Scientific interests, however, were by no means the chief motive of the Jesuits in founding their journal, and the controversial character began soon to preponderate in their articles. Protestant writers received but little mercy in the pages of the “Journal de Trévoux,” and the battle was soon raging in every country of Europe between the flying batteries of the Jesuits and the strongholds of Jansenism, of Protestantism, or of liberal thought in general. Le Clerc was attacked for his “Harmonia Evangelica;” Boileau even was censured for his “Epître sur l’Amour de Dieu.” But the old lion was too much for his reverend satirists. The following is a specimen of his reply:— “Mes Révérends Pères en Dieu, Et mes confrères en Satire. Dans vos Escrits dans plus d’un lieu Je voy qu’à mes dépens vous affectés de rire; Mais ne craignés-vous point, que pour rire de Vous, Relisant Juvénal, refeuilletant Horace, Je ne ranime encor ma satirique audace? Grands Aristarques de Trévoux, N’allés point de nouveau faire courir aux armes, Un athlète tout prest à prendre son congé, Qui par vos traits malins au combat rengagé Peut encore aux Rieurs faire verser des larmes. Apprenés un mot de Régnier, Notre célèbre Devancier, _Corsaires attaquant Corsaires_ _No font pas_, dit-il, _leurs affaires_.” Even stronger language than this became soon the fashion in journalistic warfare. In reply to an attack on the Marquis Orsi, the “Giornale de’ Letterati d’Italia” accused the “Journal de Trévoux” of _menzogna_ and _impostura_, and in Germany the “Acta Eruditorum Lipsiensium” poured out even more violent invectives against the Jesuitical critics. It is wonderful how well Latin seems to lend itself to the expression of angry abuse. Few modern writers have excelled the following tirade, either in Latin or in German:— “Quæ mentis stupiditas! At si qua est, Jesuitarum est.... Res est intoleranda, Trevoltianos Jesuitas, toties contusos, iniquissimum in suis diariis tribunal erexisse, in eoque non ratione duce, sed animi impotentia, non æquitatis legibus, sed præjudiciis, non veritatis lance, sed affectus aut odi pondere, optimis exquisitissimisque operibus detrahere, pessima ad cœlum usque laudibus efferre: ignaris auctoribus, modo secum sentiant, aut sibi faveant, ubique blandiri, doctissimos sibi non plane pleneque deditos plus quam canino dente mordere.” What has been said of other journals was said of the “Journal de Trévoux:”— “Les auteurs de ce journal, qui a son mérite, sont constants à louer tous les ouvrages de ceux qu’ils affectionnent, et pour éviter une froide monotonie, ils exercent quelquefois la critique sur les écrivans à qui rien ne les oblige de faire grâce.”