IGNATIUS LOYOLA, (canonized), the founder
of the well-known order of the JESUITS, was born at
the castle of Loyola, in Biscay, 1491; and became
first page to Ferdinand V. king of Spain, and then an
officer in his army. In this last capacity, he signalized
himself by his valour; and was wounded in both legs
at the siege of Pampeluna, in 1521. To this circum-
stance the Jesuits owe their origin; for, while he was
under cure of his wound, a Life of the Saints was put
into his hands, which determined him to forsake the
military for the ecclesiastical profession. His first de-
vout exercise was to dedicate himself to the blessed vir-
gin as her knight: he then went a pilgrimage to the
Holy Land; and on his return to Europe, he contin-
ued his theological studies in the universities of Spain,
though he was then 33 years of age. After this he
went to Paris; and in France laid the foundation of
this new order, the institutes of which he presented
to Pope Paul III. who made many objections to them,
but at last in 1540 confirmed the institution. The
founder died in 1555, and left his disciples two famous
books; 1. Spiritual exercises; 2. Constitutions or rules
of the order. But it must be remembered, that though
these avowed institutes contain many privileges ob-
noxious to the welfare of society, the most diabolical
are contained in the private rules, intitled Monita secreta,
which were not discovered till towards the close of
the last century; and most writers attribute these, and
even the Constitutions, to Laynez, the second general
of the order.