The Jesuits, 1534-1921: A History of the Society of Jesus from Its Foundation to the Present TimeCampbell, Thomas J. (Thomas Joseph)
History
The Jesuits, 1534-1921: A History of the Society of Jesus from Its Foundation to the Present Time
Campbell, Thomas J. (Thomas Joseph)
Jesuits -- History
Codure was to have been one of the Irish delegates, but he died, and
hence Salmerón, Brouet and Zapata undertook the perilous mission. The
last mentioned was a wealthy ecclesiastic who was about to enter the
Society and had offered to defray the expenses of the journey. In the
instructions for their manner of acting Ignatius ordered that Brouet
should be spokesman whenever nobles or persons of importance were to be
dealt with. As Brouet had the looks and the sweetness of an angel,
whereas Salmerón was abrupt at times, the wisdom of the choice was
obvious. They went by the way of France to Scotland, and when at
Stirling Castle, they received a letter from James V, the father of Mary
Queen of Scots, bespeaking their interest in his people. Crétineau-Joly
says they saw the king personally. Fouqueray merely hints at its
likelihood. From Scotland they passed over to Ireland and found that the
enemy knew of their arrival. A price was put upon their heads, and they
had to hurry from place to place so as not to compromise those who gave
them shelter. But in the brief period of a month which they had at their
disposal before they were recalled by the Pope they had ample
opportunity to take in the conditions that prevailed. They returned as
they had gone, through Scotland and over to Dieppe, and then directed
their steps to Rome, but they were arrested as spies near Lyons and
thrown into prison--a piece of news which Paget, the English ambassador
in France, hastened to communicate to Henry; Cardinals de Tournon and
Gaddi, however, succeeded in having them released and they then
proceeded to the Holy City to make their report.
Eighteen years later, Father Michael Gaudan was sent as papal nuncio to
Mary Stuart. He entered Edinburgh disguised as a Scottish peddler and
succeeded in reaching the queen. As a Frenchman could not have acted the
part of a Scottish peddler, it is more than likely that Gaudan is a
gallicized form of Gordon. Indeed, there is on the records a Father
James Gordon, S. J., who had so exasperated the Calvinists by his
refutation of their errors that he was driven out of the country. He
returned again, however, immediately, as he simply got a boat to take
him off the ship which was carrying him into exile, and on the following
day he stood once more upon his native heath, remaining there for some
years sustaining his persecuted Catholic brethren (Claude Nau, Mary's
secretary).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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