The next day we met again. My companion was accompanied by a youth, who had, I believe, the charge of a school. He was also a Jesuit, and on terms of strict intimacy with my friend. We passed through the town with but little conversation: the two Jesuits, with their eyes bent to the ground, appeared to take no notice of the passers-by; yet I observed they never failed to see when they were saluted, nor did they ever omit to return the salutation. As soon as we were fairly out of the town, we began to enter into familiar conversation.
"Well," observed my friend, "what do you think of our discourse of yesterday?"
"To tell you the truth, I was greatly surprised at what you told me."
"You would perhaps be pleased if I made the experiment I talked of."
"Oh, I am fully persuaded of the accuracy of your assertions. Besides, I am but little interested in the concerns of this place. Nevertheless, I will not refuse your offer. But tell me, in the meanwhile, how is it that the Jesuits, who perform such services for the Church, are never raised to places of dignity or profit in it?"
"If we had any desire that way, we should soon obtain what we wished for. We who have the power of disposing of these situations to others, might easily choose for ourselves. Had any other person than yourself asked the question, I should have given him the answer which our Institution puts into our mouths—'A Jesuit is sworn to aspire to no ecclesiastical dignity; nor can he accept any, without a special dispensation from the pope.' But this reply will not be sufficient for you, to whom I have disclosed so many of our secrets. I tell you, then, that we should never succeed in our undertaking of supporting the Church of Rome, unless we kept ourselves aloof from all her honours and dignities. A man once placed high in the Church has finished his career. A bishop and a cardinal serve very well to make a splendid appearance, and that is all. In the human body, the head governs the members; but in the moral body of the Church, the case is reversed, and the more active and influential members govern the head. Thus the bishop is not the moving power in his diocese, it is his vicar or his confessor. In like manner, it is his theologians, and not the cardinal, who sway the congregation; he says Yes, or No, as they direct him. The theologians and the confessors, then, are really at the head of affairs, and not the cardinal or the bishop. The pope himself is subject to the same regulation. I smile when I hear of the pope's holding a secret consistory. The Romans believe that he is then actually himself engaged with his cardinals in the discussion of important matters; whereas the true secret consistory is held by the General of the Jesuits and his counsellors; and it is by them that everything is discussed and decided. Now, all this could not be done, were we not simple monks, and open to no ambition but that of serving the Holy See."
At this moment some ladies passed us, whom the Jesuits were the first to salute by taking off their hats: but from the coolness with which the civility was acknowledged, I saw there was very little friendship between the parties.
"Can you tell me," said I to my friend, "who these ladies are?"
"O yes, I can tell you not only their names, but their ages too, if you desire it."
"Have you ever been in company with them?"