Nothing, perhaps, is better calculated to convince us how high an idea your majesty's royal predecessors had of the usefulness of this body of men, than the patents, which they were pleased to grant, for the erecting many of their colleges in your dominions: this was particularly remarkable in the letters patent, granted by your majesty's great grandfather Louis XIV, of glorious memory, for their establishment in the college of Clermont, wherein he says, _that in this he had no other view than to_ {350} _support, countenance, and encourage those religious in their laborious employments for the education of youth in all useful sciences, and particularly in the knowledge of whatever may concern their duty towards God, and towards those who are placed over them for the government of the people_. But this he afterwards expressed in a more emphatic manner, when he was pleased to give his own august name to that college. The Jesuits are also of great service in our dioceses, by enforcing and giving new life and vigour to piety and religion, by their sermons, their spiritual instructions, their missionary excursions, their congregations, spiritual retreats, &c., performed with our approbation and authority. For these reasons we are persuaded, that to deprive the people of their instruction would be extremely prejudicial to our dioceses. And, in particular with regard to the education and instruction of youth, it would be a very difficult task to find persons capable of serving the public to equal advantage, especially in the country towns, where there are no universities. The religious of other orders, who, by their vows and state of life, are not devoted to this kind of labour, as they are little conversant in the method of teaching, and strangers to that disagreeable confinement and subjection, which is inseparable from that employment, are too much taken up with the other necessary observances of their order to give that constant and due attendance, which is requisite for the education of youth. As to other clerks regular and priests living in community, they have not a sufficient number of persons to supply the place of the Jesuits. The secular clergy, {351} indeed, with the allowance of the bishop, may undertake this employment: but, not having been brought up to it from their youth, they would not much relish this kind of life, nor have they equal experience or skill in the business. Add to this, that, as most of our dioceses have not near a sufficient number of priests to answer all the duties of the ministry, it would not be possible for us to fill up the places that would become vacant by the removal of the Jesuits. Shall we then have recourse to the laity? alas! few of these are to be found of that turn of mind as willingly to embrace so laborious and disagreeable an employment as is that of teaching; fewer still, whose talents and qualifications are equal to it.