Chapter 11 THE THIRTEEN ARTICLES CONCERNING MILITARY ART

BEFORE THE American Revolution, Roman Catholics were barred from voting or holding public office throughout the British colonies. They were a persecuted minority every where but in the proprietary domain of William Penn (Pennsylvania and Delaware). Some of their most energetic persecutors, in fact, were the very Huguenots whom the Catholics had chased out of France in the wake of Louis XIV’s revocation of the Edict of Nantes.

The basis of Roman Catholic persecution was political. Catholics owed allegiance to Pontifex Maximus, the Bishop of Rome. The Bishop of Rome was a foreign ruler who, as a matter of public policy, regarded the British king and his Protestant Church as heretics to be destroyed. From the American colonists’ stand point, to allow Catholics to vote or hold office was tantamount to surrendering their colonies to a foreign conqueror. A crucial part of maintaining personal liberty in Protestant colonial America was keeping Roman Catholics out of government. But then came the Revolution. The colonial citizenry fought for and won their independence from Great Britain. They established a Constitution that amounted to… surrendering their country to a foreign conqueror. Consider the legalities. Before the Constitution was ratified, American Catholics had few civil rights; after ratification, they had them all. Article VI, section 3 provides that “no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the authority of the United States,” while the First Amendment denies Congress the power “to make any law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” With Article IV Section 3 and the First Amendment, the Constitution welcomed agents of Pontifex Maximus, the world’s chief enemy of Protestantism, into the ranks of government.

Of the 2,500,000 enumerated inhabitants in 1787 America, the Roman Catholic population consisted of no more than 16,000 in Maryland, 7,000 in Pennsylvania, 1,500 in New York, and 200 in Virginia.¹ Once the Constitution was in place, a steady influx of European immigrants transformed Roman Catholicism from America’s smallest to largest religious denomination. By 1850, the higher powers at Rome could view the United States as a viable tributary, if not another papal state.

This awesome result did not just happen. I submit that it was brilliantly designed and commanded by a man I am pleased to honor as the American republic’s least known founding father, Lorenzo Ricci (pronounced “Richey.”) Ricci was a Tuscan aristocrat by birth, a stoical philosopher by reputation, and a Jesuit father by profession. He was Superior General of the Society of Jesus during the formative years of the American Revolution, from 1758 until 1775. He also may be credited with having written the most celebrated treatise on war ever published, a work entitled The Thirteen Articles Concerning Military Art.

The reputed author of this work is a quasi-historical Chinese general believed to have lived in the sixth century BC named Suntzu. Sun-tzu was unknown to western languages until Joseph-Marie Amiot, astronomer to the Emperor of China, brought forth a French edition of the Thirteen Articles in 1772. Amiot was a Jesuit priest under obedience to General Ricci. I base my inference that Ricci is the author of Amiot’s Sun-tzu on a remark from today’s premier Jesuit spokesman, Malachi Martin, retired professor at the Pontifical Institute in Rome, to the effect that a book written by a Jesuit, due to the obedience factor, can be presumed “in essence” to be the work of his Superior General.2 Amiot’s Sun-tzu, then, can be presumed to have been “written” by Lorenzo Ricci.

The black pope’s decision to publish Sun-tzu prior to the outbreak of the Revolution he had engineered demonstrates, I believe, his confidence that divine authority had already delivered victory to him. Ricci knew that circumstances had reached the point at which there was nothing which his enemy, the forces of Protestantism on both sides of the Atlantic, could do to alter the outcome. He was like a chess master who sees the inevitability of checkmate four moves ahead and reveals his winning method out of courtesy to the imminent loser. His method was so sublimely Sun-tzuan that his opponents never even perceived his army to be an opponent – just as Protestants today are unaware that extirpating their credo is still the unrelenting Jesuit mission.

The Thirteen Articles were ignored by Americans until the nineteen-seventies, when our corporate executives discovered that their oriental counterparts were doing business according to Suntzuan strategies. As U.S. corporations increased their presence in the Pacific Rim, Sun-tzu became a major survival tool. Since the middle eighties, more than fifty editions of the Articles have been published in this country, mostly under the “Art of War” title. These editions represent Sun-tzu well enough, but none of them are derived from the 1772 Amiot translation into French (which itself was based on a Tartar-Manchurian version of the older Chinese manuscripts). Amiot’s Sun-tzu appears never to have been published in English, although a 1996 commission by La Belle

Église produced a very fine manuscript English translation by Her- mine F. Garcia. That manuscript is the source of my citations here. Only the Amiot edition reflects in virtually the Jesuit General’s own words how he formed the United States of America by dividing the British Empire against itself, while at the same time dividing the rest of Europe against Britain, against even the General’s own army! The Amiot is all the more remarkable for appearing in the very midst of the unfolding of this extraordinary process.

AMIOT begins The Thirteen Articles by noting how odd it is that the benign Chinese morality should spawn a warrior of Suntzu’s magnitude:

If we are to judge the Chinese by their morals … and in general by everything one can currently observe of them, we would instantly conclude that this must be the most pacifist Nation in the world, far from having the brilliant qualities necessary for Warriors. Yet, surprisingly, this very Nation, which has subsisted for nearly four thousand years in approximately the same state we see it in today, has always, or almost always, triumphed over its enemies; and when it had the misfortune of being conquered, it gave its laws to the conquerors themselves.

We know this, Amiot says, from the Annals, which contain “admirable accounts of prodigious bravery,” and lists of actions and military conduct of various founders of dynasties. He exclaims

What Heroes! What Politicians! What Warriors! No Alexander or Caesar could surpass them. Why shouldn’t these great men, these powerful geniuses, who made such fine political and civil Laws, have made military laws which were just as fine?

The reference to Caesar is significant. Declaring China’s dynastic heroes to be Caesar’s equals, Amiot equates Lorenzo Ricci, the reigning bearer of Caesarean authority, with the greatest oriental Warriors. Were the oriental military laws “just as fine” as Caesar’s? “It is not up to me to judge this,” Amiot answers. “Our Warriors must pronounce themselves in this regard.”

If the term “Our Warriors” means “our Jesuit brethren,” as I believe it does, then we have before us Ricci’s clandestine order that the book be received by the scattered members of the Society as the latest statement of the General’s military Law. (Clandestine generals order clandestinely.) Amiot admits that translating a war manual was “contrary to my taste, & so far from the object of my profession.” He says that he only undertook the work in hopes that the reader might have “some pleasure conversing with these foreign Heroes and receiving some of their instructions and [finding] something useful.” What cannot be denied is that Rome was served by critical events in America and England during the years of Ricci’s reign in ways that flow quite discernably from the strategies, laws, and maxims set forth in the Thirteen Articles. I believe that anyone reading Amiot’s Sun-tzu in 1772, knowing that its translator was a Jesuit, knowing the Jesuit mission, and knowing the nature of Jesuitic obedience, could observe world events with this knowledge, and predict that the dispute between the American colonists and the British Empire would end – as it actually did – in Roman dominance over a new, independent republic.

Before presenting the works of Sun-tzu, Amiot recounts an important legend demonstrating the severity of Sun-tzuan authority. It is a severity that empowers the General to overrule even his Sovereign in order to secure the army’s perfect obedience. Hearing that the King of Oo was preparing for war and not wishing to remain idle, Sun-tzu offered his services to the King. The King had read Sun-tzu’s book and liked it, but doubted its practicability.

“Prince,” replied Sun-tzu, “I said nothing in my Writings that I had not already practiced in the army. What I have not yet said, but of which I presume to assure Your Majesty today, is that I am capable of transmitting these practices to anyone whomsoever & training them in military exercises when I am authorized to do so.”

“I understand,” replied the King. “You wish to say that you will easily teach your maxims to intelligent men who are already both prudent and valorous; that you will have no difficulty giving training in military exercises to men accustomed to hard work who are docile & full of good will. But the majority is not of that nature.”

“It matters not,” replied Sun-tzu. “I said anyone whomsoever and I exclude no one from my offer, including the most mutinous, the most cowardly and the weakest of men.”

“To hear you speak,” said the King, “you would even inspire women to have the feelings of Warriors; you would train them to bear arms.”

“Yes, Prince,” replied Sun-tzu in a firm voice, “and I beg Your Majesty to be assured of it.”

The King, who in the circumstances in which he found himself was no longer entertained by the customary amusements of Court, took advantage of this opportunity to find a new sort of amusement. He said, “Bring me one hundred eighty of my wives.” He was obeyed, & the Princesses appeared. Among them were two in particular whom the King loved tenderly; they were placed ahead of the others. “We will see,” said the King, smiling. “We will see, Sun-tzu, if you will be true to your word. I make you General of these new troops. All throughout my palace you need only choose the place which seems the most comfortable to give them military training. When they are sufficiently instructed you will let me know, & I will come myself to render justice to them & to your talent.”

The General sensed the ridicule of the role he was asked to play. But he did not back down, and instead appeared quite satisfied by the honor bestowed on him by the King, not only by allowing him to see his wives but also by putting them under his direction. “I will do well with them, Sire,” he said in an assured tone, “and I hope that soon Your Majesty will have cause to be satisfied with my services. At the very least, Your Majesty will be convinced that Sun-tzu is not a man who takes risks.”

Once the King had retired to his apartments, the Warrior thought only of executing his commission. He asked for weapons & all the military equipment needed for his newly created soldiers. While waiting for everything to be ready, he led his troop into one of the courtyards of the palace which seemed the best suited for his work. Soon the items he had requested were brought to him. Sun-tzu then spoke to the Princesses. “Here you are,” he said, “under my direction and my orders. You must listen to me attentively and obey me in whatever I command you to do. That is the first & most essential military law: make sure you don’t break it. By tomorrow I want you to perform exercises before the King, & I intend for them to be done perfectly.”

After those words he strapped on their swords, put spears in their hands, divided them into two groups, and put one of the favorite Princesses at the head of each. Once that arrangement was made, he began his instructions in these terms: “Can you tell the difference between your chest and your back, & your right hand from your left hand? Answer me.” At first the only response he received was some bursts of laughter. But he remained silent and very serious. “Yes, of course,” the Ladies then replied in one voice. “If that is so,” resumed Sun-tzu, “then listen carefully to what I am going to say. When the drum strikes only one beat, you will remain as you are now, only paying attention to what is before your chest. When the drum strikes two beats, you must turn so that your chest is in the place where your right hand was before. If instead of two beats you hear three, you must turn so that your chest is precisely where your left hand was before. But when the drum strikes four beats, you must turn so that your chest is where your back was, & your back will be where your chest was.

“What I just said may not be clear enough; let me explain. A single drum beat means that you must not change your position & you must be on guard. Two beats means you must turn right. Three beats means you must turn left. And four beats means you make a half turn. I will explain even more.

“This is the order I shall follow. First I will strike one beat: at that signal you will be ready to receive my orders. A few moments later I will strike two beats: then, all together, you will turn to the right with gravity, after which I will not strike three beats but four, & you will make a half-turn. I will then have you return to your first position and, as before, I will strike one beat. At the first signal, be ready. Then I will strike, not two beats but three, & you will turn left; at four beats you will complete the half-turn. Have you well understood what I am saying? If you have any difficulties, you have but to speak to me of them and I shall attempt to explain the matter.” “We have understood,” replied the Ladies. “If that is so,” responded Sun-tzu, “I will begin. Do not forget that the sound of the drum takes the place of the General’s voice, but he is the one who is giving you these orders.”

After repeating his instructions three times, Sun-tzu again aligned his small army, after which he had the drum strike one beat. At that sound, all the Ladies began to laugh. At two drum beats, they laughed even louder. Ever serious, the General spoke to them thus: “It is possible that I did not explain clearly enough the instructions I gave you. If that is so, it is my fault. I will attempt to remedy it by speaking to you in a way that is more accessible to you (& at once he repeated the lesson three times in other terms), and then we will see,” he added, “if you obey me any better.” He had the drum strike one beat, and then two. Seeing him look so serious, and given the strange situation they found themselves in, the Ladies forgot to obey him. After attempting in vain to stop the laughter that was choking them, they finally let it burst forth loudly.

Sun-tzu was in no way disconcerted, but in the same tone he had used when speaking to them before, he said: “If I had not explained myself clearly, or if you had not assured me, in unison, that you understood what I said, you would in no way be guilty. But I spoke to you clearly, as you admitted yourselves. Why did you not obey? You deserve punishment, and military punishment. Among the Makers of War, whoever does not obey the orders of his General deserves death. Therefore you will die.” After that short preamble, Sun-tzu ordered the women who formed the two lines to kill the two who were leading them. Just then, one of the men whose job it was to guard the women, seeing that the Warrior was not joking, ran to warn the King of what was happening. The King sent someone to Sun-tzu to forbid him from going any farther, & in particular from mistreating the two women he loved the best & without whom he could not live.

The General listened with respect to the words that were spoken on behalf of the King, but he refused to bow to his wishes. “Go tell the King,” he replied, “that Sun-tzu believes him to be too reasonable & too just to think he might have changed his mind so soon, & that he truly wishes to be obeyed in what you have just told me on his behalf. The Prince is the lawmaker; he would not give orders which would sully the dignity he vested in me. He asked me to train one hundred and eighty of his Wives as soldiers, he made me their General. The rest is up to me. They disobeyed me, they will die.” So saying, he pulled out his sword and with the same calmness he had displayed until then, he cut off the heads of the two who were leading the others. He immediately put two others in their place, and had the drum strike the various beats he had explained to his troops. And it was as if those women had been professional soldiers all their lives; they made their turns silently and impeccably.

Sun-tzu spoke thus to the Envoy: “Go tell the King,” he said, “that his wives know how to drill. Now I can lead them to war, make them affront all sorts of perils, & even make them pass through water & fire.”

When the King learned what had happened, he was penetrated by the deepest sorrow. With a great sigh he said, “Thus have I lost what was dearest to me in this world…. Have that Foreigner return to his country. I do not want him, nor his services— What have you done, barbarian?… How can I go on living?” … and so on.

As unconsolable as the King was, time and the circumstances soon made him forget his loss. His enemies were ready to descend upon him. He asked Sun-tzu to return, made him General of his armies, & with his help he destroyed the Chou Kingdom. Those of his neighbors who had formerly been the most worrisome were now penetrated by fear at the mere mention of the glorious acts of Sun-tzu, and thought only of living peacefully under the protection of a Prince who had such a man at his service.

This introduction confirms that Paul Ill’s war declaration Regimini militantis ecclesiae is about protecting the life of the nation, which is the Roman Church. Protecting the Church may require the Superior General to sacrifice his soldiers, his citizens, and if need be, his sovereign, the pope. In a very real sense, the great General is so inscrutably alone, so omnipotent, that he is at war with… everyone. Sacrificing his own (just as Saturn, the grandfather- god of Rome devoured his own children) in order to defeat an enemy short of coming to blows, this is a great General’s legitimate obligation. Sun-tzu writes:

Without giving battle, without spilling a drop of [the enemy’s] blood, without even drawing a sword, the clever General succeeds in capturing cities. Without setting foot in a foreign Kingdom, he finds the means to conquer them. He acts in such a way that those who are inferior to him can never guess his intentions. He has them change location, even taking them to rather difficult places where they must work and suffer. When a clever General goes into action, the enemy is already defeated. When he fights, he alone must do more than his entire army, not through the strength of his arm but through his prudence, his manner of commanding, & above all his ruses.

Lorenzo Ricci’s most compelling ruse was disestablishing the Society of Jesus, a campaign that mimicked the collapse of the Knights Templar four centuries earlier. With astonishing precision, the Disestablishment ran concurrently with the escalation of hostilities between the American colonies and the British Crown.

It was an amazing juggle that spanned seventeen years. It saw Ricci’s secret liaisons in and around the British Parliament buy legislation that inflamed his secret liasons in and around the American colonial governments to formulate a culture of rebellion. It saw his own visible army, mute and defenseless, systematically assaulted by the European powers and eventually suppressed “for all eternity” by a 1773 papal brief. Once the stage was set and the action scripted, it saw the General slip into deeper cover to let the Protestant powers exhaust themselves in wars that within a single generation resulted in a glorious Roman presence where once England had reigned.

Clandestine military operations inspired by the ingenuity of Sun-tzu are virtually impossible to document. If strategic notes were taken, if written commands were given, they were carefully destroyed. Such that survive may have been spared in order to misinform. The mouths of covert operatives are kept shut out of a simple desire to stay alive. Sensational disclosures, too, we can presume to be misinformational. To determine that Lorenzo Ricci did in fact mount any clandestine operation at all requires a careful evaluation of circumstantial evidence. Was there an outcome that benefitted him and his Sovereign? Did he have the authority, the motive, the resources, the ability, and the opportunity to do what created the outcome? As to outcome: English-speaking Protestantism did in fact violently divide, and the victorious party moreover invited Roman Catholic religionists to participate in its political government. As to authority for waging war against Protestantism, Regimini militantis ecclesiae authorized the General to prosecute enemies of the Roman faith. As to motive: the Jesuit oath spiritually obligated the extirpation of Protestantism in both America and Great Britain. As to resources, the black papacy, even as its martial strategy brought its own organization to apparent oblivion, had instant call on the vast reserve of Roman Catholic wealth – as the old Spanish proverb goes, “Don Dinero es muy Catolico.” Ricci’s ability to direct an international covert operation was stated and defined by the momentous publication of The Thirteen Articles in what was then the language of international diplomacy. Finally, a man commanding unlimited financial resources and unlimited obedience of an unlimited supply of well- trained personnel enjoys unlimited opportunity to do anything possible, and some things deemed impossible. To deny that Lorenzo Ricci orchestrated American Independence may be to ignore his talent and demean his office.

Let us move now to the next chapter, and begin our examination of how the General did it.

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