Letter XXXVI. To Madam, wife of President Brulart

Consolation on the death of a son who died in the Indies, in the

King's service.

21st May, 1615.

O how my soul suffers with your heart, my dearest mother! for I seem to see it, this poor mother's heart, all clouded with an excessive trouble; and at the same time a trouble which we can neither blame nor think strange, when we consider how amiable was this son, whose second separation from us is the subject of our sorrow.

My dearest mother, it is true that this son was one of the most desirable that ever was: all those who knew him recognized it, and knew that it was so. But is not this a great part of the consolation which we should take now, my dearest mother? For, truly, it seems that those whose life is so worthy of memory and esteem still live after death, since one has such pleasure in recalling them, and in representing them to the minds of those who are living.

This son, my dearest mother, had already made a great separation from us, having voluntarily deprived himself of his native clime, to go to serve his God and bis King in another and new world. His generosity had animated him to this; and yours had made you agree to so honourable a resolution, for which you had renounced the delight of ever seeing him again in this life, and there remained to you only the hope of letters from time to time. See then, my dearest mother, how he has, under the good pleasure of Divine Providence, departed from this other world to that which is the oldest and most desirable of all, and to which we must all go in our time, and where you will see him sooner than you would have done had he stayed in this new world amid the labours of the conquests which he was intending to make for his King and the Church.

In a word, he has ended his days in his duty and in the fulfilment of his oath. This sort of death is excellent, and you must not doubt that the great God has made it happy for him, as, from his cradle, he had continually favoured him with his grace to make him live in a most Christian manner. Console yourself then, my dearest mother, and comfort your mind, adoring the Divine Providence which does all very sweetly: and though the motives of his decrees are hidden from us, still the truth of his sweet goodness (debonnairete) is certain to us, and obliges us to believe that he does all things in perfect kindness.

You are, as it were, on the eve of taking sail to go to where this dear child is. When you are there you would not wish him to be in the Indies; for you will see that he will be much better off with angels and saints than with tigers and barbarians. But while waiting the hour to sail, feed your maternal heart by the consideration of the most holy eternity in which he is, and which you are quite near. And instead of writing: to him, sometimes speak to God for him, and he will quickly know all you want him to know, and will receive all the assistance that you will give him by your desires and prayers, as soon as you have made them and lodged them in the hands of his Divine Majesty.

Christians are very wrong to be so little Christian as they are, and to break so cruelly the laws of charity to obey those of fear: but, my dearest mother, you must pray to God for those who do this great evil, and apply that prayer to the soul of your departed. It is the most agreeable prayer we can make to him who made a like prayer on the cross, to which his most Holy Mother answered with all her heart, loving him with a very ardent charity.

You cannot think how this blow has struck my heart, for, in fine, he was my dear brother, and had loved me extremely. I have prayed for him, and will do so always, and for you, my dearest mother, to whom I wish to render all my life, in a special manner, honour and love on behalf also of this deceased brother, whose immortal friendship comes to beg me to be more and more your, &c.