Letter XV. To Madame de Chantal

Praise of a future lay-sister of the Visitation: spirit of that Order.

November 1609.

YOUR Anne Jacqueline pleases me more and more. The last time she went to confession she asked leave, in order to prepare herself to be a religious, to fast on bread and water in Advent, and to go barefoot all the winter. O my daughter! I must tell you what I answered her, for I consider it as good for the mistress as for the servant, — that I should like the daughters of our congregation to have the feet well shod, but the heart bare and naked of terrestrial affections; to have their heads properly covered, and their soul all un covered by a perfect simplicity and an offstripping of their own will.