Letter 786. To the same

To the same. Vive" wu Jésus | [Annecy] 8 June [1627]. Oh! my very dear Daughter,—If we are true servants of God we must be prepared to accept contradictions and persecutions, however bitter they may be. The calumny about the poor grande fille is a cruel one, but, thank God, it has neither foundation nor truth, and it gives us an opportunity of putting in practice the words of our good God: “Blessed are ye when they shall revile you and persecute you and speak all that is evil against you untruly for My sake. Be glad and rejoice’ 1—and this I see you and the grande fille are doing. I bless God forit. She tells me that she has not had even a first movement of annoyance on account of all that has been said and done against her and the poor foundation of Bourg. There is no doubt about it she is misunderstood, for I know her to be most humble and dependent on God. In her letter she says that she enjoys an extraordinary sense of peace in the midst of this persecution, and that during it you have been showing her the greatest kindness. You must see to it that she is kept there until the house is thoroughly established. However, the Bishop of Geneva does not intend to leave her there for any length of time, and will oblige us to withdraw her sooner than we should have wished. The reasons for this you will see in the enclosed letter I have written to her.

As to yourself, my dearest daughter, we very much want the first monastery, and the second if it is founded, to leave you free once your term of office is completed, as we need you—in fact, you are indispensable to us for other houses. I hope those good souls whom you have guided with so much care will faithfully preserve the spirit of our holy Founder. God has given it to them through you, and I trust they will inherit, or rather, I should say, treasure up your virtuous desires, your maxims, and your methods, and adhere to them always and everywhere. May they ever keep up the true and affectionate union which God has put into your hearts one for another. But we shall meet between this and then, God willing, and speak of this with fuller consideration.

My Sister de Vigny and your confessor wished me to write to M. Mesnard. I have done so, and all I said to him I said with sincerity; but I concealed the fact that I knew what had taken place, because it is premature to speak of it. If it must be spoken of, it should be in his presence.

' Have no fear: I shall not let anyone see your letters. But, I beg of you, when you have the opportunity speak out once for all to those who you think ought to know, and let the truth be known about your proceedings and ours, and especially about the grande fille, who never wanted to go about of her own accord. When she went to Montferrand it was by command of our Blessed Father, and, as you know, it was the same with other places. As for me, my daughter, well, I think they have let me off too lightly! However, you will see the truth and my opinion in my letter to Sister de Vigny. I salute, etc.