Letter 6. To Doña Luisa de la Cerda, Andalusia, May 27, 1568

The Saint consoles her in her trials. Alonso de Cabria, the chaplain, and Carleval. Establishment of a small school at Malagon. Pressitig request to send the Life' to Blessed John of Avila. Death of the Duchess of Medina.

Jesus be with your Ladyship !

TO-DAY, the feast of the Ascension, the licentiate gave me your letter. When I heard that it had come I felt very anxious until I had read it, not knowing what might be the contents. Thank God, you, Don Juan, and all my friends are well!

Do not let the rest trouble you — yet though I say so, I was troubled about it myself. I told the licentiate that he had behaved badly and he seemed very much ashamed of himself, but he certainly does not know what he wants to do. On the one hand, he wishes to be of service to you, of which he says he is very desirous as in truth he is, while on the other hand, he has not the energy. He is inclined to melancholia like Alonso de Cabria. But how contrary things are in this world ! He who could serve you does not want to, and I, who want to, cannot! We mortals have to pass through worse trials than this, yet we never realise what the world is or wish to leave it. 1 am not surprised at your Ladyship's feeling unhappy. I have always been sure that you would have much to suffer, for you are unfitted by character to agree with every one. But since the matter concerns God's service, bear all patiently, and seek the Friend Who will not leave you solitary. No one here takes umbrage at your departure; on the contrary, people pity you. Try not to let your thoughts dwell on the subject; remember that your health is of importance to us. Mine has been exceedingly bad during the last few days, and would have been worse but for the comforts you had provided for me in this house. 1 needed them, for the heat on the journey so increased the pain I had when you were at Mala-gon ¡that the dod:ors were obliged to bleed me twice when I arrived at Toledo. The pain in my head and shoulders prevented my being able to move in bed, and later on I took medicine. This has been the cause of my delay, which will have lasted a week to-morrow, as I arrived on Friday. I shall leave feeling very much weakened, having lost a great deal of blood; still, I am well.

I have been very lonely without my dear lady and friend. May it all conduce to the service of God ! Your servants and Reolin have treated me exceedingly well. I have been delighted at the way you have provided for my comfort here while you were far away: I earnestly beg God to bless you. I start on the journey well, but exhausted. The parish priest at Malagon' is to take charge of me; I am unspeakably indebted to him. Alonso de Cabria has made such friends with your steward that he did not wish to accompany me because he said the steward would miss him greatly. As I was in very good company and he arrived tired from his last journey, I did not insist. I must inform you that the steward does his work exceedingly well : people say they could not have believed it. Alonso de Cabria and the rest never cease singing his praises and Señor Hernando is also extremely pleased with him.

Carleval has gone: I believe he will not return. They say that our Lord chose Alonso de Cabria to work for the convent at Mai agon, and that the hospital should pay the expenses, which is right, for Carleval's brother has come.' I assure you that I am delighted to leave him in charge, for, with the exception of Father Paul, I do not know of any direilor so capable. It has been a great blessing.

He has reached a high degree of prayer, of which he has had much experience. He is very well satisfied, but you ought to provide him with a small house. As I have already written all this to you from Malagon, I will say no more. I hear great things about the Padre of whom I have been speaking.

The sisters are highly contented. We have arranged to leave a woman here who is very theattne and who will receive her meals from the convent, for as we must bestow an alms, let it be this. She will teach the little girls needlework gratis, at the same time instructing them in Christian dod:rine and practical religion which will be very useful work. Father Carleval has sent for a boy and for Huerna (as they call him) to serve the nuns: he and the parish priest will teach them doctrine. I trust in God that great good will result. In faól, I am thoroughly satisfied, as you too should be.

Believe me, my absence will be no drawback to the fervour of the house, the nuns being already such good religious that, with such a confessor as the parish priest who will not negled: them, I trust God that they will make progress every day, as I have no doubt they will.

As regards the other chaplain, there is no one who will ask him not to celebrate the Masses.

Would you kindly see that some one speaks to him about it. Father Paul is looking about for some one who will undertake to do so, but I should not like you to omit it. The steward says he will find the chaplain a place where he will be much better off, but as he has to comfort him, he does not like to mention the matter. I beg of you to do so also.

The third part of the payment has been made to the licentiate by Miranda. Will you kindly say who is to repay him lest the devil play some trick to make us lose such a man, as the evil one will if he can, knowing well what harm the licentiate will do him. Be sure of this and prevent the plot's succeeding. I have been so busy all day that they would not let me take charge of the matter; it is now late at night and I feel very worn out.

I am taking with me the saddle from the castle (I beg your Ladyship not to be vexed), and another good one that I bought here. I know you will be glad if I use it on my journeys, as it was useless here, and I shall at least travel with something that was yours. God grant I may come back on it ! If not I will send it as soon as you return.

As I told you in the letter I left at Malagon, I think the devil is scheming to prevent Master Avila from seeing my manuscript. I hope he will not die before reading it, which would be a great misfortune. I entreat your Ladyship, as you are so near him, to send it carefully sealed, by one of your messengers, to the Master Avila, with a strong letter of recommendation. He wishes to read it and will do so as soon as possible.

Father Dominic has written asking me to forward the manuscript to him by express messenger dired:ly I reach Avila. I am sorry, for I do not know how to decide because, as I told you, it would harm me greatly if certain persons were aware of it. For the love of our Lord, lose no time about it !

Keep up your courage when you travel through these strange countries; remember how our Lady and our Father St. Joseph journeyed to Egypt. I return by Escalona where the Marchioness '° is now staying. She sent for me. I answered that your Ladyship had provided for my journey so that I need not trouble her for help, but that I would travel by that route. I shall not stop more than half a day if I can help it: I only go there because Fray Garcia" earnestly begged me to, saying he had promised I should, and it is not out of my road.

Señor Don Hernando and Doña Anna have called on me, besides Don Pedro Nino, Doña Margarita, and other friends. I have seen many other callers, which has tired me extremely.

The members of your household are exceedingly recolledted and live in great seclusion. I beg of you to write to the Lady Superior; you realise now how much you owe her. Although she has sent me presents I have not seen her, having been in bed most of the time. I must visit the Mother Prioress' to-morrow, as she is very urgent about it.

I should not like to announce the death of the Duchess of Medina to you unless you have already heard of it, as doubtless you will have done when you receive this letter. I hope you will not let it grieve you. God has shown mercy to all who loved her, and still more to her, by taking her so soon, for one would a thousand times have preferred that she should die than live with the illness from which she suffered. She was so holy that she will live for all eternity. You and I shall join her, and this makes me resigned to be deprived of such a blessing. I kiss the hands of all my Señoras, as Antonia" does those of your ladyship. Remember me specially to Don Juan, for whom I pray a great deal. May His Majesty keep you in His care on my behalf and ever preserve you ! Now, as I am very tired I will say no more. Your unworthy servant and dependent,

Teresa de Jesus, Carmelite.

' Probably the Prioress of the Jeronymlte nuns at Toledo, to whom the Saint afterwards gave letters of fraternity.

'Antonia of the Holy Ghost (de Henao), the first of the four orphans who took the habit on the foundation day of St. Joseph's, Avila. She afterwards became Sub-Prioress at Valladolid and was

They have already given the permission to our 'eternal Father'.'" I am sorry in one way, yet in another I see that God desires it, and wishes you to suffer alone. The Father will write to you when he can find a messenger. I am giving his letter to Doña Francisca, warning her to be most careful of it. If I can find a bearer, I will write again from Avila. I forgot to mention that our Father has found a nun who is very well educated and who pleases him in other wavs. She has but two hundred ducats, still, as there are so very few nuns and their needs are extremely pressing because the convent is only just started, I advised them to receive her. I prefer that to having foolish persons as nuns, and if I could find another like her I should admit no more. God be with you, my dear lady; I do not like ending my letter, nor do I know how I can go so far away from one thus dear to me, to whom I am so deeply indebted.

' Probably Fray Paul Hernandez, so styled by the Saint on account of his gravity.