better than any person whatever. You
set up for mighty statesmen, and understand state affairs no more than
I do the drawing the report of a cause. As to the affair of Poissy[31]
things would have gone much better for the catholics, if all of you had
acted your part as well as a Jesuit or two, who, very luckily, happened
to be there. There clearly appeared, not the ambition, but the
abilities of the Jesuits; and I do not understand how you can make
those ambitious, who refuse dignities and prelacies, and make a vow to
God never to aspire to any preferment; and, who seek nothing in this
world besides serving all that are willing to employ them, without any
{74} view of interest or recompence. If the name of Jesuit displease
you, why not find fault with those, who stile themselves religious of
the Trinity; why not say, that your daughters are as much religious as
the nuns, called here daughters of God[32]; and that you are as much of
my order of the Holy Ghost as my knights and myself? For my part, I
would as soon, or rather, be called Jesuit, than Augustinian or
Dominican. As to the churchmen, who except against them, ignorance has
always borne a grudge to learning; and I observed, when I began to
speak of re-establishing the Jesuits, that two sorts of persons opposed
this design; those of the pretended reformed religion, and churchmen of
irregular conduct, which has gained them still greater credit and
reputation. If the Sorbonne you talk of has condemned them, it was,
quite like you, without knowing them; and, if the old Sorbonne would
not own them out of jealousy, the new Sorbonne is very proud of, and
esteems them; if {75} they were not fixed in France before, God has
reserved for me the honour, which indeed I esteem a favour, of settling
them; and, if they were only provisionally admitted heretofore, they
shall henceforward have a permanent settlement, both by edict and
arret. The will of my predecessors kept them here, mine shall establish
them. The university opposed them, either because they excelled others
(witness the vast concourse of scholars to their colleges), or because
they were not incorporated in the university, which will not be refused
when I order it; and when I shall see that they stand in need of being
better regulated. You say, that the greatest men of your parliament