Jesuits

[Doug Millison]

One historical work I'm reading in tandem with M&D is Francis Parkman's
"France and England in North America."  In Parkman's history, I haven't
quite caught up to the period covered in M&D yet. Here's how Parkman
described the Jesuits, circa 1865, from Chapter VI, 1611, 1612, "Jesuits in
Acadia":

"Then first were seen in the wilderness of New France the close back cap,
the close black robe, of the Jesuit father, and the features seamed with
study and thought and discipline. Then first did this mighty Proteus, this
many-colored Society of Jesus, enter upon that rude field of toil and woe,
where, in after years, the devoted zeal of its apostles was to lend dignity
to their order and do honor to humanity. Few were regions of the known
world to which the potent brotherhood had not stretched the vast network of
its influence. Jesuits had disputed theology with the bonzes of Japan, and
taught astronomy to the mandarins of China; had wrought prodigies of sudden
conversion among the followers of Brahma, preached the papal supremacy to
Abyssinian schismatics, carried the cross among savages of Caffraria,
wrought reputed miracles in Brazil, and gathered the tribes of Paraguay
beneath their paternal sway. And now, with the aid of the Virgin and her
votary at court, they would build another empire among the tribes of New
France. The omens were sinister and the outset was unpropitious."






D O U G  M I L L I S O N ||||||||||| millison at online-journalist.com