Also 6–7 -ite. [ad. mod.L. Jēsūīta, f. Jēsū-s + -īta: see -ITE.]
1. A member of the ‘Society of Jesus,’ a Roman Catholic order founded by Ignatius Loyola in 1533, and sanctioned by Paul IV. in 1540.
The object of the Society was to support and defend the Roman Church in its struggle with the 16th-c. Reformers, and to propagate the faith among the heathen. The stringent organization of the Order soon rendered it very powerful, and brought it into collision with the civil authority even in Roman Catholic countries, from many of which its members have at times been expelled. The secret power of the organization, and the casuistical principles maintained by many of its representatives, and generally ascribed to the body as a whole, have rendered its name odious not only in English, but in French and other languages, and have given rise to sense 2, and to the opprobrious sense attached to Jesuitical, Jesuitry, and other derivatives.
1559. in Cecil Papers (Hist. MSS. Comm.), I. 153. Ye multitud of Iesuitts and seminaryes secrettly comen into ye realm.
1565. T. Stapleton, Fortr. Faith, 52*. The deuoute and lerned company of the Iesuites, men prouided of God bothe to staie heresy and to enlarge Christendom.
1583. Stubbes, Anat. Abus., II. (1882), 6. The diuels agents … by the name of Iesuites … a name verie blasphemously deriued from the name of Iesus.
1588. Hunsdon, in Border Papers (1894), I. 367. The suffering of the Bisshope of Doubleane and a nombre of Jessewittes within his realme.
1602. T. Fitzherbert, Apol., 47 a. Against a Martyn Luther and his cursed crue of vitious Apostates he raysed an Ignatius de Loyola with his blessed company, of vertuous, and Apostolical priests, commonly called Iesuites.
1647. Cowley, Mistr., Prophet, i. Teach Jesuits that have travell’d far, to Lye, Teach Fire to burn, and Winds to blow.
1769. Blackstone, Comm., IV. viii. 104. We might call to witness the black intrigues of the Jesuits, so lately triumphant over Christendom, but now universally abandoned by even the Roman catholic powers.
1838. Macaulay, Ess., Temple (1887), 445. That new brood of Oxonian sectaries who unite the worst parts of the Jesuit to the worst parts of the Orangeman.
1846. M’Culloch, Acc. Brit. Empire (1854), II. 253. The only class of Christians at present proscribed on account of religious opinions are the Jesuits, and members of orders bound by monastic or religious vows.
2. transf. A dissembling person; a prevaricator.
1640. A. Leighton, Pet. to Parlt., in Chandler, Hist. Persec. (1736), 367. Apprehended in Black-Fryers,… and … dragged along (and all the way reproached by the name of Jesuit and Traitor).
1692. Washington, trans. Milton’s Def. Pop., iii. M.’s Wks. (1851), 90. Your self are more a Jesuit than he, nay worse than any of that Crew.
1777. J. Adams, in Fam. Lett. (1876), 306. To humble the pride of some Jesuits, who call themselves Quakers.
1851. Gallenga, Italy, 45. He was himself a Jesuit in all but the cunning.
1878. H. W. Blair, in N. Amer. Rev., CXXVI. 504. The political Jesuits of the South.
3. A kind of dress worn by ladies in the latter part of the 18th century: see quot. 1885.
1767. Trial Ld. Grosvenor (Fairholt).
1775. Misc., in Ann. Reg., 193/2. Under the titles of hats, bonnets, sacks, jesuits, brunswicks, poloneses, muffs, &c.
1885. Fairholt’s Costume Eng. (ed. 3), Gloss., Jesuit, a dress worn by ladies in 1767, buttoning up to the neck, a kind of indoor morning gown.
4. attrib. and Comb. a. attrib. or adj. That is a Jesuit; of or belonging to the Society of Jesus; Jesuitical. b. Comb., as † Jesuit-founder.
1613. Purchas, Pilgrimage (1614), 171. I had beene reading the life and precepts of Ignatius Leiola the Iesuite-founder.
1660. F. Brooke, trans. Le Blanc’s Trav., 215. Instructed by the Jesuite Fathers.
1764. Churchill, Gotham, II. 394. If … from the Jesuit school some precious knave Conviction feign’d.
1844. H. H. Wilson, Brit. India, I. 475. To the Jesuit missionaries succeeded those of the Lutheran church.
c. Special genitival combinations. Jesuits’ bark, the medicinal bark of species of Cinchona, Peruvian bark (introduced into Europe from the Jesuit Missions in S. America); also applied to the bark of Iva frutescens (False or Bastard Jesuits’ bark). Jesuits’ drops, ‘name given to a preparation of garlic, Peruvian balsam, and sarsaparilla’ (Mayne, Expos. Lex., 1855). Jesuits’ nut, a name for the seed of Trapa natans. † Jesuits’ powder (F. poudre des Jésuites), an old name for powdered Peruvian bark. Jesuits’ tea, an infusion of the leaves of Psoralea glandulosa, a South American leguminous shrub.
1694. Salmon, Bate’s Disp. (1713), 250/2. Cortex Peruvianus or *Jesuits Bark in fine Powder newly made.
1714. Phil. Trans., XXIX. 48. Three Ounces of Jesuits Bark.
1760. J. Lee, Introd. Bot., App. 305. Jesuits Bark tree, False, Iva.
1799. J. Robertson, Agric. Perth, 316. A gentleman … told me, that a little warm milk with some Jesuit bark would cure the trembling.
1880. C. R. Markham, Peruv. Bark, 14. In 1670 these fathers sent parcels of the powdered bark to Rome…. Hence the name of ‘Jesuits’ bark,’ and ‘Cardinal’s bark.’
1783. Pott, Chirurg. Wks., II. 228. He had for a month before been taking *Jesuit’s drops and other quack medicines.
1866. Treas. Bot., 1161/1. The seeds … of T[rapa] natans—called *Jesuit’s nuts at Venice, and Chataigne d’Eau by the French—are ground into flour and made into bread in some parts of Southern Europe.
1659. Merc. Pol., No. 553. Advt., The Feaver bark, commonly called the *Jesuites powder which is so famous for the cure of all manner of agues.
a. 1715. Burnet, Own Time, III. (1724), I. 474. The fits did not return after the King [Chas. II.] took Quinquina, called in England the Jesuits powder.
1866. Treas. Bot., 935/2. In Chili the leaves of P[soralea] glandulosa, there called Culen, are used as a substitute for tea under the name of *Jesuit’s Tea; but their infusion … appears to be valued more for its medicinal properties.
