Saint Ignatius of Loyola This Traditional History Resources Can Be Obtained by Contacting Us at Standard Is Especially Appropriate
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Conditions and Terms of Use TO THE READER Copyright © Heritage History 2010 I am attempting to sketch a large subject on a small Some rights reserved canvas, and such a proceeding needs some justification. My This text was produced and distributed by Heritage History, an explanation is, that I think many readers will prefer a organization dedicated to the preservation of classical juvenile history conciseness commensurable with their restricted leisure. In books, and to the promotion of the works of traditional history authors. this work-a-day world many people have time for rest in The books which Heritage History republishes are in the public snatches only, for short alternations of reading with their work. domain and are no longer protected by the original copyright. They may Extensive views must therefore be represented on postcard therefore be reproduced within the United States without paying a royalty pictures, and intricate movements of the thoughts of millions to the author. must be summarized in short paragraphs, even though it would The text and pictures used to produce this version of the work, be really more interesting to go into detail, to describe the however, are the property of Heritage History and are subject to certain restrictions. These restrictions are imposed for the purpose of protecting the charming intercourse of great souls, to portray the grand integrity of the work, for preventing plagiarism, and for helping to assure features of heroes. that compromised versions of the work are not widely disseminated. Considerable sacrifices must therefore be made, and, to In order to preserve information regarding the origin of this text, a bring out better the features I wish to depict, I have resolved to copyright by the author, and a Heritage History distribution date are reduce my portrait to a mere silhouette. I am thus compelled to included at the foot of every page of text. We require all electronic and printed versions of this text include these markings and that users adhere to choose my position so that you will recognize at a glance the the following restrictions. feature which I here wish to make paramount, and that is Saintship. 1. You may reproduce this text for personal or educational purposes as But this too needs consideration, for different people long as the copyright and Heritage History version are included. see saintliness in different features. Some admire entire 2. You may not alter this text or try to pass off all or any part of it as your detachment from the world, some entire devotion to God's own work. cause among men. Some think most of one virtue, some of another. There are many virtues, and eminence in any of them 3. You may not distribute copies of this text for commercial purposes. eventually means holiness in all. Still, some virtues are more 4. This text is intended to be a faithful and complete copy of the original fundamental than others and I do not think that any one will document. However, typos, omissions, and other errors may have quarrel with me if, in this case, I take Christlikeness as the occurred during preparation, and Heritage History does not guarantee a great virtue to be outlined. The imitation of Christ is a topic perfectly reliable reproduction. familiar to all, and everyone in his measure knows something, or even much, about the ideals which the word recalls. Permission to use Heritage History documents or images for commercial purposes, or more information about our collection of Moreover, in the case of Saint Ignatius of Loyola this traditional history resources can be obtained by contacting us at standard is especially appropriate. For although he had a [email protected] thousand bright facets in his character, the imitation of Christ was with him a master-passion. The Sacred Name is the greeting formula of every letter, it reappears in almost every Original Copyright 1922 by John Hungerford Pollen 2 Distributed by Heritage History 2010 paragraph written by him. Christ-study was the kernel of plentiful. In regard to the religious side of his life, the Ignatian spirituality, the imitation of Him was the motive of illustrative matter, though sufficiently bulky, is not unwieldy. His follower's life. Ignatius's life, therefore, when studied in Further particulars will be found in the epilogue. the light of this virtue, ought to appear natural and consistent, and its different parts ought to hang together and to make up a lively, veracious whole. Nevertheless I must not sound one string exclusively. ABLE OF ONTENTS The true picture of life always shows change and variation, T C and my first duty is to write the history of one whose life was notably full and active. He was a great organizer who sent his FAMILY AND YOUTH ........................................................... 4 followers all over the world and ever kept in contact with PAMPELUNA AND CONVERSION ......................................... 7 them. Always interested in their reports, he never ceased to arrange for reinforcements and to send out messages of MANRESA AND THE SPIRITUAL NOVITIATE ....................... 9 encouragement. It is not for me, therefore, to devote my book exclusively to the interior life of the Saint. On the contrary, THE PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOLY LAND ........................... 12 after I have set forth his ideals, his methods, his characteristics, my object must be to show the labours, the STUDIES AND COMPANIONS .............................................. 13 organized efforts, the successes (and sometimes the want of THE SPIRITUAL EXERCISES .............................................. 18 success) to which his energies, guided sometimes by human, sometimes by divine, aspirations, led him. The major part of THE FOUNDATION OF THE SOCIETY ................................ 22 my pages must be devoted to explaining the external works of the Saint and of his followers, in which, when rightly THE GENERALATE ............................................................ 25 analyzed, the Founder's aims are rightly recognized. IGNATIUS AND THE BRITISH ISLES ................................... 29 So much for the general principles by which I have been guided. As for the materials from which I have made my THE COUNCIL OF TRENT .................................................. 34 selection, they are now exceedingly numerous. To say nothing of many scores of biographies, several of which are excellent, INDIA, AFRICA AND AMERICA .......................................... 37 there has lately appeared at Madrid a series which throws all earlier publications into the shade. In the Monumenta THE WORK OF EDUCATION ............................................. 41 Historica Societatis Jesu, no less than thirteen stout volumes THE CONSTITUTIONS ........................................................ 44 concerning Ignatius have appeared, comprising under "letters from Ignatius" well nigh 7,000 pieces; the letters and reports AGE AND DEATH ............................................................... 49 addressed to him being equally numerous. This great abundance of matter, however, does not illustrate the whole EPILOGUE ......................................................................... 52 life equally. It is only in regard to his quasi-public, or official work as General, that the material is now so extremely Original Copyright 1922 by John Hungerford Pollen 3 Distributed by Heritage History 2010 CHAPTER I Isabella. In the suite of this noble and wealthy lord, he presumably visited the Spanish court from time to time, though it is not accurate to say that he was ever in the royal FAMILY AND YOUTH service. St. Paul warns us against "vain genealogies." No little This time of service in the retinue of a great noble, snobbery and worldliness may blossom on genealogical trees. which lasted till about 1517, when he was twenty-five years of The gospel, indeed, is careful to outline one in Christ's case, age, covers the period of his education. True, the amount of but for reasons peculiar to His birth—to show a prophecy learning considered necessary in that age for the profession of fulfilled. Suffice it for us to refer those who wish for fuller arms, to which Inigo aspired, was very small indeed; still it accounts of Ignatius's descent, to Perez, Astrain and others, claims our notice, because of what will follow. At the close of and to say that he was the youngest son of Don Beltran Yanez the fifteenth century, before schools were common, boys at de Onaz y Loyola, and Marina Saenz de Licona y Balda, and home and pages at court were placed under some gentleman that he was born in I491 in the still standing castle of Loyola, tutor, who would see to it that they learned to read and write, above Aspeitia in the Biscayan town of Guipuscoa. The family and knew such hymns and Latin prayers as would enable them belonged to the local nobility, of the rank called "parientes to attend becomingly the longish services then in fashion. So maiores." Their heraldic arms were—or, seven bends gules, much at least of letters the boy Inigo acquired in youth, and for Onaz; argent, pot and chain sable between two grey wolves learned it well. He loved to read the Romanceros of his day, rampant, for Loyola. By convention Onaz here appears before which, in a way, correspond with the novels of ours. Loyola, though the right to carry their arms was only acquired Especially was he fond of Amadis de Gaula, The Chronicle of by marriage. De Loyola is the true family name, but by a the Cid, and the books of Caballeria. From these he learned To strange copyist's error (unfortunately accepted by the learned love the code of chivalry with enthusiasm, "to dread a stain Bollandist Pien in the eighteenth century, and from him also more than a wound." To win glory as a knight became to him by the British Museum Catalogue) it sometimes appears as the only object worth living for. Lopez de Recalde. The origin of this mistake is explained in a In 1517 his feudal patron Velasquez died, and he note at the end of this chapter.