Letter XVIII. To the Same.* the Excellence of Acknowledging One's Imperfections

iSth December 1615. [?]

YES, yes, in God's name, my dear granddaughter; I know well what your heart has been towards me — but do you not want me to take the time and the season for planting therein the plants of most excellent virtues, whose fruit is everlasting? I have no leisure, but I tell you in truth that your letter has embalmed my soul with so sweet a perfume that for a long time I had read nothing which had given me so perfect a consolation. And I say again, my dear daughter, that this letter has given me fresh movements of love towards God, who is so good, and towards yourself whom he wants to make so good, for which I am truly obliged to render thanks to his divine Providence. It is thus, my daughter, that we must in good earnest put our hands into the folds of our hearts, in order to tear out the foul productions which our self-love breeds therein by means of our humours, inclinations, and aversions.

• The older editions of the French text put simply " To a Sister of the Visitation." Letter XXI. has the same date as this letter. [Tr.]

What a satisfaction to a most loving father's heart to hear that of his most beloved daughter confess that she has been envious and malicious! How blessed is this envy, since it is followed by so sincere a confession! Your hand, when it wrote your letter, performed a braver deed than ever did that of Alexander. Do then, by all means, what your heart has proposed. Do not distress yourself about what has happened; but simply, humbly, lovingly, confidently, reunite your spirit to that of this amiable soul, who, I am sure, will thereby receive a thousand consolations. 0 my daughter, it is a great part of our perfection to support one another in our imperfections; for in what can we practise love of our neighbour save in this support? My daughter, she will love you, and you will love her, and God will love you all. And as for me, my dear daughter, you will love me also, since God so wills, and consequently gives me a perfect love of your soul, which I coujure to go from good to better, and from better to better, in the acquiring of virtues. Walk courageously and with heart upraised. Vive Jesus! Amen.