In  consequence  of  this,  and  because,  also,  the  following  Popes,
Leo  XII.  (1823-29),  Pius  VIII.  (1829-30),  Gregory  XVL
(1830-46),    and    the    still  reigning    Pope    Pius   IX.*,   most

'  Pius  IX.,  immediately  on  his  accession  to  the  throne,  commenced,  as  is
known,  with  a  strong  Liberal  tendency ;  but  the  sons  of  Loyola  soon  con-
trived to  cure  him  thoroughly  of  this  madness ;  and  since  that  time,  as
•Cardinal  d' Andrea  has  pubUcly  for  some  time  expressly  testified,  the  Holy
Father  finds  himself  completely  in  the  hands  of  the  said  Fathers.  Pius  IX.
•commenced,  in  the  year  1851,  to  make  visits  to  their  profess-house,  as  well
as  to  their  colleges,  and  had  frequently  even  made  use  of  the  expression
that,  in  these  modern  bad  times,  they  were  the  only  supporters  of  the  true
taith.  It  is  also  notorious  that  from  1851  no  important  action  of  govern-
ment was  determined  on  before  the  Pope  had  taken  counsel  with  his
dear  Father  Beokz,  the  present  General   of  the  Order,  and  during   the


THE    JESUITS   IN    THE    NINETEENTH   CENTURY.        667

highly  favoured  the  sons  of  Loyola,  their  numbers  increased,  as
"well  in  Rome  as  in  all  the  States  of  the  Church,  to  quite
an  extraordinary  extent,  so  much  so,  indeed,  that  even  in  the
year  1829  it  was  necessary,  as  far  as  concerned  Rome,  to
assign  them  a  place  outside  the  walls  as  a  lodging.  At  the
present  day,  however,  their  condition  is,  indeed,  more  flourish-
ing than  ever,  and  their  present  General*  may  well  boast  with
pride  that  none  of  his  predecessors  exercised  such  a  powerful
influence  over  the  supreme  head  of  Christendom  as  himself.
