On the way to Rome he met a gentleman whose striking appearance
attracted his attention. _Heinrich_ thought he had never seen a
handsomer and at the same time more intellectual countenance, and a
conversation arose between them which greatly interested _Heinrich_,
and very soon led him to make disclosures about himself and his course
of life, to which the stranger listened with an attention extremely
flattering to Ottmar's self-love, and entered, with affable
condescension, into every subject introduced by the latter. He appeared
to be so familiar with every sphere of life, all the relations of
European courts, that _Heinrich_ took him for a diplomat, and eagerly
gathered up all the information he communicated, because it always bore
the stamp of accurate, positive knowledge. But the stranger had so much
noble enthusiasm, his language was often so eloquent, that _Heinrich_
frequently felt tempted to think him an artist, and his curiosity
increased more and more when he baffled, with consummate skill, every
effort to turn the conversation upon himself. The hours flew by
_Heinrich_ like the scenes through which he was passing, but he noticed
nothing to which the stranger did not call his attention. He had eyes
and ears only for him. He knew not which he most admired,--the
comprehensive knowledge of society, the elegant modes of expression, or
the aristocratic, yet winning, manners of this mysterious man. The
latter himself felt an increasing interest in his young companion, and
when the gigantic dome of Saint Peter's rose before them _Heinrich_
eagerly expressed his regret that the delightful journey was over.
"Will you seek me out in Rome?" asked the stranger.
"Most gladly!" cried _Heinrich_, with delight.
"Very well; then promise me to come to-morrow after early mass."
"Certainly; but how shall I find you?"
"Ask for Father Severinus, the Prefect of the Collegium Germanicum."
_Heinrich_ gazed at him in unconcealed amazement.
"You are----"
"A Jesuit," said the priest, laughing; and left _Heinrich_ to his
speechless astonishment.
The short disenchantment the latter experienced very soon yielded to
redoubled admiration for the remarkable things this man had
accomplished in spite of the narrow sphere to which he was limited by
his position as a priest. His father's predilection for the Jesuits
recurred to his mind, and many tales of the wondrous labors and
successes of this order no longer seemed so incredible and exaggerated
as before. He felt a desire to know more of the institution which
cultivated such remarkable charms of mind and person, and did not fail
to go to the Casa al Gesu the following day. The reception he met with
far surpassed all his anticipations.
Father Severinus introduced him to the other chiefs of the order, and
when at last the General himself requested him to pay him a visit there
was not a single point in which _Heinrich's_ vanity was not flattered
and his curiosity excited to the utmost.
The visit to the General ended with an invitation to dinner, and during
the meal the latter appointed a certain day upon which _Heinrich_
should be his guest every week.
Ottmar had never before been so well entertained among men, and soon
found himself nowhere so agreeably situated as when with Father
Severinus and his companions. The holy fathers procured for him every
pleasure that a stranger can enjoy in a new place. They showed him an
admirable selection of the glories of Rome, afforded him an opportunity
to see many curiosities which are usually inaccessible to strangers,
were always at hand when he needed them, and did not appear to be in
the world when he did not require their services. Under their guidance
he obtained a sight of the treasures in the library of the Vatican, and
they also afforded him a glimpse of their own archives; but as soon as
his desire for knowledge was excited, and he wished to penetrate
farther, the interesting matter was withdrawn because it was allowed
only to the actual adherents of Jesuitism. Yet the fathers imparted
much confidential and extremely useful information, by means of which
they gave him to understand that they were in possession of still more
important secrets, into which, however, only actual students of the
institution, whose loyalty to the order had been severely tested, could
be initiated.
_Heinrich_ at last could not resist inquiring into the conditions upon
which he might be considered a tried servant of the order and be
permitted to share these favors. For their agents in the world, these
consisted of a novitiate of one year for the trial and practice of
obedience, and another year of voluntary residence and study in the
college. As he already knew more than was taught in the Germanicum and
Propaganda, he, of course, did not think of going through a school
course; but the thought entered his mind that at the cost of a
novitiate, which he already perceived would not be too strict, he could
obtain information which might be of the greatest use to him in his
career. He did not doubt that no one knew the world and mankind better
than the all-observant, inquiring Jesuits; and they did not neglect to
represent the principal European states and courts as a department of
their restless and manifold branches of labor. He was assured that he
could graduate from no better school of diplomacy than the quiet Jesuit
convent, and it seemed to him well worth the trouble of shutting
himself up here for a year, to emerge such a brilliant personage as his
admired Severinus. The priests gave him plainly to understand that his
novitiate would be only a name, for they had too much knowledge of
human nature to repel a young man of the world, like Ottmar, by the
prospect of monastic austerities. This promised indulgence was by no
means contrary to the rules of the order, since Ottmar was not to be
trained for priesthood, but the world, and therefore must be considered
as a guest rather than a pupil of the Germanicum. He possessed the
entire confidence of the fathers, for first from courtesy to his
hospitable hosts, and afterwards from prudence, he had been silent in
regard to his differences of opinion, but showed a sincere appreciation
of some of their institutions, which they naturally mistook for
devotion to the order. The principal reason was that his father was
known to have been a devout Catholic, a circumstance which so
completely deceived the holy fathers, that _Heinrich_ had no occasion
to do anything but keep silence and submit patiently to the rules of
the order to enjoy all the advantages of this rare confidence. The
temptation was too great, he had been too long accustomed to yield to
every caprice, every fancy, to be punctilious about the concessions of
his own convictions he would be compelled to make, and decided to enter
the Casa al Gesu. The Jesuits were extremely delighted with their new
conquest; for they hoped to make the unusually gifted young man an
agent for Germany, particularly the Protestant court of H----, which
had hitherto been closed against their influence. They willingly
acceded to _Heinrich's_ desire to enter the college under another name;
for it was of importance to them that his stay should remain unknown,
that he might afterwards act in their cause with fewer impediments.
Thus the first step was taken on the path of deceit which his blind
egotism considered the speediest road to the goal, and upon which a man
always enters when he lacks the self-denial to make his opinions his
rule of conduct. Many a favorite of fortune is a miserable egotist, and
passes for a man of honor only because his fate has never chanced to
bring him in conflict with his selfishness; had such been the case he
would quickly have lost his cheaply-won fame. Thus it fared with
_Heinrich_ at a time when his acts and conduct were not yet burdened
with any responsibility or visible result. His proceeding had no
objective importance because he had not as yet gained any influence as
a public character, or formed any political relations. In his view he
committed no treason against the party to which in his own mind, though
not formally, he belonged, by depriving it for another year of the man
who was nothing to it. The point in question did not concern an actual
change of opinion,--for when he once entered the world he would be
faithful to his long-chosen colors,--but the attainment of a purely
personal advantage. It did not occur to his inexperienced mind that, as
a member of the party, he would be responsible to his followers not
only for his future but the past. He did not shrink from abusing the
confidence of the holy fathers, because he thought himself morally
justified in using for his own advantage men who merely wished to make
him a source of profit to themselves. It was doubtless repugnant to him
to feign a faith he did not possess, but he was filled with admiration
for various different individuals of the order, always felt happy with
them, and in truth was indifferent to what religion they belonged, for
he had, as previously mentioned, the toleration of carelessness. To him
all confession was a mere phenomenon of historical culture. The pious
exercises were empty pantomimes, on whose performance nothing depended
except the approval of the fathers, and they were all the easier
because he had grown up among Catholic ceremonies. The political and
social influence of the Jesuits he considered too feeble for him to
fear that he should ever be placed in a situation where he would be
compelled to oppose it. But he was to learn too late how terribly he
had erred.
Thus his novitiate began, and what he had once undertaken he carried
into execution most persistently. He appeared to be a most obedient,
zealous pupil, and succeeded in blinding the good fathers so completely
that, to serve their own ends, they gave him instruction in everything
that could win him esteem at courts,--the most accurate information
about all personal and diplomatic relations, the royal families,
reports made by the emissaries of the Jesuits in every country, a
quantity of secrets whose judicious use must procure him a great
influence, and, in short, impressed their whole sophistical moral
teachings upon his mind. But with these things, so important to him, he
learned something which was to destroy the anticipated result of their
efforts,--to undervalue the order more and more. The more equivocal and
selfish these motives seemed to him, the more he thought himself
justified in deceiving them and casting aside the claims of gratitude.
He perceived with terror what an influence the Jesuits exerted over
everything; how relentlessly, with a thousand weapons, they subdued
everything that he numbered among the greatest intellectual blessings
in the world. The farther he penetrated into their mysteries the
greater his repugnance became, and the more distinctly he saw the wide
gulf which lay between him and Jesuitism.
When the first year of study was drawing to a close, he formed the
resolution to seize upon the first good pretext to release himself from
the distasteful bonds into which, with youthful carelessness, he had
entered. He did not wish to burden himself with any further
obligations, which he now knew he should never discharge. But he was
too familiar with the power to which he had committed himself, not to
be aware that an open breach with the Jesuits might make his career
impossible, perhaps destroy his whole future. Therefore it seemed to
him unavoidable to keep friends with them for the present, and under
his father's authority he had already learned to submit to such
"necessities."
Thus he must find a pretext which would apparently compel him to
sacrifice the second year of study and leave the Casa al Gesu before
its commencement. The moment was favorable to him. It happened that the
government of H---- took certain decisive steps against the Jesuits'
intended settlement in that principality, which aroused the greatest
excitement among the whole order. _Heinrich_ took advantage of this
opportunity. With remarkable address he induced the fathers to send him
to H---- in order to ascertain the actual state of affairs, and in
their interests begin as quickly as possible the career for which they
considered him sufficiently mature. The expectations which the priests
placed upon him justified this step; for he had increased and
strengthened them by an act which usually requires the greatest
readiness for self-sacrifice, he had at the expiration of his novitiate
presented to the order a sum of ten thousand thalers. The holy fathers
did not suspect that it was the payment by which he wished to relieve
his conscience from every burden of gratitude, that with it he paid for
his residence and instruction as he would have defrayed the expenses of
his studies at a university, because, as a man of aristocratic
disposition, he wished to be in debt for nothing. So they took for an
act of devotion what was really an effort to obtain moral freedom, and
their confidence in the man who had made such a sacrifice for them
became as great as is possible for the cautious, circumspect Jesuits.
So they allowed him to set out.
"Become a diplomat and act for us; practice the arts of the world to
serve the cause of Heaven," they said, when they bade him farewell. And
he thought, with a sarcastic smile, "I will become a diplomat not to
serve Heaven, but myself." On returning to his home, his rank and
striking character made it easy for him to begin a diplomatic career.
The government of H---- was Protestant and liberal. He therefore
carefully concealed the fact of his stay in the Jesuit college, and,
with his large means, succeeded in a few years in raising himself to a
lofty position. He became councillor of the legation, a friend of the
minister, a favorite at court, and now stood upon the height from which
he could begin to discharge his debt to the order, and the admonition
was not delayed. The point in question, of course, related to procuring
admittance into the country for, and also extending the privileges of,
the ubiquitous Jesuits.
Ottmar was to introduce these claims--and did not. The moment had
arrived when he must break with the order openly and forever. Now, for
the first time, he perceived the danger resulting from the step. Ought
he to become the representative of a faith which he denied, and during
his stay in Rome had found utterly irreconcilable with his opinions?
Was it to become the shibboleth, which would betray the earlier
associations he had so carefully concealed, perhaps forever crush his
aspirations to obtain a portfolio in the government of H----? At this
price the year of study in the college had been too dearly bought.
Should he, on the other hand, forfeit the powerful assistance of the
Jesuits, and make unrelenting enemies where he had formerly possessed
trusting friends?
The outward advantages of the two courses to be chosen seemed tolerably
equal; his convictions of right must turn the scale, and did so. In
vain were the more and more vehement warnings that followed. He wished
to make the unfettered tendency of his intellect the guide of his life,
and deserted the teachings and struggles of the order; for there still
remained in him a remnant of that feeling of duty which commands men to
oppose what they consider false and pernicious.
But vengeance was not delayed.
_Heinrich_ soon felt that his position in the government and at court
was no longer the same. While hitherto, from the prince down to his
humblest subject, the greatest respect, even admiration, had been paid
him, he now suddenly found himself eyed distrustfully, and even
avoided, without being able to discover a reason. Formerly no important
measure had been taken upon which the minister had not privately
requested his counsel, now the latter enveloped himself in a cloak of
cold reserve. Thus days and weeks elapsed, leaving him in a most
distasteful position.
But one person at the court remained the same towards him: his
patroness, the niece of the widowed prince, Princess Ottilie, an
ethereal vision, who combined the haughty grace of a born aristocrat
with the charms of a feeling soul. In her he possessed a true friend,
whom he honored as a higher being; nay, he was often inclined to
believe he loved her, although not even the faintest wish to possess
her had ever arisen in his mind. All real merit was attracted to the
princess, and she won every one by her poetic mind and clear intellect,
as well as the charms of her maidenly character, although she had
already passed her first youth. She had distinguished Ottmar beyond all
others at the court, but for some time she had been unable to receive
him. It was reported that Ottilie was ill, and in his very
uncomfortable situation he was totally bereft of counsel and
consolation.