Letter (number unidentified). To Diego Ortiz, Salamanca, May 27, 1571

On the Masses to be sung at Toledo.

JESUS ! May the grace of the Holy Spirit ever be with you! Amen.

YOU show me so much kindness and charity by writing to me that, even had your last letter been far more severe, I should have been well repaid and under the obligation of serving you afresh. You say that you sent me the one brought by Fray Mariano to explain the reasons of your request. I realise their value, which you know so well how to enhance that my objeólions would avail but little. Therefore I shall not defend myself by argument, but like those who plead a bad cause, shall appeal to arbitration and leave you to decide as to whether you are not bound rather to favour your daughters the nuns, who are orphans and minors, than the chaplains. For in fad:, the convent and its inmates are more to you than the priests who, as you say, are more anxious to celebrate Mass quickly than with devotion.

It is most kind of you to agree with me about Vespers — a question about which I could not have yielded. As for the rest, I am writing to the Mother-Prioress' telling her to obey your orders and enclosing your letter. Perhaps we shall gain most by leaving the decision entirely to you and

Señor Alonso Alvarez/ Arrange it between you. I send him my kindest regards and am very sorry to hear he is suffering with a pain in his side. We are praying here for him, for your wife, and those little angels, whom may God make His own and protect !

The other thing which I fear would be very trying and burdensome for the nuns is the obligation of singing vour Mass before High Mass on a feast-day, especially if there were a sermon; indeed, I do not know how it could be done. It could matter little to you if the feast-day Mass were the conventual one, and the chaplain said a low Mass for you shortly before it. There are but few such days — will you not give up your own wishes a little on this point to oblige me, although the feast-day should be one you do not keep ? Remember that it would make no difference to you, but would be a mercy to the nuns, a good work, and a great favour to me.

After the letter to our Father General had been sent, I reflected that it need not have gone, for anything settled by the Father Visitor would be much more decisive, standing on a par with the decrees of the Roman Pontiff which no General or general chapter can revoke. The Father Visitor is very capable and learned, and you would like dealing with him. I expe¿l him here this spring without fail on his visitation. He could then settle authoritatively whatever you require, as I would ask of him. I will submit to whatever you may consider will make the agreement stable, and will do everything possible to oblige you. I regret that I am not at Toledo so that I could shew my goodwill in person.

I beg the Señora Doña Francisca Ramirez to pray for me. The fever has left me, glory be to God! You can write in whatever manner you choose to me, as I know the friendly feeling which inspires your words. The only thing that could pain me would be to give you pain, which I should be very loth to do myself or to see done by any one in this house. Nothing you have said, or could say, would hurt my feelings.

May God grant you all the spiritual blessings I ask of Him and may He ever have you in His keeping!

To-day is the Sunday after the Ascension. Your unworthy servant,

Teresa de Jesus.

XXXIII

Profession of St. Teresa at St. 'Joseph's Co7ivent Avila, July 13, 1571.'

I TERESA de Jesus, nun of our Lady of Mount , Carmel, professed in the convent of the Incarnation, Avila, am at present in St. Joseph's, Avila, where the primitive Rule is observed. I have kept

' The original is in St. Teresa's handwriting. While in Spain, Rubeo had received her back into the obedience of the Order, but Pedro Hernandez had just made a law that all religious who passed from the Mitigated to the Reformed should first renounce the Mitigated Rule. St. Teresa now left the jurisdiction of the Bishop of this Rule until now by permission of our most Reverend Father General, Fray Juan Baptista, who has also given me leave to observe it at the convent of the Incarnation to which the superiors (of the Order) have bidden me return. It is my will to observe this primitive Rule all my life, as I promise to do, and I renounce all Briefs granted by the supreme Pontiffs for its mitigation. By our Lord's help, I intend and promise to keep it until my death, to attest the truth of which I sign this declaration with my name.

Written on July 13, 1571.

Teresa de Jesus, Carmelite. Witnesses :

The Master Daza — Fray Mariano de Sto. Benedicto — Francisco de Salcedo — Fray Juan de la Miseria — Julian Davila.

Avila for that of the Superiors of the Order by becoming a nun of the Salamanca convent in obedience to Fray Pedro Hernandez. On August 31, 1577, Father Gracian, as Commissary, assigned her as a member of the community of St. Joseph's convent, Avila, in which she was to be buried. This was at the request of Bishop Alvaro de Mendoza who wished his bones to rest beside hers, and had obtained a papal Brief authorising him to have his tomb in the convent chapel. He lies there now, but her body is at Alba. (See Miner fVor'ks.)

The statements made by the witnesses in the lawsuit brought for the restoration of the Saint's body to Avila, are given in Relaciones Biográficas inéditas de Santa Teresa de Jesús by D. José Gomez Centurion. Madrid, 191 6.