Letters to Persons in the World

May God be blessed and glorified in this change of state which you have made for his name, my dearest daughter; and I still say dearest daughter because this change changes nothing in the truly paternal affection which I have given to you. You will find that if you have a perfect resignation of your soul to the providence and will of our Lord, you will advance in this vocation, you will have much consolation, and will become at last very holy. It was what was necessary for your soul, as you have met a gentleman so full of good dispositions.

You are wrong to have a scruple about breaking the fast, as the doctor’s advice requires it.

Guide yourself, as regards communion, by the wish of your confessor; for you must give him this satisfaction, and you will lose nothing; for what you may lack as regards receiving the holy Sacrament, you will find in submission and obedience. As a rule of life I will only give you what is in the book;[1] but if God disposes so that I can see you, and if there is any kind of difficulty, I will answer you.

There is no need for you to write me your confession: if you should have some special point on which you want to consult with my heart, which is all yours, you can write.

Be very gentle; do not live by humours and inclinations, but by reason and devotion. Love your husband tenderly, as having been given to you by the hand of our Lord.

Be very humble towards all; you must take great care to bring your spirit to peace and tranquillity, and to choke bad inclinations by attention to the practice of the contrary virtues, resolving to be more diligent, attentive, and active in the practice of virtues; and note these four words that I am going to say to you: your trouble comes from this, that you rather fear vices than love virtues.

If you could but stir the deep part of your soul to love the practice of gentleness and true humility, my dear daughter, you would be admirable; but it is necessary to often think about it. Make the morning preparation,[2]and in general make the spiritual life a part of your regular duty; God will repay you with a thousand consolations. But you must not forget to often lift up your heart to God, and your thoughts to eternity. Read a little every day, I beg you, in the name of God; do so for me, who every day recommends you to God, and I beg his infinite goodness to bless you for ever, your, &c.

B-II/2. To a Married Lady : Advantages of a holy marriage; how we ought to live in that state.

At Lyons, the Eve of our Lady’s, 8th September, 1612.

Madam,—The hope which I have always had, from a year ago till now, of going into France, has held me back from reminding you by letter of my inviolable affection to your service, as I thought some happy chance would give me the means of paying you this duty in person; but now that I hardly any longer hope for this good, and this trusty bearer gives me so safe an opportunity, I rejoice with you, my dearest daughter—for that word is more cordial.

I rejoice and I praise our Lord for the good and happy marriage you have made, which will serve you as a foundation whereon to build and erect for yourself a sweet and agreeable life in this world, and to pass happily this mortality in the most holy fear of God, in which by his grace you have been nourished from your cradle. Everybody tells me that your husband is one of the best and most accomplished chevaliers of France, and that your union is not only formed by a holy friendship which will ever tighten it more and more, but also blessed with fertility.

You must then correspond to all the favours of heaven, my dearest child; for they are without doubt given you that you may profit by them unto the glory of him that gave them to you, and your own salvation. I am sure, my dearest daughter, that you employ your strength for this, knowing that on this depends the happiness of your household and of yourself, in this fleeting life, and the assurance of immortal life after this.

Well, now, in this new state of marriage in which you are, renew often the resolution we have made of living virtuously and holily, in whatever state

God might place us.

And if you think good, continue to favour me with your filial love, as on my part, I assure you, my dearest daughter, that having my heart filled with paternal affection, I never celebrate the most Holy Mass without very particularly recommending to God you and your worthy husband, to whom I am, and always will be, as I am to you, Madam, your very humble, &c.

B-II/3. To a Married Lady: The Vintage.—Sweet, peaceful, and tranquil love.

Madam,—I am told that you are well into your vintage. God be praised. My heart must tell you a word which I said the other day to a lady who is also making her vintage, and who indeed is one of your dearest cousins.

In the Canticle of Canticles the Beloved, speaking to her Divine Spouse, says that his breasts are better than wine, fragrant with precious ointments.[3] But what breasts are these of the Spouse? They are his grace and his promise; for he has his bosom, amorous of our salvation, full of graces, which he lets flow from hour to hour, yea from moment to moment, into our spirits, and if we will reflect upon it we shall find that so it is. On the other side, he has the promise of eternal life, with which, as with a holy and pleasant milk, he feeds our hope, as with his grace he feeds our love.

This precious liquor is far more delicious than wine. Now, as we make wine by pressing the grapes, so we spiritually make wine by pressing the grace of God and his promises; and to press the grace of God, we must multiply prayer by quick, but energetic movements of our hearts; and to press his promise we must multiply the works of charity; for it is these to which God will give the effect of his promises; I was sick, and you did visit me,[4] will he say. All things have their season; we must press the wine in both these vintages; but we must press without impatience (presser sans s’empresser), take pains without disquietude. Considering, again, my dear daughter, that the breasts of the Spouse are his side pierced on the cross—O God, how twisted a branch is this cross, but how well loaded! There is only one bunch, but worth a thousand. How many grapes have holy souls found therein by the consideration of the many graces and virtues which this Saviour of the world has produced there!

Make a good and abundant vintage, my dear daughter, and may the one serve you as ladder and passage to the other. St. Francis loved lambs and sheep because they represented to him his dear Saviour; and I wish that we should love this temporal vintage, not only because it is an answer to the prayer we make every day for our daily bread, but also, and much more, because it raises us up to the spiritual vintage.

Keep your heart full of love, but of a love sweet, peaceful, and sedate. Regard your own faults, like those of others, with compassion rather than with indignation, with more humility than severity. Adieu, Madam, live joyously, since you have wholly dedicated yourself to immortal joy, which is God himself, who wants to live and reign for ever in the midst of our hearts. I am, in him, and by him, your, &c.

B-II/4. To Madam, wife of President Brulart : True devotion and the practice of it.

9th October, 1604.

Madam,—It has been an extreme pleasure to me to have had and read your letter: I should like mine to give you a return of pleasure, and particularly to remedy the disquietudes which have arisen in your spirit since our separation. God deign to inspire me.

I have told you once, and I recall it very well, that I had found in your general confession all the marks of a true, good, and solid confession, and that I had never received one that had contented me so entirely. It is the true truth, Madam, my dear sister, and be sure that on such occasions I speak very exactly.

If you have omitted to mention something, reflect whether this has been with knowledge and voluntarily: for in that case you must certainly make your confession again, if what you omitted was a mortal sin, or if you thought at the time that it was; but if it was only a venial sin, or if you omitted it through forgetfulness or lack of memory, do not be afraid, my dear sister. You are not bound, I say it at the hazard of my soul, to make your confession again, but it will do to mention to your ordinary confessor the point you have left out. I answer for it. Again, do not be afraid of not having used as much diligence as was required for your general confession; for I tell you again very clearly and confidently, that if you have made no voluntary omission you have no need at all to make again a confession which has really been very sufficiently made, so be at peace about that matter. And if you will discuss the matter with the Father Rector, he will tell you the same about it; for it is the sentiment of the Church our Mother. The rules of the Rosary and the Cord oblige neither under mortal nor under venial sin, directly or indirectly; and if you do not observe them you no more commit a sin than by omitting to do any other good work. Do not then distress yourself at all about them, but serve God gaily with liberty of spirit.

You ask me what means you must use to gain devotion and peace of soul. My dear sister, you ask me no little thing; but I will try to tell you something about it, because my duty to you requires it. But take good notice of what I say.

The virtue of devotion is no other thing than a general inclination and readiness of the soul to do what it knows to be agreeable to God. It is that enlargement of heart of which David said: I have run the way of your Commandments when you have enlarged my heart.[5]

Those who are simply good people walk in the way of God; but the devout run, and when they are very devout they fly. Now, I will tell you some rules which you must keep if you would be truly devout.

Before all it is necessary to keep the general commandments of God and the Church, which are made for every faithful Christian; without this there can be no devotion in the world. That, every one knows.

Besides the general commandments, it is necessary carefully to observe the particular commandments which each person has in regard to his vocation, and whoever observes not this, if he should raise the dead, does not cease to be in sin and to be damned if he die in it. As, for example, it is commanded to bishops to visit their sheep,—to teach, correct, console; I may pass the whole week in prayer, I may fast all my life, if I do not do that, I am lost. . . .

These are the two sorts of commandments which we must carefully keep as the foundation of all devotion, and yet the virtue of devotion does not consist in observing them, but in observing them with readiness and willingly. Now to gain this readiness we must make several considerations.

The first is that God wills it so; and it is indeed reasonable that we should do his will, for we are in this world only for that. Alas! every day we ask him that his will may be done; and when it comes to the doing, we have such difficulty! We offer ourselves to God so often, we say to him at every step; Lord, I am yours, here is my heart,—and when he wants to make use of us, we are so cowardly! How can we say we are his, if we are unwilling to accommodate our will to his?

The second consideration is to think of the nature of the commandments of God, which are mild, gracious, and sweet, not only the general but also the particular ones of our vocation. And what is it then which makes them burdensome to you? Nothing, in truth, save your own will, which desires to reign in you at any cost. And the things which perhaps it would desire if they were not commanded, being commanded, it rejects.

Of a hundred thousand delicious fruits, Eve chose that which had been forbidden to her; and doubtless if it had been allowed, she would not have eaten of it. The fact is, in a word, that we want to serve God, but after our will, and not after his.

Saul was commanded to spoil and ruin all he found in Amalek: he destroyed all, except what was precious; this he reserved, and offered in sacrifice, but God declared that he would have no sacrifice against obedience. God commands me to help souls, and I want to rest in contemplation: the contemplative life is good, but not in prejudice of obedience: we are not to choose at our own will. We must wish what God wishes; and if God wishes me to serve him in one thing, I ought not to wish to serve him in another. God wishes Saul to serve him as king and as captain, and Saul wishes to serve him as priest: there is no doubt that the latter is more excellent than the former: but yet God does not care about that, he wants to be obeyed.

Just look at this! God had given manna to the Children of Israel, a very delicious meat: and lo! they will none of it, but, in their desires, seek after the garlics and onions of Egypt. It is our wretched nature which always wishes its own will to be done, and not the will of God. Now, in proportion as we have less of our own will, that of God is more easily observed.

We must consider that there is no vocation which has not its irksomenesses, its bitternesses, and disgusts: and what is more, except those who are fully resigned to the will of God, each one would willingly change his condition for that of others: those who are bishops would like not to be; those who are married would like not to be, and those who are not would like to be Whence this general disquietude of souls, if not from a certain dislike of constraint and a perversity of spirit which makes us think that each one is better off than we?

But all comes to the same: whoever is not fully resigned, let him turn himself here or there, he will never have rest. Those who have fever find no place comfortable; they have not stayed a quarter of an hour in one bed when they want to be in another; it is not the bed which is at fault, but the fever which everywhere torments them. A person who has not the fever of selfwill is satisfied with everything, provided that God is served. He cares not in what quality God employs him, provided that he does the Divine will. It is all one to him.

But this is not all: we must not only will to do the will of God: but in order to be devout, we must do it gaily. If I were not a bishop, knowing what I know, I should not wish to be one; but being one, not only am I obliged to do what this trying vocation requires, but I must do it joyously, and must take pleasure in it and be contented. It is the saying of St. Paul: Let each one stay in his vocation before God.[6]

We have not to carry the cross of others, but our own; and that each may carry his own, our Lord wishes him to renounce himself, that is, his own will. I should like this or that, I should be better here or there: those are temptations. Our Lord knows well what he does, let us do what he wills, let us stay where he has placed us.

But, my good daughter, allow me to speak to you according to my heart, for so I love you. You would like to have some little practice to regulate yourself by.

Besides what I have told you to reflect upon, 1°. Make a meditation every day, either in the morning before dinner, or an hour or two before supper, and this on the life and death of our Lord; and for this purpose use Bellintani the Capuchin, or Bruno the Jesuit. Your meditation should last only a good half-hour, and not more: at the end of which add always a consideration of the obedience which our Lord showed towards God his father: for you will find that all he has done, he did to fulfil the will of his Father; and on this make effort (évertuez-vous) to gain for yourself a great love of the will of God.

2°. Before doing, or preparing to do, things in your vocation which are trials to you, think that the Saints have gaily done things far greater and harder: some have suffered martyrdom, others the dishonour of the world. St. Francis and many religious of our age have kissed and kissed again a thousand times those afflicted with leprosy and ulcers; others have confined themselves to the deserts; others to the galleys with soldiers; and all this to do what pleases God. And what do we that approaches in difficulty to this?

3°. Think often that all we do has its true value from our conformity with the will of God: so that in eating and drinking, if I do it because it is the will of God for me to do it, I am more agreeable to God than if I suffered death without that intention.

4°. I would wish you often, during the day, to ask God to give you the love of your vocation, and to say like St. Paul when he was converted: Lord, what will you have me to do?[7] Will you have me serve you in the vilest ministry of your house? Ah! I shall consider myself too happy: provided that I serve you, I do not care in what it may be. And coming to the particular thing that troubles you, say: Will you that I do such or such a thing? Ah! Lord, though I am not worthy to do it, I will do it most willingly; and thus you greatly humble yourself. O my God! what a treasure you will gain! greater, without doubt, than you can imagine.

5°. I would wish you to consider how many Saints have been in your vocation and state, and how they have accommodated themselves to it with great sweetness and resignation, both under the New and the Old Testament. Sara, Rebecca, St. Anne, St. Elizabeth, St. Monica, St. Paula, and a hundred thousand others: and let this encourage you, recommending yourself to their prayers.

We must love what God loves; now, he loves our vocation; let us also love it, and not occupy ourselves with thinking on that of others. Let us do our duty; each one’s cross is not too much for him: mingle sweetly the office of Martha with that of Magdalen; do diligently the service of your vocation, and often return to yourself, and put yourself in spirit at the feet of our Lord, and say: my Lord, whether I run or stay I am all yours and you mine: you are my first spouse; and whatever I do is for love of you, both this and that.

You will see the exercise of prayer which I am sending to Madame du Puy-d’Orbe: copy it, and make use of it; for so I wish.

I think that making half an hour’s prayer every morning you should content yourself with hearing one Mass a day, and reading during the day for half an hour some spiritual book, such as Granada or some other good author.

In the evening make the examination of conscience, and all the day long, ejaculatory prayers. Read much the Spiritual Combat; I recommend it to you. On Sundays and feasts, you can, besides Mass, hear Vespers (but not under obligation) and the sermon.

Do not forget to confess every week, and when you have any great trouble of conscience. As for Communion, if it is not agreeable to Monsieur your husband, do not exceed, for the present, the limits of what we fixed at Saint Claude: keep steadfast, and communicate spiritually: God will take, as sufficient for the present, the preparation of your heart.

Remember what I have often said to you: do honour to your devotion; make it very amiable to all those who may know you, especially to your family: act so that every one may speak well of it. My God! how happy you are to have a husband so reasonable and so compliant! You should indeed praise God for it.

When any contradiction comes upon you, thoroughly resign yourself unto our Lord, and console yourself, knowing that his favours are only for the good or for those who put themselves in the way of becoming so.

For the rest, know that my spirit is all yours. God knows if ever I forget you, or your whole family, in my weak prayers: I have you deeply graven in my soul. May God be your heart and your life.

B-II/5. To the Same: Means to arrive at perfection in the state of marriage.

Madam,—I cannot give you all at once what I have promised, because I have not sufficient free hours to put together all I have to tell you on the subject you want me to explain. I will tell it you at several times: and besides the convenience to me, you will find the advantage of having time to ruminate my advice properly.

You have a great desire of Christian perfection: it is the most generous desire you can have: feed it and increase it every day. The means of gaining perfection are various according to the variety of vocations: for religious, widows and married persons must all seek after this perfection, but not by the same means. For to you, madam, who are married, the means are to unite yourself closely to God, and your neighbour, and to what belongs to them. The means to unite yourself to God are, chiefly, the use of the Sacraments, and prayer.

As to the use of the Sacraments, you should let no month go without communicating; and even, after some time, and under the advice of your spiritual fathers, you will be able to communicate more often.

But, as to confession, I advise you to frequent it even more, especially if you fall into some imperfection by which your conscience is troubled, as often happens at the beginning of the spiritual life: still, if you have not convenience of confession, contrition and repentance will do.

As to prayer, you should apply to it much; especially to meditation, for which you are, I think, well suited. Make, then, a short hour every day in the morning before going out, or else before the evening meal; and be very careful not to make it either after dinner or after supper, for that would hurt your health.

And to help yourself to do it well, you must previously know the point on which you are to meditate, that in beginning your prayer you may have your matter ready, and for this purpose you may have the authors who have treated the points of meditation on the life and death of our Lord, as Granada, Bellintani, Capiglia, Bruno. Choose the meditation you wish to make, and read it attentively, so as to remember it at the time of prayer, and not to have anything more to do except to recall the points, following always the method which I gave you on Maunday Thursday.

Besides this, often make ejaeulatory prayers to our Lord, at every moment you can, and in all companies; always seeing God in your heart and your heart in God.

Take pleasure in reading Granada’s books on prayer and meditation; for none teach you better, nor with more stirring power (mouvement). I should like you to let no day pass without giving half an hour to the reading of some spiritual book, for this would serve as a sermon.

These are the chief means to unite yourself closely to God. Those to unite yourself properly with your neighbour, are in great number; but I will only mention some of them.

We must regard our neighbour in God, who wills that we should love and cherish him. It is the counsel of St. Paul, who orders servants to serve God in their masters and their masters in God. We must exercise ourselves in this love of our neighbour, expressing it externally: and though it may seem at first against our will, we must not give up on that account: this repugnance of the inferior part will be at last conquered by habit and good inclination, which will be produced by repetition of the acts. We must refer our prayers and meditations to this end: for after having begged the love of God, we must always beg that of our neighbour, and specially of those to whom our will is not drawn.

I advise you to take care sometimes to visit the hospitals, comfort the sick, pity their infirmities, soften your heart about them, and pray for them, at the same time giving them some help.

But in all this take particular care that your husband, your servants, and your parents do not suffer by your too long stayings in church, by your too great retirement, and giving up care of your household. And become not, as often happens, manager of others’ affairs, or too contemptuous of conversations in which the rules of devotion are not quite exactly observed.

In all this charity must rule and enlighten us, to make us condescend to the wishes of our neighbour, in what is not against the commandments of God.

You must not only be devout, and love devotion, but you must make it amiable, useful, and agreeable to every one. The sick will love your devotion if they are charitably consoled by it; your family will love it if they find you more careful of their good, more gentle in little accidents that happen, more kind in correcting, and so on: your husband, if he sees that as your devotion increases you are more devoted in his regard, and sweet in your love to him; your parents and friends if they perceive in you more generosity, tolerance, and condescension towards their wills, when not against the will of God. In short, you must, as far as possible, make your devotion attractive.

I have written a little paper on the subject of the perfection of the Christian life. I send you a copy of it, which I want you to communicate to Madame du Puy-d’Orbe; take it in good part, as also this letter, which comes from a soul entirely devoted to your spiritual good, and which wishes nothing more than to see the work of God perfect in your spirit. I beg you to give me some part in your prayers and communions, as I assure you I will give you, all my life, share in mine, and will be without end your, &c.

B-II/6. To the Same : On the rules which we must know how to impose on our devotion.

Madam, and my Sister,—I wrote to you six weeks ago to answer all you asked me; and have no doubt you got my letter, which will make me more brief in this.

According to what you propose to me by yours of the 26th September, I approve that our good abbess[8] should begin to fully establish those little rules which our Père has drawn up; not indeed so as to stop there, but so as to advance more easily afterwards to greater perfection.

As for our little sister, I leave her to you, and put myself in no trouble about her; only I should not like your Father to fear she might become too devout, as he has always had fear of you; for I am certain she will not sin by excess on that side. My God! the good father we have, and the good husband you have! They are a little jealous for their empire and dominion, which seems to them somewhat violated, when anything is done without their authority and command. What can be done? we must allow them this little bit of human nature. They want to be masters, and is it not right? Truly it is, in what belongs to the service which you owe them; but the good seigneurs do not consider that in regard to the good of the soul one must believe spiritual doctors and directors, and that (saving their right) you must procure your interior good by the means judged fitting by those appointed to conduct souls.

But still, you must condescend greatly to their will, bear with their little fancies, and bend as much as, without spoiling our good designs, you can. These condescensions will please our Lord. I have told you before:—the less we live after our own taste, and the less of choice there is in our actions, the more of solidity and goodness is there in our devotion. We must sometimes leave our Lord in order to please others for the love of him.

No, I cannot refrain, my dear child, from telling you my thought. I know that you will find all good, because I speak with sincerity. Perhaps you have given occasion to this good father and this good husband to mix themselves up with your devotion, and to be restive (se cabrer) about it; I cannot tell how. Perhaps you are a little too eager and bustling, and you have wanted to bother and restrict them. If so, that is without doubt the cause which makes them now draw in. We must, if possible, avoid making our devotion troublesome. Now, I will tell you what you must do. When you can communicate without troubling your two superiors, do so, according to the advice of your confessor. When you are afraid that it will trouble them, communicate in spirit; and believe me this spiritual mortification, this privation of God, will extremely please God, and will advance your heart very much. We must sometimes take a step back to get a better spring.

I have often admired the extreme resignation of St. John Baptist, who remained so long in the desert, quite close to our Lord, without hastening to see him, to hear him and follow him; and I have wondered how, after having seen and baptized him, he could let Jesus go without attaching himself to him in body, as he was so closely united to him in heart? But he knew that he served this same Lord by this privation of his real presence. So I say that God will be served if, for a little, to gain the heart of the two superiors whom he has appointed, you suffer the loss of his real communion; and it will be to me a great consolation, if I know that these counsels which I give you do not disquiet your heart. Believe me, this resignation, this abnegation will be very useful to you. You may, however, take advantage of secret opportunities of communion; for, provided that you can defer and accommodate yourself to the will of these two persons, and do not make them impatient, I give you no other rule for your communions than that which your confessors may give you; for they see the present state of your interior, and can understand what is required for your good.

I answer also about your daughter: let her desire the most holy communion till Easter, since she cannot receive it before that time without offending her good father. God will recompense this delay.

You are, as far as I see, in the true way to resignation and indifference, since you cannot serve God at your will. I know a lady, one of the greatest souls I have ever met, who has long remained in such subjection to the humours of her husband, that in the very height of her devotions and ardours, she was obliged to wear a low dress, and was all loaded with vanity outside, and except at Easter could never communicate unless secretly and unknown to every one; otherwise she would have excited a thousand storms in her house; and by this road she got very high, as I know, having been her father confessor very often.

Mortify yourself, then, joyously; and in proportion as you are hindered from doing the good you desire, do the good you do not desire. You do not desire these resignations, you would desire others; but do those which you do not desire, for they are worth more.

The Psalms translated or imitated by Desportes are in no way forbidden or hurtful to you; on the contrary, all are profitable: read them boldly, and without hesitation, for there is need of none. I contradict nobody, but I know quite well these Psalms are in no way forbidden you, and that there is no cause of scruple. Possibly some good father does not like his spiritual children to read them, and perhaps he does so on some good ground; but it does not follow that there should not be grounds equally good, and even better, for others to recommend them to theirs. One thing is certain, that you may read them on every proper occasion.

As also, you may enter the cloister of Puy-d’Orbe without scruple; but at the same time there is no cause to give yourself a penance for the scruple you had about it, since the scruple itself is a great enough pain to those who entertain or suffer it, without imposing any more.

Alcantara is very good for prayer.

Keep your heart very wide to receive in it all sorts of crosses and resignations or abnegations, for the love of him who has received so many of them for us. May his name be for ever blessed and his kingdom be confirmed for ever and ever! I am in him, and by him, your, and more than your, brother and servant.

B-II/7. To a Lady : He points out to her remedies against impatience in the accidental troubles of a household.

My dearest Daughter,—Whenever I can manage it you shall have a letter from me: but at present I write to you the more readily, because M. Moyron, my present bearer, is my nearest neighbour in this town, my great friend and ally, by whom, on his return, you will be able to write to me in all confidence, and if the picture of Mother (St.) Teresa is finished, he will take it, pay for it, and bring it, as I have asked him to do.

But, my daughter, I fancy I did not tell you exactly, in my last letter, what I wanted, concerning your little but frequent impatiences in the accidents of your housekeeping. I tell you, then, that you must pay special attention to this, and that you must keep yourself gentle in them, and that when you get up in the morning, or leave prayer, or return from Mass or Communion, and always when you return to these domestic affairs, you must be attentive to begin quietly. Every now and then you must look at your heart, to see if it is in a state of gentleness: and if it is not, make it so before all things; and if it is you must praise God, and use it in the affairs which present themselves with a special care not to let it get disturbed.

You see, my daughter, those who often eat honey find bitter things more bitter and sour things more sour, and are easily disgusted with coarse meats: your soul, often occupying itself with spiritual exercises which are sweet and agreeable to the spirit, when it returns to corporal matters, exterior and material, finds them very rough and disagreeable; and so it easily gets impatient; and therefore, my dear daughter, you must consider in these exercises the will of God, which is there, and not the mere thing which is done.

Often invoke the unique and lovely dove of the celestial spouse, that he would impetrate for you a true dove’s heart; and that you may be a dove, not only when flying in prayer, but also inside your nest, and with all those who are around you. God be for ever in the midst of your heart, my dear child, and make you one same spirit with him!

I salute through you the good mother and all the Carmelite sisters, imploring the aid of their prayers. If I knew that our dear Sister Jacob were there, I would salute her also, and her little Françon; as I do your Magdalen, who is also mine.

Vive Jésus.

B-II/8. To a Lady : Advice on the choice of a confessor. Practice for preserving peace and gentleness in domestic affairs.

My dear Sister, my child,—I answer only the two letters which this bearer has given me from you; for the third, sent me by Madame de Chantal, has not yet reached me. It is a great satisfaction to me that you live without scruple, and that the holy Communion is profitable to you; wherefore you must continue it: and on that account, my dear child, since your husband is uncomfortable about your going to N., do not press the matter; for as you have no great things to ask about, all confessors will be equally suitable for you, even the one of your parish—i.e., M. N.—or when you have the opportunity, the confessor of the good Carmelite mothers. You know how to conduct yourself with all sorts of confessors: wherefore you can act with liberty in this matter. My dear child, continue very gentle and humble with your husband.

You are right not to disturb yourself about bad thoughts, as long as your intentions and will are good; for these God regards. Yes, my daughter, do just as I have told you; for though a thousand little deceits of apparent reasons rise up to the contrary, my conclusions are based on fundamental reasons and conformable to the doctrines of the Church: indeed, I tell you that they are so true that the contrary is a great fault. Therefore, serve God well according to them, he will bless you; and never listen to anything on the contrary side, and believe that I must be very certain when I speak so boldly.

I thank the good Mother Prioress, and I bear her with all her sisters in my soul, with great honour and love. But, my daughter, there are very many other things to ask you about this same devotion to the reverend Mother (St.) Teresa; you must get taken for me a life-like portrait of her, down to the cincture only, from that which I am told these good sisters have, and in passing by there, one of our curés, who is going thither in a week or so, would bring it to me on his return. I would not act like that with all sorts of daughters, but with you I act according to my heart.

I will recommend to the Holy Spirit the dear widowed sister, that he may inspire her to choose a husband who will always be a comfort to her: I mean the sacred husband of the soul. Yet if God so dispose as to use her again for the burden of a complete establishment, and wishes to exercise her in subjection, she must praise His Majesty for it, which, without doubt, does all for the good of his own.

Oh! my daughter, how agreeable to God are the virtues of a married woman, for they must be strong and excellent to last in that vocation; but also, O my God! how sweet a thing it is for a widow to have only one heart to please! After all, this sovereign goodness will be the sun to enlighten the dear good sister, that she may know what path to choose. She is a soul I love tenderly. . . . Wherever she may go I hope she will serve God well; and I will follow her by the continued prayers which I will make for her. I commend myself to the prayers of our little daughter N. and of N. It is true that N. is my daughter rather more than the others, and I consider that all is mine, my dearest daughter, in him who, to make us his, has made himself all ours. I am in him, my dearest daughter, your, &c.

P.S.—Take particular pains to do all you can to acquire sweetness amongst your people, I mean in your household; I do not say that you must be soft and remiss, but gentle and sweet. You must think of this, when entering or leaving your house, and when in it, morning, noon— continually. You must make this a chief thing for a time, and the rest, as it were, forget for a little.

B-II/9. To one of his Nieces: Rules of Life.

5th March, 1616.

Think not, I beg you, my dearest niece, my daughter, that it has been from want of mindfulness or affection, if I have so long delayed writing to you: for indeed, the good desire which I have seen in your soul to wish to serve God very faithfully has produced in mine an extreme desire to help you with all my power, apart from the duty which I owe to you besides, and the inclination I have always had for your heart, because of the good esteem I have of it since your tenderest youth.

Well then, my dearest niece, you must cultivate very carefully this well-beloved heart, and spare nothing which can be useful for its happiness: and though this can be done in every season, still this in which you are is the most proper. Ah! what a rare grace it is, my dear child, to begin to serve this great God while youth renders us susceptible of all sorts of impressions! And how agreeable the offering when we give the flowers with the first fruits of the tree.

Keep always firmly in the midst of your heart the resolutions which God gave you when you were before him with me; for if you keep them through all this mortal life they will keep you in the eternal. And in order not only to preserve them but to make them happily grow, you have need of no other counsels than those I have given to Philothea, in the book of the Introduction, which you have: still, to please you, I wish to state in a few words what I chiefly want of you.

1°. Confess every fortnight, when about to receive the divine Sacrament of Communion; and never go to either the one or the other of these heavenly mysteries without a new and very strong resolution to correct more and more your imperfections, and to live with an ever greater purity and perfection of heart. And I do not say that if you find yourself in sufficient devotion to communicate every week you are not to do it, and specially if you find that by this sacred mystery your troublesome inclinations and the imperfections of your life go on diminishing; but I said every fortnight, that you might not put it off longer.

2°. Make your spiritual exercises short and fervent, that your natural disposition may not make prayer a difficulty to you on account of the length of it, and that little by little it may grow tame to these acts of piety. For instance, you should, with inviolable regularity, make every day the morning exercise marked in the Introduction; well, to make it short, you may, while dressing, thank God, by ejaculatory prayer, for having preserved you that night, and then make the 2nd and 3rd points, not only while dressing, but in bed or elsewhere, without distinction of place, or actious; then, as soon as ever you can, you must put yourself on your knees, and make the 4th point, commencing by making that movement of heart which is marked: O Lord! behold this poor and miserable heart. The same for the examen of conscience, which you can make in the evening while going to bed, provided that you make the 3rd and 4th points kneeling, if not prevented by any illness.

So in the church hear Mass with the behaviour of a true daughter of God; and rather than be wanting in this reverence, leave the church and go away.

3°. Learn to make often ejaculations and movements of your heart towards God.

4°. Be careful to be gentle and affable to every one, but specially at home.

5°. The alms given in your house, give yourself whenever you can: for it is a great increase of virtue to give alms with your own hand when it can well be done.

6°. Visit very willingly the sick of your district, for that is one of the works which our Lord will regard at the day of judgment.

7°. Read every day a page or two of some spiritual book, to keep yourself in relish and devotion; and on feasts a little more, which will take the place of a sermon.

8°. Continue to honour your father-in-law, because God wishes it, having given him to you as your second father in this world; and love cordially your husband, giving him, with a gentle and simple goodwill, all the satisfaction you can; and be good in bearing the imperfections of all, specially those of your home.

I do not see that for the present I have any more to say, except that when we meet you must tell me how you have behaved in this way of devotion; and if there is anything more to say I will add it. Live, then, all joyous in God and for God, my dearest child, my niece, and believe that I cherish you very perfectly, and am entirely your, &c.

B-II/10. To one of his Cousins: On the way we are to act when living with our parents.

10th November, 1616.

I still want leisure to write to you, my dearest child, although I answer your letter tardily.

Well, now, here you are in your establishment, and you cannot alter it; you must be what you are, mother of a family, since you have a husband and children. And you must be so with good heart, and with love of God, yea for the love of God (as I say clearly enough to Philothea), without troubling or disquieting yourself any more than you can help.

But I see well, dear daughter, that it is a little uncomfortable to have the charge of the housekeeping in a house where your father and mother are; for I have never seen that fathers, and still less mothers, leave the entire management to the daughters, although sometimes they should do. For my part I counsel you to do as gently and nicely as you can that which is recommended, never breaking peace with this father and this mother. It is better that things should not go perfectly well in order that those to whom you have so many duties may be content.

And then, unless I deceive myself, your character is not made for fighting. Peace is better than a fortune. What you see can be done with love you must do: what can only be done with discussion must be left alone, when there is question of persons so greatly to be respected. I have no doubt there will be aversions and repugnances in your spirit; but, my dearest daughter, these are so many occasions to exercise the true virtue of sweetness: for we must do well and holily and lovingly what we owe to every one, though it may be against the grain, and without relish.

Here, my dearest daughter, is what I can tell you for the present, adding only that I conjure you to believe firmly that I cherish you with a perfect and truly paternal dilection, since it has pleased God to give you so complete and filial a confidence in me: so then continue, my dearest child, to love me cordially.

Make well holy prayer; often throw your heart into the hands of God, rest your soul in his love, and put your cares under his protection, whether for the voyage of your dear husband, or for your other affairs. Do what you can, and the rest leave to God, who will do it sooner or later, according to the disposition of his divine providence. To sum up, be ever all God’s, my dearest daughter, and I am in him, all your, &c.

B-II/11. To a Lady : Distance of place can put no obstacle to the union of God’s children. How to behave in uncharitable company. Gentleness toward all.

Never think, my dearest daughter, that distance of place can ever separate souls which God has united by the ties of his love. The children of the world are all separated one from another because their hearts are in different places; but the children of God, having their heart where their treasure is, and all having only one treasure which is the same God, are, consequently, always joined and united together. We must thus console our spirits in the necessity which keeps us out of this town, and which will soon force me to set out to return to my charge. We shall see one another very often again before our holy crucifix, if we keep the promises we have made to one another; and it is there alone that our interviews are profitable.

Meanwhile, my dearest daughter, I will commence by telling you that you must fortify your spirit by all possible means against these vain apprehensions which generally agitate and torment it; and for this purpose regulate, in the first place, your exercises in such a way, that their length may not weary your soul, nor trouble the souls of those with whom God makes you live.

A half quarter of an hour, and even less, suffices for the morning preparation; threequarters of an hour, or an hour for Mass; and during the day there must be some elevations of the spirit to God, which take no time, but are made in a single moment. Then the examination of conscience in the evening before rest, besides grace at table, which is an ordinary thing, forms a plan of reunion for your heart with God.

In a word, I wish you to be just Philothea, and no more than that; namely, what I describe in the book of the Introduction, which is made for you and those in a similar state.

As to conversations, my dearest daughter, be at peace regarding what is said or done in them: for if good, you have something to praise God for, and if bad, something in which to serve God by turning your heart away from it. Do not appear either shocked or displeased since you cannot help it, and have not authority enough to hinder the bad words of those who will say them, and who will say worse if you seem to wish to hinder them; for acting thus you will remain innocent amongst the hissings of the serpents, and like a sweet strawberry you will receive no venom from the contact of venomous tongues.

I cannot understand how you can admit these immoderate sadnesses into your heart; being a child of God, long ago placed in the bosom of his mercy, and consecrated to his love, you should comfort yourself, despising all these sad and melancholy suggestions; the enemy makes them to you, simply with the design of tiring and troubling you.

Take great pains to practise well the humble meekness which you owe to your dear husband, and to everybody; for it is that virtue of virtues which our Lord has so much recommended to us: but if you happen to fail in it do not distress yourself: only with all confidence get up again on your feet to walk henceforward in peace and sweetness as before.

I send you a little method for uniting yourself to God, in the morning and all through the day. So much, my dear daughter, I have thought good to tell you for your comfort at present. It remains that I pray you not to make any ceremony with me, who have neither the leisure nor the will to make any with you. Write to me when you like, quite freely; for I shall always gladly receive news of your soul which mine cherishes entirely, as in truth, my dearest daughter, I am your, &c.

B-II/12. To a Lady, the Wife of a Senator: He exhorts her to give herself entirely to God, assuring her that it is the only happiness.

17th August, 1611.

Madam,—The remembrance of your virtues is so agreeable to me that it has no need to be nourished by the favour of your letters; nevertheless, they give you a new claim on me, as I receive by them the honour and satisfaction of seeing not only that you, in return, remember me, but that you remember, me with pleasure. You could not remember a person who has a more sincere affection for you.

I wish you, in presence of our Lord, a thousand blessings; and this blessing above all, and for all, that you be perfectly his: be so, Madam, with all your heart, for it is the great, yea, the only happiness you can have. Yet, your husband, the senator, will have no jealousy about it, as you will be none the less his, and will get the benefit of it, as you cannot give your heart to God without his being joined to it.

I am, Madam, and I am with all I have, your, &c.

B-II/13. To a Lady: On the way to correct human prudence.

I answer the question which the good Mother de Sainte-Marie (Chantal) has put to me from you, my dearest daughter. When human prudence mingles with our plans it is hard to keep it quiet, for it is wondrously importunate, and pushes itself violently and boldly into our affairs, in spite of ourselves.

What must we do in this matter in order that our intention may be purified? Let us see whether our design be lawful, just, and pious; and if it is, let us propose and determine to do it, in order not now to obey human prudence, but to accomplish in it the will of God.

We have, for instance, a daughter whom human prudence recommends to be placed in a convent, on account of the state of our family affairs,—well now, we will say in ourselves, not before men, but before God, “O Lord! I wish to offer you this daughter, because, such as she is she is yours; and though my human prudence induces and inclines me to this, yet, Lord, if I knew that it was not also your good pleasure, in spite of my inferior prudence, I would not do it at all, but would reject on this occasion this prudence which my heart feels, but which it desires not to consent to, and embrace your will, which my heart perceives not in feeling, but consents to in resolution.”

Oh! my dearest child, at every turn the human spirit troubles us with its claims, and thrusts itself importunately amidst our affairs. We are not greater saints than the Apostle St. Paul, who felt two wills in the midst of his soul, the one which willed according to the old man, and worldly prudence, and this made itself most felt, and the other, which willed according to the Spirit of God. This latter was less felt, but still prevailed, and by it he lived. Whence, on the one hand, he cried out, O, miserable man that I am, who will deliver me from the body of this death?¹³¹³ and on the other he exclaimed, I live no more myself, but Jesus Christ lives in me.[9]And at almost every step we must make the resignation which our Lord has taught us: Not my will, but thine, O eternal Father, be done,[10] and then let human prudence clamour as much as it likes; for the work will no longer belong to it, and you may say to it as the Samaritans said to the Samaritan woman, after they had heard our Lord, It is now no more on account of thy word that we believe, but because we ourselves have seen and know.[11] It will be no longer by human prudence, though this may have excited the will, that you make this resolution, but because you know it pleases God. Thus, by the infusion of the divine will you will correct the human will.

Remain in peace, my dearest daughter, and serve God well in the pains and troubles of pregnancy and bringing forth, which you must also carry out according to his good pleasure. And I pray his sovereign goodness to heap blessings upon you, begging you to love me always in him and for him, who has rendered me in all truth your, &c.

B-II/14.To two Sisters : The Saint exhorts them to peace, gentleness, and concord.

Certainly, my dearest daughters, it requires only one letter for two sisters who have only one heart and one aim. How profitable it is for you, to hold thus one to another. This union of souls is like the precious ointment which was poured on the great Aaron,[12] as the Psalmist King says, which was so mingled of several odorous perfumes, that all made only one scent and one sweetness: but I will not dwell on this subject.

What God has joined in blood and in affection is indivisible, so long as this God reigns in us, and he will reign eternally. Well then, my dearest daughters, live thus, sweet and amiable to all, humble and courageous, pure and sincere in everything. What better wish can I make for you? Be like spiritual bees which only keep honey and wax in their hives. Let your houses be all filled with sweetness, peace, concord, humility, and piety by your intercourse.

And believe, I beg, that the distance of place or of time shall never take away this tender and strong affection which our Lord has given me for your souls, which mine cherishes most perfectly and unchangeably. And as the difference of your conditions may require that sometimes I write to you in different ways, notwithstanding the unity of your design, I will another time do so; but for the present I will content myself with telling and conjuring you to believe without doubting, my dearest daughters, that I am your, &c.

B-II/15. To M. and Madame de Forax: The Saint congratulates them on the termination of law-suits, and exhorts them to a perfect union.

Annecy, 11th November, 1621.

Thousands of blessings to God, for that at last, Monsieur my dearest brother, and Madame in every way my dearest sister, my child, you are free from these troublesome law affairs, in which, as if amongst thorns, God has willed the beginnings of your happy marriage to be passed. Monsieur N. and I. have made a little bonfire for joy, as sharing in all that affects you.

Well, now, although your pregnancy gives you both a little sensible inconvenience (my daughter who feels it and my dearest brother who feels it in her), I seem always to see you both with two hearts so contented and so brave in serving God well, that this very evil which you feel consoles you as a sign that not having entire exemption from all affliction in this world, your perfect happiness is reserved for heaven, towards which, i am sure, you have your chief aims.

O my dearest brother, continue to solace by your dear presence my dearest daughter. O my dearest sister, continue to keep my dearest brother in your heart; for as God gives you one to another, be always one another’s indeed, and be sure, both of you, that I am, my dearest brother, and my dearest daughter, your, &c.

B-II/16. To a Lady : Duty of a Christian wife. Counsels during pregnancy.

Madam,—The letter which you wrote me on the 16th May, received only on 27th June, gives me great cause to bless God for the strength in which he keeps your heart regarding the desire of Christian perfection, which I find very clearly, in the holy simplicity with which you represent your temptations and the struggle you make; and I see well that our Lord helps you, as step by step and day by day you achieve your liberty and enfranchisement from the imperfections and chief weaknesses which have hitherto grieved you. I doubt not that in a very little time you will be entirely victorious, as you are so brave in the battle, and so full of hope and confidence of victory by the grace of our good God.

The comfort you have in this enterprise is without doubt a presage that it will happily succeed. Strengthen, then, yourself, Madam, in this good design, the end of which is eternal glory; leave nothing behind at home which is necessary to gain it; continue your frequent confessions and communions: let no day pass without reading a little in a spiritual book: and however little it be if you do it with devotion and attention the profit will be great. Make the examination of conscience in the evening: accustom yourself to little prayers and the prayers called ejaculatory; and in the morning, on getting out of bed, always kneel down to salute and pay reverence to your heavenly Father, to our Lady and your good angel; and if this is only for three minutes you must never fail: have some very devout picture, and kiss it often.

I am glad that you have a more joyous spirit than formerly. Without doubt, Madam, your content will increase every day, for the sweetness of our Lord will spread itself more and more in your soul. Never has any one tasted devotion without finding it very sweet. I am sure that this gaiety and consolation of spirit extends its precious perfume over all your occupations, and specially over domestic affairs; which, as they are the most common, and your principal duty, so they should most smell of this perfume. If you love devotion, make all honour and love it; which they will do if they see good and pleasant effects from it in you.

My God! what splendid means of meriting have you in your house! Truly you can make it a true Paradise of piety, having your husband so favourable to your desires. Ah! how happy you will be if you observe well the moderation which I have spoken of in your exercises, accommodating them as much as you can to your household affairs, and to the will of your husband, since it is not irregular or savage. I have seen hardly any married women who can at less cost be devout than you, Madam, and you are therefore very strictly obliged to make progress.

I should very much like you to make the exercise of holy meditation, for I think you are very fit for it. I said something to you about it during this Lent; I do not know whether you have put your hand to it; but I should like you only to give half an hour to it each day, and not more, at least for some years; I think that this will strongly aid towards victory over your enemies.

I am pressed for time, and yet I cannot finish, so consoled am I in talking to you on this paper. And believe, Madam, I beg, that the desire which I have once conceived to serve and honour you in our Lord grows and increases every day in my soul, sorry though I am to be able to show so little fruits from it; at any rate I failed not to offer and present you to the mercy of God in my weak and languishing prayers, and above all in the holy sacrifice of the Mass. I add also prayers for your whole household which I cherish singularly in you and you in God.

I have learnt that you are pregnant; I have blessed God for it, who wants to increase the number of his by the increase of yours. Trees bear fruits for man; but women bear children for God, and that is why fertility is one of his blessings. Make profit of this pregnancy in two ways: offering your offspring a hundred times a day to God, as St. Augustine says his mother used to do. Then, in the ennuis and troubles which will come to you, and which usually accompany pregnancy, bless our Lord for what you suffer in making for him a new servant, who by means of his grace will praise him eternally with you.

In fine, God be in all and everywhere glorified in our trials and in our consolations! I am, &c.

B-II/17. To a Lady : Counsels during pregnancy.

29th September, 1620.

My dearest Daughter,—I am not at all surprised that your heart seems a little heavy and torpid, for you are pregnant, and it is an evident truth that our souls generally contract in the inferior part the qualities and conditions of our bodies: and I say in the inferior part, my dearest daughter, because it is this which immediately touches the body, and which is liable to share in the troubles of it. A delicate body being weighed down by the burden of pregnancy, weakened by the labour of carrying a child, troubled with many pains, cannot allow the heart to be so lively, so active, so ready in its operations, but all this in no way injures the acts of that higher part of the soul, which are as agreeable to God as they could be in the midst of all the gladnesses in the world; yea, more agreeable in good sooth, as done with more labour and struggle; but they are not so agreeable to the person who does them, because not being in the sensible part, they are not so much felt, nor so pleasant to us.

My dearest daughter, we must not be unjust and require from ourselves what is not in ourselves. When troubled in body and health, we must not exact from our souls more than acts of submission and acceptance of labour, and holy unions of our will to the good pleasure of God, which are formed in the highest region of the spirit: and as for exterior actions we must manage and do them the best we can, and be satisfied with doing them, though without heart, languidly and heavily. And to raise these languors and heavinesses and topors of heart, and to make them serve towards divine love, you must profess, accept, and love holy abjection; thus shall you change the lead of your heaviness into gold, and into gold finer than would be the gold of your most lively gladnesses of heart. Have patience then with yourself. Let your superior part bear the disorder of the inferior; and often offer to the eternal glory of our Creator the little creature in whose formation he has willed to make you his fellow-worker.

My dearest daughter, we have at Annecy a Capuchin painter who, as you may think, only paints for God and his temple: and though while working he has to pay so close an attention that he cannot pray at the same time, and though this occupies, and even fatigues his spirit, still he does this work with good heart for the glory of our Lord, and the hope that these pictures will excite many faithful to praise God, and to bless his goodness.

Well, my dear daughter, your child will be a living image of the Divine majesty; but whilst your soul, your strength, your natural vigour is occupied with this work, it must grow weary and tired, and you cannot at the same time perform your ordinary exercises so actively and so gaily; but suffer lovingly this lassitude and heaviness, in consideration of the honour which God will receive from your work. It is your image which will be placed in the eternal temple of the heavenly Jerusalem, and will be eternally regarded with pleasure by God, by angels and by men; and the saints will praise God for it, and you also will praise him when you see it there; and so meanwhile take courage, though feeling your heart a little torpid and sluggish, and with the superior part attach yourself to the holy will of our Lord, who has so arranged for it according to his eternal wisdom.

To sum up, I know not what my soul thinks not, and desires not for the perfection of yours, which, as God has willed and wills it so, is truly in the midst of mine. May it please his Divine goodness that both yours and mine may be according to his most holy and good pleasure, and that all your dear family may be filled with his sacred benedictions, and specially your very dear husband, of whom, as of you, I am invariably the most humble, &c.

B-II/18. To a Lady in Pregnancy: We must, each in his own state, make profit of the subjects of mortification which are therein.

We must, before all things, my dearest daughter, procure this tranquillity, not because it is the mother of contentment, but because it is the daughter of the love of God, and of the resignation of our own will. The opportunities of practising it are daily; for contradictions are not wanting wherever we are; and when nobody else makes them, we make them for ourselves. My God! how holy, my dear daughter, and how agreeable to God should we be, if we knew how to use properly the subjects of mortification which our vocation affords; for they are without doubt greater than among religious; the evil is that we do not make them useful as they do.

Be careful to spare yourself in this pregnancy: make no effort to oblige yourself to any kind of exercise, except quite gently: if you get tired kneeling, sit down; if you cannot command attention to pray half an hour, pray only a quarter or a half quarter.

I beg you to put yourself in the presence of God, and to suffer your pains before him.

Do not keep yourself from complaining: but this should be to him, in a filial spirit, as a little child to its mother; for, if it is done lovingly, there is no danger in complaining, nor in begging cure, nor in changing place, nor in getting ourselves relieved. Only do this with love and with resignation into the arms of the good will of God.

Do not trouble yourself about not making acts of virtue properly; for as I have said they do not cease to be very good, even if made in a languid, heavy, and as it were forced manner.

You can only give God what you have, and in this time of affliction you have no other actions. At present, my dear daughter, your beloved is to you a bundle of myrrh:[13] cease not to press him close to your breast. My beloved to me, and I to him, ever shall he be in my heart. Isaias calls him the man of sorrows. He loves sorrows, and those that have them.

Do not torment yourself to do much, but suffer with love what you have to suffer. God will be gracious to you, Madam, and will give you the grace to arrange about this more retired life of which you speak to me. Whether languishing or living or dying we are the Lord’s, a[14]nd nothing, with the help of his grace, will separate us from this holy love. Never shall our heart live, save in and for him; he shall be for ever the God of our heart; I will never cease to beg this of him, nor to be entirely your, &c.

B-II/19. To a Lady : Counsels during pregnancy.

I am just starting, my dearest daughter, and hence pressed for time. You must please consider these four lines as if they were many. Be sure, I beg you, that your very dear soul will never be more loved than it is by mine.

But what am I told? They tell me that though pregnant you fast, and rob your fruit of the nourishment which its mother requires in order to supply it. Do it no more, I beseech you; and humbling yourself under the advice of your doctors, nourish without scruple your body, in consideration of that which you bear: you will not lack mortifications for the heart, which is the only holocaust God desires from you.

O my God! what grand souls have I found here in the service of God! His goodness be blessed for it. And you are united with them, since you have the same desires. Live entirely in God, my dearest daughter, and persevere in praying for your, &c.

B-II/20. To the Same : Counsels on the same subject.

My dearest daughter, since your pregnancy troubles you very much with regard to your long and ordinary mental prayer, make it short and earnest: make up the want by frequent liftings of your soul towards God; often read, a little at a time, some very spiritual book; form good thoughts while you walk; pray little and often; offer your languors and lassitudes to our crucified Lord; and after your delivery, take up your course again quietly, and accustom yourself to follow the order of some suitable book, in order that when the hour of prayer comes you may not be at a loss like one who at dinner-time has nothing ready. And if sometimes you have no book, make your meditation on some fertile mystery, such as death or the passion—the first which comes to your mind.

B-II/21. To a Lady : The Saint consoles her on her childlessness.

Both thoughts are good, my dearest daughter: since you have given all to God, you should seek nothing in yourself but him, who is without doubt himself the good exchanged for the poor little all you have given him. O how this will increase your courage, and make you walk confidently and simply! And it is well for you to think always that your trouble comes from your fault, yet without occupying yourself in thinking what the fault is; for this will make you walk in humility. Do you think, my dearest daughter, that Sara, Rebecca, Rachel, Anne the mother of Samuel, St. Anne, mother of our Lady, and St.Elizabeth were less agreeable to God when they were barren than when they were fruitful. We must walk faithfully in the way of our Lord, and remain in peace as much in the winter of sterility as in the autumn of fruitfulness.

B-II/22. To a Lady : The Saint gives her advice on the marriage of her daughter, congratulates her on the virtues of her husband, and speaks of balls. Distant pilgrimages not suitable for women.

After the 8th April, 1611.

It has been to me a great satisfaction to learn a little more fully than usual the news about you, my dearest sister, my child. Though I have not had enough leisure to talk with Madame de Chantal, so as to inquire as particularly as I wished about all your affairs (about which I think you have communicated with her, as with a most intimate friend), still she told me that you walk faithfully in the fear of our Lord, which is the staple of my consolation, since my soul desires so much good to your dearest soul. . . . Regarding the marriage of that dear daughter whom I love very much, I cannot well give you advice, not knowing the kind of gentleman who seeks her hand. For what your husband says is true, that he might perchance change all the bad habits which you notice in him; that is, supposing him to be of good natural disposition, and only spoilt by youth or bad company. But if he is of an ill-disposed nature, as only too clearly seems the case, certainly it is tempting God to risk a daughter in his hands, with the uncertain and doubtful presumption of his amendment. And this particularly, if the child is young and herself in need of guidance; in which case, unable to contribute anything towards the amendment of the young man, yea, there being fear rather that one will be cause of ruin to the other, what is there in all this but evident danger? Now, your husband is very sensible, and assures me that he will consider all carefully, in which you will help him: and as for me, I will pray, according to your desire, that it may please God to direct well that dear child, that she may live and grow old in his fear

As for taking this young girl to balls often or seldom, as she will go with you, it is of little consequence.[15] Your prudence must judge of that by your own eyes, and according to circumstances; but as you wish to marry her, and she inclines the same way, there is no harm in taking her just as often as is enough and not too much. If I mistake not, this child is lively, vigorous, and of a nature somewhat ardent. Well, now that her mind begins to develop, you must put quietly and sweetly into it the beginnings and first seeds of true glory and virtue, not by reproving her with bitter words, but by continually admonishing her with sensible and kind words on all occasions. And these you must get repeated to her by forming for her good friendships with well-disposed and sensible girls.

Madame de N. has told me that as regards your exterior and the propriety of your house, you get on very nicely; and both she and my brother De Thorens have told me something which fills me with joy: namely, that your husband gains ever a higher and nobler reputation for being a good magistrate; firm, equitable, laborious in the duty of his office, and in all things living and behaving as a very good man and good Christian. I promise you, my dear child, that I felt a thrill of joy at this account, for this is a great and splendid blessing. Amongst other things he told me that he always begins his day by assisting at Holy Mass, and that when opportunity offers he shows worthy and becoming zeal for the holy Catholic religion. May God be always at his right hand, that he may never change but from better to better. You are, then, very happy, my dear child, to have both temporal and spiritual blessings on your house.

The journey to Loretto is a great journey for women: I advise you often to make it in spirit, joining by intention your prayers to that great multitude of pious persons who go thither to honour the mother of God, as to the place where first the incomparable honour of that maternity came to her. But as you have no vow which obliges you to go there in body, I do not advise you to undertake it: though indeed I advise you to be more and more zealous in devotion to this Holy Lady, whose intercession is so powerful and so useful to souls, that for my part I esteem it the greatest help that we can have for our progress in true piety towards God; and I can say this from knowing several remarkable exemplifications of it. May the name of this Holy Virgin be for ever blessed and praised! Amen.

As for your alms, my dear daughter, make them always somewhat liberal and in good measure, yet with the discretion which formerly I have told you of or written about: for if what you put into the bosom of the earth is returned to you with usury by its fertility, be sure that what you put into the bosom of God will be infinitely more fruitful, in one way or another; that is to say, that God will reward you in this world either by giving you more wealth, or more health, or more contentment. Your, &c.

B-II/23.To a Lady : Whose husband had intended to fight a duel.

My dearest Daughter,—I see by your letter the state of soul of your dear husband, from the duel which he had resolved upon, though he did not fight it. I think there is no excommunication, because it did not come to that effect required by the canons.

But, my dearest child, I confess that I am scandalized to see good Catholic souls, and souls which otherwise have an affection for God, so little careful of eternal salvation as to expose themselves to the danger of never seeing the face of God, and seeing for ever, and feeling, the horrors of hell. Truly, I cannot think how any one can have a courage so misdirected, and for trifles and nothings.

The love which I have for my friends, and specially your dear husband, makes my hair stand on end when I know they are in such peril; and what torments me most is the very little appearance they show of the true sorrow which they ought to have for the offence against God, since they take no pains to hinder it in future. What would I not do to have such things done no more!

But I do not say this to disquiet you. We must hope that God will amend us, all together, if we beg him to do so, as we ought. Get your good husband then to confess; for though I do not think he is under excommunication, yet he is in terrible mortal sin from which he must escape at once; for excommunication is only incurred by acts, but sin by will.

I think I shall soon have the bracelet of the presence of God,[16] whom I beg to bless you with all the desirable blessings which you can long for, my dearest daughter. Your, &c.

B-II/24. To a Lady: On the folly of persons in the world about duels.

Annecy, 15th May, 1612.

My dearest Daughter,—Your last letter has given me a thousand consolations, and also to Madame N., to whom I have communicated it, having seen nothing in it which could not be shown to a lady of that kind, and one who cherishes you so holily. But I write to you in haste, as I must get ready a despatch for Burgundy.

My God! dearest daughter, what shall we say of these men who esteem so much the honour of this miserable world, and so little the beatitude of the other? I assure you that I have had strange troubles of heart, in thinking how near to eternal damnation this dear cousin was placed, and that your dear husband would have led him thither. Alas! what sort of friendship—to help to carry one another towards hell! We must pray God to make them see his holy light, and to have great compassion on them.

I see them truly with a heart full of pity, when I consider that they know that God merits to be preferred; and yet have not the courage to prefer him, when occasion requires, for fear of the words of the evil-minded.

Still, that your husband may not rot in his sin, and in the excommunication, I send him this note for confession and absolution. I pray God to send him the required contrition. Well, then, rest in peace; throw your heart and your wishes into the arms of the heavenly Providence, and may the Divine blessing be always amongst you. Amen.

B-II/25. To a Lady: The Saint consoles her in the illness of her daughter and blames the excessive love of mothers for their children.

Annecy, S. Dominic’s Day, 4th August, 1621.

Madam,—I honour you and your daughter extremely, and am very pleased to contribute all that I have for your mutual content. To her, please God, I will give my counsel apart; but to you I give it now, assuring myself that your good nature will take it in good part.

Madam, it is possible for any love, except the love of God, to be too strong, and when too strong it is dangerous: it excites the passions of the soul, because being a passion, and the mistress of the passions, it agitates and troubles the spirit. For it is a disturbing force, and finding order it disorders all the economy of our affections.

Well, must we not think that the love of mothers for their children may be the same? Yea, and the more readily because it seems lawful, having the passport of natural inclination, and the excuse of the goodness of the fond heart of mothers.

We speak of you pretty often, the good Father N. and I, and with respect and lovingness: yet,— pardon me, please,—but when he tells me the excitements and anxieties of your heart in regard of the illness of Madame de N., I cannot help thinking there is some excess. But now, if you find that I speak my mind too freely, and that I am wrong, what means of excusing myself can I find? At the same time I wish to lose nothing of your good will; for I too highly esteem it, and prize infinitely the heart from which it comes, and the spirit which gives it birth.

And, in general, I wish to say in a word that you have such power to move hearts, mine having felt the power of your spirit, and being quite subdued by it, that you have no need of help to move that of Madame de N. to whatever you please. I am sure that after the power of the Spirit of God, to which all must give way, yours will be in all cases the greatest. Live to God, Madam, and to the most Holy Trinity, in whom I am, yours, &c.

B-II/26. To a Religious of the Visitation: Same Subject.

13th December, 1621.

I pity this good lady extremely. Her nature is only too good, or rather her natural goodness is not sufficiently overcome by the supernatural in her. Alas! these poor earthly mothers do not sufficiently regard their children as the work of God, and too much as the children of their womb; they do not sufficiently regard them as children of eternal Providence, and too much as children of temporal birth, and as belonging to the service of the temporal order. But if I can, I will write to her now, if I have the least leisure. . . .

B-II/27. To a Lady: Parents ought to bless God when their children consecrate themselves to his service.

Your letter, which M. Crichant has given me, is a great comfort to me, my dearest daughter, making it easy to see that as I do not forget your heart, so yours does not forget mine.

You have truly cause to bless God for the inspiration which he gives to your daughter, choosing her for the better part in this mortal life. But, my child, we must do all things in their time. It is truly not I that have fixed the age at which women may become religious, but the Holy Council of Trent.

Believe me, my dearest daughter, if there is nothing extraordinarily urgent, keep quietly in obedience to the ordinary laws of the Church. Obedience is better than sacrifices.[17] It is a sort of obedience very agreeable to God to want no dispensation without great need. Our Lady asked no leave to bring forth before the time, nor to speak with our Lord before the age at which children are accustomed to speak.

Go on quietly, then, and all will turn to blessing, even for your own self: after the child God will open the door to the mother: and it is not forbidden to seethe, in the sacrifice, the mother sheep in the milk of her little one. On every occasion I will serve you very affectionately. You have no need of my help on these occasions, because God has left you the reverend Father Suffren and because these Sisters of the Visitation are so much obliged to your loving kindness. And as you have carpeted their oratory on the day of their entry into the new house, they should do much to carpet their monastery with your good affections, and with those of your dear daughter.

Recommend me to the mercy of God, and the goodness of his mother. Your most humble, &c.

B-II/28. To a Lady: The Saint congratulates her on her daughter’s entering the Carmelites.

I have heard from the mouth of dear M. Crichant the history of the entry and reception of your dear little daughter into the holy order of Carmelites, and how she passed from your maternal bosom, my dearest daughter, into that of the good Mother Magdalen of S. Joseph. I trust that this action will be blessed by the sweetness of him who loves speed in good designs and good executions, and who found fault with the prudence of that youth who wanted to go and bury his father before coming entirely to follow Jesus.

There is something a little extraordinary in the case of this child, and perhaps also in her reception, but it is no wonder that a needle free from grease, not distant, not rubbed with oil, not hindered by the diamond, should join itself so quickly and powerfully to its magnet. So then, blessed be God, my dearest daughter, behold your holocaust almost consumed before it is properly placed upon the altar. The Divine Majesty bless you more and more with his holy love, and also the heart of your dear husbnd, who so sweetly conspires with you in aspiring entirely after God, and respiring only in him. I am invariably, your, &c.

My heart is entirely dedicated to that of Mademoiselle de Verton, your dear sister, in which I have seen that God reigns: may it please his Divine Majesty, to reign there for ever.

B-II/29. To a Lady: Consolations on the illness of her husband.

17th February, 1620.

With you, my dearest daughter, there is no need of ceremony: for God having made my heart so strongly locked to yours, there is nothing between us, I think. This is to explain why I write to you only these two words, keeping my leisure to write to others whom I must answer.

But what are these two words? Humility and Patience. Yes, my very dear child, and ever, indeed, dearer child, you are surrounded with crosses so long as your dear husband is poorly: now sacred love will tell you that, in imitation of the great lover, you must be on the cross with humility, as unworthy to suffer anything for him who has suffered so much for us, and with patience, not wishing to come down from the cross till after death, if it so please the Eternal Father.

O, my dearest daughter, commend me to this Divine lover, crucified and crucifying, that he may crucify my love and all my passions, in order that I may no longer love any but him, who for the love of our love has willed to be painfully but lovefully crucified.

My brother De Boisy, your host, is going to be made bishop, to succeed me, Madame and His Most Serene Highness having so wished it, without my either directly or indirectly having had anything to do with it. This makes me hope for a little repose, to write something or other about the Divine Lover, and his love, and to prepare myself for eternity.

My dearest daughter, I am beyond comparison the very humble servant of yourself, and of your husband, and of M. C., but above all, of your dear soul, which may God bless. Amen.

B-II/30. To a Lady: Same subject as the preceding.

23rd October, 1620.

Truly, my dearest daughter, I could willingly love the maladies of your dear husband, if charity allowed, because I think them useful to you for the mortification of your affection and feelings. Well, then, leave it to be seen by the heavenly and eternal Providence of our Lord, whether they are for the good of your soul or of his, both being exercised as they are by means of holy patience. O, my child, how often the world calls good what is evil, and still oftener evil what is good. However, since that sovereign goodness which wills our troubles wills also that we ask of him deliverance from them, I beg it with all my heart to give back good and lasting health (santé) to this dear husband, and a very excellent and very lasting holiness (sainteté) to my dearest daughter, that she may walk steadily and fervently in the way of true and living devotion.

I am writing to the Visitation Mother (De Chantal). There seems to be illness everywhere, but illness which is a great good, as I hope. Let the good pleasure of the Divine Majesty ever be our pleasure and comfort in the adversities which come upon us. Amen.

B-II/31. To a Lady: Same subject.

So then, my dearest daughter, you are ever at the foot of the cross amidst tribulations, in the sickness of your dear husband. O, how precious are these pains which seem so hard! All the palaces of the heavenly Jerusalem, so brilliant, so lovely, so delightsome, are made of these materials, at least in man’s quarter; for in that of the angels the buildings are of another kind. Yet they are not so excellent; and if envy could reign in the kingdom of eternal love, the angels would envy men two excellences which consist in two sufferings: one is that which our Lord has borne on the cross for us, and not for them, at least not so entirely, the other is that which men endure for our Lord;—the sufferings of God for man, of man for God.

My dear daughter, if you do not make long prayers amidst your infirmities and those of your husband, make your sickness itself a prayer, offering it to him who has so loved our infirmities that, on the day of his nuptials and sacred joy, he crowned himself and glorified himself with them. Do thus.

Do not bind yourself to the same confessor, when to gain time it may be required to go to the first comer.

I am grieved that Madame de N. is so troubled; but as she loves God, all will work together to her unto good. We must leave to our sweet Lord the very loving disposition by which he often does us more good by troubles and afflictions than by happiness and consolation.

My dearest daughter, say not so much harm of your heart, for I love it so much that I do not like it to be so spoken of; it is not unfaithful, my dearest child, but it is a little weak sometimes, and a little drowsy. But, for the rest, it wishes to be all to God, I know well, and aspires to the perfection of heavenly love. God bless it then for ever, this heart of my dearest daughter, and give it the grace to be more and more humble. God be blessed!

B-II/32. To a Religious who had been Married: The Saint prepares her to accept with submission the death of her child.

We must await, my very dear mother, the result of this sickness as quietly as we can, with a perfect resolution to conform self to the Divine will in this loss, if absence for a little time should be called loss, which, God helping, will be made up by an eternal presence.

Ah! how happy is the heart which loves and cherishes the Divine will in all events! Oh! if once we have our hearts closely united to that holy and happy eternity! Go (we shall say to all our friends), go dear friends, go into that eternal existence, at the time fixed by the king of eternity; we shall go thither after you. And as this time is only given us for that purpose, and as the world is only peopled to people heaven, when we go there we do all that we have to do.

This is why, my mother, our old Fathers have so much admired the sacrifice of Abraham. What a father’s heart! And your holy countrywoman, the mother of St. Symphorian, with whose holy act I finish my book![18] O God, my mother, let us leave our children to the mercy of God, who has left his Son to our mercy. Let us offer to him the life of ours, as he has given for us the life of his. In general, we should keep our eyes fixed on the heavenly Providence, in whose dispensations we ought to acquiesce with all the humility of our heart.

We must be strong and constant near the cross and on the cross itself, if it please God to put us there. Blessed are the crucified, for they shall be glorified. Yes, my dearest mother, our heritage in this life is in the cross, and in the next it will be in glory.

My God! dearest mother, how I wish you perfection! And what courage have I, and what hope in that sovereign goodness, and in his Holy Mother, that your life will be all hidden with Christ in God[19]—to speak with our Lord. God bless you, and mark your heart with the eternal sign of his pure love! We must become, very humbly, saints, and spread everywhere the good and sweet odour of our charity. May God make us burn with his holy love, and despise all for that! May our Lord be the repose of our heart, and of our body! Every day I learn not to do my own will, and to do what I do not want. Rest in peace in the two arms of Divine Providence, and in the bosom of the protection of our Lady.

B-II/33. To a Lady: Consolation to a mother on the death of her son in childhood.

3rd January, 1613.

I assure you, dearest daughter, that your affliction has touched me deeply, being assured that it has been very severe; insomuch as your spirit, like that of the rest of men, not seeing the end and intention for which things happen, receives them not in the way they are, but in the way they are felt.

Behold, my dear child, your son is in safety, he possesses eternal happiness! there he is, saved and secured from the risk in which we see so many, of losing his soul. Tell me, I ask, might he not with age have become very wicked, might you not have suffered much pain from him as so many mothers suffer from theirs? For, my dear child, we often suffer pain from those from whom we least expect it; and see how God has withdrawn him from all these perils, and made him enjoy the triumph without the battle, and reap the fruits of glory without labour.

Do you not think, my dear daughter, that your vows and devotions are well fulfilled? You made them for him, but in order that he might stay with you in this vale of tears. Our Lord, who understands better what is good for us than we do, has heard your prayers in favour of the child for whom you made them, but at the sacrifice of the temporal satisfactions which you sought.

Truly I quite approve the confession you make, that it is for your sins that this child has departed, because it comes from humility: but all the same I do not consider that it is founded in truth. No, my dear child, it is not to punish you, but to favour this child, that God has saved him early. You have pain from this death, but the child has great gain from it, you have received temporal pain and the child eternal joy. At the end of our days, when our eyes are cleared, we shall see that this life is so trifling that we ought not to have pitied those who lost it soon: the shortest is the best, if it leads us to the eternal.

So then, behold your little child in heaven with the Angels and the Holy Innocents. He is grateful to you for the care you had of him during the little time he was in your charge, and specially for the devotions made for him: in exchange he prays God for you and pours forth a thousand desires over your life, that it may be more and more according to the will of God, and that so you may be able to gain the life which he enjoys. Remain then in peace, my dearest daughter, and keep your heart ever in heaven, where you have this fine (brave) little saint. Persevere in always wishing to love more faithfully the sovereign goodness of our Saviour; and I pray that he may be your consolation for ever. I am, without end, your must humble, very affectionate and faithful godfather and servant.

B-II/34. To a Lady: On the death of her son.

Annecy, 2nd December, 1619.

The father confessor of Sainte-Claire de Grenoble has just told me that you have been extremely ill, my dear daughter, after having seen the dear N. pass away, and that you have been healed of a great infirmity. I see amidst all this your well-beloved heart, which, with a great submission to the Divine Providence, says that all is good, since the fatherly hand of this supreme goodness has given all these blows.

O how happy is this child, to have flown to heaven like a little angel, after having but just touched the earth! What a pledge have you there above, my dearest daughter! But, I am sure, you will have treated heart to heart with our Saviour about this affair; and he will already have holily soothed the natural tenderness of your maternity, and you will already often have said with all your heart the filial words taught us by our Lord: Yes, eternal Father, for thus it has pleased thee to do, and it is good to be so.[20]

O my daughter, if you have done like this, you are happily dead in this Divine Saviour with this child, and your life is hidden with Christ in God; and when the Saviour shall appear who is your life, then shall you also appear with him in glory.[21] This is the way the Holy Spirit speaks in the Scriptures.

We share in the sufferings and death of those we love by this affection which holds us to them, and when they suffer and die in our Lord, and we acquiesce with patience in their sufferings for the sake of him who has willed to suffer and die for love of us, we suffer and die with them; all this well heaped up, my dearest child, is spiritual riches incomparable; and we shall know it one day, when, for these light labours, we shall see eternal rewards.

Yet, my dearest daughter, as you have willingly been ill, so long as God has wished it, be cured now in good earnest, as he wishes you to be. And I beg him ever, my dearest daughter, that we may be his, without reserve or exception, in health and in sickness, tribulation and prosperity, life and death, time and eternity. I salute your filial heart, and am your, &c.

B-II/35. To a Lady: Consolation on the death of her son. Example of our Lady at the foot of the Cross.

23rd August, 1619.

Having known your affliction, my dearest daughter, my soul has been touched by it according to the measure of the cordial love which God has given me for you: for I see you, it seems to me, greatly attacked by sorrow, as a mother separated from her only, and truly amiable son.

But I am sure you reflect well, and are quite convinced, that this separation is not of long duration, since we all are going, with great steps, thither, where this son finds himself in the arms, as we may hope, of the mercy of God. On this account you should assuage and soften, as far as is possible by reason, the sorrow which nature causes you.

But I speak to you with too much reserve, my dearest daughter. You have so long desired to serve God, and have so long been taught at the foot of the cross, that not only do you accept this cross patiently, but, I am sure, sweetly and amorously, for the sake of him who bore his unto death, and of her who having but an only Son, son of incomparable love, saw him with her eyes full of tears, and her heart full of grief (but grief sweet and gentle), for the salvation of you and of all, die upon the cross.

Finally, my dearest child, you are deprived and despoiled of the most precious garment you had. Bless the name of God who had given it you, and has taken it back, and his Divine Majesty will take the place of your child. As for me, I have already prayed to God for the departed, and will continue, according to the great desires I have for your soul, which I pray the eternal goodness of our Lord to make abound with blessings, and I am without reserve all yours, my dearest daughter, and your, &c.

B-II/36. To Madam, wife of President Brulart: Consolation on the death of a son who died in the Indies, in the King’s service.

21st May, 1615.

O how my soul suffers with your heart, my dearest mother! for I seem to see it, this poor mother’s heart, all clouded with an excessive trouble; and at the same time a trouble which we can neither blame nor think strange, when we consider how amiable was this son, whose second separation from us is the subject of our sorrow.

My dearest mother, it is true that this son was one of the most desirable that ever was: all those who knew him recognized it, and knew that it was so. But is not this a great part of the consolation which we should take now, my dearest mother? For, truly, it seems that those whose life is so worthy of memory and esteem still live after death, since one has such pleasure in recalling them, and in representing them to the minds of those who are living.

This son, my dearest mother, had already made a great separation from us, having voluntarily deprived himself of his native clime, to go to serve his God and his King in another and new world. His generosity had animated him to this; and yours had made you agree to so honourable a resolution, for which you had renounced the delight of ever seeing him again in this life, and there remained to you only the hope of letters from time to time. See then, my dearest mother, how he has, under the good pleasure of Divine Providence, departed from this other world to that which is the oldest and most desirable of all, and to which we must all go in our time, and where you will see him sooner than you would have done had he stayed in this new world amid the labours of the conquests which he was intending to make for his King and the Church.

In a word, he has ended his days in his duty and in the fulfilment of his oath. This sort of death is excellent, and you must not doubt that the great God has made it happy for him, as, from his cradle, he had continually favoured him with his grace to make him live in a most Christian manner. Console yourself then, my dearest mother, and comfort your mind, adoring the Divine Providence which does all very sweetly: and though the motives of his decrees are hidden from us, still the truth of his sweet goodness (débonnaireté) is certain to us, and obliges us to believe that he does all things in perfect kindness.

You are, as it were, on the eve of taking sail to go to where this dear child is. When you are there you would not wish him to be in the Indies; for you will see that he will be much better off with angels and saints than with tigers and barbarians. But while waiting the hour to sail, feed your maternal heart by the consideration of the most holy eternity in which he is, and which you are quite near. And instead of writing to him, sometimes speak to God for him, and he will quickly know all you want him to know, and will receive all the assistance that you will give him by your desires and prayers, as soon as you have made them and lodged them in the hands of his Divine Majesty.

Christians are very wrong to be so little Christian as they are, and to break so cruelly the laws of charity to obey those of fear; but, my dearest mother, you must pray to God for those who do this great evil, and apply that prayer to the soul of your departed. It is the most agreeable prayer we can make to him who made a like prayer on the cross, to which his most Holy Mother answered with all her heart, loving him with a very ardent charity.

You cannot think how this blow has struck my heart, for, in fine, he was my dear brother, and had loved me extremely. I have prayed for him, and will do so always, and for you, my dearest mother, to whom I wish to render all my life, in a special manner, honour and love on behalf also of this deceased brother, whose immortal friendship comes to beg me to be more and more your, &c.

B-II/37. To a Lady: We must not stretch our curiosity so far as to wish to know what is, after death, the fate of a person we have much loved.

My dearest Mother,—Having received your letter and message, I will tell you that I know distinctly the qualities of your heart, and above all its ardour and strength in loving and cherishing what it loves; it is this which makes you speak so much to our Lord of this dear departed, and which impels you to these desires of knowing where he is.

But, my dear mother, we must repress these longings which proceed from the excess of this amorous passion: and when you surprise your mind in this occupation, you must immediately, and even with vocal prayers, return to our Lord, and say to him this or the like: O Lord, how sweet is your providence! how good is your mercy! Ah! how happy is this child to have fallen into your fatherly arms, where he cannot but have good, wherever he is!

Yes, my dear mother: for you must take great care to think of no other place than Paradise or Purgatory; thank God, there is no cause to think otherwise. Draw back, then, thus your mind, and afterwards turn it to actions of love towards our Lord crucified.

When you recommend this child to the Divine Majesty, say to him simply: Lord, I recommend to you the child of my womb: but much more the child of your mercy, born of my blood, but born again of yours. And then pass on; for if you permit your soul to amuse itself with this object, adapted and agreeable to its senses and to its inferior and natural powers, it will never be willing to tear itself away; and under pretence of prayers of piety, it will give itself up to certain natural complacencies and satisfactions, which will deprive you of the time for employing yourself

with the supernatural and sovereign object of your love. You must certainly moderate these ardours of natural affection, which only serve to trouble our mind and distract our heart.

So, then, now, my dearest mother, let us withdraw our mind into our heart, and bring it to its duty of loving God most solely: and let us allow it no frivolous self-busying, either about what passes in this world or what passes in the other; but having served out to creatures what we owe them of love and charity let us refer all to that primary, mastering love which we owe to our Creator, and let us conform ourselves to his Divine will. I am, very affectionately, my dear mother, your most faithful and affectionate child, &c.

B-II/38. To a Lady: On the too great fear of death.

7th April, 1617.

Madam,—On this first opportunity which I have of writing to you, I keep my promise, and present you some means for softening the fear of death which gives you such great terrors in your sicknesses and child-bearings: in this there is no sin, but still there is damage to your heart, which cannot, troubled by this passion, join itself so well by love with its God, as it would do if not so much tormented.

1°. Then, I assure you, that if you persevere in the exercise of devotion, as I see you do, you will find yourself, by little and little, much relieved of this torment; so that your soul, thus exempt from evil affections, and uniting itself more and more with God, will find itself less attached to this mortal life, and to the empty satisfactions which it gives.

Continue, then, the devout life, as you have begun, and go always from well to better in the road in which you are; and you will see that after some time these errors will grow weak, and will not trouble you so much.

2°. Exercise yourself often in the thoughts of the great sweetness and mercy with which God our Saviour receives souls in their death, when they have trusted themselves to him in their life, and have tried to serve and love him, each one in his vocation. How good art thou, Lord, to them that are of a right heart.

3°. Often lift up your heart by a holy confidence, mingled with a profound humility towards our Redeemer; saying: I am miserable, Lord, and you will receive my misery into the bosom of your mercy, and you will draw me, with your paternal hand, to the enjoyment of your inheritance. I am frail, and vile, and abject: but you will love me in that day, because I have hoped in you, and have desired to be yours.

4°. Excite in yourself as much as possible the love of Paradise and of the celestial life, and make some considerations on this subject, which you will find sufficiently marked in the Introduction to the Devout Life, in the meditations on the glory of heaven and the choice of Paradise: for in proportion as you esteem eternal happiness, will you have less fear for leaving this mortal and perishable life.

5°. Read no books or parts of books in which death, and judgment, and hell, are spoken of: for, thanks to God, you have quite resolved to live in a Christian manner, and have no need to be pushed to it by motives of terror and fear.

6°. Often make acts of love towards our Lady, the Saints, and the Angels: make yourself familiar with them, often addressing them words of praise and love; for having much intercourse with the citizens of the divine, heavenly Jerusalem, it will trouble you less to quit those of the earthly or lower city of the world.

7°. Often adore, praise and bless the most holy death of our Lord crucified, and place all your trust in his merit, by which your death will be made happy, and often say: O divine death of my sweet Jesus, thou shalt bless mine and it shall be blessed; I bless thee and thou shalt bless me. O death more dear than life! Thus St. Charles, in his last illness had placed in his sight the picture of Christ’s Tomb, and of his prayer in the garden, to console himself in this article of death by the death and passion of his Redeemer.

8°. Reflect sometimes, how that you are daughter of the Church, and rejoice in this; for the children of this mother who are willing to live according to her laws always die happily; and as says the blessed Mother (St.) Teresa, it is a great consolation at death to have been a child of Holy Church.

9°. Finish all your prayers in hope, saying: Lord, thou art my hope, my soul trusteth in thee.[22] My God, who hath hoped in thee and hath been confounded?[23] In thee, O Lord, have I hoped, let me never be confounded.[24] In your ejaculatory prayer during the day and in receiving the Blessed Sacrament, use always words of love and hope towards our Lord, such as: You are my Father, O Lord! O God! you are the Spouse of my soul, the King of my love and the well beloved of my soul. O good Jesus! you are my dear master, my help, my refuge.

10°. Consider often that the persons whom you love most, and to be separated from whom would trouble you, are the persons with whom you will be eternally in heaven: for instance, your husband, your little John, your father: Oh! this little boy, who will be, God helping, one day happy in that eternal life, in which he will enjoy my happiness, and rejoice over it; and I shall enjoy his, and rejoice over it, and we shall never more be separated! So of your husband, your father, and others. You will find it all the more easy because all your dearest serve God and fear him. And because you are a little melancholy, see in the Introduction what I say of sadness and the remedies against it.

Here, my dear lady, you have what I can say on this subject for the present. I say it to you with a heart very affectionate towards yours, which I beg to love me and to recommend me often to the Divine mercy, as in return I will not cease to pray it to bless you. Live happy and joyous in heavenly love, and I am your, &c.

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[1] The Introduction.

[2] Introd. ii. 10.

[3] Cant. 1:1,2.

[4] Mat. 25:36.

[5] Ps. 118:32.

[6] 1. Cor. 7:24.

[7] Acts, 9:6.

[8] Of Puy d’Orbe.

[9] Gal. 2:20.

[10] Luke 22:42.

[11] John 4:42.

[12] Ps. 132:2.

[13] Cant. 1:12.

[14] Rom. 14:8.

[15] It must be noticed here that the Saint is not stating his general doctrine about balls, but saying that a certain lady, a most intimate friend of S. Chantal, might lawfully take her daughter to assemblies of which he knew the exact character. His general doctrine is given in the 33. rd Chapter of the 3^rd Part of the Introduction, which he thus sums up in the Preface to the Amour: “In that passage I have declared the extreme peril of dances.”—(Translator’s Note.)

[16] The allusion is, perhaps, to some reminder of the presence of God.

[17] 1. Kings, 15:22.

[18] The Introduction.

[19] Col. 3:3.

[20] Matt. 11:26.

[21] Col. 3:3, 4.

[22] Ps. 56:2.

[23] Ecclus 2:11.

[24] Ps. 30:1.

Chapters