three centuries, nay, even three generations since, were the fears of
those who dwelt along the coast of Southern France, of Spain, and of
Italy, or, who, as pilgrims, merchants, or sailors navigated the blue
waters of the inland sea. Every year, even after the battle of Lepanto,
and still more before it, the corsairs of the northern coasts of Africa
scoured the Mediterranean and carried into captivity hundreds of
Christians, of all ages, nations, and of both sexes, from vessels they
encountered or from villages along the shores of France, Italy, or
Spain. Hence it is, that to this day, those shores are studded with the
ruins of castles and forts, erected as defences against those corsairs.
So great was, however, their boldness that even as late as the
seventeenth century, Algerian pirates ventured as far as "the chops of
the Channel."

When we read the annals of those religious orders devoted to the
redemption of captives, we can more fully realize the terrible extent to
which the Christian slave trade was carried by the infidels. As
Englishmen, we do well to cherish the memory of Wilberforce. As
Catholics we should not forget the religious men who risked all,
slavery, disease, and death, to rescue Christians from the chains of
slavery. Let us recall to mind a few facts about them. One single house
of the Trinitarians, that of Toledo, during the first four centuries of
its existence, ransomed one hundred and twenty-four thousand Christian
slaves. The Order of Mercy, during a similar period, procured freedom
for nearly five hundred thousand slaves. As to the number of slaves in
captivity at one time, it may be mentioned that Charles the Fifth
released thirty thousand by his expedition against Tunis, and about half
as many were set free by the battle of Lepanto. It was estimated that in
the Regency of Algiers, there was an average of thirty thousand slaves
detained there. As late as 1767, in Algiers itself, there were two
thousand Christians in chains. Of such slaves many were women, many mere
boys and girls. And as late as 1816, Lord Exmouth, after the bombardment
of Algiers, set many Christian slaves free. It is, as we said, hard to
realize that in times almost within the memory of living men, Christians
toiled in chains for the infidel, in the way some may have seen depicted
by pictures in the Louvre. Similar pictures are kept in the old church
of St. Giles, at Bruges, where a confraternity existed for the
redemption