As  soon   as  all  this  was
clearly   determined,  Count  Aranda   set  himself  about  carrying
into   effect   the  proposition   resolved  upon,    and  he  did  so  in
such  a  way,   indeed,    that   no  one  could  withhold  admiration^
All  the  superior  Spanish  officials  in  the  whole  of  the  Spanish-
monarchy,  as  well  as  all  the  military  commandants  in  the  towns-
in  which  there  existed  Jesuitical  colleges,  residencies,  or  houses-
of  other  description,  at  once  received  packets,  the  contents  of
which  were  precisely  the  same,  and  provided  with  the  King's-
seal ;  the  contents  thereof  were   extremely  mysterious,  as,  upon,
the  packet  being  opened,  another  was  found  provided  with  three
seals,  together  with  an  open  note,  in  which  the  following  words-
were  to  be  read :

"  On  pain  of  death  you  shall  not  open  the  document  provided
with  three  seals,  previous  to  the  2nd  of  April,  at  the  hour  of
sunset,  and  the  same  punishment  will  await  you,  if  anyone  be
he  whom  he  may,  discloses  his  having  received  a  secret  writing.'^

Precisely  similar  instructions  were  forwarded  to  all  the
prefects,  governors,  and  commandants,  in  the  different  colonies-
of  Asia  and  America,  only,  of  course,  in  this  case,  owing  to-
the  far  distance  of  the  locahties,  the  date  of  the  opening  was-
necessarily  deferred. One  may  well  imagine  the  anxiety  that^
existed  among  those  officials  and  commandants  on  their  receivinfr


THE   ABOLITION    OF   JESUIT    NESTS   IN    SPAIN. 595-

this  remarkable  document,  and,  not  the  less  may  it  be  supposed,
how  difficult  it  was  for  them  to  restrain  their  anxiety ;  but  they
all  did  so,  without  a  single  exception,  and  the  secret  remained,
inviolate  up  till  the  2nd  April. As  soon,  however,  as  the  sun
went  down  on  that  day,  all  these  secret  packets  were  opened  at
the  same  time,  and  what  was  now  their  astonishment  when  the
matter  in  question  became  known  to  them !  Among  other
things,  the  document  ran  as  follows :

"  I  convey  to  you  herewith  all  my  authority  and  Royal  power  r
as  soon  as  you  have  opened  this  document  you  will  at  once-
summon  all  the  troops,  and,  accompanied   by  them,  you  will'
immediately  betake    yourself  to   the  house  or   college  of  the
Jesuits. Having  arrived  there,  you  shall  place  a  sentinel  at  the-
door ;  you  shall  awaken   all  the  members  of  the  Society,  one-
with  another,  out  of  their  sleep,  and  arrest  them. 