1786. Hiftorical Memoirs of Ignatius Loyola, Founder of the Society of Jefuits.

from a long line of lords of that place.— His heart began early to pant with ardour for military glory, and he obtained, when very young, a commiffion in the army. He was firf taken notice of in the fiege of Naiara, where, after giving the most bri!lant proofs of courage and intrepidity in the attack of the place, he diftinguished himfelf ftill more honourably by the nicer feelings of humanity, after it was taken by affault, by using his utmost endeavours to rerefs the infolence and rapacity of the victorious army, and conftantly refusing to accept of any fhare of the plunder.

In 1521 Spain, ever doomed to be the enemy, or the dupe of France, faw her frontiers invaded by a powerful armament fent under the command of the count de Foix, to reinftate Henry d'Albret on the throne of his ancestors. The French general met with no opposition, and advanced rapidly to Pampelona the capital of the kingdom. The duke of Nagera, alarmed at the progrefs of the enemy, whom he was unable to refift, haftened to court to folicit a reinforcement. The town, abandoned by the governor, and terrified at the approach of fo formidable an enemy, was foon fummoned to surrender to the French king.

In a council of war called to confider the terms offered, a great majority of the officers voted for their acceptance. Ignatius alone reprefented in the ftrongeft terins the Gifhonour that would redound from fo daftardly a refolution, to the Spanish arms and their own character. He infifted on the neceffity of making a vigorous defence as long as the place was tenable, and then of retir ing into the citadel, and gaining time till they might be relieved by the promifed fuccours. Overpowered by numbers, he refufed to fign the capitulation, and took the honourable part which, he had in vain directed others to take, by joining the garrifon of the citadel. His prefence, his reprefentations, his example, diffused a martial fpirit among the troops, and they feemed determined to preferve the place, or to be buried in the uins. But the heavy artillery being brought up, and approaches made to the walls; Ignatius, who fully expofed himfelf to every danger, having one leg wounded, and the other broke, was rendered incapable of farther fervice. With him fell the fpirits and the hopes of the garrifon.The French officers charmed with the figure and the bravery of their wounded prifoner, removed him into the town firft; and, as foon as it was judged Lafe, conducted him in a litter to Loyola. He was here lodged in the fame chamber in

which he was born.

A tedious convalefcence, retarded by an *peration fuggested by vanity, and fuffered

83

with pain, naturally brought reflection to
his mind, and turned his thoughts towards
the contemplation of thofe fubjects, which,
though of the utmost importance, and moft
indubitable certainty, had hitherto been fe-
cluded from his regard by the hurry of em-
ployment, and the tide of pleasure. The
bufy fcene of action was now over; no oc-
cafion was offered to carry his speculation
forward, and it was natural, it was proper
for him to caft his eyes backwards, to re-
flect on his own conduct, and to call him-
felf to account before his own tribunal. In
those hours of folitude and serioufnefs, he
began to weigh piety and virtue against the
allurements of ambition, the fplendour of
wealth, and the blandifhments of gallantry;
and was obliged to own the infnfficiency of
all external goods to real happiness, and
the folly of terreftrial hopes, fears, and de-
Riches, authority, and power loft
fires.
all their influence on a mind filled with the
warmeft, the fincereft fentiments of peni-
tence and contrition; his whole powers
were engrolled by the confideration of ano-
ther ftate, and directed by the radiance of
heaven, to make the only atonement that
can be made for paft errors, by a newness
of life.

I fhall not dwell on his aufteritiés, his vi-
fions, or his miracles. They have intitled
him to the honours of a faint, but they
would never have raifed him to the dignity
of a legiflator. In confequence of a refo-
lution he had confined to his own breaft, he
took leave of his family, waited on the ge-
neral, refigned his commiffion, and bade an
Some circumstances
eternal farewell to the world, to all its
hopes and all its cares.
attending this extraordinary converfion have
been contemptuously ridiculed by fome mo-
dern writers, who have endeavoured to ex-
pofe the penitent as a fool, and brand him
as a madman. But thefe men feem not to
have confidered, that however just we may
be in judging of the ignorance of an age,
from the grofinefs of its fuperftitions, it muft
be wrong to pronounce on the folly of an
individual, from his adopting popular er-
rors.

It fhould be remembered, that we have lamented the horrors of fanatical intolerance, and laughed at the puerile follies of fpiritual Quixotifin in our more enlightened days.

We are now to view Ignatius renouncing every advantage of his birth, every hope of preferment in his profeffion, to become an hermit in Spain, a scholar at an advanced age at Paris, a pilgrim to Jerufalem, a miffionary at Venice, and the founder of a religious order at Rome. I fhall not enter into a detail of the many difficulties he met with in forming an eftablishment, whose nifhed progrefs, fuccefs and misfortunes have aftoL 2

nished Europe and the Indies. The appro- "ters. France afforded great opportunities, bation of the See of Rome was foon follow and was one of the firft objects of his attened by a general affembly of the members tion. But the difficulties he met with from convened for the choice of a general, and church and state were fuch, as gave little Ignatius was named by every voice but his hopes of fuccefs. His progrefs was obftructown. He lived to fee his order, which was ed for a time, but his ardor was not damporiginally confined to fixty, divided into ed. The famous conferences between the fourteen provinces, poffeffed of near one Roman and the reformed churches having hundred houses, and died in the 65th year been opened at Poiffi in 1581, Paul the of his age at Rome. Fourth appointed Laines to attend his minifters, and affift them with his advice. His learning and eloquence foon recommended him to public notice. The Queen-Mother and the French prelates were no longer a» verfe to the reception of his order into that kingdom. But the affair was not brought to a favourable conclufion till the expiration of the council of Trent. In the fame feffions Laines had obtained a very favourable teftimony in favour of his order; and, by cultivating an acquaintance with the cardinal of Lorraine, he fecured a fettlement for its members. But whatever honour Laines acquired, whatever advantages he rendered for his order, the services he rendered to the church and court of Rome were ftill more effential. The legates, who prefided at the council, were fo fenfible of their obligations to his manly eloquence, and his steady attachment to the interests of religion, that they decreed him particular honours; and, on his return to Rome, the Pope preffed upon him the firft dignities of the Roman court, Compelled to accept of the former, he gave a fignal proof of his difinterefted zeal by a conftant refufal of the latter: and died, after having added fix provinces to the fourteen he found established, when he was elected general. He certainly exerted great fteadiness, and improved every oppor funity to secure fuccefs.

The death of Ignatius was the more feverely felt by his infant fociety, as it was followed by a long interregnum occafioned by public calamities, and attended with fome inftances of domeftic disturbance- -At length, in the year 1558, Laines was chofen general by a great majority. He was a gentleman of a very ancient family in Spain, had diftinguished himself by his theological knowledge in the council of Trent, and had been heard with great applaufe in moft of the pulpits in Italy. While the members of this general congregation were ftill fitting for the dispatch of business, they received a meffage from the Pope, which alarmed them with the most ferious apprehenfions for the spirit of their Inftitute, lately settled by Ignatius, and approved by the See of Rome. Paul the Third had most graciously confirm ed their election and Inftitute; but, for reafons which are not known, had fo totally altered his opinion, that he now fent them the most peremptory orders to confine the authority of their general to three years, and to keep choir. Their addrefs in confequence of this measure was refpectful, but it was ftrong, The Pope loaded the deputies with prefents, but commanded an implicit fubmiffion to his will. The confe quence was, that they fang fo long as he lived, and thought they had no particular reafon to weep when he died.

But the duration of the general's power was not fo firmly established as the affairs of the choir. It might be a doubt with fome people, whether it fhould be for life, which was the intention and defire of the electors, or only triennial, as the late Pope had directed. A refolution taken up by Laines in the year 1560, to abdicate the government, and retire to a private ftation, afforded an opportunity of clearing up this matter to the fatisfaction of all parties. The council affembled on this occafion came to an unánimous refolution, that a general, once chofen, fhould not have it in his power to etire from his poft, without their exprefs confent, that he might be depofed, but could not abdicate, or be removed by any other authority,

Having thus eftablished the conftitution of the fociety on the firmeft batis, his next care was to provide new fettlements for his inreafing numbers, and to extend their quar

A Propofal for fecuring Cities from Earthquakes. Extracted from the Journal de Phyfique for Auguft, 1785.

V

OLCANOES and their effects have a manifeft resemblance to the fteams engine; and it is furprifing that this has not hitherto been obferved, and that the great phenomena refulting from thefe ftu pendous operations of nature have not been compared with the leffer ones exhibited by the works of art.

A fteam-engine confifts of a caldron or boiler, covered with a lid, having an opening in the middle, to which is fitted a hollow cylinder. In this there is a piston at tached by a chain to one extremity of a beam, which is moveable on its centre, and to the other extremity hangs the rod of a pump. The boiler is fet over the grate at the moft convenient diftance for receiving the full force of the fire. From the water in the boiler there rifes a vapour, the ex panfive

1796

A Propofal for fecuring Cities from Earthquakes.

janfive force of which pufhes up the pifton of the cylinder, and makes the rod of the pomp defcend. The action of the vapour is herwards inftantaneously annihilated by a t of cold water let into the cylinder though a hole, when the weight of the atnafphere takes place, forces down the pifin, and confequently raifes the water in de pump.

It is known that vapour occupies a space 15,000 or 16,000 times greater than the bulk of the water which produced it; hence it follows, that the fmaller the fpace is in which it is contained, the force of its expanfion will be the greater. It has fometimes happened, that vapour in a fteam-engine not having fufficient play, hath burft the veffels in which it was contained, defroyed the building, and thrown the ftones and boiling water to a great diftance. Such accidente have fuggefted improvements on this machine. It is now furnished with holes by which the quantity of water can he afcertained, and with a valve which gives way when the vapour is fuperabunart. When the vapou; iffues by this valve, frikes the air with fuch force as to occa on a very loud hiffing poife. The force of apour fufficient for raifing a pifton of a given diameter is equal to the weight of a olumn of water 22 feet in height, and of a hafe equal to that of the pifton; fo that fuppafe a cubic foot of water to weigh 70 pounds, and the bafe of the pifton to be a foot fquare, the force of the vapour fufficient for railing I will be 1540 pounds; an agent fo powerfel, that hardly any thing elfe in nature can be compared with it.

Now, if we recollect the defcriptions of volcanoes, their eruptions, the earthquakes, and hiffing noises which fometimes precede or accompany them; the ftones of different forts, boiling water, fulphur, and bitumens, which they difcharge; if we hear of rocks thrown feven or eight miles from the mouth of the volcano, clouds of afhes and torrents of lava, feas overflowing the land, rivers eft dry, mountains torn afunder or levelled, new iflands raised above the furface of the fa, and others engulphed, cities overturned, and vapours hovering over the furface of the earth; we fhall find all thefe the effects great natural fteam-engines; that is to they are produced by malles of combuftible matter fet on fire by fermentation, placed in the neighbourhood of caverns filled with the waters of the fea, of rivers or lakes. We cannot doubt that the interior parts of the earth are hollowed out into numberless caverns that extend in different directions and to various depths; and that mountains, and other inequalities, and the buildings raised by men, are merely the lis or covering, more or lefs thick, of thefe

of

85

caverns, which vary in shape, and in the materials of which they are compofed.Places therefore covered with buildings and mountains are moft liable to earthquakes, becaufe they are lefs able to give way to the fhock: And the further places are diftant from volcanoes, the lefs they have to fear from earthquakes; because the vapour having room to expand itself by the ramifications of the fubterraneous paffages, the shocks will be lefs violent and lefs frequent. It is this which in all probability, has hitherto faved Naples.

Now let it not be said that we have miftaken the caufe of earthquakes: for if on the one hand we attentively confider the fteam-engine and its effects, and on the other observe volcanoes always in the neighbourhood of water, we fhall be convinced that they differ in nothing from the ma chine, but because this is under the command and direction of art. In order to be certain that earthquakes are the effect of natural caufes refembling thofe of fteam-engines, it is neither neceflary that the mass of lighted combuftible matter, nor the cavern from which the vapours arise, nor the waters which supply them, fhould be placed before our eyes. There are many volcanoes hidden in the bowels of the earth; such are thofe that heat mineral waters, where we neither fee the fire nor the reservoirs, nor the waters that fupply them. It is to be alfo remarked, that these volcanoes occafion no earthquakes, because the vapour escapes with the water.

As to the water, fulphur, bitumens, and ftones, which are thrown from the craters of volcanoes, or from their lateral openings, the force of the vapour is fufficient to explain them. The water is nothing but the yapour itfelf thrown into the air and condenied; the fulphur and bitumens are melted by the burning vapour in its paflage; ftones are thrown out as the pifton of a fteamengine would be if the vapour was not condenfed by the cold water let into the cylinder; torrents of lava in fusion are the melted materials of caverns'deftroyed; and the noife that is heard is the vapour rufhing through fome chink by which it is forcing a paffage; and if this chink were large enough to allow the whole vapour that is generated to escape, there would be no earthquake,

The disappearance and formation of iflands and mountains may be explained from the finking in of caverns, or from their being lifted up by the force of vapour.

Laftly, thofe vapours which in the year 1783 covered at the fame time, and almost during four months, a part of Europe, Afia, and Africa, were probably vapour efcaped from thofe great internal caverns, heated by

a fufficient

a fufficient quantity of combuftible matters, fet on fire by fermentation in the great chemical laboratories in the bowels of the earth. In certain districts of Burgundy these vapours were found to be hot, for they dried up and deftroyed the grapes.

It is obvious, therefore, that if large pits could be dug across the spaces between the furface of the earth and the mouths of these vaults or natural caldrons, thefe pits would be holes of communication, by which the vapour might efcape without doing mischief, They might be difpofed tranfverfely over the ground that joins Naples to Vefuvius, and might be made to communicate with one another by means of galleries. If the caverns under, or nearly under Naples were thus joined, that city would be fecure from earthquakes; because the vapour produced from the boiling water, which may be confidered as their primary caufe, would efcape by thefe holes, and would have a free communication with the atmosphere. If thefe pits could not be made deep enough to reach the caverns, they would, however, ap proach them, and make the intervening fpace more eafily give way to the force of the vapour than the natural thicknefs of the vaults would allow. Such meatures would indeed be coftly and difficult, but not in proportion to the advantages that would refult from them; for the fafety of the fineft and beft peopled city in Italy might depend on them. We actually fee fuch pits dug for more than a thousand feet deep, and fubterraneous galleries conducted horizontally at the fame distance from the surface of the earth, in coal mines, from which the water is drawn by means of fire-engines. The inhabitants of Naples and its environs would gladly fubmit to any impofitions, by which their fecurity could thus be effected; and the expence might even be Leffened by employing the water drawn up, to the turning of mills or the watering of

fields.

This method of fecuring cities from earthquakes, and their fatal confequences, may be adopted when the natural furnaces are known, and when the ground feparating

them from cities is not covered with water.

The idea from defending houfes from thunder would at first no doubt appear as extra ordinary as this against earthquakes, although anciently the inhabitants of Euboea made ufe of the fame means, and the Perfans almoft in our own day, to protect the city of Tauris. It certainly will not be objected, that the defence againft thunder cofts nothing in comparison of what this would coft; for it may immediately be anfwered, that a fingle houfe is nothing in comparison of a whole city.

Original Anecdotes of Peter the Great. From a German Work juft published. thofe which contain interefting and we EW works excite fo much curiofity a fonages. Peter the Great, independent o authenticated anecdotes of diftinguished per that true heroifm and fuperiority of geniu which have juftly ranked him high among the moft celebrated men of his age, possessed an interefting fingularity of character in every part of his public and private life.

This prince was at all times careful to vifi the works and manufactures of the country through which he paffed. Having gone to fee the iron-works at Iftria, he remained there for fome time, in order to learn the When he left it, he had with his own hands manner of conducting the manufacture. wrought eighteen puds of metal, each pud weighing forty pounds. His attendants were employed in carrying fuel, lighting the furnaces, and blowing the bellows. At his renier Muller the proprietor of the work; and turn to Mofcow, the Czar went to vifit Herafter beftowing grear praifes upon his manufacture, he asked him how much he paid his workmen for a pud. Muller faid he generally gave them three copecks* or an altin.

Very well,' replied Peter, I have then earned eighteen altins.' Muller immediately pulled out eighteen ducats, and prefented his majefty ought not to receive lefs. No,' them to him, faying, that a workman like faid Peter, ftepping back, Iwill have none

of

your ducats; I have wrought no better than a common workman, and therefore I have earned I intend to buy a pair of fhoes, you muft pay me as fuch. With the money of which I am at prefent in great need.' He then fhewed him the fhoes he had on, which were much torn, and had already been foled, took the eighteen altins, actually bought a pair of new fhoes; and every time he put them on, he enjoyed fingular fatisfaction in telling that he had procured them by

the labour of his own hands.

Tirmond, one of his ableft furgeons, and his widow married a young barber from to whom he was much attached, having died, Dantzick, who was fomewhat more expert in gallantry than furgery. As he became ve ry wealthy by this marriage, he made a great figure at Mofcow. Being one day fent for by the Czar, he went to court in a magnificent drefs, and in one of his most elegant told him he was a blockhead; and imme carriages. Peter examined him roughly; diately called in a troop of valets and peafants, whom he ordered him inftantly to

N

T E.

The copec is a fmall copper coin nearly equal to a halfpenny.

fhave.

Original Anecdotes of Peter the Great.

ve. The gentleman barber was under the neceflity of obeying, to the great amusement the whole court, and was then permitted return with the fame parade in which he 3 ad arrived.

In 1716, paffing through Dantzick in his arto Holland, and finding that divine ferice had juft begun, he defired that he might conducted to church. The burgomafter mediately waited upon him, and conductdhim to the most confpicuous feat, that of te chief magiftrate. Peter having feated felf, obliged the burgomafter to fit down by him. He then liftened to the fermon with great attention; but finding his head grow cold, he all of a fudden, and without faying 1 word, pulled off the magiftrate's huge perriwig, and gravely put it on his own head. They both remained in that ludicrous fitua tion till the end of the fermon, when the Czar, with a nod by way of acknowledgment, returned the perriwig.

:

At the famous affair at Pruth in 1711, the Czar's anxiety being much greater for is empire than for himfelf, he dispatched te following letter to his privy council at Peterburgh I have now to inform you, at without any fault of mine, but from le intelligence, I find myfelf, together with my whele army, furrounded by the Turks, (who are four times our number,) as cut off from every fort of provifion. Without the immediate interpofition of Heata I can expect nothing but a total defeat, or to be made prifoner by the Turks. If the eft fhould happen, you must no longer conider are as your fovereign, nor execute any my commands, although written by my land: If I fhould be cut off, you must immediately proceed to choose from among yourfelves him whom you think moft worthy being my fucceflor.'

The following is a ftriking inftance of the Etrepidity and prefence of mind of this great man. During the rebellion of the Strelitz, a any of his foldiers, under the command of two of their officers, Sikel and Sukawnin, and refolved to affaffinate the Czar; and the better to effectuate their purpose, to fet fire Moscow at different places at the fame infant. Upon the day appointed, the confpirators affembled at the houfe of the Sukawrin, dined there, and agreed to continue drinking till midnight. About eight o'clock, two of them, who were ftruck with the attrocity of their enterprize, having retired, they concerted meafures among themfelves, and finally refolved to go without delay to the palace, and discoverthe whole confpiracy. Returning then to their companions, they fon found out a pretext for obtaining leave to be abfent till the hour appointed, and engaged to rejoin them then at the place of rendezvous. They immediatelyhaftened to the palace; and throwing themselves at the

man

87

feet of the emperor, made a complete difco-
very. As foon as the Czar had ordered them
to be fecured, he wrote with his own hand
to the captain of the guards to affemble his
company without noife, to draw them up
about eleven o'clock before the house of Su-
kawnin; and the moment the hour ftruck,
to rufh in and feize every person he should
find there. The captain punctually obeyed.
Peter, however, forgot that he had appoint-
ed eleven o'clock, and thought he had men-
tioned ten; he therefore imagined all would
be over half paft ten. Becoming impatient
about that time, he went down to the street,
and was greatly enraged at not feeing
of the company of
a fingle
guards. He, however, entered the house,
followed by only one domeftic, and went di-
rectly to the room where the confpirators
were affembled; and faluting them faid, that
having obferved light in the windows as he
was paffing along, he concluded they must
be making merry; and as it was not yet bed-
time, he wished to drink a glafs with them.
The confpirators expreffed their happiness on
account of this unexpected vifit, drank to
his health, and he frankly pledged them. In
a few minutes one of them made a fignal to
Sukawnin, and faid to him in a low voice,
Brother, it is time. Sukawnin, anfwered
with another fignal, Not set. That inftant
the Czar rufhed forward, like a lion, giving
him a blow on the face with his poignard,
which brought him to the ground; cried,

If it is not time for you, villain, it is time
for me. The confpirators immediately fell
at his feet, and confefled their crime. The
Peter
hour of eleven now ftruck, and the captain
with his foldiers entered the room.
ordered the confpirators to bind one another;
and then turning to the captain. in the first
tranfport of his rage he ftruck him, and re-
proached him with failing to come at the
hour appointed. He, on the other hand
produced his order; which Peter had no
fooner glanced at, than he threw his arms
about his neck, embraced him cordially, and
declaring that he was a good and faithful
officer, committed the prifoners to his charge.

Those who may look on fuch relations as romantic, know but little of the life of Peter the Great, which is full of fuch incidents.

The following, of a fimilar nature, is tranflated from Pieces Interessantes, &c. lately published at Bruffels.

During the troubles occafioned by the infatiable ambition of the Princefs Sophia, Peter the Great's eldeft fifter, it is well known that the revolt of the Strelitz brought the empire to the brink of deftruction.

N

OT E.

The Strelitz were a military corps refembling the Roman Pretorian bands, or the Turkish Janizaries, but more barbarous than either.

A brothe