Volume I: 228-253 (1548) – Polanco's Chronicon

v1_228-253latin 1548A ANNUS 1548 The Year 1548 v1_228-253latin 1548A 228. Anno 1548 res Societatis nostrae, et ejusdem auctoritas non exiguum incrementum acceperunt. Et quidem Romae Pater Ignatius, cum sollicitudo gubernandae Societatis cogitationes ejus magna ex parte sibi vindicaret, in his occupationibus quae ad externos pertinebant, sic se paulatim colligebat, ut interim per suos eadem pietatis opera exerceret, et in quibusdam gravioribus suum etiam laborem et industriam diligenter collocaret. Sic inter discordes aliquos nobiles pacem conciliandam curavit; et cum gravi dissensione civitas Tiburtina et oppidum quoddam linitimum, quod Sancti Angeli vocant, laboraret, et aliquando etiam ad arma, prout assolet, ex verbis deventum esset, eo se contulit; et postquam Tibure et in oppido praedicto, apud primores de concordia ineunda egisset, per serenissimam Margaritam de Austria, Parmae ac Placentiae Ducissam, cujus erat oppidum Sancti Angeli, et magistratus civitatis Tiburtinae, magna dexteritate curavit ut hujus controversiae causa Cardinali de la Cueva permitteretur, et reverendissimi Philippi Archinti, Urbis tunc Vicarii, opera et aliorum etiam usus, id effecit, ut tandem illi populi, sublatis dissensionum seminibus, inter se conciliarentur. Cum autem amicus Societatis, D. Ludovicus de Mendoza, ecclesiam quamdam extra muros urbis Tiburtinae cum domo et horto amoeno haberet, ibique tractantem de praedicta concordia Ignatium, cum alio sacerdote Societatis ( qui ibidem concionatus est) excepisset, locum illum Societati obtulit; et licet intra urbem paulo post Collegium Societatis fuerit institutum, ea tamen in domo nostrorum habitatio in Tiburtina civitate initium habuit. Quamvis autem complura pietatis opera, quae in variis provinciis instituebantur, P. Ignatius Romae foveret, quorum hic meminisse longum foret, illud tamen non omittendum censeo, quod ea negotia, quae ad Sanctae Inquisitionis Officium pertinebant, non Romae, sed in Hispania expediri, ne Inquisitionis auctoritas debilior redderetur, curabat. Unde cum puerorum quorumdam, qui ex neophytis agarenorum, Gandiae sub disciplina Societatis instituebantur, errores quidam prout accidit interdum in ejusmodi non bene institutis hominibus, essent comperti, ad quorum remedium ne Inquisitores adeundi essent, ad Sedem Apostolicam, qui neophytis praeerant, confugissent, maluit P. Ignatius rem Archiepiscopo Hispalensi , Summo Inquisitori , commendari, ut remedium illud, quod sancta charitas exigebat, adhiberet; quod ita effectum est. 228. In the year 1548 the work of our Society and its authority received no small increase. Indeed in Rome Fr. Ignatius, since his solicitude for the governance of the Society for the most part occupied his thoughts, regarding his pious works for other people, gradually began to think that he could perform the same works of piety through his companions, and so he diligently concentrated his efforts on the most important matters. Thus he brought about peace among some quarrelling nobles; and when the city of Tivoli and a neighboring town, which they call Holy Angels, got involved in a serious dispute, and sometimes it developed from hostile words to armed conflict, as often happens, he went there. And after he dealt with the leaders in Tivoli and the other town about establishing peace, through the serene Margarita of Austria, Duchess of Parma and Piacenza, who ruled the city of Holy Angels and the magistrates of the city of Tivoli, with great wisdom he arranged that the cause of this controversy should be handed over to Cardinal de la Cueva and the reverend Philip Archinto, then the Vicar of the City. And he brought it about finally that those peoples were reconciled with each other, once the seeds of the dispute had been removed. Now since a friend of the Society, Dr. Luis de Mendoza, had a church outside the walls of the city of Tivoli with a house and a pleasant garden, and he had received Ignatius there when he was dealing with the already-mentioned dispute, along with another priest of the Society (who preached in the same place), he offered the place to the Society. And although shortly thereafter a College of the Society was established inside the city, still that dwelling as a home for ours had its beginning near the city of Tivoli. Although Fr. Ignatius in Rome favored the many works of piety, which were established in the various provinces, all of which cannot be mentioned here, still I think I should not fail to mention the negotiations which pertain to the office of the Holy Inquisition, which he took care to handle successfully not in Rome, but in Spain, so that the authority of the Inquisition would not be made weaker. Therefore, when the errors of some boys were discovered, who were neophytes and came under the discipline of the Society at Gandia, as sometimes happens with people of this kind who are not well instructed, the Inquisitors would not be approached for a remedy, and those who were in charge of the neophytes would approach the Apostolic See; but Fr. Ignatius preferred to recommend the matter to the Archbishop of Seville, the Supreme Inquisitor, so that he would apply the remedy, which holy charity demands; and that is what was done. [1. Ignatius Duci Gandiae, sine dic, sed mense Julio aut Augusto hujus anni 48.
Ignatius to the Duke of Gandia, without a date, but during the month of July or August 1548.] v1_228-253latin 1548A 229. Hoc anno, cum Exercitia spiritualia, ut superius dictum est, a Cardinali Burgensi, Inquisitore, et Philippo Archinto, Summi Pontificis Vicario, et Aegidio Foscharario, sacri palatii magistro, examinanda, Paulus III Pontifex Maximus dedisset, et illi praeclaro testimonio approbassent; suis etiam Litteris Apostolicis idem Pontifex, pridie calendas Augusti 1548, et confirmavit et commendavit, et simul ad ea suscipienda fideles est hortatus; unde os eorum, qui praedicta Exercitia spiritualia, sibi minime nota, insectabantur, sic auctoritate hujus Sanctae Sedis obturatum est, ut ex eo tempore calumniae in eis locum non invenerint. Cum autem pluribus in locis, ac praesertim hoc anno Salmanticae, a religiosis viris ordinis Praedicatorum, Societatis nostrae institutum acriter oppugnaretur, et nostrorum patientia non parum exerceretur, vir gravissimus Frater Franciscus Romaeus, dicti ordinis generalis magister, patentibus suis litteris non solum ordinis sui religiosos, ut desisterent molestos esse Societati, adhortatus est, sed pro officii sui auctoritate, in virtute Spiritus Sancti ac obedientiae, et sub poenis arbitrio suo taxandis, praecepit, ne Societatis nostrae ordini ac instituto ullo modo detrahere, nec in publicis lectionibus, sermonibus, et congressibus, nec in privatis colloquiis, ut ejus verbis utar, auderent; quin potius, ut commilitones , contra impugnantes tueri studerent. Has autem litteras dominus Franciscus de Mendoza, Cardinalis et Episcopus tunc Cauriensis, et curavit, et suas etiam, pro sua in Societatem nostram charitate et communis boni zelo, adjunxit. 229. In this year Paul III, the Sovereign Pontiff, gave the Spiritual Exercises, as was said above, for examination to Cardinal Burgensis, the Inquisitor, to Philip Archinto, the Vicar of the Pontiff, and to Aegidius Foschararius, Master of the papal palace, and when they approved them with an excellent testimony, the same Pontiff also confirmed and recommended them with an Apostolic Letter on the day before August 1, 1548, and at the same time he urged the faithful to make use of them. Hence the mouth of those who were harshly criticizing the Exercises, which they did not really understand, was closed by the authority of the Holy See, so that from that time on they could find no basis for their false accusations. But since in many places, and especially during this year in Salamanca, the Institute of our Society was sharply attacked by some religious of the Order of Preachers, and the patience of ours was severely tested, Fr. Francis Romaeus, a very important man and the Master General of the said Order, with a public letter exhorted not only the religious of his Order that they cease attacking the Society, but by the authority of his office, in virtue of the Holy Spirit and of obedience, and under the penalty of a punishment to be determined by him, he commanded that they should not dare, and I am using his words, in any way to slander the Order and Institute of our Society either in public lectures, or sermons, or congresses, or in private conversations; but rather that they strive to defend them as comrades in war against our enemies. Cardinal Francis de Mendoza, Bishop of Coria-Cáceres, promulgated this letter, and also added his own to it, because of his love for our Society and his zeal for the common good. [2. Ignatii et aliorum litteras, necnon et plura alia privata et publica instrumenta, de iis Salmantinis turbis et difficultatibus habes in Cartas de San Ignacio, tom. 11.
You will find the letters of Ignatius and of others, and many other private and public documents on these disturbances and difficulties in Salamanca in Cartas de San Ignacio, vol. II.] v1_228-253latin 1548A 230. Hoc eodem tempore et Constitutionibus Societatis conficiendis et regulis P. Ignatius operam dabat, et partimoratione, partim rationis discursu, partim etiam experientia, ea quae ad instituti nostri rationem postea promulgavit, paulatim concinnabat. 230. At this same time Fr. Ignatius was busy composing the Constitutions of the Society and the rules; and partly by prayer, partly by principles of reason, partly also by experience, he gradually put together what he later promulgated as pertaining to the nature of our Institute. [3. Vide Constitutiones Societatis Jesu latinae et hispanae, Matriti, 1892, et in iis praesertim Appendices.
See Constitutiones Societatis Jesu latinae et hispanae, Madrid, 1892, and especially the Appendices.] v1_228-253latin 1548A 231. Sub initium hujus anni, cum Siciiiae Pro-rex et Messanae civitas, et ad Summum Pontificem et ad P. Ignatium de Collegio Messanam mittendo, per litteras diligenter egissent, effectum id est; et tunc Collegiorum hoc genus, ubi nostri docendi provinciam susciperent, in his regionibus suscipi coeptum est; nam Goae in India, et Gandiae in Hispania jam nostri docere coeperant. Prius autem quam Roma dimitterentur qui ad hoc Collegium inchoandum erant destinati, omnibus domesticis P. Ignatius quatuor proposuit, et responsum de singulis exegit; primum erat, an singuli prompte parati essent in Siciliam ire vel non ire, et eam partem, ut sibi cariorem, amplecterentur, quae ipsis a Superiore, quem Christi loco habebant, esset designata; secundo an, qui eo mittendus esset, ad quod vis ministerium externum (si litteris careret), si autem litteris institutus esset, quamlibet lectionem quavis in facultate interpretandam, prout ab obedientia ei injungeretur, paratus esset, sive Theologia scholastica ea foret, sive Scriptura Sacra, sive Philosophia, sive Litterae humaniores (nam hae quatuor lectiones erant praelegendae); tertio, an qui tamquam scholasticus mitteretur, cuicumque facultati dare operam, juxta obedientiae praescriptum vellet; quarto, an praeter obedientiam in exsequendis quae dicta sunt, id essent existimaturi convenientius, quod ipsis a Superiore demonstratum foret, suum judicium et voluntatem sanctae obedientiae submittendo. Cum autem recte ab omnibus esset responsum, designavit eos, qui mittendi erant; inter quos fuit P. Andreas Frusius, gallus; P. Petrus Canisius, germanus; P. Benedictus Palmius, italus; P. Hieronymus Natalis, hispanus, et Annibal Codretus, sabaudus; sic diversissimas nationes charitas et obedientia conjungebat. Periculum etiam a quibusdam, qui mittebantur, coram se fieri voluit, de modo praelegendi; et sic demum Collegium ad Pontificem Paulum III deduci voluit, a quo benigne exceptum, et cum benedictione apostolica et paterna exhortatione, qua Patris Canisii piae admodum orationi respondit, dimissum. 231. In the beginning of this year, when in Sicily the Viceroy and the city of Messina diligently wrote letters both to the Sovereign Pontiff and to Fr. Ignatius about establishing a College in Messina, it was done; and then this kind of College, where ours assume the role of teaching, began to be accepted in these regions. For, at Goa in India, and at Gandia in Spain ours had already begun to teach. But before those were sent from Rome who were assigned to begin this College, Fr. Ignatius proposed four questions to all of his companions, and he demanded a response from each one: the first was, whether all were truly ready to go to Sicily or not to go, and whether they would accept the role, as more dear to them, for which they would be assigned by the Superior, whom they have in the place of Christ. Secondly, whether the one to be sent was prepared to do whatever external ministry he was given (if he lacked the qualifications for a teacher), but if he did have those qualifications he would teach whatever course he was assigned as he was directed to do by obedience, whether it would be scholastic Theology, or Holy Scripture, or Philosophy, or the Humanities (for these four subjects were in the curriculum). Thirdly, whether anyone who is sent as a scholastic wished to work in whatever faculty he was assigned to according to obedience. Fourthly, besides obedience in doing what they are told to do, they would consider that to be more suitable, which they were directed by the Superior to do, by thus submitting their own judgment and will to holy obedience. When all had responded in a positive way, he designated those who were to be sent: among them were Fr. Andreas Frusius, a Frenchman; Fr. Peter Canisius, a German; Fr. Benedict Palmius, an Italian; Fr. Jerome Natalis, a Spaniard, and Annibal Codretus, a Sabatian. Thus charity and obedience joined together very diverse nations. He saw a certain problem for some of those who were sent with regard to how they would conduct their classes. And so finally he wanted the matter of the College to be brought to Pope Paul III; it was kindly received by him, and greeted with an apostolic blessing and a fatherly exhortation in which he responded to the very pious address of Father Canisius. [4. Li Jurati, nobili et populani della nobile città di Messina al Viceré , Messinae , 17 Decembris; iidem Ignatio, 18 Decembris 47; de profectione in Siciliam interrogationes Patríbus Fratribusque Romae degentibus ab Ignatio proposita e et singulorum responsa, 27 Februari 48; Polancus, ex commissione, Hieronymo Domenech, de iis, qui ad Collegium Messanense inchoandum Roma missi sunt, a. 48.
The judges, nobles and people of the noble city of Messina to the Viceroy, from Messina, December 17; the same to Ignatius, December 18, 1547; the questions about going to Sicily proposed by Ignatius to the Fathers and Brothers living in Rome, and the response of each one, February 27, 1548; Polanco, ex commissione, to Jerome Domenech, about those who were sent from Rome to start the College in Messina.] v1_228-253latin 1548A 232. Hoc tempore Papiensis civitas ad P. Ignatium sollicite scripsit, aliquos de Societate nostra ad se transmitti cupiens, a quibus in rebus spiritualibus juvarentur; sed operariorum penuria id minime permisit. Reliqua Romae , prout aliis annis scripta fuerunt, procedebant; unum vero nunc addam, quod inter aliquos, qui ex Hispania huc venerant, unus fuit Michael de Ochoa, juvenis non mediocri puritate animi ac probitate praeditus, qui donum gratiae sanitatum habere saepius, ipso licet non agnoscente, deprehensus est. Laborabam ego febri quotidiana permolesta, et cum ille curam aliquam mei gereret, narrabat, quibusdam orationibus dictis, se aliquos Barcinonae et alibi sanasse; percontatus sum quibus uteretur verbis, ubi spem sanitatis collocaret, qua etiam intentione; cum autem in verbis nihil non bonum esset, et a Deo prorsus exspectaret sanitatem, si quidem futura esset ad ipsius obsequium, visus mihi sum animadvertere, quod gratiam sanitatum ille haberet; et cum peterem an me sanare vellet, promptum se ad id obtulit; non tamen ejus opera prius uti volui quam P. Ignatium consulerem, ut mihi significaret num vellet me Michaëlis operam adhibere. Cum autem Ignatius (qui perpaucos habebat id temporis Romae, a quibus sublevari posset) significaret gratum sibi fore, nolui tamen eo die Michaëlis uti opera, quia jam febris decimo die declinaverat, quae fere decem et octo horas durare solita erat; sed cum die sequenti ferventissima, plus etiam solito, me invasisset, accersendum curo Michaëlem, et quamdam interius confidentiam sentiens, quod si futurum esset ad Dei gloriam, illo sanitatis dono juvandus essem, ” utere (inquam) frater Michael, ea gratia gratis data, qua te donavit Dominus; nam spero quod tua opera ejus Bonitas, si expedit, me sanabit. „ Scripsit ille pro suo more sacra illa verba, ter Pater et Ave coram Sanctissimo Sacramento dicens, et appendit collo meo (nam secundum ejus fidem et consuetudinem facere cum sinebam); et statimvelut refrigerium quoddam a capite usque ad calcem perfusus, a febri aestuantissima liberatus sum. Suasi nihilominus, re peracta, Michaëli, ut sine illis verbis et modo plicandi et appendendi collo scriptas orationes, per benedictionem aut manus impositionem donum illud Dei exerceret; et ita Tybure hoc ipso anno (quo schola teneri ab ipso coepta est) et in Hispania etiam saepe est expertus, et per solam impositionem manuum, aut benedictionem complures a gravibus morbis liberavit. 232. At this time the city of Pavia wrote solicitously to Fr. Ignatius, asking that some or ours be sent to them, by whom they could be helped in spiritual matters; but the lack of workers did not permit this. Other things in Rome were proceeding, just as they were written about in the other years; but now I can add one thing, namely, that among those who came here from Spain was Michael Ochoa, a youth endowed with great purity of soul and probity, who was found to have often the gift of the grace of healing, although he did not acknowledge it. I suffered from a very troublesome daily fever, and when he worked a cure for me, he said that, after having said certain prayers, he had cured some people in Barcelona and elsewhere. I asked him what words he would use, where he would place his hope of health, and what his intention was; and since in his words there was nothing bad, and he totally expected the healing from God, if indeed it would be for his service, it seemed to me that he had the grace of healing. And when I asked if he wished to heal me, he said he was ready to do it. However, I did not want to make use of his help before I consulted with Fr. Ignatius, so that he could tell me whether he wanted me to use the assistance of Michael. But since Ignatius (who at that time had very few men in Rome by whom he could be assisted), said he would be pleased about this, still I did not want to use Michael’s help on that day, because the fever had already declined on the tenth day, which was wont to last for about eighteen hours. But since on the following day a very high fever, more than usual, overtook me, I asked that Michael should be summoned, and I felt a certain interior confidence that, if it were for the glory of God, I would be helped by his gift of healing. “Brother Michael, use (I said) the grace which the Lord in his goodness has given to you; for I hope that with your help the divine Goodness will heal me, if it is expedient.” According to his way of acting, he wrote down those holy words, saying three times the Our Father and Hail Mary before the Blessed Sacrament, then he applied it to my neck (for according to his faith and habit I allowed him to do this). And immediately something like a coolness was poured into me from my head to my toes and I was freed from the burning fever. Nevertheless, after the event, I persuaded Michael that he should exercise that gift of God by a blessing or the imposition of hands, without using those words and his way of applying the written prayers to the neck. And so during this year at Tivoli (where he began to teach in the school), and in Spain also he used his gift, and he freed many people from serious illnesses by the sole imposition of hands or by a blessing. [5. Le Deputati al governo della città di Pavia, a S. Ignatio, 5 Martii 48.
The deputies of the governor of the city of Pavia to St. Ignatius, March 5, 1548.] v1_228-253latin 1548A 233. Initio hujus anni P. Jacobus Laynez Senas se contulerat, et in absentia Archiepiscopi, ab ejus Vicario humaniter exceptus, primo quidem in templo Beatae Virgini sacro, deinde in cathedrali Ecclesia concionatus est; et quamvis illo mense, scilicet Januario, frigora vehementissima Senis vigerent, fuit tamen frequentissimum ejus auditorium, consolatio etiam ac aedificatio civitatis non minor. Feriatis diebus singulis in aliquo monasterio vel hospitali concionabatur; nam dominicis tantum et festis diebus in cathedrali Ecclesia conciones est prosequutus; et quamvis id tempus, quod quadragesimam praecedit (carnis privium vocant) non solet hujusmodi Exercitationibus spiritualibus esse valde accommodatum, affirmabat tamen Vicarius ne in quadragesima quidem tam frequentem populum accedere solitum esse, qui avidissime et magna cum attentione, et, ut videbatur, commotione, verbum Dei audiebat. Unum etiam ex his monasteriis, ubi concionatus est, cum prius in communi vivere recusasset, Vicarium accersivit, promisitque se in posterum paupertatis votum velle observare. Auditis praeterea aliquorum confessionibus, quia Florentiae a septuagesima ipsa conciones erant inchoandae, eo profectus est. Cum autem in cathedrali etiam Ecclesia Florentiae ipse, et Pater Hieronymus Otellus in templo Sanctae Felicitatis, conciones, juxta promissionem praeterito anno factam, incoepissent, per totum quadragesimae tempus, eo munere functi sunt; et quamvis Hieronymus in loco a frequentia urbis remoto condonaretur, permulti tamen eum auditores sunt sequuti. Sic in monasteriis etiam monialium eodem tempore egregio cum fructu laboravit, et P. Laynem concionantcm tam multi audierunt, ut diebus festis ultra octo et novem millia auditorum censerentur, qui magno silentio et animi consolatione cum audiebant; cum autem ex laudabili consuetudine illius urbis, quo die praedicandum est Evangelium mulieris peccatricis, quae in domo pharisaei ad Christum accessit, adduci soleant ad cathedrale templum peccatrices mulieres, ut si aliquarum corda Deus tetigerit, a turpi vita convertantur, magna eo die, non solum hujusmodi muliercularum, sed et civium confluxit multitudo; et ex illis septem vel octo resipiscentes, in honestarum matronarum domibus exceptae fuerunt, ut ad honestam vitae rationem ineundam juvarentur. Canonici autem et alii cives Collegium aliquod nostrorum se expetere, et magnam partem suorum redituum ad eos alendos colluturos se significabant. Ducissa suam operam in Collegio Pisis instituendo pollicebatur, vel ad hoc ipsum ne Laynez inde recederet. Cum autem Dominica palmarum rogatus a praefecto arcis, ille praesidio militum hispanice esset concionatus, et quidem cum magna auditorum consolatione; litteras accepit, quibus Pisas eum Ducissa accersebat, tum ut aliquas ejus conciones audiret, tum ut ejus opera in suae familiae confessionibus audiendis uteretur, tum etiam ut de rebus suis spiritualibus cum ipso conferret. Itaque substituens P. Hieronymum ut, quamdiu ipse abesset, in cathedrali Ecclesia concionaretur, Pisas se contulit; ubi cum praedicatione et familiari colloquio, et confessiones audiendo praecipuarum illius curiae personarum, inter quas lilia erat et filii, adhuc admodum pueri, Ducis, animos ad pietatem movere coepisset, ab eis avulsus Florentiam rediit; suam enim privatam consolationem utilitati communi Ducissa posthabuit; et sic finem suis concionibus Pisis fecit, et Florentiae, quas intermiserat, resumpsit; quamvis enim P. Hieronymus egregie fungeretur suo officio, magno tamen ipsius Laynii desiderio aliter satisfieri non potuisset. Copiosus autem fructus ex exemplo et praedicatione duorum Patrum Florentiae est consequutus, et complures vitae rationem in melius mutare constituerunt; nec cives tantum, sed et milites et mercatores, qui avidissime et magna cum consolatione spiritus eos audierant, et alii, qui etiam eidem confessi fuerant, et magno animi affectu ipsum complectebantur, graviter ejus recessum tulerunt. Ex canonicis nonnulli, si aetas provectior non impedivisset, eum, ut ferebant, omnibus relictis, essent in Societate nostra sequuti; aliqui etiam ex civibus, quod juvenes admodum essent, licet Societati offerrentur, non sunt admissi. Cum autem P. Ignatius eum Venetias se conferre injunxisset, ut de possessione prioratus, Collegiis Patavino et Veneto uniti, capienda ageret (timebatur enim non exigua difficultas) Florentia relicta, eo se contulit. Quamvis autem Dux Cosmus se locum nostris daturum et sumptus, ad aliquos ex nostris scholasticis Pisis alendos, esset pollicitus; vel propter hanc Patris Laynez profectionem, vel quia res Patri Ignatio tunc non urgenda videbatur, infecta relicta res est. 233. At the beginning of this year Fr. James Laynez went to Sena, and in the absence of the Archbishop he was politely received by his Vicar. First of all he preached in the church of the Blessed Virgin, and then in the cathedral; and although during that month, namely January, the weather was very cold in Sena, still there was a large audience, and also no small consolation and edification of the city. On the ferial days he preached in a monastery or in a hospital; for, only on Sundays and feast days did he give a sermon in the cathedral; and although that time, which was before Lent (which they call the denial of the flesh), there was usually not a large crowd for spiritual exercises of this kind, nevertheless the Vicar said that not even during Lent were they accustomed to have such a large audience of people, who avidly and with great attention and, as it seems, with such emotion listened to the word of God. Also, in one of the monasteries where he preached, when previously they had refused to live in common, they met with the Vicar and promised that they wished in the future to observe the vow of poverty. Then after hearing some confessions, because he was scheduled to preach in Florence beginning on Septuagesima Sunday, he departed and went there. But when he began to preach in the Cathedral in Florence, and Fr. Jerome Otellus was doing the same in the church of St. Felicity, according to a promise they had made the previous year, they continued to perform that function during the whole time of Lent. And even though Fr. Jerome was preaching in a place removed from the large population of the city, still very many hearers listened to him. Thus at the same time in convents of nuns he worked with outstanding results, and so many people heard Fr. Laynez preaching that on the feast days they were thought to be eight or nine thousand hearers, who listened to him in great silence and with heartfelt consolation. But when according to a laudable custom of that city, on the day one must preach on the Gospel of the sinful woman, who approached Christ in the house of the Pharisee, sinful women were accustomed to be brought to the Cathedral, so that, if God touched the hearts of some of them, they would be converted from their evil way of life, on that day a large multitude assembled, not only of these kinds of women, but also of regular citizens. And on that day seven or eight had a change of heart and were received into the homes of good women so that they could be helped to begin a virtuous way of life. But the canons and other citizens said that they wanted a College of ours, and that they would provide a large part of its income in order to support it. The Duchess promised her help in establishing a College in Pisa, with the intention that Laynez would not depart from there. But when he was asked on Palm Sunday by the captain of the fortress, he preached in Spanish to the garrison of soldiers, and this was with the great consolation of the hearers; then he received a letter in which the Duchess summoned him to Pisa, both so that she could hear some of his sermons, and so that he would hear the confessions of the members of her family, and also so that she might consult with him about her spiritual life. Therefore, he had Fr. Jerome take his place, while he was absent, as the preacher in the cathedral, and he went to Pisa. There with his preaching and friendly conversation, and by hearing the confessions of the important persons of the court, among whom were the daughter and sons of the Duke, who were still children, he began to move their minds to a life of piety, and then he left them and returned to Florence. The Duchess thought less of her own consolation than she did for the common good; and so she put an end to his sermons in Pisa, and he resumed them in Florence, which he had interrupted. For although Fr. Jerome performed that office well, still he could not satisfy their strong desire to hear Laynez himself. However, abundant fruit followed from the example and preaching of the two Fathers in Florence, and as a result many people decided to change their way of life for something better. And not just the citizens, but also the soldiers and merchants, who avidly and with great personal consolation listened to them, and others who had gone to confession to him, and esteemed him with great affection, found it hard to accept his departure. Some of the canons, if advanced age had not prevented them, having left all things, as they said, would have followed him into our Society. Also some of the citizens, who were still youths, even though they applied to the Society, were not admitted. But when Fr. Ignatius directed him to go to Venice in order to take possession of a priority connected with the Colleges in Padua and Venice (for no little difficulty was feared), he departed from Florence and went there. Although Duke Cosmo said that he would give the place to us and promised to cover the expense of supporting some of our scholastics in Pisa, either because of the departure of Fr. Laynez, or because Fr. Ignatius did not urge the matter, the affair remained unsettled. [6. Laynez Ignatio , Florentiae, 29 Januari , 4, 11,18 Februari, 3, 10 et 31 Martii; idem Polanco sine die sed mense Aprili ; idem Ignatio, ibidem, 7 Aprilis ; Ignatius Otello. de iis quae Otellus in concionando vitare debebat, mense Martio; idem Laynio, de Otelli concionibus, Martio; Laynez Ignatio, de concionibus Hieronymi Otelli, sine loco et die, sed Florentiae , initio hujus anni 48.
Laynez to Ignatius, from Florence, January 29, February 4, 11, and 18, March 3, 10, and 31; the same to Polanco without a date but in the month of April; the same to Ignatius, from the same place, April 7; Ignatius to Otellus about what Otellus should avoid in his sermons, in the month of March; the same to Laynez, about the sermons of Otellus, during March; Laynez to Ignatius, about the sermons of Jerome Otellus, without place and date, but from Florence, at the beginning of 1548.] v1_228-253latin 1548A 234. Cum autem 18 Aprilis, P. Claudio Jaio sibi socio adjuncto, Venetias pervenisset, et Priorem Sanctissimae Trinitatis paterno quidem affectu erga Societatem animatum, sed diffidentem de possessione temporali a Senatu obtinenda, nisi aliunde juvarentur, invenissent, Patavium profecti, die sacro Divo Marco spiritualem possessionem publice ceperunt. Venetias deinde redeuntes, interim dum res disponuntur, verbum Dei populo, pro more Societatis, proponere et spiritualibus ministeriis vacare coeperunt; quamvis P. Claudius, expeditione ista diutius protracta , Ferrariam redire debuit. Fuit quidem ab amicis quibusdam nobilibus negotium hoc in Senatorum Collegio, Litteris etiam Apostolicis adductis, propositum, et a Senatoribus in primis commendatum, imo et ipsi Priori multa felicia precabantur, quod rem tam piam et communi bono tam proficuam fecisset; sed quia in consilio magno, quem vocant rogatorium, res erat tractanda, difficultates aliquae interim obortae, a consanguineis, ut creditur, Prioris excitatae rem differri coëgerunt. Impediebat inter caetera, quod nova pia loca Venetiis institui, lege quadam illius Senatus erat prohibitum. At in hoc negotio duo consideranda occurrunt; alterum est P. Ignatii summa diligentia tam in ipso reverendo Priore animando, ne cederet carnis et sanguinis affectui, et litteris a primariis Cardinalibus et Principum legatis, imo et ab ipso Summo Pontifice curandis; ipsius etiam P. Jacobi Laynez, qui a mense Aprili ad Octobrim usque, nullum non movit lapidem, ut difficultatem rei superaret, cui adjunctus etiam fuit P. Alphonsus Salmeron, quamvis non semper Venetiis haereret. Alterum est quod divina Bonitas non per ea media, sed alia ratione negotium totum feliciter admodum confecit; illi enim senatores ad quos scriptum fuerat, alii alias ob causas, cum res in Senatu rogatorum est confecta, non interfuerunt; qui negotium tractabant, cum natione Hispani essent, et parum in illius negotiis reipublicae versati, non admodum ad hujusmodi negotia erant idonei; aliqui ex nobilibus, qui operam suam polliciti fuerant cum Patres praedicti eos erant allocuti, illo die extra urbem fuerunt; tres magnae auctoritatis viri, cum negotium in plena congregatione proponeretur, contra dixerunt; nihilominus cum res in Senatu proposita est ( Duce absente, qui parum huic negotio favebat), centum et quadraginta tria suffragia Societati faverunt, et duo solum in contraria sententia numerata sunt ( eum tamen in illo conventu nobilium multi consanguinitate, vel affinitate conjuncti essent cuidam senatori, qui hujus negotii expeditionem impediebat); et in universum omnes magno murmure pium illud opus commendabant; et fuit inter eos, qui diceret quod illo anno nullum opus melius respublica esset factura. Affirmabat secretarius et advocatus illius congregationis, qui similia negotia saepe tractari vident, non sine miraculo rem tanto consensu potuisse fieri, cum in similibus rebus, ubi etiam nulli contradictores sese opponunt, suffragiorum varietas multo major esse soleat; fatebatur etiam ipse secretarius, cognomento Ritius, atque advocatus, quod senator ille, qui negotium impediebat, cui compatres erant, ipsos serio erat allocutus, et ipsis acceptum se laturum rei, quam urgebat, successum, affirmabat; nihilominus, quamvis quodammodo inimicum sibi reddere compatrem videbantur, faverunt magno studio Societati; et nostris dicebat secretarius: ” non mihi estis vel sanguine, vel amicitia, vel alio humano vinculo conjuncti ; unde video quod Deus hoc mihi cor erga vos propensum praebeat, et justitiae ac pietati omnia posthabere volo. ,, Idem, simul cum advocato, Dominum Priorem adivit, tum ut ei congratularentur, tum ut de loco Venetiis ad erigendum Collegium obtinendo instruerent, et suam operam ad litteras ducales, quibus possessio temporalis caperetur, imo et pecuniam, quae necessaria erat, sunt polliciti. Acceptis igitur Senatus litteris sub horam prandii, eodem die P. Alphonsus Salmeron Patavium se contulit, et sequenti possessionem capiens temporalem et ejus publicum testimonium, Venetias rediit. Duobus mediis usa est providentia Domini, quae non silentio praetereunda sunt: alterum est, quod Senatus misit ad cum magistratum, qui Patavinae civitati praeerat (Potestatem vocant) ut ad se referret, quomodo se nostri collegiales Patavii gererent; ille autem informationem reipublicae eam transmisit, qua nostri vix desiderare meliorem potuissent; alterum fuit quod ea quae P. jacobus Laynez in Collegio senatorum de instituti nostri ratione dixerat simul cum P. Salmerone, scriptis, exhortante legato juxta primi consiliarii sententiam, comprehendit, ut in pleno rogatorum consessu legeretur. Illud etiam non parum senatorum benevolentiam conciliavit, quod P. Laynez, primo quidem dominicis et festis diebus Sacrae Scripturae lectionibus populum reficiebat, et cum post vespertinum officium, in suis congregationibus nobiles essent id temporis occupati, ut serius aliquanto praelegeret, quo frequentiores ipsi adesse possent, postularunt; quod ita effectum est, et paterno affectu multi ex venerandis illis senatoribus Societatem complecti coeperunt. Re confecta, litterae Summi Pontificis Venetias pervenerunt, et publice in Senatu lectae, laetitiam senatorum de confecto negotio auxerunt, et suam illi operam ad majora perlibenter sunt polliciti. 234. But since on April 18 Fr. Claude Jay with his companion arrived in Venice, and they found the Prior of Holy Trinity full of affection towards the Society but hopeless about obtaining from the Senate the temporal possession, unless they received help from elsewhere, the prefects of Padua on the feast of St. Mark publicly seized the spiritual possession. Then returning to Venice, in the meantime while the matters were being discussed, they began to dedicate themselves to preaching the word of God to the people, according to the custom of the Society, and to engage in spiritual ministries, although Fr. Claude, since the undertaking was drawn out too long, had to return to Ferrara. Now this matter was proposed by some noble friends of the Society in the hall of the Senate and they also produced an Apostolic Letter; at first it was commended by the Senators, and many good things were said by the Prior himself, to the effect that he would embrace this matter which is so pious and so beneficial for the common good. But because the matter was to be held in the large council, which they call a “resolution,” in the meantime some difficulties were raised that were proposed by the relatives of the Prior, as it is believed, and so they forced the matter to be postponed. Among other things it was hindered because, by a certain law of the Senate, a new religious place was forbidden to be established in Venice. But in this affair there were two things to be considered: the first was the great diligence of Fr. Ignatius both in motivating the reverend Prior that he not give in to the affections of flesh and blood, and that he pay attention to the letters from the Cardinals and from the legates of the Princes, and indeed from the Sovereign Pontiff himself; and also that he listen to Fr. James Laynez, who from April to October left no stone unturned in order to overcome the difficulty in this matter, along with the help of Fr. Alphonse Salmeron, even though he was not always present in Venice. The second was that the divine Goodness brought the matter to a happy conclusion, not by those means but in other ways. For, those Senators to whom he had written, some of them for different reasons, when the matter came up for a vote in the Senate, they were not present. Those who were handling the matter, since they were from Spain, and were not schooled in those matters of a republic, were not very experienced in handling matters of this kind; some of the nobles, who had promised their help when the foresaid Fathers addressed them, on that day were outside the city. Three men of great authority, when the matter was proposed in the full meeting, spoke against it; nevertheless, when the matter was proposed in the Senate (the Duke being absent, who did not favor this matter very much), and only two negative votes were counted (although in this meeting of nobles many are related to the same Senator either by blood or by marriage, who impeded the approval of this matter); and in general all commended this pious work with a notable murmur; and among them there was one who said that that year the republic would do nothing better. The secretary and advocate of that assembly, who often see similar matters handled, said that without a miracle the matter could not have taken place with such consent, since in similar affairs, where also no speakers oppose each other, the difference in the voting tends to be much greater; and the secretary himself, whose name was Ritius, and the advocate said that the Senator, who opposed the resolution and with whom they largely agreed, had told them seriously that he would accept their decision if it passed successfully. Nevertheless, although they seemed to make their associate an enemy, they favored the Society with great eagerness. And the secretary said to ours: “You are not related to me either by blood, or by friendship or by any human ties; hence I see that God is giving me a heart disposed toward you, and I want to prefer justice and piety to everything else.” The same man, together with the advocate, went to the Lord Prior, both to congratulate him and to instruct him about obtaining a place in Venice for the construction of the College, and they promised their help regarding the official documents by which the temporal possession is secured, and also concerning the money that was necessary for this. Therefore, when the letter from the Senate was received around midday, on the same day Fr. Alphonse Salmeron went to Padua, and on the following day he obtained the legal possession and public document, and then he returned to Venice. In this affair divine Providence made use of two means, which should not be passed over in silence: the first is that the Senate sent to him a magistrate, who was in charge of the city of Padua, so that he would report back to them how our students in Padua were behaving themselves; now he sent back to the republic a report, concerning which ours could hardly wish for anything better; the second was that what Fr. James Laynez, together with Fr. Salmeron, had said in the hall of the Senators about the nature of our Institute, was presented in writing at the request of the Legate according to the decision of the first councilor, so that it might be read in a full session of the delegates. That also in no small way won over the good will of the Senators, namely, that Fr. Laynez first of all on Sundays and feast days nourished the people with lectures on Holy Scripture, and when after Vespers the nobles were occupied in their various meetings, and they asked that he would give a lecture somewhat later in the evening, at which they could be present more often. That was done and many of those venerable Senators began to have a paternal affection for the Society. When the matter was concluded, a letter from the Sovereign Pontiff arrived in Venice, and having been read publicly in the Senate, it increased the joy of the Senators concerning the completed arrangement, and they very freely promised their help for the whole enterprise. [7. Ignatius Laynio, de modo quem in valedicendo Florentiae Ducibus tenere deberet, 24 Marti; eidem Polancus de commisione, de eis quae Venetiis erant ipsi agenda, sub finem Martii; Ignatius Andreae Lipomano, de Collegiis Patavino et Veneto , 21 Julii; Laynez Ignatio, Venetiis, 28 Aprilis, 5 Maii , 20 Julii , et 22 Septembris et Bononiae, 20 Octobris ; Andreas Lipomanus Laynio, 26 Julii 48. — Philippus, Hispaniarum Princeps, Duci Venetorum in commendationem Societatis, Compluti 48.
Ignatius to Laynez on the way in which he should take his leave from the governors of Florence, March 24; Polanco to Laynez de commissione, on what he should do in Venice by the end of March; Ignatius to Andreas Lipomanus about the Colleges in Padua and Venice, July 21; Laynez to Ignatius, from Venice, April 28, May 5, July 20, and September 22, and from Bologna, October 20; Andreas Lipomanus to Laynez, July 26, 1548.Philip, Prince of the Spaniards, to the Duke of Venice in commendation of the Society, from Alcalá in 1548.] v1_228-253latin 1548A 235. Cum autem Aloysius Lipomanus, Veronensis Episcopus, P. Salmeronem ad se mitti per litteras a P. Ignatio impetrasset, hoc negotio confecto, ad ipsum profectus est. Sed cum etiam Cardinalis Farnesius ad suam ecclesiam Montis Regalis mitti P. Jacobum Laynez, ad res spirituales ibi melius constituendas, expeteret, Octobri mense Venetiis-ille etiam est revocatus. Addam et illud in hoc negotio Collegii Patavini, quod cum P. Ignatius timeret consanguineos Prioris parum aequo animo erga Collegium illud futuros, putaretque gratum eidem Priori fore, si fratris filio pensio aliqua annua in ipso prioratu reservaretur, quadringentos aureos annuos liberaliter obtulit; Prior tamen, qui Domino integrum prioratum obtulerat, gratitudinem ac liberalitatem Ignatii amplexus, donum recusavit, et potius optare se ut majores essent reditus, quo plures Societatis collegiales alerentur, affirmavit. 235. Now when Aloysius Lipomanus, Bishop of Verona, by a letter asked that Fr. Salmeron be sent to him from Fr. Ignatius, and once this was arranged, he went to him. But when Cardinal Farnese also asked that Fr. James Laynez be sent to his church of Monreale, in order to better promote spiritual affairs, in the month of October he also was recalled from Venice. I will also add this to the affair concerning the College in Padua, namely, that since Fr. Ignatius feared that the relatives of the Prior would be not well disposed towards the College, and he thought that it would be pleasing to the same Prior that an annual pension should be reserved for the son of his brother, he generously offered him an annual income of four hundred gold pieces; however, the Prior, who had offered the whole priory to the Lord, after acknowledging the graciousness and generosity of Ignatius, refused the gift, and said rather that he wanted there to be more income for the College, so that more students of the Society could be supported. [8. Polancus ex commissione Laynio, de iis quae a cognatis Prioris gerebantur, de domino Bernardino, Christophoro Laynez et Petro Santini, mense Martio ; Laynius Polanco, de fratre suo Christophoro et Petro Santini, mense Aprili 48.
Polanco ex commissione to Laynez, about the things done by the relatives of the Prior, about the Lord Bernardino, Christopher Laynez and Peter Santini, during the month of March; Laynez to Polanco, about his own brother Christopher and Peter Santini, in the month of April 1548.] v1_228-253latin 1548A 236. Initio hujus anni usque ad Pascha, P. Alphonsus Salmeron Bononiae versabatur; nondum enim Concilium, Bononiam translatum, dissolutum erat, quamvis in eo nihil magni momenti hoc anno sit actum, et paulatim alii ex Praelatis Romam, alii alio sunt profecti; pergebat nihilominus Salmeron in Societatis muneribus Bononiae exercendis; Exercitia spiritualia cuidam Praelato et aliis primariis viris proponebat; confessiones quorumdam nobilium audiebat. Latius adhuc in hac parte patebat P. Paschasii opera, qui singulari cum fructu, plurimis utriusque sexus, sed inter caeteros plusquam triginta nobilibus matronis, ea proposuit; quae a vanis mundi pompis abstinentes, et vitae reformationi, suae familiae gubernationi, eleemosynis et orationibus vacantes, multum in via Domini profecerunt; aliqui etiam ex illis, quos exercuit, Societati animum adjecerunt; virgines non paucae, eodem modo prolicientes, religionem ingredi constituerunt; accedebat ad Exercitia spiritualia, ut fructum uberiorem referrent, confessionis et communionis frequens usus. Pater Salmeron concionari etiam in quadragesima in Sanctae Luciae templo, cum satis frequenti ac devoto auditorio coepit; tamque id egregie praestitit, ut affirmaret Paschasius se pulchriores conciones nunquam audivisse, et easdem perutiles fuisse testabatur. Patre Salmeronc recedente, P. Franciscus Palmius concionandi munus ibidem cum fructu sustinuit. Prae caeteris tamen fructibus, qui ministerio nostrorum Bononiae provenerunt, ille gratissimus fuit, qui de sacerdotum curatorum ex dioecesi Bononiensi ad P. Paschasium venientium reductione capiebatur. Post Exercitia enim et confessiones generales in spiritu ipsi proficientes, ad suas parochias redeundo, exemplo, et verbo, et Sacramentorum ministerio, et aliis pietatis operibus de suis benemereri studebant; cum tamen prius vitae exemplo (cum aliqui ex cis publice concubinas domi habuissent), offendiculo suis essent; inter quos unus tantae intemperantiae fuit, ut cum Bononiam se conferret, nec a concubina divelli posset, secum ipsam deduceret; quando autem magna cum difficultate ipsi persuasum est ut ab ea disjungeretur, postquam Exercitia spiritualia aggressus est, multis cum lacrymis et planctu suam libidinem deflens, non solum omnino concubinam relinquere, sed vitam omnino in melius mutare, et sibi commissis ovibus vitae exemplo, et charitatis functionibus utilis esse coepit. Christiana doctrina pro more ad puerorum et rudium utriusque sexus personarum utilitatem explicabatur. Multi praeterea lutherani, gratia Dei adjuvati, a P. Paschasio conversi, et eidem confessi sunt, haereses suas abjurando, et ad Ecclesiae gremium et Eucharistiam redeundo, crebro etiam ad sacramentum Confessionis accedere constituerunt. 236. From the beginning of this year until Easter Fr. Alphonse Salmeron was occupied in Bologna; for, the Council, having been moved to Bologna, had not yet been closed, although during this year nothing of importance was done, and gradually some of the Prelates went to Rome, and others went elsewhere. However, Salmeron continued to exercise the ministries of the Society in Bologna; he gave the Exercises to one of the Bishops and to some other important men; and he heard the confessions of some of the nobles. In the same area the work of Fr. Paschase was quite extensive; with singular fruit he gave the Exercises to several persons of both sexes, and among them there were more than thirty noble ladies; turning away from the vanities of the world, and dedicating themselves to a reform of life, the governing of their family, alms and prayers, they made much progress in the way of the Lord. Also, some of those who made the Exercises wanted to enter the Society; not a few virgins, making progress in the same way, decided to enter the religious life. In addition to the Spiritual Exercises, so that they might produce more abundant fruit, they began to make frequent use of Confession and Communion. Fr. Salmeron began to preach also during Lent in the church of St. Lucy, with quite a large and devout audience; and he did it so excellently that Paschase said that he had never heard more beautiful sermons, and he claimed that they were most useful. When Fr. Salmeron departed, Fr. Francis Palmius assumed the office or preaching in the same place with great fruit. However, above all other fruits, which resulted from the ministry of ours in Bologna, this was the most pleasing, namely, what was obtained from the restoration of priests coming from the diocese of Bologna to Fr. Paschase. For, after the Exercises and general confessions while making progress in the spirit, they returned to their parishes and by example, and by word, and by the administration of the Sacraments, and other works of piety they strove to deserve well of their people. But since previously by the example of their life (because some of them publicly lived with a concubine) they were a cause of offense to their people, among them there was one of such intemperance that, when he went to Bologna, and he could not separate himself from his concubine, he brought her along with him. But when, with great difficulty, he was persuaded to separate himself from her, after he had made the Spiritual Exercises, with many tears and groans he bewailed his lust, and not only did he totally relinquish his concubine, but he began to change his whole life for the better, and he began to be helpful for the flock committed to his care by the example of his life and his works of charity. Christian doctrine was explained as usual for the spiritual growth for boys and for illiterate persons of both sexes. Moreover, many Lutherans, helped by the grace of God, were converted by Fr. Paschase, and they made their confession to him; by adjuring their heresies and by returning to the bosom and the Eucharist of the Church, they resolved to receive often the sacrament of Confession. [9. Alphonsus Salmeron Archidiacono Guido de Guidoni, Mutinam, Bononiae, 14 Octobris ; idem ibidem Ignatio, 26 Novembris et 17 Decembris 47, et 1 Januarii 48. Polancus ex commissione Salmeroni, 10 Decembris 47.
Alphonse Salmeron to Archdeacon Guido de Guidoni, from Bologna, October 14; the same from the same place to Ignatius, November 26 and December 17, 1547, and January 1, 1548; Polanco, ex commissione, to Salmeron, December 10, 1547] v1_228-253latin 1548A 237. Porro, antequam P. Alphonsus Salmeron Bononia decederet, de habitatione stabili nostris, qui erant Bononiae, prospectum est; ubi illud observatione dignum videtur, quod cum magna sollicitudine nostri locum aliquem idoneum ad Societatis ministeria exercenda Bononiae quaesivissent, tam ipsorum quam amicorum diligentia nullum bonum successum habuit; tum autem, ubi quod in ipsis erat nostri praestitissent, movit Dominus animos quorumdam virorum ex his, qui ad parochiam Sanctae Luciae accedunt et praecipui in urbe erant. Hi partim piis operibus, quae in eo templo cernebant, allecti, partim ab uxoribus piis ac devotis excitati, sponte sua congregati sunt, nostrisque proposuerunt se intellexisse quod agerent de alio loco petendo, propterea quod commodam ibi habitationem non haberent, seque prospicere nostrorum commoditati velle, et domum conjunctam templo Sanctae Luciae suis expensis emere; rogantque praeterea ne ab ipsis recedant, et tam multa charitatis opera, ad commune bonum ibi coepta, deserant; nostri responderunt se quidem gratias agere pietati, et si habitationem honestam illi providissent, non esse inde recessuros; sic ergo praedicti homines duas domos templo Sanctae Luciae vicinas coemerunt, et ad aedificandam domum, quam nunc tenent nostri, operam suam obtulerunt; et sic res coepta, et hoc ipso anno et sequenti ad finem perducta est. 237. Then, before Fr. Alphonse Salmeron departed from Bologna, there was concern about a stable dwelling for ours, who were in Bologna. Here it seems worthy of observation that, with great solicitude, ours were seeking a suitable place in Bologna for the exercise of the ministries of the Society; and the diligence both of them and of their friends was not at all successful. But then, when ours had done all they could, the Lord moved the minds of some of the men who are members of the parish of St. Lucy and are important men in the city. These men, attracted partly by the pious works which they saw taking place in the church, and moved partly by their pious and devout wives, gathered together on their own initiative and proposed to ours that they understood that they were looking for another place, because they did not have a suitable dwelling, and that they wanted to provide assistance to ours, and to buy at their own expense a house next to the church of St. Lucy. In addition, they asked that ours would not leave the city, and so give up the many works of charity started there for the common good. Ours responded that they were indeed grateful for their proposal, and if they provided a good dwelling they would not depart from there. And so these men bought two houses next to the church of St. Lucy, and they offered their help to remodel the house, which ours are now occupying. And in this way the matter was begun, and in this same year and the following year it was brought to completion. [10. Ut n. praecedenti.
See the preceding number] v1_228-253latin 1548A 238. Sed, ut superius dictum fuit, P. Salmeron Venetias se contulit, et negotio illo absoluto, quod ad possessionem prioratus Patavini capiendam pertinebat, Veronam est profectus ut Episcopo Aloysio Lipomano, id magnopere expetenti, satisfaceret; quamdiu autem ea in civitate versatus est, diebus dominicis et festis in Sacrae Scripturae lectionibus, scilicet epistolae ad Romanos, se occupavit, et aliquot monialium monasteria verbi Dei praedicatione adjuvit; sed in lectionibus quo magis est progressus, frequentius et nobilius habuit auditorium, cujus et satisfactio et aedificatio magna fuit. Voluisset quidem Vicarius Episcopi ut monasteria omnia Episcopo subdita visitaret, sed mediam eorum partem dumtaxat initio suscepit, reliquis postmodum vacaturus. Inter fructus ex ejus ministerio Veronae provenientes, unum illud fuit, quod multi qui libros haereticorum penes se habebant, eos combusserunt, et qui dubii erant in fide catholica et ad sectarios propensi, relictis erroribus, in Religione catholica sunt confirmati. Magno nutem cum sensu Vicarii et aliorum, alio ex obedientia avocatus P. Salmeron recessit. Sed quia, Duce Bavariae a Summo Pontifice id petente et impetrante, in Germaniam mittendus erat, inde divelli debuit, cum prius, Belluni in civitate, sequenti quadragesima concionatus esset. 238. However, as was said above, Fr. Salmeron went to Venice, and when the business was concluded, which pertained to taking possession of the priory in Padua, he went to Verona in order to please Bishop Aloysius Lipomanus, who very much wanted him there. Now for as long as he was in the city he gave lectures on Sundays and feast days on Holy Scripture, namely, on the Letter to the Romans, and he helped some convents of nuns by preaching the word of God. But the more he progressed in giving the lectures, the larger and more important the audience became, so that they were very satisfied and edified. The Vicar of the Bishop wanted him to visit all the monasteries subject to the Bishop, but in the beginning he could visit only half of them, with the promise of visiting the others later. Among the fruits derived from his ministry in Verona, one was that many people, who possessed heretical books, burned them, and those who had doubts about their Catholic faith and leaned towards the heretics, abandoned their errors and were confirmed in their Catholic religion. However, with strong feelings of the Vicar and of others, having been summoned to another place by obedience, Fr. Salmeron departed from there. But because, since the Duke of Bavaria sought and received it from the Sovereign Pontiff, he had to be sent to Germany, so he had to depart from there, since before going to Germany he had to preach during the following Lent in the city of Belluno. v1_228-253latin 1548A 239. Hoc anno, Aprili mense, obiit Patavini Collegii Retor, P. Petrus Faber, natione belga; qui cum ad hujus vitae finem accederet, devictis, ut credendum est, adversarii conatibus, haec verba dixit: Laqueus contritus est, et nos liberati sumus. Successit ei in Rectoris officio P. Elpidius Ugolettus, et toto hoc anno scholastici Societatis partim domi oratorias aliquas lectiones, partim a lectoribus Universitatis philosophicas audiendo, in suis studiis profecerunt; festis tamen diebus multi, ad sacramentum Confessionis et Communionis suscipiendum, ad nostros confluebant, et si operarii, a scholasticis exercitationibus liberi (quod hoc anno non licuit), ibi proximis ad pietatem excitandis vacavissent, copiosiorem animarum fructum in horrea Domini retulissent. 239. This year in the month of April Fr. Peter Faber, a Belgian, died at the College in Padua; when he approached the end of his life, having overcome the attempts of the adversary, as is to be believed, he uttered these words: The snare is broken, and we have escaped. Fr. Elpidius Ugolettus succeeded him in the office of Rector, and during this whole year the scholastics of the Society, partly by attending lectures on rhetoric at home, partly by hearing lectures on philosophy at the University, made progress in their studies. But on feast days many flocked to our priests to receive the sacraments of Confession and Communion, and if the laborers had been freed from their scholastic exercises (which did not happen this year), they would have had time there to urge their neighbors to a life of piety, and they would have gathered a more abundant fruit of souls into the storehouse of the Lord. v1_228-253latin 1548A 240. Toto fere hoc anno P. Claudius Jaius (dempto eo tempore, quo Venetiis fuisse simul cum P. Laynez diximus) Ferrariae versatus est, et tam concionum assiduarum, quam confessionum fructus, non poenitenda augmenta suscepit. Ducis Herculis, et primarii ejus ministri (factorem vocant), et primariorum urbis virorum confessiones audivit; sed aegrotantium in hospitali Sanctae Annae (ubi ipse divertebat) multo major fuit numerus, quos majori cum consolatione sua quam aulicos audiebat; bonus etiam odor simul cum fructu augebatur; et Dux non raro et personam et occupationes ejus publice laudabat. Aliquot foeminae errantes se collegerunt, et eidem confitentes, non solum a turpi vita abstinere, sed in monasterium Conversarum se recipere decreverunt. Privatis etiam colloquiis, et spiritualibus Exercitiis aliquos in Domino ad meliora promovit, ex quibus aliqui religiosum institutum in nostra Societate susceperunt. Consulebatur autem a Duce in rebus dubiis, quae ad ipsius conscientiam attinebant, et cum de rebus Societatis aliquando agerent, non exiguam benevolentiam Dux prae se ferebat; quamvis de Collegio instituendo nihil tunc actum fuerit. Cum vero Ducis filia, Duci Guisano uxor promissa fuisset, voluit Dux ut ejus confessionem in domo Ducissae matris audiret, quae propter peregrinarum doctrinarum, quarum erat studiosa, causam, non admodum Patri Claudio aequam se praebebat, et frustra de ea ad catholicam Religionem reducenda tunc actum est. Cardinalis Augustanus in Germaniam per litteras P. Claudium accersebat, cum de instituendo Dilingcnsi Collegio esset sollicitus; Burgensis etiam Episcopus, cum Ferrariam venisset, ad alias Germaniae provincias deducere eum studebat; sed neutri satisfactum est, quoniam Ferrariensis vinea potius eo tempore excolenda videbatur. 240. During almost this whole year Fr. Claude Jay (not counting the time he spent in Venice with Fr. Laynez, as we have said) was busy in Ferrara, and he experienced no little increase in the fruit of his constant sermons and of the confessions he heard. He also heard the confession of Duke Hercules, and of his first minister, and of the powerful men of the city; but in the hospital of St. Anne (where he stayed) there was a much larger number of the sick, whose confessions he heard with more consolation than that of the courtiers. And the Duke in public often praised both his person and his ministries. Some erring women gathered together, and after confessing to him, they decided not only to abandon their evil way of life, but also to enter the convent for converted women. In private conversations and in the Spiritual Exercises he motivated some to embrace a better way of life in the Lord, and of them some decided to become religious in our Society. He was consulted by the Duke about some doubtful things, which bothered his conscience, and when they dealt at times about the work of the Society, the Duke showed no small good will towards us, although nothing at the time was done about establishing a College there. But when the daughter of the Duke was promised to Duke Guisano as his wife, the Duke wanted him to hear her confession in the house of the Duchess, her mother; but because of the strange teachings she was attracted to, this did not seem right to Fr. Claude, and he tried in vain to bring her back to the Catholic religion. Cardinal Augustine by a letter summoned Fr. Claude back to Germany, because he was solicitous about establishing a College in Dillingen; also the Bishop of Burgos, when he had come to Ferrara, urged him to go to other provinces of Germany; but neither one received satisfaction, since at the time it seemed rather that he should cultivate the vineyard in Ferrara. [11. Paschasius Broet, l’ordine che si tiene nel Collegio di Ferrara circa li scolari di fuora.
Paschase Broet on the order maintained in the College in Ferrara concerning the day students.] v1_228-253latin 1548A 241. Hoc ipso anno P. Sylvester Landinus in Lunae et Sarzanae dioecesi strenuam operam animabus juvandis navabat; scribit vir quidam primarius in oppido Firizano, viginti dies ibidem fuisse Sylvestrum, nec unquam exstitisse concionatorem, qui populo magis satisfaceret, asseverat, et sive ex doctrina sana, sive ex vitae exemplo cum ea conjuncto, affirmat se nihil unquam melius audivisse, quod verba vitae aeternae haberet, nec quod magis corda penetraret se unquam fuisse expertum. Et effectum esse ait viginti illorum dierum studio, ut Societates vel confraternitates reformarentur, maxima virorum pars et omnes fere mulieres ad confessionem inducerentur; pueri vitam Christianam edocerentur, et mores boni ac consuetudines inducerentur. Monasterium etiam ad sacras virgines recipiendas ut aedificaretur auctor fuit. Similia in tota illa dioecesi curabat; sed in primis ad exstinguendas haereses, quae ea in provincia pullulabant, seriam operam dedit. Quod omne Vicarius ex publica voce et fama se intellexisse litteris suis testatur, Sylvestrum, ad perseverandum in hujusmodi ministeriis, per universam dioecesim pro more ipsius discurrendo, exhortans. Ejus in concionando fervor non ab ipso, sed ab Spiritu Sancto esse credebatur; et cum in jejuniis, orationibus, et aliis magnae perfectionis operibus Sanctorum vitam imitari videretur, majorem ejus praedicatio et Sacramentorum ministerium auctoritatem habebat. 241. In this year Fr. Sylvester Landinus worked very hard in the diocese of Sarzano helping souls; in fact, an important man in the city of Fizzano [12. Ab aliis scribitur Finizano, sed uter ex his modis rectus sit, nobis non liquet.
By others it is spelled Finizano, but it is not clear to us which of these is correct.] writes that Sylvester was there for twenty days and he said that there never was a preacher who pleased the people more, and whether from his pure doctrine, or from the example of his life joined together with it, he affirmed that he had never heard anything better, which pertains to the words of eternal life, and that he had never experienced anything that impressed his heart more. He says that the result of these twenty days was that the Societies and Confraternities were reformed, most of the men and almost all the women went to confession; the boys were taught the Christian way of life, and some good morals and customs were introduced. He was also the author of the establishment of a convent to take in holy virgins. He did similar things in the whole diocese; but above all he devoted all his effort to remove the heresies, which were rampant in that diocese. The Vicar in a public letter testifies that all of this is well-known, and he exhorts Sylvester to persevere in these ministries by traveling through the whole diocese in his usual way. His intense ardor in preaching was believed to be not from him, but from the Holy Spirit; and since he seemed to imitate the life of a Saint in fasting, prayers, and other great works of perfection, his preaching and administration of the Sacraments had more authority. v1_228-253latin 1548A 242. Venerat Romam, ut superius dictum est, absoluto negotio patavino, P. Jacobus Laynez; sed cum Joannes a Vega, Siciliae Pro-rex, ut eo in regno concionaretur eum expeteret, et Cardinalis Farnesius ad multa reformanda in suo Montis Regalis Archiepiscopatu eumdem obtinuisset, plenamque auctoritatem ad id dedisset, pauculos dies Romae conquiescens a Patre Ignatio eo missus est; et sub tempus adventus Neapolim perveniens, ibidem ab concionandum, quod reliquum erat hujus anni substitit. Comitissa autem Nolae, magnae nobilitatis sed illustrioris pietatis focmina, necessaria omnia cum charitate eximia providebat; accedebant ad ejus conciones plurimi, tam ex nobilitate, quam ex populo, et quidem cum magna animorum commotione et fructu. In monasterio etiam ordinis Sancti Benedicti Sacrae Scripturae lectiones aggressus est; ubi nec solum populus, sed ipsi etiam religiosi, et aedificationis multum et benevolentiae exhibuerunt. Apud eosdem, quietis majoris gratia, hospitium habuit; et ejus opera spiritualia Exercitia et generales confessiones late admodum patere coeperunt. Joannes Philippus Casinus, nondum sacerdos, qui comes adjunctus erat Patri Layncz, octo vel novem, eodem tempore, in meditationibus spiritualibus exercebat; coepta est etiam Christiana doctrina explicari ab eodem Joanne Philippo; et a Patre Laynez curatum est, ut post ipsorum recessum, aliqui pium illud opus prosequerentur. Tantopere urgebat Laynium civitatis devotio, ut quotidie, et quidem aliquando bis et ter eodem die, concionandum illi esset, quamvis in colloquiis et confessionibus multorum non parum temporis consumeretur. Invisit Pro-regem, a quo valde humaniter fuit exceptus, qui dixit etiam ejus conciones se velle audire; cum autem semel atque iterum in templo Divae Mariae Majoris mane, et post meridiem in cathedral! Ecclesia, cum frequentissimo et nobilissimo auditorio, et magna animorum commotione concionatus esset, serio admodum de Societate vocanda et loco illi parando agi coeptum est. Voluit etiam Pro-rex in ecclesia Montis Oliveti ejus audire concionem. Licet autem de eo retinendo multi solliciti essent, id minime obtinuerunt; et cum triremibus siculis Siciliam versus ipse et socius navigarunt, postquam et Pro-rex et Castelli-novi praefectus omnem favorem, sicuti alii nobiles et illustres viri, obtulissent. Abbas autem monasterii Sancti Severini, ubi aliquandiu habitavit, cum magno doloris sensu ejus discessum tulit, quod fere de toto monasterio, cujus charitatem, non minus exemplo vitae, quam praedicatione verbi Dei inflammabat, dici posset; adeo ut scribat Abbas ad Patrem lgnatium, nisi sanctae obedientiae ratione aliter sentire cogeretur, sibi videri potuisse discessum Patris Laynez gravi cum damno conjunctum fuisse, cum aptissimum instrumentum divinae Providentiae ad totam civitatem commovendam, et ad Dei obsequium et propriam salutem adducendam, videretur; unde alium saltem ejus loco submitti, qui eadem praestet charitatis officia, a P. Ignatio petit. 242. When the business in Padua was concluded, Fr. James Laynez came to Rome, as was said above; but since John de Vega, the Viceroy of Sicily, wanted him to preach in the kingdom, and Cardinal Farnese had obtained his services to reform many things in his Archdiocese of Monreale, and had given him full authority to do this, after resting for a few days in Rome, he was sent there by Fr. Ignatius. And arriving in Naples during Advent, he began to preach there until the end of the year. The Countess of Nola, a woman of great nobility but also of outstanding piety, provided everything necessary with uncommon charity. Many people attended his sermons, both nobles and common people, and they did it with heartfelt emotion and fruit. Also in the monastery of St. Benedict he gave some lectures on Holy Scripture; there not only the people, but also the religious themselves manifested much edification and benevolence. At the same place, for the sake of greater quiet, he had his lodging; and as a result of his work the Spiritual Exercises and general confessions began to be experienced much more extensively. John Philip Casinus, not yet a priest, who was with Fr. Laynez as his companion, at the same time gave the Spiritual Exercises to eight or nine persons. Also Christian doctrine began to be explained by the same John Philip; and it was arranged by Fr. Laynez that, after their departure, some men would continue this good work. The devotion of the city urged Laynez to such an extent that, daily and sometimes even two or three times on the same day, he would preach to them, even though much of his time was spent in conversations and hearing many confessions. He visited the Viceroy, by whom he was very graciously received, and he said he wanted to hear his sermons. But since he preached twice in the church of St. Mary Major in the morning, and in the afternoon in the cathedral, with a large and distinguished audience on whom he made a profound effect, serious thought was given to inviting the Society there and to preparing a place for it. Also the Viceroy wanted to hear his sermon in the church of the Mount of Olives. Although many were solicitous about keeping him there, they were not able to do it. And since he and his companion were going to sail to Sicily in Sicilian triremes, they did that after the Viceroy and the prefect of the city, like the other nobles and important men, had shown them much goodwill. The Abbot of the monastery of St. Severinus, where he dwelt for some time, bore his departure with a great sense of sorrow, which could almost be said about the whole monastery, whose charity was increased no less by the example of his life than it was by his preaching of the word of God. This is so true that the Abbot wrote to Fr. Ignatius that, if he were not forced by the reason of holy obedience to think otherwise, it would seem to him that the departure of Fr. Laynez was connected with a grave harm, since he seemed to be an apt instrument of divine Providence to change the whole city, and to bring it to the service of God and the salvation of all; therefore he asked Fr. Ignatius that at least another priest be sent to take his place, who would perform the same works of charity. [13. Laynez Ignatio, Neapoli, 5 Januarii 49.
Laynez to Ignatius, from Naples, January 5, 1549.] v1_228-253latin 1548A 243. Pater Hieronymus Natalis, cum aliis, de quibus mentio facta est, Roma in Siciliam, primo vere appetente, profecti sunt. Ii ipso in itinere multorum animos ad pietatem permoverunt, concionando interdum, et confessiones multorum audiendo; aliquos etiam de fide non bene sentientes, per disputationem et familiaria colloquia ad saniorem mentem, non sine fructu, reducere conati sunt. Ipsa tandem octava Paschae hujus anni 1548 Messanam incolumes pervenerunt, et magna humanitatis et charitatis significatione, non solum a Pro-rege, et domina Eleonora, Pro-regina, summae pietatis foemina, sed etiam ab ipsa civitate, excepti fuerunt, quae magnam animi propensionem ad Collegii hujus fundationem prae se ferebat. Et quamvis Sancti Nicolai templum et domus nostris esset applicata, quia tamen ad nostrae habitationis et scholarum commoditatem, et Ecclesiae ipsius decorem, multa aedificanda erant, domum conductitiam nostri aliquot mensibus habitarunt. Dum scholas aperiunt, et de proximis benemercri sedulo incipiunt, empta vicina domo, additoque horto, locus divi Nicolai concinnatus fuit non exiguis impensis civitatis; quae primo hoc anno fere duo millia et quingentos aureos expendit, praeter quingentos annui reditus ad sustentationem nostrorum, unanimi consensu Consilii civitatis assignatos, et a Pro-rege confirmatos. Confectum est etiam instrumentum publicum, coram ipso Pro-rege, quo locus Sancti Nicolai Societati fuit attributus; nobili autem cuidam viro curam aedificii civitas commisit, qui egregii cujusdam architecti opera usus est, et classes, conjunctas quidem, sex extra Collegii habitationem construxit. Quamvis autem sponte sua cives huic operi faverent, non parum eos domini Didaci de Cordova, sindicatoris regni Siciliae, et ipsius Pro-regis studium et auctoritas incitabat; vix enim credi posset, quanto dilectionis quamque constanti affect Societatem nostram Pro-rex complecteretur. Numerus eorum qui ad inferiores scholas accedebant, magnus satis, ipsis ab initiis, erat; ad superiores autem rariores, ut assolet, veniebant; quia non solum eas lectiones, quas civitas suis litteris postulaverat, sed alias plures, ex charitate et juvandae juventutis causa, Collegium praestitit; in quo parisiensis Universitatis in docendo modus paulatim est inductus. Tres siquidem grammaticae lectores Pater Natalis constituit: primam scholam Pater Benedictus Palmius, secundam Annibal de Codreto, tertiam Joannes Baptista regebat; Pater vero Canisius oratoriam artem profitebatur, magister Isidorus dialecticam, P. Andreas Frusius litteras graecas, Pater vero Natalis hebraeas, quarum tamen praelectionem eidem Patri Andrcae reliquit; ipse vero, quamvis in gubernatione Collegii distineretur, theologiam scholasticam mane, lectionem vero casuum conscientiae a prandio profitebatur. 243. Fr. Jerome Natalis, with others, who have already been mentioned, at the beginning of spring went from Rome to Sicily. On the journey itself they moved the minds of many to piety, sometimes by preaching, and by hearing the confessions of many persons; and some also who had false ideas about the faith they tried, not without fruit, by discussions and friendly conversations to bring to a more healthy state of mind. On the octave of Easter in this year of 1548 they arrived safely in Messina, and they were received with great signs of kindness and charity not only by the Viceroy and Lady Eleanor, his wife, a woman of great piety, but also by the city itself, which manifested a great positive attitude for the establishment of this College. And although the church of St. Nicholas and a house were assigned for ours, still because much construction still had to be done for the completion of our dwelling and the school, and for the beauty of the church itself, ours had to live in a rented house for several months. When they opened the school, and began carefully to take care of the students, a nearby house was purchased, along with its garden, and so the place of St. Nicholas was put in order at no small expense to the city. In this first year the city spent almost twenty-five hundred gold crowns, besides the annual income of five hundred for the support of our members, pledged by the unanimous consent of the city Council and confirmed by the Viceroy. Also a public document was issued, in the presence of the Viceroy, in which the property of St. Nicholas was turned over to the Society; the city commissioned a certain nobleman to take care of the building; he made use of the services of a well-known architect, and he constructed six classrooms outside the dwelling place of the College. Although the citizens of their own accord favored this work, the eagerness and authority of Lord Didacus de Cordova, the governor of the kingdom of Sicily, and that of the Viceroy himself, put a lot of pressure on them. For it can hardly be believed with how much love and affection the Viceroy showed towards our Society. The number of those attending the lower classes was sufficiently large right from the beginning; but, as is usual, they came in smaller numbers to the higher classes, because the College offered not only the lectures, which the city required in its letter of approval, but several others offered out of charity and for the sake of helping the youth. In this matter the curriculum of teaching of the University of Paris gradually was introduced. Fr. Natalis established three classes of grammar; Fr. Benedict Palmius taught the first class, Annibal de Codreto the second, and John Baptist the third. Fr. Canisius taught the art of rhetoric, Master Isidore logic, Fr. Andreas Frusius Greek, while Fr. Natalis taught Hebrew, but he did leave the basics of that to the same Fr. Andreas. He, however, although he was responsible for the governing of the College, taught scholastic theology in the morning, and then after lunch gave lectures on moral theology. [14. Li Jurati della nobile città di Messina, Ignatio, 15 Octobris; Ignatius dominae Elisabethae de Vega, mense Novembri, dominae Eleonorae Osorio, Siciliae Proreginae, eodem fere tempore, 48.
The Magistrates of the noble city of Messina to Ignatius, October 15; Ignatius to Lady Elizabeth de Vega, in the month of November, and to Lady Eleanor Osorio, wife of the Viceroy of Sicily, about the same time, 1548.] v1_228-253latin 1548A 244. Cum autem auditorum concursus augeretur, in studiorum renovatione, quae sub autumno facienda erat, expedire visum est, ut per totum regnum Siciliae praelegendarum lectionum catalogus promulgaretur; sed quia Catanensis academia non aequo admodum animo id latura credebatur, a Pro-rege facultas ad id petita est, qui, quamvis non careret magna difficultate concessio, pro animi tamen sui propensione ad Collegium Messanae institutum, id concessit; imo et in Calabria res evulgata est, unde qui vellent Messanam convenire studii gratia, facile poterant; et cum Pro-rex Siciliae, ad Calabriae Proregem scripsisset, supra centum scholastici venire Messanam, ut dicebatur, constituerant. Interim praeter scholasticas lectiones, in cathedrali Pater Natalis, frequentissimo auditorio (aderat ipse Pro-rex), Pauli epistolas, ab ea quae ad Romanos scribit, inchoando, interpretari aggressus est. Civitas autem Messanae, Catanensium fortassis resistentia excitata, de Universitate, et non de Collegio tantum instituendo, agere coepit, et, Pro-rege approbante, id a Paulo III Pontifice Maximo, cum applausu ejus Consilii (quam Signaturam vocant) non exiguo, obtinuit. Collegii nostri Rector Universitatis etiam Rector futurus erat, et Cancellarius, ex nostro itidem Collegio desumendus ad gradus in Philosophia et Theologia, eos qui digni habiti essent, promoturus. Justas tamen ob causas, eo tempore Societas nostra Universitatis onus sustinere non coepit. Sub finem ergo Septembris, ad propriam domum jam aedificiis convenientibus utcumque concinnatam, nostri commigrarunt, et scholis apertis, leges suas et constitutiones ediderunt, quae et approbatae et executioni mandatae sunt. Initio vero Octobris, in ecclesia Sancti Nicolai, praesente Pro-rege et urbis nobilitate duae orationes, altera a P. Petro Canisio, altera a magistro Benedicto Palmio, initium satis celebre studiis dederunt; aliae etiam paratae fuerant, sed eas in propriis classibus, praefationum more, praeceptores habuerunt; fuerunt etiam adfixa parietibus carmina hebraea, graeca et latina; et ita demum communi cum laetitia res inchoata fuit. Et civitas, ad expeditionem diplomatum Universitatis, et litteras ad P. Ignatium, ad quem etiam Pro-rex de re eadem scribebat, et magnam pecuniae summam ad solvendas in Curia expensas transmisit. Exercitia litteraria cum satis felix initium habuissent, non minus quae ad spiritualem profectum pertinent, curabantur. Jam quidem ab ipso anni initio, P. Hieronymus Domenech assiduis concionibus dabat operam, Pro-regina praesente; et ab ipso Pro-rege animatus, adjuncto socio, eleemosynam ad eos, qui in custodia publica propter debita detinebantur, liberandos, conquisivit; et ipso Pro-rege incipiente, et sequente civitate, privati etiam cives sequuti sunt; et ita liberari pauperes, et a carcere dimitti coeperunt, cum tamen prius a peccatorum debitis et carcere per confessionem et communionem essent liberati, quod ipse sponte sua Pro-rex faciendum suggesserat, cujus studium et devotio in pietatis operibus insignis admodum erat. Concionabatur etiam P. Stephanus Baroëllus, qui in Siciliam, antequam Collegium nostrorum eo perveniret, missus fuerat, Messanae in monialium monasteriis; confessiones etiam et orphanorum puerorum et aliarum personarum, tam ex palatio Pro-regis quam ex urbe, ac ex custodiis publicis audiebat; aliquos etiam saracenos, Pro-regis servos, qui Christiani fieri volebant, religionis Christianae doctrinam edocuit; orphanos etiam in eadem magis instruxit, ad quorum Collegium aedificandum, civitas bonam pecuniae summam conferebat. Missus etiam fuerat quidam ex fratribus nostris Agrigentum, et catechismum docere coepit, loco Patris Jacobi Lhoost; qui Romam vocatus ut Lovaniensis Collegii Rector institueretur, in gravem aegritudinem, vel ex laboribus contractam, vel aliis ex causis, inciderat; et cum ad patrium aërem Belgiae, omnino valetudinis gratia mittendus esset, et iter inchoasset, Bononiae substitit, et nostro in Collegio, susceptis Sacramentis, cum magna omnium aedificatione, quam ejus patientia, et cum divina voluntate conformitas praebebat, ad Dominum hujus anni aestate migraverat; et ut scribit P. Alphonsus Salmeron (qui cum Patre Paschasio ei adfuerat) tanta post mortem in vultu Patris Jacobi laetitia apparebat, ut omnes magnopere consolaretur. Sed ad Siculos redeundo, cum summa rerum necessariarum ignorantia, nec minor fortassis negligentia in multis regnaret, partim per catechismi explicationem, partim per ministerium sacramenti Poenitentiae plurimis subventum est; et qui tribus, quatuor vel septem annis nunquam confessi fuerant, Domino per confessionem reconciliati fuerunt. Exercitia etiam spiritualia compluribus proposita, nec sine fructu peracta fuerunt, et quo minus hujusmodi spirituales, consolationes et auxilia Messanenses exspectabant, eo gratiora illis acciderunt. Sacerdos quidam Catanensis spiritualia Exercitia primae hebdomadae cum fecisset, et ad omnia se promptum offerret, Catanam remissus est, ut eadem, quibus praeerat, monialibus proponeret. Monasterium quoddam reformatione indigebat Messanae, nec nisi per spiritualia Exercitia et verbum Dei juvari posse videbatur; et postquam aliqui frustra id lentarunt, Stephanus eo missus, simul atque concionari coepit, ecce moniales flere incipientes usque ad concionis finem perrexerunt in lacrymis, et ut rediret ad idem munus praestandum, et de rebus ad earum profectum pertinentibus agendum, ipsae rogarunt. Postquam autem Collegium Messanam accessit, aucto operariorum numero, spirituales fructus aucti etiam sunt; nam et scholastici singulis mensibus confiteri, et multum in spiritu juvari coeperunt, et alii etiam, inter quos fuit qui, natus plus quam quadraginta annos, nunquam confessus fuerat. Doctrina Christiana etiam singulis diebus Veneris, in nostro templo Sancti Nicolai explicari coepta est; singuli lectores eisdem diebus in suis classibus eamdem discipulos edocebant; et conciones in eodem templo frequenti auditorio habebantur, quibus initium dedit Pater Andreas Frusius. Coepit etiam crebro confitendi, et condonandi consuetudo induci, quae paulatim crescendo, spiritualem fructum et aedificationem urbis merito auxit. Cum autem scholastici singulis diebus sacrificio Missae, et dominicis concioni interessent, et singulis mensibus confitentes pro arbitrio confessarii, et conscientias quotidie examinare, studia ad Dei gloriam referre, tempus orationi dare, a juramentis et verbis parum honestis abstinentes, coepissent, et sic in moribus undecumque proficerent, merito parentum consolationem augebant. Quod ad nostrorum etiam profectum in litteris attinet, unum, quod parum expetebatur, evenit, ut scilicet, dum alii docent, et interim nonnulli ex praeceptoribus alias lectiones audiunt, tantum in litteris proficerent, ut nulla in Universitate majores in doctrina progressus facturi merito crederentur. Sed et auctus est, quibusdam admissis, nostrorum numerus, qui, prout tunc in more erat, simul et ipsi in spiritu proficiebant, et in domesticis quibusdam functionibus communi bono inserviebant. Pueri quidem non pauci se offerebant, sed non visum est in aetate tam tenera, ad Societatis labores eos esse admittendos. Sancti Nicolai festum magno apparatu celebratum est, cum ecclesiae nostrae patronus esset, et de more celebrandi solemnitates hujusmodi Pater Natalis est concionatus. Pater Canisius italice diebus etiam dominicis concionabatur; sed et Benedictus Palmius, nondum sacerdos, cum in monasterio quodam concionatus esset, non vulgare ad id munus talentum coepit ostendere; populus autem excitatus concionibus, tam frequens ad sacramentum Confessionis accedebat, ut jam confessarii nostri tam amplae messi colligendae non sufficerent, quamvis aliquando a primo mane usque ad multam noctem in ea functione desudarent; multae enim generales confessiones, et quidem cum fructu magno a poenitentibus instituebantur; adeoque res progressa est ut, cum litterariae exercitationes prospere admodum succederent, spiritualis profectus adhuc latius patere et ad majorem Dei gloriam cedere videretur. Accessit ad alios concionatores Isidorus, qui dialecticam praelegebat; quia tamen omnes occupati erant, tam ipse Pro-rex, quam civitas, quam dominus Didacus de Cordova, regni sindicator, et nostri etiam ipsi, concionatorem aliquem, qui huic muneri serio vacaret, ab aliis occupationibus liberior, expetebant; quare Pater Jacobus Laynez, ut diximus, quamvis non solum ad hoc munus, missus est. Duo genera hominum extrema ad nostros frequentius confluebant, nimirum aut valde ad optima quaeque propensi, aut qui non mediocri licentia, in anteacta vita usi ad viam Domini, a qua longe recesserant, redire cupiebant. 244. Now since the body of the students was increasing, in the updating of the studies, which was to be done in the fall, it seemed to be helpful that a catalogue of the classes being offered should be promulgated throughout the whole kingdom of Sicily; but because by the Academy in Catania it was believed that it could not be done properly, the permission to do it was requested from the Viceroy. Although this concession involved a big difficulty, because of his goodwill towards the College established in Messina, he granted it. Indeed this matter was made known also in Calabria, so that those who wanted to study in Messina could do it easily. And when the Viceroy of Sicily wrote to the Viceroy of Calabria, they agreed that a hundred students could come to Messina. In the meantime, in addition to his regular teaching, Fr. Natalis, in the cathedral to a large audience (the Viceroy himself was present), began to explain the letters of St. Paul, beginning with his Letter to the Romans. But the city of Messina, perhaps motivated by the resistance of Catania, began to arrange for the establishment not only of a College, but also a University, and, with the approval of the Viceroy, and with no little support of the Council (which they all the Signatura), they obtained permission from Paul III, the Supreme Pontiff. The Rector of our College would be also the Rector of the University, and the Chancellor likewise was to be taken from our College, who would grant the degrees in Philosophy and Theology to those considered to be qualified. However, for good reasons, at this time our Society did not begin to take on the burden of a University. Therefore, at the end of September ours moved into their own house, which had been suitably remodeled, and when the school opened they published the rules and regulations, which were approved and put into effect. But at the beginning of October, in the church of St. Nicholas, in the presence of the Viceroy and the nobility of the city, two speeches, one by Fr. Peter Canisius and the other by Master Benedict Palmius, gave a very impressive beginning to the school year. Other speeches were also prepared, but the teachers gave them in the various classrooms by way of an introduction; also poems in Hebrew, Greek and Latin were posted on the walls; and so at last with great joy the matter was begun. And the city, in order to get legal approval of the University, wrote a letter to Fr. Ignatius, and the Viceroy did the same, and it sent a large sum of money to cover the expenses for this in the Curia. Since the literary exercises had a quite happy beginning, they took no less care with the things pertaining to spiritual progress. In addition, from the beginning of the year Fr. Jerome Domenech was preaching regularly, with the wife of the Viceroy being present; and having been encouraged by the Viceroy, with the help of his companion he sought alms in order to free those being held in prison because of their debts. And beginning with the Viceroy himself, with the help of the city and some private citizens, he got what he needed. And so the paupers began to be freed and released from prison, but they were first freed from the debts of their sins through Confession and Communion. The Viceroy on his own account suggested that this should be done, because his devotion and zeal for works of piety was outstanding. Also Fr. Stephen Baroëllus, who had been sent to Sicily before the College of ours was founded there, was preaching in the convents of nuns in Messina. He was hearing the confessions both of orphan boys and of other persons, both from the palace of the Viceroy and from the city, and from the public officials. He also instructed in the doctrine of the Christian religion some Saracens, servants of the Viceroy, who wanted to become Christians; he also gave more instruction to the orphans in the same matter and the city gave a good sum of money to build a school for them. In addition, one of our brothers was sent to Agrigento, and he began to teach catechism in place of Fr. James Lhoost; the latter was called to Rome, so he could be installed as the Rector of the College in Louvain, but he fell into a grave illness, contracted either from his labors or from some other cause. And since he was to be sent to the good air of his homeland in Belgium for the sake of regaining his health, he started on the journey and was in Bologna; when he was in our College, having received the Sacraments, with great edification of all, which his patience and acceptance of the divine will made manifest, he went to the Lord during the summer of this year. And as Fr. Salmeron writes (who along with Fr. Paschase was with him), after his death such joy was visible on the face of Fr. James that all were greatly consoled. But to return to Sicily, since a great ignorance of necessary things, and perhaps no less negligence in many things was the rule of the day, in spite of this many people were helped, partly by the explanation of the catechism, partly by the administration of the sacrament of Penance. And those who had not gone to confession for three or four or seven years were reconciled to the Lord through confession. Also the Spiritual Exercises were given to many, and this was done not without fruit, and the more the people of Messina derived spiritual consolation from them, the more grateful they were. When a priest from Catania had made the Spiritual Exercises of the First Week, and offered himself ready for everything, he returned to Catania, and what he had experienced he then presented to the nuns. A certain monastery in Messina needed reformation, and it seemed that it could not be helped except by the Spiritual Exercises and the word of God. And after some had attempted it in vain, Stephen was sent there and as soon as he began to preach, behold, the nuns began to weep and continued in their tears until the end of the sermon, and they asked him to repeat the same things and to speak about things pertaining to their spiritual progress. After he was added to the College in Messina, given the increase in the number of workers, the spiritual fruits also increased. For, the students began to go to confession every month, and they were helped very much in the spirit, and there were also some others, among whom was one man, more than forty years old, who had never gone to confession. In our church of St. Nicholas, Christian doctrine began to be explained every Friday; all the teachers, on the same days, in their classes taught the same thing to their students. And sermons were given in the same church to a large audience; this custom was started by Fr. Andreas Frusius. Also the custom of often hearing confessions and of preaching was introduced; this grew gradually and rightly increased the spiritual fruit and edification of the city. Now since the students attended the sacrifice of the Mass every day and on Sundays heard a sermon, and began to go to confession monthly, and to examine their conscience daily, to refer their studies to the glory of God, to spend some time in prayer, and to avoid swearing and foul language, and so they made progress in every way morally, and deservedly increased the consolation of their parents. In what pertains to the progress of ours in the liberal arts, one thing happened that was not expected, namely, that while some are teaching, and meanwhile some of the teachers are listening to other lectures, they made so much progress in erudition that there was the belief that greater progress in learning could not be accomplished in any other University. Because of new admissions, the number of ours increased and they, as the custom was at the time, together made progress in the spirit, and in certain domestic duties they contributed to the common good. Indeed a few boys presented themselves, but at such a tender age it did not seem right to admit them to the labors of the Society. The feast of St. Nicholas was celebrated with great splendor, since he is the patron of our church, and Fr. Natalis preached on the proper way to celebrate solemnities of this kind. Fr. Canisius preached in Italian on Sundays; but also Benedict Palmius, not yet a priest, when he preached in a certain monastery began to show no small talent for that function. And the people, being animated by the sermons, came to the sacrament of Confession in such large numbers that our confessors were not sufficient to gather in such an ample harvest, even though at times they dedicated themselves to this ministry from early morning until late at night. For, many general confessions were heard, and this was done with great fruit gained for the penitents. The matter so progressed that, when the literary exercises were so successful, the spiritual progress seemed to be even greater and to contribute to the greater glory of God. Isidore was added to the other preachers and he was the one teaching logic; but because all were occupied, both the Viceroy himself, and the city, and the Lord Didacus de Cordova, and even our own members, wanted a preacher, who would be free from other duties and could dedicate himself seriously to this task. Therefore Fr. James Laynez was sent there, as we have said, although not just for this function. Two different kinds of people flocked in large numbers to our priests, that is, either those who wanted seriously to lead a better life, or those who, having lived licentiously in their previous life, now wanted to return to the way of the Lord from which they had wandered far away. [15. Polancus ex commissione Hieronymo Domenech , de modo regendi Isidorum (alias Sbrandura), mense Martio; Hieronymus Domenech de iis, quae in itinere ex urbe Roma Messanam usque passi fuerunt egeruntque et de initiis Collegii Messanensis, mense Martio; Ignatii responsum de reditibus, domo, Ecclesia, etc., gratulantis Pro-regi, Pro-reginae et Messanae civibus, 2 Aprilis; Polancus ex commissione Hieronymo Natali de scribendis litteris, de Stephano, de facultatum usu Societati concessarum, de expeditione Litterarum Apostolicarum erectionis Collegii Messanensis, de donationibus Collegio factis ab Imperatore, etc., eadem die; idem Hieronymo Domenech de iisdem rebus, addita objurgatione et poenitentia propter frigiditatem in scribendo de quodam magistro Angelo, 7 Aprilis; Ignatius religioso viro Fratri Josepho de Ferno , Messanae degenti, eadem die , 48.
Polanco ex commissione to Jerome Domenech, on the way of directing Isidore (also known as Sbrandum) in the month of March; Jerome Domenech on the things which they endured in the journey from Rome to Messina, and what they did concerning the beginning of the College in Messina, in the month of March; the response of Ignatius concerning the income, house, church, etc., and thanking the Viceroy and his wife and the citizens of Messina, April 2; Polanco ex commissione to Jermome Natalis about writing letters, about Stephen, about the use of the faculties granted to the Society, about obtaining the Apostolic Letter for the erection of the College in Messina, about the donations made to the College by the Emperor, etc., on the same day; the same to Jerome Domenech about the same things, including the reproof and penance because of the delay in writing about a certain Master Angelo, April 7; Ignatius to a religious, Brother Joseph de Ferno, living in Messina, on the same day in 1548.] v1_228-253latin 1548A 245. Cum autem bonus odorex Messanensi Collegio ad alias Siciliae civitates pervenisset, ex illis aliquae ad Collegia petenda sunt excitatae; inter alias Calatagirona Pro-regi supplicavit, ut sibi Societatis Collegium impetraret; sed quae prima id petiit, non tamen prima id obtinuit; alia enim Collegia prius admittenda visa sunt. Hoc interim non omittam, quod cum Pater Hieronymus Domenech Patri nostro Ignatio suggessisset, ut per litteras civitati Messanensi gratias ageret, quod liberaliter se erga Collegium (ut praedictum est) gessisset; hoc responsum habuit: Potius sibi videri, ab ipsa civitate gratias Societati agendas esse, quae, tam multis operariis missis, longe amplius quam civitas postulaverat, praestitisset. 245. Now since the good odor from the College in Messina had spread to other cities in Sicily, some of them were motivated to seek their own College; among them Caltagirone appealed to the Viceroy that he would seek for them a College of the Society; but the one which first asked for it was not the one to obtain it; for, it seems that other Colleges were to be admitted first. In the meantime, I will not omit mentioning that, when Fr. Jerome Domenech wrote to our Father Ignatius that he should thank the city of Messina with a letter, because it had been so generous towards the College (as has been explained), here is the answer he received: It seemed to him rather that the city of Messina should give thanks to the Society which, having sent so many workers, offered much more than the city asked for. v1_228-253latin 1548A 246. Illud etiam addam, quod cum Patri Natali de solemni professione emittenda P. Ignatius scripsisset, vir alioqui raris Dei donis clarus, se minime dignum existimans, apud cumdem Patrem excusabat, et inter professos trium votorum adscribendunt se sentiebat; si tamen omnino quatuor votorum emittere professionem juberetur, in manibus Patris Ignatii eam emittere, pro animi sui erga ipsum devotione, cupiebat. Mira autem fuit hujus Patris sollicitudo in intelligenda et exsequenda, etiam in minimis rebus, Patris Ignatii voluntate; et huic obedientiae virtuti adseribendum videtur, quod cum Romae valetudinarius admodum esset, et vix mediocribus laboribus ferendis vires haberet, nihilominus, obedientiae virtute roboratus, ad gubernandum simul et concionandum, et tres lectiones graves, scilicet scholasticae Theologiae, casuum conscientiae, et Scripturae, et multis confessionibus, et spiritualibus Exercitiis tradendis, et gravibus dubiis resolvendis par erat. 246. I will also add the fact that, when Fr. Ignatius wrote to Fr. Natalis about making his solemn profession, the man otherwise endowed with rare gifts of God, thinking himself not worthy of this, excused himself before the same Father, and thought that he should be accepted among the professed of three vows; however, if he were ordered to make the profession of four vows, he wanted to profess them in the presence of Fr. Ignatius because of his great personal devotion to him. The solicitude of this Father was astonishing when it came to understanding and doing, even in the smallest things, the will of Fr. Ignatius. And it seems that it must be attributed to this virtue of obedience that when he was very sick in Rome, and hardly had the strength to do even simple things, strengthened by the virtue of obedience, he was able to govern and to preach, and to give three important lectures, namely, on scholastic Theology, moral Theology and Holy Scripture; he also heard many confessions, gave the Spiritual Exercises, and resolved serious doubts of conscience. [16. Hieronymus Natalis Ignatio, Messanae, 18 Decembris 48.
Jerome Natalis to Ignatius, from Messina, December, 18, 1548.] v1_228-253latin 1548A 247. Non solum ecclesia Sancti Nicolai, architecti opera fuit ornata, sed multo magis Sanctorum reliquiis, quas domina Eleonora Pro-regina, ac domina Elisabeth ejus filia, raras ac singulares (ex his, quas Roma tulerant) dederunt. Cum autem aliqui ex nostris, Colonia ex Belgio transeuntes, duo capita ex numero Christi Virginum, Beatae Ursulae et Sociarum, attulissent, civitas Messanensis, quam id non latuit, suis litteris eas a P. Ignatio obtinuerat, et in eodem templo, cum publica processione excepta, reposuerunt; omnium autem hujusmodi reliquiarum ornatus et cultus magnopere populi devotionem erga illud templum excitavit. 247. Not only was the church of St. Nicholas adorned by the work of the architect, but much more by the rare relics of the Saints, which the Lady Eleanor, wife of the Viceroy, and the Lady Elizabeth, her daughter, gave (of those which they brought from Rome). But when some of ours, traveling through Cologne from Belgium, brought two heads from the number of the Virgins of Christ, St. Ursula and Companions, and when the city of Messina learned about it, by their letter they obtained them from Fr. Ignatius, and with a public procession they were reposed in the same church. So the embellishment of and reverence for all these relics greatly increased the devotion of the people towards this church. v1_228-253latin 1548A 248. Alia etiam pietatis opera non pauca studio Pro-regis Joannis de Vega, suggerente et exsequente P. Hieronymo Domenech, in regno Siciliae sunt peracta; ut congregationes puerorum orphanorum et orphanarum; monasteriorum, quae a monialibus tenebantur, reformationes; catechismi docendi institutiones: et alia in pauperum custodiis detentorum beneficium; largae etiam eleemosynae, quae extra regnum ipsum sese extendebant; unde et monasterium Sanctae Marthae de Urbe charitatem Pro-regis expertum est. Cum autem magna esset existimatio doctrinae P. Hieronymi Natalis, multarum nobilium personarum dubia ipsius arbitrio decidenda permittebantur, quamvis magni momenti essent, et quidem gravissimi civitatis viri et in magistratu constituti ad eum consilii quaerendi gratia accurrebant. 248. Also not a few other works of piety through the zeal of the Viceroy, John de Vega, at the suggestion and cooperation of Fr. Jerome Domenech, were carried out in the kingdom of Sicily, such as societies for orphaned boys and girls, the reformation of convents of nuns, arrangements for the teaching of catechism, and other works to free poor people kept in prison; there were also large donations which were sent outside the kingdom itself; hence even the convent of St. Martha in Rome experienced the charity of the Viceroy. Now since there was high regard for the teaching of Fr. Jerome Natalis, the doubts of many noble persons were allowed to be decided by his judgment, even if they were of great importance, and in fact very important men of the city, including the magistrates, consulted him in order to seek his counsel. v1_228-253latin 1548A 249. Cum autem Pro-rex, Joannes de Vega edicta quaedam, ad reformationem quarumdam civitatum in rebus gravibus, utiliter proposuisset, suggestum est ei ut ad communem totius regni utilitatem collecta hujusmodi edicta, ad morum reformationem pertinentia, per totam provinciam promulgari juberet; quod antequam ille fecisset, Patribus Hieronymo Domenech et Natali datum fuit negotium ea revidendi et concinnandi, prout ad aedificationem, tam ecclesiastici ordinis, quam saecularis convenire videretur. 249. Now when the Viceroy, John de Vega, usefully proposed some edicts for the reformation of certain cities in serious matters, it was suggested to him that, for the common good of the whole kingdom, he should order that a collection of these edicts, pertaining to the reformation of morals, be promulgated throughout the whole province. But before he did this, the task was given to Fathers Jerome Domenech and Natalis of reviewing and arranging them, so that they would be suitable for building up both the ecclesiastical order and the secular order. v1_228-253latin 1548A 250. Inter caetera monasteria monialium, quae a nostris spirituale auxilium acceperunt, unum fuit Messanae, ubi omnes fere per spiritualia Exercitia ad pietatem accensae, et ad crebrum confessionis et communionis usum, diebus scilicet dominicis, reductae sunt. Aliud Agrigenti, P. Hieronymi Domenech opera, ad vitam communem et paupertatis observationem, peculiis privatis abjectis, vel potius in commune collatis se disposuit. Tertium itidem Panormi per conciones et Exercitia spiritualia, et confessiones generales, a P. Stephano Ba-roëllo sic adjutum est, ut quae prius, vel certe aliquae earum, satis erant obstinatae, nec confiteri quidem particulariter volebant, ad ipsius pedes se abjicerent, et tam ad peculium proprium relinquendum, quam ad omnem modum reformationis se paratas exhiberent. 250. Among the various convents of nuns, which accepted spiritual help from ours, there was one in Messina, where almost all the member were aroused to piety by the Spiritual Exercises, and were directed to the frequent use of Confession and Communion, especially on Sundays. Another one in Agrigento, through the efforts of Fr. Jerome Domenech, after doing away with personal money, or rather placing it in common, returned to the observance of a common life and poverty. Likewise a third one in Palermo, through sermons and spiritual exercises, and general confessions was so helped by Fr. Stephen Baroëllus that, while first of all some of them were quite obstinate, and did not want to make a good confession, they threw themselves at his feet, and showed that they were prepared both to give up their personal possessions and to embrace a complete reformation of life. v1_228-253latin 1548A 251. Venit Messanam puer quidam cum patruo, tredecim annos natus, qui peculiari quodam Dei dono, a quinto aetatis anno concionari coepit, et in eo munere sic perseveravit, ut magnum excitaret in hominibus stuporem propter gratiam praesertim ac libertatem, majorem quam credi posset, in verbo Dei proponendo. Hunc cum audivisset domina Leonora Pro-regina concionantem, coepit magna benevolentia prosequi, et ut ad perfectionem maturescere posset, instanter admodum ut in domo nostra reciperetur rogavit, et litteris ad P. Ignatium scriptis, id impetrare studuit; sed expedire magis visum est, ut inter orphanos pueros Messanae educaretur, et ad nostros crebro accedens in vita et doctrina proficeret. Cum autem complures de scholasticorum numero ad Societatis nostrae institutum aspirarent, visum est P. Natali, selectioribus quibusdam spiritualia Exercitia proponere, et cum delectu aliquos in Societatem admittere; nulli tamen persuaderi ex scholasticis volebat Societatis ingressum, sed id tantum ut ad Sacramenta crebro accederent, ut, si quos vellet Deus vocare, ad audiendam ipsius vocationem paratiores essent, prout fieri coeptum est. 251. A thirteen year old boy came to Messina with his uncle who, beginning at the age of five, because of a special gift of God began to preach, and he was so good in that role that he stirred up great amazement in people because of the grace and ability he manifested, which was greater than could be believed. Now the Lady Eleanor, wife of the Viceroy, when she heard him preaching, began to encourage him with benevolence, and so that he might come to mature perfection, she asked urgently that he be received into our house, and she tried to accomplish this by writing a letter to Fr. Ignatius. But it seemed more fitting that he be educated among the orphan boys in Messina, and by coming to ours frequently he would make progress in life and doctrine. But since many of the students wanted to join the institute of our Society, it seemed to Fr. Natalis that the Spiritual Exercises should be given to the best candidates, and to choose some of them for the Society. He wanted none of the students to be persuaded to enter the Society, but only that they receive the Sacraments often, so that, if God wished to call them, they would be more ready to respond to their vocation. v1_228-253latin 1548A 252. Hospitali incurabilium eleemosynae largae sunt procuratae, et quia in castello ac palatio locus quidam erat ad custodiam vinctorum, ubi cum aliqui in aegritudinem inciderent, incommode admodum curari poterant, effecit P. Domenech, ut locus quidam idoneus, tam ad valetudinem curandam, quam ad Missae sacrilicium audiendum et Sacramenta suscipienda construeretur, et necessaria aegrotantibus remedia pararentur; quod ubi effectum est, multi suis in morbis commode curati sunt. 252. Large donations were obtained for the hospital for the incurables, and because in the castle and palace there was a place for the custody of prisoners; when some fell sick there, it was difficult to care for them, so Fr. Domenech arranged that a suitable place should be provided, both for the care of their health and for attending the sacrifice of the Mass, for receiving the Sacraments, and to supply the medicines necessary for the sick. When this was done, many men were properly cured of their illnesses. v1_228-253latin 1548A 253. Foeminae aliquae a peccatis revocatae nostrorum opera et Pro-reginae fuerunt; cujus charitas eo progrediebatur, ut etiam domi suae excipere aliquam ex his non gravaretur, donec vel per matrimonium, vel tilia ratione, ei prospectum esset; inter dissidentes concordia etiam est curata, inter quos aliqui non infimae notae homines hoc beneficium acceperunt. 253. Some women abandoned their life of sin by the work of ours and of Lady Eleanor; her charity extended to the point that she did not refuse to accept one of these in her home, until something could be arranged for her, either through marriage or in some other way. Harmony was established among enemies, among whom some men of no small importance accepted this service. [17. Quae a n. 247 hucusque dicta sunt, fere ad verbum continentur in litteris historicis hoc anno ad universam Societatem datis, quarum exemplum Roma in Hispaniam missum habemus in vol I, Historiae variae, fol. 136 et sequentibus ad folium 153. (Historicas litteras hic apellamus, et deinceps, brevitatis gratia, semper appellabimus, quas Polancus italice lettere di nove, hispanice vero letras aut cartas de nuevas dicebat. Eas, ex commissione Sancti Ignatii et dirigente Polanco, hujus librarii seu amanuenses conficiebant, ex litteris excerpentes, quas Socii per orbem sparsi Romam miserant, quidquid aedificationi foret, et a Polanco, vel etiam ab ipso Ignatio , prius signo aliquo ut exscriberetur fuerat notatum.) — Polancus ex commissione Sancti Ignatii, Hieronymo Domenech, de Collegio Messanensi, 4 Januarii ; de monasteriorum in Sicilia reformatione; de orphanorum domibus; de dioecesis Agrigentinae visitatione; de negotiis, in quibus Sanctum Ignatium non decet occupari nisi forte per solicitatorem in Curia, qui de Societate non sit; de ordine regiminis superiorum in Sicilia, 14 Aprilis; de litteris, quas Joannes de Vega dederat Cardinalibus Crescentio, Farnesio, Carpi et de Burgos, 21 Aprilis; eidem Ignatius, de Laynez in Siciliam Venetiis per Joannem de Vega evocando, 21 Maii; idem Hieronymo Natali, de gradibus in Universitate, conclusionibus, disputationibus, tum publicis , tum privatis, et libris, eadem die; idem Stephano Baroëllo, eadem die ; idem Hieronymo Natali, de numero lectionum Messanae minuendo; de quiescendo ab studiis lectionibusque aestatis tempore, 2 Junii; idem domino Didaco de Corduba, ne Socios occupationibus nimiis premeret, sed valetudinis eorum rationem haberet, eadem die; Polancus ex commissione Hieronymo Natali, de tribus pro Messanensi Collegio curandis; de usu, quem Natalis induxerat, abstinendi ab esu carnis et ovorum diebus Mercurii, ne quid contra communem in Societate morem statuat, eadem die; idem Canisio, quem laudat simulque corripit quod Germaniae suae tam sit memor, eadem die; idem Doctori Ignatio Lopez, de Collegio Calatagironae erigendo, eadem die ; idem Hieronymo Natali, quid Urbis Vicarius de esu carnium et ovorum diebus Mercurii decreverit; quos Roma Messanam libros, jubente Ignatio, miserit; et de moderata valetudinis cura, 16 Junii; idem eidem, de concionibus a fratribus in plateis ad populum habendis, 14 Julii; idem eidem et Hieronymo Domenech, 28 Julii; Ignatius Pro-regi, Joanni de Vega, de rebus Venetiis per Laynium gestis ; de iis quae Cardinalis Farnesius in Urbis Montis regalis utilitatem expetebat; de Laynio in Siciliam ad tempus profecturo, 4 Augusti; idem, fere de iisdem Pro-reginae, Eleonorae de Osorio; idem domino Didaco de Corduba, eadem die; idem Hieronymo Domenech, de iis qui Professionem in Sicilia emittere debebant, quorum unus, omni seposita excusatione, Natalis ; de scriptione litterarum ; de monasteriorum reformatione, eadem die; Polancus ex commissione, de admittendorum delectu; de corporis afflictationibus ; de lectionibus et aliis occupationibus; de Sociorum, quo bene valeant, eximia habenda cura ; de studiis quibus exerceri oportet Petrum Canisium, Benedictum Palmium et Annibalem Coudreto, eadem die ; Emmanuel Miona ex commissione Sancti Ignatii, Isidoro, ut de singulis sociis quid sentiat Romam scribat, eadem die; Polancus Natali, de iis quae ad emendationem Isidori proposuerat Ignatius, eadem die; idem Stephano Baroëllo, de iis in quibus officio suo deesse videtur, eadem die; idem Natali, de puero concionatore; de Isidoro, si dimittendus erit, quid sit ante dimissionem praestandum , 18 Augusti ; idem Hieronymo Domenech, de usu pallii; de admittendis; de Isidoro expectandum donec adveniat Visitator, Laynez; idem de Stephano Baroëllo, 25 Augusti ; idem Hieronymo Domenech , de personarum delectu, quibus tradenda sint Exercitia , 15 Septembris ; idem Benedicto Palmio, ut curam habeat valetudinis Patris Natalis; idem Hieronymo Domenech, de designandis quatuor Siciliae primariis urbibus in quibus erigendae sint Apostolica auctoritate domus orphanorum, de libris astrologiae, 13 Octobris; idem Canisio, de Sanctorum reliquiis et earum distributione, eadem die; idem Hieronymo Domenech, de possessione ecclesiae Sancti Nicolai ab oneribus instituto Societatis non consentaneis liberanda, eodem mense Octobri; idem eidem de adventu P. Laynez Romam et ejus profectione in Siciliam, 17 Novembris 48.
The things which have been said from number 247 to this point are contained almost to the word in the historical letters distributed this year to the whole Society; we have an example of this sent from Rome to Spain in vol. I of Historiae variae, p. 136 and following to p. 153. (Here we call them Historicas litteras, and from now on, for the sake of brevity, we will always call them that; Polanco referred to them in Italian as lettere di nove, but in Spanish as letras or cartas de nuevas. With the approval of St. Ignatius and under the direction of Polanco, the secretary or copyist composed them, taking excerpts from the letters, which the Companions spread throughout the world sent to Rome. They were for the purpose of edification, and it was indicated by Polanco, or even by Ignatius himself, first by some sign of approval that that they should be published.) — Polanco ex commissione of St. Ignatius to Jerome Domenech about the College in Messina, January 1; on the reformation of monasteries in Sicily; on the home of orphans; on the visitation of the diocese of Agrigento; on the negotiations in which it is not fitting for St. Ignatius to be involved unless perhaps through the request of the curia, which is not part of the Society; on the order of the rule of superiors in Sicily, April 14; on the letter which John de Vega gave to Cardinals Crescentio, Farnese, Carpi and de Burgos, April 21; Ignatius to the same on calling Laynez from Venice to Sicily because of John de Vega, May 21; the same to Jerome Natalis on grades in the University, rules, disputations, both public and private, and on books, the same day; the same to Stephen Baroëllus, the same day; the same to Jerome Natalis on decreasing the number of lectures at Messina; on resting from studies and lectures in summertime, June 2; the same to Lord Didacus de Corduba that he not burden the Companions with too many occupations but have concern for their health, the same day; Polanco ex commissione to Jerome Natalis on caring for the three sent to the College in Messina; on the practice, which Natalis introduced, of abstaining from meat and eggs on Wednesdays, lest he establish something contrary to the common life of the Society, the same day; the same to Canisius, whom he praises and at the same time rebukes because of his references to Germany, the same day; the same to Dr. Ignatius Lopez, about founding a College in Caltagirone, the same day; the same to Jerome Natalis, concerning what the Vicar of the City decreed about the eating of meat and eggs on Wednesdays; which books he sent from Rome to Messina in accordance with the order of Ignatius; and on the reasonable care of health, June 16; the same to the same on the sermons given by the brothers on the streets to the people, July 14; the same to the same and Jerome Domenech, July 28; Ignatius to the Viceroy, John de Vega, on the things done in Venice by Laynez; on the things which Cardinal Farnese desired for the help of the city of Monreale; on the journey of Laynez to Sicily at the proper time, August 4; the same, about almost the same matter, to Lady Eleanor de Osorio; the same to Lord Didacus de Corduba, the same day; the same to Jerome Domenech about those who should make their profession in Sicily, one of whom is Natalis, who should set aside all excuses; on the reformation of the monasteries, on the same day; Polanco ex commissione on the choice of those to be admitted; on afflictions of the body; on lectures and other occupations; on the special care to be taken for the Companions who are healthy; on the studies with which it is necessary that Peter Canisius, Benedict Palmius and Annibal Coudretus are to be exposed to, the same day; Emmanuel Miona ex commissione of St. Ignatius to Isidore, that he write to Rome what he thinks about each of his companions, the same day; the same to Stephen Baroëllus about the things in which he seems to be lacking in performing his duties, the same day; the same to Natalis about the boy preacher; about Isidore, if he is to be dismissed, what should be done before his dismissal, August 18; the same to Jerome Domenech on the use of an overcoat; about those to be admitted; on Isidore, to wait until the Visitor arrives, Laynez; the same about Stephen Baroëllus, August 25; the same to Jerome Domenech on the choice of persons to whom the Exercises are to be given, September 15; the same to Benedict Palmius, that he take care of the health of Fr. Natalis; the same to Jerome Domenech on designating four major cities of Sicily in which homes for orphans are to be established with Apostolic authority; on books of astrology, October 13; the same to Canisius on the relics of the Saints and their distribution, the same day; the same to Jerome Domenech of the possession of the church of St. Nicholas freed from all burdens not agreed to by the Institute of the Society, in the same month of October; the same to the same on the arrival of Fr. Laynez in Rome and his traveling to Sicily, November 17, 1548.]