Footnotes:
[1] The doctrine of the ‘Ciencia Media’ occurs in the celebrated ‘Concordia gratiæ et liberi arbitrii’, by Luis de Molina (1588). The concilium de Auxiliis was held to determine whether or not concordia was possible between freewill and grace. As the Jesuits stuck by Molina and his doctrines in despite of councils and of popes, the common saying arose in Spain: ‘Pasteles en la pasteleria y ciencia media en la Compañia.’
[2] Dean Funes, ‘Ensayo de la Historia Civil del Paraguay’, etc., Buenos Aires, 1816.
[3] Idem. The letter is dated 1771 and the Jesuits were expelled in 1767. As the writer of the letter was on the spot in an official position, and nominated by the very Viceroy who had been the expeller of the Jesuits, his testimony would seem to be as valuable as that of the ablest theorist on government, Catholic or Protestant, who ever wrote.
[4] This, of course, applies to the possessions of all European States in America equally with Spain.
[6] Though in this respect Charlevoix is not so credulous as Padre Ruiz de Montoya and the older writers, he yet repeats the story of the bird that cleans the alligator’s teeth, the magic virtues of the tapir’s nails, and many others. See Charlevoix, vol. i., bk. i., p. 27, Paris, 1756.
[The story of the bird that cleans the teeth of alligators is very nearly true—Pluvianus aegyptius has a symbiotic relationship with crocodiles in parts of Africa, and similar relationships exist throughout the natural world.—A. L., 1998.]
[7] Dobrizhoffer’s book was written in Latin, and printed in Vienna in 1784 under the title of ‘Historia de Abiponibus’, etc. A German translation by Professor Keil was published at Pesth in the same year. The English translation is of the year 1822.