Preface

This little book contains the Conversations and Letters of one Nicholas Herman of Lorraine, a lowly bom and unlearned man; who, after having been a soldier and a footman, was admitted a lay-brother among the Carmelites Déchaussés (bare-footed) at Paris in 1 6 66, where he served in the kitchen of the community. He was afterwards known by the name of Brother Lawrence. He died in February 1691, at the advanced age of eighty, after a life the true saintliness of which can be well realised from these col-., lected Conversations and Letters.

The former, which are prefixed, are supposed to have been written by M. Beaufort, Grand Vicar to Cardinal de Noailles, Archbishop of Paris, sometime Bishop of Chalons, by whose recommendation they were published.

This translation of the Conversations and Letters of Brother Lawrence has been compared with the French of the original edition of 1692, and such alterations have been made as conduce to bring out more clearly the meaning.

The dates have been given, wherever practicable, and a strict chronological order has been observed.

The additional matter consists of the Seventh Letter, which has not been included in former translations, and a rendering of part of the preface to the original edition of 1692. H. G

FROM THE PREFACE TO THE ORIGINAL EDITION

ALTHOUGH death has carried off last year many of the Order of the Carmelites Déchaussés, brethren who have left in dying rare legacies of lives of virtue, Providence, it would seem, has desired that the eyes of men should be cast chiefly on Brother Lawrence, and has made his death the occasion of showing forth the merit of this holy man, who all his life had studied to avoid the gaze of men, and whose saintliness is only fully seen now that he is dead

Several persons having seen a copy of one of his letters, have desired to see more; and to meet this wish, care has been taken to collect as many as possible of those which Brother Lawrence wrote with his own hand.

These letters are so edifying, so rich in unction, and have been found so full of delight by those who have had the joy of reading them, that the first readers have desired not to be alone in profiting by them. It is at 6