Letter 1143. To Mother Marie Jacqueline Favre

To Mother Marie Jacqueline Favre, Superior of the Second Monastery of Paris. Annecy, 17 February, 1632. Vive >& Jésus |!

My dearest Daughter,—President Flocard has returned. You have both satisfied and edified him. God be praised that you are now free from pain! I hope you will do everything in your power to preserve your health. Most earnestly do I beg of you to take care of yourself. I cannot help wishing that it may be pleasing to God that you should do this just as I myself do, and even more. My daughter the Mistress of Novices writes to me that you will not take [remedies]; but I think it must be her affection that makes her speak in this way, for you cannot be in a state to follow the common life—in fact, you must not do so. I think you will be ordered to eat meat in Lent, and if so you should obey simply without making any difficulty.

The letter of the gentleman which you mention 4 gave me much pleasure, so great candour, goodness, and simplicity does it manifest. This is all the more wonderful in a person of his condition. But I never felt more worried than just after I had replied to it, for, methought, my

1M. Noél Brulart, Commander de Sillery, French ambassador successively to the courts of Spain and of Rome. He retired from the world in 1632. M. Brulart had the courage of his convictions, and, distinguished diplomatist though he was, when they were in question he never sacrificed his freedom of speech. Upon one occasion, on his return from Ratisbon, where he had concluded a treaty, according to the instructions of the French minister, with the Emperor’s ambassador, Richelieu unexpectedly disapproved of it, whereupon M. Brulart’s freedom of speech nearly cost him his head: for, quitting the Cardinal in warmth, the minister followed him to the door, and, passing his hand over the other’s neck, observed that ‘ Brulart was a fine fellow, and it would be a pity to divide the head from the body.’—-Disraeli: Curiosities of Literature, vol. ii, p. 352.

answer was unsuitable. I really hardly know what I said to him. I could not find matter in his letter for a definite answer, inasmuch as he asks my advice without telling me anything in particular. However, I have written most willingly, but if you think what I said unsuitable, you will oblige me very much by keeping my letter back and writing for me a fitting reply. As he does not know my handwriting it will be all one to him. Judging by the spirit manifested in his letter he does not, I should say, need anything that I can give him, though his humility makes him desire it. If he is still only beginning in the way of God, I think he will draw more profit from you than from me, because of the confidence he has in you and his great esteem for you, and also because I am very ignorant as to anything that has not to do with the daughters of the Visitation. Iam so tired with always doing the same thing for such a length of time that I really would like no one ever to consult me about anything else except what concerns the Institute. For the rest, dearest daughter, you have given great pleasure to the Princess of Carignan by obtaining permission for her to enter your monastery. She is of quite a nice nature, but by no means devout. I wish her good Angel would inspire her to come back, for it would be well for her to do so. See, I beg of you, that she gets the letter we shall write to her, as also to Madame de Nemours, who in one of hers expresses so much joy and consolation at coming here. ... [Several lines effaced.]

When sending us the depositions of our Blessed Father please send also the papers and notes which were given to the Rev. Pére Goulu.

My very dear daughter, I must, three or four weeks after Easter, go to see our sisters of Rumilly. It is a year since they asked me and since the bishop desired me to go. And I must also go to our sisters of Chambéry, who want me to help them to choose a site for building; so I should be glad if you would be so kind as to find out if his Lordship of Bourges will be here directly after Easter, or if three or four weeks will have passed before his arrival. Get to know this tactfully, without telling him my plans, for on no account would I delay for one moment the affairs of our Blessed Father.

My poor, dearest grande fille, I bethink me that my miserable little heart is every day more closely united to your wholly good and spotless heart, which I feel to be all mine. Verily do I long for the pure and holy love of our ' Saviour to reign there. May His sweet goodness grant this in the measure decreed by His eternal designs. Again I tell you this good gentleman’s letter was so full of sweetness and simplicity that he has already quite won my heart. But I do not believe that I can be of any use to him whatever.