Uncover the enigmatic history of Monita privata, a provocative anti-Jesuit text that captivated early modern Europe and fueled centuries of controversy. This new critical edition reexamines the origins, authorship, and geopolitical significance of the text, challenging the traditional attribution to Hieronim Zahorowski and suggesting a broader anti-Jesuit campaign originating in Venetian circles. Through rigorous analysis and newly included Polish translations, this edition situates Monita privata as a key artifact in the polemics of its time, offering fresh perspectives on Jesuit influence and propaganda. Rich with scholarly insights, this edition is indispensable for anyone exploring early modern religious and political history.
Bartosz Awianowicz is a professor of classics and head of the Institute of Literary Studies at Nicolaus Copernicus University in ToruÅ. He specializes in ancient and early modern rhetoric, ancient numismatics, and its 16thâ18th century reception. He has published bilingual (LatinâPolish) editions of Ciceroâs De inventione and De oratore and several Latin panegyrics from the 16thâ17th centuries.
RadosÅaw GrzeÅkowiak, Ph.D. (2000), is a professor of early modern Polish literature at the University of GdaÅsk. He has published widely on Renaissance and Baroque poetry and specializes in textual criticism and the scholarly editing of Polish poetry and prose from the 16th to 18th centuries.
Robert Aleksander Maryks, Ph.D. (Fordham University, New York), is a full professor at Adam Mickiewicz University in PoznaÅ. He has published extensively on Jesuit history, including the monographs Saint Cicero and the Jesuits (Ashgate, 2008) and The Jesuit Order as a Synagogue of Jews (Brill, 2010), along with a dozen (co-)edited volumes. He is the founder and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Jesuit Studies and other Jesuit book series.
â1âIntroduction
â2âThe Monitaâs Geopolitical Context
â3âThe Evolution of the Monita privata and Its Editions
â4âThe Monita privata as a Bestselling Polemic
â5âOverview of Content
â6âAnalysis of Rhetoric and Style
â7âReception and Impact
â8âPolish Translations and the Enduring Influence of the Monita privata
â9âConclusion: A New Critical Edition for Modern Scholarship
â10âMonita privata (secreta) Societatis Iesu
â11âEditions of the Monita privata
â12âEditions of the Secreta monita
â13âAbbreviations
â14âEditorial Principles and Apparatus Criticus
Monita privata Societatis Iesu. Notobirgae, anno 1612
âIâQualem se Societas praestare debet, cum de novo accepit loci alicuius fundationem
âIIâQuid factu opus est, ut principum et magnatum intima familiaritate potiamur
âIIIâQuid curabunt domini pro nobis, dum pecunia destituunt, multae tamen sunt auctoritatis in Republica et aliis modis nobis prodesse possunt
âIVâQuae commendata esse debent concionatoribus confessariisque principum et magnatum
âVâQuid agendum cum religiosis, qui symbolizando nobiscum in multis occupationibus multum nobis detrahunt
âVIâDe conciliandis viduis opulentis Societati
âVIIâQuis modus conservandi viduas in viduitate et de dispositione redituum quos habent
âVIIIâDe remediis, ut filii et filiae nostrarum devotarum religiosum amplectantur statum
âIXâDe reditibus augendis collegiorum
âXâDe disciplinae rigore ostendendo in Societate
âXIâQualiter se unanimiter praestabunt nostri contra dimissos
âXIIâDe delectu iuvenum pro Societate modoque eos retinendi
âXIIIâDe monialibus
âXIVâDe casibus reservatis et causis dimittendi a Societate
âXVâQui conservari et foveri debent ex personis Societatis
âXVIâDe contemptu divitiarum
âTestimonia de Iesuitis Italorum et Hispanorum quorundam
âEx Polonis
â1654&emsp
â[1660?]Â =Â 1670
Secreta Monita Societatis Iesu
âPraefatio [the preface to the 1661 edition]
âPreface
âIâQualem Societas praestare sese debeat, cum incipit de novo alicuius loci fundationem
âIIâQuomodo principum, magnatum et primariorum p(atres) Societatis familiaritatem acquirent et conservabunt
âIIIâQuomodo agendum Societati cum illis, qui magnae sunt auctoritatis in Rep(ublica) et quamvis divites non sint, aliis tamen modis iuvare possunt
âIVâQuae commendata esse debeant concionatoribus et confessariis magnatum
âVâQuomodo agendum cum religiosis, qui iisdem in Ecclesia, quibus nos functionibus vacant
âVIâDe conciliandis Societati viduis opulentis
âVIIâQuomodo conservandae viduae et disponendum de bonis, quae habent
âVIIIâQuomodo faciendum, ut filii et filiae viduarum religiosum aut devotarium statum amplectantur
âIXâDe reditibus collegiorum augendis
âXâDe disciplinae huius rigore priovato in Societate
âXIâQualiter se nostri unanimiter praestabunt contra dimissos e Societate
âXIIâQuinam conservari ac foveri in Societate debeant
âXIIIâDe delectu iuvenum in Societatem admittendorum et modo retinendi
âXIVâDe casibus et causa dimittendi e Societate
âXVâQuomodo agendum cum monialibus et devotariis
âXVIâDe contemptu divitiarum palam prae se ferendo
âXVIIâDe mediis promovendi Societatem
The Society of Jesusâs Private Instructions
âIâHow the Society Should Present Itself When It Receives a Foundation in a New Place
âIIâWhat Must Be Done to Gain the Intimate Familiarity of Rulers and Magnates
âIIIâWhat Will the Lords Care for Us When They Are Destitute of Money but Have Much Authority in the Republic and Can Benefit Us in Other Ways
âIVâWhat Should Be Recommended to Preachers and Confessors of Rulers and Magnates
âVâWhat Is to Be Done with Religious Who, While Agreeing with Us in Many Occupations, Detract from Us a Lot
âVIâOn Winning Affluent Widows to the Society
âVIIâWhat Method of Preserving Widows in Widowhood, and concerning the Disposition of the Revenues They Have
âVIIIâRegarding the Remedies, So That the Sons and Daughters of Our Devout Followers Embrace the Religious State
âIXâOn Increasing the Revenues of the Colleges
âXâOn Showing the Rigor of Discipline in the Society
âXIâHow Ours Will Unanimously Behave against Those Dismissed
âXIIâOn the Selection of Young Men for the Society, and the Way to Retain Them
âXIIIâOn Nuns
âXIVâOn Reserved Cases and Reasons for Dismissal from the Society
âXVâThose Who Must Be Preserved and Cherished among the Societyâs People
âXVIâOn the Disdain of Riches
â[Guidelines for the Discreet Communication of Private Instructions within the Society]
âIâOf Bernard Maciejowski, Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church, Archbishop of Gniezno, to the Ruler of the Venetians
âIIâTo the Legate
âIIIâOf Jerzy RadziwiÅÅ, Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church, Bishop of Kraków
âIVâPiotr Myszkowski, Bishop of Kraków, to Sixtus V
âVâDemetrius Sulikovius, Archbishop of Lviv
âVIâThe Same
The Two Polish Translations of the Monita secreta Societatis Iesu
âEditorial Commentary
â1âFoundations of the Edition
â2âTranscription Principles
â3âCritical Apparatus
â4âAnnotations
Monita secreta Societatis Iesu to jest Rady tajemne Towarzystwa Jezusowego z ÅaciÅskiego na portugalski, wÅoski, francuski, niemiecki etc., teraz zaÅ i na polski jÄzyk przetÅumaczone, a[nno]Â d[omini]Â 1767
âDo Czytelnika
âPierwszy przypadek
âDrugi przypadek
âTrzeci przypadek
âFirst Instance
âSecond Instance
âThird Instance
âPrzestrogi jezuickie o Radach tajemnych
âJesuit Warnings about the Secret Instructions
Monita secreta Societatis Iesu. Rady tajemne Towarzystwa Jezusowego
âRozdziaÅ 1. Jak siÄ ma Towarzystwo zachowaÄ, osiadajÄ c na jakowym nowotnym miejscu
âRozdziaÅ 2. Jakim sposobem jezuici wkradaÄ siÄ majÄ w ÅaskÄ i przyjaźŠu ksiÄ Å¼Ä t i innych znacznych osób
âRozdziaÅ 3. Jak siÄ ma zachowaÄ Towarzystwo przeciwko tym, którzy znaczni sÄ w urzÄdzie, i tym, którzy choÄ nie sÄ bogaci, jednak ważne usÅugi ÅwiadczyÄ nam mogÄ
âRozdziaÅ 4. Jak siÄ majÄ sprawowaÄ nasi teologowie, kaznodzieje, kapelani i spowiednicy u wielkich panów
âRozdziaÅ 5. Jak siÄ majÄ obchodziÄ nasi z innymi zakonnikami, którzy tenże, co i my, urzÄ d sprawujÄ w KoÅciele Bożym
âRozdziaÅ 6. Jak siÄ ma zalecaÄ nasze Towarzystwo do bogatych wdów
âRozdziaÅ 7. Jak sobie z wdowami i ich dobrami postÄpowaÄ RozdziaÅ
âRozdziaÅ 8. Co trzeba czyniÄ, aby dzieci wdów obrali życie zakonne
âRozdziaÅ 9. O sposobie pomnożenia d[o]cho[dów] naszych
âRozdziaÅ 10. O surowoÅci w zakonie naszym przeciwko tym, którzy siÄ wedÅug niego nie sprawujÄ
âRozdziaÅ 11. Jak siÄ jednomyÅlnie nasi obchodziÄ majÄ z tymi, którzy sÄ z zakonu naszego wygnani
âRozdziaÅ 12. O tych, których w naszym Towarzystwie utrzymujemy i jak siÄ z nimi obchodziÄ
âRozdziaÅ 13. O obieraniu mÅodzi do Towarzystwa wstÄpujÄ cej i jak jÄ utrzymywaÄ
âRozdziaÅ 14. O przypadkach zachowanych i o przyczynach wyrzucenia z naszego Towarzystwa
âRozdziaÅ 15. Jak siÄ zachowaÄ przeciw zakonniczkom i mniszkom
âRozdziaÅ 16. Jak nasi majÄ pokazywaÄ wzgardÄ bogactw
âRozdziaÅ 17. O Årzodkach pomnożenia Towarzystwa
âPrzydatek: Tajemnica jezuicka, gdy siÄ odważajÄ targnÄ Ä na monarchÄ (przekopiowana z jednego starodawnego na pergaminie rÄkopisma)
âAppendix: The Jesuit Secret When They Dare to Strike against a Monarch (copied from an old manuscript on parchment)
Przewodnik, czyli Skryte rzÄ dy ojców jezuitów, z ÅaciÅskiego przeÅożone roku 1784
âPrzedmowa
Guide to the Secret Governance of the Jesuit Fathers, Translated from the Latin, 1784
âPreface
âRozdziaÅ 1. O sposobach obchodzenia siÄ z obywatelami w tych miejscach, gdzieby Åwieżo byÅy zaÅożone Towarzystwa klasztory
âRozdziaÅ 2. O nabywaniu Åaski i spoufaleniu siÄ z najpierwszemi ksiÄ Å¼Äty i panami
âRozdziaÅ 3. O sposobie obchodzenia siÄ Towarzystwa z temi, którzy majÄ powagÄ wielkÄ w rzeczypospolitej i którzy, choÄ bogatemi nie sÄ , innym jednak sposobem dopomóc by mogli
âRozdziaÅ 4. Jak siÄ majÄ zachowaÄ kaznodzieje i spowiednicy wzglÄdem wielkich panów
âRozdziaÅ 5. Jako siÄ obchodziÄ należy z zakonnikami, którzy te-ż same, co i my, w KoÅciele Bożym sprawujÄ urzÄdy
âRozdziaÅ 6. O jednaniu dla Towarzystwa wdów bogatych
âRozdziaÅ 7. O sposobie utrzymywania wdów w ich stanie i rozrzÄ dzania dobrami, które posiadajÄ
âRozdziaÅ 8. Jakich użyÄ potrzeba Årzodków do namówienia synów i córek wdowich do habitu lub dewocji
âRozdziaÅ 9. O powiÄkszaniu dochodów
âRozdziaÅ 10. O wewnÄtrznym rzÄ dzie zakonu
âRozdziaÅ 11. O sposobach jednomyÅlnego bronienia siÄ przeciwko oddalonym z zakonu
âRozdziaÅ 12. Którzy majÄ byÄ utrzymywani w zakonie
âRozdziaÅ 13. O wyborze mÅodzi majÄ cej byÄ do zakonu przyjmowanej i sposobach utrzymywania onej
âRozdziaÅ 14. O grzechach zostawionych wyższej zwierzchnoÅci do rozgrzeszenia i o przyczynach oddalenia z zakonu
âRozdziaÅ 15. O obchodzeniu siÄ z zakonnicami
âRozdziaÅ 16. O powierzchownym okazywani[u] pogardy bogactw
âRozdziaÅ 17. O Årzodkach promowowa[n]ia zakonu
Bibliography of Prints and Manuscripts Index
The book is essential for scholars, historians, and students of religious and political history, particularly those interested in Jesuit studies, early modern propaganda, and European intellectual and cultural conflicts.