoignage
"Dont l'intérêt, la crainte, et l'espoir sont exclus!
"A leur sort le mien ne tient plus :—
"L'impartialité va tracer leur image.

"Oui, j'ai vu des mortels,-(j'en dois ici l'aveu),—
Trop combattus, connus trop peu ;

"J'ai vu des esprits vrais, des mœurs incorruptibles,
"Voués à la patrie, à leur roi, à leur Dieu;
"A leurs propres maux insensibles ;

Prodigues de leurs jours, tendres, parfaits amis;

"Et souvent bienfaiteurs paisibles

"De leurs plus fougeux ennémis;

Trop estimés enfin pour être moins haïs:

"Que d'autres s'exhalant, dans leur haine insensée,
"En reproches injurieux,

-

"Cherchent, en les quittant, à les rendre odieux:· "Pour moi,-fidele au vrai,-fidele à ma pensée, "C'est ainsi qu'en partant, je leur fais-Mes adieux."