IT IS SCARCELY necessary to say that the “Letters” of St. Francis de Sales were published after his death, and that therefore the following selection from them was not made by the Saint himself. It has been made for the benefit of those who have not leisure to study the whole body of his correspondence, which extends to many volumes. Various editions have appeared under the title “Letters to Persons in the World;”—we have adopted that of Eugène Veuillot,[1] which is founded on the recent and authentic texts, and is further recommended by his personal piety and well-known literary taste. His principle of division, according to the class of persons addressed, we accept when carried out in his broad spirit. The two books of “Various Letters” might have been somewhat better arranged, and here and there a letter might have profitably been substituted for the one actually chosen. But we have not let the question of such slight possible improvements weigh against the great advantage the reader will enjoy of being able to consult with facility that original text, every word of which is penetrated with the unction of the Saint’s style. The only aim of our translation is to bring readers as close to this as the differences of the two languages will allow, and in this view we have not hesitated to risk occasionally the sacrifice of some minor propriety of English expression.
This may be considered the first appearance in our language of the letters of St. Francis. A few of them may be found forming part of an excellent little work called “Practical Piety;” but they are condensed and curtailed. We mention, only to condemn, a book professing to be “A Selection from the Spiritual Letters of St. Francis de Sales,” published by Rivingtons. This does not contain true letters of a grand Doctor of the Catholic Church, but what an Anglican lady thinks proper to give after exercising her private theological and literary judgment upon them. They are utterly untrustworthy.[2] Our own translation has been executed under the close correction of eminent theologians.
We venture to refer such of our readers as desire information concerning some of the persons addressed in the letters, and the place these writings hold in the teaching of the Saint, to an article on the “Works” of St. Francis in the Dublin Review for July, 1882. Fuller information will be found in the “Vie de S. François de Sales,” by M. Hamon, Curé of S. Sulpice.
-------------------------
[1] “Lettres de S. François de Sales à des Gens du Monde.” Par M. Eugène Veuillot. Paris: Palmé. 1865. Price 5. s. (Of Messrs. Burns and Oates.)
[2] Here are a few examples, chosen at hazard, of the misrepresentations that abound in this volume. She makes St. Francis utter the absurdity and heresy that, “Even in good actions or in faults one should strive to remain passive” (p. 356. ). She translates ‘(Passages of Scripture) necessary for the establishment of the faith;” by “important for the confirmation of the faith” (186. ). Where he speaks of “that infâme Rabelais,” she says simply “Rabelais.” So she omits the word “infallible” in a most important passage. She always omits the lists of spiritual authors given by St. Francis, and his teaching on many points of the spiritual life (such as the use of the discipline, devotion to the Saints, &c.). She shortens at her own fancy; reducing, for instance, by two-thirds the last letter of Book III., on a rule of life, and liberty of spirit, which is perhaps the grandest of all the Saint’s letters.
Books | Quotes | 27 Volumes | Pictures | Videos | Audio Books | Articles | Prayers