DOWNFALL OF THE JESUITS. Gradual March of the Order—It attains the Height of its Power—Causes of Decay—The Instruction no more Gratuitous—The Princes of Germany limit their Unrestricted Authority—Rome begins to frown upon them—Benedict XIV.’s injurious Description of them—Hatred which they incur in France—Its Causes—After the Death of Louis XIV., they are attacked from every Quarter—The Jesuits have Identified themselves with all the Absurd and Idolatrous Practices of the Roman Church—They are attacked by the Encyclopædists—Offer no Efficient Resistance—Philip of Orleans, Regent of France—He refuses to protect them—They attempt in vain to regain their Influence under Louis XV.—The Ministers of various Sovereigns of Europe undertake Reform—Choiseul—Tanucci—Squillace—Carvalho—The Fall of the Jesuits ought not to be attributed to Private Causes—Epitome of the History of the Jesuits in Portugal—Carvalho, Marquis of Pombal—His Character—His Hatred of the Jesuits and the Aristocracy—Portugal and Spain exchange their Possessions in America—The Indians of the Reduction refuse to Obey—They take up Arms—Are Defeated—The Jesuits Accused by Pombal of having Excited the Revolt—Denial of the Fathers—Earthquake of Lisbon—Intrepid and Heroic Conduct of Pombal—He becomes All-powerful—He Removes from the Court the three Jesuit Confessors—Manifesto against them—Benedict XIV. subjects them to a Visitation—Commerce of the Company in Europe—In both Indies—The Visitor, Cardinal Saldanha, Censures the Commercial Pursuits of the Order—Death of Benedict XIV.—Clement XIII.—His Character—His Partiality for the Fathers—Cardinal Torrigiani, the Pope’s first Minister, is bribed by the Jesuits—Joseph I. of Portugal—Attempt to Assassinate, while returning from his Nocturnal Visit to a Lady—Measures taken by Pombal—The Duke d’Averio, the Marquis of Tavora’s Family, and some of their Relations, are thrown into Prison—They are accused of being Accomplices in the Attempt—Illegal and Inquisitorial Proceedings—The Prisoners are Condemned and Executed—Horrible Mode of Execution—It tarnishes Pombal’s Fame—The Jesuits are Imprisoned as Accomplices—New Manifesto of Pombal against them—Decree Expelling all the Jesuits from the Portuguese Dominions, 1559—France strikes the second Blow against the Order—Affair of Lavallette—The Order is held by the Tribunals as answerable for all his Debts—Unaccountable Blindness of the Jesuits, in appealing to the Parliament against this decision—Cardinal de Luynes and the Assembly of Bishops—They declare the Obedience due by the Jesuits to their General to be Incompatible with the Duties of a Subject—Louis XV.—His Character—Pressed by Choiseul and Madame de Pompadour, demands a Reform of the Order—Character of Choiseul—There was no