given to him in place of
the novels he had asked for, as no others were in the house.

In reading the lives of the saints his heart was touched. His eyes
were opened to the vanity of life and the reality of eternity
compared with the worldliness of the life he had been leading.
Inspired with enthusiasm at the lives of the saints, he said, "What
they have done, I can do." The event of his life proved the
earnestness of his purpose.

He resolved to undertake a life of penance and self-denial, and, while
occupied with these holy resolutions, he wrote in a book the principal
events of the life of Christ and His glorious Mother. It was at this
time that Our Lord sent him a vision to strengthen and console him. He
beheld one night, as he was holding his vigils, the glorious Queen of
the angels, who appeared to him holding in her arms her Blessed Son,
enlightening him with the splendor of glory and charming him by her
sweet presence.

To her he ascribes the inspiration of the Spiritual Exercises, and his
Order, imitating its founder, has shown the most unbounded affection
and devoted filial love toward the Virgin Mother of Christ.

* * * * *

At Alcala St. Ignatius studied, and there won for the Society of
Jesus, Laynez, Salmeron, and Babadilla. He afterward founded there a
college where Vasquez, Suarez, and St. Francis Borgia expounded the
Holy Scriptures. St. Ignatius sent Father de Torres to Salamanca to
found the famous college where the illustrious professors, Cardinal de
Lugo, Francis Suarez, Maldonatus, Gregory of Valencia, Francis Ribera,
and many other illustrious men were professors.

* * * * *

At the University of Paris, in 1534, on the 14th of March, St.
Ignatius received the degree of Master of Arts and Doctor of
Philosophy, having received the degree of Bachelor of Arts two years
before. The University of Paris had the honor of having as pupils St.
Ignatius, St. Francis Xavier, Peter Faber, Claude le Jay, Simon
Rodriguez, John Codura, Paschasius, Brouet, Martin Olave, all honored
with the academic degree.

* * * * *

Among the earlier colleges founded by St. Ignatius were the
following:--

In 1542 the College of Coimbra, in Portugal, arose. In 1546 St.
Francis Borgia founded the College of Gandia. In 1556 the College of
Ingolstadt was founded. In 1552 a college was founded at Vienna, and
in 1556 one at Prag