Volume 1

The history of Paraguay. Containing ... a full and authentic account of the establishments formed there by the Jesuits, from among the savage natives ... establishments allowed to have realized the sublime ideas of Fenelon, Sir Thomas Moore, and Plato / Written originally in French. By the celebrated Father Charlevoix.

  • Charlevoix, Pierre-François-Xavier de, 1682-1761.
Date:
1769
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The history of Paraguay. Containing ... a full and authentic account of the establishments formed there by the Jesuits, from among the savage natives ... establishments allowed to have realized the sublime ideas of Fenelon, Sir Thomas Moore, and Plato / Written originally in French. By the celebrated Father Charlevoix. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    foanifhed from his diocefe, for having endeavoured, through his paftoral tendernefs for his flock, to re¬ lieve the diftreis of feveral families, whole patrimony had been ufur- ed by the enemies of the church ; thereby meaning the Indians, whom the jefqits fecured from the drudgery of perfonal fervice. He repeated all the injuries, with which he, on every former occaflon, had loaded thefe pretended ufurp- ers *, be again interdicted, excommunicated, and ana¬ thematized them •, giving, at the fame time, notice, that there y/as no communicating with fhem with¬ out incurring the fame cenfures•, and addipg, that, fevere as'heihewed himfelf towards thole, who ob~ ftinately perfifted in their rebellion againft the church, he would always behave with the greateft compaflion and tendernefs towards her humble an faithful children. He then named the churches, in which the in¬ habitants m ght enjoy the happinefs of aflifting at divine fervice ; and the priefts who might hear their confeflions, op whom he bellowed the mold mag¬ nificent encomiums, though, perhaps, he was thp only perfon not to know, that fame of them lived in a fcandalous concubinage. At length, after taking leave of the great croud that attended him, all bathed in tears, and filling the church with their fighs and groans, he fafiied forth, carrying the holy facrament in a box hung to his breall, and follow¬ ed by his chaplains and the reft of his clergy, every one with a lighted taper in his hand. As foon as he had got into his bark, he renewed his anathemas againft the perfecutors of the church, who drove out of his diocefe the holieft bifhop, to believe his follower?, the new world had ever poflefled ; and thundered a new interdict againft the city, to the found of a litde bell, which he ufually carried with him in his journeys. The bells of the fran- eifean