The Life of St. Ignatius of Loyola

In undertaking to write a new Life of St. Ignatius at a time by no meansfavorable to him or his Society, I do not purpose to gain the good-will of thepublic by setting it forth in a manner suitable to their tastes, at the expenseof truth. Nor am I led by the motive of a narrow-minded, exclusive devotiontowards the great man whose child I have the honor to be, for I am wellaware that such a sentiment, shown imprudently and out of season, wouldbe more prejudicial than advantageous to his memory. I have been led totake this work in hand through a taste for that method of historical pursuitwhich by close observation of facts throws clearer light upon the characterof times and of persons. I have observed that the Lives of St. Ignatius,hitherto published, have kept rather to the surface of things, withoutendeavoring to trace out their connection or to dive into the motives whichactuated this great man, or into the world of thought which was awakenedin his soul. I would have preferred to hear him speak for himself, and Ioften regretted that so little use had been made of his letters at a time whenit would have been comparatively easy to have done so. For it cannot bedisputed that every man is the best painter of his own portrait, and this moreespecially in his letters. The progress made in historical research within latetimes has made these deficiencies more observable, and as no one, even themost prejudiced against St. Ignatius, can deny that he is one of the greatestcharacters who figure in modern times, I cannot be taxed with havingundertaken a useless task in endeavoring to fill up this void. A thorough biography of the founder of the Jesuits and author of the famous Spiritual Exercises (which have formed saints and apostles for centuries). Does not skip his miracles. Describes the founding and structure of the Jesuits and how this remarkable order had an immediate and profound effect on the Christian world. One of the most influential men and one of the most influential orders in all of history. Impr. 400 pgs; PB