though it does not contain one rule which the society has not been known to put in practice, when they had the means and the opportunity. The first chapter regards the manner in which they are to conduct themselves when they begin any new foundation, which contains no small portion of Jesuitism. The following is the second, and some other chapters

entire :

CHAP. II-In what manner the society must deport, that they may work themselves into, and after that preserve, a familiarity with princes, noblemen, and persons of the greatest distinction.

1. Princes and persons of distinction every where must by all means be so managed, that we may have their ear, and that will secure their hearts; by which way of proceeding, all persons will become our creatures, and no one will dare to give the society the least disquiet or opposition.

2. That ecclesiastical persons gain a great footing in the favour of princes and noblemen, by winking at their vices, and putting a favourable construction on whatever they do amiss, experience convinces; and this we may observe in their contracting of marriages with their near relations and kindred, or the like. It must be our business to encourage such, whose inclination lies this way, by leading them up in hopes, that through our assistance they may easily obtain a dispensation from the pope; and no doubt he'll readily grant it, if proper reasons be urged, parallel cases produced, and opinions quoted which countenance such actions, when the common good of mankind, and the greater advancement of God's glory, (which are the only end and design of the society,) are pretended to be the sole motives of them.

3. The same must be observed, when the prince happens to engage in any enterprise, which is not equally approved by all his nobility; for in such cases, he must be egged on and excited; whilst they, on the other hand, must be dissuaded from opposing him, and advised to acquiesce in all his proposals; but this must be done only in generals, always avoiding particulars, lest on the ill success of the affair, the miscarriage be thrown upon the society. And should ever the action be called in question, care must be taken to have instructions always ready, plainly forbidding it; and these also must be backed by the authority of some senior members, who being wholly ignorant of the matter, must attest upon oath, that such groundless insinuations are a malicious and base imputation on the society.

4. It will also very much further us in gaining the favour of princes, if our members artfully worm themselves, by the interest of others, into honourable embassies to foreign courts in their behalf; but especially to the pope and great monarchs; for by such opportunities they will be in a capacity both to recommend themselves and their society. To this end, therefore, let none but thorough zealots for our interest, and persons well versed in the schemes and institutions of the society, be ever pitched upon for such purposes.

5. Above all, due care must be taken to curry favour with the minions and domestics of princes and noblemen; whom, by small presents, and many offices of piety, we may so far bias, as by means of them to get a faithful intelligence of the bent of their master's humours and inclinations; thus will the society be better qualified to chime in with all their tempers.

6. How much the society has benefited from their engagements in marriage treaties, the houses of Austria, Bourbon, Poland, and other kingdoms, are experimental evidences. Wherefore, let such matches be with prudence picked out, whose parents are our friends, and firmly attached to our interests.

7. Princesses and ladies of quality are easily to be gained by the influence of the women of their bedchamber; for which reason, we must by all means pay a particular respect to these, for hereby there will be no secrets in the family, but what we shall have fully disclosed

to us.

8. In directing the consciences of great men, it must be observed, that our confessors are to follow the opinion of those who allow the greater latitude, in opposition to that of other religious orders; that their penitents being allured with the prospect of such freedom, may readily relinquish them, and wholly depend upon our direction and counsel.

9. Princes, prelates, and all others who are capable of being signally serviceable to our order, must be favoured so far as to be made partakers of all the merits of the society, after a proper information of the high importance of so great a privilege.

10. Let these notions be cautiously, and with cunning instilled into the people, that this society is intrusted with a far greater power of absolving, even in the nicest cases; of dispensing with fasts, with paying and demanding of debts, with impediments of matrimony, and other common matters, than any other religious order; which insinuations will be of such consequence, that many of necessity must have recourse to us, and thereby lay themselves under the strictest obligations.

11. It will be very proper to give invitations to such to attend our sermons and fellowships, to hear our orations and declamations, as also to compliment them with verses and theses; to address them in a genteel and complaisant manner, and at proper opportunities to give them some handsome entertainments.

12. Let proper opportunities be used to get knowledge of the animosities that arise among great men, that we may have a finger in reconciling their differences; for by this means, we shall gradually become acquainted with their friends and secret affairs, and of necessity engage one of the parties in our interests.

13. But should discovery happen to be made, that any person serves either king or prince, who is not well affected towards our society, no stone must be left unturned by our members, or (which is more proper) some other, to induce him by promises, favours, and preferments, (which must be procured for him under the king or prince,) to entertain a friendship for, and familiarity with us.

14. Let all be very cautious of recommending or preferring such as have been any way dismissed from our society, but especially those who of their own accord have departed from it; for let them disguise it ever so cunningly, nevertheless they always retain an implacable hatred against our order.

15. Finally, Let all, with such artfulness, gain the ascendant over princes, noblemen, and the magistrates of every place, that they may be ready at our beck, even to sacrifice their nearest relations, and most intimate friends, when we say it is for our interest and advantage.

CHAP. III-How the society must behave themselves towards those who are at the helm of affairs, and others who, although they be not rich, are notwithstanding in a capacity of being otherwise serviceable.

1. All that has been before mentioned, may in a great measure be applied to these; and we must also be industrious to procure their favour against every one that opposes us.

2. Their authority and wisdom must be courted, for obtaining several offices to be discharged by us; we must also make a handle of their advice with respect to the contempt of riches; though at the same time, if their secresy and faith may be depended on, we may privately make use of their names in amassing temporal goods for the benefit of the society. 3. They must also be employed in calming the minds of the meaner sort of people, and in wheedling the aversions of the populace into an affection for our society.

4. As to bishops, prelates, and other superior ecclesiastics, they must be importuned for such things only as shall appear necessary; and even for these, with a proper regard to the diversity of our evasions, and the tendency of their inclinations to serve us.

5. In some places it will be sufficient, if we can prevail with the prelates and curates, to cause those under them only to bear a reverence to our order, and that they themselves will be no hinderance to us in the exercise of our ministry. In others, where the clergy are more predominant, as in Germany, Poland, &c., they must be addressed with the profoundest respect, that by their and the prince's authority, monasteries, parishes, priories, patronages, foundations of masses, and religious places, may be drawn into our clutches; and this is no hard matter to be obtained, in those places where Catholics are intermixed with heretics and schismatics. And for the better effecting of this, it will be of great importance to remonstrate to these prelates the prodigious advantage and merit there will be in changes of this sort, which can hardly be expected from priests, seculars, and monks. But should they be prevailed upon, their zeal must then be rewarded with public commendations, and the memory of the action transmitted in writing to latest posterity.

6. In prosecution of the same end, we must engage such prelates to make use of us both for confessors and counsellors; and if they at any time aim at higher preferment from the see of Rome, their pretensions must be backed with such strong interest of our friends in every place, as we shall be almost sure not to meet with a disappointment.

7. Due care must be also taken by such of our members who have intercourse with bishops and princes, that the society, when these found either colleges, or parochial churches, may always have the power of presenting vicars for the cure of souls; and that the superintendent of the place for the time being be appointed curate, to the end we may grasp the whole government of the church; and its parishioners by that means become such vassals to us, that we can ask nothing of them that they will dare to deny us.

8. Wherever the governors of academies hamper our designs, or the Catholics or heretics oppose us in our foundations, we must endeavour by the prelates to secure the principal pulpits; for by this means, the society at least may sometime or other have an opportunity of remonstrating their wants, and laying open their necessities.

9. The prelates of the church, above all others, must be mightily caressed when the affair of canonization of any of our members is upon the foot; and at such a time letters by all means must be procured from princes and noblemen, by whose interest the matter may be promoted at the court of Rome.

10. If ever it happen that prelates or noblemen are employed in embassies, all caution must be taken to prevent them from using any religious order that opposes ours, lest their disaffection to us should be infused into their masters, and they propagate it in the provinces and cities where we reside. And if ever ambassadors of this kind pass through provinces or cities, where we have colleges, let them be received with all due marks of honour and esteem, and as handsomely entertained as religious decency can possibly admit of

CHAP. IV. The chief things to be recommended to preachers, and confessors of noblemen.

I. Let the members of our society direct princes and great men in such a manner, that they may seem to have nothing else in view but the promotion of God's glory; and advise them to no other austerity of conscience but what they themselves are willing to comply with; for their aim must not, immediately, but by degrees and insensibly, be directed towards political and secular dominion.

2. We must, therefore, often inculcate into them, that honours and preferments in the state should always be conferred according to the rules of justice; that God is very much offended at princes when they any wise derogate from this principle, and are hurried away by the impulse of their passions. In the next place, our members must with gravity protest, and in a solemn manner affirm that the administration of public affairs is what they with reluctance interfere in; and that the duty of their office obliges them often to speak such truths as they would otherwise omit. When this point is once gained, care must be taken to lay before them the several virtues persons should be furnished with, who are to be admitted to public employs; not forgetting slyly to recommend to them such as are sincere friends to our order; but this must be done in such a manner, as not immediately to come from us, (unless the princes enjoin it,) for it may be effected with a far better grace by such as are their favourites and familiars.

3. Wherefore, let the confessors and preachers belonging to our order, be informed by our friends of persons proper for every office, and above all, of such as are our benefactors; whose names let them always carefully keep by them, that when proper opportunities occur, they may be palmed upon princes by the dexterity of our members, or their agents.

4. Let the confessors and preachers always remember, with complaisance and a winning address, to sooth princes, and never give them the least offence in their sermons or private conversations; to dispossess their minds of all imaginary doubts and fears, and exhort them principally to faith, hope, and political justice.

5. Let them seldom or never accept of small presents for their own private use, but rather recommend the common necessities of the province or college. At home let chambers plainly furnished content them; and let them not appear in showy dresses, but be ready at every turn to administer their ghostly advice to the meanest person about the

place; lest they give others occasion to believe, they are willing to be helpful to none but the great.

6. Immediately upon the death of any person in post, let them take timely care to get some friend of our society preferred in his room; but this must be cloaked with such cunning and management, as to avoid giving the least suspicion of our intending to usurp the prince's authority; for this reason (as has been already said) we ourselves must not appear in it, but make a handle of the artifice of some faithful friends for effecting our designs, whose power may screen them from the envy which otherwise might fall heavier upon the society.

CHAP. V. Prescribes the conduct that must be observed towards such religious persons as are employed in the same ecclesiastical functions with the Jesuits. Chapters VI. and VII. relate to the management of rich widows; how to keep them from marrying again; and how to secure their wealth to the society. For the substance of these two chapters, see THE PROTESTANT, Vol. I. pp. 227-230. As it is not my intention to give the whole system but only a selection of passages, I pass on to

CHAP. VIII-How widows' children are to be treated, that they may embrace religion, or a devoted life.

1. As it will behoove the widows to act with resolution, so must we proceed with gentleness on this occasion. Let the mothers be instructed to use their children harshly, even from their cradles, by plying them with reproofs and frequent chastisements, &c. And when their daughters are near grown up to discretion, let them then especially be denied the common dress and ornaments of their sex; at all times offering up prayers to God, that he would inspire them with a desire of entering into a religious order, and promising them very plentiful portions, on condition they would become nuns : let them lay before them the many inconveniences attending every one in a married state, and those in particular which they themselves have found by woeful experience; often lamenting the great misfortune of their younger years, in not having preferred a single life. And lastly, let them persist to use them in this manner, that their daughters may think of a religious state, being tired of leading such a life with their mothers.

2. Let our members converse familiarly with their sons, and if they seem fit for our turn, introduce them occasionally into the college, and let every thing be shown with the best face, to invite them to enter themselves of the order; as the gardens, vineyards, country seats, and villas, where those of our society pass an agreeable life: let them be informed of our travels into several parts of the world, of our familiarity with princes, and whatever else may be agreeable to youth; let them see the outward neatness of our refectories and chambers, the agreeable intercourse we have one with another, the easiness of our rules, which yet has the promise of the glory of God: and lastly, the pre-eminence of our order above all others; not forgetting, amidst our discourses of piety, to entertain them also with pleasing diverting stories.

3. Let us now and then (as if by divine inspiration) exhort them to religion in general; and then carefully insinuate the perfection and conveniences of our institution above others; and take care to set in a due light, both in public exhortations and private discourses, how heinous a crime it is to resist the immediate call of God; and lastly, let VOL. II.-32